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UK's Future BIG Coasters

CrashCoaster

CF Legend
After Icon and SW8 open, what large-scale coasters could we see opening in the future? I could see Alton Towers getting a wing coaster, Thorpe park getting a hyper, and BPB getting a Mack Big Dipper/spinning coaster. I could also see Drayton Manor looking into purchasing a launch coaster or wooden coaster.

Thoughts?
 

Sandman

Giga Poster
Aside from the usual speculation surrounding Thorpe and a hyper, I can see Merlin pushing forward with another GCI woodie if all goes to plan with SW8.
 

Hixee

Flojector
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Aside from the usual speculation surrounding Thorpe and a hyper, I can see Merlin pushing forward with another GCI woodie if all goes to plan with SW8.
Let's just hope the success of SW8 out-shines their catastrophic treatment of Colossos. There's no way they'd be looking at a new woodie if they weren't already so far down the line with SW8.

I Drayton need a new large cred, but I've no idea what's practical for them to afford. I'd love to see a Mack/Intamin launcher (Helix/Taron), or a launched wing coaster (Thunderbird) type coaster.
 

Sandman

Giga Poster
Let's just hope the success of SW8 out-shines their catastrophic treatment of Colossos. There's no way they'd be looking at a new woodie if they weren't already so far down the line with SW8.

Very true. Colossos is the elephant in the room, which is a shame because that could be SW8 in 10 years.
 

Bert2theSpark

Mega Poster
I think Drayton will eventually end up with a new gen Vekoma/RMC as the park have a good working relationship with Vekoma. I think Thorpe will get a B&M in 2020 but not the Hyper everyone's been begging for. Oh and I think SW9 will be on the Air car park. Just my thoughts though.
 

Pokemaniac

Mountain monkey
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Administrator
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I think Thorpe would be the next to get one, on that undeveloped island in the back of the park. Maybe they'd even fit two coasters on those islands, and one behind Saw. After that, the question of how many big coasters they would want to operate would begin to arise. At some point, the park will hit the point where it has to take something down for every thing that goes up. In Thorpe's case, I could see little happening until Colossus finally croaks in the mid-late 2020s, at the ripe old age of 25-ish.

I don't know Alton Towers that well (in truth I don't know Thorpe very well either, but anyway), so that's harder to tell. If there's still room in their park/development plan/operations budget to keep adding new coasters, they probably will, and presumably it would involve something big at some point. If not, Runaway Mine Train would reach replacement age some time soon, but mid-size rides like that can be kept going for a long, long time, and it probably wouldn't be replaced by a big coaster anyway. Likewise, Nemesis and Oblivion will start to show their age sooner or later, but they are beloved enough for the park to keep maintaining them, maybe to the point of total refurbishment, and their unique ground works means it would be prohibitively expensive/impractical to put up anything else in their place anyway. The first big coaster I could see go from Alton Towers would be Rita, probably to be replaced by another launch coaster of a more recent model (we're talking along the lines of Helix and Taron... or beyond, since both of those will be a decade old or more by then).

As for Blackpool Pleasure Beach, I think that will be the only realistic third candidate for the foreseeable future. And that park is pretty crammed already. Some of it with rides they can't replace, even. And it's not like they can build in the car parks, because of proximity to residential areas. Those car parks already serve as buffer zones. They will manage to squeeze in Icon, but I can't see how they'd be able to fit in anything classified as a "BIG coaster", even if some older coaster was to get the wrecking ball. Maybe when Infusion is one day scrapped, in which case I could see them getting a Dive Machine or something similarly tall yet compact.

Flamingoland is a wild card here, though. It's a rather large non-Merlin park which might find courage/money to dabble a little in the thrill market. Hard to tell what they'd build, though. Perhaps they'd get a special offer from a new actor in the market who'd like to get a reference project.
 

Smithy

Strata Poster
Not a chance.

Thorpe are the most likely to get a big coaster next but I don't think it'll be a major one, definitely not on the scale of Swarm or SW8.

Flamingo Land are likely to get new coasters before Drayton but I'd be surprised if it's anything of note. Maybe a Gerst looper or something. Drayton I genuinely have no idea, I'd honestly be more surprised if they built a new major coaster than if they announced they were folding tomorrow.
 

Pokemaniac

Mountain monkey
Staff member
Administrator
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I think we’ll be waiting a long time for anything major again because no one has any money.

Not even Merlin? Not that they'd need to spend any of it, since they own both of the country's destination parks and so has no competition in that segment, but still...

Sometimes I wonder how different the UK coaster scene would have been today if Alton and Thorpe had remained competing for customers. Or even Thorpe and Chessington. Competition breeds innovation, lack thereof creates stagnation...
 

vaugc002

Mega Poster
Not even Merlin? Not that they'd need to spend any of it, since they own both of the country's destination parks and so has no competition in that segment, but still...

Sometimes I wonder how different the UK coaster scene would have been today if Alton and Thorpe had remained competing for customers. Or even Thorpe and Chessington. Competition breeds innovation, lack thereof creates stagnation...

That's mad. I've never thought of it like that but yeah I imagine the two parks would have gone really different directions had they been competing.
It's a shame we'll never know tbh. I think Thorpe especially could have benefitted from different (less confused) leadership.
 

streetmagix

Mega Poster
In regards to Thorpe Park it sounds like they are seeking out something different for their next big ride, something that will 'sell itself'. In my eyes that's a big (not necessarily tall though) fairly conventional rollercoaster. Something like a B&M Hyper, Mack/Intamin Mega, Vekoma Multi Looper or a Vekoma/B&M Flyer. Strong theming but probably without an IP.

I think Merlin would be hesitant to install a wooden coaster until they see how SW8 is recieved. Colossos at Heide Park is also a factor especially for the shareholders/head office when making a decision.

Alton Towers are probably going to expand into the Air/Galactica carpark. I'm struggling to think what type of roller coasters they don't have? As in being distinct from one another. I'm guessing the reason The Smiler didn't have a (beyond) vertical drop was because of Oblivion for example. They have an inverted, multi looper, dive, flying, launch, wooden and family coasters. Maybe a large dark ride? How many 'worlds firsts' are left that they could do in that space?

The smaller, non-Merlin parks are more interesting. Drayton Manor needs something new I think. They seem to like their 'unique' coasters so maybe a small Mack Mega, something like Star Trek with it's forwards/backwards/forwards launch? I could see that working very well. Maybe a Mack YoungSTAR coaster if they don't want something too extreme. I haven't been to Flamingo Land or Paultons Park so I can't really say what they're 'missing' as such. Both are on my 'to visit' list in 2018 though!
 

SilverArrow

Certified Ride Geek
I feel like the next few years after 2018 will be a sea of crumby flats shoehorned into parks so that they can say that they've got a new ride. (And I like flats but I am not expecting much here!)

Can't see Thorpe getting a hyper. More likely an RMC than a hyper and that's very unlikely.

Alton will probably faff for a while and see how sw8 goes. Not expecting anything large for a few years (might lose blade and/or some other old rides in the time).

Blackpool might actually do something interesting. I feel like they're the ones to watch along with Paultons.

Flamingo/Drayton/LWV all meh. Will be pleased if they all stay open. (And Dreamland.)

Drayton is deffo not getting a RMC lol.

I'd like to see an operation enterprise clone in the UK. Somewhere like Drayton or Paultons might be good.
 

Will

Strata Poster
Blackpool might actually do something interesting. I feel like they're the ones to watch along with Paultons.
It's been a 24 year wait for Icon; I don't see anything interesting happening at Blackpool for a fair while after next year.
Paultons perhaps - and agreed, we'll be waiting a long time before Merlin put their hands into their pockets in a substantial way again - annoyingly, they're doing well enough without investment.
 

Chris Brown

Mr CoasterForce 2016
Hmm I think it’ll go stale again for a while, Thorpe will potentially get something like a blue fire clone or a dive machine around 2020 but highly doubt anything substantial before that. Alton I can see waiting on the SW8 verdict and potentially heading more down the family route. Chessington will bumble along possibly adding a medium family coaster in the next few years. Unless Merlin do a Walibi and go all in with investment I can’t see it changing much. Blackpool will ride off icon for a few years. Paultons I can see getting a family gravity group in 2019... Drayton had plans for a family S&S inverted coaster but that appears to have been shelved at least. Oakwood and LWV have a much bigger chance of shutting than opening anything decent. Fantasy island seems to be in a better place with the Mellors but doubt they’ll ever get anything big without removing one of the Vekomas which wouldn’t really make sense.

I do think there is a market for a new park in the UK, location would be a huge thing but I think the Bristol area could benefit from a park with good transport links to the south coast, Wales and Devon / Cornwall. I think a Tayto Park kinda thing would work with a rich passionate investor with a reputable brand behind them but that’s clutching at straws to say the least!
 

SilverArrow

Certified Ride Geek
It's not just creds that count as interesting though. They've done other things in that 24 year period.

By interesting I meant more that it would be odd rather than good. You know, Blackpool style haha.
 

Ben

CF Legend
Not even Merlin? Not that they'd need to spend any of it, since they own both of the country's destination parks and so has no competition in that segment, but still...

Sometimes I wonder how different the UK coaster scene would have been today if Alton and Thorpe had remained competing for customers. Or even Thorpe and Chessington. Competition breeds innovation, lack thereof creates stagnation...
Lol yh not even Merlin.

Or did you miss their financial results?
 
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