Oakwood Gone

[BLAZE]

Oakwood Theme Park to close | Oakwood Theme Park

The Best Adventure Park in Wales

www.oakwoodthemepark.co.uk

Perfect opportunity for Swansea Council to create Wales' biggest bestest amusement park. Felindre will do, right off the motorway

Make it happen

 

[Neath_Jack]

from the city of ‘Artists Impressions’.

 

[Andrew - North Hill]

It's very sad but not surprising.

I went three years ago and half of it was closed down, what was open was running at half mast really.

I suppose that incident a few years back where that bloke died on a rollercoaster didn't help, probably the final nail.

Still sad though. Loved it there as a kid. Some great memories.

 

[Neath_Jack]

Folly Farm will always be king of the days out down there. Even enjoyed dinosaur world, or whatever it’s called was better.

It is sad for the area mind.

 

[Jack2jack]

Sad news. Spent many a happy day out there with family and friends.

 

[Swansea93]

Not surprised, but what great memories I had there growing up as a kid always one of my favourite family days out, sad that it got so run down there I only ever took my own children once.

 

[Niigata Jack]

Folly Farm will always be king of the days out down there. Even enjoyed dinosaur world, or whatever it’s called was better.

It is sad for the area mind.

I got a lovely photo of my eldest at Folly Farm on one of the landings on a set of steps there, with him eating an ice cream with most of it over his chops with a big smile on his chops, he was very young, 31 now but still its one of my favourite photos of him

 

[Swanjaxs]

Sad news. Spent many a happy day out there with family and friends.

Unfortunately there are too many other online things for kids to do than go to places like Oakwood, sad day indeed.

 

[Jack2jack]

Unfortunately there are too many other online things for kids to do than go to places like Oakwood, sad day indeed.

 

[JackSomething]

Unfortunately there are too many other online things for kids to do than go to places like Oakwood, sad day indeed.

But that's counteracted by the fact that Folly Farm, Heatherton, Dinosaur World and Manor Wildlife Park are all in the area and all doing well. Bluestone right next door would guarantee visitors if Oakwood was worth the money.

Andrew had it right earlier, the owners let it turn into a dump. Half the rides would be closed, but nothing to tell you that until after you bought your tickets and parts of the park have been boarded up for years. Hardly any staff on rides, so only one car would be running on Speed, but loads of staff running the shops and eating places. Surprised it didn't fold years ago.

 

[MajorR]

Oakwood used to be a great day out with Megaphobia being the jewel in the crown. The last time I went, much like everyone else in here I was shocked to see how rundown it had become.
Someone mentioned Folly Farm earlier, I have to say I used to love going there with the my kids and it’s great to see the place expanding and doing its bit to support conservation and endangered animal breeding programmes. A great day out.

 

[Darran]

Q. What do you get if you insert semen into a goat?

A. Banned from Folly Farm.

 

[sainthelens]

The demograph of where it is, was always gonna struggle.
The big English theme parks are located for the masses.
Oakwood can't get the volume of people down here.
But put one near the border, different story.
Take same time to travel there from here as to Oakwood .

 

[JackSomething]

The demograph of where it is, was always gonna struggle.
The big English theme parks are located for the masses.
Oakwood can't get the volume of people down here.
But put one near the border, different story.
Take same time to travel there from here as to Oakwood .

Except that ignores some things:

- The multiple other attractions in the area I mentioned above who are all doing well (albeit they are smaller venues than Oakwood).
- The fact that Oakwood was open for 37 years and thrived for a lot of that time. There's been no development in the park since the Neverland area opened in 2013, which is a massive issue as new rides/areas are what drive attendance up. Also, as mentioned before, half the rides are closed most days, which has hammered the park's reputation.
- Pembrokeshire is a tourist hotbed and could absolutely support a decent sized theme park like Oakwood if it was run well and attracted repeat visits - something which Oakwood couldn't do, which you can clearly see by the massive amount of negative reviews. I agree that it's not the area for a huge theme park like Thorpe Park or Alton Towers, but could definitely sustain a smaller place like Oakwood.

The owners choices in running the place is the reason Oakwood is closing, not the area it's located in. They prioritised short-term profits over the long-term survival of the park and this was the inevitable result. Sounds depressingly familiar.

 

[jack_lord]

The demograph of where it is, was always gonna struggle.
The big English theme parks are located for the masses.
Oakwood can't get the volume of people down here.
But put one near the border, different story.
Take same time to travel there from here as to Oakwood .

I was talking about this with my wife last night.
I was explaining that we had a case study of a them park and to to look at and decide where to put a new theme park. There was a reason Disney was plonked by Paris.
A great theoretical idea to want to put something outside Swansea as part of the bigger leisure promotion for the area but, as Cardiff Airport can see, the population must be able to drive it. Unfortunately, somewhere around the North East of Cardiff would be more suitable.
Other factors, however, need to be considered when deciding where a new major Trauma hospital should be located especially when there is already one in Bristol