Some people love roller coasters and others hate them with a passion. I guess that if you are naturally a thrill seeker you will discover coasters eventually whilst those of a more delicate nature and with a fear of heights will avoid them like the plague. My own journey started with visits to the local fun fair as a small child and developed into a passion that I cannot shake. Continue reading
Tag Archives: theme park rides
Chessington Ban Animal Print Clothing
I have just heard that Chessington World of Adventures are banning guests from wearing animal print in the park as it is confusing the resident wildlife! The announcement made the BBC news but that doesn’t mean it is true. Merlin Entertainments have a long history of gaining valuable publicity from PR stunts and this might turn out to be just another of those. If it is I think it might be a bit counterproductive as this policy is something which is guaranteed to annoy people. Continue reading
Bags and Baggage
If you are going to spend an entire day at a theme park then it can be difficult to take everything you need in your pockets but carrying a bag can be a total pain. Unless you are at a Disney Park where they don’t appear to care what you take onto the rides with you then your bag is going to have to go somewhere whilst you experience an attraction. Parks have adopted various solutions to the bag issue but not all of them work too well. Continue reading
Crazy Roller Coaster Antics
When working at a theme park you see many people trying to do the craziest things on roller coasters and attempting to smuggle amazing items onto the rides. Mad antics on coasters are becoming competitive and are proving to be a great means of getting publicity or making money for charity. Take “Scream If You Know the Answer”, a television quiz show where the celebrity competitors were filmed trying answer questions whilst riding the coasters. Adding a roller coaster to the mix makes for a good story and some great pictures. Continue reading
Wodan
OK I admit it! I was always going to smile favourably on Wodan because I love Europa Park and I adore the wooden coasters off Great Coasters International. Having said that, even I was surprised by how good this attraction is. This is a ride that impresses as soon as you clap eyes on it and is a great adventure from the moment you enter the Plaza. Continue reading
Blue Fire
Blue Fire is a launch coaster by Mack Rides situated at Europa Park in Germany. The Park is owned and run by Mack and is a showcase for their rides. This being the case it is surprising that there has not been a mad scramble on the part of other theme parks to buy one of these constructions because it is a very special ride! Continue reading
The Smiler
The newest coaster at Alton Towers finally opened at the end of May following a string of delays and technical problems. After two weeks of operation the coaster is still suffering from late openings and many shut downs but the paying guests are certainly anxious to experience the Smiler as the queues have been very long indeed. So is the Smiler worth the lengthy wait? Continue reading
Top Thrill Dragster
Since this mighty beast was opened at Cedar Point in 2003 I dreamed of riding it. At the time it was both the tallest and fastest coaster in the world which put it firmly at the top of my wish list! Although it was surpassed in speed and height by Kingda Ka in 2005, Dragster always remained the ride I most wanted to experience but it took me rather a long time to fulfil my ambition! Continue reading
Trees and Roller Coasters don’t Mix
Many people love the fun and excitement of roller coasters and thrill rides. As they hurtle around the track or spin through the air they are probably oblivious to all of the day to day problems and technical issues that must be overcome to keep the rides running. I worked at a major theme park for several years and my job for the most part was to run the rides. I spent my days in charge of some of Europe’s best known thrill rides and had to deal with all sort of issues on a daily basis and one of them, surprisingly, was trees! Continue reading
Europa Park
Every year millions Tourists head for the European theme parks for a few days of fun and to escape the real world. Whilst everyone knows about the delights of Disneyland Paris, Europa Park in Germany remains largely undiscovered by British tourists and is not a big destination for visitors outside of France and Germany. This is a real shame because Europa Park is quite possible the best Theme Park in Europe. Continue reading