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Everything posted by Martin Doyle
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1. Plan Plan Plan!! > these days the Disney parks take in a fair amount planning even for trivial things like getting on rides. So familiarise yourself with the "Virtual Queue" system that newer rides like Cosmic Rewind use. You also need to be aware you need to RESERVE park visits on top of buying entry. 2. Give yourself enough time> If you can allocate two days for Magic Kingdom and Epcot than do so as these parks can be unpleasant IF rushing around 3. Be prepared for some long long waits at the Disney parks 4. If budget allows, make the use of Express pass at Universal and quick queue at Busch!! Worth every penny!! 5. Be sure to dine at Yak&Yeti at animal kingdom and Mythos at IOA. Two of the best theme park restaurants going. 6. Avoid the Busch free shuttle like the plague. It gets you there well after park open and you have to get back on quite a bit before the park shuts. So UNLESS its the only option for Busch, avoid. 7. Scout the landscape of restaraunts on International Drive. Some really nice and affordable options can be found. 8. Dont rush. Its a once in a lifetime holiday so take time to REALLY enjoy yourself Always happy to answer any questions!!
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Chessington General Discussion
Martin Doyle replied to Ash's topic in Chessington World of Adventures
What you on about?? This is true Disney killer quality!! I have actually now decided after careful consideration to cancel my october outing to Walt Disney World. I dont see ANY point paying a small fortune and then flying 9 hours across the atlantic to go ride Rise Of The Resistance or Flight Of Passage when we have the super detailed pinnacle of theme park theming in the form of Trawler Trouble at our very own chessington! -
Did....did I just read Drayton Manor AND Europa Park in the same sentence??!! I must be high or something!!
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All in all I see this being a great move for the park. Spookslot may be an aging attraction and dated by Symbolica standards, but it is a huge part of the parks heritage. So to see Efteling move for a newer dark ride whilst keeping the theme of Spookslot just sounds a win in the sense of keeping the park moving with the times whilst also preserving park heritage.
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And once again us mere mortals are given a gift from the gods.....well RMC anyway....which is much the same thing. Now whilst this excites me majorly given I have yet to ride one of their single rail coasters, I do believe the jury is still very much out on this design and that is largely/entirely down to the throughput. I just feel unless they really run it like clockwork, its going to be a nightmare at shifting queues ESPECIALLY when the busy halloween fright nights season kicks in. Nonetheless, very exciting news and I look forward to riding in 2024!!
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Two of the worlds best parks yet two very different parks so heres my two pennys worth. I am a coaster over theming/experience person Cedar Point has got FAR better coaster quality than what Europa has. So therefore I personally go with Cedar Point. It is however the classic "amusement park vs theme park" debate. If you are somebody who likes theming and all that malarkey, Europa will probably be the better park in your eyes. I however find Cedar Point untouchable to ANY park on the planet.
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Most rides you've ever had on one attraction in a single day?
Martin Doyle replied to Matt N's topic in General Discussion
40 on Untamed Yes really. Had the fastlane which shaves off 90 percent of the wait, it was an 11pm closure and Untamed is the only ride in that park I find any sort of great!! I was in LOADS of pain after mind!! -
Heres the PERFECT solution Somebody in charge FINALLY accepts that its the biggest white elephant project in the history of the theme park industry, cuts their losses,says "time to throw in the towel" and just rip the damn thing out!!
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Anyone for a pleasurewood hills meet!!!??........
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The other thing is this drop tower has no seatbelts. Be interesting to see if that played a part. Just awful news
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It does make you wonder what is going on during closed season that Thorpe AND Towers open up with one train services on coasters. I guess 5 months is nothing..... Hopefully fastrack sales went well though!!
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If we are talking quality I feel Energylandia has the stronger coaster selection than say Liseberg. Both parks have a main trio of thrill coasters and then in Lisebergs case a supporting family coaster in Banen. Energylandia has Formula and RMF Dragon as support to its trio. Then lets look at each trio. "Third wheel of the trio" - Not much in this one but thrill wise I would say Abyssus is better quality than Valkyria "Secondary coaster" - This is an easy one. Balder is a good fun woody but Hyperion is a different level. Brilliant hyper "Star coaster" - Do I REALLY need to answer this one?? Zadra is ten times better than what Helix is and I'm hard pressed to find anyone who would disagree from an unbalanced standpoint. That takes nothing away from Helix. Its just that Zadra is one of it not the best coasters on the entire planet. So yeah all in all I'd say for coaster selection, Energylandia is Europes best park followed by Phantasia if we are talking strength of coasters.
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Having ridden El Condor with these new restraints in October just gone, the restraints have done NOTHING to help. The ride is still an abomination!! Oh...Untamed is still epic though!!
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Zadra - A review (UPDATED!!)
Martin Doyle commented on Martin Doyle's blog entry in Theme park waffle with Doyle
I will remember that for my next visit in August!! -
April - Phantasialand May - Cedar Point/Kings Island August - Energylandia/Legendia October - FLORIDA!! Also be having a few visits to Blackpool as I now have a pass for it and may also try to squeeze in Plopsaland for RTH and Walibi Belgium for Kondaa
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Iron Gwazi is open now for Busch pass holders and opens next month for the public!! This video shows this thing to look absolute nuts!! I can see a lot of Zadra in this. The intensity looks there, the pacing looks there and my lord that death roll looks like its trying to rip you from the seat. Also promising how it slams into the breaks Zadra style. Seriously can not wait to ride this AND Velocicoaster!!
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Screens on dark rides; what do you think of them?
Martin Doyle replied to Matt N's topic in General Discussion
To me it depends on use and if they are combined well with physical sets A dark ride like Pirates over at Shanghai disney looks a masterclass in the correct use of screens as they blend well with the sets. The same can be applied to the potter dark rides at Universal. On the flip side, rides like Skull Island which is 95 percent screens with an amazing Kong animatronic I find very lazy. I wouldn't want dark rides going down this route. Hope that explains my stance on them!! -
Edward Nygma called He wants his gimmick back
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Phantasialand Yes it has less rides and a smaller park, but as I have said before..... Taron and Mamba are better than ANY Europa coaster, Chiapas and River Quest are better than ANY Europa water ride and I always think Maus is better than most the dark rides at Europa. Quality over quantity. Europa has some good coasters but doesnt have any that stand out to the point of making me wanna rush back. I was booking flights straight back to Phantasia after Taron. No Europa coaster has that effect on me. I would also appreciate its dark ride collection so much more was it not full to the brim of Disney knock offs. Both are top parks, for me however it goes to Phantasia.
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1. Villa Volta 2.Hex 3. Merlins magic castle 4. Monster house party 5. The Haunting 6. Cassandras curse 7. Feng Ju Palace 8. Impossible
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Coaster I like more than most Grand National. Yes its rough and shaky as anything.....but what did people expect from a roller coaster well over 80 years old!!?? I find it good solid fun whenever I go to pleasure beach and its just an absolute classic. Big one. Sticking to the Pleasure beach, Big one may be a bumpy as heck coaster with little to no airtime but it has one of the best first drops I have experienced and is also just fun. A night ride on it is also legendary Coasters I like less than most Wodan. Now I do like Wodan, but I just feel it pales compared to other GCI coasters. Its airtime is not as good as that on Mystic Timbers and it also doesnt feel as rapid or as out of control as Troy. So whilst I like the ride, it just leaves me feeling short changed compared to the two I have just mentioned. Icon. Now this ride is GOOD for the Uk market. I however just find it to be 10 percent decent elements and 90 percent slowly plodding around doing nothing. I can absolutely see why some adore this ride given its smoothness and interactions with the rides around it. I just want something more out of control,eventful and intense. This delivers none of that.
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Sounds like the greatest ride ever!! I will happily spend the tenner on one shot fastrack for this!!
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Your most "magical" theme park moments?
Martin Doyle replied to Matt N's topic in General Discussion
An easy one Crossing the causeway into Cedar Point. Nothing will ever beat that drive across lake eerie and seeing the greatest skyline of any park in the world just standing there before me after 14 years of badly wanting to visit!!- 3 replies
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Parks you like more than most and parks you like less than most
Martin Doyle replied to Matt N's topic in General Discussion
Couldnt agree more with the park guests!! On all visits I have had its been full to the rafters with undesirables queue jumping and just acting like idiots around the park. They actually make Thorpes very own clientele of undesirables look like saints and thats saying all one needs to know!! -
Ding dong??......the witch is dead?? MAGGIE THATCHER THE RIDE!! Its a sequel to Baron 1898 where she shuts down the Barons mine!!