Mark9

As far as I could tell on my solo visit last year, the rides are getting some attention but it's not as attention grabbing or big stuff like track repaints. It's things like Rattlesnake's queue getting refurbished or a new flag returning at Griffins. I want to use the phrase small steps but I'm worried they won't have done diddly squat for this year.

I wonder how long that will last if Thorpes half term event is a success...

Just a few points here;- - Chessingtons locals are worse then Alton's when it comes to complaining about the park. Vampire did a lot of damage back in 1990, thanks to the noise it used to make so it is unlikely a coaster of that size and scale will ever be added again. Fury just isn't in the same league (although when that opened, people were pretty surprised at how high it actually went) - Alton's idea of proper maintenance is if it's falling apart, get rid of it. Parts of the Nemesis monster were just hacked off when they were beyond repair, because the park (for many reasons beyond park management) hadn't looked after it. - Alton is Merlin's premier theme park and the biggest and most successful in the UK. Whenever rumours of a new major roller coaster spring up, not just the UK but the industry takes note. Somehow a MACK star coaster on the Toadies site wouldn't quite grab the headlines. - Alton has more space (and removes a lot more rides) then Chessie.

Genuinely didn't realise people still used the chat room.

Thats correct, they have trains that tour the country shall we say. It was okay for a novelty when I rode it at Magic Mountain but I craved the full on intense Batman.

Because coke is evil and must be stopped.

I'm of the opposite opinion. Last years visit was the best I've had in years. A park thats starting to look rejuvenated and alive after years of misery. And I personally like Scorpion Express. Compared to the dilapidated and run down Runaway Train it was replacing, it looks great. Sure it could be so much more but then it could also be a hell of a lot less.

Oh yes! Good on Paultons, it's such a quality park with real time and effort put into their attractions. These rides deserve to be successful. Count me in for a 2016 visit

As a former Peeking Heights operator I am beyond insulted that you would choose to forget that wonderful installation that changed the face of Chessington forever. Outraged even.

This new coaster is rather refreshing. Instead of being hyped and presented as some kind of master kiddy coaster, it's not been shown off at all so far. It's also nice to be completely oblivious to what the layout will be. Kudos to Towers for keeping this completely in the dark.

This a thousand times.

I shall surely miss the hat that everyone hates. It bought Disney World fans together as one in sheer revulsion.

Frark9 clearly.

My mothers birthday, sorry lads and ladies. No Mark9 on this one.

Yay. That's good to hear. As long as next year they can start returning a profit. I'm not sure if the red arrow ride is capable of doing that alone though.

Competition is a good thing Dean. Paultons is already a far superior park to Legoland anyway.

Anything positive at all Jamie?

Piece of gold with every entrance ticket maybe or the chance to marry one of the Mack women. I'd go in for that, roller coaster royalty.

Even if Thorpe added high throughput attractions, the allocation of fastrack would ensure that queues for these rides would still be a ridiculous length. Besides, the one high throughput ride isn't going to make that much difference.

Fastpass+ has also been around for nearly three years and has completely changed (in some peoples eyes, ruined) how a day out at a Disney World is visited. Thorpe's system is completely different.

The only people who will ever put the two together and come up with Alton Towers are Uk park enthusiasts who like to niggle and criticise every thing Merlin do. To everyone else, its just a cool ride name with a slogan. The bland looking ride experience is far more troubling to me then the Merlin bigwigs in Italy recycling a brilliant name for a roller coaster.

Sheikra

We have a full year of your constant cynicism though, I'm just thinking of the positives.

Fury's ride managers at the time (around 2008 I believe) took it upon themselves to paint those supports. Time constraints meant they didn't get very far.

It won't be a refurbishment of the scale you're thinking. Track was replaced on the ride at the end of 2005 so it's probably that.