JoshC.

I count that as 42 seats per ride. That video leads me to think that, as it is, you're looking at about 5-6 minutes between rides, so a nice maximum throughput of 220pph. Even if you half the ride time, or even reduce it to a third, you're not going to get more than 500pph on that thing. Something with that low a throughput at Thorpe? No thanks. Looks like quite a repetitive ride after a while, so would lose appeal quickly.. Would ride it given the chance (and if the price was right), but if that ever appeared in any theme park (especially in the UK), I'd lose my faith in humanity just a bit...

Well played Mark, well played...

Source? If so, looks like I'm not going to Chessington till the Summer... EDIT: Please don't tell me I've been April Fooled...

Just a quick question - are Thorpe still going to respond to questions sent in on the Questions to Thorpe Park subforum / will they be in the future? Also, a quick suggestion - can the names of this topic and the other Feedback topic be altered, maybe to 'Feedback of the Forums' and 'Feedback of the Site'? Just a bit confusing!

Week ban for Mr 9?

Regarding sleep.. As Benin says, set a routine up. If you want to get to sleep by a certain time (say 11pm), get in bed (as in, in your bed, in your pyjamas or whatever, with only a desk-side light or something) about half an hour before you plan to go to sleep and do something relaxing. Whether it's reading a book, watching the news (if you're lucky enough to have a TV in your room) or playing a relaxing game on your phone - anything which you find relaxing. It will calm you down and should tired your eyes a bit. When it hits the time you want to sleep, stop, and try to sleep. Whilst it may not happen immeadiately, your body will get used to the routine sooner or later - hopefully sooner - and huzzuh, it works. It's also a much better way to get to sleep rather than staying out of bed till you're literally too tired to do anything but sleep, as it gives you wind-down time; something people all too often forget to do. The idea of staying awake for a ridiculous length of time is not good. Whilst it may sort out your sleeping habit in the short term, it's not going to help in the long term as, ultimately, you haven't dealt with the root of the problem - you don't have a sleeping routine. You'll have to do this sleep starvation again and again and it will become a more regular occurance, which is just even worse for your body.

I'm just waiting for some Smiler marmalade. Marmalisation Marmalade anyone?

Detanator ORPs are no longer available; they stopped them this season after only a couple of seasons. The photo was taken near the end of the drop, so it did capture nice expressions. Trouble was it wouldn't always be in time or get whole groups in one picture.

Boring old fart alert... Turn off the laptop, get a power nap. It's not healthy and it's Easter Sunday. Enjoy some chocolate and a bit of time with family or something.

Not torn down and replaced with an Intamin Aquatrax?

It was on the front page!

So X hasn't even been open a day and there's already a POV of it? Sigh, enthusiasts...

Love this song at the moment. Absolute quality stuff. <3

(Picture taken from The Coaster Guy's FB). Full Throttle's track is merging Looks...interesting. Them supports though; bleurgh.

To be honest, as with a lot of this project, I don't have a blooming clue just what is going on!

I disagree with you here. Swarm and X have had improvements which have improved their presentation. Inferno has had it's tunnel and station improved, Detonator has new restraints, Depth Charge has new boats, Saw's effects have been working fine and dandy and so forth. I'd say this year has been pretty darn good for presentation of rides (and general presentation inside the park); the Loggers tunnel, as poor as it is presentation-wise in my opinion, isn't a reflection on Thorpe's presentation of rides.

That needle looks quite comical doesn't it? I guess that's the point though in a way? Maybe it's just me, or the fact I haven't seen it in person / complete, but not sold on how those legs have turned out. I think that had the legs looked like a 'solid mass' as opposed to the 'criss cross / beam' design they would've looked even more imposing. But the way it looks in those pictures, it just doesn't feel right to me; can't really explain why. Not disregarding it or anything (I almost feel bad for having any form of criticism about it), and I have no doubts that once it's finished it will look amazing, but I'm just not entirely sure on the design at the moment.

Well, according to Theme Park Collective's FB page, it opens at 12 today!

The 1.4m height restriction on a dark ride I assume is a nod to Sub Terra? Wasn't the reason for that because that was deemed scary and it was easier than putting in an 'age restriction' as marketed? To be honest, I'm not surprised that it has OSTRs, but I don't see why they couldn't have had lap bars. Gerstlauer are known for tight elements and lap bars have worked with other rides. There's no doubt a reason for not having lap bars and I don't think it was because 'they couldn't'. But yeah, as said the trains look fab. Just what I wanted really.

Only one train operation today!

Gonna bring this back up... Fastrack. If it's going to be sold for roller coasters, such roller coasters MUST be on full capacity. Seeing Fastrackers being able to skip queues on a busy weekday whilst the coasters are on one train (or 5-6 cars in the case of Saw) is, quite frankly, ludicrious.

Queues were horrendous today for Swarm. The announcements around the area were saying 35 minutes for forwards, 30-45 minutes for backwards. Reality was 70 minutes backwards and something around the hour mark for forwards. The backwards queue system also fails when staff forget to hand out tickets and those who are queueing to go forwards in the station are able to go to the backwards rows and say they weren't handed a ticket... I do dread how this is going to end up on busy days. :/

I heard from a member of staff today that X should open "at the end of March or beginning of April". He also said that Ministry of Sound are involved with X, and it includes a £30,000 light show. (This was heard by a staff member who worked on Swarm, so a different ride area to X I think, so take that for what you will. )

Is it me or do they look a slightly different style to OTSR on Eurofighters? Hasn't surprised me really, would've liked to have had lap bars, but it's not the end of the world, ey? EDIT: Better view here. They look great! http://www.the-smiler.com/latest-news/the-smiler-ride-cars-arrive/