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I think it would be a disappointing move if Merlin force Thorpe to drastically cut/scrap the sparkle project, because some of the things we saw this year were not only welcoming but much needed. Entering an attraction with new and repainted areas makes it feel much more appealing and welcoming, not to mention encourages people to spend more in the shops and cafes, overall increasing overheads per guest. There is still lots the park need to do in order to bring the rest of the park upto standard besides repainting the other half of Colossus. Repaint/refurbish Inferno, sort out Rumba and bits and bobs around Swarm too, to mention a few. Let’s not talk about the entrance. Merlin’s problem is they are financial cheapskates, giving as little as possible to mot their fleet of cars and only fixing the mandatory problems. Metaphorically speaking. Whereas most other parks see those additional faults as higher priority usually. The parks are limited with the tools provided.

Unfortunately Towers has been in quite the mess now for at least a decade now, although some would argue for the last twenty years even. The 90’s was clearly the park’s golden age, but even the 2000’s weren’t without its issues with theming cutbacks and removed rides. The early Merlin years saw some optimism with the likes of Mutiny Bay & Thirteen, but even they were short lived with neglected upkeep both in terms of appearance and infrastructure. There was a brief lull with Wickerman opening maybe. The problem with Merlin is they run their parks like a financial cookie cutter, where each attraction/division gets x amount of money and there is only so much they receive. And with the board failing to reach KPI’s and the like will only implement more cutbacks at present. The cost of living situation and Brexit are no doubt making this even more difficult. Towers like others in the Merlin portfolio needs millions spending on all its infrastructure, both front and back of house, however they are only going to do this when it needs to happen and no doubt it’ll be done in the cheapest and easiest way possible. Hence why so much looks like it’s still 1992 with just a cheap bit of paint slapped on.

We’ll be lucky if we get any new signs at this rate, given the rumoured cutbacks from Merlin. The only thing sparkling currently is Scott O’neils new suit.

I’m not disappointed about the removal of an old ride, I’m disappointed in the way they have handled this and how the park’s already thin lineup will be more noticeable as a result. Its always one step forwards and two steps back no matter what they do.

Welcome to the fifth and final addition to my California trip report. You’ve heard of car park coasters, now get ready for car park theme parks! Ok, this place doesn’t look like a car park. At least not anymore! Opening in 2001 on the former original car park of Disney, the neighbouring Disneyland was a magical, immersive and well themed destination. This place had none of them and was seen as a disaster and embarrassment. Flash forward two decades, and through various updates and expansions, this park has now become its own whilst retaining the Disney magic. The park’s entrance, Buena Vista Street leans very much on the golden age of Hollywood. The 1920’s/30’s which seems fitting as that was Walt’s dream was starting to come to life. It’s a beautiful welcoming space that romanticises Hollywood (very much so) but manages be similar yet contrasting to Disneyland Park’s entrance. Attractions & Areas: Hollywood Land- One of the first main areas you come across, which continues on from Buena Vista street perfectly. Whether it’s the red trolley or other areas, it fits nicely. The area does have some similarities to Walt Disney Studios (Adventure World), just a little. Monsters Inc- Mike & Sulley To The Resque- A quirky dark ride based on the Monsters Inc movie. It was ok, enjoyable enough. Not the best (Disney) dark ride by any means but does what it needs to do. Except when it broke down for a lengthy period the first time we queued. Still a lot better than that short-lived Superstar Limo ride. Rumours say some of the animatronics were reused in this ride. Makes sense. Mickey’s Philharmafic- A charming and mesmerising show featuring many characters and music numbers from iconic Disney films. Avengers Campus- The new kid on the block, as areas go. Naturally this area by some will be seen as perhaps controversial, because of the guardians tower and arguably stripping back some of the park’s gleam during the improvement years. However I think the area looks fine and generally fits in enough for the park. Guardians Of The Galaxy- Mission Breakout, it’s crazy to think it’s almost been ten years since DCA controversially gutted out the former Cali Tower Of Terror ride (some whilst still open) and converted it into a Guardians style ride instead. Out is the mysterious theming and eerie music, replaced by a grand futuristic fortress with a selection of pop songs. I entered with mixed emotions, especially given my love towards the Paris & Florida rides and my thoughts when they changed this. However, I liked it, I really liked it, loved it even. Ok, it feels weird how different the whole vibe is, from the queue,pre-show and the ride itself. I really like the pre show actually and the Rocket animatronic is great. When it’s not in B-mode anyway. I can’t help but beat along to the catchy soundtracks whilst riding. It feels very uplifting, especially listening to Pat Benatar’s Hit Me With Your Best Shot playing. In the evenings, they did a Halloween overlay too, which was cool. Overall I really enjoyed Mission Breakout a lot more than I was expecting. Whilst I think I just slightly prefer the Hollywood Hotel theme, my general consensus that this was probably the weakest tower prior and hopefully the others won’t be touched, but we shall see. Spider-Man- Webslingers, Very much like the one in Paris, except more of the queue is outside I believe. The attraction is nothing extraordinary but another variation of a shooter type ride. I scored the highest in my group, so I can’t complain on that front. Cars Land- One of the most striking and iconic areas of the whole park. It certainly looks beautiful and encapsulates everything from both the cars movies and the route 66 setting, which is intentionally being drawn upon. From the mountains, diner and even the long road. It’s all there. Radiator Spring Racers- The star attraction of this area, which is basically a mixture between test track and a classic dark ride, this attraction mixes scenes featuring many of the radiator spring residents, before racing around the rockwork areas within the area. It was a pleasant and enjoyable attraction which I strongly enjoyed, however would argue it gets a little overhyped perhaps. Maters Junkyard Jamboree- A short but adorably hilarious variation of the crazy taxi ride at Europa Park. Very enjoyable. Pixar Pier & San Fransokyo Square Located towards the back of the park are Pixar Pier and San Fransokyo Square. San Fransokyo is more of a food and beverage area, including a unit dedicated to chocolatier Ghiradelli. Which did some delicious treats here. Pixar pier essentially bases itself around a turn of the century boardwalk, perhaps taking inspiration from places such as Santa Cruz, Santa Monica and Belmont park perhaps. Even with the Pixar overlay numerous years ago, the area still looks great. I loved the reference to San Francisco seals on one of the posters. Incredicoaster- Star attraction of the area (and of within the park), from a distance it looks like an old wooden coaster, but is actually an intamin in disguise. It has a great launch sequence, some fast and twisty turns, not to mention a loop within its lengthy circuit. Probably one of my favourite Disney coasters, except for the harsh brakes at the end maybe. Still an enjoyable ride. Other rides in this area include the crazy yet iconic Pixar Pal-around wheel, where we naturally went for the swinging gondolas. The first round was ok, but the second was definitely more crazy. Still a unique thing worth doing, if you don’t get too nauseous on swinging type rides. They also had a Toystory midway mania. The ride itself was very much the same as the one in Florida, but only had one track and a less grand queue too. Paradise Gardens Just infront of Pixar pier is paradise gardens, which generally continues the old boardwalk style pretty much. Goofy’s Sky was a highly acceptable wild mouse coaster and the Little Mermaid dark was simply adorable to experience. Quality scenery and animatronics. Grizzly Peak (and airfield) Essentially two sub-areas combined together, but most will probably still call it Grizzly Peak. It’s essentially a national park themed area with Sequoia Forest style vibes, plus the grand Californian hotel which has some similarities to Paris’s Sequoia lodge. The rides are a mixed selection here, you have the Grizzly River Rapids, which were great fun and delivered a decent amount of soaking too. They also had Soarin, which had resumed to playing the world version over the original, which was ok and perhaps a little better then the Orlando one, but maybe that’s just me. Finally, in true Disney tradition they have a night time show. World Of Colour. The current version titled One, features a selection of classic, Pixar and other properties such as Marvel under one show, celebrating over 100 years of Disney storytelling. I had some empowering messages especially when things become difficult. A lovely show to watch indeed. Conclusion: And that concludes my California trip reports, which will probably be the last ones I write probably. But wow it has been one crazy roller coaster ride. Magic Mountain was impressive with its vast coaster selection (especially X2), Knotts put on a phenomenal Halloween event amongst some interesting rides. Universal surpassed my expectations with its stunning location, backlot tour and of course. Horror nights. Los Angeles was probably the biggest let down, the place was deprived and rundown in many areas and there were numerous questionable characters around. That said the observatory area with the views of the city and Hollywood sign was great, and I liked Santa Monica. Disneyland (both parks) were honestly such a joy to visit and experience. I loved experiencing all the old and the new attractions there, which though a smaller scale was such a charming and delightful place to visit. This trip reminded me of my first Disney experience in Paris, almost ten years ago and for me brought back lots of the happiness I felt back then. Visiting Disneyland no joke has made feel the happiest I’ve been in a while. This is Matt creek signing off, thanks for reading.

Hello, here is the fourth and final report from my recent California trip so no better place to end than in Disneyland. Not Paris, but the one that started it all, which Walt built and set foot in. Opening in 1955, the park and resort marks for one of the first and oldest theme parks (not amusement parks) around, which perfectly boasts and balances traditional character, but also modernity as well. Unlike its French and Floridian counterparts, this one (at least in landmass) is much smaller, hence the existence of Disney World. But that’s another topic. All things considered it still boasts a vast selection whilst still being photogenic too. The outside hub of the resort weirdly reminds me of Efteling for some reason. Downtown Disney is much smaller but cosy than Florida’s and the parking situation is weird, as the Toy Story lot is like a 7 minute bus ride away from the rest. Disneyland Park/ I won’t be the first to say this (and perhaps not the last), but I was actually astounded about how much smaller the scale of this park is to the other parks, especially the mainstreet, which is 1/3 shorter in length than the other ones I’ve seen. The paths/routes are also noticeably smaller, which again would be expected as being the first park. The castle although small, is still adorable and a charming spectacle to see. Adventure Land/ Relitively small area but packed with some awesome rides. Jungle Cruise- this was my first jungle cruise I experienced and likely fitting to be the first one. I love the cheesy cliche jokes and witty humour throughout the ride, plus that “backside of water” joke never gets old. Indiana Jones Adventure- There were two things I knew about this ride before riding, 1- it has the same layout as dinosaur and the ride’s queue cleverly takes you out of the park. Words can’t describe how mind blowing this dark ride is, like wow! The effects, the fire, the dynamic ride vehicles and everything. It really felt like a complete adventure and package during the whole attraction and is easily one of my favourite dark rides I’ve done. New Orleans Square Not really a square, but the buildings and facades are full of charm, but most importantly two of my favourite Disney attractions. Pirates Of The Caribbean- I’m absolute sucker for anything pirates, so riding the original POTC in Disneyland was something I was massively excited about. Once you traverse through the dense outdoor queue, you reach the loading station and begin your adventure. At 15 minutes, this ride holds a longer duration than the others, but never gets boring. The ride is the perfect mix between mystery and action scenes, classic pirates and movie plush ups. And of course that awe iconic soundtrack. It’s a close call, but I think this might just be the best of the three I’ve done. Magic kingdoms the worst without doubt Haunted Mansion Holiday- Disneyland’s version of this ride is interesting in the most contrasting ways, it is the original, but also receives a festive overlay, based on the film, The Nightmare Before Christmas. Despite some differences, the changeover works really well, with changes of music, scenes and characters. Kidnap the Sandy claws is surprisingly similar musically to grim grinning ghosts. The mixture between both was delightful to see, even things like jingle bells playing in the Graveyard. The ride was on virtual queue, due to the plaza being renovated. Frontier Land Whilst it lacks the grand setting as the one in Paris, it does have an organic styling around the whole area and the rivers of America in the middle looks delightful, which hosts the Mark Twain riverboat and the nighttime show Phantasmic. Magic Kingdom’s really wont hold a candle to this when it is criminally demolished. Big Thunder Railroad- Always a pleasant coaster to ride and experience, especially with its entertaining lift 3 finale. It doesn’t compete to Paris’s incredible variant, but I still prefer it to Floridas to be honest. Fantasy Land/ It feels like a rougher less refined version of the Paris version, however this one is better, because it has a whole array of classic dark rides and also boasts an exclusive ride. The Matterhorn Bobsleds. The areas received its fair share of updates overtime, including a large update in the eighties, where several rides were either expanded or rebuilt. Matterhorn Bobsleds- I’m not lying when this was probably the most anticipated Disney coaster on this trip. Being a striking centrepiece even after this time, it’s great to look at as well as riding. This ride beats Everest, by not only having one, but two working Yetis. Plus the area music gives me Europa Park vibes. The two racing tracks, relentless fly down the mountain delivering one heck of a wild ride. It’s no smooth coaster, but then again it was the first ever steel one. At night it is something else! Alice In Wonderland- To those who have ridden this, you have no doubt ridden the Blackpool version first. I have for sure. It shouldn’t really be a comparison but it is. One version is a refined and updated attraction variant, with story dialogue and direction. The other a cheesy but iconic experience with an amusing song from a different movie. I like both for different reasons and whilst Disney’s is obviously better, I can’t help but say the Blackpool one is weirdly more distinctive for its quirky characteristics. The other dark rides- Four other classic dark rides reside in this area, one of which is exclusive to this park. Mr Toad’s Wild Ride is a short but snappy experience, from a film most are probably less familiar with (Disney’s mr Toad). Though perhaps the weakest, I can’t help but be amused by the remnant of the ride ending in hell. Which especially being in a Disney ride is just remarkable. Peter Pan’s flight was the usual setup of nursery, flying over London and neverland. I preferred it to Florida’s even if there was no interactive queue, but Paris might still win just. Pinocchio was just as delightful as the Paris one and Snow White’s Enchanted Wish was a delightful plush up from the original ride. Shame the queue was very messy, for Disney standards. It’s A Small World- Disneyland, home to the original 1964 world’s fair boat ride, which is probably one of the most famous and iconic rides ever made (for better or worse). However unfortunately we would t get to see this as the ride was closed for refurbishment. It’s a small park after all. Everything else- There was an adorable canal boat ride, with various Disney diorama scenes. It was like the one in Paris, except you get a cast member onboard giving you descriptions of each of those scenes, which was a nice touch. The teacup ride was fun but short, boom. Tomorrow Land/ Anaheim’s version is honestly such a divisive version of the ‘supposedly’ futuristic area. In my eyes it has some of the best versions of attractions you’ll find in one, but lacking the substance the other two have. No doubt due to its smaller size and the long dead Rocket Rods dominating the area (probably forever). Space Mountain- Probably my favourite version, I love the cheesy atmospheric space setting and the way the ride just winds around its layout in the dark. The operations on this ride were amongst the best I’ve ever seen at a theme park. The Monorail- though it’s route lacks the scenic views of the railroad, it gives an interesting detour between the park and Downtown Disney, especially if you fancy some shopping or dining there. Napoli Pizza is somewhere I recommend for decent pizza. Buzz Lightyear Blasters- Better than WDW’s because the ceiling doesn’t look like it belongs in a Merlin park Star Tours- Just like the others I’ve done, but it still rocks (literally) Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage- For those that ask, yes it is better than the ride at Legoland, and was quite the surprise with scenery and animatronics on there. It’s quite an old ride apparently but the Nemo update fits for the ride. Other Park Areas/ There is Bayou county, housing the new Tiana ride. Which was open only to Passholders and cast members, so we missed out! A shame really. There was also the Winnie The Pooh dark ride was charming, the hefflelump segment was the best part. Star Wars Land was pretty much the same as the one in Hollywood Studios in Orlando, except being in this park rather than the Studios. That said, it was still impressive and delightful to visit, especially with the awesome Rise Of The Resistance and dynamic Smugglers Run. Not to mention they’ve blended this with Frontier Land is actually a genius move on the imagineering part. I guess you could say it’s a space western! Mickey’s Toontown hosted two notable dark rides. The first of those was the Rodger Rabbit ride, which being a fan of the movie I should’ve liked. Sadly it just fell a bit flat for me, probably largely unhrlped by the spinning function not working properly. Whilst Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway lacked the grand facade of DHS, the ride was still a delight to experience, hosting its usual stunning tricks, from a separating train carriage and scene separating throughout. Disneyland also boasts the classic railroad which circles the original park circumference, since extended several times. Interestingly all seats face into the park in attempt to hide the outside world, also delivered a large berm. The dark ride segment between tomorrow land and mainstreet was mesmerising to watch. Several shows were watched too, including Fantasmic on the river. This was honestly phenomenal to watch, from countless effects to music and characters. Seeing the many Disney heroes on the mark twain boat at the end was a spectacular segment to watch. Twice. The spooky illuminations on the castle were enjoyable enough to watch, but still gutted I missed the original fireworks. And with that, I’ve probably covered my experience with the original Disney Park. I’ll cover my thoughts on Disney’s California Adventure as well as concluding of Disney and this trip in my next and final part. Until then, see you real soon.

This news is hugely disappointing but not surprising. kingda Ka was such an iconic ride and definitely one that was high up on the bucket list. It’s hard to imagine SFGA and the world without this ride. As closures go, the handling has been amongst one of the worst. Whilst the ride was notoriously unreliable, even a 2 week/month warning would have been better than nothing at all. Which bar the bloggers rumours about this is true. 2025 will sure be a strange one for this park.

Welcome back, if the other parts didn’t bore you. Here’s my report for Knotts Berry Farm. But first, here’s a photo of the Hollywood sign. Seeing this in the flesh was just exciting. Out of the California parks I visited, Knotts has got to be the most divisive one I’ve done so far. A somewhat underwhelming park in the day, plagued by disappointing operations, some rundown areas and other bits. That said, the beef meal at the BBQ place was superb. Owned by Cedar Fair since the late 90’s (or should that now be Six Flags), you can see a mixture of styles with in the park, from it’s western setting towards the front and turn of the century look towards the back. Like many parks, it’s practically landlocked so expansion isn’t really possible. Coasters: There are 9 coasters at the park, I managed to ride seven of them. Accelerator is perhaps the most known coaster, which is like a mixture between Rita & Stealth. I found it ok, not amazing just ok. I think it just misses that oomph that stealth has and it probably didn’t help that it was in one train. Silver Bullet on the other hand was better than expected, hearing mixed thoughts about this ride. I really liked it, glass smooth yet forceful and some nice interaction with the western area. Probably somewhere in the middle for B&M inverts maybe. Hangtime is a very decent Gerstlauer coaster, especially given its remarkably small footprint (formerly a boomerang) with an interesting drop and ideal mix of elements including inversions. Better than Smiler, country miles from Saw. Ghost Rider is the park’s iconic woodie and makes for a spectacular night ride, which was of course done. The ride was forceful and intense yet remained smooth throughout. Definitely one of my favourite wooden coasters which is worth the insane wait times at night. Out of the park’s other coasters, Pony Express was ok but interacts nicely with the nearby rides. Coast Rider, the park’s wild mouse strongly reminded me of the Jungle Coaster at Legoland. It was pleasant if a little mediocre. Jaguar was probably my favourite non thrill coaster. I like how it wildly meanders around the area and keeps a decent length too. I still remember it from those channel 4 openings from the 2000s. Other Rides: The park boasts two water rides and two dark rides (though one of the former is both). The Timber Mountain log ride is perhaps one of the oldest and iconic rides in the whole park. Opening in 1969, the ride predates both of the Disney flumes, in their original splash mountain forms. The ride boasts several drops (one inside) as well as a mixture of indoor and outdoor sections. There are numerous dark ride scenes featuring animatronics throughout the ride, which are easily the best I’ve seen on any water ride. A ride that can’t be missed on visiting this park! The other water ride was the Calico river rapids, which felt a mixture between the intense spinning ones and one of the more scenic ones too. A moderate level of wetness and some impressive theming and animatronics around the ride too. Now for the two dark rides, it was all a mixed bag really. Calico Mine Ride was an interesting one, where you board a train which goes around lots of mining scenes (mostly inside the building). It reminded me of Nutty Jake’s at Oakwood and maybe the Goldmine at Blackpool, based from POVS. The wait was arduous but the ride was pleasant. Knotts Berry Tales wasn’t the best if I’m honest, but that was largely not helped by experiencing a breakdown and my blaster not working at all during my ride. As screen-based shooters go, I think there are better. Due to a late arrival and other bits, there was no time to experience the other park attractions. Knotts Scary Farm Knotts Scary Farm is the park’s annual scare event, and it has been a staple and popular occurrence since its launch, back in the early seventies. The park is decorated immensely with spooky decorations, from its entrance to many of its themed areas. The place is littered with scare-zones all over the park, which for a place a little bigger than Chessington is quite remarkable. The atmosphere is just surreal. There were ten scare mazes at this event, all with a vast array of themes and settings, from witch trials, Spiders and experiments gone wrong, as such. Whilst I did have my favourites, the astounding thing about this event was that none of the mazes felt weak or noticeably different in quality. All were very much of decent lengths, intricate set design and good scares, which managed to get me on some locations. Origins might be my initial favourite, due to it’s excellent backstory, but I also really liked the presence of the ‘out of the box’ circus setting in Mesmer, as well as the gangster setting in the maze Room 13. Cinema Slasher gave me strong trailer vibes, but one of it on steroids. It’s a big event and immensely popular too, with hours from 7 until 1-2 in the morning, making even frightful nights feel like an early bedtime. It was busy, it was intense, but definitely worth it. Not just for its mazes but its vast atmosphere and awesome park ride lighting too. I consider this the best Halloween park event I’ve ever done, surpassing both Halloween horror nights and Tulleys. My only criticism is, that if you want to get a lot done on peak days, express is unavoidable because the lines get ridiculously long, especially on the mazes and ghost rider. Conclusion: Knotts may have actually been the park on this trip I was the most disappointed with strangely and it has nothing to do with the rides, but more the operational side of it at least in the day. However it’s Halloween event absolutely kicks ass and throughout delivery both quantity and quality absolutely delivers, to the point I may never find another event to surpass this. Just as well this is the first time I haven’t done fright nights since 2012.

Hello and welcome to part 2 of my California 2024 trip reports. This entry takes us Universal Studios Hollywood, the original universal park which has now been open for over 50 years, predating every other park considerably. Even the Orlando resort. As oldest Universal park, at first glance this park is significantly smaller than its other parks with considerably fewer attractions, especially compared to the Orlando resort. However this park makes up for much of that shortfall. Firstly, the park has a unique selling point, it’s adjacent to a working studio complex. This lends itself to the mesmerising Studio Backlot tour, more on that later. Not to mention a stunning and unique location, where the park is on different levels, requiring several flights of escalators to get there. Twice the amount of say Liseberg. You can get some stunning views of the surrounding area there too. Even if the attraction front is condensed, what they’ve got here is still a rather sufficient lineup, which will only be improved substantially by the Fast & Furious coaster eventually. Annoyingly Jurassic World unexpectedly shut during our visit and reliability issues also meant being spited of Hollywood’s Transformers ride too (darn it). Super Nintendo World (Hollywood version) Universal’s latest blockbuster area, Super Nintendo World.Opening last year, this is noticeably downsized version of the one in Tokyo, which opened two years prior. The main area differences are that this one only contains one ride and is all on one level pretty much. Walking around the area was absolutely stunning, with so many incredible details. Moving coins, characters, strong scenery and of course music too. There’s nothing quite like it (except Tokyo I guess) and was blown away by it all. There was always something new to find. The ride in this area is Mario Kart: Bowser’s challenge, which as the name suggests is based on the popular game, Nario Kart. The queue line is massive but is also beautifully themed, going through themed rooms and even a giant bowser statue. The pre-show/holding areas work in some ways, but not always others, due to some bottleneck areas. The ride itself was an absolute delight, utilising 3D glasses on a dual loading track circuit, where one can steer the car and fire and use objects from the game. A mixture between screens and animatronics are used. As someone who loves the game, this was a very enjoyable and addictive attraction, which was done four times during the visit. I also (somehow) won on all the goes Also inside the area are numerous interactive objects, which can be triggered by power up bands (additional cost) as well as a shop and the toadstool cafe, a restaurant where you can eat a variety meals in the mushroom kingdom. I had the meatballs and tiramisu block, both tasty enough, if a little pricey. The bowser attack sequence every 15 minutes made for an interesting touch. Wizarding World Of Harry Potter Just like Super Nintendo World, this version is also noticeably smaller than the others, still housing the impressive Forbidden Journey, within the grand castle as well as a variety of shops, restaurants and hippogriff coaster within the area. No Hagrid’s motorbike here unfortunately. Forbidden journey was just as enjoyable as last time, apart from the ride stopping both times we rode it and not fully resetting in the located scene. Oh well. Revenge Of The Mummy I’d heard a lot of reports saying the Hollywood version was noticeably weaker than the Orlando version and this is correct. However, it was still a greatly enjoyable ride, by going forwards, then backwards and then forwards again. There were fewer effects in this one, no fire or other bits, however space limitations are likely. Still an enjoyable dark ride coaster mind you. The first room gives me terror tomb vibes. The Upper- lot On a whole, most of the park’s rides are actually on the upper lot, the rest of the ride lineup, these include: A small Simpsons area featuring a few food places and the ride itself. Was about the same as the Orlando one, except maybe a little more bumpy for some reason. Despicable Me- Minion Mayhem, decent enough simulator ride themed after the popular despicable me films. Featured the usual gags and was a coool gimmick to become a minion. Secret Life Of Pets- Off The Leash- Charming dark ride using a mixture of old and new effects including a decent number of lovely animatronics too. Dream Works Theatre- Amusing Kung Fu panda show, featuring an open with many of the iconic dream works characters. Backlot Tram Tour One of the fundamental elements that makes the Hollywood park worth visiting is the backlot tram tour. This 45-60 minute experience passes many of the iconic sets and backlot areas used in universal films. Including the courthouse square, the psycho mansion and the jaws scene, although this was closed on the day. There were also Kong, earthquake and fast and furious segments in the experience too. The latter was definitely better than the atrocious ride in the Florida park. Halloween Horror Nights This was my second universal horror nights I experienced, only this time in Hollywood and not Orlando. The format is virtually the same, with numerous large scale house located in mostly soundstage like buildings, striking scare zones with numerous actors and set pieces as well as some shows too. The turnover especially for the latter is definitely impressive. There were eight scare houses/mazes located throughout the park. Some on the upper lot and others on the lower lot. A couple were relocated in completely different area, which was weird because you essentially walked a good 5-10 out of the way from the rest of the park. However given space limitations, this was probably logical. The typical maze involves one walking in an end-less group style way (a walking omnimover if you wish). Vast setpieces and design await, with various timers through. It’s great on the sense of design and immersion, but if you are after a more intimate experience perhaps not. Several Marshalls are hidden in some areas, prompting people on if the pace lessons too much. Out of the eight, the Ghostbusters and Texas Chainsaw Massacre were the ones I probably liked the most, with some awesome effects and interesting jump scares. The latter had some pretty gory set design for sure. Despite anticipation and missing out on it Orlando, I was rather disappointed by The Weekend maze, which besides his awesome music didn’t feel like one thing or the other. Besides some awesome scare zones, featuring 7-8 feet tall figures, we watched an awesome stunt show based on the Purge, in the water world theatre and an entertaining Chucky doll show in the dream works theatre. For me, this event definitely retains the awesome quality of the one seen in Orlando. And that’s the end of the report, it’s definitely still worth visiting despite being a park of only a dozen attractions pretty much. And here is Santa Monica.

Hey all, I initially thought that I would be handing in my blogging quill following my Florida trip 2 years ago. However I guess my passion and interest for parks and traveling has perhaps resurrected this. Until last month, I had never set foot in a Six Flags park (shock horror). However that finally changed, following a significant trip to California. After some sightseeing shenanigans in San Francisco, it was time to experience my first major park. Six Flags Magic Mountain. For me this had been a bucket list park for many years, from its vast array of thrilling coasters to its presence in Roller Coaster Tycoon and Wally World. Until Energylandia expands again, this park has thr highest number of coasters at any operating park. Thats if they all operate. During our time, we were spited both Goliath and Superman. A pity perhaps, especially given the latter may be on the chopping block. Least the former was getting a repaint I guess. As a 365 park (supposedly), spiting was expected and I have heard some disappointing trip reports. However this visit wasn’t too bad, all things considered. It’s certainly a vast and iconic park, its entrance is a little dated, but still seems fitting. Operations were a mixed bag, with some rides running fine on two, but others on just one train, even with noticeable queues, which was a bit of a shame. There are some rundown areas, but they didn’t look as bad as expected. Maybe sky tower will eventually reopen. Now, the rides: X2 An incredible coaster, it’s extreme, intense but largely unique and complex. It mixes the old with the new, no wonder it bankrupted arrow. Pity it’s difficult to photograph! Tatsu I have mixed reactions when it comes to flying coasters, I don’t mind Galactica but generally disliked Manta. Tatsu however I really enjoyed. Flying around the mountain, interacting with other rides, it was surprisingly comfortable and didn’t feel over-intense either. Possibly my favourite B&M flyer. Twisted Colossus Being my fourth RMC (Ibox) and predating the other (famous 3) I’ve experienced. Despite this, it certainly made a highly interesting ride with a decent variety of air and hangtime. The layout didn’t feel too competitive, despite its old life as a duelling woodie. It’s no Zadra, but still ticks boxes and an RMC lover. The DC Coasters- Riddlers Revenge, Wonder Woman & Batman Understandably Six Flags have a lot of DC Comic themed attractions in their parks, a number of which can be found in here. Including three coasters, two B&Ms and an RMC. Riddlers Revenge is a very solid standup coaster, featuring a variety of smooth yet forceful elements and easily my favourite standup coaster. Using a variation of Sash’s Ecuador in the station is one of the most upbeat tunes I’ve seen in a station since Euromir. Sadly the operations didn’t follow with a 1 train service. Wonder Woman marked my first RMC single rail and 300th coaster. It’s an interesting concept with one seat rowed trains flying through tight and nifty elements, however it doesn’t hit the same spot as other such coasters, even if it is a unique one. Batman the ride was overall great, though again like a number of coasters here rather tucked away from being visible. The station was one of the better themed and the ride experience feeling largely similar to Nemesis Inferno, albeit a little longer and more intense perhaps. Which is no doubt a good thing. West Coast Racers My experience with premier rides in Florida, left something to be desired, however it’s warmed up a little in California. I enjoyed this a lot more than expected, with some nippy little elements and interaction from the other half of the ride. It’s a strange entry, given it feels like it should’ve been two duelling coasters, rather than one large ride that duels against itself. The wait in the middle is therefore a little tedious. Full Throttle It might be one of the shorter (major) coasters in the park, but those launches really give this ride a kick, from its giant loop and airtime hill after the second and third launches. Could maybe do with a slightly longer length, but maybe that’s me. Apocalypse Another GCI coaster and one where theming/experience has perhaps been attempted. A near immersive queue line ruined by slow operations thanks to a single train op and large amount of Flash pass sadly. The ride was a little bumpy, but I’ve done both better and worse woodies. The station fly through does contradict the escape theme, as I heard another guest say. Whilst waiting in the station. Scream As a floorless coaster it’s an enjoyable and decent one, however it’s pretty obvious it was built on a car park, as you can still see some of the markings below. Right. Ninja & Viper- Classic arrows Ninja makes for my fourth entry of the endangered Arrow suspended coasters and could possibly be my favourite one yet. It features a long lengthy layout, swinging wildly on the hillside whilst interacting with the jet stream (lisebergesque) flume. The lift at the end to the station didn’t ruin the pace near as much as I expected. Gutted to have never ridden Eagles Fortress or Big Bad Wolf. As classic arrows go I really enjoyed Viper, which despite its age was not rough at all. It has interesting pacing and feels like one of the more photogenic park coasters surprisingly. Hopefully this old snake still has life in her yet, unlike others that have since been demolished. New Revolution Great classic coaster, which reminded me of lisebergbanen a little, albeit with a loop included. Relitively smooth for a ride such its age and so glad they ditched the VR from whenever that terrible fad happened. Only gripes was ride staff not allowing guests to lower the restraints (weird) and the entrance was surprisingly hard to find. Other attractions Believe it or not, Six Flags Mountain has other attractions that aren’t rollercoasters (shock). Besides a large kid area in one corner of the park, other attractions include: Jet Stream- Classic flume ride with several drops around the hillside. It reminded me of Flume ride and has some good interaction points with the other rides. Justice League- Battle For Metropolis I’d been so focused on the coasters ahead of this trip that I completely forgot they had a dark ride there. Something between a mix of Webslingers and Transformers, I actually enjoyed this dark ride a lot more than I was expecting, which featured some cool effects and animatronics. Surprisingly good. Roaring Rapids- Nice classic rapids ride with moments of crazy wetness and spinning action. A decent length too. Riding this at night is a stark reminder of not being at a U.K. park. Lex Luther’s Drop Of Doom- It’s no detonator but the views are impressive and the drop still has some moments of intensity They had a decent selection of flats including a high flying Gyro swing, spinning wheel and the like. Due to only having 1.5 days to visit, I had no chance to experience these. The funicular trams (formerly orient express) were both closed when I went. Fright Fest The park’s answer to Fright Nights or Howl’o scream. There was a vast number of mazes (11 in total) and lots of scare zones. Although the quality did not equate to some of the other events on this trip, it was still highly enjoyable with some lengthy mazes with some good scares and acting throughout. The mazes with stranger things, the ‘failed’ tv show and museum were the ones I enjoyed the most. The two outdoor houses were very impressive too, especially with how the actors hid away and all the fire effects too. It reminded me of a larger scale fright nights so it is definitely worth visiting, even if you do an evening only day. Conclusion: I’d heard some absolute horror stories about this place. Bad operations, availability and being a poorly up-kept park. Don’t get me wrong, this park is not without its perfections but I certainly enjoyed it a lot more than I was expecting with one of the most vast coaster selections I’ve seen since visiting Cedar Point. Whether it be during the Californian sun or dark evening. The atmosphere in the day was intermittent but maybe better at night. Food & drink was pricey but still better than Chessington’s. It’s worth a visit for its diverse selection and interesting location. But if you are a cred/attraction hunter, just don’t expect to get on everything!

Suppose I should update some of my top 10 stuff, following that Cali trip. Coasters: 1/ Steel Vengeance 2/ Veloci-coaster 3/ Zadra 4/ Toutatis 5/ Mako 6/ X2 7/ Hyperion 8/ Voltron 9/ Hyperia 10/ Nemesis Reborn Dark rides: 1/ Tower of Terror WDW 2/ Rise Of The Resistance 3/ Indiana Jones- Disneyland 4/ Guardians Mission Breakout 5/ Pirates In Batavia 6/ Pirates Of The Caribbean Disney Cali 7/ Forbidden Journey 8/ Phantom Manor 9/ Runaway Railway 10/ Symbolica Theme parks 1/ Europa Park 2/ Universal Orlando 3/ Cedar Point 4/ Disneyland Resort 5/ Phantasialand 6/ Disney World 7/ Energylandia 8/ Six Flags Magic Mountain 9/ Parc Asterix 10/ Disneyland Paris TLDR, Wonder Woman was my 300th coaster.

Alton Towers in 2024 Everything except Nemesis Reborn!

I mean, that is true to an extent. But one could argue Hex has had a lot of more one and offs in the last eight years. Including the whole of 2016 on top of the whole of the last two years really. I have no information regarding the Asterix madhouse, but it is a pity if that too has been closed as that leaves the place without a sufficient indoor attraction at present. Following Transdemonium’s removal years ago.

That lasted about as long as the sale of the old Duel blasters. How they can’t run a madhouse sufficiently compared to other parks baffles me.

I’ve had three different trips to this place in the last year at Christmas, spring and summer, and certainly didn’t get bored at all. Europa as a destination reminds me that a great theme park can carry as much escapism as a lavish city break. Whether it’s the stunning rides, the lovely scenery or even the food. This place strongly delivers to levels so many other parks never will. Voltron is a ride that left me unsure to begin with, but after multiple re-rides has made me adore the thing. Mack produckt as some may say. I’m rather mixed about the changes in Austria. The flume has benefited the strongest from the change in landscape, but Alpen by far has suffered the most. I miss the mine, but creating something new made sense, especially since the original eighties charm and azure would’ve been impossible to replicate. Blue fire, Wodan & Silverstar are all coasters I adore and the new Batavia dark ride is top-tier. Must not leave it four years for my next return visit, even if my pass has finished.