News Lost Island Project 2025: Fire Runner (RMC Raptor)
- Thread starter MikePat
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The lead car looks so goddamn good.
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Still unbelievable that they're building this thing. Congrats to Lost Island though! Absurdly impressive. With their Intamin, that's a low-key incredible 1-2 punch.
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Still unbelievable that they're building this thing. Congrats to Lost Island though! Absurdly impressive. With their Intamin, that's a low-key incredible 1-2 punch.
I was fully expecting a Wild Moose... what a fantastic surprise! Really hope it goes well for them. Can't say that it will guarantee me a visit, but makes it definitely more appealing.
That lead car is indeed a choice.
That lead car is indeed a choice.
the lead car makes me get the vibes more of something that'd be from a european like park.
and that's not a snide at Lost Island either.
and that's not a snide at Lost Island either.
I don’t think the owners of this park know enough about the industry. Or else they wouldn’t have bought an SLC.
This park is never going to get a great attendance just depending off the local crowd. I don’t think this coaster is not going to bring in people from a distance. It’s a coaster they can be found elsewhere and really is not that outstanding.
They need something unique to bring in people from a distance. They don’t have to spend a fortune, but they need something other than a clone or a semi clone
This park is never going to get a great attendance just depending off the local crowd. I don’t think this coaster is not going to bring in people from a distance. It’s a coaster they can be found elsewhere and really is not that outstanding.
They need something unique to bring in people from a distance. They don’t have to spend a fortune, but they need something other than a clone or a semi clone
What 'affordable' ride would you have installed to 'bring people in from a distance'? I don't entirely disagree, just curious.
I don't know for sure, but I would assume this Raptor has to be at least $5 million. Adventureland already has a Gerstlauer Infinity, for that ~$10 million range. Something like ArieForce maybe fits that job, but that was reportedly $13 million; not exactly cheap.
I question whether this should have been a family coaster, but if they're chosing the thrill route, you probably can't beat a standard model Raptor for bang for the buck right now—and that's especially true if this was an already partially constructed one from a previous, cancelled project as I've seen rumored elsewhere.
The SLC was clearly a misstep, but it's my impression that the Lost Island folks have learned a lot since they bought it.
The SLC was clearly a misstep, but it's my impression that the Lost Island folks have learned a lot since they bought it.
For what it is worth, my friends and I visited Lost Island. So, I guess the park is already pulling people “from a distance.”
I think everyone is concerned that given its location it doesn’t have a large enough local base to draw on, but I don’t think it is fair to criticize most of the owner’s investments so far.
I think everyone is concerned that given its location it doesn’t have a large enough local base to draw on, but I don’t think it is fair to criticize most of the owner’s investments so far.
In terms of price points the only rides that come close to a Raptor would be either a Gerstlauer Eurofighter 320 / 380 or a Premier Sky Rocket II.
So what you’re saying here, is you DO think it’s going to bring people in from a distance? The don’t and the not create a “not not” where they cancel each other out.
in any case, this is a great addition to the park.
Every time someone posts about this park on Reddit the comments are exhaustingly negative. Maybe this isn't the best investment from our perspectives here on the couch, but I imagine the people that have run a wildly successful water park in Iowa for years know something about the entertainment industry and, more importantly, their local market.
The park is young, have faith. We always complain about lack of theming/original IPs/new parks in the states, but some of y'all still wanna put down the most promising independent park we've seen in years? Look at Toverland, it took a while to really find its footing and faced a lot of criticism (can't compete with Efteling, not enough trees, etc). These things take time unless it's Disney or Universal. Pessimism and roller coasters don't work well together, it's tiring.
The park is young, have faith. We always complain about lack of theming/original IPs/new parks in the states, but some of y'all still wanna put down the most promising independent park we've seen in years? Look at Toverland, it took a while to really find its footing and faced a lot of criticism (can't compete with Efteling, not enough trees, etc). These things take time unless it's Disney or Universal. Pessimism and roller coasters don't work well together, it's tiring.
Attendance is awful by all reports. It’s great that you made the trip but not enough. People are making the trip.
This is why the American Heartland Theme Park seems like a boneheaded concept that will most likely never be built, or be built and fail. You need a local population to fill in the slow seasons as well as to staff the park. Building in rural locations just doesn't work unless there's a new population center coming with it.
Kinda ironic - SDS and AHTP are almost the same drive time from their nearest city.
Springfield MO population - 170,000
Tulsa OK population - 440,000
The issue with AHTP is there isn't a tourist revenue stream with Tulsa like there is Springfield/Ozarks that would bring people through. I know a lot of people who do a week in the Ozarks that do a night in Springfield before and after because of travel, and they usually add a day in SDS because it's on it's way. Most more 'rural' parks have success because they've either turned themselves into a destination (Dollywood) or are on their way to a destination (Ozarks/SDS).
Anyways as for the ride. This is the perfect type of investment for a park like Lost Island. It's off the shelf so it's not super costly, yet it's unique enough to make people want to stay in Iowa rather than travel to another state to ride it. Not all parks are going to have all their attractions about pulling people from other places. Sometimes it is about keeping the people you have in the area. Overall I think Lost Island is a good park because they are mostly a water park with a 3 month operating time, and this dry park puts them at a more 6-8 month operating window.
Progress update video from Wheelgap on YouTube:
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Direct Link to Embedded Media Source