JoshuaA

Looks great, very original theme.

I struggle with long queues but Europa is actually pretty manageable. I wager Silver Star has a similar throughput to Inferno and Swarm combined.. The queues can get long but they usually move much faster and some have great theming too (Wodan is the only ride where I want to queue!) I honestly don't know why someone would buy AUFT, I find Thorpe boring after half a day, going everyone weekend would bore me to death. I guess each to their own, but at least at Europa its hard to get bored as there is a stupid amount of stuff to do and some areas are so lush you can sit down on a bench and feel utterly immersed.

I think in its current state it would of been a lost cause trying to bring it back anyway, I think in its current state its just better to bulldoze it and start from scratch. The park letting it get to that state in the first place though is wrong and the ride certainly was a true classic that Merlin decided to write off as it probably needed a bit more upkeep than Rumba or Storm Trash. Loggers was easily one of the best log flumes in the UK and in no world was it "losing its magic", I think what Thorpe really mean is "we were losing money".. Unlike Rattlesnake I don't think Loggers in its current state was in anyway salvageable, its so derelict honestly I would agree with Thorpe just bulldozing it for something new. I think the sad thing we probably won't see a replacement for a long time because Thorpe don't seem so sure on what they want to do with the Loggers space. At least with Wickerman we knew from 2016 that Flume was being removed for a new roller coaster, it was also heavily rumored beforehand too so we knew that space was gonna become SW8. With Loggers we just got 3 years of vague statements..

TBH X:No Way Out post the change in market was pretty dead anyway, I remember it always being dead and people weren't really fans of it. The theme idea was cool but there was barely any themeing, just black walls and the occasional very random object that I would barely class as "theming". The ride itself was uncomfortable with a bunch of backward jolts and the darkness just made it kinda boring, every memory I have of the ride is just chavs behind me saying "this is boring". I don't think X:NWO will ever come back to frank, when it left nobody seemed to really care because the ride was very just beyond its sell by date. When Nemesis, Colossus, and Stealth were added I think X just kinda lost its relevance, I don't think changing it back would be something Merlin or Thorpe would even consider.

Okay Icon is their new ride but there is 9 other coasters at the park and a good supporting lineup, there is other things to do at the park. If Icon was shut I would just lap Big Dipper and Revolution. Sure Icon probably is the best ride there but technical issues happen. Technical issues on rides happens at every park. Well, bar Europa.

1. Mack: I adore Blue Fire and can't wait to ride the even more amazing looking recent projects from Mack. Overall I think the restraints on their bigger coasters are very comfortable but allow for a lot of freedom for airtime and inversions (that heartline roll on BF ?) 2. RMC: Only ridden New Texas Giant but overall I remember it being a glossy smooth ride full of airtime and fun banking. New Texas Giant was the first RMC and probably the least innovative out of all the RMC's, I can't imagine what the other ones are like! New Texas Giant was pretty flawless in itself, Steel Vengeance must be insane! I think RMC will be dominating the industry for years to come, they currently seem to be the hottest manufacturer in the US right now so once they start building more over here and in Asia I think they will be perhaps even better than Mack. RMC is the future. In ten years time I wouldn't be surprised if every park had to have a RMC in their lineup. 3. B&M: Solid and stable, though anything that isn't a Giga or Shambhala I think are just kinda eh at this point in the industry. I think they need to really introduce a new model soon or something new, I think after RMC got big innovation has became the key, B&M besides their Gigas haven't really done anything different to their designs or approach in the past five years. 4. GCI: I have only rode Wodan but if the other GCI's are anything like Wodan then wow. I absolutely love Wodan's fast pace and how it never seems to lose speed, Troy looks even more epic, can't wait to ride more of these. 5. Intamin: I haven't really rode many good intamins. Furius Baco is probably the best Intamin I have rode if I'm being honest.. I have put them on the list as they do innovate quite a lot, but recently that innovation has really just became becoming a counterfeit RMC..

Honestly I think it would be insane if we got a new coaster soon, we just got Lost Kingdom in 2016 and Paultons isn't a chain park so they don't have the excess cash to flash about.. If they do though then I think it would solidify Paultons as a must do for parks in the UK. I find it funny how the smaller parks are making more out of nothing with investments (BPB and Paultons) while Thorpe is just throwing money at crap like TWD and DBGT.. Fingers crossed this is true, it would be a ballsy move though.

I think there is having a personality in your brand and there is being ridiculous and unprofessional. Thorpe pre 2013 somewhat had a brand and a clear market they were aiming for, sure that market turned out to be not very profitable but at least they knew who their target market was. In many ways I think Thorpe right now is the real laughing stock of the Merlin Parks. Sure Alton has made budget cut galore, Chessington gets no major investments, but at least those parks both know who their bloody target market is. The parks both have their own brand and somewhat of a identity, they don't have to be obnoxious on social media to make their brand stand out, the brand is strong.

Hooray! Hopefully they can start to use it as a maze space again for FN, the building is perfect for FN mazes and IAC was just a hot mess anyway.

I think a Mack Big Dipper would be amazing here, I also think BPB should maybe try and pin down RMC eventually. Sure BPB has a vast history, but every ride has a life span and they can't keep all their classics operating forever.. The park also has a lack of space so to make new investments some rides might be on the chopping block, this is not a bad thing. I hope Steeplechase stays as I don't really think that they could add anything in that space due to Streak, Big One, and Icon wrapping around it, I think maybe they could get S&S in to give it new trains and maybe re-track it if possible considering S&S are now producing a similar model. I wouldn't be surprised though if we didn't see any big investments for a decade or so, the park did just build Icon after all..

Yikes.. Tbh I'm not surprised in the slightest, Colossus had a awful year of dispatches, every single time I rode Colossus the operations were consistently awful. Inferno was very hit/miss this year but was slightly surprised at how long it took, that is worse than usual! Stealth and Saw are no surprise, the crew on both rides seemed pretty decent on my visits. When compared to other European parks Thorpe looks pretty bad, heck Taylor even did the same style video for PA and the dispatches overall were a little better than Thorpe. Thorpe need to up their game, when PA can out-do you on dispatches you know you have fu**ed up..

Theme it X factor and you have yourself a Merlin addition.

I'm pretty sure its a new gen of SLC's, so no swinging. I'm guessing they dropped the name SLC due to their reputation, hopefully this new name solidifies that Vekoma are now a company who are far past head smashing machines. I think this is a great fit for Tayto, Vekoma right now are really on the up so working with them for a major thrill ride is a smart decision, its probably a more affordable option too.

Looks amazing but I just don't see it happening or being successful, especially in Blackpool. Blackpool is kinda a shell of its former self right now and there is so many attractions that exist currently like BPB, Sandcastle, Ripleys, and all the Merlin crap that already kinda soak up the tourists (what is left of them) so I'm interested whether this will bring more people in or will just completely fail. I hope this does bring more people to the town but I have my doubts. If done right though I guess this could propel Blackpool back to the destination it was once was.

This actually made me manically laugh. This is why I love this forum. ?

I think with Swarm the near misses and theming make it probably one of the better wing-riders out there, sure its length is awful but other than that it was a great investment IMO. I think Swarm and X were the last good investments in Thorpe's recent history, everything 2014 present has ranged from awful to meh IMO. For the next ride I want something with no gimmicks, no stupid themes, just a coaster with a good layout that is full of airtime and a theme that is not horror or drab.. Theme wise I would love something colorful, Smiler I think stands out so much due to its brighter colors and more playful tone.

So I can confirm I'm coming, though unfortunately I will probably have to leave after the group meal.

I'm gonna try and attend my first meet this year! I can't give a definitive answer as I might be working but gonna try and get the 15th off.

I didn't visit any events last month due to work but I have to say from reviews/povs this year seems like one of the most shambolic years to date. I think its a shame considering Fright Nights pre 2015 was considered a huge name and a trailblazer in the industry, sure a lot of people blame 2013 for bringing in IP's but Cabin and MBV were still pretty decent experiences that successfully worked the free flow concept that is now becoming more popular across mazes in the industry. I think with Thorpe perhaps it is just competition rising across the industry? 2015 was a dreadful year for FN, but that was only amplified by Tulleys upping their lineup to 8 that year, Alton introducing one of their best lineups to date, or Xtreme Scream introducing the amazing looking Ash Hell. I think post 2015 the event has somewhat been a few steps behind the other big events, sure Big Top (2016-2017) and Platform (2017) were amazing but the rest of the lineup were generally mixed.. This year I think sees an all time low for the event, sure some of the roamers look great but there is no maze that looked like a "go to" this year, which I think is really depressing in a event that on some years had 2-4 mazes on that par! I think next year the event needs some fresh concepts, something unique that is just different to anything currently on park. I also hope they add some extra scare zones and keep a good atmosphere across the park.

Honestly for 2019 I want the park to take a direction and stick to it.. 2013-2015 made the park so much more family friendly with X being somewhat of a 'go to' coaster for everyone in the family, with that direction they could of easily made DBGT a tad more family friendly but instead we had the whole 'scariest thing ever' approach again and The Walking Dead just undid all the work they did back in 2013-2015.. I think Loggers returning is a long-shot.. Its a bad state ATM and it'd probably be a huge burden to get it back operating for next year. I really hope we get a Slammer replacement but I think perhaps that could be a 2020 thing, I think a Huss Giant Frisbee or a Gerst Sky Fly would be a great replacement.

So after seeing a video by our lord and savior aka Shawn Sanbrooke- its official.. I think its gonna be a big loss for the park in their thrill lineup, also from memory G Force is one of the main things you see when entering the park so its going to be weird with it not being there.. I do understand its removal though, it seemed to be a maintenance nightmare and Drayton probably aren't in the financial position to pay for the upkeep. I think the park perhaps might completely focus on the family market I guess, Thomas seems to draw in the crowds just fine so I guess perhaps G force won't be too bad of a loss? It was a pretty awkward ride anyway. I remember it being incredibly painful.

I think there is a huge problem with the RAP, and no, its not people who 'look normal', ADHD/Autism/ECT are all conditions that in some cases are viable and do need the RAP, though the way the system means it very easy to get one and abuse it! I had a friend who had epilepsy and got a doctors note a few years ago, since then she has had the all clear- when she last went to Thorpe she simply changed the date of the note and got a RAP.. Another issue is staff, when I last used a RAP the staff didn't sign once! There was two hours queue on Colossus that day so they really should of signed it, but no, they CBA.. I think group numbers should be capped too.. I have seen groups with 1 rap user and 5 friends tagging along.. The system really needs a shakeup..

If this is the case I think it would of been much better if they just merged Deadwood and Blair, now Blair is going to be 1 second long and Deadwood probably will feel like a poor man's Blair Witch.. Blair's entrance probably is now going to be crammed in awkwardly next to Vulcan.. It would of saved the park staffing and setting up queues if they just merged it.. Stupid IMO... I think Thorpe at this point are more concerned about the quantity of their attractions rather than the quality.. If Blair's layout starts near Vulcan then it might honestly be the shortest and most pointless maze to ever exist. Absolutely agreed. I'm hoping they use the beach next year, they could even install a maze on each side!

Honestly I'm not going to FN this year unless it gets rave reviews.. The fact its 20 quid for MAP holders just makes me wanna spend a extra 5 quid or so and go down to Screamland or any other event.. The Screamland lineup also looks really damn strong this year, I overall just don't feel it with FN this year with the lineup.. Sure there is a crap ton of mazes and attractions, but none of them bar Platform and LN to a certain degree really make me wanna come to FN.. Deadwood could be fun I guess, but again not really a maze that really draws me in.. Hopefully the event does deliver this year but honestly I feel heavily pessimistic about the lineup this year.