Benin

It's somewhat frustrating that a lot of the good work done by these projects end up being primary colour painting over everything. The additions are nice, but why is the entire structure yellow?

Lady Di is riding it with Sir Capt. Tom & Baby P.

Think a lot of it comes down to blue sky concepts then those are the sort of "unimportant" aspects that get cut. Not just a Merlin thing to be fair. But does happen regularly enough.

Smiler was meant to have a viewing area too which got cut. Drop looks like nonsense in a good way.

It's certainly a choice to have your big new rides main point being the height then choosing a flat 2D style map. Probably designed just to throw on the app first. Not like Thorpe really needs a map given the size.

1998.

I bet the planning meeting for the name of the shop took FOREVER.

Tbh it was mostly my guess for that section. Loosely based off Smiler's being sectioned off by a door leading to the onload platform. Which works until you have to get back to it and the airgates are full.

Have they got a lift for disabled people somewhere on the plans? I mean, it'll end up broken and left to rot like Saw's and Inferno's but it's THERE.

But it's ART. The Det stuff looks naff. Surprised they haven't taken the chance to redo the metal fences on the platform.

Suppose it's easy to forget Drayton are getting a coaster this year. Just looks so weird. Current guessing is that will go forwards from station until the straight section by the hospitality building, before launching backwards to the lift hill, which you then stop and complete the rest of the circuit forwards. Not sure, like with Mandrill Mayhem that this is the right choice in terms of throughput. Novel I guess.

One would suggest that there's room for expansion. IOA didn't open with a massive number of attractions. Besides that, I feel that Universal are now leaning into experience park with rides as a bonus. The way in which they've pushed this "portal" entranceway (although I fear for exit policies) to make each area completely immersive shows this is at the forefront. Will be incredibly boring with the Universal and Disney fans pissing contest though.

With Captain Tom & Rocky Express.

Given that an image like this would be everywhere else right now I'm not exactly on the side of belief here.

The joke such as it is/was grated from day one. Now its just sad and probably far more off-putting to bother posting on here.

Glorious to see. Can't wait.

This.

Most airtime isn't exactly much of a claim. Probably get more driving down the M1 potholes.

Ban request.

Bump. NemesIs Re30rn

Let's hope this happens more than once like every other similar project akin to this at other parks. Reverting back to old Samurai colours is a choice. That's capitalism for you. And why half the infrastructure in the country is in the state it is.

Is that from Hyperia's opening day?

Going to stress this now. Universal have ONLY confirmed the purchase of the land. They have NOT confirmed that they will build a park there. Let us not count our chickens prior to hatching. There are some houses on the Manor Lane road which exist right on the boundary of the purchased land. Would also depend on the location of the entrance and how they would plan to access it, as the nearest junction on the A421 essentially leads into the industrial estate. I'd also imagine any planning would require some serious road redesign. Even if its not too far from a decent A road.

The concept art is already at odds with the rumours of "no duplicated attractions". Wouldn't hang much on it since apparently its also old so likely just used as a convincer to investors if anything. Seems a tad more tangible in hope and sensible than London Resort was. Shall wait and see before though, as we've seen, there's a massive gulf in planning and getting it built.

God the colours look so bad without any blending.