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BigBobJones

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Everything posted by BigBobJones

  1. The hotline sounds a good idea, but you shouldn't really need to get your customers text you informing you that your information is wrong, for me this screams that Thorpe do not have control over the very basics of queue times. For many guests they rely on this information to plan their day and this does indeed decide if guests will want to splash out on Fast Tracks or not. Many of your guests are paying a premium price for their entry into the park and if they see large queue times, they may even pay more money to beat these queues. The only ones benefiting here are Thorpe Park as they are gaining additional revenue from Fast Track sales. Guests who purchase Fast Track tickets expect quick access to the rides (well you would expect so as your paying a premium for this service), but if those guests find out they brought a Fast Track ticket and they don't in fact get quick access to the ride, they end up stuck in a 25 min 'Fast Track' queue or there is almost next to no queue on the non Fast Track queue and don't go back to get a refund like Emmaxr2i, then they will walk away from the park feeling completely ripped off. You only need to view Trip Advisor and Facebook to see the number of guests not happy. 233 1 and 2 star reviews on Trip Advisor at the moment and these are only the guests who are reviewing.
  2. If anything, I would prefer they removed the seats and had it as a walk through indoor queue with Chase Van Driver on the screen telling you more about Zufari. I always try to walk straight through the pre show if I can as I can't stand the Gozy bit, ok the first time, but gets painful the more often you do it.
  3. Yes I had this conversation with somebody on Saturday, all through that nice hot summer they were not working, but as soon as the temperature drops and it starts to rain they switch them on!
  4. They do that from time to time. But the replacement PAR80 LED lights they are starting to install do make a difference and give a much better effect.
  5. Really? if you replace one roller-coaster with another (as long as it is not taller/louder or takes up space in the green belt, I really can't see why this could be rejected.
  6. 09:30 Vampire opening is great news, I hope the Zoo is just not made too small so they can have a big hotel. They have to remember the Zoo is one of the things people go to.
  7. Nope I completely agree with you, I went to Thorpe today and left after only one hour to due the fact of single train operation and Stealth being closed and a 65 min queue for the Swarm. One of the main reasons I will not be renewing my pass, they simply get it wrong so often and it really isn't that hard to get it right.
  8. Oh I was so shocked on Saturday I had to ride the Vampire for a second time as I could not believe my eyes. It was the first time this year that they were... *cough* running a good operation. They were sending out the train before the other one was hitting the brake run. When on the ride you didn't sit in the dark section, the train continued straight into the station. Was this just a fluke or have they changed their ways....
  9. Arrived at Thorpe at 10:30. Sign outside apologising for Slammer and Saw being closed. Well Saw was working, Stealth was not.... These new signs are really worth the money when they always display incorrect information.... Walked on to Rush, walked on to Saw (refused the instant re-ride as it was rough as old boots), went to Nemesis Inferno, advertised queue of 5 mins but on one train operation and a queue down the stairs I knew otherwise, walked straight on to Rumba Rapids, Stealth still closed. Got our capsules filled, post mix no right, but no change there. Went to The Swarm 65 min queue forwards and advertised 5 backwards and the cattlepen completely full with added and one train operation turned around and went to the Flying Fish (no queue) got a coffee as the coke tastes foul, well the coffee ended up in the bin as this was even worse, then went home at 11:30.
  10. The main thing for the Vampire is that it has no loops and is an ideal Junior coaster or a coaster for people who don't like coasters. I have lost count of the number of people who have said to me "The Vampire is my limit" when talking about coasters. So to add some inversions and this would prevent many of the rides target audience from riding it. Most people do not like going upside down I would like to see the original bat cars installed and I still feel that the tunnel needs to be longer so it looks like you are going into a bat cave, maybe add some bat sounds when you go in.
  11. Have you shaken hands with a Sealion at Chessington?
  12. Looking at the speed of the RMT and Dragon Falls improvements we may need to wait a decade or two for that!
  13. Chessington doesn't seem to be making sense this year, what is the point of a closed season when you refurb your rides, re-paint the park and start demolishing the Zoo during the open season?
  14. FYI the new Alton Towers Android app is now available to download
  15. Did you know if you ask nicely, Picsolve can often go back and bring up the photo if it has gone off the screens? Thorpe did it for me last year when we had a long delay at the bag claim.
  16. You can all have your own views, but I am sticking to my guns. The fact is I really don't enjoy Fright Nights, they are completely not enjoyable where as I really enjoy Scarefest. As for "The Tussauds scare maze is piss-poor" - That is your opinion, but I enjoyed it "Chessington's halloween events are usually poor, Towers you have to pay for the mazes." - Didn't pay to get in Terror of the Towers last year, Sancturary earlier this year and was more than happy with only doing those. Never done Chessington and neither have the two kids I will be taking with me as Thorpe would be too adult for them "The mazes at Towers are expensive" - I won't be going in those mazes, happy to do the free one or not at all "£5 for a few rides in the dark is very good value" - Agree and Summer Nights proves this, but on Fright nights the queues are way too long, happy to pay is it is minimal/no queues "To be fair for your fiver your getting another totally revamped event which it's clear is going to cost a significant amount of money or you can go to towers for a largly unchanged event." - I'm happy with what the towers have to offer. But with the mass volume of annual passes they have been giving away and the fact that everyone will be drawn to this re-vamped event just screams that the park will be mega packed and queues queues queues. After doing Madame Tussards today my threshold for getting packed in like sardines and queuing is very low. At the end of the day I hope you all enjoy yourself and I will be reading the reviews on here. If I hear that the park is very well themed out, the queues are not bad and the mazes have less than a 45 min queue and are brilliant, then I may consider going. Lets see what it is like, it could be really really good.
  17. The annoying thing is if people listened to the instructions or attempted to use common sense they would be out in seconds. If I am in a location, I always try to observe what others are doing and take in what is around me, there are so many people in a world of their own, it makes me want to shout "Yes you are holding everybody up as you didn't listen" (Minus any swear words I may be thinking) The worst guest for me was a girl who took 6 minutes to put her shoes on after ignoring the signs and staff on Oblivion, people like this should be kick off the ride for holding every one up.
  18. The hotel makes a lot more money than the monkey and bird garden. I seriously hope they relocate the animals and we don't have a reduced Zoo so Merlin can be greedy and put a Colossus hotel on the site.
  19. For me the event fee puts me off and my other reasons for not wanting to do Fright Nights: You have paid for unlimited access, you shouldn't have to pay for more The queues are simply just way too long I didn't do any Thorpe maze last year as each maze had around a 2 hour queue I am more than happy to ride the coasters in the dark than do the mazes I went to Summer Nights, yes had to pay £5 but I got loads and loads of rides in just 2 hours and didn't have to queue It is free on a standard MAP to get into Chessington and Alton You can do the London Dungeons for free There is a scare maze for free in Madame Tussards At Alton you choose if you want to go into a maze and pay or do a free one, at Thorpe even if you do no mazes you still have to pay Alton dress up the park where as Thorpe do next to nothing, last year a few stick in the ground and a grave stone Last year you had that stupid Governor audio all over the park which was annoying and took away any atmosphere rather than creating atmosphere I personally would rather drive 168 miles, stay over night in a hotel and go to Alton and do Scarefest rather than pay £5 to do Fright nights, have the queuing to get a ticket for your pre booked ticket which you did online. At Alton I just turn up, scan my card and I'm in, simple. Then if I want to do a paid maze I have the choice, or I can do one of the free mazes.
  20. I've already had this discussion multiple times this year about the Picsolve/Merlin prices on photos and videos, good to hear others complaining about it. Picsolve have only made £6 out of me this year against a good £60 if they charged last years prices and gave you what you got last year (ie free digital downloads) for me I don't want the physical photos of DVDs, give it to me in a digital format.
  21. I think everyone will agree it has to be Bank holiday traveller weekend for the worst visitors.
  22. BigBobJones

    X

    X seems to be working well, the volume is at the right level IMO. It is never going to be an epic coaster, but it does have a new lease of life and is very popular with those who are now able to ride it due to the heigh change.
  23. 45 mins for bumper cars! LOL If anything both Chessington and Legoland have been sending the message out that the parks are going to be very busy. In my opinion when the parks are like this, yes they make a ton of cash, but the number of guests they annoy and who won't return must really damage their reputation. I'd rather they turn guests away and say they are full or put on their website pre-book only and limit the numbers.
  24. You only need to look at the amount of rubbish at the bottom of the lift hill when you go up in Loggers, Tidal must experience the same, so it only takes a plastic bottle or some other rubbish to jam a sensor I guess.
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