JoshC.

This is an interesting point actually. Thorpe had that condition enforced upon them when the council approved the extension of the Crash Pad's stay until 2024, saying that there "shall not be any more than 250 bedrooms available...at any one time", with the reason given being "to prevent over development". However, since (presumably) Spring 2018 shall be the finished first phase, there would likely be only 150 rooms in the 'Thorpe Park Hotel' at the time. This would mean the park can then have both Shark Hotel and Thorpe Hotel at once (offering a cheaper alternative and a more expensive one) until the second phase is complete and the final 100 rooms are added in. This is particularly good for the park since full funding for the hotel - which I would guess would mean for the second phase - is unlikely to be available until 2020. The way I could see it working out is like this: -Now until 2018 - Thorpe Shark Hotel is the only hotel on site, with up to 184 rooms. -Spring 2018 - Thorpe Park Hotel opens with 150 rooms. Thorpe Shark Hotel remains open with up to 100 rooms (which I believe is about how many they have at the moment? ). -By 2024 (though possibly earlier) - Thorpe Park Hotel is completely finished, and Thorpe Shark is removed. It's been a very, very long haul for Thorpe, and I doubt they even anticipated it would take so long. However, what should be kept in mind is that not all the delays have been down to Thorpe - yeah, there's been the cost, but there's been logistical troubles and concerns raised by the council / other parties involved. However, these plans are the real deal. These give a lot more design detail then any other plans for the hotel (in fact, for most other planning applications in general - it's not often you see 2 pages of plans on the council's website y'know!) and have to be handed over to RBC in early June. This IS happening!

Picture from SP's Facebook. These are going to look mighty cool when finished I reckon!

The plans do state that the dodgem cars will have a 'vinyl graphic' on them (linky - http://62.254.5.209/AnitePublicDocs/00141833.pdf ). I would have thought they have had done it off site, but I see no reason why they still can't be added on now (or even the Merlin-way of finishing it off a couple of weeks after opening... ).

^Was literally just about to post that. It looks pretty swish in my opinion. Here's that that 2018, 12 whole years after the original plans were submitted, will finally be the year the Thorpe Park Hotel is finally open!

Interesting post on the MAP Facebook page... 'Preview' for Angry Birds 4D...

Your avatar is of you on Talocon at Bantasialand.

Looks like a fun ride, but wouldn't want that manufacturer at Thorpe. Thorpe and Merlin can afford better (and probably have good work relationships with the best), and that ride looks like it could develop a terrible rattle in a few years. In other words - yes to the style of ride (air time, twisty, etc.), no the the manufacturer.

Probably worth stating that I've read CBEEBIES Land is costing £8million. EDIT: Sorry, only just seen this: It fits in a darn site better with Inferno than with Birds fired at each other! Errr...How? Wording it like that, a drop tower doesn't fit in with either theme! But the idea of explosions fits in better with Angry Birds (black bird with it's explosion special power, the TNT blocks, etc.) than with a volcano.

^Fair point. You can added theming to around the bottom of the tower and in the queue line. It's something which would work well with any drop tower in creating a great atmosphere. Would have been good to have a 'TNT' box structure around it; fits nicely with the theme of the ride and the Angry Birds theme too. Shame that hasn't happened. I wonder if it was ever looked into though... Also, Benin, my point more related to the fact that Thorpe have £3million for this project (whether that includes the IP or not, I do not know, but I'm assuming it did). That's what they have and there's no use arguing that point. Given that they've only got £3million for the project, I think what we'll likely end up with is going to be good. Of course, we'll wait and see if that ends up being the case, but just my personal expectations from a fanboy-perspective. I agree with what you're saying though (in response to Marc), about low budgets, etc. Merlin are the second largest (in terms of visitors) theme park operator in the world, so why can't they splash a bit more cash, especially into 'smaller investments'? After all, it's all well and good having these brilliant big investments, but if the small investments are stupid, then you're not going to create a good park. Maybe it is a case of them not spending money as effectively as they should or something else. Who knows? But whatever it is, it needs addressing. My point about Scorpion Express was about the amount they added in in the couple of weeks prior to opening. It looked like a joke, but the park did add in quite a lot (both big and small things) in the last couple of weeks. I was trying to draw on a possible parallel that a lot can be added in a short timescale and can actually look quite decent. As said, I'm not a fan of the ride itself and in fact totally agree with what you said about the ride.

You are about to embark on a BANtical procedure as part of the Marmalisation process.

Ah, I see. My original post was referring to why it's not stupid that Detonator is in Angry Birds Land and not about having the ride GFK mentioned.

I do see where you're coming from about those bits being 'lazy' (I don't necessarily agree, what with budget constraints, etc., but I see where you're coming from). However, I just don't think at this stage we can definitely say 'Well, this was lazily done' until it opens. Even looking at Scorpion Express, whilst I'm not a fan of it, you look at how much was done in the last couple of weeks before opening and can be surprised at the quality from that timescale. The thing is, with Detonator, as soon as Pirates 4D went (which was 7 years ago now...), there's absolutely no relevance to fit Detonator in with the surrounding area. Even before then, the idea of pirates and a tropical land is all very shoehorned together, since there was no real link between the two in the area itself. The splitting Amity in half is a weird one. On the one side, it feels stupid to split up an area and create thematic confusion. But at the same time, was Amity already a mish mash of themes? Half of it is being flooded by a tidal wave and the other half is a speedway which doesn't seem to really care (or even acknowledge) that a tidal wave is hitting. So, on the other hand, I think splitting it up does no harm and creates more separate identities (Amity Cove and Amity Speedway) which can be utilised more. Still not sure what you mean here, sorry... Detonator is the only extreme ride in Angry Birds Land. There's no way they can add any other rides to the area (unless they incorporate Teacups once the Tetley sponsorship runs out). So where's another extreme ride coming into this? I'm confused. As I said as well, there's less Extreme Rides then 'Thrilling and Fun' rides on park now, it's just Thorpe have focused on the thrill rides for so long now people forget that. Angry Birds Land is still appealing to the family market and I bet loads of kids want to go. I don't see how Detonator, or the addition of another extreme ride elsewhere in the park, would affect that?

Not even sure what you mean here... Angry Birds Land consists of: -4D cinema (something for everyone, though likely with younger members of the family in mind). -Dodgems (something for everyone) -Detonator (1.3m ride, for the more thrill-orientated members of the family. Bare in mind that when someone hits about 8 or 9, they're likely going to be 1.3m tall). Just like Ryan said, there's something for everyone. Having Detonator in the area makes more sense to me than not including it - you broaden the appeal of the area and it is the very definition of a family area in my opinion. It's not like having Detonator in the area is adding to the overall number of thrill rides on park either. In fact, there's more 'Thrilling and Fun' rides on park now than 'Extreme Rides', with the introduction of Angry Bird Land.

Family does not mean you can't have thrill rides though!!!

Hate to use the old cliché, but how can you tell something will be lazily done if it's not finished yet? And, with Detonator, what extensive retheming can they do? Change the logo, have a couple of models around and some audio. There's not much you can do to theme an outdoor, 115ft drop tower, is there? I still don't get why people think Detonator fits in well with Inferno (and, by extension, the tropical theme that once was Calypso Quay)? It's a drop tower about a controlled explosion - how does that fit in with a volcano?

Just to point out, recent planning applications have mentioned that the next coaster won't exceed 164ft, so I'd be surprised if the next coaster was taller than Stealth. Equally, I'd be surprised if any coaster taller than Stealth is built at Thorpe any time soon.

Press Release from the park - https://www.thorpepark.com/media/1675/angry-birds-land-opens-24-may-2014.pdf Doesn't really say anything new really. Confirms all the effects in the cinema and that the 7 3D models used during Easter will of course be a part of the Land. Baring in mind the small area the land takes up, to have all of those models in the area should look nice. Also states a 'meet and great' with Red Bird, which will be...interesting. One other thing I think it noteworthy from the release, though not relating to Angry Birds Land itself, is how when they list the major coasters later on, Saw is mentioned last, and it's defining feature (horror film) isn't mentioned there, but instead in the 'About' section at the end. Usually, the Press Releases mention Swarm, then Saw, then Stealth, then Colossus and finally Inferno, and stating their defining feature. Given that Saw's defining feature isn't mentioned in the key part of the text, it shows just how much they want to lean away from anything that could be seen as family-unfriendly, since websites and newspapers usually just copy and paste from these releases when doing stories on the park.

But if you want to be technical, they're not woodies though, are they? They are still, technically speaking, hybrids, since are made of a combination of wood and steel. In my opinion, regardless of how the manufacturers or parks market it, it's a hybrid. No one goes around calling Th13teen a Pyschcoaster or whatever, but that's how it was marketed (thank goodness that's no longer the case though...). Just because a somewhere claims it to be a certain type, doesn't it is actually is.

You spelt Liseberg wrong

Here's a proper comparison: Film: Reality:

Listing your favourite ride as Debanator.

Owing to the closeness of the votes, just as an idea, why can't there be two meets? One to Paulton's / Oakwood and a smaller one to Thorpe, say. I assume Thorpe would be easier and more popular for younger members (due to closeness, etc.) and Paulton's / Oakwood would likely be a larger meet and have more interest with older members (especially Oakwood, due to the fact people would stay a night presumably?). I know Peaj is a busy man, so even if one of the Team is in charge of one of the meets, then it could work. That way, more trips and more happy peoples.

I wouldn't call any of the food at Thorpe a delicacy. There's nothing there that you can't eat anywhere else (sure, their doughnuts are hot, but you can get doughnuts anywhere. You can buy noodles anywhere, etc.), but that's not too big a deal to be honest. I like the advert overall. Still not entirely sure on the voice over (just not a fan of the voice, doesn't sound particularly exciting, more annoying really). But hey ho

Gerbany.

New advert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DknGVRWLLhg