Whistlestop Park coming in 2013

Re: Will Thomas Town reopen in 2013?

Thank you.

So... Will Thomas Town reopen? It seems like that's the case if reports are accurate. Will it stay open? No way in hell

Re: Will Thomas Town reopen in 2013?

Believe me I agree with you. I doubt the employee area will be removed. I just don't see the Thomas area Thriving without better access.

It's simply a rumor we are disusing. as far as I know there is nothing concrete to prove it and the only driving evidence is the Flying ACES ride being in the area.

But as I pointed out before Flying aces is basically the same ride as Herald the helicopter.

Re: Will Thomas Town reopen in 2013?

that is barely more than a shortcut foot path and many guests who dont frequent the park are often unaware that it even exists or where it goes. It may have been originally created to facilitate park employees to CAC, especially during Fright Fest. I think we both know that the pathway you are proposing thru Thomas is completely different and would circumvent shops that generate revenue as well as negate the use of employee facilities.
Foot traffic will be channelled through Main St for a reason otherwise they would open a second entrance to the water park.

Basically, does anybody even care if they reopen Thomas as a kiddie area again anyway?

Re: Will Thomas Town reopen in 2013?

Honesty I don't care it it reopens but it would be a shame to loose the miniature train ride.

part of what I am getting at about your planing theater i most of those building were there and used as money things long before Premier and long before a main street area. a side walkway woudl not stop people form spending. the people more inclined to use the path woudl be those with no plans to buy anything. People who already have Ice cream and souvenirs planed out will go straight for the location as the park comes to a close. as for the water park that will never happen because they need to control the throughput and capacity of the water park.

Re: Will Thomas Town reopen in 2013?

Yay! My turn to chime in. Here's my 2 cents..

A) In the discussion of SFNE getting traffic to the waterpark, and to the exit to go by tons of shops, that's a good buissness strategy. Just be glad it's not Lake Compounce, where you have to go through a gift shop to leave the park. (Not trying to bash the park, I love LC).

B) The employee area won't get removed. An actual employee of SFNE, who actually knows the in's and out's of the backstage area tells you all this, and some of you don't believe him. SFNE utilizes almost all of the nooks and craines throughout the entire park. If you want to object to me, feel free to, just tell me where you want to put the employee backstage area.

C) Why would there be a ride inside of Thomas town, being constructed, if there were no plans to open that area in 2013. Clearly it will be open, but as to how much success it has, one could say it's probably not going to turn out great.

D) If you want to expand Rockville, the best way to do it, is to remove some games on Twister's side of the street. The most fesible options in my opinion are the Ring Toss, the football throw, the old wii building, and that weird ping pong ball game. Along with that, you can remove Twister, and the lockers, whack-a-mole. The lockers can be placed where the Slushee stand is, and now you have more space to expand, whether it be a flat, restaraunt, or a show building.

Re: Will Thomas Town reopen in 2013?

^That's 4 cents...

What do I think: Thomas Town is in a terrible location and therefore I do not care what is done with it.

Re: Will Thomas Town reopen in 2013?

Thank you for chiming in.

They really did not gain many sales opportunities when they relocated the Water park entrance. In fact the only real one came a few years after when they added the hotdog stand across from mind eraser. before that the only real one was the candy shop. To be honest with the new exit I was very surprised when they didn't build on some sort fo gift shop.

I believe him completely and in the past have pointed out the employee area many times. Like I pointed out a few times I don't see the Thomas area Thriving as a ride area without better access options.

As for another option I pointed out the employee building they proposed but never went through with that would have been located in the back corner of the parking lot near the houses. That would take car of offices. but that still leaves the question about employee brakes.

I brought up a Theory that the ride was waiting for rehab. Given that the Herold the Helicopter ride already in Thomas town was the same ride mechanism. her's another they want the newer and better looking mechanism in Looney tunes land and have moved or will soon move the Herold mechanism to the main kiddie land.

Down fall wit this idea is SFNE condensed most of it's games into this section. i do agree that a total revamp of the area is a good option. Though I noticed you left out the largest plot/attraction near/connected to rockville the beer garden!

Re: Will Thomas Town reopen in 2013?

I disagree - I think a lot of people would make their way to the land used by Thomas Town given the right attraction - a great coaster or a bunch of incredible flats, etc. would make me go there even if I was already past that point in the park, even if it did not connect to Rockville. It's about the attraction(s) placed there. Thomas Town did not offer anything different really except a better train. Valleyfair added an Intamin impulse coaster close to their exit away from the major park rides - so did Fiesta Texas with their 'Goliath' (B&M invert).

Before Goliath was built in Crack-axle, I always went out of my way to go to Tomahawk.

Re: Will Thomas Town reopen in 2013?

Do you really think they woudl get permission for a major coaster in the front parking lot? Honestly, nearly the entire Thomas town is in the buffer zone. The area is extremely small which means they will need to take over more parking lot and specifically Handicap parking.

One Notable flat would take up all the space used for both Herold and Berti, leaving the Thomas area for 1 at most 2 flats. again your stuck looking at flats that aren't loud.

Water slides will always have the upper hand in the buffer zone. while you may get some screaming the rides themselves produce nearly no noise.

Re: Will Thomas Town reopen in 2013?

Little kids literally get chubbies over just the site of Thomas the Train, so I dont know why the area was so dead before it closed. I suppose location was the issue.

Speedy is right, add the right attraction and they will come. Add a small indoor 3D atttraction which wont impact the buffer zone, or expand the water park as I said earlier.

I still gotta think that the ride is just stored in there for the time being along with those 55 gal drums

Re: Will Thomas Town reopen in 2013?

I think that part of the problem with it being dead, was that people never looked that way when entering. By the time they noticed it, they were exiting the park.

Re: Will Thomas Town reopen in 2013?

The statement at IAAPA was the area did well from opening to around 3. then a slight use with after 5 visitors. basically people hit it first because it was there then moved into the park and didn't comeback up to use it. so form around 6 to close the area was dead but staffed at each ride and the gift shop. so large parts few the day it was just siting there costing them money. then when thomas was dropped they were expected to invest more money to retheme the area and remove theming.

from day one I hated this location I new it was going to cause problems. They should have taken over a small are of employee parking and installed the kiddie land there and created a loop around batman.

Re: Will Thomas Town reopen in 2013?

I agree with continuing past Batman, but you will never see a loop go around Batman. There is some room, however, to add like you said a kiddie land, some new flats, or even water park expansion

Re: Will Thomas Town reopen in 2013?

It wouldn't be a loop that you could sent vehicles down but woudl allow for a 5ft or so path were people could walk back and forth to get in and out.

As for the 3D theater connect. it would take away the concern of noise so woudl a dark ride. with a movie your looking at a 45ft height on the building. that's a small screen. You still come into the problem that people after hitting and moving on would have to walk all the way back to the exit/entrance to use it again. I would imagine they would in the same case as Thomas see the area dead shortly after opening and at the end of the day.

I will go back to something I said a while back. They might as well turn it into rental cabana's but for the park. privet area with a locker for stuff, wait service, etc. that way the people goign in and out are specifically going there and the only power being used woudl be that already paid for.

Re: Will Thomas Town reopen in 2013?

the main question is for me is if the train ride will operate if it reopens