Inferno

Weird how everyone seems to have their own gameplan! I don’t really have a running order as such, but a few things I generally follow… - usually try to do Inferno first, as it’s always quiet I’m the morning (and usually open) - Always leave Swarm until the afternoon. - Leave the flats until I’ve done at least a couple of coasters, because queues are never as long. It’ll be interesting to see how Exodus changes everyone’s running order - I imagine Inferno, Stealth and Swarm will be dead in the mornings from next year, and Exodus / Saw / Colossus will be packed.

It’s always a bit like this with coasters isn’t it. I remember visiting Thorpe while the Swarm was going up and seeing the single piece of track in place at the bottom of the drop, then a week later on my next visit nearly the entire coaster was up (at least to my memory anyway). It seems that track and supports is “the quick bit” on these builds! Looking forward to seeing it go up

Interesting to hear about Disney - I have to say I’ve been put off massively thanks to all the money grab changes recently

Ah great thank you - see you at the pre-video live stream. I hadn’t realised Oktoberfest was anything to do with skiing to be honest! All of this had completely passed me by

Brean always strikes me as an odd place! Have a great time at Thorpe and Chessington next week!

This really is getting there now isn’t it. Still can’t quite believe Thorpe are getting a new coaster tbh Really looking forward to seeing how massive this is “in real life”. I did my usual peek at Stealth on the M3-M25 junction yesterday and it occurred to me just how visible the new one would be from there, let alone from inside the park. Going back to the name trademark business - that was a great find @coasterverse! Hyperia is an odd one, but with names I always think it’s difficult at first. I remember the smiler was questioned a lot, but it’s the perfect name for it isn’t it- it just is the smiler. If it does turn out to be the name, it will settle in and become as fitting as any other.

I thought the same about the hours that went in to those teasers. Especially as they had basically nothing to do with the actual event itself in the end. I suspect this was a case of being “all in” as it was a huge opportunity for them, and held the potential to open them up to the rest of Merlin and the industry as a whole. A bit of an investment in self marketing I think - but everyone wins, they produced some great content to showcase what they can do, and TP got some high quality teasers (all be it a little off piste). Well done to all of them. Although I’m not too keen on the YouTuber marketing stuff, I think they produce some great content for the park.

It is weird hearing it elsewhere. Years ago I heard Rush’s music on a tv show (can’t remember what it was) You must be right Matt, a lot of it is Stock music isn’t it.

I think that was a great way to reveal it! The cheeky wink and even a sip from an RMC cup! It’s got to be an RMC. Hopefully a sign of things to come further down the line

3 reasons for me. Firstly, although yes it isn’t as bad as Fastrack, it still takes away from others experience. in this case it takes away from the ERT experience for those who were entitled to it already. Secondly it’s yet another thing that aims to solely improve things for those who can splash the most cash. On a busy day, some customers will be able to buy as much fastrack and ERT as they like, where the majority will have to suffer because of that, having already actually spent a lot of money on admission - more than ever in fact. Thirdly it’s just the fact that theme parks aren’t like they used to be in this respect. I know this is just the way of the world now, and it certainly isn’t just Merlin (Disney are even worse now adays), but you used to be able to get in to a park for £20 and ride basically everything with no need for fastrack. You could buy things like that, but you certainly didn’t have to, and if you did you could get them for much less than they’re sold for now. Now it’s become so expensive to visit, and if you go on a busy day it can often be very unpleasant because of all these poorly implemented money-grabs. I just don’t like it. Perks, mazes, fastrack, parking, you name it…. Over the years, more things are being put behind paywalls all the time, and they get more and more expensive, but is the product getting better, or are they just pointing at things around the park and saying “actually we’ll get em to pay extra for that too”?

I’d bet on that totem pole staying as an EESTR EG. It does look ‘a bit Egyptian’ as well doesn’t it, which by leaving it out there could be another hint towards that? As for the teaser apparently due in the coming hours, YES! Finally some movement! Starting to get exciting now!

It gets worse and worse doesn’t it.

So I finally got on this… It was a little while ago now, and I’ve held off posting about it because I didn’t want to moan. but as time has passed, the feeling of disappointment towards this ride have just grown.. and moan I shall. The refurb for this year has been another enormous waste of money, hasn’t it? What a mess. Sadly, it doesn’t even have that “new ride buzz” surrounding it, even half way through its opening season, like Alton Manor still does for example. TP is just SO ready for Exodus. It’s time for a proper attraction, so all this nonsense can be left in the past.

It is a very Merlin thing to do isn’t it. Odd. Does it seem early for these mazes to be going up already? A good sign hopefully?

Give it five minutes and the audio will be mixed around again no doubt

It’s all a bit strange with the Dome - it’s only recently been re-done really, and the screen above the doors inside there is quite new. Nothing lasts at Thorpe does it. A new thing comes in and it’s then abandoned shortly afterwards.

I’ve always said Rush is the best flat ride at Thorpe, but recently I’ve really missed Slammer. It was so unique and was such an intimidating and to be honest terrifying experience.

I agree with this - Inferno is fab. I don’t know if it is, but it seems to get better as time goes on as well. Really forceful for such a small ride, and you’re right, no dead spots. I still love the little pre-lift section as well. A great start to the ride. The theming is a little tired after all these years, but honestly it’s aged pretty well. I know this is flogging a dead horse now but I still say “bring back the Bose bass cannons”, or at least the booming base that the station used to have all those years ago. I think Inferno has got to be my favourite ride at Thorpe, especially at Fright Nights. I hope they get the red lighting and mist in the tunnel this year.

Oh dear. This doesn't sound good at all. I'm looking forward to trying it myself in a couple of weeks, but if there's anything more than a 40 minute queue I think I'll pass. I think Thorpe need to bin the actor-led attractions now. It's been tried many times, but the reality is that people want a 'ride' at Thorpe don't they. I know there was little they could do this time with the existing Ghost Train building and hardware, so fair enough trying to make it work, but from now on surely a line needs to be drawn under the actor-led stuff outside of Halloween?

I think the issue is that many of us continue to compare Merlin’s parks with “premium theme parks” as mentioned here, and even Disney. I think that ship sailed many years ago - Merlin don’t seem to want to run premium theme parks, they want to run them like Six Flags. Complaining about Merlin’s dreadful food and poor experience compared to Disney is like complaining about Ryanair’s upcharge for an instant coffee and a broken Kitkat compared to Emirates first class four course meals. I think the problem they’ve got is that Merlin don’t offer the same good overall prices to back it all up. I think it’s a shame though - not so long ago the food at Merlin’s parks was actually really good overall. It’s hard watching it decline isn’t it. I’m still hopeful that things will improve at some point. Since going private they’re investing heavily in new attractions after a period of nothing. Perhaps the focus will shift to overall experience in a couple of years…

I’m sorry but those “themed rooms” are… just not. It’s a different image on the wall and coffee machine (which isn’t theming). Oh and they’ve pressed ‘red’ on the LED light strip remote.

It's good to see them offering options to anyone who's already booked, but I'm surprised they're even going to open at all. It's a shame Merlin couldn't have come to an agreement and that it's had to come down to this. Hopefully they'll get this all sorted sooner rather than later, as Summer is rapidly approaching. Surely before too long Merlin will be losing more money through these low attendance weekends than they'd lose by paying a team more appropriately over the course of a year?

I'm sure it's all fine - people leave jobs all the time, and projects are completed by teams of people. One person leaving shouldn't affect anything.

We really do need some proper competition in the UK don’t we. I wonder if Merlin’s management actually know how dire it is at all the parks operationally? Or are they too busy backslapping and congratulating themselves about the new rides (most of which still aren’t open) and Aramark outsourcing? Because it never seems to change does it. There should be no excuses for not getting at least most rides open at capacity before the Easter holidays, surely? Good luck to the engineers on their strike. I hope management sit up and listen.

I always thought Sub Terra was good. Fine, it wasn't the best ride in the world, but not everything can be. It was a great bit of fun in between coasters and will be good to have it back again.