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Thorpe Park: General Discussion

Re: Thorpe Park

BigAl said:
Thorpe don't? Didn't know that. If that's true, at least they don't pretend to offer ERT like Alton Towers do. Lately Alton Towers have just been letting all guests pour into the park before 10am which means there's a queue for everything already.

So much for ERT being exclusive. It's okay, we only paid a small fortune for the "privilege" of getting in to ride a few rides (a number of which have been removed from the line-up as the years have gone by) with annual passes, or through staying in one of the overpriced hotels.

:S
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Whilst we agree on most of that Al, when I went a couple of weeks ago, I saw a HUGE queue for Nemesis and I thought it had not opened. However, upon arrival at said dirty bitches gate, the staff were checking all passes. It made a HUGE difference.

But no, it seems Thorpe do not, as I was looking into popping down for a couple of hours early morning this weekend, started hunting last night, and there is absolutely nothing about it mentioned other than actually mentioning an MAP entitles you to it at AT.
 
Re: Thorpe Park

They don't do it (and haven't for a few years)...

However, Thorpe tend to open 30 minutes prior to the designated opening time, which is kinda like ERT but it did involve having all coasters on 1 train, making it pointless and they'd have to add the 2nd later on...

Worth turning up early for it...


As an aside, ERT in Towers' books these days means EARLY ride time, though the exclusivity of it has somewhat fallen to the wayside and caused some confusion over the point of it... Thirteen for example doesn't check passes because of their weight requirements...
 
Re: Thorpe Park

TheMan said:
BigAl said:
Thorpe don't? Didn't know that. If that's true, at least they don't pretend to offer ERT like Alton Towers do. Lately Alton Towers have just been letting all guests pour into the park before 10am which means there's a queue for everything already.

So much for ERT being exclusive. It's okay, we only paid a small fortune for the "privilege" of getting in to ride a few rides (a number of which have been removed from the line-up as the years have gone by) with annual passes, or through staying in one of the overpriced hotels.

:S
Click to expand...

Whilst we agree on most of that Al, when I went a couple of weeks ago, I saw a HUGE queue for Nemesis and I thought it had not opened. However, upon arrival at said dirty bitches gate, the staff were checking all passes. It made a HUGE difference.

But no, it seems Thorpe do not, as I was looking into popping down for a couple of hours early morning this weekend, started hunting last night, and there is absolutely nothing about it mentioned other than actually mentioning an MAP entitles you to it at AT.
Click to expand...
Only problem is that the other day they let people on everything before 10am. The Smiler was already running way before ERT was over and because they had been letting anyone in, the queue was already 50 minutes (stayed around 50 for most of the day) and staff managing people crossing from one side of the queue into the main queue through X-Sector were already telling guests that The Smiler had a 2 hour queue and that they should consider fast track tickets. That to me isn't on and ERT should be changed or scrapped. It's not what it was or should be at all, and if Thorpe Park don't offer ERT, perhaps Alton should do the same?
 
Re: Thorpe Park

BigAl said:
Only problem is that the other day they let people on everything before 10am. The Smiler was already running way before ERT was over and because they had been letting anyone in, the queue was already 50 minutes (stayed around 50 for most of the day) and staff managing people crossing from one side of the queue into the main queue through X-Sector were already telling guests that The Smiler had a 2 hour queue and that they should consider fast track tickets. That to me isn't on and ERT should be changed or scrapped. It's not what it was or should be at all, and if Thorpe Park don't offer ERT, perhaps Alton should do the same?
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The fastrack thing is ridiculous as everyone knows. ERT should remain as such and be enforced. I also think it would not do THORPE any harm to bring it back either, perhaps, oh, I dunno, maybe bring online a couple of major rides and some FAMILY sections.

Tbh, half the time, I think a few of us on here should take a pro-rata salary.
 
Re: Thorpe Park

According to their Official Facebook page, the Summer Nights price has officially been reduced to £5 for annual pass holders :)

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Re: Thorpe Park

Thorpe open The Swarm and Flying Fish for Crash pad guests 30 mins before park opening.

As Benzin said the park often will open half hour earlier than advertised anyway.
 
Re: Thorpe Park

"The sound of family fun."

*scoffs* :p


It is a good advert though and I'm glad to see they are indeed going to be taking action to help bring in a wider range of guests again.
 
Re: Thorpe Park

I actually really like that TV ad. It does show a clear change in marketing strategy which is very pleasing. "The sound of family fun" is mildly amusing but it does confirm that the park obviously want to go in a new direction.

:)
 
Re: Thorpe Park

I like the twist - the screaming is very Thorpe, yet their attempt to capture the family market is quite friendly! I would never have used the term friendly to describe Thorpe in the past :-/

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Re: Thorpe Park

Anyone else notice that they didn't use SAW? Oh and that small child holding the restraint weirdly on Stealth? :)
 
Re: Thorpe Park

The main problem Thorpe have however...

They removed most of their family rides.

D'oh.
 
Re: Thorpe Park

This really is such a brilliant advert - really gives me hope that Thorpe are back on the right track at last.

It portrays the park in a great light, with a strong, well thought out image, and although the park itself is still recovering from being in the clutches of those evil bigheads, it's definitely on the mend, and this advert is a brilliant sign :D
 
Re: Thorpe Park

Agree that it's a good advert and a positive change of direction for the park, but Christ, they've used on-ride footage from the Rapids and Depth Charge?! That really highlights just how poor the parks 'family' offerings are.
 
Re: Thorpe Park

That is a good advert, and very clearly shows they are trying to get the family market interested again which is great.

As Dan said though they desperately need some family rides installed.
 
Re: Thorpe Park

It may be worth noting that Thorpe seem to be targeting the 'Up for it families' (or 14 to 30yr olds) meaning that they dont have much need for true family attractions.
 
Re: Thorpe Park

^
That's not implied in the advert though, and I'd say several of those pictured fall well out of that age range - much as I liked the advert, it didn't seem a true depiction of Thorpe in 2013 - however hard they try to disguise it, it's NOT a family friendly park at present, and taking a child under the age of 10 there is little short of a waste of time.

So this marketing ploy intrigues me - this is a park that's spent over a decade now tirelessly alienating the family audience, suddenly crying out 'Wait! Please come back, we need you after all!'. Perhaps this is good news in the long term, the atmosphere in the park could well improve and so too could its cashflow; we shall see. Thorpe seemed to me to have turned a MASSIVE corner last year, only to slip back into old ways in 2013 - meanwhile, killing Chessington as stone dead as it seems this year won't have done Thorpe any harm...
 
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