General Discussion

I couldnt find a topic about the newly released theme park simulation game so I created one. The game is £22.99 and is now available on Steam. It looks fantastic and like it will replace RCT on my hard drive. Thoughts?

This is the product of 2 former GCI employees. GCI being a company whom makes insane woodies, I am very interested to see what they bring to the coaster community! source: http://skylineattractions.com/

So I have looked around the interwebs and it looks like Cedar Fair have been installing seat belts on their B&M hypers like Behemoth and Diamondback. I wonder what you guys think about this and do you think that we could see seatbelts on the likes of Silver Star and Shambhala in the future?

So I watched this tonight and was wondering whether everyone else has seen it? For those that don't know, it's a documentary about Seaworld's killer whales and all the trainer incidents that have happened in recent years. It's a VERY harrowing watch (there's a scene showing a trainer who narrowly escapes a killer whale who is repeatedly pulling him to the bottom of the pool that is utterly terrifying), but I think an essential one for anyone 'into' the theme park world. I went to Seaworld's a few times, and I have to say I feel a little guilty about it, and much as I'd love to go on Manta, I'm not sure that I could go to the park anymore. Not preaching, I just think …

MOD EDIT: Moved to new topic for polls in general as they come round frequently and generate a bit of discussion... So In the Mitch Hawker Polls Nemesis and The Smiler were voted the UK's best coasters rating at #9 and #38 respectively, here was the rest of the UK chart... see if you agree!

Hi everyone, Hope you don't mind me posting this. I've been a 'lurker' here a good number of years, a year or so ago I posted an interview I'd conducted with John Wardley as part of my TV Production course. Since then I've been working in the "real world", I'm currently researching for an upcoming Channel 5 series featuring user generated content. We're currently looking for videos people have shot of 'angry' or annoyed people at theme parks or other leisure places. This is a fantastic example, except the quality is far too poor to be used: Queue jumper on Colossus: So things like queue jumpers, arguments, people annoyed about being stuck on a broken down ride etc …

Hey everyone I'm 17 and I'm planning on trying to get a job at Brighton Pier in the summer time (this year or the next two).and I wondered if anyone knew what it was like to work there (like good pay/nice place to work etc) if anyone could help out many thanks!

I was wondering do Merlin do apprenticeships as I am in my 3rd year at college studdying Electrical installation.

You know I've just realised, we don't have a topic discussing what rides we actually like. Sure we talk about each indiviual ride at Thorpe Park and to a lesser degree Alton Towers and Chessington, but what about all those little rides that you may have ridden that have been virtually ignored.I'll start the ball rolling with five of my favourite non UK Merlin rides. 1. Superman de AceroA lot of discussion about Floorless coasters always centres about the non event of the floorless aspect if you aren't in the front row. Well that mattered so little to me as Superman is one of those perfect rides that is virtually ignored, and yet is absolutely brilliant and my favourite ro…

I just found some footage shot by CoasterForce of the "World's Oldest Operating Steel Coaster" and wow, it even further proves the point that an attraction doesn't have to have a 'highest' or 'fastest' or 'loopiest' record attached to it for it to be a good ride. I just thought that there should be a topic where people could share rides like these that are brilliant but not massive or well known attractions. Enjoy

What's the worst funfair ride you have ever been on?! Mine is Bugg's oblivion (KMG freakout) it has the same jingles over and over and does not go on for long!

Rightio here goes - My niece turns 10 in March (I feel SO old) and my sister wants to take her somewhere - well I suggested Thorpe because my niece is a bit of a little thrillseeker and loves watching vids of coaster and such online (she said to me the other week "I watched a POV of Stealth ). Anyway, as it will be her 10th my sister was thinking along the lines of taking her away - she has looked into Disneyland Paris but told me some ridiculous price for it - so was just wondering, because a lot of you here have been to DLP, are there any reasonable deals or good places to stay? I went back in 2000 with college and stayed in one of the disney hotels but they are a …

Pretty much what it says on the tin. Mine Is Detonator, still gives me many, many butterflys in the queueline! So which scares you the most?

This topic is about your favourite ride photos. Not On Ride photos, I mean photos of the actual ride it'self.Mine are some photos I took of Thorpe at sunset. EDIT: Can you try and keep it to a minimum of 3 photos please, I don't want this topic to have about 200 photos a page

Okay, so we have "Your Thorpe Park", "Your Alton Towers", but what if you had unlimited money and a huge plot of land? What themes and attractions would you have? Go into as much detail as you want!

As I am a funfair lover as well as a theme park lover I wondered what is everyone's favourite funfair ride?

So, as Thorpe are completely silent on anything new for next year, and as it's very almost the new year, I thought it would be interesting to have a little discussion about all the new and exciting things happening around the theme park world this year (CBeebies Land - Woo!). This is not a 'tell me what I could just go a Google' thread, and I realise discussing lots of new things that we'll very likely not actually get to ride is a bit counter-intuitive. However, if, like me, you spend a fair bit of time perusing theme park stuff on the internet, it's always interesting to have a chat about what everyone is potentially going to be talking about this year. So to start off…

So I was snooping around TPR of all places and I found this which was interesting. Seems very exciting, A win, win I feel as RMC get tonnes of extra contacts from Vekoma expanding their business model to around the world and Obviously Vekoma it just puts their name out there more. What do you people think of it, I feel it is quite exciting!

A fire on an Enterprise last Friday, the same version as Zodiac. A video is underneath, but I really reccomend you to think through watching the video, as it is extremly distressing.

Hi everyone, Earlier this year, as part of my Television Production degree, I researched and wrote the script for a documentary detailing the history of roller coasters within the UK. I was privileged enough to be given an interview with John Wardley. I've since graduated and felt like people might be interested in the interview. I'm sure none of what he says is news to you lot, but still.. enjoy! CJ: How does the roller coaster industry today compare to the 1980’s? JW: Well the biggest change has been through the use of computer technology, both in terms of calculating the dynamics of the rides themselves and in terms of being able to control the track bending and …

So IAAPA is upon us and there are some great new rides on display! All photos are coutesy of TPR New El Loco Trains! Model of Thunderbolt by Zamperla, now in red. Mack's new Drop 'N' Splash Train of the New junior GCI woodie going to LEGOLAND FLORIDA! The Lightning Run train of the reopening Kentucky Kingdom! Firechaser Express Train. Goliath Woodie train! Video footage of the just announced tallest, fastest, longest GCI woodie ever, Viper at Wanda Park, Nanching, China! The Smiler, Now an off the shelf gerst model! Just announced the future worlds supposed tallest coaster a Polercoaster 525ft tall. vine of the mack Drop 'N' Splas…

Just downloaded the THORPE PARK app for Andorid, it has been a long time coming... Overall opinion, this is a very good app, lots packed into and it has been well worth the wait. I like the options to show you the way to places and you can take the challenge of certain rides. Suggestions for improvements are: IT says you need to be 140 cm to ride X On Wet Wet Wet, if you are less than 0 cm tall, you must be accompanying children? A find my car locator would be nice What are the opinions of others and is the IOS version giving the same functionality or do the features differ?

An article on the BBC this morning which is interesting in places about the technology of roller coasters http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24553630 Now, I'm sure the same thing was said when Vekoma cobbled together two inversions on a corkscrew, but could it be approaching the truth at long last? Where can the industry go when speed, height and inversions have already been pushed to such extremes? Will the future all be virtual? Will the current records last for all of time? Are there no other records or innovations worth chasing for the cost? I don't believe it for a second!

Hey all, I have been looking around the net and I have noticed that as early since the 80's rides have had ORP but I have been wondering how was it done back then before digital cameras? did they have to pay before to get your photo or did someone have to take it manually and how long did they take? Thanks Mr Fish

Today at school I had to do some research for graphics and one of the links I ended up on was this: http://www.kdt2.com/ Of course, me being me I explored the site and found some of the amazing projects in the theme park world that they had worked on. From theming right through to special effects there are some greatly recognizable projects. I then had a free lesson and with nothing else to do decided to research some more of these design/theming websites that have worked on theme park projects outside of the Merlin Studios we all know. Firstly I came across: http://www.primeplay.com/ Very interesting to see all the different types of design for a generic indoor pla…