Bicko said:
This is not a dig at anyone btw, but I cannot help thinking that if Pleasure Beach released plans for the next ten years and they were anything like the plans of Alton Towers, they would be getting slated!
No, but it does look like Blackpool's 15 year LTDP set out in 1995
Haven't added a new coaster since 1994. Other than that, a major dark/water ride and a flat or two.
Both Alton and Blackpool for the last few years have been concentrating on "infrastructure" which has been neglected at both parks.
Now that it's all done and dusted and the basics both parks should be looking at adding new attractions.
Alton have four mid-large scale
rides planned for the next five years. I would make special wee if Blackpool came forward with a plan like that!
We know that SW6 is one of these.
Bicko said:
When I was at school, most people knew Alton Towers for adding a major new coaster every few years, a theme park which was exclusive to thrill rides. Its all good and well getting families into the park, but I am starting to think they are forgetting about us thrillseekers and concentrating a bit too much on the family side of things.
The thing is, all those thrill rides are still there. When I was at school, Blackpool was known as
the place and until I was 15 (1988) Blackpool was 100% considered the best of the two parks. I'd even say right up until 1995 there was very little to differentiate between the two parks in terms of thrill. Alton has always had a very large family orientation too though. Amongst the large thrill ride installs, there's always been a concentration of a couple of years on the family side.
By adding Spinball and Rita (Rita in particular is classed by the GP as the best ride on the park remember) - Alton did very little to increase their gate figures. Two years of concentrating on family and the gate figures are the highest ever. It IS frustrating not having a new mega-thrill ride go in for five years - but the bottom line is that gate numbers and profits are higher because of it.
However, Alton know they have to stay on top of the game, so now have this development plan to bring in the four new rides - at least one of them is going to be thrill oriented. They can monopolise on and reinvest the cash from the families.
Bicko said:
I just hope for there sake that this new ride for 2010 will not be a disappointment, otherwise theres going to be alot of ranting done by those who loved Corkscrew.
It's going to be what it is, but the Corkscrew was piss poor, so anything in its place is going to be better. Yes, the Corkscrew was important historically for Alton, but it didn't make it worth keeping. Personally, I'll be more disappointed if SW6 has anything more than a 1.2M height limit, as that means Alton have removed a young thrill seeker ride and are actually taking away from the family element in the mid-range, where Alton is currently floundering a bit.
Can you please, please, please ask Amanda to make a 10 year plan like this Bicko? One new coaster confirmed and three other rides (probably flat) in the next five years. I'd go back to Blackpool if they did that.
Unless PBB's five year plan is a fountain every other year, with a new oyster bar between years?