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Most cost efficient coasters for parks

Being cost efficient means more than just the initial outlay though, and for that reason, woodies really shouldn't be included. Yes, you can get a decent GG for a few million, but how much will you spend over the years on it compared to a steel coaster?

As for Piraten, how much does it cost to maintain a cable lift over a traditional chain? Genuine question since I don't actually know, but I'd be willing to bet that a cable system costs more than a chain and has to be replaced more often.

If I was going to guess, I'd say that well-established clones would be the most cost-effective, stuff like Vekoma Boomerangs and SLCs. The iniitial outlay isn't much, they're pretty hardy pieces of machinary and replacement parts will be easy to come by and inexpensive.
 
I've been in an argumentative mood this morning at work, so let's carry some of that over in to here.

What exactly do you mean by "most cost efficient"? I know you say that height isn't everything (and I agree), but I think it's worth probing the question a little more.
  • Price per foot of height?
  • Price per foot of length?
  • Price per inversion?
  • Price per throughout rate?
  • Price per footprint?
  • Price per "best coaster"?
And then as @gavin identified above, are we talking initial cost, or total lifetime cost? I think each of these provide different answers, and so makes it an interesting question (and debate)!

All of that being said, however, I think that the new-gen Vekoma's much be up there. Incredible layouts, footprints, inversions and throughput for what is (I assume) a fairly modest price tag. They're also from a well known, well established manufacturer, meaning their supply chain and post-completion support and maintenance will be very strong.
 
My guess is somewhere in the Vekoma catalog too, but I incline more towards the Junior coasters. Off-the-shelf models that fit on any piece of flat land, with low height requirements and presumably quite modest investment and maintenance costs. This assumes that the park has flat land to build on, however, otherwise groundwork will quickly cut into the cost efficiency. Then again, so would most other coaster models, so the park would have to be really cramped for another coaster type to be less expensive.

Why those coasters in particular? It's an interpretation of @Hixee's question above: Price per additional profit (compared to not building it). It's a very cheap coaster with a broad appeal. Sure it won't draw many white-knuckle thrill seekers to the parks, but those don't tend to be a very profitable demographic anyway. It is a great coaster for kids, though, which necessarily means their parents will have to buy park tickets too, and parking, and of course ice cream, and souvenirs, maybe a full meal if they spend the whole day at the park... There's way more money in a kid with his parents than in an enthusiast who arrives by bus with a pre-paid ticket, rides all of the big coasters twice, then eats lunch on their way to the next park of the day.

This logic might suggest that the tiniest and cheapest coasters would be the most profitable, since they can be ridden by even more people, but those coasters tend to be too small to be marketable. The Junior coasters are just large enough that they can be used as a draw to the park rather than another thing for guests to do while they are already there, and they aren't so small that bigger kids write them off as not worth the bother. Slap some theming on a junior coaster, film a TV spot, and watch the queues grow long all season.
 
Yeah the upkeep of woodies seems to be crazy assuming you don't want it SBNO within 15 years, looking at you Merlin. In terms of best quality ride for a reasonable price, I'd think Vekoma's new coasters would be up there. Maybe Raptors too although not heard many reviews of WW yet. In terms of height, say the cheapest hyper, maybe Gerstlauer? I imagine a 'standard' hyper infinity model would cost significantly less than a B&M, Intamin or Mack. Maybe them again for price per inversion, or the Sky Warp thing if it counts. On return for investment, I'd probably agree with most people on here that it'd be a Boomerang/SLC.
 
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