EC! Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 well 164ft is their height limit so we could have a very fast woodie on our hands if we do get one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 well 164ft is their height limit so we could have a very fast woodie on our hands if we do get one When I said height restriction, I meant for guests riding, like 1.2m But as a ride height, who knows, there may even be a way for them to get a slight extension on their build limit and we could see a 200ft woodie (let marketing do with that as they please...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EC! Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 When I said height restriction, I meant for guests riding, like 1.2m But as a ride height, who knows, there may even be a way for them to get a slight extension on their build limit and we could see a 200ft woodie (let marketing do with that as they please...) Oh yes worlds tallest, fastest, steepest woodie, god if that happened I think enthusiasts would have a coastergasm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 I really hope they build a woodie! On a slightly different note, when did we first see the plans for The Swarm? (Just interested in how long before we see plans for the next coaster). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.S217 Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 Oh yes worlds tallest, fastest, steepest woodie, god if that happened I think enthusiasts would have a coastergasm Thinking about it now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 Oh yes worlds tallest, fastest, steepest woodie, god if that happened I think enthusiasts would have a coastergasm No doubt would be built by Intamin and therefore actually not be that good though... Here's a strange idea, let's just build a solid, non-record breaking ride that just makes everyone happy... Let's just build a Wodan for once... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EC! Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 No doubt would be built by Intamin and therefore actually not be that good though... Here's a strange idea, let's just build a solid, non-record breaking ride that just makes everyone happy... Let's just build a Wodan for once... But then wodan doesn't doesnt have a gimmick that Merlin can push forward to the general public, and it doesnt have to be an intamin to be a tall woodie. and before anyone says, yes I know it doesn't need a gimmick but GP only seems to get interested when a roller coaster has a gimmick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 It is perfectly possible to challenge AND change public perception... Sometimes (especially if Thorpe aren't doing as well as is said), it's best to take a risk on something, which in this case (rather stupidly but that's the perception) would be for any of the parks to build a solid, fun and re-rideable coaster that doesn't actually require a gimmick to become well known... I can but dream... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EC! Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 I wish things didn't need to have a gimmick to be popular, but they do and if there is a woodie it most certainly will unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidders Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 Had a thought. A Thorpe thought. What if Merlin have finally realised the immense popularity of Colossos at Heide Park? It's owned by Merlin, and it once broke world records for speed and steepest drop on a woodie, and still holds the record for height at 196ft. It's certainly something Thorpe could push promotionally (they're probably not going to change their marketing angles and simply market "airtime"). I'd love a 164ft woodie but... where would it go? Coaster 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EC! Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 the island next to swarm all the last at the back of the park like canada creek area and stuff it could also be partially be built over water if needs must like some rides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pluk Posted June 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 I'd love a 164ft woodie but... where would it go? Comments on the facebook post are overwhelmingly positive, so fingers crossed it is a bit of light market research and not just someone having a bot of fun with the account! Taken with Ryans post I'm starting to get hopeful! Sidders and OldFarmerDean 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 I usually don't take much notice of the Thorpe Park facebook page but the moment I saw the mention of wood, I knew people would be talking about it here. While their page does support a range of theme park related topics and posts (For example there was one regarding Roller coaster Tycoon not so long ago), I couldn't help wonder whether or not that post was Thorpe's attempt at finding out peoples perception of wooden rollercoasters; a bit like market research. Regardless of what it meant, I would fully support the installation of a woodie at Thorpe. They really do seem to be changing for the better and a wooden coaster really would be the icing on the cake.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidders Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 Comments on the facebook post are overwhelmingly positive, so fingers crossed it is a bit of light market research and not just someone having a bot of fun with the account! Taken with Ryans post I'm starting to get hopeful! You got the joke then You're right pluk, there was only one negative comment I saw and there's been thousands of positive ones. The negative was was literally: "Went on one in Margate. No big deal" Margate?! Lol. Come on Thorpe! Do us proud! Coaster 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke_A Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 Oooft yes something like El Toro or T-Express sounds perfect. With absolute heaps of over the top intense ejector airtime... Mmm yes that's exactly what Thorpe is lacking!! I'm sure the public would love a wooden / possible prefab coaster. They're a big hit in the US and other countries so I don't see why a modern one wouldn't fit in here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EC! Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 PLEASE give us our first woodie since Megafobia which opened in 1996, I need another woodie to be proud of! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 If my memory serves my correct, the Scenic Railway in Dreamland Margate isn't even considered a wooden rollercoaster. I can't remember exactly what defines the ride but I remember reading up on it a year or two ago. Maybe something to do with the fact it has a brakeman or uses a trough as apposed to rails to travel. The UK desperately needs a new generation woodie. We have the classics at Blackpool, Yarmouth, Margate etc but when it comes to the new GCI generation, I am fairly sure the closest ride we have is Megafobia at Oakwood. Inferno 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 Hmm interesting, id actually say this is a pretty big bit of market research personally, their facebook likes along with their twitter followers is over 700,000 people they've just put that too, when you bare in mind how many people actually fill in questionnaires and what not thats a hell of a lot of people to ask. Their either seriously considering this or being mean and enjoying reading us lot get excited!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EC! Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 I hope they are seriously considering it, its what it looks like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 Brilliant couple of posts on the previous page Sidders! Just wanted to add / point out a couple of things: I'd love to be proven wrong, but Thorpe are going to have to get over some very stringent planning restrictions just to get permission to build the thing. Add to that the extremely limited space for a woodie intending to be anywhere up to 164ft (Island A is big, but even with the Treasure Island peninsula added onto the construction area, it's a tight fit), and the perceived impossibility of marketing such an supposedly 'outdated' and 'unsafe' design, and you can see why Varney still thinks it won't happen. It would be much easier and financially secure for Thorpe to simply whack a flyer in the space. Spare us the pretzel loop please? I really do agree here. Another thought which springs to mind is the fact that the MTDP stated the next two coasters (ie, Swarm and the next one) would not exceed 850m in length. Take into account a potential 50m high lift and 50m high drop, that will add up to about 150m of track there alone (unless you have vertical lift / drop), which leaves very little ride track. Granted, Outlaw Run is just under 900m, but I've always thought it's a short coaster, and doesn't do a woodie justice in that sense. Maybe, though, a short woodie would help with the planning permission, as less track means less 'visual pollution', if you will. Also, with the idea of a flyer, I've heard it's highly unlikely Thorpe would get one now due to Swarm, and the fact a flyer and winged coaster are classed as similar experiences. Whether that holds true though we can only wait and see.. EDIT EDIT: As for the Saw IP, I don't buy that it was part of the early planning process, or it would've been dropped alongside whatever plans Tussauds had for the park when that company ceased to exist. Not to mention that even after the construction of the coaster began, there were those 13 viral videos (of which only three or four materialised) and nothing so much as winked at the suggestion of a Saw IP until a period of silence and then the name was announced. I recall it was a Tuesday. Anyone remember the last video we received before said name announcement? With the builders doing a Jumanji and discovering a disturbingly noisy box on the building site? The one that they all ran away from when the opened it? Yeah, that one. Remember the 13 scratched into the lid? I often amuse myself by thinking Saw was originally meant to be called Th13teen, and then along popped Lionsgate with the Saw IP and the Th13teen name and brand was dropped and given to Alton in 2010. It always did strike me as peculiar that Dark Forest rather arbitrarily appeared at Alton... And Th13teen's theme could've easily slotted into Canada Creek... I definitely remember around the time Saw opened hearing that the Saw IP was 'fastracked'. I remember it being in an interview with someone from Merlin and/or Lionsgate, but the actual IP tie-in was pushed forward quite quickly. If I remember correctly, the original plan was just the abandoned windmill style, before an IP was decided later on after planning was granted, with a couple of horror franchises being considered, before Saw was agreed upon (Texas Chainsaw Massacre was a candidate I believe, for example). As you say, the videos didn't really give any nudge to Saw whatsoever until the name was released (at midnight - on a Tuesday ), and then afterwards the videos ran dry until opening. I remember the minisite showed space for monthly videos from November until March, which many speculated would set up a good backstory, but instead a November video with a No Limits recreation of the ride and a March video on the day of opening only turned up. I do agree that a variant of the Dark Forest theme could have easily fit in with Thorpe and Canada Creek too. On a slightly different note, when did we first see the plans for The Swarm? (Just interested in how long before we see plans for the next coaster). Swarm's plans came online on 11th February 2011. For comparison, Saw's came out 16th November 2007 and Stealth's sometime in November 2004. For Th13teen and Smiler both had their plans submitted in December/January. So, any time between November and February is usually a safe bet for seeing plans surface. Inferno 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 ^ Thanks If I was a betting person I'd place bets on either a Woodie (please!!) or a B&M Flyer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexander Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 Sandra Mccluskey wood be a fantastic addition . A wee bit of branching out with something different. x Like · Reply · 1 · 4 hours ago THORPE PARK Official Should we take a leaf out of their book? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whiteknuckle Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 If my memory serves my correct, the Scenic Railway in Dreamland Margate isn't even considered a wooden rollercoaster. I can't remember exactly what defines the ride but I remember reading up on it a year or two ago. Maybe something to do with the fact it has a brakeman or uses a trough as apposed to rails to travel. The UK desperately needs a new generation woodie. We have the classics at Blackpool, Yarmouth, Margate etc but when it comes to the new GCI generation, I am fairly sure the closest ride we have is Megafobia at Oakwood. Well, if the Scenic Railway in Margate is'nt made of wood, what is it made of? It's the same class of ride as the Rollercoaster in Gt Yarmouth, a wooden Scenic railway with onride brakeman. What defines a wooden coaster is the track it runs on, or in, if it's a side friction coaster, which Leap the Dips, the oldest operating coaster is a prime example of. I do think a GCI woodie like Ravine Flyer 2 would go down very well at Thorpe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 I must say that most comments on the Facebook are positive - it seems the public's perception of Woodies has changed over the past few years (To be honest I never thought they hated them, but there we go...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EC! Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 I have to say if thorpe doesn't get a woodie and then alton doesn't get a woodie either I would be very dissapointed (but that is just me) Coaster 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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