Clones

[deja blues]

I was just wondering, why clone a ride. I know it saves money, even though clone or not a roller coaster is going to be extremely expensive, but why risk individuality? I can maybe understand cloning some roller coasters (like superman, batman, deja vu) but why not clone the most successful roller coasters in the parks? Why don't they clone El Toro and Nitro, since those are the most highly rated coasters in any Six Flags Park.

[david]

Possibly because Nitro requires a HUGE space, and is a very costly coaster.

Clones are cheaper because B&M, Intamin, Vekoma and such don't have to contract someone like Stengel to create a new design.

[BP317]

They can buy them without having to pay for someone to design the track layout, and if the ride is good enough it doesn't matter if it's "individual" or not it's still a good ride. Personally, id rather ride a BTR than Raptor or Montu anyday and its fun going to all the parks seeing how the landscape is different on each of them. And they can't clone a ride like Nitro because that ride takes up a massive amount of space. Look at rides like Intimidator at Carowinds, Goliath at LaRonde, etc. Very similar rides but designed to fit in a specific space in their respective parks. Also building Nitro at a smaller park wouldn't be cost effective, GADV's market can sustain attendance where a huge expensive roller coaster like that can be a good investment. If they were to build Nitro at a park like The Great Escape, which doesn't have a prayer of getting GADV's kind of attendance, it would be a waste of money. Not trying to say a small park getting a really good ride is a bad idea, but typically those parks have one or two rides that are their main amusement-park draw and don't have a bunch of other big, expensive coasters to operate (Lake Compounce with Boulder Dash for example).

[Coastermonkey61]

Because it's not like these clones are going in right next door to each other. There's a good chance that the vast majority of people who ride Batman at GAm won't take a journey to St. Louis or Great Adventure or wherever else Batman clones wind up. Only a small subset of people are amusement park fanatics who will even notice clones.

[Ilovthevu']

First off, I think if you clone a ride you are going to get deals with the manufacturer. You say I want 5 Batman the Rides, and the more rides you buy, you probably are going to get a better deal on the ride. For why not many Raging Bulls or Nitros, I do think it does have to do with what other people said. These are custom rides based on the areas they occupy. On top of it though, I guess maybe the company thought that Great America, and Great Adventure were the best parks (top 2 attended), and they were worthy of B&Ms whereas Goliath and Titan were cheaper rides, and than you had all the Superman: Ride of Steel rides which were cheaper rides to.

A reason to not buy clones or not buy that many though could be that some rides stink and if you buy a ride you have problems with or people just don't like the ride, you are buying a lot of them. They bought 3 V2s, 4 Deja Vus, 2 Mr. Freeze's, 2 Vekoma Flying Dutchman, now 4 Tony Hawks, and 3 Dark Knights to name a few of clones. And a bunch of these rides they have had problems with. Tony Hawk is probably the least problematic clone ride out of these.

[deja blues]

I understand why Nitro wasn't coned, because of the size, but you have the two Superman: Ride of Steel clones, and those aren't exactly small. It just bothers me because when you go to a new six flags you are expecting to see completely different rides and get a completely different experience. Instead you go to a park and you look around to see so many familiar faces it just looses the thrill factor if you can say already been on that, that, and that. I mean there are 8 Batmans, 8 of them. A lot of people would rather have an El Toro versus a Batman, but even though El Toro is a relatively simple layout, being most out and back with a small out section, but they don't clone that.

Also does anyone know how they choose which park gets what clone, because we have Viper, Demon, S:UF, BTR, TDK, V2, and used to have Deja Vu.

[Galvan]

^ But again if you look at the parks where S:ROS went, that is easily there number 1 draw and there is pretty much little else at that park. (Some will argue Batwing at SFNE and maybe Joker's Jinx at SFA)

Im not so sure that SF got a discount from B&M about getting multiple BTR clones, but Im not saying its not out of the realm of possibilities either.

I think the clones have to come down to a few simple things:

1. Its simple to market a new ride such as BTR or SUF, a. because you have them at other parks, b. you already have the merchandise for those attractions (from the other parks) and c. Characters like Superman and Batman whoever are big draws.

2. It is cost effective to go with a design that is a clone, there isnt an excess money spent on customization or anything like that so it saves the company money.

3. Space at a theme park is valuable, (take a look at how land locked SFGAm is) and while parks might want to add a Nitro or Kingda Ka or whatever its pretty much next too impossible in a land locked park.

So basically clones are an easy, cheap and space saving shot at updating an amusement park.