2011/2012 was another chilly and rather snowy closed season at the park, to the point that sub-zero temperatures affected its February Half Term opening. The major construction projects included Nemesis Sub-Terra and Ice Age: The 4D Experience, along with the conversion of the Meltdown in X Sector to The Fried Chicken Co. Elsewhere Towers Trading, Splash Landings Hotel and the Waterpark all received new additions and this was to be the Black Hole tent’s final closed season in X-Sector.
A forest load of Christmas Trees arrived on Towers Street ready for the park’s festive celebration. Meanwhile, down by the lake, the Fanta advertising from the 2011 season was looking worse for wear.
Air sat idle over closed season, and here we captured it with the light dusting of snow that it had received. In the theme park, the Towers sat quietly amidst a winter wonderland and, whilst some of the park opened for hotel guests, Katanga Canyon sat deserted.
We started in Cloud Cuckoo Land, where work was now well underway in bringing Ice Age to the Cloud Cuckoo Land Theatre – indeed, this was helped by the snowy weather! As a result of the construction of Ice Age 4D, Twirling Toadstool was unusually closed for February Half Term. Dark Forest, which had been new for 2010, remained closed until March.
In X-Sector, Oblivion had work carried out on its theming and Enterprise had been dismantled. Although still in-situ, the Black Hole tent would soon be departing to make way for SW7. Rehydrator was one of the few food outlets to be closed for February Half Term.
On our way to explore the rest of the theme park, we caught the Towers and Gardens looking very pretty in the snow. The new roof on the Conservatory protected this part of the building from the elements. Elsewhere, staff were breaking up the ice on the main lake. Although Mutiny Bay may have been open for business, the Battle Galleons and The Flume were very much snowed in. Skyride was also closed for the winter. In Katanga Canyon, the Congo River Rapids were looking much icier than usual. However, the fact the reservoir lake had frozen over did help stop the unwary driver of the jeep from being submerged.
As we then made our way over to Forbidden Valley, we caught a gargoyle enjoying an ice lolly. Once there, our first observation was that the Resort had already started advertising Scarefest 2012. We could also see Ripsaw undergoing its standard winter maintenance. At Air, new advertising had been added for the Air DVD which was set to be a new addition for the 2011 season, and we caught a train testing, ready to open for February Half Term.
Before exiting the theme park, we checked out Towers Trading Co’s bright new makeover. On the entrance plaza, there were adverts for the new attractions opening in March. To end this update, we headed to the Splash Landings Hotel, where a new water feature had been added in Flambo’s Exotic Grill. In the Waterpark, a new tipping bucket had been installed.
