pluk

So how on earth do you consider R&R a viable proposition, especially with no standby queue? The system is in effect trying to do exactly that, yet in the real world there seems to be an inability to get the queue time remotely correct!

Surely the only relevant comparison will be compared to the same week last year. And then it'll take a lot of deciphering to factor in weather, holiday start times etc. Would be interesting to see though. On top of that, you'd expect a slight drop off in numbers when there's no new additions of note this season.

Well that's obviously what they're doing. The point is you can counter the downturn with excitment, magic, meaningful promotions and generally being awesome so people want to come back. Or you can have a big huff and give people less, so less people want to come, and the depressing spiral can continue. Speculate to accumulate, get what you deserve, etc etc

Merlin logic How to deal with not enough people coming to your park? Give them more reason not to come!

Bit will we lose the delightful tin roof flyover? Or the bare chainlink fence/carpark combo turnaround? Or the maintenance area fly past finale? I couldn't be more for improvements to existing rides, but I hope they take the opportunity to do it properly. It must be a sponsorship, either that or Merlin have taken a most unexpected and welcome change of tack when it comes to their ride upkeep.

I reckon if 'fun per square foot' were a measurable thing Joyland would the number one park in the world.

Probably both worth seeing, but only one worth getting exited about.

I'd say there's been a lack of hype for Inside Out considering how much better than anything else it is! A little lost under the whirlwind of hype for the distinctly average Minions movie. Trying to persuade the wife it's a film that needs seeing twice...

With the cut that Groupon take I'm amazed they'd be flogging tickets on there, unless they get a much better rate because of their size.

Pretty impressive for such a small park! They may not be the biggest, but they strive to be the best and you can really feel that when you are there.

The only reason I can think that The Smiler incident would push back the new plans was if they thought the H&Se report would include recommendations that would directly necessitate a change in the new coasters design to comply? Rather than have to fix something that's brand new, wait and order something compliant in the first place - make it the suppliers problem.

Quite casual, but quite a few people make an effort too. So pissed I can't make it, the one meet of the year I'm properly desperate to attend. Everyone have a beer for me.

Wow, it's taken Thorpe a long time to plug those freestyles in! When did people claim to have seen them be delivered, 2012 was it?! Think I'm right in saying the pizza stand has been used during summer nights / Mos pretty much since the events started?

I've certainly been touched in in TotT before now? Maybe I was just lucky? Can't agree. I've always thought they pretty much struck perfection with TooT; the right balance of level of scare for masses, length, variety within one maze, consistency for each run, throughput. Just overall completeness. I hope the route change has minimal impact on the actual maze. With the mazes only open once a year for a few weeks, and realistically visited by even the geekiest geek no more than a couple of times each season, I don't think that sweeping change like this is really necessary. I'd much rather they put effort in to building on the themes and mazes they already have, seems so wasteful to bin the themes, sets and props wholesale, rather than improving and adding to what they have. Especially when the theming and upkeep of the permanent attraction is often so lacking and dilapidated. Having said that this does sound interesting, look forward to see what they come up with.

It's the potential of darkride effects I'm thinking about, not faithfulness to the film. Hopefully Benin's right.

It's just listed as 'DJ FRESH' with no detail, as was the festival I was at. It's not 'just' a DJ set, as he has the aforementioned goon 'performing', but it's a long way from a live musical performance. I don't mean to be negative about Island Beats, I love the idea of it, but I always think a DJ set is not mainstage material in this way. It has it's place at something like the MoS nights (and the smaller dance stages at a festival), but this should be some actual music making.

As far as I know 'Stockvale' encompasses the whole of the businesses operations at Southend Seafront and is ultimately run as one entity, so the roles between sites can, to an extent, be interchangeable. I would advise that it would be best to have an idea what you would like to do for them and to be able to tell them why you want to do that particularly, but from the viewpoint of why it would be beneficial to have you do that for them rather than it just being what you fancy doing. Think about your skills, your availability, your maturity for responsibility, your customer interactivity, that sort of thing, but tailor it to what they would probably want to see in a ride host rather than a waitress of chip fryer. But if you come across as 'I want to work rides and am interested in nothing else' then they would almost certainly turn you away any for showing inflexibility and a bit of attitude. If I were in your position I'd go for the job with an open mind, take whatever they offer you, and once you have a foot in the door impress them to the extent that they will give you a try on something you'd rather do after a while.

The f one. Very very naughty. I also saw The Darkness this week and they dropped the C one. But that's OK, they earned the right to say what they like by being awesome.

As much as this all looks predictably amazing, why on earth would you design a Tron themed ride not to be dark?

I saw DJ Fresh last week, and Sigma. They're alright, but ultimately just a DJ set playing mostly their own songs while some talentless loon shouts "ARE YOU READY" and "****" many many times over the top of it while bouncing around stage front. Go and see a real band instead, or at least someone who'll actually sing or perform a bit.

Very poor advice! Depending on what is meant by 'bad back', you can do yourself some very serious damage! What you shouldn't do with a bad back is go on anything that is likely to have a jolt or sudden movement. This will include most rides! Anything with any harsh acceleration or braking either normally or under e stop, or anything rough - so basically all coasters, all water rides, detonator, rocky, dodgems, etc. Everything basically!

Great update, love how they present these things to; simple enough for kids but interesting enough for adults. I think the log flume should be next, either get a proper one or theme the travelling style one they have to disguise and enhance it.

If the only way to get anything done is if the attraction is structurally unsound how about we spend the closed season tunneling our way under half the park?!

The one where you get to travel in time to a distant time... Beer or cider?