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Small News From The Theme Park Industry

Lofty

CF Legend
I thought I'd create a topic for small theme park industry related news in here, so just store away all the little bits we come across.

It seems that Intamin have partially rebrand, featuring a new logo:
36847413_10157452737873219_1320121489063673856_n.png


I love it.

Also, Blooloop have released their Theme Park Influencer List for 2018 and there's some BIG names on there, including fabulous Amanda.

Take a look at the entire list here: https://blooloop.com/blooloop-50-theme-park-influencer-list/
Theme Park Influencer List 2018 revealed
 
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Hixee

Flojector
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Social Media Team
TripAdvisor rankings in the paper today:

WbjgjGD.jpg


Good news for Paultons, impressed to see Crealy and Milky Way so high too. Although there does seem to be a southern bias a bit here - several small parks down south, but no sight of 'Mingo or Lightwater...
 

Ethan

Strata Poster
I mean the whole thing is pretty biased, surely? The only people who would ever vote on a Tripadvisor poll are mostly people over 30/40 I'd say, so I imagine they're missing a major demographic (hence why Thorpe Park isn't on there)...

Not that I'm saying Thorpe Park is necassarily the best in the country, but it's better than Brighton Pier.
 

Matt N

CF Legend
Certainly encouraging for my visit in August to see BPB in 2nd place! Although I must admit I am slightly surprised to see Thorpe, Chessington and Legoland absent from the top 10. Especially Thorpe, as people in my year group at school seem to rave about it like it's the best theme park in the UK.

Oh, and congrats to Paultons on first place!
 

Will

Strata Poster
Paultons always does particularly well due to the family bias with ratings; which also speaks volumes for just how bad Chessington is these days, as their audience is essentially the same as Paultons or Drayton, but they do not feature on the list.

Granted, Thorpe is a better park/day out than Brighton Pier, but the expectation is so much higher for somewhere like Thorpe that they're more likely to get bad reviews due to ride operations, availability, wait times, tacky Love Island theming etc. which is going to drag them down.

By contrast, I've just looked up Europa Park - they have a rating of 83% Excellent, compared to 69% Excellent for Paultons.
Someone recently pointed out to me that Gloucester Services on the M5 has a higher tripadvisor rating than Chessington
 

elephant58

Hyper Poster
Someone recently pointed out to me that Gloucester Services on the M5 has a higher tripadvisor rating than Chessington
Yeah but we have to remember that Gloucester services is a very well-themed services:
gloucester-services.jpg

Just look at that landscaping and Wicker Man-inspired fencing.
 

Matt N

CF Legend
Certainly encouraging to see IOA at number 1 on that list! Right up there with Alton Towers as one of my favourite theme parks!
 

Catmaydo

Roller Poster
Certainly encouraging for my visit in August to see BPB in 2nd place! Although I must admit I am slightly surprised to see Thorpe, Chessington and Legoland absent from the top 10. Especially Thorpe, as people in my year group at school seem to rave about it like it's the best theme park in the UK.

I'm guessing most of those kids at school probably wouldn't choose a site like TripAdvisor to leave feedback online. There's something about the chance to give detailed, histronic write-ups of your leisure-time experiences that appeals to the parasitic curmudgeon that starts to grow inside you once you hit the age of 30.

Also, weirdly enough, I genuinely found Thorpe to have a less inviting atmosphere than La Ronde...and enthusiasts seem to hate that place.
 

Hixee

Flojector
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Social Media Team
Also, weirdly enough, I genuinely found Thorpe to have a less inviting atmosphere than La Ronde...and enthusiasts seem to hate that place.
I'd hardly say we love Thorpe, mind...
 

Crazycoaster

Giga Poster
Thorpe Park is vile. As is Chessington and Alton. I’m glad that these ratings are finally starting to kick in, the GP won’t put up with Merlin’s stingey money grabbing tactics forever, I just hope that they start to listen.

As for Brighton Pier being higher on the list than Thorpe.. you’re not paying £60 to get into the pier.
 

elephant58

Hyper Poster
I don't really think Alton can be considered vile. Like it's clean, has a good atmosphere, (mostly) decent theming all over the place, clientele are generally pleasant and the staff are friendly. The only things wrong with it are the lack of non-coaster rides and sometimes their operations, if you consider them to be poor. Compared to Blackpool and certainly Drayton, Alton is very nice. Not been Thorpe so can't comment but the general consensus seems to be that Alton is far nicer than any of the other Merlin parks in the UK.
 

shawnoc

Mega Poster
Palace pier not Brighton pier. Thing is you can choose how much to pay on the pier instead of being fleeced with an entirely over priced entrance fee Merlin charge.
Paultons have it right at the mo, decent entry fee with stuff on site to fill your day without payed queue jumping holding up queues.
 

Ethan

Strata Poster
Palace pier not Brighton pier.

They're... The same thing? It's Brighton Palace Pier, but everybody knows it as Brighton Pier. Besides, whatever you call it, it's tacky and on my last visit was just full of queue-jumping exchange students.
 

shawnoc

Mega Poster
Ah that depends if your from Brighton tho.
It was just a little quip, don’t read too much into it.
If you want to call palace pier by it’s real name it would be:

Brighton Marine Palace Pier.
 
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