Thorpe Park: General Discussion

[Quetzal]

Re: Thorpe Park

I don't see where the confidence that this is happening comes from?

It started off as a fan rumour, and spread from there. It seems to me very likely that the park have picked up on this, and are teasing fans. Reversing the back rows would be a very costly process, I imagine they'd need new cars for the back rows? The queueing for the ride is already a mess, having a backwards queue would bugger the whole thing up completely. I really can't see any sane company deciding reversing the rows would be a good option.

All of the clues could hint to a Swarm related add-on ride too, just because the clue spells out Backwards, doesn't actually mean that something is going backwards. We could be reading far much into this. They could all apply to a X re-theme too.

If it is reversing the back rows on the Swarm I really do worry for the future of the park. Decisions that would have come from higher up in the Merlin group have been really good, but the decisions the park have been making themselves haven't been quite so great. Thorpe's very much a park which every once in a while seems to have such a promising future, but at other times it seems like such a poorly run place.

 

[Rob]

Re: Thorpe Park

You know Thorpe's doing badly when they resort to this stupid idea. Whoever has had the idea to turn the rear two rows on The Swarm backwards really needs their brain checking to be honest!! It's just a bad idea for every reason imaginable. If The Swarm had been so successful there's no way this would be happening so it obviously hasn't been. I'm also very surprised that B&M have agreed to it.

 

[TheMan]

Re: Thorpe Park

You know Thorpe's doing badly when they resort to this stupid idea. Whoever has had the idea to turn the rear two rows on The Swarm backwards really needs their brain checking to be honest!! It's just a bad idea for every reason imaginable. If The Swarm had been so successful there's no way this would be happening so it obviously hasn't been. I'm also very surprised that B&M have agreed to it.

It would however, provide a bit more information as to how a 4D version may be received. Taking their wing rider, and altering the direction it rides.

I don't think it will look right aesthetically at all, however, the ride may surprise a few, you'll hit that first drop looking backwards upside down, then into looking upwards and out of the park being pulled through that roll.

It could actually be quite sensational.

 

[Adam James]

Re: Thorpe Park

Don't know if i'm looking between the words too much, but going off THORPE PARK's latest clue which was posted on the last page.

Beware a catastrophic killer which attacks rebels defying submission.

I've no idea how they'd market the back row of the Swarm, a year after it opened. It's more than likely an X://NWO retheme will be the outcome of this especially with The Crash Pad being this year's main investment.

 

[Dave]

Re: Thorpe Park

They are hoping for the second season effect (Towers had a better season the year after Air opened than the year it opened). Unfortunately 2011 proved the theory doesn't always work and I can see Swarm Backwards taking the marketing push for this year.

 

[thefatone]

Re: Thorpe Park

Thorpe always takes the pathetic way to market their coaster for the second year.

Stealth - goes quicker now. Saw - Now scarier than ever. Swarm - we've ruined it.

 

[GAGrathea]

Re: Thorpe Park

Don't know if i'm looking between the words too much, but going off THORPE PARK's latest clue which was posted on the last page.

Beware a catastrophic killer which attacks rebels defying submission.

I didn't even notice that but for me that's just even more conclusive proof, and a little ham-fisted if I may say so!

 

[BigAl]

Re: Thorpe Park

This should give anyone that's not too familiar with the Thorpe an idea of the area of land that I was on about earlier that could be used for low and medium year investments:

I'd start off by making use of the separate area that's closest to Rush, Vortex and Zodia.


There are a few rides that I can think of that aren't at Thorpe that could work well there. I'd be looking for rides that stand out from everything else there (and possibly everything in the UK) which can offer an experience unlike anything they currently have. The flat rides that I'd consider would be...


The smaller Mondial Windseeker:
Mondial are making the Fun Spot park in Orlando a smaller version which will stand at 220ft. I'm sure they could go down to the 200ft mark just for Thorpe so that Stealth is still the tallest ride, as it finishes off Thorpe's skyline quite nicely.

The Windseeker isn't the most thrilling of rides for the supposed "Thrill Capital", but not every ride needs to. Anyway, the height alone would be enough for many people! They also offer a decent hourly throughput too, though I'm not sure how much less the smaller version offers.

Huss Jump 2:
Besides offering what looks like a fantastic ride experience, the Huss Jump 2 also packs quite a visual punch thanks to their height, large arms which support rotating gondolas and the speed at which they rise up and down. They can get through as many as 850 riders per hour which is decent for a flat.

Here's some concept art from Huss to show off just how great these things can
look...

And finally a video of one in action...
Sledge Hammer off-ride HD Canada's Wonderland

If what I've heard about Huss not doing great is true, I'm sure they'd 'jump' at the chance to sort something out for Thorpe!



Gerstlauer Sky Roller:
I've already suggested the Sky Roller, and as much as I think one might do more good at somewhere like Chessington, I can see one working at Thorpe Park too. The 30 seater can get through as many as 720 riders per hour and can be easily themed too. What I like about them is the fact that they can appeal to all sorts of guests as people after an insane ride can invert many, many times, whilst people after a calmer experience can simply glide around gently.

Gerstlauer's site has concept art of their Sky Roller in varying themes to view, but something along the lines of this...

...could work as an extension of the Swarm's theme. It could be some kind of army vehicle mounting an offensive against the invading alien... machine... things... and the seats could be smaller drone versions of the Swarm... creature... robots!

Here's a Sky Roller, for anyone that hasn't seen one going...
Götterflug (Flight of the Gods) Sky Roller off-ride HD Belantis Theme Park, Germany



Anything else that could / could have worked?

 

[Sam]

Re: Thorpe Park

Surprised so many people are against the backwards Swarm idea. It'd be a real and actually quite substantial first for the industry, the first backwards B&M. For almost nothing, it'll give us a reasonably new ride experience. Isn't that what we want, as enthusiasts? Aren't we supposed to be interested in innovation and new ideas?

Anyway it's a pretty mediocre ride as it is, they're hardly butchering a classic.

Sent from my HTC One V using Tapatalk 2

 

[thefatone]

Re: Thorpe Park

I think it's that thorpe, for the first time in its bloody history, has created a coaster which is decent (for them), themed it well, made it an immersive experience, made it stand out so it's so incredibly impressive compared to the rest of the park.. then maybe decided to have done a thorpe on it for the sake of nothing.

Plus the back row is one of the best seats. It's a classic ride. Some people may bleh it like Air, but compared to everything else at thorpe its definitely one of the best experiences there.

As for the beach, interesting really what would go there. I imagine the beach and depth charge would eventually go, as they're rather outdated and need replacing and refreshing the park imagine. But thorpe would then lack family attractions, which judging by hearsay and the fact one of reasons X is having individual lapbars is to reduce height restrictions, may be going against what they're starting to look towards - catering once again for families.

 

[Benzin]

Re: Thorpe Park

Swarm backwards is simply a decision based upon Thorpe not having a good year it would seem to me...

"Oh our new roller coaster didn't bring in the punters, regardless of the fact that we do nothing to entice returners and the recession, and the numerous events in London this year, and the lack of disposable income our target market brings to the table, so we better change it somehow to bring them in and sell more Fastrack to make up for it"

As I said before, this is Six Flags level of investment, a cheap and relatively pathetic addition in a last ditch attempt to drum up interest... But they do it on older rides that NEED to be revamped (indeed, they took the chance to improve Superman Escape at the time), Thorpe are doing it in a knee jerk reaction...

The park could do so, so much more to improve itself... Indeed, the rides bring in the people, but it's the overall experience that brings them back... Thorpe fail at the second point...

 

[BigAl]

Re: Thorpe Park

Well anyway, is Swarm backwards a separate credit to Swarm forwards?

 

[AstroDan]

Re: Thorpe Park

Old rides that need a revamp - go for it.

New rides? Hmm.

According to Stu this was planned from the start. Anyone know more?

Going backwards through inversions can make me dizzy

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

 

[thefatone]

Re: Thorpe Park

If it was planned from the start, where was the design space to cater for it?

Surely, it'd be in part of the station layout if they did always decide to do this.

Logistally, it won't work.

 

[Sam]

Re: Thorpe Park

I find it BAFFLING that people are moaning about this. We're rollercoaster enthusiasts! They're turning some seats around on a massive coaster to go backwards?! Awesome!

When did we all become so cynical?

I for one, think this is pretty damn cool. It'll be a new rollercoaster experience that I've never had before, which I always seek out, and it'll be a significant first internally in the industry (the first backwards ride after 20 years from the world's foremost rollercoaster manufacturer). Going through that first element backwards could me mindblowing!

 

[BigAl]

Re: Thorpe Park

If it's true that Merlin are attempting to bring families back to Thorpe, there's quite a bit that needs doing to the place to make them want to give the place a go again.

To start with, bringing back the Canada Creek Railway would have been a start. If everything is still there, it wouldn't have been too difficult to refresh the trains, station and then list it as a new attraction.

Logger's Leap sounds like it could do with some attention if they've had to remove the tunnel from it due to rot. A refreshed Log Flume and something like a large custom Vekoma Mine Train that interacts with Canada Creek and Logger's Leap at some point could really help to turn that part of the park around.

Another thing they could do is bring back something in the place of Miss Hippo's Fungle Safari. From Google Maps it looks like everything is still there (or at least the space it occupied is) so a new tracked outdoor family ride might help matters.

If it's possible, something like a large Splash Battle *shudder* or a Mack Tow-Boat ride based in the lake at the centre of Rumba Rapids could be something to consider. It could bring with it a retheme for Rumba Rapids into some kind of tropical jungle area?

Whatever the 4D cinema is now, it either needs a new film and some theming to make it more popular again, or it needs replacing with a ride such as a Vekoma/Mack Madhouse. It could even be incorporated into the Calamity Cove area by being some kind of shelter for residents that gets struck by a powerful storm.

Turning X into a dark ride similar to Duel and Tomb Blaster makes even more sense now as they are the sorts of attractions that appeal to all ages. They could extend the building like I suggested a few pages back and do something really spectacular with that space!

The beach area I already mentioned has enough space for many new attractions, so besides the addition of at least one new white knuckle flat, the larger area could be used to create a new themed area for families. Relocating Flying Fish to another park or selling it would give them even more space to play with. Tussauds/Merlin have wanted to explore a steampunk theme for a good few years but have never actually gone and used any of their ideas, so perhaps creating some kind of port that's themed to old fashioned technology powering bizarre expeditions and experiments could work? They could have a retro-futuristic rocket themed Mack Youngstar coaster, a Zamperla Samba Balloon flat ride, bring 'Storm in a Teacup' over and turn it into some kind of weird contraption that powers all of the vehicles and machines in the area (that would then free more space next to Stealth for a new white knuckle flat ride at some point as well), etc... There's just so much that can be done if a park used a steampunk theme to work from!

Finally, the major 2015 coaster (which may have been moved back to 2016 now) could be some kind of airtime-filled B&M/Intamin mega/hyper coaster along that long stretch of land behind Canada Creek, Nemesis Inferno and Rumba Rapids and the island next to the Swarm that was going to be used can instead be saved for another family area.

 

[Rob]

Re: Thorpe Park

I find it BAFFLING that people are moaning about this. We're rollercoaster enthusiasts! They're turning some seats around on a massive coaster to go backwards?! Awesome!

When did we all become so cynical?

I for one, think this is pretty damn cool. It'll be a new rollercoaster experience that I've never had before, which I always seek out, and it'll be a significant first internally in the industry (the first backwards ride after 20 years from the world's foremost rollercoaster manufacturer). Going through that first element backwards could me mindblowing!

I do see where you're coming from, and I suppose it is good to see innovation in the industry; especially from B&M as I don't think many would ever expect them to do something like this. And I will agree that the drop backwards could be good as long as the restrains don't get too tight. It's just once the drop is over I think going backwards will be a poor experience making a lot feel rather sick. It doesn't appeal to me at all. Also it makes all the head choppers, a big part of this coaster type, pointless as you won't see them coming towards you. It just sounds like a gimmick that they're doing because Merlin have only given them a limited 2013 budget. I'll probably give it a go, but I can't imagine that I'll enjoy it.

Going back to what BigAl posted on the previous page in regards to potential new rides. They need to get a Huss Jump2, they look awesome! I've wanted to go on one for a while; I've always thought since the creation of Dark Forest at Towers that one would be perfect there themed as some crazy tree throwing you around, it's just a shame that they are too tall for Towers really.

 

[AstroDan]

Re: Thorpe Park

I thought I would give more of a full assessment of my feelings, which are both positive and negative, towards this 'rumour':

Positive:
+ It will give the park are relatively low cost (vs. an entirely new attraction) and marketable product.
+ It will allow the park to add additional fastrack options (presumably with an extra price for backwards)
+ It is unique, in so much that it has not been done on a B&M before (although see negatives for the flip side)

Negative
- It is disappointing that the ride as it was launched is apparantly inadequate for the parks needs, hence the requirement to change it just 1 year into its life.
- It will cause chaos in the station and queue arrangements. It doesn't seem to have been designed for this?
- Whilst it is a unique design change from B&M, backwards rollercoasters have never been particularly popular and Thorpe Park's own X:/NWO has caused no end of problems for guests.
- The days of Thorpe Park investing in actual physical new rides in their smaller years seem to be over. We now see things like this, Storm Surge, Saw Alive and Flying Fish rather than Rush, Slammer or Detonator.
- The back row was the best on the ride as it was.
- The park appear obsessed with relaunching new coasters 1 year after they open: Stealth 1.1, Saw 'more scary', and now this.
- Could money be invested elsewhere in the park? For example, Six Flags rework attractions that are tired - Swarm is anything but tired, so couldn't they do something elsewhere?

I almost feel ridiculous even posting about it, as I would have thought the whole idea is totally far-fetched. But knowing Thorpe Park, anything seems to be plausible. I hope it's complete and utter rumours.

 

[Alexsutton]

Re: Thorpe Park

As much as it sounds pretty awful, I don't think the queueing would be an issue. Just change the front row queue for the back row? Unlike other rides it doesn't actually connect directly to the front row, they use that odd pass system. Granted, you'd lose the front row queue but the front row isn't separately marketable.

 

[John]

Re: Thorpe Park

There's probably space at the back of the far station for a dedicated queue line and they could make space on the near-side by shortening the main queue on that side. The queue would then work in a similar way to Apocalypse where if you want to ride the new experience you have to get to the front of the queue and then queue again, a set up that will work providing the new experience is popular enough to have a longer queue than the standard experience.

I think they should also forget about the front row queue and let people wait for whatever row they want to - it could hardly be any worse as a free-for-all.