Mark9

Slammer must be the most ignored ride by enthusiasts at the park in terms of discussion on internet forums. There is no hate for a ride that you seem convinced exists. It's just plain facts that Slammer has had a lot of downtime. Thats it. No conspiracy, no hate.

In such good nick that its main support structure gets condemned.

No-ones denying that Thorpe look after Slammer. It's the ride itself that is effectively destroying itself thats the problem. Hence why the ride closes every four hours for maintenance checks and why the ride spends at least a month a season closed. Remember when people were amazed that Slammer was open on opening day last year. It's never been able to do that for 7 years..

By that logic, it's supposed to be a lost city. Generally things that have been lost through time, aren't in tip-top condition.

I'm incredibly flattered by this, as I questioned why I was writing trip reports for a while. To know that someone has come back into theme parks after reading my reports.. well as I say it's incredibly flattering. I do remember you coincidentally, welcome back to the fray.

It's always Colossus isn't it. What about rides like Vampire which have been screaming for a repaint for 23 years...

The space can't be that huge really, particularly as the entire building is wedged in-between parts of Vampire. To fit in queuelines and theming elements, that building is nowhere near big enough.

I don't see how Maverick is appealing to a family audience. Cheetah Hunt yes, Maverick, no way hosay.

Expedition Everest Disney Animal King FL,y,y,1 Katun Mirabilandia IT,y,y,2 Superman la Atraccion Parque Warner Madr ES,y,n,3 Nemesis Alton Towers UK,y,y,4 OzIris Parc Asterix FR,y,y,5 Kumba Busch Gardens Tamp FL,y,y,6 Manta SeaWorld Orlando FL,y,y,7 Blue Fire Megacoaster Europa Park DE,y,n,8 Shambhala Port Aventura ES,y,y,9 Black Mamba Phantasialand DE,y,n,10 Favorite Wood Coaster Any Park Anywhere **,y,y,11 iSpeed Mirabilandia IT,y,n,12 Oblivion Alton Towers UK,y,y,13 The Swarm Thorpe Park UK,y,y,14 SheiKra Busch Gardens Tamp FL,y,y,15 Raptor Gardaland IT,y,n,16 Dragon's Fury Chessington UK,y,y,17 Euro-Mir Europa-Park DE,y,n,18 Silver Star Europa-Park DE,y,n,19 Euro-Sat Europa-Park DE,y,n,20 Dragon Khan Port Aventura ES,y,y,21 Space Mountain WDW Magic Kingdom FL,y,y,22 Nemesis Inferno Thorpe Park UK,y,y,23 Stealth Thorpe Park UK,y,y,24 Kraken SeaWorld Orlando FL,y,y,25 Big Thunder Mountain WDW Magic Kingdom FL,y,y,26 Speed: No Limits Oakwood UK,y,n,27 Chinese Fireball Islands of Adventu FL,y,y,28 Fav Jet Star II Any Park Anywhere **,y,n,29 Fav Mack YoungStar Any Park Anywhere **,y,n,30 Batman The Ride/Clone SF & Other Parks **,y,n,31 Montu Busch Gardens Tamp FL,y,y,32 Hungarian Horntail Islands of Adventu FL,y,y,33 Winjas - Fear Phantasialand DE,y,n,34 G'sengte Sau Tripsdrill DE,y,n,35 Abismo Parque de Atraccio ES,y,n,36 Stunt Fall Parque Warner Madr ES,y,n,37 Shock Rainbow Magicland IT,y,y,38 HeiBe Fahrt Freizeitp Klotten DE,y,n,39 Expedition GeForce Holiday Park DE,y,n,40 Colossus Thorpe Park UK,y,y,41 Shockwave Drayton Manor UK,y,n,42 Air Alton Towers UK,y,y,43 Rock n Roller Coaster Disney's H Studios FL,y,y,44 Tarantula Parque de Atraccio ES,y,n,45 Colorado Adventure Phantasialand DE,y,n,46 Incredible Hulk Islands of Adventu FL,y,y,47 Thirteen Alton Towers UK,y,y,48 Poseidon Europa-Park DE,y,n,49 Hollywood Rip Ride Ro Universal Studios FL,y,n,50 Alpinabahn (HimlyaBn) Traveling DE,y,n,51 Winjas - Force Phantasialand DE,y,n,52 Fav Powered `Coaster' Any Park Anywhere **,y,n,53 Vampire Chessington UK,y,y,54 Journey to Atlantis SeaWorld Orlando FL,y,y,55 Trace Du Hourra Parc Asterix FR,y,y,56 Cheetah Hunt Busch Gardens Tamp FL,y,y,57 Mammut Gardaland IT,y,n,58 Rita Alton Towers UK,y,y,59 Revenge of the Mummy Universal Studios FL,y,y,60 Avalanche Blackpool P.B. UK,y,y,61 Pepsi Max Big One Blackpool P.B. UK,y,y,62 Cobra Paulton's Park UK,y,n,63 Schweizer Bobbahn Europa-Park DE,y,n,64 Goudurix Parc Asterix FR,y,y,65 Temple of Nighthawk Phantasialand DE,y,n,66 Matterhorn Blitz Europa-Park DE,y,n,67 G Force Drayton Manor UK,y,n,68 Steeplechase Blackpool P.B. UK,y,y,69 Fav Mack Supersplash Any Park Anywhere **,y,n,70 Olandese Volante Rainbow Magicland IT,y,n,71 Fav Vekoma Corkscrew Any Park Anywhere **,y,n,72 X:\No Way Out Thorpe Park UK,y,y,73 Cagliostro Rainbow Magicland IT,y,n,74 Saw - The Ride Thorpe Park UK,y,y,75 Sonic Spinball Alton Towers UK,y,y,76 Tornado Parque de Atraccio ES,y,n,77 Sequoia Adventure Gardaland IT,y,n,78 Furius Baco Port Aventura ES,y,y,79 There's my top 79 for you

Installing nothing would have been a more worthwhile investment then Storm Surge.

I'll relent then. I'd wish for something better then a has-been from the 90's but you seem confident that a topspin could work at Thorpe.

Personally think it would look better if it was burnt down.

Whenever I see a top spin in a theme park, it is always the most unpopular ride on park. From the one at Gardaland, to Rameses Revenge, to the one at Parque Warner Madrid. And that seems to be problem, people don't find top-spins in this day and age that amazing, so no one rides them. Even Talocan at Phantasialand gets praise for its effects and theming but never really for the ride itself.

Just because they serve a purpose doesn't really mean they can't be modernised a tad. The ones at the entrance for example are rubbish and a lot of the time the water and dryers in toilets around the park don't work properly. Took me ages to find a working hot water tap in Gloomy Wood and the X Sector ones.

That quote taken out of context could cause some amusement.

Expain what you mean by this

I personally think the state of our industry is okay. It's always difficult to compare with America, when we're talking well themed rides we're normally just referring to Universal and Disney which have millions of dollars to play with and where the stakes are greater. When it comes to Six Flags and Cedar Fair, it's just giant metal structures with little to no theming. Our rides on the whole don't really have those problems. It's very easy to say our theme parks are expensive, when we know thats true. However it's not like getting a train or catching a bus. They are expensive endeavours, people know that and people can easily choose not to visit, in other words you aren't forced to visit. Now when you are inside the parks, thats another matter and things like Fastrack and the car parking don't help the situation. But what we forget is that the companies have invested millions into their parks. Take Thorpe in the last 11 years with over 60 million pounds invested in rides and attractions. It's so easy to stand their with the view that they offer poor value for money, but the only charge what they think is an acceptable level. As for our rides, I think they are of moderate to high quality. Whilst B&M have only just entered France with Monster and Oz'Iris we've had European and World firsts for over 20 years. Nemesis is world renowned in enthusiast circles for being the best B&M created, rides like Grand National, Wild Mouse and Megafobia stand the test of time as fantastic rides. We've got Adventure Island in Southend which is booming and building its own rides from scratch. Winter Wonderland in London is proving to be success year after year, it may not have the rides of German funfairs, but it is building up its reputation with increasing popularity. Flamingoland and Drayton Manor, for all their troubles are doing well with continual investment (let us not argue about the quality of their investments here). So in other words, in my opinion our industry is stable. Whilst it hits nowhere near the heights of Germany or parts of America, we do have decent investment and attractions.

Impatient toilet goers!

They aren't your racoons anymore.. they are the inter webs!

Not the most effect head/foot chopper there, although I agree with you that it is visually appealing.

Awkward. Onto more pressing matters.. Hero.

New for 2013 at the Alton Towers Resort , BACKWARDS OBLIVION

However, you were the one that argued so strongly that it would never happen.

Oh Benin, just accept the pie. I know you were being optimistic la de dah.

How would you like your pie Benin