• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

Thorpe Park: General Discussion

Yeah I don’t get why they’ve bothered with that Burger King! They’ve replaced wood cladding with wood cladding. It still looks kinda western! Expected it to be black and gold panelling like Hyperia’s station. Would normally assume it’s not finished but they’ve put the signage up already. Weird!
 
Says a lot about how far Thorpe Park has come when we're all nitpicking about some road markings and complaining about a feature the park has openly acknowledged as not being the best. As for the movie, it's just not that deep. It looks like they have themed the cinema in a 'generic' way to allow the movie to be interchangeable. Plus, they didn't say they'd have zero dark themes, they acknowledged the need for some light within the dark.
 
Hex_Fan_2000 said:
Says a lot about how far Thorpe Park has come when we're all nitpicking about some road markings and complaining about a feature the park has openly acknowledged as not being the best. As for the movie, it's just not that deep. It looks like they have themed the cinema in a 'generic' way to allow the movie to be interchangeable. Plus, they didn't say they'd have zero dark themes, they acknowledged the need for some light within the dark.
Click to expand...
It’s more that the new Merlin school of thought seems to be putting a lot of emphasis on Easter Eggs and “Details” (usually posters with old ride names), while blithely ignoring that the base they’re plastering these onto isn’t fit for purpose
 
they are improving, but they need to keep their heads down and put their arses into it. Thorpe kind of parallels what’s happening with the sonic franchise right now - hear me out.

people always complain about the dark ages (or I suppose the last 10 years of Thorpe management) and then the company decides it’s going to constantly make fun of what it did on the past - and then do it bloody again!

And oh god the social media presence - you may say ‘why, it’s just an intern!’ but no! They’ve rooted pandering to fans into their brand identity! Saying they’re being transparent, but that really means just that. And guess what? The fans have no idea what their doing, and the only people that should be in control are the actual professionals, not held down by a league of shareholder like fans! For example, Derren browns ghost train was a blunder, it was unreliable, and people said, get rid of the VR. So they did, but in the process almost completely bastardised everything genuinely special about that ride.

Another example - people complain Thorpe is too dark, and for what I agree. Hyperia is a breath of fresh air - but damnit I would take the most miserable post apocalyptic theme of it was well put together than a fun theme that’s just a few buckets of colourful paint.

Hyperia is going to be great - but I worry they’ll use it as an ace in the hole for any bad decisions they make. That’s another parallel with the sonic franchise - we all love sonic mania, but they keep using it as a pardon for anything bad they’ve done.

Transparency is key, but if they keep on taking fan feedback at the most surface level “who can shout the loudest on twitter” then nothing will change for the better. They should take feedback, but only Thorpe should decide what’s best for Thorpe. Just because they were incompetent doesn’t mean that they cant trust themselves. You take feedback, improve your skills, and then try again. You don’t just take feedback and then just immediately translate that into an attraction. Even if you listen it’ll never be perfect! There must be some actual thought that I know their capable of.

It’s like Thorpe park actually made Barry from the pub the referee. No matter how much he says he can do a better job.

I apologise for the weird analogy - and if this reads like the average rural road, but this is my main problem, the fundamental one. They try to please everyone, but are ending up pleasing no one.
 
Last edited:
The approach with this ‘Sparkle Project’ has been wrong. They’ve spread themselves too thinly which I feel will make the majority of these improvements feel cheap (because they are).

Maybe they should have concentrated on one of two things rather than 20?
 
James said:
The approach with this ‘Sparkle Project’ has been wrong. They’ve spread themselves too thinly which I feel will make the majority of these improvements feel cheap (because they are).

Maybe they should have concentrated on one of two things rather than 20?
Click to expand...
Exactly this, it renders most of it a complete waste of money - something I won’t be “glad” of
 
James said:
The approach with this ‘Sparkle Project’ has been wrong. They’ve spread themselves too thinly which I feel will make the majority of these improvements feel cheap (because they are).

Maybe they should have concentrated on one of two things rather than 20?
Click to expand...
The issue is that the entire park was in an absolute state and you need to do 20 things rather than just two if you want it to look somewhat presentable for people visiting just for Hyperia. Now that they've done the absolute bare minimum, though, they really should do bigger projects yearly on rides that need it.
 
Don’t get me wrong, some of these decisions in the sparkle project could have been done better & differently.

As someone who considers Thorpe their local park, the amount of changes and updates in what should be a big year for the park is certainly a welcome one. Whether it be the partial Colossus repaint, the Boulevard area or new key facilities.

In terms of the way they’ve come across this, there was never going to be a full right answer. Because by focusing on 2/3 spots would still make the park look largely in need of TLC and doing up practically the whole park would without a doubt have been impossible.

The park should have rightfully received a consistent level of TLC every year besides (mostly cheap) new attraction,s, where going back a few years minor TLC was done and 5-10+ years and next to nothing was.

I am not expecting the park to look perfect and without flaws, but if the updates look similar in person, then I don’t think I have seen the park look this colourful or vibrant since the late 2000s.
 
Last edited:
rob666 said:
Get a hold on yourself there.
Every generation blames the one before.
"It was all their fault...leading us into the wilderness".
Click to expand...
Whilst I agree with that sentiment in some ways, I don’t really think it applies to this situation. There has been a pretty obvious change across the majority of the UK merlin parks over this closed season, a noticeable shift compared to previous years I’d say.
 
It's an awful entrance and the dome is far too big and empty, too -- it's a very weird introduction to the park.

If the new iteration of Merlin are actually intending to improve the park substantially, they'd do well to just bulldoze the entire entrance structure, Depth Charge, and the Beach. Put a proper entrance area where the Dome is and put a large ride where Depth Charge and the Beach currently are. Perhaps something like Atlantica or Speed (Energylandia) so we've not lost water rides in the process.
 
Last edited:
AT86 said:
Abandoned motorway service station, or entrance to one of the UK’s biggest theme parks?

IMG_6261.jpeg

I know there is a lot to fix at TP and they can’t do everything in one winter, but when you are heading into your biggest season for over 10 years, for this to be your guests first impression. It’s pretty grim.

Source
Click to expand...
Have they seriously not fixed that screen? I’d be embarrassed to present that to visitors on such an important year for the park.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top