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Does the UK need a new Theme park?

Ben said:
No.
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This really...


Whilst the UK doesn't need a new one though, it does need the current ones to improve in many areas... Unfortunately we lack the budget/effort/planning permissions to do so...
 
I think Scotland could squeeze another one in, if it was between Glasgow and Edinburgh. A lot of people live around there, and Edinburgh especially gets a lot of tourism. Plus, with the closure of Loudoun M&Ds is the only 'park' up there now. Probably won't happen, but I think there's space for it.
 
There were plans for Harry Potter World in the UK, but it probably would never live up to Universal's efforts, i mean I've been to HP world, and its pretty damn amazing.
 
I used to think that Scotland needs one, but since Loudon closed... Perhaps not. I know that sounds backwards, but why wasn't Loudon successful?

And, ya know, Oakwood has gone down, and down, and down too...

I think what's happening here is that, if there is no decent theme park to go to, a society won't perceive theme parks as being all that special, fun or places they should visit.

That's why you get collections of parks in comparatively small areas. Florida and California being the prime examples, but you see the same thing in England, US east coast, even the Gold Coast in Australia. They become tourist destinations of their own. Any theme park that opens in such a location is guaranteed at least some interest, because the market knows and understands what is fun about a theme park and why they are worth visiting. Other audiences won't "get" it. And I think, if they don't get it before they visit, they probably won't get it whilst they visit either. Enjoyment of these spaces is very much a perceived social thing.

I'm not saying there aren't successful parks in the middle of nowhere locations, there are - and good ones at that, but I think it could explain what's happened with Scotland and Wales.

In short, no. I don't think so.
 
My answer is, although I would love a new theme park, is no.

Sadly, there isn't much demand for theme parks in the UK and introduce a new one and AT, will be affected. Except for TP (and pleasure beach), my experiences of UK parks, like DM and AT are that they're not actually very busy, even in the summer (peak season)...

Do we want one? Yes :--D

Do we need one? No.
 
I'm with Jake, Scotland is in need. It might well crash and burn, as Joey pointed out, but I feel that if someone built something of quality north of the boarder it could work. It would also attract visitors from northern England. Louden was pretty basic, and M&Ds is a fairground that's forgotten to move, but if someone invested actual money to make a decent theme park. Then maybe...
 
Don't forget about Northern Ireland, there's **** all there apart from a few murals painted on the side of houses.
 
With all the parks going bankrupt in the last few years, I think in 5-10 years we will see a couple of new parks opening to replace them.

Similar to what happened in the 70's and 80's.
 
Joey said:
I used to think that Scotland needs one, but since Loudon closed... Perhaps not. I know that sounds backwards, but why wasn't Loudon successful?
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I think the thing about Loudon was it was quite far away from Glasgow, more than an hour I think. It was also very overpriced for what you got, I think it worked out £90 for a family of four for 2 coasters and pretty common flat rides.

I agree about Scotland needing a new theme park, since M&Ds is the only one left.
 
There is definatly a market for a theme park in Scotland, but it needs to be a good one, M&D is **** and so was Loudon so the scots usually just hit up PBB,AT and Flamingoland instead. And i suppose there is always room for a new theme park in England but not one that would particularly suit us, you could say that the south/south west is in need of another park but i doubt it would be anything bigger than say Paulton's or Pleasurewood hills etc.
 
dominoes said:
I'd like to see one built right next door to me... :p
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I think everyone would.... :--D

^As for a new theme park in scotland, I think a small park with a B&M, a few flat's, some kiddies rides and perhaps an SLC would do quite well.

And Ireland...there is a massive gap in the theme park market! This is just about the best Ireland has to offer...

http://www.rcdb.com/5222.htm

Just out of interest, is anyone on CF irish?
 
It would take a huge initial investment to set up a new park which targets a teen/adult audience and even if that happens, taking the attention away from the Merlin parks would be near impossible because of their focus on marketing.

Look around the UK at the non merlin parks which are operating, all the major ones have something to offer that AT and TP don't. Flamingo Land and Drayton Manor have zoo's and Drop towers (when Cliff Hanger is working) plus FL is more accesible to northern England and Scotland. BPB has woodies and an out and back Hyper coaster in a popular seaside destination.

I think there are two ways that we might see another major UK park in the future.

1. Huge initial investment with major attractions which are better or different enough to those at an existing parks.

2. Expansion of a different type of park, for example an established park currently filled with smaller attractions for kids expanding to feature larger thrill rides/ Addition of major attractions to non theme parks such as the proposed 'Visions of China' where the focus isn't to be a theme park, but rides have been mentioned as a possibility for the future.
 
As for the south of England, no. With the attention TP, Legoland and CWoA get, another park may find it difficult to get visitors. I believe there is plenty in the south. In the north too. Scotland, I've never been, but it sounds like it could use a new park. The difficulty being that in the current 'credit crunch', there is going to be trouble in affording the amount of money to build a new park, or even add to an old one, and also in visitors paying to get in. I honestly think that before anything like that is considered, the economic situation needs to improve dramatically.
 
CoasterCrazy said:
My answer is, although I would love a new theme park, is no.

Sadly, there isn't much demand for theme parks in the UK and introduce a new one and AT, will be affected. Except for TP (and pleasure beach), my experiences of UK parks, like DM and AT are that they're not actually very busy, even in the summer (peak season)...

Do we want one? Yes :--D

Do we need one? No.
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Oh your saying that alton towers isn't busy at peak times , is that why Air had a 4 hour queue and the rest of them where around 2 hours .
 
CoasterCrazy said:
DM and AT are that they're not actually very busy, even in the summer (peak season)...
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Your joking right? Alton Towers is heaving in peak season, probably more so then TP and Blackpool, and even if they are not, they certainly would not be effected by a new park.

No we really don`t need a new park here in the UK.
 
^No..seriously!!!

I went to AT and DM at the first weekend of the summer holidays this year and neither AT or DM were completely packed out...

Th13teen only had a queue of 45 mins!

I don't know why...or was I just lucky???
 
Thats going to be down to luck. you had one visit and it was quiet, that certainly does not mean that it will be like that all summer, you cant just make an assumption like that after one day, the peak season lasts about 2 months.
 
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