Mattgwise

Good on you for being positive! Far more generous than I'd have been! 😂

Surprised nobody has mentioned this. Beach and Bounce has opened at Chessington as shown on social media. I love how they have gone one up on Thorpe by making the bouncy castle 10m longer. Kick in the teeth for Thorpe. Originally it was oddly only for 10 and over but has changed to height of 1.1m with an adult and 1.4m alone. The beach (sponsored by Honest Teas - WHO???? 🤔) looks a nice added touch as well. Looks fun and will certainly be giving it a go. Official site information: https://www.chessington.com/event/1043/beach-bounce.aspx FB post shown below.

Glad you enjoyed the park. It really is a special place for all the reasons all of you have said that have visited. Just like Mark9 says it's great how we all enjoy different coasters for different reasons, and it is the variety that makes it such an awesome place. If funds allowed I'd be back there every year. For me (though minority for people here) I'm a Magnum hater, found it, rough and uncomfortable. My favourite three are Steel Vengeance, Millennium Force and TTD. The water on the exit path to the rapids caught me out! I tried to dodge it then slipped soaking my otherwise (through luck) dry shoes! It's there to clean people's feet from the dirt as oddly they allow the removal of shoes for this rapids. There's lots of shoe storage near the queue line entrance.

It is Freakshow 3D returning, not Big Top. Isn't that obvious?

Please if Thorpe Management are watching just bring it back now for this reason. 😂😂😂

It won't be returning, they have announced all returning attractions and 'new' ones to be released gradually.

No because at fairs it's only a bouncy castle or slide, not an obstacle course. It is generally well received by the public.

Sounds good. A shame there won't be much scope for dark rides this year as the park only open until 7PM.

Everyone I know talks about Bouncezilla and say that they can't wait to go back, sure it will be a success at Chessington too.

A great read! Am very much looking forward to getting to these parks in the future starting with Toverland in a few weeks.

It was having a lot of issues last weekend into the start of last week and was up and down most of the day yesterday. From what we saw it was struggling to get from the brakes turnaround into the offload. We literally crawled around the corner and didn't think we'd make it. An engineer was also present the whole hour we queued.

I am fully aware of that. I work with children with all sorts of physical and mental disabilities. Unfortunately a lot of people using the RAP system in the UK are people with 'disabilities' that do not require them to be unable to stand in a normal queue. The pass is supposed to allow you to skip the queue, but still have to wait the equivalent of the queue time, however many staff don't bother with that aspect of it meaning they can just go and queue for another ride. We actually witnessed a situation on the AT meet where a parent got angry as the staff member wrote the time 60 mins later on his sons RAP sheet and he started going off on one about how his son won't be able to cope, clearly not understanding it wasn't a fast track ticket but merely a means of his son not having to stand in a physical queue.

But it isn't abused. In the few visits I've made to the park I've seen just one couple use it and the person was in a wheelchair.

I fully understand it from the same POV you and Marc mention, I am merely saying a company of that size should not have the issue of not getting money to remove something or repaint it. They are meant to be providing an amazing experience!!! Even small family parks remove things or touch them up! Another thing that I find terrible is that the railway lines through Old Town and the barriers one of the LC's are still there when it closed in 2011!!!! Nearly 8 years ago!!!! Madness!!!!

Because it looks poor, derelict and run down, not something that should be left in an area open to guests. Admittedly you wouldn't paint all sides but if they painted over the logo then the whole of that side should look better than how it's been left. Or better still just remove the thing! Slammer should also be removed!

The coaster has had planning permission refused! A shame and probably means this park will now struggle to grow with larger attractions. http://www.pleanala.ie/casenum/303869.htm

Hence why the whole thing should have painted over! Just like the Nemesis Inferno exit stairs that have been half painted, it looks poor!

This looks brilliant for a log flume refurbishment. This park is going from strength to strength and with it being fairly easy to get to, might have to give it a go soon. A shame the Nemesis Inferno volcano isn't like that!!

Quite simply fast and fun suits a wider range of people. Not everyone loves airtime and being chucked out of their seats. A lot of my non enthusiast friends just want lots of loops or a fast ride. A few of my friends actually find airtime and "flying out of your seat" feelings to be unsafe. Sad I know but how it is.

I personally feel MF is underrated. It might not have masses of airtime but it holds its speed for most of the ride and is just fast and bloody good fun! Not all rides need masses of airtime and intensity. Its my second favourite coaster just for the reasons I mention.

And in true Merlin style a bodge job has been done, with the wrong colour paint to the rest of the building.

Even @Marhelorpe??? ??

Exciting! The coaster appears to be a clone of Sierra Sidewinder at Knotts. The area looks set to be a fantastic addition to the park and will certainly be making my first visit there next year.

It sure did. We are having a great time on the TPM meet and although busy, rides working well and staff efficient. There's even a point about a third through the queue where you can get a ticket to leave and get water or use the toilet and return at that point.

Very interesting news. Wonder what this could mean for the future...