Six Flags UK?

[Adam_C]

I mean if other countries have Six Flags, how come the UK doesnt have one! Id love a Six Flags to open up in the UK, or maybe more than one. One in the North would be good

[Airtime&Gravity]

Well there are no SF parks in the UK because there were never any that SF built. Plus now, SF sold off all of their European parks with the exception of WBMW in Spain. The parks in Canada and Mexico that SF runs came after SF managed the parks for several years.(Kind of like KBF and MA with Cedar Fair)

[Adam_C]

The UK needs more parks. Proper THEME parks, ie big and good quality, the closest we have is Alton Towers or Blackpool Pleasure Beach, not that they have much theming.

 

Southport Pleasureland was themed all Arabian but its gone now

 

They should build some better park on the spot it was occupying!

[dr.gumbo]

I wish we got that Disney land (stupid paris)

 

But at least we've got the olympics in 2012 instead of paris

[coastermaniac1]

SF sold off all of their European parks with the exception of WBMW in Spain

 

Six Flags dont own and run that anymore but the new park owners have the rights to use the Suerman, Batman names etc.

 

This is a stupid topic, the UK does'nt have a Six Flags park because they did'nt build one there.

 

Most UK parks have height and noise restrictions which is probally why they did'nt want a park there and I would much prefer a decently themed park with 3 or 4 good coasters than a park with parking lot coasters and clones with minimal themeing.

[Adam_C]

[This is a stupid topic, the UK does'nt have a Six Flags park because they did'nt build one there.

 

Most UK parks have height and noise restrictions which is probally why they did'nt want a park there and I would much prefer a decently themed park with 3 or 4 good coasters than a park with parking lot coasters and clones with minimal themeing.

 

"There isnt one because they didnt build one there"... Im inclined to say "DUUUH!!" I meant WHY wasnt one built here?

 

And as for height restrictions... in regards to what? Park height? Look at the Pepsi Max Big One!

 

But yes, I totally agree about well themed versus parking lot coasters, because sadly it seems most of the UK's parks are parking lot coaster types, and Id love to see at least one REALLY well themed park!

[Wishmaster]

Six Flags actually bought only two things in Europe, the Walibi group and Warner Bros. Movie park Germany. Warner Bros. Movie park Madrid was build by the city of Madrid, SF only owned a small percentage because Madrid wanted them to run it. I think SF would have bought a park in the UK (and other European countries) if the other parks were more successful.

[Nosferatu]

But yes, I totally agree about well themed versus parking lot coasters, because sadly it seems most of the UK's parks are parking lot coaster types, and Id love to see at least one REALLY well themed park!

 

Then why do you want a Six Flags parks? Six Flags isn't exactly well known for their amazing theming.

[Carnage]

Six Flags buying up every park they could get their hands on is what almost destroyed the company. They still have a massive amount of debt.

 

They don't have the money right now to build another park, let alone a park in a market that they have no history of.

[BarryH]

Be thankful the UK doesn't have a Six Flags. You're missing out on bad food, ride ops that talk on their cellphones 24/7, and unthemed rides.

[Adam_C]

We have *NO* themed parks.

 

We need good parks, even if not Six Flags!

[Wes]

Alton Towers looks more themed than 95% of the parks here in the US. I don't know what you're complaining about.

[Canobie Fan]

If you wanna go to a "Six Flags" park in England. Just go to Thorpe.. It felt almost the same.. Only Thorpe tried a bit harder with theming.

[snuggles]

Go ride nemesis at alton, hopefully those forces will make you not want to have a six flags in the UK

[dc006f5086]

We have *NO* themed parks.

 

We need good parks, even if not Six Flags!

 

No offence, but have you even looked at half of Alton's rides ?

 

Sure not Disney standard, but it's much better than a large percentage of other parks throughout the world. Nemesis, Hex, Oblivion, Duel, all very well themed attractions, in fact Nemesis and Alton Towers are recognised for their theming.

 

So if you think the UK is bad I think you should take a look at a lot of other places throughout the world, sure we could be better, but we could have it a lot worse.

 

Then we have Thorpe Park which has a few well themed attractions, as well as Blackpool which has a few well themed attractions, much better than what Six Flags could come up with, so why the hell do you want a Six Flags ? Then you have Chessington which also is a park that has some very well themed attractions...

 

Six Flags will not invest into the UK market, it's not got that much of a demand at the moment, too much competition and could be a bad business move.

 

I cannot believe you think the UK has no Themed Parks...

[Adam_C]

No, I meant the *park* themed. Ie not just some great attractions in a bit of a shoddy park with truck stop food places and old shoddy wood facades.

 

I mean look at Alton Towers, the Nemesis theming is wonderful, as is Hex, but they dont play on the fact that its very English, that park, they choose to have things like "Towers Street" which is obviously "Main Street USA" but with rotten falling apart dirty wood facades.

 

I cant explain fully what I mean, but it'd be nice to have a theme park that feels like an actual theme park, the way Disney does etc, and not just like a fun fair.

[dc006f5086]

No, I meant the *park* themed. Ie not just some great attractions in a bit of a shoddy park with truck stop food places and old shoddy wood facades.

 

I mean look at Alton Towers, the Nemesis theming is wonderful, as is Hex, but they dont play on the fact that its very English, that park, they choose to have things like "Towers Street" which is obviously "Main Street USA" but with rotten falling apart dirty wood facades.

 

I cant explain fully what I mean, but it'd be nice to have a theme park that feels like an actual theme park, the way Disney does etc, and not just like a fun fair.

 

You've really over-exaggerated on Towers Street, it's far from tacky, it's a generic theme that's meant to suit the precense of the Towers. Towers Street in now way is based on Main Street USA, it's got very little resemblance, sure it's not themed but it's not all dirty wood facades like your saying.

 

The thing is, Disney is probably the only park that does theming everywhere, Disney is a huge company with much larger budgets than what most other parks get so they can do such things, I'm sure Alton would, as well as other parks would if they had the funding, it does not come cheap.

 

I still cannot work out why you wanted a Six Flags park, if you want something like Disney...

[Shockwave]

OK, I think a few things should be cleared up here.

 

The UK has got some pretty good theme parks. It doesn't have a Disney, Universal or a Europa Park, so you have to think of it from that perspective. In terms of theming, Alton Towers and Legoland stand head and shoulders above the rest. Below those, I'd put the three main Gullivers parks which are all very well themed, then the two London area Tussauds parks, Thorpe Park and Chessington.

 

But apart from that, the other parks which attempt theming haven't pulled it off well, or have only partly done so. Drayton Manor and Flamingoland spring to mind. I've only been to two Six Flags parks, and theming at each of them was nothing special. No more so than somewhere like Thorpe Park which is pretty average.

 

I think one of the main reasons that Six Flags won't be stepping into the UK market is the difficult conditions they'd have to work with. The strict planning laws are one minor reason (Blackpool is one of the only UK parks that has very lenient planning laws), but the taxation the parks face over here is much greater than almost anywhere else, so prices are higher, wages are higher, and it's balancing all that against persuading guests to part with their disposable income which has proved difficult when people can fly abroad and take holidays in the sun for the price of a day in a theme park. In short, it's an unstable market.

 

The only really well themed (now ex) Six Flags park I've been to was Warner Bros Movie World in Madrid, that is themed fantastically well.

[JimmyBo]

If you want a well-themed Six Flags park then go to Coney Beach. That park will be pretty much what a Six Flags park will be in the UK. Enjoy!

[IceDragon]

The UK needs more parks. Proper THEME parks, ie big and good quality, the closest we have is Alton Towers or Blackpool Pleasure Beach, not that they have much theming.

 

Southport Pleasureland was themed all Arabian but its gone now

 

They should build some better park on the spot it was occupying!

 

Thorpe Park has recently invested in lots of scenery...

 

Colossus, N:I, Stealth...

[BeemerBoy]

Move to Williamsburg, Virginia. You'll have Busch Gardens Euroburg. It'll sorta feel like home, and you'll have a bit of theming too. Problem solved.

[Divv3k]

Tom pretty much hit the nail on the head here, but here are my thoughts.

 

I think you do the UK a tremendous disservice Adam. For the size of the country we have an excellent selection of parks. If you live in central England then pretty much every park in the country is only a few hours away. On top of that we have two of the best parks in the world in Blackpool and Alton Towers. Most Americans have only a handful of parks within that range.

 

You've asked why there's no Six Flags park in the UK and argued there should be because you want a well themed park well Alton Towers has far better theming than any US Six Flags park I've seen (still to visit a Six Flags park in the US but I'm pretty confident that's true). If you want a Six Flags in the UK you should visit Thorpe Park that hits the Six Flags vibe quite well.

 

As others have said planning laws in the UK are very strict. Blackpool is the only place in the UK where something like the Big One would be built, and they won't be building anything else of that stature for a while. Stealth at Thorpe Park was a one off.

 

I think in the UK we've got it pretty good theme park wise. Especially with Disneyland Paris only a couple of hours away too I don’t see how you can complain.

[RollerC]

Why would you want a Six Flags to be built? They would add an SLC, boomerange, a kiddie coaster and some average flats. Thats all you would see at the park. Then they will sell it to some UK operator who will then probably close it down or try to turn it into a family park.

[fmulder21]

Be thankful the UK doesn't have a Six Flags. You're missing out on bad food, ride ops that talk on their cellphones 24/7, and unthemed rides.

What's so funny? I'd take that versus the empty lot astroworld sat on.

[Adam_C]

Nono...

 

Okay, look forget I said Six Flags

 

Im also not dissing the UK parks, Im just saying that it'd be great to have one heavy themed park in the UK, itd just be nice.

 

Or that some of the already good parks just had a bit of a clean and fix, ie Blackpool Pleasure Beach fix things like the special effects in River Caves, maybe give it a paint, they've recently re-done a lot of flooring and themed a bavarian area near Trauma Towers... thats great, thats the sort of thing I mean.

 

Alton Towers could modernise the skyway so its not cream coloured with dark brown windows etc.

 

Just little things to bring things up to standard, a lick of paint here and there, a replaced sign maybe, maybe even a themed sign... you know?

 

But yeah, despite its impossibility, a nice heavy themed park would be cool.

 

Im not attacking anything. Remember, Im going to Pleasure Beach Tomorrow! But if I see any sub-par bits, maybe Ill take a photo to explain what I mean. I dunno.