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Matt N said:
What proposed hybrid plans? Are they anywhere on the internet? Not doubting anyone, but I never heard any rumours of a hybrid.
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The owner himself said publicly in an interview back in August 2016 that he wanted a coaster with inversions that "would be a combined metal and timber one so you get the best of both worlds".
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I also did hear ages ago about the plans being discussed with a manufacturer for such a ride. It would have been great but obviously though these plans fell through in the end. Its a real shame but I still think the STC looks to be a fun family thrill ride and should be popular with the park's guests.

But who knows if these coasters are successful and visitor numbers continue to increase in the coming years maybe they'll return to the idea of a more aggressive thrill coaster (be it hybrid or steel) when they can better afford it (given the cost of the cancelled 2019 plans were said by Ray Coyle in a late 2016 interview to be €17mill while this 2021 investment is only 14mill + the planning permission document claims high maintenance costs made another wooden framed coaster undesirable; cost played a large role in the change of plans)
 
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Lofty said:
Most people that are hating on this may have seen the proposed plans for the hybrid coaster that could've been - which would've been absolutely incredible.
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So people who have seen the plans bash people who have not seen the plans - nor had the opportunity to do so - for being so optimistic about what we're getting, instead of plans they had no way to compare the finished product to? Sure, the pie on the plate doesn't taste as good as the pie in the sky would, but for most people it is better because at least it's there right in front of them. I'd be more happy for an SLC that is actually built than a proposed hybrid that isn't.

Disappointment is only relative to expectation, and if the expectation is "a coaster, someday" and an SLC is what is delivered, it's fine, it fits what's promised. But if the expectation is "this awesome coaster, here is the plans" it's fine to be disappointed when an SLC is delivered. But crucially, most of us never saw the proposed plans. That makes it a little frustrating to see Ben scold CrashCoaster for not being more disappointed. I mean, if we had all seen the hybrid plans posted here before the Vekoma plans were posted, I think there would have been a great deal more disappointment. But those who didn't see the plans know nothing about what might have been, so there's nothing to base any disappointment on. It sounds like a "you had to be there" type of situation.
 
I think it's just due to the fact that we could've had something truly ground-breaking and world-class, and it's a little disheartening to see this instead. That being said, I'm sure it's going to be a really fun coaster, I quite like the SFC's never mind a more adult-orientated one.
 
Lofty said:
I think it's just due to the fact that we could've had something truly ground-breaking and world-class, and it's a little disheartening to see this instead. That being said, I'm sure it's going to be a really fun coaster, I quite like the SFC's never mind a more adult-orientated one.
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Yes, I can understand that sentiment. Luckily, for the most of us, that ground-breaking and world-class thing was never more than an early concept on the "this would be fun to do" stage. We weren't promised more than that, so to say. I can understand it would feel a lot worse if you knew the details of the thing we never got.

That being said, Tayto Park looks like it has the potential to keep growing for a while, so I'm sure there will be more coasters in the future. Hopefully, with the kiddie and family rides sorted out, it will be time to bring out the big drums next time.
 
Looks meh to me, but will fit the park well, so I see why they've done it. They pulled in the enthusiasts with the woodie, now to add more family friendly rides in.
Hopefully they continue to grow and install something truly great in 5 years.
 
With no idea on what the plans looked like for this Hybrid thing people seem to be chatting about, I have to admit I think this looks like a solid investment. My concern is whether they’ll go all out and theme it with head / leg choppers etc or leave it themeless like the woodie. That’ll make or break this thing for me I think.
 
I do think it's obvious that Tayto are trying to pull in a family market but are putting in stuff for the thrill seekers, but I don't think we will see them putting in any balls off the walls rides any time soon, although I do like the look of the invert, and definitely appears as a lower-intensity thrill coaster to me, and should be fun providing it doesn't have vests (as I've said like three times).
 
Having had the fortune of seeing a glimpse and some stats for the hybrid proposal I’m a tad disappointed knowing what could have been (even more so when the teasers in the planning document stated a 2/1 dueling style coaster as it was all adding up) however it’s still a good investment especially when the expectation of a hybrid is removed. I really enjoyed the Orkanen clone (slightly larger SFC) so I think one with inversions is gonna be a pleasant surprise. The shuttle coaster looks a bit **** though.
 
Chris Brown said:
Having had the fortune of seeing a glimpse and some stats for the hybrid proposal I’m a tad disappointed knowing what could have been (even more so when the teasers in the planning document stated a 2/1 dueling style coaster as it was all adding up) however it’s still a good investment especially when the expectation of a hybrid is removed. I really enjoyed the Orkanen clone (slightly larger SFC) so I think one with inversions is gonna be a pleasant surprise. The shuttle coaster looks a bit :emoji_poop: though.
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Can you reveal some of the layout?
 
Balls posted the POV video of the SFC and then realised its on the previous page.
Oh well :p

This ride looks like a good mix of the current crop of Vekoma SFC's just dialed up a knotch
 
Despite permission being granted there is a threat from some neighbours who are complaining about the new coasters, and could potentially try to appeal the decision.

TAYTO PARK HAS has secured planning permission for an “iconic” €14 million steel rollercoaster.

Planning documents stated that the ride, called ‘Coaster 2021’, will help projected visitor numbers to the theme park increase by 15% from 630,000 in 2019 to 725,000 in 2023.
Tayto Park, which is located in Ashbourne, Co Meath, is aiming to build the attraction next year and open it to the public in 2021.

Meath County Council has given the green light to the project, attaching 26 conditions to its decision.
Coaster 2021 will be the same height as the park’s 32-metre high Cú Chulainn Coaster but will be 400 metres longer that the 1,082-metre long wooden rollercoaster.
The planning authority gave the plan the go-ahead in spite of a small number of objections from locals.

However, the opposition to the rollercoaster – which is expected to create an additional 40 full-time and part-time jobs at the park – raises the threat that the decision may be appealed to An Bord Pleanála.

Need for new attractions
A 189-page Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) lodged with the planning application outlines the need for Coaster 2021 for the future of Tayto Park.
The document states that if the Tayto Park operators do not add a major attraction at this time “the longer term viability of the park would be brought into question”.
The document notes that international experience relating to theme parks illustrates that the introduction of new attractions is required to maintain and strengthen market position and customer interest.

The EIS adds that “there is a need to add new attractions every two to three years to maintain visitor numbers”.

The document states that the primary need for Coaster 2021 is for the long-term viability of Tayto Park and to maintain its market position as a key tourism attractor in Co Meath.

Giving a breakdown of visitor numbers to Tayto Park, the EIS states that 33% are from Dublin, 27% from Northern Ireland, 16% from Meath, 2% from Great Britain, 1% from Europe and the remainder from the rest of Ireland.

The latest figures show that in 2017 Tayto Park recorded an 8% rise in pre-tax profits, up to €3.65 million, as revenues increased by 5% to €17.533 million – or an average of €92,770 per day in revenues for each of the 189 days Tayto Park was open in 2017.

Objections
In one of the objections lodged, two local residents stated: “We feel that the proposed new development will have a serious negative long-term impact on our peaceful enjoyment, and critically the long-term value of our home.

We currently experience noticeable noise pollution from the park and the existing rollercoaster and the train whenever the park is open.
The residents stated that the new rollercoaster “will present a further escalation in the impact to our lives”, adding: “We chose to live in this area with the expectation of a quiet environment to raise our small children.”

They also noted that new rollercoaster will be 700 metres from their property and “would be directly visible from our back garden and the bedrooms at the rear of our home”.

Another resident who has a young family objected on the basis of the lack of local community consultation over the project, the impact of the project on residential amenities including privacy, noise levels and increased litter.

He also claimed the proposal would generate increased traffic in an area that already has a significant traffic issue.
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https://www.thejournal.ie/tayto-park-rollercoaster-planning-permission-4486880-Feb2019/
 
rollercoaster2 said:
Viking Voyage flume is to undergo upgrades this year too.

I'll see if I can dig out the article.
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Is it this one about the queueline enhancements?
https://fora.ie/tayto-park-viking-ride-queue-4432619-Jan2019/

TAYTO PARK WILL introduce animatronic robots to the “queue experience” at one of its attractions to make the sometimes hours-long wait more entertaining for customers. The company behind the crisps-inspired theme park in Ashbourne, Co Meath has tendered a contract to provide various upgrades at the Viking Voyage water ride.

Visitor feedback surveys identified that the queue for the ride was “the key area which needed to improve to ensure guests remained satisfied”, according to a tender document. “During our peak months of visitors (June, July and August) the queue can reach up to two hours in length,” it said.

To improve the visitor experience, Tayto Park plans to break up the waiting area into “a sequence of mini destinations”. It will provide customers with a “mixed media, multi-sensory encounter” telling the story of the Viking invasion of Ireland through live actors; male and female animatronic characters; audio and video installations; and other media. “We are open to ideas on how we can use the dramatic history of Vikings in Ireland to create an experience that animates the queue area of Viking Voyage and engages and entertains visitors,” the tender document stated.

The project – slated for completion in June of this year – will cost €233,000 and is being funded by State agency Fáilte Ireland under its budget for tourism marketing brand Ireland’s Ancient East. Tayto Park is one of the country’s top 10 fee-charging attractions, attracting hundreds of thousands of mainly Irish visitors. The company noted in its tender for the Viking Voyage upgrades that about 8% of annual visitors come from Europe and the UK. “We hope to increase the amount of people coming to Tayto Park from these markets by 2% a year, every year for the next five years,” it said. For that reason, the successful bidder will have to translate any materials into French and German, as well as Irish. “We would like some of the audio to contain Old Norse,” the company added, referring to the north Germanic language once spoken by the inhabitants of Scandinavia.

New roller coaster
The upgrade to the Viking Voyage ride comes months after it was announced that Tayto Park plans to build a steel roller coaster estimated to cost €14 million. The company behind the park, Ashbourne Visitor Centre Limited, submitted a planning application for the project in December of last year and a decision is due in February. In a rationale for the project, prepared for Meath County Council by planning consultant Declan Brassil on behalf of the company, it is noted that the last major attraction introduced at Tayto Park was the Cú Chulainn wooden roller coaster. The letter to the council’s planning department stated that visitor numbers peaked at 700,000 the year Cú Chulainn opened in 2015 and have yet to return to such heights. “Since the peak visitor numbers of 2015, Tayto Park has experienced a gradual decline in yearly and peak day visitor numbers. Yearly visitor numbers dropped to 600,000 the year after the opening of the roller coaster and have remained slightly below this number for the last two years,” Brassil wrote. The consultant said that given the relative size of the Irish market and the “underlying trend of declining visitor numbers”, it is necessary for Tayto Park to invest in a new attraction to protect its position as one of the country’s top attractions. Considering it won’t be until 2021 that the proposed steel roller coaster is up and running, Brassil said the development – consisting of two separate rides with a combined track length of 972 m – is “critical in securing the future of the park and its ongoing contribution to the local and regional economies”. Tayto Park opened in 2010 and was the brainchild of former farmer Ray Coyle, who started snacks manufacturing giant Largo Foods in 1982 and acquired the iconic Tayto and King crisp brands for €62 million in 2006. After 35 years at its helm, he retired from Largo but is still CEO of Tayto Park. Tens of millions of euro has been invested in the attraction, including €10 million of Ray Coyle’s cash for the Cú Chulainn roller coaster. In addition to that ride and the Viking Voyage experience, Tayto Park operates a zoo and a driving school for children which is run in partnership with motoring brand Nissan. The business recorded profits of €3.1 million in 2017, up from €2.9 million the previous year, on sales of €17.5 million.
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yeah, that's the one. I think they are adding new features to the ride itself too, mabye some fountains, that sort of stuff. They need to spruce up the internal ride themeing. Still some gaps last I saw.
 
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