Does anyone out there actually like the ride? Cos all I've really heard is pure bitching about it, i mean i know its not the best dark ride out there, but i do quite love it, with the extra themeing its much better...

I know its nothing on Toyland Tours but its still got that something about it,

Am i the only one?

xxx :)

I like the smell of chocolate and the elevators but I find the rest rubish :D

The lift is kinda cool-ish, with stuff going on all round, but the rest of the ride is far from good - tunnel of strobe lights and mirrors, and just generally not enough theming to keep even a child amused. There should be something everywhere, so much you can't take it all in on one go. So much you don't have to stare for ages at one animatronic, as is the case with pretty much every scene.

It's just abit bland really. The massive areas of blackness are just, well, really dull!
If you go on a Disney attraction, absolutely everywhere you look, there is something happening and there's never an unthemed section.

I don't think Merlin Studios get the idea that people's heads aren't fixed facing straight ahead. Although, in the case of CATCF, you still see blank bits.

I would love to see an amazing Animatronic in Charlie, but I fear it wouldn't be looked after by the Ride Operations people years later...

Iv never been on it as i heard it wasnt very good and as i live quite a long way for alton towers i tend to go on the other better rides. I do plan on riding it the next time i visit

I used to repeatidly go on Toyland Tours as a kid, but since those days I've not even stepped into Cred Street - so not been on the ride. Not sure I'd enjoy it anyway given my age and the fact I'm not a Rohl Dahl fan.

Jase, your avatar and signature are superb!

I love the music :)

The problem I have with the ride is it kinda gives you only one focal point in the particular scenes, rather than mutliple ones, which make it a different ride everytime, and more of a sense of adventure.
It also feels very small inside, which doesn't give you the feeling of grandur one should in a chocolate factory.

I used to ride Toyland Tours every visit, I hardly ever bother with CATCF.

It's just well... not very magical.
Where's the magic?
They took it out with Toyland Tours, a true magical ride.


Love(d) it. :D

The lift part is fantastic, the boat part it very disapointing. And sadly, the boat part gets worse and worse each time I go on, and the Lift is starting to look dirty.

Sometimes, the music is out of sync, sometimes, the action parts you are suppose to watch, the waterfall was not working last time I went on.

It just feels like it does not get much love, and is not well looked after.

The intro video is good as well.

And whats the room before the lift all about, you just walk straight through it.

Anyway, When me and Lisa visit, I drag her on it at least once.

Ian

You'll love...

-The music
-The Lifts
-The nicely styled rooms and station
-Onride commentary!

You'll hate...

-The "Nut room"/"Mirror Maze". BLACK ROOM.
-Dull static scenes. LOTS of dull static scenes. (Inventing room, Juicing Room, Nut room/Mirror maze, Strobe tunnel) The entire boat ride really.
-The T.V room...
-The lift is really just a shaky platform if anything.

"Jase" wrote:

It's just abit bland really. The massive areas of blackness are just, well, really dull!

it's not a terrible ride by any stretch, but it's a heck of a missed opportunity - I like the mirrors bit, and the lift -= alrthough the boat section seriously lacks any action.

I don't think Merlin Studios get the idea that people's heads aren't fixed facing straight ahead. Although, in the case of CATCF, you still see blank bits.

wasn'tr it put in under tussauds/dic?

Yea you're right, just Merlin Studios is the new name for Tussauds Studios :P

I agree with what you're saying though, I don't hate the ride by any means, but it just lacks doesn't it?

[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOtxv2QVNa0" target="_blank]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOtxv2QVNa0[/url]

I can't watch this and not think about how much better than CATCF it was.

Such a great ride.

I don't like catcf that much really.
TLT was much better as it was created by the fantastic tussaurds studios. The ride was truly original and creative idea with no ride like it anywhere else. When in 2004 they closed it and reopened AT decided to use a story someone else thought up which any park in the world could have done. I thought if they would change TLT tussaurds studio's could have at least made the story line up them selfs. It would have been much cheaper as most the money used to change it to catcf was spent on getting the writes to the storyline and the illustrations.
On to the ride catcf itself. The scenery is very boring and not that spectacular. There really isn't much mood created as there isn't a catchy but annoying theme. The excitement isn't really there like it did with TLT.
In my opinion TLT was more sucessful than catcf.

The boat ride is dire, the lifts are passable. Overall, knock it down and start again, Towers.

:)

i like the soundtrack. and the boat commontary... theres to much emptyness in there for me though. and the later additions sort of ruin what was there originaly i think.

For example in the mirror maze the squirrels that were addeds (while looking good) totaly divert your attention from the video on the back wall showing the dimise of Varuca. so totaly missing the point of the room...

i think Charlies always going to be remembered by enthusiasts as the ride that was horificialy over hyped, and was always going ot be a let down, i had a feeling it woudl be from th emoment i saw the planning application say "2D painted facard" on what looked like on the elevations a really well themed 3D front elevation.

unfortunatly i think no amount of botching together improovemenst will ever remove the stigma this ride has.

I agree that there is way to many empty spots, but TT had ran its course. Kids now prefer characters they know. The problem is, it was built off a hype of a book with appears to be dying down.