SteveJ
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Posts posted by SteveJ
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It's easy to improve on what immediately preceeded though because most rides now have come into in such bad condition that literally any DIY lick of paint feels better than nothing.
Valhalla really needs restoring or if it gets a big redesign then improving on when it first opened, which I think it has potential for without losing what people enjoyed about it in the first place.
(and I agree to be honest I thought Tiger Rock and Room on the Broome were like 1 step forward, 2 steps back) -
Me too, that's why I just wait to be pleasantly surprised if something does turn out enjoyable. I don't get my hopes up when each new random thing is announced and wait to experience it myself with an open mind. For all I know Valhalla might be great when it reopens, we have no idea. Or it might be another dodgy 'TLC' type revamp
I do think it's one much loved dark ride that had plenty potential for re-working without losing what people enjoyed about it in the first place, so I wonder how far they're going with it. -
4 hours ago, Mark9 said:
They'll hate the refurbishment anyway. Thats how enthusiast circles work anyway, decry something for becoming run down, get their hopes up when it closes to be redone then hate the new version. It's Enthusiast 101.
Why should something not be decried for getting run down, then why should enthusiasts not be enthusiastic when something closes to be redone? That could go for guests, not just enthusiasts.
And have there been any genuinely great revamps on rides in recent years, where something has gotten better than when it first opened?
Valhalla might be brilliant when it reopens for all we know! But if it's a disappointment, then it's a disappointment. Nobody knows yet. -
5 hours ago, Jamess said:
@SteveJ It’s believed to be the same model as at Paultons Park - which I don’t believe features a launch? Shame about the logo, but theming looks fantastic done by Koda Creative.
Oh yeah, for some reason I remembered it launching but it bounces a lot instead, which is still better than I expected so that's something.
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Rubbish name, rubbish logo. Hopefully not a rubbish ride, although a themed launched tower like at Paultons Park or Fantasy Island would have been far better for the park.
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5 hours ago, Glitch said:
Did you go in the maze last year? It was literally just fumes, from the moment you walked in to exit. Perhaps complain to the park if you have an issue with the mazes not opening due to ventilation problems.
Not complaining at all, just adding to discussion (the point of a forum).
"Fumes" you're probably not talking about the carbon monoxide like I was, otherwise everyone would be dead. The fact that chainsaws are used inside means there must be some ventilation, otherwise it would be far more dangerous than Covid. Even if it caused shutdowns now and then, that could be solved easily by adding more extraction.
Haze could just not be used if it was really that much of a problem. You know it's just an effect right?
The maze format last year wasn't too different to some of the Alton mazes. I reckon there are probably other reasons why it didn't open. Or it was just a decision made by Thorpe while Alton decided differently with theirs.Difficult year for all events and being pragmatic is the best parks can do really.
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52 minutes ago, JoshC. said:
I think this was an issue with Creek Freak - it simply wasn't dissipating quick enough, even with the machines turned off. Coupled in with fumes from the chainsaws as well, that caused issues.
There has to be ventilation wherever chainsaws are used and CO monitoring to shut down the maze if too much build up, so that sounds more likely the reason there were shutdowns.
Alton's mazes still have strong haze and narrow corridors, if haze too strong usually just opening a door for a few minutes would clear it.
I can't really imagine why the Creek Freak building would have a Covid ventilation problem worse than anywhere else, when it's a wooden shack rather than a stone basement, especially when chainsaw mazes usually require strong ventilation anyway (stronger than for Covid regulations)
Maybe there were other complications why it didn't open, or just different parks different approach
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Might be overthinking things, a set in the ruins basement isn't too different from a set in a draughty wooden shack, probably the ruins basement would be less ventilated. Actually I'm not sure there's any substantial ventilation at all in any mazes Ive been to this year?
The Alton mazes still use thick haze this year. Even before Covid I'd not heard of a maze ever needing to actually shut down because of haze too thick. Usually smoke would just get turned down/off and left to dissipate a bit if it got too much.
So maybe it's a case of Thorpe being over-precautious and Alton being more pragmatic about their maze H&S. They are two separate parks with separate H&S departments after all and probably just received general advice from above. OR Thorpe have other reasons (Covid related or not) why Creek Freak didn't open this year. -
22 hours ago, coaster38 said:
seeing as the WWTP Radio truck is gone, so those bits don't make much sense anymore
It took me years to even notice the van had that logo, I dont think it makes any difference, the main feature is the queue entertainment and jokes/characters in the soundtrack and it makes sense with the 50s theme fine.
Great that the park are getting the sound systems back working and sounding good again -
On 9/1/2020 at 9:11 PM, Matt Creek said:
Interesting to see the ride revealing it’s original colours after ten years.
Anyone else remember when it was Billy’s Whizzer?
None of those colours are actually from Billy's Whizzer but just the colour of the skeleton underneath all the decoration, none of that would ever usually be seen. It's quite cool to see how it works underneath.
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The big investments in the early 2000s was to transform the park and double the numbers, which it did well. That level of investment was always going to die down, but all parks still have to keep up good new rides to stop declining attendance.
Thorpe did do this for a while, but the park itself just died. In the early 2000s Thorpe still had most its family park era, which made it a fun place to be and a good visitor base. After that got sidelined and grotty, combined with so much marketing towards young adults, the park seems to have lost its visitor base over 10 years.
And then, after Saw's hype died down, it started to lose its young adult appeal too. The Swarm was badly marketed and failed to get the hype Saw did (both are very overrated rides I think anyway). The young adult appeal is a lot more volatile and usually comes with each new coaster hype.
At this point the park really needed a huge reinvestment, improve the park, make it a much better place to be and sort out so many problems. As well as expanding the park further around the lakes and the hotel etc, which it really should have done ever since Merlin got the park.
Instead of that, it got a slew of gimmicky IP attractions, a shipping container hotel and Derren Brown's Ghost Train, probably the worst use of all that money thinkable. Their big rebrand was nothing more than a slogan and new graphics.The park continued to just die and now they're feeling the consequence of it. The young adult appeal died off without new coasters and there was no value for money for families anymore.
It's still possible for Thorpe to turn it around and become a brilliant resort, but now they've got to do it in the face of a big recession for the entire leisure industry, and terrible attendance. It's like doing 10 years of work in one hit and requires huge vision. Maybe this is what was being planned once Merlin took on private ownership again, but too late. It's very sad really, it has so much potential.
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4 hours ago, JoshuaA said:
Merlin are MILES better than Six Flags for comparison.
Six Flags parks are far off being theme parks though and don't try to, so reusing catchy names isn't so important. I have to agree I think Merlin have become quite unimagintive with names, they overcook it (The Smiler, THE Swarm) or they undercook it .
On 7/11/2020 at 8:56 PM, Ivsetti said:a) short and easy to remember for asking directions and talking about a day later
b) semi-descriptive of what you'd expect on the ride
c) exciting and interest-provoking
Spot on!
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2 hours ago, Ivsetti said:
I think at this point I've had enough of the park and have lost pretty much all enthusiasm for the park and this forum.
Well, that's a shame to hear, because I remember your optimism when joining that you believed Thorpe Park could one day be a great theme park in the world. But I got to say, I went through the same realisation. And I would love to be happily surprised and proven wrong, but every time theres news of "improvements" at the park somehow it's always hype.
There's plenty great parks out there in the world to enjoy! Hopefully one day Thorpe gets its act together again. -
What programme was it shown on?
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All the random fanpages using these allegations to plug their brand with empty "In light of recent events we would like to say..." posts is pretty sad. If people want to support others, use your platforms to retweet or share the stories themselves, comment support on the stories. Or post if you actually have something genuine to add, like some perspective, experience or if you were involved with the people the allegations are about.
I've seen more fanpages doing these empty gestures on Twitter than the actual allegations. "We at Theme Park World Attraction Guide Podcast are shocked by the allegations" well thank goodness for that, problem solved then.
On the whole, there has been a lot of real support from theme park fans which is great to see. -
20 hours ago, JoshC. said:
I don't know how common an opinion it is, but I liked the Atlantis theme and still think it worked with the park today (what with the Port / Basecamp / Shark vibe). Sure, it was dated and falling apart, but it had some life and soul in it. After this and the black panels of blackness on the inside, it now feels like a run-down Butlins...
I think it looked great for years when Thorpe still had some of that family theme park vibe!
Since then they've tried to slick back and make the park more minimal, turn the dome into more of a club, so I understand them removing it. But they've revamped it in the cheapest possible, dullest way. There is literally no design to it, just removing all character. As always "phase 2" never arrives, "phase 2" is code for "not happening".
The old Atlantis dome at its best with the underwater vibe was really good, the scenery was great, although it got a lot removed and beaten up over the years. I think it only seemed dated because of the different direction the park was going in.
You could picture it fitting right into mid 90s family Thorpe really well, instead of 2010s era Thorpe. I'm surprised it was such a late addition actually! (2000 ish wasnt it?) -
3 minutes ago, Glitch said:
Lets look at this logically. Clearly it wouldn't pass QC standard.
A contractor who was brought into the park for one day to install multiple LED screens, has done his job and installed the screen.
The new ride signage boards are probably still being produced however the screen is in the correct position ready for the new board.
Perhaps the company who do the boards are closed for the pandemic, hence the delay and once ready to be installed it will be placed in the correct positioning creating a nice looking queue times and ride information board.
However in the mean time, I'm surprised that they didn't cover it up with a box or something whilst waiting for the delayed queue time board to be printed.
We also have to remember that these parks are still running on skeleton staff so perhaps this wasn't priority.
Of course there are reasons, but it's not acceptable for this to look so bad when the park is open. Why do we see this kind of terrible standards so regularly at Chessington?
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Sums it all up really.
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1 hour ago, JoshC. said:
as signing up to an online forum is intimidating. It can be even moreso for a teenage girl
Not that you intended it to sound that way of course, but isn't this sort of view really patronising. Maybe it's more likely that there's just not as many girls interested in a forum.
I think in general theme park enthusiasts are moving away from forums and more towards social media, which is both good and bad. Good that there's more personality and a mix of more people, but bad because of the limitations of social media rewarding clickbait and vlogger fame over real enthusiasm. It's just pros and cons really!
Either way, I second that forcing representation through tokenism is never a good idea. I don't think it suggests discrimination that the mods are white males, when most the forum seemingly is. Let's see them as individuals rather than categorise by their skin colour and gender. It's all about equal opportunity! -
6 hours ago, JoshC. said:
And honestly, I hate feeling this way. New additions at theme parks should come expectations they'll be fun and great additions. Having a personal expectation set low isn't a good thing. A company such as Merlin do have the ability and staff to be able to make things great. But it just doesn't happen all that often.
Yes that's it, I can tell you my expectation was that it was going to be poor, but the moment they produce something genuinly great I would fully appreciate it and sing their praises (like Wicker man which I thought was a fun ride all round!)
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On 5/26/2020 at 8:20 PM, JoshC. said:
We can want Merlin parks to do fantastic things. We can want every park in the world to do fantastic things. But honestly, Merlin don't hit the fantastic mark often, so it just feels unrealistic to expect that. You could argue it's a pessimistic outlook, but equally it's quite realistic imo
Is it too much to expect the same park to be as good as it was 20-30 years ago, especially for such a basic investment as a small childrens area retheme? Especially when prices have generally gone up
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3 hours ago, JoshuaA said:
I honestly think this area is fine. Its a very small kids area, its not really meant to be immersive or high budget. Its a fresh lick of paint on two old kids rides, and a new kids ride that fits the park's audience perfectly with a small bit of theming. Nothing more, nothing less. I would take this over Black Mirror any day of the bloody week.
But even just as that, the area was better before. Well before Toadies got so worn out. The new ending to Toadies is pathetic and dull. Even Berry Bouncers was arguably better, because now you just awkwardly face the back side from the main path where it's most visible. The whole thing is really poor quality. The log flume is 'better than nothing' but still extremely cheaply done for kids
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Mcamey Manor is one of those garbage things that only thrives off word of mouth and shock factor, it isn't actually that special or worth looking up
Croc Drop
in Chessington World of Adventures
Posted
"Forbidden Tomb returning!!" = they are going to reuse the old sign that's still clearly visible underneath, to save paying for a new 3D one probably