Mitchada04

Your insider was a bit slow on that one Air is getting redone, re-branded etc no doubt. Pre shows, green screen photo. It's going to be more of an experience overall. I'm assuming one station will be VR and the other normal as not everyone will want to ride VR (what's wrong with a good old fashioned coaster?) As for American parks, of course Six Flags will want in. They can reveal a few a year or move the sets around like the backward Batman chassis.

See from what I've heard they want to work more on X. They were waiting to see how it would pick up as a now family suitable coaster and the park have seen that it does well with kids and adults so are actually looking at pushing it more and improving upon it. On ride photo is still a possibility with rumours still circulating about it getting that from what I've heard. I don't think X is going anywhere.

The park is struggling without Smiler too. Lots of people to this day still ask if it's open and will probably be putting off trips till it is again. It's a huge draw for Towers, remember how dead April 2013 was as it wasn't opening till May? Opening it will cause press field day. Whenever, and it won't die down quickly. I doubt it'll be over by next year. It's going to be a slow process for Towers. They need to be careful when they open it, if or more likely when it breaks down what will the press do? "Park opens dangerous ride for it to break with guests on again" etc. There's no easy time to open it, maybe just potentially worse. If they want it for Scarefest which I'm sure they do, they'll want it running a while before hand.

It depends on the terms I guess. Towers can build stuff without planning. Smiler didn't need permission other than for the station building. Octanauts had nothing too. Thorpe however have to give details at least of colours, materials etc especially for buildings due to the floorspace issue. Chessington might be able to build smaller stuff, remember we've no idea what this is. It could be basically nothing. Also, permission request could have gone in but the council have yet to put it online. It sometimes takes Runnymede 2-3 weeks. Plus, Thorpe had built The Swarm's billboard before it was approved so you know.

Going back to BWP for a second. I don't see the problem with it and why it needs to be made more scary? It's always rated as only 2/5 scares, it's never meant to be scary. Okay it needs a bit of perfecting here and there like everything but it can be quite good fun. Why do we need a chainsaw? Can't we move onto better things, new different things! This is one thing I never understood with the whole "Asylum is leaving" stuff. Yeah it was good, but it was dated. It was time to move onto newer, different things that aren't samey! We now have a conga maze, free flow maze, walk through zone thing and a maze where you're likely to get separated big time. The Big Top will no doubt offer something different too! I'm liking how the Big Top is a 5/5 scare rating maze! It's the first time there'll be two? It's only ever been MBV before (which will be seeing work). So fingers crossed for that! So these photos are from Tuesday so I'm sure plenty has changed! Exit to MBV Zodiac is to the left for reference behind the trees. Now they were pulling the theming out of the exit and leaning it against the containers. Layout we're going for. This would involve a container coming out of where the brown door is in this photo below. So yeah on second thoughts it can fit in this space same layout as last year. But then a question. This is the back. With a Scruffy Dog container being used for them etc. This green gate though? Was it used at Island Beats (it's next to Vortex's entrance) if so then I don't think it matters. If not, why put a gate there unless you're maybe moving the entrance of MBV to the other side (which would make it less crowded by Rush with all the cattle pen). Fire engine becomes shipping containers in true Merlin style. Hello Scruffy! Fitting electrics inside. And adding the details. This is surely Breakout? There was also a Scruffy Dog black container on the big bit of Amity Beach ready for next week once that closes on Sunday.

It's interesting. I don't think the normal layout can fit in there so I think it'll change slightly layout wise. They lookwell plonked down and wwere taking all the exterior theming out of where it must be stored inside the containers. But you know you usually enter at the thin end of a container? Well assuming that the exit is still thesame sside as the entrance to the tunnel this isn't possible as it's up against the fence by the lake. But there's a new door on the longer side of that container so maybe you'll enter there? Not too sure, could be at the other end entirely by Vortex as that would make sense as to where to put the queue to because with the containers in place there isn't much room by Crust now, especially for a cattle pen queue.

Nemesis Inferno being ready to with scaffolding still covering the final brake run was good too! It's not hard to see why speculation for it to go behind Swarm started. It was meant to last year and there wasn't a Bridge at the time. Doesn't take long to build one. Is Breakout going on the beach though? Because there are two shipping containers that are connected and have Scruffy dog painting the exterior and doing the interior where they cleared room for the fire truck. They might move them but that would seem pointless to me.

Was a mix. Thorpe Park got me interested in roller coasters at first as I remember watching Colossus being built and peeping through the construction walls. Then the next year my dad going on it and wanting to but being far too small. Odd thing with this, I remember pre Colossus area and its construction but never remember Inferno appearing or being built, to me that's always been there and as a kid I thought it came before Colossus. Islands of Adventure properly got me into theme parks though. Riding Spiderman when I was only 5/6 was amazing and astounded me. To this day I still love that ride and the full experience it provides. I did Disney in the same trip but that didn't stand out to me. Then having Hulk as my first major coaster with inversions and stuff in 2005 it just really helped. So definitely Islands of Adventure.

Honestly thought this park struggled big time. Clearly not (or money does just float in the sand out there) with this, the SFX coaster and a third, red coaster being built indoors that's apparently a launched shuttle coaster! Maybe, just maybe this park will have the money to build an Aquatrax!

The problem is people who visit Thorpe now feel like they need Fastrack to enjoy their days which is a shame that that's now how a lot of people view the situation. Last year on countless occasions at opening people would rush to the Depth Charge Fastrack unit and purchase tickets for the big rides. But at that time the big rides were open and walk on, if quick you could easily have 4 out of the 5 coasters done well before lunch. Even on busy days.

SeaWorld is one of the best in animal care in the world. Okay the Orcas is a difficult situation and keeping an animal of that size is crazy. But they can't just release them into the wild, I think all or almost all their orcas have now come from captivity or were bred in it so have no natural experience. Yes, they're killing machines but they couldn't just be released. They haven't acquired a new killer whale in some time and likely won't do so again so will only have those that are bred. Still not great no, but there is so much worse out there in the world. The keepers at SeaWorld love their job and working with the animals, they're never in harms way and are treated really well considering the situation. Blackfish blew things out of proportion and if anything has ruined a perfectly good company that invests a hell of a lot of its money back into the care of animals and their amazing conservation fund. I wish before completely destroying SeaWorld these animal rights groups and stuff would work on dealing with zoos and stuff where animals are kept in tiny enclosures and so on. A great example of their care is Pets Ahoy. It's this fantastic show that uses pets so dogs, cats, birds etc that have all been rescued by the park and given a better home at SeaWorld. They're not the monsters that some parts of the media portray! As for their future, the theme park route using animal themes like Mako and Manta is definitely how they want to go forward and the direction the new guys in charge are taking. Empire of the Penguin was meant to do the same but that dark ride was just well... yeah. Integrate smaller animal enclosures like the Manta aquarium in with new rides.

The park do really want to work on The Dome. It has been a project they want to do for a while, but it's not an attraction so goes on the infrastructure list. And as it still serves a purpose and isn't falling down it never gets very high up that list. And definitely never gets a large budget to overhaul it. It would be nice to see it updated. Keep The Dome, it's iconic. It's in the background of old park photos, it's historic. But internally yeah I'd like to see some work done (or just continue with the small stuff like they've done with Fins and work the rest in). Problem with starting over is just how useful it is as a park basis. Control is based in there. Staff canteen, the offices of which even Vallis resides in, first aid etc all would need moving about. I'd say leave the bottom floor as it is for staff and park facilities (okay freshen it up) and just work on the top making it more modern. Then, when the real hotel is built have stuff over there for guests to do and utilise the what will be free space opened up by the removal of Shark into a complex maybe with water busses docking there.

Get those water busses running from the hotel to the bridge. Put a mini golf where Shark Hotel is (but a really good mini crazy golf). I wouldn't say get rid of the Dome, it's a huge piece of the park, but definitely give it a huge refurb! Maybe complete interior demolition and start from scratch. Project stuff on the curved roof, maybe even a little projection show in there with lasers and stuff!

The two 4pm closures at Thorpe are because those two nights are FN previews. Wednesday being staff, Thursday being press and pass holders.

Overtaking? They did that a few years ago I think. They're striding off into the distance now.

Early next year could be quite a empty time across the parks. Hulk closed, Kong not open (both till summer), Disaster will be closed as will Twister (rumours are 1st November). The Fallon attraction is real with talks of early 2017 opening. It's probably just a much easier build that F&F is. KidZone could be closing early next year too to make way for Nintendo Land in 2018. It's a problem you hit when you want to update your park rapidly but don't build on new land and only update old attractions. Hollywood Studios has hit the same problem. We will gain lots though. Volcano Bay anyone? Hulks refurb should be fab, Kong looks stunning. Nintendo land could be great, Fallon should be bizzare and fun. Can't always have E-tickets Oh and Doom might be closing soon for a Avengers ride maybe 2018/19 and Harry Potter part 3 will no doubt be their answer to Star Wars Land.

So Disaster will close on September the 8th forever (guess those staff are just... moving on!). Beetlejuice will close at a later date this year. But what is this for? Why Fast & Furious Supercharged of course! Lots of rumours spiralling around on this one. Many think it'll essentially be a carbon copy of the thing on the tram tour which if so means it's taking Universal 2 years to build a 90 second dark ride. The plot of land in Hollywood for their F&F attraction is 55,000 square foot, the whole of the Disaster and Beetlejuice area is 144,000. Okay they need to include a queue in that space and there's talk of building a HHN house as well but still, those two things won't take up 90,000 square feet. Just no way. Little information on what the ride will actually be, but Disaster is being flattened entirely so it will be a brand new build. It will also be set in San Fran so that area of the park won't be rethemed to Los Angeles which was rumoured a while back. Release on the blog. http://blog.universalorlando.com/whats-new/fast-furious-ride/ Only piece of concept. Will be interesting to see. They've announced this nearly 2 years before opening, it's got to be quite a large project. Plus, the show guy of Creative who worked on Gringotts is working on this. He didn't work on Supercharged in Hollywood so the design lot is different. Also talks that the investors in Universal Beijing is investing heavily in Universal Creative to conceptualise new and innovative rides now so they can be perfected for Beijing so that park can open with the newest of stuff and it all works. Beetlejuice is rumoured to go in Fear Factor Live's space next year. Once again though, nothing on Twister. It's imminent but that thing just keeps dodging the bullet. Even weirder is how Fallon is supposed to open before F&F, but I guess Fallon is more a C/D ticket where this is probably an E.

This was posted on CoasterForce. So minus the angle of the first drop it is essentially a White Lightning clone which is great I love that ride!

So the bat coaster thing is for sale as Plopsaland look at getting rid of low capacity rides. http://www.looopings.nl/weblog/4235/Plopsaland-zet-achtbaan-te-koop-Moet-binnen-twee-a-drie-jaar-verkocht-zijn.html But this opens June 2016 so oh well. No loss to the world.

Dark rides are so different to each other. You've got so many different types and aims from them. Some more magical, some thrilling. Really is a personal preference. Spiderman is just ace for me. The fact something like that was achieved in the late 90s and people still want rides of that type built to this day is great. There's not much you can do, the system just works in so many ways and it is pretty much a flawless ride. People sometimes prefer Transformers, now I love Transformers as it's really fast paced and hard to work out how you move around that building. But in a way that ruins it for me, it seems too fast. Spiderman you get to experience the story more, and I love the mix of physical sets and screens. Especially the physical sets when moving between screens that suit the story. Best coaster dark ride has to be Mummy. Just the perfect combination of the two.

The park can submit another planning showing amendments and stuff much like they have already done when they altered the building size a bit and were requested to show how the plaza element would look.

Let's look at Kong then! Construction walls blend in well now. New structure going up Angry Kong face Behind the wall Is looking great! On FB, Orlando Theme Park News used this NearMap thing to work out the areas of stuff. Whole area of Kong is this. Transformers this. So it's a huge show building (okay not all of the area is for the building but the ride does go outside too...) For other comparisons, Spiderman is 50,000, Forbidden Journey 66,000, and Gringotts 70,000. Those all include the queues etc much like the Kong ride dimension has. So it is definitely huge! Using this they also worked out that Volcano Bay will be the largest waterpark out of the Florida set. Wet'n'Wild Aquatica The Disney two. Volcano Bay. Notice also the base of the volcano being started. Hulk is exciting. It wasn't rough as such, just a bit rattly. Was perfectly fine. The stuff going around about what they could be doing to it is intriguing. Track being replaced especially over the lake (glow in the dark track or some sort of fancy track with integrated lighting), new trains with lighting and on board audio. Launch system could still be tyre drive apparently, just modernised so it doesn't need so much energy. Queue line is getting completely torn apart and done up like your Potter queues to become part of the experience. Station being tweaked to make it more modern as well as new tunnel effects. All to make an iconic coaster even more stand out and iconic and more than a coaster. It's also to bring the MCU into Universal with rumours of another Spiderman overlay to include the new guys voice (whoever it is), Doctor Dooms leaving to open up a huge amount of space for an Avengers dark ride possibly. Basically Uni is looking at redoing the whole Superhero Island into an MCU one. Either way very exciting times ahead with strong rumours of a video game themed area or even the long rumoured 3rd gate. Jimmy Fallon and F&F ready to be announced soon for 2017 and a new parade in the works. YAY! Oh and for all those Universal can't use Marvel rumours. Well it's an ongoing contract where they can use the Avengers characters.

Thorpe have to keep to their submitted plans a lot more than Towers. If it wasn't for the large building and top height of Smiler Towers wouldn't have even needed to submit any plans. The textures used and theming in the plans will have just been whatever they had to be submitted. Was never a dead cert that's how it would look. Thorpe though have to pretty much match how their approved plans look due to their planning constraints. If it does end up being entirely unthemed the council can revoke permission or something and Thorpe have a good link with Runnymede so won't mess it up. The tin shed might not look so bad when it is entirely finished, it looks awful at the moment because there's nothing else to look at, it's surrounded by construction and ugly black walls. Once wholly completed it might not look AS ugly, yes it will still be a red tin at that point. Also, you don't need huge 8 metre high screens to create a great dark ride. Many dark ride building of great quality can be small in height and space. Let's say this is a new style of dark ride experience in some way? I'd be happy for Merlin to look at new technology that could be used in the industry instead of going with what's already made around the world. If all companies did was build what they know is good, we'd never see anything that is new. Plus those Oceaneering rides like Spidey are always ridiculous in price.

We don't know the budget. But Thorpe are due a large ride, on the plans it states how this is basically their large ride in place of the postponed 2015 coaster. Marketing has begun this early. It's not going to be small. The building thing doesn't show anything really about the standard of project. Forbidden Journey has a massive bit of its show building unthemed as you enter the queue and from JP it's just a white shed. At least it's the same colour as X so fits in, shrubbery is being planted which will help and there will be a large themed section. It's not cheap to theme a large building entirely, that's why many show buildings are tucked away.

Wait the ride just popped a bolt? Like Colossus does, and Swarm did once. And Manta did one day I was out there and opened later that day. It's not uncommon, coasters pop the odd bolt. Yeah not great of course but it happens. What can you do? Make it so you can't go under rides in anyway