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Owen

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Everything posted by Owen

  1. Either way, when you are marketing something for its speed you'd hope its at least keep up with it. Like I say it looks like an ok attraction but it can more or less be universally agreed that something more impressive could have been installed instead! Edit - Just to give another option I had a look at Knotts Berry Farm's Xcelerator and iSpeed at Miribilanda which both outpace it by a fair amount. I think it's fair enough to feel a bit disappointed when it's really cut back on a lot of what makes other rides of its type more impressive, such as the powerful suspenseful launch and the exit twist (although this is generally only on the larger ones obviously), which although they aren't essential it's a shame the layout they went for is more 'bog standard' if anything. Obviously that's just how I feel about it, others might love the changes to it
  2. It was stuck in that position on Wednesday too.
  3. After doing some quick physics (and I mean quick so I could be a tad off) compared to Stealth the initial launch on this is approximately 50% weaker. Whilst I knew it would be weaker I wasn't quite expecting quite that much. The ride seems fine, but certainly nothing making me want to make a trip out to PA. Shambhala on the other hand
  4. That's likely to be the case then Marc, thanks for clearing that up!
  5. Well in that case all I can say is I remember what I remember - and this was that the headphones looked and felt different. No need to begin acting somewhat dismissive and causing issue over minor things! However, moving away from the past I hope people enjoy my review!
  6. Well they are quite a fair bit different from one anouther, I am quite sure I can tell the difference between the two. Wether this was a mistake or not I'm unsure, however I most definitely did have an alternate pair of headphones/headphone setup during my final ride of 2016!
  7. - Double post due to the need of spoiler tags - Ghost Train 2 Review Derren Brown's Ghost Train: Rise Of The Demon, or less ridiculously 'Ghost Train 2' seems to address some of my main concerns about the original incarnation of this attraction, however were they addressed correctly in my opinion? Batching I have to admit the new batching process for Ghost Train is fantastic - it really helps keep the queue flowing and makes the whole experience far more pleasant. The new entry into the building is also quite nice as it feels more atmospheric to me, what a difference a shed makes! Pre-Shows After entering the first room I was surprised to find the pre-show room had been invaded by a large box in the back corner or the room. Whilst I know it's necessary to have this, it really made the already small room feel even more cramped (and hot!). I was kind of hoping there would be some kind of alteration to the pre-show speech but alas, I was left with the same thing. Nothing of major concern though. Moving into what seems to be a now permanent second 'pre-show' I found the room leading to the warehouse to be a bit dark now. There was also an issue in which half the group could not get up the stairs and so missed the 'conductors' speech about the train and it's swaying. Again, nothing major and can be resolved with some better people management. The reveal was, as usual, fantastic and for some reason I felt compelled to look below the train this year. I'm not sure if they have changed the lighting configuration to draw attention to underneath the carriage but either way - it enhanced the experience greatly. Here's where things will start getting a bit spoiler filled - so be aware! VR Scene 1 In summery, I was pleased to see all headsets working and with the new headphones. The journey still manages to get my heart rate up and so I'm quite happy with this section. Live Action As a whole whilst I wasn't expecting much from this scene I was pretty surprised, and I am almost inclined I liked the subtle change more than last year! VR Scene 2 This scene was much improved on last year and although I didn't personally find it scary, once I sat back and enjoyed the chaos I found it to be great fun. Exiting The Train The exit from the train was fairly good, now that you exit left and you go through to the shop via a longer route I found it really gave me time to reflect on the ride. The only issue I have is they really need to sort out some of the lights in the exit as a couple seem to flicker a tad... General My main issue with 2016's Ghost Train is there was no re-rideability to it. I felt bored with everything and it was more "I'll go on it again because it's new". This year I have to say I would happily ride this twice a visit, just to appreciate it. The ride seems to be viewed in two ways now (by myself at least) - either you really get into it or you just observe the madness that unfolds and the theming. Both scenarios left me with a smile on my face and I did consider a third go today. Reliability is what's going to be an issue this year. Whilst the ride is running much better than 2016 it's still had a few issues. The headsets seem to be working well but having delayed openings really needs to be sorted by summer - otherwise I wish guest services luck! As a whole I really enjoyed Ghost Train 2. It's still got little things that need to be fixed but honestly I think you can say this with everything. I personally feel it's the UK's best dark ride by far and the best attempt at theming we have too. It's certainly not going to be everyone's cup of tea but honestly, it's my cup of tea. That is why Ghost Train 2 gets 8/10 from me. Once the little issues have been sorted and it's opening consistently I have no reason to say that it won't go up to a 9/10!
  8. I rode it today - whilst I'll post a full review later I'll say it's really quite good, certainly my favourite dark ride in the UK, and I have yet to experience any issues with the headsets whatsoever...
  9. It is likely to do with how many actors are available at any one time
  10. According to staff the mid-way effect will return "soon". So although we shouldn't take this as 100% there is hope
  11. That being said it's really depends on the train, it could be rough it could be smooth - it's a lottery with Saw.
  12. I'd personally say do Colossus first, purely because Ghost Train seems to be doing very well with crowds with it only recently peaking above 30 minutes. Downloading the park app is also useful, so you can see how queues go through the day.
  13. There's talk one thing is having issues but it's now got an effective alternative that many have assumed to be a change in the ride rather then a temporary alternative... (This is yet to be 100% confirmed)
  14. Not to mention various guests have said on Facebook they saw people riding the attraction. As said NDA's are in place meaning those who ride cannot say anything about the experience and are unlikely to come forward. As the above post stated, people did indeed ride the attraction yesterday.
  15. Allegedly people have now ridden the ride, according to people at the resort yesterday. Whilst no reviews have have been given just yet, it seemed to go down very well, suggesting a significant improvement...
  16. Hmm, interesting. I've personally heard otherwise in there being more than one IP, which would make sense as multiple IP lead attractions will be being replaced, but as it's so early on anything can change between now and October!
  17. Whilst I don't know the entire menu, I know of a few Poppin' Apple Pie - Apple Compote, Cinnamon Topping and Popping Candy There also appears to be Strawberry Shortcake and Millionaire Shortbread options.
  18. As far as I can tell it's something not initially stated in the redevelopment plans. It could house something for the rumoured new scene or maybe is a relocated photo point, as previously Disabled and Fastrack riders were unable to get a photo.
  19. Thankfully it seems the queue tunnel will match the existing structure, will all wood added and I assume paint to come in the next few days. Credit to Scream Seekers.
  20. Who said they necessarily have to be movies? I wouldn't mind seeing Resident Evil - Biohazard personally, but I think that'd be just a bit TOO out there. And I believe the press release mentioned "IP's" as opposed to an IP. (Might be making that up though so don't take it as 100%) EDIT - Indeed, this comes from Attractions Management... "In addition to the ride’s redevelopment, there are also plans afoot for new IP additions to the park’s popular Fright Nights staged during the month of October."
  21. I would imagine the IP's will be linked to the same company, as it'd be easier (and cheaper) to gain the IP this way - similar to the Lionsgate contract.
  22. Apologies, in terms of the Merlin thing I mean that as a general thing I've noticed across the entire forum. In regards to the Gruffalo, as said I think you hit the nail on the head - this attraction is by no means terrible but it can be improved. That being said you can still appreciate it for being an improvement over it's predecessor. My main issue was that I have recently noticed there seems to be an issue with people enjoying Merlin attractions, and even more of an issue when others say "no that isn't fair, we all have different opinions to one another". However that's another issue more wide spread than just the Gruffalo! As a whole I don't think it's a Merlin issue as such, their foreign instalments are quite nicely themed. I believe the complacency of the UK market as a whole is the issue. However, you cannot deny that Derren Brown's Ghost Train, The Gruffalo and The Swarm (quite possibly the best themed wing coaster) aren't completely terrible, in fact they're pretty darn good. They aren't to the standard of say Efteling, Universal or Disney - but it's certainly not the worst standard that some seem to see it as.
  23. I'm a bit confused to if this was directed at me being happy that it's an improvement? If so I don't think anyone expects it, but I think people wanted an improvement at minimum. I personally have never enjoyed bubbleworks and so I'm happy as long as it's an improvement - yes it could be far superior but so can everything. Just because people may be impressed with something does not mean it's their base expectation. It makes me laugh how people can't even say they're content with something without being told that's the wrong opinion anymore, it puts people off saying they like an attraction simply based on the fact it's "Merlin". I think Wumbamillio has hit the nail on the head with this attraction (based on what I've seen) and so I think we should all take a page of of their book when looking at Merlin's investments. Nothing is all bad but nothing is perfect either.
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