Tbf Nemesis still looks incredible even today. Last week though when the queue was long, I was explaining to Miss RicketyCricket how much better it was with the Ribena waterfalls. It's only a bit of dye, but it was iconic and added so much more to the ride experience. At least the original music is still going strong... IMAscore can stay well away.
I was on Nemesis a few weeks after opening and the buzz was incredible. Living all the way down in Essex they managed to market it so incredibly well that it was absolutely essential for 16 year old me to make the journey, not visiting was simply not an option. The big difference compared to now was the marketing and buzz was absolutely justified and delivered in reality, the huge shame since is the value of this has been eroded over time with growing disparity between what is marketed and the finished article, with the net result being the marketing no longer works as well as potential visitors, quite rightly, don't believe the hype. People don't like being made fools of repeatedly.
With 13 it closed the first Thursday of the season and reopened the 2nd Saturday (so 1 full day closed which was my 2nd trip of the season). It also took them a long time to get something working right as it was down to loading half the trains for a time.
Going back to the indoor Smiler queue, I did the ride yesterday and they were making you queue in all the indoor section. So guess now hot weather has gone they will just keep it as before.
For a good few years after 1999 when the logo changed that sign was the only obvious place the old logo remained.
On park today, not too busy and having a good time. Sad to see "Blade"s ship sitting with the surplus ride boats from the rapids (you can seei it if you walk instead of using the monorail by peering through the gates) New signs have gone up to explain it's absence."The Phalanx are currently re-sharpening The Blade"
Ah so it has been taken down. Typical isn't it, they spend a small fortune on it over the closed season and then a few months later it's buggered.
its Ripsaw all over again, spent a small fortune getting it fixed, opened towards the end of season only for it to be scrapped
This tells you that the ride won't be opening again. Look at sub terra, it's had the same sign up for 4 years now. RIP Blade
Ah well, with loads more space in FV due to the removal of Ripsaw and Blade there will obviously be a new and improved cross valley woodie with extended ride area around FV. Excellent.
If they are replacing it with another flat ride i’d be glad to see it go personally. No doubt they will shove a bouncy castle or a game stall there though. Be nice to be proved wrong.
You say this in gesture but wasn’t this where the rumoured RMC was going to go pre wickernan ? Maybe this is the start of SW9?
I really don't think blade fit in the area - and I think that is shown by the minimal queues even in busy times. If they relocated it to the lake near battle gallions I think it would be really popular. Towers is screaming out for Flats, but I do think they need to fit with the area.
@ScottishChris I'm not sure the location was everything to do with it, there's a case that it might have been more popular alongside other 1.2 rides, but I think the pirate ship concept has lost some of its charm. Black Bucaneer and Blade Frankenstein, perhaps?
