Mark9

Correct me if I'm wrong Vortex workers, but the cycles are longer in the morning due to the cold motor. Once it warms up its far more efficient at slowing the ride and reducing the amount of swings you get.

Considering this thing is a year late, if they decided log flumes was the thing to build, they might want to plan them better in future.

It's doubly worse for Heide as the competition in Germany is so much more then say the UK or in Italy with Gardaland. I'm sure that explains why Heide continually gets these frequent but lazy investments. My main concern though is how Merlin seem committed to making Heide and Gardaland so similar. There are strong rumours that Garda will be getting a Dive Machine for next season; just seems so irrelevant when that park needs something more like Juvelen or a Mack coaster.

So this opened yesterday and based on a few reviews I've read, despite looking interesting and being very photogenic, the ride completely loses momentum after the first drop and camelback hill. Shame but not unexpected.

The IP might not age but those day glo-painted buildings will look pretty poor in a years time.

It's going to be amazing. You heard it here first.

Yeah, families with babies and toddlers love massive launching roller coasters. If the advert just featured the Banana Ride and the Carousel I'd agree but the only none thrilling rides in that video is Depth Charge and Rumba; The Swarm and Stealth certainly dominate that advert.

Baco is still the worst ride of all time.

I suppose thats what happens when you delete half of my post in a quote. Alton is the Mecca of theme park operation compared to Chessington. I wasn't beginning to say Alton is the best out there was I.

So what are you saying MarkC, that AdamP is lying and it never actually tested. Come on now, you can be queuing/riding Tomb Blaster and Skyway trains can do two circuits in that time.

Hate to say it but it looks really bland. Not that I am saying it will be, after all POV's aren't a true representation. It just feels like there's nothing truly new here and after Merlin already doing this ride type twice over, it feels like we've already walked down this well worn path.

You seem to be forgetting that Alton is a well run theme park and Chessington makes up rules completely on the fly.

What a ridiculous rule. Who came up with that one? I suppose it's one of those rules made up completely on the fly like 15 people to run Rameses or loading Fury with two or three adults depending on how they are feeling that week.

A sign of common sense prevailing per chance? Any sighting of air gates at Buccaneer then?

Wowser. Great looking ride there. Take out the lift hill and the backwards section and it reminds me heavily of Juvelen. The last part of the ride seems a bit cumbersome but hey ho, the rest of it is fab.

Quiet close to dead. Tis Mothers day y'know. Although I could be wrong and everyone decides to go because its mothers day y'know. But traditionally, Mothers Day has been very quiet.

Heide taking a leaf out of Smiler's pre-opening promotion with the new rides logo appearing on some buildings in Germany. Somehow doesn't captivate the mind like the brilliant marketing done for The Smiler last year.

Anyone going to this one then?

Just spent half an hour listening to that beautiful music. No Shame. It has the Mark9 seal of approval.

I miss the days when Pixar did their own thing and made stunning films without relying on the back catalogue. The Incredibles is a fantastic film and has a very definite ending with the family coming together and acting as a unit. It doesn't need part two.

Really? Thing is, people are stupid. So stupid that on rides like Fury and Runaway Train they will actually sit on the restraints. Look at all the incidents in America of staff not doing their job properly, over-riding the rides safety protocols to send the train. Next thing you know, people flying out of seats. Health and Safety 'isn't going mad' like you suggest, I'm not sure it can go mad when it's keeping people alive, especially when it comes to the day to day running of a ride.

I seem to remember at the time that Terror/Forbidden tomb was universally lauded and not really liked by the park. It's popularity certainly dropped like a stone over its life and was increasingly ignored by guests visiting. Hence why it changed to Tomb Blaster. Now it's more popular then it's ever been so I think it was the right decision to retheme it back in 2002.

Swarm in the top left hand corner

It last operated around last June/July. A lot of the time it is a bit of a monument and it's amazing Thorpe even bother with it anymore.

I have to give some credit to Chessington here, from the pictures on themeuk, the ride looks far better then I could have thought three weeks ago. Quite a turn around, although the ride itself really looks poor compared to the nice looking queuing area.