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Thorpe Park: General Discussion
- Thread starter Ted
- Start date
N
_nemesis_
... or indeed the park itself!
Scott
Former TS Team Member
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
That survey is bizarre...
However, based on the semi-positive reviews of the 'movie studio' theme surrounding Fright Nights (and I'm talking about the umbrella theme not individual maze quality) what if Merlin are trying to position Thorpe as more of an IP based park relying on film and TV tie ins.
Obviously the investment won't come close but what if their long term aim is to develop a more Universal Studios or Disney's Hollywood Studios approach to the park? Perhaps to position it in such a way that it can try and mitigate future effects of Paramount if it opens?
I mean that would have to be some serious forward planning and blue sky thinking from Merlin and so I find it highly unlikely.
Just a thought though.
However, based on the semi-positive reviews of the 'movie studio' theme surrounding Fright Nights (and I'm talking about the umbrella theme not individual maze quality) what if Merlin are trying to position Thorpe as more of an IP based park relying on film and TV tie ins.
Obviously the investment won't come close but what if their long term aim is to develop a more Universal Studios or Disney's Hollywood Studios approach to the park? Perhaps to position it in such a way that it can try and mitigate future effects of Paramount if it opens?
I mean that would have to be some serious forward planning and blue sky thinking from Merlin and so I find it highly unlikely.
Just a thought though.
Rob
TS Team
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance
I was actually thinking along the same lines of Scott. I really like the whole theme and idea of Fright Nights, it works so much better than it did before. So rolling a similar model out across the whole park may be an option and it certainly would be very good forward planning with the potential Paramount park.
I wouldn't mind too much if Merlin chose to do this. I'd much rather tham do it at Thorpe rather than Towers for example. Of course in my mind you can't beat original themes but if going down an IP route and re-branding the park as such brings bigger and better investments then I wouldn't complain too much.
The major stumbling block with this route though could well be cost. Big IPs aren't cheap and it would cost a fair amount to use them for a relatively large number of attractions. Whereas Paramount can use their own IPs so there's no need for this cost.
I wouldn't mind too much if Merlin chose to do this. I'd much rather tham do it at Thorpe rather than Towers for example. Of course in my mind you can't beat original themes but if going down an IP route and re-branding the park as such brings bigger and better investments then I wouldn't complain too much.
The major stumbling block with this route though could well be cost. Big IPs aren't cheap and it would cost a fair amount to use them for a relatively large number of attractions. Whereas Paramount can use their own IPs so there's no need for this cost.
James
TS Founding Member
Thorpe becoming an IP park could be a pretty good idea. If Thorpe is 'failing' as people have reported and the clear case we saw with The Swarm not pulling in the crowds, then there's nothing that will improve figures more than big IPs. There's still a chance the park will fail, but highly more likely the park will succeed and secure a future.
If they did go down this route they need to look at family IPs and get that market back at Thorpe. Not counting Angry Birds as that is not a 'big' family IP.
If they did go down this route they need to look at family IPs and get that market back at Thorpe. Not counting Angry Birds as that is not a 'big' family IP.
TheMan
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- NemiLerVion
I would always rather an original theme, I think THORPE had a good plan with it's "Island like no other" - that was bloody brilliant, expanding that would have been a start, developing it's own IP. That being said, I can see why they are a success, I just don't like them in theme parks.
Universal is different for me, as is Disney, the parks are expansions of existing IPs, allowing to further exist in their creative worlds - THORPE PARK isn't.
Universal is different for me, as is Disney, the parks are expansions of existing IPs, allowing to further exist in their creative worlds - THORPE PARK isn't.
TheMan
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- NemiLerVion
I guess though if it's paid for itself in the life cycle of the IP it doesn't matter that much to parks that aren't bothered about aesthetics. I take the points the guys are making about Paramount they make sense, but surely they're not that stupid to try and play Paramount at that game?
I have to say, even with Universal and their incredible rides and themes, the fact it's all IP puts me off a bit as it lacks a little soul. I never feel it makes a park look coherent or flowing from an outside perspective, but it is the Universal park so I get it - and it's obviously beyond incredible. But to try and do that at a little place like THORPE? I just think it would end up cluttered, incoherent, and lack ANY charm at all. Which I was surprised to find on my first visit there, it had quite a lot of!
I have to say, even with Universal and their incredible rides and themes, the fact it's all IP puts me off a bit as it lacks a little soul. I never feel it makes a park look coherent or flowing from an outside perspective, but it is the Universal park so I get it - and it's obviously beyond incredible. But to try and do that at a little place like THORPE? I just think it would end up cluttered, incoherent, and lack ANY charm at all. Which I was surprised to find on my first visit there, it had quite a lot of!
darren
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- the great western mainline.
I went to Thorpe yesterday and although it was busy I had a great day. I brought some fast track tickets as we have a baby so can take advantage of the parent queue share so really its Bogof fast track. I thought the park was really tidy compared to my last visit in 2011. Swarm was really smooth although colossus was bloody rough. Rougher than corkscrew was.
Ian
TS Team
- Favourite Ride
- Dizz, Bobby’s Yarn Land
Just got back from a day on the park, and personally I was pretty impressed. Everything was running multiple trains with the exception of Stealth (But thankfully we got this out of the way first thing). The staff seemed to be really pushing all the rides, with little or no stacking on Colossus, Ninferno or Swarm. SAW was dispatching before the counter had hit zero, and I think the longest we waited all day was 15 minutes for Stealth.
The staff generally seemed pretty motivated and chatty. I don't know wether it's just the buzz with Fright Nights and such being around the corner, or what, but they seemed to all be pretty into it today. The park felt busy, as there were plenty of people around, but the queues generally weren't too bad. The longest queue I saw was Swarm peeking at 75 minutes around midday, before dropping down to a much more manageable 30. On average most attractions seemed to be advertising 10-20 minute waits, though SAW for example was claiming to be 30 when it was as good as walk on!
We did:
On the Flying Fish front there are signs around the park and at the entrance stating that the ride will remain out of action for the remainder of the season. When walking past the ride has been closed off, and screened off in areas, but I noticed that there were only two or three cars on the track part way around. The rest of the train was no where to be seen. Presumably there's been some need to get maintenance work done on the train earlier than expected, unless they've bought it forward to keep closed season work down whilst they focus on something more major?
The highlight of the day for me had to be Slammer! For some 4-5 years I've been trying to get on that thing, but I'd never even seen it running before today, other than in photos and videos! It was closed when we first arrived, but opened around 11:30ish. Personally I think it's quite a good ride, and don't get the hate. I found it very fun and enjoyable. It's just a shame it's so temperamental and seems to be a faff to load. That said, we never waited more than one ride cycle to board. It's by no means the best flat in the world, and for me it doesn't beat Rush, Talocan and Maelstrom, but it's certainly a solid ride which I think has had a tough wrap over the years.
The staff generally seemed pretty motivated and chatty. I don't know wether it's just the buzz with Fright Nights and such being around the corner, or what, but they seemed to all be pretty into it today. The park felt busy, as there were plenty of people around, but the queues generally weren't too bad. The longest queue I saw was Swarm peeking at 75 minutes around midday, before dropping down to a much more manageable 30. On average most attractions seemed to be advertising 10-20 minute waits, though SAW for example was claiming to be 30 when it was as good as walk on!
We did:
- Colossus
- Rush x2
- Vortex
- Zodiac
- Quantum
- SAW x2
- Samurai
- Slammer x2
- Loggers Leap
- Rocky Express
- Ninferno
- Rumba Rapids
- Storm in a Teacup
- Dodgems
- Stealth
- Tidal Wave
- X x2
- Swarm forwards
- Swarm backwards
On the Flying Fish front there are signs around the park and at the entrance stating that the ride will remain out of action for the remainder of the season. When walking past the ride has been closed off, and screened off in areas, but I noticed that there were only two or three cars on the track part way around. The rest of the train was no where to be seen. Presumably there's been some need to get maintenance work done on the train earlier than expected, unless they've bought it forward to keep closed season work down whilst they focus on something more major?
The highlight of the day for me had to be Slammer! For some 4-5 years I've been trying to get on that thing, but I'd never even seen it running before today, other than in photos and videos! It was closed when we first arrived, but opened around 11:30ish. Personally I think it's quite a good ride, and don't get the hate. I found it very fun and enjoyable. It's just a shame it's so temperamental and seems to be a faff to load. That said, we never waited more than one ride cycle to board. It's by no means the best flat in the world, and for me it doesn't beat Rush, Talocan and Maelstrom, but it's certainly a solid ride which I think has had a tough wrap over the years.
Alastair
TS Team
- Favourite Ride
- Rise of the Resistance
Especially with coasters, in parks where theming is of little consequence after the initial build...Apocalypse: The Ride *shudders*
djtruefitt
TS Team
I popped in to THORPE PARK on Sunday (we were passing ) the park was fairly busy, with some big queues around, yet Swarm was almost walk on!
As for the queue time boards, most of them might as well been turned off for the use of them. X said 5 minutes, yet the queue was half way down the corridor.
Anyway here is a photo of Flying Fish, with its new THORPE PARK style low throughput
) the park was fairly busy, with some big queues around, yet Swarm was almost walk on!As for the queue time boards, most of them might as well been turned off for the use of them. X said 5 minutes, yet the queue was half way down the corridor.
Anyway here is a photo of Flying Fish, with its new THORPE PARK style low throughput
Scott
Former TS Team Member
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
It's closed until 2015.
