Thorpe Park: General Discussion

[Graeme]

Love all the haters.....written it off before it's even got going! They might not even be the final details for the building!

Let's just see, it's a hefty investment and in my opinion the right one (the dark ride aspect)

 

[jon81uk]

So that should the older children in a family want to visit, the rest wouldn't object.

This is what they are trying to do.Removing a carousel which is a kids ride and replacing with a dark ride. Thorpe have stated that their target is "up-for-it" families with older children who want thrill rides.I think they are just trying to move to age 11+ instead of 16-22 only as if teenagers are in the park with parents they are less likely to start fights etc.

EDIT - The actual quote in Merlins financial report is "Insane fun is on offer at Thorpe Park, the UK’s second biggest theme park and acknowledged thrill capital for teenagers, young adults and older families."

 

[Imagination]

I reckon the "Thorpe Depot" is just purely for thematic purposes and will have nothing to do with the ride...bit of a trick to throw people off the scent of what IP it will be.

Here we go again, run-down, depressing and/or dark theme...so in a park that has:

• Amity Cove/Tidal Wave (run-down)
• Saw/Saw Island (dark/depressing)
• Saw:Alive (see above)
• Swarm/Swarm Island (run-down and dark)
• Lost City (run down and just a depressive mess)
• Angry Birds Land (I joke, but let's be honest...you become depressed just seeing the state of it)

We now have yet another similar theme to add. Let's not even go to listing all the Merlin rides that have these types of themes because we'd be here all night.

I really feel that these themes lose their sense of purpose in the park because it's just so common. Let's take Phantom Manor at Disneyland Paris...yes we know if Walt Disney was alive he would never have passed it's run down and dilapidated exterior, but in a park where this theme is not seen anywhere else, it definitely gives a sense of intrigue when you first clap eyes on the Manor.

Then when we look at Thorpe, it's the complete opposite because nearly everything looks the same and instantly we just compare it to other buildings instead of thinking "Why is this all mysterious and boarded up and suspicious? I need to find out".

Let's not forget, this ride (with it's rumoured 20-25mil budget) will also include the cost of the IP and marketing etc so yes, whilst this ride will still have more spent on it than others, it's not going to be all the budget on ride/theming. I'm just sad that, once again, we have to have this "first-of-its-kind" element bolted on to it which will probably eat into the budget too instead of just going with some hardware that's been done successfully in the US parks and bringing it here.

Looking at it all I agree with the Batman idea but then I'm also thinking Hunger Games too...

 

[TheMan]

Hunger Games is clever and of the market and moment, but does it have longevity?

This is my point about run down etc, and Dark Forest just being depressing rather than immersive. Rather than building tension, it has no light to further enhance the "shade".

This could be yet another example of it.

If you never see "light" how can you appreciate "dark"?

Something else Merlin don't understand, contrast.

 

[Burbs]

Isn't Game of Thrones popular atm too? Pretty sure there's no ride themed around that is there.

 

[Imagination]

No, very true GoT is popular.

Just the theming looks very "District Twelve" to me...

EDIT:
@TheMan Just properly read your post (forgive me) and we could say does any film/brand have longevity? I would say HG does with part 1 and 2 of Mocking Jay still to hit cinemas.

 

[Tom]

To me it suggests ghosts/haunted/victorian theme.

 

[TheMan]

No, very true GoT is popular.

Just the theming looks very "District Twelve" to me...

EDIT:
@TheMan Just properly read your post (forgive me) and we could say does any film/brand have longevity? I would say HG does with part 1 and 2 of Mocking Jay still to hit cinemas.

I agree with your point I meant more in terms of, thinking how long the investment is, saying that, Saw The Ride has maintained it's attraction to be fair and I don't even watch the films.

Things like Dr Who have a timeless (oh, a pun) attraction, I just wonder how long before it looked dated IP wise.

We are talking 2016 till it even opens as well.

 

[Danny]

The Hunger Games franchise will have ended by next year, with no signs of extension into the foreseeable future much like Harry Potter for example. Not the best or right idea for this IMO.

 

[TheMan]

The Hunger Games franchise will have ended by next year, with no signs of extension into the foreseeable future much like Harry Potter for example. Not the best or right idea for this IMO.

I know this is obvious but Potter will have much longevity, it's a classic, many generations will read these books as classics.

It's one of those rare long IP commodities that aren't of a Disney nature. Which I don't think the Hunger Games will emulate.

 

[Imagination]

Thing is though, Hunger Games has a huger following than something like "Doctor Who" and the HG universe is very "expandable"...along with the fact in their recent survey it was a choice alongside The Maze Runner, Breaking Bad, Walking Dead, Assassin's Creed etc.

I just think with Paramount happening, Thorpe/Merlin are being extremely clever with this investment to help keep Thorpe "healthy" and the IP will be something very big with great appeal...

 

[Andrew]

I highly doubt it would use the Hunger Games as, like it's been previously mentioned, I wouldn't say the brand would last long enough.

Regarding Doctor Who, I can't see this using that IP either as it doesn't appear to fit into any Doctor Who location from my memory. Then again, remember The Smiler's original concept did change to what we have today so that could possibly happen again.

 

[Kurtis Rogers]

Id like to put forward why I think its going to be a batman/gotham ride
here is the plans for the entrance

And then arkham asylum in the new gotham series

See my point ?

 

[Burbs]

It could well be, but from Thorpe's plan, it looks like a pretty generic pillars, fences and signs. The sign isn't exactly the same in shape (maybe this is to keep the theme a secret) and the wording "THORPE DEPOT" is intriguing.

 

[DiogoJ42]

It won't be anything Batman related. Don't Six Flags have that IP? I've not studdied the plans in detail yet enough to pick up on any hints as to what it will be, but I highly doubt it would be Batman.

ETA: Of course, I'm the guy who said "the new drop towers in FV won't have anything to do with Nemesis, or I'll eat my Pirate hat!"

 

[Kurtis Rogers]

maybe its a shipping container depot

 

[Burbs]

It won't be anything Batman related. Don't Six Flags have that IP? I've not studdied the plans in detail yet enough to pick up on any hints as to what it will be, but I highly doubt it would be Batman.

ETA: Of course, I'm the guy who said "the new drop towers in FV won't have anything to do with Nemesis, or I'll eat my Pirate hat!"

And did you eat your pirate hat? If not, I will be very disappointed.

Ahar!

 

[Rose Of Dawn]

It won't be anything Batman related. Don't Six Flags have that IP? I've not studdied the plans in detail yet enough to pick up on any hints as to what it will be, but I highly doubt it would be Batman.

ETA: Of course, I'm the guy who said "the new drop towers in FV won't have anything to do with Nemesis, or I'll eat my Pirate hat!"

As Six Flags don't operate in the UK, I don't think that would be an issue.

I don't think this ride will be a Batman attraction either, but it would certainly be interesting; almost every Batman ride I know is a roller coaster of some sorts. Strangely, the IP would be perfect for a dark ride, but I think there's only one Batman dark ride, and as far as I know thats a simulator.

 

[Sam]

Looopings has some good news, as a man was fined £50 for being abusive to staff whilst being evacced from Saw. Good on Merlin for seeing this through on behalf of their staff!

 

[Sam]

The park have confirmed to Thorpe Park Mania that this Sunday will be the last day of operation for the park's carousel.

If they're trying to shift back towards the family market, why don't they just move it like they did with Flying Fish? Baffling decision.