Leaderboard

Watching XODS deconstruction updates from SLKSTN, I can't help thinking how much better the newly exposed skyline would be without Slammer SBNO. Solution: get Slammer working again.

Surprised there's been nothing official teasing the 2023 season yet from Thorpe to be honest (other than messing about with things on the app to wind up enthoooosiasts).

Need to get to atleast rank 10 first

He means youre comparing a broken ride that Merlin couldn't care less about to a brand new IP themed ride. Of course the latter is going to be better. That's ridiculous, how can they get away with some white walls with trees on and call it theming ffs. Hate the argument "What can you expect, it's a little kids ride" that I've seen alot, just because it's aimed at young children doesn't mean it can't be bad.

The irony here is that by blindly supporting an attraction because "everything in it is new", you end up the more typical fanboy... There's difference between cynicism and balanced analysis you know...

I think it's lit very well, just like the station should have always been, but its very nice, I'd never say it was absolutely awesome. It's on par with a lot of decent children's walkthroughs and themed exhibits around the country. I don't think they've done anything remotely special here, and not "nit picking for the sake of it". It's that day when no one can tell the difference between "new", "fixed" or "good". I don't get this idea.. based on what? According to who? A new Prof Burp's would have been just as awful because it would have been built the same way as Merlin build all their rides. I havnt seen anyone judging this by comparison to the original. But what's clear to see is the original was about loud, all-round fun and energy & silliness; this one is a relaxing, quiet, very average sensory trip. Both are great, but they're quite different and I believe kids love energy and entertainment much more than adults give them credit for. I just hate comparisons like this. All I see is exactly the same kind of features, but one lit properly, another lit compeltely botched and amateaur. The top photo shows the station totally broken, way too bright and bastardised in the retheme. Why are you comparing the very worst of one thing to an opening day shot of a brand new ride? Of course the station last year looked utter crap! That's not the point is it?

My views so far? Exterior looks awful, station looks good. Will reserve judgement on the ride until I've actually been on it.

A cardboard cut out of the gruffalo, Seriously Chessington you can do better than that

If I could like this post 1,000 times I would. They'd probably do it Dragon Falls style. Perhaps just the ride in the empty warehouse, with the music cutting in & out, with the fountains just about spraying water.

They didn't dear, it was a PR stunt to get more guests in over the summer, and it worked. They also lied to all the press that the ride had been the same for the past 25 years in order to capitalise on the 'nostalgia' of the original and get more attention. They did not give a jot about the Bubbleworks and they knew/cared very little about the original. But they knew they could capitalise on it and it worked. They also (deliberately) ensured the ride stayed untouched in broken shoddy state, for the last 5 years while they set up their new plans. Any new ride would look good against something as ruined as the state Bubbleworks was in, and the "seen better days" excuse is easy to use if you've not spent any money on show maintenance for years! The send off consisted of an actor in a bad costume, and a tour that existed only to squeeze some more money off guests, filled with made up facts and nonsense. Not being a moaner, this is simply what happened, or what many witnessed happening.

A Merlin version of Professor Burp's would be the biggest tragedy known to man, they would go to town with brandifying it and sucking out its soul, we already had the 2p budget Prof Burp 'tribute' and that was quite enough! (not the actor's effort, he was great, didn't really have a clue about the ride but did so well with what he'd been given! the park's attitude I'm on about) Merlin wouldn't (and don't) understand the ride's appeal, because it was about colour and energy rather than IPs or abandoned warehouse "serious and edgy" themes.

They are very close to looking like the Professor Burps style yes. Now if only this Grufflo thing was just a big joke & that actually, Professor Burps Bubbelworks was coming back in it's full glory... That would be too much fun though & we certainly can't have that!