Leaderboard

The votes have been counted and verified. Thanks to everyone who voted. Now time for the results... PARK AWARDS Best UK Park 1. Alton Towers (9) 2. Paultons Park (4) 3. Blackpool Pleasure Beach (3) Best UK Coaster 1. Nemesis (6) 2. Wicker Man (4) 3. Nemesis Inferno (3) Best UK Flat 1. Rush (5) 2. Detonator (4) 3. Rameses Revenge (3) Best Water Ride 1. Valhalla (7) No other rides received more than 1 vote Best Dark Ride 1. Hex (6) 2. Haunted House Monster Party (2) 3. Duel (2) Worst UK Ride 1. Derren Brown's Ghost Train: Rise of the Demon (9) 2. Infusion (3) 3. Hero (2) Best International Park 1. Europa Park (5) 2. Cedar Point (4) 3. Phantasialand (3) Best International Coaster 1. Steel Vengeance (5) 2. Taron (3) 3. Helix (2) Best New-for-2019 Attraction =1. Zadra (3) =1. Bouncezilla (3) =1. Creek Freak Massacre (3) Most Disappointed Merlin Moment 2019 1. Thorpe Park (in general) (6) 2. Existing (4) 3. Loggers Leap announcement (3) Best-Looking New Attraction for 2020 1. Rookburgh / FLY (4) 2. Iron Gwazi (3) 3. Pantheon (2) Best Manufacturer 1. RMC (5) =2. Intamin (4) =2. B&M (4) MEMBER AWARDS Best Member 1. @JoshC. 2. @Benin 3. @Mattgwise Best Team Member 1. @Mattgwise 2. @Marc 3. @JoshC. Best Quality Posts =1. @SteveJ =1. @Mark9 =1. @JoshC. Most Knowledgable Member =1. @SteveJ =1. @JoshC. 3. @Benin Most Dedicated Member 1. @Marc 2. @JoshC. 3. @Mattgwise Most Sarcastic Member 1. @Benin 2. @MattyMoo 3. @Mark9 Most Likely to be Banned in 2020 1. @MarkC 2. @Marhelorpe 3. @Martin Doyle Funniest Member 1. @MattyMoo 2. @Martin Doyle 3. @Kerfuffle Biggest Fan =1. @Wicker Matt =1. @Glitch 3. @JoshC. Sexiest Male 1. @Wicker Matt 2. @Mr. Fish 3. @Mark9 Sexiest Female 1. @jessica2 2. @Wicker Matt 3. @Mer Storm Surge Award 1. @Glitch 2. @08newmanb 3. @Wicker Matt Member You’d like to see More of! 1. @SteveJ 2. @Coaster 3. @P J A close year of results all round (Benin almost had to share his sarcasm award...)! But congratulations to all the winners! It won't surprise people that Thorpe didn't receive a single vote for Best UK Park - good going Thorpe Park Mania! And yet people think that, across the world, Bouncezilla was the best new attraction this year? The shame. I wonder what on earth will happen to Best UK Water Ride if Valhalla closes for refurbishment next year?

I mean, this raises questions: 1. Why bother putting in placeholder hours? 2. Why is the budget for the season only finalised in February/March? Of course, these opening hours were released like a month ago and I'm sure have been discussed on here before. The Fright Nights 10-8 hours makes sense given how dead the park has been previously (though I do wonder if 12-10 would be more sensible / at least worth exploring?). There seems to be less closed days for 2020 which is good, as is the lack of 4pm closes.

But what's the point when most people won't plan trips this early? How many people do we expect have planned their trip to Thorpe Park now? Especially at a point when their 2020 offering hasn't been announced. I bet I can count the number on one hand. Thorpe simply isn't big enough to attract enough attention for people to book their trips now. And still, why advertise provisional hours? Why not just 'Open' or 'Closed'? The park is doing five 10-8pm days for Fright Nights. Even taking into account the extra budget required to run Fright Nights, that can't equate to more than 2 extra open days. And if that's what they have done, there's also the added benefit of the fact that the park simply isn't busy enough to warrant being open for 12 hours on those days. And it still doesn't answer why they choose to close earlier rather than open later. Based on the past 2-3 seasons, this is something they have consistently gotten wrong. The park have chosen days to open for longer on days where they couldn't justify it. They've not advertised their longer opening properly, nor have they given people a proper reason to stay. My favourite example comes from 2018, where the park decided to open 10-10 instead of 10-6 on a Saturday in May 4 days in advance. This is despite the weather forecasting heavy rain all day AND there being a low pre-book. And low and behold, the day was a disaster. I get there's no exact science to this, but Thorpe consistently get this wrong lately, when 95% of parks get this right. That's a big problem.

Agreed! Haven't changed mine in the 11 years (Holy crap, that long!) I have been on these forums!

I was obviously joking.

Mate, I need to know what plane you're catching to do that.