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Lightwater Valley


Josh R

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A very disappointing and poor move from the park IMO.

 

Whilst I understand the ride is (likely) high maintenance and getting on with age, by keeping it closed for the forseable future (if not forever) substantially reduces the appeal of the place. Not just for park enthusiasts but families and tourists all-round, who have much less of a reason to go there.

 

The park’s recent moves seem to shadow those from the American Adventure, which shut forever in 2007 as a result of their “so called” young family marketing backfiring. 
 

 

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On 1/30/2021 at 2:35 PM, JoshC. said:

I've been contemplating a visit to Lightwater this year, but honestly it's harder to justify it with those closures. The uncertainty over Ultimate is also somewhat worrying, though I guess the fact it hasn't been removed from the website yet is something to cling to.

 

A shame, but not wholly surprising if we're being honest.

 

One can only hope they still have a market and enough visitation to keep them going in the short term.

I've been toying with the idea of getting my backside up to LWV but with no raptor attack and Ultimate's future in the balance. I think I procrastinated too much.

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Promisingly, Lightwater Valley was singled out by Brighton Pier Group as having performed “ahead of expectations” in 2021: https://riderater.co.uk/9522/lightwater-valley-ahead-of-expectations/


No specific figures were given, but the group singled out Lightwater Valley as a star performer in their recent results reveal, where the group also revealed that their total sales were expected to be £22.7million, which is up by 177% on the same period in 2020 and even up 31% compared to pre-COVID levels in 2019.


Promising stuff, no? While it may not be the future that some desire, I do think Lightwater could have a promising future ahead of it within the next few years as they forge their new path of appealing to the under-10s!

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19 hours ago, Matt N said:

Promising stuff, no? While it may not be the future that some desire, I do think Lightwater could have a promising future ahead of it within the next few years as they forge their new path of appealing to the under-10s!

 

That's the key here. If the park is doing well, and better than expected even, with this new market and direction, they may as well continue with it. 

 

To me, it's a nail in the coffin of T'Ultimate, which is already something that's going to be costly to re-open, and against the park's current direction. Just wish the park would confirm it at this point.

 

But obviously good to see any park performing well, especially at this time.

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One of my biggest regrets of not getting into theme parks any earlier in my life is the fact that I never got the chance to ride this beast. Other than the roughness, The Ultimate's length and speed looked incredible! It's a shame that no other park will want it, because I really do feel it's a massive loss to the theme park industry.

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The thing is with The Ultimate was did it have the reputation because it was good or in spite of itself?

 

The lift hills took FOREVER. The first half was dull as anything. The second half in the woodland was complete madness. It really was poorly designed and constructed. 

 

Lived off bashing knees in for years. And for being an unique experience within the UK. But it really wasn't an incredible ride.

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5 hours ago, Benin said:

The king is dead:

 

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/people/yorkshires-most-famous-rollercoaster-the-ultimate-at-lightwater-valley-once-longest-in-world-to-be-dismantled-3982243

 

Shame, but they were on a lose lose situation with it clearly. Certainly an unique loss to the UK industry but it wasn't well known for being good.

 

Along with the Loggers Leap destruction, Nemesis track being scrapped and now this, it's been a really eventful closed season. 

 

I can't help feeling a little sad. And old. But mostly sad.

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I guess the difference between the first two is that at least worthy replacements are on the way for those. Now back to The Ultimate.

 

I experienced the attraction twice in 2019 in my first (and probably last) visit to the place. It was a unique ride, in both pacing and location but certainly not with its faults. It was rough, bumpy and what must’ve been the world’s slowest lift hills. The park was almost deserted then (bar a few school trips).

 

Its demise and planned demolition is no surprise at all, because it was seemingly reaching the end of its serviceable life without a substantial hardware upgrade, which could’ve happened I guess. Had funds been there. Covid like many things maybe fastracked this by a few years. 
 

A new woodlands development is certainly an inferior replacement.

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