AstroDan

On this occasion, I actually reckon someone made a mistake. It was literally altered for 24 hours or so.

Alton Towers reversed this today. Basically, the hours altered on Monday or Tuesday, to 5 and 5:30pm depending on the day. This has now been returned to 6:00pm.

I actually thought Bounce was a waste of space. Certainly not in the same league as many of the UK's other tower rides.

The location of Oakwood is terrible. Even from the major Welsh cities it's over an hour. That's the main problem. Otherwise, it's charming - Speed is fantastic. One of my favourite coasters in the UK.

Sub Terra continues to see subtle improvements. I have been on park a couple of times in the past few weeks, and the ride consistently has a 45 minute + queue all day - with exception to the last hour of park opening, when it dips right down to about 10 minutes by ride close. There is now more use of water spray in the bottom "nest" area, and there is also increased use of the wind effect just before you leave your seats to evacuate. The actors in the maze section are also spreading themselves a little better, generally an actor tries to go really near the end - so that it's not just in the first corridor. Overall, it's still doing really well, and the maintenence of effects seems to be great too. All in all, a good job all round. The theming and immersion inside really is some of the best in the country.

I worry that if Thorpe Park's season is currently as dire as I have been led to believe (the worst perfoming park in the group so far this year) that the next "massive investment" and indeed, other investments, could be scaled back or put on hold?

Kumali and Velocity both only run one train. Mumbo's throughput is terrible. I would get Mumbo done first.

The park is quite badly operated. It is the last week before schools break up, so you could be faced with logn queue's.

I spy with my little eye... SW7!

The past few reports I have read about PA have all involved the €51 queue jump pass. The queues otherwise, for those not using the pass, just seem horrendous?

Had this been a weekend, I may have considered coming but it's just not feasible during the week for me, as I work. Good luck with it!

That new Disney coaster in HK has caught me completely off guard! That looks AMAZING! Why can't Paris get this!?!

Chained Oak or Trough Ivy House are both within a 5 minute walk of the main gates to Alton Towers. If you have a car, it really depends. For budget - there are Travelodges in Ashbourne (15 mins), Uttoxeter (20 mins), Rugeley (30 mins) and Stafford Central (30 mins). There's also a Premier Inn in Uttoxeter. The Travelodges in Rugeley and Uttoxeter are a bit dated, mind. The Stafford one is the best for facilities, there's a Pizza Hut, KFC and Frankie & Benny's outside, and it's only 10 mins walk into the town where there are a lot of pubs and shops, too.

Nemesis looks far better with trees everywhere than it did in 1994. Admittedly, the theming was in better shape back then but now it has all the hallmarks of a classic terrain coaster.

Movie Park was a surprise to me, too. It was clean, fresh and had some good rides. Van Helsing, Alien Encounter/Bermuda Triangle, Mystery River, Ice Age and Time Riders were particular themed highlights! Plus a great drop tower and top notch TopSpin.

I am 100% behind this. I think it's just people nit picking, to be honest.

Such as the wretched view of bins from Runaway Mine Train!

The ride is lap bars only, through contacts. Although I don't think Alton have said this themselves. Believe what you wish!

I think the fact we have an (at least) 8 looping, lap bar only, long, world first feature coaster opening far outweighs any worries about the dominance of Oblivion, if you ask me!

I agree that Alton Towers look ridiculous. They are the UK's number one theme park but they keep announcing cuts and then revoking then is an absolute joke. I am wondering, it's almost as though they're proving to Merlin that cuts results in a reduction of guest satisfaction? So they trial something for a week, then can say "this didn't work - what else do we do?". I worry for Fireworks now.

Just... Seems nice. And likes Towers hurrah! Sent from my HTC Desire HD A9191 using Tapatalk

How do you compare this park against EP?

Th13teen's queue the weekend before that, at 10am, was queuing from the entrance back down across where the Ug Swinger used to be and then off down the pathway/road that heads towards the kiosk at the front of the ruins. I believe that is fairly typical on weekends and holidays. I feel sorry for the staff whose hours are being cut, yet still have to pay their rent and bills.

I agree that had it only been a handful of smaller rides, then there wouldn't really have been any issue. I do take issue with Duel, though - because it's directly on the way to/from Fordbidden Valley and with the Skyride closed until 11am, lots of people will be walking through Gloomy Wood.

Thing is, as much as much of what you say about most families not going to Charlie etc. first, that's the thing. "Most". Therefore, "some" will. And everyone is paying the same, expensive rates of admission and parking... regardless. It just looks bad. Especially when Merlin have just announced yet another new Legoland in Japan, and there's one under construction in Malaysia. Yet they can't afford to run the ones they have! Merlin installed Battle Galleons, Th13teen and Wobble World. None of which are now open with the park. How ironic. I said some time ago that when Merlin came in, we thought these days of cuts would be over. Nobody expected the late Tussauds style to return. But actually, the cuts now are even bigger than those.