JoshC.

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Oh, that's quite cheap actually... :$I thought extra costs though, like the need for having to stay at one of the park hotels bumping up the cost or something? I do remember the sole reason for me not going was the cost, then to hear about people getting money back was a right kick in the teeth!Still, Thorpe could make a whole lot more charging a hundred odd quid pp for a tour-like event, than turning it into an AP day like event..

It sounds a little bit like the planned Th13teen event, which was meant to cost, what, £300?Thorpe wouldn't give a tour like that for a small cost when they can do £300pp

Rush gets this 'major attention', if you will, on a three yearly basis. I believe they've received some new parts from S&S this closed season as well. As for something else that isn't Swarm related...maintenance is ahead of schedule this year, mainly due to the fact that there hasn't been large amounts of adverse weather (ie snow) this year, when compared to previous seasons.

It's 'apparently' still registered to fly. From what I'm aware, it will be bashed up a little. Whether the blades are smashed up is a different matter.As a fun fact of the day, one of Thorpe's engineers is a fan of planes, which helped in the finding / building of plane parts. Also, the plane wing that you dive under is a mock one, as using a plane wing with the engine shells would not have been long enough. The engine shells, however, are real.

I think we can say that there won't be any repaints going on this closed season, at least for major rides. Surely they would've started by now?A Colossus repaints isn't really something that I feel is essential, but nonetheless would be good. I'd prefer them to sort it out in a couple of years time, maybe the 2013/14 closed season, and then not add any new rides for 2014. Then, in general, repaint / retheme / rename a couple of rides and bring some life back into older rides, rather than always focusing on something new. As for improving Thorpe this closed season, I'd really just like to see them sort out ride effects and audio. Give Canada Creek a little redesign, open it up a bit perhaps now CCR is gone, and just make sure the rides and their effects have the ability to last all season relatively smoothly.

Oblvion is a good, all round ride, but I can't call it world class, for one reason...As soon as you reach the end of the ride, and are waiting to go back in the station, hearing the Lord of Darkness say there is no escape, etc etc completely ruins everything - the build up from the area, the queue, the station, everything. A world class ride, for me, cannot end by ruining the story..

I find it pretty poor to be honest.The launch is about all there is to the ride. Okay, I 'get' that that's the point, but it just doesn't do 'it' for me - it's not the comfiest or most re-ridable of rides. There's slight quirkiness in the theming, and the audio is okay, but Stealth is a ride I can go without doing on a Thorpe visit, and it is for those reasons which is why I, perhaps slightly harshly, rated it 'poor'.

Probably look at 1.96m as a max. restriction, like with many other rides. Not too sure though..

Not strictly true.. ;)A locus is a collection of points that share the same property. A circle is a locus of points that share a constant, fixed distance from the same point. So, technically, the body of mass travels along the course of a locus, not around it. (At least, that's what I've always been taught )[/end pendent]

As nice as it is that it's testing now, I'm not really overly excited at seeing a couple of pictures of it at a couple of points on the track if I'm honest. Heck, even seeing a video from Monk's Walk won't get that much more excited than I already am for this - nothing really beats hearing the lift hill, the sound of the wheels and such. Sorry if it seems like I'm party-pooping, but seeing a couple of pictures showing trains round a circuit isn't really something 'exciting' for me..But anyways... WOO TESTING!!

Just to throw this out here...Looking at the plans, after the vertical section of track, there's just a small dip in the track and then a turn, I believe? If so, that doesn't seem like the best of ideas to go into after a launch, whatever the speed - would feel very uncomfortable / neck-braking in my view.Just a point to make about this vertical launch section, which I hope doesn't happen if I'm honest..

Which I believe is the same time for the Ride it First competition?Loads of UK Merlin attractions have these VIP launch things, so doubt Swarm will be any different..

With the trains looking almost exactly like that concept art, I think some people who were saying that 'Swarm won't have fire effects just because the concept art says so' might be reconsidering their views now..

I don't think we'll being seeing any sort of launch on the lift hill at all. I get the feeling that the point of the first inversion is to go through it slowly and steadily, create suspense and tension; build up the scare factor if you will.After all, loads of rides can through inversions quickly, but few can go through them slowly and use it as a form of suspense.

Liam quoted this on the previous page, and I'm quoting this on this page too, taken from the noise report.If nothing else, this gives us a very strong suggestion that SW7 is by Gerstlauer. To be quite frank, I'm getting slightly annoyed by loads of different forums arguing what manufacturer it is. There is one line in one of the more important reports that gives us a strong indication to the manufacturer, so where's all this argument of 'Oh, it will manufacturer x, y or z?' coming from!? I'm all for looking through the plans and working out things from them, but when we're more or less told something from the plans, where's all the 'Oh, the plans are wrong!!!!' coming from.

SFTW is one of those shows that, for some reason, I just like. I don't know what it is, but I find myself every Sunday watching it and enjoying it. One of the few times I'm actually prepared to join one of these pointless Facebook groups tbh..

It won't be the used audio.On a different note, I've heard rumours that testing could be happening as early as next week..! Exciting times..

I believe, then, that the rumours going round may be a misunderstanding / lack of knowledge of the revised idea. I for one did not know of this revision, and didn't know there was a plan to connect said pond to Manor Lake, but meh.

I've heard the same rumour said by a couple of people on these forums (I think due to water contamination or something weird like that), but have never know of any documentation available to back it up.

Just thought I'd let you know Sheepie, and anyone else who may have been interested, that I'm not going to do one for Cheesie now, simply because I didn't go there enough to make it feel worthwhile. Depending on how well this year turns out for me, I'll probably end up doing another Thorpe one and maybe a Cheesie one for this upcoming season.

It was, of course, a pun on the character's personality.

I'd say this year they've been rather good.Anyone who says Lez Cougan acting (and police officers to go with that) shows Entertainments to be a flop would have to be crazier than Cougan himself. The roaming FN actors this year were also great this year. Heck, I'd say that Saw Alive has been pretty good this season round too. So, though not the best it could be, Entertainments are in no way a flop, and I'm hope for an acting presence or two around the Swarm island this season and beyond.

To add to this, I think Gerstlauer bashing comes from how, in the UK, they were more used at 'smaller' parks, not the big name parks people relate to the UK. I don't have a problem with them, and think that their designs are pretty great ones. This. This new ride is just maniac, and I think the compact design of it really adds to the experience. I'm a fan of Saw, and certainly think that it would be better if those elements were more compact. Also, with rides such as Anubis, Novgorod and Takabisha from Gerstlauer, this attraction is VERY promising.