pluk

WTF were they thinking with the BK destruction? Just as they put in a highly themed railways station coffee shop, they tear out a highly themed burger bar and turn it into generic shopping centre?
 
Spending money to make things worse is my biggest hate in Theme Parks, especially when getting funding for anything that isn't a big new thing has been neigh on impossible for decades, but with this and the teacups we have two big lumps of that here.
 
Who the hell is running this place, and can they be sunk with the Thorpe Belle?

Sigh. At least the Burger King's not been replaced by a Merlin "Burger Kitchen" - yet. Weird how Thorpe's still got that and the KFC.
 
That photo of Dobble tea cups with Angry Birds pictures stuck to the cinema wall behind it and the clinical Burger King to the right sums the park up very nicely.
 
But then you think that they've put in a brand new train themed coffee shop which probably has some of the best theming in the park at this point, so it's super inconsistent?!

First post. Go easy on me!! 
 
For me, Thorpe really need to invest heavily in the entrance to the park. It’s the first and last impression that the park makes on guests, and it’s really not great. 
 
It really needs flattening, and then a great centre piece focal point building with plaza surrounding for themed events throughout the year etc. 
 
I don’t even think this area should have rides, it should be somewhere that is pleasant on the eye, engaging and there as a conduit between the outside world to the life inside the park. 
 
I always get that feeling as you walk into Alton towers with the lake in front of you and the towers in the distance, something I don’t think is felt at Thorpe, and whilst the lake etc can’t be replicated I’m sure an equally well designed centrepiece and plaza area of the park would help take people on a similar mindset journey as they enter and exit the park. 

WTF were they thinking with the BK destruction? Just as they put in a highly themed railways station coffee shop, they tear out a highly themed burger bar and turn it into generic shopping centre?
 
Spending money to make things worse is my biggest hate in Theme Parks, especially when getting funding for anything that isn't a big new thing has been neigh on impossible for decades, but with this and the teacups we have two big lumps of that here.
 
Who the hell is running this place, and can they be sunk with the Thorpe Belle?

WTF were they thinking with the BK destruction? Just as they put in a highly themed railways station coffee shop, they tear out a highly themed burger bar and turn it into generic shopping centre?
 
Spending money to make things worse is my biggest hate in Theme Parks, especially when getting funding for anything that isn't a big new thing has been neigh on impossible for decades, but with this and the teacups we have two big lumps of that here.
 
Who the hell is running this place, and can they be sunk with the Thorpe Belle?

WTF were they thinking with the BK destruction? Just as they put in a highly themed railways station coffee shop, they tear out a highly themed burger bar and turn it into generic shopping centre?
 
Spending money to make things worse is my biggest hate in Theme Parks, especially when getting funding for anything that isn't a big new thing has been neigh on impossible for decades, but with this and the teacups we have two big lumps of that here.
 
Who the hell is running this place, and can they be sunk with the Thorpe Belle?

WTF were they thinking with the BK destruction? Just as they put in a highly themed railways station coffee shop, they tear out a highly themed burger bar and turn it into generic shopping centre?
 
Spending money to make things worse is my biggest hate in Theme Parks, especially when getting funding for anything that isn't a big new thing has been neigh on impossible for decades, but with this and the teacups we have two big lumps of that here.
 
Who the hell is running this place, and can they be sunk with the Thorpe Belle?

Photos from inside the renovated Burger King. Unfortunately, it’s removed all of amity’s old theming and turned it into a service station looking place. 
 
Yes the old interior was old, worn. But they’ve retrofitted a standard BK inside an old themed area.
 
The Ben and Jerrys outlet was stage one of loosing the themed buildings for amity. This is the next….

Haha, yeah true. They'd have had to chav it up a bit "yo yo yo ho ho, this is a mother funkin hold up you sons of biscuits. You've got da black spot, innit blud"

Nicked from Facebook - now THERE'S a view we've never seen before!

There’s a better POV online
 
 

So, I went back to the Parisian Disney Resort. 
 
Almost 6 years since my last visit, some things have changed whilst others have remained the same. 
 
Both parks were very lively (but not necessarily super busy) during half term week and seemed to feature a lovely atmosphere throughout. On both days Studios closed at 21:00 and the main park at 22:00, making for some excellent opening hours.
 
Besides some refurbishments around the entrance/Disney hotel, (asbestos filled) Small World and other patches around, the park looked great. Maybe better kept than Magic Kingdom (if I’m honest). The 30th celebration show was a delight and I adore the logo, which is a masterpiece! The parade seemed the same as before as did the main nighttime show, which has grown on me from last time, but I still consider dreams better. 
 
As much as WDW is the better resort, Paris generally has the best classics, whether it be the tragic mysterious Phantom Manor, the grander arrangement of POTC or the more magnificent Big Thunder ride variant. Space Mountain needs to lose the Star Wars overlay now IMO. 
 
Studios is a strange one as some of the park feels the same, but others unrecognisable. The changes to TOT make the ride feel more unique, but still can’t decide whether I like them. Avengers Campus looks more refreshed from the former mish-mash before but feels hit and miss. I liked the Avengers coaster more than I was expecting but still miss RNRC. Webslingers is perhaps the blandest attraction done by Disney, even if the shooting element is fun. Cars Road trip was alright, but feels weird how out of the way it feels from the rest of the park. 
 
The new nighttime show was largely enjoyable eventhough I’m not the biggest superhero fan and it meant basically closing half the park an hour beforehand. 
 
In contrary to the parks feeling more alive, the Disney Village felt dead and lifeless with no atmosphere at all. The former buildings of Planet Hollywood, Ludwig’s, Cafe Mickey and more all closed and derelict. No atmosphere at all even with the remaining open units. Crowded House’s  Don’t dream It’s Over playing whilst passing really summed up the sorry state of this area, which is literally being ripped away from what it once was. 
 
As much as I prefer WDW, I can’t help but have a soft spot for this resort, even after all this time. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. I have a soft spot even now for DLRP because it started a whole revolution of park visiting and trips back on my first visit. 
 
 

Not sure whether you meant no jokes of the crude kind, or no jokes about it being the perfect spot for Rocky Express. 
 
In any case, good call. 

Why are people obsessed with this Emily Alton thing like she was ever anything more than a queueline gag?
 
Merlin haven't got the best track record in refurbishments, but setting the expectations to some weird story that never existed because of a pun (repossessed clearly referencing to ghosts in general) is going to result in some disappointment when it's not THEIR vision when it opens.
 
Original didn't have a storyline, I doubt the refurb will have much of one. And if it does it'll no doubt feel forced in by a hammer (much like the attempts of adding 'story' to Tomb Blaster).
 
Much like with most of these ideas, the park are far better off redesigning from the ground up rather than attempting some weird nostalgia attempt with modern stuff.

I'm sure it'll go well with the return of Terror Tomb next year.
 
Maybe they'll bring Toyland Tours back too.

Long Post Incoming.
 
The council have released a document explaining their reasoning as to why the committee should approve the application.
 

 
It is a rollercoaster of a document, the council talks about how the application is inappropriate for the location it is in. (I will get back to this at the end of the post)
 

 
The most interesting part of this document is the fact that the council acknowledges that “The timings for the responses from the Environment Agency have largely dictated the timescales for determination of this planning application”. 

 
This extract basically says that the EA take 8-12 weeks to respond. We are fed up with waiting and they recognise Thorpe need to open it in 2024 in order to recover from covid. I am glad the council recognise this fact
 

 
This highlights that even if the EA do respond. The first objection will not be overcome; so eitherway they will have to go to the Secretary of State.
 
The council do not think that it increases the flood risk and the EAs claim does not have substance.

As discussed earlier, the development is not appropriate for the area it is built in, so they have to assess it for very special circumstances where they can build in a green belt area
 
These are the reasons why thorpe have to build in this green belt area (the council reviews each one in detail in the document and weighs each one up)
 

 
They believe that the development outweighs any harm.
 

 
The council recognises that it is a theme park and in order to expand they need to build on the land which is already existing as part of the themepark.
 
 

They recommend to the committee that the application is approved under the following conditions (pretty standard, included for reference)
 

plus any conditions the EA have…
 
 
OVERALL:
Glad to see the council recognising that they need to invest more and build more as a themepark and that they recognise that a theme park will always expand on its land and they put certain issues behind them.
 
Now the SOS will have to review the application (most likely) as I’m sure there are a quite a few applications like this, I think it will definitely go to the office of the Secretary of State and there will be a dedicated team for these issues. Looking for a December approval? Who knows, glad to see 2024 the council want it open by.
 
When it does get referred to the SOS, there is a way to view the application status for the public, previous small cases have taken from 6 months to over a year to approve
 

So, there's a new document on the planning application, from the Environment Agency. Basically outlines their current objections to the Project Exodus planning application. 
 
I'm no expert on these things. However, there's a nice summary on CoasterForce from member Hixee (also not an expert, but helped put it in plain and simple terms). I'm going to copy it here as it's a good read:
 
 
 
I'm also going to copy over my additions to this post, from my understandings of things going on.
 
As I understand it, this was bought up previously as a concern. The response from the park (or, more specifically, planning representatives of the park...but just saying "the park" is easier) was that they had a pre-existing agreement that Thorpe can build in these "wrong type" of flood zones, as long as it's done sparingly. The trouble is, this is an opinion from 11 years, and not a hard and fast agreement.

To my knowledge, the coaster does - minimally - go into the 'wrong type' of flood zone. However, I have not got access to the detailed maps, this is again just from my understanding of the documents. It could be that the park believe they aren't in the wrong type at all.

It is stated that the only way this objection can be resolved is showing the development is not in this wrong type of flood zone. If the park can't do that, then there is grounds is reject the application.

HOWEVER, it is down to the council to decide if they uphold that objection and reject it. It is not a guarantee it will be rejected. And if it is not rejected, that is a matter for the council and EA to discuss and deal with, not the park themselves.

Equally, as I've said, I believe the coaster does minimally go into this wrong type of flood zone. As such, it could be possible that minor alterations can be made so it doesn't go into this flood zone (be that changes to the support structure, or to the layout itself). This is something I'll touch on a bit more later.
 
I believe the idea here is that the park are leaning on their most recent Mid Term Development Plan (MTDP), which was submitted in 2010, and gave an outline for the park's development strategy between 2010-2016. In (over)-simple terms, they're trying to say "All of the parameters are the same now as they were then, so we have everything submitted, look there". But that might not be enough.

This might also relate in part to something discussed previously, about there being concerns about the buildings associated with the development being below the design flood level. The reason for the design being like this is because they are keeping one building, and making all other buildings the same level as that one. As they have not had issues with flooding in that area before, they don't see any resulting issues happening here.
 
This one seems to have come out of the blue (in that this hadn't been bought up before as far as I know). However, I see this objection has concerns about the infilling process. Thorpe did a LOT of infilling in the 00s/early 10s, and that took a lot of work and discussion to get approved, and included a lot of back-and-forth (more than we're seeing now). This development would be the first time they've done it since then, and I expect that the process has changed, etc. This might not be something the park are fully prepared for.
 
 
 
I think it's fair to say the original application didn't include enough information, regardless of anything. It's also fair to say that this should be expected, given the required infilling. And I believe the park did plan for this - hence the early submission, and the plan for construction to start this autumn, So I don't think the situation of this back-and-forth is unexpected by the park, or a surprise to them.
 
A rethink of the plans could be on the cards. Maybe a redesign of the support structure, or a slight tweak of the layout. Whilst those things take time and money (and by no means are easy!), they could keep the core of Exodus the same. But then again, a major rethink could still be possible.
 
I don't know how long this process could take. If they do have to rethink / redesign the ride, I guess it means a whole new application has to be submitted. Whilst it would be a formality for many of the parties who have already stated they have no objections, this still takes a lot of time and effort. And at that point, you then have to wonder when the ride could be ready. Exodus might not end up cancelled, but could it end up opening later in 2024? Or in 2025? And how much of a knock on effect would that have to the rest of the park's mid-to-long-term planning, and perhaps even Merlin as a whole?
 

Timber Tug Boat has now docked into Chessington. It’s going to imminently be renamed Trawler Trouble. The Ship with its new name and livery is expected to sail again within the next month.
 
Trawler Trouble  looks extremely immersive and follows Disney Standards. It’s hard to believe only 6 months ago it was a ride that resembled that of a Traveling Funfair. I knew that Timber Tug Boat was in for a full scale refit rather than a rename to Trawler Trouble. Chessington is the best Themed Park in England. I have always said that Chessington reminds me of the Disney Parks.

Image from Chessington Buzz

That free food for Lorikeets will last until they're all too fat to fly.
 
Again.

I went on Tuesday and had a fantastic day. I'm so biased towards Chessington though. I completely wear the rose tinted glasses. There's clearly issues across the park but sometimes, just sitting back and enjoying the day means more.
 
+ Four laps on Scorpion. Why did I love it so much?! I have no idea
+ Mexicana looks great with all the new little props in the area
+ I love Grufflalo so much. It stands tall with Wallace and Gromit and Hex as one of the best dark rides in the country
+ Dragons Fury now sits in the under-rated category. What a fantastic rollercoaster
+ Great to see the investment in the park. New rides, more announcements on rides, new music.
+ Croc Drop is fine but doesn't spin anymore. 
+ Bought loads of merchandise because it was the original 1987 logo. Shameless
+ Free food for the Lorikeets now. 
- Blue Barnacle was almost as good Black Buccaneer. Surprised how high it went actually.
 
 
- Very few boats on Tiger Rock. Park needs to invest in new boats now, it's going to be awful in Summer
- Tomb Blaster was rough. I don't like the new story or the guns it uses.
- Queue boards inaccuracy. Said 40 for Fury, was on the stairs, Said 40 at Vampire, was 5 minutes. 
- Lots of the Zoo area closed for refurbishment. Pirates Cove was very loud from construction.
- Maybe its my Disney exposure, but how thin are the queues. Vampire can only be walked single file for examples. it's so tiny!
 
 

It's just an advantage of the work I do, and I didn't do anything that anyone else in the same situation wouldn't have done, but I got to properly save a life tonight. I would guess that seconds later I wouldn't have been able to. It's a pretty good feeling when it happens like that.
The only down side is I should be going to sleep about now, but it's left me a bit too buzzing.
EDIT I hope this doesn't sound a bit show offy or big headed, that's not how it's intended, but I rarely talk about work to people outside of work for that very reason, so it feels kind of nice to share in a slightly anonymous way here. It's not the first time it's happened and it won't be the last, but occasionally it hits me how unusual some of the situations I find myself in are to most people.
Oh, and go and do first aid if you don't know it already. You never know when you could find yourself able to help someone.

Today I did this...
http://www.yourthurrock.com/2014/04/12/arrests-after-jewellers-hit-at-lakeside-and-south-ockendon/
Sometimes my job makes me feel good! But tired, just got in from a night shift

Mardi Gras started today, and of course TPM were there!
 
We have a write up here: https://thorpeparkmania.co.uk/news/19-05-2022/Mardi+Gras+Arrives+at+Thorpe+Park
 
I also want to share my own thoughts, and not just a fansite write up review...
 
In short, this is a fun event, and it's clear that a lot has gone into this. It's clear that there's been a solid vision from management that they wanted to deliver. It's clear that the actors involved in the entertainment have put in a lot of effort. It's clear that the park wanted to offer a solid F&B range. It's clear everyone involved has put time and effort into it. It's clear that money has been spent on it too. All of this sounds like a given for a theme park event, yes. But ask yourself, how many times has it felt in the past that these things haven't been clear for a Thorpe event or thing? Now you realise why it's so good to stress these things.
 
I'll start off with my main positive: the food. I'm a bit of a foodie. The one thing which disappointed me the most with the Oktoberfest events at Thorpe is the food and drink options being, frankly, poor. You could get the cheapest bratwursts going, in a dry bun for an extortionate price. You could get some lebkuchen, again for a heck of a lot, and a choice of one or two authentic German beers. But it all felt very meh with effort. 
Mardi Gras feels different. They've got a lot of choices there which feel a bit more authentic, and they're at a reasonable theme park cost (ie not cheap for what it is necessarily, but in line with the rest of the park pretty much).
 
Next, the entertainment. I'll start off with the negative: the actors seem to have instructions when interacting with people to be a bit over the top, cringey and cater to younger audiences, or people who are more outgoing. That's fine if that's what they're going for, but not for me. It made me cringe and crease, and is something I would run a mile from usually. But then again, people enjoyed it; not everything has to cater to me.
 
Now the good stuff. The parade they have is fun; a little basic, but it draws attention to the event. I worry how it will cope on busy days since it goes through some of the busiest pathways on park, but what can you do. The main show, the Crowning of the Krewes, is great fun - the right side of cheesey, whilst also not being cringey. It's exactly the sort of thing the park has missed for so long (and much better than what the park were doing with the Thrillmakers imo).
 
There's also some external entertainment (ie not Thorpe actors), in the guise of drum and jazz bands. They're nice and break things up too.
 
I really hope it's a success for the park, because it ticks a lot of the boxes. There's still things they can improve and grow on, and I do wonder how it will cope on busier (or wetter) days. But as things stands, it does feel like Thorpe are onto a winner!

I went on Tuesday  - second visit of the season.  It was pretty busy in comparison to over the Easter weekend (guessing due to only premium and platinum passholders being the only annual passholders able to attend those dates).
The Thrill Makers are…..interesting - I’m not bashing them because they seem popular for younger visitors - one of them came over to us and was really engaging which was nice but we wanted to move on before the show started so used the excuse that I needed a cigarette - I was quite shocked when the girl said “oh it’s fine don’t worry you can smoke here, it’s not enforced” - literally smack bang in the middle of what was a quite busy area and where kids were around.  She even pointed to someone else smoking to prove her point.  I know Thorpe aren’t as strict as other parks but I wouldn’t sit and smoke where there are kids about because it’s disgusting and I’m sure many parents wouldn’t want their kids inhaling second hand smoke.
One fairly big gripe I have is with the Colossus team - painfully slow.  Both this visit and last they weren’t even opening the air gates until the station was clear from previous riders which is insane - the queue yesterday was at 90 minutes at this point and my friend timed how long it took from the train coming in and the air gates opening and it was over 2 mins.  If this is to do with safety issues then fair enough but it’s not happening on the other coasters?  Very bizarre and it also results in being sat on the brake run for what seems like a bloody eternity which is uncomfortable.
 
The new toilets are actually the best thing this year 😂.  Staff on the whole are very friendly aswell

Just to say what I did on Twitter - this drilling is for soil sampling so they know what they are dealing with when putting in footers/excavations etc. It will categorically, 100% NOT be being used to drill holes for construction itself and is purely for investigative purposes.

Still - progress is progress, and is exciting to see.