SteveJ

The inside looks exactly the same except with "100% BEEF!!!!!!!!!!" written on the walls.
A member on Towers Street took some photographs, see here.

Looks flat, out of place, unexciting, uninviting. Inside looks a bit garish.
Such a shame when they could have done anything they wanted.

When you count oily, dirty track as "theming", it's time to give up being a theme park and just stick to fairground rides.
Really, Colossus looks offensive and far from "lost" in its current state. People are going to look at it and think "yuck", not "Oh, great theming! I really feel like I'm in a lost Aztecan city!"

NOOOOOOO!!
If that is true, it's probably a great thing for the longevity of the ride and disturbance from neighbours, but still... Whenever I hear that sound it's so nostalgic!
*endless rhythmic clanking... clank click clack...metallic rattttttttllleeeeeee...screams..!*

Seriously? That version isn't more enjoyable for anyone.
I was a child of Professor Burp, and it was enchanting and fun and exciting. Kids come off it now bored. There was nothing in the old one beyond cartoon stuff, that even the smallest child could possibly have found unnerving. A big glowing ball with teeth but a happy face gently rocking towards you is understood as not a real threat by even the youngest children.

he who shall not be named... The title of the thread is; '2013 Changes' not 'RideAddict's arguing thread' so lets get back on topic!

Yes, it's the new fashion for rollercoasters to "disturb you psychologically" it seems. It's just marketing nonsense, and the Smiler will not really have that affect on your mind. And the study into how "rollercoasters work best when structured like a story" is probably made up; I mean what they are saying is true, but theme parks over the world have been storytelling for decades, you don't need scientific research. They are just trying to reintroduce understanding of 'theme' amongst the public, by advertising the "marmalisation" concept more than the ride itself.
If this was ten years ago, when British theme parks gave up with proper theme design, The Smiler would be heavily advertised for its record breaking inversions and world first elements. Instead they have taken a far more thematic approach to marketing, and not even mentioning that it will break the inversion record yet! This is a good change.

Coaster Dude's original post was pointing out that the morons ruined the ride in 2005, not that John Wardley was a moron for designing Bubbleworks in 1989.
Anyway, I really think it's time for Bubbleworks life to come to an end. The new one may be popular but it is the most unsatisfying rides on park and a dark shed would provide more entertainment. When replacing it however, I would not want to see a scary dark ride. They already have one of those with Tomb Blaster. The genius of Bubbleworks was how every member of the family can get something out of it, the idea of fun being the key objective.

You have managed to turn a conversation about BubbleWorks into an argument about Wikipedia. If you must have "proof", click the history tab on the Bubbleworks Wikipedia page and you will see the same user that created the page has now changed it to say "RideAddict is a bit of a troll, never mind, from Archive".
______________
Anyway, in light of recent surveys about BubbleWorks and even demands from the public to bring "back Professor Burp" on their Facebook page, it can be assumed that Chessington are very aware that BubbleWorks needs changing. It is unlikely for anything to happen for a while, however, at least not until they have opened their next major roller coaster - probably within the next 5 years. You cannot recreate the old BubbleWorks and it would be a nightmare to market to today's market, so they need a whole new idea. But it should retain that flare of creativity, spontaneity and wide appeal of the original ride.
In the meantime they should restore as much as they can on a low budget. They have done well with this so far, like restoring some of the original music, new lighting (a good lighting design can make a huge difference if they tried hard) and fixed effects. But there's more that could be done to recover a bit of the old character, before they gut the whole thing out. Get back the fruity scent in the aroma machines rather than soap smells, the strobe sequence in the finale, remove a few ducks (even if they are replaced with nothing it would be an improvement).

You learn to hate it after hours on platform listening to it...
SNEEZE ALREADY DAMMIT!!!!

Yes, it's the new fashion for rollercoasters to "disturb you psychologically" it seems. It's just marketing nonsense, and the Smiler will not really have that affect on your mind. And the study into how "rollercoasters work best when structured like a story" is probably made up; I mean what they are saying is true, but theme parks over the world have been storytelling for decades, you don't need scientific research. They are just trying to reintroduce understanding of 'theme' amongst the public, by advertising the "marmalisation" concept more than the ride itself.
If this was ten years ago, when British theme parks gave up with proper theme design, The Smiler would be heavily advertised for its record breaking inversions and world first elements. Instead they have taken a far more thematic approach to marketing, and not even mentioning that it will break the inversion record yet! This is a good change.

No, obviously Alton Towers have not "chopped" Oblivion in their figures. Just admit you read it wrong.
Those comparisons are just estimates that Alton Towers used to give a rough idea how long the ride will be.

So I went last night...
Have a review, hopefully it shouldn't reveal TOO many of the extra new details as to spoil any surprises if you want to visit with a clear mind, but it gives some information as comparison to the original Dungeons scenes...
It's good, very good actually... Whilst it might lack the 'atmosphere' of Tooley Street's bridge times, it has taken some of the good scenes from it, and improved them ALL... As well as taken the chance to change around the route, improving the throughput and expanding the entire thing whilst producing a few extra random bits and bobs...
So the lift intro is quite good, with a bit of interaction, we had an amusing actress for this, and the hilarity of the 'finale' of the section was just, well, brilliant, and kind of set the level of humour we will see...
Straight into the boat ride, which is SUCH an improvement on the old one, as it has THINGS HAPPENING!!! Then Brian Blessed appeared and all was good... It had a few extra bits on the excessive long journey back, though perhaps a few bits weren't working currently... Either way, a definite improvement...
Onto Guy Fawkes, we missed the intro portion to this due to being on the last boat, but I'm sure it's basically "Blah blah blah delay until the group all appears", anyways, into the tunnels we go, where we have a small scene regarding finding Guy Fawkes and giving him a letter before we are forced to move on through the Sewers, which included tiny low tunnels of dark... Which was annoying but still more interesting than a corridor... Then we have a VERY Horrible Histories style scene with Guy Fawkes and a Cavaliar... As a big fan of the show, this kind of humour is Benin approved...
Next, Torture scene, straight out the old Dungeons really, minimal change here aside from a reference to the previous scene...
Plague next, with bonus SMELL effects! A longer street with more random effects leading up to a chat about the Plague and what not... They REALLY loved the face projection stuff this time around... Then we had the Surgery which was much improved with the actor actually speaking rather than following the pre-recorded spiel... Also a few extra effects and jokes in there but again, similar to before but better... You then get to walk again through the Turning Room, which is, a trommel, with added effects and rats...
Then it's time for Sweeney Todd, the addition of a proper Mrs Lovett scene is much approved, with lots of really bad puns, but that's the level of humour we're working with now people, get used to it... Sweeney is similar to before but with added pre-show actor, which was different and provided a different nervy build-up atmosphere... Also a few things added on here as well... Good times...
Jack the Ripper now, and this has similarities to the original, what with the Mitre Square scene, then it goes into the Mirror Maze, which is again what it was before but with different sound effects until we eventually get let into the Pub... Which is now bigger, and SO, SO much better than the original, with a lot more going on throughout, much improved...
Then the Judge, which is it's usual hilarious self... The two here were really pushing the level of innuendo this time and it was brilliant... There was also proof of ad-libbing ("Where are you from?" "Norway" "Oh, there's Nor-Way he's getting away with this!") so whilst it may not be constant, it will still occur... Again it's similar to the old version but really they didn't have to change it much as it was good then...
Finally Extremis 2, after a build-up to the long drop stuff from another actor, we get taken into the ride section, which I'm not sure if I prefer the drop of the original or the new one, but regardless it was rather good though I think in the end... I did adore the floor of the ride with it's rotating floor slats though, little bit goony but whatevers
And that's it... And overall, whilst some may not like the lack of Tooley Street atmosphere, they took this chance full-fold, removing the rubbish scenes (Great Fire and Heretic) and improving a LOT of the scenes that were transferred... Some bits remained consistent but those were good beforehand...
Well worth a visit, good fun, good theming, very enjoyable...

Good.
I hate closed season, or nit-picking. Or just "enthusiasts" in general.

Oh seriously. Couple of people actually moaning about this? I beg to differ.
Heaven forbid, some intense theming and something crazy and unusual. MORE! MORE! MORE!
Just look at that thing. It's like nothing else!

Yes.
Billboard is bulky, isn't it? So much so it doesn't actually look like a billboard! Well, not an English one, but then it probably wouldn't be safe having the coaster shoot through a massive but thin lump of plywood, as Gordon Kaye (obscure 80's reference) would agree.
I can't decide how well it will work as a near miss though, the important thing being the section of track immediately before needs to twists on its axis, so when you are quite close the hole will look to be in the wrong place, there is a twist right before this but that levels out and I think this is a bit further down the track so it might be a bit of a non event. Hard to tell without actually riding.
One thing is for certain though, looking at the amount of materials, work and equipment those pics show has been used the cost of instillation is not insignificant and that money would have been put to better use sorting absolutely anything else in the park. Anything. Stupid Thorpe. Grumpy pluk.

They don't need announcements. Literally. It's just an added "benefit" reminding people to brace themselves or whatever, incase injury occurs.
Basically they do it in the name of H&S, of which does not need to exist because it's obvious. To further prove this: Spinball, when changing to sonic, replaced their "heads back, hold tight!" announcement to a plain and simple "Let's get spinning!".
RMT at towers does the announcement purely for interaction.

It seems not everybody is smiling!
By the way, The Smiler looks amazing.

It seems not everybody is smiling!
By the way, The Smiler looks amazing.

Clicking like is not enough.
Bravo.

It seems not everybody is smiling!
By the way, The Smiler looks amazing.

It seems not everybody is smiling!
By the way, The Smiler looks amazing.

It seems not everybody is smiling!
By the way, The Smiler looks amazing.

Ahhh... So that was the fate of Peg Leg Pete. Nice to know that he was not removed for extra seating space or "juzt for lolz" like so many other of Chessington's old features. He was in a rather lonely position, though, so nobody used him as much as, for example, Frazzle. You had to shake his leg to make him "wake up", I recall.Here be a photo for the sake of nostalgia.

Archive you have made my day with the Sculpture Studios videos! They are such a great find and "right up my street" so thanks for sharing them.