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The legendary Karen who works in guest services has also confirmed the return of professor burps bubbleworks!!

Considering Merlin apparently deemed The Swarm and Ghost Train a financial failure, I wonder if the next big project will be handled any differently? The projects Thorpe have done for a while now (really since Stealth) have very much been good attractions 'tacked on' to the existing, ever-crumbling park. Saw the Ride for example was added on some new land at the side of the existing park - great ride, and great reception, but it's out on a limb. The Swarm, again fab ride, but was added to another island and had little impact on the rest of the park. Derren saw just a single building added to the centre of the park, offering nothing new to the overall park experience at all unless you decide to ride it (and even then returning guests won't bother) None of these did much to make Thorpe a better place in general, they just added another (all be it mostly very good) attraction to the list. I am hoping they think a little differently this time, and build something that incorporates itself in to the rest of the park a little bit. I'm thinking in the same way that Manta at SeaWorld for example is more than just a ride, it's an entire area complete with aquariums, shops and scenery, forming quite a big part of the theme park itself instead of simply being another attraction. I'm hoping whatever they build won't just be a single ride in a given area, but will extend in to its surroundings, and in doing so, redevelop the areas that it inter-twines with. I'm hoping that (assuming this new attraction is in Old Town) some of the ride might go towards the centre of the park, and come with new landscaping and scenery - for example, look at the sheer amount of un/poorly-used space available here. Back to my SeaWorld example - I think it would be a great opportunity to see something on the scale of Manta, which involves the tired and disused areas of Old Town and Slammer being demolished and re-developed in to something fresh and new, maybe even have several attractions on the same site - something like a Manta-style SeaLife aquarium, along with a themed restaurant and nice surrounding scenery in this instance would be good I think. I'm not necessarily saying "I want Manta" - what I'm hoping for is for this new project to be something more than "the cool new ride". I want it to actually change a big portion of Thorpe Park, and become part of the park in general, not to simply add something cool to the side of it. In my opinion, Thorpe needs 'general park refresh' as much as it needs a new attraction, and I think a big project that achieves both could be a good thing and turn the place around a bit.

In terms of time scales for the big things: Ghost Train: October 2014 Swarm: February 2011 Saw: November 2007 Stealth: November 2004 Nemesis Inferno: April 2001 Colossus: June 2000 So the last 3 coasters (and last 4 major investments) have had plans submitted at most 18 months before the planned opening date. Inferno and Colossus are stranger ones for a variety of reasons (will explain at the end for anyone interested). The thing with Stealth, Saw and Swarm though is they were all approved after being mentioned in the park's MTDP at the time. In other words, there was already a level of "pre-approval" to those rides existed, which makes the application process a bit smoother and easier. Ghost Train technically wasn't mentioned in any MTDP, but they conditions of its construction did not break the MTDP. So even though the park had to submit a full planning application, it wasn't exactly taxing. With any potential new coaster, there's no current MTDP and no level of pre-approval. So that creates an unknown for the application - moreso with locals (since the park will still be having some discussions with the council authorities prior to submitting plans). This could mean the approval process takes a bit longer, or is a bit more complex. Though, I won't lie, I wouldn't know all the ins and outs there. So in theory, 2023 could still be on the cards. But at the same time, I'd be surprised if Thorpe and Chessington opened big things at the same time. And 2024 seems to be a rumour floating around more. Equally, depending on the size of the project (and the scale of any deconstruction and groundworks that need to take place), it could take a while. In any case, if a 2024 coaster does happen, I'd expect to see an application appear sometime around next summer or later. Side note about Inferno and Colossus. -One original plan for Colossus was to be a Premier Launch Coaster, which would have opened in 2001. The park submitted plans for that in December 1999, which were approved. However, they changed their minds, and eventually ended up with Colossus, and the plans were submitted in June 2000, by which point a 2001 opening wouldn't have been feasible in any way. -Of course, there was the Thorpe Park Fire in 2000, which affected old rides in Inferno's location. One early plan was to get in a Vekoma SLC on the cheap, and quickly build it, so it could open in summer 2001. Another option was for a Rock n Roller Coaster clone. A plan was submitted in September 2000 for this summer 2001 coaster, but quickly withdrawn. I assume the park opted to go for quality over a quick fix in this case, and low and behold, Inferno was born. Good choice in my eyes too.