MattyMoo

😂 Are we to assume the new land won't open until phase 4 of easing starts on w/c 17th May at the earliest?

Yikes, that's a lot of time to kill being stuck in a little box! Unless I'm guessing they'll hire in some food & beer carts maybe? Or maybe the huts outside DBGTROTD are still there from FN's?

Hopefully this paves the way for the second Detty tower.

A huge problem with DBGTROTD is - what on earth do you do with it next? Once VR is permitted Covid-wise I would assume that they could just change the overlay to something else/another story maybe? But if you take away the VR, it's just a train simulator. Could maybe see it going the way of a live action scare maze type attraction maybe? But even then, they don't have a good history whatsoever at the Island Like No Other.... there also comes a point too where you are just throwing good money away over bad, and it's not worth the outlay to keep it going. Any budget to retheme the thing isn't exactly going to be huge because of the cost already spent on it - and then subsequent "upgrades" - shout out to sweaty white T shirt man in the fake gift shop. Can't exactly see anyone being super keen on buying it off them either... and we don't want DBGTROTD, Saw Alive, Slammer and Loggers all sitting there SBNO.

I forgot about that Swarm press shoot! I was dead afterwards hahaha. Remember a Stealth photoshoot too back in the day, riding it at 9am in the morning back to back... good times! I was going to give Detty a shout too - packs a punch, and without fail, everytime I think "Oh yeah, it's higher than I remember!"

I love the place - I just want the best for it 1. Stealth Never disappoints, iconic. There is simply no better ride experience for me in the UK than front row on that beauty. Absolutely perfect, especially at dusk. As long as I get to go on Stealth, my Thorpe trip is worthwhile. 2. Fright Nights The atmosphere is great, and some of the mazes have been legendary - Creak Freak Massacre is definitely a sign of things to come, glad I did it getting on for 10 times when we went on an off peak Fright Night! Just no more Vulcan Peaks please, yeah? I think Thorpe have realised now that quality over quantity is better for mazes. 3. Swarm Island Sticks out like a sore thumb - for being miles above any other themed area on park. Just a shame ol' Swarmy lives on it by itself, another flat ride there would be great. Just something. But yes - cracking theming, and loved seeing it come alive a little bit at Fright Nights 2020.

Indeed! Was saying to Josh the other day - seems like only yesterday it was December 2011 and I got to do a sneaky site visit as we were supplying the LC12 project with reinforcement, and got to walk underneath the aeroplane wing - and get to see the trains before anyone knew they were there 😍 I couldn't divulge on the forums back then, naturally. I just want a BIG project at Thorpe... it's long overdue now and obviously Covid hasn't helped matters (nor has DBGTROTD). They will struggle to maintain attendance without something "big" soon though I think, you can't keep putting in short lived IP small attractions or rebranding old ones. Appreciate Paultons is a family park and Thorpe isn't, but Tornado Creek would appear to knock spots off most themed areas at Thorpe - with the exception of Swarm Island ❤️

Has it really been 5 years already? Maybe we'll finally be able to get our "heads in a jar" merch from the gift shop this year. I remember those two photo points in the queue, sigh!

Who's Ghost Train is it? Covid's Ghost Train until June 21st at the earliest 😆

So - Tulleys have tweeted this morning.... they have gone back to a ticketing system more like the original, which I prefer (but then, that's mainly because we buy VIP so we can re-run mazes lots of times.... blimey I sound like a MAP'per!) Tickets are now XScream Pass which allows you 1 run through each haunt, then an XScream pass with 6 or 10 fasttrack queue jumps (which as I read it, means you still only do a haunt once, just don't have to queue for 6 or 10 of them), and then the VIPRIP all you can eat mega unlimited ticket. Now... the current line up is 9 haunts plus Circus of Horrors... so with a 10 fast-track option that would imply a 10th haunt is coming, as discussed previously in the thread....

Hex is by far my favourite, mainly because it's the only one I've ever been on xoxox. Jokes aside - I love it every time I ride, and it's always fun trying to work it out when you're in there and everytime I fail to actually get my head round it, even though I know how it works

TheIslandLikeNoOther is due to open on 27th March... I'm quietly optimistic that will happen. Just without DBGTROTD, TWDTR and Black Mirror Labyrinth...!

Happy Christmas, this message is sponsored by Derren Brown's Ghost Train.

Nailed it. Expect to see more events that encourage you to buy food and drink and add-ons such as Oktoberfest and paid-for mazes at Thorpe, I reckon - which I don't mind, personally. Oktoberfest at Alton Towers was an absolute breath of fresh air this year, thoroughly impressed.

Is it too much of a sweeping statement to say that MAP users are the main users - and also abusers - of the RAP? Anyway, I've said it either way

The MAP group are kicking off big time about the price hike, but let's be honest here - the passes have been too cheap for too long. MAPpers typically won't use F&B on park, where Merlin make that precious and needed revenue and margin.

Wonder how much DBGTROTD merch they sell...

So... with all the positive vaccine news and such - the most important question is - do we expect Creek Freak Massacre to be back next year, and back inside where it belongs? ❤️ I personally would be pretty damn certain that's the case.

Don't give Merlin ideas. Swarm: Brave it Spinny & Backwards (Sometimes) coming 2022.

There's no physical card for this pass, it's saved on your phone - does this mean you now have to wear your phone on your lanyard all day to prove you are not just a normal standard guest and one of the elite?

I've heard it's going to be called Crocodile Rock instead as that doesn't break any trademarks. Laaaaaaa, la la la laaaaaa....

The island behind Swam baffles me - it's not cheap whatsoever to create an island, one can only assume they must have had plans to put something there a few years after Swarm, but I guess like Operational Directors, plans and management change! From one year to the next, it would seem.... Thopre trying to eek out no "big" investment for a couple of years at least whilst also trying to attract visitiors is going to be... a challenge. There's only so many times you can rebrand or rename something or stick an overlay over the top...

With regards to vaccine, Ticketmaster etc. - as has been said, it's the most vulnerable and oldest first, then likely to go down the age groups, with those with underlying health conditions higher up the queue - I really can't see 90% of Thorpe's visitors even being able to get a vaccine until back end of 2021. With that in mind I agree with above - can't see 2021 being hugely different to this year to start with at least but I would like to think that Fright Nights will be back to something resembling normality. I think rapid testing & over the counter testing is what's going to "unlock" events, holidays, normality in the short term. That said, there's no doubt the progress on vaccines is fantastic - and that's with just 2 of the current plethora getting to this crucial stage of testing. 2021 is definitely a lot more positive! But, I still don't think that fifth green light on Stealth will be fixed.

Did someone say second drop tower? 😱😂 Black Mirror is an interesting one, depends on how good the ventilation is I suppose, and how many surfaces are there that you touch - but if it's mask complusory, sanitize before entry.... it could work... but the throughputs though... I dread to think! In fact, I dread to think about those without any social distacing regulations!