Marc Posted May 25, 2014 Report Share Posted May 25, 2014 New for 2014 - King Pigs Wild Hog Dodgems! They were pretty fun yesterday - they run at a good speed and the length was pretty good, hopefully they are able to run it like this during the busy months too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted May 25, 2014 Report Share Posted May 25, 2014 They were some of the best dodgems I've been on, though I haven't been on many, and well they are just dodgems at the end of the day. Was also quite fun when my car decided to have a mind of it's own and started going sidewards! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flipper Posted May 27, 2014 Report Share Posted May 27, 2014 For anyone who wants to geek up the Dodgems, they're made by Bertazzon Rides of Italy, who also make Chessington's carousel, and Paulton's new carousel - definitely travelling Dodgems but definitely better looking than Chessingtons (which I've never bothered with). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerfuffle Posted May 27, 2014 Report Share Posted May 27, 2014 I'm pretty sure Chessington's have a longer ride time though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cal Posted May 27, 2014 Report Share Posted May 27, 2014 Defiantly the best dodgems I've been on, although I haven't been on a lot. All the dodgems I've been on have had rules which you can only go one way around, and some stupidly (especially at fairs) saying you can't bump. These are great though, you can go where ever you want. The only thing you can't do is head on head bumping. The theme music also goes really well with it, the angry birds go theme. The staff were great on Sunday! Very interactive over the mic 'Red cars are you readyyyy' and very quick at loading and unloading, they were constantly running around. Hopefully this can carry on throughout the summer when it's really busy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPJames Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 Are there the stupid lap bars like at chessington, I hope there aren't? I was at a fair with one way only but there were only two cars so we could not physically catch up so we weren't doing anything. We decided to ignore the rule and that made it much more fun. One way rules are stupid however I understand head on head bumping as we did head on head bump and the car literally flew in the air. I may ride the thorpe ones depending on the queue, I'm not prepared to wait a long time and if they have a stupid non-lockable bar like chessington I will definately not bother! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Project LC Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 Are there the stupid lap bars like at chessington, I hope there aren't? I was at a fair with one way only but there were only two cars so we could not physically catch up so we weren't doing anything. We decided to ignore the rule and that made it much more fun. One way rules are stupid however I understand head on head bumping as we did head on head bump and the car literally flew in the air. I may ride the thorpe ones depending on the queue, I'm not prepared to wait a long time and if they have a stupid non-lockable bar like chessington I will definately not bother! There is a non locking lap bar but its not intrusive and doesn't get in the way. They are rather agile for dodgems and I would say they are pretty good. Also the queue times for it are horribly wrong, not once was the value it gave anywhere near the real queue time. What it said was 25 mins was more about 5. If its only going down the side of it then the real queue is a maximum of 10 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 Until Fastrack comes in... MattyMoo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted May 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 Until Fastrack comes in... Fastracks already in and didnt seem to have any excessive queues on a very busy Sunday? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 How busy was it though? Can't imagine it being very considering the amount of rain the South has been enduring since Saturday... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted May 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 It was the busiest ive seen the park this season, I guess with it being the only good day weather wise of the bank holiday everyone decided to visit then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerfuffle Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 Well when I went, most people seemed to think the disabled/fastrack queue was the main entrance, causing that section to get REALLY crowded! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cal Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 How busy was it though? Can't imagine it being very considering the amount of rain the South has been enduring since Saturday... These were the que times at 4 o clock, so you could imagine what they were like earlier on in the day. Defiantly the busiest I've been this season... Vortex stated 5 minutes all day, and was easily 20 minutes. Also the queue times for it are horribly wrong, not once was the value it gave anywhere near the real queue time. What it said was 25 mins was more about 5. If its only going down the side of it then the real queue is a maximum of 10 minutes. I entered the que when it said 30 mins and ended up only waiting 15 minutes. The que was down the side and a little bit of the cattle pen, so yes the que times do need adjusting. I expected the dodgems to get massive ques, but like I said the maximum I ques all day is 15 minutes, which is great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flipper Posted June 3, 2014 Report Share Posted June 3, 2014 My only issue with the dodgems is that they're a 1.1m to ride, and 1.3m to ride unaccompanied. Yet Chessington's are a 0.9 - 1.3m, just by having a seat belt I believe? Surely Thorpe can add a belt on to ease with issues with guests, especially when this is Angry Birds after all... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted June 3, 2014 Report Share Posted June 3, 2014 Perhaps the idea is to improve throughput? Angry Birds Land is aimed at 7-13 year olds primarily if memory serves me correctly, and I'm pretty sure most 7 year olds are at least 1.1m tall. It's in line with Thorpe's target market too, who are aiming more to families with slightly older children (I think I read somewhere 8 years and above?). I haven't seen the restraints in person or know what the general reception to them is, but they don't look particularly insecure and I doubt many people think they're unsafe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flipper Posted June 3, 2014 Report Share Posted June 3, 2014 I haven't seen the restraints in person or know what the general reception to them is, but they don't look particularly insecure and I doubt many people think they're unsafe? I'm not questioning unsafe, I'm merely questioning height restrictions. Clearly a belt at Chessington has allowed a lower height; and for families with Annual Passes for example, they go Chessington, kid is 1m, they ride Tuk Tuk Turmoil. Come to Thorpe, can't ride King Pigs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted June 3, 2014 Report Share Posted June 3, 2014 Chessie's don't have seatbelts... Never have done... Probs the design of the bar makes the difference, since Chessie's are overtly huge and uncomfortable... paige 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted June 3, 2014 Report Share Posted June 3, 2014 I'm not questioning unsafe, I'm merely questioning height restrictions. Clearly a belt at Chessington has allowed a lower height; and for families with Annual Passes for example, they go Chessington, kid is 1m, they ride Tuk Tuk Turmoil. Come to Thorpe, can't ride King Pigs. When you said "to ease with issues with guests, especially when this is Angry Birds after all...", I thought you were saying there was some families who thought the dodgems didn't look totally safe. I don't particularly see a problem with it, given the differences in target markets. Yes, Thorpe are catering for families, but they're catering for a different 'sort' of family than Chessington, for example. Just how I see it at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flipper Posted June 3, 2014 Report Share Posted June 3, 2014 Chessie's don't have seatbelts... Never have done... Probs the design of the bar makes the difference, since Chessie's are overtly huge and uncomfortable... Oh my bad. I've never been on Tuk Tuk. I was going off what someone had told me so I was clearly misinformed. And Josh I appreciate the difference in target markets, but maybe it just isn't hammered hard enough to the public predominantly Annual Pass Holders; who think every ride is the same in the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPJames Posted June 3, 2014 Report Share Posted June 3, 2014 Just to clear this up, Tuk Tuk turmoil DOES have a lap bar. There is a massive lap bar which comes down but doesn't lock, pretty useless really, if they are going to have it, it should at least lock. EVIDENCE: I rode it last year. The non locking lap bar is pretty useless though as we were on the ride when a lady's dodgem wasn't working so she got out of the car to go and complain. She was hit by another Dodgem and fell over onto the track. The ride had to be emergency stopped but it was really her fault if I'm honest... *Not to be pedantic but there are clearly lap bars on those cars...* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pluk Posted June 3, 2014 Report Share Posted June 3, 2014 Not sure anyone said there wasn't lap bars, but they don't have seat belts. Very different things. I thought the difference in height restrictions was due to Thorpes ones running faster so allowing gor more violent / major impacts, rwflecting the older target. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPJames Posted June 3, 2014 Report Share Posted June 3, 2014 Not sure anyone said there wasn't lap bars, but they don't have seat belts. Very different things. I thought the difference in height restrictions was due to Thorpes ones running faster so allowing gor more violent / major impacts, rwflecting the older target. Sorry slight confusion from my part there. I didn't mean to be pedantic and my thoughts that the two were the same thing could have been incorrect. Sorry I just wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flipper Posted June 4, 2014 Report Share Posted June 4, 2014 I'm not sure, watching that video of Tuk Tuk makes me think there's little difference in speed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted June 5, 2014 Report Share Posted June 5, 2014 I'm not sure, watching that video of Tuk Tuk makes me think there's little difference in speed? The speed can be varied by the ride op... I've had many fast goes on Tuk Tuk over the years (mainly when it's empty)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flipper Posted June 6, 2014 Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 The speed can be varied by the ride op... I've had many fast goes on Tuk Tuk over the years (mainly when it's empty)... I was referring more pre-domintently to the standard use speed, so the standard speed used on Tuk Tuk vs the standard speed on King Pig's, but I value you're point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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