Theme Park bloke

It's more like a fact. I saw these in the shop today, they are the 2 best items on sale. Damn, I wish I'd have known this yesterday.Let me start with the disasterous day I had yesterday. I turned up about 10:30am to find Colossus, Saw, Stealth, Loggers Leap, Rumba Rapids, Slammer and Rush all closed. Some were because of a powercut. Can you believe that half the park's electric covers Ashford, and the other half Chertsey? Crazy! How old's that place, that should've been sorted out years ago!Anyway, bascially I didn't get on a single damn ride yesterday and was majorly pee'd off. I left at 1:00pm. What annoyed me was about 11:00am they told us Colossus engineers hadn't started checks and were gonna be another 45 minutes or so, and then at midday we were told exactly the same thing. I smelt something very fishy and it wasn't the oil dripping off the lift hill motor, which wasn't working. All these closed rides were causing a backlog of wait for other rides.Anyway, I went back this morning at 10:00am and was pleased to see Saw testing as I crossed the bridge. I headed straight for it and was on it after a short queue. First impressions of the building inside? Not bad. Flickering lights and other effects, plus the "I wanna play a game" video do build up tension...but not for me. As I walked into the station loading area, I took a look round, and thought "Is that it?!" - all this hype for months about how good the station's theming was going to be, and although it is a very good station, it's not exactly scary or gorry, and there is room for improvement. First-ever ride and it was the back row for me, damn, oh well at least I had made it here! After the ride started, I knew what to expect what with the drop and inline twist, and then out to the tower we went. Well, we got to the bottom of it, stopped and waited for about 10 seconds before it took us up. For a second I thought there was a problem. We were at the top quicker than I expected it to be, and then whoosh, off we went, down the drop. Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the ride and immediately went back for another, this time on the second row. The ride was how I expected it to be.On my first ride, the camera wasn't working, it was on my second though. I do like the model of Billy on his bike on your right, just as you leave the station - it is Billy, isn't it?

I do love the 3 lights above the entrance sign, finishes it off perfectly. Apparently they flicker?Also, does the headchopper make a noise when it spins? Just "workings noise" or sound effects?And are there sound effects as you exit the station and into the drop and twist?

O2 sent my mate a text about the Jacko concert. He was like, "Why would I wanna go and see that?!"

No, it isn't. And how is Samurai looking? Fresh? Performing well?

Thanks Dan, I know this blades spinning thing has been drifting about for ages, yet nobody knew if it was true. But now we know. And yes, of course, d'oh! I remember the inline twist before the station was built around it now.Infact, I remember seeing a pic of it when it was delivered, and being craned off.

Are its tops back on?

2 years?!Cripes, what are they doing to that ride? The last time I rode Stealth, and watched it, was October. I ain't seen a car fly over the top for months now, the longest period!

No, I'd agree with that.

OMG, the blades spin, that looks so cool. What a surprise, it's something I didn't expect. I saw a video on YouTube where you drop down in the station and head into an inline twist before going outside. Looks wicked, again, the inline twist I never knew was gonna happen, but the drop I had heard about. Is there a model of Jigsaw inside our outside or something, or does he appear on some screen?So, Saw's having teething troubles (hehe, teeth, sharp, blades, get it? OK, suit yourself ) on it's first day. Oh dear, it seems to have had many successful tests and now in the run-up week to opening it's not playing ball. I heard Jonathan Ross got stuck on it this week, Jigsaw's probably getting his own back on him for the Manuelgate affair.I'm going tomorrow and am so excited, yet worried these latest problems will not get me a ride. Being an Annual Pass holder, I haven't booked, and I don't need to or anything...do I?

I have heard the headchopper blades are going to spin now - anyone know what is actually happening? Yay or nay?

This problem really cropped up when Stealth was built, because Model World was no more. Slammer's noise from the BBQ isn't too bad.I'll forever be kicking myself the time I walked around Thorpe Park looking for the garden section that is actually in Toy Town at Chessington!

I was under the impression Thorpe Farm had nothing whatsoever to do with the park now? Even if it means storage?

Do not patronise me, what you have written is extremely rude.

It's awful how Adz hasn't made a re-direct on the site. The content is all on http://www.tussaudsmedia.co.uk/new but if you type in the url without the /new bit all you get is that silly Launching Christmas Day 2009ish image.Is he a member here?

I'm just curious. If Rita can get a whole bundle of TLC then so can Stealth. It has been worked on for months now.

Thanks, I've downloaded a copy now and soon I'll give it a whirl with RCT3. I see from the notes it's a 2004 version, so there'll be no Slammer, Rush, Stealth or Saw. Maybe Samurai as it came along in 2004. And the old Model World and Fish may be on it!I have created my own Stealth and Tidal Wave in one "game". The Stealth supports aren't exactly the same as the real ones, as are Tidal's drop, and Tidal Wave doesn't have a splash pool and the bridge on my version is not to scale. Best I can do, I've yet to master a few more features of RCT3. Pictures of these coming soon.

Exactly. Basically, in a nutshell, Thorpe need to get Saw launched, then in the summer or autumn the big bosses need to yet again scramble around the drawing table and talk about the next MTDP. They'll submit that, Runnymede will either approve or tell them to go and take a run and jump, and all being well, Bob's your uncle, 2010 comes and bang, the approved work can begin.Or to put all that simply, by Fright Nights or Thorpe Blast, we should know what will "develop" in 2010, even if it's only land preparation and no ride construction. But we all wanna see ride construction! And no doubt the new MTDP will mention the second access bridge to Saw completion.

Does anyone know the next MTDP, as we're almost at the end of the current one? Is there going to be some work going in on in the old Fungle Safari spot in 2010, once it's gone?

Sometimes, Colossus' main loop gives me blackouts. This temporary reduction in blood flow, it comes back pretty fast yeah? And I don't think blackouts can affect your health or life expectation? Sometimes you get a side swing on vortex - any advice for that?

The rubber ducks will be remaining with the Proffesor for another season at least? There has been no Professor since 2005!

I wonder if it will be a rusty windmill? I can see what you're getting at here, and yes, theming the ground with blood splats on it is an idea, but probably too costly. Anyway, it'll soon be covered in dirty chewing gum. That video shows a still of Samurai up in the air towards the "back", complete with the pods and the rest of the ride all re-assembled. I assume it's testing! Wahey! Samurai lives, and it lives no different than the last few years! Good to see it all back in one piece and testing! I hope so!This sign is looking awesome! I like the lights on the top of it. They remind me a bit of the lights around the Tidal Wave queueline!

I'm sure it won't be long until Thorpe release the new map on their website, as the park is now less than week away from full season-opening. And I'd be very surprised if Saw was on the map.

New or existing ones?

As are the skyride's gondolas!

I wouldn't get too excited, if you click here for the Transylvania area, you'll see it has Bubbleworks listed with Imperial Leather, and the logo. If you click the link there is a bit of info about the ride plus pictures from inside.I think Chessington have used plain text for the ride names on the map so it's easier for people to read.