terrortomb

Yep it's gonna be an interesting day in this heat, I certainly wouldn't have picked it had I had a crystal ball. See those coming in the dome from 9:50! All welcome

Prior to the pandemic we ran trips to other parks including AT, CWoA, BPB Port Aventura, Toverland and Phantasialand but with not much happening at Thorpe attendance to all meets gradually declined so for now we will just trial Thorpe meets this year. If these go well or more interest occurs we will look at other park trips for 2023. 

Here's the official news: https://www.efteling.com/nl/blog/nieuws/20220124-nieuw-hotel-en-vernieuwd-themagebied-in-2024
 
So we'll get a new attraction opening in 2024, with a throughput of 1250pph, as well as some sort of 'theme world', which makes me think this investment might see more than just the attraction. No news on what the attraction is yet, and I'm still a little hesitant to refer to it as a ride just yet. The park will spend 25 million euros on this new investment (for comparison, Symbolica was 35 million)
 
The park will also open a new hotel in 2024, next to the main entrance, so that it will overlook Aquanura (the water show) and the Fairytale Forest. It will have 7 floors, 143 rooms, 2 restaurants and a spa, and represents a 50 million euro investment. For comparison, the most recent hotel offering (Loonsche Land) cost 30 million euros, and the previous (Bosrijk village) cost 52 million euros, but both of those have pretty substantial outdoor bits too, which seems less like with this hotel.

Forbidden Tomb is not returning, in name, nature or anything outside dreams.

Legoland's new area, Mythica, has been fully announced now:
 
https://www.legoland.co.uk/explore/theme-park/2021/
 
Rides:
Flight of the Sky Lion. Flying Theatre
Fire and Ice Freefall. Spinning family drop towers (like Tikal at Phantasialand, and the ones in the new area at Paultons)
Hydra's Challenge. Rethemed Squid Surfer
 
The idea for the area is that any time a 'creature' is made out of Lego, it actually comes to life in an alternate world. The Flying Theatre in particular is about travelling to this other dimension, and meeting some the huge creatures around the area. I believe these creatures are sort of amalgamations of real-world animals, to create that fantasy-feel.
 
The Legoland app will also allow you to scan some of the Lego models around the area to see them come to life on your phone (AR technology), which if works could be great.
 
Other things:
-There will be a 'Creature Creation' area for kids to build their own creatures 
-The Fish and Chips restaurant is being rebranded into The Hungry Troll Restaurant. Not clear if it's serving the same food, but looks likely imo
-New character, Bitsandbobs, a unicorn like creature, seems to be pushed a bit
-There will be 13 'large' creature models, using over 2 million bricks between them
 
 
It's a really cool idea imo. It's nice to see something different and unique, away from all of the Lego sets, whilst creating something that feels very Lego-like. It's the sort of thing Legoland parks should be doing. Some of it feels a bit ambitious, and I do worry the Flying Theatre might be a bit rubbish with bad throughput (if the other Lego flying theatres are anything to go by), but on the whole, I think there's lots to be positive about here.
 
Area is set to open May 29th, assuming they're allowed to open the Flying Theatre with Covid restrictions

Looking forward to some cringe for breakfast
If you are a grown man and want to ride this coaster, make sure you get down early in the day #goodadvice

Who's Ghost Train is it? Covid's Ghost Train until June 21st at the earliest 😆

Have removed a couple of posts from here - Regardless on your opinions on Nick’s music - fair play to him for organising this - just looked and I saw he’s raised almost £600 to donate to a mental health charity and no one deserves to be berated for that - that’s significant amount especially during these times from such a niche market.
 
Whilst I get it may not be everyone’s cup of tea I think it’s great people when people l come together and do things like this which will ultimately benefit others more in need, especially in times like this!

I think it looks great!! so for, this isnt the finish product, remember this isnt opening until next year and there is still lots to do. Dont criticis until the ride is completely finish. This is probably the best investment chessington has done since the original Vampire/Bubbleworks/ Transylvania years

Very interesting insight into your wants and needs here gents.

Europa Park, as previously mentioned, will be reopening from May 29th. It's been said they will max the daily capacity at 15,000, a quarter of their usual capacity (just for a fun comparison in park sizes, 15k is around Thorpe's capacity these days I believe...)
 
However, to book tickets you have to get in a virtual queue (similar to buying concert tickets and the like I guess). At time of writing, the virtual queue has over 28,000 people are is estimated to take an hour.
 
Will be interesting to see how it levels out in the future, and what this means for booking park visits in general over the next couple of months.

Might as well start another bandwagon.
 
Best Theme Park Restaurants 

5/ Rollercoaster Restaurant- Alton Towers. Probably my favourite UK park restaurant, I love how they’ve used the  ‘food loop’ Concept and that the place is
also dedicated to past and present coasters. I personally enjoy the food here too. 

4/ Tivoli Foodhall-Tivoli Gardens. Great variety here, plus the Smorrebrod (cultural delight) were absolutely delicious.

3/ Silver Lake Saloon- Europa Park. I love the food and I love the atmosphere and think I’m a sucker for most Wild West style places. Reminds me of Smith and Western a little. 
 
2/ Polle’s Keuchen- Efteling. This place is something of a masterpiece to the point where the food is almost secondary. Charming surroundings, meet and greets and amazing thematic set-pieces Which perform often. The pancakes are great too.
 
1/ Rutmoore’s Tavern- Phantasialand. I adore the cosy setting and theming plus the food is divine. It’s like stepping in time to another world or something!
 
The Worst Theme Park Restaurants 

5/  Woodys Burger Bar-Oakwood Theme Park. Bland quick service food, the burger was tasteless and inedible to the point it makes Burger Kitchen look like Five Guys.

4/ Aus Fastes Des Rome- Parc Asterix. Barely food and more processed than Jedward’s auto tune. Cold, tasteless, bland and did I say processed? I didn’t favour to much of Astérix’s food but this was something else!

3/ El Paso Dinner Buffet- Port Aventura.  P.A has become infamous for it’s terrible food quality and that is true. Expensive, inedible food that makes eating a chore as, opposed to enjoyable. I ate something so bad here I thought I was going to vomit!

2/ Jerome’s Grill- Port Aventura. I’ve had some lovely Pizzas in my time dining, the one I ate here wasn’t one of them! Disgusting, plastic, oily and more tasteless than a series of love island. Probably the worst pizza I’ve eaten, those cheap supermarket pizzas are gourmet compared to this travesty. 
 
 
1/ Piratengrill- Plopsaland De Panne. I never thought Port A.V. could be topped for disgusting food. Apparently not. The burger here tasted terrible to the point I struggled eating. To make matters worse, it was horribly expensive and they took so long serving I thought I’d be seeing CHRISTMAS there.
 
I miss going places.

5) Thorpe Park TPM meet 2013. There was something just so special about this trip. Whether it was the fact it was snowing, freezing cold, the most awesome people on a trip or just everything put together I don't know but it was just brilliant. To Peaj and Dara riding Tidal Wave and being drenched for the rest of the day or sitting in Calypso BBQ with hot chocolates and coffees. 
 
4) Disneyland Paris Fandaze 2018. The end of the 25th anniversary celebration really but this was a trip where many rare characters made an appearance as well as meeting the (at the time) CEO of Disneyland Paris, Catherine Powell. It was a long day but a fantastic one.
 
 
3) Europa Park 2006. I met my future husband on this trip so it has many, many special memories for me. Travelling through Rust to the Lidl from the Tipi village. Getting drunk in a field and several of us falling into a lake. Getting on Silver Star for the first time. Travelling the diamond mine and avoiding the bears, seeing the metal dragon. Such a great trip.
 
 
2) Walt Disney World 2011. When building up to Florida, it was Universal and Seaworld that I wanted and craved. But once the trip was over it was the Disney parks that captured my heart. This was the trip where my boyfriend and I were chosen to be in the Jammin' Jungle Parade which was utterly wonderful. I'll need forget this amazing trip.
 
 
1) Chessington 1998. I wasn't an enthusiast of any kind, I was just really obsessed with them. I used to draw pictures of the Vampire with its classic bat trains all the time. This was a trip long time coming and I remember sitting outside the Bubbleworks, eating my McDonalds and looking up and watching this beautiful train swoop through Transylvania. It caught my attention and has shaped my theme park life really. To this day I love the Arrow suspended rides but Chessington is where it all started.

Not sure how appropriate it is to post this, but feel it deserves a mention..
 
Any stock that Thorpe Park had bought that they expected to use during the time they're closed has been donated to the NHS. No doubt plenty of other parks and companies are doing similar if possible, but it's great to see all the same.

Also a keyworker as a teacher, although working from home except for Thursdays as they've put us on a rotation to cover the students coming in and try and minimise contact at same time.
 
Outside of that, finish two point hospital and then the new DLC coming out next week, finish rise of the tomb raider, kingdom hearts 1 and 2 to replay again on Xbox one after loving it years ago on ps2 and some Netflix thrown in amongst some other games! 

It’s sad, but I think this was a good step to take. Well done Mattgwise and fingers crossed for the future 

It’s sad, but I think this was a good step to take. Well done Mattgwise and fingers crossed for the future 

Dear TPM members
 
It is with regret that I announce the cancellation of all TPM meets for the foreseeable future.
 
However, it is only fair that we think of the health and safety of all our members and the general public. 
 
Once things calm down we will come up with a new plan. 
 
Let's hope we get through this crisis sooner rather than later and can all enjoy social events and the one thing we all love, visiting theme parks! 
 
Thank you for your understanding. 
 
Matt
 
 
  Quote

🤔  Think of whether it has been improved on last season not years and years ago!
 
It is certainly an improvement! Animatronics virtually all working for once, targets that do work look neater, it's much darker in the scenes, the audio works and it attempts to tell a story. As for the audio, it is not in any way catchy or memorable but it works for what its trying to do with the storyline being added.

I think it's a MASSIVE improvement on recent years. Well done Chessington.

Thanks to Chessington Buzz for the recorded POV. Wonder if they had permission?

Whatever they do with HEX, I just hope they've left the music alone! 

And Efteling have now announced that, as of tomorrow, the park will be closed, and the entire resort will be closed from Monday:
 
 
The resort is usually open 365 days a year.
 
Legoland opened fully today and have encouraged guests to keep their distance between groups in queue lines, similar to Efteling's previous advice. 

It doesn't matter how (un)clean everyone else is, if you touch things like restraints and wash your own hands after riding before touching your mouth or face you'll be fine. 
 
How long before Merlin start offering fastrack to the sinks? 😂😂

ITV News story on Gangsta Granny ride with first footage from inside. What are people's first thoughts? 
 
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2438252443132735&id=1706498899641430

Black Mirror actually sounds pretty cool. I wonder if some of the mirrors were taken from Hocus Pocus 😛 
As long as there's no safety exit line on the floor, it should be decent!