Matt 236

Glad you guys enjoyed Efteling, I can safely say I fell even more in love with the place when Tomb and I visited a week later. Agree with the show and entertainment bits, absolutely fantastic selection of both quality and quantity. I thought the Fata entertainers were amazing and I found the singer around the Bob ride remarkably hilarious for some reason, as he reminded me of Harry Hill slightly. Will await thr Symbolica segment, but I personally think it's one of the best dark rides in Europe and one of the best attractions in the Efteling. I love Aquanura and probably prefer it to DLP's night time show, even just for the fact there isn't as much battle for a good viewing position which then gets obstructed by phones and kids on shoulders. I still enjoyed Baron somewhat (even if for the fab pre-shows) but the coaster is certainly more forceful now. I love Joris and almost forgot how great this duo actually are and Dutchman was still fab. Strangely I found my liking of Bob on my visit has gone down since my previous trip, it just lacked a spark somewhere. Apparently it's reaching a point in it's life where it will soon either need a major refurbishment or replacement altogether. Will be interesting how the retracking will affect Python, which will hopefully make for a more smoother and enjoyable ride, however it does seem to lack the magic and character of most other attractions, so fingers crossed they can add some Efteling magic to rectify this. I love the Fairy Tale forest and feel it's a place you need a good couple of hours to take it all in and appreciate, if you go the whole way around. The Chinese Nightingale was my favourite. I think the thing with Dream Fkight is, it's supposed to be a selection of different Fairy Tale/dreamy landscapes and the ride takes a journey through these worlds and settings. Pandadroom amongst the effects, certainly delivers a powerful message concerning the environment, however the less mentioned the better on the actual 3D. Although Phantasialand rates slightly higher than Efteling, I adore both parks in their own way which feature some of the best theming in European parks IMO. How was Loonsche Land for accommodation? We stayed at the Efteling hotel and it was absolutely amazing and featured the typical touches you would likely find within the park itself.

Right, so with prospects of Slammer getting removed and X rethemed (again), surely the following will also happen: Top Spin replacement (Slammer) A New Show Return of the railway Loggers reopening with fixed tunnel Tidal Wave's fireball to be repaired Colossus repainted I'll leave now swarm gets 1000 PPH BTW and Saw it's just under 900.

Glad you enjoyed Big Top, Platform and Living Nightmare, can safely say I found them all highly enjoyable mazes and have found this year's lineup one of the best in recent years. Sanctuam I feel will hopefully receive some noticeable improvements next year, although on my run through this year, I found the actors to be of very good quality. It's pretty clear that Shark isn't a long term solution to their accommodation situation and hopefully they will eventually receive a full permanent hotel in the forseable future. Shark what it currently is and trying to be, works fine currently though. Shame about the Amity chip place, when I visited there last May, I couldn't really fault the food or service, but perhaps that depends on the staff and day.

Yes, I think it's safe to say at 7000 miles apart, the amount of people who will actually be in position to ride both coasters will somewhat be a small minority. Lets also not forget Thorpe's Colossus features clones at parks in China, Italy and Russia plus an additional two on the way within parks in Turkey and Malaysia. If Thorpe got a Taron clone, it would certainly be more of a good thing as the coaster is amazing and one of my favourites, from a personal perspective. A different layout would be a strong vantage point though and strongly preferred. It's difficult to say what Thorpe would even get next as a major investment (however likely a coaster), but maybe a Taron style attraction is something on the short list.

Liking the list selection, which I think offers a great variety from what I can see. I like that most of the meets have fixed dates, which helps from the work perspective. Will try and make most/all of the meets if I can, but that depends on what happens with my life at the time. I think it's a good idea to have multiple choice for the abroad parks as it enables users to select where they want to go. Europa is an overall amazing place to visit, Liseberg is one of the easiest European parks to get to and will feature a major new coaster. Phantasialand is just stunning head to toe. If its the first two, count me in for sure.

Creds aside, rides should not always be judged purely on layout but other factors such as theming and landscaping. These things alone can also define the quality and differences of an attraction. For example, Piraten and Alaina Blitz feature identical/nearly identical layouts, yet both remain noticeably different in theme and appearance. It should also be mentioned both are highly popular in both the parks they belong to. I don't have a major concern of rides with clone/nearly identical layouts being implemented into other parks, especially if they feature exciting and remarkable layouts and turn up within smaller parks. Would never say no to a Tomahawk clone at Oakwood or Drayton Manor. Never going to happen though. I should also note Flight Of Pterosaur at Paultons was a clone, yet did wonders for that charming park, as a result of being the joint headlining attraction to the park's new themed area. the Lost Kingdom may well be Paulton's most successful and richly themed area to date.

Yes, Phantasialand don't like giving out specific opening dates for their attractions until close to opening. Not necessarily a bad thing. I remember with Klugheim whenever people answered about opening the park kept replying "there is no opening date" and then announced the opening a few weeks before. Given the amount of work remaining, it will likely receive an early 2019 opening and will surely feature another one or two supporting attractions too. Could this also mean Nighthawk and Hollywood have another year remaining? Given they usually close old attractions just before opening new ones and rumours suggest they are the next to go.

Someone Benin'd Benin! Wow.

Me when the press stop referencing 'The Smiler accident' when Alton Towers/Merlin appears in the news. I just hope they look after this new ride when it opens and it's not a rough uncomftsble run-down device two years later.

People also forget that companies like Disney and Universal also have different pass tier levels with blackout dates and events not included or requiring a small fee. The American parks may have as many as five pass tiers. The other thing about upcharges is it limits the amount of people visiting too as otherwise Thorpe would reach capacity every night, which is somewhere around 17K (based on a full lineup).

I would still say Thorpe has noticeably more hotels around it though compared to Chessington, Towers and Legoland though, given there are no major chains nearby to the latters and just a smallish Premier Inn round the corner for Chessie. The Shark Hotel isn't perfect but is more than sufficient for the park, at least until they build a large permanent hotel. My visit in May was enjoyable enough, with good customer service. The food at Fins for dinner and breakfast was reasonable and the atmosphere comparatively more relaxed than the day time. The entertainment was a little flat, but I'm sure they will fix that eventually. I think a TLC scheme would greatly benefit the park, as presentation is very important at parks and leads the consumer to have a noticeably more enjoyable day leading them to purchase more. Rides like Colossus, Tidal Wave and walkways in general could benefit greatly from this and especially bring back life to rides which looked fantastic in their opening years. Rumba needs some work doing too, as with the right effort they could turn it into Something special if they really wanted to and put the effort in the right places too. Loggers returning would be a good move for the park is it would return a popular ride, staple and something for smaller guests to do (Thorpe needs more 0.9-1.2 attractions), but I cannot see that happening 2018. Slammer just needs to be taken out as it's just a sad eyesore currently. I cannot see the entrance structures getting updated for some time now, at least the turnstile area at least. Who knows what the 2018 attraction will be, but it's very possible it will be Walking Dead based and perhaps utilise a retheme of sn existing ride. We will just have to see.

I'm a maybe for all the dates originally listed. It depends on my job hours at the time. If I'm working a late I'll be a no. If I'm working an early I probably won't surface until Tussauds. If I'm not in then I'll be there all day.

I think it is perfectly certain that given evidence, there will be one major thing happening with 2018 Fright Nights. It's happening next year.

2017 has been a rollercoaster year that's for sure, but here goes. Efteling 3 Port Aventura 4 Disneyland Paris 3 Liseberg 2 Alton Towers 2 Thorpe Park 317 (actually 5) Chessington 5 Legoland 1 Tulleys Phantasialand still have to come alongside Winter Wonderland sure.

From past experience I don't ever recall the recall the staff at Phantasialand to have that many issues, intact I found the people in Rutmoores pretty friendly from what I remember. The only time I ever recall getting told off by staff was on the Hollywood ride, and to be fair the reasons were quite understandable. Efteling & Liseberg from recent experience have shown to feature the best staff, but Disneyland Paris is very much up their now. The cast members on my previous visit were amazing. Port Aventura has some of the worst theme park staff I have experienced. Unfriendly, rude, unhelpful and responding to any query or concern as if you've just insulted their family. I don't think any Park I have been to have featured staff anywhere near as bad as Port Avs. closing queue lines before closing does seem a more common thing in European parks, as I've witnessed this in PA, Efteling and Phantasialand. At least Phantasialand actually advertise the initial closing time around the entrance of each ride.

I strongly believe many of faults of the park were as a result of the early years. When the park opened it was a financial flop and the crowds received were nowhere near high as expected to the point the park was at the verge of closing on several ocassions. Though things started picking up around the late 90's/early 00's, when the park changed from Euro Disney to Disneyland Paris, the parks were still struggling (having inherited millions in debt), and Eisner (Disney's CEO at the time) was making short-term and on the cheap instalments. Hence the messy Walt Disney Studios opening, which is perhaps the weakest Disney park by far. I have no doubt about it, that after years of decline, the park has a more optimistic future now, especially with the WDC now technically having full ownership now. The main park is looking considerably better after numerous recent renovation projects and featuring more entertainment and life in general. And I think once these are all completed (Phantom Manor upgrade, Small World interior?) there will be much more focus on fixing the Studios park. The place desperately needs sorting as it lacks much Disney flare, particularly the backlot area around Armageddon. Chances are they will probably invade invade that section of the park with Marvel and perhaps inherit more Pixar onto the other side. Whilst I think this will improve the overall product, I have strong concerns over Tower's future as current trends and rumours suggest as early 2018/2019 it will receive the Guardians treatment, which given where these sources are happening are very likely to be true. Hotel New York is also set to receive a Marvel retheme after it closes for refurbishment late 2018, which is a mixed development. When I last visited this year, the park seemed really full of life and entertainment and the resort (particularly the main park) looked in generally excellent condition and the cast members seemed noticeably more friendly and helpful than previous trips. Though there's some way to go, the place certainly seems to be on the up.

Going to Disneyland Paris within a large school or social group, always seems to doom a low and disappointing ride count, which isn't surprising. I remember when my sister went as part of a Brownie trip years ago and only managed 5/6 rides on a single day or something and barely remembers. Given the busyness and limited time you had, the majority of your list definitely features most of the main and best rides in the main park, although it's a shame you never managed to get on a Big Thunder and Phantom Manor. I usually find you get the best of most parks shorn visit as part of small group and would say 4-6 is usually the most ideal number. You certainly need a minimum of 2-3 days to get the core resort completed (subject to busyness). As much a Star Wars fan I am, Hyperspace just does not work with the Jules-Verne style architecture and just feels shoehorned for the sake of marketing and Star Wars stuff. Star Tours next door though is fab now and the surrounding area looks much better.

I guess it greatly depends whether you would want to visit a park purely for the rides or the whole experience? Efteling, Europa Park, Phantasialand, Liseberg and Disneyland Paris are some of the parks in Europe I would strongly suggest visiting. Liseberg is perhaps the easiest one to reach without car as you can reach the park simply by jumping on a shuttle bus to the city from Gothenburg Landvetter. British Airways, Norwegian and Ryanair all fly from London airports. The Gothia Towers hotel (opposite the park) is loverly and one of the most convenient locations I've seen for a hotel, although there are cheaper alternatives around if you prefer. Two days is enough to tackle the park at a relaxed pace, but you could probably do the park in one intense day if preferred. Phantasialand and Efteling are a little harder to get to, but no difficult either. You can fly to Amsterdam or Eindhoven for Efteling and Cologne or Düsseldorf for Phantasialand. It's two buses a train to Efteling via Eindhoven and two trains and bus for Phantasialand through Cologne. However both are doable through European road trips too, where you may want to throw in Plopsaland and Toverland too. I know quite a few on here have been to them. You have the Efteling hotel for Efteling, which is absolutely loverly to stay at or the NH Waalwijk a short'ish walk/taxi journey up the road if you prefer. I'm staying at Ling Bao at Phantasialand in a few weeks and can say the hotels at Phantasialand look strongly themed, but are also heavily convenient for a stay since there aren't that many hotels about. H+ hotel may be your best bet if you cannot stay on site for Phantasialand. Visit wise I would suggest 2 days for Phantasialand and 2-3 for Efteling depending when you visit. Europa Park is one of the more difficult ones to access. You can fly to Strousberg, Baden Baden or Bssel with numerous airlines such as Ryanair, EasyJet and Eurowings at London airports. Basel may be the best one to go, but I know public transport can be fiddly unless you get a hire car and drive to/from the park (75 minute drive) or get a shuttle (quite pricey). I haven't stayed onsite here (yet), but from what I've seen the hotels are beautiful and stunning, which there are five in total. Not sure how expensive they are but you have plenty of guest houses and Bnb's within Rust which many are a maximum of 15 minutes walk away from the park. I would advise nothing less than 3 days visiting here and if you are visiting for 5 or more, it may evrn be worth getting an annual pass, which offers at least one free entry to all the parks above (and Port Aventura). Disneyland Paris is one the busiest but easiest ones to get to in any shape or form fullstop. You can drive it by getting the euro tunnel from Folkestone to Calais which is then a 2.5-3 hour drive (depending on service stops). You can also ferry it to Calais or Dunkirk if you prefer. Or you can get the Eurostar from Kings Cross. Most involve a changeover at Lille but there limited direct routes there as well. There are also flights to Paris from Gatwick and Luton with EasyJet. You can then either get the TGV directly to the park or use the RER transport system to get to the resort too. The RER is cheaper but longer, but the TGV quicker and more expensive. I would choose the TGV personality as it takes you from the airport to the resort in 10 minutes or less. Hotel wise, I stayed at Newport Bay recently and was loverly and would recommend if you want the full-on Disney experience. However there are plenty of cheaper options. If you want to slum it, Sejours in Val'D Europe is a good choice as though it's very cheap, it's really pleasant to stay at too. I'd say three days is enough to visit here, four if you take it relaxingly.

I think Loggers returning is very 50-50. I feel like management want to reopen the ride, as it used to be very popular and would be something for all ages, however I guess it depends how much work would be required. Having been dormant for several years now, not only wouldn't be a case of restoring the ride system to running order such as repairing/replacing trough, pumps and other structures, but likely updating safety to meet current day requirements. I wonder if things such as the water system and boat restrictions could be amended.

Hopefully going to pop down to this one. I have no idea what I'm doing December so I just choose randomly what are probably the best two weekends. Hope to do all this trip to be honest, but will see. Food I don't mind.

I think the only time I have ever felt properly sick (or close to being sick) was on Samurai at Thorpe Park. never have I felt so nauseated and sickly in my life. I was close to vomiting on no fewer than two ocassions and it has strongly put me off riding it even to this day. Surprising coasters I barely ever feel nauseated on (maybe if I'm very dehydrated), but my advice would be to consume sweets and fizzy drinks with moderation at theme parks, especially if you take one any white knuckle rides.

I can relate to all those nightmar'ish airport and plane rants all to well. I hate how flights these days seem more likely to be delayed now than on time. I think at least every inbound flight I took last year was delayed by nothing less than an hour. One of them nothing short of four. What's even worse and more annoying is when your flight is cancelled altogether, as this means you now have to faff about trying to find another flight home as otherwise you are technically stranded. Even if the airline offers an alternative flight, it may not be practical, either due to being an inconvenient time of the day, landing at another airport or more likely both. Even if you can find another provider to fly home, you still have to go through the hassle of claiming a refund which is long and fiddly. Unfortunately unorganised people and screaming kids behind and/or in front of you in planes and airports is as common as butter on bread these days and is highly unlikely to change anytime soon. Job interviews are also difficult these days as you have so much competition. The good level stuff is very competitive and expects x amount of years usually in a lower end job, whilst the lower end (retail) stuff has hundreds of applicants. Even if you pull your socks off it's all to common to still be unsuccessful, with the 'lack of experience' label being flown up too often. I also hate jobs that use questionnaires during the beginning of the process with a passion. All it takes is one tiny screw up and your application is dead in the water. What's more I feel these questionnaire applications are not only inaccurate but also often limiting or fencing off similar roles within that company for a minimum of six months. If you just approach most people in shops looking for a job, they'll just tell you to apply online no matter how professional or keen you appear to them. finding a decent job these days seems a bit of a lottery to be fair and there are people out there who have without doubt been searching and searching for 2-3 years (maybe longer) and still not found anything. It just seems in the last few years, applications have become more computerised, cold, competitive and generally brutal. Unfortunately it'll probably only going to get worse for the foreseeable future.

Unfortunately there's not much a theme park can do when bad weather compromises the safe operation of rides, and even if they did stay open until the original time, what more could the park offer if the poor weather persevered. The best things parks can do on these sort of days are return/revalidated tickets. I know it won't satisfy everyone, but will st least compensate for the majority. I guess the websites should also also be kept upto date with accurate information too.

I think we will have to wait and see on this one. With track history, it could be anything.

Right, so based on the 8-10 trips a year (over the previous 10-12), I would like to bring up the following. 2018: January- Guildford replacement- I am assuming the Spectrum is to be (temporarily?) closed next year as part of the refurbishment/rebuilding process. Should tgis be the case, potential replacement ideas could include (but not be limited to) Jarman Park Hemel, Crawley or Basingstoke (they have a water park). March- Thorpe open meet- It isn't TPM without an open meet. April- Chessington, usually popular and Empires makes for a fun banterous gathering. May- International Meet? Could make a poll in advance giving people the choice of where to go. Liseberg might be a good choice with it's new coaster and easy transport connections, but parks like Phantasialand and Efteling could also be considered amongst others. June Towers Meet, could be done in November for fireworks alternatively. July- Anything goes. An alternative UK park maybe or even another Thorpe trip. I am unsure if or wether Ministry Of Sound will return. September- Blackpool, Icon is calling! October- Thorpe Fright Nights. Could combine with Tulleys but that might be going too far. Another staple meet. December- Christmas Meet. Ho ho ho. I think trips rips should be announced in advance, especially abroad/further distance ones so things such as planning, holiday and traveling can be researched. At the the end of the day, the meets aren't about the parks, but the people attending them making laugh out loud memories to remember years into the future.