SteveJ

It will just be a new canvas probably or a vinyl of some sort. An actual sign would cost, like, a bit more. Don't be silly.

It will probably be because of Merlin's backwards budgeting system, that the options would either be to hire a cheap paint/decorator contractor to do the same short term patchy job as in previous years, or to hire scenic artists to fully restore it but only enough money for half in one go

Errr only a small bottom part of that area is now being used as the reindeer enclosure, most the 'woods' are still there including the cabins so the seasonal attractions won't move.

That doesn't actually make any sense considering the decision to remove the step and the decision to redesign Trail were 2 different things but ok. The new trail themery is being done by Scruffy Dog by the way.

It WILL be closed for 2016.

You may have made it up but Merlin are seriously considering doing more VR smothering on other rides, and all that could really stop such a fad is if Galactica isn't a hit this year .

HAHA oh dear Theme parks are so crap now that such rumours even exist, or that the rides even shut in the first place, and that its been half broken for years If people genuinely love VR theme park add ons then that's fine, but youre forcing out decades of cultural following, expertise and learning within the industry. Personally I'm happy to stop caring about theme parks and let a new wave take over, but the implications of where things are headed are such a shame

It has been confirmed that Alton Towers fans will be closed-minded for the duration of the season.

They are not refurbishing Loggers Leap this year, they are mothballing it for this year.

They're painting almost everything this year so may as well get it done too. The budda may have been 'relatively' low priority, but that's relative to the very unkept state of the rest of the park. In isolation, it was still long overdue a repaint.

It isn't silver in person, it's yellowy gold, I've no idea why that photo Chessington posted makes it look so silver. Seems like they tweaked the colour balance It looks nice in gold for when the sunlight hits it, although it will never look too good for as long as it is sitting in the middle of a rusty building site

It is opening as it does not require the "maintenance" that the other flumes have been shut for.

Carousel was good though last year

Budget cuts are always blamed on Zufari being poor, I know for certain that actually the budget was cut well in advance and that the remaining budget was certainly adequate for what they were planning. It was the most shockingly poorly managed project in the entire world and most guests come off pretty disappointed.

It's a freshen up as Tomb Blaster and to have it back to the standard it should be, so nothing new has been designed into it. Although the laser gun system is totally new because the 2002 one was obsolete, the guns are different and new targets have been fixed to the sets.

Tomb Blaster's popularity has fallen much more than Terror Tomb's did in the early 2000s, though... It's all about perspective

But it will be the best since the mid-late 2000s for sure. That article's not completely accurate as the effects control systems will be the same PLCs as the Terror Tomb days I believe... new audio & lighting though (very bright UV LEDs and the associated UV paintwork restoration or additions). It gets scaffolded most closed seasons I believe for inspections to the sets, and because there never were any maintenance gantries for lighting, etc.. (a big problem with the 5th Dimension). Thanks for linking my videos Chess Buzz. Although I think the BubbleWorks one was meant to be the 5th Dimension one?

"Galactic-ugh"?

Phantastic photos, I recognise exactly who built and designed the sets and props so will send these to them for memory's sake. Wow I can't believe we had such a big creepy ghost train right here on the doorstep, which was a big Sparks creation and embodied hammer horror through & through.

Look everyone, you misread the topic title, it's 'Rant' not 'Bant' No? Ok. I'll run away

Nemesis was never covered in real rust, certainly not to any significant point, obviously. Track gets inspected regularly an all coasters so this would not be allowed to happen. In regards to the paint job... A lot of effort was made to paint Nemesis a certain way when it was new, so that it looked artistically rusty and stained. It should not be plain white. Most proper painters should be able to recreate the original texture, but how likely is that to happen when they probably just want to get the job done quickly? I hope they pay it proper attention.. The white layer or the red layer seen in the photos is certainly a primer coating and the other a base colour, just we have no way of knowing which is which yet. Don't judge on the first photo you see

Or just bad editing?

It almost certainly will require reserves, 100%. Everyone will want to eat there and 13 tables is pretty tiny for a normal restaurant

Wot. That's actually quite something. I also like how when it fails, technicians just immediately run up it with no safety gear - freedom!

My impression is that Air is a forgotten oddball whereas Nemesis and Oblivion are the most famed to the average person. I guess it shows how varied people's experiences are, and that there's no such thing as 'the average guest' and what matters or not. Air is well loved as it is, but truth be told it was never ever properly finished. Whether this new idea is an ideal improvement is something else, it could be but it's certainly an attempt to skirt the park's real issues.