Benin

Should just use the same bag systems as Europa's amazing magically self moving cupboards of joy...

Thing is with the cheap nights, they were done on off peak nights, and were certainly successful to some degree, as the night I was there Splash Landings was very busy (which is where the deal was)...

I found it very amusing when I went towards it and it broke... Reopened shortly after, at which point Slammer then broke... Would've ridden both if it wasn't for the awful rain, but they're back up, which is very good to see... Well done...

I always found it weird how Saw had all the issues yet none of the other Eurofighters did... Was loading 2 at a time REALLY that problematic? That seems to be the one major difference between them (Especially Fluch and Mystery Mine), and perhaps that is the reason... Of course, with 4 rows of 4 per car/train, shouldn't have to dual load trains... But then we'll get the special thing break instead, wahey...

Ellen Bill Nye Energy Adventure

Interesting to see how this develops... Will there be new entertainment options? Will it be reasonably priced? Will it be popular? Will it help or hinder the park's resort image? And more importantly, will it be made out of shipping containers?

Eh? I'm lost here, since when did either of those places give off that sort of vibe? Amity Kebab and Roasty Relish are both fab additions... Was actually surprised how good the Kebab place was, which is testament to the great improvement of food at the parks... Indeed, there's very few if any truly awful food places these days at the parks, compared to a few years ago when you wouldn't want to set foot in a park food joint bar the BBQ place...

I'd LOVE to see some actual proof to this, because, erm, HAVE they mucked up? Or are you just making crap up to fit your poorly constructed arguement?

Is that Alton specific? Because the same can be said of ALL the Merlin parks... And I'm sure Storm Surge made loads of the North stream down the M6 to experience it... Would rather a park get a well thought out addition rather than cheap and rushed (which is why Towers' 2011 addition didn't materialise)...

KFC has expectations?

That's what happens when people pay too much attention to the PR crap that gets spouted by parks... I enjoyed Thirteen from day 1, because I saw it as a family ride with a special drop... People fell into the hype, and were hence disappointed... Go on Thirteen now, and the entire train laughs from the indoor section onwards... That's what theme parks are about, people having fun and enjoying a ride, not saying it's not as good as such and such ride yada yada...

What's the betting that there will be more scuffles/fights at the Crystal Palace vs Millwall footie match this Saturday in comparison to Thorpe? Yeah, there is nothing to worry about, unsurprisingly, the parks DO know what they are doing for the most part...

Nail pretty much on head here, the GP reaction to Thirteen after it's had a chance to bed into the park is so much better than the initial reactions on opening day and the weeks after... Nowhere near as bad as some people seem to make it out to be...

4 rows of 4? Perhaps it won't be a Gerstlauer - http://www.maurer-rides.com/x-coaster/x-train/

Deja Vu <3 Panda Express <3 Good to see a review of a park people rarely hear about... And horray for over-hyped Intamin rubbish!

8 passenger launch vehicles? Fluch? Iron Shark lapbar cars though would be much approved... Probs won't happen but still... Do want...

Yep, and that's been EXTREMELY successful in bringing in the crowds this year hasn't it? Oh wait, no, Thorpe aren't hitting the numbers they expected are they?

Bad Thorpe? What if the woman had been messing about and it was her fault she got caught in the conveyor? I swear like half of all theme park incidents are down to guest idiocy...

Ahhh, but was the loss of guests solely because of no new attractions? There's always something more to things, as last year was a HORRID year for all Merlin parks, not just Towers...

They don't need a new ride... They need to improve the atmosphere and look of the park, as currently, it's a bit lacking in both those areas...

Because the original Zodiac model was ancient and prone to throwing pods into trees... Sometimes rides do need replacing, but why replace rides which have nothing wrong with them?

I wonder though if Burger King gets busy because of being a recognised brand... Thorpe's restaurants outside of Burger King, KFC and Pizza Hut very rarely get very busy in my experience...

That last picture just goes to prove that Disney face characters always look really really bad... Especially it seems the American ones... The Circus looks great though... I'm still holding back till Fantasyland is actually finished though...

Won't be McDonalds because they made them go away from Chessie and Towers in the first place... Yay for more branded outlets though, one thing Merlin have done well, is the park food, so much better now...

Didn't actually know about it, but that's quite an exceptional case and kinda needed to be done? Since there's nothing really wrong with Det or Vortex, why replace them?