Inferno

Oh come on… not this crap again.

To be fair they could move that fence over in less than 5 minutes, so I don’t think this necessarily suggests it’s long term. Even having that there for a week is “worth it” in terms of effort etc. It also must be incredibly convenient being able to build the maze without worrying about nearby rides / paths etc. Hopefully they can at least get Vortex running again before Fright Nights. It’s beginning to feel like Zodiac might be a lost cause though.

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.

I agree that TP seems to have dropped off the radar a little recently, and the fan base does seem to have vanished… We don’t even see the regular videos anymore from the park. And as stated above, there is next to no “news” about the place anymore either, with the fan sites and socials dropping silent. It’s a shame that there doesn’t seem to be any buzz about anything, because actually things are generally quite good at the park. It’s being run very well at the moment, and Hyperia is very much new enough to still be a big deal. You just never really hear about the place anymore unless you go looking for it. I echo the point above about the interesting / worrying period we are now entering, with many of the flats nearing end of life at the same time. That’s already starting to be an issue with some of the flats having a lot of downtime recently. I’m still very optimistic about the future of Thorpe though. They have a number of excellent expansion plots available to use, and Hyperia’s existence proves that they can make very large scale projects happen, which isn’t something many UK parks can do due to planning etc. I understand why things might be quiet for now though - Hyperia is still new. But hopefully it won’t be long before some news breaks about something else on the way. (Hopefully the marketing team remember their login details soon as well so they can drum up some hype). Even if it isn’t a big coaster - SOMETHING would be good. In the short term - they do normally market Fright Nights heavily. Perhaps there will be a lot of change here which will generate some interest? You never know, they might start teasing the next project this Halloween 🎃

I’ve returned to Paultons’s Park for the first time since I was a kid, this time with my own toddler who has recently made the magic 1 meter + 4 years old combo, meaning we could go on early everything. It’s probably been over 20 years since I was last there, and the place is now completely unrecognisable. WHAT A PARK. And what a breath of fresh air! I have read reviews and watched videos etc, and had high expectations. But honestly I was blown away by just how good Paultons actually is now, especially when it comes to their newer things. Every expectation I had was exceeded. The rides, theming, food, staff, availability, atmosphere, overall experience, value for money, prices in the park, everything was spot on. Valgard is truly spectacular, and will be unbelievable when the new water coaster opens next year. The back to back large scale additions this year and next are an extremely positive sign of things to come. Can’t wait to see the park continue to grow over the coming years. It’s so encouraging to have had such a positive experience at a UK park, and to see it doing so well. I hope it continues to go from strength to strength as we gain Universal. The future of the UK theme park industry may be shaky across the board, but there are some real positives - Paultons very much being one of them.

How has the launchpad been since it opened? I haven’t seen it yet, but from the photos I was expecting a lot more seating, making it a place people could go to around lunchtime etc. It also seems very exposed with little shade or rain cover. Interested to see how the update has been

Does anyone know the relevance of “JBS Works” to the back story, which is on the side of the Saw warehouse and on various signs around the plaza?

Interesting to hear/read about the troubles Towers are having (again) this season, with staggered opening and many rides not opening until well after opening time if at all. I have heard a lot about a shortage of engineers being one of the main causes of all the problems. My thought.... Has Alton Towers just become bigger than is feasible to operate? It's an enormous site with actually quite a few rides, not to mention the 6 hotels.... If you think about the sheer number of staff required to (for example) run a hotel, let alone six, as well as run the daily opening routines and maintenance on all the rides across such a large site, it equates to a huge number of people. When you also think about how remote the location is, they need to draw employees in from far and wide, which is going to be difficult for a company that doesn't appear to have the money to compete with other companies who might attract potential employees with the same skills and interests, who would prefer a permanent (not seasonal) role. Considering AT isn't open all year, thus isn't making money for a portion of the year, AND the fact that many of the staff are seasonal, it must be a constant headache to fully staff such an enormous place. When you compare this situation with that of Thorpe Park's for example, as an outsider at least, it would appear that running a smaller park with fewer aspects (no hotels, smaller site, closer to towns/cities for employment etc) is more advantageous. Unless of course the business runs and brings in money all year round, like Universal will.

Fantastic news about Zodiac seemingly making a comeback soon. It seems Thorpe are a lot more prepared for the season ahead than Alton Towers, which has several rides closed for the foreseeable future, and is continuing to struggle to open rides at opening time every day. Hopefully Thorpe will be able to continue with their good operations and availability that they’ve had for several years now. It’s encouraging to see only 2 rides listed to be closed, for just 2 days at that.

Well put Cal - I agree. Really, since they were never going to invest in it again, it was time for Rumba to go, and I don't think anyone's going to be surprised by that. It would have been good to have had the opportunity to ride it one last time, but I expect the ever-changing situation at Merlin has meant the decision to close was made after the park closed last season. As much as it's a shame to see it go, it's not like we have lost one of the greats, like Loggers Leap. I think really the biggest shame is that Thorpe's reputation for water rides has dwindled so much. Here's to whatever comes next - hopefully the area won't be left to rot for long.

I think the loop and a couple of other places weren't done. Weird isn't it.

This is fantastic news. Despite the financial issues at Merlin, it's encouraging to see that there is still a lot of development happening across the UK parks. The River Splash location is a great place for a major ride. Good to see such a large SBNO ride being removed and replaced.

Various videos online appear to show that several rides are now being tested ready for opening. Not long to go now. Nemesis Inferno has had some new parts on the seats by the look of it, and bizarrely Detonator has been painted (I didn't think it really needed it to be fair, but it's encouraging to see this sort of thing happening). Tidal Wave's support structure has also been painted and is looking nice and clean now. Disappointingly, the Colossus re-paint appears to have not been completed however. There also doesn't appear to have been much progress on the new launch pad area, which will be a shame if the entry way is a construction site when the season starts, however it's difficult to get a view of that area to see if anything's happening, and the work will be quite out of view from outside of the boundaries. It will be interesting to see what else (if anything) has changed around the park. I know this will be a 'nothing' year overall, but often Thorpe tend to do a lot of 'general' stuff around the park to keep it looking good.

I've seen some pictures on social media of fencing surrounding Rumba, and a digger parked on the path by the wave machine. If they have gone to the effort of putting up a substantial fence, this must mean that RR has been made inaccessible for either a decent refurb during the season, or it's being blocked off for good. My money is on Rumba's site being the preferred location for the next major ride. I wonder if we are seeing the very early stages of prep for it to be decommissioned, to make way for something else. And if that is the case, I would bet they'd want to open it before Universal, so I would bet probably 2029 or 2030. Could we see land clearance happening towards the end of the year I wonder? Either way - they certainly wouldn't be putting that fence up around a ride that they're expecting to re-open soon...

Oh, no stage? Although this is basically just an open space, it is an open space near the entrance which is a good thing. It's also a bit of a blank canvas for the future if they want to make it in to a sort of 'Main Street' of sorts. My hope is that this momentum extends across the bridge and over to the entrance plaza in the next couple of years.