AJ

Hello all you TPM Explorers as we take you down into the magical Chessington where many stories and memories were formed for Part 1 of 5 of the official trip report. It was a fantastic day and it was so lovely to see all the new faces and I have to say probably one of the nicest crowds we have had so far this year.
Thank you for your patience whilst I've been slaving away at the office, so without further ado, it's what a few of you have all been waiting for - The Official Chessington Trip Report 2013. What will happen on the TPM Explorers 5th adventure of this year?
What a way to start the morning, meeting all these new faces who all happen to wear glasses...

Before you TPM Explorers start your adventure can you please read this safety sign first please

Whilst It's dark, so he thinks no one will notice - Matt Creek gets pleasure from pressing a lot of buttons!

Han30 on the other hand gets pleasure from releasing an epic fart, and then blames it on the farting chair to hide her crime

It may be a bumpy ride, but Jaymiee looks a tad bored whilst Mr.Fish is on the lookout for the ladies

With the Runaway Train off limits - Phill Pritchard tries his best to get a sneaky look in

However Matt Creek uses his brain to go up some stairs and around the fence to see the full picture

Can I please re-introduce to you all the wonderful Jackstevens217, this time sporting some smexy glasses

This is a Sealion you know, not a seal!

Before some Tomb Blasting action, everyone gathers around to get ready to compete in this trips game Empire

So believe it or not, but we are already at the end of Part 1 of 5 of the Official Trip Report. But what will happen tomorrow. Will someone else join the explorers? Do the TPM explorers really know what the new attraction Zufari is after chatting about it on forums for the last few months? What animals will come out to play? Plus some bromance starts to form Everyone go awww....
All these answers and more revealing fun will be out just after midnight tomorrow (That's just under 24 hours you know )
See you then!
Part 2
So hello everybody - all of you TPM explorers. Part 2 of 5 is later than I said in part 1, but as many people know the plans in the evening change when your out and about and I have to say, I did get this done last night but fell asleep at me laptop whilst writing the conclusion
So yesterday we left you with a nice photo outside the tomb blaster after people have found out about the rules of the game empire but what will we find today in the early time of the morning .
With Jackstevens217 and JamesC now reunited. It was the beginning of the hourly bro hugs

EC! feels left out, so thought he'd find love with his biscuit

It was now time to try out the new attraction Zufari and as you can see everyone is getting immersed into the experience when they see a giraffe

On Zufari we came across some Zebras

What you doing on Safari you fools, In this trip report I said we are currently at Zufari You cannot get the members these days I tell you.

That's better! Get yourself off Safari Skyway and see the rest of us back at Zufari

Now we are back all together, Did I say we came across some white rhinos

After having our first Zufari experience, Mr. Fish would like to show how happy he found the experience (and yes ladies he has chest hair - can you see it? )

From a few animals to a reptile, this photo makes it appear we have taken over the Kobra - where everyone is anticipating the force of the back rests

To finish Part 2 off, I would like to introduce to you MarkC who has come to join us for the second half of the day

Tomorrow, what will we find in part 3 now the TPM explorer gang is complete? Has Mr. Monkey from Thorpe Park been eyeing out the competition? And how do the explorers gather their energy to defeat the competition in Empire? Well you can find out tomorrow when the you will find out the answers to these thought defying questions
Part 3
Hello you scrumptious TPM explorers for Part 3 of 5 of the Official TPM Chessie Trip report. We last left you with the crew getting confused between a Safari & a Zufari, whilst meeting the last member to join the gang. So what will we find today I wonder...
On the way to Black Buccaneer, TopsyTurvy15 practices his rock climbing skills by jumping the pool of death

TopsyTurvy15 looks relieved to of made it to the boat, whilst Jaymiee still looks unimpressed (even though we have taken up half the boat!)

However MarkC is way too short to ride and is refused entry before this lovely ride attendant announced the '4th rule' of our ride

Meanwhile the banana boat, being really small in comparison to Black Buccaneer, tries to act BIG by chilaxing with a spiff overlooking the ride...

ScaryCoasterBoy really wants to win the game empire so decides to recharge his batteries ready for the battle ahead

ThrillSeekerAlex on the other hand does not need solar power to re-energise for the oncoming battle

TopsyTurvy15 eyes out the competition, and works out how he can defeat ScaryCoasterBoy

ScaryCoasterBoy however finds an opportunity to finish off TopsyTurvy15, EC!, Jonny392 & TP1214 before TopsyTurvy15 defeats him....

And pushes them all to their death down a gigantic slope, to the deadliest bath time in existence!

To celebrate some people getting defeated out of the game, everyone went for a calming spin on the monkey swinger

And there we have it - just over half way through our trip report and there is unbelievably still 2 more parts to go . But who will win the Empire game? Why did Peaj get so down? And who out of the explorers worships the vampire? I have no idea how you will find out unless you come back tomorrow to find out. You do not want to miss it
Part 4
So you cheeky TPM Explorers, we have reached the 4th part of 5 at this early hour which means we are at the penultimate episode. Previously we have seen how our explorers get their energy in preparation for battle and a banana overseeing the events - so what will we find today...
Phill Pritchard, Jaymiee & ScaryCoasterBoy are the last 3 muskerteers standing in battle (With EC! Trying to get in on the shot )

To be honest, it's amazing how Jaymiee has got so far - just look at him

Mer, JamesC & ....EC! Again... get ready to help knock out the last contenders with some tuk tuks

TopsyTurvy15 back from the grave and ThrillSeekerAlex are getting geared up and ready to crash into everyone

After the final battle on the dodgems, the leader of the empire came through.....It was...Jaymiee , who donated his prize to the very chuffed ScaryCoasterBoy

Peaj is completely devastated that Jaymiee won - he designed the game to be to hard for Jamiee to win....

Meanwhile whilst this fiasco was going on. MarkC gets really excited like a kid in a candy store and holds up the entire queue for 5 years

This is one groovy talented Vampire with his organ - It's just so lucky he has no followers or he'll take over the world

Oh No! I didn't know Han30 worshipped the evil vampire EC! Catches her praying/ meditating to the vampire and screams as he cannot escape!

To finish off part 4 after all the drama that has happened today - I thought It would be nice to show a lovely photo from the fury queue line EC! AGAIN!!!!

And there we have it Part 4 of 5 is complete and we have found out a member who likes to hog the limelight , But will he hog any more photo's on this adventure? What happened to some of the explorers after they left Chessington? And who ends up needing to be claimed? I don't know how you'll find out these answers but what I do know is that if you come back at trip'o'clock tomorrow you will find the conclusion to the adventure and the Official Group Photo will be available for all to see I can just hear the screams of excitement...
Part 5 (The Final Part)
So....All you TPM Explorers, it is the time you have all been waiting for. The conclusion - Part 5 of 5 of the Official TPM Chessington Trip Report. We have founf out who won Empire and yes the Lost Coaster Of Superstition Mountain DOES exist (good one ThrillSeekerAlex) and yes the end is nigh but what will we find on the last leg of our journey? Just remember we last left the adventure with that calm photo in the Dragon's Fury Queue line.
EC! The photo hogger and Peaj get spun around in shock as the dragon unleashes it's anger on them

ThrillSeekerAlex, JamesC & JackStevens217 appear relaxed and pleased that they have slayed the dragon

Everyone loves it when the dragon gets furious - Thumbs up everyone

After our spin we found out Zufari was still open. We sprinted as fast as we could to get there for a last ride, Only to find...the gates were still thankfully open

After our sprint to Zufari, we were hungry, so then ran full pelt until we got to the Monkey Puzzle Beefeater

With all this running around, it was too much for Han30, who collapsed out of breathe

The super fit Phill Pritchard was disappointed with Han30's Stamina - but was even more disappointed with 3 other Individuals

Mr.Fish, Peaj & ThrillSeekerAlex to be precise - Who were all eating a lovely big Chocolate Brownie Sundae

Before we leave this adventure, we are sorry to report that a kid has been sent to Lost & Found - Does anyone know anyone who can claim him

And now the photo everyone has been waiting for - The Official Chessington 2013 Group Photo

Can I just say how much of a great day this had been. Everything just seemed to work - The sun was out, there was an extremely good crowd that attended and the day just seemed to flow naturally with ease. One of my favourites of the year for me come to think of it. So this adventure has come to a close, but for those who came to this meet also know that another adventure is looming before we go clubbing at Thorpe Park. But where? Only one way to find out and that is to wake up on Thursday Morning to find an Official TPM Announcement
Peace People x x x

In the past two decades or so, roller coaster manufacturing has seen many technological advances. Back in the 1980s, the idea of having a roller coaster where the trains were underneath the track or having a launched roller coaster was about as technologically superior as the industry has reached. The first 'suspended' coaster, 'The Bat' at Kings Island in America, opening in 1981, only to close two years later due to being highly temperamental, whilst the first launched coaster, 'King Kobra' at Kings Dominion opened in 1977, though the model was inefficient and nowhere near the type of launches commonly used in today's roller coasters (although clones of King Kobra do still operate today!).
However, in the past two decades, we have seen many technological advances. 21 years ago saw the introduction of the first 'inverted' roller coaster (not to be confused with a suspended coaster), which was the first roller coaster to have trains underneath the track, yet act like one where the trains were above the track. In 1998, the world's first vertical drop roller coaster opening, with Oblivion at Alton Towers. Though this may not sound impressive, it is indeed a technological advancement in the way the train's wheels are designed, so that the trains are able to stay on the track. We have also seen the introduction of many other styles of roller coasters, such as flying roller coasters, winged roller coasters, beyond-vertical drop roller coasters and so much more.
So, what is this 'vanilla roller coaster' I speak of in the title? It's not a technical term when designing a roller coaster, not is it something said to market one; it is probably a term I've made up.. Well, it's a plain and simple roller coaster - the train sits above the track, you sit down in the train, get strapped in, and away you go. There's no bits of 'trick track' (whereby the track itself moves to create an additional effect, such as track dropping vertically like a drop tower). There's no gimmicky elements to the track, such as ridiculously steep drops (vertical and beyond). There's no launches or anything like that. So basically, the plainest of the plain roller coasters (much like the flavour vanilla).

Silver Star is an example of what I would call a 'Vanilla Coaster'. (Photo taken from CoasterForce).

Saw - The Ride is not what I would call a Vanilla Coaster, due to the gimmicky 100 degrees 'beyond-vertical' drop it features.
Hopefully that gives a clear enough definition of what I define to be a Vanilla Coaster. Of course, many may disagree that vanilla coasters are something which should be defined, or that what I class as vanilla coasters is incorrect, but more on this later.
But, are vanilla coasters now dying in the current coaster market? There's a plethora of ride types available, all of which are capable of doing something vanilla coasters cannot, so they will add an extra dimension to any park's line up - give something for parks to scream and shout about. The addition of a gimmick or something different brings in crowds, so, what's not to like?
Now seems like a nice time for a little analogy - what would you prefer: a rich, creamy Madagascar Vanilla ice cream full of proper vanilla flavour, or some Tesco Everyday Value chocolate ice cream? Coming from someone who prefers chocolate ice cream to vanilla ice cream, I'd still go for the former of the two options. And the same goes for roller coasters - I'd much rather be riding a excellent roller coaster which does nothing but go round a track with no gimmicks, than ride an okay coaster that has some gimmick(s) to it.
So then, are vanilla coasters actually a dying concept? Well, in my opinion, yes, they are. Let's that UK theme parks for an example. Since 2003, the only vanilla coaster I can vaguely think of being introduced in the UK is 'Kiddi Koaster' at Adventure Island in 2011. So, out of at least fifteen new coasters added in the UK in the past 10 years (there's no doubt more, but this is just a quick search from major theme parks), one of them has been my so-called vanilla coaster. So, in my opinion, it's safe to say that vanilla coasters are dying in the UK, and no doubt worldwide. Why exactly they are dying is likely down to what I explained earlier - that other coasters can offer things vanilla coasters cannot. If a park gets something different, something unique, and it is in itself a good ride, then of course such a coaster is going to be seen as a better option than a vanilla coaster. To go back to the earlier analogy - given the choice of a rich, creamy Madagascar Vanilla ice cream or a 500ml tub of Ben & Jerry's, you're pretty much in a win-win situation, and it comes down to personal taste. The same applies here; given the choice of a great vanilla coaster or a great non-vanilla coaster, the choice just comes down to what is preferred - and that almost always is the non-vanilla option, because of the large variety of choice.
So, on that note, we can see that if the concept of the vanilla coaster is dying, it's not a bad thing. But maybe, it's not dying, and the concept of a vanilla coaster is fluid - perhaps what defines 'vanilla' changes as coaster manufacturing improves. For example, launches are a very common feature these days on rides, and are incorporated a lot more naturally than they used to be. It is far from unusual to see launches used on coasters with lift hills, and the launch is not as much as a gimmick 'one hit feature' of a ride (unlike with, say, Stealth, where the launch pretty much is the ride). So maybe vanilla coasters have naturally developed to include launches, thus greatly expanding what defines one. Maybe the gimmick of vertical or beyond vertical drops is not really that much of a gimmick, and just an extra feature available due to advancements in technology. Really and truly, is it just picky of me to call Gerstlauer Eurofighters such as Saw a non-vanilla coaster? Probably. So, again, that expands the rides defined by a vanilla coaster. With inclusions such as these, the concept of a vanilla coaster is most certainly not dying. Even rides inverted coasters are pretty common these days, though to call it a type of vanilla coaster in my eyes would be rather extreme in my opinion, it is perhaps a 'chocolate coaster', in that it is common, but not the most basic.
One final point to finish - maybe all of this just doesn't matter. So what if a certain type of roller coaster design is becoming less commonly built? There's still plenty of good coasters types out there, and plenty of good coasters to be ridden. Some types of roller coasters have bitten the dust in the past, such as 'pipeline coasters', and some types never really caught on, such as backwards in the dark. Other types never rethinking / extra work done to them before they catch, as can sort of be seen with 'Winged roller coasters'. Maybe the concept of a vanilla coaster dying is in no way a bad thing; it just shows a natural development in the roller coaster industry, and for all we know, they could come back into fashion before we know it..
So, that's it really. I had no idea where this would be going, so no idea if the trail of thought of this seems logical in any way. To be honest, even though this is finished, and this was a 'topic' I've thought about for a long time, I don't even have an idea of what I've concluded. I've argued it is possible that vanilla coasters are dying, but in the Golden Ticket 2012 Awards (one of the more reliable roller coaster rankings I've seen), the Top 10 steel roller coasters all fit my original definition of a vanilla coaster. So, maybe, even those aren't dying? But who knows? I guess what I finish off with saying is that the roller coaster industry is developing in so many ways that sometimes it is forgotten that all is need when it comes to the actual roller coaster is trains on a well-designed, fun track layout.