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Emerald Park News/Discussion

CrashCoaster

CF Legend
We kind of discussed this in the Viking Voyage thread, but I think it deserves one of it's own. The park is rumoured to get a kiddie coaster next year, and a big thrill coaster in 2019. What do you think will happen in the near future? When will supposed announcements take place? I post this today, because we could potentially have some announcement tomorrow (you all know what day that is).
 

Hixee

Flojector
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I post this today, because we could potentially have some announcement tomorrow (you all know what day that is).
Wednesday? ;)

In all seriousness, I think the next coaster investment from Tayto will be something like a family boomerang, with the coaster after that being a bit more of a thrill machine. I think one of the Mack Big Dippers or new Vekoma Blitz/Firestorm/whatever models could be a good investment for them (I somehow don't see a B&M Hyper on their horizon).
 

DelPiero

Strata Poster
Wednesday? ;)

In all seriousness, I think the next coaster investment from Tayto will be something like a family boomerang, with the coaster after that being a bit more of a thrill machine. I think one of the Mack Big Dippers or new Vekoma Blitz/Firestorm/whatever models could be a good investment for them (I somehow don't see a B&M Hyper on their horizon).
This, I can definitely see them "do a Paultons" and open a new themed area with a junior boomerang or sfc as well as a small Tivoli or something. After that I'd LOVE a Firestorm to be seriously considered.
 

CrashCoaster

CF Legend
A firestorm there would be awesome. I do think they'll get some kind of inverting coaster in 2019, as following the pattern, they seem to be adding something large every 2 years. An inverting steel coaster to me would make more sense than a hyper, cause they have an airtime coaster (Cú Chullain), which kind of fills that gap, as well as a family/thrill coaster and a wooden coaster. I think we could be seeing a Mack coaster here, because I read on an article that Mack got inspiration for the Irish themed area at Europa Park from Tayto Park, and it also said that Mack may be building a ride there in the near future. I can't find the article though.
 

Martyn B

CF Legend
Wasn't it already semi confirmed by the park owners to be a Hybrid coaster with inversions?
Obviously plans can change, but that certainly screams more thrill coaster than a family boomerang.
 

sKrATcher

Roller Poster
Since I don't really have anything to contribute to this thread (except thank you for sharing!)...

I found the guy who confirmed everything said is true dipping dots guy.jpg
That my friends, is our beloved Dippin' Dots guy ;) :rolleyes:
 

Ben

CF Legend
Wasn't it already semi confirmed by the park owners to be a Hybrid coaster with inversions?
Obviously plans can change, but that certainly screams more thrill coaster than a family boomerang.

That sounds interesting when did they say that?!
 

CSLKennyNI

Giga Poster
From June 2016. Ray Coyle said he wanted to build a hybrid coaster to get the best of both worlds.
20953011_1550738278325618_3479163893638217511_n.jpg

Then in August 2016 in the Newstalk interview he confirmed 2019 would see a €17.5 million coaster. So question is did they in those two months decide on something else or sign a deal with RMC?
http://www.newstalk.com/How-big-could-Tayto-Park-be
 

Pokemaniac

Mountain monkey
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Interesting to see that they are hoping for 1.4 million visitors by 2020. Ireland is a country of 4.8 million people, make that 6.4 when you count Northern Ireland as well. Roughly a million people live near Dublin, where the park is located. A park with 1 visitor per 4 inhabitants in a country (or 1.5 visitors per inhabitant in a city) is a pretty bold goal to reach for. For comparison, Thorpe Park has ~2 million visitors per year, servicing the Greater London area with 9 million inhabitants (and 65 million annual tourists), the capital of a country of 55 million people. The current visitor numbers for Tayto appears to be in the range of 800,000/year.

Then again, Norway's biggest amusement park had 1.1 million visitors in a (long and narrow!) country of 5 million, so I guess the numbers aren't that unfeasible. But that park is also the family park in the country and contains a large zoo, and I don't think Tayto is catering that hard to families?

Don't get me wrong, I'd really like to see them increase their visitor numbers by 75 % in four years. But I think it is a very lofty goal to strive for.
 

Sandman

Giga Poster
^ Just to add onto your point Poke, I think much of the success of the Scandi parks is due to the location of said parks, which are usually very close to or actually within the city centre of popular destinations (Tivoli, Bakken, Grona & Liseberg all incredibly accessible for foreign tourists on European city breaks). I don't quite know how far Tayto is from the centre of Dublin, but with Dublin's 4 million tourists per year, they could tap into that market quite successfully with the right investments and marketing.
 

Jamesss

Hyper Poster
Also remember Tayto Park has zero competition from other theme parks in Ireland.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Georgie-M

Mega Poster
Don't forget that Thorpe has more competition with Legoland and Chessington within half an hour of the park and plenty of smaller parks nearby. They might all target different markets but they still divide the ratio of guests per citizen. Ireland barely has anything in terms of theme parks at the moment, with the closest competitor being a ferry trip away in Blackpool. The only other rollercoaster in either half of Ireland that isn't a wild mouse, big apple/wacky worm or other small kiddy ride is a pinfari looping coaster in County Antrim. Tayto Park is quickly making a name for itself for finally bringing a proper amusement park to Ireland, and they have a popular brand of crisps to help sell the park! I think this park has the potential to do well. My cousin in Dublin tell me he and his family frequently make the journey down south to visit the place so it clearly has draw beyond that of Dublin itself.
 

Lofty

CF Legend
Also remember Tayto Park has zero competition from other theme parks in Ireland
You literally wrote what I was about to - this park has absolutely no competition, so to reach those numbers is in fact quite easy - especially the fact that repeat custom is seen as bottom line attendance figures, not just a million different people.
 

Georgie-M

Mega Poster
He also managed to sum up what I was typing out in one sentence and sneak it out as I was still typing!
By the way, with an RMC topper on the cards (I heard that RMC aren't looking to build Ibox coasters from the ground up) that would technically leave the park - and the country - with two big wooden coasters as their star rides. I can only imagine what that could do for the image of woodies in Ireland and the rest of the British isles. Perhaps Tayto could become Europe's answer to Holiday Park and just get a stunning collection of wooden coasters that are more modern that those you'd get at the likes of Blackpool.
 

Lofty

CF Legend
He also managed to sum up what I was typing out in one sentence and sneak it out as I was still typing!
By the way, with an RMC topper on the cards (I heard that RMC aren't looking to build Ibox coasters from the ground up) that would technically leave the park - and the country - with two big wooden coasters as their star rides. I can only imagine what that could do for the image of woodies in Ireland and the rest of the British isles. Perhaps Tayto could become Europe's answer to Holiday Park and just get a stunning collection of wooden coasters that are more modern that those you'd get at the likes of Blackpool.
Where has the RMC Topper Track come from?
 

Georgie-M

Mega Poster
It was mentioned earlier in the thread that the park were looking at building a hybrid coaster, which would suggest an RMC, but I remember reading somewhere (can't find it now) that RMC were wanting to keep the I-Box track for refurbs and the topper track for ground-up coasters. This would suggest that a topper track ride was at least on the cards, which could be counted both as a hybrid coaster and a second wooden coaster for the park, hence my speculation.
 

davidm

Strata Poster
^ ha - hybrid only implies RMC when its a conversion of an old woody ; don't think Cú Chulainn is quite ready for that just yet. :)
 

Georgie-M

Mega Poster
Yeah, I thought that too, but the article earlier in the thread directly referenced a hybrid so if they're not redoing an existing woodie then I would infer they meant the steel topper track. Sorry if I didn't make that clear in my other posts.
 
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