Into the valley.

[slappy mcguire]

It has always shocked me that a park like Lightwater valley - the most northernmost English park, with no natural competitors (other than FL) to stop it clearing up with visitors from the North-east of England, year on year only gets approximately 330,000 visitors.

So I ask you this, in the knowledge that people from all over the country and all over the world read this site, and it would be good to get an impression what the park appears like to those with a larger park set of options.

1. What do you make of the park, or at least if you have never visited, what are your preconceptions about the park?

2. What would make you visit?

3. What stops you?

4. Should it really be capable of attracting more than 330,000?

5. What do you see as the future of the park? Once seen as a potential Tussauds purchase, now seen as an also ran; any obvious suggestions?

 

[MouseAT]

1. What do you make of the park, or at least if you have never visited, what are your preconceptions about the park?

It's a fairly nice family park in an attractive setting. It's got a few fantastic rides and a variety of average but fairly fun off-the-shelf rides. Whilst the rides and attractions are by and large well maintained and reliable, some of the older attractions look fairly scruffy and could do with smartening up.

2. What would make you visit?

Lightwater is my local park, so I've visited the place quite a few times since I became an enthusiast. In fact, I suppose Lightwater Valley was the park that started me on the path to becoming an enthusiast. Believe me, if they add a decent new attraction, I'll be there like a shot.

3. What stops you?

I can't drive (yet), and public transport to Lightwater Valley is abysmal. Unless I'm visiting the park with the family, I can't get there.

4. Should it really be capable of attracting more than 330,000?

If the park invests in good quality rides and attractions then visitor numbers have the potential to be considerably higher. As it is, Lightwater Valley cannot compete very effectively, even within the local market. In the local market, on paper at least, Flamingo Land is probably the better park with a better range of attractions. In the broader market, if people have to travel long distances to reach a park, they might as well visit one of the majors rather than a small, relatively unknown park like Lightwater.

5. What do you see as the future of the park? Once seen as a potential Tussauds purchase, now seen as an also ran; any obvious suggestions?

Lightwater Valley is in a difficult situation. It's a nice park in dire need of additional investment. With new attractions to revitalize interest in the place, it has potential to grow and improve, as Flamingo Land has done in recent years. Without it, I don't see the park going anywhere, and possibly going into decline in the long run.

Unfortunately, the place is stuck in something of a catch-22 - they can't build new attractions if they don't have money, but they won't make enough profit to build new attractions if they don't have good rides to attract visitors.

 

[Tom]

LV has some quality rides, there's no doubt about that, but what it really needs is the money to get more modern rides and attractions. The Grizzly Bear looks too tatty and old and something else needs to goin its place.

The only main reason I visited was because of the Ulitmate. It is a great and fantastic ride and a real crowd drawer for LV but there's not enough there to compliment it. If the Ultimate wasn't there I would never have visited. It does look like a fun place but it is very dated.

I think it ought to be getting a lot more than 330,000 visitors but seeing as it opens late in the year and closes for almost all of October and September less people should be expected. Another problem is that not many people know about it. It doesn't have the advertising that it needs to get people through the gate.

As for the future...I don't know but to carry on as a theme park it needs money somehow. I would hate to see LV get abandoned because it has a lot of stuff there that's great fun.

 

[Jools]

1. What do you make of the park, or at least if you have never visited, what are your preconceptions about the park?

I think it had a nice atmosphere and good vista, plus a good but not great selection of rides, some of which I believe are the best in the country, The Ultimate and Eagle's Claw are worth the visit anyway, plus Sewer Rat is brilliant, and Hornets Nest and Black Widows Web add to a good day.

2. What would make you visit?

The Ultimate made me last visit, so a new thrill ride, but i still want to go back for The Ultimate, but I feel another attraction would be good too, as the park seems dependant on that as a key attraction.

3. What stops you?

I live in Ipswich

4. Should it really be capable of attracting more than 330,000?

Once the park gets a few more thrill rides then yes, but at the moment, Lightwater's marketing has died down and hardly anyone in my region has heard of The Ultimate, which is just an example.

5. What do you see as the future of the park? Once seen as a potential Tussauds purchase, now seen as an also ran; any obvious suggestions?

I see steady progress to become one of the top 5 theme parks in the UK.
This is how it seems to stand:

1) Alton Towers
2) Thorpe Park
3) Pleasure Beach, Blackpool
4) Chessington
5) Drayton Manor/Flamingoland
hopefully it will get above Chessington

 

[Nemesis Inferno]

Lightwater is a strange park to say the least...

Currently though, I don't know where people are seeing these 'awesome attractions', as the Ultimate is the only really true great one, even though the layout really shouldn't be...

Most of the other major rides are fairgroundy, and run at similar speeds and times, hence Eagle's Claw being better than Boretex, but sometimes you can have too much time on a certain ride.

It's location also isn't the best for anyone really below Yorkshire, it is not heavily advertised at all, I don't think even in the North is it advertised well, considering in Yorkshire you've got two within an hour and then Towers...

330'000 is a shocking number for any 'major' theme park... So it's no suprise that we keep hearing rumours of it's removal...

They really need to build another major-ish coaster for them, as a new portable (fairground again) rapids ride will not be doing any major boosting...

 

[nadroJ]

I never really liked Lightwater, the only reason I enjoyed it last year was the company and the weather.

I find everything a bit old and boring. There's nothing there that makes me think wow! and would make me visit at least once a year. Even The Ultimate, it's a fun ride yes but if anything too long and to be honest I find it bores me and one ride is usually enough. Everything else Lightwater has to offer is not unique, they have nothing innovative or new.

It just leaves me cold and since i live close to London I'm not going to travel out of my way to a park I don't particularly enjoy.

 

[Emmett]

I only visited Lightwater last year due to The Ultimate. If it wasn’t for it I wouldn’t have even attempted to go near the place. Also accessing the park by public transport was a complete nightmare which would put me off ever planning a trip back there even though The Ultimate is one of my favourite coasters. I guess that is one of the major factors affecting the number of people who can actually visit the park in the first place.

The only attractions I liked were the water slides and Hornets Nest. Most of the others were pretty dull and I felt they suited families rather than people looking for thrill rides. Also the layout of the park is pretty bad with long walks to most attractions and some rides are completely out of the way like the Caterpillar coaster.

 

[Ben]

The Ultimate is the best coaster in the country.

I didn't even notice there was more to the park other than a bit of a "credit run".

HOWEVER, the Ultimate is at SUCH a quality I will go there annually as long as it's there.

And maybe ONE day Hornets Nest will be open... maybe... I think that could have done some good work there, but, it doesn't work... :S

 

[marc]

^ just dont take Will on the Hornets Nest with you or you will wait 30 mins for them to get the key so he can get his arm out

 

[MouseAT]

I should probably also point out that with the exception of The Ultimate, most of Lightwater Valley's rides have fairly poor capacity. This isn't really a problem now as visitor numbers are relatively small and hence queue times are short, but the park won't be able to cope well with higher visitor numbers.

 

[Tomatron]

The big problem Lightwater Valley has is the lack of investment they are able to put into their property. The shopping outlet they built nearly killed them off, and the Twister death cost them a lot of money as well.

The Ultimate is their big draw, but it's a maintenance nightmare and without much else in the park to support it, if the park can't improve its line up and reasons for going there it's days could be numbered.

They need to either find someone who's willing to plough some capital into the park to improve what they already have and add some new exciting attractions, do something about the sopping village which is really piss poor, and generally breathe some life into the place.

 

[Mackem Lad]

The Grizzly Bear looks too tatty and old and something else needs to goin its place.

Grizzly Bear was removed this year and replaced with a water ride.

 

[Ian]

So I ask you this, in the knowledge that people from all over the country and all over the world read this site, and it would be good to get an impression what the park appears like to those with a larger park set of options.

Thing is, most people that read CF do so for information on one or two particular things. Somebody may search "Thorpe Park" in Google, find CF, read our Thorpe Park pages and then never return. I don't have the stats, but I doubt many would return to look at other parks unless they are enthusiasts.

I think many of the enthusiats make at least a yearly trip to the park. I know I do, even if it's a 500 mile round trip. Then again, that's only because of the Ultimate.

1. What do you make of the park, or at least if you have never visited, what are your preconceptions about the park?

I like the park. Nice setting and enough quirky stuff to keep me entertained for a day. (Although the removal of the Boat-on-a-Rope was a mistake IMO!)

The park feels likes there is no significant investment. It's like a glourifed fairground with long walks between areas and one big coaster. There's no "theme" to anything. Rides are ponked down and that's it.

2. What would make you visit?

The Ultimate and taking CF there are the reasons I visit. If it was closer to home then, yes, I'd visit more.

3. What stops you?

Distance and lack of anything half-decent apart from the Ultimate and Sewer Rat queue line.

4. Should it really be capable of attracting more than 330,000?

Yes. It has a nice setting, a shopping area, is family friendly and is ok value for money.

It's just too far up the country, gash for public transport and not enough there to keep the 14-25 year olds happy - the ones with the most disposable cash. If I'm heading that far north with mates who are not enthusiats and gave them a choice of Blackpool and LWV (both same distance from Southampton), then they'd pick Blackpool. More there and it feels less sparse.

5. What do you see as the future of the park? Once seen as a potential Tussauds purchase, now seen as an also ran; any obvious suggestions?

It'll continue to add small, travelling type rides until they're willing to make a big investment jump with a smash-hit ride and offer to help out with public transport infrastructure.

In the past six years that I've been an enthusiast, LWV is probably the only park I can think of that has not changed with the times, or made a big, worthwhile investment.

The park will survive and keep on going with the bare bones unless they invest.