Re: Efteling to get B&M Dive Coaster for 2015!
To all those saying "at least it'll be well themed"... will it though? Obviously I sincerely hope so, but something at the back of my mind it a bit concerned.
This will be the first investment made under new CEO Fons Jurgens. The ride choice in itself suggests a big change of direction for the park, and I think we can really say that it is entering a whole new era. Previously, the park's strategy was to try and build ride that were very technologically advanced, with a big proportion of the massive budget going on theming. The result was beautifully themed, but ultimately mediocre, rides that took ages to get working properly, went miles over budget and opened literally years late.
It's a tough one because Joris and Draak didn't really fit that mould. That seemed more about getting an established manufacturer to do something that, although custom, was based on an already winning formula. OK, so it still ended up having trouble and running late, but that was mostly due to the weather rather than one of Efteling's hair-brained schemes. Whilst it does have some lovely theming in the entrance/station etc, it's still nowhere near the levels of some of the park's other rides.
Then take the often rumoured Hartenhof ride. There was every indication that this would very much fit the park's previous model of ridiculous technology and even more ridiculous theming combined with ridiculous delays and an obscenely ridiculous end budget.
I had previously heard that the coming few years would see the park concentrate on consolidating what they already have rather than splashing out huge cash on lavish new rides. An era of austerity for the park, if you like. Obviously, the announcement of the Dive Machine goes against that (I think the plans for extending Bosrijk have been around for some time, so I'm kinda ignoring those). Although this is why I can't help thinking this is going to be much more in the Joris and Draak style than the more lavish rides in the park.
I don't know, I desperately hope I'm proved wrong, but I wouldn't get too excited at this stage.
P.S. Despite all that, so long as it still gets its own custom soundtrack, I'll be happy