"AstroDan""][quote=""ShootTheCore" wrote:Vekoma suck. Let's put it plainly. I will be highly disappointed if it's them. I'm sure it would still be an amazing ride, due to the theming, the setting and based on the track we can see on the plans, but for me it'd be the worst possible outcome in terms of manufacturer. Their trains hurt, they're rough and uncomfortable with a few notable exceptions (Velocity, I'm looking at you, yes I admit it you were pretty good for a mid-sized park). I know you're all gonna pipe up about RNR (which I have been on) and Everest (which I haven't) which are both amazing rides but strip away ALL the theming and both would be absolute rubbish. I'm not saying there aren't ANY good Vekoma rides, just that their hit rate is much, much lower.
I must say that's unduly harsh on Vekoma. They have the capabilities to build very high quality rollercoasters as has been shown with Mammut, Colorado Adventure etc. Add in the Alton theming, and I would say Vekoma are probably just as tasty for this project as any other manufacturer.[/quote]
Yet again I'd say both of those rides rely on heavy theming to hide a pretty rubbish coaster, or at least one with nothing special to it. I have yet to see Vekoma recently make a good thrill ride. They're just churning out dull but perfectly agreeable family coasters.
Strip away the theming and you can see them for what they really are:

Colorado's Adventure is ANOTHER Vekoma that relies on amazing theming to carry a pretty rubbish looking vanilla ride. Do you start to see a pattern emerging? Take Nemmy out of it's pit and plonk in on a car park somewhere and it would look really weird and terrible. But it would still give an amazing ride experience, ride experience here meaning the actual trains and track, nothing visual.
"Mankey" wrote:Vekoma have come a long way since this, and they truely are amazing manufacturers. To call them crap is quite silly really, as they've created more coasters than any other manufacturer (if i'm right) so... that kinda says something. :lol:
A couple of years back STC, I would have been agreeing with you on this one, but they're not as bad as everyone make them out to be. NO WHERE NEAR as bad! ;)
Name one good recent THRILL coaster by Vekoma then. That carries itself purely on the actual vanilla rollercoaster itself, rather than any theming. ;)
I think as a community we need to be more critical of this "family thrill" movement, a little bit of it is OK but too much and it just dilutes both ends of the spectrum it is aiming for and you end up with a park of very bland attractions.
"JamesJ." wrote:If Vekoma are good enough for Disney, then surely they are good enough for Alton?
Since when are Disney the world bench mark for theme parks? I have been to WDW and personally think Alton Towers is a better overall theme park. Islands of Adventure definitely is, and theres a few other theme parks I've been to and some I haven't that could potentially make a claim to be better. Disney isn't the be all and end all of theme parks, just because they invented it.