Han30

Have a great time in Germany! I am in shock that I didn't get a really bad score - maybe I am not quite as stupid as I thought - that or just pot luck

Totally agree with Pluk - although I also prefer to pay for things straight up, MAPs ain't cheap so Merlin Membership is quite tempting - works out cheaper than my cat insurance - still unsure whether to go for it or not.....hmmmm decisions

OMG you are Unplugged??! - You should see someone about that

I'll have a go at the quiz - good for a laugh cos I am mega stupid

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!

Oh dear..... I need brain bleach The boat driving thing was v relaxing until a bit of a boat pile up occurred (not my fault ) It literally took me quite a while to spot the streaker but I found it (or there isn't one and I am hallucinating) - it's like playing "where's wally"? That first pic..... OMG and.......please, no footage of "We Will Rock You"

Loving the trip reports so far - v funny! And I laughed so much at Matts vid - I didn't see Peaj fall over at the time. OMG....flashback to Easter Island heads

Happy Birthday Matt Creek - 20 today!! hve a fab day

JAMFLAKES

I've only done detty 3 times - first time I was pretty calm, second time was completely bricking it, then for a few visits I just didn't go on it - then went on it again last week - was having a heart attack (ok not a heart attack) going up and was close to tears but would have happily gone on it again once it was all over. Not a ride I could queue long for

My fear of heights has definitely become less intense since going to Thorpe Park this year - literally facing my fears (Detonator and Stealth are worse for me) and I think I've semi-conquered the fear although there is still NO WAY I would ever get on a plane I think the thing with coasters is that you aren't up high for very long (unless you get stuck - my worst nightmare) Not quite sure how I managed to not panic up that lift hill - I was shaking so much and felt disorientated - was going to give my space to someone else but wanted to face it and, it isn't something you get to do everyday, plus I felt lucky that I was one of the people chosen. Tell you what though - that lift hill walk is damn good for exercise!

This was an amazing trip and I am so glad that I went, despite feeling really anxious beforehand. The ERT was brilliant although I only managed 5 of the 6 rides on Inferno (for some reason, Inferno is the only coaster at Thorpe that makes me dizzy) - was surprised I wasn't ill but I think I would have been had I not got off when I did! I sat in the back row once, the middle area 3 times and then eventually got a front seat after charging for front row 4 times and missing a seat - big thanks to the staff member who saved me a seat at the front (I think she realised I run too slow to obtain one by myself). The staff members were really friendly and I got to walk up the lift hill which I was excited about until I got halfway up - fear of heights - but managed to not have a panic attack and the member of staff who spoke to us answered all of our questions and it was really interesting hearing about various details of the ride. Before the ERT event the day was really good - started off on Colossus (I think) then Loggers where I got so wet it was like I had been on flaming Tidal Wave - thanks Stretchy for that pic!! - although - bag on head = dry hair, though I have to say that Loggers water tastes revolting Saw had a bit of a queue and I nearly messed myself going into the building when a staff member made me jump Luckily I couldn't see that puppet thing - it creeps me out - had a good ride on this but got a mild brain cell ache after. I bailed out on Detty so went and rode a teacup on my own then flew on the fish before heading back to Detty where I bumped into Phill Pritchard. I later went on Detonator and almost had a heart attack at the top - but glad I did it because that ride scares me senseless so it was a bit of an achievement I came off the rapids completely dry - apart from when I got squirted full square in the eyeball - what a shot! I was still a tad drenched from Loggers so was kinda glad I didn't get soaked Back to the tea cups and luckily I wasn't on my own this time - Mr Fish and I tried in vain to beat Peaj at his spinning but failed miserably - half way through the ride I gave up and decided to chill whilst trying to contain my stomach contents. Lunch time and everyone went off to different places - noticed that Stealth only had a 20min queue so I went on that (don't know why - it scares me to death) - got chatting to a random stranger who I sat next to and we were both discussing how much the ride scares us. I think I may have perforated his eardrums with my screaming I already have 2 ORPS of Stealth but I bought a keyring because I decided to go "hands up" and look majorly cool (whilst trying not to die of a heart attack). Bumped into Darkadder and we got some chocolate from the shop then had a go on the flying fish before meeting up with everyone. Stealth was next with a 50min (ish) queue and so I decided to go on my fave coaster (The Swarm) instead - plus I needed a bit of space because, well I am not normal! Felt a bit of a pleb in the Swarm queue on my own but luckily the queue went down fairly quick. When the ride attendant asked how many there was and I said "one" he gave me a look that said "you clearly have no friends" Sat on the far right hand side in the middle(ish) - so far I have only ridden on the right 3 times, and the left about 11 times. Gawd this is getting waffly. Met up with everyone at The Flying Fish where I went on (for the third time!) - then headed towards the Swarm again - this time left hand side as the queue was a tad shorter. Those restraints are so comfy I could fall asleep in them Had another ride on X (went on it earlier in the day when, for some bizarre reason I decided to lick one of the walls) - they REALLY need some air con in there - I don't think I have sweated so much in my life - it's nice to actually be able to ride it now that it goes forwards - me + anything that goes backwards = not a great combo I outright refused to ride Vortex, Rush, Quantum and Slammer - never been on them, don't intend on doing do - I am a wimp! Samurai was closed (boooo) - only ridden this once and despite swearing like a trooper I would have gone on it again. But all in all, despite it being pretty busy it was an excellent day and it was lovely to meet new people. Massive thanks to Thorpe Park for the ERT - a fantastic opportunity, and also to TPM because without this site we wouldn't have been lucky enough to have had a fantastic experience. Also, as always big thanks to Peaj for organising this and actually to everyone that went - you are all a loverly bunch of coconu.....people! Oh and apologies for my wafflage

Despite taking sleeping tablets and having a busy day yesterday I am still awake Think I may have gone crackers

6?

With spiders ugh I just hate them - I literally start shaking, go sweaty and feel really sick if there is one that has invited itself into my flat. Only once did I get the hoover out but I managed to get the big ol' dude - I grab a glass (or if it is a biggun' a beaker) and pop it over the spider, then slide some paper/card underneath it and flip it upside down - I had a really big one once and I threw it off the balcony and heard it land << On that occasion when I found said spider I rang my sister for help, who then pointed out that she was about an hours drive away (so helpful!) - she thought it was hilarious. I was not amused Oh and wasps - stripey little devils who, quite frankly should not be allowed to fly around freely stinging people. Again I try my best not to kill them but if one has flown into my living room and won't naff off......I get THE spray out. Then I feel bad for about 10 minutes. I hate it if I am out and there is one buzzing about my head - I will literally start running and flapping like a lunatic. But a tip for those scared of spiders etc - CITRONELLA essential oil - works wonders (and is often found in insect repellant) - get some and put it in a bottle with water and spraaaaay around your windows - works a treat. Although I wouldn't recommend putting any about your person because, to be honest, you won't have wasps coming near you (which is good) - but you also won't have ANYONE coming near you. It stinks

I used to have a massive fear of needles but have kind of (ish) got over that - although, not looking forward to having blood taken next week. Saying that though, I will happily get a sewing needle and do a DIY piercing! Emetophobia (fear of vomiting) used to impact my life a LOT to the point where I would convince myself that I was going to be sick and in turn, feel sick. I would avoid anyone who had a sick bug and once walked the streets at midnight when my mum and sister had a stomach bug. No longer have that fear - apart from fear of puking on people on rides - I mean, I am pretty sure no-one would want my stomach contents all over them. And as this is a theme park forum (ya don't say) - before my trip to TP this year I was pretty scared of inversions - I had only ever done 2 inverted coasters before (and they were pretty tame) so going on the big coasters was a big achievement for me - now I love them! Heights - absolutely hate them - I get dizzy, feel sick and panic - at least with coasters you ain't up high for long - I would absolutely poop myself if I got stuck on the top of Stealth (yeah I know it has only happened once with no-one on it but....ya never know) Spiders as mentioned before - I cannot stand them! I don't have it in me to kill them so either my cat will eat them or I will get a glass and some paper and lob them out of the window - however, if there is one on me, that is a different matter and I go CRAZY. When I first moved out of home there was a big one in my flat and I chased it around for over an hour - he eventually got in my walk in cupboard and I sellotaped it in. Felt bad when I discovered he had died The universe - this used to interest me but now scares me senseless - to think we are floating in space and there is nothing underneath us - just eeeek. I hate even looking into the sky incase a planet or something comes crashing down.....yes people I am odd. This is how my panic attacks came back 4 years ago - me thinking too much and then freaking out. There are many others but I will leave it with.......PLANES. Just....no. Never been on one, do not have any inclination to do so - I've never flown so I don't know where this phobia came from but I have had lots of nightmares about planes. I hate even seeing one in the sky which is not v handy when at Thorpe Park - actually had a panic attack on Saw: The Ride going up that vertical lift hill and seeing one of those winged boogers in the sky. Although lots of people have phobias I think the severity depends on how much it impacts on your life. They can be beaten but it isn't easy because you have to face you fears I am a complete wimp but have beaten several fears (not necessarily phobias) just from going to TPM meets - so whooo!

hahaha - I have 2 eggs (fried not boiled) - eggs are good. I am waffling

Banned because your singing voice is immense and I am really jealous

I find phobias really interesting - not that they are pleasant to have. But the reason behind them and some of them had odd names. Psychology interests me a fair bit, probably because I am not normal. I would list my phobias but there are far to many of them. Would be easier to list what I am NOT scared of!

The meet was really good and I had a great time, lots of laughs and lots of getting wet on various rides. Great to see people again and meet 2 new people! And I can't believe I won the game - I never win anything, I nearly cried! Will attempt to type up a proper trip report but just want to say thank you to everyone for makin the day fun and for Peaj for organising it (and getting me there)

Looks amazing - and omg Milka bars!!!

I can't get no sleep....

£139????!!!! Are they having a laugh?? Besides the cost, things like that freak me out.....

Fred - I agree that the park really is a 2 day thing - even though it is far from massive, aside from the rides, there is sealife, zoo, shows plus you have to squeeze in lunch - this is a reason why I love the park so much - because the variety of things to do. I missed a lot on my last visit - due to the park being quite busy. Maybe I might do a 2 day-er and try out the hotel - sounds like a good reason to do so. That would be amazing if they did something with the Vampire queue line - and even better if the original entrance is back in use. To be honest, I didnt really notice the flakey paint in the station - but I am not massively observant to be honest. I still love the station and the atmosphere of it, although I did prefer those coffin things they used to have to space out the queue for the trains. Vamps is my favourite coaster (probably only because I have ridden just 14 coasters, most of which were very tame) followed closely by space mountain at DLP. I think they should look after Vamps a bit better because it is still so popular even after 22 years - and would definitely provide improve guest experience. But I sometimes wonder if the general public notice things that you and I have noticed? For me, personally I never paid much attention to "theming", just rides. However, when I went to another "theme park" 2 years ago (mentioning no names) it really hit me how much theming improves ride experience and general atmosphere. As regards Tomb Blaster - I like to spend as little time in there (queueing) as possible - as I mentioned before that damn smell (or maybe it is me?!) - as for the height sticks - weird why they would get them out if you are blatantly well over the height limit - maybe some ride ops/attendants just enjoy playing with their sticks?! Joe - how was your trip to Chessington?