Hethetheth

I wonder if it's not as simple as Blackpool Pleasure Beach being the only ones at fault for declining or stagnating attendance. As an example, it's cheaper and quicker for me to get to Efteling for 3 nights than Blackpool for 2 nights (on the basis of like for like hotel quality and facilities) as I'm in the coastal South West of England. The desire to visit the park is there for me, especially with Icon opening, and their tickets are affordable. But trains are increasing in price year on year and decreasingly reliable. Thorpe on the other hand is right near a motorway next to a capital city. For me it's quick and easy. Even Alton is more centrally located. I can only speak for myself as to my reasons for not visiting, but I wouldn't be surprised if this puts people off visiting if they're not immediately in the North of the country.

My nearest Merlin park is 2 hours away so I guess that plays into it a bit. After I've had holidays with my partner I don't normally gave more than 3-4 days of annual leave left for parks as my partner hates theme parks. Admittedly that last part has a lot to do with it!

I have no idea where you guys find the time and money to go to so many places: Definitely: None Very likely: Efteling Thorpe Park Possibly (would like to go, but money/time might restrict me): Blackpool Pleasure Beach (first time, depends if friends want to go when visiting up north) Parc Asterix Alton Towers

There's a big difference between not painting it for 21 years and doing no maintenance at all for 6 years. The latter is far more substantial. But why bring it back anyway? Why resurrect an old ride like that which was second hand when it got to Camelot? It's not particularly marketable to anyone other than a theme park enthusiast.

Depth Charge (5) Detonator: Bomb's Away (5) King Pig's Wild Hog Dodgems (5) Mr. Monkey's Banana Ride (5) Nemesis Inferno (5) Quantum (4) Rocky Express (5) Rush (5) Samurai (5) Saw - The Ride (5) Stealth (5) Storm in a Teacup (5) The Swarm (5) The Walking Dead - The Ride (6) Tidal Wave (5) Walking Dead +1 Quantum -1

It was a very fun log flume. It was (at its peak) themed well and just a good laugh. In a park full of 'extreme' thrills it was the light-hearted bit of joy which the park now lacks.

No work on Loggers?! Shocking.

Knightmare has been exposed to the elements for 6 years without maintenance and was already old before reaching Camelot and would require higher maintenance costs compared to most coasters and for these reasons. I'd have thought the cost of deconstructing, transporting, reconstructing and refurbishing a coaster like that also wouldn't be remotely worth it. Even if a brand new coaster costs more in the immediate short term it's going to be less arduous in the long run to maintain, especially compared to a ride that's been unmaintained for 6 years.

Amity Beach (5) Angry Birds 4D Experience (5) Colossus (5) Depth Charge (5) Detonator: Bomb's Away (5) Flying Fish (5) King Pig's Wild Hog Dodgems (5) Mr. Monkey's Banana Ride (5) Nemesis Inferno (5) Quantum (5) Rocky Express (5) Rumba Rapids (5) Rush (5) Samurai (5) Saw - The Ride (5) Stealth (5) Storm in a Teacup (5) Storm Surge (5) The Swarm (5) The Walking Dead - The Ride (6) Tidal Wave (5) Timber Tug Boat (4) Vortex (5) Walking Dead +1 Timber Tug Boat -1

It's my favourite park I've been to personally. I was won over when I got there as it's more than the sum of its parts. The rides are good but it's really the combination of fun, charming aesthetics and a lovely atmosphere. Where Thorpe is big on rides but small on everything else in between, Efteling has it nailed it where Thorpe fails. It's just so nice to just BE in. Even on the rides, I find rides like Joris en de Draak more thrilling than most rides at Thorpe. It's got more of a kick than I expected. Air time galore! Baron is also great and Symbolica is one of the best dark rides I've been on.

Amity Beach (5) Angry Birds 4D Experience (5) Colossus (5) Depth Charge (5) Detonator: Bomb's Away (5) Flying Fish (5) King Pig's Wild Hog Dodgems (5) Lumber Jump (1) Mr. Monkey's Banana Ride (5) Nemesis Inferno (7) Quantum (5) Rocky Express (5) Rumba Rapids (5) Rush (5) Samurai (6) Saw - The Ride (5) Stealth (7) Storm in a Teacup (5) Storm Surge (3) The Swarm (5) The Walking Dead - The Ride (4) Tidal Wave (5) Timber Tug Boat (6) Vortex (5) Wet Wet Wet (5) Stealth +1 Lumber Jump -1

Given their non swinging family coasters are called Suspended Family Coasters I'm assuming it's the latter. This is still great news as I love SFCs and Vekoma's latest non SLC/ boomerang output has been great.

Does every post from you need to be essay length? XD Thorpe DID do a world record coaster in Colossus back in 2002, and it did put them on the international map. I also think it's wildly presumptuous to say all positive reviews are people coerced into being positive. I can complain about Thorpe whilst still enjoying a day there. I just have things that bother me about it. The things that bother me are things like maintenance, weird choices in new experiences and queue management rather than coaster quality.

Amity Beach (5) Angry Birds 4D Experience (5) Colossus (5) Depth Charge (5) Detonator: Bomb's Away (5) Flying Fish (5) King Pig's Wild Hog Dodgems (5) Lumber Jump (4) Mr. Monkey's Banana Ride (5) Nemesis Inferno (6) Quantum (5) Rocky Express (5) Rumba Rapids (5) Rush (5) Samurai (6) Saw - The Ride (5) Stealth (6) Storm in a Teacup (5) Storm Surge (4) The Swarm (5) The Walking Dead - The Ride (4) Tidal Wave (5) Timber Tug Boat (5) Vortex (5) Wet Wet Wet (5) Walking Dead +1 (I actually rather like it for all it's flaws...same with DBGT) Lumber Jump -1 (lazy addition)

Amity Beach (5) Angry Birds 4D Experience (5) Colossus (5) Depth Charge (5) Detonator: Bomb's Away (5) Flying Fish (4) King Pig's Wild Hog Dodgems (5) Lumber Jump (5) Loggers Leap (5) Mr. Monkey's Banana Ride (5) Nemesis Inferno (7) Quantum (5) Rocky Express (5) Rumba Rapids (4) Rush (5) Samurai (5) Saw - The Ride (5) Stealth (5) Storm in a Teacup (5) Storm Surge (7) The Swarm (10) The Walking Dead - The Ride (3) Tidal Wave (5) Timber Tug Boat (5) Vortex (5) Wet Wet Wet (4) Zodiac (1) Walking Dead +1 Zodiac -1

Amity Beach (5) Angry Birds 4D Experience (5) Colossus (5) Depth Charge (5) Detonator: Bomb's Away (5) Flying Fish (5) King Pig's Wild Hog Dodgems (5) Lumber Jump (5) Loggers Leap (5) Mr. Monkey's Banana Ride (5) Nemesis Inferno (6) Quantum (5) Rocky Express (5) Rumba Rapids (4) Rush (5) Samurai (5) Saw - The Ride (5) Stealth (5) Storm in a Teacup (5) Storm Surge (6) The Swarm (5) The Walking Dead - The Ride (5) Tidal Wave (5) Timber Tug Boat (5) Vortex (5) Wet Wet Wet (4) Zodiac (5) Inferno +1 Rumba -1

Amity Beach (5) Angry Birds 4D Experience (5) Colossus (5) Depth Charge (5) Detonator: Bomb's Away (5) Flying Fish (5) I'm a Celebrity (1) King Pig's Wild Hog Dodgems (5) Lumber Jump (5) Mr. Monkey's Banana Ride (5) Nemesis Inferno (6) Quantum (5) Rocky Express (5) Rumba Rapids (4) Rush (5) Samurai (5) Saw - The Ride (5) Stealth (7) Storm in a Teacup (5) Storm Surge (6) The Swarm (6) The Walking Dead - The Ride (6) Tidal Wave (5) Timber Tug Boat (5) Vortex (5) Wet Wet Wet (5) Zodiac (4) Stealth +1 I'm a Celeb -1

Amity Beach (5) Angry Birds 4D Experience (5) Colossus (5) Depth Charge (5) Detonator: Bomb's Away (5) Flying Fish (5) I'm a Celebrity (4) King Pig's Wild Hog Dodgems (5) Lumber Jump (5) Mr. Monkey's Banana Ride (5) Nemesis Inferno (5) Quantum (5) Rocky Express (5) Rumba Rapids (4) Rush (5) Samurai (5) Saw - The Ride (5) Stealth (6) Storm in a Teacup (5) Storm Surge (6) The Swarm (4) The Walking Dead - The Ride (6) Tidal Wave (5) Timber Tug Boat (5) Vortex (5) Wet Wet Wet (5) Zodiac (5) Nemesis - notasgoodastheoriginalbutstillhaulsass - Inferno +1 Rumba Rapids -1

Amity Beach (5) Angry Birds 4D Experience (5) Colossus (5) Depth Charge (5) Detonator: Bomb's Away (5) Flying Fish (5) I'm a Celebrity (4) King Pig's Wild Hog Dodgems (5) Lumber Jump (5) Mr. Monkey's Banana Ride (5) Nemesis Inferno (5) Quantum (5) Rocky Express (5) Rumba Rapids (4) Rush (5) Samurai (5) Saw - The Ride (5) Stealth (6) Storm in a Teacup (5) Storm Surge (6) The Swarm (4) The Walking Dead - The Ride (6) Tidal Wave (5) Timber Tug Boat (5) Vortex (5) Wet Wet Wet (5) Zodiac (5) Nemesis - notasgoodastheoriginalbutstillhaulsass - Inferno +1 Rumba Rapids -1

Amity Beach (5) Angry Birds 4D Experience (5) Colossus (5) Depth Charge (5) Detonator: Bomb's Away (5) Flying Fish (5) I'm a Celebrity (4) King Pig's Wild Hog Dodgems (5) Lumber Jump (5) Mr. Monkey's Banana Ride (5) Nemesis Inferno (5) Quantum (5) Rocky Express (5) Rumba Rapids (4) Rush (5) Samurai (5) Saw - The Ride (5) Stealth (6) Storm in a Teacup (5) Storm Surge (6) The Swarm (4) The Walking Dead - The Ride (6) Tidal Wave (5) Timber Tug Boat (5) Vortex (5) Wet Wet Wet (5) Zodiac (5) Nemesis - notasgoodastheoriginalbutstillhaulsass - Inferno +1 Rumba Rapids -1

Amity Beach (5) Angry Birds 4D Experience (5) Colossus (5) Depth Charge (5) Detonator: Bomb's Away (5) Flying Fish (5) I'm a Celebrity (4) King Pig's Wild Hog Dodgems (5) Lumber Jump (5) Mr. Monkey's Banana Ride (5) Nemesis Inferno (5) Quantum (5) Rocky Express (5) Rumba Rapids (4) Rush (5) Samurai (5) Saw - The Ride (5) Stealth (6) Storm in a Teacup (5) Storm Surge (6) The Swarm (4) The Walking Dead - The Ride (6) Tidal Wave (5) Timber Tug Boat (5) Vortex (5) Wet Wet Wet (5) Zodiac (5) Nemesis - notasgoodastheoriginalbutstillhaulsass - Inferno +1 Rumba Rapids -1

Amity Beach (5) Angry Birds 4D Experience (5) Colossus (5) Depth Charge (5) Detonator: Bomb's Away (5) Flying Fish (5) I'm a Celebrity (4) King Pig's Wild Hog Dodgems (5) Lumber Jump (5) Mr. Monkey's Banana Ride (5) Nemesis Inferno (5) Quantum (5) Rocky Express (5) Rumba Rapids (4) Rush (5) Samurai (5) Saw - The Ride (5) Stealth (6) Storm in a Teacup (5) Storm Surge (6) The Swarm (4) The Walking Dead - The Ride (6) Tidal Wave (5) Timber Tug Boat (5) Vortex (5) Wet Wet Wet (5) Zodiac (5) Nemesis - notasgoodastheoriginalbutstillhaulsass - Inferno +1 Rumba Rapids -1

Amity Beach (5) Angry Birds 4D Experience (5) Colossus (5) Depth Charge (5) Detonator: Bomb's Away (5) Flying Fish (5) I'm a Celebrity (4) King Pig's Wild Hog Dodgems (5) Lumber Jump (5) Mr. Monkey's Banana Ride (5) Nemesis Inferno (5) Quantum (5) Rocky Express (5) Rumba Rapids (4) Rush (5) Samurai (5) Saw - The Ride (5) Stealth (6) Storm in a Teacup (5) Storm Surge (6) The Swarm (4) The Walking Dead - The Ride (6) Tidal Wave (5) Timber Tug Boat (5) Vortex (5) Wet Wet Wet (5) Zodiac (5) Nemesis - notasgoodastheoriginalbutstillhaulsass - Inferno +1 Rumba Rapids -1

Suspense not necessary, you could just tell us to begin with?

I recall seeing a Rock n Rollercoaster clone being planned following the fire, which was cancelled due to power concerns over the launch and the park's desire to keep Detonator. Detonator was brought in after the fire as a temporary replacement to Wicked Witches Haunt. The plans can be found on the Runnymede Council planning portal (which I will try and find later!).