Matt.GC
TS Member
I completely agree that the way Thorpe is marketed is its problem. As soon as you walk through the gates and hear teen pop music blaring out whilst 14 year olds with spliffs hanging out their mouths push past you in a vain attempt to get to the Swarm first, it doesn't feel like a theme park. That added to the view of just how small it looks from the front of the dome, it feels more like a fair ground than a proper theme park.
The parks teenage fair ground atmosphere is compounded inside by the ready supply of booze bottles at most catering outlets. Never do I see so much queue jumping as I see at Thorpe as well as profanities being shouted out everywhere. On Tuesday I watched as some young lad smoked IN the station of the Swarm on the stairs whilst his mate spat over the edge onto the platform below, narrowly missing someone.
The parks continuous marketing strategy geared towards the type of people who watch ITV2 and actually find Kieth Lemon funny, seems very odd to me and is such a shame. There are actually some decent attractions there for a few kids. I bet the amity beach could be lovely on a hot day and I always liked Loggers Leap and the whole Canada Creek area (before half of it was shut down). But I won't take my children there because of the awful atmosphere for them. I fully understand why you would market it as a thrill heavy park, but Thorpe seems intent on actively trying to exclude families rather than simply just marketing it on its thrill ride credentials. That's made even odder when you consider that teenagers and young adults not only have less spending power than older adults but also are naturally attracted to this kind of park anyway! There's a wide range of adults, thrill seekers and enthusiasts out there to entice in other than just teenagers.
It's a shame because I really like the park itself. I enjoy the flats between coasters, which gives the park a great uniqueness. I think the coasters are great (although I have a loathing for Collosus). Although the theming of areas is a completely confusing mismatch, some of the theming around is good and I like the fact I can still buy a Burger King or KFC. I actually enjoy an adult day at Thorpe more than Alton at the moment (maybe because I've got so used to the AT lineup and the lack of variety through flats) but I hate the atmosphere there.
The parks teenage fair ground atmosphere is compounded inside by the ready supply of booze bottles at most catering outlets. Never do I see so much queue jumping as I see at Thorpe as well as profanities being shouted out everywhere. On Tuesday I watched as some young lad smoked IN the station of the Swarm on the stairs whilst his mate spat over the edge onto the platform below, narrowly missing someone.
The parks continuous marketing strategy geared towards the type of people who watch ITV2 and actually find Kieth Lemon funny, seems very odd to me and is such a shame. There are actually some decent attractions there for a few kids. I bet the amity beach could be lovely on a hot day and I always liked Loggers Leap and the whole Canada Creek area (before half of it was shut down). But I won't take my children there because of the awful atmosphere for them. I fully understand why you would market it as a thrill heavy park, but Thorpe seems intent on actively trying to exclude families rather than simply just marketing it on its thrill ride credentials. That's made even odder when you consider that teenagers and young adults not only have less spending power than older adults but also are naturally attracted to this kind of park anyway! There's a wide range of adults, thrill seekers and enthusiasts out there to entice in other than just teenagers.
It's a shame because I really like the park itself. I enjoy the flats between coasters, which gives the park a great uniqueness. I think the coasters are great (although I have a loathing for Collosus). Although the theming of areas is a completely confusing mismatch, some of the theming around is good and I like the fact I can still buy a Burger King or KFC. I actually enjoy an adult day at Thorpe more than Alton at the moment (maybe because I've got so used to the AT lineup and the lack of variety through flats) but I hate the atmosphere there.
