MattyMoo

I just went on it. I have no idea how anyone has given this a good review. It was so bad.
 
I'll do a proper spoiler review later, but in short it felt like a lot of overacting whilst basically nothing happened.  The new theming was bare at best. Terrible.
 
I would love to know what people who enjoyed it saw in this attraction, but I am legitimately baffled as to how it could be considered by anyone to be anything above 'dire'.

Just a note to say don't wear your Mardi Gras beads on SAW as I lost both of my sets in one of the final dip before the break run entering the station. Saw them rise up in front of my very eyes and then they were gone 😆
 
Also, I would rate our ride on SAW as "OK" which really is high praise. Leaning forwards in the restraint definitely helps, and maybe looking over to the Exodus construction site maybe distracted me from what was happening also.

Awkward. At least it's true to its predecessor in barely working. 

It's definitely open today. 

I’ll be riding it today, hopefully at least a couple of times. I’ve always seen DBGT through rose-tinted glasses (regardless of how bad it rode the majority of the time), so this attraction is already off to a bad start in my head. I’ll have a spoiler-free and spoiler-full review at some point today or tomorrow posted here - I promise not to sugar coat anything and my review will be nothing short of totally honest. That being said, as a big fan of Dungeons attractions (yes, even the Towers dungeons!), I am super excited to give it a whirl.

Had a sticky beef Po' Boy (essentially like a posh-ish kebab/sub) yesterday on the Island Like No Other, with cajun fries - this was from one of the pop up Mardi Gras food stalls which are not Aramark run. £14.50 in total for both, and it was genuinely decent. Pint of Camden Pale was £6.75 but had to be done because sunshine innit.
 
Similarly, at Fright Nights I bought food on two occasions from the Ghost Train Smokehouse near the teacups, again, external, and was very good indeed.
 
So basically, just go when there are pop up traders xoxo
 
 

Did you get RAP discount? 

The latin on the sign translates to "Death Is Not The End".
Spooky!
 
Shout out to Ministry of Joy easter egg with Join Us reference 😁😵

 
Also, I LOVE this:

 
Credit to Theme Park Guide obvs.

Serious question - do we think there's any budget to get a new entrance screen for 2024? To fix the dead pixel issue, Thorpe seemingly moved the dead pixel sections to the bottom of the screen, and then hid them by the bottom part having a permanent black "wave" so they don't need to be on. However, watching recent vlogs, more sections of dead pixels have now appeared smack bang in the centre of the screen. I'd be inclined to have the thing switched off and covered with a vinyl or poster to be honest.... not a good first impression as you enter the park.

How about an Angry Bird?
 

Whatever theme/style they're going for, it's obviously going to be very light. There's no major theming pieces in the plans. The station building is very simple. That's not to say there'll be no theming, but it's simply going to be minimal. That's fine with a coaster like this too imo.

I don't think an Egyptian theme does it for me. Something like that could work well at Thorpe, but not for this. This ride is ALL about the height, tacking on some Egyptian hieroglyphics and whatever doesn't hit the spot for me.

Some sort of soaring bird over nature would be much better. Simple, easy to understand, makes sense. Just ticks all the boxes.

Just to confirm I have SECURED my tickets to The ISLAND LIKE NO OTHER via a pack of Kellogs Crunchy Nut Cornflakes, and I am all BOOKED IN for 18th May along with my CAR PARKING TICKET.

This does seem to be a never ending IP, and it's an IP that no-one is majorly bothered about, unless I'm mistaken. 
 
I thought maybe "Bombs Away" being dropped from the Detonator title was a sign of things changing but perhaps that was something more to do with the state of the world today...

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!

Yep, I am keen on the Thorpe Rail branding - I'd actually consider buying a coffee cup with it on, quite cool and a proper EAstEr eGg that I can get behind - an "if you know, you know" sorta thing.
 
That said, if the whole thing is absolute turd, I won't buy a thing xoxo

Fair play to jack, that’s a great piece of work. I actually think it’s great that Thorpe are working with jack by the way. Having an enthusiast working closely with the park will hopefully be helping in terms of giving them some valuable feedback, and makes me wonder if it’s any coincidence that ghost train has had this revamp at all. Let’s hope he fills their heads with plenty of good ideas going forwards 

They've been drilling too deep, that's why!

This Smiler takeover at Towers looks fantastic... 
 
 
Particular points to note are the Argos karaoke machine, aeroplane seats (out of shot) with barbed wire on them (completely fits in), bits of old CBeebies tat (Fido dog house).
 
When does it stop becoming an "easter egg" or "a NoD tO sOMEthIng" and not just never buying anything new and just repurposing/throwing in anything they find in the props cupboard? I say right now, personally. And I'm a Smiler fan.... but that stage in front of the Wickerboi just gives me the ick.
 
Shane Sandwich is gonna be rippin' this a new one tonight.

Fingers crossed for it being open for my visit obvs. We're going first day of Mardi Gras (Thurs 18th) - park is closed the day before so maybe that would be an ideal time to have a press event for SLKSTN & Co.
 
....or, the press event will be the day we are there, like with Black Mirror, and we miss the eXPerIENcE by 1 day 😏 
 
ALSO - spotted that Mardi Gras is not showing on the website for 20th & 21st May but I assume that's a mistake, as elsewhere on the website it says "Mardi Gras is back at THORPE PARK Resort! Taking over the theme park every day from 18th May – 11th June – and it’s included with every park ticket." - as suggested by @JoshC. - that could POTENTIALLY be a GST TRN launch weekend now, but that would be quite odd to set Mardi Gras up for 2 days, for it to then sit there unused for 2 days straight away. But... Merlin.... so.....
 

This Smiler takeover at Towers looks fantastic... 
 
 
Particular points to note are the Argos karaoke machine, aeroplane seats (out of shot) with barbed wire on them (completely fits in), bits of old CBeebies tat (Fido dog house).
 
When does it stop becoming an "easter egg" or "a NoD tO sOMEthIng" and not just never buying anything new and just repurposing/throwing in anything they find in the props cupboard? I say right now, personally. And I'm a Smiler fan.... but that stage in front of the Wickerboi just gives me the ick.
 
Shane Sandwich is gonna be rippin' this a new one tonight.

Very important announcement - I'm going on a M E G A T R I P to the ISLAND LIKE NO OTHER on Thursday May 18th (2023).
 
Looking forward to trying out the new spa and getting on The Collosos. 

I'm sure Sony are impressed that Merlin are completely incapable of negotiating with the engineering team and stopping these strikes. 

Very important announcement - I'm going on a M E G A T R I P to the ISLAND LIKE NO OTHER on Thursday May 18th (2023).
 
Looking forward to trying out the new spa and getting on The Collosos. 

So... no whispers from anyone who knows someone who is the manager of a Spoons where someone who works for them served Russ Gaines a pint the other week who told him an update? 😁
 
I would assume there's no activity on site at all with Colossus, otherwise Park Pixie would be all over it.

Can I just say, on record, if all this wittering actually means something legitimate with regards to Exodus in the end, then I salute you.
 
If it doesn't, may your Freestyle cup forever need to be taken to Guest Services to reactivate.