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Is the Blade finally dead?

Martyn B said:
My point was more to do with just having 3 adult coasters (and Sub Terra obv), which will leave absolutely nothing for kids to do up there.

They like to claim to be this amazing family park but I'd never dream of taking kids there.
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I've been saying this for getting on ten years now. Alton Towers is an awful day out for a family. It's great for one set or the other, but there's no middle ground.

Brilliant for kids if you stick to the kids areas. They're miles from the thrill areas though, so (especially if you're paying £60 each :p ) the kids will miss out as the adults want the thrills.

The option of splitting up works, but then it's not a family day out, it's a day out where you don't spend any time together.

It's rubbish!

The Blade was actually good as it was the only suitable ride (other than maybe Duel five minute's walk away) that kids could go on.
 
That's a powerful point, Furie. Though I suspect in Alton's case they're just trying to work with what they can get away with building where?

Back when CF got that interview at Chessington when Wild Asia was being constructed, remember them saying how they wanted something for everyone to do in each area. Does Chessie stand up to that in practise? Is the park actually a quality experience when you visit with family? I think that's why they've clung onto Rameses, because it's that token teenagers ride. Chessie ticks all the family boxes at mediocre level, but at least it ticks them.
 
I kind of agree Joey that there are limitations, but Alton is almost very deliberate in its "Family here, thrill there" placement. What replaced the Wave Swinger in Dark Forest? Nothing, it's just a blank patch of ground now. Why not get a little roundabout ride or build a park there? the space under Air's lift hill and turnaround? Bit bit of blank space for a small ride or a park. It's like there's just no attempt at all to even try to mix things up. It would be fine if the park were smaller, but there's a hell of a trek from CBeebies land to Dark Forest or Forbidden Valley.

The only thing for kids to do in most thrill areas is to badger their parents to spend money on the game stalls. If you got rid of those you'd have loads of room for kid friendly activities... but I suspect I've answered something there myself already ;)

So anyway, Blade served a really useful function where it was and there was pretty much always a "boat load" of people riding it. It's kind of just making the whole division worse now.

Chessington? I still reckon it's almost right. You're right that the rides for a teen market are mediocre, but there's always "things to do" for any age anywhere in the park.
 
Good news for Blade lovers! Alton Towers have tweeted that they have reconsidered the decision to close the Blade and it will be open from the 21st March 'until further notice'.
 
That's good to hear but makes no sense. Back by popular demand or just a rethink on the timeline of the potential SW8 plans (if they are for FV) I wonder?
 
Jordanovichy said:
Good news for Blade lovers! Alton Towers have tweeted that they have reconsidered the decision to close the Blade and it will be open from the 21st March 'until further notice'.
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They just need to get rid of it. Pile of junk! What purpose is it possibly serving anyway. Get rid and get in the RMC ;)
 
That's super weird, that belongs in the Merlin WTF topic. Changing their mind due to popular demand? Means it was due to just be SBNO.
 
Popular demand? In which case, I expect it to be be running at full capacity with a monstrous queue when I visit on Saturday. That suits me, I'll be on the better rides.
 
Do you think they may have thought that it might look like a absolute mess just standing there with moss and ivy growing over it. Can you imagine how many people would ask if it was going to open if it was just standing there. Or if it was to be removed that the pit would be an eye sore. It makes sense to run it until it's time to remove it once plans for a new attraction has planning permission.
 
It'll be dead early season, but I still reckon by May, it'll be as always with at least a boatload in the queue. Usually it runs with the middle empty and half a boat then waiting though. I think popular demand may be pushing it a lot though :lol:

I've not been since 2013 though, it may have changed drastically of course :)
 
When I last went in 2012, it was walk on with just the back rows filled. It's still better to have a ride operational than just standing there. It gives guests a choice then.
 
Joey said:
That's super weird, that belongs in the Merlin WTF topic. Changing their mind due to popular demand? Means it was due to just be SBNO.
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Changing their mind because of no reason at all would probably be the answer... Especially as it's still on the chopping board, but the date apparently changed for no rhyme nor reason... Hence this hoo-ha...
 
The GP does have a huge influence on a park's decision to close a ride. Back in '01, when Six Flags Great America tried to close Whizzer, their classic Schwarzkopf family Speed Racer, the GP bombarded the park's PR office with letters saying it was peoples' first ride, and it's still their favorites. So they kept it open, and here we are 14 years later, and it's still a family favorite.

In this case, it is a bit hard to tell. The "until further notice" does lead me to believe that they are planning to close it, but they probably have another plan that might work, or very well could fail, which will then lead to Blade's closure, if in fact the first plan does fail. So maybe an RMC in the Valley is still plausible. :)
 
^They never needed to close it this early, in terms of time scale. Just because it's operating for another year, doesn't mean that the coaster will not go in that location.
 
yh, in the 'not due to popular demand, but because it'll just sit there looking a state' camp I'm afraid. They can pretend they were bending to the needs of the public all they want, since when has public opinion ever persuaded them to change their mind before?

I reckon, considering all the budgeting rumours, they figured it would cost too much to rip the damn thing out, maybe even more than running it for the year?
 
Yeah, I can't see that many people...if any really, have had a go at Alton Towers for threatening to get rid of it. At the end of the day if nothing is happening until 2017 or even later why would they get rid of an attraction, even if it isn't that popular? It's a fun thing to do quickly if you're in the area. Having said that, I'm meh for them keeping it and meh for them getting rid of it :p
 
As others have said, it'll still be going, but they won't need the space just yet. They're not going to try and remove it when the park's actually open, which means it would have just been sitting there for a whole season otherwise, so they might as well keep it going. They'll be able to rip it out quickly enough when they actually need the space.

The "due to popular demand" thing is purely marketing, making it sound like the ride is actually popular and that they've listened and responded to guest comments that likely were never made in the first place.
 
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