No it's not me that's getting bigger daily, although my jeans are more snug at the moment, the Coaster Touring website is growing. Slowly but surely I'm building up the site and adding new and exciting things to it. There's a guide to a long weekend break in Denmark, useful theme park tips, and new today you can download my latest video, this time from Liseberg in Sweden. So be sure to check the site out regularly over the coming weeks as more reviews and videos are added.
Streaming Liseberg Video
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Steel 101
2006 was the 100th anniversary of the steel roller coaster. Before I get shot down in flames contrary to popular belief the Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland in California wasn’t the first steel roller coaster. The Matterhorn Bobsleds, built by Arrow Developments in 1959, was in fact the first steel coaster utilising tubular track. Historical archives show that the first steel roller coaster actually appeared over 50 years earlier in Germany in 1906. Showman Karl Gabriel introduced the world to the first steel roller coaster at the Munich Oktoberfest, it was named Devils Wheels and stood a towering 30 foot tall. Gabriel introduced the steel roller coaster out of necessity for portable roller coasters that could be easily dismantled, relocated and rebuilt.
The arrival of the Matterhorn created the surge of interest in steel coasters, and the downturn in wooden coasters. Although it would be another two years before the next tubular steel coaster was to be built. This time it was the Mine Train that arrived with the opening of Six Flags Over Texas in 1961.
It wasn’t until 1975 with the Corkscrew at Knott’s Berry Farm that thrill seekers would be first turned upside down. The following year saw the first vertical loop appear with the Revolution at near by Six Flags Magic Mountain.
The first Golden era of roller coasters was during the 1920’s when there were more than 3000 of them. But due to wars, depressions and natural disasters by the late 70’s they faced extinction with only 300 surviving. The popularity of steel roller coasters became ever more apparent in 1986 when for the first time steel coasters out numbered wood. Today we’re are in another Golden Era as since the mid 80’s numbers have soared by over a thousand to more than 1500 roller coasters world wide.
Although Devils Wheels isn't around today it still seems a shame that the 100th anniversary of steel roller coasters wasn't marked in any way. It strikes me as a missed marketing opportunity. Parks could have used the 100th anniversary fact as part of a press release about their current line up of attractions. I have no doubt that at the very least the local papers would have done an article. Hopefully I'll and the amusement industry will be around for the 150th anniversary and maybe it will be celebrated. I've made a note in my Outlook calendar to remind me to tip off the parks.
The arrival of the Matterhorn created the surge of interest in steel coasters, and the downturn in wooden coasters. Although it would be another two years before the next tubular steel coaster was to be built. This time it was the Mine Train that arrived with the opening of Six Flags Over Texas in 1961.
It wasn’t until 1975 with the Corkscrew at Knott’s Berry Farm that thrill seekers would be first turned upside down. The following year saw the first vertical loop appear with the Revolution at near by Six Flags Magic Mountain.
The first Golden era of roller coasters was during the 1920’s when there were more than 3000 of them. But due to wars, depressions and natural disasters by the late 70’s they faced extinction with only 300 surviving. The popularity of steel roller coasters became ever more apparent in 1986 when for the first time steel coasters out numbered wood. Today we’re are in another Golden Era as since the mid 80’s numbers have soared by over a thousand to more than 1500 roller coasters world wide.
Although Devils Wheels isn't around today it still seems a shame that the 100th anniversary of steel roller coasters wasn't marked in any way. It strikes me as a missed marketing opportunity. Parks could have used the 100th anniversary fact as part of a press release about their current line up of attractions. I have no doubt that at the very least the local papers would have done an article. Hopefully I'll and the amusement industry will be around for the 150th anniversary and maybe it will be celebrated. I've made a note in my Outlook calendar to remind me to tip off the parks.
Still Noisy
Quick update on the the noisy court case between Mr and Mrs Roper and Alton Towers. I posted a couple of days ago that they were going back to court to try and reduce the 40dB noise restriction imposed on the theme park. The case was heard yesterday and the High Court judge Mr Justice Wilkie has upheld the restriction imposed on the park by Stoke Crown Court. He stated residents must expect some noise from Alton Towers. And rejected the Ropers argument that the Crown Court ruling was "irrational" and the court had "taken leave of its senses".Alton Towers have already mentioned they may appeal against the restriction in an attempt to have it removed altogether. But as their legal bill aleady stands at half a million pounds they may choose to live with the 40dB restriction and only being allowed 3 firework displays a year.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
All that Noise
So it seems once again Stephen and Suzanne Roper are going to court to silence Alton Towers. Over on the local news papers website, The Sentinel They have the latest in this long running saga.The Ropers live right next door to Alton Towers and have become unhappy about the increasing amount of noise coming from the park, whether it is from fireworks, mechanical noise or screaming riders. In 2004 the initial court case saw a noise limit of 32dB imposed on the park. From what I can make out this is maximum level at the Ropers front door. However Tussauds appealed against this and the level was increased to 40dB.
This latest court case see the battle being taken to the High Court in London as the Ropers say 40dB is too loud and the noise limit is registered as an average over an hour not taking into account any short loud noise bursts. But taking things into perspective what is 40dB.
A quick search on trusty old Google brings up a couple of interesting charts. Make it Louder shows that 40dB is the equivalent of a whispered conversation, a normal conversation is 60dB. So the current restriction outside the house is hardly deafening. The British Wind Energy Association which wishes to build wind farms also has a noise comparison chart on here we discover that the night time background noise in a rural location is 20 - 40dB, presumably it's louder during the day. I would describe the Ropers as living in a rural location so this shows that 40dB is a perfectly acceptable and expected noise level for where they live. A quiet bedroom is 35 dB so the previous restriction of 32dB seems unreasonably low in comparison. If we go to a totally remote extreme in the dessert at night in the middle of nowhere the noise level is expected to be 30dB.
I'm sure there are millions of residents up and down this country who would dream of having a noise limit of 40dB. How many people live near airports or busy roads? In 2004 DEFRA created a road noise map of London. 13% of Londoners deemed road noise a serious problem. Studying the actual results it would appear that 22% of London’s population is exposed to road noise in excess of 60dB. 6% are still exposed to this level at night. Suddenly the Ropers seem very lucky living where they do; at least for them the park is silent at night and for several months of the year.
As the old saying goes, let he who has cast no sin throw the first stone. And the Ropers are in no position to throw stones. Mr and Mrs Roper run Churchill China a pottery company in Stoke on Trent. From past articles in the Sentinel and The Sun it would seem neighbours of the pottery are also suffering from noise levels, only they experience it year round and late into the night. I'd be interested to see the result of the noise levels experienced by the local residents and compare it with what the Ropers want for their home.
OK I admit I'm slightly bias in all this being a supporter of the amusement industry. Yes Alton Towers has expanded since the Ropers moved into their cottage but it's not as if Tussauds haven't offered them reasonable compensation. Whether it is £200 to have a meal out during firework display nights or triple glazed windows. Yes I do believe it is unfair to expect someone to live in a noisy environment, even the millions do, but lets get things into perspective and set a sensible noise level and 40 dB certainly seems OK, but 32dB is ridiculously low.
Remember also the Ropers are in the minority. The vast majority of local residents in Alton are in support of the park recognising how critical it is to the local economy. I can't genuinely see Alton Towers closing over this but it could be put on the back burner and left to decline. Then what would all the B&B's, pubs etc. do? Perhaps they could sue the Ropers for loss of earnings.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Gossip and Rumours
Despite being a journalist for a couple of amusement industry publications it can often be difficult to get definite facts and figures from the parks to include in articles, especially for new rides. More often than not I pick up on a tit bit of a rumour from someone and then have to plug away at the parks and manufacturers to try and get some form of a confirmation. You can't blame the parks for wanting to keep their big new attraction a secret, you don't want to invest millions only for someone else to find out and come and out do you at the last minute. Of course the manufacturers themselves have to keep tight lipped they are locked into a confidentiality clause and can't jeopardise future contracts by letting slip what's coming next.
When writing articles you often want to be the first to break a story, and luckily I have done this on a few occasions, but there is a fine line between publishing what is fact and what is speculation. I have a very good relationship with several parks who always help me. It's a two way streak as those that help me naturally get the extra publicity. Over the years of working in the media I've developed a bit of a reputation and several producers and reporters call me when they want information or advice regarding the amusement industry. Naturally when they want somewhere to film I always suggest the parks that have been helpful to me. Not just to get them more coverage as a thank you but also because I know they're easy to work with.
One park I get on very well with is Drayton Manor They have a fantastic PR company who are quick and helpful to get information. As a result over the past 5 years I've been involved with several programs and news features filmed there. Not to mention that the park itself has a fantastic collection of rides and attractions. Some very unique like Shockwave and G Force which go to making Drayton Manor one of my favourite parks in the UK.
When it comes to rumours the web is fantastic. I usually read a rumour then dig around my contacts to try and confirm or deny the rumour. There are several very good rumour sites and Screamscape is one of the best. Lance Hart is the owner of the site and we often share information when and where we can. Like me he has established a good collection of sources and neither of us do anything to risk jeopardising those relationships.
When writing about the amusement industry it's often a case of joining the dots, you pick up pieces of the jigsaw from several sources and hopefully 2 and 2 equals 4. But sometimes you get over excited and end up with 5.
When writing articles you often want to be the first to break a story, and luckily I have done this on a few occasions, but there is a fine line between publishing what is fact and what is speculation. I have a very good relationship with several parks who always help me. It's a two way streak as those that help me naturally get the extra publicity. Over the years of working in the media I've developed a bit of a reputation and several producers and reporters call me when they want information or advice regarding the amusement industry. Naturally when they want somewhere to film I always suggest the parks that have been helpful to me. Not just to get them more coverage as a thank you but also because I know they're easy to work with.
One park I get on very well with is Drayton Manor They have a fantastic PR company who are quick and helpful to get information. As a result over the past 5 years I've been involved with several programs and news features filmed there. Not to mention that the park itself has a fantastic collection of rides and attractions. Some very unique like Shockwave and G Force which go to making Drayton Manor one of my favourite parks in the UK.
When it comes to rumours the web is fantastic. I usually read a rumour then dig around my contacts to try and confirm or deny the rumour. There are several very good rumour sites and Screamscape is one of the best. Lance Hart is the owner of the site and we often share information when and where we can. Like me he has established a good collection of sources and neither of us do anything to risk jeopardising those relationships.
When writing about the amusement industry it's often a case of joining the dots, you pick up pieces of the jigsaw from several sources and hopefully 2 and 2 equals 4. But sometimes you get over excited and end up with 5.
Merlin buys Tussauds
Merlin Entertainment have been on a major spending spree lately. They've snapped up the Sea Life Centres, Dungeons, Legolands and Gardaland over the past 24 months and now they've just bought Tussauds from DIC. This now makes Merlin Entertainment the second largest company in the business 2nd only to Disney. This doesn't take into account that Merlins parent company Blackstone also have major ownership stakes in Six Flags.
I believe this is good news because Merlin Entertainment seem set on building an amusement industry empire and they're not just investment capitalists putting money where ever they feel fit. The Tussauds exec sees this as a chance to expand the business. I'm hoping this means as well as new parks/attractions appearing around the globe that exisitng attractions will receive major investments. Since taking over the Legoland brands Merlin have already announced plans to build a new large scale park in the US and a small city centre park in Berlin.
Looking at how Tussauds enters into this attraction empire I think different parks may change or expand.
Chessington World of Adventures is a major rival to Legoland Windsor going for the same target audience. As they are now owned by the same company what strategy will Merlin take. I can't see Legoland changing as it is a global brand. I do wonder, as has been apaprent over the past 12 months, if CWOA will heavily rely on animals and become more of a zoo with a few rides rather than be an out and out theme park. I wouldn't be surprised if a Sea Life centre was added to CWOA. It's crying out for it. That way you have 2 completly different parks attracting the same audience and therefore justifying 2 day trips. I know Legoland Billund is adding an aquarium attraction for 2007 but I still say it would make more sense to add this to CWOA than Legoland Windsor.
Thorpe will continue to grow as a park for older families, no point going after Legolands audience now you've found a new niche for CWOA. Perhaps Thorpe will get a push as a European destination much like Alton Towers. Especially as it will soon get its own hotel. Thorpe will still need its share of attractions for the younger audience but will focus on older thrill seekers. Given its proximity to Heathrow it would make sense to go after a European audience. Brits go to Europa Park and Phantasialand so why can't Europeans come to Thorpe. Thorpes hotel cold be sued to serve Legoland Windsor too, especially if they were to provide a courtesy shuttle bus.
Alton will continue to grow as a resort. I'd anticipate Merlin using their Dungeon brand in conjunction with the Towers itself. Maybe a new dark ride alongside Hex. A Sea Life centre also wouldn't be out of place as a 2nd gate. Perhaps as is planned elsewhere around the globe create a small Legoland attraction as 3rd gate (1 to open in Berlin soon). Legoland Windsor can't really attract people from north of Alton Towers so Legoland Staffordshire shouldn't have to much impact on Legoland Windsor. Especially if it's of the smaller regional model they are currently pushing. I gather they are planning a third hotel so with at least 1 more gate I think you'll see more people taking long weekends to Alton Towers. With a water park, theme park, aquarium you would want to spend at least 2 night there.
I wouldn't be surprised if Gardaland and Heide park were also to receive their own regional Legolands and Sea Life Centres. Compared to a roller coaster they would be relatively cheap to add, would increase the parks capacity, have a wider audience, and potentially increase revenue as upcharge or 2nd gate attractions. With both parks already having the infrastructure for attractions ie. parking, catering, maintenance, utilities, it would be easier to add 2nd gates to these locations than to brand new locations. With parks having second gates and needing more time to visit a hotel becomes necessary so visitors can spend a couple of days there. With hotels comes even more revenue, not just from guests but also from corporate events, weddings etc.
With regard developments at the parks we've been told about things have gone quiet over the past few months of Alton Towers new area. I wonder if this sale has been quietly bubbling away and DIC didn't want to spend megabucks on something they wouldn't see a return on. We can only keep our fingers crossed that Merlin will want to continue with the project albeit I expect with a slight delay. The same could be said of the roller coaster planned for Thorpe, although given that it isn't due till 2009 that may not be affected as much. Unless of course it's a woodie and Merlin don;t want 2 new woodies opening in their parks in the same year.
I believe this is good news because Merlin Entertainment seem set on building an amusement industry empire and they're not just investment capitalists putting money where ever they feel fit. The Tussauds exec sees this as a chance to expand the business. I'm hoping this means as well as new parks/attractions appearing around the globe that exisitng attractions will receive major investments. Since taking over the Legoland brands Merlin have already announced plans to build a new large scale park in the US and a small city centre park in Berlin.
Looking at how Tussauds enters into this attraction empire I think different parks may change or expand.
Chessington World of Adventures is a major rival to Legoland Windsor going for the same target audience. As they are now owned by the same company what strategy will Merlin take. I can't see Legoland changing as it is a global brand. I do wonder, as has been apaprent over the past 12 months, if CWOA will heavily rely on animals and become more of a zoo with a few rides rather than be an out and out theme park. I wouldn't be surprised if a Sea Life centre was added to CWOA. It's crying out for it. That way you have 2 completly different parks attracting the same audience and therefore justifying 2 day trips. I know Legoland Billund is adding an aquarium attraction for 2007 but I still say it would make more sense to add this to CWOA than Legoland Windsor.
Thorpe will continue to grow as a park for older families, no point going after Legolands audience now you've found a new niche for CWOA. Perhaps Thorpe will get a push as a European destination much like Alton Towers. Especially as it will soon get its own hotel. Thorpe will still need its share of attractions for the younger audience but will focus on older thrill seekers. Given its proximity to Heathrow it would make sense to go after a European audience. Brits go to Europa Park and Phantasialand so why can't Europeans come to Thorpe. Thorpes hotel cold be sued to serve Legoland Windsor too, especially if they were to provide a courtesy shuttle bus.
Alton will continue to grow as a resort. I'd anticipate Merlin using their Dungeon brand in conjunction with the Towers itself. Maybe a new dark ride alongside Hex. A Sea Life centre also wouldn't be out of place as a 2nd gate. Perhaps as is planned elsewhere around the globe create a small Legoland attraction as 3rd gate (1 to open in Berlin soon). Legoland Windsor can't really attract people from north of Alton Towers so Legoland Staffordshire shouldn't have to much impact on Legoland Windsor. Especially if it's of the smaller regional model they are currently pushing. I gather they are planning a third hotel so with at least 1 more gate I think you'll see more people taking long weekends to Alton Towers. With a water park, theme park, aquarium you would want to spend at least 2 night there.
I wouldn't be surprised if Gardaland and Heide park were also to receive their own regional Legolands and Sea Life Centres. Compared to a roller coaster they would be relatively cheap to add, would increase the parks capacity, have a wider audience, and potentially increase revenue as upcharge or 2nd gate attractions. With both parks already having the infrastructure for attractions ie. parking, catering, maintenance, utilities, it would be easier to add 2nd gates to these locations than to brand new locations. With parks having second gates and needing more time to visit a hotel becomes necessary so visitors can spend a couple of days there. With hotels comes even more revenue, not just from guests but also from corporate events, weddings etc.
With regard developments at the parks we've been told about things have gone quiet over the past few months of Alton Towers new area. I wonder if this sale has been quietly bubbling away and DIC didn't want to spend megabucks on something they wouldn't see a return on. We can only keep our fingers crossed that Merlin will want to continue with the project albeit I expect with a slight delay. The same could be said of the roller coaster planned for Thorpe, although given that it isn't due till 2009 that may not be affected as much. Unless of course it's a woodie and Merlin don;t want 2 new woodies opening in their parks in the same year.
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