Mega-Lite

Probably just be easier to recount how I've done previous Europe trips. Disneyland Paris was a cheap flight into the Worlds worst airport (CDG) then an awful but cheap coach ride to the park. On site hotel New York was reasonably priced. As a trip over all was fantastic. We did Holiday Park, Europa Park, Tripsdrill and Schwaben Park all in 1 trip with a cheap hire car and a lovely hotel located just off Stuttgart. Europa Park would be a fantastic first Europe trip. Did Tivoli Gardens (a must), Bakken (a miss), Liseberg (best coaster in the World), Skara (a meh) and Kolmarden (your local RMC). Starting with flight to Copenhagen, then a few trains and then a car hire. All hotels were selected for covenience and price. I'll give you more options later but car hire and off site hotels is the best advice I can preach.

Mack track is indeed very sexy, I cannot wait to see the site in person in November! In massive contrast to seeing Pointless Weapon in person and mocking it! You've clearly never visited Blackpool at the right time Benin. Sun out, mildly busy and the park probably has the best atmosphere of a UK park!

At least you have a valid excuse to avoid those awful stairs!

Please don't make me have to renew my Annual Pass Thorpe.

Pleasure Beach does have a Halloween event, sadly it's for 1 day only this year. Coaster, I'd love to visit Japan with you just to see your reaction when it starts lightly raining and all rides close for the rest of the day, that's a proper reason to get pissed off! Though I won't deny that's a little naughty of the park.

Not quite. If by that you mean it pisses all over Taron, then yes I agree.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! That is all.

You heartless bastard!

Martin has nailed it in my opinion. The audio references to the main themes used at Chessie and Alton are subtle and in cases it took me a while to pick up on it (Smiler and Chessie 2010 Halloween loop). At Thorpe in my opinion it's too in your face. I found myself saying "not this again" a few times on park.

Go ride Beast at Fantasy Island, very few times in my life have I wanted a ride to end but this one WAS THAT INTENSE!

Olympics comity get all pissy about anything and everything using or referencing the Olympic games. The showman Mr Barth has already fought them in court in Germany and won. I imagine either Winter Wonderland organisers themselves don't want the hassle from the Olympic comity or Mr Barth can't be arsed to fight them again for the right to use in England for 1 month a year. That's what I've read anyways, it's all a bit stupid if you ask me. Wonderful to see the return of the coaster, I look forward to experiencing it with 7 cars this time.

Never understand all the negative sentiment Amanda gets for her rule of Pleasure Beach, I think she's fantastic and has done wonder for the place, so congratulations to her, well deserved. Note, if you attempt to fire back with criticism of Amanda my only response will be, MACK MULTI LAUNCH COASTER! You have been warned.

I remember when I worked at the park (nothing to brag about trust me) and they had a shortage of glasses for Hokey Pokey so Thorpe sent over hundreds of pairs from their 4D cinema, of course no one actually checked if they would work on Hokey and as you'd expect they did not.

Completely agree about the "Island theme" being used a bit too often across too many of the attractions on park and certainly agree that in some cases it's taking atmosphere and character out of certain attractions. Also it may have just been because I was on my own in a very quiet Pizza Pasta, but the theme in there was starting to wind me up. Colossus certainly isn't up to the old standard in my eyes and although I've yet to ride X due to the stupid 2 person in a row rule, I'm not sure that's going to sit well with me either. In some cases like the Dome and entrance plaza I like the new identity it brings to the park but I think the rolling out to all the rides needs to stop for now. Leave Inferno alone!

https://en-gb.facebook.com/hydeparkwinterwonderlandunofficial/ Once the rides start arriving it becomes a daily must view.

Don't care, got the cred. I've noticed the beautiful bastard that runs the very successful and utterly amazing Winter Wonderland build up Facebook page is dropping subtle hints about Hollenblitz. Very exciting but if he's just being a tease I'll retract all the nice things I just said about him.

You're a lucky man then Mark, she left me feeling quite dry on Sunday just gone. Been far too long since I've had the "JESUS CHRIST!" end brake reaction on Nemesis, I envy you immensely. I assume the reason for lack of interest in Alton Towers is due to the face there's f all to be interested in these days.

Heard the new Colossus area theme on my fateful visit to the park the other day, completely forgot they had changed the theme and found myself standing there questioning "wtf is this", then it dawned on me that this is the new theme alot of you have been raving about, each to his own I suppose but I think it's crap and it really takes alot of the atmosphere (not that there's much left) out of the Colossus area.

Chessington have installed self service machines in Burger Kitchen, a nice little addition because it means less time having to deal with their useless staff. I mean they still managed to mess up my order but progression is going to take time! A real shame they can't replace their ride staff with robots. This is an unedited real life interaction. I'm in the Fury single rider queue line, the ONLY one there. At first the batcher simply ignores me. 5 minutes later he comes over with a sneer. "Single Rider?". "....yes", would have assumed that's obvious but maybe not to Chessie staff. "So just the one of you then?". "....yes", f**king hell man...

The stupid robot arm with a screen 2 inches from your face 3D waste of time that is Harry Potter's Forbidden Quiditch Match at Universal Japan got me badly, wasn't sick but did make me ill. What a piece of crap that was. That's the only ride I can think of, off the top of my head. So harsh movements, with a 3D screen inches from your nose is my downfall.

Certainly is frustrating to think while most of us would shout "f**k off" at the sight of a 50 minute queue on Inferno during 1 train operation, the unwashed masses will probably proclaim "only 50 minutes for the Nemesis, never seen queues this short at Forpe Park!". Just watching Inferno from Pizza Pasta was making my brain hurt. I'd like to think if the GP knew and called Thorpe out on it things might change but they'd probably make up some complicated reason to justify it! Lesson learnt on my behalf, no more walk on term days at Thorpe Park.

I believe you're sugar coating figures there to make yourself sound right in a situation where I know you won't be able to convince me otherwise. If you truly believe what you're saying, that's fine, it is what it is but it certainly isn't "fact". Like I said, agree to disagree, please don't make me have to log in again man!

Doesn't take many people to make a queue long with 1 train op, if they were otherwise engaged the coaster queues would be shorter, simple. I'll agree to disagree with you. The main problem is 1 train op and frankly it's f**king stupid!

You're correct it is 1 train operation that's causing the problem but you'd be foolish to say filler attractions don't ease the coaster queues. Infact I saw people moaning amongst themselves about not being able to ride Rumba and Rush in the short time I was on park.

I popped into Thorpe Park on the way home the other day. It was a quiet Monday, kids in school, no special event on, 4pm close. The park itself was visibly quiet too, could go a while of walking without seeing another soul. To my disappointment (but not suprise), because of s**ty 1 train operation on most coasters and the fact key attractions are in pieces (Rumba and Rush) queues were similar if not higher than on weekends. So much for a quick lap on Inferno! I left after an hour of walking round in despair and it further justified not visiting Merlin UK parks for a year.