JoshC.

This. It's something I tried touching upon a bit in my blog entry about Saw, but you've really hit the nail on the head with this bit. Whilst the area and theme is Merlin's perhaps typical "Make it derelict and ruined so we don't have to maintain it", it makes you feel secluded, remote and that you are about to enter a derelict warehouse. The sight of track and hearing Jigsaw's "GAME OVER" serve as a constant reminder that there is something a bit more dark inside, and it really works well. I have always said that I've disliked the traps on the outside, and said they're unimaginative or a bit silly, but the fact they're on the outside and discarded and covered in overgrown greenery / weeds, shows that this is perhaps what they are meant to be. So whilst some may criticise the queue and perhaps lazy theming, it will most definitely age well. I certainly enjoyed queueing for it today!

The ride is literally in pieces, with work being done throughout the day. The sign. The current state of Samurai. Basically all taken down. Am I right in thinking that Samurai doesn't get dismantled fully every closed season? Whatever the issue with this, it is a real shame. It just goes to show that whilst the park has all this room to expand, the main core of the park has areas which need developing, and there's rides which really don't have long left...

Maybe it is just that I haven't ridden any other Euro Fighters, or any other Gerstlauers, or many coasters, but there's something about Saw which works well. The theming and theme is a rather typical Merlin one. Looking at the major coasters Merlin have invested in their European parks since 2009 (Saw, Th13teen, Krake, Raptor and Swarm just to be clear), they all have dark, destructive, ruined and derelict themes, to some extent. Saw being the first was, compared to the rest, a rather lazy attempt at this sort of theme, which is a shame. However, with what they're working with, the exterior of Saw is spot on more or less. The inside is average to okay, and the outside is non-existent practically. However, one thing I notice is how you draw many comparisons to other Euro Fighters Benin. Whilst Saw may look as if it is lacking in certain areas, and perhaps even inferior to others, it doesn't make it a bad coaster, does it? I think the issue with Saw is that many people were expecting something which wasn't ever going to happen, or have drawn comparisons to other rides which - in turn - have clouded views on Saw. As you say, you rode Mystery Mine shortly after Saw, which affected your opinion. Perhaps I'd feel the same as you in the same situation, but it's the unfortunate situation where comparisons can affect our opinion too much, like with the Nemesis and Nemesis Inferno argument. As for how the ride, well, rides, I understand people find it rough, but I still just don't see it. Maybe it's to do with having not ridden many coasters, but there we go. No denying it's intense, but rough - no way.

Back in 2009, we were graced with arrival of a new coaster at Thorpe, yet again breaking the overall investment the park had spent on one attraction - £13.5 million, beating Stealth's £12 million (which, as we know, has now been beating again by The Swarm's overall investment). Before Saw - The Ride opened, fans were buzzing from excitement, and were hoping that the ride would perhaps be the park's best themed attraction, or at least the best since Tidal Wave opened in 2000. After all, Euro-Fighters are relatively cheap ride systems, and £13.5 million is a lot of money to spend. To top it off, the ride featured a dark section, and although many would've known about the surprises inside from the ride's plans and construction, everyone was hoping for something 'special'. Now, many people don't like Saw, for one reason or another. I am not one of those people; from my first ride, I loved it. It's by no means perfect, and it's not going to win any awards for the best roller coaster in the world - heck, it wouldn't win best coaster in the country. However, that doesn't mean it's not good; in fact, it's really good. But why do I think that? Firstly, the layout. The UK is often criticised for having short coasters, and whilst Saw isn't exactly long, it has a decent length and ride time. Not only that, but it is well paced - it's not a ride where everything happens at one point in the ride, then the rest of the ride is a bit of a filler. There's something interesting and exciting during the whole of the course. The indoor section is very good; for many, it's their favourite part of the ride. The hidden drop catches everyone off guard - even when I knew it was coming on my first ride, it still surprised me; the steepness of it! It's an element which really does pack a punch. After a quick MCBR, the barrel roll is highly enjoyable. Going through it rather slowly is a key to it's success; not only does it give you a chance to see the theming (talked about later..), but you really do 'feel' the inversion; you are lifted out of your seat, and put against the restraints, only to be plonked back on your seat. My trouble with many inversions is that they aren't always memorable, or that you don't realise you've been inverted. This is really one of those inversions which I do like. As for the outdoor section, it is completely different. Euro Fighters (and Gerstlauer in general) are known for quick, brash and intense ride experiences; this is exactly what you get. The trademark vertical lift is something I like, and can discomfort those who have never experienced one before. My least favourite part of the ride is actually the drop; the beyond vertical gimmick doesn't do it for me; every ride I feel as though I'm experiencing a 90 degree drop, followed by a 10 degree drop, followed by a curved drop in a matter of a second or two. It just doesn't feel worth it, especially for the roughness and head banging that occurs from it. The Immelmann loop and following turn are good elements which demonstrate the effective use of the 2x4 cars which work so well. The air time hill is my favourite one I've been on thus far; you really do feel the forces and the air time on it; much more than any of the other (few) coasters I've been on. Following the next MCBR comes my favourite part of the ride. The drop of the MCBR is amazing; gets me every time! Even though you can see it coming, it catches me off guard; which is why I enjoy it much more than the indoor drop. The dive loop is completely insane as well. Then you've also got the theming and effects. The station building is meant to be a derelict warehouse, and that's exactly what it looks like. Sure, it's the typical 'We're going to build a derelict, ruining theme so we don't have to maintain it', but it does work in this case. The outdoor queue section is okay, though the traps themselves are pretty uninspiring if I'm honest. The overgrown plants, however, are a touch which works well with the theme. The indoor queue wreaks of missed opportunities in my opinion; there's chance for much more than a couple of messages from Jigsaw. The station building is nicely styled I would say; but the major trouble with it is there's too much natural light. From where the cars come in after the ride to the slits between the panelling; too much natural daylight comes through. It ruins the effect and theme, which I think is a shame. The effects during the ride are good as well, when working. An effect which is probably not intentional, and possibly the same on many Euro Fighters is the 'safety lights' going out when the cars leave the station. If you're in the second row, for front row of the second car, you see the 3 green lights, which show that the restraints have locked, go off. If I'm honest, it worried me a bit - I was not expecting it to happen and thought there was a fault for a split second... The Billy puppet is good and scares people who recognise him, and the swinging axes and needle pit are brilliant. The shooting arrows feel like a bit of a wasted opportunity in my opinion; they're boring, and distract people who could be listening to Billy's pre-talk. I do love Jigsaw's dead body squirting warm water; first time riders are always shocked by that! One thing which I think lets the ride down is the audio, or lack of. Thorpe normally get audio for rides right, but I think they did fail a bit on both this and Saw Alive. So, why is Saw disliked by so many? The 'roughness'. The most common complaint of Saw I hear from both enthusiasts and the public is that the ride is 'rough'. Now, I personally have no trouble with it; I don't even think it's rough - Colossus is MUCH rougher.. I would call Saw intense, but is that an issue? Some coasters are smooth and elegant, some are intense; it just depends. I would say that the bottom of the main drop certainly does cause head-banging, but from someone who has had neck issues in the past, in all the rides I've had, I can safely say that only once have I had an issue with it. People have different thresholds for intense-rough, and have different likes in what they want their coaster to have, but I would never be able to call the ride 'rough'. The hype. At the time, everyone was expecting an epicly themed roller coaster and a truly immersive experience. We unfortunately did not get this, but instead got a 'ride of two halves', with a themed indoor section, and a pretty much unthemed outdoor section, which both offer different coaster experiences. People don't seem to like that for one reason or another, and therefore don't actually concentrate on what they've got.. The IP. There are many different views on IPs, from not liking them outright, to thinking they do wonders. The trouble is, the Saw IP is dying, perhaps already dead, and there's not that much Saw stuff directly linked in - they couldn't even get Tobin Bell to voice Jigsaw for goodness sake! I think many people who were also disappointed because they thought having an IP will inject loads of extra theming and such into the ride, when in fact it was a rushed idea which basically allowed the use of a name. So, I'm actually cutting this a little short if I'm honest. Maybe a part 2 or some sort on continuation will arise in the near future. Basically, long entry short, Saw is actually a really good coaster, despite the fan-hatred. It's only this season that I've realised just how much I like it, and it sits as my second favourite coaster, only behind Swarm. That's right, I prefer Saw to Nemesis Inferno, and just why that is is probably for another entry. Saw - The Ride: 7.5/10

Normally flat ride plans for the following season would've been released by now, though it really does depend on the ride type, height, size, location, etc. However, there's still a possibility for a new attraction next season. For example, Saw Alive's application wasn't made till November 2009. So, we could still see development next season past the Snooze Boxes; only time will tell.

Yeah, this really does confuse me - just makes no sense. As for this whole bridge connection to Swarm, I personally think it's rubbish. I believe Sunken Garden is the area near the bottom left, with a pool showing in it. Now, how can one build a bridge to Swarm from there without going onto Island A, whilst doing it cost-effectively. You can't really (it is physically doable, but just not worth it). Whilst you could build bridges from Island A, it would be pretty stupid really - the island has nothing, so they would have to build fences to stop people randomly exploring, and make them so you can't see a pile of dirt. Also, I really doubt the park would want that area to have public access in any way when they'd be developing in. So yeah, I really just can't see that happening.. (Though, every time I say something like that recently, it has happened, so I'll no doubt end up being wrong again.. :-P)

One thing I'd like to ask Mark; what would you have liked to have seen for a new attraction to Fright Nights? At the beginning of this thread, you said that you wanted: By the sounds of it, this is what The Passing will do. However, it seems as though you don't like the idea of it because it will cost and have a low throughput. Personally, I think it would be VERY difficult to create a high throughput maze which creates scares which are more than "an actor running at you, screaming and running away" for the duration. The maze will have a low throughput so the actors can spend more time scaring individuals, and the cost of it is in essence to keep queues down. I understand the issues, especially with the additional charges there already are, and problems with rides and Fastrack sales, but it seems that even though Thorpe are trying their best to improve the experiences of the mazes, that isn't enough. One thing which I didn't like about Experiment 10 last year was when some of the characters were seemingly helping us. I always felt that the general gist of the maze should be that we are being experimented on; whether that was made clear from the get-go, or whether we were meant to think we were visitors, who were then being used. From my personal experiences, the maze benefits best from a chaotic, brash and quick feel; you're not in control, and you have no chance to ask what's going on. For example, in my first go, when I was put into the room, the actor put his hand on the back of my head, guided me into the room whilst shouting "GET IN HERE". On one of my later goes, the actor opened the door, then put his hands on his head and said "Hands on you head. In here, quickly. Now don't move until I tell you." Don't get me wrong, this all sounds very worrying, but it's not making me scared - it's making me feel as though that I'm here for my safety, not to be experimented on. I do think the maze will continue to be one I will enjoy thoroughly, and whilst I don't mind a varying story, I do believe it need to have a central idea of 'You're being experimented on, you're not safe and have no friends in this laboratory'.

My trouble with charging extra for mazes at Thorpe is simply because they've already raised the prices. The prices tend to increase by a good £2/3 at least for Fright Night, and the majority of AP holders pay £5 to get in. So, it's not like anyone's expecting extra for nothing in essence. (I don't know what Alton do with their on the day prices for Scarefest; though I think they increase them as well?). I think when a park so regularly has a "one price for all" strategy, and then changes this for what is perhaps the most popular time of the year, it leaves a bit of a sour taste in the mouth. I also bet that many will also be a bit disappointed/shocked/annoyed when they find out that a ticket for The Passing is more like £5 on the day, when they've read about £3 tickets online. As I've said though, a charge for The Passing sounds reasonable, considering the experience it seems to be giving, and some of the logistical issues that may surround it.

My biggest problem is with people who claim they're in financial hardship one minute, then the next, go out and buy expensive things. I'm not too fussed whether that person is on benefits or has a job - if money is tight, cut back on your spending regardless of you job situation. For example, one person I know recently was saying about how she was "really struggling with money" and was "cutting back on luxuries and switching to supermarket basics products, etc."; the very next day, she bought a Jack Russell puppy for £250 - which now means she has 4 cats and 2 dogs. If money's THAT tight, why buy a new dog?

Well that's shut me up, hasn't it? Now this all sounds very exciting, doesn't it?! Last year, Experiment 10 begun to push the boundaries a bit, and stopped Thorpe's traditional conga line through a corridor approach. This year, I think we all wanted to see that continue with this new attraction, and I think it's safe to say we got what we wanted.. With regards to the body bag thing, it is only over the head. The site says a "hessian body bag", so it will be similar to this I would assume: I expect some will recognise these as the style of bags used to cover people's heads before (and during when) they are hung. The whole idea of this is nothing new however. At a theme park Halloween event, possibly, but in scare attractions, definitely not. Anyone remember http://forum.maniahub.com/topic/9563-new-over-18s-scare-attraction-this-june/]THIS[/url] event? I have read reviews about the attraction (I think it was on TTF, not sure), and they definitely used this or a very similar technique. The story to this maze sounds brilliant as well. I definitely think we are in for a case of something special, and I think a £3 charge is justifiable (going back on what I said earlier, funnily enough!). I wouldn't be surprised if we're in for another Experiment 10, in that people are split up as well. The main focus seems to be on the beginning of the maze (the head over the bag), when the whole maze is actually about passing into the afterlife and seeking salvation. But now, I've got a few slightly negative thoughts... -Like all of Thorpe's mazes, The Passing is recommended for those over 12. Now, maybe it's just me, but when I was 12, there was no way I'd have coped with the likes of Experiment 10 (being separated from my group), and I could barely cope with the standard conga line maze concept. I can't imagine there's many 12 year old who are perhaps able to cope with such extremities, unless of course it's toned down. I really do think Thorpe could (and should) increase the minimum recommended age to at least 15, simply so they have more lee-way, even if that hasn't stopped them pushing boundaries. -£3 is the early bird price, so no doubt it's going to go up to about £5/6 for on the day prices. -Could this end up being another Experiment 10, in that the first half of the maze is extreme and brilliant, and the second half is average-okay? I do hope and expect Thorpe have learnt from Experiment 10's first season and improved it, and also learnt how to do similar attractions (like this one), this could still happen. Fingers crossed though. I'm also happy to see the park-wide 'theme / story'; something I've always felt the park could do. The prison theme ties in nicely with The Passing, which is no doubt intentional, and it certainly looks like we're in for roaming actors and the like again - fantastic stuff! Perhaps a little early to say, but well done Thorpe for setting up what looks to be a brilliant event which they should quite nicely deliver upon! I'm really gutted at the distance I'll be from Thorpe for this event. Depending on early reviews, I may just have to consider the 5 hour round journey just for this attraction; it sounds that tempting..

Compared to Towers' pricing, it's not bad, but... Charging for a maze? Just no; I'm against the whole idea of it (including at Alton). I prefer the concept of 'one ticket for all', especially when the cost is so high, and Thorpe charge £5 for AP holders. Seems a bit weird that they'd confirm details such as those over the phone when they've yet to be announced. I really just can't believe this happening, and until an official announcement comes, I won't believe it..

A bit of an over-exaggeration there. Though not a good thing, the use of TV adverts instead of the specific Swarm-loop (possibly even for just one day), it in no way signals that the ride and ride area will look shoddy and need a paint job and TLC, like the picture you used - which is probably Thorpe's worst example, as well. Swarm will age well with time, especially if the additions over the past few months are anything to go by.

You know what I see there? A cross. With black and blue bits around it. There also seems to be a rectangle above the top of the cross with squiggles in it.. In my opinion, I really don't think there's much more to that clue than the cross itself.. Thorpe are definitely leading us down to a cemetery / dead theme here, but whether that's exactly what we're getting is perhaps a different matter. Highly doubt that this is a Swarm related-maze. The rumoured position of Hellgate / the old X extension queue may be unsuitable as a position (though I don't see it as an issue personally) and it would more be serving as a prequel to Swarm at best (seeinghow Swarm is based in current time, and the church is being struck / already invaded). In honesty, I'd be disappointed with a Swarm tie-in IF they are going for this cemetery / church idea, as there's much better routes which could be taken in my eyes, like Terenzi that AstroDan mentioned on the previous page. Time will only tell I guess.

I don't think The Sun's offer was all that popular. I sent my application form off a week after the closing date for applications (which, in the T&C, said "strictly no applications will be accepted after this date"), and I received them in a couple of days. Couldn't see that happening if the offer was extremely popular... But hey, I could be wrong about this.

To be fair, Thorpe's current promotion for the new attraction at FN is only slightly less cryptic than Sanctuary's, and as such is being prolonged over days, rather than hours. It will no doubt get a full announcement by the end of the week...

My first thought after I heard this... After hearing that it's on constantly... I do hope they aren't doing this permanently, and this was just a glitch or something. Not only would it ruin the atmosphere a bit, it would be a shame to see a very good video which obviously had a lot of thought put into it used for only a few months...

As a clever Facebooker pointed out, 'HATED' is an anagram of 'DEATH'. Couples with the turning in the grave thing, a maze themed around death / a cemetry seems likely?

That is right by the entrance isn't it Jack? If so, those doors might be from back when The Showcase was used for shows? Or possibly be used as storage for stuff?

Surely they've got that pretty much covered with Asylum? Basically crazy patients that have been locked away. Unless you were thinking of something quite different to how Asylum currently is?

(Film posters with one letter removed..)

As a side-by-side comparison. Looks very similar in my opinion; as if Thorpe have drawn inspiration from it. Would love to see a maze which furthers Experiment 10's concept of forcing you into situations which aren't just walking in a conga line; being controlled by people into doing things against your will and such. Not sure how feasible that would be, however.

Ah, didn't think of that actually. Would've thought though that, considering Se7en is not present, they would have had some sort of idea of a new attraction replacing it. Meh, not really like it's important; there's a new attraction replacing an old one, which is what matters when it comes down to it..

Confuzzled - there is an 'edit' button in the bottom right hand corner of your posts. Rather than posting again and again, why not use this to add more information; it is rather annoying seeing consecutive posts... Strange that there's no specific mention of a new attraction in those pages though.

10 times this year. 2-3 more visits planned with a bit of luck. 5 of those visits were in the first month and a bit of opening.. Normally would have somewhere in the region of 15-18 visits so far, but things happened which stopped that..