YoshiPoseidon
Roller Poster
Gotta love the gp. My friend described Hyperia as a āsteel wicker manā recently
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Oakwood closes its doors, cites financial difficulties
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RollerCoastersFrolicking
Mega Poster
tad upsetting il never get to ride the megaphoiba CCI design
not only is this one closed, but the near clone over in Alabama is SBNO
not only is this one closed, but the near clone over in Alabama is SBNO
Ollie
CF Legend
Some interesting photos taken from inside Brer Rabbit after it was left to rot when it closed.
The Tracked Dark Ride,originally built by UK manufacturer Severn Lamb, is still standing but has not operated since 2014
Note: I don't condone trespassing but the photos are interesting and give a rare look at what you normally don't get to see. Source
The Tracked Dark Ride,originally built by UK manufacturer Severn Lamb, is still standing but has not operated since 2014
Note: I don't condone trespassing but the photos are interesting and give a rare look at what you normally don't get to see. Source
Nicky Borrill
Strata Poster
Some interesting photos taken from inside Brer Rabbit after it was left to rot when it closed.
The Tracked Dark Ride,originally built by UK manufacturer Severn Lamb, is still standing but has not operated since 2014
Note: I don't condone trespassing but the photos are interesting and give a rare look at what you normally don't get to see. Source
Oh wow... That's creepy... Part of me hopes that some of these big UE groups, the ones that take all the coloured lighting etc, get in there before they destroy it. It's creepy now, imagine when the photos have been staged with some atmosphere.
Ollie
CF Legend
It did had a sorta preshow just as you were leaving the station. There was a soundtrack in the ride that played within certain scenes. However, later in it's life these seemed to stop working and weren't fixed. Remember the bunny pulling on the electrical box making it spark as well (may be misremembering but may have been another effect that broke and wasn't fixed).
adrenaline1996
Mega Poster
Is the park going to be up for sale? Just been thinking about it, I know that not everyone is overly keen on the theming of the Walibi Parks, but I think that Compagnie des Alpes have done amazing work at the three parks in mainland Europe regarding the type of attraction and also the actual scale / thoroughness of the theming. Oakwood is / was such a beautifully located / landscaped park.
Walibi Oakwood / Wales would be awesome - hopefully RMC could come to the UK finally after Untamed and YoY, or the Intamin Hot Racer.
Walibi Oakwood / Wales would be awesome - hopefully RMC could come to the UK finally after Untamed and YoY, or the Intamin Hot Racer.
owenstreet7
Mega Poster
I don't think Oakwood is going to be sold as an amusement park as it is because the park is getting asset stripped.
I'd love Compagnie des Alpes to buy a UK park admittedly or even Herschend. Paultons Park and Blackpool Pleasure Beach both seem to be good candidates for Herschend to enter the UK market - the former being very much a Herschend style park and the latter being very similar to Kennywood which was bought by Herschend recently.
Graeme
Mega Poster
It could still be a theme park yet, though. Let's be honest, the only important thing is Megafobia. I'm not being pedantic, but I probably wouldn't classify it as an "asset" at the moment, as it's not easy to sell or move (let's hope they agree!) It'd definitely be a failure if the Welsh Government allows 'Fobia to be destroyed, even if that just involves helping Bluestone buy it (or whoever else wants to). Run well, the park is an important part of Pembrokeshire tourism.
With Megafobia kept, together with some good choices, the theme park can rise again.
With Megafobia kept, together with some good choices, the theme park can rise again.
Marsden10002
Roller Poster
I very much doubt it will be sold. A lot of the flat rides etc are being moved on. I imagine Speed will also be moved.
It's a shame as Megaphobia is the UKs best woodern ride by a mile - If it's maintained and not left to rot
Absimilliard
Roller Poster
Anaconda is getting a replacement Morgan style train. The steel frames were made by a local french company and the new fiberglass shells by Reverchon. The park general manager in a Q&A in french a few weeks ago mentioned that adding any other style of train to the ride would have caused too many issues, proven by Monstre at La Ronde and Rattler at Six Flags Fiesta Texas.
Peet
Giga Poster
Happy to be proved wrong, thanks
Matt N
CF Legend
According to Wales Online, an anonymous local resident has formed a community consortium and formulated a proposal to reopen Oakwood, with the proposal having been presented to the current owners Aspro Parks: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/oakwood-wasnt-just-theme-park-31655880
Their backers are currently undisclosed (albeit they do supposedly have financial backing), but they insist that their plans are workable.
If they have workable plans, I say all power to them! If they can save Oakwood, I'd love to see it!
Their backers are currently undisclosed (albeit they do supposedly have financial backing), but they insist that their plans are workable.
If they have workable plans, I say all power to them! If they can save Oakwood, I'd love to see it!
Matt N
CF Legend
The previously undisclosed proposal to reopen Oakwood has now been revealed as being led by Richens Leisure Projects (RLP). Aspro Parks and the Welsh Government have both been consulted on the proposal, and negotiations are ongoing: https://riderater.co.uk/12525/oakwo...j8OaqWow4S7d6DXpqQ_aem_KBDRdRVcSsEn3uzVkoyh9w
The figurehead of the project wishes to remain anonymous, but they insist that ātalks are ongoingā and āproposals have been circulated among the highest levels of the senior management groupā.
A website has also now been set up with an FAQ: https://revive.wales/
They have stated that the Oakwood name will be retained and they are committed to retaining Megafobia as part of the proposals.
Isnāt this exciting! If successful, could we have South Walesā answer to Gene Staples on our hands?
The figurehead of the project wishes to remain anonymous, but they insist that ātalks are ongoingā and āproposals have been circulated among the highest levels of the senior management groupā.
A website has also now been set up with an FAQ: https://revive.wales/
They have stated that the Oakwood name will be retained and they are committed to retaining Megafobia as part of the proposals.
Isnāt this exciting! If successful, could we have South Walesā answer to Gene Staples on our hands?
Rollercoaster David
Hyper Poster
I might have more confidence in this if the website was a little more than white and green text on a black background.
One company I was wondering about though was the zip world one, They seem to have done quite well in Wales, and adding a few zip lines to the park couldn't be that hard, it is on a bit of a hill after all. They do already operate an alpine and powered coaster, so taking over what's left at oakwood doesn't seem beyond possibility.
One company I was wondering about though was the zip world one, They seem to have done quite well in Wales, and adding a few zip lines to the park couldn't be that hard, it is on a bit of a hill after all. They do already operate an alpine and powered coaster, so taking over what's left at oakwood doesn't seem beyond possibility.
Flash Shift
Mega Poster
Someone always comes along to try to save these things but it tends to be all talk. I'll believe it when I see it. And if the stars align and it does happen, I'll get down there pronto!
Tonkso
Hyper Poster
I'm super skeptical, but I hope to be proven wrong. It would be great to see it happen, but there are good reasons Oakwood closed, and the level of investment needed is at the level Walibi have been putting in over the past decade. I just cannot see it.
Still, if it DOES happen, I hope they focus on the guest experience and become somewhere that is actually worth the visit. I've never been, because I cannot justify the drive down for effectively Speed and Megaphobia. I want to, but still.
Still, if it DOES happen, I hope they focus on the guest experience and become somewhere that is actually worth the visit. I've never been, because I cannot justify the drive down for effectively Speed and Megaphobia. I want to, but still.
Nicky Borrill
Strata Poster
That's right, the main one at least, which gained national coverage, was 2016 I think. But there were others, including earlier ones (although thinking back, that first one may not have been online.)
Then last year, some of the major newspapers published stories on how the park had been left abandoned for years, and nothing was currently there... But by that time last year, there were many houses, and people living in them, lots of them our customers. It was the furthest from abandoned that it had been since the day it closed.
The Oakwood plan seems unrealistic, by their own admittance it has no financial backing of any significance yet, so it will most likely get nowhere. It completely ignores the fact that there is probably already a plan for the hardware and land, or else it would have been put on the open market whole, as a going concern.
This is a bit concerning too...
Existing rides seem to be a big part of their plan. But it's possible, maybe even likely, that those rides, except Megaphobia and maybe Speed, have already been ripped out. I certainly remember seeing pictures of several rides, from water ride and drop tower to pirate ship and kids aeroplanes, dismantled. I wouldn't be surprised if Megaphobia and Speed have also been cannibalised for parts already.
It would be very interesting to see some recent drone footage of exactly what is left now, I haven't seen any for months at this point. Yet they first started the tear down in February, and seemingly accelerated it after announcing the closure in March, so by this point, there may be nothing but the coasters left standing in terms of ride hardware. (Or EVERYTHING may still be on site, with some of it dismantled, but still very much present.
)Don't get me wrong, this would be incredible and I'd love to see them pull it off. I really really hope I'm wrong, but I just can't see it.
(P.s I moved my reply here Matt, as I didn't want to derail the Paulton's thread. Apologies to anybody else reading if the AA (American Adventure) reference has no context, this is why, the context is in the Paulton's thread.)