Alton Towers Discussion Thread

[Rollercoaster Rider]

^^The plans do show it to have a launched lift hill yes, but this will likely be slow speed and be used as an alternative to the usual chain lift to keep the sound low.

 

 

They could also use an elevator lift to make it quiet

[TheoB]

Replacing a log flume with a GCI? You're dead to me Alton Towers.

 

Trust me, the flume was absolutely appalling.

[coasterbill]

Replacing a log flume with a GCI? You're dead to me Alton Towers.

 

Trust me, the flume was absolutely appalling.

 

There's no such thing as an appalling log flume.

[Henry M]

Replacing a log flume with a GCI? You're dead to me Alton Towers.

 

Trust me, the flume was absolutely appalling.

 

There's no such thing as an appalling log flume.

 

The log flume was really good. It needed a face-lift, but it was long, had fun themeing, went through lots of woods, and is my favorite log flume I have been on.

[Rollercoaster Rider]

Replacing a log flume with a GCI? You're dead to me Alton Towers.

 

Trust me, the flume was absolutely appalling.

 

There's no such thing as an appalling log flume.

 

The log flume was really good. It needed a face-lift, but it was long, had fun themeing, went through lots of woods, and is my favorite log flume I have been on.

 

 

When they rethemed it to "Bathtime with Attitude", I thought the showerhead looked cool. Don't know if it worked or was just for show... Would be a good addition for many Log Flumes now that I think about it. The rubber ducky also looked adorable.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Replacing a log flume with a GCI? You're dead to me Alton Towers.

 

Trust me, the flume was absolutely appalling.

 

There's no such thing as an appalling log flume.

I used to think so. Then I went on Jet Stream at Magic Mountain.

[coasterbill]

Apparently I see flumes through rose colored glasses because on our last trip to Magic Mountain the only rides in the entire park that we bothered re-riding were Ninja (what a criminally underrated coaster), Tatsu and Jet Stream since we were so pressed for time.

 

This was pre Full Throttle and TC.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Ninja and Tatsu are worthy. I enjoyed a lot of those immensely. Could be that you went pre-drought too, because when I was there for WCB, there was about an inch of water in the trough, the boat ran on its wheels the whole time without floating at all, and it just went back and forth hitting each side as hard as possible. I came off it with a headache from the amount and force of the crashing. You do need to have water in your log flume for it to function correctly.

[coasterbill]

Yeah it was a few years ago and I don't remember that happening at all.

[larrygator]

I usually don't keep track of costs but isn't £15 million much higher than any previous GCI coasters?

[ytterbiumanalyst]

^ That comes out to $19 million USD, and yes, that's high. Most GCIs are in the $10 million range.

[Rollercoaster Rider]

^ That comes out to $19 million USD, and yes, that's high. Most GCIs are in the $10 million range.

 

 

I'll bet a few bucks are going to theming and the launch system, But geez 19m is just shy of Lightning Rod.

[jedimaster1227]

^I wouldn't discount whatever that element underneath the lift hill is as possibly contributing to the higher cost... I'd imagine Mystic Timbers' surprise in the shed will... shed light on the possibilities for Secret Weapon 8.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

I hear Britain has an expert on sheds.

 

[n1ch0las]

Ah, details in news articles are so important not to get wrong.

 

Plans of the 200 metre high wooden coaster have now emerged.

 

600 ft tall wooden coaster? I thought they couldn't build above the tree line!

 

http://blooloop.com/link/alton-towers-coaster-secret-weapon-sw8/

[Rollercoaster Rider]

^I wouldn't discount whatever that element underneath the lift hill is as possibly contributing to the higher cost... I'd imagine Mystic Timbers' surprise in the shed will... shed light on the possibilities for Secret Weapon 8.

 

 

I doubt there will be much in the shed except for Screens/AA

[xstech25]

Saw John Wardley giving a presentation a few years back and during Q&A someone asked why Alton Towers didn't have a wooden coaster. He said that he constantly tried to get a wooden coaster but Nick Varney would never build one because he didn't think they were marketable enough (no gimmick). Its kind of funny how now that Wardley is retired, it looks like AT is going to finally get a wooden coaster. And not only are they getting a wooden coaster but its likely going to be a GCI which are the least gimmicky of the new generation of wooden coasters (don't go upside down, at least).

[Rollercoaster Rider]

Saw John Wardley giving a presentation a few years back and during Q&A someone asked why Alton Towers didn't have a wooden coaster. He said that he constantly tried to get a wooden coaster but Nick Varney would never build one because he didn't think they were marketable enough (no gimmick). Its kind of funny how now that Wardley is retired, it looks like AT is going to finally get a wooden coaster. And not only are they getting a wooden coaster but its likely going to be a GCI which are the least gimmicky of the new generation of wooden coasters (don't go upside down, at least).

 

 

Isn't it launching? Plus I guess they decided to play it safe after Smilers.... You know. And I thought John was working on this. Remember, he did retire in 2000-2002.

[thedazza]

Saw John Wardley giving a presentation a few years back and during Q&A someone asked why Alton Towers didn't have a wooden coaster. He said that he constantly tried to get a wooden coaster but Nick Varney would never build one because he didn't think they were marketable enough (no gimmick). Its kind of funny how now that Wardley is retired, it looks like AT is going to finally get a wooden coaster. And not only are they getting a wooden coaster but its likely going to be a GCI which are the least gimmicky of the new generation of wooden coasters (don't go upside down, at least).

 

There was a formal screening option submitted in march 2015 for a coaster in forbidden valley made from timber truss, which if rumours are to be believed was going to be an RMC launched woodie, like Lightning Rod but with inversions and was probably going to be built to open next year. That would have been easy for them to market as could have been advertised as Europe's first launched woodie, or World's first launched inverting wood coaster (they would have gone with the World first marketing, it is Merlin we are talking about afterall). Then The Smiler crashed and a looping launched wooden coaster became the wrong choice given the general public's safety concerns, so they have gone with a family thrill coaster, but will still be Europe's first launching woodie so they still get the USP.

It is a shame that they never built one while John Wardley was there, maybe this is one of his designs that they have modified to include a launch, but he said he's had nothing to with this ride, so probably not.

[TheoB]

 

There was a formal screening option submitted in march 2015 for a coaster in forbidden valley made from timber truss, which if rumours are to be believed was going to be an RMC launched woodie, like Lightning Rod but with inversions and was probably going to be built to open next year. That would have been easy for them to market as could have been advertised as Europe's first launched woodie, or World's first launched inverting wood coaster (they would have gone with the World first marketing, it is Merlin we are talking about afterall). Then The Smiler crashed and a looping launched wooden coaster became the wrong choice given the general public's safety concerns, so they have gone with a family thrill coaster, but will still be Europe's first launching woodie so they still get the USP.

It is a shame that they never built one while John Wardley was there, maybe this is one of his designs that they have modified to include a launch, but he said he's had nothing to with this ride, so probably not.

 

I think they could possibly try and pull off 'World's first fully wooden launch coaster,' and argue that Lightning Rod has too much steel to count as a woodie.

[Rollercoaster Rider]

 

There was a formal screening option submitted in march 2015 for a coaster in forbidden valley made from timber truss, which if rumours are to be believed was going to be an RMC launched woodie, like Lightning Rod but with inversions and was probably going to be built to open next year. That would have been easy for them to market as could have been advertised as Europe's first launched woodie, or World's first launched inverting wood coaster (they would have gone with the World first marketing, it is Merlin we are talking about afterall). Then The Smiler crashed and a looping launched wooden coaster became the wrong choice given the general public's safety concerns, so they have gone with a family thrill coaster, but will still be Europe's first launching woodie so they still get the USP.

It is a shame that they never built one while John Wardley was there, maybe this is one of his designs that they have modified to include a launch, but he said he's had nothing to with this ride, so probably not.

 

I think they could possibly try and pull off 'World's first fully wooden launch coaster,' and argue that Lightning Rod has too much steel to count as a woodie.

 

 

If it goes 50mph+, It can claim to be UK's fastest wooden coaster

[MagicAngel94]

I would love to see an explosion inside the indoor section and then launched onto the lift hill caused by the explosion

[ytterbiumanalyst]

If it goes 50mph+, It can claim to be UK's fastest wooden coaster

Good point. That's probably the easiest record for this to claim, and it's one that is decently legitimate too. Just looking at RCDB, there are several GCIs around the size of this project that break 50mph:

 

Apocalypse - 50

Gold Striker - 53

Lightning Racer - 51

Prowler - 51

Renegade - 51

Roar - 50

Thunderhead - 53

Troy - 54

Wildcat - 50

 

Seems like that record would be very doable.

[scottjenkins]

Megafobia was reaching 55mph when I did my marathon ride 2 months ago so I'll be keeping an eye on Altons claim!

[CSLKennyNI]

Lane IP, the company that represents Merlin on trademark applications, had applied to trademark 'The Wicker Man'.

 

Most likely this is related to SW8 given that a worker when the Flume was being deconstructed tweeted saying it was making way for a Wicker Man ride. (the tweet was later removed)

 

https://euipo.europa.eu/eSearch/#details/trademarks/016221269

 

They're hardly going to name the coaster 'The Wicker Man' are they?

Some people aren't pleased as SW8 was expected to be more of a family coaster and the Wicker Man film is not very family friendly. People are fearing a repeat of the marketing for Thirteen.

Shall be interesting to see what happens.

 

The Wicker Man film is owned by LionsGate which also own the SAW franchise so Merlin do have previously worked with them.