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Which Merlin park has improved the most?

Which UK Merlin park has improved the most since the acquisitions?

  • Alton Towers

    Votes: 3 5.8%

  • Chessington

    Votes: 4 7.7%

  • Legoland

    Votes: 5 9.6%

  • Thorpe Park

    Votes: 24 46.2%

  • None of them have improved

    Votes: 16 30.8%
  • Total voters
    52
Newer attractions aside, Thorpe Park has improved the most, and a lot more in the last 2 or so seasons. Improved operations, service, food (better than other Merlin parks at least, it's not European park standard), and refurbished facilities. It's still not perfect and it has a long way to go before it can really shine. Chunks of the park still look outdated/neglected. Colossus is still run abysmally thanks in part to the awful trains it still has. Saw is just...vile. Clientele can be anti-social and abusive. They need to be separated from Merlin, so they can truly shine with a longer coaster and gaps filled in their family market.
 
The thing that has been enlightening to me is how much higher the standard seems to be in much of Europe.

I’m sure that wasn’t the case in the 90s and I’m not putting the blame solely on Merlin but as the dominant monopoly in the UK it’s hard not to point a finger.

It’s not like the UK economy has been particularly poor the past 20 years compared to Europe so why have they seen arguably much more improvement?
 
Benzin said:
Storm Surge is terrible though. ...
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Now you see, every opinion is sacred and all that, but cobblers!

Last old gites trip down south, 50% of us thought the ride was the highlight of the day.
More entertaining than Hyperia.
For fun and giggles with a bunch of mates, I can still chuckle at the thought a year later.
Wet feet and all.
No queue either.

And fully back on topic, Thorpe, by miles, even with some dodgy investment in the Ghost Train.
 
Out of those, it’s Thorpe by far. The difference from 2024 onwards (outside of the Thorpe Business Park logo which I will continue to mock) is astonishing - clean, well kept, well invested in, edible food options.
 
How I view it...

I've only just been to Legoland, so didn't see it "before". However, Merlin was responsible for adding at least three fantastic rides - Deep Sea Adventure, Flight of the Sky Lion and Minifigure Speedway. Combine that with all the other dark rides they added, as well as quite thrilling flats such as Jolly Rocker, and I'd say they subtly gave it a "family thrill" dimension (rather than just "family"), which was actually the winning formula for Chessington at its peak. The rides added by Merlin directly increased the park's appeal, and attendance has gone up and up.

Chessington itself has fallen a long way since the 1990s, but it had already done that under Tussauds. I'd say Merlin has taken steps to make the park a bit more family friendly, especially with their choice of IP. Sure, the park has gone a long time without the attention it deserved, but the fact they're building two coasters and two new themed areas at once shows that they're trying to put it right now (plus probably a Dragon River replacement). They're not there yet, but they're on the right track.

Alton Towers deserves credit for Wicker Man, but a lot of the recent budget has been tied up with refurbishing Nemesis and the Sky Ride. Of all four parks, I'd say this is the one that isn't improving its themes - I personally find the somewhat sinister Phalanx theme a step back from the more monstrous theme Forbidden Valley used to have. And it's strange they don't have any really good family dark rides. Is Project Horizon happening, and would that have been the best use of the space anyway? I like the park, but have no idea of the direction in which it's going.

Thorpe Park is the one I've always liked, but not loved. Merlin deserves credit for Swarm, but I didn't really "get" Saw, Ghost Train, Black Mirror or Walking Dead. They are taking steps to have some lighter themes, which is good, and the park is objectively improving. I'm sure they have another big ride planned, and the park will get bigger and better as it reclaims more of the land. Still not my kind of park, but I can see the progress.
 
Personally, even with their current problems, I prefer a day at Alton Towers to Thorpe Park, Thorpe has my two favourite UK coasters (Hyperia and The Swarm) however Towers still just about offers a better all round day for what I want from a theme park.

However I’m aware this topic isn’t a ‘which is your favourite’ but a ‘which is most improved’, and it’d be hard to argue that Thorpe hasn’t improved more than Towers. Pretty much all of Tower’s recent major investment has been replace/repair/refurbish, which is a complete necessity but a problem of their own making that they’re having to solve.

It’s been years since I’ve visited either Chessington or Lego so have refrained from commenting and comparing them, with Chessington in a massive transitional period for the next year or two all eyes will be on them, and Legoland seems to just plod along solidly and consistently.
 
Mick said:
Personally, even with their current problems, I prefer a day at Alton Towers to Thorpe Park, Thorpe has my two favourite UK coasters (Hyperia and The Swarm) however Towers still just about offers a better all round day for what I want from a theme park.

However I’m aware this topic isn’t a ‘which is your favourite’ but a ‘which is most improved’, and it’d be hard to argue that Thorpe hasn’t improved more than Towers. Pretty much all of Tower’s recent major investment has been replace/repair/refurbish, which is a complete necessity but a problem of their own making that they’re having to solve.

It’s been years since I’ve visited either Chessington or Lego so have refrained from commenting and comparing them, with Chessington in a massive transitional period for the next year or two all eyes will be on them, and Legoland seems to just plod along solidly and consistently.
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Towers hasn't gotten worse but Thorpe Park has caught up with Towers thats the difference
 
Are Thorpe's rides that much improved since Merlin took over?

Most things added in the last decade don't even exist anymore. 2 coasters since 2012 (both of which have flaws and mixed views) and Saw. Couple of spare flat rides (the only brand new one being the Dodgems!) and the infamous white elephant in Ghost Train.

Still added more than Towers in fairness.
 
Benzin said:
Still added more than Towers in fairness.
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If you put them in a list this statement is untrue

Alton Towers Rides Under Merlin
Battle Galleons
Heave Ho
Th13teen
Nemesis Sub Terra
The Smiler
Postman Pat Parcel Post
Octonauts Rollercoaster Adventure
Go Jetter Vroomster Zoom Ride
Wickerman
Alton Towers Dungeons
Mixtape
Funk n Fly
Roller Disco
Spinjam
Twistotron
Curse at Alton Manor
Nemesis Reborn
Toxicator
Bluey Coaster

Thorpe Park
Saw the Ride
Saw Alive
Storm Surge
The Swarm
I'm Celebrity Get Me Out of Here
King Pig Wild Dogems
Derren Brown's Ghost Train
Derren Brown's Ghost Train Rise of the Demon
The Walking Dead the Ride
Timbee Tug Boat
Black Mirror Labyrinth
High Striker
Hyperia

Difference in amount of rides added under Merlin
 
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Hid said:
If you put them in a list this statement is untrue

Alton Towers Rides Under Merlin
Battle Galleons
Heave Ho
Th13teen
Nemesis Sub Terra
The Smiler
Postman Pat Parcel Post
Octonauts Rollercoaster Adventure
Go Jetter Vroomster Zoom Ride
Wickerman
Alton Towers Dungeons
Mixtape
Funk n Fly
Roller Disco
Spinjam
Twistotron
Curse at Alton Manor
Nemesis Reborn
Toxicator
Bluey Coaster

Thorpe Park
Saw the Ride
Storm Surge
The Swarm
King Pig Wild Dogems
Derren Brown's Ghost Train
Hyperia

Difference in amount of rides added under Merlin
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You've included attractions which have closed, are no longer there, have been rethemed, or haven't opened yet at Alton Towers. You haven't for Thorpe Park.

Off of the top of my head you're missing:
  • The Saw Alive: The Maze
  • The Walking Dead: The Ride
  • The I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here: The Maze
  • The Derren Brown's Ghost Train: The Rise of the Demon
  • The Ghost Train: The Ride
  • The Black Mirror: Labyrinth
  • The Slammer
  • The Flying Fish
  • The High Striker
 
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GooseOnTheLoose said:
You've included attractions which have closed, are no longer there, have been rethemed, or haven't opened yet at Alton Towers. You haven't for Thorpe Park.

Off of the top of my head you're missing:
  • Saw Alive
  • The Walking Dead: The Ride
  • I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here: The Maze
  • Derren Brown's Ghost Train: Rise of the Demon
  • Ghost Train
  • Black Mirror: Labyrinth
  • The Slammer
  • Flying Fish
  • High Striker
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Okay so I did miss a few, Slammer was added on 2004 before Merlin and Flying Fish already existed which I have included no relocated rides
 
Benzin said:
Worst thing you've posted.
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It's hard to keep track of which attractions have an article, semi colon, sponsorship or suffix at The Thorpe Park.

Better?
GooseOnTheLoose said:
Off of the top of my head you're missing:
  • The Saw Alive: The Maze
  • The Walking Dead: The Ride
  • The I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here: The Maze
  • The Derren Brown's Ghost Train: The Rise of the Demon
  • The Ghost Train: The Ride
  • The Black Mirror: Labyrinth
  • The Slammer
  • The Flying Fish
  • The High Striker
Click to expand...
 
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