March 9, 201510 yr comment_204670 I for certain am reluctant to put my shoes in a storm surge boat, let alone my bare feet, and I cringe at people who do... And I think saying Thorpe'll need to do X Y and Z because of IPs is harsh. Okay, IPs aren't fantastic, but Christ, we're on our seventh season with SAW, and it's not any less popular because it's SAW, and that's a done brand as we've said time and time again. SAW Alive still stands highly popular at Fright Nights also; and serves well. IAC has been going for years and years and is still a popular TV show and probably will be for years yet, and albeit maybe Thorpe will reduce its operating times or find ways to make it lower budget once the rush has gone, but I can't see it being short lived. Likewise with Angry Birds; it's just one of those things that kind of sits on the App Store - I mean surely the 700 billion iPhone users or whatever Apple quoted earlier have downloaded and played it by now. And I think comparing this park with that park isn't entirely fair. Yes. It isn't looking particularly good. But then there was a major backlash of the state of Disneyland Paris which has resulted in Disney stepping back in and throwing crazy money at it to fix it. Admittedly the USA Disney's are of a much greater standard, but then look at how much they actually spend on rides and things in comparison to their gate figures. Disney Parks alone take around double of the whole of Merlin, but they're not sticking in multi-million pound roller coasters in every park (or Resort shall we say) every year. Its a show here, or a retheme, and occasionally a big major roller coaster that puts the world's budgets to shame, but my point is there is much much more money for them to play with.
March 16, 201510 yr comment_205257 Was made to wear a rain poncho on Nemesis because of oil dripping from the track in the rain, is this a common thing that happens which I have been forever unaware of?
March 16, 201510 yr comment_205259 Was made to wear a rain poncho on Nemesis because of oil dripping from the track in the rain, is this a common thing that happens which I have been forever unaware of? Always happens at the start of the season during wet weather. I'm sure a cleverer B&M inverter type worker can tell you where the rust comes from.
March 16, 201510 yr comment_205260 Was made to wear a rain poncho on Nemesis because of oil dripping from the track in the rain, is this a common thing that happens which I have been forever unaware of? Certainly not unheard of, especially at the beginning of season. I believe it happens on some other B&M inverts too!
March 16, 201510 yr comment_205262 oh nice, suprised I have never come across this before! thought I was going to live my life without being seen in one of those things ... oh well
March 16, 201510 yr comment_205269 I have never been blessed with seeing it until it went all over Paige's jeans. xD
March 16, 201510 yr comment_205271 Certainly not unheard of, especially at the beginning of season. I believe it happens on some other B&M inverts too! Well then I guess we can also blame the classics! *glances at Batman and Montu*
March 17, 201510 yr comment_205355 Always happens at the start of the season during wet weather. I'm sure a cleverer B&M inverter type worker can tell you where the rust comes from. The track. Obviously. Oxidation of the steel creates rust, the wheels run over it when wet and ends up in the drip trays. That then ends up pouring onto whoever is sitting on the ride. Happens on all rollercoasters, but you only ever notice it on inverters cos the track is above you. Thorpe like to keep the ride open and force everyone to wear ponchos. Towers closes the ride (hence it being closed first day of Half Term. The first rainy day of main season will also have Nemesis closed this year too.. unless it rains on Friday). Happens every year when the ride hasn't run for a while.
March 19, 201510 yr comment_205559 Is it me, or have some trees been cut just before the figure of 8 element? Looks weird! Also, some fun little signs in the queue:
March 19, 201510 yr comment_205564 The cut trees are really nice! You can see the cleaned out waterfall and stuff, just how it's meant to be!
March 20, 201510 yr comment_205623 Slight issue with the Picsolve mirror advert for this ride... I am definitely tall enough to ride, and I had to jump to be seen in this Also with the bamboo hint around the edges of this and all the new signs, it does kind of feel like the I'm a Celebrity theming has overspilled its area as such... It does look a little out of place
March 23, 201510 yr comment_205763 The 2015 season has already started, why no 'Inferno mist has been fixed' topic been raised yet?
March 23, 201510 yr comment_205764 The 2015 season has already started, why no 'Inferno mist has been fixed' topic been raised yet? I went on Inferno yesterday and the most was definitely working. The volcano mister was working very well and there was a fair amount of most in the tunnel too (I've seen it run with more but it was definitely working).
March 23, 201510 yr comment_205765 There was lots of most yesterday, especially in the tunnel! Also due to lots of mist the stairs in the queue line started to flood...
March 23, 201510 yr comment_205768 A picture of the mist build up during a breakdown, looks awesome. (Photo posed by Kelly Bayliss on Facebook) Glad they improved the mist last year, it looks a lot better and seems to be on a lot more as well!
March 23, 201510 yr comment_205769 Looks great, but I always does in March and then a few weeks later… Inevitable really, how can you maintain all the spray effects when the ride is running every day of the season and there's no team dedicated to effects maintenance.
March 23, 201510 yr comment_205814 Why are you moaning about it breaking when it isn't even broken? Yet History dictates that once the thing is broken, or runs out, it won't be sorted until the closed season... Because it's effort to fix things under Merlin...
March 23, 201510 yr comment_205817 Around April I think it was when the mist became really good, so yeah
March 23, 201510 yr comment_205823 It was impressive last Friday, I could have had a bath in the tunnel.
March 23, 201510 yr comment_205826 I share the same pessimism as everybody else here, Infernos mist has the worst track record for being fixed for a matter of days and then disappearing for several months.
March 23, 201510 yr comment_205827 Why are you moaning about it breaking when it isn't even broken? I'm not moaning? If anything I'm trying to dampen the forthcoming disappointment and criticism when it does break in a matter of weeks. Effects break all the time, that's nobody's fault. But the problem would be solved if there was an onsite effects maintenance team, but nobody wants to pay such a team, it's an age old conundrum for UK theme parks.
March 23, 201510 yr comment_205828 What would be the point in an effects team, when the park runs off very little on effects. I will think you'll find the engineering team that look after the rides work on the effects also. The Swarm engineers spend lots of time on the Swarms effects, a lot more than you think.
March 23, 201510 yr comment_205829 What would be the point in an effects team, when the park runs off very little on effects. I will think you'll find the engineering team that look after the rides work on the effects also. The Swarm engineers spend lots of time on the Swarms effects, a lot more than you think. Off topic but... On Preview Day I saw the effects working on the Swarm from my view at the Stealth station in the morning. However, when venturing over to ride after a breakdown, none of the effects were on at all(No water, fire, mist or sound effects). What's the deal with this? Is this due to a system reset after a breakdown however the effects not being restarted? If so, why is only the ride reset, not the effects themselves? Would be really interesting to know, a big recurring query of mine as it's a shame when no effects are running at all as it chips away at the overall atmosphere.
March 23, 201510 yr comment_205832 The engineers team are entrusted with the effects and they do whatever they can but they've already got their real work more than cut out for them. Who has time to fiddle with superfluous and often stubborn effects, when you are responsible for the safety and mechanical operation of otherwise potentially very dangerous rides around the entire park? I've met a lot of park designers, effects engineers and the like and it's always been an issue. Most parks just don't see it necessary to provide a dedicated budget, workforce and training for effects maintenance, even though it would make a hell of a lot of difference to overall guest impression. As you say these days Thorpe isn't so reliant on effects in general so it wouldn't even be considered. Instead you get the main ones like swarm fireball tweaked now and then whenever the engineers get round to it, which'll have to do.
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