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Thorpe Park: General Discussion

KolonelKlink said:
Nothing to do with the park obviously but when it comes to bad headlines by association, when it rains it pours:

news.sky.com

Three young children missing after day out at Thorpe Park found safe and well

Surrey Police said the three children who were last seen walking towards Staines town centre, away from the theme park, have been found safe.
news.sky.com news.sky.com
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That headline just got push notified to around 13 million devices around the UK alone, courtesy of the BBC News app and their "Breaking News" banner.

It's a crude notification system too, there aren't different levels, it's on or off. There isn't localised targeting, it's everyone.

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Edit: Corrected inflated app install figure.
 
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It’s fantastic news that the children have been found, however it does potentially raise a question though as the girls are aged 14, 9, and 7 but Thorpe Parks’s terms and conditions state the following:

No child or children under the age of 12 will be admitted to the Attraction unless they are accompanied by an adult aged 18 years or over and such child or children whilst on site must remain under the control or supervision of an adult at all times.
 
Shaggy_Dog_ said:
It’s fantastic news that the children have been found, however it does potentially raise a question though as the girls are aged 14, 9, and 7 but Thorpe Parks’s terms and conditions state the following:

No child or children under the age of 12 will be admitted to the Attraction unless they are accompanied by an adult aged 18 years or over and such child or children whilst on site must remain under the control or supervision of an adult at all times.
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Impossible to police the age limits, it’s basically insurance coverage as if anything happens Thorpe can say they will not take responsibility for under 12’s.
 
Dave said:
Impossible to police the age limits, it’s basically insurance coverage as if anything happens Thorpe can say they will not take responsibility for under 12’s.
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In what sense is it impossible to police though? They are well within their rights to ask for ID from the presumed 18+ year old accompanying children, and well within their rights to refuse admission if they believe the group to not be in line with their T&Cs.

My sister-in-law looks about 13, and takes her ID everywhere when out with my niece and nephew for exactly this reason.

It can be done, by eye, at security or the turnstiles, exactly how height checks are identified by eye, and then checked fully. In that case with a ruler, in the case of age, with ID.
 
Ryan said:
In what sense is it impossible to police though? They are well within their rights to ask for ID from the presumed 18+ year old accompanying children, and well within their rights to refuse admission if they believe the group to not be in line with their T&Cs.

My sister-in-law looks about 13, and takes her ID everywhere when out with my niece and nephew for exactly this reason.

It can be done, by eye, at security or the turnstiles, exactly how height checks are identified by eye, and then checked fully. In that case with a ruler, in the case of age, with ID.
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Thorpe park already struggles to get people through the entrance with any speed. There would be a three hour queue to enter if they ID’d or had to confirm accompaniment for all guests suspected of being that age.

It’s purely an insurance thing I suspect.
 
Dave said:
Thorpe park already struggles to get people through the entrance with any speed. There would be a three hour queue to enter if they ID’d or had to confirm accompaniment for all guests suspected of being that age.

It’s purely an insurance thing I suspect.
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Semi ironically, they also do not 'knowingly' allow persons who are subject to a Child Abduction Notice to visit their park either.

Also the terms for photographing and videoing, within the park, are hardly followed (sadly):

You are permitted to take photographs and recordings within the Attraction provided that these are solely for private use and are not sold or used for any commercial or public purpose. By accepting these Entry Conditions, you acknowledge that Merlin may request access to photographs taken and video footage captured by you. If they are deemed to be offensive to or infringe the privacy of other guests and/or staff Merlin will request that they are deleted.

By accepting these Entry Conditions, you agree not to intentionally photograph and/or capture video footage of any individual without that person’s permission and you must adhere to all photography/filming restrictions in place from time to time whilst within the Attraction.

Edit: Included comments about photography / videoing terms.
 
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Matt N said:
According to RideRater, Thorpe Park have partnered with a drone detection firm, Operational Services Limited (OSL), to secure the site against drone activity: https://riderater.co.uk/11972/thorp...9evAylY_f8OboKpedr3OajOW4SQfzIZAexj7uEqyCanOI

It was alleged that drone activity stopped the operation of Hyperia at one point on press day, so I’m not surprised that the park is wanting to clamp down on it.
Click to expand...

Very late on the response to this. But surely it would be better to actually lobby the CAA to make it illegal to fly drones over resort, rather than using some third party company. Stopping people flying drones, specially under 249g over the area, is opening them upto all sorts of litigation and trouble. Especially if they start using forceful tactics, in what is legal air space. Thorpe park don't own the airspace, they have no say in what flys above it.

Rightfully or wrong, oppinions are sort of irrelevant here, as long as proper precautions are taken into consideration, such as drone weight and distances, it is a perfectly legal activity which I am sorry to say, is not in Thorpe Parks remit to decide if people can fly over or not. Hence lobbying the CAA would be a much better approach, than forcefull stopping people carrying out a legal activity.

I am fully of the oppinion they shouldn't be doing it for obvious reasons, but that doesn't mean you can take the law into your own hands and stop people doing what is a legal activity.

Current airspace restrictions above Thrope Park, for drones. None. Lots close by, but non over the park itself.

The police for example, will not be able to come and stop you flying over, aslong as the proper safety precautions are met.
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DistortAMG said:
Very late on the response to this. But surely it would be better to actually lobby the CAA to make it illegal to fly drones over resort, rather than using some third party company. Stopping people flying drones, specially under 249g over the area, is opening them upto all sorts of litigation and trouble. Especially if they start using forceful tactics, in what is legal air space. Thorpe park don't own the airspace, they have no say in what flys above it.

Rightfully or wrong, oppinions are sort of irrelevant here, as long as proper precautions are taken into consideration, such as drone weight and distances, it is a perfectly legal activity which I am sorry to say, is not in Thorpe Parks remit to decide if people can fly over or not. Hence lobbying the CAA would be a much better approach, than forcefull stopping people carrying out a legal activity.

I am fully of the oppinion they shouldn't be doing it for obvious reasons, but that doesn't mean you can take the law into your own hands and stop people doing what is a legal activity.

Current airspace restrictions above Thrope Park, for drones. None. Lots close by, but non over the park itself.

The police for example, will not be able to come and stop you flying over, aslong as the proper safety precautions are met.
1000058133.jpg
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I see where you're coming from, but whilst the airspace is legal, the pilot still has to operate under the drone code.

For drones above 250g, It states that you must keep a horizontal distance of a minimum of 50 meters from people, or buildings & structures you don't control, essentially putting a 50 meter ring around the outside of the park. Going vertically, 50 meters above, but 48 meters away from a person, or building you don't control, would be a breach.

Drones below 250g aren't allowed to fly over crowds, at all, which would be the entire park whilst in operation (a crowd is defined as a group of people who cannot easily move from their location quickly). You also can't fly a drone, of any weight, above an operating rollercoaster. No horizontal distance is specifically given for this, that I can see, but I would hazard that it's the 50 meter rule again.

Given that you have to take off on public land, not just publicly accessible land, where the bylaws do not prevent drones taking off, then maintain eyesight with the drone at all times whilst operating, there are cases few and far between where you can legally use a drone above Thorpe Park. Especially as Thorpe Park do not allow the use of drones on their property, which would prevent the taking off, landing and piloting; though it couldn't prevent the drone from technically flying as they have no control over the airspace.

Ultimately any breach (in these instances( would be of civil law and not criminal, which makes prosecution incredibly unlikely in the first instance anyway.

Where you can fly drones | UK Civil Aviation Authority

Find out about height limits and distances from people, buildings, crowds and vehicles. Restrictions on flying drones and model aircraft near airports.
register-drones.caa.co.uk register-drones.caa.co.uk

EDIT:

There's a little more on the deal you refer to here:
botsanddrones.uk

Thorpe Park Partners with OSL to Address Evolving Drone Risks

Drone News: Thorpe Park Partners with OSL to Address Evolving Drone Risks
botsanddrones.uk botsanddrones.uk

It states that:
Thorpe Park can proactively mitigate potential risks by rapidly detecting aerial activity, classifying UAVs, and allowing security personnel to respond as soon as possible.
Click to expand...
This bespoke solution helps detect, track, classify, and manage drone threats, as well as identify the locations of the pilots themselves.
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This would suggest that the partnering isn't about illegally preventing people from flying over their air space, but instead is about monitoring drones around the park (to ensure that they're being flown safely and following the Drone Code), and identifying any pilots who are in the park. I would imagine that in the case of any breaches of the drone code, or the Thorpe Park bylaws/terms of access, they could then refer to the relevant department for enforcement. Ie the CAA for drone code breach, or Thorpe Security if the pilot is within the park.
 
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GooseOnTheLoose said:
I see where you're coming from, but whilst the airspace is legal, the pilot still has to operate under the drone code.

For drones above 250g, It states that you must keep a horizontal distance of a minimum of 50 meters from people, or buildings & structures you don't control, essentially putting a 50 meter ring around the outside of the park. Going vertically, 50 meters above, but 48 meters away from a person, or building you don't control, would be a breach.

Drones below 250g aren't allowed to fly over crowds, at all, which would be the entire park whilst in operation (a crowd is defined as a group of people who cannot easily move from their location quickly). You also can't fly a drone, of any weight, above an operating rollercoaster. No horizontal distance is specifically given for this, that I can see, but I would hazard that it's the 50 meter rule again.

Given that you have to take off on public land, not just publicly accessible land, where the bylaws do not prevent drones taking off, then maintain eyesight with the drone at all times whilst operating, there are cases few and far between where you can legally use a drone above Thorpe Park. Especially as Thorpe Park do not allow the use of drones on their property, which would prevent the taking off, landing and piloting; though it couldn't prevent the drone from technically flying as they have no control over the airspace.

Ultimately any breach (in these instances( would be of civil law and not criminal, which makes prosecution incredibly unlikely in the first instance anyway.

Where you can fly drones | UK Civil Aviation Authority

Find out about height limits and distances from people, buildings, crowds and vehicles. Restrictions on flying drones and model aircraft near airports.
register-drones.caa.co.uk register-drones.caa.co.uk

EDIT:

There's a little more on the deal you refer to here:
botsanddrones.uk

Thorpe Park Partners with OSL to Address Evolving Drone Risks

Drone News: Thorpe Park Partners with OSL to Address Evolving Drone Risks
botsanddrones.uk botsanddrones.uk

It states that:


This would suggest that the partnering isn't about illegally preventing people from flying over their air space, but instead is about monitoring drones around the park (to ensure that they're being flown safely and following the Drone Code), and identifying any pilots who are in the park. I would imagine that in the case of any breaches of the drone code, or the Thorpe Park bylaws/terms of access, they could then refer to the relevant department for enforcement. Ie the CAA for drone code breach, or Thorpe Security if the pilot is within the park.
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I don't dispute what you are saying and thanks for clearing up what they are actually doing at Thorpe Park. I am on the same page as you here.

With a drone smaller than 250g you can fly closer to people than 50m and over people, but yeah not over 'crowds' they don't actually define what their definition of a crowd is vs people, which you can fly over.

1000058135.jpg

Technically speaking, given that from the CAA site, you could probably get away with flying over the park on a quiet day. The issue with Thorpe Park though is that the park is full of lakes and grassland, meaning you can fly over those and still get relatively close to rides without breaking any crowd laws. I guess the same should be said for themeparks too.

I don't agree with it, it makes an interesting talking point though. How long before some is seriously injured.
 
Funcone said:
I was listening to the radio this morning, and Rishi Sunak said that Labour are planning to introduce a Stealth tax. I bet Thorpe Park won't be happy.
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Sarcastic Well Done GIF by CBC


The world needs Dad jokes more than ever, bravo.
 
I know that simply putting in a YouTube video without comment is frowned upon around these parts, and I’m not going to do that, but I watched a rather interesting video from Your Experience Guide this evening that I’d be intrigued to know people’s thoughts on.

Basically, Scott posted a video stating that he feels that Thorpe Park is the best theme park in the UK at present. Here’s the link:

If you don’t want to watch the video, Scott’s main arguments for this are as follows:
  • Best thrill coaster lineup: Scott feels that Thorpe Park has the best thrill coaster lineup in the UK. He feels that Hyperia, Stealth and Nemesis Inferno are three of the UK’s best roller coasters, Swarm is decent, Saw and Colossus are good fits even though he’s not personally a huge fan of them, Walking Dead covers horror fans well, and Flying Fish is good for younger thrillseekers.
  • Best filler attraction lineup: Scott also feels that Thorpe Park has the UK’s best lineup of non-coaster filler attractions. He feels that the park has the UK’s strongest lineup of flat rides, as well as possibly the UK’s strongest lineup of water rides. He acknowledges that the park is weaker on dark rides, but on balance, he feels that Thorpe Park has the UK’s strongest selection of non-coaster filler attractions.
  • Best Halloween offering: Scott feels that Thorpe Park has the UK’s strongest theme park Halloween offering in Fright Nights. He feels that Fright Nights having scare zones and park-wide entertainment as well as the scare mazes puts it a cut above the likes of Alton Towers Scarefest.
While Scott acknowledges that Thorpe Park lacks family attractions, he feels that Thorpe Park not honing in on families is not problematic for it due to the presence of Legoland, Chessington and Paultons Park within the immediate vicinity, which all focus heavily on young families. He also feels that in terms of theming, the park is “decent enough” for what it is.

I’d be interested to know; do people agree with Scott on this, or at very least see where he’s coming from? I don’t think holding Thorpe Park as your favourite UK theme park is an overly common opinion; around these parts in particular, Thorpe seems like a park that people love to hate.

Personally, I don’t necessarily agree with Scott in thinking that Thorpe Park is my favourite theme park in the UK… but I can definitely see where he’s coming from on some of his arguments. I have long held the view that Thorpe Park is overhated by UK enthusiasts, and I disagree with the commonly held opinion that “everything Thorpe does, Towers does 100 times better” that I’ve heard from quite a few.

In terms of the coaster lineup; I personally rate Alton Towers’ a little bit more highly at present, in terms of both the top 3 and the overall lineup, and Alton Towers having more in the first place gives them an additional edge for me. However, I have not yet ridden Hyperia… and if that’s really, really good as many reviews imply, then I think that could throw a cat amongst the pigeons and make things a little more equal. It could tip the top 3 balance in favour of Thorpe for me, at very least.

In terms of non-coaster filler attractions; I can definitely get behind Scott’s point. I do feel that Thorpe Park has the strongest lineup of UK flat rides; I’m not a great lover of flat rides on the whole, but I do really enjoy a ride on Rush and Detonator, and I definitely think they’re two of my favourite UK flat rides. And if you’re more into flat rides than I am, then Thorpe does at least have a pretty considerable selection, which is more than can be said for most UK parks. I also get where Scott’s coming from on water rides; yes, Rumba Rapids isn’t exactly a world-beating rapids, and Storm Surge and Depth Charge are not particularly ambitious water rides, but 4 water rides is not to be sniffed at in a UK park, and the fact that these rides are there is more than can be said for many UK parks. When you consider coasters and non-coasters together, I think you could make an argument for Thorpe Park quite possibly being the most well balanced UK park, or at very least the most well balanced UK Merlin park.

Overall, I’d say that Thorpe Park is definitely one of my personal favourite UK theme parks. I think the thrill ride lineup is excellent, in terms of both roller coasters and flat rides, I think that while the park isn’t the most cohesive in terms of themed areas per se, it has some areas of strong theming and landscaping, particularly when it comes to individual rides, I think it has a bit more balance in terms of attraction types than many UK parks, and I overall just really enjoy the place and really like the vibe there! I often think it’s a very overhated park by UK enthusiasts, and I personally am very fond of it; I think Alton Towers is probably my favourite UK park, but I’d definitely say that Thorpe Park is a very strong candidate for 2nd place, in my view!

But what are your thoughts? I’d be really interested to know!
 
Matt N said:
I know that simply putting in a YouTube video without comment is frowned upon around these parts, and I’m not going to do that, but I watched a rather interesting video from Your Experience Guide this evening that I’d be intrigued to know people’s thoughts on.

Basically, Scott posted a video stating that he feels that Thorpe Park is the best theme park in the UK at present. Here’s the link:

If you don’t want to watch the video, Scott’s main arguments for this are as follows:
  • Best thrill coaster lineup: Scott feels that Thorpe Park has the best thrill coaster lineup in the UK. He feels that Hyperia, Stealth and Nemesis Inferno are three of the UK’s best roller coasters, Swarm is decent, Saw and Colossus are good fits even though he’s not personally a huge fan of them, Walking Dead covers horror fans well, and Flying Fish is good for younger thrillseekers.
  • Best filler attraction lineup: Scott also feels that Thorpe Park has the UK’s best lineup of non-coaster filler attractions. He feels that the park has the UK’s strongest lineup of flat rides, as well as possibly the UK’s strongest lineup of water rides. He acknowledges that the park is weaker on dark rides, but on balance, he feels that Thorpe Park has the UK’s strongest selection of non-coaster filler attractions.
  • Best Halloween offering: Scott feels that Thorpe Park has the UK’s strongest theme park Halloween offering in Fright Nights. He feels that Fright Nights having scare zones and park-wide entertainment as well as the scare mazes puts it a cut above the likes of Alton Towers Scarefest.
While Scott acknowledges that Thorpe Park lacks family attractions, he feels that Thorpe Park not honing in on families is not problematic for it due to the presence of Legoland, Chessington and Paultons Park within the immediate vicinity, which all focus heavily on young families. He also feels that in terms of theming, the park is “decent enough” for what it is.

I’d be interested to know; do people agree with Scott on this, or at very least see where he’s coming from? I don’t think holding Thorpe Park as your favourite UK theme park is an overly common opinion; around these parts in particular, Thorpe seems like a park that people love to hate.

Personally, I don’t necessarily agree with Scott in thinking that Thorpe Park is my favourite theme park in the UK… but I can definitely see where he’s coming from on some of his arguments. I have long held the view that Thorpe Park is overhated by UK enthusiasts, and I disagree with the commonly held opinion that “everything Thorpe does, Towers does 100 times better” that I’ve heard from quite a few.

In terms of the coaster lineup; I personally rate Alton Towers’ a little bit more highly at present, in terms of both the top 3 and the overall lineup, and Alton Towers having more in the first place gives them an additional edge for me. However, I have not yet ridden Hyperia… and if that’s really, really good as many reviews imply, then I think that could throw a cat amongst the pigeons and make things a little more equal. It could tip the top 3 balance in favour of Thorpe for me, at very least.

In terms of non-coaster filler attractions; I can definitely get behind Scott’s point. I do feel that Thorpe Park has the strongest lineup of UK flat rides; I’m not a great lover of flat rides on the whole, but I do really enjoy a ride on Rush and Detonator, and I definitely think they’re two of my favourite UK flat rides. And if you’re more into flat rides than I am, then Thorpe does at least have a pretty considerable selection, which is more than can be said for most UK parks. I also get where Scott’s coming from on water rides; yes, Rumba Rapids isn’t exactly a world-beating rapids, and Storm Surge and Depth Charge are not particularly ambitious water rides, but 4 water rides is not to be sniffed at in a UK park, and the fact that these rides are there is more than can be said for many UK parks. When you consider coasters and non-coasters together, I think you could make an argument for Thorpe Park quite possibly being the most well balanced UK park, or at very least the most well balanced UK Merlin park.

Overall, I’d say that Thorpe Park is definitely one of my personal favourite UK theme parks. I think the thrill ride lineup is excellent, in terms of both roller coasters and flat rides, I think that while the park isn’t the most cohesive in terms of themed areas per se, it has some areas of strong theming and landscaping, particularly when it comes to individual rides, I think it has a bit more balance in terms of attraction types than many UK parks, and I overall just really enjoy the place and really like the vibe there! I often think it’s a very overhated park by UK enthusiasts, and I personally am very fond of it; I think Alton Towers is probably my favourite UK park, but I’d definitely say that Thorpe Park is a very strong candidate for 2nd place, in my view!

But what are your thoughts? I’d be really interested to know!
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Hardware alone, I'd agree Thorpe is the best in the UK. But for me the vibe is off. The entrance, from car park to whatever your first zone is, is a bit pants. There are few very odd choices, like the ugliest water ride I've ever seen taking centre stage, or the fact that Teacups, Flying Fish, Mr Monkey etc. still cling on, without any real rides for their target audience to ride elsewhere.

In terms of the whole package, From arriving, to staying over, to leaving...I prefer AT. AT is seriously lacking in water rides and flats, and it's approaching the point of needing a new, exciting, big, full-thrill steel coaster. But I genuinely feel like I've had a really nice trip away from home after a weekend there.

Another consideration, is what kind of theme park trip I'm looking for? Am I going out with all my family, Towers all the way. Am I looking for a day out with mates (especially ones from up here in the north who have been to Alton Towers 1000 times), then Thorpe reigns!
 
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