• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

Thorpe Park- Saturday 23rd April 2022

Skyscraper

Skyscraper

TS Member
Favourite Ride
Nemesis
My parents have been invited to a party, and the venue ironically happens to be a 10 minute drive from Thorpe Park. :p

So, me, my sister and her boyfriend will go there for the day while they are at the party. Logistics haven't been sorted yet, but I'd hope that we'll travel down on the Friday late afternoon/early evening as it's a 3 hour drive. There's a Premier Inn just ten minutes from both the venue and Thorpe, so I'm going to suggest that.

This will be mine and my sister's second visit to Thorpe in 9 years. Back then, we didn't do any of the major rides and it rained all day.

This time, of course, I'm more into riding coasters and cannot wait to ride Swarm and inferno (my most anticipated Thorpe coasters).

Given I haven't been for so long, I've got a few questions;

Are timed tickets likely to still be required for Black Mirror Labyrinth?

Are RAP guests required to sit in particular seats on certain rides?

How busy could an April Saturday approximately be?

Any advice on where to head first if we get there for 10am? What's the best order to do the first few rides if it's busy?

How long before park opening do queues start building up at the security check?

Any other tips would be much appreciated too. :)
 
1. Timed tickets were running for Derren Brown and Black Mirror last season after restrictions so it is likely they will be running next season.
2. Stealth and Tidal Wave require back row but the other main rides have batching before the station so you could get any row.
(Warning: Tidal Wave back row is the wettest and you will want a change of clothes)
3. You will be held outside the dome until 10am, if you happen to be near the front then you can go where you like, if you are further back then perhaps go to the back and work forwards.
4. I would avoid arriving for 10, if you arrive for 9:30 you will be in the park, able to get your RAP and near the front ready for your first ride.
 
Thameslink Rail said:
1. Timed tickets were running for Derren Brown and Black Mirror last season after restrictions so it is likely they will be running next season.
2. Stealth and Tidal Wave require back row but the other main rides have batching before the station so you could get any row.
(Warning: Tidal Wave back row is the wettest and you will want a change of clothes)
3. You will be held outside the dome until 10am, if you happen to be near the front then you can go where you like, if you are further back then perhaps go to the back and work forwards.
4. I would avoid arriving for 10, if you arrive for 9:30 you will be in the park, able to get your RAP and near the front ready for your first ride.
Click to expand...
Thanks for those, yeah I should of clarified that I meant getting into the park for 10. I'll aim to arrive for 9:30 at the latest.
 
Last edited:
I wouldn't dream of turning up past 9:30. As has already been said, they'll stack you all in crowds and won't let anyone in a minute before 10. You need to be through security and the turnstyles way before park opening and then wait with crowds of teenagers shouting, swearing, pushing and smoking all over you to be let into the park.

If you're at the front, go for Inferno, Saw or Stealth. Saw and Stealth do have quieter times of the day, Inferno will be queued consistently all day due to its location. Swarm will be rammed first thing but is an ideal ride in the middle of the day once crowds disperse away from the dome. I've never known Colossus to operate well so be prepared to wait an hour or just wait for the superior version to open at Flamingoland instead. I recommend the latter.

If you're visiting Thorpe on any day, it doesn't really matter in my experience. Operations are so bad, it's pretty miserable all year round.
 
Personally @Skyscraper, I'd be heading for Inferno or Stealth first, but I don't think it matters too much, as Thorpe doesn't really have one individual coaster that's super close to the entrance or one coaster that's a particular hook compared to everything else, from my experience.
 
Thorpe like to play a charming morning game I call late opening roulette.

At least two of the five coasters will open late.

If you're at the front of the crowd, I would usually recommend heading to Saw first. However, as with all the coasters, it is often very late opening.
 
Thanks guys, much appreciated! The hotel I'm looking at is just 10 mins from the park, so we'll be be able to get there nice and early. Will be dropped off so won't have to worry about parking.

Just a couple more questions as I ran out of time last night;

Is The Walking Dead still not permitting single riders due to the restraints?

Which coasters, as well as Stealth (already know it does), also have a front row queue?

Thameslink Rail said:
2. Stealth and Tidal Wave require back row but the other main rides have batching before the station so you could get any row.
(Warning: Tidal Wave back row is the wettest and you will want a change of clothes)
Click to expand...
Thanks for the heads up. I wouldn't expect Tidal Wave to be that popular this early in the season (is it?), So if that's the case I'll use the main queue to have a chance of avoiding the back row. :p
 
Thameslink Rail said:
If you are single, they will pair you up with a one or a three for TWD.
Click to expand...
My group will be three, so it'll be the other way round. :p:)
I'm also aware that Storm Surge has a minimum requirement of 4 per raft (I rode that 9 years ago actually and still remember it).

Edit: Another question- Are the baggage holds still in use? If so, which rides have them?
 
Last edited:
Skyscraper said:
My group will be three, so it'll be the other way round. :p:)
I'm also aware that Storm Surge has a minimum requirement of 4 per raft (I rode that 9 years ago actually and still remember it).

Edit: Another question- Are the baggage holds still in use? If so, which rides have them?
Click to expand...
Im sure since covid restrictions eased, then they will just pair groups together on rides to get the minimum amount needed, so you’ll just get out with some others.

Walking dead and Saw are the only rides with baggage left I believe.
 
djtruefitt said:
Im sure since covid restrictions eased, then they will just pair groups together on rides to get the minimum amount needed, so you’ll just get out with some others.

Walking dead and Saw are the only rides with baggage left I believe.
Click to expand...
Thanks. Seems odd that DBGT's baggage has gone when there's nowhere to store bags on the ride due to it's nature. :confused:

Also, which coasters have a front row queue?
 
Stealths wasn't in use when I went last year but we lucked out and got allocated it anyway. Inferno has pretty much the same setup as Nemesis (stay right when entering the station) only there's a little cattle pen to it as well. Theres rarely a batching host on Swarm so you can wait for front if you like. Similar with Saw, but it seems to have a batching host sometimes. Colossus has a front row queue as well.
 
Obviously it's a long way off yet, but I'm thinking that we'll probably head to Stealth first as I'm not sure about riding it. The rest of my group probably will so it makes sense to do it early so they don't have to wait too long. Plus, if I do decide to brave it then we can use the main queue and hopefully get seated towards the front of the train.

Will be a pain if timed tickets are still required for DBGT as I'm also not sure about riding it as I've never tried VR before and have always been wary about doing so. Just means I'll have to make a final decision as soon as we get in the park as opposed to when we get to the ride. I will probably do Black Mirror Labyrinth though as it's just a walkthrough. Looks really good actually too.
 
Skyscraper said:
Thanks. Seems odd that DBGT's baggage has gone when there's nowhere to store bags on the ride due to it's nature. :confused:

Also, which coasters have a front row queue?
Click to expand...
They got rid of it when it became rise of the demon, it wasn’t really needed to be fair. You just leave the bags with you on the ride, on the floor or on your lap. Any really large items are left on the platform in the station.
 
Although most people have print-at-home or mobile tickets nowadays, is there a chance the ticket centre could still have a queue? I'm eligible for a companion ticket but those have to be collected from there as you have to show proof (I receive PIP). If it does still get a queue I might tell my sister to just book a student ticket instead as she's a student, because that would be print-at-home like my ticket. Would save us time as we wouldn't have to go to the ticket centre. Does anyone know how much peak student tickets usually are?

Edit: thinking about actually, if we have to go to the ticket centre to collect the carer ticket we could also book the timed tickets for Black Mirror and DBGT if they still require them. Would make sense, and I'd aim to get there for 9am. I assume that's when the ticket centre opens?
 
Last edited:
Last time I used the ticket centre (was either for student tickets or MAP friends and family, can't remember) it didn't open 'til around 9.45am, scuppering any plans for getting on a ride quickly as soon as 10am hits.
 
Burbs said:
Last time I used the ticket centre (was either for student tickets or MAP friends and family, can't remember) it didn't open 'til around 9.45am, scuppering any plans for getting on a ride quickly as soon as 10am hits.
Click to expand...
Yikes, that's worrying. Thanks for the heads up. How long ago was the last time you used it if you can remember?
Do student tickets have to be collected from there or can they be printed at home/showed on mobile?
 
Skyscraper said:
Yikes, that's worrying. Thanks for the heads up. How long ago was the last time you used it if you can remember?
Click to expand...
One of life's great troubles, isn't it. IIRC it was a MAP friends and family ticket that was booked - student tickets you just rock up with, although I thought you could do the same with the F&F ones so it might just have been the way we booked them. If you're eligible for a companion ticket, assuming that's free (is it?), it seems a bit silly to be entertaining the idea of buying a student ticket to potentially save a few minutes.
 
Burbs said:
One of life's great troubles, isn't it. IIRC it was a MAP friends and family ticket that was booked - student tickets you just rock up with, although I thought you could do the same with the F&F ones so it might just have been the way we booked them. If you're eligible for a companion ticket, assuming that's free (is it?), it seems a bit silly to be entertaining the idea of buying a student ticket to potentially save a few minutes.
Click to expand...
Yeah it's free, and yeah that was a silly Idea. :p:oops:
Because I haven't been for so long and haven't done the major rides (plus we only have one day) I just want to maximize the amount of time we have. It says on the website that timed tickets can be booked at the ticket centre from 9am, so hopefully it'll open at 9. I'm going to try and aim to get dropped off around 9 anyway. Just depends on what time we can get breakfast at the hotel. :cool:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top