Thorpe Park: General Discussion

[jon81uk]

What would you say are the worst mistakes I made in terms of limiting my ride count?

arriving at 12noon.

 

[Burbs]

Admittedly, on the 8pm close at Thorpe, we arrived late in the afternoon and left at about 5:30pm, but I wouldn’t think that a couple of hours would make much difference, surely?

If you arrived in the afternoon (1pm ish?) and left at 5.30pm, that gives you 4.5 hours on park out of a total 10 hours that were available to you that day. If you want to start upping your ride counts, you need to start arriving at and leaving parks at more sensible hours, although this is a conversation for the other thread.

 

[Galaxy]

In my experience, if you arrive early and you're inside the park (through security etc.) when the park opens, you can nearly always do at least 2 or even 3 if you're lucky of the major rollercoasters within the first hour even on a busy day.

 

[Matt N]

In my experience, if you arrive early and you're inside the park (through security etc.) when the park opens, you can nearly always do at least 2 or even 3 if you're lucky of the major rollercoasters within the first hour even on a busy day.

We did that on our last visit (arrived at around 9:15am, and got into the park by 9:30am), and still managed to have our first queue be a 40 minute one for Saw. Is Saw just not a very good queue to join first thing or something?

I did notice that they hold you at the very top of the park until 10am comes, which kind of renders arriving early a little useless compared to if they let you get into your first ride queue early like they do at Towers. My parents certainly vowed never to arrive early again after that experience…

 

[jon81uk]

I did notice that they hold you at the very top of the park until 10am comes, which kind of renders arriving early a little useless compared to if they let you get into your first ride queue early like they do at Towers. My parents certainly vowed never to arrive early again after that experience…

But arriving later so you are at the back of that group will obviously put you at a disadvantage.
Swarm is closest to the entrance so definitly not the best first coaster and I think Saw has some of the crowd go straight there too, Stealth or Inferno would probably be better bets to start with.

Don't forget when there was ERT Alton Towers used to hold people at the bottom of Towers St too, only allowing those entitled to ERT to go further.

 

[Matt N]

But arriving later so you are at the back of that group will obviously put you at a disadvantage.
Swarm is closest to the entrance so definitly not the best first coaster and I think Saw has some of the crowd go straight there too, Stealth or Inferno would probably be better bets to start with.

Don't forget when there was ERT Alton Towers used to hold people at the bottom of Towers St too, only allowing those entitled to ERT to go further.

So are you suggesting I should try and get to Thorpe even earlier than 9:15am, and try to go to Stealth or Inferno first as opposed to Swarm or Saw?

I was trying to explain to my parents how waiting in the park earlier was more beneficial than waiting outside in security later, but they seemed very confused, and I’ll admit that’s probably because I was struggling to justify it to them. My dad said “we’re still waiting, so it makes no difference. I think we’re better off arriving later and waiting in the nice, managed security queue as opposed to the rabble at the start of the day”.

 

[Galaxy]

I must admit I'm a bit surprised that you waited 40 minutes even for Saw after being in the park at 9:30 (and presumably you would've been towards the front of the pack arriving at that time?), was it a really busy day?

I'd agree that Inferno and Stealth, in that order, are the best two to aim for if you're wanting to maximise your ride count for the first hour though.

I think we’re better off arriving later and waiting in the nice, managed security queue as opposed to the rabble at the start of the day”.

To be fair I can understand that logic, especially during covid!

 

[jon81uk]

So are you suggesting I should try and get to Thorpe even earlier than 9:15am, and try to go to Stealth or Inferno first as opposed to Swarm or Saw?

I was trying to explain to my parents how waiting in the park earlier was more beneficial than waiting outside in security later, but they seemed very confused, and I’ll admit that’s probably because I was struggling to justify it to them. My dad said “we’re still waiting, so it makes no difference. I think we’re better off arriving later and waiting in the nice, managed security queue as opposed to the rabble at the start of the day”.

I think of it as every person in front of you is in front of you.

I haven't been in years and my last trip was a September weekday so quite quiet, but I expect arriving 9.15 isn't too bad.
But probably the way to explain it would be if you are in the dome and can't move forward due to other people, they will all be ahead of you in queues for rides. If you are at the front of the dome ready to go out then there won't be as many people already in front of you.

 

[Plastic Person]

To be honest, @Matt N, I think your ride counts will likely improve radically as soon as you're able to visit parks without your parents in tow.

 

[Matt N]

Thinking about it, I did Inferno first, then Stealth, then Swarm, then Saw on my 2020 visit, and we got 4 of the big 5 coasters done by 12pm, so maybe I just made an error in going to Saw first on the recent trip?

That day, I got 8 rides done, with us being in the park from opening time until about 3pm!

I must admit I'm a bit surprised that you waited 40 minutes even for Saw after being in the park at 9:30 (and presumably you would've been towards the front of the pack arriving at that time?), was it a really busy day?

It was an odd day, in that the queues were pretty long, but the park didn’t feel overly busy when we were walking around it. Operations were very good, too, so I’m slightly flummoxed as to how some queues were so long!

To be honest, @Matt N, I think your ride counts will likely improve radically as soon as you're able to visit parks without your parents in tow.

To be honest, I think this may end up being true. My mum & dad understandably don’t like doing full park days (I get the impression that it tires them out a bit), and don’t have quite the same urge to endlessly reride things as I might do, so we often end up leaving earlier than I would if I were left to my own devices.

I’m not complaining, however; I’m very grateful that my parents even take me to parks in the first place!

 

[D4n]

Wow, that’s one heck of a ride count!

Also, are you a Saw fan @D4n? I can’t imagine the headache I’d have after 9 Saw rides in 1 day, personally…

Not especially. It rained heavily for an hour and a half and Saw provides the most shelter. Especially when not having to leave the station to re-ride.

I have come to the conclusion that, counter-intuitively, the back row edge seats are the smoothest, as my only two decent rides came when seated there. Front centre unbearable.

 

[spinba11]

During FN in 2018 I managed over 100 rides, it was a Thursday and the park was quiet all day.

 

[Matt N]

On a random note; for anyone who visited, what was Thorpe like prior to Tussauds’ acquisition of it? (i.e. under RMC/Leisure Sport, the original owners who owned it from its opening in 1979 through until 1998)

From reading Making Thorpe Park, I get the impression that it was far more family/child-orientated than it is now, with very little for thrill seekers (which I imagine made the transition to thrills in the 2000s somewhat jarring), and had more of an emphasis on milder themed experiences and shows.

However, I’d be really intrigued to hear some first hand accounts. Was the RMC era a good one, in your view?

 

[jon81uk]

(which I imagine made the transition to thrills in the 2000s somewhat jarring)

I never visited prior to the Tussauds take over. But Tussauds wanted the guests looking for the milder rides to go to Chessington instead. After the fire in the main dark rides it cemented the direction the park was going in. Family day out was Chessington, thrill day out was Thorpe.

 

[JAperson]

I never visited prior to the Tussauds take over. But Tussauds wanted the guests looking for the milder rides to go to Chessington instead. After the fire in the main dark rides it cemented the direction the park was going in. Family day out was Chessington, thrill day out was Thorpe.

Personally, I think this is the main issue with the Thorpe Chessington divide is that people want both family and thrill in one day so that everyone can go at once and people can go on both depending on there age and fear levels. Perhaps this is what Merlin is trying to fix with the new coaster at Chessington but I do wonder what they may have in store for Thorpe. I do think the divide can work however it needs to be less clear cut than it is now particularly with Thorpe.

 

[Matt N]

Maybe Merlin might bring a few milder rides into Thorpe, to even out the balance somewhat?

 

[Ian]

They tried this a few years ago when they first launched the rebrand. There was a bigger push on showing families and some of the less thrill-oriented attractions across much of the marketing material. Think some smaller attractions were also bought in if memory serves me correctly.

However, as seems to case with Thorpe, they seemingly got bored of it. No long term vision or strategy. Just a quick flash in the pan.

 

[JAperson]

Maybe Merlin might bring a few milder rides into Thorpe, to even out the balance somewhat?

Thorpe need to do this! But they also need to appeal to the thrill market that they are associated with. Something they also havn't been doing. They need a new thrill coaster maybe with a slightly lower height restriction. Something for the older families.

However, as seems to case with Thorpe, they seemingly got bored of it. No long term vision or strategy. Just a quick flash in the pan

This is the big issue. I heard somewhere that Thorpe had gone through a lot of directors under public Merlin. I hope private Merlin really do realise that Thorpe can be the thrill and older families park. They just need perseverance and a long term vision. I think a small thrill coaster marketed very well as being suitable for the younger teenagers and the older ones as well and some smaller family rides would do the trick. Could be done in a few years with some clever marketing.

 

[Benzin]

On a random note; for anyone who visited, what was Thorpe like prior to Tussauds’ acquisition of it? (i.e. under RMC/Leisure Sport, the original owners who owned it from its opening in 1979 through until 1998)

From reading Making Thorpe Park, I get the impression that it was far more family/child-orientated than it is now, with very little for thrill seekers (which I imagine made the transition to thrills in the 2000s somewhat jarring), and had more of an emphasis on milder themed experiences and shows.

However, I’d be really intrigued to hear some first hand accounts. Was the RMC era a good one, in your view?

Given that the majority here would've either been kids or rarely visited the park in those days it's hard to tell what it was like.

I mean the main difference is probably that it understood is was a regional park and there were a number of rides. But when the biggest thing for years was Loggers Leap (then NWO but even back then it was a confusing mess according to those who rode it, just with more effects) it was a clear family destination. Though it did have Calgary Stampede as a supporting thrill ride.

Plus add in the farm and the waterboats and it had a pleasant atmosphere around it. Sunken Garden and Model World were cute. Tropical Travels pre fire had a substantial indoor section as well.

Certainly a fair cry from today's mess. Whilst there's been clear improvement in the park its not always been the right choices.

 

[Matt N]

I’m actually re-reading Making Thorpe Park at the moment (as an aside, it’s a brilliant read if you’re even remotely interested in Thorpe Park), and last night I read the chapter about 2003 & Nemesis Inferno’s development, as well as the chapter about 2002 & Colossus’ development. There’s some interesting things regarding the rides’ development that I thought you guys might be interested to hear:
Colossus

• Numerous manufacturers pitched ideas for the ride, including B&M and Pinfari.
• Other pondered names for the ride included Helix, which referenced the plethora of heartline rolls, and Atlantis, which referenced the lost city theme.
• Colossus’ train design is apparently unique to Colossus; I thought that all of the Intamin multi-loopers from that era had the same trains as Colossus, but apparently the ones on Monte Makaya are/were different, and less restrictive. I wonder why the park went for the train design they did on Colossus?

Nemesis Inferno

• Management originally wanted the ride to be a B&M stand-up coaster, to offer something different. However, the idea was scrapped after the creative team rode some stand-up coasters and didn’t particularly rate them.
  
• As much as the decision to call the ride Nemesis Inferno is/was strongly maligned, it could have infuriated enthusiasts even more had John Wardley not objected to the original plan. Management originally wanted to flat out copy Alton Towers, and call the ride Nemesis, but John Wardley was “absolutely horrified” and asked them to reconsider. As such, Nemesis Inferno was chosen as a compromise between John Wardley and marketing.