The Past

LOVE ISLAND COMING TO THORPE PARK?! 'An Island Like No Other' So as I saw there was no forum topic on this so I thought I would create this!. So as you may know that there is a show called Love Island which first aired in 2015 and grew very popular since with the young adults and many other audiences. Love Island is pretty self explanatory it is a dating show on an island in which people couple up with each other and face challenges as a couple in order for the final couple to win 50k between them!. So this rumour of Love Island has been going around the Resort for a couple years now and I think this year may be the year in whic…

Following @Inferno's excellent write up about their Face it Alone experience, I've been inspired to talk about my own. For those who haven't seen Inferno's write up... To those unaware, Face it Alone was a VIP extra available at Fright Nights between 2013-2016 where, after the park closed, - you guessed it - you could go through a Fright Nights maze...alone! But it was more than that, the run throughs were much more extreme and personal, and unlike anything seen at Fright Nights before or after. --- I'll take the opportunity to discuss my first ever Face it Alone experience, which was in Saw Alive in 2013. But before…

Though not related directly to The Walking Dead, Zombie Hunt forms part of The Year of The Walking Dead activities. Th experience runs July 21st - September 3rd. Details are still vague at the moment, but with Thorpe releasing a new map, and them starting marketing, we are getting a bit more detail to piece together. The vague idea seems to be an outdoor laser quest type thing, where you get to shoot zombies. It'll be based somewhere around Platform 15, and be suitable for families. It appears in particular there will be 'characters' within the experience as well, which could make it a lot more exciting and interesting: …

After Runnymede's recent site rebuild its now easier to find past planning applications, some of which are quite interesting including plans from when RMC planned Tidal Wave, before Tussauds took over and gave us what we have today.Just head to http://planning.runnymede.gov.uk/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/GeneralSearch.aspx and enter "Thorpe Park" under address. Enjoy

From Thorpe's Facebook Page: It's probably not the most shocking news, but it's great to see it confirmed. Who's planning on going this year then?

I recently acquired a relatively old book about Thorpe Park, published in 1981. Entitled 'The Book of the Park', this is one book you can judge by its cover - it covers the park in great detail as it was. Of course, in 1981 the park had only been open for a couple of years, and so the place is completely unrecognisble. With this book being older than a large number of members here, whilst it's highly unlikely to bring any memories back to anyone here, it's still an interesting look. The book itself is 130 pages long and in full colour. I don't know if it was avaliable on park as something to buy, something that was used locally as 'advertising' and given away fro fre…

Came across this cheesy Eurovision video from 1985 on youtube - but its great as its set at thorpe park - and has some great shots of the attractions that where there at the time - Including Magic Mill, Treasure Island and the Roman Galley

Darn, I really wanted to see that gif again! :DBut yeah, talk about the time RMC owned the park here. Just in general really. Did the old Thorpe have any true 'quality'? Well, depends on what you'd call quality. No way did it have any world class quality (and, arguably, still doesn't) and didn't really have anything that would pull people in from round the UK. Yeah, X came, and that probably pulled a lot of people in, but it still isn't enough.However, when you take into consideration the company running it, I'd say they made many good decisions attraction-wise. In the end, Thorpe wasn't one of the big boys like AT, Drayton, etc. and didn't have that massive budget…

Does anyone know where and what happened to the Octopus Garden rides post leaving Thorpe Park! Many thanks Theme Park Fanatic!

As promised I've finally put the scans up. Originally I was just going to cut sections out but the article provided such an interesting read, sorry about the image quality folks!Credit to "First Drop" magazine, Margaret Drinkwater and Chris Chedzey.Happy Reading https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150538873837803.431036.694897802&type=1EDIT: Tidied Up

The dark days of closed season are upon us once again, another season has come and gone. So how was 2013 for you? For me: Highlights -Ministry of Sound nights. So so so much better than I was expecting, a great all round event that showed the park at its best. -X. I know the change was not loved by all but a big improvement for me. The laser only rides I've had were actually outstanding. -TPM meets. Loving the generosity of the park with their time and access. -The 'feel'of the place. I don't know why, things just felt nice this year. A nice relaxed atmosphere around the park. -Seeing some effort go into general upkeep, Lowlights -The mrawS, stupid gimmick. Just …

Hi, been searching everywhere for the original Black Hole soundtrack, but can't seem to find it anywhere. Wandering if anyone could kindly post the link? I have seen a few you tube videos, so quite unsure if maybe they made more than one, because if you watch some POV videos one track is different to another, so this is getting me confused? Some have said the original was called ''pendulum'' and others have said it was called Powershaft by a composer named Barry Taylor who apparently wrote the Detonator soundtrack, which doesn't make any sense to me!!! Just wandering because the pendulum soundtrack sounds very similar to a P…

Does anyone remember anything about old rangers and the rangers showcase. I have many memories and wondered if anyone ever filmed or had any audio from the old ranger showcase. As an old child I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was great at Fright nights 2010 in the terror zone to see loads of old memorabilia including some of the rangers, flying fish signs,thorpe farm signs and loads of theming. Discuss all this here and if anyone has any audio of Showcase let me know please!

Hi guys. Sorry to bother you all, but I've recently been re-reading Making Thorpe Park by Chris Atkinson (an excellent read, by the way!), and when discussing the earlier years of the park, it talked quite a bit about Treasure Island, a pirate-themed train ride and show (I think?) that the park operated under RMC. The land is allegedly not in use anymore. So my question was; where exactly was Treasure Island, and does the park still own the land? I'd also be intrigued to know about Thorpe Farm, but I know that was near Canada Creek/Old Town, as the Canada Creek Railway used to run to Thorpe Farm until 2006.

Twisted Carnival 22nd - 25th April 2011 Sounds very much like last years event, did they have the usual theme music playing in queues & stations? I can't actually remember

I found this video of Thorpe Park in the 90's on youtube. It features:Depth Charge Old Flying Fish Mrs Hippo's Fungle Safari Octopus Gardens Loggers Leap Rocky Express Thorpe Farm And Thunder River.

Hi, Does anyone remember the floating statue of Britannia (a modern version) on St. Anne's Lake? Does it still exist? Any photos?

Just come across a 1990 brochure on Flickr, not seen it before. Interesting how much pride the park took in its history, the attention to detail in its rides, and general pride in cleaning, maintenance and customer service. Who knew even back then they had a 16 track sound studio to produce their own show and ride audio? http://www.flickr.com/photos/65600336@N08/

I've found some pictures on my laptop I took a while back while the groundworks were taking place for the swarm, here they are. They aren't great but I thought I'd upload them anyway

I was looking through old Thorpe maps and I noticed funny little things that make me look for more.I noticed on the 1994 map on Loggers next to the tunnel theres the angel thing from after the tunnel and I just thought it was really cool. So now I'm looking through them all and trying to find more things.Has anyone else got any funny finds, Sorry if theres already a topic about this?

I visited Thorpe Park many times as a child and got my first job there in 1995, working in the Crown and Anchor pub in the Dome (Mountbatten Pavillion). At that time it was decorated with wooden panels "...375 years old with a musket ball in one of them..." The rumour was that there was an old manor house on the site that was pulled down and the linens saved before the quarry started. In this shakey rumour, the musket ball was fired when soldiers came to arrest someone - the first missed and the second got the target. It was highlighted by a circle with cross bones at the top. I've done a lot of research and, although the M25 and M3 resulted in a lot of historic building…

Due to brave it alone no longer being offered I was wondering if people would share their experiences. I never experienced it and would like to learn about what it entailed.

I feel like I remember seeing some old plans of the family coaster that was planned for 2001 to replace wicked witches haunt, but due to budget restraints ended up being detonator! And for some reasons I seem to remember it possibly being a family launch coaster or a booster bike type coaster. Does anyone else know of any details of this project? or they whereabouts of such plans or even discussions regarding this?

Hi,as some of you may remember up until 2010 Thorpe Park had an area called Octopus Gardens. Featured in Octopus Gardens was a mini Ferris Wheel called Swinging Seashells. Upon the resection of Octopus Gardens Swinging Seashells was relocated to Weymouth Sea Life Centre. During 2016 Weymouth Sea Life Centre removed all their rides. Ironically 2 were relocated to Thorpe Park as Timber Tug Boat and Lumber Jump. Timber Tug Boat was removed in 2021 in preparation for Project Exodus (Hyperia). Lumber Jump was relocated and rethemed at Thorpe Park as High Striker. High Striker is located more or less where Swinging Seashells was. Swinging Seashells is the only Weymo…

It felt like the park found a specific niche for itself. Big, loud and fun. It described itself as Johnny Knoxville if he were a theme park and knew exactly what it wanted to be. The park was always busy and was an incredible day out. Even the fright nights was one of the best, debuting the first roaming actor team which were the clowns. Saw was the only IP they had and it was an absolute blast and the mazes were unique to their own original design. My memories of visiting back then are always positive whereas now it’s hardly the same feeling I get and my passion for visiting has massively gone down. The park doesn’t ever know what it wants to be and mo…