LLCorkscrew
TS Member
2002 / 2003 for me as well, and for the same reasons that many have articulated.
It was a very well-run theme park, and whilst it had a slight-corporate feel even then, it felt genuinely magical at a brand and processes level. Now, everything is too polished and corporate.
Each new ride was very well thought out (and that’s not saying they got it right 100% of the time, Submission was a poor ride, but brilliantly located, named, and themed). We had a good selection of flat / support rides (including Dynamo, one of my favourites), and there were still some classics from the previous owners* including Black Hole, Corkscrew, The Swans, and the Log Flume, all decent rides with character. They also introduced Terror of the Towers in 2002, again, a new concept that worked really well.
*I think this is a part of the reason why 02/03 was so popular. Tussauds had taken over an independent company and had introduced several coherently themed areas with some first-class ride technology, but this blended with nostalgic classics.
Operationally, 02/03 was good too, although that has its ups and downs over the years. I loved the XRT on Nemesis and Air, and Fastrack / VQ was free for a year or two – brilliant! Nemesis would sometimes dispatch the second train whilst the first was pre-barrel-roll, you’d never see that now. I remember on the last day of the 2002 season, the guy working in Something Sinister (Haunted House exit shop) said, “take as many pick n mix as you want”. It just wouldn’t happen at a Merlin park now.
2004 was the start of the slump (some would say 2003, and I understand that, but I liked Duel). Spooktacular was cancelled in the summer, Spinball felt a little out of place and rushed, Rita destroyed Ug Land, and it wasn’t until 2008 with the introduction of Mutiny Bay that something decent was added. I think Th13teen, Smiler, and Wickerman were good investments too, but I’m not sure that any live up to Nemesis nor Oblivion, factoring in everything.
From the outside, it’s hard to apportion credit for specific decisions, but I do feel like – for the first time in 15+ years – Towers was heading in the right direction under Bianca and so I think she was a big loss. Toxicator, improving operations, and little things like making the music available on streaming channels, I think she was very savvy, had a keen eye for the things that improve overall experience, I think she’ll be a big loss.
It was a very well-run theme park, and whilst it had a slight-corporate feel even then, it felt genuinely magical at a brand and processes level. Now, everything is too polished and corporate.
Each new ride was very well thought out (and that’s not saying they got it right 100% of the time, Submission was a poor ride, but brilliantly located, named, and themed). We had a good selection of flat / support rides (including Dynamo, one of my favourites), and there were still some classics from the previous owners* including Black Hole, Corkscrew, The Swans, and the Log Flume, all decent rides with character. They also introduced Terror of the Towers in 2002, again, a new concept that worked really well.
*I think this is a part of the reason why 02/03 was so popular. Tussauds had taken over an independent company and had introduced several coherently themed areas with some first-class ride technology, but this blended with nostalgic classics.
Operationally, 02/03 was good too, although that has its ups and downs over the years. I loved the XRT on Nemesis and Air, and Fastrack / VQ was free for a year or two – brilliant! Nemesis would sometimes dispatch the second train whilst the first was pre-barrel-roll, you’d never see that now. I remember on the last day of the 2002 season, the guy working in Something Sinister (Haunted House exit shop) said, “take as many pick n mix as you want”. It just wouldn’t happen at a Merlin park now.
2004 was the start of the slump (some would say 2003, and I understand that, but I liked Duel). Spooktacular was cancelled in the summer, Spinball felt a little out of place and rushed, Rita destroyed Ug Land, and it wasn’t until 2008 with the introduction of Mutiny Bay that something decent was added. I think Th13teen, Smiler, and Wickerman were good investments too, but I’m not sure that any live up to Nemesis nor Oblivion, factoring in everything.
From the outside, it’s hard to apportion credit for specific decisions, but I do feel like – for the first time in 15+ years – Towers was heading in the right direction under Bianca and so I think she was a big loss. Toxicator, improving operations, and little things like making the music available on streaming channels, I think she was very savvy, had a keen eye for the things that improve overall experience, I think she’ll be a big loss.