pluk

Haven’t been to Chessie yet this year (even though I’ve wanted to!) 😭 Some people moan about it/aren’t bothered about going because “It’s always busy” but I always manage to have fun there 😁 I don’t get that with Thorpe, instead I just feel let down. Yes, I have a MAP and can go whenever, yes, I’ve done the rides hundreds of times. That’s not the point. The lack of fun/relaxing, less busy attractions like Logger’s and CCR is a problem IMO. I’m not just being sentimental, it’s something the park needs.

Stealth was outstanding today. No queue at all but they were still storming the dispatches. I didn't see a moment's down time or delay.
 
Repeat front row rides for me. That has to be the single best coater experience in the county. It's incredible and I'll never tire of it. 

Stealth was outstanding today. No queue at all but they were still storming the dispatches. I didn't see a moment's down time or delay.
 
Repeat front row rides for me. That has to be the single best coater experience in the county. It's incredible and I'll never tire of it. 

It's surely only a matter of time before Swarm billboard becomes an actual billboard for real ads?

Stealth was outstanding today. No queue at all but they were still storming the dispatches. I didn't see a moment's down time or delay.
 
Repeat front row rides for me. That has to be the single best coater experience in the county. It's incredible and I'll never tire of it. 

It's surely only a matter of time before Swarm billboard becomes an actual billboard for real ads?

This was being advertised today on the screens in Inferno queue. A clothing range. Really adds to the tropical volcano theming I'm sure you'll agree.

It's surely only a matter of time before Swarm billboard becomes an actual billboard for real ads?

Second ever ride on the train for me today, first in its ROTD guise.
 
It's fair to say there have been improvements over the first effort.
- The sound is hugely better and isolating
- The graphics seem smoother, if just as low quality
- The second ride VR section is much better than playstation 1 apocalypse
- The post show incident gives the ride its only opportunity to provide an actual scare, and goes some way to delivering it
 
But it is nowhere near enough to save this utter turkey
- Throughput is minuscule, queuing is ssllllooooowwwww and not close to worth the reward of riding
- The staff approach is all over the place. Real aggressive introduction about phone use, not sure if that is supposed to be a 'character' or just a real obnoxious way to make a point?
- The second room 'pre-show' immediately prior to the train entrance is downright bizarre. A stumbling attempt to be jokey, bring someone from the front to the back, do nothing with them, clap them(?), bang a door, go through the door. WOT? A pre-boarding stall I imagine, but just in every way possible from pacing to storytelling to atmosphere to point, utterly wrong. 
- The 'middle-show' is immeasurably worse. The old concept of being in a tunnel with no obvious way out and simulate a train approaching was actually a really good idea poorly done. Walking into a dark room where nothing happens before being turned round to walk back out of it is a really bad idea poorly done. Getting on and off the train doesn't even make sense in the narrative any more.
- The second VR I can't quite get my head around. Augmented reality would have been hugely better rather than pretend augmented reality, but whatever. This breaks the fourth wall of suspension of belief the ride is asking us to make; the whole point seemed to be that the hyper reality of the simulation of being on a train would be the driver behind messing with your mind in that relate-able, mundane situation. You are now looking at people, like you, who are clearly on a theme park ride of a train, not an actual underground train. What am I supposed to do with this in the context of the narrative? 
- While we are on the second VR, the image quality as a whole is better than it was, but why is the main character we are supposed to scared of so poorly defined? For the most part it is an indistinguishable fuzzy blob floating around the screen about as menacingly as a rain cloud.
- The laboured situation and 'acting' to hold people in the post-show goes a long way to ruining an otherwise decent effect. They may as well put up a big flashing sign saying 'wait a mo, something else is going to happen'. There must be a better, more natural way.
 
Overall, there is no getting away from the fact that the whole thing is an ACTUAL TRAIN SIMULATOR. Not a rocket to the moon. Not a flight on an X wing. Not dive in a submarine. Not a time travelling jump in a Delorean. Why? I can get on a train, I don't need it simulated. I want fantasy. There is nothing fantastical about this Ghost Train.
 
I honestly do not think it is rescuable. It's sad, but the whole concept is so deeply flawed I really feel the best thing to do would be to rip it out and start again. At the moment it is just a very expensive way to damage your brand and reputation.

It's surely only a matter of time before Swarm billboard becomes an actual billboard for real ads?

"We're not getting enough people through the gates to make money. What should we do?"
 
"Use the park as an advertising space, make extra money that way. Doesn't matter what we advertise tbh"
 
"BRILLIANT!"

First time ride for me today. 
 
- It's really well hidden and has broken the flow around the area. No approach from Storm Surge, cut off the walkway around the store, and actual entrance isn't even in view when you commit to the path that only goes to it. All for an 'exit through the shop' opportunity?
- Pre-show is OK, doesn't rely too heavily on having to know TWD already.
- Long smelly corridors on entrance and exit remain long and smelly. No actors today.
- Requiring two riders per row remains an incredibly dumb and troublesome rule.
- The little scenes you shoot through are passable, the last one with the screens is the best but hardly breathtaking.
- The ride is too light throughout to be dark. Highlights the overall poor nature of the hardware the dark can disguise quite well. It's so obviously a kiddie/family coaster with an adult theme. That being a thing is still just mental.
 
Overall? Meh. It was far more enjoyable in its previous guise as a pointless but straight up cheesy fun rave coaster in the dark. I'd happily ride X a couple of times any visit, I'm not sure I'd want to bother going back on TWD ever again really.
 
 

Second ever ride on the train for me today, first in its ROTD guise.
 
It's fair to say there have been improvements over the first effort.
- The sound is hugely better and isolating
- The graphics seem smoother, if just as low quality
- The second ride VR section is much better than playstation 1 apocalypse
- The post show incident gives the ride its only opportunity to provide an actual scare, and goes some way to delivering it
 
But it is nowhere near enough to save this utter turkey
- Throughput is minuscule, queuing is ssllllooooowwwww and not close to worth the reward of riding
- The staff approach is all over the place. Real aggressive introduction about phone use, not sure if that is supposed to be a 'character' or just a real obnoxious way to make a point?
- The second room 'pre-show' immediately prior to the train entrance is downright bizarre. A stumbling attempt to be jokey, bring someone from the front to the back, do nothing with them, clap them(?), bang a door, go through the door. WOT? A pre-boarding stall I imagine, but just in every way possible from pacing to storytelling to atmosphere to point, utterly wrong. 
- The 'middle-show' is immeasurably worse. The old concept of being in a tunnel with no obvious way out and simulate a train approaching was actually a really good idea poorly done. Walking into a dark room where nothing happens before being turned round to walk back out of it is a really bad idea poorly done. Getting on and off the train doesn't even make sense in the narrative any more.
- The second VR I can't quite get my head around. Augmented reality would have been hugely better rather than pretend augmented reality, but whatever. This breaks the fourth wall of suspension of belief the ride is asking us to make; the whole point seemed to be that the hyper reality of the simulation of being on a train would be the driver behind messing with your mind in that relate-able, mundane situation. You are now looking at people, like you, who are clearly on a theme park ride of a train, not an actual underground train. What am I supposed to do with this in the context of the narrative? 
- While we are on the second VR, the image quality as a whole is better than it was, but why is the main character we are supposed to scared of so poorly defined? For the most part it is an indistinguishable fuzzy blob floating around the screen about as menacingly as a rain cloud.
- The laboured situation and 'acting' to hold people in the post-show goes a long way to ruining an otherwise decent effect. They may as well put up a big flashing sign saying 'wait a mo, something else is going to happen'. There must be a better, more natural way.
 
Overall, there is no getting away from the fact that the whole thing is an ACTUAL TRAIN SIMULATOR. Not a rocket to the moon. Not a flight on an X wing. Not dive in a submarine. Not a time travelling jump in a Delorean. Why? I can get on a train, I don't need it simulated. I want fantasy. There is nothing fantastical about this Ghost Train.
 
I honestly do not think it is rescuable. It's sad, but the whole concept is so deeply flawed I really feel the best thing to do would be to rip it out and start again. At the moment it is just a very expensive way to damage your brand and reputation.

First time ride for me today. 
 
- It's really well hidden and has broken the flow around the area. No approach from Storm Surge, cut off the walkway around the store, and actual entrance isn't even in view when you commit to the path that only goes to it. All for an 'exit through the shop' opportunity?
- Pre-show is OK, doesn't rely too heavily on having to know TWD already.
- Long smelly corridors on entrance and exit remain long and smelly. No actors today.
- Requiring two riders per row remains an incredibly dumb and troublesome rule.
- The little scenes you shoot through are passable, the last one with the screens is the best but hardly breathtaking.
- The ride is too light throughout to be dark. Highlights the overall poor nature of the hardware the dark can disguise quite well. It's so obviously a kiddie/family coaster with an adult theme. That being a thing is still just mental.
 
Overall? Meh. It was far more enjoyable in its previous guise as a pointless but straight up cheesy fun rave coaster in the dark. I'd happily ride X a couple of times any visit, I'm not sure I'd want to bother going back on TWD ever again really.
 
 

Who remembers BooHoo Man's hit "Who Let The Dog's Out", what a classic.

Sometimes being in any way associated with the enthusiast community I want to cringe myself to death.
 
This is one of those times.

Sometimes being in any way associated with the enthusiast community I want to cringe myself to death.
 
This is one of those times.

Sometimes being in any way associated with the enthusiast community I want to cringe myself to death.
 
This is one of those times.

Sometimes being in any way associated with the enthusiast community I want to cringe myself to death.
 
This is one of those times.

Sometimes being in any way associated with the enthusiast community I want to cringe myself to death.
 
This is one of those times.

Sometimes being in any way associated with the enthusiast community I want to cringe myself to death.
 
This is one of those times.

Couple of my non geek work mates went to Thorpe on Friday not knowing anything much about DBGT. Having ridden they were very annoyed that they had 'wasted' 45 minutes to queue for this.
 
Their reviews to me:
"I've had more fun on the actual underground train playing candy crush on my phone"
"What's the point? It's just shit"
 
Hard to argue with that really!

Sometimes being in any way associated with the enthusiast community I want to cringe myself to death.
 
This is one of those times.

1) There are other top spins in the UK (just not Huss ones)
 
2) No.

They are free to trial things, and we are providing the feedback. There's only a problem with trialling things if they dont listen to feedback.

Plus this idea sounds like its such a bad fit that they may as well trial painting Nemesis pink, putting VR on The Blade, getting Durex to sponsor Oblivion, etc
 
It was fine in the past because it was maintained properly in the past. If you remove or don't maintain the lighting that was designed to guide people on cue then they're not going to realise an entrance has opened up, and they don't understand that they're supposed to move forward.

If there is a group that still refuses to budge, use a pre-recorded announcement to tell them to move forward. It's really basic operational show stuff, there's not been some kind of cultural shift that means people no longer move through dark rides. It's the same story with all of Merlin's dark rides, bad maintenance.

Hex on the whole has seen better days, and people no longer respond to it as well as they used to. It needs a proper refurbishment to get it back to its original standard.

The lighting was bodged a fair bit in the TLC redo (people woudlnt have noticed specific changes, but you probably noticed it isn't as dramatic anymore, with lights going up and down at random.. meh). The cinema video needs a technical update too, find an inventive solution to keep the video but make the room more interesting ie Wickerman's preshow.
 
Easy! But it won't happen sadly.