JoshC.

I get your point, and I shouldn't have downplayed how it will be difficult and stressful to pull off. From my experiences, I've seen waves of people trained extremely quickly and more or less immediately put into their roles and working with guests once that training is completed. In many ways, this isn't that different. And as it's a case of refreshing people, that is something that will be done very quickly too. When we look at parks abroad too, they had similar turnaround times with similar closed periods. Obviously there's differences there, but if parks have made things work with similar challenges, it's reasonable to think our parks can do similar. It won't be easy, and there will be a lot of pressure on staff. Hopefully some of that can be balanced with reduced numbers of guests.

This is a great point. And it's weird they haven't at least tried to do something a bit different outside of Dutchman. Sure, the park gets busy and cattlepens are the easiest way to get the most queue in the least space. But it's not like they're exactly pressed for space, nor do they lack creativity. It feels like a bit of a disconnect in their process. And, frankly, I don't think added a whoopie cushion organ in the queue is the best way to improve a queue either... You could say the same for Joris. And beyond the on ride pre-show, the same for Baron too (which is very, ahem, barren when it comes to landscaping). Also, surprised at comments to the effect of "they've only really themed the station". The station looks fantastic?! Brushing that aside feels like it's ignoring the work that's been done there. Anyone who rode Flying Fish in it's Stealth-location will no doubt remember that having greenery surround a powered coaster makes the experience a lot more fun. As a more modern example, albeit not powered, Th13teen received criticism for its barren outdoor area, but now the trees have regrown, it's a more enjoyable, slightly denser forest section. Once the greenery grows, no one will care about the lack of theming outside the station.

The park do have staff back, off furlough, either working on park or working from home. These are largely managers who are preparing as best as they can with the information at their disposal. In terms of actual training, not much really needs to be done. Thorpe were 2 days away from having their first guests before Lockdown. They'll have had a solid foundation to open the park in terms of staff being trained to operate the park. So in theory (and hopefully in practice), staff only need a short period of time to re-acquaint themselves with their job roles. They'll also need to learn about what the park is doing re. coronavirus and what has changed in their roles. The issue is that staff can't learn about that until the park gets government advice, as has been said above. For reference, I don't think any of the UK Merlin parks have their seasonal staff in, outside of Chessington/Towers who will have some for their current open days. The parks aren't leaving it till the last minute, they've been forced to wait until the last minute.

It's been a long while since I've done a proper blog post, but I've dusted off my keyboard to do one I'd been thinking about for a while.. Over the past couple of years, there's some rides I've done which are a ton of fun, but don't really seem to get the attention they deserve. Mostly for reasons that they're rides in parks that aren't high up people's lists, or there's better rides at those parks. So I figured I'd just throw a little list out there. This isn't going to be a list of "under-hyped" rides; I'm not necessarily saying any of these are top-tier rides which everyone should ride. But these are just solid rides which deserve a bit of limelight cast of them... 5. Gaz Express, Parc Bagatelle Situated about an hour from Calais, Bagatelle's ease to get to doesn't compensate for the fact the park is quite meh. However, Gaz Express is a shining beacon of light. Manufactured by French company Soquet in 1987, Gaz Express is a really fun family-thrill coaster which is situated largely over water. It's not particularly high or fast, but features a couple of nice pops of airtime, some nice helices, whilst also diving in and out of buildings. And you get to go round twice too! To top it off, there's loads of water features around the ride, as well as a really cool fire effect, making it a really nice-looking ride for spectators too! 4. Discovery Club, Avonturenpark Hellendoorn It's no secret that I look shooting dark rides, and this one is really quirky. Sitting in outward-facing circular cars, the idea is that you're basically exploring a house with loads of spooky stuff that could come alive. It's a classic storyline which works, and with a fun soundtrack and sound effects, good theming and the unpredictable, and sometimes wild, spinning of the cars, it makes for a great experience. Hellendoorn itself is a decent park, a little under-rated in my opinion, but this 21 year old Mack dark ride is probably the crowning jewel of the park! 3. Kyöpelinvuoren Hotelli, Linnanmäki This ghost train has no right to be as good as it frankly. For a city park like Linnanmäki which doesn't really *do* theming, it stands out really well. And inside, it's just immaculately themed and styled - it's creepy from the word go. The ride itself is pretty fantastic. Good length, no dead spots, lots of turns and plenty of surprises and special effects. It just hits the nail on the head at every point. I believe it was refreshed a few years back, which, along with the likes of Taiga, shows that when the park sets itself a target, they hit it perfectly. 2. Popcorn Revenge, Walibi Belgium I've talked about Popcorn Revenge a lot on here, so another paragraph or two won't hurt. Popcorn Revenge is genuinely bloody brilliant. Early I said this list wasn't necessarily going to be about top-tier rides. Popcorn Revenge is perhaps the exception here. For those who don't know, this is a trackless, screen-based shooting dark ride, which takes around a movie theatre where pieces of popcorn have come alive and have taken over the film. You have to shot the popcorn with different flavoured sauce guns to take back control. The ride is non-linear and where you go depends on what car you get in. The scenes on the screens are brilliant. The real theming is great as well. This all just comes together for an absolutely brilliant ride experience. I truly hope I'm not over-stating this and setting anyone who eventually rides it up for a disappointing, but this is genuinely one of my favourite rides and it's a damn shame it's not talked about more frankly. 1. K2, Karls Erlebnis-Dorf Elstal This is also something I've talked about a bit before in the past. Karls is, primarily, a strawberry farm business. However, they have branched out over the years to have permanent farmer markets, which have also integrated 'amusement park' style sections. The one in Elstal, just outside Berlin, is the most developed, and by far the crowning jewel is K2. K2 is an abc tube coaster, which also has wooden cars. The ride is themed to potato farming, and features an underground dark ride section where you see potatoes being grown, amongst other surprises. The ride then goes up 80ft high - which feels a lot higher when you only have a seatbelt as your restraint in a wooden cart! - before going round twists, turns and mini airtime hills. The ride is killed a bit by a MCBR, but is still great fun, and a real surprise. The quality of the theming is amazing too, and wouldn't look out of place at the likes of Phantasialand (indeed, the queue is of a similar style and standard to Maus au Chocolat). Just in general, this ride ticks every single box and it's an absolute joy and treasure to experience. If you ever head to Berlin and want a quick theme park-like fix, this really is the place to go (certainly much better than the nearby 'proper' parks!).

Yeah, this is the perfect investment for the park in fairness. It's crazy they never had an entry coaster before, and it's great they've gone for something that's actually got some enjoyment behind it too. Bob's time was up, no denying it. From what I've understood, M&M wasn't planned to replace it, but it's just that the Bob had to go, and they needed a replacement, so what better excuse to add that entry coaster. Most of my 'sadness' about the situation is that time finally caught up to Bob. I mean, the coaster rumoured to go into the expansion area is an Intamin launch. But I can't think of anything worse for Efteling than a big thrill machine coaster. Something like that just wouldn't work in the park really; anything too thrilling would just overshadow the rest of the park imo

Max and Moritz is now officially open: And POVs for those who are that way inclined: The rides looks cute and fun enough for what they are. I'm sure once the greenery grows a bit more it'll be even better too. Station looks fantastic too, in true Efteling fashion. Still sad that Bob is no more, and that a family-thrill ride has been replaced by effectively a kids ride, but it is what it is. I guess in theory the expansion area with the new coaster there is meant to act as the true replacement for Bob, if it ever happens...

I have fears for how well they'll be able to operate their rides in December, but guess we'll see. Wonder if they'll still manage to host a February event given they'll have much less time for winter maintenance? Think the thing that's surprised me the most now I've digested the news is the fact they're not pushing the season till the New Year. I'd have thought they could try and push that Christmas/New Year week a bit more if they wanted to. I guess it's risky as it's hard to tell what demand could be like, but I still thought it'd've been worth a shot.

Please forgive the terrible quality screenshots taken from my phone. I'm too lazy to watch the video again. Jack's video shows some more new signage, which compliments the new entrance signage (which looks good): I like it! Fresh, vibrant and quite reflective of what Thorpe is really (and the sort of brand they should stick to). And then there's this: One of the blandest, dullest entrance ways I've ever seen. The removal of the rockwork and other Atlantis-esque, no matter how decaying it really was, creates such a boring, flat look. The poles holding up the Dome sign feel in the way and yet invisible at the same time. I don't know how common an opinion it is, but I liked the Atlantis theme and still think it worked with the park today (what with the Port / Basecamp / Shark vibe). Sure, it was dated and falling apart, but it had some life and soul in it. After this and the black panels of blackness on the inside, it now feels like a run-down Butlins... Shame, as the other signage we've seen so far is good.

Meh, don't have a problem with this really. You have to store the boats somewhere, and it's largely impractical to create a workshop big enough for holding all boats of a log flume / rapids (especially when you consider you need room to work on the boats too). It doesn't do them any damage, and they'll be cleaned before opening. This sort of stuff doesn't look good out of context, but for the most part, it's never really seen in context. Rumba Rapids boats have almost always been left on the service during winter, and times when they're awaiting work, so that's not a Merlin thing. Similar with leaving a train on a brake run if there's not enough room for both in the workshop: if work needs to be done to station track, there's not always another option. And again, it doesn't really do any damage. It's the same for lots of theme parks, it's just you don't see it. There's a million and one reasons why it could be the way it is. But the point is, it is the way it is and it looks terrible. Also, don't buy the coronavirus reason. Here is the Gruffalo's board from opening day before the pandemic (ie: when most places were open) Source: https://live.themeparkguide.biz/?event=Chessington 2020 Preview Day&_ga=2.174020643.1630671449.1592582375-1327971191.1592582375 Sure, they might be getting new restriction boards and there was a delay. But ultimately, it doesn't matter: it still looks terrible. At least this is better in that they didn't cut a hole that's awkwardly too big a la Room on the Broom... We as visitors, and particularly fans, can be forgiving to a degree (in the sense of every company can hit unforeseen snags, and the pandemic could potentially cause issues), but it doesn't mean we can just brush away what is ultimately shoddy-looking work.

Yes, but actually no. $9m is for the labour and materials, which may or may not include the partial deconstruction of the original Gwazi where required (it's not clear). But there's lots of extra costs, from things to station building, pathways, etc, to other contractors required and other stuff. Not forgetting things like marketing and all that other stuff. Those costs will all add up VERY quickly. To be fair, it's not that surprising that a RMC conversion sounds cheap. The base is there - literally! - so in terms of raw materials, you're paying for significantly less. That reduces costs for labour, groundworks, etc by a lot too. I expect a ground-up RMC is much more expensive.

Scruffy Dog, who were involved in the design and theming of the ride, have released a video with loads of never-released-before design artwork from the ride:

Left without further comment...

Well this thread became real dark real quick...

Adaptations are still okay for good rides though, right? I don't want to live in a world without being able to say Joyvelen...

Short piece from BBC news featuring Paultons, The Mary Rose and Tulleys: Interesting highlight is how Paultons are saying they're spending £800k a month during Lockdown, and obviously making nothing in return.

Oooft, that's a hit. This article here states that the park made a loss of £820k in 2018/19, which is a big amount for a small park even during an okay time. They also say that almost half of their visitors don't generate any money for the park, due to the free access of the park. So even with a fundraiser launched, it's going to take a great deal for someone to invest in the place. I believe the water chute is Grade II listed, so that can't be touched whatever happens. Though we may well see it left to the wilderness... Can leave it for now, but Covid may have a great deal to say about how many small parks will be left in a year's time...

If you've been missing random coaster construction updates as of late, Walibi Belgium have you covered... Images from Themeparkmagic and ameworld It's also good to see that in a time where Phantasialand are no longer building walls, other parks round the world are picking up the slack..

Towers was on the One Show on Friday, where they show some of the things they;ve done during Lockdown to keep the park ticking over and ready for operation... https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000jz8p/the-one-show-12062020 (from around the 6 minute mark)

I mean, fair play to him for the amount of effort gone into it, but my face throughout the entire video was just:

I'm trying to avoid spoilers of the inside, but from photos I've seen the inside looks very well themed. Exterior leaves a bit to be desired (the thumbnail is Smiler-level of bad!), but on the whole pretty good. It'll be interesting to see whether an Intamin launch spinner kicks off, or indeed if they can actually make a good normal spinner..

Difficult one ordering this, but this feels right.. 5. Polle's Kitchen, Efteling - I remember my last visit there not being as good as my previous visits, but the food is still pretty great, reasonably priced, and the restaurant itself looks fantastic. 4. Food Court, Linnanmäki - I'm sure there's names for these collection of places, but I can't say for certain. Basically a collection of 3-4 food places in one mini complex, quite close to Taiga, people can choose where to eat and then eat together. Really nice food choices, really good seating choices (indoor and outdoor) and just all round a nice area. Price was reasonable for the park too. 3. Flaming Feather, Toverland - Mark hit the nail on the head about the relaxed feeling you get in here; it's just nice a cosy. Was sat by the fireplace which added to it. Little on the expensive side but you get what you pay for. 2. Oberża Lecha, Legendia - A classic European canteen-style restaurant, the restaurant by Lech is just stunning. Real nice hearty food options, along with what I'm sure was plenty of Polish classic dishes. Cheap because it's Poland, but even in context of the park, it wasn't expensive. Really spacious inside but also with lots of outdoor seating overlooking the lake too. 1. Rutmor's Taverne, Phantasialand - Absolutely brilliant, stunning. I queued 45 minutes to eat here on my last trip, and happily did so with the knowledge that: 1. waiting around in Klugheim is no hardship, 2. the food would be worth it. Again, really hearty food with lots of German classics. On the more expensive side, but again really really worth it. Would recommend. And best couples of places for sweet treats: -Las Rocas Eis-Shop, Phantasialand - Ice cream cookie sandwiches overlooking Chiapas. What more could you ask for? -Ice cream sundaes, Linnanmäki - They sell these at various places throughout the park. But basically, you pay a fixed price (like €3), get given a cup, and can go crazy. Different soft serve ice creams, lots of sauces and toppings. Wonderful; bliss!

From the Parc Asterix thread... In terms of major announced rides for 2021, there's Plopsaland's Mack Xtreme Spinner, Walibi Belgium's Intamin Mega and Grona Lund's B&M Invert, all of which are still going ahead (construction had started pre-Covid for all of them though). We also have Nigloland in France building a major new ride, which is rumoured to be a Mack water coaster. In terms of later push backs, Djurs Sommerland in Denmark have said their major 2021 attraction (which no one knew about anyways) is now happening in 2022: No clue on what it could be mind!

Aqualantis update, showing surprise Rockin Tug: Be interesting to see when this area does open up. The dark ride is also open after tis refurb; there's little changes inside apparently.

Bad news: Parc Asterix's new Intamin multi launch coaster has now been further delayed to 2023: https://www.lobservateurdebeauvais.fr/2020/06/10/oise-des-nouvelles-montagnes-russes-vertigineuses-au-parc-asterix-en-2023/ As previously mentioned, the ride was delayed from 2021 to 2022 due to issues with tree removals and permits and the like. This new delay is due to financial implications of coronavirus. The park is owned by Compagnie des Alpes, who also own the Walibi parks and Bellewaerde in Belgium. Bellewaerde are of course opening their new coaster this year, and Walibi Belgium are still getting their Intamin Mega coaster for 2021. Belgium certainly has a higher level of competition at the moment, so it makes sense to press on with investments there over Asterix. Nonetheless, still a massive shame.

There are six sets of toilets: -One just before the turnstiles at the entrance (so technically outside the park) -One in the lower part of the Dome -One by Swarm -One opposite Tidal Wave's exit -One by Nemesis Inferno -One near Old Town, next to Slammer All toilets have disabled access too if that's appropriate to your needs. The park is quite small and the toilets are reasonably well spread out. Probably the worst place to be in desperate need of a toilet is half way along Colossus' pathway, and even then you could be at a toilet in a brisk 2-3 minute walk.