Thorpe Park: General Discussion

[pluk]

Last year, it was £10 for an evening ticket from 6-10pm if you didn't have any annual passes

I believe pluk is referencing the Summer Nights event in previous years, which incurred a charge for Annual Pass Holders.

Yes and yes!

There's been such a mix of options over the last few years it's hard to recall exactly what was what, but that £10 charge was a thing for no extra ents (Moss, beats, FN etc) at some points, both with and without various levels of AP.

At 20:00 close those upcharge revinues will surely not be an option.

 

[D4n]

I doubt very many people took them up on the evening ticket offer to be honest. Thorpe isn't particularly easy to access for most people and I suspect a lot of those who would be tempted by that kind of offer would have taken them up on their dirt cheap season passes anyway.

The usual "lost revenue" from closing earlier is because people won't spend money on food whilst they're at the park. But remember that, unlike at Alton Towers, there's an easily accessible restaurant which remains open after ride close In the form of the Bar & Grill. I suspect with an 8pm close a lot of people would still choose to eat there after ride close so perhaps lost revenue from food and drink would be minimal.

I'm genuinely surprised they've kept the close as late as 8 to be honest considering how dead the park often seemed to be for these events. But I guess if Oakwood can manage it Thorpe certainly can

 

[TPC]

I only went for the evening so paid £10. However, at first the staff member was confused and had to ask a manager about what I was referring to.

 

[MattyH]

Thorpe isn't particularly easy to access for most people

Thorpe has a regular bus service to Staines Station and direct service to London from there and if that's not an option, it's not exactly far from the busiest motorway in the country? I'd say it's a lot more easy to access versus Towers.

 

[D4n]

Thorpe has a regular bus service to Staines Station and direct service to London from there and if that's not an option, it's not exactly far from the busiest motorway in the country? I'd say it's a lot more easy to access versus Towers.

I know this. Obviously it's a lot easier to access than Alton Towers and obviously it can be done.

But late night opening with cheap tickets only really works for city centre parks where people can literally walk / drive down to the park within 10-15 minutes or for parks with a significant on site resort to act as that "catchment" area.

Thorpe has neither. Are you really telling me anyone is travelling from London or via the tediously slow public transport to go to Thorpe for four hours in the evening? Nah. It's not accessible enough.

 

[TPC]

Fright nights the park remains busy and that closes at 10pm

 

[rob666]

I have been stuck on a train between Staines and Waterloo for three hours at teatime.
Our evening out in the west end was cut in half.
But it made us realise how lucky a lot of us are, my commute usually takes about twenty minutes all day, travelling between four customers.
A lot of us coaster freaks want evening openings throughout the peak season...but is seems that punters in general simply don't.
No excuses ever for 4pm closures at any park, ever.
Kick em out into the rush hour peak...thanks.

 

[jon81uk]

I believe pluk is referencing the Summer Nights event in previous years, which incurred a charge for Annual Pass Holders.

Aha that makes sense, think that was two or three years ago? They realised quite soon it didn't work having a separate event for evenings and last year it was just long hours.

 

[IanSR]

They did bring in a £10 4-10pm evening ticket for non-MoS guests at MoS nights last year in an effort to fill the park out somewhat because nobody was turning up for the MoS events, if you were an MoS guest you got one particular wrist band and were allowed everywhere and if you were a AP/Evening ticket holder another type of wristband and wasn't allowed in the dome after 6pm, as others have said, even staff were confused over what wristband allowed people into where and it was made more amusing by day years being allowed to stay until 10pm too even though they didn't have a wristband at all lol.

 

[Stuntman707]

MoS has always been a complete disorganised shambles. I hope the event has been scrapped for good this year. Not a surprise to me at all that people stopped turning up to it.

 

[pluk]

MoS has always been a complete disorganised shambles. I hope the event has been scrapped for good this year. Not a surprise to me at all that people stopped turning up to it.

Not really. First couple of years were excellent; park closed to all at end of normal day, emptied, then reopened an hour later with invariable walk-on coasters and a couple of supporting flats (and tidal once!), loads of food and bars set up, music in dome started around 8, rides shut around 10 and people gravitated to the dome. Was simple, had a great atmosphere and worked well, often sold out as a result. Music and club set up was decent if not perfect dues to the reality of it being in a big cavernous dome. I certainly had some really good nights there.

It became a mess when it started clashing with other events and lost some of its identity as a result. Shame really, it could still have a place with the right focus and set up.

 

[bluesonichd]

MoS has always been a complete disorganised shambles. I hope the event has been scrapped for good this year. Not a surprise to me at all that people stopped turning up to it.

I agree. Did two MoS last year one both nights were complete garbage and I was back in the cramped shipping crate before 1am trying to sleep

 

[John_P]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-47236355

 

[ringo]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-47236355

The cynical part of me would say this was nothing but a publicity stunt “our guests enjoy it so much they are always screaming” especially as this nugget shows there hasn’t been complaints about noise.

Linda Gillham, councillor for the Thorpe ward, said: "The main problem is that future residents may complain about noise, but in recent years the village residents have not complained about noise."

 

[John_P]

Yes but a village of people who've likely become accustomed to it could be significantly different when people start complaining their parents who should be enjoying their retirement are kept up all night by people at a theme park.

Just look at all the issues that have plagued Alton Towers the past twenty years. A reduction in fireworks, a complete closure of an area, if spinball goes they can't put another coaster in its place, and they can't play the 'don't look down' audio on oblivion.

This is a regular issue in cities, new houses /flats seek planning permission, local business complains as it could effect their business (loud businesses, clubs/bars ect), planning permission given, new residents move in, complain about existing business, existing business forced to close or make major changes to how it operates.

 

[IanSR]

The village also probably appreciate Thorpe is a huge employer for their wayward teens during the summer months, keeping them off the streets and out of trouble / the delivery suite.

Miserable old farts living in assisted accommodation won't care so much, they're at the end of their time and are long past caring about how their demands affect other people and as you say, even more so when it's their kids that have packed them off there to get rid of them rather than help themselves.

They built an old folks home like this on Wray Common over the way and within a few months of it opening the residents and their families were complaining about the noise from the school it backs onto, so much so that the school had to spend millions they didn't have installing sound proofing fencing so they didn't upset the old farts too much. I'd have personally told them to go screw themselves, but that's just me.

The NIMBY's can go do one as far as I care.

 

[imanautie]

The village also probably appreciate Thorpe is a huge employer for their wayward teens during the summer months, keeping them off the streets and out of trouble / the delivery suite.

Miserable old farts living in assisted accommodation won't care so much, they're at the end of their time and are long past caring about how their demands affect other people and as you say, even more so when it's their kids that have packed them off there to get rid of them rather than help themselves.

They built an old folks home like this on Wray Common over the way and within a few months of it opening the residents and their families were complaining about the noise from the school it backs onto, so much so that the school had to spend millions they didn't have installing sound proofing fencing so they didn't upset the old farts too much. I'd have personally told them to go screw themselves, but that's just me.

The NIMBY's can go do one as far as I care.

Saying "Go screw yourself" is codeword for please sue me and take all my money....

Sent from my Swift 2 X using Tapatalk

 

[IanSR]

LOL not in the real world it isn't, only the fantasy liberal infested one it is.

 

[AT86]

Step aside Angry Birds, I’m A Celeb, Walking Dead and Love Island. Thorpe Park’s latest cheap and desperate attempt at being relevant is here...



EDIT: reading the replies on their twitter it’s full of people thinking it’s a hyper coaster announcement, quickly followed by them being very disappointed when they figure it’s a computer game. Brilliant. Well done Thorpe.

 

[IanSR]

To be fair it's not Thorpe's fault some people are so desperate to see hidden clues everywhere they err, see hidden clues everywhere.