Author Archives: Sally

It’s All About Timing

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We all have visions of a fabulous day in a theme park with the sun shining and warm temperatures as we enjoy multiple rides on all the attractions on offer. The trouble is that sort of perfect day will rarely happen because during the summer months most parks will be very busy and we are going to spend most of our time queuing. The truth is that the enjoyment of your visit and the amount of rides you get is going to depend largely on when you visit and so to get the best bang for your buck off peak is the way to go. Continue reading →

Keeping the Kids Happy

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No matter how much children may have been looking forward to a theme park visit, the day can prove to be a challenging experience for youngsters. Crowded parks, long queues and attractions that they cannot ride can all lead to disappointment and fatigue. If you want to keep the kids happy then some careful planning can help. Continue reading →

The Thorpe Park Hotel

Not so long ago plans were afoot for a new hotel at Thorpe Park. It was a great idea. All the best parks have onsite accommodation after all. Naturally being such a good idea the plans were abandoned in favour of the Crash Pad. For those who have not experienced this less than idyllic accommodation, the Crash Pad is an unsightly temporary structure in which the rooms are actually remodelled shipping containers. Continue reading →

Problems With Christmas At Port Aventura

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I have wanted to visit Port Aventura for quite some time but work commitments and other travel plans have always got in the way. I then discovered that the park is open over the Christmas period and decided that this could be the solution to my usual Christmas nightmare. I do not enjoy the traditional festive period of staying at home and over eating and have been looking for somewhere to go which won’t cost the earth. Continue reading →

Angry Birds to Descend on Thorpe Park

Thorpe Park has announced its new attractions for the 2014 season and the ever popular Angry Birds are at the heart of a facelift for two old/existing installations. Those hoping for a major new ride at the park will be disappointed but parent company Merlin do not look keen on any major investment at Thorpe in the near future. Continue reading →

The Revenge of the Mummy

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I can still remember the hullaballoo that surrounded the construction of the Revenge of the Mummy rides at Universal Studios in both Orlando and Hollywood. The ride promised to be the ultimate thrill experience – a coaster in the dark with a launch, pyrotechnics and special effects. I was thinking Rock ‘N’ Roller coaster with sheets of fire and surprises. I was wrong. Continue reading →

When Kids are a Problem

Working at a theme park you have to deal with many issues and incidents and small children feature high on the list of problems. I worked at Thorpe Park where there a few attractions for the youngsters which caused problems for the parents who wanted to ride the coasters. The park operated a parent swap system enabling parents to ride in turn without the second one having to queue but clearly many people wanted to ride together. Continue reading →

Great Queue Lines

Nobody relishes a long wait in line before they get the chance to experience an attraction. Long queues also put a serious dent in the number of rides you can fit into your day causing more frustration. It can be really depressing crawling around endless twists and turns wondering when your ordeal will end. Most queue lines are pretty uninspired and do nothing to alleviate the boredom but occasionally you find a much better experience and the line truly becomes part of the overall experience. Continue reading →

Is the Merlin Annual Pass a Good Investment?

I won’t beat around the bush here. If you are frequent visitor to Theme parks in the UK the Merlin Annual Pass is a no brainer. With four of the UK’s theme parks and many other visitor attractions being operated by Merlin Entertainments the Annual Pass can prove to be great value and you don’t have to make many visits to justify the cost. Continue reading →