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coastergraham · Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 5:14 pm Post subject: Oakwood - 14/6/09

After the humilating defeat of Wigan RL at Bridgend last night we went to Oakwood today in the hope of salvaging the weekend. So did we manage to do so?

For the most part yes but in some ways no as you will read below.

The park was open 10-5 and we did all but the last hour as by then we had run our of things to do in all honesty.

The most worrying thing about the day was the people in the park or should I say the severe lack of them. For a nice Sunday in the middle of June the amount of people in the park was pitiful. There were only two coaches in all day and the car park was only around one third full. I estimate around 600-700 people were in the park the whole day.

If we had wanted to we could have got a pretty large ride count today but we went with a more chilled approach, I know for me that is an alien concept!! Laughing

RIDE COUNT

Speed - 10
Megafobia - 11
The Bounce - 2
Bobsleigh - 3
Pirate ship - 1
Tree tops rollercoaster -1

TOTAL RIDES = 28

RIDE REVIEW

Speed - We did speed 6 times this morning in the opening half hour without getting off and only seeing 4 other people the whole time. At first it started off at a leisurely pace then soon became its usual shoulder wrecking self. The park was that quiet that they took one train off leaving just one on track and there was still only a 5 minute wait. 7/10

Megafobia - What on earth has happened to this once great ride. When I went on it in the first few years it opened it was outstanding. It had speed, airtime and a general feeling of being a wild ride. Thankfully the painfull jolt of the first drop of two years ago when we last went to Oakwood has gone, now it is just a bit bumpy towards the back of the train. As for the ride it feels like it has lost its speed and what made it great fun. Now the corners only serve to take speed out of the train rather than be a part of the ride that added the wow factor. Years ago this was a solid 9/10 world class ride for me, but now it is not at all. 6/10 before 3pm, 6.5/10 after 3pm when the ride woke up a touch.

The Bounce - I dont normally review non coaster rides but this needs mentioning. Oakwood do something to this ride as it is embarrasing now. It has no airtime at the top and zero bounce. The polo tower at Morecambe was more fun and more thrilling!! 1/10

HIGHLIGHTS

- Very good ride count
- Nice relaxed day.

LOWLIGHTS

- So few people in the park.
- Megafobia and The Bounce as you will have read. Seeing Megafobia like it is now is very, very sad as it was a ride I rated very high once.
- Once the cleanest park in the UK by a mile has now become like most others. Dirty toilets and rubbish on paths and in ride queues. I know that for the most part the GP are to blame, but the park can do so much more imo as they used to do.
- Expensive bland food, £3.80 for a baked spud with tasteless watery beans and cheese. But for the beans it would actually have been quite nice.

So overall a day that was good and not so good. Things have changed at Oakwood and not for the better in most ways. The staff for the most part were pleasant and efficent, but again years ago there were super friendly.

What Oakwood and its relatively new owners (Aspro) can do to turn things around I am not that sure. However the park is crying out for a new ride and just going back to the ways that made the park som prominent in the late 90's. Oh yes and please, please get Megafobia back to what it can be, a world beater.
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sueysue · Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 8:35 pm Post subject:

It's a shame that Oakwood is not looking so good at the moment.

One instantly noticeable thing is that the gardens have not been cultivated this year. A few shrubs were flowering but there do not seem to be any summer bedding plants. Anyone who has been to an American park can spot the difference!

I still love the rides though and the staff are really nice so I'll go again and again and again......

Sue
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