Matt 236

I Very much dwell on these opinions. Jumanji really should have paved the way to iron out some of the many creases within the park. Yet it has seemingly done the opposite. Minus the centre-piece the area looks generally cheap and unfinished with theming pieces already falling apart. It is shocking for an area not even one season old. As much as I like and enjoy Mandrill, it still leaves me head scratching as to why it was chosen, when there were several other tried and tested family-thrill coasters that would’ve offered a similar enjoyment level with a much higher capacity. Rest of the park is very much struggling like the past 10-15 years and besides some cosmetic refreshing isn’t any better. Broken rides on lower throughputs, strangled by poor queue distributors. Not to mention the place seems much worse for shutdowns nowadays. I mean, I still like the park for what it is. But there’s a lot of things they need to sort out!

It might aesthetically look the best it has in over a decade, but Chessington is fundamentally broken. Most of the new rides built and supplied by cheap manufacturers, with low throughputs and regular break downs. Mandrill might be the best investment in years, but it’s still a weird choice given other options. Not helped either by Merlin’s extreme & unnecessary safety reactions, making what’s already a questionable throughput dire. The rest of the park is still the same story. Old/ageing rides struggling to operate on lower throughputs and increasing breakdowns. Tiger Rock & Dragons Fury were down frequently during the day. Tomb is an absolute mess. Howl’oween was generally fun (albeit no Creepy Caves) with some excellent shows and entertainment, but seriously needs to go back to 8pm as you basically get half an hour of atmospheric park lighting and everything. Management, car parks, queue distribution, infastructure, F&B and so much more is keeping this park from being something great. Like I’m sure it was a long long time ago. However most of the above is unlikely to be improved soon, if ever.

Can see more rides having compulsory lockers and metal detectors before boarding the ride. Universal and Cedar Fair parks do this, as does Hyperion at Energylandia. Closing the baggage room wasn’t a great choice, as besides saving money on 1 minimum wage 19 year old, it reduces confidence of guests leaving personal items incase of theft.

I await with mixed emotions on this new proposed logo. Am actually a fan of the existing logo, the infinity loops really encapsulated what the park was and didn’t seem too dated. However change is imminent and I guess the old logo has run its course.

Whatever happens to Scorpion, there is no way they would source parts from Europa’s Alpen Express. Because that ride is even older than Scorpion and we don’t even know what Europa are doing with it yet. No to mention different companies. The park could benefit from another major coaster and some supporting attractions in-between. In a few years, some rides including Scorpion will be 40 years old.

Rumba is a 1987 Intamin rapids (modified 2002) and Vikings was a 2007 ABC one. Doubtful that much (if anything) could be recycled on this attraction or anything similar. Ironic though an attraction half its age has been decommissioned though.

Given half the park is seemingly on its last legs, that’s a substantial amount of attractions that could be on the chopping block. However as others have mentioned the park urgently need as much capacity as possible because the throughput of most of their new rides is embarrassing TBH. hard to know what’s next for the park, but can see Mexicana being a potential redevelopment area. Just made to think more than a decade ago, they had three attractions that could manage around 1000 PPH. Nowadays 500 PPH seems high for them which is embarrassing.

Definitely Hyperia by a large mark. Not only is it the tallest uk coaster but also the first coaster at Thorpe for 12 years! Plus another Mack hyper. Also very excited for Nemy’s return though. Plus it’s nice to see Drayton finally get a new coaster and Legoland getting those duelling coasters.

Name feels like a mixture of Hyperion and Icon. nonetheless, I’m excited for this coaster. Made by Mack.

I love Alton Towers, but must admit that yesterday was one of the most underwhelming visits I’ve had in recent memory. Aside from light crowds and no Nemesis, there was no real atmosphere or lively vibe like previous ones, even with the apparent ongoing Octoberfest event. The park looks rundown in a number of places (especially X-Sector) and the staff were probably the most miserable I’ve ever seen them. Which probably explains the current managing Operations there. No Hex & Skyride was definitely noticeable, especially as the group would’ve appreciated less walking. Not to mention we basically completed the park around 2pm (without rushing). Having Sub-Terra back, somewhat helped a little. Though not spectacular, it WW a fun experience and hilarious seeing the reactions of those around not knowing what to expect. Also stayed in the Enchanted Forest, which was nice for what it was. But I certainly wouldn’t pay the high season I’ve seen from time to time. Convenient location. Whilst I doubt all the creases will ever be ironed, hopefully having Nemy back in 24 will help boost the lineup, maybe with those other mothballed rides. Maybe. Retro squad has outstayed its welcome. Think I’ll bail on Scarefest and fireworks this year. Nemy 2 is looking visually stunning I must say though.

Having just visited on my first low peak visit in years, I can safely say the following. Vampire (like mentioned) was running two trains, but only loading most of 1. Several rows were left empty at the back, probably either due to train momentum or RAP queue. It broke down permanently for the rest of the day. Dragons Fury opened late, but was spinning like mad. Zufari and Croc drop were closed all day, Rattlesnake seemed to only run one train on the track at a time. The water was working on Monkey Swinger. The state of the snake theming in Jumanji was just appalling. Though an enjoyable day was had, the pitfalls of the park and its current operating model were highly visible and certainly detracted in some ways. My non-enthusiast mates I went with, also noticed these. Unsurprisingly there is still no update on Scorpion, but I assume the news of its closure is imminent now.

2011 I believe was the last season Vampire ran three trains. It was cannibalised and used for spare parts after that, which given the operational problems they’ve had this year probably shouldn’t have happened. Essentially the teams (then 6 platform staff) would have about 30 seconds to unload and load trains in the station. So it was fast-paced environment. Something that probably wouldn’t work now with the higher amount of (post-Smiler) spot checks and queue placements. The ride could do with a substantial refit (akin to 2002) to improve the capacity, longevity and reliability of this popular yet ageing attraction. Like much of the park.

Interesting thoughts. Definitely understand the whole Busch situation. The rides were good but the operations were amongst the worst I’ve seen, especially on Iron Gwazi which was averaging at 4.5 minutes when we went. There was a concerning lack of atmosphere too I found. Sea world was an interesting one and in some ways prefer it to Busch, but that might be down to the good B&Ms they have (yet to ride the new one). My Disney experience was varied. I personally liked Epcot, but May because of the variety in world showcase. Hollywood Studios has the best overall rides IMO, but definitely lacks filler. I personally prefer Paris main park to Magic Kingdom.

Weird how my gut was telling me there would be a closure at Legoland this year, but maybe not this one. Assuming this will be removed rather than re-themed, given it’s not closing at the end of the season? I get the impression popularity, reliability and running costs are likely the reasons. Not to mention it wasn’t running like it used to in recent years. Another water ride falls down!

Thanks for the write up. I visited this park around 2019 time and found the park alright, although maybe not my favourite. It’s not the best themed by any means but had some interesting areas.

We went to Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach, which is essentially just down the road and had a much better time. That place had atmosphere, a great variety of attractions and a lovely atmosphere amongst some standout rides. Even with the flume gone it was very enjoyable. Even in just eight years PWH has really become so dilapidated with so many areas rundown, closed or abandoned. Including the high dive show. It may be the most rundown uk park and to be fair quite a lot of our parks are.

The lack of activity on this thread doesn’t surprise me at all. Yesterday I returned to the park, 8 years since my last visit. Last time around, I kinda enjoyed the park but couldn’t say the same this time around. Lots of closed and removed rides. Galaxy dodgems, Tide Traveler, Tales Of The Coast, Fireball, rowing boats and the stunt show. All but one left empty or left to rot away. The only new rides have been a chair-swing and Rootnin Tootin (formerly Hobbs Pit). Was ok, but nothing special. Park was in a shocking and rather rundown state. Miraculous how some things are still working and standing. Eggspress is just embarrassing for the park now, from feeling like a washing machine on-ride to having to be manually released. Because the locking system is broken. Only real highlights was the sea lion show, which was lovely and the Jolly Rodger drop tower, which is probably my second favourite drop tower now. We all left mid afternoon with no real intentions to return and happy to leave in a way. The place needs some serious investment in both new and existing ride hardware.

The name is one launch forwards, two launches back. Things aside, I’m looking forward to what they do to this reimagined ride.

Had my first experience on the revised Ghost Train. Although no longer using the ‘temperamental’ VR headsets, I feel like the updated attraction and neither better nor worse than the original Ghost Train attraction. The pre-show, introducing the new main character is cool and sets up the scene nicely, with some cool effects. But some background props don’t make much sense. The reveal of the updated train is alright, but lacks the wow and splendour of the original hanging carriage. The first scene was weird and contradictory. The actors did the best they could do, but there was no correlation between the story and interacting. Not to mention mixed messages of instructions. The second scene (crypt) was perhaps the most disappointing part for me. It just felt like lots of random props just popped down into the room from some closed dungeons or something. Without anything making real sense if I’m honest. Disjointed storyline continues. third scene, back on the train was a little between. Cool UV effect and more actors. Still room for more. Finale just didn’t do it for me, it just lacked anything substantial and directions seems to point to something happening for sure. Overall, I liked the original ghost train at the beginning, but given the attraction she’d like milk I did go off it very quickly. Ghost Train Mk3 improves upon some flaws of the original. But still remains a white elephant for the park and an attraction I’ll probably pass on most visits ahead. And this coming from someone who loves dark rides.

Sad to see Europa is once again victim to another major fire. Kudos to everyone involved and lucky to see no one was hurt. The diamond mine was one of the best hidden gems of the park so is naturally devastating to see this place decimated like this. Not to mention the severe damage to Alpen and the flume. I have every faith the park will rise from this, as previous times have shown. But as to whether they fully restore (with updated elements) or change things completely, we shall have to sit back and see.

It’s time to update my top 10’s again. Coasters: 1/ Steel Vengeance 2/ Velocicoaster 3/ Zadra 4/ Toutatis 5/ Mako 6/ Iron Gwazi 7/ Taron 8/ Oziris 9/ Nemesis mk1 10/ Hyperion European Parks: 1/ Europa Park 2/ Phantasialand 3/ Energylandia 4/ Disneyland Paris 5/ Parc Asterix 6/ Alton Towers 7/ Toverland 8/ Liseberg 9/ Efteling 10/ Tivoli Gardens And now. Theme park hotels. 1/ Ling Bao, Phantasialand 2/ Grand Curiosa Hotel, Liseberg 3/ Efteling hotel, Efteling 4/ Plopsaland Hotel, Plopsaland 5/ Newport Bay, Disneyland Paris 6/ Cite Suspendue, Parc Asterix 7/ Splash Landings Hotel, Alton Towers 8/ Legoland Hotel, Legoland Windsor 9/ El Paso, Port Aventura 10/ Shark hotel, Thorpe Park Top 10’s a personal preference and based on numerous circumstances and things on the day.

Four years ago I wrote a blog on Parc Asterix being an underrated park. Today, I still go by what I said back then, because it is underrated. Since my last visit, the biggest change/addition has certainly been Toutatis, the multilaunch/swing coaster. Whatever you call it. It’s simply an astounding ride! Some great pacing, moments of hang, floater and ejector airtime. All complemented by some stunning theming. Oziris was just as blissful to ride as last time along with Pegasus and the bobsled which are pretty much faultless for what they are. Some astounding theming, support rides and shrubbery just enhance this place more. Even the food is okay too, at least with the burger place in the new area. Now, Tonnere2zeus. A carnation less than 2 years old. I heard many horror stories about this attraction, especially with some comparing it to Mine Blower (which I didn’t like at all). Having done this, I can say it isn’t great nor terrible. However it still feels like a downgrade from the original, which I didn’t really warm upto anyway. Perhaps somewhere other than row 1 would’ve made me more negative here. It’s a lovely park and one on the higher-end of those in mainland Europe (more-so now). Throw in a proper dark ride and the lineup is practically faultless. Ferry, eurotunnel, plane, other? Get yourself to this park!

3.5 years after what was arguably my most disastrous theme park trip to date, I returned to Plopsaland. On this occasion, I was lucky to stay at the Plopsa hotel, next door to the park. This was honestly delightful and reasonably priced too. Featuring a theatre theme, I especially loved the theatre centric lobby and (self-playing) piano there. The room was also generally decent too and the buffet grub in the restaurant substantially better than the in-park food. Now, for the park. One cold soggy winter trip, I was spited the two main creds and Ride To Happiness didn’t exist. The curse would surely end. Or would it? Did Heidi first as staggered openings galore. Clearly a terrible idea as we’d waited at least 90 minutes in a one train 90 minute queue. And just as we were about to have our go, disaster struck. Breakdown! Fortunately they fixed it we had our ride. It’s a charming little woodie that fits the park. Not the best by any means but pleasant. Finally got Anubis done too. This is such a hidden gem and this is by far one of the best highlights. A highly themed and decent layed out coaster. And finally, also did Ride To Happiness. This was interesting because the first ride was just alright but the second incredible. Make sure you sit towards the front if you experience this. Nicely themed and landscaped. Managed also some rides on their decent flume and their quaint plop dark ride, before heading to their water park. It isn’t biggest but has a decent selection of slides and activities and is certainly worth a visit if you can. Certainly a better visit (mostly) from last time, but even with two good coasters I probably won’t go back anytime soon.

Things are going well then? Can’t say I’m surprised.

So, I went back to Efteling for an express visit after all this time. The park was looking great in some areas, but maybe less-so in others. The entrance, Danse Macabre, fairy tale forest segments and other pathways were closed. We were also spited Baron (darn). Main notable changes being the addition of Max & Moritz. These were fun and whacky rides, not the best powered coasters by any means but they fit the park. I do like the interaction in the station though. The new scene In Dutchman works perfectly well, I can’t remember for the top of me what the old one was like, given it’s been six years since my last ride. But I liked it. The new track on Joris doesn’t feel different, although the operations didn’t seem to be great. The Sinbad retheme looks ok, however I didn’t understand what they were trying to do with the Six Swans in the fairy tale forest. Now, the dark rides. Fata Morgana was just blissful to ride again, I love its mysterious atmosphere. Symbolica was great too and it was nice to see Carnaval after its changes. Droomvlucht looked much more refreshed and updated from its refurbishment and it’s amazing how popular that ride really is. Managed another meal Polle’s, fantastic as always and a daytime showing of Aquanura. Was pleasant but is far more effective at night. I do like Efteling, it’s a very charming park and can be enjoyable if you aren’t one for thrilling coasters. As much as I enjoy aspects of this park, It will likely be some time before I return here again. Even with Danse Macabre opening next year.