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Surveying occurring at Paultons Park - potential new attraction?

Matt N

CF Legend
In terms of what I’d do at Paultons next; I’m torn.

Part of me would like a dark ride installed. Paultons currently lacks one, and I think they’re both good for the family audience and good all-weather attractions.

But part of me would also like to see them go for something slightly more ambitious coaster-wise. I’m not talking “OMG, huge thrill machine!” here, just something that ups the thrill level a tad compared to their existing coasters. Cyclonator was professed by the park to be a litmus test for future thrill rides, and given that I’ve heard Cyclonator was said to be a big success, I’d be surprised if the park didn’t want to exploit that and widen their market a touch

I’m thinking something along the lines of a nice wooden coaster; perhaps a GCI. I would have this GCI break the UK woodie records, as these do not currently sit overly high; 85ft for height, 48mph for speed and 3,300ft for length. I think height and speed in particular are very attainable for Paultons; if they built a 100ft tall, 50mph, 3,300ishft woodie, that would have the full trifecta of UK woodie records for them to shout about! A GCI also wouldn’t have any inversions, wouldn’t be overly tall, and wouldn’t have a height restriction above 1.2m, so it would be very accessible for older families as well as thrillseekers.
 

CrashCoaster

CF Legend
I’m thinking something along the lines of a nice wooden coaster; perhaps a GCI. I would have this GCI break the UK woodie records, as these do not currently sit overly high; 85ft for height, 48mph for speed and 3,300ft for length. I think height and speed in particular are very attainable for Paultons; if they built a 100ft tall, 50mph, 3,300ishft woodie, that would have the full trifecta of UK woodie records for them to shout about! A GCI also wouldn’t have any inversions, wouldn’t be overly tall, and wouldn’t have a height restriction above 1.2m, so it would be very accessible for older families as well as thrillseekers.
I actually had the exact same thought as this, which I remember discussing with @Kw6sTheater on Discord. A medium sized GCI that just about breaks the UK woodie height and speed records without being too much, or a Gravity Group woodie around the same size as Boardwalk Bullet or Mine Blower (but without the inversion) would be a perfect choice for their next coaster. They are easy records to beat as well (perhaps not the length cause of Nash, but Megafobia is fairly small in the grand scheme of woodies).

As for another type of ride, as I said on the previous page I think a Viking Voyage-esque flume ride by Interlink or Intamin would work well. Put some nice dark ride scenes in while you're at it and I think they could make something special.
 

JoshC.

Strata Poster
Whilst I understand the calls for a woodie at the park, I think if that was their next big investment, it would be a mistake.

The park has added 4 new coasters to their line up in 6 years. And that's great. And they have backed those up with good support rides too. But what they need to round off the park is a larger support ride (in the form of a bigger water ride, or a dark ride). As a family park, they really lack a noteworthy non-coaster, which would appeal to those in a family who don't really want to go on a roller coaster.

Focusing again on another coaster next risks alienating a key part of the family market they should be going for imo
 

CrashCoaster

CF Legend
Whilst I understand the calls for a woodie at the park, I think if that was their next big investment, it would be a mistake.

The park has added 4 new coasters to their line up in 6 years. And that's great. And they have backed those up with good support rides too. But what they need to round off the park is a larger support ride (in the form of a bigger water ride, or a dark ride). As a family park, they really lack a noteworthy non-coaster, which would appeal to those in a family who don't really want to go on a roller coaster.

Focusing again on another coaster next risks alienating a key part of the family market they should be going for imo
I'm not calling a woodie as the next big investment, I'm purely talking about their next coaster which I imagine will be several years down the line. I fully expect them to theme up the area around Cobra & Edge and add a dark ride or water ride or both beforehand, and maybe also remove some crappy attractions like the Go-Karts and Reverchon flume.
 

Kw6sTheater

Hyper Poster
Inspired by discussions with @CrashCoaster on Discord, I tried fitting a wooden coaster into the empty fields (plus the Reverchon log flume and a few kids' flat rides) around Cobra and Edge. This concept layout would be the tallest and fastest wooden coaster in England (but not in the UK, considering that Cu Chulainn is just across the Irish Sea), with a maximum height of 27m/88ft and maximum speed of 79kmh/49mph (beating Megafobia by 1m in height and 2kmh in speed). Fitting the ride into this space was a bit of a challenge due to the service roads and a few very close calls with the park's borders, but this layout has some room to spare.

How it fits into Paulton's Park (red arrows indicate direction, blue indicates the station):
unknown.png


On-Ride POV:

Personally, while I think Paultons's next investment won't be as thrilling as this (considering they're a family-oriented park through and through), a GCI would be a good choice for them - considering they aren't the most aggressive rides by nature. Regardless, the height and speed records for British wooden coasters are very easy to beat, and I'd be surprised if they aren't beaten within the next 10 years - whether it's by Paultons, Thorpe, Drayton or somewhere else.
 

Matt N

CF Legend
Inspired by discussions with @CrashCoaster on Discord, I tried fitting a wooden coaster into the empty fields (plus the Reverchon log flume and a few kids' flat rides) around Cobra and Edge. This concept layout would be the tallest and fastest wooden coaster in England (but not in the UK, considering that Cu Chulainn is just across the Irish Sea), with a maximum height of 27m/88ft and maximum speed of 79kmh/49mph (beating Megafobia by 1m in height and 2kmh in speed). Fitting the ride into this space was a bit of a challenge due to the service roads and a few very close calls with the park's borders, but this layout has some room to spare.

How it fits into Paulton's Park (red arrows indicate direction, blue indicates the station):
unknown.png


On-Ride POV:

Personally, while I think Paultons's next investment won't be as thrilling as this (considering they're a family-oriented park through and through), a GCI would be a good choice for them - considering they aren't the most aggressive rides by nature. Regardless, the height and speed records for British wooden coasters are very easy to beat, and I'd be surprised if they aren't beaten within the next 10 years - whether it's by Paultons, Thorpe, Drayton or somewhere else.
That looks like a really nice ride; I’d take something like that at Paultons any day of the week! And to be honest, I don’t think something of that scale would be out of the realms of possibility, either; it’s only 15ft taller and less than 10mph faster than Paultons’ current record holders in each of those departments!

The park did say that Cyclonator within Tornado Springs was a litmus test for more thrilling rides at the park, so I think something like what you’re proposing would be a brilliant fit!

Also, Cu Chulainn isn’t actually part of the UK (it’s only Northern Ireland that’s part of the UK; Cu Chulainn is in Southern Ireland. Although in fairness, I can imagine that that would be quite confusing for someone not from the UK, so certainly nothing to worry about there!), so this would be the UK’s tallest and fastest wooden coaster!
 

BenJacobs

Roller Poster
I doubt they would spend an entire budget on one ride, as their proven strategy is a land with one major(ish) attraction and multiple supporting attractions. A woodie would be a good addition, but if they do it I would imagine it’ll be 1500-2000ft and as the anchor of a new land.

A dark ride would be good also, though a nicely-done, good-sized one would take up most of the budget of a new land, so I doubt it.

Even if it is a standalone attraction, I still reckon a woodie would only be 1500-2000ft, as it would provide a good thrill to adults and older children while not being too imposing for slightly younger families.
 
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Ethan

Strata Poster
How it fits into Paulton's Park (red arrows indicate direction, blue indicates the station):
unknown.png
I mean, not that it matters, but that aerial image you used is mirrored?

As everyone else has said, I think the park needs a dark ride or water ride, not another coaster. I also don't think a woodie is what they'd get anyhow.
 
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coasteraddict10

Roller Poster
Inspired by discussions with @CrashCoaster on Discord, I tried fitting a wooden coaster into the empty fields (plus the Reverchon log flume and a few kids' flat rides) around Cobra and Edge. This concept layout would be the tallest and fastest wooden coaster in England (but not in the UK, considering that Cu Chulainn is just across the Irish Sea), with a maximum height of 27m/88ft and maximum speed of 79kmh/49mph (beating Megafobia by 1m in height and 2kmh in speed). Fitting the ride into this space was a bit of a challenge due to the service roads and a few very close calls with the park's borders, but this layout has some room to spare.

How it fits into Paulton's Park (red arrows indicate direction, blue indicates the station):
unknown.png


On-Ride POV:

Personally, while I think Paultons's next investment won't be as thrilling as this (considering they're a family-oriented park through and through), a GCI would be a good choice for them - considering they aren't the most aggressive rides by nature. Regardless, the height and speed records for British wooden coasters are very easy to beat, and I'd be surprised if they aren't beaten within the next 10 years - whether it's by Paultons, Thorpe, Drayton or somewhere else.

Imagine being so optimistic that you think the UK will get any new wood in the next decade, let alone a record breaking one 🤣

Those 3 parks you mentioned are the only places I could see new wood being built, but Paultons has a lot to do before a new coaster is need imo, if Thorpe gets anything related to wood they've messed up if it's not RMC, and therefore technically not wood and I doubt Drayton will get new wood, but maybe with new ownership?
 

Ethan

Strata Poster
Why not? A woodie was heavily considered for Tornado Springs but they decided that a spinner would better suit the park at the time.
Yeah, that was before they built it. Obviously I'm as clueless as you and the rest of us, but they have a strong coaster line up now that Tornado Springs is there, do they really need another one before filling actual gaps in their attraction lineup?
 

roomraider

Best Topic Starter
A woodie should 100% be there next big coaster. But maybe 2024 or 25. First god do they need a replacement for the log flume. A great park can't be coasters only. A thing phantasialand understand well and mix there big coaster investments with high quality support rides. Paultons just got a good coaster. Time for a high quality support ride next year and then knock us out with a new coaster.
 

Nicky Borrill

Strata Poster
I think it absolutely should be a dark ride. They already have the log flume, buffalo falls, a couple of splash parks and a couple of other smaller water rides to see them through for now (although replacing the log flume with a decent water ride is another logical step for sure.)

I would love to see them take on a quality dark ride.

However, I can totally see them getting rid of the old log flume during a general redevelopment of that area, and tying in a new water ride with that. Which is a shame, as a custom log flume would work so much better in the wooded gardens, or even the wooded area aside the river, but I don't know if they can build in either of those areas.
 

Matt N

CF Legend
I don’t think that land looks to be coaster material, myself. I don’t know why, but I’m sensing a dark ride there. They already have Cobra as a potential headline coaster for any area built there, and it looks like the sort of plot that would be good for a dark ride.
 

CrashCoaster

CF Legend
I don’t think that land looks to be coaster material, myself. I don’t know why, but I’m sensing a dark ride there. They already have Cobra as a potential headline coaster for any area built there, and it looks like the sort of plot that would be good for a dark ride.
That's not including the land around it they have already built on though; who's to say the Go Karts won't be removed, which is heavily what I'm expecting.
 

Peet

Giga Poster
Yeah I remember thinking the go-karts look pretty low quality / unloved compared to the rest of the park and they take up a big plot so I expect (hope?) that whatever is being built will take up that plot too.

Here's hoping for that GG woodie (yeah it's unlikely but we can dream)!
 

EDjanaika

Mega Poster
I don’t think that land looks to be coaster material, myself. I don’t know why, but I’m sensing a dark ride there. They already have Cobra as a potential headline coaster for any area built there, and it looks like the sort of plot that would be good for a dark ride.
I would love to see a dark ride as well as it's one of the rides the park could use in their ever expanding line up!!! Maybe the park will create another new area and retheme the edge and cobra to fit it?!
 
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