Leaderboard

The third and final day of the Pleasure Beach Experience European park event took place at Phantasialand, where we were expecting a 30-minute ERT on Black Mamba and lunch included. Before I review the park itself, can I just say what incredible treatment we had from their corporate/events team. Having expected the above, we also got a night time ERT on Taron (joining the hotel guests) followed by 2 PBE group rides, early morning rides on Maus au Chocolat and Chiapas (before the park opened) as well as both cycles on Mystery Castle at the end of the day. In addition, we were given four fast passes each and of course the lunch, it was truly incredible and the park went above and beyond to make sure we had a good day. Onto the park itself, I was absolutely blown away by the scale and detail of some of the theming, it puts anything in the UK to absolute shame in that respect; from the dark tone of Klugheim to the vibrant areas elsewhere, and queueing for Talocan felt more like watching a show! The landscaping, theming and audio truly sets this park apart from anywhere else I’ve ever seen in terms of a themed experience park. The park was incredibly busy on the Saturday however operations were slick meaning we managed to ride most things, unfortunately River Quest was only using one of the two elevators and the queue moved extremely slowly as a result but apart from that, everything else was run very efficiently and queues were always moving. Saturday Ride count Taron x11 (10 during night time ERT) Black Mamba x8 (ERT) Chiapas x2 River Quest x1 Talocan x1 Winjas Fear x1 Winjas Force x1 Raik x1 Colorado Adventure x1 Mystery Castle x1 Maus Au Chocolat x1 Geister Rikscha x1 TOTAL: 30 Sunday Ride count (non-event day, in park 10:30 – 4pm) Taron x1 Black Mamba x1 Raik x1 Winjas Fear x1 Colorado Adventure x1 Talocan x1 Feng Ju Palace x1 Temple of the Night Hawk x1 Hollywood Tour x1 Wurmling Express x1 Geister Rikscha x1 TOTAL: 11 Onto the rides! Taron Taron is truly an incredible coaster in every respect, from the landscaping, theming through to the coaster itself it’s near-perfection. Entering Klugheim the twisted metal track becomes visible through literal mountains of rockwork, with the audio blaring out, it’s just stunning and features such as the waterfall, launch audio and night-time lighting all add to the experience. The queue-line starts well but unfortunately goes through to a poorly-decorated cattlepen area, a shame really as all the work building that immersion into the area is lost the moment you enter that. Queue aside, you enter the station, board the train and the launch audio kicks in… following a short corner you’re launched forcefully into an overbank, followed by an incredible airtime hill (it looks tame but is crazy!) and a sharp turn then snap to the right; following a few more meandering turns, you’re dropped down into the second launch which is INCREDIBLE. The surrounding walls and nearby theming adds to the sensation of speed as you enter the second launch, and the sound is just amazing… following this you’re thrown up (getting splashed slightly by the waterfall if you’re on the left) and into a fantastic second half; it has all the qualities of the first and more, with closer interactions with the theming, sharper transitions and some very forceful turns. The only criticism I have is the trim brakes on the final airtime hills. Overall, Taron is an absolutely spectacular roller coaster. I actually like the fact that it isn’t flat-out intense all the way through, with some of the turns offering breathers before you enter the next section. The theming is incredible for the most part, audio is fantastic and the coaster holds its own and would be amazing even without everything else. 10/10. Black Mamba A very fun B&M invert, again the theming is incredible and some of the near-misses are terrifying, I’d go as far to say it’s the most effective use of near-miss elements I’ve ever seen on a coaster. I really enjoyed not knowing where the layout was going next due to all the theming, and the spiral section at the end adds a lot to the ride IMO. The queue line and station are very atmospheric, with the station area being in near-darkness until the train enters the station. Very fun coaster. Chiapas A fantastic log flume, I loved the catchy music and it’s clear the ride system is very smart and manages to do a lot very efficiently. Much like everything else the theming/landscaping is just incredible, walking over the bridge with the drop on one side and the splashdown on the other feels quite surreal with all the decoration. River Quest River Quest is absolutely insane, having not done much research my reaction upon exiting the elevator and seeing what followed was basically, what the...?! Good ride, came off drenched, only downside was the capacity issues. Winjas Fear and Force How haven’t I heard about these before? They look like standard Maurer spinners in a building on first approach, but caught me completely off guard with all the surprises. Absolutely excellent coasters. Mystery Castle is absolutely amazing IMO, the queue theming is stunning but the ride itself is just so much fun, without ruining too much I’ll just say it’s become my favourite drop tower ride by a country mile. Talocan is a topspin, but with the added thematics it's transformed into a really good experience; with the audio, fire and water, it feels more like watching a show from off ride! Colorado Adventure is decent enough, the pitch-black section was fun and the capacity excellent. Raik is okay, but much more about the theme than the ride experience itself IMO. Temple of the Nighthawk – how can you do so little in so much time? May be an unpopular opinion, but I really enjoyed the dark rides Geister Rikscha and Hollywood Tour – definitely in the “so bad, it’s good” category but IMO parks need rides like this to fill a gap, and they were great examples of how dark rides used to be. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Phantasialand, from the rides themselves, theming and of course the way the park treated us, it has instantly become my number 2 park. Thanks for reading

Went to Screamland Saturday for the first time. Found the event good, but maybe not amazing. Quite a few mazes, but all quite short and perhaps lacking a bit in some scares. They were quite theatrical though in places which was cool. Festininos Funhouse: One of the better mazes, fun clown bits including a ball pond somewhere and maybe one of the longer mazes too. Reminded me of Big Top a little bit. 7/10 Dead and Breakfast/Tunnels Of Terror The opening was literally an old woman moaning and complaining about us staying and not giving a **** about customer service or how good or stay was. The opening was great but the rest of the maze fairly mediocre if I’m honest. The one thing which drops this maze down for me is the sneaky/strange fact they actually class this one as two mazes due to the Tunnels Of Terror Part At the end. This honestly makes no sense as it’s not only misleading but technically fake advertising as they actually have six mazes and not seven. If they’d just kept it as the one maze (Dead and Breakfast) they may have had a quality attraction here. 6/10- just for the opening Sleep Experiment Probably my favourite maze of the evening, reminded me of things like the Sanctuary and Asylum a little. Some good acting here and some scares, some more misleading than others. It wasn’t a long maze but definitely a good quality one. 8/10 HMS Mary Decomposed The set pieces were great but I wouldn’t say it was the best. Sketchy plotline and the scares didn’t seem to be the best in this one either. The theming literally was the saving grace here. 5/10 Punch and Judy Horror Show Another Circusesque type maze here, but this one was really neat and had some good acting and was one of the better for scares too. The man in the opening room was very entertaining and the scares throughout seemed more effective too. Probably only second to Sleep Experiment for me. 7.5/10 Upside Down Maze The last Maze of the night and the only one in a (sort of more) permant structure. Sadly this was the weakest maze by far, as nothing really happened apart from some scare actors dressed in full black following around. The idea of a mirror scare maze was cool but wasn’t the best. 2/10- Vulcan Peak might have actually been a little bit better. A little bit better! Also tried out the rides at night too (as well as the day). The Scenic Railway is a great charm of a ride and fantastic to see such a classic coaster open. Whilst the Yarmouth version is better, one must remember this attraction is technically almost 100 years old and was the equivalent of Taron/Helix to the generation at the time (in terms of thrills and excitement). The new Zamperla rides were surprisingly fun too, especially the Pendulam and new Enterprise type rides. Staff were friendly too despite working long days. Whilst the mazes were hit and miss, I would still recommend visiting, especially to support an independent park like this. Hopefully Margate can go on the up again after this. It definitely features a better atnosphere in the evening/night than in the day, that’s for sure.

Popped into Fright Nights yesterday for a bit and did a few of the mazes. Vulcan Peak: I was honestly expecting the worst maze in existence given how negative it is, but it was just very very mediocre. Quite dull but mediocre. The first bit was literally walking around an area with a rope and people saying names and things. The second half was better, where you were non hooded and featured some actors, a blow up passageway and an adequate ending. Still not a great maze though which doesn’t beat Hellements, let alone Hodoo Vodoo at Xtreme Scream. 3/10 Dead Creek Woods: Better than I expected, a vague storyline, some crazy theming, actors and a surprise midway chainsaw. Still too short though and quite a lot of toilets. Maybe these are the old ones from the Jungle? 5/10 Sanctum Do Or Die: I actually didn’t mind the original Sanctum, but I hated this maze. There was no explained story, plot or anything. I get that it is Walking Dead and things but there was nothing in any form. Poor theming, maze scares and a setting that just didn’t make sense. The bus was the only thing I liked about this one and I think I actually disliked it more than Vulcan Peak. I’m probably in a crazy minority here. 1/10 Whilst roaming actors were ok, I found the lighting and audio setup was perhaps the weakest one I have seen in all my years visiting Fright Nights. It’s an embarrassment if you ask me I hate to admit. Will be returning there this week to see what else can be offered but am not holding my breath.

Go to this event. Do it. Park atmosphere and lighting is great. Creepy caves see you get a tour of a lab by a rude lab lady who doesn't like you talking back so please do be wary here or if not you may be escorted off the park and lose your £4 entry fee. Anyway she goes on to show you her fridge, was a very nice fridge however it lacked milk, so I don't approve. I then remember a plant and then all hell hits loose. It's loud it's stroby and it's creepy as you are in a cave after all. I highly recommend you do this attraction, on your own if possible to add to the immersion. Tiger rock looks great at night despite the lack of tigers, but a guess everyone deserves a day off. What happened to Ramesis, it was on a weird cycle and I did not get wet despite sitting front centre. Tomb blaster haters can sit back in their hater crypts all effects were working. The curse of the lost tomb is a great interactive attraction with lots of immersion so it also sits well on the lineup. There is a show with live vocals and dancers. Overall it's a great event, well down to the whole team at CWOA, just watch out for the dementors at the end of the evening. They may try to capture your soul. 8/10 Recommend.

Glad you enjoyed Phantasialand, it’s certainly a park with impressive rides and some of the richest theming out there. Taron, definitely an impressive coaster with lush surroundings and great pacing. I do see what you mean about the terrible cattle pen queue section though and hope they won’t need this in the future. Chiapas is probably my favourite water ride for the disco room alone and Black Mamba is certainly a solid B&M invert. Shame River Quest is still having so many reliability issues because it’s such a crazy yet amazing rapids ride. Talocan is just as much a show as a ride. Temple is by far the weakest attraction there (alongwith Wakobato) as it takes up so much space yet offers so little really apart from 10 minutes of a slow meandering coaster and three lift hills. It is expected they will remove it (along with the Hollywood ride) for redevelopment in the coming years due to insufficient expansion space. I think Geister Riksha though is going next, because the China area is strongly rumoured to be the next area to be rethemed/redeveloped. Fly looks great though and will hopefully be another worthwhile addition to an excellent park.

Screamland was excellent yesterday, the mazes were very different and had a lot of quality put into them; personal favourites were The Sleep Experiment (terrifying!) and Dead and Breakfast. The former has a bit of an E10 vibe to it actually, albeit different. Maze queues moved very slowly however once inside the experience was better as you never caught up with a group in front... happy medium needed though IMO. Rides in the dark were fun, mazes were amazing and overall a fantastic event.

Doesn't need a world's first, it's a quality long-term ride which is the most important thing. IMO.

Just a quick review of my Howl'o'ween experience, and indeed my first Halloween event at Chessington... Curse of the Lost Tomb Meh. I don't really know how to describe this, it had the elements to be a fun enough family attraction, but it was all just very meh. Theming looked nice (except in the finale). The story was there. I guess the main issue was the acting and number of actors. Some of the actors were hard to hear. Some seemed so unenthusiastic - one looked and sounded like they'd been dragged off of Staines high street and plonked in the maze. From what I've heard, there's a lot less actors this year too. So yeah, there's potential, but it also falls flat. Also, can I just point out the hilariously placed e-stop at elbow height right by the entrance door as far away from the actor as possible - who thought THAT was a good idea? Park Atmosphere There was a bit of park theming about (plastic pumpkins, cobwebs, etc), but not a lot. And with the mazes very hidden away and not in your face (unlike Towers and Thorpe), it's easy to forget there's a Halloween event at all. There were LOTS of roaming actors about, which was nice. Even had a few hiding in ride queue lines - we had 4 in Tomb Blaster's queue and the first one successfully caught me off guard. They also did a flash mob dance thing outside the main shop, but it was at the most random times (it was so silly of us to not think there'd be a show at 5:06...) that we missed it. Creepy Caves: Unearthed Okay, let's start off with the bad - the time slots for this were poorly managed. Either they were selling too many or letting people in far too early / late, but it wasn't working. It meant that on Wednesday, for a 4:15 slot, we queued 80 minutes, and that was after we queued 30 minutes to actually buy our tickets... I hear that later in the event they went to the other extreme with the timed tickets, and not letting people into the time slots early, resulting in a queue to be let in the queue at many points, but still letting people in at any time if they'd missed their slots. Still wasn't working great. Anyways, the maze. It's actually great. And as someone who's been largely unimpressed with Chessington's offerings over the past several years, it's great to see something so well themed, executed, presented and fulfilling at the park. This IS a scary attraction, and certainly will truly terrify and haunt those around the young-end of its 10+ age recommendation. But this is the type of attraction Chessington needs to offer if it's actually going to become a family park. The 'pre show' before entering with the actor is fantastically scripted. The first scene gave me Experiment 10 vibes, but in a suitably toned down way. The laboratory scene is again well scripted and has nice effects which, though nothing special, work great on scaring younger audiences. What follows (the actual 'cave' section) is brilliant - jump scares, nice theming, a plethora of things hanging from the ceiling and plenty of lively actors. The balance between scaring adults and kids seemed to work too. The ending is nice, nothing special, but VERY loud and certainly enough to get the younger audience screaming and crying out. As a side note, the maze was free flow, which really did surprise me for a family attraction of this nature. As a scare attraction for adults in context, it's not that scary, it's not special and it won't leave you in trembling (though I would be interested in doing it in an adult-only group, sort of a 'Creepy Caves After Dark' thing...they could ramp it up..). But for a family scare attraction, this is fantastic, perhaps even a little over the scary line, but still a great scare attraction for the park and surely one of the better examples of a family scare. So yeah, Creepy Caves is fab. I hope it returns next year, that they don't tone it down (up the age recommendation if needs be), and they can sort out the operations a bit (sell less tickets!). Chessington truly are onto a winner this year!