Mark9

Thing is Sheepie, you know me and you know that I know all that. And I'm not saying throw lots of attractions at it because it would make a dreary, ride filled hole. What I would like to understand is why Chessington is the one being shafted again. The management need time to come to grips with the basics, fine. What exactly have they been up since 2008. Why is no one pointing out the obvious that there are some rides there that need serious TLC. Wild Asia only adds to the fire, it looks fantastic. You only have to walk 5 minutes to see the wreck of a ride that Runaway and Skyway have become. You talk about the infastructure, fine. I'll argue that the park should not be even thinking about new attractions until it brings Skyway, Runaway, Vampire and the Bubbleworks up to scratch and in line with Wild Asia. I don't think simple repaints are the answer either here..

I'd like Harry from McFly to also survive please.Sounds good, especially as parking is included. WOO!

Benin is riding a flying Pig. Your arguement is invalid.

BEEP, BEEP BEEPAH HA, HOLD ON TIGHT TINY TRUCKERS, CAUSE HERE WE GO, AHOOO

I thought they hated him what with the CHEATING SCANDAL from a few months back. The media just love to flick back and forth.

Blimey

I take all that on board obviously. But the thing is the park is now relying on a 25 year old infrastructure. The theme park and the zoo, well ones been there for ages anyway and the zoo since the 1920's so the only recent addition is the hotel which Merlin didn't play any part of.I know that throwing money at a place and hoping it sticks is not the solution, however why would throwing money in making Runaway train and Safari Skyway look 100% better be a problem. Unless Runaway is about to get the chop of course. At which point I wonder, Chessington has been under Merlin control since 2007, whilst yeah there's a transition period, why hasn't something happened yet to all the rides at Chessington that are really starting to look delapidated. It may give Chessington a chance to breathe. It's competing with so much at the moment under the Merlin umbrella, so whilst Alton and Thorpe seem to be on this investment plan, Legoland getting a hotel and improvements and new rides every year, Gardaland and Heide with new Beemers, Chessington really does look like the poor relation. It probably would struglly with new owners. But at the moment the park is going on with one major ride at 21 years old, its second in command almost 10 years old and then what.. Kobra? Rattlesnake? IMHO it really needs a decent level of investment; and I'm not talking more new restaraunts either.

I think this is the most appropriate place. I'd actually like to see Chessington be sold off from the Merlin group and be completely independant, family owned. It's just my feeling of course but being part of a huge family of parks, competing with Legoland, Thorpe, Alton, Heide, Gardaland and all the little subsidaries can't be easy and every single year Chessie comes off as one of the poor cousins. Whilst the other parks get large rides and additions, Chessington gets a retheme and a cheap disko ride and is considered its "large investment year."Small parks such as Paultons, Drayton Manor, Flamingoland and Lightwater Valley prove it can be done, that you can be successful without being part of a brand. Chessington for me is at a point where it's older rides are looking well past their sell by dates. When the park opens next month Skyway will still have the old faded 90's look on its trains, the Runaway rocks will still look like they are falling apart and the Bubbleworks will look even more shambolic.

Bringing this back from the dead. 1. Superman de Acero 2. Blue Fire 3. Nemesis 4. Black Mamba 5. Euro-Sat 6. Tarantula 7. Euro-Mir 8. Megafobia 9. Dragons Fury 10. Oblivion Updated from 2007 and before Florida and Italy hit..

This.People on TPM need to chill out a bit. There's constant bickering every single topic I go in these days and it sometimes reads like people are trying to suck the joy out of Tpm, and out of rides and rollercoasters. Which sort of defeats the point as theme parks are about fun. Is that because you're now on it.

1. Nemesis2. Dragons Fury3. Megafobia4. Grand National5. Oblivion6. Speed: No Limits7. Runaway Mine Train8. Detonator9. Hex10. Nemesis InfernoI found that far harder then I thought it would. Whilst we have a lot of original rides in the UK, I struggled to think of many that I thoroughly enjoy.

I always find her songs tend to grow on you. I hated Pokerface, Bad Romance and Telephone when I first heard them..

So with the news that a B&M is to open at Thorpe for 2012, lets discuss a ride that will be celebrating it's tenth birthday next year. Air, B&M's first flying rollercoaster opened in 2002 and is quite unlike any other ride in Europe. Swooping up and over Nemesis and with an emphasis on the thrill of flight does Air inspire you or do you hate it and have been put off flying ever since.For reference, French ride enthusiasts love it. But do you?!

What a beautiful rollercoaster. There's some really note worthy rides opening this year actually, very impressed.As for your Merlin comment Benin, I get the feeling they already know how stupid the UK's GP are, look at fastrack or the countless haunted attractions they seem to have...

And also:-

/\ Agreed. It's not the OSR's on Saw that gives you the headache, its the ride itself.

Channel 4 in under age drinking shocker!

My most anticipated ride of the year now... and thats saying a lot. Agreed with Benin, it looks far more floaty then I thought it would. More of an Air then a Nemesis.

B&M sleekness. I'm loving the colour of the train as well.

More importantly, what were you drinking?

I'd hit that...with a shovel.

This could be the most painful ride in existance but it looks so gorgeous I could forgive it.

Simply gorgeous. Loooks fantastic.

Yes. no one ever noticed my fantastic fence painting at Toadies a couple of years back