Matt 236

This is great and exciting news! I've always thought Air has been lacking the potential of some of their coasters there (Nemesis, zoblivion & Thirteen respectively) especially on the the arid side so hopefully this will bring the ride a notch up in greatness especially since the theming for the ride was cut back when it opened. Makes great sense here too especially with the food loop being next door as well. Hopefully we'll see Towers doing these moderate improvements to existing rides from now on (Nemy,Katanga & towers street are calling for face lifts.

It was closed both days I went on the weekend and I didn't see anyone working it during my time there.

Four months late and I've finally experienced this random attraction for he first time. When I first heard this addition announced, I was very skeptical on it, as it felt like a rather last minute shoehorned and den as a new attraction for the sake of new attractions especially when some of its older rides (notably Rumba & Loggers) are in a state where much needed TLC is needed! Then once the theming and previews appeared, I started to warm up to the attraction seeing that quite a lot of effort had been put in to the addition. However when it opened though it came to generally negative reviews with descriptions of "it's a waste of time" and "then I came out wondering what it was all about" which didn't give me much incentive to visit the park between the open meet and MOS. So I've finally experienced it. What did I think? I think it's a very interesting, very unique attraction in the park and something very different from the coasters & flats (which generally headline the park currently), you can tell a noticeable amount of effort has been put in to the attraction and for once it does actually feel like you're in a jungle'ish area at times. The challenges are interesting such as finding the stars in the holes, answering the quiz question and then running through the cyclone (which is quite fun). I came in expecting it to be the worst attraction in the world; so what did I think when I had finished? It's ok, but just Ok. It's not the best attraction but certainly not the worst (although probably still on the lower end of my favourite rides in the park). I like the thematic elements there and the prospect they are trying to make this more of an experience based attraction (which in some ways works and others doesn't. criticisms I have on the attraction are mainly aimed at the throughput. Whilst it was quite clear it wasn't going to queue muncher or even a queue eater (as I haven't heard of ir seen a high throughout maze), but one is clearly a queue dribbler as it takes a very long time for people to get in the maze and even then, the groups were bit bigger than 8 and with these groups entering every 5 minutes or so, I can't see this receiving more than 100 PPH which is extremely low for a park of this position and makes even some of Legland's rides look like queue munchers. We waited at least 15 minutes at the start of the day and the during the weekend the queue averaged at 55 minutes. To fix this problem, I could possibly say what they could do would be to either increase group sizes, I.E make it go from 8 to 12 people or even to play the ant and deck video before the ride begins, but that might detract the experience a but however. Matt Creek rating 6/10 Ok attraction with many flaws, however is still a better ride than Storm Surge

Seriously can't wait for this ride to reopen, definitely plan to head down there later this year.

If it's already visually stunning now, imagine what it'll look like when it's finished! Really can't wait to see the result of this ride looks and runs (and as Benin said) as long as the restraints aren't too heavy (I.e Helix) this will be an amazing ride! I think I'll have to plan a visit here for 2016!

Banned for not winning biggest ban boy

Disappointing but somewhat not too surprising. Hopefully the park will get enough demand to extend closing to 7pm most of the time anyway. I do think most of the UK parks could do with longer operating, so that it insures longer days and more time to complete guest's ride bucket lists. Thorpe's hours are perfectly fine for the things they do as are Legolands (one must remember it's a kids park). Towers and Chessie though could definitely add an hour or two to their closings in busier times and would make a great positive impact to both parks. I just hope Howl'Oween doesn't go back to 7pm as that wouldn't offer much over main season except scare attractions and the very limited night riding too.

Still hasn't given an answer as to what's the better B&M; The Swarm or Baron1898.

Music has definitely been quiet. On another note, I'm sure more lights have been added to the queue plus I'm sure there used to be more ceiling in the slope cattle pen area of the queue before.

Great meet again, really enjoyed it. Let's all give a big round of applause now Professor drunk made a brief cameo but there were more exciting characters on site too.

Is a happy dolphin

From previous experience after the parks closed at 6pm, we've normally just hung around he car park for a bit because there's been no point going anywhere else due to just two hours between park close and MOS beginning, things could be different this year with the Staines creams, but that's somewhat unlikely. Most have changed in the loos from last experience. We tend to leave the event around 2am to the hotel and then return there the next day by taxis again because drivers tend to leave their cars here during the night and it makes things easier for everyone generally.

I haven't been to Thorpe park since March

Very interesting maze themes, the first two remind me of The Woman In Black & Hunger Games for some reason, good they've managed to cover up the Sanctuary though (which was too Smiler based to carry on and will probably be gone forever now). The new scare zones sound very exciting especially the first one. Scary Tales wasn't popular or successful then? This could be the best Scarefest we've seen for a while and it could make up for the mid season's unfortunate events to a fairly large extent if done right. I think Towers needs 3 scare mazes (and other things) since having two mazes last year didn't work too well and the loss of the Smiler to the lineup.

Things appear to be finally looking/creaking up Aside from several trips to Lego & Chessie, I will be doing a two day trip to Thorpe this weekend with MOS on the Saturday and my first coaster lift hill walk which will be on the Swarm. I will also be visiting Pleasurewood Hills next weekend for the first time (and possibly Great Yarmouth too) Returning to Oakwood again inAugust, where I shall hopefully get to re-ride the beauty who I lost my (wooden coaster) virginity to Megafobia. There also be numerous other attractions I'll be seeing in Cardiff as well. Plus! I will also be returning to Disneyland Paris in September where aside from the 'amazing' rides I got to experience on my first trip which were 'amazing' I shall hopefully finally get to experience Space Mountain which sounds 'amazing' not to mention the other rides I didn't do which are probably 'amazing'. Will likely do several fright nights for October plus. Chessington Howl'Oween (finally) and maybe even Legoland fireworks. I probably won't do scarefest or Tulleys this year due to a heavily committing final year at university (on top of a big birthday in the family) but never say never. 'HOWEVER' One thing I'm very excited about is I will visiting The Efteling for the first time in November for two days which I can't wait to experience and I shall hopefully finally get to ride Baron There could well be more trips on the way, but let's wait and see!

I do wish Six flags would stop RMC'ing rides for the sake of RMC'ing. By 2020 there won't be any proper woodies left in their parks, just a whole load of hybrids. I so t get why they can't just built a new outstanding one without converting an existing woodie in to one, the earlier ones looked good but I think they're starting to go a bit overboard on these things now.

Crinkley Bottom is a (defunct) park I have always been interested in, being perhaps of the most famous themepark failures in modern times resulting in two themeparks emerging in the mid nineties based on TV character Mr Blobby (whom I sort of grew up with in my early childhood). The first park which I think was around Scarborough closed after just a few months whilst the one in St Thomas lasted until around 1999 when the Tv show blobby was based on, Noel's House Party was axed. The park itself lasted three years and is now owned by Warner hotel group as I'm aware. The park's centrepiece attraction the Blobby House (Dunblobbin) remained derelict (although became home to illegal raves & vandalism) until the start of 2015 when the ageing structure was put out of its misery and demolished. I found this video which shows many sections of the park including the Dunblobbin Nostalgia aside, the park was probably never that good (no surprises it didn't last that long) and was probably not a patch on other parks around such as Chessington, Legoland and others (90's here). However it is very interesting footage and from a park where all official knowledge and information of is rare and far few between is highly sought after. If the park was built today, it would indeed look very dated, old and tacky.

Plopsaland looks a loverly family themepark which appears to be a cross between a slightly bigger Paultons and a slightly better Drayton (minus the thrill rides) with a small pinch of Chessington. It is a park I'll perhaps look in yo visiting when the new coaster opens (possibly a 2017 trip). The writing style seems highly appropriate and I like the critical approach of analysing the rides and areas whilst keeping it within real time to an extent. I expect SCB's report will have a different writing approach altogether resulting in two different blogs from the same time frame.

I like the fact they are heading Marketing with rides that are generally reliable, seriously the rides they're using are generally reliable. (No dub terra, Rita or spinball).

Another Chessington accommodation object? Yawwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnn Seriously the park doesn't need any more accommodation things and rather investments in to the park itself, such as new and heavily rethemed rides, plus that land there could be something much better such as a new coaster site.

Really hoping that it's just a really dodgy translation. From I read, I interpreted it as the ride having an evac with people onboard. All rides have breakdowns from time to time (even B&Ms). Hopefully this was just a standard breakdown evac occurrence and the Dutch press have just escalated the incident.

Interesting read, I think the magic bands an interesting idea and with a moderate amount of looking in to it could work well. I'm excited for the launch of Avatar land and I think the installation of this area (with its Yeo major rides & theming) along with the nighttime Kilimanjaro and nighttime show the park will feel a lot more complete although apparently delays might push the opening until 2018 ( when I'm thinking of going). How was Holkywood studios? As its park that's in the middle of a long refurb yet is closing tonnes of attractions like there's no tommorow yet not replacing them.

Well it seems despite resubmitting the application for the haunted house, Windsor Cancel (council) have ruled out the application due to it being too similar to the old one. Source- Southparks http://www.southparks.co.uk/2015/07/15/legoland-windsor-resort-haunted-house-experiences-further-set-back/ Really hope they can get around this as its ride the park really need and would add to the lineup well. If they lose this again, I wonder if they can appeal to the high court/ government or discretely build it (snd claim the construction is hotel related) I wonder. Windsor cancel (council) have just made it to. Y list of enemies (The term cancel implies an event or plan scheduled to go ahead that no longer happens).