September 30, 20159 yr comment_219242 Date of opening is now pushed back to 2021 whilst they sort out transportation and environmental factors that have come up in consultations. We knew there would be delays of some sort anyway, when do things ever run on time but It's all still looking good and next year mid 2016 is the official planning to put forward to build I believe Here is the link Not a great sign, but I think they has realised just how congested that area of the country is and so significant transport provisions will have to be in place at opening, as opposed to opening the park and them trickling transport stuff. Hopefully financial backing shouldn't be too hard to come by, as The Smiler incident has sullied Merlin's name so it is the prime opportunity for a competitor to strike.
October 20, 20159 yr comment_221662 So the park has now received £100 million of investment: http://www.standard.co.uk/business/london-paramount-theme-park-gets-100-million-from-chinese-investor-a3093506.html They actually only intend to raise one billion, the remaining two billion being a loan, so the park is essentially 10% funded.
October 20, 20159 yr comment_221665 Hopefully with one big investor on board it will give others the confidence to commit too.
October 20, 20159 yr comment_221667 This is promising news, Paramount needs to happen to bring uk park standards to the likes of what we have in Europe, things will hopefully work out here.
March 1, 20169 yr comment_228785 Nick Varney's response to a question on the competitive threat posed by Paramount Park, at the recent Investor Relations presentation: We are scratching our heads at the economics of a £2 billion pound development, that's got 50% of its catchment area being the English Channel, using an IP that's never worked on a Theme Park brand before, and looking to get the same visitor numbers as Disneyland Paris and the entire UK Theme Park market... but if it gets off the ground, they'll be heroes. ...they're not worried.
March 1, 20169 yr comment_228786 But Paramount did, back in the past, have some IPs that worked in a theme park environment... Granted they eventually got brought out by Cedar Fair, but I'm not 100% sure for the reasonings without trying to do some serious research, I don't think it was completely down to monetary failure... I could be wrong here... Times have changed, rides based off Bond and Star Trek (and whatever others they had planned) would get a LOT of punters in... Plus of course they'd say a lot of catchment would be across the Channel, since you know, the location is by Ashford International... Then again, Varney wouldn't say anything positive about the place in front of Merlin investors and scare them off... So pinches of salt for all!
March 1, 20169 yr comment_228789 Nick Varney stated in a staff Q&A that Paramount will fail and that any small dip in attendance to the Merlin parks, would return to the brand they know and feel comfortable with.
March 1, 20169 yr comment_228805 The irony being that I don't think people are comfortable with Merlin at the current time...
March 1, 20169 yr comment_228810 He is right though, two billion is a lot of money to sink into a park that, if you look at Merlin figures, will take decades to just become solvent, let alone turn a profit.
March 1, 20169 yr comment_228811 Ignore Merlin, Disney Paris has easy links, the Disney name and still struggles money and attendance wise.
March 1, 20169 yr comment_228817 Ignore Merlin, Disney Paris has easy links, the Disney name and still struggles money and attendance wise. Attracting circa 15 million people in 2014 is struggling? The money woes come from when it first opened, such are the perils of building 6 massive hotels in one fell swoop and an American based IP trying to get over to the French (who detested the whole idea at the time)... In regards to the solvency/profit side of it, depends if the people behind Paramount have a plan for that, one would assume most parks even the tiny ones make little profit at first... But that old adage of spending money to make money comes to mind, especially if that 2 billion covers the entire resort costs (park, hotels, entertainment district, transport, etc)...
March 1, 20169 yr comment_228837 You do realise two billion is two thousand million pounds? So even at a very very generous 3% interest, the interest payment itself on that loan is 60 million a year, and that's before you contemplate repaying the capital and completely ignores compound interest and Inflation. Remind me again, because I don't know the exact figure, Merlin operate how many theme parks, and their best years operational profit was how much? Yes there is the policy of spend money to create money, but there's limits to that. There is no way this Paramount Park thing will ever make a buck, it'll either die a quick death or be bank rolled by the Arab backers as a tax write off until they get bored and turn their attentions elsewhere, that's assuming it actually get's built, last time they tried to build a theme park down that way it bankrupted the guy funding it and eventually led to creation of Merlin themselves.
April 25, 20169 yr comment_233247 Don't know how official or whatever this, but party! Also the description is showing land names and park information. Didn't know if we knew this already or not. Really hopes this goes ahead. Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
April 25, 20169 yr comment_233251 If that was a legit event I doubt the name would start with broadcasting themselves as the UK's DISNEYLAND before saying they are Paramount Park. Also those weird lines in the event title aren't very professional but then again neither is an open facebook event Also what year is that 3rd of January date suggesting? Last I heard things were not looking good for this park at all. They aren't even definitely happening let alone in a position to organise an opening party! It also neglects to mention the BBC connection which I would have thought they would want everyone to know. EDIT: Just found the event page. Opening in Januray 2020? Yeah sure Also the page hosting it has 4 likes.......
April 25, 20169 yr comment_233257 It been delayed by three years now. Yes, my optimism is definitely there since it's been pushed so many times and am sure won't be the last.
June 21, 20178 yr comment_250332 It's REALLY going well... http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent-business/county-news/exclusive-paramount-park-deal-collapses-127581/
June 21, 20178 yr comment_250336 If this ever opens I don't expect it to be that good. Far too many delays now and with huge changes in design that will now be needed. To me it seems like it might be very similar to Merlin. Which is something I really don't want to see. Which is a shame as it had great potential.
June 21, 20178 yr comment_250339 I would love something like Disney/universal in the UK sadly doesn't seem like its possible, I only hope I'm proved wrong and that it turns out they work with lots of big companies in collaboration for a wider spectrum of brands.
June 23, 20178 yr comment_250388 A massively hyped project that has been getting delayed and management leaving being cancelled? Did not see this coming.
June 23, 20178 yr comment_250389 1 hour ago, Timber Creek said: A massively hyped project that has been getting delayed and management leaving being cancelled? Did not see this coming. The project hasn't been cancelled, it's just not Paramount anymore.
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