Snurt2theHark
Roller Poster
So historically, when a coaster reaches the end of its service life (Arrow/Vekoma Loopers) or becomes so problematic due to being such a maintenance headache (Son of Beast). There's usually a sense of sadness amongst both enthusiasts and the wider park-going public. Usually the local or even national news team visits the park to mark the occasion. This a day to be remembered as a classic coaster closes for a final time before being torn to pieces and photos of the ride are found in a local scrapyard by an enthusiast now finding their childhood memories 10 minutes down the road. k
But recently over the past 10-15 years, we've slowly seen fewer coasters getting fully scrapped and instead getting renovated. Of course, the notion of renovating a coaster does have a historic precedent before the 2010s with examples such as Powder Keg in 2003 and reaching as far back as the Big Dipper extension in 1936. The 2010s offered a marked shift with parks instead deciding to renovate their historic attractions, most notably with the rise of RMC converting wooden coasters into new hybrid beasts. However, it was not just tired old woodies getting the renovation treatment with Disney World's Space Mountain entirely getting retracked and Islands of Adventures' Incredible Hulk becoming the first B&M to be reborn.
Although it seems that currently, the market for hybrid conversions of old woodies has reached saturation and destination parks rebuilding coasters being very uncommon. The trend of renovating existing rides from the golden age of the 1990s and 2000s as the end of service life bells begin to ring with coasters such as Top Thrill Dragster and Nemesis, fan-favourite landmark coasters that defined their decade of coaster history, being creatively reimagined into a familiar yet remodelled experience.
And with coaster renovations being a more cost-effective investment than ground-up builds and the carbon-intensive model of fabricating and constructing brand new coasters means that for parks it's increasingly becoming a no-brainer to renovate rather than remove popular attractions. Which brings me to the question which I hope will launch this thread, What creative methods does CoasterForce have to rejuvenate ageing classics?
But recently over the past 10-15 years, we've slowly seen fewer coasters getting fully scrapped and instead getting renovated. Of course, the notion of renovating a coaster does have a historic precedent before the 2010s with examples such as Powder Keg in 2003 and reaching as far back as the Big Dipper extension in 1936. The 2010s offered a marked shift with parks instead deciding to renovate their historic attractions, most notably with the rise of RMC converting wooden coasters into new hybrid beasts. However, it was not just tired old woodies getting the renovation treatment with Disney World's Space Mountain entirely getting retracked and Islands of Adventures' Incredible Hulk becoming the first B&M to be reborn.
Although it seems that currently, the market for hybrid conversions of old woodies has reached saturation and destination parks rebuilding coasters being very uncommon. The trend of renovating existing rides from the golden age of the 1990s and 2000s as the end of service life bells begin to ring with coasters such as Top Thrill Dragster and Nemesis, fan-favourite landmark coasters that defined their decade of coaster history, being creatively reimagined into a familiar yet remodelled experience.
And with coaster renovations being a more cost-effective investment than ground-up builds and the carbon-intensive model of fabricating and constructing brand new coasters means that for parks it's increasingly becoming a no-brainer to renovate rather than remove popular attractions. Which brings me to the question which I hope will launch this thread, What creative methods does CoasterForce have to rejuvenate ageing classics?