JoshC.

Kind of surprised we didn't have a Fuji-Q thread to be honest. Not sure if anyone on the forums has been (maybe @Benin or @BenC ?), but of course, it's a park well known for breaking records and just general being a bit over the top insane. One of their most well known coasters is Dodonpa, a S&S launch coaster with a launch of 0-107mph in 1.8 seconds. The park have recently announced, however, that they are going to be retracking Dodonpa, with rumours circulating they they'll be adding a loop. And given Fuji's fetish for records, the world's tallest loop doesn't seem out of the question! The ride will close next month and reopen next summer. Source: http://www.fujiq.jp/special/oyasumi-dodonpa/ Important translation:

Heard a couple of rumours that both Flying Dutchman and Pandamonium are currently closed and in the process of being deconstructed. Can't back this up with any solid proof mind. With rumours knocking about for years that Drayton are looking at a new coaster, could this area be a potential site for one? Or could this just be unfortunately timed essential maintenance?

Just want to elaborate my point a bit further. Here's what Chessington's RAP guide says about who the system is aimed for: Taking this in black and white, the number of people who both should qualify for RAPs and be able to use an SRQ would be very small. If someone struggles with everyday social interactions / follow instructions / becomes distressed after long periods of time, what happens if an RAP holder is on a ride by themselves and it break downs and needs evacuating? It makes the situation more stressful for everyone. Ditto for someone with a physical ability; how could they manage with no one who knows their condition supporting them? Of course, things like this are rarely black and white, and there are plenty of exceptions to the rule if you will. But people regularly complain about the operations of Merlin theme parks, and the large number of RAP users is something which is particularly noticeable at Chessington. I'm not suggesting that the RAP system needs to be made stricter or anything, but if the situation is one where people who have the RAP bands are actually able to get on with their day without them, one has to feel that there's something not quite right with the system. NB: I hope what I'm saying isn't come across as rude, insulting, condescending or anything. I completely understand that every person is different and that no blanket rule will ever be perfect and cover every possibility. But I'm just throwing these points out there. Sorry again for dragging this wildly off topic. If thing discussion continues, I can move it to a more appropriate thread so we can continue to be...uninterested, I guess, by Chessington's Halloween offering.

Fastrack isn't currently been sold on Ghost Train. The Fastrack queue line is being used for anyone who was given a Priority Pass for use on Ghost Train though (they are only ever handed when someone is evacuated from the ride or queue though I believe).

>Needs RAP. >Able to use Single Rider. Forgive my scepticism (and for going wildly off topic), and I understand every case is different, but it just seems a bit...off

Surely having an RAP won't better your chances at getting 3 major rides in the dark done, since you'll be waiting the queue time outside the queues anyway before you can use it again?

I'm awaiting the headlines now... "THEME PARK SET EVIL SPIRITS ON ME AFTER LIVE OUIJA BOARD SESSION"

Hmm, interesting. Maybe it's more that I just didn't hear much of it then, rather than it not being there? I'm all for the more peaceful atmosphere, but I'd have liked to have heard things a bit more. But I guess not being the target audience, my preferences will differ, so no real big issue really.

Visited Legoland today. Was quieter than I expected given they'd been closed Tuesday and Wednesday, not that I was complaining. A few thoughts... -Did Viking River Splash for the first time. It wins the award for worst queue ever for me. Ride is alright at best. -Atlantis remains surprisingly good. -There seemed to be very little audio around the park; felt very dead in places. -The Chicken Rotisserie place had terrible service; waited over 40 minutes for food. Seemed to be a common scenario too, which is confusing given how quiet it was. -How reliable is The Dragon normally? During my past 2 visits, it's had extended periods of downtime whenever I've been nearby - hard to tell whether I've been unlucky or if this is the norm. -Queue times were particularly badly presented; anything that did have a queue displayed rather inaccurate queues. Oh, and Atlantis displayed a 355 minute queue in the morning, before going down to 200-odd, whoops. -Ninjago site seems to be progressing well; no photos though unfortunately. Despite some of the negatives above, I still had a fun day overall. Just a few little issues which puts the park down a bit.

Pleased to see that Campfire Stories will make use of the Chertsey Abbey / monk history. It might not be Headless Monk Hunt, but I'll take it Also nice to see Containment receive a reduction in scare factor; 5/5 was a bit much if we're being honest! I was interested to see how Platform 15 would pan out with opening time. Was a bit worried it would open at the same time as Blair Witch what with presumably being all outside. Nice idea opening it a 3pm and saying it'll be less scary, means we don't lose an attraction for 3-4 hours each day!

The number of closed and SBNO rides at Towers is scarier than Howl'o'ween, so it is on topic to be fair....

Being totally honest, aside from a vague standard shape and colour, they look nothing alike.

Maybe going underground and doing some "routine excavations" will help Chessington find some new rides?

And the award for longest name of a scare attraction ever goes to...

The exterior music is now working.

There were 7 rides in and around the Octopus Garden area where Storm Surge stands now (you can see where some of them were by how they've filled in the land!). They were all very small though. So a flat ride could fit there. I'd be interested to hear what sort of flat ride people think could go there though; both in terms of space and adding to the Thorpe line up. Storm Surge might have its flaws, but there would be an obvious gap in Thorpe's line up without it.

With budgets like that, is no surprise they're doing well But it's great to see the park doing well. 17.5 million euros could easily get the park pretty much any type of coaster they wanted really..

Thunder storms can close quite a few rides down (for obvious reasons), but only when the storm itself is taking place. Light to medium rain only closes down one or two rides (usually smaller rides), and heavier rain may close a couple of the coasters. Rain can of course make some faster rides a bit more uncomfortable, but it can add to the experience! If it's raining in the morning, it usually puts some people off visiting, so it might end up being a bit quieter too.

Totally agree about the Slammer operator and team in general. Summer Nights have always had quite a relaxed atmosphere, especially when ride queues are non-existent, and just adding in the bit of humour really was a highlight!

Given there was apparently a pretty major issue with the attraction this afternoon (which is why it closed after operating for a short period of time), it was good to see that the park managed to reopen it for Summer Nights tonight. It perhaps wasn't on top form tonight, but still a very enjoyable attraction for me!

On the past 10 years of Bubbleworks...

Apologises for changing the subject topic, and for the odd question, but have you (or anyone else) got any more photos of the 'circus adverts' that were in the second tent?

Don't know if there's any hype for this here, but there's going to be a waterfall feature at the back of the building... Sourcey: http://www.looopings.nl/weblog/6060/Efteling-test-waterval-bij-nieuwe-attractie-Symbolica.html Also, massive shout out for the hi vis jackets; they look awesome.

The Fright Night barriers on the Saw island blocking access to Saw Alive are simply there because that pathway is currently a dead end during Big Top construction. It looks like once Fright Nights starts there'll be plenty of room of access to that pathway next to Big Top, so it's likely just a temporary measure.

Photography and videos have always been banned from all of Thorpe's (indoor) mazes. Doesn't stop people trying mind. Strictly speaking, last year during the AP / media preview, it was only meant to be the media guests who were allowed to film within the mazes. But it just wasn't enforced properly. Might be one reason why the media preview is on a different day to the AP preview this season.