Adam P

Only once have I seen Alton run one train on half term which I'm sure was a technical issue with Nemesis, they had two on AIR a couple of years ago when it was snowing!

I think the charge is all going to depend on the quality of the day. Much like Summer Nights if you have the opportunity to go in on a quiet time and ride the rides quickly it's money well spent. If you pay and one train operation rears its ugly head all week creating hour queues, then there is a real sense of being ripped off. The charge is frustrating but as the first "event" of 2015 for me it's about the service quality.

In addition to Ripsaw actually being Rameses... Not sure where the idea of these sites being friendly comes from, Thorpe's is awful and if this is the upgrade there is no hope!

This annoys me, it's not trash talking it's someone's opinion. I've been 15 times this year twice Inferno has opened on two trains, 10 times the second train never appeared yet a 30 minute queue was present. If you owned a business and the computers crashed, the clients would demand compensation (if your phone goes down, electric etc) which drives people to customer service, which drives easy free fastrack, which starts the circle. It's an opinion to say things are being made up is not a point for discussion, I've experienced both but the fact remains the park have been far from perfect this year.

I'm sorry the park earns millions and spends millions advertising rides, I don't care how much the maintenance bill is the rides should be open more often than not (I know a few are very good but there is too much downtime) Half the dodgems cars were broken last week less than 6 months into operation, why on earth would it be LC's job to fix them? We get a reduction for them being closed with extended queue times? No we don't, we could go to guest services and end up with passes which is where the problem starts. I've taken my family there this year on the back on the new area and advertising but I wished I hadn't with so much swearing, shouting and queue jumping going on when you inform the staff nothing is done. As I've said I've enjoyed many years at the park and will continue to visit but this season has been a shambles. If guest satisfaction needs improving in "areas" it should be obvious something is wrong.

I see exactly where the view comes from, I've spent 25 years of my life visiting the park but just don't enjoy the visits like I did even 4-5 years ago at the moment. Its alright saying it has the best this and that, but the facts are Colossus is in need of some attention, Saw is just a headache for many with the jolt which was never sorted. In addition the best selection of flat rides include "always closed" Samurai, still yet to prove reliability Slammer, juddering Vortex and short ride out of sync Rush. I'm not against the park at all, Stealth and Swarm are great rides as to Detonator and the new cinema. But you throw in one train operation, generally rude staff and the state of the place (Swarm station already) I fully understand why people start to waver. Add again to the fact the park is completely lost on who it appeals to and has just dumped rides for the sake of having rides doesn't help. Oblivion's shop and Alton's street are no worse than being sold fast track, Drinks bottles and photo passes on Thorpe's bridge, both of which I fully accept and for many average customers I imagine find very useful. I won't stop visiting or supporting the park, Chessington has had some shocking years yet doesn't mean it won't change as has. They have a lot of work to do and the comments on social media do show that its not just enthusiasts who see it rather than watch the complaints come in, and as we are in the closed rides topic, I'll just add its 3 years running Stealth and Samurai have been closed on my Fright Nights visit.

Does the 45 allow time for fastrack?

There was no sign of any work on Samurai or Stealth yesterday.

I hope it's a 3D interactive dark ride, they are great fun and really hold a contained theme (like Transformers or Spiderman) without having to worry about areas. They have a great selection of coasters I'd love to see something different than just cram another one of those in, my only concern is not picking another dead IP, Saw is dead, Angry Birds is close to it, Hunger Games will be dead in a few years too.

Bubble Works may look the best it has done in years, but I'm sorry to say any of it is better than it used to be is laughable. It has a good ride system, good finale fountains and very catchy infectious music. But that's where it ends, the theme is dreadful, the paintwork is woeful, the graffiti on the building walls heading in shows this. Tip-ex the posters is shoddy, hardly anything moves inside anymore, the music still skips and doesn't loop properly, its dirty on the walls and floors with peeling scenery all over, the finale lighting is average and poor if you rode the ride prior to the refit, the mirrors now missing again and the random boat scenery is a joke. Yes the lights are better in the main section of the ride but again it's expected in this day and age. People remember Bubble works for the fountain finale and the music, enthusiasts remember the ducks (or Professor Burp) I'm sorry after experiencing It's a Small World, this ride with a decent amount of investment in just a story would out last any ride at the park and the frustrating thing is the basics are already in place!

This is where the point comes, I spent hardly any time in the park Thursday as the coasters were all on one train with a lengthy queue and they are the main reason for most peoples visit, mine included. If you want to queue for Swarm backwards its made even worse by one train op. Yet across at Chessington Vampire was on 2 trains, running empty and across at Legoland last week The Dragon also has two trains on both not full on every occasion. If we all stop comparing Thorpe to these bigger parks in this country or across the pond they will never get any better, even some of these big parks have quiet days. The issue is however much I love to visit the park its a major put off knowing you will get in and queue 15-45 minutes for a coaster that should be walk on, and its not like one train op is new for this year, its been a bug of the park for many years now (let's now forget it was 2005 Thorpe announced three trains for Stealth so two could always run) Yet as the park is clearly busier as there aren't walk on days anymore (odd day in March maybe) the park has yet to catch up this must annoy your average visitor as well as people expressing views on here.

Does look quite good!

I really want to see something original! Swarm works very well with no IP. That said if they have to have another IP they need to go all out to make it work and throw some decent money behind it. With the possibility of Paramount not to far away and many having experienced what Universal have to offer it has to be special. I agree on the themes of potential shows the likes of X factor may work, used to quite enjoy the Spiderman stunt show. But the prospects of Hunger Games of Orange is the new Black surely goes against the family image pushed this year.

My head was soaked at the front yesterday...

I fully understand what you are saying, it doesn't matter if the train is sent quicker if the second train isn't anywhere near the station. As long as the train is being sent before the second train arrives at the station through put is at a max (to which I have yet to see on a regular basis...) and again if this pattern continues. However if every train is sent whilst the other is on the inline as oppose to the final brake run before the turn to the station, through put would be exactly the same...

Hard to moan at Thorpe Park for £10 add on to get in, when it's £14 to do 2 mazes neither of which new at the Towers. Yes I know you can still get in free, but people visit these events for a reason this line up makes Thorpe park good value.

I went on Speed Wave Monday, being run like that it won't be missed by me, worst Top Scan I've ever been on.

It is only the last one on the Smiler that can catch your neck, the rest of the jolts I do like!!

To me they bot have one terrible (unacceptable in this age) jolts, Saw on the base of the drop and Smiler in the cobra roll. Honestly the rest of both rides I fine fine but that issue alone is enough for me not to ride.

I've been on this ride it does also have a seat belt clip back up (restraints very similar to Stealth) Tragic accident thoughts with the family.

You wouldn't have missed out on the price that much, cheap day Friday it was still £2.50! Gave a great ride though

The only way I knew it had moved when we walked round (my son was excited for some reason..!) was the fact the test train was removed from the track and an actual train was poking out the station and that someone had appeared on the entrance telling guests it was closed. Don't think for one second it was ever planned to open nor do I buy in to the animals settling in reason, the amount they have added and changed the line up in the past year along with heavy noise from a hotel being built. The ride was used as a dumping ground all closed season, it was sitting on the welded track only on preview day still filled with rubbish I just don't think it was ready or a priority to open

It was just after Midday, my little one spotted it from the top of Rattlesnake!

It was testing today but didn't open.

The music was all back on the ride today (although poor looping was back in the middle) It has also had all the Imperial Leather sponsorship removed since preview weekend, with a new logo above the station inside.