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
Tag Archives: theme parks
Apocalypse
I have to admit that on the occasion of my last visit to Six Flags Magic Mountain I was so focused on riding Tatsu and X2 that I hadn’t given much thought to anything else. There had been several new rides constructed since my last visit but I hadn’t given them any thought so it came as a great surprise when Apocalypse turned out to be my favourite attraction at the park. Continue reading
Stealth
I have to admit to a fair amount of bias regarding this ride as I worked on it for three years and it was certainly my favourite place to be every day. Stealth was built in 2006 and remains the most popular ride at Thorpe Park despite the arrival of Saw the Ride and the Swarm. The 205ft structure is visible from miles away and I still look up whenever I pass it. Continue reading
A New Kind of Hitler
When working at a theme park health and safety concerns are paramount and one must always be acutely aware of potential danger. The parks tend to employ a lot of young people who can become rather distracted and wrapped up in the fun of it all. Those in a supervisory or management position must try to keep things running smoothly and safely. Various managerial techniques are employed but my own preference is for using a pterodactyl! Continue reading
Another Season Ends
November is here and in addition to signalling the imminent arrival of Christmas this is the month when the British Theme parks close for the season. After the relative excitement of the Halloween period it is a time when enthusiasts must face months away from their favourite attractions. They can usually then cheer themselves up with the anticipation of new rides being built for the following season. Except that next year there don’t appear to be any! Continue reading
More Trouble at The Smiler
My goodness it is only a week since I wrote about the dangers of falling debris from theme park rides and now there have been two further high profile incidents. To make matters worse both events occurred on the same ride! The Smiler at Alton Towers is closed again as this ride, which appears to be cursed, has suffered failures to both the structure and the ride car. Continue reading
How to Get a Great Ride Photo
There are some people for whom the usual ride photo is simply not enough and let’s face it unless you look completely terrified these snaps are not the most interesting of souvenirs. There is a limit to how compelling a picture of yourself in a seat can be and so some theme park enthusiasts are always looking for new ways to spice up their memorabilia. Continue reading
Thorpe Park and Young Children
British theme parks lack the land and the financial clout of Disney and the big American operators. This has basically meant that it is very difficult for any of them to be all things to all people. They feel that they are forced to configure their parks to cater for one demographic or another and Thorpe Park has very much gone down the route of adult thrills. Continue reading
Roller Coasters and the Weather
It is always a good idea to check the weather forecast before setting out for a theme park. Not only will it help you to decide what to wear, it could save you a wasted journey or a very disappointing trip. When the weather is more Scandinavian winter than tropical summer there can be issues with the rides and they may not be able to run. Continue reading
Cloudy with a Chance of Mobile Phones and Metal Bolts
I worked at a theme park for several seasons and dealt with many terrified quests. Whilst these people find the prospect of taking on the roller coaster terrifying my experience has taught me that the most dangerous place to be in a theme park is underneath the rides not on them. A person falling out of a ride is such a rare occurrence that it isn’t worth worrying about but flying debris is another matter! Continue reading