Anyone who follows us on social media will know we made an announcement late January about a special blog. We’ve reached our 2 year anniversary milestone. We decided to do something special for you guys with one of our favourite manufactures. It’s our first time doing a blog of this kind so it may not be perfect, so please bare with us. We really hope you all enjoy! We’d also like to say a massive thank you to Vekoma for their time and helping us put this together.
1) Out of the coasters you produce & construct, which are your favourite & why?
- Each category (family/thrill) has its own unique rides and design challenges, so it is impossible to choose a favourite. Thrill rides have the greatest flexibility in elements, family coasters are challenging precisely because of their relative limitations: Creating an exciting ride with limited speeds and accelerations is a fun challenge!
2) Are there any coaster types which are more complicated to construct then others?
- The type of ride is only one factor in the overall complexity of a project. Constraints like space limitations, capacity requirements, possible show elements etc. can all add to this.
3) When approached by a theme park / amusement park, what are the procedures to complete the deal?
- Design a new CD layout according to the park’s design criteria, or select an already existing design that fits within the park’s criteria with respect to design and budget.
- Check planning/budget
- Prepare proposal
- Contract
- Build
- Hand over to Parts & Services
4) Within the UK we have two amazing madhouses, The Haunting at Drayton Manor & Hex at Alton Towers. What is the timeline of construction when installing this kind of ride?
- This depends on our capacity/portfolio and the planning of the park.
- Depending on production capacity the construction can be delivered within 12-18 months and the actual installation and T&C takes in total approx. 10 weeks. However, the facility structures (building, pre-show, queue depends on the park)
5) Blackpool Pleasure Beach is home to Infusion a VEKOMA SLC. Has these models advanced or changed since the installation of Infusion? If so what features & how have they changed?
- The SLC has been replaced by the new design Suspended Thrill Coaster.
- Features
The Suspended Thrill Coaster is much more than just an upgrade of our former SLC. The Suspended Thrill Coaster uses a new state of the art train designed for optimal smoothness, rider comfort and maintenance friendliness. Together with a completely new layout we are sure that this coaster will become a great success.
6) We understand Legoland Windsor is opening a madhouse this upcoming Spring, which is very exciting! Is there any improvements or changes to the technology in comparison to the likes of Hex?
- There are many technical upgrades that will make installation, operation and maintenance easier. The overall ride specifications are very similar though.
7) For our final question is there any project undergoing or planned? If so what can you share with us about those future projects?
At this moment we have 17 coasters world-wide scheduled to open in 2019. Some of those coasters are entirely new designs. Details will be announced on our website once these rides open to the public. The park has the first right to market their new projects.
We are honestly very thankful for Vekoma for their time. Honestly we hope you’ve all enjoyed this blog. We’d like to say a massive thank you to all of you for providing nonstop support to us. We appreciate you all more than you can imagine.