JoshC.

Instructions unclear, hope I did it right.

Maybe they should...

Huge SBNO white elephants, or copious removed rides sometimes replaced by travelling funfair rides. Choose your fighter in the race to the bottom!

You don't find cursed rides at the UK's thrill capital for this exact reason... https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/nostalgia/opening-day-stealth-rollercoaster-thorpe-23115667 That was a really humdinger on a marketing stunt, left everyone on the edge of their seats.

The Curse of Alton Manor

All for rows facing the other way, but having one is just very odd. The choice of mandrills for a winged coaster is still taking some getting used to. I get the idea, but I guess I still have the preconception that if a winged coaster has an animal theme, an animal with wings would make sense. 1.2m rides all round is good. The concept art looks good, and is something that feels realistically achievable. I'm still concerned about the throughput and how this will cope in terms of popularity, especially at first, but we'll have to wait and see on that front.

The thing which confuses me the most is that, being a shuttle coaster, the direction of the rows is largely inconsequential. An even / near-even divide would at least make a bit more sense, giving the choice as to whether you go forwards or backwards first. But seemingly just one row? Just...huh?

I am clearly not with it. I did 01 (January) + 15 = 16. 6th month of the year is June, so June. *goes to hastily edit a Facebook post I may or may not have made*

The loosest one possible.

It appears as though we could be seeing this open around June time, if this is anything to go by... https://www.facebook.com/merlinentertainmentscareers/posts/pfbid0WTtmqVAfQUoUPXYUBmxFS5rA9NjYGTsr54VdawWcHWTKk2MeCWF2qzWigAuu4iLjl

The train is on the tracks... https://twitter.com/I/web/status/1613833614042472449 And of course, the weird coaster has to have a weird train, with one row facing the other direction to all the other rows.

I love how you say ripped out as if there is anything to rip out. All stuff specifically related to Derren is digital, or simply the ride's signage. In any case, the ride has been receiving its winter maintenance, which suggests that - in one way or another - the physical hardware will be operational this season.

With Rocky now dismantled and a goner, I was going to move this thread to The Past. Turns out I'd already done it like 13 months ago, damnit.

Took a little poodle down Monks Walk. Not really anything new to report, but at least a different perspective: https://www.facebook.com/thorpeparkmania/posts/pfbid025dr7GehAecmu5bMU7hvujxmQTpCoPxAsyGNoWZbdND7p47U7m1vPwaciGH3tFw28l

Themed around a garden centre?

The "we're a small park" excuse is rubbish. Go back 20 years, when the park was (excluding The Farm) technically smaller, and they had defined areas, with portals and signage. Look at a park like Phantasialand, which is small and compact, and they have some of the most well-defined, high quality themed lands out there. The simple and honest reason why the park don't do themed lands is because they don't want to. That's fine too, if that's the case. But let's face, it's not because they couldn't.

RIP Loggers Leap station https://www.facebook.com/thorpeparkmania/posts/pfbid04HKs4vJGkAGo2cFnPYbiewqLP6WYBFLBH2RFhFYFMuoLfvkV7E9YWJ7MfH92NH4Sl

You might want to avoid supermarkets for the next couple of months m8

Teasers are coming a bit thicker and faster... https://www.instagram.com/reel/CnR1Yj1KcLp/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

Appropriate. Or is this considered spam? Agree that it was a lose-lose situation.

It sounds like this very much is a statement, and also just the beginning. I've noticed there's a job advert for engineers at Chessington, which very much reads like they're expanding the team: https://merlin.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/4/home/requisition/16836?c=merlin&lang=en-GB 3 years would include the water park no doubt, as well as Jumanji. There's also rumours floating round of other medium-to-large investments coming next year. Obviously this could all be standard marketing spiel, but still interesting. Also interesting to note them saying Jumanji opens in summer, rather than the advertised spring, so probably isn't worth reading into things toooooo much.

As I understand it, Russ hasn't left the park, he's just taken on extra responsibilities in overseeing Chessington too. Unless things have changed..? In any case, his role was/is as Commercial Director. Whilst he'd have an input on those things, one would like to hope that input wasn't the be all and end all of things like special effects on rides!

Whilst they haven't had a new (non-kiddie) flat ride in 9 years - yes, I'm counting the Dodgems - I'd still argue Thorpe's flat ride collection is decent. Good variety and good amount. Is it as impressive as it was 10 years ago? No. Is it still better than a lot of other parks? Tbf, yeah

Saw's single rider trial came as a result of a lot of pushing and campaigning from a Rides Team Leader I believe. Was a bit of a passion project in some sense. Glad that's paid off and they're looking at rolling it out further. Agree that, in practicality, Stealth is the only ride which has the capability to have a single rider queue (re)introduced, mainly because it was designed to have one in the first place. I guess a couple of flats could too. I hope that they see the worth in it and can consider some minor changes to Exodus' queue lines and include one for that too.