Benin

Money invested in the right areas means removing the entertainments department (although that seems to be coming back this season) and adding Storm Surge/Saw Alive... There have been improvements, but on the other side of the coin, there are still lots of problems with atmosphere, operations and general maintenance upkeep... Problems which result in guests having poor days and not coming back regardless of 'improving' old/new attractions... Thorpe aims at the market which doesn't really care about those issues though, yet on the flip side, which market spends the most money at parks? Which market has the lowest disposable income right now? You only have to look at Six Flags Magic Mountain a few years back to see what issues being solely focused on the 'teen thrills' market and having poor operations can do to a park...

I keep trying to read this in an optimistic light, but I just cannot... Get... It... To... Work... The state of affairs when a temporary 'hotel' is considered a main investment and swapping trains (or part of trains around) are considered bonuses to it... No, a bonus would be making the park an actual nice and enjoyable place to visit, which while the (as yet unconfirmed) NWO refurb would go a little bit towards, that is barely scratching the surface of Thorpe's problems...

I don't mind the dispatch announcement, gives the rides at Chessie some character and uniqueness... Indeed, more rides need announcements for dispatch (or at least a theme)... The PA volume is the issue...

Sounds like a normal day at Thorpe tbh... The Eventbrite thing is the new online booking system Merlin have put into place... Nothing to think further about really...

Tidal Wave's went because of Stealth's construction severing the gas line... There is no evidence currently to suggest it will just get turned off on Swarm... Swarm's fireball is a great bit of theming when it works, it should maybe not go off every train (mainly as when it doesn't catch light, the area stinks), it's definitely one for non-riders (who are just as important for encapsulating in the overall area experience)...

I'm starting to think that anyone who suggests Thorpe get a TopSpin should be banned for a week...

Indeed, it's unbelievably exciting that I haven't slept since this was pointed out on here... SO MUCH EXCITE!!!!!!!!111 And as proven after Saw, Thorpe really don't know what to do with non coaster years... Hence the removal of one gimmick whilst adding one on another...

I always found it funny how Fluch von Novgorod opened unfinished in 2009 and STILL looked 10x better than Saw... Also rides better by that ratio... Saw is a complete waste and shows the coin of poor IP design with a rather measley budget once you've paid out for rights... Not even the best Eurofighter in the country...

Assuming the 15% drop is correct, surely Thorpe should be looking at itself a bit more beyond "it's cos of the new ride"? Especially when it's not been doing that well for a few years... Got to be lots more reasons for this, the lack of disposable income for their target market, the reputation the park has as unreliable and full of teenagers good and bad, awful queues, focusing on upselling fastrack... Quite a few reasons why Thorpe isn't as successful as it would like to be...

That, and then the fact that it's pretty much a crap ride which with a 1.4m height has no real point existing at Thorpe in the current guise...

That awkward moment when..........

Great choice of colours... I love the pointless gate too... That'll stop people...

They USED to have that sign with the new trains as well, I remember many a time with announcements and the like really pushing that fact... Unfortunately, Chessie has slipped way past the acceptable scale of speaking to customers on rides... Some roles should have it, others (Vampire platforming as one example) should have absolute minimum guest contact and focus solely on getting them on and off the ride as quick as possible... No more days of 1000+ an hour is disgraceful...

^Absolute spot on post... "The ride is good, but the marketing wasn't, so we're changing to ride to make the marketing better"... Classic Thorpe...

Shame it'll be the only thing worth riding at the park eh?

The park assuming that because they didn't get a high number of visitors being purely down to the ride's marketing not being good enough... That's more interesting and telling tbh...

I know that feel, had to miss Palace/Villa in the admin season cos of Valentine's... Never again will I shun my true love for some individual...

That's fine, it's just the volume at which it's played is the issue (can be heard from batch gate, and causing the queue bars inside to physically vibrate </3)

All the engineers have to do is turn down the volume of the PA against the music... It's not even a case of ride staff loving the sound of their own voice (although it is an issue at times) but it's not their fault it's so bloody loud... It is a big problem though...

Wasn't that when it was being brought out for the first time of the year (Easter) and valleyed in the tunnel on the trims?

Fortunately Swarm's don't do this as badly as Raptor's... An improvement on the prototype!

Fanta? Dr Pepper surely?

Curious track piece is... Curious...

If I recall off the top of my head, it's a negatory...

Forever locked means they can seat people properly... Saw the BBQ a few times and ate there at the Chessie Conservation Evening a year or two back... Typical BBQ fare really... It never made sense with Chicken Co on park as well, the place isn't big enough to get away with it...