Fred

The exit isn't the only change - they're making the main ride a bit sexier. Don't think they're touching anything else.

We got in plenty of rides - pretty much all of them. I did realise that the park really is a two day job if you actually want to do everything, we were trying to do every ride once and watch the shows, and we ran out of time without watching half of the shows we wanted to. Park was rather quiet, though probably far busier than it has been recently.. a fair few school groups. Vampire - I heard on the grapevine yesterday that they should be redoing the queue completely soon (winter?), and that maybe the original entrance gates will be used again. If so, then that is amazing. The park really has been putting attention into some detail and particularly into the experience guests receive, and I think its working wonders. However, I mentioned vampire station - it's just showing everywhere that paint is coming off wherever the height sticks are kept. Same with Tomb Blaster, looks horrible. Oh, and they need to change their operations rules, it felt so weird that the hosts HAD to pick up a height stick whenever I went on a ride, even though we're way over the minimum, and we're the only two in sight!

Mmmm Chessington. Right, I'm awful at Trip Reports. Like, seriously awful. However, I wanted to write about chessie as its close to my heart and its been ages since I've visited, so I'm going to niavely presume none of you lot have visited in a while either. Positives: -Madagascar has vastly improved Toytown area -Toadies has had a repaint, with additional things, ride is far better than a couple of years ago -Staffwise, apart from one on vampire, were nothing short of brilliant - perfect for offpeak days at least. -Entertainments on site are brilliant. There's far better lighting, sound systems on all the zoo products since I last visited. -Toilets are sexy -Majority of the park looks fresh and pleasant -Hotel is sexy, as ever. -Finally sealife has been rebranded into its new one. Looking sexy with the thorpe park font. Negatives: -Entire of transylvania is shocking. -Although staff are brilliant, they've very robotic (No, it's not my first ride at midday thanks). -Jumbos is a bit of a state -No water on rameses?! -3 pods only on peeking, errr? Right, let's get down to this. I stayed in the hotel which was full of people not visiting the park, and I got a Wanyama upgrade for free. Something which I'm sure is very underestimated, is seeing animals (including a fake hippo and crocodile) out your bedroom window. It's nothing short of fantastic, must be similar to what the parks in florida try and achieve. Seeing as I visited West Midlands Safari Park recently, I've realised how ace these things are - so that investment in chessington will only add to the USP of the park, it'll be a brilliant experience (there's signs of construction as well, so I imagine its actually going ahead - wow!). So, leaving the hotel we trecked on park, and instantly went to Transylvania, as always. And what. They've changed the track. It sounds like something suited to mexicana, plays throughout the area including vampire entrance. Awful, absolutely awful. Followed by dilapitated queueline, vampire station falling to bits and a staff member reminding me of the old days (shouty, loud, and chavvy). Not impressed. Followed by bubbleworks, which is.. well.. someone needs to do a duel and actually put some care and attention into it, or make it look a bit better. Why is there STILL imperial leather stickers everywhere in there? Bloody hell. Luckily, the trip didn't continue like this. Buccaneer had a lovely person working on it, buccaneer being usual. Cheered me up. Went around rest of park, including 20mins of tomb blaster (due to 3 trains). Now, tomb looks terrible in the queue with only one tv working, and the announcement which doesn't fit the rest.. but the ride itself looked great for once. Toadies looks good, wild asia naturally looks good, just got into it after it opened. Y'know what, it didn't affect our day, there's plenty of other things to do until that point, unlike lego really. Watched the animal shows and they're ace Overall, everything looks good bar tranny really, oh and jumbos. But yeah I'm bored now, told you I'm useless at writing trip reports. Soz.

Transport systems far improve the areas, interestingly. The whole extention for East London Line was to give better access, allow that area to get to jobs in a broader area. Improve employment opportunities, and improve the quality of living. Chances are they won't make money from it in ages. But, it improves the areas dramatically, improves the area, declines crime.. just cos the train or whatever doesn't make money, doesn't mean it doesn't bring benefits worth the cost, hence why they always do cost:benefit ratios.

Not to mention Sub Terras 2nd improvement which almost doubles the amount of staffing on there. Completely barmy, but they do like experiences when they're open..

Watched Dark Shadows. Well, it's weird Tim Burton style. But it's not great, actually rather.. bland. The marketing for it is terrible, marketing it as a very funny film however any jokes are quite deadpan. Left feeling rather disappointed, but glad I only paid £3.95 for the film. If I had to rate it? Cos I'm awful at trying to review things, I'd just say 6/10.

Well I say it would - much like we look to Japan and Germany's transport systems and admire them. St Pancras international is a station of pure beauty, and can only do well to help Britain in its reputation. It's like looking at marks photos of Parc Asterix and wanting to go purely cos of how beautiful it looks!

I've heard that it's down to the opening hours going back to 5pm, yet the staffing budget didn't increase to counter this factor in. Might not be completely true, but may explain why they wish to save 9 people a day operating this, let alone the skyride rescue team which get paid a fair bit per hour it's in operation.

Bollocks now I want to go. But noone will take me!

Apologies to Astro-of-the-Dan. Sub terra will be closing on the 21st for a week.

Can kinda see why they charge car parking - they entice people in with the bogof or sun free ticket offers, then try and claw it back a bit by charging parking and fastrack. Wonder if thorpe give staff free parking if they visit, like towers have now officially done.

Mark9 is the best person in the world. Better than Colossus itself!

You're quite wrong sir, sickies are the best part. I might be lying, but they're by far not the worst job - pretty damn easy really!

Chessingtons easy to get to from inner london, train 35mins. I can understand chessie in a way cos it's just overflowing with public transport which noone uses cos noone visits the park, but still..

How did you go about booking it? Particularly a hotel away from site? Really need to go this year, the confusingness of trying to find somewhere, find suitable dates at a reasonable price, is just mental. Wonder if I can just go travel agents...

You have never seen electric bill before? What the hell are you looking at during that time? Before this year, it was the ONLY thing lit up there!

Ultimately, the only things the guests are continually saying is that the attraction is too short, and the drop is too small/short. So, if gardaland made it longer, or had a powerful drop or a ride system allowing for multiple drops, then they'd be onto a winner - storyline and theming dependant though

Not heard about it closing. Though I've heard of potential improvements.

That's cos bank holiday mondays ARE quiet...

Banned for having Air as your first coaster of 2012. How awful.

Had the.. privelidge?... to go in that kiosk last year. Full of cadbury and ribena branded stuff. Was a proper blast to the past, even if it's falling to pieces. Amazed me!

Somethings missing...

However ripsaw instantly does the same, in one cycle, quickly, and gets you drenched..

Not too sure why the parks continually open early when they don't get people offpeak. As mentioned with towers when they were cutting down to 4pm, why not just open later? More people are around between 4-5pm than between 9-10am. Why not act like the non-merlin parks around the UK, and just open the entire park later by an hour midweek? Not really going to affect anyone but hotel guests then...

Dislike the idea currently. If they don't want the crowds in towers street and the difficulties of ERT guests getting into park early (which was why they were trialling this thing), then they should just let anyone on at 930. It's unfair on ERT guests and unfair on normal guests to have the current ways. Seen staff just let anyone on the ride as well from 930 instead of checking, but they were getting moaned at by ERT guests for allowing anyone on. Madness.