Thorpe Park: General Discussion

[RicketyCricket]

I don't rate Swarm, but backwards was brilliant. No idea why they changed it back.

 

[Matt.GC]

First drop on Swarm backwards is excellent

 

[DiogoJ42]

Funny, at the time the general concensus was that backwards ruined the whole point of a winged coaster designed around near misses with scenery...

 

[Prophecy]

Swarm is not going backwards again this season.

That video shown on the screen is from 2014 and has been used by the park since.

 

[Coaster]

Today was very good. All the coasters were running multiple trains, the park was quiet and whilst there were some breakdowns/rides closed, for a preview day it seemed very well organised and everything that was open ran like clockwork. Also it was great that Stealth opened in the afternoon considering the expectation was for it to be closed all day.

I mean sure, I still don't like a lot of what Thorpe is doing, but it's fantastic that they were able to have every coaster open and running more than one train on the first day of being open to guests, and that they limited numbers rather than over-filling the park. Much better than opening to 10,000 people when you're nowhere near ready.

I'm really not a fan of some of the cosmetic changes, the dome looks soulless now compared to how it looked before, the removal of Tidal's bridge is a shame as is Colossus' concrete (though I appreciate the reasons for this).

Only real annoyance from an operations perspective was that Derren Brown's Ghost Train had closed with the shop shutters down by 4:40.

 

[Matt N]

According to TowersTimes Twitter, actors have returned to DBGT and are now let loose around the area whenever the ride breaks down!

 

[AT86]

According to TowersTimes Twitter, actors have returned to DBGT and are now let loose around the area whenever the ride breaks down!

They’ll be busy then.

 

[Stuntman707]

Taken last weekend, Rumba rapids repaint from a few seasons ago is already wrinkled and peeling off. Must be really cheap paint, looks worse and now the job needs doing again instead of doing it right the first time. Much of the recently painted areas are like this too to an extent but not as bad.

 

[siralgenon]

Taken last weekend, Rumba rapids repaint from a few seasons ago is already wrinkled and peeling off. Must be really cheap paint, looks worse and now the job needs doing again instead of doing it right the first time. Much of the recently painted areas are like this too to an extent but not as bad.

I never understood why they repainted it to look so dull in the first place.

 

[Danny]

Matches the tone of the rest of the park I suppose.

 

[AT86]

That photo looks like they are exploring an abandoned theme park. Merlin have no shame.

 

[Stuntman707]

On a positive note, the new coke freestyle RFID cup system has proved to be very popular now you don't need to queue at certain outlets and go straight to the machines around the park. Also there is annual pass discount and +2, +3 multibuy offers. I hope it's rolled out to the other parks.

 

[pluk]

I don't rate Swarm, but backwards was brilliant. No idea why they changed it back.

First drop on Swarm backwards is excellent

Funny, at the time the general concensus was that backwards ruined the whole point of a winged coaster designed around near misses with scenery...

It was kind of interesting to have tried it, but
Swarm backwards was rubbish. The best seats by far are those rear ones and Swarm is much more punchy now than when it opened, but turning them backwards somehow zapped all the life and forcefulness from those positions.

It also made even more of a shambles of the already poorly managed queue.

Good riddance!!

 

[Ted]

Taken last weekend, Rumba rapids repaint from a few seasons ago is already wrinkled and peeling off. Must be really cheap paint, looks worse and now the job needs doing again instead of doing it right the first time. Much of the recently painted areas are like this too to an extent but not as bad.

Six Flags New Orleans looks better than this ffs.

 

[imanautie]

On a positive note, the new coke freestyle RFID cup system has proved to be very popular now you don't need to queue at certain outlets and go straight to the machines around the park. Also there is annual pass discount and +2, +3 multibuy offers. I hope it's rolled out to the other parks.

There was during its first few days a very nice discount. 100% for all due to system issues...

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[Stuntman707]

There was during its first few days a very nice discount. 100% for all due to system issues...

Sent from my Swift 2 Plus using Tapatalk

It does have a few teething issues being technology they've not used before. Hopefully it will get more reliable.

 

[imanautie]

It does have a few teething issues being technology they've not used before. Hopefully it will get more reliable.

Thing is Merlin not having used it before shouldn't play into it, the island was swarming with CCEP staff.

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[Matt N]

It was kind of interesting to have tried it, but
Swarm backwards was rubbish. The best seats by far are those rear ones and Swarm is much more punchy now than when it opened, but turning them backwards somehow zapped all the life and forcefulness from those positions.

It also made even more of a shambles of the already poorly managed queue.

Good riddance!!

As much as I'm sure it was an interesting experience, I'm glad that they turned The Swarm forwards again; I rode in back row in May 2018, and it was one of the best rides I've ever had on it! So fun and smooth, yet so intense!

On a more general note, I absolutely love The Swarm! It's so smooth, fun and intense; there's a good reason why it had a 2-year stint as my #1 coaster and a 4-year stint as my favourite UK coaster! I actually had the ride ranked higher than Nemesis until I had two particularly good rides on Nemesis in August and September 2018, and the two are literally so close that it could slide either way dependant on how my future rides on both coasters are! The fact that Nemesis now ranks higher than The Swarm for me certainly doesn't mean that The Swarm has deteriorated, however; I'd say the coaster has aged extremely well, as the two best rides I've had on The Swarm were my two most recent rides! Criticise my love of The Swarm all you want (everyone's entitled to their own opinion, after all!), but it's definitely my favourite ride at Thorpe, and I just come off it feeling so blown away every time and like I want to just run back round again and again; that is what makes a great coaster for me, and that's why I'd give The Swarm a definite 10/10 if I were to review it!

 

[pluk]

The Swarm a definite 10/10 if I were to review it!

A bit strong I think!

The Swarm is generally under appreciated; it has some great moments, especially the station flyover which does things to me that shouldn't considering the speed and apparent physics of it.

But perfect it ain't; it's hugely short and a bit meandering towards the end. It also looks like a sack of shi...poo now the station is falling apart.

 

[Matt N]

A bit strong I think!

The Swarm is generally under appreciated; it has some great moments, especially the station flyover which does things to me that shouldn't considering the speed and apparent physics of it.

But perfect it ain't; it's hugely short and a bit meandering towards the end. It also looks like a sack of shi...poo now the station is falling apart.

Fair enough; we all like different things! I don't personally think that The Swarm feels too short when you're on it; to me, it feels no shorter than critically acclaimed rides like Nemesis and Wicker Man, and it really packs a punch into its length!

As I love it so much, I generally feel sad seeing it not get much love; most people seem to find it quite mediocre as a ride, but I adore it!