Tir Prince & Knightly's (Towyn), 3rd April

[Ian]

On Sunday, me and Nic were supposed to go to Blackpool to check out the new Nickelodeon Land. We decided against it, so we looked on RCDB for parks that we’ve never visited and found the two in Towyn, North Wales.

Our first stop was Tir Prince. The Welsh flag was proudly flying.

The rides didn’t open until 11am, so we killed time looking around the market and car boot. Didn’t buy anything.

Like most seaside parks, you have to buy tokens for the rides. We were only interested in the coasters as the others were spin & spews. They did have a go-kart track with bizarre theming – a plastic looking sabre tooth tiger. Ok then!

The two coasters are three tokens each (50p per token, so we bought six each.

Shamelessly, we did the Apple coaster first. I was impressed with the mouldy apple. I’m not sure if it’s deliberately coloured like that, but seeing as it’s being eaten by a caterpillar, it should be mouldy. It’s also the only apple on an apple coaster I’ve seen to have a canvas shell instead of the usual plastic. How fascinating.

Apple coasters are made by Pinfari.

We successfully managed to clear the height limit.

Nic was proper excited about riding.

I took front seat. I did consider filming a POV, but decided against it.

The caterpillar has recently had brain surgery.

And we’re off!

Here’s the drop, the trim brakes weren’t working, so we made our own “pss-tfff” noise instead. Yes, we actually did.

This is the highest point of the ride. I didn’t find the bumpy part of the track very bumpy.

Out of the ****ing apple coasters that I’ve been on, I found this one was the fastest. It seemed to whizz through the first corner on the second and third laps. Anyway, that’s enough about the Apple coaster.

Our second ride at the park was on Z40.

Again, we were tall enough to ride. I quite liked the WTF expression the silhouette has.

The ride is called Z40 because that’s the model type – a Pinfari Zyklon Z40. Tir Price haven’t used their imagination when it comes to naming the rides.

The “Giant Fun Fair” sign is a LIE! It’s not “giant” at all. That’s like saying that The Big One at Pleasure Beach Blackpool is the tallest and fastest coaster in Europe!

We were unsure if the ride was open, but the chap on the nearby kiddie ride was operating it and he opened it for us, complete with a cigarette in his mouth at all times. He was really friendly, he even allowed me to enter the restricted area to take a photo of the car.

I sat in the front, Nic sat in the back so there were two empty seats. The restraints for the empty seats were left in the up position for the duration of the ride! It’s an ok coaster, nothing special. There was a slight amount of vibrating-bottomness, but nothing worth texting mother about. The train had to be pushed back to the station. I blame our fat arses.

Here are few general photos from the park.

With our coaster count bolstered by two, we drove to the seafront where we visted…

Don’t forget to like them on Facebook!

Towyn is a small town. It is a tourist destination; there are several caravan parks. We parked up and walked towards the seafront.

See what they did there?

There were signs everywhere ordering people not to drink in the street. I’m guessing that they used to suffer from the dregs of society spoiling people’s day out, so they’re making an effort to make it more desirable for families.

There’s some themeing in a front garden…

…and a crazy golf in a back garden.

I was impressed to see that they had won the Wales in Bloom Award several years on the trot! However, I couldn’t see a 2010 Award.

It started to rain! Who would have expected it to rain in Wales?

We took shelter in the arcades. Nic LOVES 2p machines. Here’s a photo of a horse’s arse and an obvious punchline.

The parking on the car was running out so we braved the weather, crossed the railway line and got our first view of the park.

Again, draconian measures are in place to make sure it’s a pleasant environment for all.

There is only one coaster at Knightly’s so went to the Token Portacabin and bought six in total. (Excuse the raindrop.)

I got confused whilst purchasing the tokens, but the chap serving was honest and told me I paid too much. Everybody we had spoken to at both parks were really friendly.

The coaster here is also unimaginatively named. It’s not really a name, it’s a description. Boys and girls, here’s The Twin Spiral Dragon Roller Coaster!

Ahh, geek information. <3

We waited for an attendant to let us on. I wonder if a dragon coaster is a subtle Welsh pride thing?

The attendant who arrived was brilliant. The seats were wet so he nipped off for a towel to dry it for us. He was extremely polite and helpful. I’ve visited about 80 parks and have experienced many levels of friendless. The staff at Knightley’s and Tir Prince are the most naturally friendly and least-robotic that I have ever encountered. Seriously. A lot of the big chain parks could learn from this. It’s all very well being processed efficiently, but a smile coupled with genuine friendliness and kindness go a long way in my book.

Back to the ride! One of the twin spirals…

Onride…

“Plateform”

Broken plates!

It’s a powered coaster so it was never going to be naturally thrilling, but the rigidness offered a high dose of vibrating-bottomness. It’s not thrilling but it’s what I expected from a small seaside coaster.

A few generic photos thrown in for your viewing pleasure…

No! Thank you!

There are only a few seaside parks in the UK which offer high end thrills – Blackpool, Pleasure Island, Great Yarmouth – and the rest are the typical candy floss, spin & spew fairgrounds. Tir Prince and Knightly’s fall in the latter category. This trip was very much a “box ticking” visit more than a “day out” and I don’t think that I’ll be making a return visit in the near future. I didn’t dislike them, they just didn’t offer much else other than being a supplement to the town and beach. Still, that’s another three coasters added to my count. If we had more time, we may have visited Greenwood.

That’s it for this trip report of the Towyn parks. Thanks for reading and...

 

[Martyn]

Did Snoo write that sign? ;-)

 

[furie]

You ****!

I'd just ditched the Tir Prince park guide on New CF due to "lack of recent photos". now ~I'll have to put it back in again! :lol:

On Sunday, me and Nic were supposed to go to Blackpool to check out the new Nickelodeon Land. We decided against it

Any particular reason? You're too geeky for them?

We successfully managed to clear the height limit.

Love the Lazy Town silhouettes.

Are you Sportacus Ian (No, I'M SPORTACUS )?

Though that would make Nic Stephanie:

Or perhaps Robbie Rotten...

Our second ride at the park was on Z40.

Didn't it used to be called something else? The same name as the same model down the road in Rhyl?

Again, we were tall enough to ride. I quite liked the WTF expression the silhouette has.

Yeah, that's really not Nic, so she must be Robbie Rotten...

There were signs everywhere ordering people not to drink in the street. I’m guessing that they used to suffer from the dregs of society spoiling people’s day out, so they’re making an effort to make it more desirable for families.

They've obviously started to migrate from Rhyl...

There’s some themeing in a front garden…

…and a crazy golf in a back garden.

That always makes me smile up and down the coast along there, it's so tacky, it's fab.

The parking on the car was running out so we braved the weather, crossed the railway line and got our first view of the park.

Notsointerestingfact...

When I was young, we used to holiday in Towyn each year (for about four years anyway). I think this was the first kind of travelling fair I ever went on. Though most days we weren't allowed, but one day my dad gave up and let me go on the Octopuss (spin and spew).

The highlights of those holidays though was a walk down the beach to Rhyl for the "real fair".

I have actually spent roughly 2.5436% too much of my life along that stretch of the Welsh coast from Prestatyn to Towyn

There are only a few seaside parks in the UK which offer high end thrills – Blackpool, Pleasure Island, Great Yarmouth – and the rest are the typical candy floss, spin & spew fairgrounds. Tir Prince and Knightly’s fall in the latter category. This trip was very much a “box ticking” visit more than a “day out” and I don’t think that I’ll be making a return visit in the near future. I didn’t dislike them, they just didn’t offer much else other than being a supplement to the town and beach. Still, that’s another three coasters added to my count. If we had more time, we may have visited Greenwood.

Personally, I'd have skipped Towyn and just done Greenwood, as it's a superb place, but not in the rain...

Also, why did you miss the Nessie coaster in Rhyl? Or have you both already got it? They're not so friendly in Rhyl though and tend to swear at you.

Great report though Ian, good to read and some cracking photos I'm now going to have to put onto new CF. Bollocks

 

[Ian]

On Sunday, me and Nic were supposed to go to Blackpool to check out the new Nickelodeon Land. We decided against it

Any particular reason? You're too geeky for them?

Couldn't see the point. Our original plans were to take photos of Nick Land and film a few off-ride videos, but we couldn't be arsed. As we were in the area, we searched for new creds!

Also, why did you miss the Nessie coaster in Rhyl? Or have you both already got it? They're not so friendly in Rhyl though and tend to swear at you.

It wasn't on RCDB and we were pushed for time to double check.

 

[nadroJ]

Hehe, I have these credits, what a vile, awful place <3 I loved it!

 

[Will]

Hahaha, I just tried to go on the site for the first park to find out why I'd never heard of it, only to be confronted by all kinds of web security errors.

Then again, if I was my computer, I'd have a healthy distrust of anything calling itself 'William's amusements' as well.

 

[Martyn B]

Huh, 1.2m for a Big Apple coaster? And 1.35m for the Zyklon thing? :shock:

 

[Jake]

I still need that CRED at Knightly's </3.

 

[Ben]

^I've got it but we should go there and Greenwood in a day <3<3<3<3

These places are amazing. We got some goldfish from Tir Prince. They lasted about two days. Now they're dead <3

 

[Gavin]

I'd just ditched the Tir Prince park guide on New CF due to "lack of recent photos". now ~I'll have to put it back in again!

You've hurt my feelings.

http://www.coasterforce.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=28199

 

[Nic]

Bollocks! See Ian, I told you Gavin had been on a cred in Rhyl! Damn you RCDB!

 

[Jake]

^ Yeah, I went in 2007 (just before the main park in Rhyl closed). I think it was 07, cus it was the year the whole country flooded and we wern't sure if we'd be able to get there by train. RCDB said the other cred had gone too, so we didn't go over to the pier. THEN like, a month later, RCDB put it back up.

So I went again in 2008, and also went back to Tir Prince because the Big Apple was new, but Knightly's hadn't been posted on RCDB at this point (even though the cred was there), so I didn't know of its existance. Once AGAIN RCDB spited me </3).

Oh well Vadge, it's a good reason to go back to that GORGEOUS place.

 

[Gavin]

It wasn't up on RCDB when I went last year, but I had to get off the train relativalely close to there anyway, so thought I'd have a quick look. I'm pretty sure I e-mailed and had it put back on rcdb for last year though, so it must be gone again since then.

I honestly think the more likely explanation is that it just gets put into storage in the off season, and some twat just keeps reporting it as "removed" every year.

Anyway, that's what you get for not calling or messaging me when you're 40 miles from my house and I'm at home all day with not much on. That''ll learn ya!

 

[Nic]

No, that teaches you for making me think you were going to be in Manchester all weekend!

 

[furie]

I'd just ditched the Tir Prince park guide on New CF due to "lack of recent photos". now ~I'll have to put it back in again!

You've hurt my feelings.

http://www.coasterforce.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=28199

Oh Ollie :roll: :wink:

Erm, yeah, it would appear I somehow managed to blank that completely from my mind...

 

[Emmett]

Haha, nice report Ian, I miss Towyn even though its a bit dodgy :--D .

Looks like they have done up the train on the Tir Prince roller coaster, it was in bits when we did the park a couple of years ago.

Greenwood is really worth the journey, the human powered roller coaster is quiky and the slides are good fun. Bit of a pain to get too but worth it on a good day.

 

[Thekingin64]

I will maybe be going here on 7-8th May and weirdly, I'm looking forward to it.

 

[Nic]

Re-calibrate your expectations. There's creds. That's it.