pluk

A fairly serious incident over in America, where they seem to have had a pretty rough season for ride safety. http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/10/24/3309994/injuries-reported-as-ride-malfunctions.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2476336/Five-injured-carnival-ride-accident-North-Carolina-State-Fair.html http://www.wbtv.com/story/23785335/report-at-least-5-injured-at-nc-state-fair-after-ride-accident The ride is named as 'Vortex' and looks to me like Technical Park Vortex, I'm pretty sure from the art this is the same one in action... Initial reports suggest the ride started in error while guests were disembarking. I'd be very surprised if that was possible under normal circumstances, so whether this was operator error or hardware malfunction isn't clear.

Next years addition is looking huge and mighty fine. Never really heard of Arthur IP before, but this looks like it will be so good knowledge of it won't really matter.

In BASILDON? In the dark? That is proper scary! They may not be allowed to touch you, but they just might stab you!

A friend of mine has BOGOF vouchers that have an exclusion of 'special events'. Would that include fright nights? I've got a feeling this question has cropped up before and the vouchers can be used for fright nights, but does any one know for sure? EDIT - from the horses mouth... no it's not.

Don't think it will be, at least yet.Technically that is in a separate area. As for the rides that are changing, I still think it is more likely they will stay generic, but visit scenes from various programs along the way rather than be given over for a single program each. Simply because it will be easier and cheaper to update scenes as programs come and go to keep everything relevant, and also not risk a huge expenditure on one single theme which goes out of favour/drops off the schedule in a year or twos time. Hope I'm wrong though, I'd rather each ride was a single show. Also, from ATG facebook... The old ice tent is no more! Can't believe how big that space looks, always felt tiny in there to me.

From 2008, but I'd never seen this before What a nutter.

Don't think I've seen this mentioned before... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24426915 I should think this would be a rights minefield too far, but imagine!

I didn't hear about this at the time. Looks like quite an awkward place to evac from, especially with darkness falling! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24479142

Ratatouille suddenly looking very nearly complete externally... http://disneyandmore.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/disneyland-paris-and-ratatouille-ride.html They really have got it to look like a little Paris street, which is quite an odd thing to do as just up the road you have plenty of real little Paris streets!

An article on the BBC this morning which is interesting in places about the technology of roller coasters http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24553630 Now, I'm sure the same thing was said when Vekoma cobbled together two inversions on a corkscrew, but could it be approaching the truth at long last? Where can the industry go when speed, height and inversions have already been pushed to such extremes? Will the future all be virtual? Will the current records last for all of time? Are there no other records or innovations worth chasing for the cost? I don't believe it for a second!

To stop this thread getting swamped by the Asylum hate off I've moved that conversation to here if you'd like to comment on that, for general Fright Nights chat please continue...

Roundup... Firstly, a nasty incident in Guatamala leaving two dead and two injured. No clue as to the ride type, but with mention of car leaving track and Russian Mountain being the name of early roller coasters it is likely to be a coaster type ride. The American swing ride malfunction of last month has got everyone involved on the defensive with Chance rides asserting it was caused by poor maintenance while the operator seems to think the part should not need to be part of such checks and adjustments. Either way it seems the cause was a worn out drive shaft disengaging with the gears and a bulletin has been posted to owners to check the part which should prevent it happening again. Away from theme parks a little, a recent account of a horrific incident on a Swiss toboggan run, or Alpine Coaster. I presume it'll be this one... No doubt that these things have an inherent danger that is in part managed by the rider, being more of an extreme experience than a theme park type ride, but it is still something I'm determined to try some time soon.

Booo. I'm working a night that night, so I'm a shaky maybe and can't join any drinky times. Would like to do new dungeons, so I might join for that an wonderland depending on the times you hit them up and how knackered from work I am.

I'm not sure I think it's worth my while going all that way for what so few rides, even if I thought the club night was great. If the club night is as popular as it has been those two rides will have substantial queues. But then I live a long way away so I'm probably in the minority.

I'm not sure I think it's worth my while going all that way for what so few rides, even if I thought the club night was great. If the club night is as popular as it has been those two rides will have substantial queues. But then I live a long way away so I'm probably in the minority.

I bought the Daily Star yesterday (I do feel dirty about that but it was for a voucher for some Fireworks, not to read) and there is a voucher in there for Flamingo Land ('the UKs only combined theme park, zoo and holiday resort', apparently!!) Halloween event BOGOF. Has anyone ever been to that? Is it worth while?

I would imagine the programs to chose from would come from the current CBeebies program list as per their own website here, which is their current program rosta, and not to be confused with CBBC shows which can be found here. I would think with the tight corporate branding they like if it is CBeebies Land it will be CBeebies only, no CBBC stuff. That would mean no Sean the Sheep, but could include off shot Timmy Time. Rastamouse and Space Pirates are both on the list and could be fun. Pingu, In The Night Garden, Bob The Builder, Teletubbies, Tweenies and maybe Brum and probably the biggest names on the list. Zing Zillas and Tinga Tinga Tales are ones I know my little nephew is always on about so maybe they are the current big names for that age? Also on the list is 'Peter Rabbit', which could lead to some full circle franchise for the area!

Hope all's going well, wish I was there too. How was the behind the scenes tour?

Oh dear, not a great start! I think it comes from the system being a bit hotchpotch, things have grown without real planning and the supply just can't cope sometimes. I think it is a limiting and budget sapping factor for new builds there, with everything needing a little substation at quite a cost.

TowersStreet fb today said it was still closed while the supports are fiddled with.

Looks good but it is not still closed at the moment?

Yes, but it is a gamble. There is no way you can have any idea of the wait time until you join the back of it. From my limited experience if they are holding the single rider queue of more than a few people at the bottom of the stairs then join the main queue instead. If you get through to the post bag drop single rider and it is coming down the stairs at all it will be at least half hour. They are good with filling it, but not perfect. I had a bit of a go at the batcher for twice sending empty seats, even as when we pointed out there were empty ones he said'no, there's four there' but when the train came back in sure enough there were empty seats. In fairness after that mistake he did release a couple of us extra on to the next train, it pays to keep an eye on it!

I don't think anyone is going to get it! Clue please Sarah...

Nice!