Ripsaw (and Blade) to be removed?

[JustWill]

This is NOT based on any other source or opinion, but is Ripsaw and Blade's time up? :-k
Blade has been at the park since 1980,
And Ripsaw's also quite old.
Is it time for Ripsaw and Blade to swing and flip for the last time?
But, if this was to happen Alton Towers will lose all but 1 of it's major thrill flat rides. ](*,)

AT do need a couple more thrill flat rides (in fact so does BPB!) :lol
In my opinion a KMG afterburner, HUSS top spin and new top spin would be awesome!

[Burniel]

I'd be sad to see Ripsaw go, but if it did, I'd like to see either a Top Scan or a KMG Afterburner in its place.

I don't think Blade should go, but a refurbishment wouldn't go amiss.

[thi3teenloverboy14]

They could do with a Re-Theme/Paint and make them a bit more modern I will always go on them when I'm at the park!

[lf2001]

I can't see Ripsaw going because it is probably in my opinion, the best flat ride at the park. But I do think the Blade should go, it's fairly old now, doesn't attract any queues and isn't really a thrill ride like the rest of the attractions in FV are.

[stealthsmiler]

The Blade shouldn't go, it should be relocated to mutiny bay where it would fit in well. It would also get queues as it is right at the front of the park and would mean Alton have one more ride for their ride line up.

[Burniel]

The Blade shouldn't go, it should be relocated to mutiny bay

Where in Mutiny Bay would it fit?

[Themeparksandy1981]

On the lake next to the flume

[stealthsmiler]

Thats what I was about to type, or next to Battle Galleons.

[Sr88]

I personally think that the Blade should go soon. It is old and is, in all honesty, not that good. A similar new ride in its place could do a much better job and would attract bigger queues.

[stealthsmiler]

But it is a good first thrill for younger children and a ride that every member of the family can enjoy together. In it's current place, it is surrounded by all 1.4m rides, and therefore doesn't exactly get a lot of families there, if it was in Mutiny Bay, it would get more riders as it would be in a family land, where the families will be to ride it, and also will be near the entrance so people will go on it first and possibly on their way out. Nobody will walk to the back of the park for it, but if it's near the front, they may do it on their way past.

[Burniel]

There is nothing wrong with The Blade other than wear and tear. It's become old, but it's fine where it is, it just needs a good makeover during the closed season.

[Legoluce]

I hope they don't remove either, I like having the flat rides that still provide a thrill. Ripsaw was one of the first thrill rides I went on and I still love being spun upside down!

[inFusion]

I love flats. Although coasters make some flats look awful, the theme park industry wouldn't be the same without them. I don't want either to be removed. Ripsaw is cool - I love Top Spins, especially the intense ones and Blade is good for kids to have their first thrill I guess.

[Jimbo-1991]

They need to replace ripsaw preferably with a new model, I went yesterday and it was on the most pointless setting just swinging back and forth until until the final inversion, and this is the setting thats been on every visit for the past couple of years, i don't see the point if it does not do rotations. shame because it used to be suck a crowd drawer back in the day.

[Themeparksandy1981]

The blade to me still looks like the pirate ship without the pirates. I not been on Ripsaw,Blade or Enterprize in years as not enough hours in the day to ride all the coasters and the flats.

[Tom170499]

I doubt Ripsaw will be removed anytime soon, unless they find a major problem with it like Submission. However, I was on park yesterday and it was closed all day and there were some engineers doing some work on it???

[LittlestarRed]

Hopefully both rides will be around for a while yet!
It may be getting a bit tatty, but The Blade is still a good ride for families. I know that Ripsaw has never been the best Topspin out there, but it's still not a bad ride.
Lets face it Alton Towers is pretty low on flat rides as it is, especially with the loss of submission this year!
They can't really afford to lose any more without considering a decent replacement. Knowing Merlin, that would mean costs eating into the budget for a new coaster or decent dark ride/experience, I know which I'd prefer!

[daboywunda]

Weren't both "earmarked" for removal on the MTDP that was released?

[lucozade]

Yes they were. BUT there's so much on that plan that had missed its expected execution date I wouldn't be taking it too seriously. Eventually blade and ripsaw will be sold off to a foreign park (I rode the Alton Towers thunder looper in Brazil not that long ago)

I wouldn't be surprised to see the artificial log flume lake being drained in preparation of the log flumes eventual closure, and a NEW flat being put in there, the area is huge and the q never used to run around the lake, which is a huge pain when the q is short.

[daboywunda]

I'd LOVE to see Blade moved to Mutiny Bay, Ripsaw to X-Sector and the path paved for another F.V coaster...

As for the Log Flume... I'm not certain what that would look like. I was of the understanding (again, from the MTDP that seems to be all out of sync) that a replacement ride would need to run the same course because of planning permissions and tree removal. Although, there's the chance that I've totally dreamt that from some-where