pluk

Doesn't matter how many are on track, only how frequently a train is dispatched. There could be 30 trains in there, but the throughput will rely on how many leave the station during a given timeframe.

Generally very good. Aside from wristband riders they make money per rider, which gives them some motivation! Out side of the 6 weeks summer holidays it's rarely very busy anyway. You might get 10 or 20 minutes wait for rage but that's about it. Walk on heaven.

That one sounds a bit exceptional! Having said that, what is the official line with prosthetics? Something that size and weight could probably kill someone flying through the air, surely they should be removed before riding? They must remove them on inverters? Can't just allow danger because of a disability. After that double amputee fatality in the states there must be guidance, even with otsr restraints.

People who don't heed the warnings about items in pockets are just as bad though? Stupid and dangerous thing to do, whether deliberate or just through lack of brain.

10/10 - Great Yarmouth's Roller Coaster - a thing of beauty.

Freestyle machine in each pod please!

It's been said on these very forums a number of times in the last few years, but no one has ever tried to claim source or anything like the detail or certainty in numbers before as far as I'm aware. It's just been some common sense speculation. I think the Drayton thing came from a slip of the tongue by an employee during a recorded behind the scenes tour. While we don't know that the person who said it would necessarily be privy to all the planning to actually know if a woodie was coming, it would seem from that that the idea was at least being discussed internally, which is a good sign. That was a couple of years ago now though, and still no plans have surfaced.

Unless something has changed the water is not programmed, so to say one of the settings is wetter than the others doesn't sound right. It was up to the op how wet you got, but they were told not to drench the thing in recent years, and the button had a hefty delay on it making accuracy pretty difficult. But this all might have changed now? There were certainly more programs then (8 sounds right, with number 9 being manual and locked), my favorite was a long one which did about 6 full revolutions with the gonadal locked during cycle, I've not seen it do that for years. I'm also confident that in the very early years they were able to run it on full manual, if anyone can confirm?

If it feeds on screams surely this change will leave it hungry compared to now; no one screems like a man whos testicles are exploding. Has the potential to be dull, a stand up layout is generally quite tame to keep that position comfortable, the thrill itself coming from the standing novelty. Without that what has it actually got going for it?

You offered no 'information'. What you said you heard does mot make any sense, it's not really how things work. Say, for example, there were three woodies being at least considered in something like the time frame given; there are a multitude of manufacturers and park owners so no one person would ever be in receipt of information like this, the plans would be far too commercially sensitive and would be being developed independent by a range of both customers and suppliers. It's not like someone would just drop their roller coaster shopping list in Asda for someone else to find. I hope you like the taste of leather, because there's plenty to add to Mark9's list. Parks may know they want a major coaster around a certain time from a long way out (see mtdp), but the actual flesh on that general idea often comes fairly late on after a huge number of changes. The Smiler and Saw both went from a concept unrecognisable to what actually was built (including big things like location, manufacturer and building material) to an open ride in about that time-frame. Lastly, and this isn't meant to sound personal but it kind of is a little bit and is unavoidable due to the nature of your complaint, why should you be believed? You have no noticeable track record of holding any inside information or delivering anything from a reliable source, then suddenly come in with something from someone who apparently knows literally everything in the UK industry to be able to produce such numbers. A good few people here know a lot more than ever gets written, usually about a specific park, and for a variety of reasons. If you read the forums carefully and build an understanding of who's who a little bit there are some very knowledgeable and informed members who's do subtly give away quite a lot of information. You are not one of them! They would nearly never say 'I heard from a source that...' as if the info does have any merit they would be likely to be compromising their source. But the info is signposted if you know what you are looking for, and what you are looking for mostly is posters who have proved reliable in the past. I'd say there is a good chance of a few woodies appearing in the next five years or so, that is entirely guessable with the current way the industry is going and things the likes of Varney have already said on the matter. It'll only need one to take the jump and others will follow if that is a success. I don't need a source to see that.

That smells like the excrement of a male cow to me. There are no confirmed (or claimed?) new woodies or hybrids in the UK as of right now. Planning for one will be big news when it happens, which it will and I think soon. Most parks have no idea what they are doing two years from now, let alone 5. Someone is pissing in the wind with those numbers.

I would rather a 'proper' woodie myself, but yeah, certainly wouldn't be upset with a hybrid and it is obviously marketable as UK first without having to waste effort and budget on a gimmick. If Thorpe are sticking with the family focus though I doubt we'll be seeing inversions, and there's no point in a hybrid without them really.

20 minute stroll, lazy buggers. The Ebsfleet thing is one of the real massive positives of this plan. With trains from the doorstep of this to the doorstep of DLRP taking under 2 and a half hours it is absolutely realistic to see them as linked; I would expect to see a significant number of people from Europe and beyond to visit both as part of the same trip. From there it's less than an hour to both Thorpe and Chessington too, if they have any sort of sense Merlin would be laying on coaches from the Paramount accommodation if this ever does get built. This could end up being a real central tourist hub.

I think I'd like to retract this now! I have started to feel myself going recently during the station fly over, there's just something about that manouver that gets me and others too it seems. I'm sure it is running significantly faster as time goes on. And agree about time machine, the sustained g's that thing subjects you to are incredible! Must be near the limit of what are allowed, love it.

The reasoning of others appears sound... ##vote J.S217

I don't doubt they say that, but what absolute nonsense, they may as well put it down to health ans safety along with all the other things there is no excuse for that they try to excuse. (All businesses, not a Merlin based thing!)

This all sounds rather familiar, lets wait for closed season as usual, eh? Moar Swarm please. Any oyher issues - take it to PM. I eagerly await mine...

Think about what you are saying, you are being quite dumb. Sorry! Getting the ride dispatched sooner means it will leave the top of the lift hill at the very earliest opportunity, in turn the one after can leave the lift hill all the sooner if the other train is further ahead. This accumulates quickly to push up the throughput. Also, with the other train gone the finishing ride glides straight in without stopping, saving more time. It really does work.

That's absolutely the reason and also means you can actually fim and photograph on rides which wouldn't present such a risk, such as the carousel and rumba rapids.

Is this not fireworks off the pier (or boats next to it), which you can see from all along the seafront? Although I can see how there would be a particularly good and unobstructed view from their suggested location. If this is a different event then ignore me.

As much as I'd love to be there, I'm in roasting hot Zante staying at a water park so I'd rather be here! Have fun everyone!

I'd imagine the wood is in front of concrete; the slide is not made of wood. Elsewhere, an 8 year old has been killed after being thrown from this new odd inverted mega bounce type thing... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2753009/Teen-critical-SA-ride-fall.html Seems she slipped from behind a closed restraint, so either she was too small or the ride has a rather serious design fault. Anyone know the manufacturer is?

As fun as it looks, Thorpe really don't need a major ride with a throughput of less than 500 pph! Or maybe they do, think of the potential fastrack sales!

Is there any safe access to the new island? That would be 'near Swarm' and gives as much space as they want.

So I keep voting Tommy and I've not been killed, so I'm thinkining I've been wrong. Sod it, we've got to lynch someone this time so I'll go with the flow. But if we're wrong it's clearly cornflakes fault and he goes next. *****signpost to vote below***** ##vote coasterdude *****I can bold it on my phone, sorry!*****