JoshC.

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.

Here is my absolute Top 10: 1 Toutatis Parc Asterix 2 Taron Phantasialand 3 Taiga Linnanmäki 4 Untamed Walibi Holland 5 Skyrush Hersheypark 6 Helix Liseberg 7 Oz'Iris Parc Asterix 8 Balder Liseberg 9 Der Schwur des Kärnan Hansa Park 10 Phoenix Knoebels At the same time, it feels a huge disservice to not mention so many incredible rides I've ridden. As my coaster count has risen, I've found a "Top 10%" is a still-arbitrary, but more reflective, view of my absolute favourites. So without further ado, here's my 11-43 ranks... 11 Kondaa Walibi Belgium 12 Hyperia Thorpe Park 13 Lost Gravity Walibi Holland 14 Jersey Devil Coaster Six Flags Great Adventure 15 Joris en de Draak (Water) Efteling 15 Joris en de Draak (Vuur) Efteling 16 Colossos - Kampf der Giganten Heide Park 17 Manta SeaWorld Abu Dhabi 18 Kingda Ka Six Flags Great Adventure 19 Candymonium Hersheypark 20 Goliath Walibi Holland 21 Nemesis Alton Towers 22 El Toro (SFGAd) Six Flags Great Adventure 23 Troy Toverland 24 Black Mamba Phantasialand 25 Mahuka Walibi Rhône-Alpes 26 Fønix Fårup Sommerland 27 Flying Aces Ferrari World Abu Dhabi 28 Hyperion Energylandia 29 Lisebergbanan Liseberg 30 Van Helsing's Factory Movie Park Germany 31 Juvelen Djurs Sommerland 32 Batman Gotham City Escape Parque Warner Madrid 33 Pulsar Walibi Belgium 34 Voltron Europa Park 35 Silver Star Europa Park 36 Shambhala PortAventura Park 37 Nitro (SFGAd) Six Flags Great Adventure 38 Nemesis Inferno Thorpe Park 39 Storm - The Dragon Legend TusenFryd 40 Colorado Adventure Phantasialand 41 The Storm Coaster Dubai Hills Mall 42 Lech Coaster Legendia 43 Mission Ferrari Ferrari World Abu Dhabi Only Kondaa is new to the list in 2025, although there's been a bit of movement too. After riding RMC Single Rails YoY at Walibi Holland a couple of months back and not really rating them, I expect Jersey Devil wouldn't be anywhere near as high up if I re-rode it. But who knows.

Parm Pap has gone so crazy they think their name is Parm Pom