tomglazed Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 I guess this is one of the down sides to having such access to closed season. We're able to see the progress they make and in what time. We'll have to wait and see what the final product is. Admittedly though, the picture of a lone small plastic cactus is almost comical... SteveJ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 From what I've been told there is still a mot more to expect from Scorpion Express (though I am now worried that they seem to be leaving it rather late). I know its very hard but lets just try to keep a bit of faith in Chessington, they might just suprise us all a little. No. The only surprise willbe how terrible it will look when it opens. Even the worn out, tired looking rockwork that used to encase the ride is better then what we will end up. They had an opportunity to make an old ride look fantastic again. They've chosen the easy option so they can shove it. The more they trample over rides like Vampire, Runaway and Falls, the more laughable the park looks against parks that take pride in their attractions like Paultons and (god help me) Blackpool Pleasure Beach. I know my words will fall to nothing and me not visiting means diddly squat. But that being said, I'd rather drive around the M25 for a day,. At least that gets investment... Matt 236, Benin, Luke_A and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt 236 Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 Chessington's new motto should be, one step forwards, one step back. They need to really get their eye back on the ball as what the managers see as progress is actually a step back from the old but once impressive mine train with, an interweaving queue and an interactive rock face and for a park/company that's trying to be as good as Disney, replacing this with petty cactus theming, a dull cattlemen, a basic backdrop and the theming elements that are certain to break, this is not going forward. To make this a great ride, they should've made a new rock cave round the ride with cactuses and bits sticking out, the interactive elements in the centre, plus a new queue line with interactive elements included as well. There are parks such as Oakwood, Paultons and even Pleasurewood hills with less budget that would put deliver effort and a final result twice as good as what we've seen here and all of those are starting to overtake Chessington now. If Chessington was ever like Disney, they were probably closest to that around 1990-1998. On a positive note, the market square looks an improvement from what I've seen so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 Mark9 dropping those truth bombs... Merlin should visit Efteling to see what a ride refurb should actually look like... Or indeed encompass... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 The trouble with Chessington is, apart from a few stand out attractions, it's basically a collection of mediocre rides themed well which enhances the experience as a whole. If you start taking away the theming that sets the rides apart from others of the same type (ie mine train) then it's going to lost it's appeal as it'll basically be a collection of cheap rides. pluk, OldFarmerDean, MattyMoo and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 I guess this is one of the down sides to having such access to closed season. We're able to see the progress they make and in what time. We'll have to wait and see what the final product is. Admittedly though, the picture of a lone small plastic cactus is almost comical... I do see what you are saying, and do agree, but the (sad) fact is, Scorpion Express is one of the park's major rides. With a month to go until the park opens, I'd expect a major ride of a park of Chessington's-supposed quality to be almost done, and to be adding the extra fine details which turn, in what should have been this case, a themed, bog-standard mine train, to a special mine train. However, at this stage, we're looking at ride with a plastic cactus in the middle, that needs everything done to it to claw its way into the definition of 'themed mine train'. So I think people's concerns and judgements at this stage are more than fair, though I still do agree that full judgement should be reserved until the day you ride. In saying all that, I don't even think a flashy fire effect and a water sprinkler could impress everyone if all else they do is put a vinyl backdrop and a couple of plastic cacti about. And that's exactly what I fear they're doing. tomglazed and Coaster 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 ^ Agreed, plus it needs to be remembered that the ride was closed for a whole year for them to do this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyMoo Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 Don't worry folks, looking at those photos that were posted, there's definitely at least one more cactus to install. EDIT to say: The more I look at those photos of The Scorpion Express "progress" so far, the more I want to cry and cry. Inferno 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EC! Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 It was such a good little ride originally and now they are going to ruin it with cheap, tacky themeing that we probably do better on. We will probably have 2 cactus, a plastic scorpion and a bit of foliage. Merlin stop ruining things! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 It was such a good little ride originally and now they are going to ruin it with cheap, tacky themeing that we probably do better on. We will probably have 2 cactus, a plastic scorpion and a bit of foliage. Merlin stop ruining things! It's a joke really when you see Blackpool, Oakwood and even Brean doing better theming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 Does Chessington actually have any power over these changes/alternations, or is it down to the big boys at Merlin and Merlin Magic Making? I find it tragic that people are starting to expect this poor quality work as "the norm" nowadays. Lack of creativity, knowledge or just pure laziness in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merry-go-girl Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 I'm pretty sure in a few more years the carnival on Harpenden Common will have more elaborate theaming. Plus it's free entry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBobJones Posted February 16, 2014 Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 It is laughable when you look at the Flying fish and the Runaway train, they are both the same ride, but Thorpe doesn't mention theirs at all and it looks a dump, where as Chessington promotes it as one of their star attractions. As far as junior coasters go it is fine, but how the same ride can be a top park attraction at Chessington but almost ignored at Thorpe is the thing I look at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GladiatorFanKyle Posted February 17, 2014 Report Share Posted February 17, 2014 At the way chessington is going wicksteed park will be more well themed than chessington lol! Merlin really need to buck their ideas up cause I hate seeing my childhood park where I have many happy memories being ruined! Could they have not just updated the rock work and kept it as runaway train! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jom222 Posted February 17, 2014 Report Share Posted February 17, 2014 As far as junior coasters go it is fine, but how the same ride can be a top park attraction at Chessington but almost ignored at Thorpe is the thing I look at. It's promoted more at chessington due to it being a family park and advertising this it shows what small thrills they have to offer for children. Whereas THORPE PARK have been about the big thrills so why would they advertise the flying fish when that doesn't attract the people they want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomglazed Posted February 17, 2014 Report Share Posted February 17, 2014 It is laughable when you look at the Flying fish and the Runaway train, they are both the same ride, but Thorpe doesn't mention theirs at all and it looks a dump, where as Chessington promotes it as one of their star attractions. As far as junior coasters go it is fine, but how the same ride can be a top park attraction at Chessington but almost ignored at Thorpe is the thing I look at. And you would hope that for this very reason, more effort would be put into Runaway than Flying Fish. That's just my logic at least, it might not be Merlin's. JoshC. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.S217 Posted February 17, 2014 Report Share Posted February 17, 2014 Looking at the park advertising I can kind of tell what sort of theme they want it looks as if its a sort of Old Western railway with things falling off it so we may have debris from the highest point on the ride look as if a bridge has collapsed or something the Logo looks good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted February 17, 2014 Report Share Posted February 17, 2014 You mean its gonna have the same theme as before but nowhere near as complete or detailed? How pointless... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerfuffle Posted February 17, 2014 Report Share Posted February 17, 2014 Well, what's important about Scorpion Express is that it'll be the only ride on park with a storyline (besides Tomb Blaster) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt 236 Posted February 17, 2014 Report Share Posted February 17, 2014 I think the best thing about Scorpion Express, is that it's an open ride. I feel if Tussaud's still ran the park, they would keep it as mine train and just leave the rest of the ride there except the rocks. OldFarmerDean 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c1hrisin Posted February 17, 2014 Report Share Posted February 17, 2014 Just leave the rest of the ride there except the rocks? That sounds exactly like what Merlin have done with Dragon Falls... GladiatorFanKyle, EC! and J.S217 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJ Posted February 17, 2014 Report Share Posted February 17, 2014 Well, what's important about Scorpion Express is that it'll be the only ride on park with a storyline (besides Tomb Blaster) Once upon a time, there was a rusty old mine train called the Scorpion Express that ran around a cactus, then it did it again... The end? That's not really a storyline, it's just a premise for the theme. I wonder what Tomb Blaster's would be, considering nothing changes between the beginning or end of the ride, it's just a shooting game in a tomb. We currently have no idea how much of the ride's marketing will be translated into the finished product. The premise sounds nice and colourful (although basically the same as it was before), but it might end up just as a rollercoaster on some concrete. Or it might not! Kerfuffle 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insider9150 Posted February 17, 2014 Report Share Posted February 17, 2014 Perhaps, its worth waiting unit it completely finished. I was talking to a manager today, and the transformation will stating as from next week, as most of the theming is being built offsite SteveJ and jon81uk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted February 17, 2014 Report Share Posted February 17, 2014 Perhaps, its worth waiting unit it completely finished. I was talking to a manager today, and the transformation will stating as from next week, as most of the theming is being built offsite See again, we're talking about a ride, closed for 18 months, due to open in 5 weeks. Why isn't it further ahead. Why is it a quick five week rush instead of a proper, full refurbishment. Things like the train only just being repainted or a little cactus standing solely in a concrete field. Are Merlin just taking the piss? I'm sure Chessingtons managers have the passion but it comes to little if the best they can do on budget is a fall arsed refurbishment. Benin, MattyMoo, Matt 236 and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBobJones Posted February 17, 2014 Report Share Posted February 17, 2014 After going on the mine train at Alton Towers today, TBH Scorpion Express will be pants. The RMT at Alton is bigger, faster, proper tunnels, goes up high and takes you on an adventure. Plus you get choo choo! Inferno 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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