Mark9

Dragons Fury didn't save Chessington. Monster didn't save Walygator Parc. The Swarm has hardly attracted a record number at Thorpe. There is more to getting people in then dropping a rollercoaster on a plot of land.

I love your photos.

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So I went to Thorpe Park yesterday. Despite queueing for an hour at the entrance to get in we were full of spirit and ready to take on the rides! Our first port of call was Colossus, the worlds 1st ten looping roller coaster and new for 2002! Previously, my most intense ride had been either Mystery Castle at Phantasialand or Corkscrew at Alton Towers so I was nervous to say the least! So we entered the queue. My friends had all ridden it and all I can recall of it was all the shots of the ride from Blue Peter or that science programme. The queue seemed to go on forever, but once we got to the station, my nerves jumped massively. I was scared, especially of the sounds of the music and the atmosphere. So we boarded the train and started our ascent. Once we left the lift, my fears went ten fold as we fell into all the loops. The first five were okay but the last five were horrible, falling into my restraint. . After an hours queue, Colossus was amazing. Love the freedom of the restraints in particular and the way the ride runs around the area. Virtual Q was running, I kind of wish I'd picked one up but I'm sure I shall ride Colossus again in the future. So after Colossus we wondered over to Vortex, another ride that looked terrifying. My main memory was seeing it being built in 2001, the ride there but not open. It had featured on Watchdog twice. Compared to Black Bucaneer this is a completely different kind of ride. It seemed to last forever and we got the top swing, very worth it after a 45 minute queue. We then decided to ride Zodiac. I'd never ridden an Enterprise wheel before and Zodiac impresses with its baby blue cars swinging in tune with its dark blue and yellow structure. I also like the name. It doesn't last long though and after a 30 minute queue you are left wanting a bit more from it. Next was onto lunch at KFC and then onto Tidal Wave. I'd already been on this last year but it was the perfect ride for the boiling sun. We ended up queuing an hour which seemed about right. We could see Detonator through the trees, my friend wanted to ride but I didn't feel ready for something like that. Our final ride of the day was X:/ No Way out. Really random and I don't really like going backwards very much. We tried to grab a go on Loggers Leap, Calgary Stampede, Rumba Rapids and Banana Ride but the queues were way too long so we decided to grab some donuts (which ruined my map!) and head off home. Despite only going on five rides we had an awesome time at Thorpe Park and I cannot wait to go again next year for a ride on the brand new ride, Nemesis Inferno. September 2nd 2002 Colossus x1 Vortex x1 Zodiac x1 X:/ No Way Out x1 Tidal Wave x1

Another day, another Intamin related incident.

Amen to that. The irony of course being (and I am aware you know this ) that Europa Park is the one park that doesn't have fastrack so doesn't have any problems with first class guests and secondly, its park can handle 20,000, 30,000, 40,000 guests because its rides are built to take the load and the ride staff take no prisoners. Our parks crumble apart at 15,000. It's embarrassing being a UK enthusiast sometimes.

Benin also used to be an attendent on Dragons Fury Besides 550, you mean you guys aren't going for the 800 anymore?!

I hate the UK and what its theme parks now stand for.

When I see a picture like this it makes me realise how criminal Thorpe really are with the fastrack systems. They're marketing geniuses for convincing people that the only way to have a good day is with a nice expensive fastrack. And people just act like sheep and jump on the chance to fund the system. Wish there was a way around it but aside from visiting on quiet days, Thorpe has just become a place to avoid and a trip report like yours just shows me why I've avoided Summer for the last three years.

I believe Channel four got the Paralympics because one broadcaster isn't allowed a monopoly on all Olympic/Paralympic events. And it's a shame really, the BBC done a fantastic job of making every part of the Olympics available. Whereas with Channel Four, I feel like with the exception of Claire Balding, that none of them have a clue what they are talking about. Plus, they are bumping Paralympic events to More4, keeping Hollyoaks and the news on the main channel. I think thats tragic as the Paralympian competitors deserve the main channel. And don't mention the advert breaks every 10 minutes. It's put me off watching frankly. Anywho, 7 Golds and a total of 25 medals. Our guys are doing a fantastic job.

What relevance does that have for this topic Marc?

Rumours are afoot that the 2014 roller coaster will be a B&M wing rider. http://www.trips-n-pics.com/news/#parc40

I swear, if they had just called it Inferno, the majority wouldn't have a problem with it at all. In fact, the only people that seem to take offence is enthusiasts/fanboys. The fact is, Nemesis is one of the most successful rides the UK will ever see and when your new B&M inverter doesn't have any gimmick or large selling points, bang, you make it a sequel and it instantly gets people interested and talking. On it's own, Inferno is a perfectly competent ride without being outstanding. It's reliable, high-throughput, looks the part and compliments the other rollercoasters perfectly.

After a year out of action, it returns with a bit of an open question for you all. What in your opinion is the best country in Europe for theme parks?

If its one thing TPM needs, its more polls.

I've seen smaller parks do greater things with tea cup rides then Merlin can do with 12 million pound plus rollercoasters. Disney always comes up with as a comparison, well how about our European neighbours like Phantasialand or Parc Asterix who probably have similar budgets but do much more with their money and passion. And are rewarded with returning customers.

HAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHHA HAHAHAHAH Oh dear god, I've seen some pretty awful theme park things in my time but this is just ridiculous.

Psst... I didn't use Port Aventuras fastback system. I got less rides and spent £40 in the bar instead. Much more satisfying in that heat.

Women?!?!

The belief that coasters save theme parks is ludicrous. Zufari is a really good call from Chessington.

I think I'd go for either Shambhala or Tonerre de Zeus. I love intensity but I think I'd prefer sitting on a ride for ages on something that gives massive amounts of air time.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-19302620 I'm surprised this hasn't been mentioned; the Scenic Railway and Dreamland in Margate as a whole has been saved and will be developed into an amusement park. It originally opened in 1920 and closed its doors in 2006. It's fantastic to see all the endeavours and campaigns to save Dreamland have paid off.

doland pls

You'd be better off comparing Chalk and Cheese the two have no resemblance to each other.