Thomas C

Here it is, my team's themed area proposal we created for our NextGen Showcase course! I have learned so many invaluable things during the design process, and I'm super happy with the result we all pulled together. Come visit the camp and become a GEO explorer today! ⛺⛰️

@TheCOMPOUND_Guy I definitely need to go back at some point, but I do wonder how the mostly low capacity attractions there handle busy family crowds

@ThomasC_Designs I think paultons is honestly, it is definitely close between the two, but paultons always seems to run smoothly every time I visit

Anyway Thorpe Park is still the best operated park in the UK imo, it may only be for thrillseekers but it knows and owns it well. Happy 20th Stealth 💙🩵🤍❤️

@AndrewBrazier1 To play devil's advocate, all offers in T&C's are subject to change. I think the cutback is actually a positive change for the other 90% of guests and attractions staff, but I just wish it didn't exist at all because it's making even shorter queues extremely hard to manage well

@ThomasC_Designs I think the main grip is that terms & conditions have been changed resulting in reduced benefits AFTER guests have already shelled out for the top Platinum tier 2026 annual pass.

I'm glad that Merlin looked at how slow the regular queues at Universal Studios move after annual pass holders get free fasttrack and decided yes this is what will improve the guest experience

Sorry I've made two bitter posts in a row but it does just feel like regular paying customers are being left behind, and that's a slippery slope to go down as a park operator

Giving an area of the park with quite low capacity another queue to split seats with is certainly a choice... Especially when the main queues already move slowly. Young kids don't like standing still for ages you know

@yonel6969 @SanctuaryNurse They operate properties in Icon Park, and 2 parks (Legoland Florida and Peppa Pig Theme Park) in Florida

@ThomasC_Designs @SanctuaryNurse Ive not seen much of merlin in florida. Are the parks good over there? Are they well maintained, good ops etc

How 'thoosies' sleep at night knowing they've mentioned Universal will close every Merlin owned park and destroy Merlin as a whole for the 50th time that day (No i'm not glazing Merlin to clarify because there's always that one in the comments.)

@SanctuaryNurse Also similar to your non glazing disclosure, im not agreeing with decisions any mentioned companies have made in recent times but the fact they still prosper in a tourist hotspot with competition nearby should be noticed

@SanctuaryNurse If UK enthusiasts think that Universal GB will "close" merlin properties, then why does Fun Spot, United Parks & Entertainment and Merlin themselves still have a strong presence in Florida?

Missed you 🖤❤️

Thanks to @IntaAccelerator for helping with the Hydraulic Hoses

Godspeed to the Engineers at Intamin, Hagenbuch Hydraulics, Kissling (and more) for somehow figuring this contraption out in the early 2000's. Home stretch now, only a few components before im calling it completed

This roller coaster still accelerates you from 0 to 80mph in 1.8 seconds the old fashioned way (Work in Progress)

🚨 New video! 🚨 Theme parks are great, but they're just not the same anymore The joyful theme park experience of yesterday is a far cry from what we get today And that demise all started with just a single idea - Disney's FastPass Watch now 👇 youtu.be/PqH7PPC_J1c

Happy new years eve! I recently went to Efteling for the first time to round out the year, Danse Macabre is just absolute theatre and I love it so much. Also whilst not an earth shattering coaster, Baron 1898 is probably up there as one of the most well designed attractions ever

Merlin CEO This is quite the strange way to justify bad performance. Concert attendance is up 50% 2024 compared to 2019. Sports attendance… also up. People aren’t staying home, they just aren’t going to your attractions. blooloop.com/merlin-competi…

@tayspru While I do agree that those definitely added to it a lot, I think most people, theme park fan or not, can tell when something is generally messy/unfinished

@ThomasC_Designs The GP would have had no idea what state Hyperia opened in… I think unfortunately the poor ops and spending a lot of the year closed impacted the visitor numbers

I still can't believe the infrastructure for a brand new attraction looked like this month's after opening. I do wonder if people were putting off going to visit due to people waiting for things to look more finished...

It's obviously better now (i.e. the bare minimum) but first impressions matter a lot when it's what you are banking on for yearly figures

An open letter to AI enthusiasts: Symbols are how we interact with the world, but they cannot fully capture the thing they are describing. You can find beauty in symbols, but you, as a human, must remember the value of what exists beyond them. It is possible to love both.