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In a similar fashion to Alton Towers, Thorpe now have a selection of street food stalls, all in The Launchpad.


The stage is set up for Thorpe Lates, and a lot more seating is available (I think some of it moved from the old Saw Alive path now that construction is taking place there).

The area was the most alive I've ever seen it, and definitely how it should be used.

Wildest reaction to launch yesterday. A young woman alongside me flung her arm out (still attached to her body) grabbing me almost by the throat in terror, so intense that I had to check she hadn't ripped my shirt, wow! She did apologize afterwards.

The tent has been covered. It is 5 roof panels wide; Stitches is 6, so it's a bit smaller (but still very big).

Vortex (and Zodiac) look like they'll be down for a fair while longer as their entrances have been fenced off to allow for Fright Nights construction to pass through.

They wouldn't need fences that far forward if the rides were open, so it's likely to stop people going so far unnecessarily.

When DeadBeat was introduced, Thorpe had a 3-maze package (of the returning 3 mazes), and the 4-maze package too. So I guess it's not totally unheard of for them to do something like this.

My hope would be that this 5th maze is something different to the current norm. Paying £40 odd on top of entry for 5 "Thorpe mazes" where you're batched in a group, have a pre-show, wander round well-themed sets as actors jump out at you just feels a bit overkill to me. Yes it helps with capacity, but I'd question whether it improves the quality of the event.

What "something different" looks like is of course a different question. My personal preference, once again, would be an alone experience. I don't mind spending more on something like that. But if there's not a market for that, which I accept there might not be, something which is done in smaller groups, and just 'feels' different to the norm. Tulleys had success with that with Purgatory, for example.

My biggest criticism last year was how all the mazes felt the same, just dressed differently. I hope they can avoid that.
I also hope that they have the finances and the numbers to man 5 mazes plus shows and zones adequately.


On another a note, a tent has been set up today on Saw Alive's pathway:
Whether this is the new maze, or perhaps Stitches relocated there, currently unclear.

In addition to the above - I have to say I really do miss the almost obsessive fan culture that used to exist around Thorpe.

Not so long ago there would be something to read about online every few days, even if it was just little things like new signage appearing, a change of audio somewhere, things that had been fixed etc.
Closed season as well - we would always have detailed updates from many sources (including the park themselves) about what was going on.
All that stuff still happens at Thorpe of course - but I suppose we’ve all moved on from sharing about it online!

I think for me this sort of thing is what’s missing now. It seems to me that that level of enthusiasm doesn’t exist for Thorpe anymore, or if it does then it looks different now.

Perhaps there’s a gap in the market for this since Mr Silkstone has moved on from all that, and the traditional forums are no longer busy. Because actually when you look at other parks, namely DLP and the upcoming Universal UK, there is quite a fan base already following the developments in microscopic detail.
Thorpe just doesn’t seem to have that active fan base anymore for some reason outside of big projects like Hyperia.

After last weeks annoyance of the Service, a new cable and train 3 refurbished, yesterday Stealth ran really well and the team were pushing the trains through quickly, even in the high temperatures.
Both trains had also been cleaned.

Not sure whats up with it, but it has been testing on and off so hopefully nothing too serious.

Personally my favourite flat at the park in recent years so hopefully be back soon!

I do agree. The buzz we had with Hyperia and the Passholder Group has certainly gone, and we're technically 2 rides down with Rumba Rapids permanent closure and Zodiac being SBNO for over a year.

I'd love to see some new flat rides to bring some excitement back into the park, but there are also some pretty significant issues that need addressing, such as the security/entrance procedure and the Ghost Train.

One thing I will say though, is that although we've had nothing new and not much excitement, it's still the best run Merlin park in the UK by far in my opinion, and it continues to have the best opening hours. Operations are always on point whenever I go, and I always have a pleasant day. I can't say the same for most other parks in the country.

I usually avoid the park most of July and August but will certainly be going to a couple of the 9pm closes in August.

I do agree. The buzz we had with Hyperia and the Passholder Group has certainly gone, and we're technically 2 rides down with Rumba Rapids permanent closure and Zodiac being SBNO for over a year.

I'd love to see some new flat rides to bring some excitement back into the park, but there are also some pretty significant issues that need addressing, such as the security/entrance procedure and the Ghost Train.

One thing I will say though, is that although we've had nothing new and not much excitement, it's still the best run Merlin park in the UK by far in my opinion, and it continues to have the best opening hours. Operations are always on point whenever I go, and I always have a pleasant day. I can't say the same for most other parks in the country.

I usually avoid the park most of July and August but will certainly be going to a couple of the 9pm closes in August.

There's a few contributing factors I think...

-Post-big investment lull. As Benin mentioned, there can be lulls after big investments at parks. Not every park, but it is common. It's funny because historically Thorpe was good at avoiding that by having some marketing gimmick for the year after a big investment (Stealth's "upgrade", Saw with Saw Alive, Swarm's Brave it Backwards, DBGT and Rise of the Demon). Hyperia didn't have that, and there's not been anything to follow up. It happens, but it's very bland, yes.

-'Time thing'. I assume by this Matt you just mean getting older, and that does play a part of it too I reckon. You get older, and busier, and times just change. And also ties in with what Benin says about the world being general a bit rubbish right now.

-Lack of updates. There's things happening at the park, whether it's little touch ups here and there or bigger things behind the scenes. Admittedly right now that is minimal, but it is there.
But there's less noise about it all now. The Passholder Group on Facebook closed down. Jack Silkstone, who has been the main source of such things for a few years now, has moved into a more professional capacity so isn't making the little update videos. Fansites (like TPM) have succumbed to the time thing. And there's just very few places providing general updates.

-Lack of anything to be excited about. There's no plans to the council for anything new. There's no rumours of anything new coming. Other parks in Merlin are getting things and Thorpe aren't. We're kind of just ticking on by. It makes it hard to have the same enthusiasm.

On a personal level, I found 2024 to be such a huge buzz of a year for Thorpe. New coaster, obviously, but the Sparkle Project invigorated lots of other parts of the park. There was optimism for the future and such a positive. Since then, they've followed that up with a much-needed open space by the front of the park (although that execution has split opinion), and nothing else. The park is effectively exactly the same as it was 2 years ago, even down to food outlets.

With seemingly nothing new on the horizon, there's only so long one can revisit the exact same place before a bit of burnout hits.

4 ‘Thorpe Park Lates’ dates have been announced for 2 Fridays and Saturdays in August.

14th / 15th and 21st / 22nd once again staying open till 9pm.

Sounds like they’ll be making use of launch pad with live DJ sets.

Great to see!

He's lost his mind

They've done quite a lot in recent years which has collectively improved throughput.

- Increased the amount of bag storage
- Pretty much always have 4 hosts checking restraints rather than 2
- Pretty much always have someone batching to fill empty seats
- Pretty much always on 2 trains
- New PLC means all restraints don't have lift all the way up
- Queue line announcement with boarding instructions
- Boarding instructions/screen before entering the station

It has also been announced that Vampire, the SLC, will close at the end of next year.

No replacement has been confirmed, but the park have said they wouldn't close it with nothing in works to replace it.

They've done quite a lot in recent years which has collectively improved throughput.

- Increased the amount of bag storage
- Pretty much always have 4 hosts checking restraints rather than 2
- Pretty much always have someone batching to fill empty seats
- Pretty much always on 2 trains
- New PLC means all restraints don't have lift all the way up
- Queue line announcement with boarding instructions
- Boarding instructions/screen before entering the station

I’ve definitely noticed a massive improvement in operations in the last few years. Especially on off peak days (or the season it was on during one train for awhile), throughputs were terrible.

They dispatch much quicker nowadays and that queue just keeps moving. In general, Thorpe’s operations are something they should be proud of!

I've heard pretty much nothing.

One of the big issues the park will face is if staff haven't worked on it in a certain time frame, they will 'lose' the ability to work on it and need complete re-training. This might be why there was a lot of testing earlier this year, to stop that from happening.

It's weird though. It's on the map / app / queue boards. It's got the new RAP signage. It's clearly meant to be a part of the 2026 line up. So why is it just sat there.

I've always had a soft spot for Colossus, massively over-hated.

Its looking and running better than ever. I love that they seem to permanently have 4 hosts checking restraints now too, used to be very common to see 2 off peak.

Noticed the smoke machine has been off the last month or so. Hopefully it'll be back for Fright Nights when it looks its best.

To be honest, I think its a wasted opportunity at the moment.

- No comfy seating
- Lacks shade / shelter
- Theres a small retail unit which just sells icecreams I believe but I think its mad not have a bar + food unit there

Will be interesting to see how it develops and what the area is used for in the future, but I think it says a lot that hardly anyone seems to be using it and sitting in other areas instead.

I was at Thorpe on Monday for one of the 9pm closes too.

Ride availability was pretty poor. One of 'those' Thorpe days - though they are fewer and further between now. I don't think the heat can take the full blame for availability (beyond Stealth, as hydraulic launches do typically struggle in heat), but certainly can't have been a good factor.

In saying that, I had a good time, and there were a good number of people there until close. Was it rammed? No. Was it lively enough though? Yes.

Obviously the extreme heat won't have helped, and the May half term is usually the quietest one of the school holidays (I think, in part, due to it being around exam season, so a chunk of your core demographic are actually less likely to do bigger days out). So I don't think the 9pm closes being quiet are a 'bad' thing in any way.

I find it funny seeing the discourse around that if the parks are quiet on late closes, then they won't do them again. Isn't part of the reason to spread crowds out more throughout the day, improving rides per guest and overall giving guests better experiences. I think, on the whole, the late closes achieved that.

I really wish they could drop the “place your heads back and brace your selves” from the inferno dispatch announcement and have it back to how it was with the thuds as they pressed dispatch before it went into the music, I know a few years ago they went through and added pre dispatch safety announcements to all rides but since then Hyperia has opened and didn’t seem to need one so would be nice if Inferno could have the same!

They extended hours till 9 23rd - 25th May.

Lates at Thorpe Park: May Half Term Extended Hours

On Stealth today and a guy next to me announced that he first rode it twenty-five years ago. What large sticker is on the front of each train? 20 years old. He must have had heat stroke.

Depth Charge opened at 9:30 today, and launch pad has opened.

I’ve heard Depth Charge is now going to open daily at 9:30, with it being right next to Launch Pad.

Big fan of that. It gives people something else to do in the morning and helps bring some kinetic energy to the area.