WTF Merlin?

[Gavin]

Clicked the video, jumped back from the screen in disgust when it started. Didn't watch beyond 5 seconds. No interest at all in what those people have to say.

 

[bob_3_]

They could've fitted a Taron clone on the stargazer sheds plot.. just saying.

 

[zazobo]

I quite like TWP but I was really disappointed with the review on the pods. They're ****ing ****e and I cannot see HOW he could endorse them.

 

[Dar]

Every preview article I've seen has looked like it was straight up written by the marketing department. I don't mind so much when they at least make it feel natural, but it smacks of laziness when they just copy paste the press release. Mind you, easy money I guess

 

[vaugc002]

Let's be honest, if your primary income stream relates directly to visiting UK theme parks, you're not gonna be critical of the largest theme park group out there :emoji_pensive:. Agreed, there's no way these flimsy sheds can be palmed off as appealing if we're speaking honestly.

 

[Fluorineer]

Let's be honest, if your primary income stream relates directly to visiting UK theme parks, you're not gonna be critical of the largest theme park group out there

What are they gonna do though? Sue him? It's not like being one of the early reviewers of the Stargazing Pods is a big deal for his channel or something that viewers are impatiently waiting for. If anything, I could see people wanting to learn more about the Cbeebies-Hotel or the Alton Towers Spa, and that's something he has never covered.

 

[Dar]

What are they gonna do though? Sue him? It's not like being one of the early reviewers of the Stargazing Pods is a big deal for his channel or something that viewers are impatiently waiting for. If anything, I could see people wanting to learn more about the Cbeebies-Hotel or the Alton Towers Spa, and that's something he has never covered.

No, but those parks might not invite them to the next "serious" event and then they wouldn't get that warm feeling of smug superiority that they got to ride before the peasants

 

[spicy]

Back to @THORPEPARK: The lake area underneath Colossus’s vertical loop has been infilled to permit easier maintenance inspections.

Since the announcement confirming the permanent closure, Logger’s Leap has not seen any notable work to remove the attraction. pic.twitter.com/NZFlUc6ed2

— TowersTimes (@TowersTimes) March 23, 2019

Merlin have just stopped caring about any theming or upkeep at TP.

 

[spicy]

Black Buccaneer has been removed from the ride listing on @CWOA's website.

Whilst the ride is still on the Resort map in the official app, it has yet to open this year. Could its removal from the website suggest that the popular ride will be leaving the theme park permanently? pic.twitter.com/S62e5p1uw3

— TowersTimes (@TowersTimes) May 8, 2019

Merlins fantastic maintenance strikes again

 

[Jamesss]

Chessington is so **** now. Everything that made it good seems to be gradually getting removed. It's my home park yet I haven't had any desire to visit there for about 10 years. Shame as it was really nice back in the day.

 

[Chris Brown]

Chessington is so :emoji_poop: now. Everything that made it good seems to be gradually getting removed. It's my home park yet I haven't had any desire to visit there for about 10 years. Shame as it was really nice back in the day.

Agreed. This is one of the best Boats in the UK in terms of ride and themeing / scenery. Given the state of the ride line up Chessie I can't quite wrap my head around this if its not being replaced.

 

[bob_3_]

Agreed. This is one of the best Boats in the UK in terms of ride and themeing / scenery. Given the state of the ride line up Chessie I can't quite wrap my head around this if its not being replaced.

The Blade at Alton has just gone under a refurbishment and I believe it's a similar age, so maybe they're just doing this at Chessington.

 

[oriolat2]

I wonder if they will put this boat in a shipping container. Maybe then it will be up to Merlin's high standards of themeing.

 

[Ethan]

^ Don't be silly, Chessington can't afford a shipping container.

 

[Niles]

BounceZilla is open!!, and it has a fast track :emoji_grimacing:

 

[Hixee]

Oh cool, it looks just as temporary as it sounded it would be.

Laaaaaame.

 

[shawnoc]

Loving that themed fencing

 

[bladeboy]

In regards to the closure of Black Buccaneer, I wonder if this trend will continue at Alton and Thorpe too. They both have rides that still haven’t opened this year, Quantum and Enterprise, and I wonder if these will be quietly shelved at some point during the season.

 

[Fluorineer]

It's actually kinda funny, if you showed that BounceZilla-clip to a person in 1994, it would have made a great example for the dystopian future awaiting us if we let some Blackrock-douchebags take over theme parks. If the "sponsored"-ad was a little bigger and if they advertised the Fasttrack in the same clip, this would tick all the boxes for "dystopian future caricature".

Like, remember those Buy-in-large-ads from the Wall-E Movie? This kind of has that vibe.

 

[JoshC.]

I did BounceZilla yesterday (not as part of the press event, just as a guest). And, to be fair, it's fun. I mean, obviously it is - it's a giant bouncy castle.

But the whole thing is terrible. It looks garish, the music is awful (think cheesy pop songs from the past 20 years, including the likes of Gangnam Style and Baby Shark, mashed together along with a horribly cringey voiceover every 20 seconds), and it just doesn't fit. It feels so out of place, literally like something you would see it a pop up fun fair, or a well-off school fair, for a day or two. God knows how this will last 3 months.

So yeah, in its own right, the bouncy castle is fun. And I think I could overlook the horribleness of it all if this had been a sideline attraction in a year of good quality events, with quality additions either year of it. But given this is effectively THE big thing for the year, the way they're celebrating their 40th anniversary (after having loads of other things fall through) and supposedly a signal for a change within Thorpe, it just makes me worried.