Thorpe Park Discussion Thread

[Juggler]

Decent theming!!!! PAH! Tussauds haven't got a clue about theming when it comes to rides. Air's still got a concrete block tunnel out of the station that's been crying out for some fancy effects since it was put in. The only bits they make an effort on are the immediate areas around the rides and the rest be damned.

 

They ought to start taking lessons from Parc Asterix and Phantasialand. Heaven forbid we get a company running a theme park over here that actually pays attention to the fine details!

[Divv3k]

Decent theming!!!! PAH! Tussauds haven't got a clue about theming when it comes to rides. Air's still got a concrete block tunnel out of the station that's been crying out for some fancy effects since it was put in. The only bits they make an effort on are the immediate areas around the rides and the rest be damned.

 

They ought to start taking lessons from Parc Asterix and Phantasialand. Heaven forbid we get a company running a theme park over here that actually pays attention to the fine details!

 

I wouldn't be too hard on them about the theming seeing as the old Tussauds regime who brought us the likes of Air is now gone and has been replaced by Merlin. The Tussauds name has pretty much been removed from all the places it used to be embossed in relation to the parks.

 

The ride looks interesting. I'm glad it looks like Thorpe is having a go at theming something. Plus with a height restriction lower than the other big thrill rides this should to appeal to a broader audience.

[Carnage]

Am I missing something here? Or shouldn't this be the parks 5th coaster?

 

Or is X:\no way out being removed?

[Guy T. Koepp]

Has anybody seen a full layout of this ride yet? I'm curious how the rest will look.

[Yankee cannonball]

^^Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't X:\No Way Out more of a dark ride?

[Carnage]

^ Sure seemed like an inside coaster to me.

 

Though if the park considers it a dark ride, then that would explain the marketing of the 2009 coaster.

[ETapley0687]

This sounds like it might have good intentions but I hope it doesn't end up being something similar to Mystery Mine... very curious to see how this turns out to be.

[Archie_1990]

Well, an alternate design would be to have a 90 degree twist to the left or right to add variation to the redundancy. I've never riden one of these before.

[CoasterWarriors]

Wonder who going to take over this mine! The crows already took over Mystery Mine... wonder what will take over that mine.... Rodents? That would be Elissa Friendly ride... if it come to be true.

[coasterking2981]

doesn't look too bad, but yeah, a 100ft beyond vertical drop is not very impressive at all.

 

i would be more impressive if it was at the least a 150ft tall beyond vertical drop.

[Zen Coaster]

Looks okay but want to see TP bring out a really innovative ride.

 

Guess it'll be one of the credits awaiting me in 2009 though if there's another UK trip.

[Woogle]

Looks like I have to start saving to take the 10 hour flight to the UK to ride this one. Never been on this kind of ride before.

[Purplepills]

Has anybody seen a full layout of this ride yet? I'm curious how the rest will look.

 

There is a NoLimits video here created by a fan at Thorpe Park Mania, this has been created from the plans submitted to the council, a full list can be found here. Note that in the NoLimits simulation the first section prior to the lift is going to be indoors, and I would assume pretty dark.

 

 

doesn't look too bad, but yeah, a 100ft beyond vertical drop is not very impressive at all.

 

i would be more impressive if it was at the least a 150ft tall beyond vertical drop.

 

Yeah it would be more impressive, but unfortunately UK planning laws are unlikely to allow anything of that size at Thorpe due to the high visibility for local residents. I believe they got permission for Stealth (205ft) as a one off.

 

 

 

Am I missing something here? Or shouldn't this be the parks 5th coaster?

 

Or is X:\no way out being removed?

 

It's the parks 6th coaster. In 2007 they relocated the Flying Fish, a Mack powered coaster which had been removed to make way for Stealth. It all depends on what you want to count. I guess what they mean is its the parks 4th Major coaster, with the other 2 being more family, less thrills.

[Bucket]

Has anybody seen a full layout of this ride yet? I'm curious how the rest will look.

 

http://www.thorpeparkguide.com/2009/

 

^has some pictures of the layout/theming/signage... looks pretty cool!

 

I went to Thorpe Park once before Nemesis: Inferno opened, and I thought it was a great little park. With the addition of everything they have added since, I am excited to go back in '09 and see how great the park has evolved!

[blackcurrent]

Oh come on all those knocking the new ride, Yes its been done before. Yes its only 100 foot tall, No its not an original ride. But what you are getting at Thorpe Park is a park that is slowly building up a great collection of Rollercoasters and a park that is has turned itself into the most thrilling in the UK and competing for the most thrilling in Europe. Lets give them a break and be greatfull for yet another great coaster to enjoy in the UK in the near distant future

[Mozart67]

Oh come on all those knocking the new ride, Yes its been done before. Yes its only 100 foot tall, No its not an original ride. But what you are getting at Thorpe Park is a park that is slowly building up a great collection of Rollercoasters and a park that is has turned itself into the most thrilling in the UK and competing for the most thrilling in Europe. Lets give them a break and be greatfull for yet another great coaster to enjoy in the UK in the near distant future

 

Dont get me wrong. Innovation and renovation are the cornerstones of any sort of progress, but I completely agree that while it's not this year's New Radical Thang (like that strange Ball Coaster or the ZacSpin I keep hearing about), it's still a great ride, and a great addition to what seems like a knockout park.

 

Scott

[Airtime&Gravity]

Wow, this coaster is going to have a long pre-lift segment, and I am really impressed with how this coaster will look. Even though nothing new, which I don't have a problem with, this coaster is going to be unique, and it looks like a lot of fun. Thorpe Park has really transformed itself over the past few years, and this will add to an already great ride/coaster collection.

[spangle]

Cool! TP is being brought into par by the looks of it. I already have my annual pass (which i am impressed it now includes legoland!) so will be checking out the progress of this ride. I agree though most people who go to the park (especially the likes of the chavs that frequent the park) will be impressed as they wont know about the ride.

 

Alton towers just need to keep up to speed, wasnt Rita their last coaster? I know they added the driving school, charlie and the chocolate factory and now pirates gallion but we want more!

 

I have to add that *most* people in the UK have heard of Southend! Not many people would assosiate it with a theme park - although calling it a theme park is pushing the boundaries a little lol.

[dr.gumbo]

I would of liked to see something much more original from Tussauds (or British Merlin). I liked the days when they used to bring out rides completly out of the ordinary.

Like what?

 

Nemesis or Nemesis: Inferno? A B&M invert

Air? A B&M flyer

Hex? A vekoma Mad House

Colossus? An Intamin 10 inversion

 

Basically, almost all of their major additions over the past 15 years have been fairly standard production rides. They just have done a pretty good job of theming or presenting them in such a way that it's different than just plopping them down without any decoration at all.

 

Other than Oblivion, I can't think of a single ride that Tussaud's built that was completely original.

 

--Robb

 

I agree with you there apart from one thing, their not just good at presenting there rides, there fantastic at it. All I'm saying is that their recent additions are'nt up to the same standards they once were.While Nemesis's inverted thing had been done before, they up there own little twist on the idea making something you will almost cetainly not see anywhere else in the world, the same went for some of their other rides.

 

However, since the release of Air and Nemesis Inferno they've lost a bit of there creativity. Rides like Rita and Stealth are both rides that have been done before but they have'nt done much to make it their own.

 

I have to admit though this ride is a big improvement, all I was really saying was I was a slight bit dissapointed that its a bit similar to Mystery Mine. (I don't know why I should be though, I'm not going to ride MM any time soon)

 

Again, I do see what you mean. I'm not trying start a war of anything, my opinion is just as equal as anyone else's and I'm not trying to argue anyone down on theirs.

[Purplepills]

I have to add that *most* people in the UK have heard of Southend! Not many people would assosiate it with a theme park - although calling it a theme park is pushing the boundaries a little lol.

 

I would disgree about 'most' people knowing about Adventure Island at Southend, it does depend on where you live I think. The only people I know that have heard of it are friends who live in London, and they were surprised I knew it was called Adventure Island. I haven't ever seen any advertising for it here in Devon, so I think unless you're in the catchment area or have visited nearby you wouldn't have heard of it. Its not somewhere people will travel 3 or 4 hours to get to like the other parks, so they don't bother advertising it in areas further away.

 

I have to admit though this ride is a big improvement, all I was really saying was I was a slight bit dissapointed that its a bit similar to Mystery Mine. (I don't know why I should be though, I'm not going to ride MM any time soon)

 

Again, I do see what you mean. I'm not trying start a war of anything, my opinion is just as equal as anyone else's and I'm not trying to argue anyone down on theirs.

 

But its only disappointing because of Mystery Mine, and like you say you and the thousands of other people who are going to go and ride it aren't likely to ride MM anytime soon, infact you'll probably find a huge percentage of them haven't heard of it either.

 

Its pretty difficult for a park in the UK to put something original in if you start making comparisons to coasters to the US, or even Europe. The majority of the country has restrictions on height which doesn't help, and there are only so many types of coaster out there which will make a big enough impact on advertising, and have a high enough throughput for a park like Thorpe, which means its likely a similar one will already exist elsewhere.

[spangle]

I would disgree about 'most' people knowing about Adventure Island at Southend, it does depend on where you live I think. The only people I know that have heard of it are friends who live in London, and they were surprised I knew it was called Adventure Island. I haven't ever seen any advertising for it here in Devon, so I think unless you're in the catchment area or have visited nearby you wouldn't have heard of it. Its not somewhere people will travel 3 or 4 hours to get to like the other parks, so they don't bother advertising it in areas further away.

 

Yes good point, thats the londoner in me! Thinking everyone has heard of it when you are right.

I now live in kent so am even closer to Southend but we still dont get any adverts here either. To be honest i would never in a million years assosiate it as a theme park and would no way travel more than an hour to visit it.

 

But its only disappointing because of Mystery Mine, and like you say you and the thousands of other people who are going to go and ride it aren't likely to ride MM anytime soon, infact you'll probably find a huge percentage of them haven't heard of it either

.

 

Nope, every day non entusiasts wouldnt even think of what was in other parks across the world or even in the UK, i know my friends dont to them a ride is a ride!

 

Its pretty difficult for a park in the UK to put something original in if you start making comparisons to coasters to the US, or even Europe. The majority of the country has restrictions on height which doesn't help, and there are only so many types of coaster out there which will make a big enough impact on advertising, and have a high enough throughput for a park like Thorpe, which means its likely a similar one will already exist elsewhere.

 

Yes, i think we are so limited here in the UK that they can get away with theming a standard or well used/known coaster and people think it is one of a kind. It isnt until they go to other parks that they make the connection.

I am looking forward to it though, i am not sure i will ever get to ride MM so for me it is the closest i will get probably. lets hope the name dosent let it down!

[jamesdillaman]

I like the euro-fighters. I'd be fine with every theme park having one, much like the arrow corkscrew coasters of the 80's and 90's.

 

-James Dillaman

[MG]

While I love Thorpe to get a new coaster, especially if it is themed well, i am slightly dissapointed that the rumoured B&M flyer never materialised. It could have been amazing.

Thorpe should keep improving, expanding into areas where they are currently wasting space, ie: the old Treasure Island site. You never know, Thorpe could easily be the British Cedar Point of the future, its even got the right location.

As much as i look forward to this project I think it is a shame because if Thorpe had wanted to they could have probably built a hyper on the same site. That is because that side of the park is closest to open land and the motorway, least likely to be refused by British planning authorities.

Well done Thorpe this time, as long as it is well themed. Just remember, next time try something largely undone in the UK, try building a Hyper

[Juggler]

If Thorpe want to do something different and something that will set pulse rates soaring then they should BUILD A DAMN WOODIE! When are these parks going to learn that to be truly great you need a variety of rides for everyone not just the next gimmick. The UK parks are a ride designers joy as they'll pay through the nose just to be the first to have something different (Oblivion, Air etc) but all of this is at the expense of the public.

 

The Eurofighter's an OK ride but it's nothing truly spectacular and certainly won't move me to bust a gut to travel all the way down to Thorpe. If they'd been putting in a world class woodie I'd have made sure I was there opening day!

 

The trouble with the UK industry is that they just don't understand the concept of a park experience the same way that the Europeans do. There's no thought given to the theming of the park in general and it's usually a mishmash of styles poorly linked. There's no pride taken in how the park looks and after just a few days of operating most UK parks have turned into a rubbish tip.

 

I can count on one hand the amount of times I've seen a park operative walking round cleaning the park and removing rubbish in all the years I've been to parks in the UK. I can spend just one day at Parc Asterix for example and I'll see at least a dozen cleaners and maybe 3 or 4 security staff.

 

Sorry this has turned into a rant but the way the UK industry is run is a joke and this ride is just another example of the UK "getting it wrong!"

[jamesdillaman]

^ From my understanding the euro-fighter is a relatively cheap installation when compared to other coasters. Especially if you consider thrills for your money. Plus it requires a smaller footprint than most wooden coasters, which need more support structure (i.e. bents) than a steel ride does.

 

-James Dillaman