JoshC.

Yeah yeah it's only February, but whatever. 2026 will be marketed, in some way, as 25 Years of Fright Nights. Thorpe have done a few things for 'big' / 'notable' anniversaries for FN: -10 years, 2011: Experiment 10 -15 years, 2016: Platform 15, roaming actors inspired by old mazes -20 years, 2021: Trailers, Legacy, Birthday Bash -21 years, 2022: Legacy, Birthday Bash So what will 25 years bring us? The end of Fright Nights 2025 did nod to 25 Years of Fear with a short video: https://www.facebook.com/reel/843542461548792 Lucifer, the headline character for 2025, is speaking with 'someone / something' and telling them to "give them hell", whilst handing over a "top secret" document about Fright Nights. That at the very least suggests there will be some new headline character / Disciple of Fear for the 2026 addition (which is something the park have done for a few years now). Personally, I think it would be a mistake to take the focus away from Lucifer. That was a near-perfect headline character for the event: clear Halloween association, simple and effective and a character guests could actually meet. Keep that character there yearly and continue to have it as a focal point / marketing piece, and it will go from strength to strength. The only thing I'd look at changing is developing the character away from "Lucifer" to an original demon, which the park could trademark, etc. But heyho, the park will have already had thoughts about 2026 and it seems like they're going in a different direction. Another interesting thing to note is that 2026 will be the first year that Thorpe's Entertainments team / actors have been outsourced (in a similar way to the rest of the UK Merlin parks). So it will be interesting what effect that has on the event. As for what I'd like to see in terms of a line up... I have two parallel pieces of thinking. What I think will happen and what I want to happen. What I think will happen is that we'll see an existing maze replaced. I think 4 upcharge mazes is a natural peak for how busy the park is and what people will realistically pay. I don't know what one. Survival Games I think could be the one on the chopping block, despite its changes last year. The large space it occupies gives Thorpe a lot of room to work with. I'm a bit split on whether they'll use The Launchpad as a Fright Nights space. Before the announcement I thought it'd be nailed on that they'd move Lucifer's Lair, on some upgrade of it, there. But with the announcement that it'll be treated primarily as a rest spot, they might keep it like that and have it as a Fright Nights free zone. If they do put a scare zone / show there, they need to go all out with it, as it won't have as much natural footfall as the other locations. As for what I want to happen. Thorpe, as I've said before on here, are very safe with their current mazes. They've got a variety of themes, some of which are quite different, but the style of the mazes is the same - pre show, walk around highly themed sets in a linear fashion and get jump scares. There's many other ways in which a scare maze can be created. In fact, Thorpe used to be one of the most pioneering for doing things differently, but that did sometimes come at the cost of quality. They've got a strong enough core and reputation of quality that they can afford to take a risk and do something different. My big want is an alone experience - doesn't have to be Face it Alone extreme. But looking at what Walibi Holland offer with their alone experiences, something like that fits perfectly for Thorpe. I doubt that'll ever happen though. So something different to the 'free flow linear jump scare route'. Anything. It will take some work and some tweaking. But do it right, and it'll be the best thing they can do for the event.

Just for a bit of simplicity and clarity: https://www.thorpeparkmania.co.uk/index.php/2026/02/18/the-launchpad-details/ Some newer plans (looking for minor changes to the ground) came out last month. They still reference a stage and only using the large side of the beach. I'm working under the assumption that, for now, the stage will appear when they need it.

Yeah I meant to say "parks are meant to be quieter" lol Queue-wise this half term has sounded crazy for the parks. I've also heard Chessington is currently having it's busiest Feb half term ever too. Hopefully all this busyness is translating to (at the very least) good attendance numbers, which seem to have been not-great in the last couple of years. But guest experience does seem to be suffering.

I think it made sense to try and go all in on new systems during February Half Term, when parks are quieter, etc. Last minute announcements and tweaks and capacities and all that seem to have messed things up for the start at least though. RAP will continue to be a prominent issue and discussion point this year.

It's funny as the last image definitely looks like it's of the Saw Alive plaza (based on how Colossus and Storm Surge look in the background). But it looks nice enough. And there's been a lot of want for such a space for a long time. Interesting there's no mention of the stage, and concept art purposefully avoids showing that space. Most recent plans still indicate there will be a stage. I wonder if, for now at least, the plan is to wait until there's a need for the stage before putting it in?

We'll be getting a first official look... https://www.facebook.com/share/1AqZW6ifXh/

Merlin have done a complete U-turn on the situation, but still acknowledge the system needs to change: https://x.com/I/status/2021953258194120748 I expect the backlash was more than they anticipated. But I fear this sets a dangerous precedent for any future changes: kick up enough of a collective fuss and they'll revert the changes. Merlin needed to announce a new system and stick to their guns, but they didn't.

There are groups on Facebook which have guided people on the RAP process, and there's no doubt people have tried to game the system. So it wouldn't be unfair to say that the RAP issues are a viscous cycle which have spiralled.

Yep, the system was unsustainable and reaching breaking point. Something has to be done. I'm sure many of us on here remember the time when RAP was a very small system, which didn't have dedicated queues, where you could only have one RAP user on a ride at any one time, they could only sit in specific seats (in case of an emergency), etc. I think they system had to evolve as times changed and we as a society understood more about disabilities. But obviously now, it's treated like an extra queue in its own right. Hyperia's RAP queue is regularly huge (keeping in mind people will have virtually waited too). Vampire has multiple rows effectively dedicated to RAP now. etc To give some, albeit tangential, anecdotal, evidence... I work in a UK secondary school just outside London. The amount of students who have been diagnosed with some level of neurodiversity is a lot. That number grows more with students who we think could be neurodiverse, or who are waiting on assessments / diagnoses. Though I haven't been in the education sector long, it is a well-stated fact that the number has grown significantly. A large chunk of that is down to better understanding of neurodiversity, as well as more resources in being able to actual diagnosis people (around London at least...the story would be very different up north). At the same time, in my opinion, most people who I see in that environment who are neurodiverse would be able to get by without a RAP. However, I expect that many of them - under the previous system - would qualify for a RAP. Which is why we are where we are. Simply put, Merlin cannot create a system whereby the neurodiverse who need a RAP can qualify for one whilst simultaneously the neurodiverse who do not need a RAP don't qualify for one. To break that down, neurodiversity is a scale. Some people with ADHD might just not be able to focus on one thing and instead have 3 or 4 things going on in their mind all at once, and it makes sense to them. Others with ADHD might have to be constantly moving in a free space / not like being contained in a small environment. It's the same with any sort of neurodiversity, which is a huge umbrella word. And, obviously, not everyone who is neurodiverse needs a RAP. I'm not familiar with the Nimbus card. But I expect that if you are neurodiverse, and perhaps find large crowds exhausting / daunting / overwhelming, it's a simple enough argument to say that you'd qualify for the "Difficulty with Crowds" mark (even if the reason for that isn't because of the neurodiversity you experience). If that isn't the case, do forgive me, but regardless, I can't imagine it's particularly strictly regulated? So from that perspective, I see why Merlin don't accept that. Because under that, they cannot differentiate between who actually does need it and who doesn't. Naturally, this is a very emotionally charged topic. There's plenty of people on social media in uproar because it means they wouldn't qualify. No doubt some of those people genuinely do require it otherwise it's impossible for them to go. Others might greatly benefit from it. Others - and I've seen some people say this - need it so they're not exhausted at the end of a day. Other people still visit and queue normally if they can't get RAP / queues are too long, but couldn't do that for a whole day. Removing all emotion, there's again arguments that can be made for why these people might requires a RAP and why they shouldn't. Any solution is going to have backlash. I don't have a solution. I do think that the system should have had a hard reset, whereby all RAP users have to have their eligibility re-checked under whatever new rules Merlin chose (which doesn't seem to be case from my understanding). I expect this is something that Merlin have thought about for a long time, and have expected the backlash. Maybe not quite so much quite so quickly. But I do hope they don't backtrack / reverse the decision, as that will make things worse. The biggest question about this though, which Benin touched on, is why is this such an issue for UK Merlin theme parks? Though there's parks around the world which aren't as accessible as others, I can't think of any other park which has issues with their disabled system quite as much as UK Merlin does? Other UK parks - fine. Non UK Merlin parks - fine. Parks operated significantly worse than UK Merlin - fine. Park significantly busier than UK Merlin - fine. So it's not a simple answer of "Merlin parks are too popular" or "they run badly" or whatever. There is something that explains it, surely. Is it that UK Merlin are the most broadly accepting of disabilities in the first place? Is it a societal thing? Is it just that the UK has more (diagnosed) cases of disabilities than other countries? Just what is it?

Well if Parm Pap says it is so, it must be true... It's such a weird one. Subjectively, from a ride perspective, t's pretty rubbish these days. But there's no denying it has a place, or at the very least a use, since it can absorb people. At the same time, it's staff-intensive for comparatively little reward. I know they've talked about closing it down in the past. And obviously effectively turning it into a seasonal attraction is a by-product of that. My biggest issue is if they close it without replacement, it seriously dents both the water ride and the 'calmer' ride selection at the park. Okay, it wasn't a great 'wet' water ride, but now you're left with Tidal Wave (overly wet), Storm Surge (equally not a great water ride) and Depth Charge (fine, but not a big player). For a park that just over 10 years ago prided itself on having the best water ride selection in the country, it's a fall off. Even if it stays, the park are in dire need of a new water ride in my opinion. If it goes, they reach a critical point where a new water is a must.

Minor plan submitted to the council... In no way will this be a stumbling block to the development and I believe it will be ready for this year

Mixture of the Beach not being used that much and there being a more recent need for a permanent stage / event space. Realistically The Beach was the best place to put such a thing.

These changes were submitted to the council back in March 2025: At the very least, part of the reason for the changes was to address biodiversity requirements that were being put on them. It does also seem to have helped with reducing the scale of the project. Whilst you're right that it will not include the terraced seating from the original 2024, it is not 'just' a flattening of the beach, as it will still include new retail / food units. The terraced seating, as seen from the screenshot of the amended plan, seems to have been done specifically to combat the Environment Agency's concerns. Whilst the stage they are now implementing is smaller (it does seem to be the same one they've used for Lucifer's Lair?), it is still a permanently set up stage space, which means there is greater scope to introduce permanent AV rigs and makes it easier from a tech standpoint to implement better shows. Whether they chose to is a different matter, but even a 'temporary' stage set up permanently has a huge amount of benefit.

You can see Slammer in the background, operating. The last season that Slammer operated was...*checks notes*...2016. The park randomly painted that section of track in 2016. I can't find much discourse about it, but it was a bit random - it was either to cover up a particularly discoloured bit of track, or a tester for a repaint. In 2018, the park also repainted a few supports on Colossus.

I've very little memory of it, but the game was likely made by Playable: https://playable.com/cases/thorpe-park/ If memory serves me correctly, the Survival Games one was a 'Subway Surfers like' game where you had to swipe left and right for your character to avoid assassins. I'm very much not sure on that, but that feels right to me. What I do remember is all these games were very basic and simple, verging on what I'd call cheap. They were clearly made very simplistically, and whilst they did fit the box of being a themed game, they were only entertaining for a minute or two before becoming repetitive and stale.

Looks like it is happening, with this being a project that was tendered over a year ago...

I remember when Thorpe raised a few height restrictions one season (I want to say it was like 2012 / 2013?). Teacups jumped from 0.9m to 1.1m. Storm Surge jumped to 1.2m. There seemed to have been changes to guidelines, and that was the easiest thing for Thorpe to do. But it did hit them hard. As for strange height restrictions, another one that comes to mind immediately is The Walking Dead. In its old incarnation as X, it was a 1m height restriction. Slap some zombies around and it jumps to a 1.4m height restriction. I get it's because of the scary factor and they want to make it clear it's for that slightly older audience. But obviously, it's the exact same ride - it doesn't need that 1.4m restriction. I can't think of any others that haven't been said (Benin stole my one of saying Pirana). Europe is reasonably sensible with height restrictions I feel. It was interesting a few years back that the Dutch B&Ms were able to have their height restrictions dropped from 1.4m to 1.32m with no (obvious/known) changes to the restraints. Simply seems to be a change in legislation.

I recently booked a trip to Efteling, Sunday/Monday in March, for 2 adults and one child. That cost £335. Similarly, Phantasialand for their off peak price for same number of people is £387. Parc Asterix would be £355. Port Aventura would be £155(?!). I guess, Port Aventura aside, Towers' pricing isn't wildly different to many other big resort theme parks across Europe. That's the level they're pitching at. The bigger issue is the value it offers. Towers on those off peak days will presumably only be open until 4pm. The others would be open until 6pm as a minimum. Towers lately has minimal stuff to do in the evenings; the other parks' evening offerings vary but some offer bits, others don't. Realistically, you are getting better value for money at any of the other parks through sheer number of riding hours and number of attractions available. I have no clue how busy the hotels get, but I have stayed a couple of times years ago (when I worked for Merlin, so got staff rates which are nice). The hotels certainly never felt quiet is all I can anecdotally say. Obviously, things may have changed in the years since.

I was hoping that with the theme being a literal cinema, the park had a plan to change the 4D film regularly. It'd be a simple win to change the film shown yearly (albeit maybe a bit of a faff). Who knows what the contracts are like for these things. I know Merlin in the past liked to go for 3 year rolling contracts with IPs. Whether that's still the case - and the case with a 4D show - I have no clue. I agree that it would be nice to see something new in there for 2026 though.

I took a wander down Monks Walk on Monday and I didn't take any photos/videos, simply because there was nothing to take photos of. I think in some ways we've been spoilt over recent years, with lots of works visible from Monks Walk (from Hyperia, to Fright Nights, etc) as well as many in-park updates. But it hasn't always been like that - rewind 10+ years ago and Monks Walk never really showed anything particularly interesting beyond the odd glimpse, despite many things happening. Okay, we still got the odd in-park update too, but right now the level of updates is going back closer to a reset of what was once the norm. I do also think compared to many other seasonal parks, Thorpe gets a heck of a lot of eyes put on it out of closed season, with many updates shared and visible. Thorpe have, in some ways, been the exception to the rule in that case. That's not to say the lack of any visible updates isn't disheartening though. Finishing off Colossus' repaint would be amazing. Inferno and Swarm would benefit from TLC. Rumba Rapids is dying. The fact there's been no visible work there is a shame, and indicates we're unlikely to see much there. The Beach area cannot really be seen from outside the park, so we're none-the-wiser about anything happening there. The 'New for ___' is a double-edged sword. New stuff each year can be beneficial, but Thorpe in particular are seeing the dangers of adding in new hardware/rides yearly as now they have several 'old' rides which are going to require more work all close together. New events can be okay, but gimmicky and don't really draw people in. If you look at some of the better-received parks, the likes of Phantasialand and Efteling, they don't add in many new things. Since 2015... Phantasialand have added in 3 new coaster, rethemed a coaster and a 4D show and added in a couple of walkthroughs / play areas. Efteling have added in 2 new coasters (I guess technically 3 as one is a duelling coaster), 2 new dark rides and rethemed a couple of things. In that same time, Thorpe have added in 1 new coaster, 1 new dark ride, rethemed some things and done a couple of walkthroughs. The level of investments isn't as big a difference in the overall park experience and quality. And that's the bigger issue - Thorpe haven't consistently been able to upkeep their attractions (or revitalise them) the same as other parks that invest at a similar frequency. I think the other issue - which is Merlin-wide - is Thorpe does rely extremely heavily on returning visitors, as opposed to new visitors. Whether that's them, over a 10-20 year period, having exhausted the market and not been able to expand it or a purposeful strategy to not try and reach more people, or another reason entirely, is unclear. But it is certainly the bigger issue that the park face. They've had a huge new coaster for 1 and a half seasons - that's still a big deal, and not really something that should be viewed as stagnation. But when the park aren't pushing it and rely too heavily on repeat visits, then it will feel like that. You say that, but then they've recently announced Legoland Germany are getting a Lego Harry Potter Land, which will be Merlin's single biggest investment into any theme park. Legolands California and Florida are getting substantial new coasters next year. Chessington are getting Minecraft World soon, and Towers' big new coaster seems to still be going ahead. Gardaland invested 12 million Euros into retheming their indoor boat ride this (where that 12m went I don't fully know, but that's what they did). They're financial issues have been documented in the press, and their selling / closing down of midway attractions, outsourcing and structural changes are further signs of that I expect. But they are still making investments, and notable ones at that, in many places. But it feels like Thorpe is being brushed aside a bit right now (along with Heide Park...if I didn't know any better, I'd have thought Merlin forgot they still own it).

It was the future of theme parks 10 years ago. So that means it is actually now the present of theme parks.

Get a TopSpin whilst we're at it plz. Obviously the space is a prime location for a flat ride. Thinking bigger, they could get rid of the tented food place next to it (whose name I cannot be bothered to recall) and fit in a compact, but still worthwhile, coaster. The unrealistic but awesome dream would be the fact that removing The Walking Dead, Ghost Train and the tented food place opens up a huge space for a brand new land which could have an indoor attraction, roller coaster and flat ride. Effectively it serves as like for like replacements (replacing a coaster and indoor ride with a coaster, indoor ride and a flat), but a blank slate would be best for that area. It would never happen, but in la la land, it's what I'd love to see.

I said a couple of years ago that Merlin slowly turning to people as IPs could come back to bite them. Walliams, Derren Brown, that YouTuber Daz, etc. All it takes is one unsavoury claim against them and it puts Merlin in a hugely difficult (and totally preventable) situation. I'm not saying that any of those people are problematic (okay, Walliams definitely seemed dodgy, but the other two definitely not), but it was always a risk. Obviously there's still nothing confirmed in terms of Walliams. If Towers kept Walliams World during his previous controversies, I don't see why they would get rid now. The bigger issue is, if something came out confirmed tomorrow, what would they do? They wouldn't realistically have the time or associated funds to retheme it for season start, so it'd surely be just closing the area. Or very very hastily removing all Walliams references and just keeping Gangsta Granny closed in a best case scenario.

The opening times for the 2026 season have appeared (subject to change). They're very similar to 2025: https://www.thorpepark.com/plan-your-visit/before-you-visit/opening-times/ Season starts on 27th March and finishing on 1st November, with 13 closed days during this time (mostly in September, with a couple of Wednesdays in April/May). The park closes at 5pm on weekdays, 6pm on weekends and school holidays and 7pm in August. Fright Nights starts on 2nd October and runs for 24 days up until 1st November, closing again at 9pm nightly. They're not bad opening hours for what we have on offer in the UK. I'll forever stay in the camp of saying I'd want later closing times for Fright Nights still, and it would be nice to see them experiment again with later closes over summer. But for now, it feels positive that there's no reduction on the decent times that we currently have, especially given some of the wider uncertainty that Merlin feels like it gives off.

We've got a green light from the government, this is happening! BBC NewsUniversal Studios gets green light to be built in Bedford...The park is expected to attract more than eight million annual visitors and open in 2031. Construction will start next year if all goes to plan.