James6

Who is looking forward to this year's Haloween event at Chessington? I for one am . It will be the first time I've visited this event since 2003.What are the queue's usually like at this event?

Yeah but Rattlesnake is amazing as well :)I think occasionally you do get a not-as-good-as-usual ride on Dragon's Fury.How many times did you ride it?

Went to Alton Towers today and was there from about 9:30 till 2:30 so not a long stay but it's just re-inforced in my mind that Chessington is the far superior park to both Thorpe and now Alton.Arrived later than hoped but once arrived it didn't seem like we missed much, ERT isn't ERT anymore, it used to be a great reward for Annual Pass holders and Hotel guests, but now it's so over-subscribed to be ERT. I remember the good old days where Nemesis and Air were open for 30 minutes before the rest of the park opened and you could get a good few rides in and it was worthwhile getting there early for the ERT.Ok , on to the day.Diving into the park, first sight was that now even Private parking has gone up! 2 years ago it was £7, last year ago it was £10, it is now £15!!! Absolutely unbelieveable and I'm still in shock from it.Moving on , we got in the park and hoped to get a few rides in while it was quiet, wrong... the pathways were crowded even at 9:30 but we managed to get on Rita after queing for 20 minutes and it is still utterly forgetable. The launch pales in comparison to Stealth, it's just forceless.Carrying on , decided that we wouldn't even bother to try to get on Oblivion during NERTAATPWON ( Not ERT Actually As If The Park Was Open Normally.)Headed on down to Katanga Canyon and took a run on the Runawau Mine Train, it's still great, but it used to be fantastic, after the incident it's just been toned down too much.Next was Nemesis, My Number one before the trip today, and it still is. It was running unbelieveably today, seriously get to Alton Towers now, not for any other reasons as there aren't any, purely for Nemesis. First ride was at the back and dear god it's un-describable. My #1 by a long,long way.Chose to do Air now as I've heard that it was struggling with the ques. It was. It took them till the que was almost to the smoking hut ( old fastrack machines) to open the second station and even then it was agonisingly slow, luckily I had got in at just the right time and didn't que that long , but for a B&M, man that queue moves slowly. The ride itself was as it's always been, fun but wouldn't want to do it twice.Headed now for Nemesis again , as it was the main point of me coming today, used SRQ as the main que was now 45 minutes and they hadn't open the extension parts of the que yet either, about 30 people I would guess in the que and it took 5 minutes, tops. About 5 people on EVERY train. Was on row 6 this time and it was just as good, enjoy Nemesis Inferno, you won't after you've been on this. It compeltely eclipses it in every way.Decided to ride Ripsaw and this ride has been badly maintained. Like really badly. The setting was terrible and Rameses Revenge was being run on much better settings. Nevertheless, we saw 2 cycles and both times they wern't getting people wet, great as we didn't want to get soaked, hey presto, I was on the first cycle where they got people wet. Yipee! :PBack to Nemesis and this time was a Walk-On via Single Rider Que, this time row 5 and just as sensational/ world-class as before.After thoroughly enjoying Black Buccenaeur at Chessington I thought the Blade deserved a shot. It really is just swinging, nothing more, no airtime at either end , even in the very back. And a very short setting.One more go on Nemesis and it's mind-boggling just how good this ride is.It was now about 12 and so then headed back into Muting Bay and enjoyed Sharkbait Reef, somehow and your going to start thinking I'm just out to sing Chessington's praises but I prefer there Sealife, it may be in a temporary building but I think it's longer has much more fish.Queued a while for Oblivion via SRQ , about 20 minutes although was surprised today as apart from Air, Oblivion was the busiest, including Spinball Whizzer!Rode Spinball Whizzer then whilst using Single Rider and whilst being good it's not a patch on Dragon's Fury ( In my top 5 now ) and also it's trimmed way too much.Someone I was with had a headache and none of us had done Squirrel Nutty before so we enjoyed the thrills of that.Overall Alton Towers is great and much better than Thorpe but not a patch on Chessington. I found myself struggling to think of things to do at 2, Wheras at Chessington I've been for whole days and I always leave wanting more.The worst thing I think at Alton Towers is... Maintenance... Everywhere looks run down/tired. Oblivion buildings are a boring old looking colour with gouges out of the walls, they also have grass growing on top of them, the track itself is a tired looking grey, spinball's track is now pink. It just doesn't look like it could be Britain's best park, everything is so untidy, there's cables lieing all over the place and uncut grass etc.So now after my week of the Merlin Parks, my rating of them stands as.1. Chessington2. Alton Towers3. Thorpe ParkWill add pictures in good time

I see how that could happen, but if the Single Rider's are pre-batched as they were before, that problem is eliminated.

It really was fantastic,and about the Vampire staff thing, when I was there the person organising the que at the Express Pass/ Main que merge point , I don't know if he was just grumpy but I think he was trying to get into the theme of Vampire which, was Vampire a really serious ride ( Saw) I would understand , but a real family attraction and this guy was staring people out. Wasn't really a bad thing I just didn't think it suited.One great thing with staff though was, One of the people I was with always seems to get picked on in like horror walk-through things, somehow people just know to go for her and she was sat in the Rattlesnake car and one of the ride assistant's sprinted down the station and shouted "bang" right in her ear, it was hilarious, the main ride op physically fell off his chair with laughter and all the ride assistants etc were crying with laughter. Was one of the funniest things I've ever seen ever and although the Thorpe staff are usually great, I just don't think they'd ever do something comical like that.Ended the day spectacularly.

Actually I believe it will decrease the Main que, not by a huge amount but it will. Think of all the single riders and groups who will now use the SRQ, rather than using seats which everyone else would fill they are now filling the seats that would have been empty.

Thanks and have a good time everyone who's going somewhere

Thanks, enjoy the rest of your trip :POff to Alton Towers tomorrow

Without a doubt I will be, I was , even after last time, just amazed. Sorry for the not-so-good trip report this time , but all it would be is, "went to Rattlesnake, was amazing, went to.... was amazing, went to... was amazing etc etc ".If you want them these are the que times:Vampire: Didn't see it go above 30 although it might of done, even when 30, didn't even take 20. It's such a nice change to be in a que where you feel like your getting somewhere and not going through endless switchbacks.Rattlesnake: 15 all day pretty much.Dragon's Fury: Got up to 60, but after about 1 it was 30 for the rest of the day and even then only took 20Bubbleworks: Had a pretty solid que all day, 45 minutes for most of it.Rameses Revenge: Usually 20, topped out at 35.Tomb Blaster: Biggest I saw was 65 but I think most of the time it was 45.Dragon Falls: 50, I think... only saw it once.Queueing in these que's is actually very easily bearable and actually enjoyable, as if in you don't really mind queueing a lengthy amount of time as, you are always moving the staff are unbelieveably efficent the majority of the time, the theming around you and that you get a brilliant, long ride after it.I'm about to start repeating myself because I want to get over just how fantastic Chessington is. Go there, go there now

Could not agree more, absolutely unbelieveable day out, will go into more detail later :PThe staff as you say are mind-blowing, they are so friendly and just so nice whilst being so efficent.I agree Rameses Revenge was fantastic today Vampire and Dragon\'s Fury were as usual brilliant as was Rattlesnake,It will be after man trips to Chessington I even think about going back to the low depths of Thorpe.The atmosphere at Chessington is so nice, friendly and you feel you are where your supposed to be, also noone breaks rules!I was with 15 other people today and all of them commented on the staff, the rides, the length of the rides, theming, just absolutely everything!Pictures:First ride of the day, did it twice with no que :PI love this ride!I love this ride There\'s a tradition going on here.Best pirate ship EVER, near Rush amount of air The brilliant Rameses RevengeAnd againAnd again

Lost CityRattlesnake or Jungle Coaster

I think it's a good coaster, but regardless of space I believe Thorpe should have added another airtime hill and inversion at least.If I had it completely my way I would have prefered to have had it all inside, more of a dark ride with small bits of coaster mixed in, with a couple of drop similar to the first, IMO that would've been better than coaster with a small dark ride section.

Dragons Fury, :)Runaway Mine Train ( Alton) or Runaway Train ( Chessington)

Clock, McFlurry or BK Fusion

I would guess that they wouldn't start automatically purely because there's more cars on the track and if there's been a powercut the sensors might "lose" where the cars are and therefore each block would have to be reset to make sure one hasn't been stopped there. That's my guess.And I'm pretty sure there's emergency lights for Dark attractions like Tomb Blaster in power cuts

Ha , yes I agree :)Great ride op there

Wow , report back to us on what the rides are like, :)Enjoy your trip!

Yes I agree it is a fantastic recreation a few points though - I think the first drop should be steeper and the Immelman Turn taller.- There were a few little pumps I felt, If you download the NL track smoother, can't remember where from it's really easy to get rid of these.- I think the MCBR's should have been taller and therefore you could dispose of the friction wheels :)Those are just a few things I would do, but it really was a very good recreation , especially as you saw it 3-4 years ago! :PWell done and I look forward to seeing future recreation's

Also, isn't full capacity on Fright Nights much higher?

Thanks to those who have voted and/or entered! :PThis weeks winner is... *Drum Roll*AeRo! Fantastic picture .On to a bit of sad news , at the moment I'm considering not doing this challenge for a bit as I feel that whatever I do there won't be many entries or votes, It's a shame as I really do thoroughly enjoy doing this Photo Challenge . Even if I don't do it for a few weeks it won't be the end of it permanently though

Erm guys... We need votes

Voting has now begun , voting will close at 10 past 10

Ahh yes, I agree, that is ridiculous.Thanks

Oh dang! , well thanks for letting me know, would have been irritating entering an Express Pass que on Sunday and being turned away! :PWhat was the reason for it no longer happening?Thanks again

Yes to clarify , 9:30 tonight is the latest you can enter for this week. And thanks for that idea Matty22, it will be considered