Matt 236

It's time for me to begin my trip report with part 1 of 2!
It was a beautiful sunny morning as I headed to this place called Thorpe Park. Surprisingly, the weather stayed this way all day! We entered and headed straight to Inferno. I am really developing a new love for this ride as the back row was amazing yesterday (more so than usual). Everyone got a second go except me and Phil as we thought that not everyone was staying on and not all the seats were taken, then we realised there were 2 empty seats on the front row After this we did Slammer which was new for so a few people so well done Matt and James for taking on the worlds only sky swat! Saw followed which was seemingly smooth on the left side of our car but not the right. Then the power of 10 whilst it still holds on to the most inversions of any ride in the world that is operating
Now the photo part begins...

Alex, Fish, James and EC are amazed at this giant playground swing!

Alex, James and Mer get ready to brave it backwards whilst Styles isn't so sure.

Meanwhile Matt is looking concerned for his first backwards ride and Jack is confused where he is. He was devastated when he realised Smiler wasn't at Thorpe

EC and Phil enjoy the front right on The Swarm though even after destroying a billboard.

And EC's legs at the top (they really are).

Phil does his bit to save the world...

And his burst of strength continues when he realises X is open

Some of us need an energy boost after all that running so delve into Han's bag of goodies.
In part 2 we shall meet George and see who has braved the mighty Samurai...

Good to see the dispatch music making an appearance, whoring the back row twice in a row was a brilliant feat Shame about no mist in the tunnel, however, she's really ageing well

Really good meet, thoroughly enjoyed myself and seeing everyone again, hopefully see you all (and some new faces) soon

Just come back from my trip. Another great day at the park, really enjoyed myself on all the rides ( except when I was almost sick on Samurai after eating too much chocolate). The park for a bank holiday weekend wasn't too busy and the longest queue being backwards on the Swarm 30 mins.

It was great meeting new members such as Styles who was very friendly and helpful on the visit as well as meeting with the many other wonderful members who I met at the Chessington trip.

Overall another fantastic trip and thoroughly enjoyed it, a trip report will follow soon highlighting the adventures of this TPM mini meet. I can't wait to meet everyone again in the June meet.

I would like to say happy birthday to Jaymiee and Phil Pritchard. I hope you both have fantastic days.

Hey peeps, it's been a long while to get a decision but I'm going!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wouldnt be surprised

Yes from me please, day after last exam :D

2013, potentially Chessie's worst year since Vampire being Sbno.

Attending meet #2

It's typical - spend nearly a month hearing nothing back from the many jobs I'd applied for, then get 3 interviews in the space of a week!
But that's all a thing of the past, finally have a job, waheey!

Each summer is defined by one tune, this year it will be this...


Daft Punk, incapable of making anything other than perfection.

I found the inspiration for The Smiler building, the back of my local McDonalds.

I'm just hoping its 2014 the ride will be finished (not 2015) as the ride is clearly a rusting metal trough now.Tbh, Thorpe Park has more theming now than Chessie. If Oakwood can do some decent upscale theming, Chessington surely can too.

Congratulations for completely missing the point then.
The fact is, the park has been owned by Merlin since mid 2007. In that time next to nothing has been done to maintain Tomb, Runaway or Falls. It took the near death of a little girl last June for any kind of work to actually start to occur. Tussauds aren't just to blame for what has happened to the park in all that time, Merlin are just as responsible as Tussauds as while Merlin pumped over 30 million into Thorpe and Alton, Chessington got next to nothing levels of investment in new attractions or refurbishing rides that really were past their best.
It's the year when Zufari opens, that the park really had a chance to show what they had to a new audience. Instead these new guests are being treated to naked and ugly rides, decaying theming on Vampire and Bubbleworks and Skyride trains that look like they fell through a time vortex from 1987. I don't see any work happening to Skyway and considering how knackered I know it is I can only assume the only reason it isn't closed for a full on refurbishment is because it isn't seen as dangerous.. yet.
What Merlin are doing isn't actually upsetting me, I'm a grown adult and I've learnt that behind the magic is a management that lack any real power to do anything worthwhile with their park. But its the guests that walk into a park that see things like Tomb and Runaway covered in scaffolding or Falls missing rockwork that is missing out. And I think that's a shame.

I'm just hoping its 2014 the ride will be finished (not 2015) as the ride is clearly a rusting metal trough now.Tbh, Thorpe Park has more theming now than Chessie. If Oakwood can do some decent upscale theming, Chessington surely can too.

Tbh, I don't think Vampire has had a decent ride team for at least five years. Although for a brief period the staff were operating quite well (where one train would dispatch as the 2nd arrived), it seems to have gone down hill again.
It frustrates me so much that operations on this ride are so poor these days when its one of the most popular rides on park and also staff not managing two trains (let alone three).

Tbh, I don't think Vampire has had a decent ride team for at least five years. Although for a brief period the staff were operating quite well (where one train would dispatch as the 2nd arrived), it seems to have gone down hill again.
It frustrates me so much that operations on this ride are so poor these days when its one of the most popular rides on park and also staff not managing two trains (let alone three).

They said its been a secret for months according to them and its the first part in a five year five stage redevelopment, but I think it's a good theme.

DIS PHOTO!!!

For me the smiler has got a lot of firsts coming out of it - as I think matt said, 14 inversions, most compact, a long time since a long ride etc. now even though all these things may be 'standard' stuff to an enthusiast point of view as its not exactly original compared to the last weapon, it is still an amazing feat and records I'm extremely pleased to have in the uk where it is relatively easy to access. And in terms of the general public (the main guests) they will lap it up and loads of people are talking about it. So it's worked.
Plus we have all these stages happening during the ride that until we actually get to ride it we ain't truly gonna know the unique experience. During this whole project and even so now they have been tight lipped on certain aspects of the ride and with them playing up so much on the mental aspect this is gonna offer a lot as it is. To be honest I put my hats up to Alton towers for focusing on all aspects on the ride but the inversions! Even on some John wardley interviews he mentioned 14 inversions plus a secret element so that leads me to think the disorientor will be something brilliant. But I believe that this secret element will not be the marketable point of the ride when you have 14 inversions which is the thing to draw the crowds in - the rest is a bonus.
I also remembering at the beginning of the build it was being advertised as world beating, not world first so that lead me to believe from the get go it will just be a record breaker.
For a small island, and for what we have on offer. In terms of the stuff on what we have - I think we are extremely lucky and naturally as humans we will always expect / want more, but in terms of the smiler - just look at that beautiful beast, with all those features on the ride - what else do you need? I also think if there was another world first thing on there it just wouldn't have so much of an impact aka thirteen and just get list within the ride as there is already so much going on with it.

Despite how average the layout is for the ride, this looks an amazing addition to the park with theming and a tunnel that put Merlin's log flumes to shame. Really want to revisit Oakwood badly now.

more photos

Thanks an excellent trip report Peaj. Brings back all the excitement I experienced during the day. I hope Monkey Puzzle was fun as I couldn't attend that part. Can't wait for the next trip report.