pluk

Ah, that makes sense, thanks for that. Fortunately there were no queues so it didn't matter to us really, I bet they hate it when that happens on busy days!

On Monday two cars were going round empty. The ride op said to me this was because they were showing an "anti still warning on the lift hill". What does this mean? Surely nothing could stall on the lift hill without the chain breaking? If they just mean a stall warning on the track, ie it would not complete its circuit, what could make that happen? Doesn't make sense to me.

My first ever trip report…. A Bit lot heavy on text and light on pics as I forgot to charge my camera (idiot), but I’ll give it a go.Decided to go to Chessington for the first time in 6 years. I hadn’t realised it had been that long but they’ve given me no reason to go in that time, what with it being aimed at young families (I don’t have one) and there being a grand total of one ride introduced in that time (which I’ve been on elsewhere anyway), but me and wife thought we’d give it a go anyway.Arrived bang on opening and joined the first and only queue of the day. As it was quiet the little huts with a sensible queue line were not in use so instead it was a bundle at what I presume are usually the pre book windows. The hard of understanding kept trying to queue at the sides for the edge windows, what they thought the rest of us were doing queuing in the middle I don’t know, so they had to be re-educated. Only took 15 mins or so, but they should have separate windows for coach load ticket pickups as it kept grinding to a halt.The place was basically empty. The only other people that seemed to be there were every single 10 year old with a skull cap from the south of England, with about 1 adult per 50 children. More on them later. Every ride was walk on, even Vampire front row.Into the park it immediately felt so green, clean, well-kept and just a nice place to be compared to the grey and run down feeling of Thorpe. Straight to Transylvania of course, to relive my childhood on what is one of my fondest memories, and Vampire when it was in its original state. I had forgotten just how beautifully themed the area is, it looks and feels the same as it did all those years ago. Loved the little touches added, like the headstones of past characters and the ghost of Rodeo (shame he is hidden behind caricature man). But then the ride itself just seemed to hit me with waves of disappointment. The horrible bright purple metal queue line, the over lit tunnel into the station (I used to have to feel my way along the walls, now I could safely navigate it in sunglasses), the lifeless organist, the wonderful theme being played too quietly peppered with a shouting ride op so loud it actually hurt and I had to cover my ears, the shiny metal barrier splitting the exit line and worst of all the crazy amount of light coming into the building washing out any possibility of atmosphere. How hard can it be to hang up some light blocking sheeting or something? We took a seat in the middle of the train for what was an uncomfortable jerky flight, it felt like we were constantly shunting back and forth into the surrounding carriages, nothing like the smooth and exciting rides I remember. I got off thinking the trip was a bad idea where I would slowly spoil all my fond memories. Oh my gosh, I've only covered the first 10 minutes in the park and just realised how much I’ve written. It feels like some sort of therapy. Keeping it brief from now. Promise. Then on to bubbleworks. I don’t need to go through all the problems that make this a travesty of its former self, just a soulless, humourless mainly statically themed bore but if they could do one thing just sort out the ‘finale’. The new lights are so bright and constant, and just make the whole thing look cheap and dull. How much did they cost compared to a couple of strobe lights? Without strobes this ride is nothing.To break this up here is an unflattering picture of me taking more pleasure from the bubbleworks than it was ever trying to give me.From then on, though, I pretty much loved everything else. Fury is amazing, so much better than Spinball. Dragon river, with the exception of the horrible cheap great wall thing, was very pleasant and as I remember it. New sponsorship not too bad or intrusive, we’ll never get the full rocks back and the ones that are there have worn down to show the wire mesh underneath. It does need a bit of TLC and was probably the most run down looking of the attractions.Theming in wild Asia is stunning. Kobra is not the best example I’ve ridden by a long way, it’s so jerky and feels like it has some weird vibration issues but a bit of fun none the less.Mine train is what it is, I still like it. Had forgotten how nice the theming on Rattlesnake is, and it’s a whole bunch of fun to ride. Ramesis feels like it is trying to shake itself to bits and I can’t believe it has much life left in it.Big surprise of the day was Tomb Blaster, so much better than I remember it. All the theming seemed fresh and interesting (still strikes me that with the laser guns the fifth dimension would fit a whole lot better), the only thing missing was dry ice which I think would give it a lot more atmosphere.Loved the zoo, seems a lot of effort has been put in to these areas and it shows. Impressed with sealife too, which does not feel temporary on the inside like it looks on the outside.Rode Vampire again later at the front and back which proved much smoother and more enjoyable rides, but it is still a long way from where it should be.So, the kids. It was empty but still the new restrictions on buccaneer and Dragon River were causing chaos, I dread to think what it’ll be like when it’s busy. A lot more effort needs to be put into communicating the adult to child ratios required at the queue line entrance. We even took two boatloads of children round to try and help out. Probably need to increase the adult to child ratios on the school coach trips too.Overall the place is looks stunning in most places, all the staff were great and we loved it. But at some point they need to invest in something new and substantial to make it worth our while to revisit.Sorry for the rambling and length, I’ll get better at this at some point!!EDIT - can one of you clever people tell me how I get pics to show in the text, instead of as a link? Thanks.

If it's 10 years since you've seen it I'm afraid the only changes are ones you will not want to be looking forward to!

Quite. It's that there are a lot of individual parts that make up a ride, any one of which can fail, not that each of those parts is complex.I would asume that parts would be less likely to fail unexpectedly if they were more regularly checked for wear and tear.

To be fair, I think most people will be well aware of both of those things. That's not the point, of course there is a lot to go wrong and things will break down. It does seem to me though that something is not right when three major rides are down at once and that is not thought of as out of the ordinary. There must be a reason for this.Thorpe just seems to have more downtime problems than most parks. I have no facts to back that up other than my own experience, but my own experience is all I'm concerned with!! This thread on the whole is not about moaning though, it is just useful to know what is open and not to plan visits. I'm grateful to those who let us know here.

Visited today and saw the rodeo ghost cowboy thing. I think it's nicely done and looks great where it is, or would do if they didn't have the caricature man with his big brollys, posters and himself sat smack infront of it. Why bother with so much effort and then hide it behind crap, there are a tonne of out of the way but high throughput places that guy could set up camp. (I know the 'statue' is not an actual atraction or important or anything, but that caricature guy real ruins the feel of the place and spoils the clasic view of vampires second drop too).As I hadn't been for a number of years so it was also the first time I had seen the ex ride character tomb stones tucked away round the back and the old terror tomb guy in the queue line, both of which I thought were rather nice touches.

I suspect it's fake, but if it is real and these 'recruits' end up being invited to be the first riders I'd be mighty pissed I'd ignored it. Unlikely, but think I'll do some joining in just in case!

I thought it was just me, but this was my favourite Disney attraction there too. I was just captivated by it and I don't really know why. We were lucky to go when it was absolutly dead and I watched it again and again and really don't think I'd have ever got bored of it. It's touches like pumping out the smell of apple pie as the apple pies go passed on screen, as well as the theatre detail, that make it unmistakably Disney and put other parks to shame.Glad you seem to have enjoyed your trip, wish I could go back to see all that's chaned in the last 6 years!

That is true, that sort of thing makes me very happy. If I'd been there it would have meant a lot to me, it shows they are there to keep the punters happy and don't just have the "we've already got their money, so screw them" sort of mentality that Ive seen before (and the car park charges make me feel every time).

Thats great. I might go now then.But I did get that info from the website this morning and it was still there after park opening. They need to be more on the ball updating that or it'll cost them business, I can't be the only one who saw that this morning and changed their plans.

Stealth, Colossus, storm surge and Alive are all unavailable. WTF?Alive, fair enough. But the other three, all at once, unbelievable. Anyone have any ideas whats up / expected timescale for repair? Was considering a trip this week but don't think I'll bother.

Twas about height restrictions - which ride would Vern Troyer (?) not be allowed on? N.I., Duel or Terror Tomb. Good job they didn't include dragon falls/flume/teacups etc, that could have confused the hell out of them!

Yeah, leading to me finally getting a question right!!

My mate Paul is the singer in this bandhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHJOghkc_swI love it, and not just because he's a friend of mine, It's just my sort of thing. But you lot seem to like heavy stuff or GaGa, so I might be on my own with electro here!

I went a couple of years back and there was a promotion running with some drink, coke I think or maybe a beer comany, where you got BOGOF tickets when you bought a couple of drinks from various bars. Not sure if that is a regular promotion that might be running at the mo in the area.

They generally pick on the people they get a reaction from. You sound like you could react quite a bit, so good luck!!!Remember, they look a bit freaky but it's all just a bit of fun so laugh at it, you'll be fine!

I lost my loop virginity to this beauty. Was always the best when the fog was hanging low, disappearing into the cloud was a real thrill. No OTSR, an amazing launch when launching was unheard of. It was perfection in its time, but I doubt it would have aged well had it remained.Found its twin sister in Knotts Berry Farm last year, and rode it with a tear of nostalgia in my eye.

Agree with all the above. I think a big part of the problem has been what the Merlin parks have been run for in the past - how they want to make their money. The Disney/Universal way seems to be to invest to make a profit in the long term - they are looking way in to the future to get returns on investments and do this by building reputation and a desire to build brand loyalty leading to repeat visitors. The Tussards was always run for immediate gain by a short term thinking investment group, they wanted immediate profit and a high turnover for maximum profit when they offloaded to Merlin. This was done by investing as little as possible while increasing visitor numbers with heavy and gimmicky promotion - who cares if people are 'tricked' into attending and think it is crap, we've already got the punters money and don't care if they don't come back because we plan to sell up.The new owners appear to be in it for the long haul, so I'm optimistic it'll get a whole lot better - they will care that people want to come back. They've got a hell of a lot of turning around to do though, to change the whole direction and mindset of the company which is being run by a lot of the same people is going to be hard and take time.

This sort of thing makes me want to hate the American way, how stupid. The name is not even that close, how many street names in the Orlando area end in 'walk'? Have they all got to change too? But maybe it is a good opportunity to change it? I think I-walk is an awful name, it just sounds wrong.

You think I'd learn. But no, I leave my house with optimism every time.

East Anglia. All aproaches to Liverpool Street today are, it seems, shut. BOOOO.

Quite a few seem to have met John Terry, I too have that 'honour'. Quite a few years ago I made him move his car when he parked right outside the doors of the supermarket I used to manage, apparently if you are a multi millionaire footballer you don't have to park in the bays like everyone else. It was on the same day the news of the world had splashed one of his dirty little secrets across it's front page so he was mighty pissed off already and I only made it worse, which made me smile.

If I wanted a bus, I would have gone to the bus stop. I am at the train station, so send me a bloody train. 2rs for a 45 min journey to London. I hardly ever use the trains but when I do it's always the same - useless.

I remember that, I remeber it being cheesy as hell but I liked it. Am I right in thinking it was done live, not from tape, and 'broadcast' from somewhere near teacups where there was a window that requests and birthday shouts etc could be made to the dj? Or have I invented that?