JoshC.

Back in 1995, Thorpe Park was an extremely different place. Rather than being an island screaming out to the world about its thrills and spills, it was a quaint little family theme park, that kept itself to itself. Instead of the skyline being dominated by the likes of Stealth and Swarm, a large diving pole was the centre point, with Loggers Leap and Depth Charge being the highest rides on park at 60ft and 40ft respectively (and yet wouldn't really obstruct the skyline from outside the park too much). A year later, that dramatically changed. The park's first non-powered coaster landed, and concealed itself in a large, 50ft-odd (anyone know the exact height of it? ) blue and terracotta pyramid. 1996 was the year X:No Way Out arrived on park. It was the last investment made by the park's first owners, RMC, and no doubt their biggest, though an exact figure seems to be unknown. The ride was the first backwards in the dark roller coaster to ever be built, and I think to this day, remains the only one which completes its circuit going wholly backwards in the dark. I think many enthusiasts forget to consider X in the perspective of when it was built. As I've tried to get across, Thorpe didn't have much in the way of 'big rides', they weren't that sort of park at the time. X changed that and, to me, signalled the beginning of the change from this little park to the thrill park we have today (with the consecutive investments of Colossus and Nemesis Inferno truly showing that Thorpe wasn't just going to be 'a theme park', it was to be a 'thrill park'). It dominated the park's skyline, and was something completely different and unique. I've made no secret that, recently, I really like X. I don't quite know what it is about it, but it has a certain charm to it that really appeals to me. But before I explain why I like it so much, let's rewind a bit - all the way back to 2004. My first visit of the 2004 season saw my first visit to a theme park when I was over 1.4m tall. Having visited the park all of my life and seen 'big rides' such as Colossus and Nemesis Inferno installed, I was really looking forward to finally be able to go on such rides. However, for some reason, X ended up being my first 1.4m ride; really not sure why, but hey-ho. As strange as it sounds, just before going in the building, I was scared. So scared, in fact, that I was nearly took into the pyramid kicking and screaming... When I look back, I don't quite understand why. I'd been into the pyramid before and all around the queue the year before (and the waited in the control cabin whilst family went on the ride). I knew the ride went backwards in the dark, and I knew it wasn't 'too scary'. Yet, going into the pyramid knowing I'd be riding the ride scared me. The X:No Way Out entrance before Storm Surge ruined it. Photo taken from Wikipedia. Anyways, moving on. I plucked up the courage to go on and...I was disappointed. The ride bored me, to the extent that I started just having 'general chit chat' whilst on the ride. The ride was random, seemed pretty poor and just lacked any substance. Then when the nine year old me later compared it to the likes of Colossus and Inferno, what else could I think? After then until the end of the 2006 season, I think I rode it about 2-3 times. The worst testament a ride can get to a regular visitor is that such visitors don't ride it, even when they're going on other rides time and time again. Then came 2007. 2007 was around about the time I started discovering enthusiast sites and forums, and started reading them with interest. I guess you could say that was the time when I realised my love for theme parks (or, at that time, Tussauds' Parks) was actually an enthusiasm; a hobby. 2007 was also when X apparently got it's '£600k refurb' thing. So, that drew me in to give X another go. And I did. Yet, to me, little had changed. It was the same old boring ride which was stuck in the past. It still didn't blow me away. Now we fast forward to 2009. I don't quite know what it was, but this was a turning point for me and my opinion on X. It had finally dawned on me that X served a purpose different to any other ride at Thorpe. It was meant to be random, it wasn't meant to make sense or to be taken as a serious thrill ride in the park (at least, not now - maybe when it opened, it would have been different). And it was that realisation that changed my whole view on X from a ride which seemed to be taking up valuable space to a ride which was high on my 'to do list' for almost every visit. The experimentations with the ride since then, such as turning the lights on in 2010, the 'techno' music, flashing lights and so forth have been of much entertainment to me as well. In a way, it's said to me that X is not only a random ride and one that shouldn't be taken as a serious ride, but it's a ride which shouldn't be taken seriously at all. When you see it in such a light-hearted way, it does what it's meant to do perfectly. The X entrance and opening plaza is now ruined by Storm Surge. As a side note, I like how the entrance is still so unassuming about what is contained in the pyramid. (Apologises about the poor quality!) That's enough about the whole history of my opinion on X. I think it's clear that I have developed a love for X; even if it's just because it's got a "so bad that it's good" feel to it. But, why exactly does it have 'No Way Out' of my heart? One thing I have a trouble with is how words like 'iconic' are thrown around so much (not just in the theme park world, but in general) that they become worthless. Rides that have a meaning to you are like your personal icon rides, and as such, they should be special, not just every other ride. I think this shows just how much I appreciate X. I think the reason it is so special to me is that, as I've said, it's a ride which has sorta shown that a ride's purpose and direction, and how that purpose is marketed, is so important. In a way, a bit like Th13teen - Th13teen was marketed as a thrill ride, yet its purpose was a family ride. It was poorly received at first, but now the thrill hype has gone away, it's a success. But X is different. It has always been marketed as a thrill ride and that it should be a serious thing. However, that's not what it is and not its purpose, and until you 'get' that, you cannot appreciate X. And this is the real shame - most people won't 'get' that, due to the misrepresentation of the ride itself. And that brings me nearly to the end. I'm not going to go into any details about the ride experience, the theming, the audio and so forth like I would if I were to 'review' a ride. Personally, I think that would be unnecessary; a ride doesn't have to be defined as 'good' to be special to someone. However, I want to bring up one final point. To those of you that read my views on The Antelope at Gulliver's World, you may remember I ended by saying that I feel the more I've become an enthusiast, the more I lose the reason why I became an enthusiast - "the innocent enjoyment of a ride". Yet, strangely, it seems that with the case of X:No Way Out, it is the very opposite - the more I've become an enthusiast, the more I've grown to appreciate and, in turn, enjoy, rides more. Peculiar.

I found Oblivion's lift quite rattly when I last went on it. But other than that, smooth as a baby's bottom. T'is B&M after all. <3

What's the worst that can happen? I've found all the sponsporships on Tidal Wave to be okay. The current Dr. Pepper, though against the theme a bit, isn't exactly in your face or ruins anything about the ride (in my experience).

I've only had one bad experience at Bar 360 in recent years, which was a near hour wait in 2011 for Blow It Up, along with some bits of foil being found left on the ribs. I guess the extra business was somewhat down to it being early evening and people wanted a large meal before the fireworks show. But other than that, all good. Certainly worth a second chance!

Typical closed season comment #22 right there.

5 years would last till the end of this season (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013). Personally, I don't think it would be particularly hard to change. As others have said, there is little Saw-related stuff. Of what there is, it could easily be removed and replaced, or Thorpe may actually own it themselbes now. To be honest, I think when it comes to the queue line videos and the TV before the lift hill, Thorpe and Merlin could do a better job than with what there is now, especially if the theme was converted to an abandoned warehouse / sawmill. I guess it comes down to public opinion. If enough people are liking Saw for having the Saw name in it, Thorpe would try their upmost to make the agreement last as long as possible.

Flamingo Land apparently confirmed at a 'Great Days Out' show in Manchester that they are getting a Zamperla 'Junior Twister Coaster' this year as well - http://www.zamperla.com/en/zamperla-details-rollercoaster-junior_twister_coaster The location is the former driving school spot. The rumoured Volare will apparently go where the Wild Mouse used to be as well, making it quite a tight fit. So, it seems that rather than going for one decent investment, they've struck a deal with Zamperla and got a couple of poor rides cheaply...

The element isn't actually called that as far as we know. I believe the nickname for it came up on TST a few months ago. I hope AT don't start publicising that element as 'the Staffordshire knot', as it goes against the theme of the ride (well, what we know of it) and just doesn't seem worthwhile. Enthusiast nickname, seems okay, but not as an official thing or anything. But hey, let's knot get tied up in names of elements?

Ah, fair enough. It does seem to be case though that Merlin outlets are a bit hit and miss with speed, and it can come down to luck sometimes, but I just seem to be lucky!

I'm not sure if that's directed at me, RideAddict or both of us, but I've given my reasons with the problems of BK:

The billboard was officially confirmed by the park when they released details of it going backwards? One thing I did notice that confused me: It says from the 10th March, but the park opens on the 14th no? :S

Sunday 31st is Easter Sunday I think. Bank Holidays tend to be a bit unpredictable in my opinion, with some being quiet and some being busy, so I'd say avoid that as it's not worth the risk really if you're going with people who don't visit often / visit rarely. I don't normally do Sundays so I can't really give much more insight to be honest. The 17th is during Open Weekend, which again could mean it's quiet or busy, but likely relatively quiet. The 24th seems like a pretty good date if I'm honest, though the 17th shouldn't be too bad either. Both those dates are 10am-6pm, so even if it is a bit busy, you should get everything done easily! As I say, I don't normally visit on Sundays - so others may be able to be a bit more helpful. Hope this helps though.

FTW - for the win. Standard internet abbreviation. F&C - Fish & Chips. FCC - Fried Chicken Co. All pretty common abbreviations here which are easier to say; just like with KFC. I hope BK does leave Thorpe to be honest. In my experiences, the Merlin owned food outlets aren't slow at all, bar Bar 360 and similar 'restuarants'. In my experiences, Burger King has never been particularly great, especially compared to quality of the other places at Thorpe, and a Merlin equivalent of it would well received I think.

TTF have posted an article with regards to The Smiler's merchandise - http://old.towerstimes.co.uk/news/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1360264498&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1,10,11 So, the shop will only have Smiler merchandise, nothing else, and there's 82 different products!? Looks like my wallet will end up being very light after my trip(s) to AT this season...

Isn't horse meat a regular thing in other countries, such as France, anyway? I think the thing I'm concerned about is the misrepresentation of the product, which should be the only concern for the public. Anything else is over reaction and fear mongering in my eyes.

Well maybe it should burn to ground ASAP, then none of this would be happening? But I do agree, I seem to be the only so far who has expressed a great dislike to Slammer as a ride. All other negative comments are about the reliability / operations - so I don't see why people think there's great negativity towards the ride itself? I'll leave the Slammer discussion alone now - think I've gotten my opinion across too well!

Have a pint on me then; that should build your confidence back up a bit!

A couple more photos from Cedar Point's Facebook:

I'd wait until it looks less of a construction site before jumping to any sort of conclusions. It'll look much better when it's not a construction site and has trains flying through it. <3

The fact that on the TV advert mentioning Smiler they say 'New Ride opens May 2013' in the small print makes me think they're confident that it will opening in May. Of course, some may say 'Well, they must have been confident about it opening in March originally, so that means nothing', but the fact that they accepted it wasn't going to open then makes me hope / think that new schedules that were made would leave plenty of time for the ride to be finished fully - I don't see why they would advertise a new date if they weren't confident of the ride being open then. In other words, I expect the ride will open in May, no worries.

Mexican Cantina was my favourite last season; but Amity Kebab and Roast Relish! Bar 360 is for when I'm feeling rich, but is still very nice. Presumably we're going to be getting a Burger Kitchen this season? BK is going at AT and Chessie, and I think there were only banner signs for the Canada Creek one near the end of last season, so would make sense. If BK does go, hopefully we don't just get two Burger Kitchens - would like to see some variety! As for PH - never go. Too expensive, too busy and not a wide enough variety compared to regular Pizza Huts.

http://www.newsparcs.com/en/article/00006007-how_bolliger_mabillard_established_its_strong_reputation_interview_with_director_walter_bolliger A great article about B&M, featuring quotes from Walter Bolliger. Nothing particularly groundbreaking, but still an interesting read!

It's interesting you claim that there's hate for Slammer from this forum / online forums in general, yet the most recent Theme Park Awards had Slammer voted as the UK's best flat ride by members on this very forum. Just a bit of food for thought for you.

I've only just read your Raptor vs Swarm battle Mark, and I have to say, I really enjoyed it. Usually I don't like seeing comparisons between rides due to all the different factors that are taken into consideration when they're being designed and such, but I think the way you compare them in 'rounds' works really well! Do hope you do more in the future. Would be particularly interested in seeing a battle of some B&M Inverts.