Mark9

Benin hit the point with Colossus. They could have built a simple cattlemen but didn't. With a bit of imagination they could have done something here. Even a more elaborate cattle-pen like Tidal Wave, Vortex, Zodiac or Stealth would be preferable.

It helps to have low standards I guess.

Stealth, Colossus, Blue Fire, Wodan, Matterhorn Blitz, Shambhala, Silver Star, Oblivion, Air, Oz'Iris, The Incredible Hulk, Big Thunder Mountain (at least 3 of them), Space Mountain, X, Rock N Rollercoaster, Poseidon, Dragon Khan, Superman de Acero, Katun, iSpeed, Shock, Shockwave, G-Force, Troublesome Trucks, Seven Drawf Mine Train. Sorry Will, couldn't resist. Luckily you have Colossus, Nemesis Inferno, Stealth, Saw the Ride and The Swarm for your 'pure' rollercoaster thrills then.

There's no written rule as to what a theme park is supposed to be. They can be fun and vibrant like Chessington or they can be dark and scary like Nemesis and Oblivion. Besides you've focused on just the dark and depressing things at Thorpe, how about the comic attitude of Stealth, the humour of WWTP radio at Tidal Wave, the bright tropical paradise of Inferno or the pastel colours of Lost City. Aside from Swarm and Saw, Thorpe's a far brighter place then people give credit for.

Could also be new toilets for 2016.

Kitchen sink?

Gotcha. I would comment that Chessington can do theming then, they just don't look after it because their budgets are so tight that they can't afford to. Whereas Lego presumably has to meet a particular standard as it's part of the Lego brand.

Any reason you're staring at Chessington in particular?

For my fan club (vest pics upon request)

Hang on single riders back on fury? Considering the amount of near deaths that occurred the last time it was on there I'm astounded that it's returned.

There aren't many rollercoasters that don't sheer a bolt at some point.

Sorry Liam, I don't agree. Merlin in general, have been pretty spot on with their rollercoasters. Each one may have flaws, but on the whole they are good attractions, I love Raptor, The Swarm, Thirteen and The Smiler. I don't think Oblivion is a hint at what the parks may come up with in the future, Raptor is leagues ahead of The Swarm and Daemon in terms of theme, layout, interactiveness and enjoyment for example. When it comes to their rollercoasters, I like them. it's all the other rubbish like I'm a Celeb or Angry Birds Land that I don't need to give the time of day.

The ride still looks dire to me but its theming is definitely from videos, the strongest element. I especially like the warped van and a lot of the queue line screens.

This has come up a few times believe it or not and although I accept the comparison could be there, I never really think its valid. What we're really talking about is how detrimental the VIP service is to the normal service. If you take a first class seat on a train or a plane, you don't get to your destination faster, the first class part of a train doesn't arrive in Manchester 45 minutes before the rest of the train does. At the cinema, paying for a deluxe seat gets you a larger seat and legroom, but it doesn't stop the normal seats from watching the same film at the same time. Taking a cab or limo, you pay a lot for the service but you're still going to get stuck in the same traffic that a bus or a car will. As you rightfully point out, the odds of getting screwed over by a VIP pass holder are low so I have no complaint with them. It's when merlin decide they can sell 2000 VIP passes a year, or 5000 that the whole thing will get out of hand.

Comparative photo for context:- Europa Park

We've got Ratatouille which is a pretty awesome dark ride by anyones standards (even if US Disney fans aren't big fans). I welcome our screen based overlords.

I'm trying not to be mean.. but the hell with it. This looks tragic. We really are spoilt here in the UK aren't we.

Good on Chessington. Great decision which will help ease the pressure on peoples days.

Geek mecca.

I'd like to say its my camera skills, but to be honest it's all about the ride. I really enjoyed photoing it because at every angle, the ride looks amazing.

I completely understand why Towers is the one being name checked on complaints. They are the front line and it's the poor staff that have to deal with the abuse that I feel sorry for. Not only are they dealing with unhappy customers but they are also getting massive paycuts from all the closed rides and lost staffing positions. Guarantee the heads of Merlin aren't giving themselves the same cuts.

The view over the French area of Europa Park has always been my favourite theme park view. I think it will always remain so. Theme park perfection. Love the expressions on the riders faces. And finally the twisted mess of the Smiler. =)