UK's 3rd Mystery Gerstlauer

[Stu]

According to many sources, including First Drop and Screamscape, Gerstlauer have orders for 3 UK coasters for 2005.

1] Adventure Island - Custom Bobsled Coaster

2] Oakwood - Custom Euro Fighter

3] Mystery Park - Bobsled Coaster

Where do you think the bobsled coaster is heading, cast your votes now!

For more info on Gerstlauer Coasters check out their website,

p.s. - i love the Squirrel family coaster ;D

[Stu]

Here's some more or "other" parks to be thinking about,

Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach - seem to have added exactly the same packagae of new rides for the 2004 season as Adventure Island, will they make the same moves in 2005? The steel twists of the bobsled would compliment the Scenic railway there.

Crealy Park - either the devon version, would be great step up from their roller skater, or the new cornwall version, could be looking to add a roller coaster so that both crealys have one.

Paultons Park - another family park thats grown a lot recently adding some fairly good quality rides, zierer flat rides and coasters, a reverchon log flume etc. It would make sense to step up from their junior coasters with something that the family can all ride together.

Pleasurewood Hills - is this why they cancelled their vekomas, are they getting rid of their current mouse they rent from a showman, with something more permanent?

Brean Leisure Park - are selling their travelling mouse coaster, despite it's popularity, are they removing it to get a more permanent version, the fun fair at brean certainly has become more of an established amusement park over the past few years

. . . perhaps more wild stabs in the dark than the more likely contenders in the poll, but you never know they certainly are feasible options

and what if the the third bobsled is to be an enclosed ride? Surly that opens up potential to include more parks who may already have a "mouse" or big family style steel coaster, like Flambards, Oakwood and Loudoun Castle to name a few, as an enclosed ride (no matter if it was a similar physical ride) would be different enough to have two of this type of ride.

[in2ob1ivion]

I'm saying Pleasure Island as it desperately needs a new coaster, they havent put anything new in this season, so i reckon the bobsled may be on PI's cards!!

[Stu]

i reckon that's a good bet oblivion,

a coaster like this would fit in really well at pleasure island, i think they need something like a gers bobsled, that's fast and thrilling yet not to excessively extreme or something that goes upside down, to provide the perfect coaster that all the family can ride together and enjoy

i think pleasure island have the potential to make a really good themed one too.

[in2ob1ivion]

Here's something you might know Stu. Do Flamingoland and Pleasure Island combine their profits and allocate funds as necessary or do they run on seperate accounts and fund according to their own profits?

[Graeme]

My comments on a few parks:

Pleasurewood Hills
I don’t think it will be here, as if I recall correctly, the Gerstlauers were announced while Pleasurewood were still due to get the Vekoma coasters.

Fantasy Island
Any park with a Crazy Mouse, you can half expect them to replace it with something or other. However, I’d prefer this park to get a big woodie.

Pleasureland
They have a need for a big ride to be the feature of the new zoo area. However, due to the complications the zoo area brings, I can’t seem them having a coaster or water ride ready for 2005. Maybe 2006, but even then, with Cyclone, KSM (a mouse) and Wildcat (very mouse-like), I fancy they may feel it’s time for another white-knuckle coaster, as Traumatizer was back in 1999, and at the end of the day, it did bring a special buzz to the park. My preference would be for a large wooden twister. I think it would be a special feeling to soar about masses of wood on Southport seafront…but I digress!

Great Yarmouth
Not likely, but it’s possible they may have decided on a coaster project instead of the indoor entertainment complex, which they have been very slow to construct. They haven’t bought a coaster for years, and used to have one or two steelies, yet it is in no way a park that has been given up on (lots of recent investment, even theming).

Drayton Manor
They could do with a non-looper, and I have a feeling a steel mega or woodie may be difficult. In recent years, a spinning coaster was rumoured, yet that now seems unlikely with Alton Towers’ surprise Spinball Whizzer. If they were planning, say, a 700pph coaster, surely they’d look for similar alternatives, rather than just suddenly feel they were in a position to install a larger coaster? However, Drayton usually go for something a bit more unusual, so they’re not my choice…

My best guess is:

Pleasure Island
Loads of recent investment, a full quota of flat rides, no coaster since they opened all those years ago, needs a thrilling non-looper to go between their junior coaster and white-knuckle looper… I feel sure they will build a coaster soon. The only question is whether they will build a water ride first, as they don’t have a log flume or anything. I look forward to trying it, if it is this park. My only reservation is that since the parent company is getting a woodie for Flamingo Land, couldn’t they do a 2-coaster deal with S&S and get one for Pleasure Island as well?

[in2ob1ivion]

Graeme said:

My comments on a few parks:

Pleasurewood Hills
I don’t think it will be here, as if I recall correctly, the Gerstlauers were announced while Pleasurewood were still due to get the Vekoma coasters.

Fantasy Island
Any park with a Crazy Mouse, you can half expect them to replace it with something or other. However, I’d prefer this park to get a big woodie.

Pleasureland
They have a need for a big ride to be the feature of the new zoo area. However, due to the complications the zoo area brings, I can’t seem them having a coaster or water ride ready for 2005. Maybe 2006, but even then, with Cyclone, KSM (a mouse) and Wildcat (very mouse-like), I fancy they may feel it’s time for another white-knuckle coaster, as Traumatizer was back in 1999, and at the end of the day, it did bring a special buzz to the park. My preference would be for a large wooden twister. I think it would be a special feeling to soar about masses of wood on Southport seafront…but I digress!

Great Yarmouth
Not likely, but it’s possible they may have decided on a coaster project instead of the indoor entertainment complex, which they have been very slow to construct. They haven’t bought a coaster for years, and used to have one or two steelies, yet it is in no way a park that has been given up on (lots of recent investment, even theming).

Drayton Manor
They could do with a non-looper, and I have a feeling a steel mega or woodie may be difficult. In recent years, a spinning coaster was rumoured, yet that now seems unlikely with Alton Towers’ surprise Spinball Whizzer. If they were planning, say, a 700pph coaster, surely they’d look for similar alternatives, rather than just suddenly feel they were in a position to install a larger coaster? However, Drayton usually go for something a bit more unusual, so they’re not my choice…

My best guess is:

Pleasure Island
Loads of recent investment, a full quota of flat rides, no coaster since they opened all those years ago, needs a thrilling non-looper to go between their junior coaster and white-knuckle looper… I feel sure they will build a coaster soon. The only question is whether they will build a water ride first, as they don’t have a log flume or anything. I look forward to trying it, if it is this park. My only reservation is that since the parent company is getting a woodie for Flamingo Land, couldn’t they do a 2-coaster deal with S&S and get one for Pleasure Island as well?

Wow!! If they did do a 2 coaster deal and installed a woodie at both parks not only would it make me very very happy...but think of all the attention and publicity that these 2 parks would then get!! It would make their popularity shoot sky high, everyone now seem to be turning their attention to Flamingoland and are saying it's one to watch, I am ceratainly watching it...very closely!!

[Stu]

Loads of recent investment, a full quota of flat rides, no coaster since they opened all those years ago, needs a thrilling non-looper to go between their junior coaster and white-knuckle looper… I feel sure they will build a coaster soon. The only question is whether they will build a water ride first, as they don’t have a log flume or anything. I look forward to trying it, if it is this park. My only reservation is that since the parent company is getting a woodie for Flamingo Land, couldn’t they do a 2-coaster deal with S&S and get one for Pleasure Island as well?

nice points there Graeme, i think its strange that Flamingo Lands former log flume didn't feature in the worlds fair advert, perhaps they have sold it, or maybe there was no interest so it'll end up at Pleasure Island, we certainly trained the PI staff on how to use it when i worked at FL

2-coaster deal with S&S sounds fantastic to me, there's also the possibility of the former arrow coasters too, i think one of their steelies could be interesting for either FL or PI, always wanted to see how an arrowbatic would look in the flesh

[Graeme]

stu said:

nice points there Graeme, i think its strange that Flamingo Lands former log flume didn't feature in the worlds fair advert, perhaps they have sold it, or maybe there was no interest so it'll end up at Pleasure Island, we certainly trained the PI staff on how to use it when i worked at FL

Good point. Surely it's an important enough ride to feature alongside the various flat rides advertised? I'd have to agree with you and conclude they're not selling it. Looks like we know Pleasure Island's 2005 ride!

[in2ob1ivion]

When I visited earlier on in the year though, I asked a ride op about the flume and he said that Pleasure Island didnt want the flume as it keeps cutting out on rainy days or something to that effect. Cant see how that would affect it though. I hope they do install it as I plan on getting a season ticket for next year and a water ride would be welcomed at PI for me to ride.

[Graeme]

stu said:

Paultons Park - another family park thats grown a lot recently adding some fairly good quality rides, zierer flat rides and coasters, a reverchon log flume etc. It would make sense to step up from their junior coasters with something that the family can all ride together.

Yes, it's Paulton's! I'd never have guessed. Well done!

This move puts them firmly on the theme park map. They are upstaging some of the bigger parks what wth this and the 4-lane WhiteWater West tower.

The only trouble is, it's slightly too far for a day trip for me. If I'm down Portsmouth way, I'm going to either France or the Isle of Wight! Perhaps I'll combine it with a trip to the latter one day, but it's a shame Southend aren't getting theirs.

[Stu]

fantastic news thanks Graeme (i don't have my FD yet as at uni)

this park really deserves a good coaster like this, i think it will be a valuable addition in converting this small leisure park into a family theme park, it's actually the closest park to my home in wiltshire, so it's great news for me (hehehe)

to be honest i've always wanted to go but maybe thought i'd be a bit too old, so the bobsled is a fantastic excuse

i'm not sure if it is a white water west water coaster, i've heard reports that people say you have to put your own raft on the conveyor once at the bottom

[Graeme]

stu said:

i'm not sure if it is a white water west water coaster, i've heard reports that people say you have to put your own raft on the conveyor once at the bottom

Good point, I hadn't thought of that. Still, the fact they want that capacity says a lot about what they're aiming for.

The bobsled sounds incredible. Better than any coaster at Pleasurewood Hills, frankly. This puts them firmly on the "ride park" map, and with style.

Don't get me wrong, I've been aware of and interested in this park since 1989! I was on the Isle of Wight, got a leaflet and desperately wanted to go on all the themed car rides etc!