January 21, 201312 yr comment_148668 I'll give it a try I guess, maybe I could be pleasantly surprised? And as for the billboard, I think putting it by the Zero G roll would work best. It doesn't really fit in anywhere else and putting it by the tiny turnaround at the end wouldn't even be worth the effort... I think the cameras for ORPs could go on the sides of the billboard, maybe it would be one that looks more like this? Just a bit larger and with the cameras on the sides? It does raise the question though, why is there a giant billboard placed randomly in a quaint little countryside village? We have to clap Thorpe though, a year on and they're still adding themeing to what is already a well themed ride. And at least they are making the effort to shake things up a bit for a season where we have no new rides at all. EDIT: Those photoshop skills are fab!
January 21, 201312 yr comment_148670 We have to clap Thorpe though, a year on and they're still adding themeing to what is already a well themed ride. And at least they are making the effort to shake things up a bit for a season where we have no new rides at all. That's precisely it though! They're adding a bit of (probably mediocre) theming and turning around two rows as a gimmick to drum up publicity- They're creating weak little excuses for more advertising and PR through what are essentially costless changes, which is bad for a park which, one year previously, gets £20million thrown at it!
January 21, 201312 yr comment_148671 Guys does anyone know what they are doing about queueing and fastrack? On their web page they only have fastrack for THE SWARM but no front row! My guess is the front row queue is being replaced with a backwards one but I don't know how you can't get on front row now- also they have not put up a back row fastrack so maybe you can't buy a fastrack to go on the back row?
January 21, 201312 yr comment_148672 If they had any sense they'd swap the front row stuff with back row... A big if...
January 21, 201312 yr comment_148674 But then how do you go on front row with out being put there by the Batchers? Personally I would like to see a front row queue and a back row one but they didn't even have enough room for single rider so... I bet there will be massive queues for the back rows, after all it could turn out to be amazing! I can't wait to go to thorpe this year but better visit on a quiet day
January 21, 201312 yr comment_148675 Nooo, they've ruined a perfectly decent ride. I can only imagine the queue system will be chaotic from now on.
January 21, 201312 yr comment_148677 But then how do you go on front row with out being put there by the Batchers? I suppose you could walk to the front row, like any other row...
January 21, 201312 yr comment_148679 Everytime I went there last year you could choose which row to go on yourself. There were no batchers. They only told you what side of the train to go on.
January 21, 201312 yr comment_148680 I expect there will be batchers to ensure people who queued for backwards rows get the backwards rows, that's just my guess though.
January 21, 201312 yr comment_148681 I've always got to choose what side to go on but never what row They will probably do what they did with front row, giving you a pass with big letters saying BACK ROW on it!
January 21, 201312 yr comment_148684 I just find myself asking the question 'why?'. I can presume they feel that since 2012 wasn't a blockbuster, that they need to drag another year of major marketing out of the Swarm. Could they not have given an older major attraction a new lease of life? The back rows were my favourite place to ride on Swarm as it was. Now, that won't be possible. When I first heard rumour of this a couple of months ago I genuinely thought it was some kind of joke!
January 21, 201312 yr comment_148690 I just find myself asking the question 'why?'. I can presume they feel that since 2012 wasn't a blockbuster, that they need to drag another year of major marketing out of the Swarm.Could they not have given an older major attraction a new lease of life? The back rows were my favourite place to ride on Swarm as it was. Now, that won't be possible. When I first heard rumour of this a couple of months ago I genuinely thought it was some kind of joke! They tend to do this with all major new rides. It's what Saw: Alive was to the ride, and anyone remember 'Stealth 1.1'?...
January 21, 201312 yr comment_148692 Well, I wouldn't rule out any possibility of the back row being ruined. You haven't ridden it backwards yet so for all we know it might make the ride much more enjoyable!
January 21, 201312 yr comment_148704 Well it's a world first. Worlds first roller train were part of it goes forwards and part of it goes backwards that isn't a maurer sohne spin coaster. Bit long winded but that is the fact. I'm getting excited now The Smiler in may and The Swarm:Mutated in march it's gonna be awesome this year. Two world firsts in a way. I take it you never rode Twin looper that used to be at American Adventure. The last 2 rows used to be reversed.
January 21, 201312 yr comment_148709 They tend to do this with all major new rides. It's what Saw: Alive was to the ride, and anyone remember 'Stealth 1.1'?... Yep! Its probably not really related to 2012 not being a great year, by the sounds of it Thorpe wernt the only ones to suffer, and was probably more down to the recession / weather than the ride. Aslong as its ran well, I think it should be pretty good, I'm also glad its the last 2 rows as I think just 1 row would create horrible queues.
January 21, 201312 yr comment_148710 Well, I wouldn't rule out any possibility of the back row being ruined. You haven't ridden it backwards yet so for all we know it might make the ride much more enjoyable! My problem is, I haven't genuinely been on a coaster where it being backwards has been one of the plus points. I don't particularly enjoy going backwards on Euro-Mir, I don't particularly enjoy the backwards sections on Boomerangs or Revolution, nor do I particularly enjoy X. I tend to have to twist my neck slightly so I can see what's going on, or I get pretty dizzy.
January 21, 201312 yr comment_148711 I really don't think that front row queue area is big enough if this gets hyped up. The front row queue by the end of the season was a mess anyway and staff really didn't care if you had the card.. I kind of expect forward X now just for a full circle of random. Ride experience wise, Euro Mir is disgusting if you are backwards on the last row for the end section but the helices are exceptionally tight there.
January 21, 201312 yr comment_148712 Yep! Its probably not really related to 2012 not being a great year, by the sounds of it Thorpe wernt the only ones to suffer, and was probably more down to the recession / weather than the ride. Indeed, I suspect it was something discussed between Thorpe and B&M before the ride was even finished. Generally I'm not crazy about backwards rides but I think the more 'floaty' nature of Swarm's elements could allow it to work pretty well. One of the things most praised about The Swarm when it opened was that almost every seat offers a unique experience and this 'mutation' will surely only enhance that further? And if it ends up being a load of-, then it probably won't last further than this season. I guess my point is... DON'T PANIC!
January 21, 201312 yr comment_148714 The back row would be enough but I've just realised it's the back TWO rows. So we can't even settle for the second to back row I feel sorry for those who haven't ridden it yet and will never experience the awesomeness of front facing back row. I just fear going backwards will take some of that intensity away
January 21, 201312 yr comment_148715 Well isn't this just a day for UK parks! I knew from day one Swarm backwards would look stupid, feel stupid and possibly be a stupid mistake, I still do but I wouldn't mind having a go! Shame I didn't get to ride the backwards row forwards, I heard that was the most intense! (Also new Swarm theming for the win!)
January 21, 201312 yr comment_148717 Skeptical about whether it was the right decision by the park, but I am really excited to ride it backwards.
January 21, 201312 yr comment_148718 At least it will be a new experience, almost a whole new ride! Can't see it bringing in too many new visitors but should keep old visitors happy. Still hoping for an X retheme but not looking likely. Like the idea of the billboard, will be good to add to the already quality theming!
January 21, 201312 yr comment_148720 Hearing that there are more theming elements added to The Swarm is actually more exciting than the backwards seats, to be brutally honest. I for one will give it a go (just to see if it was worth doing), but I'm very disappointed if X:\No Way Out has been left to rot for another year...
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