Benin

No idea who that is and not seen any rumours, no point planning until we know the league for next season though...

#betterthanTaron

Chiapas is better than Ripsaw Falls, predominantly because of the distinct lack of drenching and also the backwards rave room... Taron as an overall package is fantastic, as a ride I'd rather ride Helix...

Python doesn't have VR, they're trialling an equivalent of Reserve n Ride on it... I do believe they're clones though...

And to think, there was an utter pile of turd stood there not long ago...

Planning the trip is more fun than actually going. #truthbomb

Perhaps, the wording is awful though and it's a stupid thing for any social media account to say to a prospective guest... Should've just said something about "if you need to change the date on your advance ticket please contact such and such"...

It's amazing how a response that they could honestly help with they've been rather arsey about... Needs more responses tbh...

Regarding the back row, putting the disabled guests there means that they have to travel the least amount of distance should an evacuation take place (off the lift hills obviously)... Even 10 years ago full trains were used on rare times, though that might be as well because of Exit Passes (not sure if these are still a thing?)

Merlin compare themselves to Disney, why can't we hold them to that comparison? There's clear reasoning why certain things at Merlin parks are prioritised, and that's to please the shareholders over the guests... Maintenance doesn't bring in the money (at least, not in the short term, providing regular maintenance over time prevents having to do one big cash drop when the ride is effectively condemned or when a child falls through the rotting fence), so what does that matter to the shareholders? Comparing to other parks regardless of location is fine... The UK was basically inspiration for a lot of European parks after all (as well as the typical Disney influences) at the peak of the 90s powerhouse, why can't we now look to other parks for inspiration of how to build and run them? Europa is an unique one because it is effectively a showroom... But Mack go above and beyond anything really; just look at the Old 99 retheme!

Waiting for an opening date announcement like:

Is Maverick that unpopular? I only don't love it because of those stupid restraints effectively ruining the whole thing... Think I need to try X2... X was a weird one but sullied by a 2.5 hour queue on 1 train op...

*insert joke about Varney seeing the gas bill*

Nah there'll just be a fantastic view of the shed...

Or everyone's waiting for Icon to open... Towers in 2013 before Smiler opened was pretty dead compared to previous years...

Emphasis on 'had'; Europa did 'have' a system like that, but that was around 3/4 years ago... Now their systems appear to solely be for those with that 'proper level' of benefits (a lot of the parks on the continent ask for proof of benefits I.e. a blue badge, which is problematic for those with actual disabilities who aren't broken enough to get one but still cannot actually queue); but weirdly places like Efteling and Walibi will take doctors letters and happily hand them out (although the Walibi system is dumb and forces people to stand at the exit for the queue's duration because LOGIC)... Then again some parks in the same countries just have different ideas... Port Aventura and Tibidabo for example... One had a very rude staff member say "no pass" and not be very helpful at all to options, and the other one had someone bend over backwards and get explain the system whilst getting a gentleman called Luis to get a wheelchair... I'm sure regular viewers can guess which park was which... They're nowhere near as widely used though, which is likely a culture thing (very few parks that sell Fastpass seem to have people using it, whereas the UK it's effectively relied upon now)...

POV!

Problems with ride count? Ride Mauraders Mayhem and Heave Ho... Doubt most people would go with an opinion of "that ride is crap, won't ride it" either... Would wager that a lot of the queues for tickets are down to poor staffing levels, plus being unable to organise a drinking session in a brewery... There are plenty of ways for the standard guest to plan their day far more efficiently for any park though... Nothing wrong with that viewpoint, it ranges from people arriving at 12 on the busiest day of the season to those buying Platinum Fastrack when there's no queues...

Port Aventura don't appear to have one (or it's limited to 'severe' disabilities)... German laws mean that RAP doesn't exist. At all. In any of their parks... Swear the letter must have always been within 12 months, or I'm just being logical... Obviously most disabilities are permanent, but one for every year seems sensible because things may have changed due to treatments or the person being better adapted to such situations... I don't know enough about the autistic side to judge it... I think because it's so wide ranging you cannot easily have a single file for it... Plus I think some kids these days are diagnosed as such when really they are just badly behaved...

I would've thought a letter from GP was standard practice across the board at all Merlin parks?

Vekoma Aquatrax!!!!!

Partly surprised that he didn't like the Witches adaptation, beyond the Hollywood ending I think it's quite akin to the book... Can't blame them for hating these attractions, they've all been pretty crap...

Think it's harsh to say they've let KSM rot, given the trouble they had with redoing Scenic to modern standards, I dread to think how much it would've cost them to modernise that as well... Plus the money issues they've been having doesn't help... If such additions keep the park ticking over a little bit then sure; I've no doubt there's work in the background at continuing the heritage 'theme'... Indeed, there's more than just the rides at work in that sense...