dragon2000

That is an interesting point Peter. Especially after seeing both the entire team on Oblivion and some of the Nemesis staff at Alton with earplugs in.Batching was via means of a staff member stopping guests next to the organist and basically ensuring 2 people were behind each gate. Should also mean that it's easier to communicate/organise when exit riders are coming onto the ride, rather than permanently roping off the back four seats - often leading to empty seats going round.

Was also there yesterday. Nope, PA announcements have still not been turned and are still earsplitting/painful if boarding near the front.Music was sounding good - as much as I could hear it after being deafened by the female operator at the start of the day who felt the need to shout down the mic and explain every miniscule part of the operation to guests...Organist was indeed looking excellent. Trying to keep track of all the variations of lighting we've had on him and work out which was the best!For some reason it was on 2 trains and so the queue was being advertised as 80 minutes for quite a bit of the day. Moving *sooo* slow due to dispatches and lack of trains. Please someone reassure me that the 3rd train is broken and not just the staff still can't cope with all 3 train operation.This now makes it only 1 out of my 5 (busy weekend!) visits that Vampire has been on 3 trains. Quite ridiculous when you see all rides at Thorpe, Alton running at full capacity all the time. What's up with Vampire?Batching system seems ok - as long as there is some leeway for guests (e.g. if they specifically would like a front/back ride). If it means that all trains are filled completely then I'm all for it.This might have been my first visit out of 5 this year that Vampire opened on time too...On a separate note the operations on Tomb Blaster yesterday were terrible. Still has a nice day out in the park in the sun, lovely atmosphere compared to Thorpe!

Good question. (And playing Devil's advocate here) I suppose you could argue that if you are around the 'mid-point' of the lion enclose/viewing windows, it is still going to take you at least a few minutes to leave the area - travelling in either direction would take you past further windows where you might unintentionally bear witness to the scene at hand.If we are talking about why they made a fuss at Guest Services then I don't know why. Personally if my family had been that shocked by a similar experience I would most likely be leaving the park - taking a refund with me. Perhaps they were in shock and not thinking clearly/rationally

That's the problem. The baby binturongs could squeeze through the fencing of the enclosure. Usually they would return home to their parents but on this occasion ventured too close to the lions and were snapped up as it were.In an ideal situation, the keepers should have removed the mum and babies to a more secure enclosure with smaller-gap fencing - especially when you consider that there are lions right next door to their normal enclosure.Lastly, though the food chain and predator-prey relationships are perfectly natural, witnessing live animals being mauled by lions is not something I would consider as a nice experience. This is speaking as a conservationist who has spent months out in the field following species. Let alone for a 2 year old and mother...

Correct. Creates a more imposing image as you walk into the courtyard from the top of the hill - and I suppose its location is good in that non-riders get a chance to see it. You don't really notice it whilst on the ride.

Went yesterday. The transformed Rodeo centrepiece has finally been put into place below Vampire's second lift dropaway. It's looking fantastic there so well done to the park for getting it sorted.I'm afraid I don't have a picture of it in from its new position, but here's when Yo Chessington reported on it being behind the scenes:http://yochessington.co.uk/archives/1507On a negative though the station music still is super quiet and the operator's PA is indeed painfully deafening. Also last week organist was moving (barely), this week he is dead. Lastly, whilst Dragon's Fury had a great team and kept the queue down to a max 30mins all day, Vampire opened up 45mins late (which seems to be a recurring theme...) on a terrible terrible 2 train operation that kept the queue between 45-70minutes all day. Painfully slow ops, not enough people being let into the station to fill up trains, it really is so frustrating to see such a classic ride being operated in such a way.

Am I dreaming it up that the electricity pylons also used to 'spark'? Memory of those days is fading...Anyway, these pages have pics of both the flame ball and water tower:http://www.totalthorpepark.co.uk/guide/tidalwave.shtml http://www.s104638357.websitehome.co.uk/html/tidalwave_main.htm

Don't think I've seen this mentioned yet...The teacups were looking a bit bland on preview day with their plain white paintscheme. Are they being repainted ready for the main season?

I'm going to the enthusiasts day next week - it's shaping up to be great day. Thanks so much for helping to organise these treats Rich! Sky Swinger backwards should be awesome

Hi Guys, have read both this thread and the link on the main site - however I have never visited Thorpe/Chessie on a Bank Holiday.Please could anyone tell me whether there would be a significant difference in queues between this Saturday (1st May) and this Monday (3rd May)? Think we'll prob be making a trip to Chessington for the first time in a while! Anyone's experience from previous years would be greatly appreciated