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The Disney / Universal are the biggest, wealthiest entertainment companies on the planet and are also in competition with each other, so I wouldnt say that's a fair example. It needn't be as good standards as Disney, it just has to be decent. A better comparison would be the likes of Europa Park, Efteling, Phantasialand, which are all run by companies infinitely smaller than Merlin, but they maintain their parks fantastically. A trip there costs you about the same as a Merlin park but is infinitely better value. True it's not Chessington's choice that they get no budget or structure for this kind of maintenance, it is Merlin's method. Like you say, if it isn't able to be rebranded then they just don't care, this is their strategy. Even with new rides, once the press launch is over they rapidly stop caring. It's not the attitude of a real entertainment company interested in return customers and long term benefits for their parks. However, Chessington is particularly bad at maintaining its effects and attractions, compared to Alton Towers for example. Sometimes it feels like, top down, Chessington are totally unaware that audio, lighting, etc even makes a jot of difference to guests. You would very soon notice the difference in guests' reactions if these attractions as good as they were originally. The fact that "not many" of them actively complain about specifics is true but not really a valid reason to not maintain something. Why should it be the guests' perogetive to know the details of lighting, sound, animation, etc? They are paying for a good experience and instead getting a sub par overall experience. IL Bubbleworks had plenty of regular complaints about how poor it was long before it got removed, nothing was done about it for years until they could get a new brand in. Also, the fact the park looked shabby and run down for years was a frequent online complaint from your average guests, but all that happened was they got the local painter decorators in to paint one facade per year. The only excuse Merlin have is they can just hype up the brand and monopolise the UK market so nobody knows the parks could be any better.

I don’t mean to be harsh in my negative posts most of the time, and I am it’s because I think they could do better rather than deliberately grudge them. The biggest concerns I see are of newer attractions having the bare minimum of what seems acceptable and older stuff looking delipidated and falling apart. Whilst there are actually people who care in the departments, they usually have to travel the earth and sea for higher to grant the most basic upkeep. Too often little things from quirky theming to additional features are removed but not replaced,because they are seen as inessential and unimportant to most. I have noticed many of these chiseled away from all the park’s in recent years, from the crypt and chandeliers in Vampire, queueline features in Dragon and the tunnel on (the now likely deceased) Loggers. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Gruffalo ride and it’s probably one of my favourite attractions at the park. However I sometimes look at it and think, they could’ve done even more, from more scenery in places, less cardboard walls and maybe a couple. More animatronic items. An actual moving Gruffalo would have been one hell of a show-stopper if they could’ve done that. I understand various limitations may have prevented that, but oh well. Wickerman (inspite of flaws some say) is proof when things are done properly, the park’s can create great, impressive and memorable attractions. It’s one of the few attractions created Merlin that would not look out of place at somewhere like Efteling or Europa. It can be done again, but they need think more outside the box instead of using the same few rules over again.

Think you're getting a very skew impression of enthusiasts online from a relatively small representation, or online exaggerations. Enthusiasts on the whole don't hate theme parks, unless they're very confused and getting themselves wound up. It's because these parks could be fantastic today and so much more than the way Merlin develop/run them. In the wider picture, I think it's clear that a park made up of a patchwork of IPs and underwhelming attractions will make for a very commercial feeling, mediocre day out. Merlin do it because they don't care about parks long term or even mid term. They just want whatever cheapest option can be used to boost sales that year. If guests respond better to cheap attractions cloaked by a well-known IP slapped on top, then that only makes a case for the decline of the theme park industry. Been shown over and over again that there's much greater value in originality for parks and guests in the long term. The Merlin parks are fast becoming quite esoteric in terms of actual entertainment, relying on growing a 'Merlin brand' following with the beguiled public, rather than simply entertaining guests and giving them a good experience. Europa's IPs you mention are either very self-contained areas (Arthur) that actually live up to the IP, or are very minor attractions. They don't make up sizeable parts of the park or replace classic attractions with IPs at every opportunity. Also I think in the bigger picture, enthusiasts were glad to see IL Bubbleworks go and had actually been wanting a replacement for years. It was appauling that IL Bubbleworks ever happened to Prof Burp's in the first place. And that thank god Gruffalo was a good ride in the end, if dull for what a family dark ride could be. Room On The Broom will probably be similar.

Park count: 0 I'm too far away for spontaneous trips to theme parks anymore and I just didn't have the time. At some point I believe I have a site visit to Thorpe so hopefully I can get some rides in then. Just have to hope the site visit isn't in closed season which to be honest it probably will be and that's if I get to go at all.

I like to think I try and give a balanced view other than Merlin is the devil incarnate etc. etc. I mean I still tell people who haven't been to Thorpe before that DBGTROTD is a good experience, provided it all works. That's balanced right? ? My FN review from Press Night I still stand by. (Containment and Blair Witch being very high quality stuff, Containment in particular) To get back on topic: as I understand Gruffalo has been very well received, I haven't ridden yet but they've done a good job from POVs etc and to partially quote Merlin I would much rather they did something with Hocus Pocus than nothing. Similarly, I think to be fair what has been done to X is pretty good considering what they were working with, essentially a family coaster. What I had an issue with is Thorpe's ridiculous PR machine as always, meaning people thought WD The Ride was something brand new and not a refurb. Chessington's PR department are at least open about these things, being clear from the off that Bubbleworks was a retheme and Hocus Pocus too. As soon as you hYpE things up to such ridiculous - false - expectations a la 15 out of the 10 on the scare scale, you to stand to fail and disappoint. And also, Vulcan Peak. Sorry, that's never going to not amuse me... ?

Until the parks aren't owned by Merlin then they will never look at doing things the way those on the continent do it... Especially when our smaller family run parks are basically surviving purely on the basis of an IP themed land... Plus the whole difference in markets... Look at how different the Nordic parks operate for example... Though Gruffalo can only be considered an improvement over Imperial Leather Bubbles mind...

Maybe nobody put their magic glasses on. In all seriousness I didn't realise it was only 2003, my CWOA history isn't very strong - what was there before?

It’s a shame but no surprise either. Hocus Pocus Hall has been in a dire state in the last year or so, with it’s absence of glasses, broken/ageing effects and terrible dubbed pre-show. It was probably a matter of time before it was replaced or mothballed as the glasses were not returning. With some simple and regular maintenance and upkeep, HPH could have well lasted noticeably longer than it has, but clearly corporate side chose not to. I suppose 15 years isn’t that bad for a walkthrough attraction. Least the marketing is quite fun and creative though. 7 million anyone?