pluk

Not at all, you either didn't bother reading it properly or didn't manage to understand it. It's not about word mincing or sugar coating, it is about saying something with a point and with reasoning. Your initial post can be summarised as 'everyone else has said stuff to bash Merlin without reason', which belittles the reasoned opinions of others, adds nothing at all to the discussion and in fact just stifles it. You still haven't managed to give us your actual opinion on the crashpad and pricing. I didn't refer to this as it doesn't even make sense. 'Thorpe's done it on purpose'? What else do you think they've done, built and priced it accidently? The economy being poor doesn't mean prices will have to be higher, it will often mean the opposite. I'm no economist but that is just nonsense and explains nothing at all. Finally, if that is you attitude you have to other members when you are making abrasive and aggressive posts that are barely above spamming then I think it would be better all round if you didn't bother at all. This is nothing to do with having a different opinion or because of 'who you are', it is because your posts here are very poor, add noting and will stifle meaningful discussion. If you want to come back to this topic with an actual opinion on the crashpad then please do, otherwise don't and PM me if you have a problem with this. Thanks. --------------------------------------- Meanwhile, back in reality... They are crazy prices! I guess it is just because of the price of metal at the moment, that is probably about the scrap value of the metal itself. The snoozboxes must cost a fortune to make, but then they hold that value in the materials so it is quite low risk. where as if you build with bricks it is worth next to nothing when you knock it down. I was under the impression Thorpe were kind of leasing the land out and just taking a slice of snoozebox profits, that might be wrong though.

https://www.altontowers.com/book-hotel/step-2/ Third off early bookings deal, making crashpad look even worse value! For the same date I've looked at in the Thorpe topic a night at Alton Towers would be about £50 cheaper after adding it all up.

What a very silly post. Yes, have you? There are many ways to run a business and turn a profit. Merlin is currently owned by three parent companies, two of which are private equity venture capitalists and the other is an investment company which mostly owns Lego. The problem with this sort of funding is the investors want returns and they want them now, they get this by screwing as much profit from the business as possible (which they pay to themselves and remove from the company) without losing cash to investment. An alternative way is to make a huge investment in something amazing and appreciate it will take a decade to pay for itself. The investors don't intend to be involved in 10 years time so don't care about and are reluctant to pay for something with that mindset. What do you expect people to say about it? People have made very valid points about alternative and equivalent options and the associated costs which would seem to be a sensible thing to do, rather than just ranting and having no real opinion of their own. Why do you think the price is reasonable? Do you even think it is reasonable? Will you pay it? You haven't actually bothered saying. The reason being they want to make money, which is fine. The point is, if they can not provide the service at a reasonable price people will be willing to pay then they shouldn't be installing the things. If people will actually pay these prices then good on them, but the general thought here is people won't, because the alternatives are better. Surely as enthusiasts all people here want is the best for the parks, for them to be successful and profitable so they can continue and improve? To see them making an investment that appears to be so flawed at these prices is frustrating. I don't see that anyone has suggested they have decided upon these prices to piss us off? Just wow. This is the one that really chaffed my pickles. What now? People have provided well thought out and reasoned opinions on this, whereas you have ranted without any opinion or reasoning. Your initial post came directly after a decent post from a member who has returned after a few months not being here. Reading your response I could expect him not to bother being here again, that's the sort of thing that could stop this being a discussion forum. As I don't know who you are, it wouldn't have mattered in the slightest if you posted under another name, it would still have been a very silly post.

Air (6) Battle Galleons (4) Congo River Rapids (5) Duel - The Haunted House Strikes Back (5) Hex: The Legend Of The Towers (5) Marauder's Mayhem (5) Nemesis (7) Nemesis: Sub-Terra (6) Oblivion (7) Ripsaw (0) Rita (3) Runaway Mine Train (6) Skyride (5) The Flume (5) The Gardens (6) Th13teen (5) Ripsaw- RMT+ And again... Air (5) Battle Galleons (5) Congo River Rapids (5) Duel - The Haunted House Strikes Back (5) Hex: The Legend Of The Towers (5) Marauder's Mayhem (5) Nemesis (5) Nemesis: Sub-Terra (5) Oblivion (5) Rita (5) Runaway Mine Train (5) Skyride (5) The Flume (5) The Gardens (5) Th13teen (5)

Air (6) Battle Galleons (4) Congo River Rapids (5) Duel - The Haunted House Strikes Back (5) Hex: The Legend Of The Towers (5) Marauder's Mayhem (5) Nemesis (7) Nemesis: Sub-Terra (6) Oblivion (5) Ripsaw (3) Rita (4) Runaway Mine Train (5) Skyride (5) The Flume (5) The Gardens (5) Th13teen (5) Ripsaw - Rita +

Ice Age: The 4D Experience (0) BOOOOOO! Air (5) Battle Galleons (5) Congo River Rapids (5) Duel - The Haunted House Strikes Back (5) Hex: The Legend Of The Towers (5) Marauder's Mayhem (5) Nemesis (6) Nemesis: Sub-Terra (6) Oblivion (5) Ripsaw (4) Rita (4) Runaway Mine Train (5) Skyride (5) The Flume (5) The Gardens (5) Th13teen (5) Ripsaw - NST +

Yes, obviously people should be able come and go as works for them, we're not going to shackle ourselves together! That's why a way of contacting each other is so essential.

"Mee meee mee meeeep, meep meep meep. meeeeeeeeeep." Beaker,The Muppet Christmas Carol

Air (7) Battle Galleons (4) Congo River Rapids (5) Duel - The Haunted House Strikes Back (5) Hex: The Legend Of The Towers (5) Ice Age: The 4D Experience (2) Marauder's Mayhem (4) Nemesis (5) Nemesis: Sub-Terra (5) Oblivion (6) Ripsaw (4) Rita (5) Runaway Mine Train (5) Skyride (5) The Flume (5) The Gardens (8) Th13teen (5) ice age + ripsaw -

Constructive. I've been on one meet (Swarm ERT), which I enjoyed. But it is true that the splitting of the group took away from some of the point of getting to know everyone, the 6 or so of us that went on Colossus got of to find the rest of the group we had left at the hot dog place had wandered off and we didn't see them again until ERT. I had to turn up a bit late and had trouble finding everyone, a contact number or someone monitoring facebook/this site is essential. I'm generally put off of meets by the exceeding amounts of faff which inevitably result from trying to get a large group of people deciding where to go next. I don't get to parks as much as most of you so my ride time is precious. I understand the 'point' of meets is social, not ride whoring, but there should be a balance which could probably be achieved with a loose itinerary and hopefully helped by having someone in charge (hi peaj!). Due to the unpredictability of my work I have trouble confirming I'll be available on a given date, so the longer notice the better. I like the idea of a meet calender being written up over closed season. Finaly, when we are given some sort of treat by Thorpe that have limited numbers available places should be given to active members, not some randoms who have just turned up for the day out of nowhere and have never been on the forum.

Was 'a big misunderstanding', but close enough! Can't get yours though

Watching old 'Allo 'Allo from the mid 80's on BBC1. It always had a bad name but God it's funny, thinly disguised absolute filth.

Air (5) Battle Galleons (5) Congo River Rapids (5) Duel - The Haunted House Strikes Back (5) Hex: The Legend Of The Towers (5) Ice Age The 4D Experience (5) Marauders Mayhem (5) Nemesis (6) Nemesis: Sub-Terra (6) Oblivion (5) Ripsaw (4) Rita (5) Runaway Mine Train (5) Sonic Spinball (5) Skyride (5) The Flume (5) The Gardens (5) Th13teen (5) NST + Ripsaw -

Alton were doing a room for two with breakfast and park entry for £99 off peak last season, that's the kind of price I was expecting for the crashpad. I wouldn't consider paying much/any more than that. That would be £30 per person per night for a room with breakfast which would seem fair. If they fill them up at these prices then fair enough, but I'll be amazed if they do. In traditional Merlin style I think they have been priced to be discounted, so they look so much better value when they knock money off down the line.

Yeah, you'd need a boat. Or swimming trunks.

A random Sunday night in September when I'm always off work for a couple of weeks: - £170 for a crash pad. - £60 for a double room, the Crown Hotel, 7 miles away. Add two park tickets for £40 in total, I'll keep the £70 quid in my pocket thanks. Well, I won't, I'll drive home and keep the £130 in my pocket.

The gentle but startling stinging on your face as you fall into the hole on a cold damp Scarefest night. Bliss.

No one apart from Alton themselves in the planning document noise report.... It might be a new version of a Eurofighter, but it is a Eurofighter!

As much as I've heard bad things, I would probably go to the park for a ride just out of intrigue. Also a flying coaster would be hugely marketable for them, to the public that means 'like air'.

Air (6) Battle Galleons (5) Congo River Rapids (5) Duel - The Haunted House Strikes Back (5) Enterprise (4) Hex: The Legend Of The Towers (5) Ice Age The 4D Experience (5) Marauders Mayhem (5) Nemesis (6) Nemesis: Sub-Terra (5) Oblivion (5) Ripsaw (5) Rita (5) Runaway Mine Train (5) Sonic Spinball (4) Skyride (5) The Flume (5) The Gardens (5) Th13teen (5) Enterprise - Air + (the towers are neglected and under used, it is within living memory they were inhabitable and used for dining but have been left to rot. They look amazing from the outside as a theme park setting, but that is about it other than being architecturally interesting. The gardens are maintained at great expense, are stunning and a wonderful place to be so should outlive some of the other turd for this game. However, neither of them are rides so shouldn't have even been in the ride game in the first place!)

Inverted coaster - Nemesis, maybe OzIris if you ask me another day. Suspended coaster - Would be original Vampire, but as it doesn't exist any more - Ninja. Water ride - Valhalla, or Bilge Rat Barges for an out and out water ride. stand up coaster - Riddlers Revenge, as far as I remember I've only ridden that and ShockWave. Flying coaster - Air, a much better feeling than the bigger boys. Floorless coaster - Kraken, followed by 'the ultimate carpark coaster' at 6FMM which would be a lot better if it wasn't for its setting. Eurofighter coaster - Saw, I'm sure many others are better though, and SW7 should be too. Also love Rage, underrated due to location. giga/mega coaster - Goliath, for the greying out. Any type of launched coaster - Stealth, clearly because I haven't ridden the big boys. Xcelerator might be better but it doesn't stick out in my mind for some reason Wing rider coaster - Might be a cheat, but X2. The swarm is the only other I've ridden, Gatekeeper looks like it will be the best. Drop tower - Detenator for the actual drop, Apocalypse for the variety, Supreme Scream for sheer height and fun. Can't choose. Any sort of boomerang coaster - DeJaVu, but I pretty much hate boomerangs. Woodan coaster - Zeus Your favorite type of coaster - Woodan

You are correct, but for the wrong reason... I went on Air on opening day. Eventually. It didn't work very well. I went on Rameses Revenge on the first day it opened, which was actually before advertised opening day. An excellent member of staff told my family during the day the ride would be run with staff on at park close if we wanted to watch. So we hung around, watched the first ride full if staff have their go and thought it looked amazing, we had never seen anything like it before. The next lot of staff got on but it didn't fill it up so they asked if any of the small crowd which had waited behind wanted a go, so I got on what I am certain was the first public ride. I doubt things like this would happen any more. Shame. I don't know how to spell Megafobia, probably because not only didn't I ride it on opening day but I have never been on it. To my shame I've never been to Oakwood, even though I have family living not far away. I intend to rectify that next year. Your go Tommy,

Go forfeited then, I shall revive STANDING MISS

From this 'world beating' tag line I have decided, but I'm probably entirely wrong, that what we have here is the 'real' inversion record. But they can't call it that because guinness have decided 4d inversions count towards the official record, and as a world record is an officially awarded thing Alton can't just ignore the stupidity of that decision and claim the record anyway. They have to call it something else. I'd stab at 12 inversions, as 11 is already happening. So we are left with this carefully but awkwardly worded claim, I can't think of another reason they'd not just be saying world record if it beats the rest of the world?