gax Posted January 1, 2007 Posted January 1, 2007 Lightwater Valley is buying 5 rides from the now defunct Southport Pleasureland for the 2007 season. Three of them are just crappy little carousel type rides, including some type of viking boat carousel ride (which I think utilises water in some way), a 'camel carousel', and finally an 'animal' carousel. Sounds...exciting. Getting a bit better, the park is replacing it's current dodgems with a new dodgems ride, which is four times the size of the old one, apparently. And finally the 'big' new ride, they are getting pleasurelands Chaos, which, in Lightwater whcih is pretty boring, should be a welcome addition!
robbalvey Posted January 1, 2007 Posted January 1, 2007 ^ Why be so negative? Honestly, with the demographic that park draws it's probably good additions. It really never struck me as an "OMFG GIANT THRILL RIDES" park, so a few more kiddie and family rides fit just fine. Seriously, did you really expect this park to get Expedition GeForce or something? --Robb
gax Posted January 1, 2007 Author Posted January 1, 2007 True, but as I said I think the chaos and dodgems are good additions. I just think getting three carousel rides seems to be a waste of money when they could save up for something big in the future. I live really near this park, so I go a lot, and it used to be really good to visit, but its gone really downhill, as it keeps investing in loads of little, second hand, unreliable things, rather than maybe waiting and buying a big flat like a topple tower or something, which would really improve the place.
Shavethewhales Posted January 2, 2007 Posted January 2, 2007 ^They did add a Frisbee style ride just last year or so didn't they? And wasn't it a permanent model? I think this and many of the recent past additions to the park make a definite point that the park is doing well, at least to the point that it can add new rides every year that have some quality. I've visited LWV a few times when I live in the UK, and I always enjoyed it, regardless of it's size or overall quality. It was never crowded, it was clean, and all the rides were working every time I visited, and the rides weren't too bad. I think the park deserves a lot more credit than it is usually given.
kenshinmac Posted January 2, 2007 Posted January 2, 2007 I think it is a good move period... I mean based on what we have seen about the way that Blackpool broke down and sold some of the items from rides it has taken down in the last few years it was probably a unbeatable price. I think that the Southport stuff probably got sold under market value and so who knows they might have bought all the stuff you are complaining about for less than they could get most family rides. Plus as much as I hate to say it thrill seekers are the ultimate money loser for many parks. Thrill seekers always want a new expensive fix and nothing is ever good enough for long. A good compliment of family rides should ensure a good number of local families will attend often. Just above all remember that parks are a business and families tend to drop more money than most thrill seekers.
coaster05 Posted January 2, 2007 Posted January 2, 2007 Seems like a good move to me as it helps a small park and save rides. Some people are just never happy. I can't imagine any of those rides cost a whole lot so saving for something else is probably not nearly as good of deal as getting a bunch for little cost.
pgathriller Posted January 2, 2007 Posted January 2, 2007 I think that is a great buy for the park. It may not be for the average thrill seeker but you have to remember, it's a buisness and needs to invest in things that make money. What make's money? Families! Lets go in depth a bit. A mom, dad and two younger kids visit the park. That's four admission tickets. Little kids get hungry and thirsty. There goes mom and dad to buy overly priced food and drinks. Kids ride the kiddie rides, three new rides this year. "Wow" mom and dad think. Kids love the addition of more rides. Daddy and mommy like that the kids are happy. This encourages them to revisit at a later time. Lets see... Family of 2 adults & 2 Kids 4 Admission Tickets 4 Food Items 4 Beverage Items Possible Revisit Cost to company: Couple thousand dollars on 3 second hand rides. Pro's- Bigger family revisits spending more money on tickets, food items, possible souveniers. Park only paid a couple thousand dollars on three kiddie rides and maintenance costs aren't as high as a thrill ride. Now lets look at the thrill seeker view. Company spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on one thrill ride. A teenager see's new ride advertised on MTV. He calls his friend and says, "Dude!! New ride!! Lets go!!" Dude is like, "I only have $20", and the other guy is like, "Dude!! That will get you in"!! Ok... so the next day two teenagers go to the park and pay admission. They go ride the new expensive thrill ride over and over again. Then they leave. Nothing else... Now lets review. The company spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on a new thrill ride. Teenagers pay admission. Most buy nothing more. Then they leave. Might be awhile before that thrill ride pays its self off. Pro's- Umm... New thrill ride to advertise on tv!!! Cons- Really expensive, brings in routy teenagers (not saying all are but in a buisness standpoint they are looked at as routy.) Teenagers don't spend as much money at parks as families usually. Many don't often revisit. The ride maintanence cost are usually high for a bigger thrill ride. So... The park did good in buying these rides. 3 New kiddie rides to bring in the families and encourage them to revisit. New bumper cars for the whole family. A new thrill ride that is decent enough to advertise as a new ride on a commercial. All at a second hand ride price . IMO smart move! Sorry for being a smart ass. I need to go back to school =(. * I would also like to add that I am too a teenager and love thrill rides. I just wanted my five minutes in the mind of an amusement park owner .
gax Posted January 2, 2007 Author Posted January 2, 2007 I'm not saying it was a totally BAD move, I just think that THREE carousel rides is a bit much. The park is really small except that land around theultimate which they dont build on, and while it's a really good idea to buy rides cheaply, and great that theyre getting a chaos, they could spend more money on something else, even just park improvments, instead of three similar rides. This year the park wasn't in great shape. According to the guy who runs the parks main attraction 'The Ultimate', it breaks down every day! and most of the coasters have to use gas cans in the backs of the cars, making queues huge! Also all the water is dirty! The once beautiful lake now looks horrible! Finally, the park has been getting rid of good rides in favour of little rides like this for years. They got rid of the viper, a great coster, but then replaced it with a cool mini frisbee. good move. But then they got rid of batflyer, their only ever properly themed ride! They replaced it with a cheap kiddie coaster, which they already had one of really similer! Then they got ride of the log flume, and replaced it with a coaster that is barely ever running! I just think they should concerntrate on making the park better for what they have, instead of adding five new rides, seemingly for the sake of it, as they have got 3 carousels anyway now,and soon will have 6!
MattLCV Posted January 2, 2007 Posted January 2, 2007 Hey there! I think the Chaos will be a nice little addition to the LWV's collection of thrill rides. The other rides should be good for the park also. It's good when a park buys a few smaller rides like this to flesh out its attractions. After all, they do seem to have been getting rid of a few rides in recent times. I'm sure it'll be better than having no new rides at all.
gax Posted January 2, 2007 Author Posted January 2, 2007 Just a little update on the new rides. but before I post it I just wanna say I read my original post and I do sound a lot more negative towards the additions than I meant to. The only thing I think is wrong with them is the THREE carousel rides they are adding, when one would be fine. I didnt mean to sound like I was really angry about it! Anyway, heres somepictures of the rides they are getting from when pleasureland had them: Chaos: http://ukrides.info/col/pleasureland/chaosb.JPG http://ukrides.info/col/pleasureland/chaosa.JPG Dodgems: http://ukrides.info/col/pleasureland/dodgemsa.JPG http://ukrides.info/col/pleasureland/dodgemsb.JPG Camel Carousel (this actually looks pretty cool, its not actually a 'carousel ride'): http://ukrides.info/col/pleasureland/pleasurelandd.JPG Animal Carousel: http://ukrides.info/col/pleasureland/carouselc.JPG Boat Carousel: http://ukrides.info/col/pleasureland/carouselb.JPG So yeah, on second thoughts, after seeing the picture, the new rides all seem pretty cool!
MattLCV Posted January 2, 2007 Posted January 2, 2007 Don't LWV have a kind of indoor kiddie's bit? I imagine the Viking and animal carousels will be going in there. The Camels look great! Very amusing theming. And of course, Chaos will become another signature thrill at LWV I'm sure. Are there any other Chaos operating in the UK? I think it's good that you're getting a good thrill ride AND some other smaller rides.
gax Posted January 2, 2007 Author Posted January 2, 2007 yeah it is! I think it rumoured that they'll be removing a good flat for the chaos though, which is a shame because it doesn't increace the amount of things to do there by much, as I probably wont go on the little carousels! Yeah lightwater does have a small inside bit, its full of smallr ides at the moment but I suppose it could be all changed. There are a couple of unused grass ares that could be built upon as well. And yeah, It is the only chaos in the UK as far as i know. The only one I've ever been on was at a little park in France.
MattLCV Posted January 2, 2007 Posted January 2, 2007 Another ride axed?! Well hopefully they won't remove another one to put Chaos in - surely they've got enough space without doing that. They seem to have taken enough rides out as it is recently. With the removal of The Ultimate said to be happening in the next few years, they need to build up a strong rides line-up which could help the park cope for a season or two before they get a replacement in.
exmouse Posted January 3, 2007 Posted January 3, 2007 The three juvenille rides will have hardly broken the bank. They would have paid peanuts especially as they were pruchased from a defunct park. They won't harm any chances the park has of buying a big ride in 2008. As for the dodgems that is a bit of a worry. The Southport ones were forever breaking. You'd put your foot to the floor and go nowhere until someone smashed into you and got you going. All you got was the old ride op lady shouting and screaming at you to press the pedal. Really they need a set of brand new cars. But they are hugely expensive.
CGM Posted January 5, 2007 Posted January 5, 2007 And of course, Chaos will become another signature thrill at LWV I'm sure. Are there any other Chaos operating in the UK? Yes, there's one on the fair circuit
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