SteveJ

They weren't just fogged, they were warping and bending off the walls so probably a good idea to remove them... And then put aside a budget to buy some durable ones.

Well it's a shame you get that impression because there are still throughout challenges, just the rides in my experience are so knackered that they really struggle, or restrictions are imposed by engineers to overcome problems meaning max throughout is impossible most of the time. Attendants still try very hard but doesn't help when you get added difficulties stuff like an ad hoc single rider queue on Fury, or too much Fastrack being sold. The huge problem is the park was built when there were FAR less daily numbers coming into the park, and then there was no expansion for 20 years.

Yes but 480 per hour is calculated using all 11 trains, 4 of which are sat in pieces in the maintenance bay. How does Fastrack on Skyway work? Good question, it doesn't. Thank goodness hardly anyone knows about it or buys it!!

That is a lot more like its original darker, atmospheric lighting scheme. Big improvement. It totally detracts when you have light spills and it makes the room look nothing more than a decorated box. Shame they ever removed the built in lights to illuminate the sets as intended, but that's the least of the mistakes made during the 06 ruinfurbishment

Haha. That's the stupidest thing.

Errr there's still like 1 speaker that distortedly plays the growling sound effects somewhere in the queue. But the rest is still strangely dead and the entrance announcements (like anyone would queue near the entrance to hear them anyway) are now gone. I remember back in 2004 when the whole queue used to play continuous SFX, including a character voice making awful fart jokes, no wonder that went but would be nice to have some ambiance back.

Exactly, you don't know and are just guessing now.

Errrrr near deaths? They've built a new queue system that leads on to the platform, forming a second staffed merge point before the onload point. It's a bit cumbersome but it works to fill seats. Also they've much improved the entire queue system while they're at it, simpler layout in the part that never gets used (a bit less walking back and forth) and finally moved the Fastrack entrance to where it should have been all along. The old speakers in that area playing 'dragon' announcements (about lockers and stuff) that no one ever heard have been removed, along with a fair bit of greenery, but its an improvement.

It's usually required by law to release planning details when you go about building a huge show building for a dark ride, remember that's the only reason we know Thorpe Park is building one. We would have seen an equally large planning application for another park if that is the case. Also it's unlikely any of the other attraction operators in the UK would go for one of these extremely expensive and unbankable formats; in the sense it's still very prototypey and therefore a risk, it can still be a success.

The engineers team are entrusted with the effects and they do whatever they can but they've already got their real work more than cut out for them. Who has time to fiddle with superfluous and often stubborn effects, when you are responsible for the safety and mechanical operation of otherwise potentially very dangerous rides around the entire park? I've met a lot of park designers, effects engineers and the like and it's always been an issue. Most parks just don't see it necessary to provide a dedicated budget, workforce and training for effects maintenance, even though it would make a hell of a lot of difference to overall guest impression. As you say these days Thorpe isn't so reliant on effects in general so it wouldn't even be considered. Instead you get the main ones like swarm fireball tweaked now and then whenever the engineers get round to it, which'll have to do.

I'm not moaning? If anything I'm trying to dampen the forthcoming disappointment and criticism when it does break in a matter of weeks. Effects break all the time, that's nobody's fault. But the problem would be solved if there was an onsite effects maintenance team, but nobody wants to pay such a team, it's an age old conundrum for UK theme parks.

I've published a short video about some of the old attractions at the Tooley Street London Dungeon including old footage and interview excerpts with designers. Through my dark ride project I've learnt a lot about the original London Dungeons and how much it evolved long before Merlin/Tussauds took over. The original 1988 Great Fire of London scene was much longer and intended to be educational as well as immersive, although the massively truncated version with the street sets and spinning tunnel is more well remembered. The original Fire scene was redesigned into the French Revolution by the same team that redesigned The 5th Dimension for its second season. They also installed the brilliant Judgement Day boat ride before all the effects were removed and it was ruined into 'Traitor'. You can watch a video of the original boat ride here.

Looks great, but I always does in March and then a few weeks later… Inevitable really, how can you maintain all the spray effects when the ride is running every day of the season and there's no team dedicated to effects maintenance.

Not sure what people were expecting for BubbleWorks, it needs a full refurbishment not a couple of small touch ups during downtime. There's not much that can be done on set while its in engineering anyway. Even with its current guise there's a lot that could still be improved, very simply and effectively if it was handed to people with enough passion.

The trains were entirely deconstructed as various points throughout the season, so they've had more than just a bit of TLC. But aesthetically and operationally they are the worst things ever built - there are plans to replace them and possibly reroute the track but then there are a million other amazing plans that are all shelved

Vampires not got a fault as such, they are replacing the lift mechanisms as far as I'm aware and it's gone over schedule

Most of the park is a state really and they are yet to find somebody with enough vision and direction to turn it around in my opinion. Money flying into the hotels while the theme park is falling apart? It's sad to see but I'm so glad there are a handful of people there who care and are using their own initiate to improve the visitor experience.

Next they'll add a hastily crossed-out "Space Station Zero" to the Flying Fish sign

The costumes cost a staggering amount of money from what I know and apparently manufactured by Jim Henson company, founded by Jim Henson one of the most influential puppeteers ever, so not an simple job! Could this money and development have been put to better use than a second Madagascar show? Yes, but it's tourist trap culture so… at least they've put in this effort

Maybe different in guest experience but it is exactly the same in terms of operation and how the ride is managed.. Sub Terra was a dysfunctional mess according to the people I've talked to who were subcontracted by Merlin Studios. And now it relies so much on extra staffing/actors to cover the initial design flaws (cop outs) that it's very impractical to operate. I'm very surprised they have chosen to do another complex walk through attraction like this where presumably it has a number of different scenes. That format is difficult to last so let's hope they've got it right this time

Mmm, the most interesting thing I found at Thorpe was an old permanently sealed door round the back of the cinema that clearly used to be a toilet cubicle, still with the "engaged/vacant" dial on the handle. Yeh

Are you talking about an initial sign that predates opening 2006? All photos showing the sign from opening have identical text and fine white border. Am I just going mad? How weird. If it is brand new then why do such a bad job on it! Also it looks to me like the lettering are transfers rather than vinyl print, which would perhaps explain the apparent layers? Whatever, it's more interesting to think its a hidden detail coming through rather than a botched sign replacement.

That doesn't make much sense as to why they'd do that as it would be extremely clear on a graphics editor that the Edge logo was still in the background of the image. The faint Edge logo looks like where previous printed letters were removed and now that the white stain has been cleaned the light is catching where those old letters used to be as there is a difference in the surface. I doubt it's a totally new vinyl print because it still looks worn and nothing like the vibrant colours seen in 2006. Vinyl print would cost a fair bit if money so why bother when it's going to come out like that with faded colours and Edge in the background? I have no idea why tiny details like this interest me so much… Its like an old fresco being rediscovered beneath peeling layers of paint in an old church or something… but not. Eee

The ride looks great because it was outsourced to an external theming company and had an adequate budget spent, rather than done in house by M Studios as usual.