Flipper

It is worth giving the credit again that work clearly has been carried out, like I said; it's definitely rotating faster. Usually it's like 'ooh look it spins' whereas today it gave a slight centrifugal force, which I've never noticed Vortex do before. Equally, whilst it wasn't overly high, when I was dragged down from the top of a swing, it gave a little force; something which normally I don't feel (I just hate Vortex because it swings, and I look down and urgh it makes me feel ill).

When I went on it with Rich; it was Pendulum I think. Rich pointed out what it was; and there was a weird sort of mix tape track on before it. I personally don't feel a huge difference with the new or old lighting rigs. I think the bottom line is it isn't in the same league as Rock 'n' Rollercoaster at Paris, for something that's trying to achieve a similar goal, although I too think it is darker now with the lights spread around. Also, I had no smoke. Don't know if this is normal now. I also found audio randomly patchy in the queue line; with the odd 'really loud' section from last year now silent, and vice versa.

Would just like to highlight that SWARM opened on one train; and then added a second train at the beginning of the afternoon; before breaking down at the end of the day. Inferno also opened on one, and also had downtime, as it was shut before I went into Pizza Hut, while I was in Pizza Hut, and just managed to open as I left albeit with a second train added - perhaps they closed it down to add and/or check over train two, who knows. Everything else you wrote I agree with, just wanted to highlight those two bits. Also, @markfranklin the queue to get into the park took me about thirty minutes or so this morning; just due to volume of people but once inside most queue lines peaked at around 15 mins, and I'm sure others there today would agree with that.

The ride was, a shock I think is a fair statement. Myself and Han are not 'swing ride' people but both seemed to end up on Vortex today; and the ride was notably juddering more than last year, both through ride vibration and structural movement. The ride cycle seemed to take a fair time longer to gain any real height, and be over in mere seconds from that. The only credit I can give it is that it seemed to be spinning quicker than normal, and offering every seat a 'at the top' swing if albeit at different heights of swing. Improvement? I think not.

Zodiac, meh. Samurai I've seen is having work. Slammer no surprise. Quantum nobody cares but Inferno?! Really? I have to admit I'm surprised. I've never (and maybe I'm lucky) been to Thorpe on a day when Inferno was off for an entire day. To my memory it only ever broke once when I worked on it, and that was for an hour at most...

The point of it was the fact it was a completely un-called for an un-related comment in the first place, which has been allowed to spiral out of control. My point remains, you don't need to slag a place off just because someone's personal opinion is that they dislike it. Anyway moving on to something that might actually add something to discussion would be nice, as Tommy attempted before...

Based on Dan's post, not good. Far from good. Like, the worst torture imaginable. Tbh even I'm struggling to think of something worse than riding Baco :L

Having lived in both I think it's fair to say theres marginal differences between the state of either or. Although I fail to see what you think gives you the right to take the "mick out of other places". Just because you don't specifically like one place, doesn't mean you need to slag it off. Like I said, some people happened to be born in "Tackpool", and regardless of wether those people live there now or not, you're still causing offence based on where people are born, live, or have family living just because your own perspective of a place isn't the greatest. One of those topics where you should keep your thoughts to yourself, yeah? I'm sure you'll be capable of it one day Benin

It might be worth thinking twice of what you say before you start slagging off people's homes / hometowns etc. The town itself is in a better condition than some might think, but unfortunately some people are too stubborn to look any further than down the end of their own nose, at the world around them and see that plenty of places aren't all sunny and bright

Agreed that wristbands are the best way to go with the Pleasure Beach but I find you're first statement invalid. As already stated even to enter Thorpe Park and not ride you have to pay your money. So I think on contrast, yes you can go into Thorpe and walk around, eat some food, play some games, and go on any ride you like; for £6 you get a fair deal on the basis you can do the same except ride a few select rides, and then obviously pay a stupid amount for one-off rides. Lets be serious you don't go to the Pleasure Beach unless you have a wristband.

I hope it was you're own family Joking aside, it's deemed as this 'scary thrill ride' due to it being renowned as pulling such high forces. If you find it simply 'enjoyable' and this nine year old you speak of enjoyed it then I'm very pleased for you both. However, Detonator is a sticky wicket; people either love drop towers or hate them, and I think I can safely say I haven't seen all too many nine year olds jumping onto Detonator; if anything I've seen more nineteen year olds anxiously jumping off.

Dragons Fury (8) Vampire (5) Rattlesnake (7) Dragon Falls (4) Bubbleworks (6) Black Buccaneer (7) Kobra (5) Monkey Swinger (5) Peeking Heights (1) Ramesis Revenge (6) TombBlaster (5) Safari Skyway (5) Sea Storm (6) Caroulsel (5) Flying jumbos (6) Tuk Tuk a Turmoil (5) Griffins Galleon (5) Toadies Crazy Cars (4) Bubbleworks + Peeking Heights -

Lets be serious here, we're all gutted Merlin haven't pushed the budget. Angry Birds is dead. It's all about Minions.

1. Very true, America does have most things cheaper. 2. I'd like to know where you plucked that figure from, seeing as I definitely didn't pay anything near $25 to park at SFMM last year; it was similar in price to the UK (I think) but definitely wasn't in that region. Maybe it's just certain Six Flags? It worked for Blackpool Pleasure Beach... Resort... Based on the theory we're going with, I could put a swing in my garden, alongside a rental caravan and call my house a Resort.

Very good point, I didn't think of that! Sadly though I'm not H&S, because if I was I'd just let people queue on the stairs and allow them to have self-inflicted injuries by their own behaviour, but I guess the world we live in won't allow such events.

I've been told so many different reasons from so many different people; I dare say I couldn't give you an honest answer. I always went with the mindset that the audio is almost too on-theme. I mean, having Billy tell you your ride car has stopped moving because its part of the game and testing your patience; doesn't really work well when the ride shuts down. But like I said, everybody seems to have different reasons.

It surprised me when I learnt that SAW has a lot of unused audio in its control box, ranging from official music that can be played through the station and interior queue, to on-theme Billy Puppet breakdown announcements. None of it used for various reasons. Equally, queuing on the stairs stopped due to Health & Safety intervening. Those stairs are pretty hard kiddos, and with so many girls opting for the 'run up the stairs I'm scared of my boyfriend jumping me' approach; face planting is a daily occurrence.

When I first saw this I thought oh dear; then I read through all the comments so far, and I'm with Marc and a few others on this and I'm gonna sit on the fence. Say what you like, when done well an IP can be pulled off well; SAW is a very good example of it (okay, maintenance wise hasn't been brilliant but as a whole) and Merlin did show they can do a strong theme when they put their mind to it with SWARM. A family area is never going to go down well with people; since the Thorpe has pulled people's attention as a thrill park. But I fully support Merlin's logic of trying to revert this now. At the time, it was a very quick way of marketing the park and bringing people through the gates, but with that it has brought in the high influx of the rowdy pumped up teenagers - which every park gets - in their droves, which I personally feel is somewhat reflected by small noticeable bits of damage here there and everywhere which has had a higher present regretfully at Thorpe than perhaps other parks. But when you step back and look at it, it's a bit like the park saying "Hey, we're not your doormat to come smoke some drugs, spit on our floor and scratch how big your genitalia is into our bins!" ... that aside and from a business point of view, creating two "for everybody" parks in Thorpe and Chessington instead of it's current layout surely will (in theory) result in attracting visitors to both parks. I think it's often overlooked by enthusiasts how many civilised teenagers enjoy a day out at Chessington, as well as Thorpe. Anyway I'm rambling. As an IP Angry Birds is neither here nor there. It personally wouldn't pull me in, but I'm sure it'll pull in plenty. If anything my criticism would be that the area is relatively small if anything! I'm not big-up on the Detonator incorporation, but people's comments have won me to say its better to be themed in, than to not really fit at all. I just personally hope the park spruce it up nicely, maybe do something with it's queue line fencing and kiosk, and hey, maybe fix that bar that jams a lot while they're at it. Family ride or not, I think people have the common sense to judge a ride like Detonator before riding it with their "Just gone 1.3m kids". My bigger concern comes with the Dodgems. Yes, they're making a popular comeback with both Chessington and Blackpool Pleasure Beach having them - and they prove popular; but the Thorpe clientele isn't ironed out yet, and it won't be for a while I don't think; so I dare say they may become a little boisterous at times, especially for younger kids? Unless of course, they're carefully staffed out. And 4D attractions, well, Paultons Park added one for 2013; and Ice Age 4D at Towers have both proven incredibly popular. So maybe it isn't such a dead goose of an attraction as people think after all? Hats off to them, I look forward to seeing some concept art for this. Hopefully it won't be too simplistically done. I fully agree I feel this could however divide Amity Cove a little; but the tea cups could easily be themed to be more stand-alone (like Rumba is in my eyes) and Stealth, really. Sorry to say it but Stealth's theme is in my opinion an abandoned race track, give it a lick of paint, a new sign that hasn't turned white, and fix some broken gas pumps and dare I say you have a new race track theme, and thus again, a quickly done, stand alone little area. PS the shark is always lingering

Also, it's clearly an indoor brake run and not a booster lift hill. #geekmoment

I don't think it's been mentioned so I'm just gonna throw a few things out there: 1. SAW is getting rough this year IMO, and on my last visit it's the first time I've come off it and gone, that hurt so much I couldn't do it again - and I like SAW! 2. I'm getting bored of it. But I think there's a lot of reasons behind that. And my main point... I hate the fact you can now buy a Fastrack to the front row! It doesn't have a front row queue; nor a Fastrack queue to the station; and the main queue line is so OTT about there being no priority to the front its untrue. Like I said, I like SAW; and I understand the logic behind no priority to the front (I mean it's two god damn rows for crying out loud) but this is illogical in my opinion. Because you're now gonna get people coming up and wiggling Fastrack tickets at the batcher for the front row; which is gonna cause issues with other riders in the main queue to start with, but also cause issues when normal Fastrack go'ers are batched into rows one and three with a standard Fastrack ticket, surely?!

1. I admit, it doesn't. So fair point. 2. You're correct again, however Fastrack slots start thirty minutes into the park day, so pending staff are doing their jobs correctly; people who buy a fastrack for say, 10.30, have until 11am to use it. The system won't allow staff to sell a 10.30 fastrack at 1.30pm for example. 3. I've never seen this occur, the only thing similar to what you suggest is priority passes where a number is written on for whatever given reason, for a group; but I've never witnessed nor did I ever take a fastrack with an number written on it. Although, it wouldn't surprise me if they do to be honest. In the occurrence that Fastrack is falling out of control, the allocated member of staff (say on Inferno) who's at fastrack merge, has the power to call for an additional staff member, or even manager; to organise people. It's been done alot. And in the past I've told a entrance seller that we can't accept people before their time, as she was selling people 1.30pm fastracks at 12, and people were trying to come on. So it's solely down to staff managing it, more than anything. As Marc said, the system works; it's just a few people who won't pay who don't like it to be blunt. It's an unfair, paid, advantage. So sue Thorpe. Most parks do it. Flamingo, Pleasure Beach, Six Flags... they all have their systems. And to be honest, Six Flags have an awful one which I used; where you can pay for unlimited fastrack; where you wait 10% of the queue, and can ride twice! Yes, it's harsh; but if you've paid the money, then you've paid the money. I'd lie if I said I'd never used a paid fastrack, as I have a while ago at Thorpe, Towers, and Chessie; I've also, as I said, used the Lo-Q System at SFMM. Life's tough. But at the end of the day, when you pay for the advantage...

Banned for having an Inversion count. Sorry, but it's really sadistic.

Two things I wanna pick out on: Fastrack; come on, we've had it going long enough to accept we're gonna have to deal with it. On a hot day, Thorpe are going to sell it at entrances; and it very rarely seems to actually sell out for an entire day on any given ride. You wouldn't complain when you visit Disney, because it's free. And at the end of the day, a lot of people don't want to queue for hours and hours for rides in such heat. I know I wouldn't (hence why I don't go at the moment). Might I add, Fastrack limits mean that when the timings are adhered to (both by guests and staff) it does run the risk of extending the queue time by approximately 50% at any given point for any ride. But for that to occur, you have to have sold out fastrack, and have people steadily coming up Fastrack - which is rare. So, I'm sorry but you're 45 minute queue, which might I add, you're claiming without actually knowing; and if you're going off the advertising sign, then you should have complained because 90 minutes and 45 minutes is a bit of a jump and clearly not being updated on the time board, and like I said, you'd need the Swarm fastrack queue to be pretty much full, and Fastrack sold out for the entire day... I really doubt that occurred. Also regarding staff; again it's tough luck. Yes, they're not as happy-go-lucky as you'd expect; but at the same time, people have to respect and give a little; these guys are running around loading rides in the excessive heat, and have been doing for a few weeks now with no sign of it slipping up. They don't get any respite in the heat. They get the same breaks as usual, except no air conditioning or water supplied to them like a standard workplace. And from experience, you'd be amazed how many people will actually steal drinks off staff if they seem they laying around; and throw them around, or over themselves to keep themselves cool. So yes, perhaps they're not in the best mood; but I don't think anybody would be in this heat! I mean for the love of god; I was slipping in my job yesterday; saying the wrong things, getting confused with myself, and it was all down to the heat. But I ain't gonna complain, because at least I had a fan and drink on an hourly basis; unlike Thorpe's staff.

Sorry to be so rude, but, are you out of your tree? Inferno, Swarm, Stealth, and Colossus can all easily eat through 1,000 people in a single hour on two train. With the rest not far behind when on capacity. If they ran everything on two trains, they could easily get away with a hell of a lot more people than that and give everyone good value for money with short queues! Equally, I agree with Benin; and Dan9 a Inferno train should only take a maximum of five minutes. Transfer goes across; train goes on; train comes in; goes round; loads. If it took longer, it will have been some kind of issue to delay it.

Emma, yes the TP Annual Pass allows you into Fright Nights at a small additional charge, as Marc highlighted usually £5 per day.