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[2024] Thorpe Park: Hyperia - Mack Hypercoaster

This thread is 2 years old and it's now September 2023, yet no vertical construction has happened on Brake Run: The Ride yet? I know there's precedents for these things going up quite quickly once the extensive ground and footer works required for brand new builds is completed, and that the vast majority of construction takes place over the winter.

But shouldn't we have seen a little more progress on the ground by now if it is to open by next summer? That's 7-8 months to construct a 200ft + structure, associated buildings, pathways, facilities, landscaping and extensive ride testing. Not claiming to know much about these things but this isn't like knocking up a 20mtr heigh coaster at Towers and its being built on reclaimed land from a flooded quarry during an unpredictable British winter.
 
Matt.GC said:
This thread is 2 years old and it's now September 2023, yet no vertical construction has happened on Brake Run: The Ride yet? I know there's precedents for these things going up quite quickly once the extensive ground and footer works required for brand new builds is completed, and that the vast majority of construction takes place over the winter.

But shouldn't we have seen a little more progress on the ground by now if it is to open by next summer? That's 7-8 months to construct a 200ft + structure, associated buildings, pathways, facilities, landscaping and extensive ride testing. Not claiming to know much about these things but this isn't like knocking up a 20mtr heigh coaster at Towers and its being built on reclaimed land from a flooded quarry during an unpredictable British winter.
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The Swarm started vertical construction in October 2011 and was complete by November 18th, which is rather quick and also on reclaimed land, just to give you an idea on time scales. It also opened on time in March for season opening.
 
Matt.GC said:
This thread is 2 years old and it's now September 2023, yet no vertical construction has happened on Brake Run: The Ride yet? I know there's precedents for these things going up quite quickly once the extensive ground and footer works required for brand new builds is completed, and that the vast majority of construction takes place over the winter.

But shouldn't we have seen a little more progress on the ground by now if it is to open by next summer? That's 7-8 months to construct a 200ft + structure, associated buildings, pathways, facilities, landscaping and extensive ride testing. Not claiming to know much about these things but this isn't like knocking up a 20mtr heigh coaster at Towers and its being built on reclaimed land from a flooded quarry during an unpredictable British winter.
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Thorpe Park alluded yesterday on the passholder group that going vertical is imminent; whilst we were there at the weekend, there was a lot of activity around the construction site & storage field with what looked to be officials/exec figures.
 
GooseOnTheLoose said:
Last bit of IP speculation from me and then I'll shut up about it, until we get more information. The one that's been niggling at me for the last day (sticking with my Lionsgate theory) is the John Wick franchise, especially with The Continental spin off TV show. It's the kind of world that fits in with Thorpe's target market too.

I understand what everyone's saying with tallest and fastest being marketable alone, but Merlin haven't ever actually had a real non-tenuous "world's first" to market; aside from The Smiler. Having said that, Towers hasn't really flirted with IP for their SWs (Cadbury Heroes and Fanta sponsorship aside), but Thorpe really is (at times) the land of IP.
  • Ghost Train, originally Derren Brown, now "original" but just try and argue they're not channelling Stranger Things VIBES with their marketing and logo
  • The Walking Dead: The Ride
  • Black Mirror Labyrinth
  • Nemesis Inferno
  • The Swam (tenuous but there is the You Me At Six song, not IP just marketing)
  • Amity Cove - Jaws but not officially / really
  • Angry Birds Land
  • Saw: The Ride
  • X amount of scare mazes over the years
I agree that they shouldn't have to tie the ride to an IP to get interest and visitors, but I do think Thorpe tends to be lazy with its own storytelling and may want to rely on a ready made blueprint and the additional marketing bump that an IP can provide.
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I’d argue that if we’re going down the road of considering themes that are vaguely inspired by films and TV shows to be IP themes, then most themes in theme parks are IP themes to some degree. For instance, if Ghost Train (non-Derren) and Amity Cove are considered IP themes, then at very least, you could consider Wicker Man an IP theme up at Alton Towers, seeing as there are multiple films with the same name and the Alton Towers ride takes heavy inspiration from the same sort of premise. In terms of explicit IP themes Thorpe Park have used, I’d argue that you could exclude Ghost Train, Nemesis Inferno, Swarm and Amity Cove from that list.

Also, I’d argue that using IPs is not all sunshine and rainbows for the parks as is often inferred in enthusiast circles. There are many disadvantages of using external IPs. For instance, the park has to pay extra money for the licensing rights, the theme often only lasts for a finite amount of time before the park is contractually obliged to shell out for a retheme or pay another sum of money to renew the contract, some IP holders might want high levels of creative control… the list goes on. When you look at the disadvantages, I’d argue that in most parks’ eyes, it isn’t worth just applying IP themes everywhere regardless of the ride being built, because there are some cases where the cost-benefit analysis does not stack up.

In the instance of Exodus, I don’t see it being a heavily story-driven ride, and I think that it will market itself very readily whether it has an IP or not. Seeing as it has inherent marketability and seemingly isn’t an overtly story-driven ride, my personal prediction is that it will not utilise an IP. I could be wrong, and I’ll hold my hands up and admit it if I am, but that’s just my thought at this stage.
 
I'd wager the ridiculous weather we've had recently hasn't helped matters.

Too hot, too wet, too windy. Not great conditions for setting concrete or building large structures.
 
Catwalks & steps have arrived (courtesy of the passholder page)
 

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Appreciating Swarm went vertical in October it seems a bit late for Exodus to be starting vertical construction now and being ready for the start of season. There is far more steel to go up with this coaster than Swarm required.

I suspect this will open May time if I’m honest.
 
I think the project was originally intended to open in March, but was at least slightly delayed by the fracas with the Environment Agency that meant that the planning application took the best part of a year to approve. Their objection certainly set things back by at least a few months, anyhow. I seem to remember Thorpe’s original schedule showing construction as beginning in September 2022 for a March 2024 opening, but the Environment Agency’s objection meant that the application wasn’t even approved until November 2022.

In terms of how things are on the site, I’m led to believe that footers and groundwork are now at quite an advanced stage and vertical construction should begin relatively imminently (i.e. within the next couple of weeks).

I reckon we are probably a bit late now for a start of season opening, but perhaps April/May could be achievable. When the track starts going up, I think we could be surprised at how quickly it flies up; as said, Swarm went vertical in October 2011 and opened in March 2012, and we only have to look at how quickly Nemesis flew back up over the summer to see how rapidly these things can happen!
 
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