Martin Doyle

Big One by some distance. Though Hyperia should have something to say about that!!

Don't worry, I'm not back, just briefly returning to the forum to highlight what I feel is a very important talking point.
 
In a recent government report, Merlin Entertainments have been listed as a company who have not paid minimum wage.  The company failed to pay minimum to 1,100 employees, equating to £43,000.
 
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/over-500-companies-named-for-not-paying-minimum-wage
 
Ride Rater have published a further breakdown of all the available info:
 
https://riderater.co.uk/11561/merlin-entertainments-failed-to-pay-minimum-wage/
 
Flamingo Land are also named here for failing to pay 4 workers the minimum, following a previous report from Blackpool Pleasure Beach who had failed to pay 12 workers the minimum.
 
In 2018, the CEO of Merlin Entertainments took home a salary of £1,493,000.  In contrast, the £43,000 owed to 1,100 employees would have still left £1,450,000 for the CEO.  Staff rely on being paid at least the legal minimum to live off, to pay their bills.  It's shameful that this has been allowed to happen.
 
Source: https://www.erieri.com/executive/salary/nick-varney-8ydw
 
I feel that as enthusiasts/people with an interest in theme parks, we have to pay attention to this and demand better for the staff who make our hobby possible.

I cant wait for the next coaster AFTER Hyperia
 
Zadro the long awaited RMC!!

Unpopular opinion but I wish Thorpe had some sort of embargo on enthusiast reviews / cameras in mazes say till Saturday so others can get the true spoiler free experience.
For me there really was something magical in not knowing what was behind the doors of the asylum or curse because they hadn’t been documented to death.
 
I think Thorpe have one goal with the inviting of z listers, yes they may post about it however the stock photos used for articles across the year with the Thorpe park logo is much more valuable.

Being serious for a moment though. I sense most of the negativity towards the name is because of it being similar sounding to Hyperion at Energylandia
 
Lets be real though, what percentage of the people walking through the gate at Thorpe on any given day actually have heard of even Energylandia let alone Hyperion??

Being serious for a moment though. I sense most of the negativity towards the name is because of it being similar sounding to Hyperion at Energylandia
 
Lets be real though, what percentage of the people walking through the gate at Thorpe on any given day actually have heard of even Energylandia let alone Hyperion??

Being serious for a moment though. I sense most of the negativity towards the name is because of it being similar sounding to Hyperion at Energylandia
 
Lets be real though, what percentage of the people walking through the gate at Thorpe on any given day actually have heard of even Energylandia let alone Hyperion??

Being serious for a moment though. I sense most of the negativity towards the name is because of it being similar sounding to Hyperion at Energylandia
 
Lets be real though, what percentage of the people walking through the gate at Thorpe on any given day actually have heard of even Energylandia let alone Hyperion??

Being serious for a moment though. I sense most of the negativity towards the name is because of it being similar sounding to Hyperion at Energylandia
 
Lets be real though, what percentage of the people walking through the gate at Thorpe on any given day actually have heard of even Energylandia let alone Hyperion??

Being serious for a moment though. I sense most of the negativity towards the name is because of it being similar sounding to Hyperion at Energylandia
 
Lets be real though, what percentage of the people walking through the gate at Thorpe on any given day actually have heard of even Energylandia let alone Hyperion??

I cant wait for the next coaster AFTER Hyperia
 
Zadro the long awaited RMC!!

I cant wait for the next coaster AFTER Hyperia
 
Zadro the long awaited RMC!!

I like it, it's cool. Is it the best name ever? No. Would I have preferred Icarus? Sure. But it sounds cool, rolls off the tongue and is punchy enough. Sure it sounds similar to Hyperion (which was named after a moon of Saturn), but heyho, 90% of people won't know or care. And loads of names are met with resistance at first...in a year, most people don't mind. A couple of years, and no one cares.
 
The style is fab. The music is fab. The 'find your fearless' seems to be a spin on phrases like 'find your happy', which I'm fine with. Marketing a 236ft tall, inverting coaster with lap bars with an upbeat theme to the UK market is no easy task. This seems like the best way forward.
 
In short, happy with this. And VERY excited.

Name feels like a mixture of Hyperion and Icon. 
 
nonetheless, I’m excited for this coaster. Made by Mack. 

Did someone call for me? Oops wrong account.

Plot twist. Coaster Jamie is parm pap!! He makes his return after so long!!

Plot twist. Coaster Jamie is parm pap!! He makes his return after so long!!

Plot twist. Coaster Jamie is parm pap!! He makes his return after so long!!

Thorpe Park's new maze for 2023 has seemingly taken some inspiration from the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who.
 
The similarities are as follows:
 
1. Both 'villains' are called The Toymaker
 
2. Both operate out of a similar-looking toy emporium 
 
Whilst the DW 60th anniversary has not aired yet, The Toymaker as a character originated in the 60s, and filming took place for the 60th anniversary special back in May/June last year; meaning that the DW story was likely written and planned well ahead of Thorpe Park.
 
Interested to hear theories on this.  Has it taken inspiration, or purely a coincidence?

I think the youtube videos we are all excited for is Jack Silkstone's walk throughs of each maze where he is getting hounded by like 10 actors at all time for the duration of the maze near enough. I am sure those videos ABSOLUTELY represent the treatment that us commoners get....when we actually pay the 10 quid!!

I think the youtube videos we are all excited for is Jack Silkstone's walk throughs of each maze where he is getting hounded by like 10 actors at all time for the duration of the maze near enough. I am sure those videos ABSOLUTELY represent the treatment that us commoners get....when we actually pay the 10 quid!!

I also reckon an "anniversary/nostalgia" themed Fright Nights would be quite a cool concept if only for one year!! That as a theme would very much make sense to both veterans who have been to the event since near the start aswell as newbies!!
 
Unless Stitches features a chainsaw wielding teddy bear, would I be right in assuming this will be the first FN to NOT have a maze that utilises chainsaw scares?? (Not including the 2020 event)

Wouldn’t cost a lot though to rip it all out put some chain link fences in and strobe it all out and then bring back what fright nights was known for…..
 
I would love an anniversary year, when is the next one, whereby we got:
Asylum 
Curse
Ex10
Cabin - maybe reimagined with the black mirror theme 
Actors in animal masks - minus the movie theme
Big top 
Some nod to creek perhaps just a scare zone or a walk down by the still accessible part of monks walk.
 
And some sorta freak show or scary show which isn’t a dance party to top it all off.
 
For me fright nights became boring when it opened the doors to a family audience and the MAP group used it as childcare for a few extra hours in the evening…. You really shouldn’t see prams at this event that’s what Chessingtons for. I was watching Jacks video the other day where he remember the 2013 event I want to say and oh man do I miss those days.
Dance parties just don’t do it for me neither do entertainers pretending to be freaks. Get the real thing or don’t bother.

Either Big One or Megaphobia

I hate this guy