Charlesberg

Similarly to you I’ve always found the back to be smoother, and the inside seats to be smoother as well. Front row outside seat is just god awful these days. But I guess it fits the theme better than it ever has before 😂

Thank god they don’t have those unnecessary seat belts! And if they’ve structured the station to allow quick dispatches, combined with the shorter ride time hopefully the capacity won’t be the worst thing ever?

Got to ride Ghost Train a few days ago and here are my thoughts. The ride just didn’t work for me, it was definitely a downgrade from DBGT (if a majority of effects were working), bearing in mind I wasn’t a huge fan of that ride either. This is probably because I was very familiar with the original ride system, but the train without the VR and just a sequence of actors acting didn’t really do anything. At least with the VR you weren’t just staring at the inside of a train the whole time. It kinda felt like a waste of a ride system and is something that I doubt any park would choose to build from the ground up. The pre show and the crypt scene were honestly boring and also a downgrade. And the train carriage shell is a downgrade from the Victorian carriage. In summary, a lot of downgrades 😢 In my opinion once Exodus is open (and maybe give it a few years) it’s probably time to put the ride out of its misery. Just having something new from the ground up would be better than constantly retrofitting a ride system designed specifically for VR.

The park have finally announced Top Thrill 2 themselves! I think many of us can agree it’s a crap name, but moving on from that, it looks pretty exciting! Just relieved to see the coaster that has been shut for the last 2 years coming back strong! Hopefully the spike makes up for (or acts as a good compromise for) the reduced launch power? https://youtu.be/4XsAATlMGlM

This is very random and will probably not be of too much interest to many people but I had to mention it somewhere. If Exodus does happen go down the mountain theme (which makes the most sense in my opinion), I recon certain excerpts from Richard Strauss’ Alpine Symphony could work pretty well in the soundtrack for the ride as that piece is all about scaling a mountain and is very programmatic in places. Also the piece is of music is out of copyright so it would be relatively easy to pull off, similarly to why Towers use In the Hall of the Mountain King. Random post over, I will return to lurking in the background looking at posts and barely ever saying anything 😊

I find it amusing how they’ve given up on the whole pretending the ride is a secret campaign (where everyone already knew what a ride was going to be anyway) and have instead just plonked the full coaster straight on the map. Doesn’t seem very Merlin to me. But neither does Thorpe Park getting a new coaster so I’m not complaining 🙂

Personally I’ve never been sure whether I liked Nemesis’ theming or not. Like the landscaping, soundtrack and vague storyline are pretty solid but to me it’s always felt a bit abandoned. I know some people like that and that’s fine by me, but it kind of makes the ride almost a bit lifeless (until you actually get on it of course). Also in the past when I’ve taken friends to towers they’ve not been too keen on the abandoned theming and I understand why. Especially the unused overgrown queue line extension before the station, that looks awful imo and I hope they do something about that. Improvements wise, I’d quite like them to add more in the queue line (like TVs, effects, lighting, short enclosed sections, etc.). Just more moving effects in general I guess to make it feel more alive. I also like the idea someone said of enclosing the station maybe. I also quite like the idea of following it on from sub-terra (if that reopens) and keeping the staff with Phalanx uniform. I do agree with the point about not including a pre show though. I think whatever improvements they make shouldn’t affect operations or staff numbers.

This list is probably fairly similar to my previous list, that’s mainly because up until a recent trip to Plopsaland I hadn’t been to an abroad theme park since 2017. Uni, music (my other main passion in life) and covid have just got in the way too much but I am very slowly trying to push my way back into going to abroad parks. I’m still annoyed my 3 day trip to PA with onsite accommodation and unlimited express passes got cancelled 2 years ago. Anyway, back to the list! It’s a bit of a rough list considering that I haven’t ridden many of the coasters on here for years. Any coaster on here from the US I rode in 2016 which makes up over half the list. Top 15 Roller Coasters: 1. Kingda Ka Probably because my expectations were lowered slightly, but this properly blew me away! That launch has some insane power but also lasts forever! Then when you start going up the tower that also seems to never end! Before anyone comments, I’m aware everyone usually tends to prefer Dragster but I never got to ride that (and who knows how that’s going to ride now…) but I imagine I probably would’ve loved that even more! But in general, when I think of good memories from my life, riding this coaster is one of the best memories I have! 2. Shambhala I haven’t ridden this since 2014 so the placement of this is very rough, but I remember been amazed by it throughout. All the times I rode it in 2012 and 2014 I was completely blown away and the on ride DVD from 2012 looks like I’m having a religious experience! This is a coaster I’m dying to get back on at some point though, it’ll probably change places but I’m fairly certain it’ll stay in my top 5! 3. El Toro Definitely the most intense and craziest coaster I’ve ever been on! I had bruises from the airtime it was that mad! And I must not forget about that first drop in the back row! That drop felt like it had a hydraulic launch on it! I’m aware placing it below Kingda Ka is controversial but whilst it is objectively a better ride, the overall experience of Kingda Ka just stays with me a bit more. 4. The Ride to Happiness I only managed to get two rides in on this, one at the very start of the day then one later on in the day after almost 3hrs worth of queuing (it broke down after we waited around 1hr, got to the station and they made us leave the queue for it to reopen 30 mins later, we then queued another 1hr 10mins for the exact same thing to happen but this time we were stubborn and stayed, it then opened 40 mins later so we got our second ride!). The first it was running a bit slow so it disappointed me a little but was still a great ride. However by the second ride it had noticeably warmed up and now I understood the hype, definitely an all round amazing experience with the theme, soundtrack and out of control sensation. I do really really need to get more rides though so I’ll try and go back again next year! 5. Nitro Having ridden Mako earlier that year, to me it felt almost the same but just slightly better. Solid airtime, good length but then that helix into the mid course was a pleasant surprise! You get halfway round it and you’re like “oh sh**, I can’t lift my arms”. I did only get one ride though so my judgement probably isn’t the best. 6. Mako Unlike Nitro, I got loads of rides in and there’s no other description I can really give other than pure fun! Similar positives to nitro as well as a good soundtrack going up the lift hill and a memorable ending. And this never had a queue when I was there so 16 year old me was in my element back then! 7. Manta Pretzel loop, enough said! But yeah this coaster was probably the biggest surprise of my Florida trip back in 2016! This and mako and interchangeable! You can clearly tell B&M flyers have come a heck of a long way since Air! 8. Cheetah Hunt Let me explain! I only got one ride but it was in the back row and I was riding with a close friend at the time. We were just going crazy and having a laugh the whole way round and since it’s a long time we were enjoying that laugh for a while. So whilst the coaster might’ve been worse than I remember, the one ride experience I had on it was amazing and all I can remember was an extremely fun long ride with some good speed! 9. Taron Also let me explain! Whilst this is probably a far far better coaster than Cheetah Hunt, I also only got one ride on it. It was in the middle row and the person I was with didn’t really like me and was a bit annoyed I’d made him wait 90 mins for it. So again it all came down to the experience as the atmosphere was a bit tense. But it was still a fab coaster and that 2nd launch is hard to top! I do really need to go back at some point, with friends that don’t hate me and not in the middle row! 10. Sheikra Being a huge fan of Oblivion’s drop, this ride for me just takes it a huge step further with the addition of an actual layout after the drop! The Immelmann is fab then the drop off the mid-course into the tunnel then splashdown makes for a great finale! Despite the small number of elements, as a result of the sheer size and reasonable length of the coaster I didn’t really notice that so to me it was a fantastic coaster and one of my favourites in Florida! 11. Anubis: The Ride Out of the few Gerstlauers I’ve down (Saw, Smiler, Rage and this) this definitely stood out as the best to me! Partly because it was perfectly smooth to my surprise but it also packed a punch like no other coaster I’d done before! Aside from that dead spot after the mid-course, every single element delivered and was taken at great speed! And that launch is definitely one of the best I’ve done! This ride is telling me I need to get on some more (good) European Gerstlauers! 12. Montu For me this felt like an invert that was long and had more packed in and as a result is my favourite invert I’ve ridden! It has the intensity and whip of most of the other inverts I’ve ridden but then lasts double the time so of course I’m going to rank this higher! 13. Icon For what Icon lacks in intensity, the stuff it does have isn’t very common in the UK! It’s a long ride, has lap bars (I know Sik has them too, but they’re not nearly as comfortable) and has plenty of good airtime moments! It’s just one of those rides I feel relaxed but excited when I ride it, it’s also very re-rideable. Then Enso (as a single rider) adds the intensity the ride lacks, though it is a bit too expensive so I won’t factor that into the placement on the list. But personally I adore this coaster and consider it my favourite in the UK! I just wish other coasters in the UK could be long (and comfortable!) rides! 14. OzIris I haven’t ridden this since 2013 but this felt very similar to Montu but had some standout moments. The first drop not having a pre-drop really makes it rather amazing in the back! And the water feature is really cool as well! A very solid 2nd place B&M invert for me and arguably has better elements than Montu! But Montu’s length does give it the edge in my opinion. 15. Rock 'N' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith (WDW) The theming really makes this ride for me! Whilst the coaster itself is probably rather average, the storyline of the ride and the experience of being in a runaway limousine with Aerosmith songs blasting out loud was fantastic! And I didn’t find that rough at all so I was just smiling the whole way round! Never got to ride the Paris version but it looks like they might’ve butchered it now…

A few come to mind for me: 10 or 11 on Rage (one of two numbers, I can’t remember). 10 or 11 on Appocalypse (also one of the two). 10 on Stealth, I basically spent the whole afternoon doing that since it was roughly a 20 minute queue every time. 9 on Saw during a staff ride, was probably not a good idea. 8 on Abismo, there was no queue and I actually really liked that ride! Just don’t push the bar down too far and you’re fine!

Meets are definitely something I’d be interested in doing again! I think the last one I went to was in 2018 so it’s definitely been a while! Though my schedule always happened to clash with meets when I started going to uni so there’s a chance I might not be able to make any of them knowing my luck 😂

Just a random comment on theming: I feel like a cool theme for this ride could be to bring back Canada Creek and theme it to mountains. Because the coaster becoming lighter towards the top would fit the aesthetic of mountains pretty well. (Plus bringing back Canada Creek would be some solid fan service, not like they actually care about fans). But then again, it’s a logical theme that isn’t dark so definitely something Merlin would never consider.

Coasters I like more than most: Kingda Ka Was a massive surprise to me and was my favourite ride at the park when I went there in 2016. It’s still currently at my number 2 spot, though my number 1 I haven’t ridden since 2014 and isn’t nearly as fresh in my memory so this is kinda my number 1 coaster in a way. It’s definitely the most impactful coaster I’ve ridden! The Big One Specifically in the 2nd and 3rd to back row (elsewhere I think it’s kinda ok). It just feels like it’s speeding like crazy around the course in those seats. And the long ride time with this speed is just amazing! I’ve said it before on this forum but in those seats, it’s my favourite coaster in the UK. Spinball Whizzer This ride just brings me so much joy! It takes its elements with some pretty good speed and is pretty intense, more intense than many “thrill” coasters I’ve ridden. it’s also got a nice upbeat theme which is nice for a change when every other major coaster has a darker theme. Weirdly I rank this fairly high up amongst the coasters at Towers, honestly I’d probably take it over Th13teen, Rita, Oblivion and Galactica. Coasters I like less than most: Nemesis Inferno This ride is kinda a hit or miss with me. Some days I’ll get a highly forceful old school B&M invert experience, other days it just feels a tad forceless and on those specific rides (which is probably about 50% of the time) it feels the weakest out of the 5 coasters to me. But I don’t hate the ride, far from it, I still try and ride it every time I go! I do love giving it the nickname Nemesis Inferior though 😆 Nemesis Yeah I know, another Nemesis on this list. Now I do think it is an amazing ride and I’ve enjoyed every ride I’ve had on it and unlike Nemesis Inferno, it’s always a hit. I just simply don’t quite like it as much as many other enthusiasts but I do appreciate and respect the ride massively. Kumba I found this ride fairly rough when I rode it in 2016, though the only 3 times I rode it were all in the back so that probably affects my opinion drastically. But even looking past that, it felt like any other B&M sit-down I’ve ridden. I thought Kraken was far superior in many ways.

Ngl a part of me thought a coaster that size would be too good to be true but that part of me can be reassured now! If this goes to plan, this will defo save the park imo!

I’ll probably end up repeating someone else’s comment but I cba to go back through hundreds of posts to check, these are my thoughts: I’m in agreement with some people that a B&M hyper would be the best fit. If it takes the height record for the UK then that will be a simple yet highly marketable trick that will interest the GP (way more marketable than “the UK’s first wing coaster”). Also given B&M’s renowned quality and reliability and Merlin’s track record with maintenance, it would be a very safe investment (but by no means a boring one!). The same can’t really be said for an RMC, like what’s gonna sound more appealing to the average non-enthusiast: “the tallest coaster in the UK” or “the UK’s first coaster to fuse wood and steel”. Also given that Wicker Man was a bit of a push in the first place, I can’t see them pushing it further to RMC (but hey I might be completely wrong!). At this point, I feel they need a new thrill coaster before they go for a family coaster. Get your main target audience back on board before you branch out. They could make a decent family coaster the next investment for their cycle in 4 or so years after this one. I’m also curious as to whether they’d try and beat the Big One’s true height (213ft) or their advertised height from sea level (235ft). Assuming they go with a hyper. But hopefully this can regain the parks respect from enthusiasts as I feel like the last few years have made us focus on what the park does badly as opposed to the things the park actually does very well!