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Oakwood - I'm Slightly Worried.

supersion

supersion

Mega Poster
Sorry i know this is gonna seem as a strange topic and a weird post, but i wasn't really sure where to post my feelings on this. I understand that this topic isn't going to create a huge talking point, but I'd just like to share my concern on this.

I've been checking on the internet about Oakwood Theme Park and it's upkeep lately, and it really is worrying me now.

I managed to get a copy of their leaflet, and one word for it is awful. It's cheap, tacky and it doesnt convince me to go there at all. Ill try and get a version on here at some point, but for the time being you'l all just have to believe me on that.

The other worrying factors for me about the Park was...

The 'new' entrance. I completely understand the current economic crisis,
but honestly is that excuse worthy of this awful 'new' entrance?
It is actually hideous. And i do wonder if anyone else agrees with me.

Here's a picture of the original entrance from ThemeParkReview.

oakwood1.jpg


And here's the new one. Picture thanks to smilersthemeparkphotos from FLICKR.

3522223060_35c2c98f9a_o.jpg


I am truely dissapointed with this, and to top it off, they cancel the great After Dark Show.
Up the price of the Entrance ticket, and also, for another year running, no new ride.

Am I being paranoid, or should there be concern over this? :?

Sorry if this topic is in the wrong place, and sorry for my spelling if there are mistakes. But I felt I had to let this all out somewhere. :)
 
Oooh yes, that is quite tacky isn't it?

I suspect you are being a bit paranoid. I think they're just building up towards something. They may have planned a ride for the near future and the economic downturn has meant they had to just cut back a little. Who knows?

I'm sure Oakwood won't close, and I just think they're at a low point at the moment. I'm sure they'll pick back up at some point.
 
The original entrance looks much better, but i was a bit distracted on the first picture on the right hand side with the man who has the bright blue hair :lol:
 
The new owners are probably planning something, they are just making sure when they do add something they have everything else sorted. Like reshuffling the staff, making streamline cuts.
There must be a good reason why they stopped After Dark, maybe for costs of fireworks every night, operating rides, staff, food etc.
The park did need some TLC last time I went.
 
EW haha.

Maybe they just had some crappy planners this year who made a crappy entrance. As long as the inside of the park is still good, it shouldn't cause you to worry.
 
I'm also in a state of absolute panic right now. The park is obviously going to close within the week, and our Welsh members will have no choice but to become fanboys of Tir Prince/Williams amusements.

Here's a picture of the original entrance from ThemeParkReview.
Click to expand...

Sorry, but I can't see the entrance too clearly. It seems to be obstructed by criminally ugly people, showing how much fun they're having by sticking their tongues out and striking "crazy" poses.
 
I wouldn't say this was something to get your knickers in a twist about. A lot of parks (not only in the UK) are having cut backs with advertising and are doing as little renovation as possibly during the crunch. Oakwood are the main theme park in the whole country so its unlikely they are shutting up shop anytime soon. Companies like Merlin Entertainments (the second largest company with tourism under its belt after Disney) can afford to splash out on its theme parks and thats why they spent millions recently on the Sealife attraction at Alton Towers and the Gerslauter Euro Fighter at Thorpe. Smaller parks like Oakwood don't have the funding of larger parks and they usually have to make do and make price changes to keep themselves afloat. Look at Camelot for example. In 2004 I'm sure it was £14 for an entry ticket and now they expect us to fork over £20 to get inside. Its the same with some other parks, they raise their prices behind the times and they get bad publicity because they haven't had or released planning apps for a new ride yet still they still charge more. It is amazing how many parks we have lost in the last couple of years. American Adventure, Pleasureland etc. But I really highly doubt Oakwood are ending the line just yet. Fantasy Island has just made itself redundant after many quiet seasons of poor advertising.
 
Imo, i think i prefer the new entrance.. defiantly not something to go home crying about...

I'm sure something will be planned for the very near future... but out of all the parks in the world, i'm probably least worried about this one.
 
The Grape Wizard said:
The original entrance looks much better, but i was a bit distracted on the first picture on the right hand side with the man who has the bright blue hair :lol:
Click to expand...

That's James "Canobiefan" Nocito. I seem to have lucked out and missed that particular group photo.

Maybe they are skimping on the budget for another reason. Didn't the park just have a huge judgement / fine levied against them by the court from the Hydro death? Like 14 million pounds?
 
I don't mind the new entrance at all. I like the Blue colour better than the green.
Although They've lost those swirly pillars and the other bits that made it look like a station.

The park entrance is one of the last things I care about anyway. All you do is walk through it to get your tickets and get on the train. It's no big deal to go crying over.
 
A park entrance is more important than people realise - Lightwater valley used to have a decent entrance, now it's at best a hotch-potch, and just makes the place look less impressive. similarly Flamingoland's renaissance would be all the more impressive if they actually got round to updating the entrance to the park...

I hope Oakwood are ok, as they have been quite innovative for a number of years for a small park, I suspect it just smacks of cost cuttting tho'.
 
The new entrance is very clean looking and smart but sooo tacky why spoil a good old entrance. it dosent fit in x.
 
I like it, it's fresh and new but I can also understand why people think it looks tacky, it's very tacky sea side town chic :S
 
Aspro are really starting to piss me off big time! I'm usually 100% biased towards Oakwood, but they've pushed me to the point where I'm not going back to work there after 3 fantastic seasons. Seven members of management (and in my view 7 of the best) last week were made redundant either through the removal/combining of positions (and yet there's still someone there who's **** at their job - yeah you know who you are when you read this). Of those 7 employees, 2 were the only employees left to have worked their since the beginning 22 years ago, and the best 2! But I do understand they're cutting costs to save money - but the atmosphere working this year has gone **** and I'm far from the only person to say that, it's just not the same this year. They refused to buy a new fryer for the staff lodge because it was too expensive and yet they spent money making the entrance look like something you'd see in the teletubbies.

They were going to put 2 new rides in for 2009 and the entrance was suppost to be demolished and entirely rebuilt, but because of the recession they decided to put a stop to that around October. A 'substantial' ride was planned to go in for 2010 to make their mark on Oakwood, but whether than comes next year now I guess looks unlikely, construction would have started by now or at least be close to starting and i've seen no planning applications go in.

Before Paddy left they were looking at putting in a new wooden coaster, either a dueling one or an out-and-back design. I don't know whether Aspro took on these plans or started from scratch however.

Anyway I should probably stop ranting before I say something I shouldn't.
 
I knew you were going to say that ;) But like I said to you it must have a reason why they've done it, either streamlining or just a re-shuffle.

But Oakwood definatley need something to bring in people (outside of Wales) in.
 
That new entrance looks nice, fresh and clean. I haven't got any problems with it.
Click to expand...
Same here. Although it does seem a little dark.
But that could be fixed with a simple application of lighting.
 
Who cares? It's just an entrance? :p

As long as they still have the train to get to the park I'll be happy. :)
 
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