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Han30

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  1. Han30
    Second attempt at this  damn my phone!
     
    Well as the title states, I recently took a trip oooop North with @Roodieto visit the famous pleasure beach.  Having never been that far up the country in my life I was a tad anxious as I don't go too far from home generally - however, stepping out of my comfort zone was worth it.
     

     
    The sunset on the drive up was pretty lush so I took a fairly standard photo 
     
    We stayed over at The Big Blue Hotel which was really nice and meant that we didn't have to travel in the morning as the pleasure beach is next door - the staff there are really friendly and helped out with a few questions we had.
     
    As it was half term when we visited and was a tad busy we decided to get the VIP speedy passes - unlike Merlin these things are more affordable at £45 - but because we stayed at their hotel we got them half price - definitely worth it as we were only there for one day.
    There are some rides not included in the speedy pass - Steeplechase, Skyforce, Wild Mouse (possibly others) and you only get one go on Grand National with it.
     
    We kicked off the day on Blue Flyer which is a cute little coaster and neither myself nor Roodie had ever ridden a woodie before so it was a gentle introduction - although I thought my knee caps were going to smash as its a bit of a squeeze.
     
    After that we headed to their dinky log flume (I forget the name) "yeah that looks tame" - wow I got drenched - a rather sizeable wave decided to pay me a visit as we splashed down so that was nice - thankfully it was hot so I dried off quick 
     
    Over the course of the day my ride count was as follows -
     
    Log flume X 1 Valhalla X 5 Wild mouse X 1 Steeplechase X 1 Blue flyer X 1 Big Dipper X 2 Infusion X 1 Nick streak X 2 Big one X 1 Wallace and Gromit X 1 Avalanche X 1 Sky force X 1 Alice's wonderland X 1 Derby racer X 1 Grand National X 1  
    Big Dipper
    This is such an iconic ride at BPB and I was excited about riding it - first go on this thing and my butt was flying off the seat so much which was fun although I randomly began screaming which I have a habit of doing on rides I'm not familiar with - love this ride - the first drop is pretty good and I love the tight turns on it and the whole layout 
     
    Nickolodeon Streak
    This one surprised me as I thought it was going to be really tame considering it is in the Nickolodeon land area of the park - apart from a rather noticeable jolt at the top of the lift hill I loved it - the hills, the layout, the fact that embarrassingly I screamed .  The seats are so comfy - like mini sofas with a lap bar.  Not keen on the colour of the ride but then orange has never been my colour 
     
    Steeplechase
    Well....firstly I was worried about how I would get on the flaming horse (I once got stuck on a horse on a carousel which was awkward).  Managed to get my leg over ok then we got strapped in and I'm thinking "hmm what's to stop me falling off" - this was all before the ride even started.  And blimey when it started I screamed and continued to do so for pretty much the duration of the ride - every corner we went round the screams got louder- I don't have a great sense of balance and was convinced I was going to come a cropper.  The ride itself is pretty cool and I would love to try the other tracks as we only did one ride on it - as we came back into the station I got a few funny looks but was more worried that I'd done my throat damage from my sqwaking.
     
    Avalanche
    Prior to visiting, this, along with The Big One were the 2 coasters I was a tad concerned about - The Big One because of the height and Avalanche because - IT HAS NO TRACK!  So I'm thinking "well what if this thing rolls over and and my life ends mangled on the floor" - NOT that I overthink things.  Stood and watched it for a bit but that annoying laughing man thing (what is that?!!) was beginning to grate so we headed up the exit to ride.
    Despite screaming the entire time I actually loved this thing - it's so twisty and actually moves a lot swifter than it looks.  My onride photo captured the terror on my face- actually I've never had such a look of fear on a coaster picture before - so I bought it.....

     
    The Big One
    Ok so I hate heights - I can't even go on The London Eye because the one and only time I did go on it I had a bad panic attack.  I'm only ok with Stealth because I've ridden it so many times but I don't notice the height much on that thing because if you blink you miss it.
    I remember when this thing opened and watching a news article on it thinking "noooope" but back then I was a huge wuss.
    After taking an anxiety tablet and waiting for it to kick in I decided to just do it - Roodie has a much worse fear if heights than me so I went on my own.  Was actually fairly chilled on the lift hill going up though I was in the middle of the train so was focusing on the persons head in front of me - was feeling quite chuffed with myself until it went down the first drop - I screamed and some very fruity language emerged from my mouth.  I've watched POVs of this thing but that drop when you are on it is high...and steep.  Then I randomly screamed in other places - not because I was scared but because heck that thing is rough!  The ride length is decent and the track layout is pretty good but the roughness was a bit much at times.  I'm glad I rode it and I would ride it again if I ever go back but after that first drop its a bit anti-climactic. It's crazy to think this thing opened the same year as Nemesis though I shouldn't compare the 2 - I know which one has aged better 
    This is my ride pic which makes me look like I was chilled...which I wasnt 
     

     
    Infusion
    THIS has to be the worst pain I have ever encountered on a coaster - and I don't mind a bit of roughness (I've ridden Saw 9 times in the space of an hour before).
    They should have kept with its original name of Traumatizer because I felt like I had some sort of brain trauma after that experience.  We sat at the front and I dread to think how horrific it must be on the back row.  From when the ride left the lift hill to when it hit the brake run both myself and Roodie were screaming "owwww" "ouch" with the odd swear word chucked in on particularly horrific moments. I can only describe the experience as akin to having my head repeatedly bashed against a brick wall - in fact, I have had my head smashed against a brick wall and I can honestly say it was more pleasant than this thing.
    Ive read about Vekoma SLCs being rough but jeez I didn't think a coaster could be THAT rough.  They could really do with having mini air bags at the side of the restraints to cushion people's heads - I might pitch that idea to them.
    Its not all bad though - the good points of this coaster are that its a nice shade of blue - I also like the water features surrounding it which, to be fair you don't notice whilst riding because you're too busy having your brain bashed.
    Our on ride photo is very deceiving - it almost looks like we are enjoying the experience but when the pic was taken we were both mid-"OWW"
     

    "what sort of cheese was that?"
     
    Wild Mouse
    While queuing for this I was informed that it's mean to be pretty scary - ummm how? It just looks like a very small standard wild mouse - but no - this thing is a wooden wild mouse and the structure wobbles a tad which is fab for putting anxiety at ease! There were kids riding it, couldn't hear much screaming so I wasn't concerned.  How wrong was I?  As we headed up the lift hill I thought "well this ain't bad" then that quickly changed.  I don't think I've ever screamed so much on a ride as that one - I've also never been more terrified on a coaster than wild mouse.  Looks are so deceiving with this one - it's a small layout but it's full of very tight turns, drops, air time and (if you're me) seeing your life flash before your eyes.  I kept thinking this coaster is old and I genuinely thought the car was going to fly off the tracks.
    Where Infusion was the most painful coaster I've ridden, Wild Mouse is certainly the scariest - in terms of not feeling safe (you only have a seatbelt aswell) - of course it's safe but jeez it scared me so much that it is one of only a couple of rides I've done that I don't think I could re-ride.  The plus of our ride was the noises coming out of my mouth which got some funny looks and possibly entertained people queuing for all of 2 minutes.
    I think IF I ever rode this again I would need a few anxiety tablets as my nerves were shot to bits after. Yeah maybe I'm a wuss!
     
    Grand National
    So upon arriving at Grand National there is a sign that warns that it can be intense. Ok no problem - this is a ride I've wanted to try for a long time. I can handle a bit of roughness.
     I wanted to love this ride...but I didn't.  Now it may be that we rode it just after the hell that is Infusion so my head hadnt properly recovered and I had one epic headache brewing.  We sat at the front and headed up the lift hill - after the first drop that was it - I never thought it possible for my head to rattle quite so much on a ride that just has a lap bar but I felt like a nodding dog in a car doing 120mph.
    The layout is good, the fact you are racing the other train is good but it was a bit too much for my head to take.
    I would love to ride this again when my head is normal (well normal for me!) because I'm sure my brewing headache didn't help the situation.  This is another iconic ride at the pleasure beach and was very popular so I think it needs another chance before I can properly judge it
     
    Thats the coasters covered - The only one we didn't do was Revolution but as it goes backwards that's probably good that we swerved it as I don't do particularly well on things that go the wrong way!
     
    Wallace & Gromit ride I really enjoyed and they sell some interesting items in the gift shop - cheese stick of  rock anyone?!  
     
    Alice in Wonderland ride was ok for what it is - not something I would personally queue for though.
     
    Derby Racers is adorable and thankfully I didn't get stuck getting off the horse at the end 
     
    Skyforce is ok - the indoor queue but was hotter than a sauna though so I wasn't able to pay lots of attention to the instructional video.  This thing surprised me because it actually goes higher than it looks - I did managed about 75% of one spin on it but freaked out - also it's hard work trying to manoeuvre so I gave up after a while - it's a nice ride but on really busy days it must be horrific to queue for due to its low throughput.
     

     
    I saved my fave ride for last - VALHALLA!
     

     
    I have so much love for Valhalla - we ended up riding it 5 times.
    The theming outside the ride is brilliant and I love the fact that you can't see any of the actual ride so you have no idea what to expect (unless you've seen a POV which I hadn't).
    Its hard to believe this ride has been at the park since 2000 because it is so impressive and unlike Tidal Wave which opened the same year offers so much more and shows just how good a water ride can be (just to add I've only so far done UK water rides so I'm sure there are better ones elsewhere in the world).
    Ive always found water rides fascinating - and back before I conquered my fear of coasters and anything really thrilling, Tidal Wave was my fave ride at Thorpe and I would ride it on my own while my sister went off to go on the coasters.
     
    I know Valhalla and Tidal Wave are very different rides (and I enjoy both) but for me I love Valhalla for the theming, the audio, the length of the ride, the drops - everything.  Tidal Wave you go up, you come down and you get drenched which is fab on hot days.  Of course Valhalla will get you wet - soaked even (front row left hand side especially) but for the experience it's worth it.
    We didn't bother with ponchos as it was a warm day.  I was drenched - my feet were soggy but unlike rides like Storm Surge where your feet get crazy wet for what I think is a naff ride (putting it mildly) I didn't mind so much after Valhalla - later on in the evening the waft from my damp trainers was not pretty but that was the only down side.
     
    I love the effects used in the ride - though has anyone noticed that the ice room has a hint of a vinegar aroma about it? ?
     
    This is our ORP from the 4th of 5 rides we did on it - and where I got the most drenched
     

     
    Summary (well done if you've got this far!)
     
    The park was bigger than I thought it would be even though the coaster seem to be on top of each other (if that makes sense)
    The staff are really friendly as are people up North in general - seriously if some of those people came to where I live they'd think every Southerner is a miserable git.
     
    It was great finally being able to ride some wooden coasters (and face my fear going on The Big One)
    Being away from home is hard for me at times with my anxiety but I coped fine with it and next big trip is further away
     
    There are some rides we didn't get the time to go on and other rides I would love to do again.  Construction for ICON is coming along nicely and it would be fab to go back when it opens.
     
    All in all a great day - we did Alton Towers the following day as it is en route back home so we took the chance to have a quick snooze on the RMT...as you do 
     

     
    Choo choo
     
    Thanks for reading - this is the first blog entry I've done in ages so apologies if it is waffly - I'm on the caffeine and can't sleep!
     
    Next blog will be in Sept/Oct after visiting Efteling and Phantasialand with @Roodie -I'll try to make the next one less waffly ?
  2. Han30

    Paultons Spark

    By Han30,

    I first visited Paultons Park in the mid 80's (ish) although the only thing I really remember is feeling hugely travel sick from the coach journey there.  Fast forward to 2010 when I took my next visit to the park - this was the year before Peppa Pig world opened and the park was heavily advertising it (understandably) - we actually queued for about 90 minutes to get a photo taken with Peppa Pig (or her annoying brother - not sure which) - I might add, this was because I was with my then 6 year old niece - I'm personally not a huge fan of Peppa Pig and find the programme highly irritating although it is massively popular with kids.  I had a fab day but left feeling light the place could do with a bit more on the side of theming.
     

     
    I next visited in 2013, Peppa Pig world was open and very popular and the previous year the park had installed Magma, a drop ride (which also spins) - I hate drop rides with a passion (thanks to Detonator) but can cope with ones such as Magma which are fun and give you a floating feeling rather than one where your butt flies out of the seat and you hold on for dear life (if you're anything like me)
     

     
    The theming on Magma is pretty good - you enter a volcano which has rumbling sounds and smoke/mist that goes off as the ride starts - I really enjoyed it and thought it was a great addition to the park

     
    A couple of weeks ago I took a trip to Paultons Park for the first time in 3 years to check out the new area, Lost Kingdom which opened in May of this year.  I wasn't disappointed.  Paultons Park is a lovely place and you can see that they have invested a lot back into the park (take note CWOA).  The first thing that struck me was how clean the place was - I mean - REALLY clean - no rubbish laying around, no overflowing bins and it was so refreshing.
     
    You can tell that Paultons really do care about their guests - there is no shortage of toilets which is always handy and they have loads of benches (I love that they say Paultons Park on them aswell - so much so, I took a picture of one - yes I'm odd) There are also LOTS of play areas for kids - including a splash area with fountains which I'm sure gets busy during hot days
     

     
    Unlike Merlin parks where it can sometimes feel that they are trying to squeeze every last penny out of you, you don't get that feeling at this park - yes, they have those games where you throw a ball in a bucket to win a prize but the people manning these stalls aren't very pushy which is nice.  Food at drink are fairly reasonably priced as well.  Oh and you don't get stung for parking your car either.
     
    Not only do Paultons have a variety of rides, the gardens are lovely and you can tell that the people who work on them take great care and pride in what they do.  They also have a variety of animals - including meerkats - and who doesn't love a meerkat?!
     

    Just look at that face
     

     
    OK - so if you are a hardcore adrenaline junkie who is looking for non stop thrills, this probably isn't the place for you - however I would recommend Paultons to anyone who is up for a chilled day with some decent rides - in my opinion a theme park doesn't have to be packed with inversion after inversion to be good.  There are no rides at Paultons which have inversions but it is still worth a visit - they even have a nifty little train (Rio Grande) that takes you on a small journey around part of the park - perfect if you want a sit down and chill
     

     
    I really enjoyed the Lost Kingdom area of the park - the theming is fantastic and I was really impressed with what they had done.  The 2 main coasters, Velociraptor and Flight Of The Pterosaur are really enjoyable - more so than I thought they would be.  Oh and there are lots and lots of animatronic dinosaurs -
     

     
    Prior to riding Velociraptor, I had never ridden a Junior Boomerang coaster before - and embarrasing as this is, I did actually scream - mainly on the backwards part as I don't cope brilliantly with going backwards (I only ever rode x:/nwo once because I came extremely close to chundering my guts up)
     

     
     
    Flight Of The Pterosaur was a nice surprise for me - I didn't expect much if I'm honest but I thoroughly enjoyed it - it's full of twists and turns and again, the theming is fab - the thing I absolutely love are the restraints on the trains - because it is just a lap bar that you pull down over you it allows for a lot more freedom - it would be awesome if Vampire got these sort of restraints.  We rode on the back row, front row and in the middle - all give a great ride but I probably prefer front as I like to see where I am going
     

    FOTP trains
     

    FOTP station
     

    We also rode the dinosaur safari ride which was surprisingly good even if it did start to rain a bit mid-way through.  We didn't go on Boulder Dash so I can't comment on that but the whole are is just really nice and fresh.
     
    Because we visited on a really quiet day, everything was walk on and we were able to go on pretty much everything multiple times which was fab.  As well as The Lost Kingdom, Critter Creek is another themed area which is really bright and happy (is that the right word?!)
     

     
    I really do love Paultons Park and although my niece has moved onto scarier rides, she also loved it when she was younger.  It is a true family park and I love that it is starting to get the recognition that it deserves.  This place has well and truly over taken CWOA in terms of theming and overall presentation/care etc.  Yes it would be nice if they were to add a couple of more thrilling rides but the way the park is going I think they are just going to get better and better. 
    Although I have a MAP, I for one reaaaaally hope that Merlin never buy this place out - would hate to see it run into the ground.  To be honest, if I lived nearer I would consider getting a season pass but as I live over and hour away it isn't viable.
     
    Another thing to mention is that the staff who I encountered during my visit were all extremely friendly and enthusiastic - which is nice to see.  The only criticism of the place that I would have is that it took us a while to get into the park as not all the turnstiles were in use and the ones that were seemed to take a while to get people through.
     
    My personal favourite rides at Paultons would be - Flight Of The Pterosaur, Velociraptor, Cobra and Magma - I also quite like Wave Runner - it's pretty much Depth Charge (although for some reason I prefer Wave Runner and have no idea why).
     
    Another thing to add is that Paultons Park have 2 similar rides to CWOA - The Edge (a disco-coaster - similar to Kobra) and Kontiki (similar to Griffins Galleon) but for some reason, Paultons have these rides on a much better setting.  I haven't actually ventured onto The Edge since my visit back in 2010 where my sister and her partner were taking bets on whether I was going to throw up (thankfully I didn't).  I put off going on Kobra at CWOA for a long time, thinking that it would be as intense and was really surprised when I first rode it as it felt a LOT tamer.  Kontiki is definitely a lot more intense than Griffins Galleon at Chessie - that also made me feel a bit queasy when I rode it a couple of years back (though I have to add that I have since discovered the wonders of anti-sickness meds)
     
     

    Wave Runner
     

    Critter Creek theming
     

    Cobra car (Gerslauer bob sled)
     

    Cobra
     

     
    Great theming in Peppa Pig World
     

    Double Decker Victorian carousel
     
     

    Chair swing ride
     
     

    The Edge
     
     

    Raging River log flume - there is zero theming on this but for its size it offers a decent splash
     
     
    And finally - I saved the best for last.....
     

     
    Mr Fish disembarking the crocodile ride thingy in Peppa Pig World
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     




  3. Han30

    Goodbye and apologies

    By Han30,

    This is going to be quick (for a change). I have mesed up a lot and just want to say a huge sorrry to those wwho have helped me massively this year. I cannot thank you guys here enough for helping me to overrcome many fears etc. But enough is enough so it is time for me to bugger off. I love this site but I can't stay anymore.
    Au revoir
  4. Han30
    Well hello there and thanks for stopping by! Clicked the wrong page? Run - now! This is gonna be waffly so you have been warned (if you are still reading). Go grab a coffee or beverage of your choice and get yerself comfy.....
    So.....after precisely zero hours sleep, the night before (not helped by the fact that Mr Fish was snoring LOUDLY in my lounge) I necked a fair few coffees, got ready and headed off - at 5am! We picked up Ethan, Ricky and James & Co then headed towards Thorpe Park, not before almost crashing into a van - first near death experience of the day. I questions whether Mr Fish actually has a driving license or just needs an eye test.
    Arriving at the park slightly after 7am it felt a tad surreal - we filled out the consent forms then some of us went to the toilet (not a great idea to go on Stealth if you need the loo). Peaj did the introductions and it was great to see both new and old faces - I have no idea how Peaj remembers peoples names - I would get confused (mind you, it doesn't take much to confuse me)
    While waiting to go into the park it was a nice opportunity to mingle and catch up with people as it had been a full 4 weeks since the last meet!
    Finally we got into the park and headed towards the Stealth area - this is when my anxiety started to really kick in. I had actually taken one less anti-anxiety med than I usually would as I am cutting down but needed to take another one once I saw the Stealth trains testing.
    Stealth is not a ride I am a huge fan of - it is the only coaster at Thorpe Park where I get really scared before hand - the launch and my fear of heights and I end up like a screaming lunatic (although I scream at most things). I have only been on it 4 times prior to this meet up. After my first ever go on Stealth this year I was so terrified that I bought the ORP because I vowed NEVER to go on it again - however, I did go on another 3 times - twice being very close to tears and the other time, sat next to a complete stranger as I decided to skip lunch and go on it - methinks I perforated the poor guys eardrums - oohps!
    Ok.....am waffling.....bear with.....
    After the ice cream stuff (which wasn't ice cream) was set up (and a Mr Whippy van arrived) everything was ready for us to go. One of the staff members pointed to myself and a few others and asked us to sit in the front 2 rows - OH NO - My WORST nightmare. Why did I go and buy a turquoise t-shirt?! My anxiety ramped up a few notches at that point but we headed towards the ride whilst I tried to not have a heart attack/panic attack.
    I didn't realise just how many times we would need to ride Stealth and by the end of it, my fear of the ride had completely dissolved - it took a while though. I think I screamed several times before the train had even moved. I was really pleased that I managed to go in the front row about 4 times. I also did the back row and middle bits - I had a massive headache after a few rides so I took a headache tablet/cigarette break. I dread to think of how many times I swore during the ride times as I managed around 16 goes (ish). I am such a lady (not). I honestly don't know how some people did ALL the rides on it - you must be insane! It felt like I had done a workout afterwards - those restraints are pretty heavy to lift up - I reckon I toned up my bingo wings a bit after that!
    Some people had to dash off and others went and did their own thang after the photo shoot but I stuck with the main group.....because that is how I roll.....innit
    The park didn't seem *too* busy which was nice - I am awful at queuing and get restless legs and cigarette cravings (nasty habit). However, being with TPMers definitely helps with queuing and it was nice to speak to a couple of people I haven't previously had chance to chat to.
    We didn't get chance to do Rumba, Detonator or Slammer as they were all down (not that I would ever do Slammer anyway and I am 50/50 about Detty). We were hoping for a relaxing ride on Rumba after the headache inducing multiple Stealth rides but it wasn't to be so instead we went to Inferno where I sat on the back row alongside Mr Fish, James & co and JoshC and gave myself another headache.
    My ride count for the day was pretty good -
    Stealth x 16(ish)
    X - x4
    Flying Fish x 1
    Colossus x 1
    Inferno x 1
    Saw x 2
    Loggers x 2
    Rocky Express x 1
    Storm Turd x 1
    Samurai x 1
    At lunchtime I went for a wander, hoping to get a sneaky go on The Swarm but the damn thing had a 60min queue so I met up with some of the others in the sunken gardens after grabbing a large cappucino. I got lost trying to find the sunken gardens - I didn't even know they were still there and I *almost* ended up queuing for Stealth
    At this point in the day, on previous meets I would usually take more anti-anxiety meds (along with my anti-sickness tablets) but I felt pretty chilled and relaxed so it was a bit of an achievement for me.
    Queuing for Colossus was funny - Ryan had me laughing with his randomness, plus Ricky being Ricky. Jack and I got on before the others as we were a bit too keen - have only ridden Colossus 5 times and I do like it - except for those inline twists - which make me feel a tad dizzy/sick.
    First 2 goes on X were ravey fun - SO much better than X:/NWO which I couldn't ride due to the damn thing going backwards and me almost barfin on my one and only go on it. The second 2 rides (at the end of the day) - was in the dark which I didn't enjoy as much. I don't like the dark (I'm a wuss) plus I like to see where I am going so I'm pretty sure I screamed a bit
    Storm turd was actually SPINNING! Only ridden this eyesore once and it was nice to have a sit down but I thought it was a bit pointless (and looked SO much better when it was at Cypress Gardens). But we went on, and after a 2 hour trip up the lift hill, off we went - and I screamed (v embarrasing) - the boat was spinning like crazy which made my head go a bit funny - it is still naff, still needs a damn good clean and was also making funny noises
    First go on Saw was pretty smooth - second one, not so much and my head took a bit of bashing and I gave myself ANOTHER headache. I do like Saw (my second fave coaster at Thorpe after Swarm) but for me, after the indoor section and lift hill/drop the best bits are over and the head banging begins
    A lot of us went on Rocky Express and I was in pain - during most of the ride I was sat sideways clinging on and trying to readjust myself - note to self: next time sit next to someone!
    Samurai - why oh why did I do it? Done it once before, vowed to never do it again.....did it again and screamed a fair bit whilst possibly swearing. I don't like things that spin and it got to the point where I closed my eyes, opened them and I was upside down. I felt pretty rough as the ride was coming to a close and had to lean my head against the restraint because I felt like I was going to pass out. Still.....I would do it again!
    We braved it tunnel-less twice on Loggers Leap - first time I was sat behind Phill Pritchard whilst sporting one of my "han-hats" aka an Asda carrier bag - works a treat at keeping hair dry - not great if you are fashion conscious but those who have seen the way I dress will know I do not follow fashion and generally look a mess. We got drenched and I was glad that I didn't sit at my usual place at the very front as Phill took most of the drenching!
    Our second ride on Loggers was.....scary.....seriously. My second (sort of but not really) near death experience of the day (after Mr Fish's near collision with a van in the morning). All was going swimmingly until we realised that the boat in front was a bit too close - so going up the first lift hill it stopped (and I screamed), then it started again. Good stuff, sorted.....but no - going up the second lift hill the boats were too close together and as RideWhisperer said "guys there are 4 boats on the lift hill - this isn't good" I panicked a bit. I had visions of the lift hill collapsing, or our boat going backwards, or being evacuated (not that I over-react or anything!). Luckily the lift hill started and stopped so that there was a gap for the final drop. Felt a bit sorry for the people who had been queuing for Loggers as they shut it down and as we exited the boat I told the ride assistant that Ethan broke the ride
    Swarm.....my favourite ride at Thorpe , had a bit of a queue but nothing major until it had technical difficulties and after that had to be sorted out (someone puked methinks). We ended up sitting down in the queueline where I attempted a bit of meditation which is difficult with an ambulance screeching etc etc, so we decided to play I spy which I was absolutely crud at, but hey, it passed the time and we were soon into the station. I sat front right next to James&co - most of my rides on the Swarm have been on the left so doing right and front row was really good - definitely my fave seat although James nicked the outer seat!
    We all met up at the end of the day in the Dome but Monsieur Fish had forgotten to get a parking ticket so we dashed off to get one and then met everyone outside and headed towards Frankie & Bennys.....a great end to a great day
    I didn't get the chance to say goodbye to everyone or even speak to everyone that was there on the day (there were a lot of us) but I had an amazing time, loads of laughs and my anxiety was a lot milder than it usually is - my anxiety levels change depending on who I am with etc so a big thank you to those who spoke to me, made me laugh and just for being lovely people.
    And of course a big thankyou to TPM and Marc for getting the opportunity to ride Stealth 2000million times, to Peaj for being a brilliant meet organiser as always, and to Thorpe Park for letting us in and riding Stealth loads, and as a non MAP holder for the free entry. Mucho appreciano!
    Waffle over.....!!!
  5. Han30
    Warning - may WILL contain wafflage!!!
    Right now I can't sleep - damned insomnia/anxiety grrr. So I thought I would type/waffle for a bit - apologies in advance for rambling but I could cure insomnia with my blog entries (though this is just my second one) - actually - going to read this back once done and maybe it will get me off to sleep
    A few weeks ago I wanted to leave this site and went through deleting all posts I have made since I joined back in April 2011 - it took a while but then I realised I didn't want to leave after all .
    Then recently I decided not to go to anymore official meets because I have pretty bad anxiety and social phobia (though I cover this up well and go opposite and come across as fairly confident), plus other issues. I have however retracted on that and am attending next weeks Stealth ice cream thangy. Yes I am indecisive!!!
    My reason for this blog entry is really to say an absolutely massive thank you to TPM and the members here that I have chatted to online or met at meets. I came across this site a few years ago and was a lurker for a while before joining and I am SO glad that I did. Back in 2011 I lost my Mum and it was a hard time, but going into chat made me feel a lot less isolated and I have had times in chat where I have literally been crying with laughter, and on several occasions almost choked from laughing so much! If I could type out a message to each of you I have met/chatted to it would make this post even more waffly than it is already - but as I said, a massive thank you to people here - for making me laugh, making me feel welcome, for accepting me for who I am and just in general being lovely people.
    I was worried about going to my first meet up (Guildford) back in Feb of this year - so much so that I had to take a friend (and a fair amount of anti anxiety meds) - I had NO need to worry and felt so welcomed by everyone and had an amazing day. I thought my age would maybe be a bit of a problem but to be honest I don't act my age or feel my age despite being a fair few years older than many on this site. But through the meets that I have been on, I have felt fine talking to younger members and likewise, people around my age - lets face it, we are all here because we share a common interest!
    I have anxiety issues and other stuff going on (which I won't go into) but I can honestly say that this site and the people here have been so supportive - more so than any other forums I have visited over the years.
    The meets that I have been to have been absolutely brilliant - I haven't laughed so much for a long time or had such fun. Not only that but I have conquered several fears. This may sound odd considering that I joined TPM, but before this year I had only ever been on 2 inverted coasters - one naff one with a tiny loop, and Space Mountain - both before I started getting panic attacks, and to be honest, the idea of being turned upside down scared me a tad. I also had/still sort of have a fear of being ill over people on rides - the thought of it mortifies me. That and the fear of heights and fear of being dropped (eg: detonator/oblivion etc). But I joined because I have an interest in the theme park industry, rides etc - however, my knowledge is pretty limited - but I am a bit simple
    My first trip to Thorpe this year was for the Swarm ERT/photo shoot thing and, to be totally honest, I was scared.....a lot. But I wanted to confront my fears and go on coasters and ENJOY them. With help from several TPMers, I went, I saw and I faced my fears and had an amazing time. So maybe I cheat a little because I need anti-anxiety meds and also anti-sickness tablets but it gets me to the meets but (and I genuinely never thought I would say this) - I have ridden ALL of Thorpes coasters and love all of them. That plus Detonator and Samurai which I vowed I would NEVER ride, so it was a big achievement.
    It helped A LOT having people around me who were calm and supportive - in the past when I have gone to theme parks (which has never been regular) I have gone with family members who tend to make my anxiety worse. Before this year, my last trip to Thorpe was in 2002 when Colossus opened and just looking at it was enough to make me feel ill and intimidated.
    This year I have gone to 6 official meets - Guildford trip, Swarm photo shoot, Open season meet at Thorpe Park, Chessington meet, Legoland and Nemesis Inferno ERT. All of which have been fantastic and I have met such lovely people. Before these meets I have always felt a bit uncomfortable talking to males but this is another thing which I have gotten over and I have enjoyed having chats with many of you guys (and gals - though we could do with a few more females here I reckon).
    Before this year, I was lucky if I got to a theme park once a year - I am sparse in the friends department and none of my friends like rides or theme parks so for the past few years it has generally been an annual visit to CWOA with my niece (which, to be honest is quite fun as you get to go on the kiddies rides which aren't that bad - Berry Bouncers or whatever they are called now are cool!).
    So far this year I have been to Thorpe Park 5 times, Legoland once, CWOA once and Alton Towers once - and I don't have a MAP. I am VERY grateful that my first 4 visits to TP I got in for free - the Swarm photoshoot got me in for free and I was kindly given a magic pass for 2 other visits - one of which I was able to get another ticket for as it was a freezing day! I don't take things for granted and realise how lucky I have been to be able to go on meets (both official and unofficial) - and for the people who have got me there as I don't drive. Speaking of which, another fear I have conquered was......TRAINS! I hate them, they hate me (no I am not paranoid) - but with the support and encouragement of several people here I was able to finally get on a train on my own for the first time in gawd knows how long. And knowing that if I felt panicky I could call someone to speak to them was a massive help.
    Jeez I really know how to cut a short story LONG - but hey, if you are still awake, give yourself a big pat on the back.....you will surely be asleep any time soon.....
    So yeah - in short (or long as it appears) - a huge thank you to you guys and gals. I feel like I have made some lovely friends through this site and when meets are coming up, I look forward to seeing people I have met before and also meeting new people. The only downsides to meets for me, are saying goodbye - (I hate goodbyes!)
    Also a huge thank you to Marc, Peaj and Thorpe Park for the ERT/photo shoot events - they are brilliant and it makes me feel really lucky to be a part of this community that is not only welcoming but allows us to have one off opportunities (nemesis inferno lift hill walk was a once in a lifetime chance even though it was a tad scary!).
    Before I finally shut up I just would like to say a big massive apology if I have caused offence to anyone here on these forums - I really hope that I haven't and *if* I have, it would not have been intentional
    Thank you for reading and goodnight.....oh no wait.....it is the morning! Zzzzzzz
  6. Han30
    On Sunday 7th July I took my first trip to Alton Towers - I had the opportunity to go way back in 2002 when Air opened but I chickened out because I was a massive wuss back then and the thought of being miles from home scared me
    I was REALLY anxious about going - mainly because of my anxiety issues and also, as before, the thought of being so far from home was pretty scary (furthest I have ever been is DLP back in 2000 before my panic attacks began). But I bit the bullet and went and am SO glad that I did (even if it did mean me needing to take a fair amount of medication).
    After a 3 and a half hour drive we arrived and I was feeling really excited. We parked up and got the monorail into the park entrance and myself, Mr Fish and Matt Creek met up with Stretchy. Once the kiosks opened we got our tickets (Mr Fish and I do not have MAPs so we BOGOF'ed). Went through the turnstiles and were approached by a member of staff asking if we wanted to buy a photo pass - gutted that you only get 4 photos when it used to be 5 but we wanted some ORP's - The photo passes were £25 BUT that included a free digital download for each ORP so Mr Fish and I went halves (I couldn't justify spending £25).
    We tried several times to contact Marc who was joining us along with Ricky & Chris, Thrillseeker Alex and Liam but had no luck so we headed straight to The Smiler. Luckily the queue wasn't too long by the time we reached it and we stood watching it testing - the dummies have smiley faces on them . At one point, one of the trains stopped almost at the top of the second lift hill and I thought "uh oh" we are doomed but the ride opened and we walked through the queue line which took about 2 years (slight exaggeration!) I looked back at the queue which was trailing right up the hill and was thankful that we got there when we did. The inside section of The Smiler is HOT - not helped by the fact that it was a boiling day anyway!
    We got on the ride and had the front row which was really good although I felt a bit stupid when I started screaming like a lunatic when the train had only just started moving
    My only concern with the ride was my fear of vomiting on people - and because the ride goes SO close to the queue line I would have been mortified had I been ill and not only sprayed my fellow riders but also potentially those waiting to go on the ride. Luckily this didn't happen (I take some amazing anti-sickness pills). I really enjoyed the ride even though it does leave you feeling more than a tad disorientated . Without that second lift hill I think I would have felt pretty ill. Speaking of which, the vertical lift hill - not keen on them to be honest because I have a crazy fear of looking up at the sky (odd I know - that is the only part of Saw: The Ride that I dislike - that, and that puppet thing ). Having been on Saw, I kind of expected a massive drop at the other end but I can't complain given that you are inverted 14 times
    We went back on The Smiler at the end of the day for another go - Marc and the others had bought fast track tickets for their first ride so our second ride, we all went on together.....and queued for 2 hours (although I am pretty sure it was longer than that as there were a couple of announcements apologising for delays due to queue jumpers - naughty!). So being in the queue line for a fair amount of time (whereas the first time I rode we were on the ride fairly quick) you realise just how close the ride goes - it made me jump several times! The ride also seems to roar - it is so loud and me being pretty much deaf as a post I could barely hear what the others were saying . However, being in the queue for so long gave me the opportunity to get a load of photo's and vids of the ride - which I would post here however I STILL haven't figured out how to do so
    When we eventually got onto the ride, I sat in the third row on the far right - Alex wanted to sit between myself and Liam to compare what we were both like regarding screaming - again I began screaming as the train left the station and as the ride left the first lift hill I think I may have come out with some unsavory language . I don't know if it was the train we got or the fact that I was sat in the 3rd row but - it was PAINFUL and I came off with a massive headache .
    Overall I really do like the ride and the fact that when you are in the queue line, the trains go so close to where you are standing. I thought the queue line would freak me out as you are penned in with fencing above your head but I felt ok about it. The inversions are good, a couple which are really intense and at points you don't know what the heck is going on (or that might just be me as I generally don't know what is going on at the best of times).
    This is the second Gerstlauer coaster I have ridden and I would say (although I don't like to compare) that I prefer Saws inside section (although not keen on the puppet!) and the drop after the lift hill, but both are brilliant rides.
    Ok so I appear to be waffling.....
    As I said before, it was really hot on Sunday which meant that the park was pretty busy - meaning that my ride count was low, however, that didn't affect the fact that I had an amazing day and also conquered my fear of one particular ride that the thought of bothered me.....OBLIVION.
    After riding The Smiler we headed over to Oblivion which had quite a short queue - I was feeling really anxious, bordering on a panic attack. I really hate the feeling of falling - although I have been on Detonator 3 times and panicked on the way up but each time loved it. The ride decided to have some technical issues whilst we were queuing so some people decided to leave the queue line but we remained in it even though I was desperate to run off . It didn't take long before the ride was up and running again and I was getting closer to having a heart attack. We got front row (yay) and I was almost in tears going up the lift hill - I just wanted it to be over and done with ASAP which it was and I actually loved it! I thought it would be far worse than detonator but you don't get the same force so I would have happily gone on again had there not been a queue. I felt really pleased that I did it - not only because I was bricking it, but also because I had only previously ridden 2 B&M coasters (Inferno and Swarm) - I would love to ride every B&M coaster but my fear of flying plus lack of money is a bit of a block to this!
    So after riding my 3rd B&M, myself, Stretchy, Mr Fish and Matt Creek headed off to meet up with Marc and the others (who had already managed to get on Nemesis, Nemesis Sub-Terra Battle Galleons and Th13teen! Whilst waiting for them they had 3 staff members entertaining the crowds and I had to restrain myself from joining in. So I stood there watching (and singing into my microphone aka water bottle) whilst they were dancing along to "You Can't Stop The Beat" - would be great if Thorpe did similar stuff to this as it was really entertaining and a group of girls joined in and were obviously having fun (not that I was jealous)
    Marc and the rest of the group arrived and we headed off to ride Th13teen. The queue times were clearly not updated as we were in the queue for what seemed like forever - but we played Mr Fishs game which consisted of picking an envelope which contained the name of a theme park and then having 30 seconds to name as many rides as you could. I got Thorpe Park but confused myself as they have way too many rides which begin with letter S, so I lost to ThrillseekerAlex who got Alton Towers and beat me - then went on to win the prize which I had my eye on - a pacman soap on a rope. Stretchy made me laugh when he genuinely didn't believe that Monkey Swinger at CWOA used to be called Billys Whizzer - the look on his face classic! To be fair, Stretchy has never been to Chessington which I think needs to be sorted out - however with the current state of the park I wouldn't suggest he visit any time this year
    We eventually got into the Th13teen station and I was slightly scared because I think it was Ricky who informed me that you get electrocuted or something (or I may have just made that up). There was an amusing moment when both myself and Alex counted 10 people in our group when there was actually 9 of us (my excuse is that I counted my imaginary friend ). I sat next to Alex who I think could tell I was a bit anxious (not helped by the fact that, whilst going up the lift hill he told me that the ride has 2 loops - NOT funny when you are sat there with just a lap bar - if I am going upside down I wanna be fully secured thank you very much) Thankfully I had already ruined the element of surprise by watching the ride on the internet so I knew what to expect however this didn't stop me screaming - A LOT! I think my screaming got worse when the first mini drop happened followed by the slightly bigger one then I began screaming like a complete lunatic when the ride went backwards - I HATE going backwards, even on a train but screaming actually helped otherwise I may have been a bit
    We had lunch at Woodcutters which was really nice and the service was good in there, and then headed to Hex - when we got inside, the ride was having issues - typical, but it was sorted fairly quickly. I had NO idea what to expect from this as it is one of the rides I hadn't really read much about. Whilst the first film was playing I could feel a breeze on my neck and felt a bit anxious, then turned around and realised it was Liam!
    The end bit of the ride seriously disorientated me - we walked into the last room and I said "Oooh we can sit down" - then when the lap bars came down I began to wonder what the hell was occurring (no one in the group warned me about it) - holy cack, I nearly pooped myself (yes I am a bit of a wimp) - and things that mess with your mind (especially mine as it is a tad bongled already) I am not keen on and it got to the point where I had to close my eyes and lean my head on the lap bar thing.
    After Hex, Marc, Ricky, Chris, Alex and Liam went to use their fast track on the Smiler, so myself and the others heading towards Nemesis - we were going to catch the sky ride but thankfully it was busy (the thought of cable cars scare me senseless) - however, after trekking what felt like 20 miles I would have happily got on a cable car just for a rest . So, after taking about 5 hours to walk to Nemesis I was just about ready to collapse - stretchy and Matt Creek were walking way faster than myself and Mr Fish - I am so unfit I had to take my inhaler(!). Nemesis had a bit of a queue but it seemed to go down quite quick, and we decided to go front row - I am always a bit anxious on rides I have never been on before (I even screamed on the dragon coaster at legoland ) but I felt pretty much okay about Nemesis having ridden Inferno 5 times in a row at the ERT event. I sat front row, far left and absolutely LOVED it - B&M coaster count up to 4 and I have to say that you would never know that the ride will be 20 next year - it was pretty smooth and just amazing! Although I have only ridden Nemesis once and Inferno about 14 times, I would probably rate Nemesis higher in terms of intensity and general enjoyment. Again as I have said before, I don't like to make comparisons with rides but they are both B&M inverted coasters and have the same blinking name in them. I personally think Thorpe should have called N:I just Inferno because people are naturally going to compare the two, even those who aren't particularly enthusiasts.
    Although I do prefer Nemesis to Inferno, I like that on Inferno you have the pre-lift hill section and the tunnel with the mist darkness which I think is pretty enjoyable but the ride layout of Nemesis in my opinion is far better - plus actually has theming. I was a bit worried about feeling rough after Nemesis but I felt completely fine - Inferno leaves me feeling dizzy for some reason and I am not sure how I managed 5 consecutive rides on it although I had to run off after ride no. 5 as I thought I was going to be ill.
    I really wanted to get an ORP from Nemesis but some of the flaming screens weren't working grrrrr so our picture didn't come up. Random thought here (my ride knowledge is extremely limited) - is the vertical loop on Nemesis bigger than Inferno?! It has to be - it looks mahoosive in comparison.
    Ok so I am still waffling and on my way to typing a flaming essay/novel.....
    I really wanted to ride Air but it had a 60min queue and we needed to meet up with the rest of the group. Ripsaw was looking quite tempting with those water fountains but we made our 5 hour journey back to meet up with the others - the sky ride was busy so we burnt off about 2000000 calories by trekking it back
    We all met outside Battle Galleons and as, by that point I had already sweated off about half a stone I was in desperate need of refreshment so myself and some of the others went on. Wow - I had NO idea I would get SO wet. It also made me realise that some kids can be completely annoying as we had a bunch of them in the boat in front shouting at us - just spray the water people, and shut ya cake holes
    Again I screamed on this every time I got pelted with water when I wasn't expecting it - at one point I was the only person in our group on one side of the boat so I attempted to multi-task and use 2 guns at the same time but then realised that it didn't work out so well as I couldn't move the guns unless I had a 3rd hand
    Towards the end of the ride we spotted Liam and Alex waiting to drench us so we were on a mission to get them as soaked as possible - however, they were no where near as soaked as us when we got off the ride - I was literally drenched - almost "Tidal Wave" drenched but it helped to cool me off . I didn't realise that you can get an ORP from this so when we walked past the screens, the pic had been taken when I was on one side of the boat by myself so all you could see was me looking tired and behind me, the other guys backs!
    By now it was just gone 5pm so we all headed over to The Smiler for our last ride of the day. I really wanted to do Oblivion again but it had a long queue and we didn't want to risk not getting another chance to be corrected flung around and upside down 14 times. I won't repeat myself (for a change) as I have already typed up a bit about the second ride but all I would say is - first row was great - third row = massive headache!
    Smiler merch is.....not cheap, although I quite fancied the onesie they do. However Stretchy pointed out that a lot of the products are poor quality so I just bought a small bag (which would probably break if I put anything more than a bog roll in it) and a Smiler wristband. The teddies in there are something ridiculous like £15 = daylight robbery!
    Due to delays and the massive queue line (I have always said I would never queue longer than an hour for any ride but a lot of people sat down in the queue line - myself included) so we didn't leave the park until gone 7ish. The monorail was closed so we had to walk about 200 miles to the car park. I was exhausted, sweaty but so happy that I had FINALLY gone to Alton Towers
    As I said before, my ride count was low but this didn't put a dampener on the day at all - it would have been nice to try out Air, The Flume and Rapids (we didn't even go to Katanga area ), Rita and Duel but on a busy hot day it was impossible. Being so far from home (Ok not massively far, but just short of 200 miles) I dealt with pretty well and even getting there was a huge achievement for me.
    It was lovely seeing Stretchy, ThrillseekerAlex, Ricky, Mr Fish, Matt Creek and Marc again fantastic to meet the lovely Liam aka LIMA and Chris. We went to Harvester afterwards where I suspect we all stunk as they put us on a table away from everyone else and underneath air conditioning - I was SO cold. Ricky made me laugh when he asked for a side order of no air con .
    All in all a brilliant day with lovely people - I am hoping to be able to go back to Towers when it is much quieter so I can go on all the rides (if that is even possible in a day) - I had NO idea how big AT is but I love the fact that one minute you are at a ride, then you are walking through what appears to be a forest, then you see how lovely the gardens are. THEY HAVE TREES!!! Thorpe Park could definitely do with a bit of greenery! Having visited Towers it really does make TP look like a concrete jungle - BUT in Thorpes defence, they have a better selection of flat rides IMO.
    I thought the staff at Alton Towers were really friendly which definitely makes the day that little bit better when they seem happy and chatty. Though I feel sorry for the guys working on the Smiler - I still have the song stuck in my head - it is like "It's a small world" all over again but the tune is rather catchy even if it does make me feel like I am going insane®
    Really glad that I got the opportunity to ride The Smiler - it is a good ride but not something which I would count as world class (but then the only other theme park I have been to outside the UK was DLP over 10 years ago) - it certainly attracts the crowds but for me Nemesis was far superior although I did enjoy the Smiler (first time more so).
    So I shall leave my wafflage here and sign off by saying.....SMILE.....ALWAYS!
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