pluk

If concrete is a theme then I'll give you that.

Your idea of meh and mine differ massively then, Benin - a 255ft drop into a tunnel is not meh in my opinion!! Iv'e just watched a couple of youtube vids of it, we definitely did not come to a stop on the brake run like it seems to most of the time, it just flowed through and the helix blew my mind every time. Maybe that's why I loved it so I wasn't expecting any agreement with GhostRider. It could be one of the reasons I love it so, I was told so many bad things I had no expectations. But I found it somehow smooth but so forceful with plenty of airtime, maybe I rode it on a good day.

ohhhh, I luv the Mau5.But the idea he would do an underage disco is stupid. So is the idea of an underage disco. An all the family live music and fireworks extravaganza, yes. If your gonna do it, do it properly Thorpe.

So, after a bit of thought.......Coasters only, I can't compare them with dark/flat/water rides.1 - Goliath 6flags MMBecause greying out is always fun. Immense. 2 - Nemesis ATPretty much perfect in every way. By far the best B+M invert I've riden. 3 - Ghost Rider KBFWood, long, fast. Some people moan about it's roughness but that's how I like it.4 - Salvation 6flags MMThis is the smooth fast style of Woodie AT should be looking at. And fire effects on a WOODEN coaster? Yes please.5 - Air -ATIt's a great design for a flying coaster, just the right intensity. Might not be as big and impressive as Tatsu, but rides a whole lot better.6 - Oblivion - ATWithout the new orange 'improvements', of course. Again, it's just the right design for a dive machine and the original pre ride build up really ramped up the fear. SheiKra might do a lot else, but it doesn't do the dive as well so what's the point?7 - Stealth - ThorpeProbably because I haven't riden TTD. 8 - Dragon Fury - ChessingtonSurprising myself putting this in really. But I do love spinning coasters and this is the best example imo.9 - X2 -6flags MMIn may ways quite a horrible painful ride, but it is so unique and does have it's moments of brilliance.10 - Steeplechase - BPBOK, a weird one. Probably one of the least forceful coasters in the world. But I love it, so much fun. Extra points for being a massive F U to health and safety - don't wanna die? Best hold on then!

Cole - smash her back doors in.Bieber - smash his face in.

It's a collection of rides, without connecting or (mainly) individual themes. ie, rage is a ride sitting on some concrete, Saw is the 'same' ride set in a movie - It has a theme!! I love A.I. btw. I've never noticed this topic, lets have a think about what my top 10 should be.......

I don't think anyone has questioned how hard the staff work? But it doesn't matter how hard they work if the system put in place by those above doesn't work. I've been incredibly frustrated trying to get into both Thorpe and Chessington through the queues. A problem I've not experienced anywhere else in the world (or at Alton Towers, I'm not sure what they do differently. Maybe the monorail keeps the flow of people steadier). Consider too that Disney manage it very smoothly even though they search everyone, and fingerprint everyone with a multiday ticket.I think the increasingly complex price structures are partly to blame. There is no incentive to book in advance with 40% off if half price / bogof vouchers are everywhere. Why not just charge £20 no matter if you book or just turn up, or just allow voucher code input on line. People would print their own tickets at home and not have to queue on the day. Also, it took a friend of mine 45 mins to get an AP the other day with practically no queue, that is insane. I don't know what's wrong with it but that system is clearly not right.

I thought the 'extreme' end of the settings had been disabled as the old girl wasn't up to it any more? If it is still capable why don't they run it properly all the time - could still be a short ride, but with the forces I had the other day?

Can anyone tell me about Samurai's ride cycles? Went last week and rode at lunchtime, it was the standard short and so much less forceful than before ride I'm used to now. Then rode again later, last ride of the day (they shut the queue line behind us) and WOW. It honestly felt like stealth when it started, acceleration wise, it all happened at once and was like a punch in the stomach as it threw us into the air. I was pushed out to the edge of my seat throughout with some insane spinning. It was so intense, I thought I was back at Chessington. And it went on for ages, probably 10/15 rotations in each direction. It really is an amazing ride when it is like this. So, can someone tell me: did the controller use a more intense setting (does one even exist), or was it because it weighed less at only about 30% full and therefore lighter (I can't believe it would have that much effect) it was able to be so awesome?

And now the whole top half has been fixed (or is now broken, if you think they should be in) with its backstops all out, some looking shiny and new. I had a quick flick through you tube; vids from 2006 had all the stops out then chronologically to today there are gradually less and less. Indeed, I didn't notice a thing different last week?

Damn right it's in the wrong place.That place being Thorpe, it should still be sitting in the sun halfway round the world.Its placing in the park kind of makes sense from all angles, except for the blocking of X entrance. Maybe they are planning for that entrance not to be there in the long term, with an X replacement?

Although I do appreciate them making an effort with X, and think the music suits it, I'm not a fan of the new lighting. It's just too, err, light. The only thing I thought made X kind of rideable was the darkness making it disorientating, that's been lost now. The light from the lift hill and final brake run illuminate the entire pyramid too much, more directional lights like lasers would work a whole lot better for me.

^ When I'm downstairs and I can hear my wife swearing in the bedroom upstairs I know she's putting that stuff on and messing it up! Does look good when she manages it though.

Got that deal at Chessington a couple of weeks back, but didn't notice it advertised at Thorpe yesterday. £2 for two seems fair to me, they'll still be making a tidy profit but I wont feel like I've been mugged.

Amity KFC today, with the standard wait - "just be a few minuets for the fries" . How can it surprise them every day that at lunch time, when everything comes with chips, that people may order some chips and it would be a good idea to cook some chips? Decent food in the end though.The only thing that really pisses me off on the food and drink front is £1.80 for a small bottle of coke. Such a rip off, when most things are quite fairly priced.

Out of interest, what the hell does one of those cables cost? it must be a fortune, it's huge! And realistically they can't just have them laying around in the yard, even if they wanted to replace it now surely they have to have it specially made to the exact length required, which would take some time itself I would think. It's quite a specialist bit of kit.

Short trip report from trip today. It won't be a post of beauty like Jacks as I couldn't be bothered to get the camera out.Went with a group of 12 workmates who don't have the same ride addiction issues as me, so much time wasting messing around with toilets, shops, decision making etc. grrrrr.Arrived just after 10, heart sank at the size of the queue to buy my ticket but it moved along at an impressive rate with all but one booth open and it only took 10mins. Some of my friends had pre booked their tickets but with only one collection window open it took them ages, meaning we didn't get in to nearly 11 which really takes the piss. Not the best start to the day. I also wanted to get some cash out but the (free) machine outside was out of cash, so had to get it from the (expensive) machine inside. I'm sure this was just one of those things and not another Merlin money making scheme.Straight to Stealth, 10min queue, all good. By the time we got off it was up to 45mins and all major rides were a similar length, by my standards that's a busy day and I was not impressed. We found though that many advertised queue times were wildly inaccurate, Saw showed 60mins, was really 20, Rush showed 10mins was really 35. Don't know if the system they use was broken but it's not a problem I've had before.Rumba Rapids, since I last went at the start of the season (and moaned about the state of it on here) has had a bit of a clean up. Someone has gone at the queue line and tunnel with a pressure washer and some fairy lights have been but up over the old berry advertising in the dark (both things suggested on the forum). It's not amazing, but looks respectable and is exactly what was needed.Detonator sounds like it's blown it's speakers at the top, just muffled noise which kept cutting out. Still a great ride though.Tea cups, always fun. One of my group commented on how great it is that they were actually Tetley teacups, not my feelings but goes to show that sponsorship isn't seen so negatively by 'normal' people.Saw and Colossus were brilliant, neither felt rough to me.X/WTF - I appreciate them making some effort with the lights and music, but it just illuminates the whole inside too much for me. I've always thought the only thing that made it in any way good to ride was the darkness making it disorientating, and that's been lost. Lasers which don't throw light in all directions would work better for me.Rides on Slammer and Rush were great, but the dispatch time is shocking. The staff just seem to meander about the place with no real purpose and certainly no hurry. I know safety checks must not be rushed but I think someone needs a kick up the bum. Girl checking our restraints on Rush was great though, gave us jazz hands and did a little dance throughout the ride. Random but fun. (To balance this out all the coasters were being run with mega efficiency which I'm not used to on my quiet days. Well done all round).What the hell with Vortex restraint slamming itself into my nuts at a thousand miles an hour. Least safe safety feature ever.Inferno has had it's station given a much needed clean (something else I'd moaned about on here). Lack of tunnel effects throughout.Loggers suddenly has all it's backstops out on the top half of the lift, some of which looked shiny and new (another thing recently discussed on here at length - begining to think we are being watched! If we are, please put a bin liner or something over the tunnel roof hole - ta).Surprise of the day - Samurai. Rode at lunchtime, the standard short and so much less forceful than before ride. Then rode again later, last ride of the day (they shut the queue line behind us) and WOW. It honestly felt like stealth when it started, acceleration wise. It was so intense, I thought I was back at Chessington. And it went on for ages, it really is an amazing ride when it is like this. So, can someone tell me: did the controller use a more intense setting (does one even exist), or was it because it weighed less at only about 30% full it was able to be so awesome?Got on basically everything, some multiple times, on a 'busy' day with an indecisive group. Quite impressive. One of my best trips in a long time.

Thanks for that Jake. Fingers crossed Topsyturvy!

I'm due to be going tomorrow, anything down at the mo? Nothing on the website scroller.

Tomb Blaster - Anything outside of the station building and it's a no from me. Not much to do with the queue line, more to do with how much I want to go on the ride itself, but it does often seem like a very slow shuffle.Air - Going totally against the rest of of what I said above, I will not go to Alton without riding Air no matter how long it takes me, because of how much I love it. Most I've waited was around 2hrs not long after it opened, which was quite painful, but at least the ride is fairly visible from most of the queue line and it's not an actual back and forth cattle pen. Detonator - About 20 minutes I guess, which I would think is not much off of the platform. Again, decent view of the ride itself helps pass the time.Expedition Everest - Sadly, I've never ridden. Last time I went it was built but not yet open which made me want to weep. But like Air, I need to ride it so no real limit.Dragon Falls - Around 30-45 mins. I have not queued since the money grabbing disgrace that is fastrack reared its ugly head, but it used to wind it's way through the tranquil reeds at quite a pace and you were entertained by live music or magic in the bandstand. Those were the days!!Silver-Star - Never been.

My Brother-in-law used to suffer like that with eczema, had all the tests with Dr etc and got nowhere. He then tried one of those oriental herbal places, which I've always thought were some sort of legalised fraud, they told him to stop eating tomatoes, he did and eczema gone within about a week never to return. It's no exaggeration to say his life has changed since it was sorted, hope you get to the bottom of what's causing yours.-- --People ignoring blue lights and sirens. We don't turn those things on because they are pretty you know. Get the hell out of the way!

How the hell does this happen? No planning application required in Germany then! We could never have a surprise announcement like this in the UK. Shame.As for the throughput, has anyone ever built a 4 seat wide woodie? Would it even be possible with the weight on a wooden structure? Pretty much double your throughput if you could.

IOA attendance jumps 30.2% on the back of Harry Potter. Wow, that's how you make a return on your investment!

Would that gearbox on the way out have been what was causing it to be jerky and vibrate badly couple of weeks back, or does it always feel like that these days?

If the queue is just going to be your standard cattle pen, for me throughput is essential. I simply will not wait for more than about an hour for any ride like that - I am very much a quiet day man and wouldn't dream of going on a summer weekend. If the throughput is that low it keeps the queue that high the ride may as well not exist to me.I find Saws queue particularly painful, mainly because of the queue being released into the station in batches, so it's stand still for 5 minutes, 10 seconds of shuffling forward, then another five minutes wait. Makes it drag something rotten. Constant movement is much easier for me to deal with.But the real thing that makes a queue fly by for me is entertainment. Hex is really three rooms of queue line entertainment for the ride at the end, and you don't even realise you are queuing. Similar with tower of terror. I could stand and watch Mr Potato Head in the TSMM queue for ages, so I don't notice I'm waiting. Even stealth radio when it's live provides enough variety to keep me occupied. Pre shows and queue line entertainment are the way forward, and should be designed into every substantial new ride.