AstroDan

This is about as off the beaten track as you can get. Sadly, it's probably the park in Europe I am least likely to visit...

Nigloland is like a mini-EP, or EP from the mid 1990's... Loads of Mack coasters and Mack rides, including a sister coaster to Eurosat.

The fact that this is slipping under the radar is a good thing. Alton Towers are investing £8m in CBeebies Land; a substantial figure. The area is squarely aimed at the 0-6 age group, and for their families. It's remit is educational and fun, and as such, there are going to be many interactive educational entertainment elements to the new land. The IP's are all off the channel, and the most major ones to boot. Ask any 5 year old, and they'll tell you all about Iggle Piggle, Mr. Tumble and the Veggies. It may not be what we watched when we were kids, Postman Pat aside, but imagine - back when you were little. A Button Moon, Playdays or Rainbow themed ride would have been right up all of our streets!

New official video from Mack Rides, to show off the capabilities of the system. I think the whole ride system looks brilliant, smooth, great quality with Mack's now world famous comfortable seating arrangement! The speeds and specifications mentioned in the video are not related to Arthur, it's just the maximum that the system could cope with. Intrestingly, it's also able to operated in a gravity powered system. How long till we see a more thrilling suspended Mack coaster? Anyway, on to the video! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bsi2yd0cBzA

It's been ages since an update, but here is one! We're really pleased to say that TowersStreet is still going strong after 18 months of existence, and that's in large part thanks to the support that we continue to get from everyone. We've just reshuffled and tweaked the TS Team in order to push forwards discussion on the forum as a key area in the coming weeks and months as we head towards the 2014 season. We're also looking at further developing the website with new content and information coming in the next few months. Perhaps one of the best features of TS is our international theme park discussion, which I really do believe is the best out there for the UK audience. So come along, have a read, and post away. We're also on Facebook if you're not already liking us - www.facebook.com/towersstreet Thank you all!

NEW? What on earth? How on earth can they claim this is some sort of 'new' development!? It's basically a replacement for what was there last season (which, by the way, I haven't stayed in nor do I ever plan to). Why have Thorpe sort of 'forgotten' how to add rides on any years other than major coaster years?

Arthur is a €20m (£17m) project which comprises the following: 1. Mul Mul Carousel 2. Cornpoppy Family Free Fall Tower 3. Minimoys Village 4. Slide Paradise 5. Arthur - suspended dark ride 6. Restaurant 7. Shop Official vlog update on Arthur; with a few as yet unseen concepts! Video in French, which is the nationality of the project lead:

Did an absolute bag load of new parks in the summer, so my top 10 changed: 1: El Toro, Six Flags Great Adventure Wild. Airtime is insane. It is simply an epic, epic rollercoaster which gets almost universal praise from all who ride it. 2: Maverick, Cedar Point Awesome. The airtime, the twists, the launch, the crazy banked bits. This is one of the best coasters in the world. 3: Nemesis, Alton Towers The legacy of this ride given its age is something very special. It keeps up a storming pace all the way round and when it's warm it's a match for anyone, even seasoned riders. 4: Skyrush, Hersheypark The airtime on this coaster is almost too much. It makes you scream and shriek. It is like no other coaster experience. The lift hill alone is just madness. The first drop is incredible. 5: Montu, Busch Gardens Africa Massive and beautiful. The Batwing element is something else. I do have concerns I have overrated this ride though, so will be watching it closely when I visit Orlando again in 2015. 6: iSpeed, Mirabilandia Crazy pacing and relentless twists. The first 30 seconds are sensational. 7: Tonnerre de Zeus, Parc Astérix Back to its absolute, mindblowing best. A beast of a wooden coaster. 8: Raptor, Cedar Point / Monster, Walygator Parc Raptor and Monster represents a kick ass layout on an awesome ride model. Genuinely, this is a top, top class inverted coaster and classic from B&M. Intense or what! 9: Kumba, Busch Gardens Africa Forceful and old-skool B&M. Absolutely brilliant the whole ride with a massive ROAR. 10: Top Thrill Dragster, Cedar Point Best Intamin Accelerator I have been on. Amazing launch, similar to Kingda Ka, but with lap bar restraints and far better operations. Wow!

The Smiler is a great addition for Alton Towers, but Nemesis has it.

The hypocrisy being of course, that Chessington closes at 7pm, after barely an hour of proper darkness, while Alton Towers and Thorpe open until 9/10pm. Still, looking forward to Scarefest this year. The use of Fountain Square to be a sort of 'hub' of activity will be great, as it will spread the Scarefest mood throughout the park more.

Hopefully 2014 will see a brand new map, it's normally every 3 years, this instalment may well be moderately beautiful in its normal guise, but I have had one too many headaches and this new one just looks ill!

The ride is testing tonight, although the first test was actually last night! Alton being VERY tight lipped about it.

I just think it's staggering that anyone would be even slightly 'upset' by the nature of the features on this ride, given that for too long - enthusiast forums have been craving a 'normal', 'solid' coaster at the park - not something that relies on a flash in the pan gimmick, like Th13teen. This is much more like it!

They aren't actors, they are the ride staff that are simply standing around the ride area. That is the uniform, at least one of them.

Alton Towers is closed again today. The snow is worse than it was yesterday. I live in Rugeley (about 20 miles south of Alton Towers) and there is considerable snowfall, with many roads impassable.

The snow is only forecast to continue until tomorrow morning. However, the cold is absurd - literally, 0C in main season. Best get my walking boots on for the stroll to the main entrance from the main car parks on Sunday, then!

Oh god. Another two weeks and I will be back! I can't wait!

It's a shame that tripe like Furius Baco, El Diablo and Stampida together with very long, cattle pen queuelines let this place down. Otherwise, it's a cracking park - with particular highlights of good shows!

I showed my parents some photo's of The Crash Pad earlier, with them having no pre-knowledge of it. They literally thought it was a prison block, and the red looking lights/dots by some of the doors were alarms. They also thought they hi-viz people were prison officers. I kid you not.

As Fred says, there have been occasions when Air (and indeed, other rides) have opened before 10am. If another ride is for some reason unable to open for ERT, then it is usually quickly replaced by another (I.e. Rita if Th13teen couldn't open, Air if Nemesis couldn't etc.). I still think the best ERT used to be when it was hotel guests and annual pass holders only, with access to Forbidden Valley. The way it is now, you waste most of your time walking, because the Skyride is closed!

Oh seriously. Couple of people actually moaning about this? I beg to differ. Heaven forbid, some intense theming and something crazy and unusual. MORE! MORE! MORE! Just look at that thing. It's like nothing else!

I shouted Hey at you,and you both looked utterly baffled. Just near Katanga. :D Park was dead compared to the rest of half term! Also - re: Hex - the ride is amazing just now. The vault audio is superb, the addition of new smoke machines is also great!

Alton Towers Live is a family event. It is your concert equivalent of the target market of a ride such as Sonic Spinball, or Wild Asia. I am a primary school teacher - and this line up is exactly what will get younger guests keen to come to Alton Towers. I may even attend just for the giggles. The best part of this is that unlike the event in 2011, this is an all day/evening thing with the gig in the darkness. Alton is an amazing setting for such a show!

Posted by Tedthehuman on TowersStreet and originally taken from the AT Twitter page. The supports which have been going up in the past day:

To me, the suffering of Thorpe Park's figures is mainly down to the fact the park has a bad reputation. It isn't solely down to the Olympics. After 4 or 5 years of reliablity issues, the worst queues in the UK, the highest fastrack sales in the UK and poor quality additions on non-major coaster years... Seriously, when you go to Thorpe Park and see Saw with a 1 hour queue even on a fairly quiet/medium day...