General Discussion

Hi, I'm thinking of visiting Drayton Manor soon. Does anybody know of any current promotions on entry prices or Buy one get one frees etc?

I am currently a final year student and would appreciate any information that helps me complete my dissertation. All information provided will remain anonymous and confidential. So I am trying to find out what is it about the newness of rides that excites you and how important do you think it is for TPs to tell a story through each ride? Finally I would like to know if there are some rides that you go on that give you the same amount of enjoyment no matter how many times you go on them and why do you think that is?

I am currently a final year university student undertaking a dissertation on whether innovation can cause repeat visitation to the same theme park. I am trying to find out how significant an impact innovation has on potential visitors when deciding to visit theme parks. If you have visited two different theme parks I would like to know why you chose to visit a different theme park instead of returning to the first one you visited? Do you think that innovation such as new rides, shows, new areas of the park or improvements to existing rides, shows and the use of mobile applications and devices could have caused you to return to the first park instead of visiting a differen…

Calling all you Londoners. What is it? Good question. It is arty stuff mixed with pretty lights Wher is it? 4 locations around London ( "across the West End and King's Cross" Mayfair, King's Cross, Piccadilly, Regent Street and St James's,Trafalgar Square and Westminster) When is it? Starts tonight and runs for 4 nights (14th to 17th Jan) Why the hell am I mentioning it on a theme park site? Ohh lots of reasons. 1) People who make theme park rides get there ideas for lighting from some where - I went to a similar arty thing called the Bell and bumped into Pete Cliff (guy who designs all the scarefest mazes and ents for Alton Towers). 2) If you have a go…

So I'm not sure if this counts as a game, but here is what you have to do: Pick a ride from each UK Merlin park, and retheme it! You must tell a name, and a back story. You can keep the ride's original name if you want. Here goes: Thorpe Park: Rumba Rapids New name: Rumba Rapids I would retheme Rumba Rapids to fit in a bit more with Nemesis Inferno. Add lots more water effects, and more wave machines throughout the ride. As for the indoor bit, I'd slow it down in there, have orange lights shining on the waterfall, and on the right have a volcano, that also has orange lights on it, and sprays water and mist everywhere, so the orange lights would make it look li…

There are loads of theme park competitions out there, so I thought it would be great if we could have a thread just for them. Post the name, link, terms and conditions, as well as expiry date for any you find.

After many months of theme park visits, the 2015 season has come to a close and the parks are once again hibernating for the winter. Which parks did you visit throughout the 2015 season, and how many times? If you are visiting more parks over the closed season (some abroad ones are bound to be still open) then add them in as you visit. I'll start with: Blackpool Pleasure Beach - 33 Thorpe Park - 14 Alton Towers - 2 Oakwood - 1 Pleasurewood Hills - 1 Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach - 1 Chessington - 1 Funland (Hayling Island) - 1 TOTAL: 53 2015 has been my best season yet for theme parks, with 33 visits alone to my favourite park as well as plenty to …

I'm sure one was done last year, let's have a generic one anyways to bump it annually... So IAAPA is off once again, so far the most interesting things to come out of it is Maurer Sohne announcing a Wing-Coaster concept and Mack testing spinning cars on Blue Fire... Who knows what might come up the next two days... Seriously, a spinning car on Blue Fire?!

VIP passholders had extra time in the park? Disgusting.

When talking about theme parks, most people have one park which got them into rides before they started visiting more parks. For me, my first park was Paulton's, however I started to get into slightly bigger rides at Funland, Hayling Island (where they had a Pinfari Zyklon coaster which I thought was amazing ), however BPB really turned me into a theme/amusement park fan when I first visited the park in 2004. Which was your first theme park, or the one that started your enjoyment of rides?

So what do you think is the best B&M Rollercoaster in the UK? Is it Air: The World's First Flying Coaster Nemesis: Europe's First Inverted Coaster Nemesis Inferno: The World's only Inverted Coaster to feature a set of Interlocking Corkscrews Oblivion: The World's First Vertical Drop Coaster Or our newest B&M... THE SWARM: Europe's Tallest and Fastest B&M Wing Coaster Vote!

I am aware that stand up coasters aren't really what everyone likes and that may be the reason they don't continue fabricating them. I have said lots in the Bolliger and Mabillard topic but I want to do a topic on this specifically so that B&M discussions can continue normally without lots of stand up coaster posts dominating it. Personally I think that they should carry on but using new restraints but many may disagree. I believe that there should be a future for stand ups but mainly I'm not going to stay solid with my thoughts I mainly want to see how other people interpret this. Should there be a future for stand ups? What ways should they change if so? Do th…

A new rollercoaster simulation game is coming to Xbox. I have to say it looks pretty awful looking at the trailer. What do people think?

Tell us which dark ride you really like and talk about them here.Mine has to be Over The Hill at Adventure Island it has great music, theming and the ending made me jump out my skin it is a great ride you should check it out.

It looks like Merlin and Alton Towers is getting a bit more of a bashing. The Metro has the following. Personally I quite like the Ride Me flashing notebook book. Very funky. http://metro.co.uk/2015/06/22/alton...s-emblazoned-with-the-slogan-ride-me-5258188/ So what do you think? Sorry Link Fixed

Thought this would be a nice topic to discuss this company that post loads of Facebook (and because it's hard to guarantee at first what they're working on). But for those that don't know, Scruffy Dog is a theming company based in Birmingham. Their first project that got us lot knowing of them was the Shark structure at Thorpe. Since then they've done a lot of work with Merlin working on the FN mazes, IAC, hotel interiors at Chessington, some stuff for the Woodland Village at Towers, new sets for Lego City and Heartlake City. Here's some of the Lego stuff in their paint workshop. MBV And Shark So they've done quite a lot of work for Merlin and a lot of…

To sign up for a chance to be chosen - http://merlinannualpass.co.uk/phototrial.aspx

thought id start a topic on knock off rides! here is the latest one! a zamperla knock off

Hey Guys, Just wondering what everyone thinks of theme parks using mobile apps nowadays e.g. Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Legoland etc.. I think a lot of American theme parks use mobile apps as well like Disney and Universal, but anyway.. If anyone has used a theme park mobile app before then let me know, I'm curious to find out how the experience was. Thanks

Hi all, As many of you know I do have a YouTube channel which contains many offride perspectives of both theme park and funfair rides. I am looking to create a wider range of videos including some onride videos of different funfair rides(and possibly theme park rides if the park allows). Currently, to film my videos, I will record by holding the camera without a wrist strap etc. What I am looking for is some sort of secure wrist strap so the camera will definitely not fall off. I am looking to take it onto the most extreme rides and improve my YouTube channel by having unique videos which others do not have. I will be off to my next visit VERY SHORTLY so w…

what's the worst thing that has happened to you or seen at a theme park? eg. stuck on ride for a long time, no rides open, injuries, waiting in queue because something has happened any thing like that. I have had a couple!

Mod Edit : went way off topic,so split from Dragon Fury topic to a shiny new one... Didn't realise there was a rule on only being allowed to ride twice in a row before having to get off and go back through the queue to health and safety!? We asked the Batcher to go for a 3rd time and she was fine... Then we got to the final section before being sent off and one of the other people on the platform said we cannot ride again and had to stop the ride and get the key to unlock our seats and made us get off. Apart from that annoying rule.. The ride was running amazing and spinning fast!

I've just had several great days at Alton Towers.Yet I've been blacking out on Nemesis. I've been on it 5 times.Is it something I should worry about? I've come back from the park a little worried about this and and worried whether this will harm or affect me long-term in my life.The blackouts usually occur as halfway through the helix (or Zero G roll?), after the first corkscrew, and although I "see" white, not black, my vision is usually back as we exit the second corkscrew over the station. This means the ride photo you see of me is during a blackout.The only other ride I get blackouts on is Colossus, it happens as we exit the loop, meaning I miss half the bunnyhop.Is t…

Hi guys don't know if there is a topic for this but here goes : The nights are drawing in and Halloween is fast approaching,so our thoughts are inevitably turning to the terrors dwelling in the dark. Now, not too far away, there’s something very sinister and very real awaiting us in the shadows. Outbreak Brighton is a new attraction hidden in the depths of the Sussex countryside. It promises an extreme, immersive, physical horror experience for anyone brave enough to enter its world. Described as Secret Cinema meets 28 Days Later, crossed with Tough Mudder all in one place, it’s the ultimate destination for anyone who wants their deepest darkest fears burst into life…

What's the wackiest/most insane ride you've ever been on or seen? I'll start off with the Chaos Pendle from funtime! It's a booster on steroids! http://www.funtime.com.au/data/index5.htm