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Alton Towers | Wicker Man | GCI Wood

It's interesting seeing the whole site opened out like that, really highlights the elevation change they have to play with. Think it'll certainly look fab
 
Thought someone else would have posted this by now, but I wonder where GCI is going to be the week after next? (3:30 in the video) ;)

 
I'm interested in seeing how the GP will react to a modern woodie being built in the UK. I've shown a few of my GP friends a fan made POV of the layout. (It probably won't be spot on but it's the basic idea) anyway they all said the same sort of things "where are the loops?" And "That looks a bit crap." Modern woodies are the type of coasters that doesn't look too appealing to non enthusiasts but when they ride SW8 they will see how good it really is.

My only worry is how Towers will maintain it in the long run because it costs a lot to keep woodies smooth.


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owen9h10 said:
I'm interested in seeing how the GP will react to a modern woodie being built in the UK. I've shown a few of my GP friends a fan made POV of the layout. (It probably won't be spot on but it's the basic idea) anyway they all said the same sort of things "where are the loops?" And "That looks a bit crap." Modern woodies are the type of coasters that doesn't look too appealing to non enthusiasts but when they ride SW8 they will see how good it really is.
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Have to agree with this to some extent. My brother asked me yesterday if any good coasters are coming to "the big three parks" in the UK. (By the big three, he meant, CWOA, TP and AT...) I told him about SW8 and his reaction was "wooden? that's not going to be very exciting is it?". I then had to explain how modern woodies are actually good fun and offer a "traditional coaster experience with a modern twist" compared to steel coasters. "But it doesn't have any loops", came his reply. I explained that terrain, speed and airtime blah blah...you get the point. He remained eager to continue chatting about creds and he impressed me with his awareness of Red Force, after which my mum's partner also chirped in about the "fastest one in the world in Dubai".

It dawned on me how the general public view coasters. For all of the stick we give Merlin et all for having gimmicks, it's the speed, height or record breaking moments that do capture the public interest. I believe Smiler would have not initially been a big crowd puller if it didn't have the most hoops in the world. When I told my brother about Icon at Blackpool, he was immediately more interested and looked it up on his phone. So from my unscientific conversations I've had with my family and non-goon friends, I do wonder how SW8 will sell to the public.
 
If Alton managed to sell Thirteen, they'll probably manage to with this. Say they add a launch or possibly an inversion somewhere, then there's two UK firsts they could claim. Even if it ends up a lot more ordinary, it wouldn't be hard to break the UK wooden speed record...because there's not much to beat.
 
Ian said:
It dawned on me how the general public view coasters. For all of the stick we give Merlin et all for having gimmicks, it's the speed, height or record breaking moments that do capture the public interest.
Click to expand...

But are the public only interested in record breaking things because that's what's been shoved down their throats for so long? Look at every major investment at British parks in the last decade - how many of them weren't advertised as the 'x-est thing' or 'first in the UK/Europe/World'? Lost Kingdom, Zufari and Hero are the only ones that spring to mind. And the only times coasters come into the media are for bad reasons or because they're the highest, fastest, etc

After so long and so much of that style of marketing being in people's faces, is it any surprise that that's all people are interested in now? We can't just have something new, because people only expect something which is the first or the x-est, and that's the only way they think it'll be good now.
 
I was in Carowinds the other day visiting friends and they were very interested in fury due to the hieght and speed. I said about SW8 and they did not seem too fussed. Like you lot I explained what's good about modern woodies.
 
Ian said:
Have to agree with this to some extent. My brother asked me yesterday if any good coasters are coming to "the big three parks" in the UK. (By the big three, he meant, CWOA, TP and AT...) I told him about SW8 and his reaction was "wooden? that's not going to be very exciting is it?". I then had to explain how modern woodies are actually good fun and offer a "traditional coaster experience with a modern twist" compared to steel coasters. "But it doesn't have any loops", came his reply. I explained that terrain, speed and airtime blah blah...you get the point. He remained eager to continue chatting about creds and he impressed me with his awareness of Red Force, after which my mum's partner also chirped in about the "fastest one in the world in Dubai".

It dawned on me how the general public view coasters. For all of the stick we give Merlin et all for having gimmicks, it's the speed, height or record breaking moments that do capture the public interest. I believe Smiler would have not initially been a big crowd puller if it didn't have the most hoops in the world. When I told my brother about Icon at Blackpool, he was immediately more interested and looked it up on his phone. So from my unscientific conversations I've had with my family and non-goon friends, I do wonder how SW8 will sell to the public.
Click to expand...
When The Big One opened I remember a lot of Blackpool B&B owners and business people complaining it didn't have any loops. In their eyes, that's what makes a modern coaster attractive. When you think of the last few coasters Alton have added (Rita, Thirteen, Spinball) only The Smiler has really captured the public's imagination like the classics of Nemesis, Air and Oblivion so I think many will see this coaster as a step backwards.
 
The hope is that the ride will be so good that people will be enticed to ride it, find it exciting and it'll be the start of the weening off of the whole RECORD #BREAKAAAAAZ marketing that's been required within the UK for so many years.

I've had several people pull funny faces at me when I say about my favourite coaster being wooden, they find it simply unfathomable and they immediately doubt it's safety. That could be a good thing if Alton can play into the fear factor of it to get people to ride it, and sell them on a great ride experience.

The worry will be that it doesn't bring in massive numbers (which I dn't think it will), and the park will go back to their tried and tested methods. That said, even just having a woody in the background of a park the size of Alton should go some way to helping change peoples perceptions of the ride type.
 
Wood or steel, inversions or no inversions, with the right marketing and market awareness, this can be pulled off just as well as any other Towers coaster. I think once Merlin start pushing out the theme and brand, then it will capture the public's imaginations. People are only interested in records because of how it sounds, I don't genuinely think people are more eager to ride a coaster because of how many times it loops. It's the job of the Marketing and PR team to make those quirks sound appealing, even if they're dog****.
 
A viewing platform sounds great to someone like me who enjoys photographing coasters. ;)

Hopefully affords a good view of that triple stacked corner.
 
I remember reading somewhere a while back (probably on TT) that 'The Wicker Man' has been trademarked by Merlin. With this theming structure now confirmed, this could be a possible name perhaps. I wouldn't mind it as a name, just as weird as all of Merlin's other naming choices.
 
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Maybe those who have gone forward in time and have ridden the ride and found it to be rubbish and seen the rubbish theming could be so kind as to let me have the winner of the premier league for the next few years ta.


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