OldFarmerDean

I don't know whether you've just made these ideas up... but wow. got so much potential with their cartoon network partnership/

I read somewhere that the max ceiling height in theory would be 500ft as thats the lowerst a plane is allowed to fly in emergency circumstances although they would fly much higher normally... So in theory a 300ft height restriction would be fine, just think it's a matter of planning and what's allowed by the council in terms of height.

please no. I don't particuarly like IP's... because films get old and no longer relavent, even popular ones in my opinion. although there's two sides to this story, as getting an IP ensures a decent amount of effort is put into themeing, and then when the IP runs out, the ride would have to go through some sort of refubishment (which wouldn't normally happen otherwise which is a good thing) to remove the IP, while still creating a theme (which doesn't always happen very well though unfortunately), and the money spent on the IP, and relavent themeing sometimes leaves a lot left to be desired with the ride itself which is the main thing in my opinion, so would rather have had Saw: The Ride with more thought put into a longer and better layout (as you can see how compact gersts can be made with the space given) rather than the IP, and went for half decent themeing instead.

it was weird how when I went in 2011 to fright nights, the entrance to sunken gardens was closed off with a a metal lighting rig with lights on around the gap of the path under stealth with the swarm name on... and actors saying about the war is coming - presuming at the time that the entrance to the ride would be there. and then come in 2012, and it's in a completely different place and the gardens unchanged. But would like to think when it comes round to a ride on the new island with a path which would be where the gardens is, that they would make the effort to link to the swarm as well.

I don't know how much the location would have an effect on it... but the fact it has only one entrance/exit to the island really does bother me, would love for it to be linked through to the path under stealth, possibly before the next big coaster which will probably go in the island next to it.

when it comes down to the swarm I don't think it can be blamed on one particular thing.... it had to be a mixture of so many different things (I know thorpe would know this but has anyone taken into account why the ride doesn't get that long queues due to it's great throughput compared to the rest of the park) - but I feel it was a lot down to money possibly being spent elsewhere that year by people, for example olympics and don't have that extra cash to make a visit and would wait til this year etc. and the fact the swarm was difficult to market as it isn't a standout ride, which doesn't have the same marketing power as what stealth and saw would have had... I still think it's a great ride, and really good themeing, but so smooth and at times slow that it doesn't become that thrilling which from reviews which would have had the same opinion may have given off a bad view of the ride?

it's new, and of course people will be attracted to it... no difference to a new flat ride... with their popularity decreasing to a certain extent after the first year? if thorpe want to attract more people and bring back existing visitors who want something new to warrant visiting, then it's creative yet relatively cheap ideas like this that would allow them to do so on a short term length of popularity before becoming a general ride... like storm surge, except 100 times better.

oh right if that's the case, then lucky them! but this is what I seen on TPR's twitter, so not sure if I'm not understanding what they've put properly then? Theme Park Review ‏@ThemeParkReview6h The new @GreatCoasters Mini Millennium Flyer will be on Coastersaurus @LEGOLANDFlorida on Thursday. #IAAPA

well I don't see a zac spin as a large investment, so I guess the throughput wouldn't be much worse than a new flat ride if they were to get one? I was just thinking of one as a filler attraction... although like I mentioned, guess if thorpe don't get one then it's more suited to drayton manor for example. I mean if thorpe wanted one that bad they could look into getting intamin to increase capacity or create two rides to deal with the throughput... although these outcomes are unlikely - as much as thorpe getting one at all

I swear I read somewhere, that this is the new trains to be installed on the existing Coastersaurus wooden rollercoaster at Legoland Florida?

there's many things I would like to see improved, or see new at drayton manor, and I doubt the ideas I have would work as they really are just catering for their family market, and the younger one at that... but I'd really love to see the buffalo coaster updated with a new family coaster (most likely powered) over the similar loaction, maybe using more of the spare area the park has by the buffalo coaster, this areawould also be great occupied by an intamin zac spin, as it has a small footprint and is relatively cheap, and I feel it would bring in a lot more guests, as they're losing people due to nothing new in the thrill department (although admittedly I really did enjoy the ben 10 coaster), and I feel this would really be a gamechanger for them - that area of land is also possibly large enough to hold a flat ride of some kind as well, whether it be family, thrilling or a mixture of both which would seem the most appropriate. I'm not sure how much they have for investments, but I know they're taking the younger family route, but they need to make the most of Alton Tower's quiet investment years, and bring back people who are after thrilling rides, as their existing ones are great, but just nothing new for year after year!

does anyone think the next big thing could be a family thrill ride like 13, not in terms of copying the ride itself but the fun yet thrilling experience it gives and can be enjoyed by thrill seekers (over 1.4m) but with the lower restriction of say 1.2m allows thorpes latest change in target audience to fit in with it as well? Juvelen or Piraten (guessing piraten is a 1.2m restriction) anyone? I would love to have a massive new ride as their next large investment, hybrid woodie plz, but I can genuinely seeing this outlook on their new target audience trying to include them in their next big investment, as to have a substantial ride like 13, or the rides I have listed still have a reasonably large cost, but cheaper than a massive thrill machine, that they would do so, and spend the remaining money on new flat rides, and themeing etc. Or even an Intamin ZacSpin added as well, due to the smaller costs involved in the 'big investment', and the fact that an Intamin ZacSpin doesn't cost an awful lot, just something I would really like to see, as I loved the one I have been on in terra mitica in spain, but haven't had the chance to go back since 2010, so would love to see one in the near future in the UK (I think it could have great potential at drayton manor.)

I'm hoping to go as I can't wait til march or later!! just the whole moshi monster thing putting me off haha!

should we try and get to thorpe for opening weekend then

I highly doubt it was every planned considering it looks like it takes 2 people.... but is completely different to pandemonium though. I doubt we'll see anything new for next year... although a new flat ride is needed, preferably high in thrills, but with drayton manor will end up being less than a 1.4m height and appeals to families - so think that's the end of major thrills at drayton manor,

chessington have announced that runaway mine train and dragon falls will get a retheme... but how much effort they put into it will probably not be as good as it looked before.

Why have I never been before!? Best firework display I have ever seen... The amount of effort put into it seems unreal! Smoke, lasers, crazy amount of lights around the trees and on the towers itself. A really creative display with decent music themed about memories from the park (featuring the corkscrew and the current 5 coasters, as well as finishing off with the smiler), words cannot describe how much I loved it! On the theme park side of things was very quiet in the day and got busier as the evening came... Got on lots of rides, and seemed reliable except oblivion breaking down and staying closed in the last hour, and the smiler having a few technical difficulties in that time.

Went on desktop version on my mobile and the Nov 2014 was hidden but could see the corner of the box and managed to click it... Only shows up to Monday 3rd Novemver... Doesn't even show the days after as closed!

I swear Thorpe said it themselves that they were going to redesign the map, moving away from the big headed people design to fit to an all round target market for everyone.

Well I'm glad The Smiler is back open... Would have been a bit awkward for their fireworks themed around the rides old and new, and their latest which is probably the main focus isn't even open!

does anyone know what time the fireworks take place, as I (if the smiler is open) I want to book a fast track in advance on my mobile, but want to work out when to get it for as I can imagine it'll be closed while the fireworks are going off?

but this is how much better than the swarm? it's just the trains...

also went yesterday, and had a great time with very little queues... although would comment on how bad the operations on maelstrom were, just took forever to get people off and on! you could see a lot of effort was put into the event and fireworks, well worth the visit and to get to ride the rides in the dark : -)

looks great, didn't realize that much effort was put into lighting and sound... never been to an alton towers firework event before - can't wait to go on friday!

My dad had a disabled pass... But having been 4 times in half term week for Halloween hocus pocus (2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013), I would say the park was very quiet. I did go Monday (after the storm that seem to hit London the worst), so guessing that put a lot of people off going... All the tall rides (which was every rollercoaster, even kobra) didn't open til about 1/2 in the afternoon due to apparently more strong winds coming in (which never happened) so the maintenance couldn't go up to test them. Also the mazes opened late due to actors not being able to get in as trains were cancelled/delayed. Even with all this closed... Up to about 1 pm the queues on the rides that were open (which was'nt that many) had big queues, which is expected, but seemed to be about the same as a fully operational day in Halloween hocus pocus in past years! Also did Thorpe Park Tuesday which seemed relatively quiet in comparison to fright nights at the same time in previous years (having been half term week for past 5 years)... And legoland yesterday, was very busy as always, although what was weird was that the park seemed packed and at times struggled to walk around, but the ride queues didn't seem that bad.