Matt 236

Right given that Halloween could be ruined further because of Conor Rhona and circus clowns, MR Fish and I decided to take a little trip to Fright Nights to see what it was about. Fearstival Arena Entertaining, humour and a very central location which made for an entertaining watch. Creek Freeks Unchained Probably one of the better scare zones I have experienced recently and nicely put together. The actors got a perfect balance between everything and integrated nicely with Platform’s exit. I miss the maze but this will do. Platform 15 Some may call us donuts but we decided to chip in and spend £10 for a maze we’ve already done (yeah that’s right) and maybe we’re silly for doing so. Actually I reasonably impressed with the maze this time, there were lots of actors (I counted 19) and the maze is of a reasonable length anyway. Probably not my favourite maze I’ve ever done but still enjoyed my run through to the point I almost forgot the cost. Guess I can say I’ve actually done a scare maze this year given everything that’s been going on. Park was very busy when we went with social distancing being a mixed bag indeed. Staff were doing a reasonable job at trying to carry this out given a fair chunk of their clientele probably don’t understand or care about it. Park atmosphere was a mixed bag. Park feels very normal until around 3pm when the audio changes and the actors and scare attractions start to appear. There were some areas such as Old Town which had a great atmosphere but others which could’ve been better. Park lighting wasn’t great sadly because of too many white coloured flood as opposed to more fitting items.

No other park out there that I know of handles queues and operations as efficient yet immaculate as Europa Park. Some come close but none properly match this. When you walk into full looking queue, you would expect to wait over an hour whereas in Europa it is more like 30 minutes with almost constant moving lines and trains heading out of the station in as quick as 20 seconds. That’s before mentioning just how many attractions this place has which is probably more than any other park worldwide with such variety and sometimes mystery. It’s also just a lovely place to be in anyway, even just having a beverage in one of their outlets is such a lovely experience!

It’ll be a backward move regardless because nothing they do makes sense anymore.

The prospect of a Merlin pass restructuring is imminent, especially given the covid situation where much growth and earnings have been lost. We could easily see passes introduced which only enable selected days, times, attractions and perks introduced. With the VIP removed for the foreseeable it’s not impossible to see the Premium botched up as the top offering. Expect more up-charges especially for events I would say.

This year May not be over yet but it has been one long roller coaster ride and sadly not an enjoyable one other . As this horrible time remains dominated by a never ending pandemic, here’s some rides that may be a reminder and summarisation of how 2020 is going. Hold on tight and remain seated, you are in for a very bumpy ride! 1/ Meanstreak- Cedar Point Tall, long and dominating. The whole presence of this attraction should deliver something great to live up to it’s name. Sadly that is not the case. This coaster uncomfortably drags you along a rough and uncomfortable circuit which proves to become more and more uncomfortable as experience more of the ride. It seems to never end and go on and on without end. You are relieved when you finally get off, but the physical recovery is long and winding. Not to mention the whiplash will still be with you during whatever you decide to ride next. Sadly there is no RMC conversation at the end of this year! 2/ Temple Of The Nighthawk- Phantasialand On a personal level, comparing 2020 to the last few years of my life is a bit like visiting Phantasialand and going from riding Taron and Chiapas to experiencing the park’s infamous indoor coaster, Temple Of The Nighthawk. This coaster takes up a large footprint of what isn’t a massive park, sticks out like a sore thumb and greatly clashes with much of the other amazing offering. It’s a long slow paced attraction taking you on a long and mundane layout through forceless twists and turns in the dark. You don’t know where you are going yet it lacks any sense of any excitement or direction. Not to mention three waves’ I mean lift hills to endure also. Many want this gone and to be ripped out, but that’s unlikely to happen for a while given the building’s mixed usage and complexities. So like many negative things, the Nighthawk is currently here to stay without it’s demise in sight. 3/Most Pinifari Coasters Rough, bumpy,uncomfortable and generally unreliable, the perfect candidate to what is a disappointing year it has been. Yet despite this these coasters are still scattered around countless parks both large and small, with several years yet before they head into the big headache in the sky! 4/ Fairy Tale Castle Liseberg Though it was removed a few years ago, this weird and random attraction epitomises 2020 given how bizarre it has all been. One moment we would see a cardboard Peter Pan fighting a cheap Captain Hook, followed by a fat “trumpesque” like emperor figure. All whilst listening to the “ripped” Droomvlucht music playing. It should be amicably pleasant, but fails this in countless areas leading to something memorable for the wrong reasons perhaps. 5/ Son Of Beast Just like 2020, Son Of Beast had the intention of delivering greatness just from it’s name, however became proned with problems and something of a massive write off, as far as success goes. The Beast should’ve been something spectacular and lived up to its predecessor but it just didn’t. It was painful to pretty much everyone who did it and was met with more positives than negatives when it met it’s demise. This year will be the same bar Rhona sadly continuing. 6/ Saw The Ride- Thorpe Park Saw is a torturous coaster, 2020 is a tortuous year! Likewise they both begin with something of a hopeful prospect but this is ruined to plummeting down hill with a series of jolts, bumps and many moments of discomfort. Sure there was that brief moment of an airtime hill towards the middle, but in general this is followed by more pain and discomfort until it is suddenly over. The headache afterwards lasts even longer. 7/ Hero- Flamingo Land You are seated uncomfortably when you go up the spiral lift. You know you are in for a bad experience when it’s already rough and shaky already. The ride essentially sees you ride through a poorly profiled track and layout whilst locked down in your torture vehicle wishing it to end sooner rather than later. When it’s finally over you will have no intention to talk about your experience ever again! This year hasn’t been fun for sure. What rides make you think of 2020? I don’t own the pictures.

Enthusiasts be like. I think given the history of this project, opening in such a year was inevitable if I’m honest here.

I think Adventure Ville is such a lovely happy and upbeat ride. Something the U.K. perhaps needs more of. Axis is definitely intense but enjoyable too, a bit like an afterburner except it goes all the way over several giving a strange yet unique feeling of hangtime. Time Machine was crazy and definitely a paracetamol job post riding. Definitely a pleasant enough park but given current situations I probably won’t return for a while.

To be fair we have been moving into a pre-plan/pre-book world for years now and maybe even more-so with current positions in the world. I always try and book/plan things in ahead but I know there will always be some who will leave it last minute for better and worse.

And here I am just hoping I get a glass of Prosecco or something for the cost of now going through the mazes, was a nice gesture in the early face it alone days. How I miss them! Given how dreadful 2020 Halloween will be anyway I guess this is better than nothing.

Phantasialand on the whole is generally a great park and one of my favourites. A lot of their rides such as Taron & Chiapas I consider masterpieces in their own ways. There is definitely room to improve the offering further and a lot of it comes down to the entrance setup and older attractions. I think China might be getting redeveloped next but the entrance setup is definitely a challenging one as Josh’s points mention. As for food, I consider it arguably the best park for food, from quick service to sit down restaurants. I do recommend Rutmoore’s Tavern if you return or the ice cream place near Chiapas if you fancy a snack.

CHRISTMAS IS CANCELLED FOLKS! To a large degree that is unfortunately true as Corona Virus has lead to the organisers of Winter Wonderland cancelling this years event. Official wording states: ” Dear Hyde Park Winter Wonderland family, It is with a heavy heart we share that Hyde Park Winter Wonderland will not be taking place this year. Hyde Park Winter Wonderland has always been about bringing friends and family together in a fun, safe and interactive environment to celebrate the festive season. Our team has worked tirelessly, exploring every possible option in the hopes of being able to move forward with the event in a responsible manner and provide London with some much-needed festive cheer. However, in light of ongoing health concerns, travel restrictions and uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, and considering the size and scale of this event, we just couldn’t find a way to do that without compromising the magical attractions, shows, rides, bars and experiences that make Hyde Park Winter Wonderland so special. We know how disappointing this news will be for the millions of people we usually welcome each season. And we can assure you we share your disappointment, having put a lot of work, sweat and even some tears into trying to make this year’s event possible. Thank you so much for your ongoing support and please stay safe. We cannot wait to bring friends and family back together to celebrate the festive season at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland in 2021.” Sad but not surprising at all. Wake me up, when Corona ends!

Interesting to see the ride revealing it’s original colours after ten years. Anyone else remember when it was Billy’s Whizzer?

Your thoughts share similarities to my own when I visited. Cologne is an interesting city with quirks but definitely not the best looking by any means and if anything industrial. The Cathedral is ace though! The Chocolate museum looks nice and I hope to visit there if I return again. 2020 has been an unacceptable year, surprised that statue hasn’t been more vandalised.

Great to see the park seeing so much investment over the last few years especially given the hit and miss selection at present. This ride should be interesting and hopefully better than the former Ice Age dark ride which looked hilariously bad.

It has been five years since I last visited this quirky little place and quite a lot has changed for better and worse. With a horrible virus still at large and more countries on the quarantine list, I probably won’t be going abroad for a while so staycation it is. But is it all worth it? New for 2019 the park added Axis, a flat ride which is like an afterburner but goes over the top (360) giving an intense but unique experience. It’s easily the best flat ride and probably one of the best in the park. And for those wondering, yes they did move Dragons Claw into a new location (R.I.P Scorpion). Adventure Ville is one of two dark rides at the park which opened in 2016 on the former Goldmine site (R.I.P). It’s quite a fun yet charming and slightly cheesy attraction as you essentially get two laps around numerous settings , once in day time and once at night. The light settings change to reflect this. A catchy upbeat soundtrack accompanies the attraction. Areas remind me of the Bubbleworks a little but that’s probably just me. The other dark ride is Over The Hill 2: Spooksville (they like the word ville), the poor sequel to the ride’s Predecessors having opened in 2017. I managed to do the original Over Hill and thought It was generally great. Unfortunately I can’t quite say the same right now. Don’t get me wrong there are greater ride travesties out there, but honestly what were management thinking? Gone are the mysterious vibes and effects, including the nifty “fake station” effect towards the end of the ride. All of this replaced replaced with cheaper effects and “cardboard cutout” characters and a non existent story. Not the worst dark ride but still quite the downgrade from the original. Least the music was good and they’ve reused some of the original props too. Still a better ride than DBGT! Adventure Inside does what it says on the tin and is an indoor area featuring a few rides, play areas and other amenities. It may not be original but least it gives them a place to keep open all year round (non-covid). They also updated the Crooked House at somepoint wity new figures and effects. It’s ok I guess but least it ain’t Spooksville bad. Bar a few removals/replacements, most other rides remain very much as before. Rage looks great and still rides relatively well too, unlike it’s torturous cousin on the M25. Shame it went to one train at the end. Green-scream is still remarkably enjoyable So is Barnstorm (that last helix goes a little crazy) Kiddie Kosta is meh though and I don’t like the name! Mini Mighty Mega on the other hand is something. It’s got its moments but is generally bumpy, rattly and feels like it might fall apart at any given moment. A one lapper unlike its amigos. The other rides are ok too. A decently themed chair swing, some fun (yet wet) watersides and a classic whip are just some of them. Time Machine however is just absolutely crazy and abit like a cross between a NASA training machine and a washing cycle. Was unique though given it was made in house. And I felt like I’d time travelled given the way the park was generally operated and managed. Adventure Island is a decent enough park for the space and ride selection, however theres one complaint I must make and for once it’s not about the over hyperactive staff they usually have. The park’s covid measures (or therefore lack of). Whilst they had markers, sanitizer stations and (some) cleaning, more could be done. A lot more! No one at all followed social distancing and few (if any) wore masks in fully loaded vehicles. No temperature checks or entry enforcement either. You wouldn’t think there was a massive pandemic whilst visiting! Come here if you dare! But maybe wait until the pandemic is over!

Visited the park yesterday and despite Covid was perhaps the busiest I’ve ever seen the place! Although distancing and regular break downs didn’t help. Managed just six rides in eight hours so not the best. However they did extend close upto 7pm which rarely happens at the park. Covid measures were hit and miss. Some worked well, others didn’t as some people weren’t following this. Some pathways and areas were impossible to do so due to the giant queues. Managed to try Tomb Blaster 3.0 and it’s quite a mixed bag. The lighting in some places seems better but is largely ruined in places due to fan systems exposing natural light. The audio isn’t easy to hear in places and makes capturing the story trickier than it should be. The park clearly tried to make an ailing dark ride a shoe-string budget blockbuster but didn’t quite work out that way. Still a better ride than DBGT. Didn’t try the new/updated Rainforest attractions but they looked ok for what they are aiming for.

I think I know who the culprit is. Hopefully they will get it up and running soon though.

One of the main issues which likely prevents TWD from currently reopening is it’s “two to a row“ rule, which makes loading solo or odd numbered guests on the ride impossible without breaching social distancing measures. The rule came in a few years ago and given how safety stringent Merlin are these days it is unlikely to change unless the vehicles are modified to enable this again.

Sounds an amazing ride and I hope one day to ride this (maybe next year).

Indeed and it’s great to see this happening besides the new stuff. One however though just has to compare something like Zadra/Aqualantis to that horrible looking wild mouse with OTSR (why though?) which is probably one of the worst attractions there. The park probably has one of the brightest futures around. And is high up on my bucket list once this horrible virus is done.

It’s great to see the park’s newer investments being given better theming and styling. Most attractions pre-Hyperion pretty much look like they’ve just been plonked down on any available land in a RCT type fashion. Aqualantis does look great.

The Union Jack trains has clearly been inspired by Blackpool. I'm sure it’ll have an applicable name, given this park has rides called Zoom and Hero. Wouldn’t be surprised if they just call it 10 looping coaster, which is something you’d normally see in RCT.

Well it looks like they missed the target!

Guess one could describe this as ground breaking! Ok! I’ll leave now. That building behind could do with some work though!

Unless there’s redesign, the use of vest restraints is unfortunately imminent. Strangely I find some better than others, like those on Valkyria and Fenix, whereas those on Banshee and Valravn are simply awful. It’s quite surprising really that whilst most manufacturers such as Mack and Intamin have progressed with better restraints over the years, B&M’s have potentially taken a bit of a step backwards, but that’s just my opinion. I'm still curious to see how such a ride will fit into such a densely compact and landlocked park. Think Grona has it more difficult than Phantasialand as far as expansion is concerned.