OldFarmerDean

just back from a weekend there... Crealy is a decent, and the Maximus coaster is probably one of my favourite kiddy/family coasters... but there's a few things that really annoy me about the place... their Vortex waterslides (like depth charge) are pretty much one rider at a time, and one or two of them are 1 adult and one child, which means the ride clearly wasn't thought through, as its boring by yourself... and well their new twister coaster is a complete joke, although new it's just such a bad ride, with them having to send round empty cars, extremely slow operations which makes for a painful queue, and then the actual ride is a mini (fairground) crazy mouse, and it has brakes on the way round that actually slow you down, and the spinning section the actual car has brakes to slow down the spinning at times; I can't explain very well, but if you're in crealy go and see how much of a joke the ride is for yourself... I hope they didn't pay a lot for it as it looks so cheap and tacky (although brand new)! The Crealy meadows campsite was amazing, and allowed entry to the indoor play area in the evnings until 11pm plus live entertainment and a bar which was really cool! So overall a great place and weekend... just still prefer woodlands for some reason... even without any creds!!

Alton Towers... That's why I find it so difficult to say Thorpe is my favourite park. I used to go pretty much every year as a kid with my parents, and I remember being lucky enough to ride black hole, and although terrified progressed onto the corkscrew... And then my first big 1.4m ride was nemesis when I was 10... After having a big domestic with my dad in the middle of forbidden valley crying my eyes out because I was too scared to do it, but eventually gave in, so after stuffing my shoes with napkins from the McDonald's to make sure I was tall enough, rode Nemesis and I absolutely loved it! So from there knowing my enjoyment of theme parks my parents took me to Florida for my 11th birthday, and it is still the best holiday of my life ( possibly until California next year ). And then I properly started being interested in theme parks following the closing news for corkscrew, adverts for saw the ride, with 2009 being my first visit there, and then watching Shawn sanbrooke videos for the construction of 13, and then joining forums into the lead up of the swarm and the smiler construction... And well from there it's rare now I don't visit a theme park every weekend aha!

Got tickets for Friday night.. Open til 1am! Can't wait to check it out..

Maybe carnival of screams is coming to Thorpe

It's not difficult to beat the bland nasty colour red of some of the warehouse for WC16 though is it aha

Baco clone at Thorpe plz.

Let's wait and see the end result of the dark ride... And see if people think it was worth it. But I'm more concerned about the remaining spare space now being used for family rides and then essentially we will see no new thrill rides. I shouldn't be that shocked or disappointed about it... As a Q&A with the park revelealed my worst fears, that park has apparently plenty enough for thrill seekers and they will be focusing on the family market more, to widen their audience, so that really goes well with what to expect from the dark ride doesn't it regardless of who you are it's nice to have something new to try and every so often something that really appeals to you, so since 2009 we've had 2 mazes, storm surge, the swarm, angry birds land and X retheme... I've actually enjoyed all the investments, but there just seems so much more potential to what they could have done, and I'm glad they're pleasing the likes of other people with a dark ride as it needs to vary their investments... But the fact they haven't had a new flat ride since I've been to the park and a while before that, is annoying when it's what you like.

The thing is, Thorpe seem lack space for large scale rides/attractions... So I agree that Thorpe needs more non big thrill ride attractions... But potentially having one as a large scale (costliest ever), is just worrying for me how they spend their money, ; a family dark ride or two as a small/medium investment(s), would help the family ride situation, and giving people something to do when they want a break from coasters or the rain... And they would still have the other couple of large spaces around the park for big coasters in the future etc. but instead it now leaves me worried when well actually see another big coaster, or if another dark ride would take up some of the other available space at the park.

I visited Thorpe for the first time in 2009... So in the last 6 years the investments have been pretty 'norm' as you would say.. So having a coaster back in 2012 the next one not being until probably at least 2019.. Then yeah it's quite a long time... They also need more flats as well with the dire reliability of some... It's my opinion just like you have one... But just cause you lot don't agree with me, no need to make it look like I'm stupid and don't know what I'm talking about. Opinions are neither right or wrong, remember that.

haha but unless you're someone who truly appreciates the themeing over interactivity, which can't be most people... then shooter rides appeal to pretty much everyone, and thorpe could have done with one with the family market being focused on a bit more, but at the same time a ride like that isn't exclusive for families. As much as I love coasters, I feel the same as everyone else about thorpe needs more non coaster & flat ride stuff to do, and loved the addition of angry birds land, because it was a small/medium investment, the same as what a shooting ride would be, not a large one.

because regardless of how immersive it is, a ride that basically goes around on a flat track at a relatively slow speed, isn't what I look for when going to a theme park necessarily, I call it wasted (money) potential, I care about the ride itself being fun and thrilling, and then it would be nice to have themeing, but that's second priority. It's not about getting creds, it's about what I enjoy. sorry I'm not like everyone else who can't get enough of a magical dark ride experience; I do enjoy them too usually... but I just can't stop thinking about the value for money in terms of thrills/enjoyment (for me) in comparison to a coaster, and that just ruins it for me, hence why unless it's like the mummy or contains thrilling elements then I'd probably find it boring. it's pointless me saying sorry, as I'm the one being spited by thorpe as they've chosen to build something that doesn't seem like it's going to appeal to me.

It's my opinion... I don't go to a theme park for dark rides... yes they can be fun like Duel & immersive like Hex... but unless it's going to be something like Tower Of Terror, or Revenge Of The Mummy... then it's really not worth the price tag, rollercoaster instead of course. I do hope the end result is a world class dark ride that's worth the money spent, for everyone who wants a decent dark ride in the UK... but right from the news of it being a dark ride, I was definitely disappointed. But low expectations, and if the end result is great, then I guess I can only be happy there's something new at the park; I just personally would rather have a cheap(ish) dark ride like duel/tomb blaster which is interactive so you don't get bored of it... and still have the money to spend on something else ( like a top spin, or you guessed it... a rollercoaster ). but I'm sure merlin know what they're doing..

considering a bit of queue, pre show, and presumeably a shop is going in the building... am I the only one concerned how small it is... it really isn't going to be a coaster, even not an SFX coaster... wy worst fears of a slow, boring dark ride, waste of money basically confirmed... sorry to rule out the ride already!

so with rides guaranteed to be broken down and reduced mazes... chessington is definitely not going to be the place to be with the crowds of people and queues!

They're only going to get after school visits from some annual pass holders... And well, they've already taken your money for the pass, they're happy enough to f*** you over, as you've already paid. But guess, at least they're staying open rather than not at all..

Was that on the adventure nature bit where you walk across the stream on bridges and stuff aha... whoops! I've been there a few times before when I was younger, I remember Maximus back when it was El Paso Loco before it was rethemed... but I love being a big kid, went Woodlands in devon (although let down by 0 creds haha) back in may for my 21st birthday, and going crealy for the long weekend next week, oh dear!

So their new Twister (crazy mouse) ride is open, was supposed to be open back in May, but I think it only just opened end of last month! So found this video off ride, and they're building wooden barriers around the ride, while the ride is open, surely that's safe right!? And I wonder if it's actually going to be themeing, or if they're doing what they probably had to do to the other big rides to block the sound of screaming for the locals.

Glad to hear the cyclone is back! and nope, they've never used real bugs, and highly doubt they would now..

Well I wonder where trick or treat in the woods will be located? And will hocus pocus hall, just have the live actors on the way around but stay basically the same... This does seem all too disappointed and vampire haunting in the hollows was my favourite Halloween attraction! *sigh*

Spooky 3D at Oakwood... just wow!

320mm bolt!?

http://www.dismaland.co.uk/sessions/ we have an official website... so looks like tickets can only be booked 10 days in advance, and ticket sales will start tomorrow, opening for saturday as tomorrow is for locals only. Looks like there will be queuing entry as well as booking online, but obviously the latter guarantees entry for the full time slot.

Once I know a bit more about it, I may have to pop down if I get any free time ( I only live half hour away ), I wonder how long it's intended to be open for? It's definitely not permanent as the local old residents don't want anything changed, hence why the tropicana has been closed ever since and nothing done to it whatsoever; well in general why Weston super mare is so stale... But they did get a permanent pirate adventure golf and high ropes course which I'm very surprised about, still have yet to try that though! Edit: found this with lots of useful info. http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/news/banksy_to_unveil_tropicana_show_and_mercury_readers_will_see_it_first_1_4200875

After you come out of the chamber of horrors, before you go through calamity cave (is that what it's called), on the right there is another tunnel, it's very well hidden, and looks a little higher than the other small tunnel.. I wonder where that goes!?

Mine has changed since another visit to Oakwood... I genuinely think Megafobia is the underdog and really underrated! It's creeped it's way up my list, past the smiler, the swarm and stealth! See my signature!