Theme Parks

[jman]

Who loves Theme Parks as much as me??   

Am going to Orlando in a few months.. been before, but so looking forward to the theme parks out there.. Disney, Islands, Universal, Busch and Seaworld.. cant wait.

I usually go to Thorpe Park or Alton Towers once a year.. although I still havent been on the Swarm ride at Thorpe Park yet, I think we are going to AT late August - gotta try out that new Smiler ride !!

Some amazing rides from around the world I'd love to go on ->

Mr Freeze - Six Flags, Texas
Eejanaika - Fuji-Q Highland, Japan
Insanity, X-Scream - Top of Stratosphere, Las Vegas
Kingda Ka - Six Flags, New Jersey 

One of my favourite rides I've been on is The Incredible Hulk Coaster - not the most thrilling, but brilliant theming and its just a pretty awesome coaster in general.

[harv]

I love them but haven't been able to go for years due to my depression causing me problems in crowds.

Chessington used to be great when the had the zoo parts in it because it combined 2 of my favourite things - zoos and theme parks.

When I was a kid growing up in Broadstairs Dreamland/Bembom Brothers was only a couple of miles away in Margate. Was nowhere near the same scale as the likes of Chessington etc but had the Mary Rose, The Looping Star and the Victorian Railway. The latter was pretty cool, was the oldest amusement ride (roller coaster probably isn't an accurate name for it but it was pretty fast) in Europe I think.

Had a bit of a dodgy experience on the Mary Rose though lol. It was the shape of a ship that started off rocking and then eventually turned 360 degrees a few times. Before it started the safety thingies came down and secured you in but for some reason mine came down and then came loose as the bloody thing started lol. Luckily it had some steel bars going across the top which I clung onto for dear life lol. My mate's face was a picture of horror when I flapped the safety thingy up and down as we were spinning around lololol

It ended up burning down in the end which was a great shame, some sort of insurance scam I think because it hadn't been open for years.

[jman]

Always a bit wary of the rides in fun-fairs... I love the waltzer though...

Cant remember where it was - but went on this pirate boat type ride.. and could see men actually pushing the ride at the bottom to make it go higher.. then it got stuck at the top when it tried to go 360.. not one of the best experiences..

Rameses Revenge is the only Chessington ride I remember really as I never went a lot at a young age... Alton Towers ripped it off with "Ripsaw".. and the last time I went on that.. the harnesses really hurt my chest when they tilt you at 45 degrees and let the water spray up..

Best ride at Alton Towers for me is still Oblivion
Best ride at Thorpe Park - I'd have to say the SAW ride - although yet to try out Swarm.

[Dragontao]

I love fast adrenalin boosting rides, but I hate things like Waltzers that spin. Just make me feel sick.

I have not been to a theme park for a while now, none of my friends are really into them and the ones who are are all married and aren't allowed to go any more lol. I always seem to pick girlfriends who don't like them either. One wouldn't even go on a piddly little roiller coaster at Poulton's Park (Spearfish I think it was called).

First theme park I went to was Chessington, many years ago. Thought the Vampire was excellent. Last time I went there it seemed so tame.

Worst experience had to be on Oblivion at Alton Towers. Not because of the ride but what happened.

Friday 13th October 2000. Actually had a girlfriend at that time who enjoyed theme parks. Just as the coaster was picking up spped and dropping into the pit, a wasp lands on my face and is squashed against my face for the entire ride. Oviously not a fan of roller coasters and being squished against rider's faces, said insect proceded to spend the entire ride stinging me while I was attempting in vain to swat it.

Knew we shouldn't have gone there on Friday 13th when someone drove into my car when we were on the way back to the B and B we were staying in.

[chelseachelsea]

When I was a kid growing up in Broadstairs Dreamland/Bembom Brothers was only a couple of miles away in Margate. Was nowhere near the same scale as the likes of Chessington etc but had the Mary Rose, The Looping Star and the Victorian Railway. The latter was pretty cool, was the oldest amusement ride (roller coaster probably isn't an accurate name for it but it was pretty fast) in Europe I think.

20/30 years ago, Margate was a great day/weekend out, not only Bembom Bros but the hundreds of pubs, a firm I worked for in the early 80's would have at least 2 trips each summer, at at least 150 people went, a great laugh at the time.

[harv]

Best pub in Margate used to be The Saracen's Head. It was a biker's pub and used to have live bands every weekend. There was also The Charles Dickens in Broadstairs and The Red Lion in St Peters that had live bands. You don't get pubs like that anymore

[chelseachelsea]

Best pub in Margate used to be The Saracen's Head. It was a biker's pub and used to have live bands every weekend. There was also The Charles Dickens in Broadstairs and The Red Lion in St Peters that had live bands. You don't get pubs like that anymore

On a works do as a youngster, it was more important it served alcohol, and more importantly we got served before opening time.

[jman]

Got to laugh at that really drags    Oblivion is an awesome ride.. wasp or no wasp!

I went to Fright Night at Thorpe Park a few years back now.. it was bloody awful... the queues were so long.. as we arrived fairly late.. we actually only managed to get on a few rides.. all the fast passes were sold out too.. they just let way too many people in - so dont think I'll be bothering with anything like that again.  Was fun to see actors dressed up in the pig head mask (on the SAW ride) going round scaring the shit out of everyone though.

On the topic of Fast Passes.. our theme parks are so shit compared to the Disney parks which let you pick a fast pass up (for pretty much any ride - for free and that gives you a time to go back to the ride to use it (a 1 hour slot) - ... here - you have to pay for your fast pass per 2/3 rides - with the better ride combos costing more - around £10 I think... and if you even think about going on a fairly busy day - you'll never get round the park without the fast passes.