Morgan.B

We finally have footage of the Black Forest Chateau organist. He pretty much looks like a human version of the one in the Vampire's station.

Maybe it's a 14 year old horror game IP? https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0488536/
Cheap and no longer relevant, just how Thorpe likes their IP's. Like a bargain, knock off Resident Evil.

2020: A Mack Wild Mouse themed to Operation Yewtree 
2021: A children's playground with year round live scare actors 
2022: "The Thorpe Park Dungeon" 
2023: The Octopus Garden rides return in the Saw area 
2024: The whole "resort" falls apart from neglect, Merlin assure everyone that they are looking into options and that despite nothing being open, there are tons of events to look forward to on the beach this summer, including The Cannibal Holocaust Experience and the return of Love Island (which got cancelled in 2022) 
2025: The Thorpe Housing Estate 
 
The worrying thing is that whilst I'm exaggerating, it's not by much. Merlin really do need to go. 

Blimey.
 
*Books visit to Phantasialand*

Pleasure Beach has to face reality that Blackpool is a dying seaside town, in fact the whole leisure industry of the North has to face up the issues it will continue to face, especially with so much uncertainty surrounding Brexit for example (especially if the estimates of damaged local economies comes true).
 
I think the Pleasure Beach itself is making the right steps, in fact, I'd say its making essential steps to continue its own survival. It can't absorb losses like the Merlin parks and it certainly can't have the wide hours it has done previously. Icon is a funny one because it is clearly loved by most enthusiasts and the visitors on both my trips really enjoyed it. Maybe it will be a bit like the Swarm in which it seems unappreciated and have no effect on visitor numbers but is actually well loved by park guests. And to me, that's far more important then flash in the pan successes with no redeeming features.

Is it sinking?

Hi All,
 
I'm a bit of an amateur photographer and took my camera with me on Tuesday (10/07/2018). Quite happy with some of the shots. Please note that I have personally taken the images and if you do wish to use them elsewhere then please ask my permission first, but just really wanted to share these! Hope you like them.

Also to note is how the rapids restriction board states there's "no eating or drinking in the queue" despite the fact that there are vending machines towards the front! What a pickle we are in.

Also to note is how the rapids restriction board states there's "no eating or drinking in the queue" despite the fact that there are vending machines towards the front! What a pickle we are in.

Also to note is how the rapids restriction board states there's "no eating or drinking in the queue" despite the fact that there are vending machines towards the front! What a pickle we are in.

Also to note is how the rapids restriction board states there's "no eating or drinking in the queue" despite the fact that there are vending machines towards the front! What a pickle we are in.

Also to note is how the rapids restriction board states there's "no eating or drinking in the queue" despite the fact that there are vending machines towards the front! What a pickle we are in.

A la the entire park for most the last 20 years

2020 - The Return of Derren Browns Ghost Train : Rise of the Demon, the Demon Rises Again (TRODBGTROTDTDRA)

Wow yeah that's just....How on earth did they manage that! There's 30 years of management decisions summed up in that elephant.

Wanna swap? I actually quite enjoy extractions but can't stand fillings

Think you've started something
*fetches himself a chocolate orange*

Could be worse - you could've spent £33m on the real thing.

Yes, I'll be named 'Wild Wood' to "fit in".
 
(and also to remove any remaining character)

Oh my gosh what a load of toss this is 
 
Mainly due to the fact they are calling it a "New Ride For 2017" and a "World's First".
 
I think the fact that the majority of the GP won't realise it's just Bubbleworks with a bunch of new props is the worst bit, because I think if people did realise this then people would be a negative reaction to this announcement rather than a seemingly positive one...
 
It makes me angered that Merlin can get away with things as shoddy as this and across Europe we have areas like Klugheim at Phantasialand being created from imagination and being mastered to perfection. It's such a shame the standard of parks within the UK is so appalling(with the major exception of Paultons who have come a long way) because  by European Standards an addition like this would be extremely frowned upon. 
 
Yes at the end of the day it may be a nicely themed attraction, but it is merely an excuse to get the GPs attention and also to try and cover up the fact bubbleworks wasn't maintained properly over the years- It also certainly doesn't cover up the fact that the rest of Chessington is falling apart.
 
The UK theme park industry really needs a miracle to happen, Paultons I'm pleased to say is on its way to success with quality theming, immersion and customer experience and I can see this park growing and growing in future years but as for the rest of the UK industry, well, whatever "magic" Merlin has done needs to be reversed because I quite frankly don't see how they've let all of their UK parks into such a poor state and managed to get away with it.

Bugger off with your worlds first crap and just make it the best it could possibly be. 

Working on the assumption that these rides are going to be installed at Thorpe, I think they're a...nice addition?
 
Regardless of how hard Thorpe tried to push away the family market, it simply did not work.  Families still came to visit, including families with young children.  It's difficult for Thorpe in some sense - they were almost saying "DON'T COME TO THORPE PARK IF YOU HAVE YOUNG CHILDREN", yet people didn't listen.  I guess that was one of the reasons why they had to revert back to actively advertising to families; they were coming anyway.  Things like ABL and IAC have at least helped expand the offering a bit more, even if it's not what the park should be doing to become a park suitable for all the family.
 
These rides add a bit more for younger children to do.  And I mean *younger* children - don't forget that kids as young as 2 are 0.9m tall and able to ride such rides.  And there's enough 2 year olds visiting the park (if you don't believe me, keep an eye out on your next visit, you will see a lot more toddlers than you expect!) to warrant some form of rides which could appeal to them.  The trouble with the current 0.9m line up is that they are all rides which are either too high, too fast or too rough for many parents to want to take their young children on them.  A RockNTug and Jumping Frog are rides which are proven to have more ridership from younger visitors, whilst not being too popular; see the equivalents at Chessington, Towers, etc.
 
 
I've seen these sorts of comments on a lot of forums, and it always confuses me.  People say the park needs more family rides, more children rides, etc, but when they're added in, people say that's not the sort of stuff they should be adding?  I just don't get what people want - what sort of small family rides should a park on Thorpe's scale be adding so that it is not labelled as pathetic, shocking or what?
 
NB:  If people are talking about the theming of the rides, please read below.
 
 
I agree Thorpe's sense of direction can be seen as confusing, as can their general 'brand'.  Hopefully this is something that can be worked on over the next year or two.
 
However, I think many over-exaggerate the removal of so many family rides.  In the last 10 years, they've removed MHFS, CRC, CCR, Octopus Gardens without like-for-like replacements (ie - no attractions of a similar target market replaced them eventually, hence why I'm not including Time Voyagers).  And maybe Loggers Leap, but let's take Thorpe's word for it for the moment.  Of those rides, how many of them were "family" rides, in the sense of rides that all the family could enjoy?  At a push, you could say CRC and CCR.   People talking of the removal of the OG rides as a loss is ridiculous in my opinion; they were rides which arguably would have been out of place at Legoland.  So keeping them at Thorpe would surely be daft.
 
These rides are ones which are able to produce a slight thrill for adults, whilst still being very entertaining for young children.  And I think we can agree that whatever Thorpe's direction, brand, market, is, it is something where they want people to have a 'thrill', and not sit idly by, and that reflects in all of their attractions.  And there's nothing wrong with that I guess, even if it's not the norm.
 
 
 
I always feel like people are bashing their head against a brick wall with a retheme of the area - they've already put some focus on turning Canada Creek into Old Town, and that should develop in the future.  So, in effect, a retheme has already happened, and I can't see one happening again any time soon.
 
 
I think the big thing for these rides is whether they're themed to fit within the surrounding area.  Again, assuming they're going in the Old Town area, if they're left as they are and just plonked down, that really puts a negative side to these rides - they will look totally out of place, feel really cheap and tacky, and justify a lot of hatred towards them, unfortunately.  If, however, they are (re)themed, and there's some attempt to make them look part of the surrounding area, then it can make them feel a lot more complete, and belong in the area.  And it would then create a nice little area which younger families can enjoy, and inject some real energy into that part of the park.  
 
Of course, this is still far from an ideal scenario.  I'm sure we'd all love the area to have an open Loggers Leap, or a large-scale attraction replacing it, along with new rides which are highly themed and feel natural in the area.  We all know the park are crying out for a major family attraction, be that a coaster with a 1.2m height restriction to appeals to all, or a log flume on the scale of Chiapas or something.  But the ideal situation isn't always what we get...far from it sometimes.  But regardless of any of that, I do think that if the park are serious about becoming a place that welcomes families, these sorts of attractions would be needed sooner or later.
 
 
Now of course we play the waiting game to see if these are actually staying at Thorpe, and if they are, where they're going, if they're being themed, etc. etc.
 

DBGT's shop.