Cal Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 And it's closed... (surprise surprise) Can't really see a lot from the photo but it actually looks quite good! Photo from TPG's facebook page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 It's running now... Obviously a slight delay for the opening of a new ride. Looks alright; hard to tell from a couple of photos. Better than I was expecting at this stage though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 Slap my wrist for double posting, but here's a couple pictures of Scorpion Express, courtesy of Chessington Buzz (who, naturally, are making a big thing out of being THE FIRST PUBLIC RIDERS OMG)... And this one comes from Theme Park Guide... Looks good to be fair, but the main centrepiece of the attraction (ie - the scorpion) looks very meh. Shame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 That's not the finished scorpion... Right? Shame... Merry-go-girl 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rygr Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 Does it still have the same theme music or did this change too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 Theme music has apparently changed too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerfuffle Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 Chessington DEFINITELY put in the description that the scorpion is 'guarding' the mine. What they could do at some point is enclose that helix in a building themed around a mine. Then the scorpion would be a brilliant surprise element, AND it'll be guarding the mine alright! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam P Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 This is the view from the inside of the queue, now I have to say I was very impressed by the outcome of this. Shoot me but...! The backdrops look very good (there are a couple missing) Fire effects really bring area to life Scorpion moves (it's not quite finished) Trains look excellent Smoke effects from the boiler and pulling away from the station Much much more than I expected. Even little touches like Scorpions imprinted into the concrete are in place. They were surveying people who left the ride and directly comparing it to the Runaway Train, positive feedback from most people we heard. Biggest issue was staff training meant train unloading and loading was 5 minutes, resulting in an hour queue. pluk, Chessiekid and SteveJ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 Much better than I was expecting (from what I've seen, haven't seen it in person yet). It's a shame that they didn't rebuild the rockwork but I'm pleased with what we have got. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merry-go-girl Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 I mean, this image just leaves me feeling so empty and disappointed. It's just so...lacking soul. pluk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam P Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 Honestly doesn't fill like that when you are there, that particular photo is taken where the backing boards have yet to be completed once in the area you will be shocked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJ Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 Huh? I think it looks funky! They have done an excellent job at dressing the ride and have surprisingly managed to capture the character of Calamity Canyon completely! I'm so glad they covered the metal railings with wooden character panelling and have been more liberal with their ideas. It's certainly come along a lot since I last saw it! The original ride was still better (mostly because it disguised the now-obvious simplicity of the layout and had an adventurous queueline) but... FINALLY A RIDE THAT CAN ENTERTAIN PEOPLE Adam P, HermanTheGerman and Cornflakes 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merry-go-girl Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 Well, it's great that so many people are satisfied with the outcome. But I feel like I've seen cheerier looking rides in Mangyongdae Funfair. Benin and Mark9 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted March 16, 2014 Report Share Posted March 16, 2014 It's probably why I'm so confused by people's love of the X refurb last year, are expectations that low these days? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted March 16, 2014 Report Share Posted March 16, 2014 I have to give some credit to Chessington here, from the pictures on themeuk, the ride looks far better then I could have thought three weeks ago. Quite a turn around, although the ride itself really looks poor compared to the nice looking queuing area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pluk Posted March 16, 2014 Report Share Posted March 16, 2014 are expectations that low these days? Yep. Without seeing it in person, it does look like what they have done has been done quite well. But, and it is a huge but, there looks like a hell of a lot of space where there is nothing at all so it's a bit bare and more importantly is separate from the ride itself. Surely it can not ride as well than it did through the closely placed caves. It now looks to me like Flying Fish with brown underneath instead of green and fake buildings behind instead of The Swarm. As a ride experience surely it can only be worse? MattyMoo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornflakes Posted March 16, 2014 Report Share Posted March 16, 2014 Went on Scorpion Express about an hour ago and I thought it was really good. Not as good as Runaway Train as a ride, but as an experience it's very fun. I love the new theme and it's Steampunk-esque take on Mexicana, music is really nice as well, and theming is generally of a high standard. I'm impressed. SteveJ, EC! and HermanTheGerman 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insider9150 Posted March 16, 2014 Report Share Posted March 16, 2014 Was really impressed with what has been achieved in such a short space of time. Love the new music. The Flame Effect is far better than Thorpes, and at least its running. Effects are great. lot of smoke, and the little messages that sound like a radio announcement sound ed really good. Overall 8/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornflakes Posted March 16, 2014 Report Share Posted March 16, 2014 I'll be writing a full review of Scorpion Express on my blog later in the week, but until then, here's the album containing photos that I took of Scorpion Express today; http://s1332.photobucket.com/user/Max_Joseph_Wellington/library/Scorpion%20Express%2016-3-14?sort=3&page=1 Keep in mind theres a lot about Scorpion Express that cant be encapsulated in a few photos, I definitely recommend trying the attraction for yourself. I think you may be pleasantly surprised Kerfuffle and HermanTheGerman 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pluk Posted March 16, 2014 Report Share Posted March 16, 2014 One other thing I've noticed, a lot of character seems to have been lost from the train itself with this sprayed over all one colour look. It used to have a lot of detail which is now gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBobJones Posted March 17, 2014 Report Share Posted March 17, 2014 Cheap paint job? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComputerGuy Posted March 17, 2014 Report Share Posted March 17, 2014 Didn't ride it at the weekend as the queue was too long. Can't say I was impressed - sure the theming is good, but they could have spent the money on extra loaders for Vampire and got 3 trains running. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmgpannal Posted March 17, 2014 Report Share Posted March 17, 2014 ^ That's not gonna happen as the third train doesn't even exist anymore! It's all been cannibalised for parts! c1hrisin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerfuffle Posted March 17, 2014 Report Share Posted March 17, 2014 Here's the video footage I did of Scorpion Express yesterday. It's currently unlisted, but I'll make it public later on. Apologies for the not-so-steady hand at times, some lack of footage and the over-enthusiastic (but cute) kids in the background! http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=00fY0kGAYTE MattyMoo, HermanTheGerman, Chessiekid and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 Right then... Mediocre... This whole thing is very, VERY Merlin in the design, ideas and final production of their new attractions... A bland cattlepen queueline, the indoor section whilst nice is devoid of anything (no live scorpions and some 'interactive' holes in walls... Outside, it lacks a lot of things... It looks bland (as wild west themes are usually), empty and pretty lacking in soul... But it looks ok... Just ok mind, the scorpion is poorly executed and looks tiny, whilst the backdrop is too small and lacking depth to feel like an abandoned town... The fire is good, but the amount the use it'll be gone by the first gas bill... It feels like there were lots of ideas, and once again these were all poorly executed... They had a chance to cement the Mexicana (loose as it is) to something interesting, instead we have a paint by numbers wild west theme which is bland as hell and lacks much in the way of well, anything... Maybe it's that I have high standards, but I wasn't particularly impressed by the final product... pluk and SteveJ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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