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Tayto Park | Viking Voyage | Interlink Super Flume

Ian

From CoasterForce
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Bit disappointed to see the bin bag tunnel tbh. Rest of it looks fab though.
 

chainedbanana

Hyper Poster
Just watched a POV and am 50/50 with the theming - some of it is fantastic....but then the bin liners in the tunnel is just Gross!! i hope this is just 'unfinished' and will be worked on!
 

Genasi

Roller Poster
Anybody knows when it will be really finished? Or is it going to stay the same - just looking good from the outside?
 

hamcake

Roller Poster
Anybody knows when it will be really finished? Or is it going to stay the same - just looking good from the outside?
Earlier in the year they were saying how there would be a bunch of viking people/models scattered around, and there's no sign of them so I'd assume they are still gonna work on it... hopefully
 

CSLKennyNI

Giga Poster
In the second turntable room, there where still buckets and workmen's tools sitting around. And what looks to be a future path way through the mountain still had working going and construction vehicles on site.
So seems they are still working on it.
 

rollercoaster2

Mega Poster
New waterfalls have been added both sides as you enter first tunnel which looks cool. Also turntable drop has improved theming and finishing since opening. Diggers and construction still working on it.

Thankfully!
 

Meroteboy

Roller Poster
Yeah, a lot of the 'bin liners' were taken down from the first lift hill when I rode it on Tuesday. You could see all the girders and another boat reaching the top of the 3rd lift hill above.
I hope this was taken down because there is work taking place, rather than just being torn down and neglected or whatever. I'm sure the interior will be completed, either slowly over the coming months or during the off season. Still a great addition to the park though - very good ride.
 

Meroteboy

Roller Poster
I suspect that idea may have been scrapped, can't see them doing that. Hope I'm wrong as it would be a very nice feature.
 

Jason

Roller Poster
Don't see why they wouldn't, seems like there's loads more theming to be added.
Has anyone actually checked to see if they can see anything inside the helmet while on the lift hill?
 

ciaran75

Roller Poster
was at park last Friday, really good day out. Cu Chulainn is excellent ride, speed keeps up till end, 5-10 minute wait every time, rode 4 times. Viking vovage was really good, some of theming def needs to be finished. we had 30 min wait in morning then was 1 hour all day after.

Assuming they keep to their opening a new major ride every 2 years.
what would your ideal predications be? no way will it all happen but if they had 3 top roller coasters plus kiddie one would be great small park. My ideal would be:

2015 - Cu Chulainn
2017 - Viking voyage
2018 - kiddie coaster
2019 - mach launcher (like helix)
2021 - b&m inverted
2022 - hotel
2023 - hyper coaster (lots of airtime)
2025 - rmc hybrid
2027 - wing / 4d coaster

They have 120 acres so I think there should be lots of room, I've no idea how many acres are been currently used.
 

CrashCoaster

CF Legend
They have 120 acres so I think there should be lots of room, I've no idea how many acres are been currently used.

120 acres isn't that much. To put it into perspective, that is about 3 times the size of BPB, and about as big as the used land at Drayton Manor, so unless they get some land expansions, they probably won't be able to fit it all of those attractions you proposed.
 

Sandman

Giga Poster
120 acres isn't that much. To put it into perspective, that is about 3 times the size of BPB, and about as big as the used land at Drayton Manor, so unless they get some land expansions, they probably won't be able to fit it all of those attractions you proposed.

Those proposed attractions are unrealistic at this point. Don't think 120 acres is too small for quite a few substantial attractions, baring in mind Phantasialand one of the best parks in the world is a mere 69 acres. Also, look at how much BPB have crammed into it's land.
 

CSLKennyNI

Giga Poster
Don't see why they wouldn't, seems like there's loads more theming to be added.
Has anyone actually checked to see if they can see anything inside the helmet while on the lift hill?
Yep there are pipes and ledges for the water to pour from in the eyesockets. So I expect the waterfalls in the eyes will come at some point - probably next year when they finish the theming.
 

CSLKennyNI

Giga Poster
Tayto Park are planning upgrades to Viking Voyage this year including a storytelling aspect with animatronics.
https://fora.ie/tayto-park-viking-ride-queue-4432619-Jan2019/

TAYTO PARK WILL introduce animatronic robots to the “queue experience” at one of its attractions to make the sometimes hours-long wait more entertaining for customers.

The company behind the crisps-inspired theme park in Ashbourne, Co Meath has tendered a contract to provide various upgrades at the Viking Voyage water ride.

Visitor feedback surveys identified that the queue for the ride was “the key area which needed to improve to ensure guests remained satisfied”, according to a tender document.

“During our peak months of visitors (June, July and August) the queue can reach up to two hours in length,” it said.
To improve the visitor experience, Tayto Park plans to break up the waiting area into “a sequence of mini destinations”.

It will provide customers with a “mixed media, multi-sensory encounter” telling the story of the Viking invasion of Ireland through live actors; male and female animatronic characters; audio and video installations; and other media.

“We are open to ideas on how we can use the dramatic history of Vikings in Ireland to create an experience that animates the queue area of Viking Voyage and engages and entertains visitors,” the tender document stated.
The project – slated for completion in June of this year – will cost €233,000 and is being funded by State agency Fáilte Ireland under its budget for tourism marketing brand Ireland’s Ancient East.

Tayto Park is one of the country’s top 10 fee-charging attractions, attracting hundreds of thousands of mainly Irish visitors.
The company noted in its tender for the Viking Voyage upgrades that about 8% of annual visitors come from Europe and the UK.
“We hope to increase the amount of people coming to Tayto Park from these markets by 2% a year, every year for the next five years,” it said.
For that reason, the successful bidder will have to translate any materials into French and German, as well as Irish.
“We would like some of the audio to contain Old Norse,” the company added, referring to the north Germanic language once spoken by the inhabitants of Scandinavia.

New roller coaster
The upgrade to the Viking Voyage ride comes months after it was announced that Tayto Park plans to build a steel roller coaster estimated to cost €14 million.

The company behind the park, Ashbourne Visitor Centre Limited, submitted a planning application for the project in December of last year and a decision is due in February.

In a rationale for the project, prepared for Meath County Council by planning consultant Declan Brassil on behalf of the company, it is noted that the last major attraction introduced at Tayto Park was the Cú Chulainn wooden roller coaster.

The letter to the council’s planning department stated that visitor numbers peaked at 700,000 the year Cú Chulainn opened in 2015 and have yet to return to such heights.

“Since the peak visitor numbers of 2015, Tayto Park has experienced a gradual decline in yearly and peak day visitor numbers. Yearly visitor numbers dropped to 600,000 the year after the opening of the roller coaster and have remained slightly below this number for the last two years,” Brassil wrote.

The consultant said that given the relative size of the Irish market and the “underlying trend of declining visitor numbers”, it is necessary for Tayto Park to invest in a new attraction to protect its position as one of the country’s top attractions.

Considering it won’t be until 2021 that the proposed steel roller coaster is up and running, Brassil said the development – consisting of two separate rides with a combined track length of 972 m – is “critical in securing the future of the park and its ongoing contribution to the local and regional economies”.

Tayto Park opened in 2010 and was the brainchild of former farmer Ray Coyle, who started snacks manufacturing giant Largo Foods in 1982 and acquired the iconic Tayto and King crisp brands for €62 million in 2006.

After 35 years at its helm, he retired from Largo but is still CEO of Tayto Park.
Tens of millions of euro has been invested in the attraction, including €10 million of Ray Coyle’s cash for the Cú Chulainn roller coaster.
In addition to that ride and the Viking Voyage experience, Tayto Park operates a zoo and a driving school for children which is run in partnership with motoring brand Nissan.

The business recorded profits of €3.1 million in 2017, up from €2.9 million the previous year, on sales of €17.5 million.
 
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