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Still have a pair of DR Pepper pants from this event. These were the days.

Thank you everyone who’s responded! Some really interesting points. I agree with the point raised a couple of times here that visiting Thorpe specifically + half term was only ever going to exasperate it, and it’s true that it is Thorpe where I get the feeling of being “too old” the most. It’s not so much an issue elsewhere, especially abroad weirdly. Josh, that is utterly terrifying that a 15 year old joining the forum today would be younger than Stealth 😳 I too remember being on forums and at the park around that age watching the construction of Stealth. It doesn’t feel that long ago does it! I’ll be honest I still see Saw as “pretty new” 😂 👨🏼‍🦳 I REMEMBER WHEN IT WAS ALL FIELDS 😂 To be honest I agree with you all - I too don’t think you can be too old to visit and enjoy theme parks, and I have no plans to stop! This forum alone is evidence that there’s a keen following among a slightly older audience. Just interested to hear if others ever felt the same occasionally.

I'd be curious if this is a general feeling you have, or a feeling which is highlighted when you're specifically at Thorpe? I know sometimes I feel old whenever I visit Thorpe, sometimes too old. Another thing that makes me feel old is that I joined theme park forums when I was 15. If a 15 year old was to join the forums today, there's a good chance they would have been born after Stealth opened. I remember watching it being built, as well as The Flying Fish and Model World prior pretty vividly. Jeez. I know you say when you visit a park these days, there's a couple of moments where you feel like the odd one out. But that feeling was expanded at Fright Nights (during half term too I think?). It certainly makes sense that the feeling would be highlighted more in that case. It could also be one of those psychology things. Are you feeling like the odd one out because you think you are, and so are looking for evidence to support that? And so, in turn, you notice all the younger groups, and don't see many people who look a similar age to yourself / are older? For anyone reading who doesn't quite get what I mean: you don't see many yellow cars on the road these days, do you? But now that thought is in your head, you will be more acutely aware of yellow cars and notice them a lot more, and realise that - whilst they're not common - there's certainly a fair few about! Maybe during your Towers visit have in the back of your mind to exclusively look for groups of adults in their later 20s/early 30s...maybe you'll be surprised with how many you see? To stop with the psycho-analysing and answer the more direct question: no, you can't be too old for theme parks. I think there's certain social norms which can be at play (for example, going to a children's park alone can seem suspect in some people's minds...but that's completely different). Theme parks (and moreso rides) are a unique blend of escapism, thrill, story telling and holiday all in one, along with other options - such as the idea of 'collecting' ridden coasters/visiting/number of rides - if you so choose. Few hobbies offer such a blend, along with additional versatility and flexibility. I don't think you can be too old for any of the things theme parks offer. It's just whether you feel like the combination it offers is what you want, or if you want a narrower focus. One thing I've noticed over the years of being on forums is some people who were (and still are!) really interested in theme parks have similar other hobbies too. A couple of examples... -Live theatre and similar (escapism and story telling) -Skydiving / mountain biking / more "extreme" sports (thrill) -Travelling (self explanatory) Maybe that's another reason why there's seemingly less people who visit parks? As people get older, they get easier access to / realise other hobbies which share similar traits to visiting theme parks, and focus their attention there a bit more? That diversification then means they spend less time at parks, and then the concentration/percentage of younger people visiting parks decreases. Another thing which I note as well, is that specific park enthusiasm is much more concentrated with younger people. Unsurprisingly, there's very few 15 year olds which are interested in theme parks more broadly: their focus is on one or two parks, and usually their local park. But after say 15 years of continual visits, that local park won't have the same appeal or interest, and are likely more interested to parks more broadly. Again meaning they spend less time visiting their local park, and instead visiting a broader range of parks (again meaning that the average age of certain park visitors feels very young, and the late 20 / early 30 somethings all feel very old whenever they visit). I feel like I've waffled an awful lot and not said much. But in short: -You're not too old for theme parks (and if you are, I only have a maximum of 3 years left before I am...) -Thorpe Park is probably the park in the UK which would highlight this feeling the most -I think people's interests in theme parks spreads in one way or another as they get older, which can mean there's a skewed view as to how old park visitors are

As Matt said, we are never too old, but our feelings for things change. I am more than twice your age and love rides and roller coasters but I have often commented on how different people are, both emotionally and physically. Our appreciation and need for things change. Some would never consider using the rides, me? I have never been interested in basketball. If we were all the same, there would be one heck of a queue for the ride we love. The demographics of society affects the type of people attending parks, I.e. The majority of youngsters are not in the type of employment from which there would be difficulty in having time off. Again for me in the past I worked shifts, so that helped. Don't let your age control whether you ride or not, let your feelings decide that, and whatever you choose, enjoy it.

Brean always strikes me as an odd place! Have a great time at Thorpe and Chessington next week!

Thanks for the write up. I visited this park around 2019 time and found the park alright, although maybe not my favourite. It’s not the best themed by any means but had some interesting areas.

Thanks for sharing and going into such detail. One of the few parks left in the UK I need to do!

No problem; it was a great trip from my end, so I’m glad you’ve enjoyed my reports! The flight mostly went fine; we were delayed in leaving by about 30 minutes due to a thunderstorm, but we got back to London Heathrow at about 10:25am this morning problem-free.

There was only one important ride to be experienced on that final day, so I hope that flight went well and all enjoyed it. Thanks for your reports.

Another interesting and well worded report. If you are looking for a Sunday event to get away from the crowds, I would recommend the Orlando Science Center.

Wow, they had recently refurbished it too, that is a shame.

Great write up, I always get drawn to Poseidon's Fury, trying to work out how it's done. Enjoy your time as we enjoy your report.

Great two days update, thanks for sharing.

Most of the above is agreeable. I absolutely adored my numerous rides on Iron Gwazi last October and the ride definitely packed a punch. It definitely isn’t a Steve beater, but is somewhat level pegging with Zadra in many respects. Although that ride may still have it by a fingernail. It might be number three on my RMCs and Florida coasters, but it sure is a stunning ride. And no doubt a hundred times better than its previous carnation.

Likewise there, and we had a rule if one wanted the loo, we all went, which meant there was no searching for each other, nor the aggravation of trying to rejoin others already in queues by persuading people that you should be allowed through.

Great write up Matt. My kids have been brought up to "eat in the queue, don't lose ride time" and I am pleased that my grandson is being educated the same way.

I guess when I said at the start 'wouldn't say its a park that anyone has a huge itch to get to' I guess Cedar Fair agree too. What a shame and probably been on the cards pre-pandemic hence why Orion went to a different park instead. I can see Rail Blazer moving to another park in the chain and potentially Gold Striker. But Patriot, very unlikely and Flight Deck has limited options within the Cedar Fair chain. Demon and Grizzly are toast.

Awesome TR mate!

The trouble with long cred runs that involve a tonne of driving is if you don't share it you can get super affected by it. Especially when most of the drives in between American parks are stupidly long. Doing 2 full weeks of it in Germany wasn't fun come the end of it. I liked Hershey, definitely good to see love for Lightning Racer.

Very nice Josh! Hope you had a great time in the US. Such a shame about the last minute re-planning, but I imagine that was a good move? America is a BIIIG place isn’t it. looking forward to reading more!

Thanks for this sweet review! Hershey is definitely a park on my bucket list and interesting to note the pros & cons here. No bags in the queue seems to be a recurring theme in American parks it seems.

I find the Nemesis commentary quite funny actually. I don't know many rollercoasters that have reached nearly their 30th year that don't have a couple of rougher moments. It's almost like Nemesis is held to this god like standard and if there is ever a slight rattle has to be commented on. Wicker Man always surprises me. In my head its a middle of the road woodie but after getting off, I love it every time. GCI woodies are pretty special. Just a small piece of advice on your reviews, I've read quite a few of your trip reports and for each ride you repeat the line 'we decided to give it a go'. Try changing that description because as I'm reading through, its all I've noticed and it becomes repetitive.

Great blog, what I like most about Europa is that there is no fastrack or priority lanes which really helps move the queueline in my opinion. On the other hand you could argue that it's not as disability friendly as Merlin's parks. What I dislike most about Europa is the lack of free drinking water / water fountains. One thing Merlin offers in abundance at all it's parks (I know it's also law in the UK). That said the detail of theming, great ride selection and great operations makes Europa a resort leagues above Merlin and arguably better value than Disney and Universal. When you buy a Europa admission, you get equal access to all the attractions.

Sounds like you had another great day. Silver Star is an interesting one and I can see why it would be a number one as its just so 'nice' to ride. Everyone can enjoy Silver Star despite its intimidating look because its a lot of fun. I feel like you've missed a few attractions across your visit, easily done as there's just so much there. Will you be visiting again in the future?

Loving these! Glad you're having a good time! Looks like you've had some great weather for it

Glad you had a great time. Hotel Alcazar certainly looks beautiful!

You're staying in the best hotel, have a great time. Looking forward to part two.

I’ve always heard interesting things about this place. In terms of photography and the like, they seem to be the strictest. Karnan looks great though.

I'll be off over to the East Coast area; Six Flags Great Adventure and Hersheypark, then down towards Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens Williamsburg!

Great reports, Karnan looks great, shame about its reliability. Where you off to in the states? Il be out there end of May to Cedar Point and Kings Island.

Flug must be the most marmite wing-rider in Europe. I personally loved it and really liked the different order of the elements and how it uses the hill around it to gain momentum and create a different kind of pacing. Krake is okay, bit bare bones but its success clearly prompted the dive machine rise in popularity with its smaller trains and snappier inversion style. I generally had positive feelings on Heide. it's a good day out if not outstanding.

Awesome report mate!

Great post Josh! Love it. So glad you managed to get there on a quiet day and the storm didn't ruin it! Colossus looks absolutely brilliant.

Was either 2011 or 2012 I went and remember a silent disco in the Stealth queue line and the stunt show. I also remember the free doctor pepper and doctor pepper boxers. Good memories. I was young back then but was some of my best memories of Thorpe park.

I remember my Face It Alone experiences very fondly. They we’re intense, hands on and completely different on each run through. Managed to do Cabin In The Woods, Studio 13 and Saw in 2014, Big Top in 2015 and Saw again in 2016. I think my first run through on Saw was my favourite, because of the variety of actors and encounters in there. My 2016 one was probably my least favourite because it seemed rather toned down. I definitely preferred the setup in the first couple of years, where you could choose your maze and then drink champagne before enduring such a crazy experience. Would love to see it return one day, though this seems unlikely.

A naughty double post... Here's the extended post I mentioned chatting about Face it Alone: Looks like my write up from my Original Face it Alone is on my old-old laptop, and I dread to think how long that will take me to find and boot up. But still, you've inspired me to re-write it up...keep watching this space!

Now this is a proper trip down memory lane - thanks for sharing! I really enjoyed Face it Alone. It was a cracking experience that really differentiated Thorpe from other scare events in the UK for a short period of time. It was unique, worthwhile and a joy for the niche market it targeted. And most importantly, in my eyes, it was something which let Thorpe justify Fright Nights as a premium Halloween event, which had something for everyone. It certainly changed over its 4 years of being offered (and some of those changes were for the worst). It's a shame that it stopped, though it would be great to one day see Thorpe try something a bit more extreme again. There's clearly demand for these more extreme experiences, and they can certainly fit it into their line ups imo. I never did Cabin though for Face it Alone. It's great to hear what exactly happened during your run! My runs were: 2013: Saw Alive 2014: Studio 13 2015: Big Top 2016: Big Top All were very different and interesting in their own way. I don't think I ever posted my experiences / reviews at the time (because of how they were asking people not to, to keep the element of surprise). But I did write them up...I'll have to try and track down where I saved them and post them! If not, I can recall parts of my runs, so will share them a bit later. I also think I did an extended post about Face it Alone a couple of years back on here, discussing some more of the ins and outs of the experience and why it changed and left the line up. And again, if I can't find it, I can remember some details, so will add some more. Watch this space!

Nice write up, and a nice trip down memory lane! It's funny, I don't have too many memories about Sun Scream, aside from it being "a thing". I remember watching the stunt show, and never being as interested or excited by it as some of the stunt shows in previous years at the park. It was a mix of something and not a lot at the same time. But then, it was an excuse to open late and just create a bit more of a vibe on park, which it certainly succeeded in doing! Sometimes it's easy to overcomplicate things, but Sun Scream was a nice simple event which added a little bit of extra value to the park's season. I don't know if this happened during Sun Scream or just summer more generally, but I do also remember having people dare you to press a "big red button" with the slogan "What's the worst that can happen?"...where either nothing would happen, or "something" would happen and you'd win a prize. That was a bit of a laugh if nothing else.

Only ever attended one of these events (maybe the last?) and found it to be a fun and entertaining event. Looking forward to see the park push out more events outside of Fright Nights.

Honestly I don't think you can be too old - its something you and possibly your kids can enjoy together. I have thought "am I too old" when visiting some parks before - mainly Thorpe and Alton, not because of the the thrill of the rides themselves, or the other guests that are in the parks, but just their general presentation. As we all know, there are many discussions and criticisms of the overall look and feel of the UK parks. Sometimes I wonder if I just wasn't as picky in my teen years as I am now. But every time I (now rarely, maybe once a year) visit our "top" UK theme parks, I'm just constantly annoyed by how dirty, old and unmaintained some of our parks have become. But then I visit parks abroad, the Europa's, Disney, Universal, etc. and then realise, not its not me - the parks in the UK just aren't up to the standard of ones abroad and that really puts me off visiting them. Being older, I am able to travel to these foreign parks as much as I wish - and I for one would rather spend my money on a park I enjoy and don't constantly think to myself "this place looks cheap and tacky". Nostalgia sometimes skews our vision of what a park once was - but I dont think in this case that is true, the UK parks just aren't what they used to be - in my eyes anyway. I was looking at some old pictures of Legoland on ThemeParkGuide the other day, what a beautiful park that used to be! So can you be too old - no - but you definitely appreciate different elements of a themepark which may, as is in my case, alter which ones you decide to visit.

Thank you so much everyone for replying! 🙏 @JoshC. I took your advice - yesterday at Towers I reminded myself too look around to spot some “non teen groups” - and there were LOADS. @Martin Doyle That’s an interesting point about Efteling - abroad you do tend to notice more adults without kids visiting the parks. I think you guys are right - it’s a Thorpe thing. Now I think of it, it’s generally at Thorpe that I feel too old, standing alongside all the teens! I suppose other places (particularly Towers in the uk) don’t have that feeling so much (unless it’s school trip season!) You’re spot on there @Han30 - I completely agree, who bloody cares anyway! I can honestly see myself visiting the parks well in to my old age. Thinking back to yesterday at the fireworks, I can’t see myself ever not wanting to return!

On trips to Cedar Point, I have seen old couples walking around the park and still enjoying themself. I was at Efteling on Tuesday and again I saw people a wide variety of ages enjoying the park. So I wouldn't say there is a "too old" for going to theme parks. I suppose it entirely depends on how much you enjoy them personally as the years go by. I fully intend to be riding Steel Vengeance and Zadra well into my 70s if my health allows!!!

I think I accidentally clicked the wrong answer on the poll (I’m blaming my age 🤣 - the irony). Honestly I don’t think you can ever be too old for theme parks - if it is something you enjoy, go for it! I turned 40 last year (should probably change my forum name as I’ve been here 10 years and I’m no longer 30) and I don’t feel my age in general day to day life. That said I totally understand particularly Thorpe Park - because it is mainly teenagers that visit I can often feel a bit out of place but then I certainly don’t act my age so it doesn’t bother me - I usually visit the parks with my 17 year old niece and it’s not as noticeable as when I’m with my friend who is my age and her son because we are both in our 40s (don’t know if that made any sense - it’s been a long day!). I don’t think anyone at parks would be looking at you and thinking you are out of place unless they are extremely judgmental. I visited Thorpe a couple of times by myself when my ex worked at the park - first time I felt so uncomfortable at first and then after a while I thought sod it - people are out enjoying their day and won’t be scrutinising other guests or even noticing. Ive been an enthusiast for 21+ years but didn’t start visiting the Merlin parks regularly (more than my annual visit) until 2013. I did have a Tussauds pass in 2002 but that only covered off peak days for Thorpe and Chessington. So I was 32/33 when I became a regular visitor. Yeah I do feel old at times - but if I still enjoy parks when I’m 70 I’ll still be visiting. I totally understand being a bit self conscious but I honestly think these things are often more of a big deal in your head than in reality and the way we might feel is not a clear indication of what is real. Not sure if I’m making sense - it’s been a long day and I’m zonked. Also apologies for possibly typing an essay 🙈

Having worked at a theme park (for 2 months so far) the only people I've ever even considered looking twice at age-wise are people who are much much older than you (70/ 80 years old) and only out of admiration for their insatiable desire for adrenaline which I hope to have if I ever reach that age. The majority (read 90+%) of the populace visiting (Thorpe Park) tend to be teens to middle aged people so there's still plenty of time for you to feel "old" when visiting a theme park. That said, you become "too old" for theme parks when they stop being enjoyable days out and you're no longer excited by them in which case it's time for a new (and maybe even cheaper!) hobby .

The short answer to your question is no. No one is ever too old for theme parks, as long as they continue to find them pleasant and enjoyable. Ok, the majority as mentioned are teens/young adults and families, but then again that is just the way things typically swing. Being the school holidays (presumably) is another factor on the above. If you still enjoy the parks, don’t be put off.

If you go straight over to zadra as soon as the park opens,a gate is open allowing to to go straight back on,we managed 4-6 rides every morning! Date 20-25 September

Furius baco screams 2020 to me. Nice monkey, lots of alcohol. Then an absolute car crash and the only redeeming feature being a wine shop at the exit.