Lightwater Valley SELLING Whirlwind

[Mushroom]

The Mondial Top Scan, Whirlwind has just been put up for sale.

I think this is a stupid and VERY bad move.

Link to selling page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3104465 ... 494616664/

Photos provided (note the screenshot barely seeing the e-mail address of Lightwater Valley)

 

[CookieCoasters]

What the ****. That's BY FAR there best ride. :roll:

 

[Pierre]

I hope they don't go the way Flamingo Land did and sell all their fairground type rides in a bid to become a more 'attractive' looking park and replace fun rides with mediocre, low capacity rides.

Wonder if Alex Crow is a relation to Billy, well known fairground operator in the North East.

 

[oriolat2]

Oh, no! This was the best non-coaster ride at the park and one of the best manually controlled top scans. I hope Lightwater can somehow keep this in their ride line-up.

 

[MouseAT]

Damn. Unless there is something seriously mechanically wrong with it, I don't see why they would want to sell it. They're already lacking for thrills in the roller coaster department, but at least with Whirlwind and the Eagle's Claw they had two of the best flat rides in the country, which helped make up for it.

I just don't get it. Why would they want to get rid of one of their flagship rides unless they're looking to make a quick buck and cash out? I can't see this being an attempt to raise money or create space for a significant, thrilling replacement either.

 

[Martyn B]

Whilst it seems crazy at first, these are worth a lot (didn't they pay something like £800,000?). So if they can get that sort of money, they could probably spend that on multiple improvements.

And when I visited during the school holidays, it didn't seem overly popular.

 

[Darren B]

It wasn't popular at all when I visited last year. I say flog it and buy a log flume; something the park desperately needs. A travelling model can be purchased for around half a million I'm sure.

 

[Mysterious Sue]

Sad as I am to see this happen, I think it's fairly sensible for the park to sell it's travelling-style thrill ride to generate cash for future improvements. I hope they spend it wisely. Probably on something that will please the family market. I hope it goes somewhere fairly local as it's a brilliant ride (unless you've been up all night drinking purple rain cocktails and have a major hang over).

 

[slappy mcguire]

Glad it's going. Never ever saw the point of it. Fairground tat that was never going to pull in the crowds. The experience was completely overrated and it cost a bomb to run and maintain. If they get a decent figure for it it could easily fund 2-3 more appropriate rides. I just hope it doesn't represent the park having to sell to stay alive though.

 

[Dar]

A shame the main reason for me to visit has gone.



Hopefully they get something at least as thrilling to replace it.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

 

[Ian]

I have to agree with slappy, it does look fairgroundy and stuck out like my gut did 11th months ago.

I rode it once. That was enough.

 

[Martyn B]

I don't get all these tacky fairground comments. I thought they done a pretty good job with it. I guess some of the lights could have been removed, but otherwise I felt it helped to brighten up the rather dull looking park.

Still, they do have an impressive line up of flats; Black Pearl, Eagles Claw, Enterprise, Skull rock, Whirlwind and Powder Kegs. Loosing one wont hurt them, but IMO they should ditch the pirate area and spread them rides out around the park. The Black Pearl in Whirlwinds spot would look awesome!

 

[Pierre]

Considering its the only area in the whole park that has a sniff of a theme and it was fairly recent I don't think that will happen any time soon.

I hate pirate ships but I always loved the old one's position at the back of the green in it's in cove with the general pop music playing.

Is there any news on this holiday village they had planned? Some artists impressions popped up a while back but haven't seen anything since.

 

[furie]

I guess that the new MANAGEMENT are looking into rides that have a MAINTENANCE cost, but aren't overly POPULAR and so are SELLING them?

It's not like they're a PARTICULARLY rare ride type THOUGH and it would be GOOD if LWV managed to GET something a little bit MORE geared TOWARDS their market - that PERHAPS fitted a little better with THEMING.

I guess it's REALLY just a pure FINANCIAL decision based on MAINTENANCE and STUFF.

SORRY MUSHY!

 

[Ian]

I don't get all these tacky fairground comments. I thought they done a pretty good job with it. I guess some of the lights could have been removed, but otherwise I felt it helped to brighten up the rather dull looking park.

The two nearest rides suit the area. The wooden Ultimate station fits the woodland ride experience and Raptor attack is fab. Whirlwind never worked in theme terms. In another area of the park it could have. Shove it nearer to the rapids and voila! That area could have a carnival theme. In its current location, it was too temporary. Rides in the vicinity of Ultimate and RA need to feel earthy, not tacky or industrial.

stuff about the holiday village

NIMBYs were against it. Seeing as most of the neighbours are camping fields or B&Bs, it's hardly surprising. Money is also an issue.

In my opinion, LWV has overtaken Oakwood as the UK park most lacking in direction and considerable (if not risky) investment. There are several factors to take into consideration but it has so much potential. If it got something unique, highly marketable and could steal the limelight from nearby Flamingolamd, more people would visit and see what a charming park it really is.

 

[Dave]

The way it's being sold is it even owned by Lightwater Valley?

If they get good money out of it I don't see what's the harm? It was an ugly ride that stuck out and didn't appeal to me when I last visited it back in 2011 (i think)