JoshC.

A look at some work that's been going on at the entrance, including some ugly new fences and the repurposing of the WWTP van as a food outlet: https://www.instagram.com/p/CMpBD6LB68M/ Rush's swings have also been reattached and I'm somewhat optimistic they can get that back open for when the park opens.

It's not implausible, but I just don't see it happening. Fair rides generate a lot of money. I would be genuinely surprised if it Alton Towers would, yearly, offer enough money to fair operators that they see it as more enticing to lend ride(s) to Towers than keep them on the fair circuit. Especially once fairs actually reopen and the operators are travelling again. There's the other side of the coin as well that eventually it would be cheaper for Towers to buy a ride than hire one every year. Sure, you lose the yearly variety / mix up, but long term it's cheaper, which ultimately is a plus for them. If their Oktoberfest event, for example, continues and expands, I could see the temptation there to bring in a ride or two for the event. That would be pretty cool. Logistically a huge challenge given fairs are hugely popular that time of year and the park have Halloween preparations too, but could happen, especially with a good relationship. It certainly isn't something to dismiss, but I do see it as unlikely. And honestly, I hope it doesn't happen and we instead see permanent ride installations in the future.

Fright Nights has received 5 SCAR nominations for this year's ScareCON: Fearstival Arena - Best Costume and Make Up All scare zones - Best Original Concept and Design All scare zones - Best Roaming Characters Best Theme Park Halloween Event Best Adjustments to COVID Last year was obviously a very different, depleted line up for the scare industry in general, but I do think in general the park made the best out of a bad situation last year. It might not have been the best event out there last year, but genuinely think they did a decent job and deserve the recognition for it.

Seat belts on most coasters exist usually either to reassure guests, or to help with evacuations (it allows staff to control the flow of people who get off the ride, especially if the system opens multiple restraints). Parks rarely add these things on later for the fun of it, so I wonder if it's something their own H&S team have decided to do to assist with evacuations, or if it's a feedback thing from guests? I'd guess (and hope for) it to be the former. Hopefully it doesn't affect throughputs too much.

From what I understand, the funfair rides have been hired from fair operators and they will be operated by the fairground staff. As such, I would expect little modifications made to the rides themselves (though it would be nice). I'd also be surprised if they stayed beyond this year. It's a mutually beneficial situation. Towers get extra rides to spread numbers about (and maybe show the powers that be at Merlin flat rides are necessary investments). The ride owners make money whilst fairs aren't allowed to open. Win win. Come 2022, fairs should hopefully be allowed to open, and Towers might be in a better situation. If Towers wanted to buy one of the rides, it would probably be easier to buy it for new from a manufacturer.

I know a couple of years back Thorpe looked at replacing the bag room with lockers which were somehow synced with the ride / riders. As you say, Saw is tricky, especially if it's an odd number of cars, as then it's not always the case that the same two cars offload every time, like with 8 cars. Ultimately, I think cost was the prohibiting factor then. Obviously if this is just straight budget cuts I can't imagine they would do something which was previously considered too expensive. Equally though, I guess it's still within the realm of possibility they would consider just cutting it if they have to save money.

Who loves low quality images of trains on tracks? EVERYONE OF COURSE (sourced via Coasterforce, original source unclear)

Absolutely no reason - just wishful thinking on my part! (I admit it looks unlikely and probably is just a boat and jetty, but I'm in that 'overly-optimistic-season-is-almost-here' mode)

3 weeks can be a long time, but remember that during those 3 weeks the ride will be testing regularly for staff training. Whilst something could still be done, it takes away time from training whilst it's installed, checked for safety, etc. And I believe that the ride has been running for training lately. And in any case, here's an image from early 2019 (lifted from Google Maps of course): Compare with the image EpicSmatty posted: We can see the new theming has already been installed. Maybe there's more to add to it though. As I say, at this stage I'm expecting that when the pool is filled with water, it will look like a boat that's there is sinking, and the rest could be for some sort of special effect, like some sort of water splash/fountain/explosion. But no idea really, so curious to see what it is.

Yes upon another look I realised that the current placement is awful (and I assume that will be the location it's set to stay in). And not very good for Covid. Frankly, most of the time bag rooms are an unnecessary expense which the parks could do without. And, for example, I haven't noticed any major issues with throughputs when Towers got rid of most of theirs. But yes, the solution here is just another bad bottleneck unfortunately. The ideal situation would see the bag room modified and repurposed into a locker space, but that is an upfront cost of course. Hopefully they see the worth in doing that. The beach is cleaned and repainted most closed seasons (all, I think?). Presumably yes, there's a level of legality involved in doing so, but it is something that is usually consistently done every year

Short answer: No Long answer: Nope.

Interesting photos. With the last set of aerial photos I thought the three-pronged silver thing was something that the fireball theming stood on, but that photos suggest otherwise. Seems the dark square is where that lived, and the three-pronged thing is new? Certainly looks like there's a boat there, for example. I wonder how that looks when the pool is filled in? Could be like a partially submerged small boat, and then a water splash effect or something? Either way, I'm curious to see how that looks in practice! The Stealth bag room replacement with shelves is not a bad idea imo. The area is usually chaos anyway and could cause a bottleneck both before loading and getting off the ride. The temporary nature is a bit of a shame, but I guess that's in part because this could be a trial? If it does work, it would be nice to see that reworked so it looks nicer. I wonder if they've made any changes to Saw too and got rid of the bag room for shelves? Less space so slightly more challenging there, but it's possible. Thorpe's bag rooms have always felt a bit unnecessary as with a well-designed layout all the rides they've featured on wouldn't have needed them. And of course they're an unnecessary expense really. I can't see their removals having adverse effects on throughputs so in theory I have little against their closures. I also seem to remember there being a marquee in front of the security huts last season after the stabbing incident? Featured walk through scanners and the like? Presumably that's once again returning. No clear view of what's happened to the entrance plaza otherwise though! There's some nice views of Swarm in that photo set too!

Gruffalo and Room on the Broom are also not listed, neither is Sealife. So I assume they have just (temporarily) removed attractions which are not going to reopen when the park opens on April 12th. If Tomb Blaster was going to be rethemed back to Forbidden Tomb I'm fairly certain we would have heard something official by now.

Stealth turns 15 years old today! Almost hard to believe it is actually that old..! If you feel like reminiscing a bit, or simply haven't seen construction photos of Stealth, we have a nice selection of photos on the TPM Stealth page for your viewing pleasure...

I wonder if it's a case of they feel they have to open. I think everyone understands its closure last year, but if they still have the contract and still pay money for it, and Covid restrictions aren't disappearing any time soon, I guess they have to bite the bullet eventually. If the interest it generates from being open ultimately makes them more money through merch sales than the money they spend on staff and running it, I guess it's a good thing. Though I imagine it's a risk as to whether it actually will... I'm sure the cynic could suggest Thorpe are opening it to show to the higher ups within Merlin how ridiculous the ride is and they need money to either complete re-imagine it or replace it. But who knows. Walking Dead is an interesting one. Storm Surge requires a minimum of 4 people in a boat, so groups of 3 or less we turned away last year. So it wouldn't be much different to that. Obviously it's a bigger problem since it's a bigger ride, but there is form there. Of course, there isn't actually anything stopping the park from sitting people from different groups next to each other. Whilst the idea of social distancing is very much engrained in our minds as a society at this point, the recommendation is - to the best of my knowledge - keep 2m away from people, and if you cannot, wear a mask. That's why mask wearing has been so important in indoor spaces, such as shops, where it is impossible to stay 2m away from people at all times. And this kind of circles back to the points that were raised when parks were first re-opening: what use is social distancing on rides really? When you hurtling round a coaster, what difference does it make if a stranger is sat a row in front of you or next to you? Don't get me wrong, I get why it's being done by parks, and in the absence of any scientific evidence, it's probably the easiest thing to do to keep people feeling safer and happier, but it is very much a placebo-like thing to do. For reference: when I was at Parc Asterix last year, they were completely filling up trains. No social distancing, grouping people together and even using single rider queues. Admittedly it felt a bit odd at first, but really, I didn't feel any less safe compared to the UK parks with their socially distanced trains. Anyways, I've rambled...I imagine Thorpe will go with the easiest rule of 'only even-numbered groups can ride', unless they've someone managed to change the 2 person per row rule (which I doubt)

Thorpe Park have updated their website with the following information. Black Mirror Labyrinth is scheduled to open in 21st May The Walking Dead The Ride AND Derren Brown's Ghost Train are set to reopen in 17th May!! I genuinely did not expect to ever see DBGT again tbh. (Presumably this is under the scenario that indoor entertainment can reopen in May)

They've already headed that way really. The past couple of years, they've been open (or at least planned to be) for much of December as well as the February half term. And that's been a largely complete line up. The December event is (or at least was) upcharge for passholders, so doesn't get mentioned much. I'm sure if they wanted to, they could "open" from February half term - even if it's just on weekends until March, to help finish winter work / wait for it to warm up before opening daily. I guess there's other factors at play there. But yes, demand seems to be there, so I don't see why it can't be a target in the future to be seen as more of a year round park than a 'seasonal plus' park.

Legoland's new area, Mythica, has been fully announced now: https://www.legoland.co.uk/explore/theme-park/2021/ Rides: Flight of the Sky Lion. Flying Theatre Fire and Ice Freefall. Spinning family drop towers (like Tikal at Phantasialand, and the ones in the new area at Paultons) Hydra's Challenge. Rethemed Squid Surfer The idea for the area is that any time a 'creature' is made out of Lego, it actually comes to life in an alternate world. The Flying Theatre in particular is about travelling to this other dimension, and meeting some the huge creatures around the area. I believe these creatures are sort of amalgamations of real-world animals, to create that fantasy-feel. The Legoland app will also allow you to scan some of the Lego models around the area to see them come to life on your phone (AR technology), which if works could be great. Other things: -There will be a 'Creature Creation' area for kids to build their own creatures -The Fish and Chips restaurant is being rebranded into The Hungry Troll Restaurant. Not clear if it's serving the same food, but looks likely imo -New character, Bitsandbobs, a unicorn like creature, seems to be pushed a bit -There will be 13 'large' creature models, using over 2 million bricks between them It's a really cool idea imo. It's nice to see something different and unique, away from all of the Lego sets, whilst creating something that feels very Lego-like. It's the sort of thing Legoland parks should be doing. Some of it feels a bit ambitious, and I do worry the Flying Theatre might be a bit rubbish with bad throughput (if the other Lego flying theatres are anything to go by), but on the whole, I think there's lots to be positive about here. Area is set to open May 29th, assuming they're allowed to open the Flying Theatre with Covid restrictions

So a fair few updates here to rattle through: Track was completed end of January: https://www.facebook.com/MovieParkGermany/posts/3849561588422400 The park also shared images of the trains, which arrived a couple of weeks back: The trains are in fact heavily inspired by the vehicle used from the old Tram Tour experience the park had, which closed in 2007: (credit to @Eftelflags on Twitter) IMA Score recently recorded the soundtrack: A 63 piece orchestra and 40 person choir were involved. The ride will include onboard audio, and will also feature a new character which the park hope to utilise beyond the ride from what I understand. Assuming local restrictions allow it, the ride should be open by the beginning of June (which is the park's standard opening period for larger new investments). Personally, I very much expect this to be more akin to a dark ride with coaster sections, rather than a coaster with dark ride sections. Not that that's a problem (if anything, I think that's what the park needs) I'm not sure when I'll get out to try this, but I'm really looking forward to seeing to final product!

Trains on site... https://www.facebook.com/PlopsalandDePanne/posts/3834971836588711 For those who need reminding / are unaware, this is barely a 45min drive from Calais.. 25mins from Dunkirk too... (ie: it's close)

All types of Annual Passholders can now prebook tickets to the parks: https://www.merlinannualpass.co.uk/pass-prebooks/ The system is a little clunky, and there's currently waits for some parks (Chessington and Legoland specifically), but it seems to be going vaguely smoothly now that it's live..

The park announced yesterday that the Shark Cabins will reopen from the 12th: As the government's restrictions mean that hotels must be self-contained, there will be nothing available in the evening as normal. It will be interesting to see what will be offered, and what these catering options will be. I know that I would struggle to entertain myself with the Dome's standard entertainment when the park closed at 5pm. No clue how I would manage to do so without that tbh

A selection of rides I think would add to the line up in form of permanent additions... -Dodgems (would be great in Walliams World) -Zamperla Air Race -Zamperla Nebulaz (ride experience might be average, but it would make for a wonderful spectator ride at the very least) -Wave Swinger -Zierer Family Drop Towers (like Tikal at Phantasialand..though with both Legoland and Paultons getting a pair this year, this might not be the greatest choice) -Technical Park Aerobat (they're a cross between an Enterprise and a Gerst free spin, so it's admittedly more an idea for a replacement for Enterprise...) -Breakdance -Magic carpet I'm not saying they should get all of them, far from it. But if they got any of those rides, I'd be happy. That's not a complete list either, there's no doubt plenty of other options (they could open the Zamperla catalogue to any page, and get whatever they see first, for example)

An Enterprise was bought in in 2000 shortly after the fire to compensate for the rides which were closed. Not sure if it was the same one which was then used for Zodiac from 2001 until it was replaced in 2006. Detonator is a funny story. The short version: It was bought by the park and installed in the 2001 season too, but the park only applied for temporary planning permission (1 year). It ended up being really popular though, and the park decided to keep it and got permanent permission The long version, for those interested: After the fire in 2000, Thorpe wanted to use the space affected to get a coaster to open in 2001. Their choices were either a Vekoma SLC, or a Rock n Roller Coaster clone, both of which could have been ready by summer 2001. Plans were actually submitted and approved (I can't remember for which one though), but the park then encountered some issues and ultimately had to shelf the project. The project was shelved around October 2000, but the park still wanted something in that location (and by that point, plans for Vortex and Zodiac were well under way). A drop tower had been discussed in the past (for the Lost City area), so that's what they went for. Quick and easy to buy and build, easy to get approval, but always intended to be a quick fix until the park put a coaster on that site. That's why they applied for it to only be there a year. 2001 came and it ended up being one of the most popular rides on park. It was unexpectedly popular, and the park felt that had to keep it. They applied for permission again, but only for another temporary term, this time 5 years. The logic there was that because it is effectively a fairground ride that they rushed in, they weren't sure how popular it would be long term, or how it would fair from a maintenance perspective. 5 years passed and they realised it was fine on all fronts, so they sought, and got, permanent permission. (Let's just take a second to pause here, and be very very grateful for the fact we have Nemesis Inferno over a Vekoma SLC) Fair to say that it is, seemingly, a different story to Towers' situation. ---- As for Towers getting fairground rides temporarily... Yeah, they need flat rides, and that's been a glaring problem for years now. If they only way they can get them is to bring in temporary additions to show there's demand for them, it speaks volumes about the situation the park, and Merlin, are in high up...

I believe that the park have got the budget to sort out the themed feature that housed the fireball. Of course, it's very unlikely that the fireball special effect itself will return. The gas lines had to be cut during Stealth's construction and to reroute them would be incredibly difficult. But the actual ball feature (whatever the name of it is) should make a reappearance. It's certainly fair to say they've done small improvements here and there. On a more blunt point, I think it's also fair to say that many of these have been done because they've needed to be done (ie: because Merlin's H&S deemed it necessary). Equally, there's been small changes with branding, some refreshed food and retails outlets and so forth. In my opinion these are things that most parks should look to do regularly, but it's sadly the case that Thorpe didn't always do that in the past. So it is good to see it's been a common theme in recent years.