tomglazed

I think the thing that annoys me is that giving X a proper new lease of life is something which could be done relatively easily and cheaply compared to getting a brand new ride in. But if it doesn't happen, past experience so far has shown that hoping for these dreamed "general spruce ups" often are just wishful thoughts. I hope to be proved wrong.

Surely for a ride to open in time for 2013 Season it would have to have been way in the planning stages by now? If not then I suppose it would open later on in the season however it is rare for Thorpe to do this and I really cannot see us getting a new ride for 2013. All of the above would have to require Thorpe to go above the bare minimum effort. I know I am being quite negative but Thorpe's overarching approach to their rides to me is: Build them Keep them running in the most cost effective but safe manner With regards to Colossus needing a repaint (which in my opinion should be high on the priority list), unless it is mandated by Intamin for them to repaint the track for safety reasons or that it will increase the lifespan of the ride then I can't see Thorpe doing it. I realise that there are exceptions to this.

Okay, yeah I did notice one or two having know flame effects on them. I really do hope that they all get the flame effects back as for me it really adds a lot to the look of the trains. The flame effects look effectively like decal stickers, I will personally pay for those stickers if I have to

Ever so occasionally I have seen Inferno running trains which have one or two of their decorative wheel covers removed. Is there a specific reason for this? I hope it isn't another case of "well we need to work on those bits often so we'll just leave that theming off" like Samurai's missing central arm plate.

All the top spins have a plate which should cover that hole. Ripsaw for example has the plate which says "Will you cut it?" or something like that. The engineers know what they are doing so they would cover the hole up if it was absolutely necessary for the safe operation of the ride but I personally think it would look a little different covered up. It's probably the same as the case of Samurai no longer having the red and yellow circular emblem plate covering the centre of the ride arm; they found themselves needing to get to the parts up there often and thought they'd save time and by just leave it off permanently.

Has Rameses ever had the bottom panel on the gondola or has it always just been left off? It surely can't be the best thing for the ride with all those components exposed for so long.

Depends on your definition of dark ride. Personally, rides which have pulsating disco lights and occasionally have white strip lights on to reduce vomiting, are really pushing the envelope of a dark ride... Hopefully they can use this closed period as a further "refinement" period for Swarm, it did have a good run but it was hardly a smooth opening season, and in my opinion, a particularly rough opening season for a B&M ride.

Anytime I take a friend who has not been to Thorpe Park before (yes, people like that do exist), I always try and distract them at any point in which they could realise it is a backwards ride. Top tips are: Hold a conversation with them at all times when passing safety boards, ensuring you stand on the side of them making them look away. Do your best to distract them from seeing the train enter the station backwards; I have pulled a beanie over my friends eyes just before it arrived and it worked like a charm. But on a more serious note, most people I know, now know what to expect when going on X. To the point where they call it X:WTF, and only ever ride it as a time killer/"we may as well if we have done everything else" ride.

I do like the idea but I'd say some pretty large modifications would need to be made in order for spinning cars to be added; probably too much for it to be even be worth while.

I'm not sure how this will be received as an idea but as Merlin appear to be experimenting with opening select rides later, maybe Samurai should be added onto this list. Trim the operating time down where possible so that when it does run, it can be run at adequate settings?

I see what you mean location wise but with Slammer you still have those towering brown structures which still attract attention. Much like Samurai, it's been collapsed down like it is designed to but it still has the platform in a partial state and pods sat outside of it (correct me if they not still there). I personally just think it would make sense that if you go to the trouble of removing signage for one ride due to extended downtime then you could do it for the other; if anything just for a cohesive approach to how they treat rides during periods of extended unavailability. Unless the park really do still have hope that Samurai could be able to make an appearance in the ride line up for the very end of the season...

I completely agree with all above. But Fred it wasn't your posts which got that reaction it was a whole collective . I think all I'm saying is that personally I go for an innocent until proven guilty approach. Do I think that Park Management are happy that they've got a stunning new attraction open next to an embarrassment that is Neptune's Beach, but unfortunately with the money they have just shelled out for said new attraction and now the unfortunate spat of reliability with not only the teething issues on Swarm but other major attractions on park, they just don't have the resources right now to do a good long term fix? No. If anything, just on the topic of the chart music playing right next to their star attraction. What if we came at it from the angle that actually it serves as a good contrasting breakaway effect from the rest of the park. You turn that corner onto Swarm Island and no longer are you hearing some top 40 track through tinny speakers, you are now hearing the roar of Swarm's scream and seeing an upturned telephone box, destroyed jet, church and all that jazz. That's a real impactful change in my eyes.

Jeez, I know this topic is usually for off topic rants but this for some reason has really riled me. People seem to think it's cool or good to bash Thorpe no matter what just because people believe they will get more support if they hate on them than support them, it's like they are the child who will never fit in class. Especially when you see people one minute saying "Yeah, Swarm is really good, best theming on park, good step in the right direction", next topic "Thorpe can't do immersive, they suck". Jeez will they ever be able to do anything right in people's eyes? I don't go to Thorpe enough to hate nor love it, I can only say what I experience on the occasions I manage to get up there and I have never had issues to the point where it warrants the apparent hate it appears to get. Rides breaking down? Out of the park's control, Guest behaviour? Out of the park's control, weather affecting operations? Out of the park's control, teething problems with new attractions? Out of the park's control. I don't doubt there is a lot within its control such as what it installs and the bad decisions they may have made on that front (Storm Surge) but come on now, credit where credit is due.

That has already been posted. I think people, me including, are just hoping that the sign at the queue entrance and the sign on the website is just to keep guests expectations at bay, not promising too much and putting too much pressure to get the ride open ASAP. If they seriously were thinking that Samurai will not be available until the 2013 season, maybe they would have considered taking down its signage like they did for Slammer to remove attention from it? I mean the ride has been near enough collapsed down completely so it will be even more unrecognisable as a closed ride than Slammer. No matter how much attention you try and take away from Slammer, you still have those two big brown towers which scream "I'm a poorly ride" to most people.

The only way I am able to sell this ride to my friends is that lift and the complimentary foot massage; that is the only way we will ride if it has a short queue.

Totally understand it probably wasn't cheap to install infrastructure wise but I guess what I mean is I just get the vibe it's only really there while Thorpe sort out their bigger priorities.

I think really the nature of the restraints and how they operate adds to the build up of the ride (what little there is); especially for first time riders, there face when the restraints clunk down so fast is quite a picture.

I really don't get the vibe that Storm Surge is a long term attraction. Does anyone know if it has just temporary permission or is it here to stay from a council perspective? The placement and look of it all just screams temporary at me so I'm holding on that it's just a filler attraction and will be removed during that area's future remodel.

It may well be another case of them keeping guest expectations at bay only for them to open Samurai early if they are able to; they'd get a certain amount of brownie points if they manage to get the ride open and Slammer open for that matter for such a short space of time left in the season.

I have never really personally experienced much of a problem but what could be the problem which means it seems certain cars have a much bumpier experience than others? Bad sets of wheels?

Why did I not grow proper roller coaster balls before all these rides got rubbish . I'm guessing Vortex used to run far longer?

I can completely see why they said that Samurai would not be open until 2013; always best to exceed expectations by opening it for what is left of 2012 and pre-warn guests that it might not happen until 2013 than promise it will reopen soon for it only to hit further problems. Guests like to have their expectations exceeded.

But what if isn't a new build and it's another second hand one like the replacement enterprise from Drayton?

And if they do actually get a new one; what are the odds that we will see it being painted to Samurai colours or left as is?

Thorpe just seems like a child with a bad immune system; when it gets ill, it gets ill in style.