Menu
What's new
By:
Filters

Oakwood rumours

Martyn B

Martyn B

CF Legend
Basically, to cut it short:

2012:
Small/medium ride
Theming for Speed
TLC for Waterfall
More sprucing up of the park
Also, possible removal for Bounce anytime soon

2013:
Major attraction on same scale as Speed

All this was taken from another site:

I was on park yesterday at Oakwood feeling a little bit down at the way the park has had no new investment for another year and how area's of the park are starting to look dated and very tatty (Look at the New Orleans area). As I was walking around the park I bumped into and started chatting to one of the park managers (who was genuinely a really nice bloke, Just wish I remembered his name :oops: ).

As we were chatting he put me in a positive mood as he seems passionate about getting this park working again and hinted towards several plans for the future which included:

2012:
A new small/medium ride/attraction (although he wouldn't go into detail he seemed to know more than he was letting on)
Another year of "sprucing up the park"
Water Fall to get some TLC
and he did mention Speed finally getting some theming but as of yet no theme's have been decided on.

2013/2014:
Another Major attraction on the scale of Speed. He said although it's still in the early stages of planning "it's definitely coming".

He also made it very clear that the above plans completely depends on gate figures and Aspro giving them funding.

He also mentioned that since Aspro took over the park in 2008 they have managed to half the parks £6 million debt to just over £3 million and by the way he was talking Bounce could be running it's final seasons as the ride is becoming more problematic and costly to fix and repair.
Click to expand...

http://www.ukrides.info/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=3163
 
That is interesting, the thing the managing company needs to know is that they will only bring in customers if they invest. It's such a shame the park hasn't really had the funds to do anything over the last couple of years and I hope they get the budget they need to spruce the park up properly. In other words, they need to add something to give me a reason to go back to ride Megafobia :p
 
The problem with Oakwood is the location.

I don't know what it's like for people in Wales, but for me in Bristol (pretty much as close as you can get in England) it's a **** long way for, well... not an awful lot. If Oakwood really want to bring in the guests they're going to have to really up the appeal of the park. I mean, why would I go to Oakwood when I could go to Thorpe/Chessie/Alton in about the same time frame?
 
^True that...

Yes it has Megaphobia, but then what else? It's too far to travel by any form of transport and hell I could probably get to Parc Asterix in the same amount of time...

So basically, needs more appeal and quality at the park, as well as finding a way of getting people to trawl down there...
 
**** Finally, I just really hope they get a woodie, and plant loads of trees around speed, because it just sticks out too much!
 
i agree with Hixee, Oakwood is practically the only major park in the UK i have not visited, purely because, its about 8 hours drive, and for what? Megafobia and Speed, Now theses are good looking coasters in their own right for sure, heck i hear Megafobia is amazing, but its just not worth all effort for me to go there. It would cost a bomb in petrol, there would need to be a hotel involved not to mention park entry ect, it would be easier to get to the moon. However, these future prospects sound exciting and 2 maybe 1 more good coaster at Oakwood could change my mind?
 
The thing is, Oakwood is in "Prime Welsh Tourist Country". My first visit was by complete accident. I was on holiday in Tenby and picked up a leaflet for the park from the camp site offices. So we spent one day of the holiday there and loved it.

Unlike Thorpe or Alton, where people go there specifically for the park, Oakwood catches the tourist trade (or it should do, I don't know exactly how successful it is at doing that). I guess this is why they have such a slow progression in terms of rides; the park just can't afford to expand rapidly because no matter how much they invest, people just can't visit for a day.

I guess it's one of the reasons I'm an Oakwood fanboy though, because the decisions they make are actually pretty good choices for what would normally be an ice-cream and sheep-shearing tourist attraction. They do need new attractions though, as you need to keep those regulars coming back, there has to be a decent local population too as "bread and butter" you can't afford to lose.
 
I really like Oakwood. Only been once (August 2006) and we had a great 2 days there. Yes it was a long way to go, but in my opinion it was worth it. I loved Megafobia, Hydro, Bobsleigh, Waterfall, Spooky 3D and the general park scenery.

It was very busy, but it was open until 10pm, and they closed the night with fireworks, which were also great (and night rides on Megafobia in the rain, were insane!)
 
Exactly what Furie said. Unless they make drastic investment, people aren't going to travel all the way out there just for Oakwood. Even then, it's unlikely. However, there is a large number of people who are "in the area" every summer on holiday so will visit as something to do for a day. I remember going twice when I was a kid for exactly that reason. I don't think their intention is that people from south east England are going to travel all the way there once a year to visit (although, obviously its nice for them if we do, but they'd be mad to base their business model on it). Their concentration needs to be on getting holidaymakers and locals to visit regularly. Even them are going to get bored of going back year on year if there's nothing new.

Again, as Furie said, this is a regional theme park for local holiday makers - think Flambards or similar - they've just managed to extend their interest much further by plonking in a couple of world class coasters. For that we should be grateful.

Anyway, yes, I'm happy their spending money cleaning the park up. I think this is more important in the short term than getting something big and new. When I was last there 2 years ago, it was starting to look a bit tatty.

Oh, plus, I have a cunning plan.... they could double overnight the number of enthusiasts who travel there really easily. All the have to do it start letting adults on the Clown Coaster. Just an idea ;)
 
Mit deLuxe said:
**** Finally, I just really hope they get a woodie
Click to expand...
Megafobia...?

Like furie said (or was it Hixee?) Oakwood needs something to make me want to go on a long journey to get there.
 
Dave said:
Grand National still beats it though.
Click to expand...

The Grand National is a bad tempered dog that needs taking out into the back yard and be put out of my misery ;)

Nic said:
Oh, plus, I have a cunning plan.... they could double overnight the number of enthusiasts who travel there really easily. All the have to do it start letting adults on the Clown Coaster. Just an idea ;)
Click to expand...

I don't care, I have the credit :p
 
I'm just reposting what everybody else is saying, but for the past three years I've always considered Oakwood for a CF-Live. However, when it boils down to it, I can't justify a mammouth trip to the edge of the country for park that has failed to invest in recent years.

If these rumours of a new big attraction in 2013 are true then I'll head back then. Until then, I'm not willing to endure the arduous journey despite Oakwood being a good park. Why would I travel for four hours to Oakwood when I can get to Blackpool in that time and possible stop off for a cheeky Alton Towers visit on the way? Oakwood: Good park, Bad location.

I'm glad that Waterfall is getting some TLC. After reading Brookes' recent report, I was disappointed to read one side wasn't operating. The ride needs two lanes for that extra racing buzz. I'm chuffed that they want to invest in the ride. The park could have seen it as an old fashioned ride and scrapped it, but they've realised it's uniqueness.

As for the new 2013 attraction, I'd hope it would be a new coaster and not a relocation. I'm waiting for a park to buy Twist 'n Shout from Loudoun Castle...
 
I think its a fab little park, and we should consider ourselves lucky to have it. As you mention, it mainly caters for the holiday makers in the area, so they could of just stuck any old ride in there and end up being the same as Brean, but no instead we have a 120ft chute ride, awsome Woodie and a massive Eurofighter (which at the time was unique to the UK).

It maybe in a sticky location, but I think its well worth the journey. And I really hope these rumours are true, I love the place and I so want it to do well.
 
I agree with what's been said really. Being at the park last week, it really does need sprucing up a bit. Don't get me wrong I thought it was a great park, just lots of things need repainting and I think some new rides, especially if the one in 2013 is true, will make it even better.

As furie says though, the park relies on locals and tourists in the area for their majority of guests. Having never been to Oakwood, I took a holiday there for a week, as making that journey just for one day would have been a bit of a killer. Virtually every pub and some shops you went in around the area had Oakwood leaflets in there.

I wonder if Speed is going to be renamed if there is a total re-theme (or just theme :p). Also, if Bounce is being removed, I wonder if it will be replaced by another drop tower, as it seemed really popular and not much else can go in that location.
 
Furie said:
My first visit was by complete accident. I was on holiday in Tenby and picked up a leaflet for the park from the camp site offices. So we spent one day of the holiday there and loved it.
Click to expand...

This is exactly what happened to us (and a lot of others by the sound of it) when we went there; we were on a family holiday in the area, picked up a leaflet and went. This was the opening season of Megafobia, and the place was dead.

What people seem to forget about Megafobia is that it was offered to Oakwood at cost (around £2 million) by CCI as they wanted a place to showcase their coasters in Europe (which seems to have worked given Park Asterix and Port Aventura). If this hadn't have happened, then I'm not sure whether Oakwood would have ever gone in the direction that they did.

Sorry to sound pessimistic, but Oakwood's "daring" strategy wasn't really down to them; they got a world class coaster for basically nothing.

As for a major new 2013/2014 attraction:

He also made it very clear that the above plans completely depends on gate figures and Aspro giving them funding.
Click to expand...

Isn't that a given? Any park can say that they will add something major, but when it's given the caveat of "depending on whether we get enough people in this year", it becomes null and void. People won't go without a new attraction, so Aspro need to get their cheque books out.
 
I went for the first time last year and loved it, but, as people are saying, it is WAY out of the way, especialy being in Cleethorpes, it was a right hike to the other side of the country.

Theme for Speed I feel would be a waste. For the type of park Oakwood is, I think themeing Speed would be a waste of money for their 'large investment', but generally making the area look nice would be good.

They are due for a nice investment though, Speed was a good 6 years ago. Why the removal of the Bounce too, does it have issues?
 
mouse said:
Mit deLuxe said:
**** Finally, I just really hope they get a woodie
Click to expand...
Megafobia...?

Like furie said (or was it Hixee?) Oakwood needs something to make me want to go on a long journey to get there.
Click to expand...

Yes I know they have Megafobia...... I'm talking about the next major ride they get.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top