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Thorpe Park: General Discussion

I think Thorpe does have a number of issues that can't be resolved by a new coaster - but I do think the case for providing something new of note is strong. You can do both(!).

I am a little perplexed by the 'but new rides don't increase attendance' argument, even if that's true, you do need to introduce new experiences to maintain attendance and to remain relevant. If you didn't, some parks wouldn't add anything, not least because there is a ceiling that you will eventually hit with attendance.

I think it's true that Thorpe has struggled a little in terms of nailing down the demographic that they're trying to attract, but I think the demographic that they are trying to attract is fickle and not as interested in theme parks as they once were. When Tussauds bought the park and set this course, we were at the tail end of the buzz that started in 1994, before iPhones, before social media, before gaming became a full-time hobby, etc. The game has changed, but the tactics employed arguably didn't change quick enough and they have had to play around. The introduction of some of the smaller rides felt like a low-cost way to test the market - sometimes you have to roll the dice.

I am not sure a large ride is going to change that in any meaningful way, but that's not to suggest that there isn't large number of guests to attract and money to be made. It certainly feels like Thorpe is somewhere down the bottom of the list of performers in RTP, but something has to be.

I don't buy that they're going to sell it, either. That just seems like strategic insanity.
 
AstroDan said:
Thorpe have problems far deeper than any coaster can solve.

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What do you mean, out of interest?

I get that a coaster wouldn’t transform the park overnight, but surely it would have a pretty big impact if it were successful? For instance, I’d say that Wicker Man had a pretty tangible positive impact on Alton Towers after the rough patch of 2015-2017, so I’d argue that a new ride for Thorpe could have the same impact.

This has the potential to solve many issues indirectly; for instance, I’d argue that Wicker Man did help to reignite the park’s momentum post-Smiler, and it also resulted in further rejuvenation of other areas too.
 
Matt N said:
What do you mean, out of interest?

I get that a coaster wouldn’t transform the park overnight, but surely it would have a pretty big impact if it were successful? For instance, I’d say that Wicker Man had a pretty tangible positive impact on Alton Towers after the rough patch of 2015-2017, so I’d argue that a new ride for Thorpe could have the same impact.

This has the potential to solve many issues indirectly; for instance, I’d argue that Wicker Man did help to reignite the park’s momentum post-Smiler, and it also resulted in further rejuvenation of other areas too.
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Alton Towers is incomparable.

Thorpe has a confused target market, questionable reputation caused by years of below par operations linked to high fastrack quotas, poor maintenance (which has improved lately), poor choices in new additions, getting through directors far too quickly.

Issues have been entrenched over 15 years

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Thorpe Park- an Island like no other.

Issues that a new coaster will not solve

The size of the park overall is very small for the number of people through the gates. This naturally leads to over crowding of paths/ areas which the park infrastructure/ layout struggles with.

the park has developed so much in the past 20 years that honestly it doesn't know who it is anymore. There are no defined areas for theme/ boarders just rushed projects with poor finishes, inadequate hardware, Tussauds started well with Amity/ Lost City areas then, hell broke loose with the rapid growth of the park to be able to accommodate the sheer number of guests it attracted. But also failed to anticipate the basics of theme parks, the attraction mix, the people movers, the reliability/durability of what they were installing.


To the point we now have a park that fails to have the bread and butter that makes a theme park a great day out.

We constantly hear how few attractions people manage on peak days, lack of decent food options, lack of value, lack of open attractions.

This all stems on cuts at the bottom line during planning or not thinking things through to long term impact years ago.

The crux of the issue nowadays in merlin isnt justifying investment that doesn't directly pay for itself ( typically known as return on investment)

Every £1 the park spends should generate direct increased income.

There are so many things Thorpe needs todo that no few will fix day to day problems. You can’t throw a coaster in to fix things which are non ride related



To achieve what is needed will take years, hut here are some thoughts

-Thorpe needs some rides designed around practicality and capacity. Dark ride omnimover where DBGT site or lower dome ( offices canteen relocated to central area)
Island linked to swarm island by stealth/ behind rumba.

-Remove and replace the troublesome rides systematically.

-Rework the park back into distinct areas , the front half of park needs paths re routing/ widening for peak times,

-Repave tarmac areas etc, the park should scream escapism not fundair, its the detail that counts
 
But who's to say that Thorpe couldn't make a new coaster be a roaring success in spite of these things? And that this success couldn't trickle down and eventually solve some of the other issues (for instance, a successful investment may show them the right demographic to target and path to go down, thus solving the issue of a confused demographic to an extent)?

I might be wrong here, and please tell me if I am as I sincerely apologise if I am, but I reckon the right coaster could solve a number of the issues outlined above:
  • Poor investments: If a well-received coaster was built, then I think that would undo some of the perceived wrongs of the last decade or so to an extent. As I believe someone said further back in this conversation, building a genuinely eye-catching and crowd-pleasing ride could do the park a world of good and keep people returning to Thorpe for years to come. For instance, I know that many examples such as Taron at Phantasialand and even Wicker Man a little closer to home have often been cited as attractions that have really captivated the crowds and kept them coming back for more. Who's to say that the right ride couldn't spark interest in Thorpe again in the same fashion?
  • Rides designed around practicality and capacity: Some coasters can be real workhorses. If the ride did end up being a B&M hyper as rumoured, then I think that would certainly go some way towards aiding the park capacity-wise. I know that one ride wouldn't usually make or break a park's ability to deal with crowds, but I certainly think a B&M hyper, or another similarly practical, high capacity ride type, would make things a fair amount better, especially while it's "the big new thing" (a new, high capacity ride to absorb crowds would in theory lower queues on the older attractions). I've heard things said in the past like "Alton would fall apart without Nemesis" or "a Vekoma Mine Train would single-handedly solve Chessington's capacity problems", so why couldn't Thorpe building their own throughput workhorse solve their capacity problems in the same vein?
  • Confused target market: Now I'm not saying that one new installation alone would solve all of Thorpe's identity issues, but I think it could certainly help them to forge the right path. A big success of an installation could really give them the ego boost they need to assertively pursue a given market, and that would surely lead to a more clear brand image and a more precise idea of exactly what the park is. Also, if the ride was something really marketable and popular (for instance, "the UK's tallest coaster"), then I do think that the ride on its own could give Thorpe a true icon that it currently lacks. Heck, I'd argue that a truly popular icon of a ride could go some way towards forging a new brand image for the park on its own, because it would quite literally define Thorpe Park and become something that people know, love and heavily associate with the park!
Now I'm not going to pretend that a new coaster would instantaneously solve all of Thorpe Park's problems, because I don't think that's the case. This will be a longer term process taking many years. However, I certainly think it would have the potential to lay a fair amount of groundwork for this process; there are many ways that such a ride could set the wheels in motion to push the park onto the right track.

There have been many examples, both in the UK and worldwide, where one successful installation has had an incredibly drastic impact on a park, even when the park is already fairly "developed" so to speak. Why couldn't the right ride do that for Thorpe?
 
Rick said:
Thorpe has struggled a little in terms of nailing down the demographic that they're trying to attract, but I think the demographic that they are trying to attract is fickle and not as interested in theme parks as they once were.
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I think this is a very good point that is sadly true.

I wonder if it’s still “cool” to go to Thorpe park now adays?
(Christ I’m getting old.)
Don’t forget that many of the rides were built before some of their target market were born - so it’s not exactly something to talk about at school is it?

They totally blew it by targeting such a niche, and frankly broke, corner of the market.

I do think that a new coaster with a good surrounding area can help though. No single ride will fix everything, but it’s something that will help the reputation and get people talking about Thorpe Park again.
 
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I don’t think it helps that the whole of Thorpes management and marketing team seen to change every season. Which is why we end up with this random change in direction every year. We have themed areas, they go, they return, now they’ve gone.

The change the entrance area and dome every few years depending what the current manager wants.

They seem to invest in places they don’t need investing and then ignore other areas.

Unfortunately the park is just a bit of a confusing mess, it doesn’t really know what it wants to be and has no real direction.
 
Whilst I agree that a new coaster won't solve their long standing problems (poor operations, food, entertainment etc) I can't help but be excited if it is indeed a B&M hyper. Undoubtedly will be the best coaster in the park and probably country too. That's a huge for the UK park scene.

I would like them to then address the other issues soon after. Ride reliability needs to be better when you really only have one demographic that you're attracting.

Fingers crossed this goes ahead.
 
Benjsh said:
Whilst I agree that a new coaster won't solve their long standing problems (poor operations, food, entertainment etc) I can't help but be excited if it is indeed a B&M hyper. Undoubtedly will be the best coaster in the park and probably country too. That's a huge for the UK park scene.

I would like them to then address the other issues soon after. Ride reliability needs to be better when you really only have one demographic that you're attracting.

Fingers crossed this goes ahead.
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I agree but IF AT do get a valley crossing hyper this will just seem - average
 
The only thing a new coaster could solve is a lack of rides for "middle" age kids at the 1.2m restriction level although removing walking dead and bring back X would also help with this.
I don't think Thorpe need to add rides for those under 1m (and I don't think they should have added the second hand rocker and hopper, those rides don't really help). But they really need to ensure they have a decent range for those over 1m so all families of older children and teenagers can go. A dark ride is also very much required.
 
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Just out of interest, does anyone think the fabled Thorpe RMC is at all likely to happen?
People have been going on about it for years, and it would certainly bring something entirely different to the UK.
Discussion seems to be leaning more towards a B&M now adays.

For the record I'd prefer to see a B&M Hyper at Thorpe - it'd be high capacity, reliable, easily marketable if they go for height, and still offer something different.
 
Jb85 said:
I agree but IF AT do get a valley crossing hyper this will just seem - average
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More chance of pigs flying than that happening though. The next big coaster at Towers will surely go on the air car park or at worst go into the place of a ride that's removed.

The cross valley thing would be a logistical nightmare.
 
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