SteveJ

It's likely an excuse or a guess, a hosepipe ban probably wouldn't affect the water effects because the system recycles.

The day they get showriters to write shows rather than whoever is around at the board meeting - the day stuff like Gozey (which probably sounded brilliant in planning) stops masquerading as a 'preshow'. I'm sorry Zufari, you're just no fun.

Thorpe Park's dark ride though is slap in the middle of the park. Its ug-erly posterior obscured only by another dark ride's ugly posterior (X). Trees can only do half the job that smarter use of space and architecture could have done. Still it would have been a challenge because of the park's existing layout so they probably didn't want to bother on that front. So ugly shed arse jutting out in your path here we come!! Maybe on the inside it'll be good?

"Mr Horsley’s family believe the T-shirts contain deliberate sexual innuendo" SURELY NOT

That's the second preshow video that was used, replacing the live action one from 1987. I ran that off Neilfever's tapes for him not long ago Funky isn't it

That's true Ben The Smiler's concept is so much fun to buy into. It has a real energy that makes the experience something else, but the scenic design is so botched that it's only a fraction of what could have been. I also think some parts are so rushed and poorly directed a good idea comes across as tacky and bad taste. For example, if they reshot the Smiler shop TV with a real scriptwriter and actors, then more riders would actually be amused or engaged with them, it would work. I'd also love the music to be remixed. Sonically it is pure genius and one of my favourite theme park tracks, but every now and then it oversteps the mark and goes from enjoyably shocking, deranged to just cheap and offensive to the ear ("Ha ha ha" forever with predictable key changes). The less said about the recycling bins on the Marmaliser, the dumb "Ministry of Joy" backstory that comes across worse than fan fiction you read on forums, and the masses of bare concrete - the better. This could be the opportunity to take a big long look at the Smiler and make it something more polished and better, rather than just removing its whole entertainment factor.

They won't be damned if they do, it's probably expected of them (in a PR world) at some point in the future after they've reopened the ride. Only the stupidest tabloids would complain that they were 'trying to pretend it was a different ride' or something. And yes I really hope Oblivion comes out of this well. It's a great theme (the original "secret weapon" theme repurposed) and The Smiler had half the atmosphere Oblivon originally held. Oblivion's original concept was watered down anyway during construction, would hate to see it lose its persona even more (if the years of decline havn't done that already). Damn, realised I missed a trick not making a video of Kay Burley interviewing the Lord of Darkness about Alton Towers safety. I'll get round to it..

I'd say the chances of it being renamed are quite high but I'm just speculating. I'd certainly rename it and change its identity. They've even removed elements of Oblivion's theme in response to the incident , so wouldn't be surprised if they go further. the injuries make the entire "marmalise your body" and "you belong to the smiler" hospital persona seem very bad taste. I thought it was a naff expression of a brilliant concept anyway. There are better ways of making the ride apparopriate while maintaining the ride's ballsy and shocking atmosphere, but I'd say a name change at least is on the cards

Tech services have to do tests every day which are scheduled to resolve any problems before/after opening hours to avoid downtime at all costs. Only if an issue is detrimental to the ride's operation will they shut it completely for a number of days, otherwise engineers will impose restrictions that allow the ride to still operate while the issue is contained. So even when a ride stays open most of the time, that doesn't mean it's a challenge behind the scenes. (OH YEAH, in this post Sky News- era, this doesn't mean the ride is 'unsafe') Obviously restraints are crucial so it got closed altogether for a number of weeks - that in itself is huge downtime. The new restraints may be imposed by the manufacturer but in response to issues that took place on existing their ride(s). In fact it's a testament to the tech services that the ride hasn't been down regularly in the past because Sub Terra is one of the more problematic rides (even before construction it was a difficult project altogether). Of course this isn't the first time it's been shut for weeks for significant alterations, whether for the show, the operating procedure or whatever. It'll probably end up a cafe or something.

No, I know exactly what's wrong with it. If you think you can just post sensitive information (that's really none of my business) on an internet forum just to prove someone who insists on bickering wrong, then you're mistaken. I don't know how you concluded that Sub Terra is reliable, by looking on the Queue Times website? That's not how theme parks work

Take a step back and consider perhaps there's information you don't know, no need to make assumptions for the sake of it. And the ride did have a lot of down time.. several weeks of closure, before the new ones were even installed (probably in the last couple of days). Sorry I OBVIOUSLY can't tell you what was wrong with them. Neither can anyone else who knows, anyway, that's really not important.

But why do you assume this? They didn't hastily shut the ride and spend loads of money adopting a hugely inconvenient new restraint design just for the sake of it. There was a lot wrong with the restraints, now it sounds like there's different problems with the new ones. This ride's been so much hassle and it's not worth it.

You obviously refuse to see the real difference in the UK between the theme park model popularised by Chessington in the late 1900s, and the variety entertainments seaside day trip affair popularised by Blackpool in the 1900s. My comment about them being successful is that they're still relatively very popular with guests because they made key effort to keep with the times. Otherwise it would have totally burnt out like all the others. Even Alton Towers was a tattier version of Blackpool before John Wardley persuaded Tussauds to buy it and turn it into the best example of a theme park the UK's ever had. Anyway, moving on to a more interesting subject than just "Blackpool's importance vs Chessington's importance", I wonder this.. Would we have a theme park industry in the UK now without Britain's famous seaside resorts? Yes, because the 80s drive to build theme parks was very much a separate concept, but the results would have been very different. Almost all the geniuses who actually hands-on created the UK's best theme park rides made their name doing simpler projects at places like Blackpool (or John Broome era Alton Towers). In the 70s these older generation tourist attractions became the testing grounds for people like Keith Sparks, as it was obviously the closest they had to Disneyland at the time. So Blackpool did have strong influence on the upcoming theme park revolution after all, if not a part of it. Then of course there's the more recent capitalist revolution that's changed UK theme parks forever, but let's not go into that!

But Blackpool still is an amusement park? Albeit very different to its original values having been influenced by the changing times. And why are you bringing this all to profits when none of that is what you, Benin or I were actually discussing beforehand? Are you claiming if Blackpool hadn't gone for bigger, modern rides and themed attractions they would be as successful as a seaside day-trip resort as they were decades ago? If you are, I highly doubt it, as pretty much all of the other famous ones hit rock bottom as soon as theme parks came out. Barry Island, Dreamland Margate, Gt Yarmouth Pleasure Beach, all very established and popular. But times changed didn't they, you must be able to see the difference right? Anyway, I'm not trying to share limelight on a favourite park of mine or twist history to make Chessington sound 'better' than Blackpool. That's daft, they're totally the products of different times and intentions. With respect, I know what I'm talking about and thought it would be interesting to share an insight into how the industry actually developed.

Woooh way to miss the point of everything I was saying. Blackpool would be long closed by now if they hadn't changed from a famous seaside ride & show park to be more like Alton Towers and Chessington. Case in point: Look at Dreamland Margate, one of many VERY famous seaside resorts that didn't change with the times. It ended up shut and has only just found a reason to reopen (ironically the datedness that caused it to close is now its main appeal). Also, in 1994 to rival the likes of Vampire and soon-to-be Nemesis (at the time some of the first 'US-style' steel coasters in Europe), Blackpool went out and did The Big One. Before then it had mostly been traditional rides, shows and wooden coasters. It was obviously forseeing that bigger, classier, more "world class" coasters were becoming the new thing, as brought on by Tussauds. Blackpool were very well established as a ride and entertainments venue, not a theme park. Tussauds totally displaced that old form of seaside entertainment when they succeeded with the Chessington project. You say Blackpool is not successful because they havn't made a profit in years. Whilst sad (since at its peak Blackpool had much more influence than Chessington on the entertainment industry on the whole), surely the fact its now unprofitable fact just backs up my point? Chessington started an irreversible change for an established theme park industry of which Blackpool was not a part of.

Having met and done lots of research with the people who built the themed entertainment industry in the UK (in the 70s/80s), Chessington was certainly the first true, successful theme park development in the UK. Chessington wrote the rulebook if you like, and until the last 10-15 years these were still the values that permeated the UK theme park industry. Very different to the values Blackpool founded long before. Blackpool was hugely influential on the entertainments & showbiz industry in the UK. If anything this is a much broader and more successful industry than theme parks, but it almost died out near the end of the 20th century. If it hadn't been for Chessington (or more precisely JohnW collaborating with Tussauds and then Keith Sparks), places like Blackpool wouldn't be so successful now. Some historical variety/entertainments-based attractions like Blackpool (which were categorically NOT theme parks with totally different intentions) pulled through because they managed to follow the post-Chessington success. The whole industry is very different now, it's changed a lot even in the last few years. So you can't really compare them in the same way now. Inside and out, Chessington started a totally different way of doing things to Blackpool. The change was a lot more than just 'the first UK park to have themed rides' (which isn't exactly true anyway). Both were very influential in their own times and places. It's hard to explain without going back in time.

The original scenic design was done on such a tiny budget compared to the kind of money in the theme park industry now, and it was still generally much better than the standard in the UK now. It could be reconstructed quite easily but when the ride's so old..

There's a simplified light up diagram on the control panel screen.

Had they just remained silent the staff would have still got them out of there eventually, there's no possibility that the boat could have gone missing (all boats are logged when the ride opens). Again this is something the video makes look like the family had to scream and phone for help to be rescued. The whole situation would have been accordingly resolved on the day. But now this footage is online there will be repercussions. It would just make life a lot easier for everyone if it gets removed. It's just a hugely embarrassing and regrettable situation that point to flaws in the ride.

I don't blame you for assuming those things because I imagine most people will (if not jump to much WORSE conclusions) but it would have been a controlled stoppage (just misfortunate that they were in the tunnel at the time) and staff would have known they were there but had to follow procedures forced on them that meant they couldn't get to them first. Honestly this video throws up so much trouble that it's just not worth it.

Might seem light hearted but that's a hugely damaging video for the park and staff involved. Would be very helpful if it was taken down. Extremely lucky videos like this don't appear more often (well stoppages like this don't occur often, so hopefully it won't become a trend)

I don't think that's true? Especially when the current team only came on board part way through last season. I don't know, at least they know now that the ride needs replacing more than any previous management team.

It's all the same thing, though, the only way to stop the occasional bump (and all the ride's problems) is by replace the ageing ride trains / track.

You really can't assume that. People have been pushing plans for a better Skyway for years. I must point out I clearly am not Chessington, so don't read into my words that Chessington aren't taking it seriously or anything, they are. But it is a daft old ride.

They have sensors at the front of each train so should never collide. But they do because the ride's silly.