James

Stealth's station audio has made a soft return, with the revving and pre-launch message now playing again!

They just need to scrap it now. It does nothing for anyone, it's costly, it has a terrible atmosphere with ride hosts shouting down the PA and down megaphones all the time. It's also an awful ride that barely gets you wet. Opening 3 hours after park opening?

Get rid. Not worth the effort. 

I did a Hyperia coaster climb this evening.
 
There was some chatter when it was made live about the cost being expensive (£120). It is, no beating around the bush. But it is worth it. My experience was about 3hrs all in, and included lots of time spent scaling the ride, time spent in the console and time spent around the turnaround outside the station, with lots of opportunities for photos, fabulous hosts and a great vibe. 
 
Find attached a variety of photos (of me). I'll write a proper TPM article later.

Just a post about some Thorpe Park history some people may not know.  In the early 2000's, the park installed its first fast track system, which was very similar to the ones used at Disney.  You would put your park ticket in the machine and receive a printed fast track ticket.  The system was free to use, and ran for about 1-2 seasons until they decided to follow Universal and charge for the service The machines were ripped out but you can still see remnants of the system today.
 
Tidal Wave:
 
The steel structure with the red roof covering the F&B kiosk was the original covering for the fast track machines
 

 
Nemesis Inferno had an actual area for the machines included as part of the design. You can see this to the right of the queue line entrance, where the retail kiosk is now located.
 

 
 
The ones for Colossus was located where the F&B unit at the bottom of the hill (near Samurai) is now located. 
 
Loggers Leap also had machines installed, and these were located next to the entrance to the queue line.
 
Hope this was some fun bits of information from the parks history!
 

Saw it testing a few times today 

Doesn't look like it'll be opening today.
 
Area still barried off, couple of people milling around. The music is off and not seen it testing yet either.

Hello!
 
A visit this week was the first time I've been to Thorpe for four years which is my longest gap between visits since I started going in 2005 (I lean more towards Alton now) so a few thoughts from me. Some good and bad.
 
Arrival:
The absolute state of the security queueing arrangements on the forecourt. Being herded into a cattle pen before you've made it it through the gates is such an unwelcoming to the park. I get why it's needed (sadly) but my god.
 
Park Music:
I'm no sound engineer so I don't know how "good" the new set up is from a quality point of view but I thought the new speakers around the park were a welcome additional.
 
I haven't heard WWTP sound so good in the Stealth queue for years. Inferno's queue line sounded decent too. 
 
I know a lot of people prefer it but I was so happy to hear the original soundtracks (even stretching back to the 2002 voiceovers on Vortex) instead of the IMA soundtracks. I just wish they'd get Inferno's proper dispatch music back.
 
Park Presentation:
The basement in the Dome is quite the glow up from my last visit! Looked really nice, just hope they can keep it that way. 
 
The rest of the park seemed in fairly good nick but I really wish they'd put Zodiac out of its misery. If it's staying long term (which I hope it is) please paint it and theme it to how the previous model was! It looks dreadful now.
 
I wish they'd do some proper landscaping on Flying Fish too.
 
Rides:
My biggest gripe through is Angry Birds Land. When does the sponsorship end? I can't wait to (hopefully) see Detonator returned to its former self and the clash of themes around the pathway between Tidal Wave and Stealth.
 
Rumba Rapids is such a dull rapids ride, you come off it bone dry and there's no just excitement to it. No theming elements, decoration or even music. I'd like to see revamped with either a volcanic or jungle theme. Just another ride that seems to be sitting in the corner of the park waiting to die.
 
I enjoyed Vortex a lot more than I have previously, I don't know if it's had a proper mechanical overhaul since 2019 or I've just forgotten how it ride but it seemed a lot faster than previously.
 
Probably enough rambling from me. Looking forward to going again and not leaving it as long!

Hello!
 
A visit this week was the first time I've been to Thorpe for four years which is my longest gap between visits since I started going in 2005 (I lean more towards Alton now) so a few thoughts from me. Some good and bad.
 
Arrival:
The absolute state of the security queueing arrangements on the forecourt. Being herded into a cattle pen before you've made it it through the gates is such an unwelcoming to the park. I get why it's needed (sadly) but my god.
 
Park Music:
I'm no sound engineer so I don't know how "good" the new set up is from a quality point of view but I thought the new speakers around the park were a welcome additional.
 
I haven't heard WWTP sound so good in the Stealth queue for years. Inferno's queue line sounded decent too. 
 
I know a lot of people prefer it but I was so happy to hear the original soundtracks (even stretching back to the 2002 voiceovers on Vortex) instead of the IMA soundtracks. I just wish they'd get Inferno's proper dispatch music back.
 
Park Presentation:
The basement in the Dome is quite the glow up from my last visit! Looked really nice, just hope they can keep it that way. 
 
The rest of the park seemed in fairly good nick but I really wish they'd put Zodiac out of its misery. If it's staying long term (which I hope it is) please paint it and theme it to how the previous model was! It looks dreadful now.
 
I wish they'd do some proper landscaping on Flying Fish too.
 
Rides:
My biggest gripe through is Angry Birds Land. When does the sponsorship end? I can't wait to (hopefully) see Detonator returned to its former self and the clash of themes around the pathway between Tidal Wave and Stealth.
 
Rumba Rapids is such a dull rapids ride, you come off it bone dry and there's no just excitement to it. No theming elements, decoration or even music. I'd like to see revamped with either a volcanic or jungle theme. Just another ride that seems to be sitting in the corner of the park waiting to die.
 
I enjoyed Vortex a lot more than I have previously, I don't know if it's had a proper mechanical overhaul since 2019 or I've just forgotten how it ride but it seemed a lot faster than previously.
 
Probably enough rambling from me. Looking forward to going again and not leaving it as long!

Hello!
 
A visit this week was the first time I've been to Thorpe for four years which is my longest gap between visits since I started going in 2005 (I lean more towards Alton now) so a few thoughts from me. Some good and bad.
 
Arrival:
The absolute state of the security queueing arrangements on the forecourt. Being herded into a cattle pen before you've made it it through the gates is such an unwelcoming to the park. I get why it's needed (sadly) but my god.
 
Park Music:
I'm no sound engineer so I don't know how "good" the new set up is from a quality point of view but I thought the new speakers around the park were a welcome additional.
 
I haven't heard WWTP sound so good in the Stealth queue for years. Inferno's queue line sounded decent too. 
 
I know a lot of people prefer it but I was so happy to hear the original soundtracks (even stretching back to the 2002 voiceovers on Vortex) instead of the IMA soundtracks. I just wish they'd get Inferno's proper dispatch music back.
 
Park Presentation:
The basement in the Dome is quite the glow up from my last visit! Looked really nice, just hope they can keep it that way. 
 
The rest of the park seemed in fairly good nick but I really wish they'd put Zodiac out of its misery. If it's staying long term (which I hope it is) please paint it and theme it to how the previous model was! It looks dreadful now.
 
I wish they'd do some proper landscaping on Flying Fish too.
 
Rides:
My biggest gripe through is Angry Birds Land. When does the sponsorship end? I can't wait to (hopefully) see Detonator returned to its former self and the clash of themes around the pathway between Tidal Wave and Stealth.
 
Rumba Rapids is such a dull rapids ride, you come off it bone dry and there's no just excitement to it. No theming elements, decoration or even music. I'd like to see revamped with either a volcanic or jungle theme. Just another ride that seems to be sitting in the corner of the park waiting to die.
 
I enjoyed Vortex a lot more than I have previously, I don't know if it's had a proper mechanical overhaul since 2019 or I've just forgotten how it ride but it seemed a lot faster than previously.
 
Probably enough rambling from me. Looking forward to going again and not leaving it as long!

I just think it's great that Thorpe have bought back rollbacks on Stealth. 

Slammer was an excellent flat ride. There I said it(!). 

Interesting..
 
I think I’ll go with Colossus is a good roller coaster 

Absolutely. Here's a very short clip... Look at it moving! This playing with the rumbling effect under the lift hill was incredible.
 
I'm very glad that the old Nemesis Inferno soundtrack is playing, but I do wonder if it is a mistake as we had the old colossus music return for two to three weeks in 2019 for it to be changed again to the Imascore stuff.
 
The ImaScore stuff on both Colossus and Nemesis Inferno just doesn't have the same atmosphere! Too slow and not upbeat enough!
 
 
 
 
VID_20210418_105551.mp4

I noticed Infernos old soundtrack when I went yesterday. Honestly loved hearing it again, both Colossus and Inferno's soundtracks lost any sense of individuality when they both got remixed to feature that same bloody island tune a few years ago. I just want to hear Colossus's old theme back aswell to give the 2 coasters some unique soundtracks again. 

I'd have exactly the same attitude. I wouldn't hold the park at fault regardless of who got hurt, even if it was me let alone family or friends, not unless they gave them the knife or set up the fight. This is one of the major things wrong with the world in my eyes; everything is always someone else fault. Someone should have prevented, someone should have intervened, someone should have seen the future. The suspect is the suspect.
 
You can mitigate against a risk, but you can not eliminate all danger. The security as it is is a reasonable response to the risk presented. With this being the first incident of this type in 40 years, how many issues have they prevented with their actions in this time? Loads I expect. Considering your opinion of their clientele you'd be hard pressed to argue against that having been the case, but you can't prove the effectiveness of a preventative measure.
 
You can learn from incidents, you can see how something happened and amend your processes for the future, but that does not prove an ability to have foreseen.

So this came around much quicker than usual. 
 
who’s looking forward to the 2021 season? 🤣

Or maybe they are, I don't know, working really hard to put the park back together in time? Filming scaffolding being put around a ride is at the bottom of their to do list, when they have 4 months to inspect every attraction at the park, go figure...

I know everyone loves an excuse to bash but is colossus really that bad? 
 
It went through a stage of being pretty awful -
and of course the restraints are not be the best design but it’s hardly unridable - especially in the last 2/3 years the trains are noticeably smoother IMO.
 
Personally I think there are better things the park could spend the money on. There are rides out there which run much rougher!

I see from Facebook that today is "that" particular day where people Travel from far and wide to Thorpe Park & Alton Towers...
 
#prayfortheannualpassholders
 
EDIT: my fave tweet thus far is someone asking why there are so many people in high heels on park today ?

My thoughts from last night's mEDiA pRESs NigHT at the Island Like No Other as follows...
 
Top 5 Celebs I spotted.
1. TheJackSilkstone - was behind him in the free buffet queue so I now know how to create the SICKEST of SICK combos of buffet food. ?
2. The Scottish Man What Won Strictly Last Year
3. Err....
 
Right onto the important stuff - at approx 9pm the bar bill on just one of the tills in Fins was over £2k already. Oh no wait, I jest, now onto the important stuff...
 
Mazes Ranked from Best to Really Really Really Awful:
 
1. BLAIR WITCH
If you told me I was going to find this the best maze of the night before visiting, I would have said pickle me sideways and call be Shawn Sanbrooke but alas here we are! We had 3 run throughs on this, two of which where we were in just a pair and I have to say, the first in particularly, was ruddy brilliant. The scene is set very well at the start, love ending up "back where you started", some excellent jump scares, was proper dark and you really did feel you were going through the woods - Thorpe have played a blinder with the scenery in the dark, not so sure how it would work at 3pm! One run we had in a group of 8 (C'mon guys it's press night m8) wasn't as good so maybe come proper FN's with large groups this won't rank highly among da fans - but yes, for us it was our standout. One thing I will say - the Heras temporary fencing (Thorpe love the stuff) at the very start should have black plastic or a thicker tarpaulin on it because yellow (?!) doesn't exactly set the scene, nor does it manage to hide the platform of P15 to the left, so you can see the tour guide waiting for guests. I can also forsee the queue of Blair Witch going far far beyond the area they have set aside, it's tiny. 
 
2. CONTAINMENT
Cracking run on this in it's tweaked format. We were useless. The actors were most definitely not - the blonde girl doing the doctor intro at the start was fantastic, delivered so many lines as if she knew them like the back of her hand and performed it like she meant it. No actors in first room obvs, but the second room with the clocks - man, the actor in there was losing his sh**, amazing stuff, trashing the filing cabinet, getting up in our faces, muttering about time, freaking out - awesome. Similarly, the dentist room next was equally as hectic and delivered with passion, I was made to sit on the chair and the actor performed the creepy dentist role perfectly - also love how the assistant in the back ground does nothing and just looks creepy - until you get into room 4 where it all kicks off! Again we were thoroughly impressed with this attraction and the actors involved last night should be commended if they end up reading this, they knocked it out of the park.
 
3. THE WALKING DEAD: LIVING NIGHTMARE
We got a Neagen, and Neagen had a proper mic! Impressed with this, as anticipated - top notch theming inside, and I love the intro (even if the families don't like the swears). New little twist halfway through at the car scene which worked well. As I say, love the theming on this, the bus is absolute quality and the rooms prior to that were packed with actors - good scares, breathing on your neck etc. Top tip: don't point out to the girl freaking out on her bed that her bottle of Smart Water is on her bedside table as she'll gesture to you to move away
 
4. MATT CREEK'S HAUNTED WOODED AREA
This isn't actually a scare zone but a legit maze... we had low expectations but again there were some decent scares and everyone loves a chainsaw right? Again, a good intro and set piece (via some temporary fencing and you end up doubling back on yourself) which sets the scene well, a decent amount of actors scattered about. I liked it - some actors followed us out too (as they must have been going on their break!) but continued to scare us outside of the maze which was cool. Good interaction, and good to see the actors progressively more "contaminated" as it goes on. A solid effort if you ask me and we enjoyed.
 
5. SAW ALIVE
Not much really to say about this - nothing has changed, it was OK... seemed to be over very quickly and there weren't too many actors vs. other mazes but it's SAW and it's well themed. 
 
6. SANCTUM DO OR DIE THE WALKING DEAD 
If you look very carefully at this you can tell they've used the shipping containers from Sanctum in it's construction...
We were underwhelmed by this, considerably. Expected good things - again, a good start with the bus and set piece with two actors arguing but after that it deteriorated pretty quickly. The area is too well lit (considering it was 8pm!) so you can see exactly where the actors are... just didn't do it for us at all and it all feels very temporary in it's construction (I appreciate it is temporary but you know) - this wouldn't be so noticeable if the lighting wasn't so bright. Perhaps we got unlucky with our run but for us it ranked about the same as Sanctum last year.
 
7. PLATFORM 15
Right, whoever's vanity project Platform 15 is at Thorpe Park - please, please, please admit defeat and get rid of it. I cannot comprehend any Youchoober or vlogstar or fan site raving about this. The walk at the start goes on for too long and does nothing in particular, walking alongside a rotting Loggers Leap, still lit up like a Christmas tree. You see the train with some dummies on it, you might get a bit of fire, you find a bride wandering about, then there's a house that smells of human faeces (which to be fair, had like 4 actors in which was random), then there's the never ending tunnel where not much happens and you get told to go back, and then you have to do a seance (and to put some positive spin on it - the actress here was good and felt like she was holding onto my hand for dear life) and then the conductor appears and then you're out, and you wonder - what the hell was all that about? And the answer is, no one actually knows. Maybe if they filled some areas with some smoke machines (although that's an expense) there'd be more atmosphere, but the walk is just too big and any pace or anticipation just goes and then you think "oh look, there's some actors coming up" and there they are. Kudos to the actors involved like I say because they were good, but the maze just doesn't work and we found it more of a chore to complete than a thrill. Sorry guys but I think Platform 15 needs a new timetable in 2019 where it gets taken over by Southern and then just never turns up.
 
8. VULCAN PEAK
Well. Wow. This has to be quite possibly one of the most hastily and cheaply thrown together embarrassments of an attraction at Thorpe Park I've ever seen. Heck, it wasn't even supposed to open last night because it was still being finished, showing as "opening 5th October". The only plus point I can draw from this "attraction" is that they created an introduction video to watch, but make no mistake other than this, this maze is total utter garbage. I find hooded mazes pointless anyway, the original Hellements at Tulleys was poor, but they at least improved it last year by adding a live action section at the end. We must have literally had 1 actor in Vulcan Peak last night, and it was basically 5 minutes of walking round in the dark with a bag on your head. You then have to take off the bag, before walking through the inflatable walled section, and then you're out. Because that makes a lot of sense. Also - and this is possibly a small thing but it's all about the details - why on earth are there blue LED string lights in the bit where you take off your hood? Do they mean anything? Who decided to put them there? Who at Merlin signed that off? It looked like something from Maplins (RIP) and served no purpose - why not have a flickering light or something SpOoKy. Why not green so it's vaguely "jungle" themed? Anything, but that. That detail just typified the maze for me: cheap, tacky and pointless and I defy anyone to find it anything otherwise. This just screamed to me, Merlin wanted quantity over quality this year. I take pity on anyone should this get big queues and people decide to pay for a Fastrack one shot not knowing the horror that awaits.
 
I can't comment on Fanta Horror Thing as it was still being finished (though did look quite impressive), nor Screamplexx. Spotted the Big Top show happening in the dome but didn't bother watching. Terror at Amity High - I assume this just means the roaming actors? I think? Anyway, they were out in force on the entrance bridge and were good! Massive shout out to the awesome clowns and associated freaks too, they are fantastic walking around and then starting their menacing clap before terrorising someone - genuinely top stuff there, was impressed and added to the night. More of this please!
 
Had two rides on Stealth on the dark including one front row (swoon), a nice night ride on the smooth Swarm, a not so smooth ride on Sore The Ride, and my first ever ride on X Version 2.0. Which, to be fair to Thorpe really isn't that bad at all considering what they had to work with in terms of converting a family coaster. However, as expected, whoever signed off the article stating "15 out of 10 on the scare scale" really really needs to consider their life choices ? Total utter hyperbole as I expected but like I say - in terms of slapping on an IP on to X, they've done a pretty good job - I like the nod to X on the trains (at first I thought they'd just left the old logos on, ha!) No actor in the after ride bit though which was a shame.
 
One thing I touched on earlier - being able to see P15 from Blair Witch etc. - those 3 mazes in Old Town are seriously seriously close together, and I wouldn't like to be queuing round there once FN's get in full swing and there's fast tracks and RAPs and what not going on because there is going to be SO many people in such a small place, it isn't going to be pretty. The Blair Witch queue as I say is tiny, assume they can extend out but yes, the quantity of mazes angle they are going for, when you have a finite amount of space like Thorpe has, could make peak times pretty horrific.
 
Congratulations if you read all that. Bit of a mixed bag as you can see. Be intrigued as to how I find it when the general public (shudder) are allowed in when in visit on the 11th and 13th! ?
 
Oh one thing I forgot to say - Thorpe definitely got a great bulk deal on human waste smell pods this year, bleugh! Could smell 'em in 4 different locations.

You will be pleased to know, that seasoned theme park composer, Nick Hutson has created all new audio for this years FRIGHT NIGHTS!
 
This includes new Admissions, Bridge, Lost City, The Jungle, Old Town and Amity (Yes... a brand new WWTP loop!) audio... as well as  new ride music and original music and audio for the new mazes.  
 
Bye IMAScore ??

Today was my first visit to Thorpe since the IMA Score audio was introduced. I have to say, having heard it on the CD I'm actually quite disappointed with how it sounded at the park. 
 
A lot of the equipment around the park sounded worse for wear but whether or not that's faulty amplifiers or cabling rather than phsyical speakers I don't know. The quality and coverage is all over the place.
 
The Nemesis Inferno station track (which I hadn't heard until today) sounded absolutely fantastic and that was what I was most impressed with. What has happened to all the sound systems on the flat rides though? Rush, Vortex and Detonator had their soundtracks but they were barely audible; Samurai was the complete opposite with the music being so loud it distorts the speakers. Quantum and the Swarm's station just had nothing at all. 
 
In terms of park-wide audio it doesn't seem to create a real ambience, for example around the Lost City flats it's not a continuous ambience but more just two speakers which are extremely loud if you're standing right next to them and nothing else. The same for Dome, absolutely booming in the toilets but gentle ambience upstairs. No consistency. Anyone who's ridden Helix at Liseberg should have an appreciation of how much of a difference the audio can have with proper continuous coverage rather than what Thorpe have got. 
 
A shame really. Not much point having all these specially composed soundtracks if you've not got a decent sound system to play it on. 

I can't help but feel like the CD is a bit of a con / rip-off then. Doesn't particularly fill me with hope for if they ever get round to an Alton Towers CD then seeing as most of their tracks appear to be somewhere between 30 and 70 minutes long. 

Have you got a link? I can't see it.

Well its not totally new because its a refurbishment of the American Whip which has been there for some time