Marley

Spoke too soon. Chessington have called an end to Black Buccaneer according to British Theme Park Archive on FB

I've done Thorpe a couple times by myself. Had got an annual pass for a birthday one year. You get on rides fairly quick but I dunno if this is the case anymore as I haven't been in years. I'm sure someone here would be up for going along with you.

Didn't intend for the thread to become specifically about merlin but I'm happy for it to go down that path. Out of the 3 merlin parks (no, legoland doesn't count). Chessington is the biggest disappointment of them all. As mentioned, I haven't visited in almost a decade. I think wild asia was the new thing at the time. What have we seen since? Zufari, which is a glorified jeep ride and a handful of rethemes. Ride reliability is apparently awful. Themeing has gone down the toilet. Overcrowded it seems. There used to be an undeniable charm about chessington around 15 years ago but has steadily gone down hill.

Are the spanish parks that bad? I've been to port aventura with school a decade ago (furous bako was the new ride) I remember enjoying it but that could be the great spanish weather informing my opinion. The only park I would really wanna go to is Lightwater Valley but likewise, it's he other end of england.

Not sure why I felt the need to post this tbh. The thought suddenly hit me. I lurk a here lot for some bizarre reason but the last time I actually visited a theme park was ~5 years ago, that being Thorpe Park. I have not visited Chessington for almost 10 years and Alton in over a decade. I live a bus ride away from london winter wonder land but can never be bothered to visit. I got into theme parks around 15 years ago. As a child, my parents would take me at least once a year to one of the tussauds parks and enjoyed those times very much. Nowadays, with the rising admission prices and crucially, what you get for that price. I just cannot justify going to theme parks for another decade or so. Does anyone else here feel the same way?

Never gonna happen. Things need to change for the sake of progress and as "The nations thrill capital" something had to make way. Just weird they took so long with the announcement and with no future plans for the area in mind. If I could have it my way. I would like to see them install a coaster that interacts with natural habitat. Perhaps follows the route of logger leap with some deviations to the layout.

Nothing new about the Aldi ads in the queue, I recall over a decade ago when every queue with a telly had that bloody muller yogurt advert constantly.

By the sounds of it, seems like Thorpe are looking to bulldoze the entire area to install something new in the future. Shame they've had to lie for years about the status of Loggers. Obviously I'm just guessing but seeing as it's one of the oldest parts of the park. They must be looking into what can replace the area. There's only Canada Creek and the space behind Swarm that can have developments built upon, (unless Rumba get removed in the near future).

There is money, tons of it. They are the second biggest entertainments company in the world after all. Too busy maximizing profits.

worlds first coaster to incorporate wood and fire?

I personally believe it's due to Thorpe being stingy and understaffed. According to Lord Sambrooke, Thorpe are using staff in some of their scare attractions instead of actors/people paid specifically for fright nights. Also correct me if I'm wrong but do thorpe still have staff dotted around rumba to deter people messing around? I guess Thorpe don't like the idea of operating a rapids in the dark when they can't trust members of the public from dicking about.

Doesn't help that Melin have a complete stranglehold on the London area, where a vast number of the population live and the majority of tourists are visiting. https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?oe=UTF8&msa=0&ie=UTF8&mid=1paY13gdMrhs9c8mWGV_e7L_SGMg&ll=53.04026223649208%2C-1.7575460000000476&z=7

@Mark9 Can you blame us though? Especially when we look at the continent to a park like Phantasia land and they build new rides with original IP's or even in the case of Europa Park when they rebuild a classic ride after a disaster. Call it jealousy but it is a shame to think that the UK was KILLING it in the 90's.

Cannot agree more. Wouldn't the profits be far higher if chessie just created their own IP?