Matt 236

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

I expect Towers will have loads of complaints for a while now because of this, there's already over 400 fb posts on the post. What I don't get though is what's caused the ride to 'very' suddenly be deemed unable to be open.

Thorpe Park has expanded terrifically over the recent years to become the great park it has now become. However along the way, the park has sadly closed and removed a number of rides attractions. Out of all the many lost rides at the park, which one do you miss the most?

Maximum amount of trains Thorpes coasters 'could, manage Swarm, 3 trains (if staff run it efficiently) Saw 8 trains, Stealth,2 (3 if done very fast) Inferno 3 trains, if staff are pretty fast Colossus, 2 trains X, 4 trains (possibly 5) Flying Fish 1 train, unless you want a crash.

Here's the latest developments from Oakwood's new Never Land area. https://www.facebook.com/matthew.wakefield.9?ref=tn_tnmn#!/media/set/?set=a.386552774793814.1073741833.321600547955704&type=1 The area is looking really nice so far and the Crocodile Coaster looks alot more appealing than it did at Camelot.

If that is so, I might as well say the Big One is the tallest coaster in the world, The Ultimate is the longest coaster in the world and Stealth is the fastest coaster in Europe

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

Have to admit, I've got mixed reviews on this ride. What I like about the new one is the fresh clean models, the animatronics and effects and that the ride still appears enjoyable. What I don't like about the new one is some of the model dialogue which I feel detracts from the charm and experience slightly too. Although I expect the children may like that. Secondly, I find some of the newer scenes lacking the previous humorous charm of the original ones (the whisk and mobile phone) and also the goats have vanished. Also though the new music sounds nice, I do slightly miss the old one which had great charm to it (as well as my childhood). Overall, though I'm mostly impressed with the re-work of the ride. But as good as lot of it is, I do admit the changes are quite a big punch in the stomach of my childhood days there.

Theme park logic have posted this picture of what appears to be the Smiler'sover flow over flow queue. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=663286080364024&set=a.405527049473263.116039.190814374277866&type=1&theater Looks like people may be in for a long wait that day.

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=ulh82q8BTxk Video of the new updated Fairy Tale Brook if any ones interested.

Dragons always been running on three trains I think but until recently was likely only for busy days. In terms of ride throughputs, the park is very mixed. There's rides like Atlantis, Jolly Rocker and Viking Rapids which really munch and if they ave queues often move very fast but then there's attractions like Boating School, Sky Ride and Laser Raiders which have terrible thoughts and doubt the first two exceed 300 on a busy day. If the train ride there used two locomotives (only uses one), it could be pretty good at throughput.

This could also apply to Chessington as well (especially in recent years). Inferno would be amazing at throughputs if the ride could use 3 trains.

Ten films, I strongly enjoy (no particular order) 1 Gladiator/ brilliant action film with great setting and filming. Also features last film of Oliver Reed. 2 The Matrix/ Very intriguing plot line as well as some impressive action scenes. 3 The Shining, quite nostalgic and creepy as well as brilliant acting of Jack Nicholson. 4 Les Mis, brilliant musical score with brilliant actors/singers with several touching moment in the film (watch if you like musicals) 5 Toy Story 3, great film with more charms than the first 2, brings me back to my childhood. 6 Forest Gump, interesting comedy film that shows anybody can be somebody. 7 The Sixth Sense, amazing supernatural thriller with ghosts which features a twist at the end. 8 Spirited Away, I love a lot of the anime cartoons and Spirited Away is no exception, great plot, animation and music. 9 Shaun of the dead, funny black comedy film with Pegg and Frost with zombies. 10 Hunger Games. I enjoy many other films too.

Looks impressive within version, but the support structures, eurrgh.

Seems odd they've withdrawn it although I did hear some locals objected the plans and no decision seemed to have been made on the plans. One thing I don't get, if the park use overflow car parks to expand accommodation, will they relocate more car park space?

Great trip report, I think one of these day sim going to have to get a plane flight over to Europa for 2/3 days in the future.

I'm definitely attending this meet. Incidently, just come back from Legoland right now.

Well done Sarah, I hope you find the job pleasant and enjoyable,

So it appears Saw has stalled the 2nd time in a week. I wonder whats causing this to happen, I wonder if the jolt has anything to do with it. Surely if this continues more often, the park may have to use some money to retrack/design that part of the ride.

Thinking about this now, I find it disgraceful Merlin haven't upkept the run down areas and at the last minute having to strip it all down in what is probably the biggest investment year in ages. The park has had 2008,2009 or tbh almost every other year that these works could have been done instead of cramming it in to 2013. Dragon falls and runaway train should have really been stripped down in 2010 IMO, a year when little to nothing happened and then at the end of the year rebuilt so therefore the park's 25th anniversary would have seen both these rides hopefully in their former glory [to a degree. As for Tomb Blaster, this should have also been done last year.

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.

The current state of TombBlaster which is under scaffolding again. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=495430493845588&set=a.166428706745770.47984.163052343750073&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf Photo from Themepark Guide.

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).

Happy Birthday Peaj, have a great day.

Double Post [sorry!], but here's a look at how Duplo Land currently looks a week prior to opening up. http://themeuk.net/blog/?p=3857 photos from Theme Uk.