Walygator Park (France) to close?

[peep]

I'd heard it mentioned before and when I mentioned it in a topic no one else seemed to know about it. However on Facebook I've just seen AmeWorld (another park fansite) post the following:

Le parc Walygator risque d'être placé en redressement judiciaire, voir même d'être liquidé!! Il y a un passif de plusieurs millions d'euros. Résultat de la chambre commerciale du TGI de Metz aujourd'hui. (Source: France 3). On vous tiendra au courant.. Restez bien branché sur la page FB (en attendant le retour du forum)

Walygator Park may be placed into receivership, even be liquidated! There is a liability of several million euros. The result of the commercial Chamber of the Metz TGI today. (Source: France 3). You will be aware... Well stay tuned on FB (pending the return of the forum) page

 

[Ian]

Wow, something must be really messed up if a park with three substantial roller coasters and all the regular theme park classics can't survive.

I was planning to visit next year, too. Spite. Oh well. It seems like one of those parks that somebody would buy rather the rides being stripped one-by-one. However, if it's millions of €€€'s in debt, nobody will take it on.

And I'll say the following statements now to get them out of the way:
Maybe Merlin will buy it?
Maybe Drayton Manor will buy the woodie?
Lightwater Valley should buy the Vekoma, they need a inverting coaster.

Oh no! Further research has dug up that two rides - Polyp and Südseewellen - are Schwarzkopf designs! These are automatically classics and must not close to the public. Hopefully Lightwater Valley will buy them.

 

[peep]

I'd heard that buying Monster in 2010 was their way of trying to get themselves out of money problems by bringing in more guests. It clearly didn't work, or it did for a bit? Not really sure.

I hope Monster does get to move on to a new home because it's a great ride. Like you say Ian, I can't see anyone else buying the park as a whole.

 

[oriolat2]

No!! I need Le Monstre </3 because I CBAed to go to Cedar Point to ride Raptor

 

[Martyn B]

This place has a really good looking ride line up, like a major park line up, but it peforms like a small park apparently.

It's obviously all rumours at the minute, but if it does turn out to be true, lets hope someone can save it.

 

[nealbie]

It's a dump with a B&M Invert plonked at the back. As long as that goes somewhere else, good riddance.

 

[Jake]

If it does spite, the woodie and the Vekoma will probably end up on the scrap heap. The Big Apple and the B&M will probably get FLOGGED for obvious reasons.

Looks like a bit of a dump though.

 

[Martyn B]

I always assumed the place was a bit of a dump, but I changed my mind after seeing the pics from THIS report. Nothing spectacular, but it all seems nice enough, with a decent ride line up.

 

[Gavin]

I looked into going here as a day trip from Strasbourg, but it wasn't open, despite it being the middle of April.

So yeah, **** Walygator. I hope they're happy now!

 

[Martyn B]

There's an update on this over at Towerstreet, and it's good news.

Basically, the park is being sold onto 4 investers who have good experience in the industy. They'll reopen the park late Spring 2013 and they're going be investing €1.2-1.6m on improvements to the park, including a refurb for Monster.

http://www.towersstreet.com/talk/all-ot ... coming/45/

 

[Gavin]

^That's really not a lot of money to invest on improvements.

 

[ignace]

Walygator Parc is by far the worst park I have ever been to. Ok, Monster is the best B&M I rode so far (only backseat and only becous the mid course brakes are missing), but the park itself is a huge dump. Anaconda is the worst Woodie out there, I will never ride it again, almost broke some ribs on that sucker, and I'm not even exaggerating.

 

[peep]

^Oh totally agree. Anaconda is one of the worst woodies I've ever been on. It's a nice park with bucket loads of potential but they just haven't kept it up to date or invested at all.

It'll be interesting to see what these new investors will do with the park. Part of me wishes they invest correctly and turn it into a decent park that's popular. Whether this will happen, well, only time will tell.

 

[Tomatron]

I'll try and get there this year just in case this place doesn't last much longer, missed out on the B&M Invert in Japan a while back so would finally like to ride it.

 

[Martyn B]

The new owners have been making some minor improvements for this year:

The raft has been cleaned, so the water wont be green anymore. Same for the flume.
New boats are also coming for the raft, but wont be there for the opening date.
Monster has only 1 train remaining complete, so they bought the missing pieces to make sure to have 2 complete trains. (No need of 3, knowing the park affluence).
The woodie, Anaconda, is partly retracked, and they are hoping to get the second train back to service soon. The transfer track, which was the worst part, has been changed.

A suspended dark ride is planned in 2015, in the building where the terror house is at the moment. The price will be about 4 millions euro.

And as a conclusion, here is the new Logo, and the new Mascotte have been revealed!

From Towerstreet.

 

[caffeine_demon]

Awwww - I wanna give him a hug!

 

[Martyn B]

The S&S Space Shot and Topple Tower will both reopening this year:

Also, going by a snippet over at Towerstreet, they're going to be building a proper station building for Monster, and a new area within the coaster's layout.