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Dec 23, 2011
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So I thought we should have a separate thread for this, because honestly going in between threads for these different renovations is quite a jumbled mess.

Anyways, with recent trends showing renovations happening towards the front of the park; I think this is an indicator as to the future plans for the park. My theory on the subject is exactly what the title of this thread is, a park wide renovation plan. Honestly, this is just based on theory for the most part; but there is some fact behind it for it to be possibly true.

My point can be proven through three names. Killarney, Oktoberfest, Banbury Cross. Each is the name of a park hamlet, and each has/is gone/going through a renovation just recently. In 2009, Killarney featured all-new attractions. I understand there wasn't much of a renovation going on here; but it was more or less a renovation of attractions to get people to flow into that area of the park more. Then in 2011, Oktoberfest featured an all new ride and culinary feature as well as the beginning of a new hamlet renovation. In 2012, the hamlet got another featured ride, and the rest of the hamlet's renovation was complete with new color scheme and all. In 2013, Banbury Cross will have a new shop, or at least a refreshed shop, a renovated deck area, and the ticket booths up the hill will be refreshed. In 2014, Banbury Cross will also feature a brand new live show.

As you can see, everything is point to a park wide renovation, and with that the park has also been updating their bathrooms, and I'm not pointing that out for no specific reason. I think the bathroom renovations are being done for a few reasons. First, their older bathrooms are in dire need of some updating. Some of them (England's) are dated and just feel old. The newer renovated restrooms have a much more modern and updated look and feel. Secondly, park attendance is increasing year by year for the most part. They need to be able to handle the crowds and some bathrooms could start having waits. Thirdly, like I said the park is looking to renovate itself, and the bathrooms are a key indicator that the park is old and needs some updating.

I may just be seeing things, or connecting things that could connect but really don't, but honestly I feel like this is what is going down. SO my question now is what hamlet will get renovated for 2015?
 
Maybe.

Honestly, I have never taken the time to admire or dwell on the bathrooms beyond whether they were clean or not. I just handle my business and I'm gone. As far as waiting times go, as a man I have never had to stand in line to drop a load at any point in all of the times I have gone to the park; and I go a lot. Now for the ladies...that may be a different story. There is always going to be a good chance of an impromptu queue. Does that mean that the bathrooms need an upgrade? I don't know, but maybe someone somewhere can research this. Maybe exit polling at high traffic potties? I have seen the ladies waiting outside of the bathroom in Italy quite a few times. :cool:
 
I went ahead and moved this over to concepts seeing that there's threads in news and rumors for all the individual pieces of the puzzle that PR is putting together here.
 
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The park is just overhauling areas that need renovation.

- The simulator building got a new ride system.
- Oktoberfest needed a rehab badly. 70s brown is not a good color scheme for a carnival. Plus it got two anchor attractions that brought people to the area again after losing one.
- It's pretty much time for Pirates to retire, so this shop/show rehab is needed as well.

I don't really use the main entrance at the front of the park (usually go preferred) so I don't know whether or not the ticket booths look old or not.

That leaves speculation. So far the only major area that really needs any renovation is Festa (from a visual standpoint). Ride-wise, some of the coasters could use repainting and Verbolten's wolf scene has one-eyed wolves when there should be two-eyed wolves.
 
Killarney really did not get a renovation, or if it did, not a successful one. Nothing really pulls me over their except for a once a year visit to Celtic Fyre. Still needs plenty of work.

England and Oktoberfest I do agree with though.
 
I spend a couple hours at a time in Killarney. Love the food, atmosphere and grogan's. Europe in the Air kind of puts a damper on the area. Prefer a ride more like corkscrew hill that plays on Irish fantasy...
 
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I have no idea what the future holds as far as renovations, but I do have an idea of how I would go about doing it.

For the age of Busch Gardens Williamsburg, the park as a whole has held up extremely well. Obviously, people who work there care greatly about quality and the high standards the park has kept routinely. However, it is still an aging park and like all of us, we need a little make-over now and again.

The two areas of the park that need the biggest face-lifts in my book is New France and Festa. Festa reminds me of the "section that never was", meaning it never reached its full potential. Waaaaay back when, I had mentioned how much I wish the park would transform Fest into another country- Greece. That the whole area would expand and get an uplift in features. This would save money as creating a new country from the ground up is EXTREMELY costly and time consuming. Adding a port connection to "Greece" by means of the boat ride would allow the Rhine River cruise to become a transportation line. Festa would no longer be closed in- but circular and would reconnect to Italy making the area a giant loop. Apollo is both the Greek and Roman name for the Sun God- so the coaster need not be changed. I suggested to the park that Roman Rapids could be called "The Grecian Gorge Adventure" and a Parthenon indoor eating area could be constructed. I had the concept down as far as store names, mosaic decor, and even menu items at the restaurants. It was a long time ago I suggested this, and who knows if it reached anyone. It was a good thought and would be a cool new look.

As far as New France- everyone babbles on about making it Sweden. Eh~ I think it should be turned into a "expanded" area of France. (Again- this suggestion I made was years and years ago). Aquatine France is tiny. If you made New France more like the rural French Alps, the themeing does not stray all that far and it would keep the country of France a decent size. In fact, I said that making the area more like a region of France called "Alsace" would be perfect. Imagine the town in Disney's Beauty & the Beast. Alsace is beautiful, has hardly changed for hundreds of years, and remains a picture perfect village in France that is known for their wine and diverse German/French culture. It sits right on the border of Germany and the two nations share a history- so to speak. I would use this area to recreate the LeMans- but more of a Alps grand Prix adventure. And if I had all the money in the world, I would love to add an actual mine train coaster ride. Yep- much like Everest at Animal Kingdom. I had ideas for food and wine too...yeah- yeah- wishful thinking I know.

The rest of the park is still doing well enough to keep it going strong for a while. I always wished England had a ride of its own and that there was a pub with the whole "England/Underground/Music/TV/Movie" influences tied to it. It would be great to grab some fish & chips, a British ale, and watch Dr. Who on one tellie while various British music selections played. Keep Calm and Carry On... Mind the Gap.. and Long Live the Queen and with that.. tally ho!
 
^
I really like your idea of Greece. my toga is ready and waiting. If they turn the boat ride into transportation does that mean they will finally have to accommodate special needs like wheel chairs and whatnot?
 
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They should add a Russia section. Now, I know your probably saying, "Most of Russia is in Asia," but some is in Europe. I think it would be cool.
 
Hoopla said:
They should add a Russia section. Now, I know your probably saying, "Most of Russia is in Asia," but some is in Europe. I think it would be cool.
There's not really any "Russian Culture" to capitalize upon that would fit into the park's general European theme.
 
Pretzel Kaiser said:
Alphenghost: It's "In Soviet Russia", you dumb piece of crap.

Oh, my bad. I thought the cold war ended.

Also, Russia at the park would be bad. But another Eastern European country would make for a unique experience.
 
Alpenghöst said:
Pretzel Kaiser said:
Alphenghost: It's "In Soviet Russia", you dumb piece of crap.

Oh, my bad. I thought the cold war ended.

Also, Russia at the park would be bad. But another Eastern European country would make for a unique experience.

To go along with the time/theme of the park it would have to be the USSR.
 
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