Lightwater Valley removing all thrill attractions

Well, this is disheartening. Lightwater Valley have decided to remove all their thrill rides and become more family-orientated. Raptor Attack, Eagles Claw, Apollo and Black Pearl have all been taken off the website. The fate of The Ultimate is not currently known, and it is still marked as "closed" on the website.

Lightwater Valley has removed Raptor Attack and other thrill rides, as the park continues its shift toward the family market.

The enclosed rollercoaster Raptor Attack, formerly named the Rat Ride, has been at the park since 1987.

It underwent a major refurbishment in 2010, but has now been retired after being mothballed last season.

The Apollo swinging chair tower was on lease, but its departure represents the loss of another thrill ride from the North Yorkshire park’s line-up. It had not operated during 2020.

The thrill-level Eagle’s Claw and Black Pearl flat rides have also been removed from the park’s website.

The fate of the Ultimate rollercoaster is not clear. It remains on the park’s website as ‘closed’, with information relating to its mothballing during the 2020 season still in place.

Lightwater Valley has been approached for comment.

The ride and attractions page of the park’s website lists a number of a new additions without details, although their names suggest further family additions.

As is the case with the rest of the UK theme park industry, it is not clear when the park will be permitted to re-open amidst COVID-19 restrictions currently in place.

Source: https://riderater.co.uk/8722/lightwater ... s-removed/

^ Coronavirus (since the end of 2019 to be precise) has disheartened us for over a year too... :*(

lol240 wrote:

^ Coronavirus (since the end of 2019 to be precise) has disheartened us for over a year too... :*(

They've removed some of the most popular rides in the park, so a lot of of people won't visit anymore. Raptor Attack was a Schwarzkopf Wildcat, and the fact it was enclosed in a dark building and you had to crawl through a sewer-like tunnel to get to the loading point made it one of the best indoor attractions in the UK. The rapids was just a standard travelling version, but the fact it was a family ride makes it's removal mind-boggling. It's also special to me as I got evac'd from the lift in 2019, and that was my first proper ride evacuation. Eagles Claw was a KMG Afterburner, which I always chickened out of riding so I'm sad that I never had the courage to ride it.

[mkingy]

Probably a bunch of maintenance problems that have just been made worse through lack of funding. Much cheaper to run a few kiddie rides than a indoor rollercoaster which is a huge shame. The park has been on somewhat of a downward spiral for a while - hopefully the Ultimate manages to open in the future.

[gouldy]

This is a shame to see, it certainly isn't positive news - but at the very least this does mean the park is remaining as an entity at all rather than just straight up closing down entirely.

My ultimate concern is that anything happens to The Ultimate. I don't have any knowledge on whether or not that roller coaster has any protections, I doubt it does, and if it doesn't I'd love to see it be given listed status, so it can't be demolished and needs to be protected etc.

We now have a statement from the park:

In 2021 Lightwater Valley is set to adapt its offer to visitors. The Park has plans to broaden its appeal for younger families, and as a result a series of new rides, attractions and experiences will be designed specifically for the under 10s.

“We believe this new approach is best suited for the majority of our audience and will offer something new and exciting for young families across the region,” said Park Manager Colin Bowes.

As a result of this re-focusing, a number of the rides which are only suitable for older visitors will be replaced. These include Apollo, Raptor Attack, Eagle’s Claw, Black Pearl and River Rapids.

“We understand the retirement of several of our older rides will be disappointing to some of our thrill seeking visitors, however we believe strongly that by re-calibrating the visitor experience to more fully encompass younger children and families we will be able to offer an exciting, new series of fun adventures and entertainments,” he added.

The Park is investing in exciting new rides and attractions including an all NEW Safari Zone, which will include rides such as Monkey Drop, Convoy Trucks, Elephant Flight and a the Savannah Express, which will allow families to spot the life-sized creatures hidden in the wilderness. Other new additions to the park include Kangaroo Jump and the Hot Air Balloons!

Also new to the Park’s offering in 2021 is Treetop Trails - formerly Treetop Nets. This loved attraction sees families swinging through the trees like Tarzan – and will now be included as part of the admission price.

As well as these new rides, many of the park’s young family favourites will be remaining including Little Dipper and the Lady Bird rollercoaster, Splash Falls and many more. Plus, indoor and outdoor play areas and special events and entertainment once restrictions allow.

For comparison, this is the American Adventure's statement from 2005. Sound simillar?

NEW SUPRISES AND OLD FAVOURITES
IT’S A WILD DAY OUT FOR ALL THE FAMILY

There’s been so much going on at the American Adventure this year. The park is undergoing a major facelift over the next two years as we invest in rides and attractions specifically for the family and younger children.

Whilst you may find less white knuckle thrills this season, there’s heaps more fun and adventure for kids aged 4-14 (and grown ups too!) as favourites like the Runnaway Train, JCB World and Buffalo Stampede are joined by fab new family rides. Blast off with Rascal Rocket, bounce aboard the Bronco Buggies and look out for more exciting attractions throughout 2005.

From the wild frontier of the old West to the final frontier of space, we can promise you an American Adventure that will keep you smiling all day long.

Ride the railroad, cruise on the lake on our Mississippi paddleboats or chat to a chipmunk in the Adventure Farm. Eat, drink, relax… all in beautiful surroundings, and remember to keep an eye open for Rocky Racoon and Miss Huggy Bear.

Drop in at one of our cafés, restaurants or snack stall for a tasty treat and don’t forget to take home a souvenir from our wide selection of shops.

[mkingy]

Hopefully they scale it back properly and then back up again much like the plopsa parks and toverland. Provide a really good kids offering in the North then build on that with more mature offerings. I remain optimistic for Ultimates sake hah

It's now been officially confirmed that Ulty will be staying at the park for now but will remain closed for the 2021 season. I really do hope they open it again before it closes for good, although considering it will've been SBNO for two years I doubt that will happen.

[mkingy]

I imagine it'll cost more to remove it than they'll get back in scrap materials so the only way I can see it being bought down is if it becomes unsafe as a structure (unlikely).

skyscraper wrote:

We now have a statement from the park:

In 2021 Lightwater Valley is set to adapt its offer to visitors. The Park has plans to broaden its appeal for younger families, and as a result a series of new rides, attractions and experiences will be designed specifically for the under 10s.

“We believe this new approach is best suited for the majority of our audience and will offer something new and exciting for young families across the region,” said Park Manager Colin Bowes.

As a result of this re-focusing, a number of the rides which are only suitable for older visitors will be replaced. These include Apollo, Raptor Attack, Eagle’s Claw, Black Pearl and River Rapids.

“We understand the retirement of several of our older rides will be disappointing to some of our thrill seeking visitors, however we believe strongly that by re-calibrating the visitor experience to more fully encompass younger children and families we will be able to offer an exciting, new series of fun adventures and entertainments,” he added.

The Park is investing in exciting new rides and attractions including an all NEW Safari Zone, which will include rides such as Monkey Drop, Convoy Trucks, Elephant Flight and a the Savannah Express, which will allow families to spot the life-sized creatures hidden in the wilderness. Other new additions to the park include Kangaroo Jump and the Hot Air Balloons!

Also new to the Park’s offering in 2021 is Treetop Trails - formerly Treetop Nets. This loved attraction sees families swinging through the trees like Tarzan – and will now be included as part of the admission price.

As well as these new rides, many of the park’s young family favourites will be remaining including Little Dipper and the Lady Bird rollercoaster, Splash Falls and many more. Plus, indoor and outdoor play areas and special events and entertainment once restrictions allow.

For comparison, this is the American Adventure's statement from 2005. Sound simillar?

NEW SUPRISES AND OLD FAVOURITES
IT’S A WILD DAY OUT FOR ALL THE FAMILY

There’s been so much going on at the American Adventure this year. The park is undergoing a major facelift over the next two years as we invest in rides and attractions specifically for the family and younger children.

Whilst you may find less white knuckle thrills this season, there’s heaps more fun and adventure for kids aged 4-14 (and grown ups too!) as favourites like the Runnaway Train, JCB World and Buffalo Stampede are joined by fab new family rides. Blast off with Rascal Rocket, bounce aboard the Bronco Buggies and look out for more exciting attractions throughout 2005.

From the wild frontier of the old West to the final frontier of space, we can promise you an American Adventure that will keep you smiling all day long.

Ride the railroad, cruise on the lake on our Mississippi paddleboats or chat to a chipmunk in the Adventure Farm. Eat, drink, relax… all in beautiful surroundings, and remember to keep an eye open for Rocky Racoon and Miss Huggy Bear.

Drop in at one of our cafés, restaurants or snack stall for a tasty treat and don’t forget to take home a souvenir from our wide selection of shops.

Yes, there are similarities between the statements from Lightwater Valley and the American Adventure. Both parks are undergoing changes to cater more to families and younger children, introducing new rides and attractions while acknowledging that some older, thrill-seeking rides will be replaced. The focus is on creating a family-friendly experience with a mix of new surprises and beloved classics.

[gouldy]

mkingy wrote:

I imagine it'll cost more to remove it than they'll get back in scrap materials so the only way I can see it being bought down is if it becomes unsafe as a structure (unlikely).

Why did you give me this false hope 2 years ago? I remember reading this comment and thinking "yeah, that sounds right, why would they spend the money to tear it down if they didn't need to? That would just be silly"...

Now I'm sad, cus that's exactly what they did.

This is so sad to hear.