Mark9

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.

It's like its TPM polling day. Besides not enough options.

Well apart from only giving us two options, I'm going to go with Stealth. Out of any Intamin launch I'd go for iSpeed and for any launching rollercoaster its between Blue Fire and Shock.

How bout a deeper shade of blue?

More talk about the blue pipe, by order of Mark9

You've given me some inspiration here Sids. Lovely stuff.

In 2012, Thorpe Park is a maelstrom. It is a giant, it is a behemoth it is, put it simply a hit. Seated within its small grounds lies coaster after coaster and some of the most well known flat rides around. Top scans, Afterburners, giant swings, drop towers, sky swats. It even has some pretty nifty water rides in Loggers Leap and Tidal Wave. The Swarm surely secures Thorpe Park at the very top of the theme park tree. And yet, a part of me always harkens back to the days where Colossus and Nemesis Inferno ruled the roost, where the top five rides were of real variety, where you could rest away at Thorpe Farm or relax in Sunken Gardens. There are some that must think I'm mad, "Surely Mark, you're into top flight thrills, not boring, meandering train rides to a dull, down trodden farm, a past echo, an area that doesn't deserve its place in a technological forest." Sir you couldn't be more wrong and here is why. A theme park is more then just the rides that it contains. Sure you can throw ride upon ride upon ride at a place and charge to the hilt. But, particularly in Thorpe Parks case everything becomes samey. It says it all when Stealth, the parks only major roller coaster without inversions, is about the only ride that breaks the mould at Thorpe. The majority of rides at Thorpe spin you in some direction or invert you repeatedly. Many rides do both. Rides like Mr Monkeys Banana Ride and Depth Charge are becoming more scarce in a park that increasingly tries to intimidate you silly. Be it beyond me to criticise Thorpe Park and the way it sells its park. I do not have a degree in market research or target audiences and I will never pretend that I do. But I do personally think Thorpe have a problem. There is really, very little entry level rides left at the place and they are the rides that are increasingly being targeted for removal. It's questionable how long Depth Charge or Mr Monkeys or Chief Rangers Carousel have left before they are replaced by another fast, inverting, spinning flat ride. And part of me thinks this is sad. I never ride them and judging by Thorpe blindly ignoring them, I bet very few people still do. And this is why my favourite Thorpe Park era was 2003. A varirty of rides of all shapes and sizes, areas where you can rest, a time where every staff member genuinely cared about customer services and the appearance of the attractions and a time where there was real optimism about the direction of the park. Remember these were the days that Samurai still span in Mystic East, Eclipse was brand new and we had only just heard rumours about a possible Xcelerator clone coming to Thorpe Park. Exciting days indeed.