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Thorpe Park: General Discussion

They do really push that you need to book for Fright Nights and can see why now! They need to offer pre-booked times for the mazes as well though (similar to the Dungeon at Warwick Castle, or the mazes at AT this year).
 
I've just got back from Thorpe Park and based on how busy it was they shouldn't even have opened for those that hadn't pre-booked.

All major roller coasters had queues between 1 and 2 hours, all day
Likewise all mazes had queues up to 2 hours, all day

This was my first experience of FrightNights, (bar a 2 hour staff preview last year) so I was looking forward to properly experience all the Scare Mazes. That didn't happen, I only got on Cabin in the Woods and only after giving in to over an hours wait ending at park close. Buying fastrack would have been the only way to do them all, something I did not have the budget to do.

But not content with the ridiculously long queues they had Thorpe Park were once again wildly over-emphasising queue lengths on the park displays (supposedly 120 minute wait for Swarm when I arrived... it did reach that but only after all the fastrack had been sold, at which point the boards got a fair bit more accurate). So I spent most the day doing laps of the park to find the rides that did have reasonable queues.
 
This was my first experience of FrightNights, (bar a 2 hour staff preview last year) so I was looking forward to properly experience all the Scare Mazes. That didn't happen, I only got on Cabin in the Woods and only after giving in to over an hours wait ending at park close. Buying fastrack would have been the only way to do them all, something I did not have the budget to do.

But not content with the ridiculously long queues they had Thorpe Park were once again wildly over-emphasising queue lengths on the park displays (supposedly 120 minute wait for Swarm when I arrived... it did reach that but only after all the fastrack had been sold, at which point the boards got a fair bit more accurate). So I spent most the day doing laps of the park to find the rides that did have reasonable queues.

I'm not trolling so don't take offence, just curious. You said this was your fisrt fright nights and you wanted to do the mazes. So why were you looking for the RIDES with the shortest queues. I assume you've done the rides at Thorpe before? So even if it is a 2 hour queue why not just do the mazes, even at 2 hrs each you should be able to do 3-4 during the afternoon, just with a long wait. Then you can do the rides another time when there are no mazes?


I see similar comments on other forums about Disney and other parks, that people didn't want to wait 1-2hrs for the ride they really really wanted to do so they went on things they have done before instead. Surely if that is the main ride you really really want to do it is worth the wait, even more so if you have done the other rides in the park before?
 
Because although I wanted to do the mazes no maze is worth queueing 2 hours for, especially when said queues were moving at snails pace due to the number of Fastrack.

Just because I want to do something doesn't mean I should sacrifice enjoying my day to make it happen, especially when I'm at a Theme Park and the whole point is to be having fun. So yes I did the rides I'd already done before because the alternative was mind numbing boredom

+ I assumed that if I stuck it out to the end of the day the queues would die down but come 9pm they were still posting the same length queues they had 6 hours earlier.
 
I think the best way Thorpe could improve it would be to do same as AT, some mazes are queuing only, no Fastrack at all. Other mazes are paid tickets only, no regular queue. At least then you know the queue on the regular maze will move quicker as no merge point and the paid for mazes have reserved time slots so almost no wait at all.
 
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This was put on the Merlin Annual Pass Facebook page today:

As you are aware, Standard Merlin Annual Passholders are required to purchase a £10 event ticket to enter Fright Nights at THORPE PARK Resort These can be bought on the THORPE PARK Resort website but unfortunately these tickets are sold out for Thursday - Saturday.

Premium Merlin Annual Passholders enter the event for free but must prebook a space to be guaranteed entry - the links are on the THORPE PARK Resort website, but again unfortunately these are now sold out for Thursday - Saturday.

Due to high demand, Thursday - Saturday are strictly prebook only for all guests so no entry will be permitted without a prebooked ticket.

Tickets can still be prebooked for Fright Nights on Sunday and Monday.

Seems like the next few days of Fright Nights will be a nightmare. Luckily me and the missus always attend the first weekend it is on as it it normally fairly quiet. I just feel sorry for the people that are going to be going the coming days and will no doubt be disappointed.
 
They obviously had a limit of pass holders they wanted in. Then since demand is high sell normal tickets and make more profit at the end of it.

Little bit of a kick in the teeth for pass holders. Thorpe being at full capacity sounds like hell though. Anyone know what their capacity is?
 
Just saw this on Thorpe Park Mania too, you can find the application here :)

Copied over the images from their Facebook page:
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So it's essentially an application for the building to house the ride, not the ride itself?
 
It looks like it could be for the new dark ride, and essentially built over the arena. Interesting...
 
Looking at this picture it looks as if there's rows for seating on the right hand side of the building facing left.

10285696_10154861626130624_4965873167514043807_o.jpg

And I wonder what the drainage channel is for?
 
It's very clear reading through the documents that they want to keep the attraction a secret, this caught my eye:
The attraction concept will be the first of its kind and due to the commercially sensitive nature of the development the branding and detailed internal concept will not be released before the launch.
I smell an IP :p
 
Another grotty looking building.

What a surprise.

Am I right in thinking that these plans seem to suggest the removal/relocation of the carousel? Unless the 'first of its kind' element is going to be a carousel with a tunnel section :p

I've always thought that the arena had become something of a wasted space, and ripping out the seating recently it now all makes sense. It's a huge area which served no purpose. However, one thing which does spring to mind is the loss of a Fright Nights maze location. Maybe they're going to create some form of attraction which can double up as a maze during Halloween?

EDIT

Having just read the cover letter it does indeed include removal of the carousel.
 
Perhaps the carousel will be mounted to an indoor track and therefore it'll be a ride on a ride? Definitely a world's first claim ;)

Other than the predictable run down, gloomy moody theme Merlin uphold two a penny everywhere these days, this is certainly an eyebrow raiser in terms of interest. For once, I'm actually excited at the prospect of a Thorpe development.
 
To me, it seems to suggest the carousel will be removed rather than relocated:
In addition, it is proposed to remove the following ‘developed areas’(rides/other structures) from the site (see plan ref. 472-88-3), comprising a total of 991sqm:
1. The substantial concrete structure which forms the Arena’s staggered
seating, which has a developed area of 760sqm
2. The Chief Ranger’s Carousel, which has a developed area of 180sqm
3. The raised timber planters on the south-west elevation of the Arena,
comprising a developed area of 51sqm.

Must say, I'm feeling fairly excited about this development too :p
 
Looking at this picture it looks as if there's rows for seating on the right hand side of the building facing left.

10285696_10154861626130624_4965873167514043807_o.jpg

And I wonder what the drainage channel is for?
The seats and the drainage channel are part of the existing arena - they've just overlaid the outline of the building for comparison.

I quite like the brick facade of the main part of the building (though wish it wasn't yet again run-down), but I can't stand how they keep having really large parts of new attractions the same generic corrugated metal warehousing on show. It just looks so shoddy and destroys any illusion that may have existed.

Curious to see what this will entail although already bracing myself for the 'world's first concept' etc marketing this will bring with it.
 
To me, it seems to suggest the carousel will be removed rather than relocated:

In addition, it is proposed to remove the following ‘developed areas’(rides/other structures) from the site (see plan ref. 472-88-3), comprising a total of 991sqm:
1. The substantial concrete structure which forms the Arena’s staggered
seating, which has a developed area of 760sqm
2. The Chief Ranger’s Carousel, which has a developed area of 180sqm
3. The raised timber planters on the south-west elevation of the Arena,
comprising a developed area of 51sqm.

Must say, I'm feeling fairly excited about this development too :p

Maybe, however, at the start of the document they also state:
In order to prepare the application site for the installation of the new ‘2016 Attraction’, the existing structures will be demolished (see drawing ref. 472-88- 3). This includes:
  • Concrete seating structure (760sqm)
  • Chief Ranger’s Carousel (180sqm)

I suppose it's anyone's guess at this stage.

EDIT
Nt6rj9Q.png

Hmmmm... Thorpe Depot. So it's something industrial no doubt. Narrows it down a little I guess.
 
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Maybe, however, at the start of the document they also state:


I suppose it's anyone's guess at this stage.

EDIT
Nt6rj9Q.png

Hmmmm... Thorpe Depot. So it's something industrial no doubt. Narrows it down a little I guess.

That looks suspiciously like an asylum entrance. And if it's based on an ip........ hmmm; I'm getting Batman VIBES. Probably wrong though.
 
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