Benin Posted March 9, 2020 Report Share Posted March 9, 2020 Nice to see people taking constructive criticism well on here as per. SteveJ and StevenVig 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted March 9, 2020 Report Share Posted March 9, 2020 Haven't been through Vampire since the update, but just want to throw my two cents here for now.. Even when Vampire was in its worst state, the station was still great. I might be in the minority who think that, but oh well... Visually, it looked great - it still had a level of spookiness about it, the lighting was at worst okay and the music added something. Sure, it had been much better, but I still went through and thought 'hey, this is nice'. Obviously it's sad to have seen it in a weaker state, but in the there and now, I never exactly had a problem with it. From what I've seen of the changes, it's clearly an improvement. Up to the original's standard? No. But does it really matter that they haven't met that (arguably world class) standard? Again, no. I had family who visited on Sunday, they loved it. In particular, my brother (who's bang in the target market for Chessington and the ride itself) loved it, and it's definitely something which will last in terms of memories. On 3/5/2020 at 9:57 AM, Benin said: You mean the shipping container full of black curtains scare maze? Top tier quality stuff. In fairness, it didn't need to be any more and was actually a reasonably enjoyable scare attraction. Easy to knock it for being cheap and simple, especially retrospectively, but since it actually worked and fulfilled its purpose, I don't think anyone that went through really shed any tears about lack of quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJ Posted March 9, 2020 Report Share Posted March 9, 2020 1 hour ago, JoshC. said: Even when Vampire was in its worst state, the station was still great. I might be in the minority who think that, but oh well... Visually, it looked great - it still had a level of spookiness about it, the lighting was at worst okay and the music added something. Sure, it had been much better, but I still went through and thought 'hey, this is nice'. Obviously it's sad to have seen it in a weaker state, but in the there and now, I never exactly had a problem with it. Hmm I really beg to differ though, I think it had lost all entertainment value by then and doubt any of the public would remember it much. An empty warehouse with an organ setpiece at the end and some B&Q floodlights. You may as well have had the station outside. When a day ticket to Phantasialand costs almost the same as Chessington, is there really any excuse for how poor Vampire got? Imagine if Wicker Man ended up like that in the future (and Vampire's preshow was originally better than Wicker Man's too) and people just shrugged. Is that really what guests shell out for at a Merlin park? Also, we have so much more opportunity available now than Chessington did in 1990, it's strange that something 30 years ago has not been improved on. But I suppose it's a credit to how good the original music and station were for the time. HermanTheGerman, Matt 236 and Coaster 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted March 9, 2020 Report Share Posted March 9, 2020 1 hour ago, SteveJ said: Hmm I really beg to differ though, I think it had lost all entertainment value by then and doubt any of the public would remember it much. An empty warehouse with an organ setpiece at the end and some B&Q floodlights. You may as well have had the station outside. True, the station in it's worst state wasn't memorable. But just because it wasn't memorable, it doesn't mean it was bad. And in my opinion, it was never bad. It still looked pretty great, and I'd take it over a solid 80-90% of coaster stations I've experienced I'd say. Maybe that says more about the quality of coaster stations I've seen, but still.. 1 hour ago, SteveJ said: When a day ticket to Phantasialand costs almost the same as Chessington, is there really any excuse for how poor Vampire got? There's a whole discussion about the price integrity of the two parks, with a vast majority of Chessington's visitors almost either effectively getting in for free thanks to Annual Passes, or only paying about 60% of the walk up price, compared to Phantasialand where the majority pay the full price. But that's a big sidetrack to your point.. And anyways, there isn't any reasonable way to pardon the dip in quality. But it still looked good in my opinion after the dip in quality. 1 hour ago, SteveJ said: Imagine if Wicker Man ended up like that in the future (and Vampire's preshow was originally better than Wicker Man's too) and people just shrugged. Is that really what guests shell out for at a Merlin park? Wicker Man is a...strange comparison. I guess you've just chosen it because it's the most recent example of a Merlin coaster with theming in the station. But the station for Wicker Man is quite simple, no? The pre show is nice, but I think as a whole, the feeling of Vampire's station has always been better for a 'scary' family ride than Wicker Man. 1 hour ago, SteveJ said: Also, we have so much more opportunity available now than Chessington did in 1990, it's strange that something 30 years ago has not been improved on. But I suppose it's a credit to how good the original music and station were for the time. I don't know enough about design processes to know what difference in opportunities truly is. Obviously more technology is available, and there's likely more people who are able to make their way into the industry (meaning more ideas), but outside that I wouldn't be able to guess what the changes are like there. But in any case, yes, the fact that the original station experience isn't something that's been matched by the park shows just how good the original was, and how impressive it truly is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJ Posted March 9, 2020 Report Share Posted March 9, 2020 24 minutes ago, JoshC. said: Wicker Man is a...strange comparison. I guess you've just chosen it because it's the most recent example of a Merlin coaster with theming in the station. But the station for Wicker Man is quite simple, no? The pre show is nice, but I think as a whole, the feeling of Vampire's station has always been better for a 'scary' family ride than Wicker Man. Not just the most recent example, pretty much the only other themed coaster with a real pre ride experience at a UK Merlin park. Both built as family thrill coasters, Vampire doesnt have a separate room for its preshow but it's all the same kind of thing for its day. My point is that WM was very popular for its theme, few fans today would ever realise Vampire was once just as good if not better. If Wicker Man had all its preshow/station decor stripped back to empty walls, the main feature left not working for years, the soundtrack "lost" and speakers left busted, all lighting removed and some Maplin LEDs rushed in, it wouldnt be acceptable. Only reason Vampire got away with it was because the decline happened gradually over 20 years. Even far smaller parks in Europe look after their attractions much better than this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted March 9, 2020 Report Share Posted March 9, 2020 To be fair Vampires had more than just some Maplin LED’s thrown up at it - the organist is back to working better than I’ve personally ever seen - the lighting effects have all been properly synced up with the music track - the station it’s self is sounding great too. Even if done internally - it’s been done by skilled people, not someone who’s just plugged in a few lights. Merlin get a lot of flack - but remember lots of these things fell into disrepair from years of neglect during the latter parts of the tussauds years. Ringo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ringo Posted March 9, 2020 Report Share Posted March 9, 2020 23 minutes ago, Marc said: Merlin get a lot of flack - but remember lots of these things fell into disrepair from years of neglect during the latter parts of the tussauds years. They took over 12 years ago though... It’s good to finally see work being done though SteveJ and HermanTheGerman 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted March 9, 2020 Report Share Posted March 9, 2020 6 minutes ago, Ringo said: They took over 12 years ago though... It’s good to finally see work being done though Yes they did - and there’s plenty of things they’ve done to improve the mess left of which IMO is more important , especially at CWOA than the vampire station for example - things like The Gruffalo retheme, Scorpion Express and Tiger Rock renovations were all things which they’ve done well IMO which really did need doing - don’t get me wrong there not perfect but think they are not all bad too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJ Posted March 9, 2020 Report Share Posted March 9, 2020 3 hours ago, Marc said: To be fair Vampires had more than just some Maplin LED’s thrown up at it Just to clarify in that post I meant the ceiling floodlights that were before this, in reply to what Josh was saying about the state it was in before this revamp. The new lighting has had effort put in, actually the positioning is great, but what it's doing.. not so much And although the repairs are much appreciated, those things about syncing the soundtrack & lighting, repairing the animatronic etc, it should never have lost sync in the first place or the organist been left like that so long. Probably been left broken longer than many people on this forum can remember! Marc 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted March 10, 2020 Report Share Posted March 10, 2020 10 hours ago, SteveJ said: Hmm I really beg to differ though, I think it had lost all entertainment value by then and doubt any of the public would remember it much. An empty warehouse with an organ setpiece at the end and some B&Q floodlights. You may as well have had the station outside.When a day ticket to Phantasialand costs almost the same as Chessington, is there really any excuse for how poor Vampire got? Imagine if Wicker Man ended up like that in the future (and Vampire's preshow was originally better than Wicker Man's too) and people just shrugged. Is that really what guests shell out for at a Merlin park? Also, we have so much more opportunity available now than Chessington did in 1990, it's strange that something 30 years ago has not been improved on. But I suppose it's a credit to how good the original music and station were for the time. My head immediately jumped straight to the Hollywood tour ride, The Chinese omnimover and Temple of the night hawk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt A Posted March 10, 2020 Report Share Posted March 10, 2020 Best recording of the refurbishment yet, music is quite catchy. Will miss the old music but the new music is just as good it appears, new announcements are much better too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyMoo Posted March 10, 2020 Report Share Posted March 10, 2020 On 3/8/2020 at 8:08 PM, Glitch said: I don't think I've seen anyone saying its amazing, its just nice to see the animatronic working again with a fresh lighting package. The tunnel has a few extra bits of cloth too oh and the full queue line has been re-tarmaced which is a nice refresher! Any idea what brand of tarmac please? I quite like the work that's been done to Vampy tbh, fair play. Stealth's broken green light bulb and Swarm's brown RSJs and weather ravaged wood panels say hi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJ Posted March 10, 2020 Report Share Posted March 10, 2020 9 hours ago, Mark9 said: My head immediately jumped straight to the Hollywood tour ride, The Chinese omnimover and Temple of the night hawk. Errr, why? You could quite easily spend a whole day at Phantasialand and it be one of the most stellar parks you can visit in Europe, and not even notice those rides. They're just an anomaly really, whereas at Chessington Vampire is the biggest ride. There is absolutely no competition when it comes to value for money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted March 10, 2020 Report Share Posted March 10, 2020 Yeah I know. Just my first thought was the run down crap all over Phantasialand and not the marvellous Taron and Chiapas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HermanTheGerman Posted March 10, 2020 Report Share Posted March 10, 2020 12 hours ago, Mark9 said: My head immediately jumped straight to the Hollywood tour ride, The Chinese omnimover and Temple of the night hawk. That’s funny because both Hollywood Tour and the Geister ride have much better lighting and overall presentation than Vampire does currently (Hollywood Tour especially). The best rides at Chessington are worse than the worst rides at Phantasialand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pluk Posted March 10, 2020 Report Share Posted March 10, 2020 I am well aware I'm always a moany old bugger but I'll be honest, I think that is actually fantastic. Suits the tone of modern day Chessington at the fun cartoony end of spooky and looks generally great. There's even enough of the old theme in the new soundtrack to keep me happy even if I think a simpler rerecording of the original would have been a bit better. JoelAllen 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattgwise Posted March 10, 2020 Report Share Posted March 10, 2020 17 hours ago, EpicSmatty said: Best recording of the refurbishment yet, music is quite catchy. Will miss the old music but the new music is just as good it appears, new announcements are much better too. I actually really like what can be heard in that video (33:40 for those who just want to hear it) and look forward to hearing it in person. The darker station is more atmospheric (still nothing like I remember as a kid in the early to mid nineties) but have they already felt its too dark as the start of the UK Theme Parks video has no lights on yet just towards the end one has been turned on already! JoelAllen, Matt A and JoshuaA 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuntman707 Posted April 15, 2020 Report Share Posted April 15, 2020 I love these drone chases. 😃 JoshC. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted April 15, 2020 Report Share Posted April 15, 2020 Yes, this one is great. Definitely my second favourite drone footage of a coaster, after Helix's one (which set the bar ridiculously high for these types of videos) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJ Posted April 15, 2020 Report Share Posted April 15, 2020 Excellent video. No CGI or any of the tricks they usually pull, just a great video of the ride! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshuaA Posted April 15, 2020 Report Share Posted April 15, 2020 Got to love Vampire. Honestly riding Iron Dragon at CP made me really appreciate just how good Vampire is. Despite the outrage over what hasn't and has been done to the station, I enjoyed the upgrades on my last visit. It is not a Europa style refurb, it is not the same as it was back in 1990.. But its still decent and I think people perhaps are getting a bit nit-picky. Look at Swarm's Station (a 8 year old coaster).. Mattgwise 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattgwise Posted April 15, 2020 Report Share Posted April 15, 2020 Having done the old vampire and for years believing the old trains were better on the ride, I'm sorry they really aren't. Having this year alone done The Bat and Iron Dragon I can safely so the newer floorless trains are far better. The old trains really didn't swing that much on vampire except in the tunnel, yet people claim they did. They were awesome looking though, will give them that. Just watch this clip from 43:46 as proof they don't swing much! They did look better and allow for a far more efficient operation (One stop in station and no seatbelt). Do still massively miss classic chessie though 😍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritishThemeParkArch Posted April 16, 2020 Report Share Posted April 16, 2020 15 hours ago, Mattgwise said: Having done the old vampire and for years believing the old trains were better on the ride, I'm sorry they really aren't. Having this year alone done The Bat and Iron Dragon I can safely so the newer floorless trains are far better. The old trains really didn't swing that much on vampire except in the tunnel, yet people claim they did. Supposedly a reason the trains were changed was to reduce the swinging strain, the new trains were designed to swing less forcefully. Whether this means they swing as 'far', probably not. It's more to do with the old trains swinging quicker side to side, and the new trains have a more damped swing. (I guess old trains had more weight being thrown around at once with the 2 rows coupled together too) Definitely some difference between the trains and how they swing, but I don't think it would have made that noticeable a difference to the ride experience. I imagine anything it lost in the more noticeable swing it makes up for in the floorless effect anyway. Mattgwise 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted April 16, 2020 Report Share Posted April 16, 2020 16 hours ago, Mattgwise said: Having done the old vampire and for years believing the old trains were better on the ride, I'm sorry they really aren't. Having this year alone done The Bat and Iron Dragon I can safely so the newer floorless trains are far better. The old trains really didn't swing that much on vampire except in the tunnel, yet people claim they did. They were awesome looking though, will give them that. Just watch this clip from 43:46 as proof they don't swing much! They did look better and allow for a far more efficient operation (One stop in station and no seatbelt). Do still massively miss classic chessie though 😍 Classic Chessington🥰. I loved those trains, the very definition of themed attraction. Mattgwise 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJ Posted April 16, 2020 Report Share Posted April 16, 2020 Nostalgia but you didn't do it? I dont understand. Old Vampire did look way better though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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