All photos by Theme Park Review

The floor at IAAPA 2014 recently closed as this year's offerings were nothing groundbreaking or massively innovative but instead a ton of cool new train designs for coasters and a bit more of a shift in focus away from coasters towards dark rides. Following this year's big announcement by Six Flags that they will be installing a number of dark rides based around the Justice League characters there was a hum around the Sally Corporation booth for the reveal of what the animatronics will look like, so I'll kick off with that stuff.




The star of IAAPA 2014 of what everyone was tweeting about is this Joker animatronic. As a self proclaimed non-fan of superhero stuff I can't say I'm massively excited for these rides but I am a lover of dark rides so I always love when I see big, industry leading chains investing in them. The animatronic is extremely detailed and will provide a much more immersive ride experience than the chain's current offering of Scooby-Doo shooters with their 2D cut-out theming. I do love that they've kept the cartoony/comic book colour palette, but sadly I feel the motion leaves a lot to be desired. Of course we can't expect everything to be up to Disney/Universal standard but considering the astoundingly fluid movements of the recent dwarf animatronics for the Seven Dwarves Mine Train coaster in New Fantasyland one can't help but feel that Sally have done nothing to step up the mark industry-wise. Ignoring the wider perspective, though, these rides are a massive leap forward for Six Flags in the dark ride sector. The ride vehicles are being provided by Oceaneering, of The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman fame, which will hopefully provide a thrilling ride alongside a solid narrative flow. I look forward to riding one of these in 2016!


Next up is kind of a weird one, B&M have decided to dive into the exciting world of family coasters! I can't help but feel that the combination of their distinctive chunky track with a family style layout could prove to be slightly oxymoronic. To me B&M coasters are beasts; the biggest and the baddest. The sound they make has been nicknamed the 'B&M roar' for god's sake, these are not playthings for children. I'd be interested to ride one and see how they compare to say Vekoma or Mack (who in my opinion make the best family coasters) but for now I'll remain sceptical.


What would IAAPA be without the reveal of a few new train designs? First up we have the steampunk inspired chariot intended for Twisted Colossus, the RMC reboot of the beloved duelling woodie Colossus at Six Flags Magic Mountain. RMC love a lavish train design and this one is no exception. The drastic clash of gold and purple is so tacky it's good and the rounded chariot style front allows the coaster to simultaneously retain its noble heritage and move forward stylistically. I love it.


The second big reveal are the trains for the other announcement by Six Flags of the 4D Free Fly Batman coasters. Built by S&S these coasters are a smaller, family version of the bigger 4D coasters such as X at Six Flags Magic Mountain. I like the sleek design of these and the restraints look like they will be comfortable but it's a bit upsetting to see that no artistic license has been taken to make these trains unique. The Batman brand is one that I feel would be easily transferable to themed rollercoaster trains and it is unfortunate that S&S and Six Flags have not grasped this opportunity, especially as elaborate train designs appear to be very much in vogue at the moment!



Merlin exhibited a model of their investment in Orlando. The attraction consists of an eye, a Madame Tussauds and a Sea-Life Centre. In my opinion it won't stand out. Anyone who has been to International Drive will know that the whole road is littered with extravagant facades, big unusual buildings a loud colour schemes. Nothing about this model appears exciting to me. This may of course be down to the fact that I'm sick to death of Merlin but I can't help but find their brand a little bland compared to the big, loud American facades found in Orlando.
Finally, White Water West showcased an innovative move in the world of waterslides with this interactive flume. Guests ride in boats with buttons that react with coloured rings on the inside of the slides. You hit the buttons to rack up a score and a giant scoreboard reveals your points once you plummet into the pool at the end, awesome! This slide also features an app where you can keep track of your score, etc, so it really is a move into the 21st century. I can't help but feel the use of an app in something like a waterpark where one doesn't have their phone to hand is a little bit pointless, but nonetheless it's something totally different and exciting for the world of waterparks.


What did you guys think of the IAAPA 2014 floor? What were your most anticipated announcements and how did they hold up to your expectations? Comment below, I'd love to have a chat!

 I loved Tripsdrill but it definitely lacked the magic I had expected. A lot of it is bare empty fields and in a theme park I prefer to be totally closed in, not being able to see what it going to be coming around the corner next. It seems that they're steadily adding more to the empty fields though with some fabulous theming on the way, so I'll revisit in a few years to see how it has evolved. There's no denying how gorgeous it looks on this lush autumn day though!




We jumped in the car and headed towards a small park just out of the way called Schwaben Park. Overall it was a total dump but was redeemed by having a pair of Nautic Jets, now extinct in the UK. We faffed around on those for a bit before hopping back in the car and driving into Stuttgart for Oktoberfest.

This was my first proper German fair and honestly, it's pretty much exactly the same as Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park in London, with the sole difference of having the 'big' German travelling coasters. We were lucky enough to stumble upon Test Trecke which was a nice little surprise!

Day two we headed to Holiday Park for the legendary coaster Expedition GeForce. I wasn't a massive fan of the park. There was hardly anything there bar the coaster and after a few hours we were ready to leave. Expedition GeForce is a fantastic piece of steel, I would have loved to have tried it at night but I really couldn't stretch to more than a few hours at Holiday Park.





It actually turned out to be a good thing that we left so early as we had a pretty daunting five hour drive north ahead of us. We stopped for an hour at a small park in the forest to nab an alpine coaster before slogging it up towards the Heide Park Resort.








 I had visited Heide Park back in 2009 but it had been an absolutely manic day of running around trying to get all of the creds with very little time to explore. Since then a resort hotel had popped up alongside two new B&Ms I needed to get under my belt. What I found with Heide Park is that it is a park of three thirds. One third is that old school German style I spoke about earlier with the traditional architecture and classic ride types, the second third has an industrial and calculated feel, with all the rides situated very specifically around the lake. It lacks any sense of natural evolvement or discover and is very purpose built. The third and final part is section with that undeniable Merlin touch - a bit less cold and industrial than the second part but still severely lacking that conventional German flavour. Similarly to my opinion of Tripsdrill, I didn't like Heide Park's lack of a sense of adventure. When you walk in you literally see the rides laid out in front of you around the lack. There is nothing to stumble upon or discover and because of this there is very little magic. Of the two new B&Ms at the park Krake, the Dive Machine, really stood out for me (though it can't hold a candle to Oblivion). Flug der Daemonen was lackluster as is the trend with WingCoasters and even with these two new additions Colossos, the Intamin wooden coaster, remains the crown jewel of this park.





I was lucky enough to be treated to a stay at the park's resort hotel. After a less than inspiring stay at Merlin's Alton Towers Hotel in September I was sceptical about what Port Royal would have to offer. I needn't have been. The room was glorious with a stunning pirate theme. There was a wooden bath tub next to the bed and the staff had decorate it for my birthday celebration. Upon arrival a staff member came to our room with champagne and cake. It really was such amazing treatment, especially when held up against the disaster that was the ATH. Furthermore we indulged in a dinner buffet that featured unlimited beer and wine on tap. This would be unheard of in the UK but in Europe there would definitely be an uproar if anything less were offered. Top this off with tasteful entertainment (ahem, X-Factor rejects performing at ATH, THIS is how you entertain a crowd), the Port Royal Hotel was really impressive and made my birthday something really special.

I had a really good time and am really glad I've finally ticked these parks off of my list. Unfortunately this trip lacked the magic of my 2013 birthday trip but I would argue that Phantasialand and Efteling are tough contenders for 'most magical theme park', so I will forgive.

The last of the Halloween events I visited this year was Scarefest at Alton Towers. I adore the Towers as a park in general but at this time of year when the leaves are browning and the sun sets early there truly is a magic about the place. It's fabulous. So this year the scare attractions up for grabs were the usual pay-for attractions set in the Towers themselves: The Sanctuary and Terror of the Towers. Alongside these were two scare zones, the Zombie area near the Dark Forest area of the park and the new for 2014 scare zone Scary Tales situated on the old lot of the Carnival of Screams. All of these plus a few Halloween shows and areas aimed at children combined with the majority of guests in fancy dress meant that Scarefest 2014 was easily the most impressive of those I visited this year. Alton are definitely the masters at finding the balance of terror appropriate for their family audience and know where the hold back and where to go all out - and when they do they really go for it! 

So we arrived at around 2pm and had to park in the dreaded field, knowing the park wouldn't be closing until 9pm meaning that we had around seven hours of time on park. Until sundown we meandered around the park just generally taking in the lush Autumn atmosphere and taking photos of the Scarefest decor. At around 4.45pm we took the smart decision to join the queue for the imminently opening Scary Tales.









New for 2014 and with a theme of fairy tales gone wrong I was really keen to try out this new area. Having replaced the Carnival of Screams I was under the impression that this attraction would be intended for a slightly older more hardened audience. Realistically the warning signs of the maze not being suitable for under 12s could easily have been ignored, Scary Tales is no more harrowing than a Simpsons Treehouse of Horror with slapstick scares and some slightly weird creatures within, but nothing horrendous. The actors all played their parts really well and the scenes flowed smoothly enough. It's a great 'My First Scare Attraction' for sure and I feel like Alton are really aware of Scary Tales' as a right of passage for those wanting to brave something slightly more extreme. Great work on Alton's part, but I can't help but feel a bit of a hole where Carnival used to be.
















More faffing around the park and riding the Alton must-dos until it got dark enough for my end of the season ritual of riding Nemesis in the dark. Fantastic as always. The thing has been on top form this year and running like an absolute beast - as it should!






We had booked our maze times for the last few groups of the day. The Towers do things a little differently in recent years: Terror of the Towers and The Sanctuary are upcharge attractions and to avoid the vile hour+ queues one experiences at Thorpe Park Fright Nights they require you to book a time to enter the attractions. You must do one directly after the other. Whereas at Scare Kingdom where this approach worked flawlessly with little to no queueing, we still ended up waiting about 45 minutes for our turn, which was slightly annoying but still preferable to 100 minutes of whatever people were waiting at Thorpe Park. 


There is a danger that I am well aware of with doing this year in year out that things will get stale, and especially with something like a scare attraction I know I am really at risk of making these things predictable and tiresome. Entering The Sanctuary and seeing the same old TVs playing the same old recorded soundtrack with slightly less posters on the wall that fans of the attraction have no doubt taken as a souvenir, I was worried I would be bored. Happily, I needn't have worried. The first half of the attraction was as up to scratch as ever - loads of actors, scares all in the right places, amazing soundtrack that grows louder and louder until we enter the belly of the beast. The finale of The Sanctuary, as we enter the holding area of the experiments-gone-wrong, is seriously impressive and terrifying, and coming from someone who doesn't scare easily is a huge triumph. Creatures were popping up from all directions in the strobe lit fog and I could not get my bearings for a second. Our group was split for further terrorisation and I stumbled out of the attraction feeling dazed and exhilarated. For an attraction in its third year The Sanctuary still managed to bring the scares hard and fast and the pacing is unrivalled. Excellent.
Because of the terrible throughput and the 45 minute queue, we actually found ourselves in the very last group of the day for TotT, and it was a much smaller group (4) than would usually venture through. This meant that there was nowhere to hide and the creatures went all out of us. What I love about TotT is the atmospheric setting of the Towers themselves. One could literally wander through the Towers alone with that eerie soundtrack and still get spooked. The addition of ghosts and monks and all sorts throughout provide the occasional jump and giggle but the real star definitely lies in the mise-en-scene. I've never really understood the relevance of the 'dancing Voldemorts' finale (I assume they're meant to be some sort of demons that inhabit the Towers?) but that doesn't stop them being freaky as all hell, especially when one of them just lingers slowly behind you until you finally escape. Not as up front disturbing as The Sanctuary but definitely spooky and creepy and a great Halloween tribute to the Towers' own actual history. It's definitely become a classic and I hope it makes an appearance at Scarefest for years to come.

We were some of the last people left in the park and enjoyed an atmospheric walk through the Towers at night before heading out of the park and hitting the road. I'm hoping to get back to Alton Towers for their infamous fireworks this weekend, but if I don't this trip was definitely a great end to my visits for 2014.