Benin

I'm sure one was done last year, let's have a generic one anyways to bump it annually... So IAAPA is off once again, so far the most interesting things to come out of it is Maurer Sohne announcing a Wing-Coaster concept and Mack testing spinning cars on Blue Fire... Who knows what might come up the next two days... Seriously, a spinning car on Blue Fire?!

Official POV

I don't see the appeal of visiting the same park 33 times in a year... That to me, is pretty damn boring... The beauty of these +1 parks is that sometimes you discover a really fab little park... De Waarbeek for example has tonnes of old-school rides and is generally fun... Of course there are some places which are cack, but it's the fun and adventure that comes with going into the arse end of nowhere and finding a surprise gem... Especially when abroad...

Sounds like they're gonna try and make it like Reserve n Ride only then... Then again, I've waited 90 minutes for a restaurant once or twice, so it could be a very apt description of the wait...

I too wish to hear about the negative side of the story, it makes a change from the usual Merlin stuff... I pretty much agree with your view of the coaster though, the overbanked turn is rather strange and slightly juddery, but it's certainly just as relentless as Wodan can be when it's on form... Timberliner trains are lush <3

Villa Volta (the ride part) is in an ABSOLUTE STATE, like, worse than what Hex was like a while ago with all the creaking and failure to sync up correctly... Needs a seriously good refurb, because it needs it desperately...

After working in rides for 3 years at Chessie, what a mess that was at times... Then again, it was only a part-time job, couldn't do it full time, be bloody awful I reckon... Maybe one day I'll actually get into the Engineering side, it's difficult to get into mind, very difficult indeed... And that's just to say get into Thorpe's Engineering department...

If that was the case, why does Slammer still exist?

Yeah, none of the African countries have people committing mass genocide in the name of Jesus/etc.

Wonder if it's more to do with the fears over safety post Smiler crash, inter-mingled with the lack of actual maintenance having been done on these rides... Depressing stuff really...

Every religion pretty much tells you to go and kill anyone who doesn't believe in it... Every religion also tells you to be kind to everyone... It's not religion that is the problem, it's people, people whose goal is to cause panic and hate throughout... Attacking the Western civilisations causing people to become paranoid and hate the Muslims (because it's the favourite media scapegoat), causing more people to turn towards the causes of the likes of ISIS... It's a neverending cycle of attack and hate... Religion becomes an excuse for people's actions, it should not be seen as the problem here, because that is arguably what these attackers want to happen... What really makes me sick in these incidents is those who in the aftermath use these things to further their own agendas... To further promote the hate and paranoia which is what the attackers want...

More than likely you'll have to get to the park itself in order to purchase the CD, much like with Fluch's soundtrack...

Bill right now:

Is Derren Brown and mind manipulation suitable for all the family? Certainly not in the same way that Loggers is...

That would certainly explain why Lost Temple is superior then... Though given how they're pretty much the same thing (like, ride system wise), that raises some interesting questions...

I feel that the problem is that this isn't just a normal style business, and given how the service from the parks has been going steadily downhill with the recent cuts already being put into place, is cutting more stuff and providing even less of a value for money day out really the answer? Even if the Flumes are being closed for valid reasons, it's not a great look for the parks whatsoever... Especially with other rides being dead or closed for whatever reason...

Mainly cos Forbidden Caves was bloody diabolical...

Chiapas style replacement with inter-twined GCI please... Failing that, an Aquatrax...

You should look up some of the crap I rode elsewhere... Too many +1s, so little time...

Gotta love Merlin's selective theming styles in order to avoid having to bother maintaining the attraction to a decent standard... "Oh it's meant to be falling apart, it's ABANDONED" We're never going to have something like Amity Cove again are we? That was a destruction themed area done so well...

And a Wacky Worm... And the M25 viewing platform...

Here I come to ruin the topic (again), I've ordered the trips in chronological order, hence why some are repeated: Disneyland Paris x4 Walt Disney Studios x4 Old MacDonalds Farm Movieland Studios Mirabilandia Gardaland Plopsaland de Panne Alton Towers Blackpool Pleasure Beach Southport Pleasureland New Brighton Funfair Blackgang Chine Pirates Cove Fun Park Flamingo Park Harbour Park West Sands Fun Fair Funland Amusement Park Clarence Pier Pleasure Island Macks Amusements Dunes Leisure Fantasy Island Bottons Rainbow Park Pettitts Animal Adventure Park Hemsby Fun Park Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach Pavilion Fun Park Tivoli Friheden Djurs Sommerland Farup Sommerland Legoland Billund Tayto Park Dennlys Parc Parc du Bocasse Jardin d'Acclimatation Disneyland Paris Walt Disney Studios Parc Asterix Dreamland Familiepretpark Mini Mundi Speelpark Oud Valkeveen Walibi Holland Julianatoren Efteling x3 BillyBird Park Amusementspark Tivoli DippieDoe Familiepark Toverland Avonturenpark Hellendoorn De Waarbeek Plopsa Indoor Coevorden Attractiepark Slagharen Duinrell Drievliet Plopsa Coo Mondo Verde De Valkenier Plopsa Indoor Hasselt Bobbejaanland Efteling Plopsaland de Panne Nearly 60 unique parks this year is reasonably impressive... Also hit #500 this year to boot at Drievliet...

Think it's one of the rides that also indirectly suffered from the Smiler crash aftermath of making sure everything is safe as hell... Shame, as Terry is a decent thing...

https://instagram.com/p/92EK98qDlX/ (Dunno if we can embed Insta links on here, something for Ian to look into?) Either way, click it, you won't be disappointed (perhaps confused though)...

They're already beginning prep by the looks of things: From The Onion