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Pirate Cove

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Themeparksandy1981

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With the looping group bringing back the theme areas.
Currently they got Thomas Land and by the end of June Adventure Cove will be finished but they must have a 5 year plan in place and I hope it’s Pirate Cove . Now the Dodgems got rethemed inside and out for the start of 2017 season into a pirate village theme by then Pirate Adventure had been closed for 2 years. Also the rock work was repaired and painted around the Burger Kitchen, Jolly Buccaneer and to the side of the Dodgems. I think the theme could be extended to the Bounty pirate ship to include this ride, the arcade and retheme the train station building. Not sure about the Carousel but did think the area could be moved a bit and the Flying Dutchman took its place with the carousel been moved to the adventure Cove area. I do think the Pirate Adventure building could be reused for the 2023 season.
 
Can’t see them moving the Flying Dutchmen closer to the impending Wave Swinger as they will look very similar.

I’m hoping they do something with the Pirate Adventure building (pirate related again), then you’ve pretty much got a straight line of pirate themed attractions down to Bounty.

I Personally wouldn’t like 2 ‘coves’ next to each other, so maybe something like Shipwreck Shore with the lake behind it.

If they have plans to sell Apocalyspe and Pandemonium, I can see them doing something up the top end of the park first however.
 
That's a good idea. It would be great for Drayton to start having bigger themed areas and Pirate Cove is probably the best opportunity for this
 
They have to do something with the pirates building. They have this huge, eye catching building that takes up loads of space and yet its been sat doing nothing for years now. It’s such a missed opportunity. Knocking it down seems unlikely so for the love of god Looping Group, DO SOMETHING. Ideally a new pirate adventure ride.
 
I still stick by in the 5 year plan - Adventure Cove will be completed, Apocalypse and Pandemonium will be removed and replaced and either Excalibur or/and Pirate Adventure will reopen. Who knows when but it'll either be for 2022 or 2024 i reckon with the Pandemonium and Apocalypse replacement filling in whatever year isn't chosen
 
It would cost them so much more if they removed all the theming off the sides of the Pirate Adventure building as it must cover over half of the building which can be seen from every angle of the main park. Only riding the Thomas train you get to see the main shell of the building. Drayton always reuse buildings from old attractions. For Example:
Sheriff showdown all the front was built but the main show building is nearly 40 years old when the jungle palladium was housed in there.
4D cinema building was a theatre which is 21 years old and when the new front was built they built the queue line/ pre show inside.
Saferi pizza was a restaurant but the themed the sides and put the jungle scene inside.
So I can see the looping group looking at the show building of Pirate Adventure and doing all repairs to the roof and sides and repair the theming and continue the painting of the walls the former owners started to do in 2019 then decide what attraction or attractions could go inside the building.
Excalibur has gone and it won’t be a ride again unless they plan on using the back area to extent the pirate adventure which the former owners thought of doing after Excalibur closed nearly 10 years ago.
 
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I can't see Excalibur coming back either, they'll probably just keep it for the Christmas event, and possibly other events/meet a greats etc. Could do with removing the remaining theming from the lake though. My daughter always points out the 'stones' when on the Thomas train!
 
Wilko said:
I can't see Excalibur coming back either, they'll probably just keep it for the Christmas event, and possibly other events/meet a greats etc. Could do with removing the remaining theming from the lake though. My daughter always points out the 'stones' when on the Thomas train!
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Me neither, I think the ride system for Excalibur was always it's downfall. It's a muddy lake and boats on cables and pulleys just seems to be asking for breakdowns.

I guess you could build behind it though, that's pretty much dead space now.
 
For them to remove all the theming on the lake section would require the lake to be drained as all the theming is bolted down tight. It was Drayton’s biggest project that started with the closure of the Jungle Cruise on August Bank Holiday Monday 2001 and the new ride opened Summer 2003.
I do wonder if they got plans for the castle of dreams?
 
Themeparksandy1981 said:
For them to remove all the theming on the lake section would require the lake to be drained as all the theming is bolted down tight. It was Drayton’s biggest project that started with the closure of the Jungle Cruise on August Bank Holiday Monday 2001 and the new ride opened Summer 2003.
I do wonder if they got plans for the castle of dreams?
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I'm sure they could move the grottos elsewhere and reuse the space - they drain the lake over winter now anyway so that's no longer a problem
 
Themeparksandy1981 said:
For them to remove all the theming on the lake section would require the lake to be drained as all the theming is bolted down tight. It was Drayton’s biggest project that started with the closure of the Jungle Cruise on August Bank Holiday Monday 2001 and the new ride opened Summer 2003.
I do wonder if they got plans for the castle of dreams?
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Although I'm sure they make a killing on Santa visits each year, it does always feel like wasted space to me as it's not used for 10 months of the year.

It's an interesting one, as I can't see them building another water ride there as I understand all new water rides have to be clean water. I guess you could put a coaster over the lake, but that might be problematic with the proximity to the housing estate behind the zoo.
 
Nothing a snorkal
remlap said:
I can't see them building another water ride there as I understand all new water rides have to be clean water. I guess you could put a coaster over the lake, but that might be problematic with the proximity to the housing estate behind the zoo.
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Do you think this would apply to rides not producing a 'splash'? I can understand something like Stormforce 10 needing clean water if being build now, but surely a 'transport' ride wouldn't cause any harm to anyone.
 
Wilko said:
Nothing a snorkal


Do you think this would apply to rides not producing a 'splash'? I can understand something like Stormforce 10 needing clean water if being build now, but surely a 'transport' ride wouldn't cause any harm to anyone.
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I'm pretty sure it's just water rides so I'd assume it'd be perfectly fine
 
Wilko said:
Nothing a snorkal


Do you think this would apply to rides not producing a 'splash'? I can understand something like Stormforce 10 needing clean water if being build now, but surely a 'transport' ride wouldn't cause any harm to anyone.
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I think it applies to attractions that only water comes in to contact with guests i think
 
Jungle cruise worked well but on busy days needed 1 member of staff on dock to help with loading and unloading while checking wristbands and collecting tickets. While on peak days it always used 3 boats with 1 swapped in between so the petrol could be topped up.
Excalibur on the other hand had 2 or 3 members of staff. 1 to load and unload, 1 watching the CCTV and another operating the ride. I know it had the most complaints with still broken or audio cutting out.
Think a launch or modern powered coaster could work with indoor pirate scenes with it going out to the Excalibur lake and back inside for a final scene and back into the station.
 
I took a few pirates of Pirate Cove and the Bounty area and really think they could be made into 1 big area with the arcade.
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I've always loved this area of the park, but in recent years it seems to be lacking in the TLC department, with the shark now removed (but hopefully restored soon from what I read on its thread) Jolly Buccaneers sign very worn out now, pirate adventures facade overgrown with ivy, Bounty masts removed, and the Burger Kitchen really looking put of place. Wish they kept the old ship that crashed into the building. Hopefully in the near future this area will get the TLC it deserves. I'd hate to see it go or completely rethemed, who doesn't love a wacky pirate theme?
 
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