Jump to content

Exodus Matt

Members
  • Posts

    4288
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    57

Everything posted by Exodus Matt

  1. Favourite is Bruno Mars or Sam Smith Least favourite, One Direction, can't stand them
  2. Do I love a like Chessington? Yes Am I impressed with most recent changes? No, Chessington has so much potential to become an amazing park if the place was invested with new exciting rides and immersive theming, in addition to more shows and better operations, the park could almost be on the standards of places like Disney, something that is likely to happen for a while if ever. 2013, only saw a few progressive changes, one of which had a premature end and went up in flames. In 2014, a ride retheme, which could've been remarkable, currently looks a bitter disapointment. Would the ride have seen the return of the rocks but still gained the scorpion and other interactive elements, Scorpion Express would been an excellent overhaul and thre steps forward IMO. But without them and these random theming placements, it's a two step back progression. Market Square looks a lot more promising than Scorpion Express so far as the area looks a lot more open and in a way grand and once the centre piece is build could be an excellent area of the park. That being said, I think it does need a bit of shrubbery in places. Amazu looks ok and the hotel, it's early days.
  3. The Trocadero isn't a place I ever went to, but hearing from all the attractions that used to be there such as Sega world, have made me interested in what this place was like. Here's a promotional video of the park, just before it opened in the mid nineties. Looks like it was quite an interesting place, shame it no longer exists.
  4. After weeks of speculation, the details of the new attraction at (Merlin's) County hall has been confirmed and will be a Shrek themed experience. I'm rather mixed on this move and decision for a Shrek attraction. I used to enjoy the Shrek films when they came out (mainly the first two) and found them to be great family films, however my concern is, the common Merlin trait of using an I.p that's dying or last it's best seeing the last Shrek film was a few years ago and they may not make any more.
  5. If this ride was a new project being pulled off from parks like Pleasurewood Hills or Adventure Island, then I would be rather impressed. However as this is Chessington and actually a retheme of a ride, I am not and feel disappointed the scorpion isn't of a larger scale or that it can move itself away from the riders. I'm also not keen on the metal railings as it makes the ride feel even more-so out of character.
  6. Themepark guide have added more updates of the park's construction. http://www.themeparkguide.biz/news-page/23rd-february-2014-end-of-february-half-term-at-chessington The market square upgrade looks nicely done and certainly makes the area feel much bigger and also gives a slightly grander look too and has potential to become a brilliant centre point of the park. I hope that empty space will become home to a fountain. Bubbleworks and Transylvania, looks ok, but I'm not sure if the roof colour is a bit too bright for what's supposed to be one of the gloomier areas of the park, whilst Bubbleworks looks very much the same. Scorpion Express, looking slightly better than last seen, but still sticking to my previous opinion (see Scorpion Express topic).
  7. Considering their signature coaster is Pinifari, this is quite true. However they do have a rare ride known as the water chute and a fairly decent park railway too.
  8. I remember last years meet, it was great fun and really enjoyed it. Hopefully this years will be just as good or better.
  9. I plan to visit on the 15th. Should be interesting to see how Angry Birds construction goes ahead and if there's any other park ride changes bar the stealth improvements and cantina extension.
  10. I think it's quite common that the Dragon Claw will only operate with four of its six arms connected during the winter months,whilst they do maintenance to the other two arms in the meantime. I'm not sure if it's usually like this after half term, but remember Adventure Island Guide (AIG) used to show photos of the ride during its annual maintenance. Maybe they're behind schedule this year in relation to the bad weather we've recently received. In sad news, Adventure Island guide, the only fan site to the park AFAIK who always gave major updates of the park is sadly shutting down, which is a great shame IMO.
  11. If Thorpe were to repair/replace the tunnel and give some TLC to ride buildings and queue, it would be brilliant and another step forward to the park showing they have improved and slowly heading to become a world class park. Unfortunately though, this is Merlin, and Merlin do not do up keeps of rides and attractiones well, unless it's a new attraction, Central Park area or it can be done as being able to be marketable, plus with the apparent action taking place in the other corner of the park, I cannot see them fixing up an ageing ride on the other side of the park, because that's what Merlin seem to do. Even though Stealth has had quite a lot of attention in the last few years, I feel Loggers will continue to rot away until the ride is removed, unless were fortunate enough to ever see a Canada Creek facelift in the future, which even if there was a new ride, that's still not to say they would fix loggers.
  12. Typical Merlin claiming a 26 year old powered coaster as a new ride. It's not brand new, just a (step back) retheme of the ageing Runaway Train, which it's great to see the park trying to make it more magical by removing the boiler queuing with a impressive cattle pen, taking away a mouldy rock face for a few scattered cactuses and take away the I H&S parts like the boiler itself. Sure it won't be missed and it's not like it added character like peg leg Pete, the weather bane and rock faces did which have now gone. Seriously Merlin, you may think you're only second to Disney, but if you really want to compete with them in greatness, you really need to start to improve upkeep of run down areas and immersive theming and character, which Chessington once had, lots has gone, with parks in the uk much smaller progressing better than them. I hope this Paramount park happens, because not just will it give the uk themepark industry a world class park, but also more competition, where Merlin will hopefully up their game, or pay the price for lazy ness and being unimaginative.
  13. Should be great to finally meet you Stuz.
  14. I think the best thing about Scorpion Express, is that it's an open ride. I feel if Tussaud's still ran the park, they would keep it as mine train and just leave the rest of the ride there except the rocks.
  15. Well 2 was the lie as I said I hadn't been to themeparks abroad. Edit- Just checked my original post and forgot the never bit (facepalm).
  16. Jammingamer, you are correct. 1/ I have been evacuated on a rollercoaster. It was the Dragon at Legoland in 2013 when the train broke down in the block brakes, so I was guided by staff along the final lift hill in to the station. 2/ I have never been to themeparks abroad, however I haven't been to any of the big ones yet, the likes of Port Aventura and Europa (but hopefully I will be going soon). 3/ I wish this was the lie, as I did lose a brand new camera at a themepark abroad back in 2011. It wasn't lost on a ride, but rather may have been stolen. I still feel disappointed about this.
  17. Ok, here's my turn. 1/ I've been evacuated from a roller coaster 2/ I've never been to a themepark abroad 3/ I lost a brand new camera at a themepark a few years ago.
  18. Chessington's new motto should be, one step forwards, one step back. They need to really get their eye back on the ball as what the managers see as progress is actually a step back from the old but once impressive mine train with, an interweaving queue and an interactive rock face and for a park/company that's trying to be as good as Disney, replacing this with petty cactus theming, a dull cattlemen, a basic backdrop and the theming elements that are certain to break, this is not going forward. To make this a great ride, they should've made a new rock cave round the ride with cactuses and bits sticking out, the interactive elements in the centre, plus a new queue line with interactive elements included as well. There are parks such as Oakwood, Paultons and even Pleasurewood hills with less budget that would put deliver effort and a final result twice as good as what we've seen here and all of those are starting to overtake Chessington now. If Chessington was ever like Disney, they were probably closest to that around 1990-1998. On a positive note, the market square looks an improvement from what I've seen so far.
  19. https://scontent-a-ams.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1/1621716_630171623704024_853190516_n.jpg?dl=1 Alternative photo. Creaky Cafe has been removed and it's very likely it's footprint will remain empty for 2014.
  20. So, looks like Bubbleworks was damaged after all. https://scontent-b-ams.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1/1604523_610576705664299_1692833316_n.jpg?dl=1 Photo courtesy of Themepark Guide.
  21. I'm not that impressed. I think it was better when you just paid £16 each year for a capsule and could refill as much as you wanted during the whole day. Also with the old capsules, It was very helpful on a number of trips last season when I was short on cash and could just rehydrate by getting it filled up. With the slightly smaller capsule and 75p filling fee (per top up), I can't see me usi g this more than twice a day. That's if I even decide to purchase a new one. Bad move IMO, don't fix something that wasn't really broken.
×
×
  • Create New...