Mark9

Because it's not so much the information we are getting, its the use of the word shambles or unacceptable. Using Samurai and Loggers on the list of closed rides is to persue an agenda, to back up his viewpoint of the park being a shambles. He can have that opinion, but it's not like the facts of the situation are going to be important when someone just wants to be negative. It doesn't provide relevance because we know Loggers is out all season and we know the intention that Samurai will open later in the year.

We'll just have to beg to differ then. I'm more sympathetic to Thorpe because the last thing they want is to annoy people.

It is acceptable. It's in the terms and conditions which you agree to each time you walk through the front gates.

Now you're just moving the goalposts. Now the complaint is that they both suffered downtime. Everything suffers downtime in its first season, thats obvious because we know that engineers have to get to grips with the technology behind these increasingly advanced rides. I understand the frustrations. But I don't think Thorpe have really done anything wrong here. Rides delayed, they have informed people and urge people to contact them. Thats it. The outrage and sense of entitlement by people never fails to surprise me. The delay will cost Thorpe more then it costs individual people but of course, peoples sense of 'its my right to be angry about something out of anyones control' is more powerful then common sense.

Just get your facts straight next time then Jamie. You said it wasn't open on its opening day which it was. Doesn't matter if it was only an hour, it was ready (and open) for its first day of public operation. You're so desperate just to make digs. Thirteen didn't open finished. Well guess what, lots of rides open unfinished. Blue Fire at Europa, Black Mamba at Phantasialand, Shambhala at PortAventura, the whole of Disneyland Shanghai is going to open in June with lots of unfinished rides and areas. It isn't just Merlin, its a theme park industry problem. As for delays and poor plans, well guess what. I'm still waiting for my night tube on the London Underground, I was looking forward to Inhumans from Marvel which has been indefinitely delayed. Chiapas at Phantasialand was delayed for an entire year. I'm not defending any of these things, I just can't be bothered to get worked up about something so inconsequential. Besides, on one hand you want it opened finished but you don't want it delayed. Which is it would you prefer with Derren Browns Ghost Train because you can't have it both ways.

Saw did open on time. It broke down about an hour into the opening day due to a major incident. Winners preview day, seriously grasping at straws there. The other rides opened on time.

Not to mention that Thorpes track record with major rides is pretty good actually. Tidal Wave, Colossus, Inferno, Stealth, Saw and Swarm have all opened on time.

I CALL BINGO!

You all have permission to be outraged.

I always take their opening dates with a pinch of salt. I think thats the danger of the May opening thing really. When new rides opened with the park in March, they had a clear deadline and the parks nearly always hit that date. When we start with an initial, vague, May opening date all that happens is that the date slips.

Depends. Heide Park have a How to Train your Dragon area now with several rides themed to the film. What with Dreamworks having shows at Chessington and the Shrek Adventure on Southbank, I wonder whether a theme park thousands of miles away will have a bearing on Merlin.

Unlikely to ever get a Dive machine at Thorpe, with what Saw doing pretty much the same thing.

Until we get actual confirmation of the delay can we act a little bit less outraged or upset. We aren't in Chiapas, year late opening mode yet.

That didn't take long. Everyone succumbs to Europa Park in the end.

That ride has run its course now. It was ruined by its retime and it's been limping on for ten years now. Time to put it out of its misery. It can be a great ride again with the proper effort put in. The problem isn't IP's, it is the way they are implemented. Merlin seem rather cozy with Dreamworks at the moment, there is no reason why a decent Dreamworks attraction couldn't work.

Without going into over the top trip details etc etc I have three things to say from my trip. 1. I love the landscaping teams work across the park. Some really nice gorgeous bright flowers all over the park. Really nice. 2. I wish Merlin as a whole got out of this dreary theme park look all over the place. What is old looks run down and what's new is already themed to look run down. When the weather is like it was yesterday, the whole park looks washed out and miserable. I don't expect miracles of course, I just wish a little more care was taken. Inferno for example is supposed to be this tropical volcano themed rollercoaster, but its just this dingy rollercoaster slowly turning green and grey. 3. Brilliant operations yesterday. Hard working staff and two train operations across the board.

I didn't have a nose bleed so I was unaffected by body issues during my trip. I also didn't lose my friends and expected heat during the summer period of the English year.

Mostly agree when it comes to your rollercoaster reviews; spot on. EGF is a good example of a coaster that for me, rather unfairly had a bright spotlight placed on it and there's just no way it could ever live up to its reputation. I can't help that feel it only had onto the number one position on the Hawker poll because of a certain websites bullying ways and their massive influence over the poll. Funnily enough I prefer Silver Star, far easier to ride then Ge Force in terms of reliability, restraint system, capacity and operations. I haven't been on Sky Scream, but I have done Superman at Discovery Kingdom and really liked it too. They're surprisingly fun rides considering how... cheap(?) they look. You've inspired me to look into revisiting, your photos do the park a lot of justice.

POPULAR 80'S ICONS IN DEATH 30 YEARS LATER SHOCKER.

Shall we do what Towers Street used to do and have a bet on who is next. I'm gunning for Brucie.

Yup he's hot, I approve. Oh and the shop looks good.

To swing this back to B&M, I'd also suggest for anyone who may be doing Disneyland Paris, to attempt to get to Parc Asterix for Oz'Iris. That's a park that seems to have fallen under the radar a little, Oz'Iris is a cracking little invert that for me, really gives Nemesis a run for its money.

Give it time, you're still young. PortAventura for example is really easy to get to from the UK and it's an affordable place to go. I don't think the UK could ever do a hyper coaster justice because you require height and length for a really good hyper. Our closest one is The Big One and thats a terrible example of a hyper. I've been hankering for a new B&M to ride for a while, anyone up for a trip to France for Monster or Heide for Krake and that Demon thing?

Is it more they want it running during peak periods and not in quieter periods. You know, the same way they are running Rameses at Chessie. Considering it's terrible downtime over the past few years, that seems quite logical to me.

Woman next to Mer (I don't know the name sorry):- 'I'm having the time of my life'