Menu
What's new
By:
Filters

Alton Towers | Wicker Man | GCI Wood

It could be down to particular project managers just being bad at haggling. If you tell someone 'we have £x, and we want to do this', but it doesn't cost £x, that person won't complain. So they'll just say yes, and an inexperienced / gullible / simple project manager which just hand the money over and get on with it. A better PM would try and reduce the price, get more or go in with a lower initial price. And given that Th13teen was very tight with opening (I believe the queue line was finished the day it opened?), that could also make sense.

For another example, Zufari had a major budget cut - I think they slashed the budget by 40%, but the ride ended up largely as planned. So they probably realised that was the case, and instead of doing more stuff or paying more for the same product, they just saved their money.
 
Usually at least one of my friends or colleagues (not mutually exclusive, I must admit) mentions the major coaster news to me at some point. Announcements for Thirteen, Swarm, Smiler, and the Smiler crash (and even the M&Ds crash if my memory serves me correctly) were all brought up in conversation within a few days of the event. Haven't heard anyone mention anything about this yet, which suggests it's not penetrated as far into the public as the others did.

My [limited] experience, at least.
 
A bit naff in truth.

People I've shown it too have just re-iterated their pre-held beliefs about wooden coasters being unsafe and they won't ride it (although these arne't coaster people anyway).

Online it was a bit of a laughing stock with people making the same jokes we;ve had in here.
 
Hyde said:
Got a kick out of this headline. Interested for brits in the days since the announcement: how has public reception been?

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jan/09/alton-towers-the-wicker-man-rollercoaster
Click to expand...
That article is total rubbish, why would he write that article before he's even tried the ride!?
I've had a couple of people mention it to me, the whole fire and wood thing seems to be getting people talking which is good, a lot of the GP don't seem to have a clue why you would build a roller coaster out of wood!
It's early days yet, I expect the advertising will ramp up over the next few months.
 
The writer assumes the film is the inspiration and chooses to dismiss folklore.
Uses the plural form of person wrongly. It was one person who may or may not drown in pig bits.
Feels like he was trying to be Charlie Brooker without the love or appreciation for the medium he's critiquing.
-
In fairness, the article raises awareness of the rollercoaster. The opinion is promotes has no weight and won't actually affect the perception of the ride.

I haven't heard anything about Wickerman from the GP from Anglesey. We're the sort of people who'll maybe go to Alton Towers and not be aware truly of what rides exist there.
 
I didn't agree with a lot of what he said, but still enjoyed reading that.
Especially his description of the Saw coaster :D
 
That article is exactly the sort of thing I’ve been expecting for months. For many British people of a certain generation you say “Wicker Man” and they think of the film with it’s creepiness and human sacrifice. It is such an odd theme to place on a family coaster.
 
Robbie said:
For many British people of a certain generation you say “Wicker Man” and they think of the film with it’s creepiness and human sacrifice. It is such an odd theme to place on a family coaster.
Click to expand...
And to a different generation, it's an accidental comedy remake starring a lunatic madman. Sometimes I feel sorry for people in the original (tbh, I haven't seen either)
 
I showed most of my family who all were a little underwhelmed and wondered why I was so excited (purely as it's a wooden coaster at Alton at last!)

Icon will be have the bigger wow factor grabbing the GP's attention, however Wicker Man is going to be the one advertised further, in every newspaper, on loads of supermarket products, buses, posters etc.
Even if people laugh at the fire and wood thing it has got people talking on social media about it, AT have to hope people will visit now!
 
So it is testing:-
26734140_1468462926599921_3090559583285338388_n.jpg

Photo by Attraction Images.
 
Some more pictures by Attraction Images:-

A zoomed out photo of the one with the front of a train in view.
26240769_1468476753265205_225316076009547622_o.jpg

26758684_1468563866589827_1644186006053920803_o.jpg

The one @Lofty posted:-
26239173_1468483956597818_3120633649044618325_n.jpg

An overview of the front of the park:-
26678161_1468490406597173_4753410552200229554_o.jpg


EDIT:- Found these on Towers Times:-
DThE8-GXcAAg9Cs.jpg:large

And perhaps the best:-
ofE6klz.jpg
 
Last edited:
I did think it would look good from ground level, and I think that photo does look really good. When the trees are fuller though, I reckon it'll pop even more. The constant barrage of aerial photos have just made everything look pretty flat and dull, so I'm glad we're starting to see it from the ground now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top