Paul

I've just watched a POV from this season on youtube, having not been on the ride myself since 2010. What the heck has happened??? It is completely bare, void of anything interesting and just looks terrible! (Obviously I know watching a youtube video is nothing in comparison to being there in person, but still!). Just another reason why I haven't visited Thorpe since 2012 and have absolutely no intention or inspiration to again. So sad, used to be one of my favourite parks growing up. 

I'm a bit late to the party on this one. Went to Chessington recently and can't say I'm particularly impressed with Tiger Rock. This however is based on the fact that I much prefer the zoo/animals being in a separate area of the park entirely, and the theme park being a completely different part. I'm not really a whole fan of this whole idea of integrating the zoo. I've never liked Busch Gardens for the same reason. The whole Land of the Tiger area lacks theming, and the ride areas just look bare and sparse. I LOVE the new soundtrack in the station however, although this would have worked perfectly with the old Dragon Falls. 
 
To me, it's still Dragon Falls, and always will be. The Tiger head over the final drop is far too big; a huge part of what everybody loved about Dragon Falls was the fantastic view for spectators. That has largely been ruined by the huge tiger's head covering the majority of the drop. 
 
I would much rather the tigers had been added to the zoo section of the park, the whole Mystic East area simply brightened up, given a new lease of life, and Dragon Falls remain as it was, with the fantastic addition of the new soundtrack.
 
There are some new elements that I like, including the added lights/sounds in the tunnel. Although not executed particularly well, the thought of using the tunnel to create more of an impact is a good one. I just wish it had been thought about a bit more and executed a bit better.
 
Overall, I love the soundtrack and the attempt at making the tunnel more exciting. Other than that, bring back Dragon Falls.  

I've just watched a POV from this season on youtube, having not been on the ride myself since 2010. What the heck has happened??? It is completely bare, void of anything interesting and just looks terrible! (Obviously I know watching a youtube video is nothing in comparison to being there in person, but still!). Just another reason why I haven't visited Thorpe since 2012 and have absolutely no intention or inspiration to again. So sad, used to be one of my favourite parks growing up. 

During my Alton Towers trip last week I finally got round to riding Galactica for the first time. Before I launch into my review, I've just got to comment on that recent newspaper article about riders being stuck on Galactica upside down for 30 minutes in the searing heat. I was there, not on the ride, but was in Forbidden Valley at the time. Tuesday was boiling yes, but Wednesday wasn't even hot. It was a much cooler temperature, very cloudy. Can't have been more than 24/25 degrees. And yes, they were facing down, so would have actually been in the shade, even though it was a cloudy day. And the ride stoppage was about 15 minutes. So the whole article is not only an exaggeration, it's just lying on most counts. Media rant over. 
 
As for my ride on Galactica, it was a mixed experience. No matter the quality of the actual ride, the whole experience was ruined by the painfully slow boarding process. It was a quiet day, and so the ride was only running on one station. (I presume this is the case for quiet days only?!) Not only was it painfully slow watching every train have the goggles cleaned and put away, only to be taken out again when the next riders board, but the queue line now moves at an incredibly slow pace. The queue when we joined was just past the new photo point, and we were queueing for 45 minutes until we got on. The second time we rode Galactica on Thursday, the queue was just up to the food and drink vending machines, and we were waiting for over an hour. 
 
The actual ride was quite impressive. As a new experience to me, I thoroughly enjoyed the ride and it did offer a brand new experience. Arguably yes much of what I experienced could be experienced in a simulator, but the added effect of being on a rollercoaster (ride forces, wind etc) really created a great unique experience to AT. 
 
Once again the positive experience on the ride was let down by trains being held outside the station for up to 5 minutes, causing most people to end the ride with an uncomfortable rush of blood to the head, arms and legs while they wait to get off the ride. This was really unfortunate, as it did deter me from riding again. I only did as everyone else in my group wanted to. I presume this problem will go when two stations are open in peak seasons (I really hope that will be the case - the ride would be an absolute nightmare on one station in the summer). 

So as for the ride, it was a fun, new and exciting experience and that I really enjoyed. It's just such a shame that it has become such an inefficient ride in terms of throughput. Having said that, the staff were working their socks off and were boarding as fast as they could. It's a real shame that even with that hard work, the installation of VR on the ride has created such a lengthly ride process. 
 
Logistically there may be reasons why this wouldn't work, but while queueing I couldn't help think that they could have one station for VR and one without, so that if you didn't want VR you could head straight to that station and have a reduced queueing time? I presume the percentage of people wanting to use VR heavily outweighs those not though...

Most people who do stand up during the ride don't really think about it - it's a natural instinct to get away from a big wave of water, which I understand. Then there are some people who deliberately stand up for whatever reason. Either way, if they want to dramatically reduce the risk of people falling in then seat belts are the only way forward. Every other type of ride has restraints (nearly, anyway), so why not rapids?

There are some moments of good airtime on the ride - the first main drop through to the dark section is great. After that I think the ride could end and I'd be just as happy - the dark section doesn't really do anything for me. If it was a taller first drop with a longer track twisting and turning through the forest, it would be a much better attraction I think. 

There are some moments of good airtime on the ride - the first main drop through to the dark section is great. After that I think the ride could end and I'd be just as happy - the dark section doesn't really do anything for me. If it was a taller first drop with a longer track twisting and turning through the forest, it would be a much better attraction I think. 

From a marketing point of view, promoting that they've given one of their attractions a lick of paint is as good a technique as any and does work in creating a buzz. Although we agree that these are things the park should be doing anyway, there is nothing wrong with promoting it if it's going to make people talk about the park in a positive way. The general public (non-geeks) aren't generally going to see this kind of promotion as a cover up for not investing in major attractions, but as a positive improvement to the park. In fact, many people would consider this as even more positive than a new attraction, that AT are looking at the little aspects that many would forget, rather than just thinking about rides rides rides. Of course, this is not the case for geeks, but those who visit the park once a year or less and are not overly critical of the ride line-up would generally view the promotion of a fresh lick of paint as a great thing.  After all, a day at a theme park is about much more than rides. It's the whole experience, from food and drink to theming and aesthetics. 

I agree - so many of my childhood memories of Thorpe Park (which was my favourite place for many years) are purely of Loggers Leap! However, I do agree that it was looking incredibly tired the last time I rode it. In the most ideal world I would have it replaced with an updated water ride, still based around the Canada theme. It worked so well in that area with the trees and the lake. I've not been to Thorpe Park for so long, (early 2012 was my last visit I think), but the saddest part is that I haven't missed it at all. 10 or so years ago I would have made it a priority to visit every couple of months, but the fact I haven't been for nearly 5 years without really realising says a lot about where the park has gone in my estimations. 
 
A good theme park, for me, regardless of target market or audience, is all about balance. The best theme parks in the world for me have a perfect balance when it comes to the rides that they offer. This means in a park with 20 attractions let's say, 7 should be coasters, 4 water rides, and 7 flats, and 2 shows/experiences. I'm sure many will disagree, but the point is a nice balance between ride types. Removing Loggers Leap will leave 3 water rides (well, last time I rode Rumba Rapids I wouldn't really class it as a water ride... is that thing still running??). 4 if you include Depth Charge, which I don't. What the park needs is a really strongly themed water ride, whether a flume or a water coaster, that utilises the space and theming that Canada Creek held so well. Whether wooden or not, in my opinion, Thorpe just doesn't need another coaster. 
 
I visit Towers a lot more regularly and the closure of the Flume is another sad situation. Although yes, the flume was incredibly poorly themed and tired, I would have got rid of it but replaced it with an exciting, well themed water ride, not a coaster. Towers is definitely lacking a seriously good water ride. 
 
Thinking about it Chessington only has Dragon Falls and The Gruffalo - do Merlin just not like water rides? Personally it's my favourite type of ride at a theme park. 

At what point do we find out that the Go Jetters Vroomster Zoom Ride is a painted Rocky Express?

I agree - so many of my childhood memories of Thorpe Park (which was my favourite place for many years) are purely of Loggers Leap! However, I do agree that it was looking incredibly tired the last time I rode it. In the most ideal world I would have it replaced with an updated water ride, still based around the Canada theme. It worked so well in that area with the trees and the lake. I've not been to Thorpe Park for so long, (early 2012 was my last visit I think), but the saddest part is that I haven't missed it at all. 10 or so years ago I would have made it a priority to visit every couple of months, but the fact I haven't been for nearly 5 years without really realising says a lot about where the park has gone in my estimations. 
 
A good theme park, for me, regardless of target market or audience, is all about balance. The best theme parks in the world for me have a perfect balance when it comes to the rides that they offer. This means in a park with 20 attractions let's say, 7 should be coasters, 4 water rides, and 7 flats, and 2 shows/experiences. I'm sure many will disagree, but the point is a nice balance between ride types. Removing Loggers Leap will leave 3 water rides (well, last time I rode Rumba Rapids I wouldn't really class it as a water ride... is that thing still running??). 4 if you include Depth Charge, which I don't. What the park needs is a really strongly themed water ride, whether a flume or a water coaster, that utilises the space and theming that Canada Creek held so well. Whether wooden or not, in my opinion, Thorpe just doesn't need another coaster. 
 
I visit Towers a lot more regularly and the closure of the Flume is another sad situation. Although yes, the flume was incredibly poorly themed and tired, I would have got rid of it but replaced it with an exciting, well themed water ride, not a coaster. Towers is definitely lacking a seriously good water ride. 
 
Thinking about it Chessington only has Dragon Falls and The Gruffalo - do Merlin just not like water rides? Personally it's my favourite type of ride at a theme park. 

I agree - so many of my childhood memories of Thorpe Park (which was my favourite place for many years) are purely of Loggers Leap! However, I do agree that it was looking incredibly tired the last time I rode it. In the most ideal world I would have it replaced with an updated water ride, still based around the Canada theme. It worked so well in that area with the trees and the lake. I've not been to Thorpe Park for so long, (early 2012 was my last visit I think), but the saddest part is that I haven't missed it at all. 10 or so years ago I would have made it a priority to visit every couple of months, but the fact I haven't been for nearly 5 years without really realising says a lot about where the park has gone in my estimations. 
 
A good theme park, for me, regardless of target market or audience, is all about balance. The best theme parks in the world for me have a perfect balance when it comes to the rides that they offer. This means in a park with 20 attractions let's say, 7 should be coasters, 4 water rides, and 7 flats, and 2 shows/experiences. I'm sure many will disagree, but the point is a nice balance between ride types. Removing Loggers Leap will leave 3 water rides (well, last time I rode Rumba Rapids I wouldn't really class it as a water ride... is that thing still running??). 4 if you include Depth Charge, which I don't. What the park needs is a really strongly themed water ride, whether a flume or a water coaster, that utilises the space and theming that Canada Creek held so well. Whether wooden or not, in my opinion, Thorpe just doesn't need another coaster. 
 
I visit Towers a lot more regularly and the closure of the Flume is another sad situation. Although yes, the flume was incredibly poorly themed and tired, I would have got rid of it but replaced it with an exciting, well themed water ride, not a coaster. Towers is definitely lacking a seriously good water ride. 
 
Thinking about it Chessington only has Dragon Falls and The Gruffalo - do Merlin just not like water rides? Personally it's my favourite type of ride at a theme park. 

I was being served at the Resort Box Office a few weeks ago, getting my annual pass printed. Quite a large queue formed behind us, with lots of people clearly queuing for fastracks. Somehow the box office computer systems became jammed while I was at the kiosk being served, and the staff announced to the queue that there would be some wait before the system would be up and running again. For us this wasn't a problem, as we were on our way out of the park anyway and were in no rush.
 
It just amazed me how the vast majority of people in the queue waiting to buy fastracks decided to continue to wait in this queue. I couldn't help but think - You're waiting in a queue to spend money on something that will help you skip a ride queue... why not just save your money and go and wait in the ride queue? 

I'm hoping this hotel will reduce the amount of children in Splash Landings. If it does, it'll be a winner for me! 

Nice collection of photos of the Tomb Blaster works I just saw from Chessington Buzz on Facebook:
 
http://www.chessingtonbuzz.co.uk/news/tomb-blaster-back-from-the-dead/

Station amendments / Building work , Content for VR, Theming, Marketing  - it all adds up! 

Completely agreed. My head hurt afterwards and I didn't get any buzz of excitement whilst or after riding it. Some of the inversions would have been good if you had time between each one to think about it! 

Hi everyone! I was an active member on here about 3 years ago but university work and general life took over - I've been so focussed on work and everything else that I seemed to completely shut off one of my favourite interests - theme parks!
 
Anyway this year I am going to make more of an effort to make time for relaxing and having fun... I've learnt the hard way over the last few months that too much working is not a healthy thing.
 
So for those that remember me, it's nice to be back, and for those who don't, see you around! 

Hi everyone! I was an active member on here about 3 years ago but university work and general life took over - I've been so focussed on work and everything else that I seemed to completely shut off one of my favourite interests - theme parks!
 
Anyway this year I am going to make more of an effort to make time for relaxing and having fun... I've learnt the hard way over the last few months that too much working is not a healthy thing.
 
So for those that remember me, it's nice to be back, and for those who don't, see you around! 

Thank you!

Hi everyone! I was an active member on here about 3 years ago but university work and general life took over - I've been so focussed on work and everything else that I seemed to completely shut off one of my favourite interests - theme parks!
 
Anyway this year I am going to make more of an effort to make time for relaxing and having fun... I've learnt the hard way over the last few months that too much working is not a healthy thing.
 
So for those that remember me, it's nice to be back, and for those who don't, see you around! 

As someone mentioned earlier, if you look at the trees, it is very clear that the photo has been edited.

Reading through the jobs posts on here, quite a few people have been wondering about having a job there and traveling if it is worth it or not. I live about 2 hours away by train, and have had the experience first-hand now. I will give some advice that hopefully any of you in that situation will find useful. 1. Many people seem to have pre-conceptions that being a ride host or operator is the easiest job in the world. This couldn't be more wrong. The job is by far more challenging than any other I've had before, and can be stressful at times. Having said this, it was the best job I've ever had, being the most rewarding if you put a lot into it. 2. Having a commute of near enough 2 hours each way, it isn't the most ideal and practical of job locations for me. However, Merlin were very flexible and were able to make my rota so that I never worked two days in a row. (giving me a day inbetween each shift to relax/recover)3. Despite still being quite expensive, I bought a Young Person's railcard for £25, which saved me so much money over the period I was working. 4. I tried several days in a row, but it just wasn't working (my days were leave home at 6.30am, get back home around 7pm) so working consecutive days just wasn't an option.So those of you who are thinking that you live too far away and it isn't possible, this is proof that it can be done! The travel costs didn't take too much out of my wages, so the only bad side is the time spent travelling. Personally I'm quite tolerant when it comes to travelling and I enjoy train journeys, so this isn't so much of a problem to me.My main tips if you're considering it is: Get yourself a YPRC if travelling by train. It would be stupid not to!Do not try to work consecutive days if you have a similar commute to mine, you will just get too stressed and exhausted and feel like you have no time for anything else! (as soon as you get home it will be time to sleep!) I started off thinking I would be able to do days in a row but after a week I couldn't cope. It's a very demanding and challenging job, but if you put lots of effort and enthusiasm into it, it is very rewarding. I had a fantastic experience, and would never regret it.

Reading through the jobs posts on here, quite a few people have been wondering about having a job there and traveling if it is worth it or not. I live about 2 hours away by train, and have had the experience first-hand now. I will give some advice that hopefully any of you in that situation will find useful. 1. Many people seem to have pre-conceptions that being a ride host or operator is the easiest job in the world. This couldn't be more wrong. The job is by far more challenging than any other I've had before, and can be stressful at times. Having said this, it was the best job I've ever had, being the most rewarding if you put a lot into it. 2. Having a commute of near enough 2 hours each way, it isn't the most ideal and practical of job locations for me. However, Merlin were very flexible and were able to make my rota so that I never worked two days in a row. (giving me a day inbetween each shift to relax/recover)3. Despite still being quite expensive, I bought a Young Person's railcard for £25, which saved me so much money over the period I was working. 4. I tried several days in a row, but it just wasn't working (my days were leave home at 6.30am, get back home around 7pm) so working consecutive days just wasn't an option.So those of you who are thinking that you live too far away and it isn't possible, this is proof that it can be done! The travel costs didn't take too much out of my wages, so the only bad side is the time spent travelling. Personally I'm quite tolerant when it comes to travelling and I enjoy train journeys, so this isn't so much of a problem to me.My main tips if you're considering it is: Get yourself a YPRC if travelling by train. It would be stupid not to!Do not try to work consecutive days if you have a similar commute to mine, you will just get too stressed and exhausted and feel like you have no time for anything else! (as soon as you get home it will be time to sleep!) I started off thinking I would be able to do days in a row but after a week I couldn't cope. It's a very demanding and challenging job, but if you put lots of effort and enthusiasm into it, it is very rewarding. I had a fantastic experience, and would never regret it.

It's so stupid that their own email system goes out and then they don't have the decency to at least say that it has, then you email them and they get it wrong etc! That is actually shockingly bad and stupid. Most people would think oh the emails broken lets find some way of letting them know even if it's on the bloody website. Jesus christ is all I can say.