Mitchada04

Didn't they also try and haggle Studio 13 as the 13th maze they'd done? Saw Alive isn't in a place to build a flat, they have many other plots of land they can use first. They were going to announce their lineup at ScareCON but didn't want to do so until DBGT opened in the end (note, it hasn't been announced as such yet, just found on that always useful Short Breaks website!) Big Top has potential. It just needed more time which hopefully they've got now, especially as they should be able to build the basic layout much quicker now! As for the contract, they could have done another deal with Lionsgate for Cabin and BWP as they're popular. The original contract was up, didn't mean it would go, can always resign if both parties are happy (and I can't imagine either weren't after the popularity).

Saw isn't taking up flat ride space as it is floating. Big Top was rushed to completion. There were some great run throughs on it but also awful ones! The fact aspects of it also grew as the event went on shows they were rushed or tried too much. I would assume BWP will remain where it is so Platform 15 wouldn't go down the train line. Could easily put a tent somewhere and make it seem like trains. Possibly behind Swarm as that's rumoured a lot now and they were land cleaning again recently I think. The roaming actor bit sounds cool though! Although nothing will beat the You're Next characters with their plastic weapons...

Goudrix was fine, definitely one of the smoother Vekoma's I've done but like many say that'll be due to the retrack. I remember seeing photos and videos of the old one and the terribly designed entry into elements. I've never had an issue with Kumba, always found it fine. Shamu Express is an awful coaster, that is rough as anything for such a slow coaster, glad it doesn't go any faster!

If you've been to universal and find it overrated then that's fine, if you haven't then you can't really judge the parks. Same with Kong, you're judging a dark ride that heavily relies on atmosphere which can only be achieved in you being there through a YouTube POV. Opinions are fine, but to say it is something when you haven't been on it but others have doesn't hold much ground. The only negative things I've read are that somedays things are being bypassed but it isn't fully open yet and that happens during softs.

Frozen is a last minute thought up ride using an old ride system just to be able to have a frozen ride. Frozen is going to have screens as well. Kong has been given an immersive queue, facade and ride system. The trackless isn't wasted, it's not meant to be admired by people watching the ride. It is just a new system Universal wanted to create with Oceaneering. People can have their opinions, fine. But let's not judge a dark ride which is a multi angle experience from a dark POV. Or the promo images of frozen as that's all they are. And aren't those 7DMT animatronics just a skeleton with the face projected on? So technically an animatronic with a screen. SCREENZZZ. But it's cool, you can queue 3 hoursfor Frozen because it hasn't been thought through at all or probably at tops 90 mins for Kong as they've considered everything.

Jungle Coaster was due to noise complaints. Timed tickets isn't a bad idea, it doesn't mean a low throughput. It just means people won't be waiting around for hours in a queue to ride it because it's going to be popular. I would definitely prefer a timed ticket when it's busy than queueing for 2 hours or something.

I think the point is, you say these points that what the parks do annoys you so you don't want to visit. That's fine, like Benin and many others do, they don't visit as every little effect in attendance will have an effect that Merlin see and may realise something is up. No one is saying you can't be annoyed by these changes, no one is happy by them at all. I'm not happy there's no hex or Sub Terra, but I went because I still like the rides at Towers. If the changes are that much of an issue to you then don't visit. If you still want to visit, then do but don't make such bold claims.

It probably is 200 meters high in all fairness, I think the plans say that at some point as they have to show it from sea level or something. Like how RMT is the highest coaster on park or something.

A rollback isn't bad for the ride as such. It's no good thing, but it's all designed with it in mind. Like Rob said it is purely just the reset time that causes it to be closed. I've seen it rollback 4 times once in just over an hour so it doesn't always take that long either. It does only seem to rollback nowadays when it has a problem, think it did it a few times one day last season and this is the first time this year. No where near as much as it used to.

The SW's don't have to be world firsts. Nemesis wasn't, it was a European first but not a world's first. They're meant to be world beating rides, something that pushes the boundaries and is a ride that will be looked back on. Well, that's what I've always thought. Nemesis is hugely known, and even though Oblivion is naff as anything, it is hugely known. Air not so much, 13 hardly so but then Smiler was also hugely known thanks to its brilliant marketing campaign. Maybe Merlin should stop worrying about the gimmick and look back on older rides that drew in huge crowds. Varney oversaw the marketing of Nemesis, give us something like that boss man. A well thought out ride that doesn't do anything too gimmicky or use that as its main selling point but instead sells an amazing ride and experience. The Secret Weapon brand can be anything, it's only been limited to coasters because that's all they've invested heavily in. Could be a nice water ride or dark ride. My concern for SW8 is this. Loads of rumours of a huge woodie in FV with its station where Ripsaw stood. Huge thrilling ride. Now, we don't know what this new one will entail, but it doesn't seem as grand as many were hoping. So what if the SW8 tag has been moved from the original plan to this new, presumably cheaper plan since the crash? This is from Bradley Wynne's linedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/bradley-wynne-92054343 So this new coaster we're getting started the process after the crash, but what about this 2017 attraction that's on his account? That started in November 2014, same time they started on Galactica and Rollercoaster Restaurant which makes you wonder, was this the original SW8 plans, the nice big woodie planned for FV? Would piece together working on the 3 at the same time to make sure they all tie in. And this 2017 attraction is highly confidential, yet there are no rumours of anything big or even brand new coming next year. So that's my big concern, that the tag has just moved over to make this new investment seem grander as the Secret Weapon brand is a big one for Towers. Just a theory

£20 for this is a bargain, like Stretchy said, the launch mech room is worth that alone! It's an incredible site to see, really shows you how complex Stealth is and always makes me think how incredibly reliable Stealth is for all the stuff going on. And the fact some old school Windows operating system keeps an eye on the launches and the speeds. And this photo is worth it too

Just to let people know, Towers can't alter the layout or plans as the Flume site is now just outside the GDO zones which Smiler was part off. So this is a full planning application with any changes needing to be submitted and approved by the council.

Bucky is alive Don't need to go anywhere else now then

Tempted? You need more dedication. I get back from Florida that Friday too and will be driving up the Friday afternoon once I've had a nap

Prices online are no £20 for pass holders, £25 for standard. However, it is still £15 on the mobile site, just a little tip for anyone who still needs the cheaper rate

It's made it onto the website scroller! That's when you know it's gonna be a while and this is why I haven't been to Thorpe in nearly a month

I guess I'll go to whichever date it is.

Let's hope they market this appropriately and don't give us another 13 situation. Layout looks fun, possible inversion and Chuck in a 1.2 height restriction and you've given that middle market a family thrill coaster that inverts! Plus a 140 second preshow for 50 people (comes to 1285 per hour so bit less as getting people in and out) is interesting. Hopefully it has a good story with whatever that inside coaster start will entail and the sound tunnel which I hope will have some effects (although towers doesn't do tunnels well...). Nice to see Flume's station being repurposed even if it is as a queue, 2 large thematic elements that hopefully won't be cut and the forest behind can regrow without a stupidly high up leaking flume in it anymore! Planning to have it complete by December 17 as well for 18 opening, maybe they've learnt! Might open in March 2018

Rides are 8-11pm

Maybe it's not if the park hits 8K but is budgeted for 8K? But to not even his 8K on a lovely warm Saturday at the beginning of half term either shows how many people are waiting for DB or how much they are still struggling. Considering most Saturday's were around the 10K mark a few years ago it isn't great.

Universal has started working on zoning its new piece of land. The main clump of land is the big purchase of 450 acres, the two new ones (smaller squares with 8 in) have now been purchased and have an interesting transportation connection. Some type of small monorail? They could both be car park garages and take a similar model to the current site or be for future resorts. Either way, things are progressing with 2020 apparently a target for the resort's 30th anniversary.

The report is out! http://www.teaconnect.org/images/files/TEA_159_241229_160525.pdf Key notes: MK has hit over 20 million, Towers down 25% to just over 1.9 million as Merlin only gain 0.2% overall with Disney gaining 3.something and Universal 11% to go from 40 mill to 44 million guests a year.

They'll have put a timescale on it because that's what they'll have been aiming towards after the first delay. Thorpe didn't say May knowing it wouldn't be ready, that will have been what they were aiming for and will have been confident on it, but sometimes technology doesn't play ball and all go to plan.

Whilst it's not acceptable for delays after announcing two opening times I wish Merlin would learn to just not announce opening dates until they are 100% sure. We still have no opening date for Taron, or Kong and only recently got the Frozen one. It's a shame rides can't seemingly be ready for the start of the season anymore but that just seems to be how the industry is going. Not acceptable, Merlin need to learn from this which they clearly haven't done since Smiler etc.

The test dummies are interesting... Better. Well, minus that blue net. As you can see in this photo, there is just one metal beam under the train. Just like the old train Whereas Thunderbird has the blue beam for the brakes, and the silver M thing in the middle to go around the LIM's. So I don't think Hulk's launch system can have changed. And it really is quiet! Although quite snappy Meanwhile Fallon's facade structure expands further (BriMan on OU)