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That bell at the start still gives me shivers like I'm 6 again.

For my part, I continue to occasionally visit Merlin parks because they do have some great thrilling coasters which I want to ride. I can't help wanting to ride them and there really isn't much of an alternative that is reasonably accessible. Having said that, Chessington hasn't been good enough for me to considering visiting for about 4 years, Alton's reduced line up last year wasn't enough to entice me up the M1, I doubt the coming year will either but I don't suppose I'll be able to resist the woodie. I can't help but enjoy myself on most rides, I find it fun and that feeling in that moment can't really be lost. For may years though, whenever I'm at a Merlin park, I feel like I enjoy myself in spite of what what the park do rather than because of it. It's like the powers that be actively try and piss me off and sap the fun and escapism out of what they have already created in the way they run and develop the parks. It's a shame. Looking for the positives in the parks (and in life!) is a good idea; there are things to enjoy, things to be entertained by, small improvements which may have been made. I think it wrong to particularly celebrate these little things though while the very core of the parks is rotting away.

Anyone fancy a 7 hour ride on an observation tower? Or how about a 148ft abseil to get off of it? If you do, this could be your lucky day!

Saving Mr Banks is one of the best films of recent years.

If I can be there I'll be there. I may be able to sort some well discounted wristbands, will let you know nearer the time.

What weighs 12lb and won't be getting plucked this Christmas? Rick Parfitt's guitar. Merry Christmas!

Just seen the trailer for this year's Charlie Brooker Wipe program (on the 29th - don't miss it!) is filmed in front of stealth. Exciting. Doubt it's got anything to do with the program though.

Paultons had my vote and I don't care who knows it.

Well now I feel under pressure to write something funny here. Too bad. Fortunately I no longer feel any pressure to write quality or knowledgeable posts. Cheers guys! Derren Brown best anything? Hahaha! Most importantly, when is Adventure island's Time Machine going to claim its rightful place as king of the flat rides?

Draytons Enterprise, Floridas Storm Surge, Sealifes this stuff. Thorpe Park; where other people's crap goes to die. In fairness, Thorpe really does need some filler stuff like this. If they ever are going to actually get round to building a hotel they'll have to have established family appeal to fill it up. I'd be happy to see a proper little kids area spring up, hopefully with a strong coherent theme.

I'm waiting for the chipboard tunnel with projection mapping waterfalls beamed on to them... It's certainty worth waiting to see what they do with it, it could be brilliant. But if the Smiler effort (with its poor alignment, unreliability and general simpleness) is anything to go by, concerns are more than understandable. A fanale of floating through the windows screen saver does not sound quite as magical as the strobing fountains.

According to British Themeparks Archive on facebook, the fountains have been removed. Sad times.

Blade I'd utter garbage and I struggle to understand why anyone cares whether it stays. I like pirate ships, but this one has no force behind it somehow.

As the tweet has gone, the depressing pic...

That can't be real, right? Nothing says moderately thrilling family wooden coaster like a 40 year old adult horror film. I would expect the poster could have been thinking of Sticks, not Wicker. The Gruffalos friend...

Enter park. Go to X2, go on X2. Repeat until barely conscious. Go to Goliath and ride until fully unconscious. Everything else doesn't matter.

The Missing is the best thing that has been on TV in an age. Tomorrow evenings finalé can't come soon enough.

It's being built with the money the illegal and untaxed car washers earn in supermarket carparks across the country, which they send home to their families. They were all going to club together and build a hospital, but they decided as they can use the NHS they'd go for something fun instead. That's what I read in the daily mail, anyway. It all looks rather good, especially the 'twist and dive' turn. You'd think if they're going this big anyway they'd beat PAs new record to take the kudos.

I like this topic. I'll be adding mine as they come to me... I think the completely out of fashion Mack Bobsled coasters are one of the very best coaster types out there and should be a staple in every park. If Thorpe's next instillation were to be one I'd be well happy.

I'd be amazed if a water ride replaced loggers on that site as the lake gets in the way of any closed water system that would be required. Would take a hell the of a lot of work to make that possible.

Unless there's some pretty serious improvements I can't see me doing Chessington or Towers for another year. That'll be three years since I've been to either, and it makes me pretty sad that that doesn't bother me. I do miss a Nemesis hit mind. Maybe if I'm passing... I'll certainly do Thorpe once or twice for a cheap and easy localish hit of rides. I'm gonna try and take my nephews to Lego, as shockingly I've actually never been. Would like to hit Oawood, Flamingo and Lightwater in the UK for a bit of a change. I'll also happily give my money to Paultons if I'm nearby or invited, even though that was the last park I went to this year. I have a yearning to return to Asterix and Port Aventura as it's been a long time and enough has changed since my last visits. Feels unlikely to be doing those distances for single park trips though. And the big one is after the fun times of the Southern Germany park tour this year I'd like to try to do the same for Northern Germany next year, taking in Phantasialand, Movie Park and a couple of smaller parks with a possible detour into The Netherlands too. Time and circumstance will dictate if this is possible later in the year.

I'm not happy about Vampire being considered a 'meh' attraction in general. The dive might be the highlight, but the whole thing remains great fun even in its current butchered state. Mine would have to be Th13teen's drop and reverse, which is a really great trick but follows a main coaster section which falls well below 'meh' into the actively bad category.

Spinning Pennies from back in the day, which is what this is with a slightly different seating configuration, are really great fun rides. They used to be everywhere, I've no idea why they died out. This should be a good little ride. It doesn't really have the same presence (and possibly therefore draw, which might be an issue for a pay per ride park) as the outgoing Evolution, but I bet this'll be a more enjoyable ride.

Really? They are not a standard ride type that people 'expect' in any mark (like, errr, a log flume), Thorpe has well above its quota of water rides, and it is sort of like a crapy hybrid of Rapids and Depth Charge which both remain doing a better job than Storm Surge. No over seemed to think it was needed when it came. I doubt many would miss it if it went now. Careful now. These are words which are not to be uttered around these parts!

Air is (was) the best flyer out there, rides much better than the big american ones.