Marhelorpe

Yeah that’s the problem. Merlin don’t really have any competition with Thorpe so they can be complacent with mediocre investment and maintenance. Sure there are a few other parks nearby but nothing on Thorpes scale.
At least at Towers, they have BPB to worry about especially since I think many thrill seekers are going to return there this year instead of Towers for Icon. Hence all the new entrance work and heavy theming on WM. Competition is good and something that’s missing in the south.

why does everything at Thorpe have to actually look so grim? Both deliberately and non-deliberately mank through a lack of care? All I see in the above ad is every fright nights promotion ever.

I miss the days when only Detonator and Slammer operated at a snowed in park.
 
Oh well.

"I hate nitpickers" lol

I'm probably in the minority view here, but I happen to really like the snake skin design on those trains along with it's colour, makes it look more unique and less bland compared to being a single flat colour. Quite reminiscent of Helix's trains which look as though they have scales on them, though not as noticeable as Icon's here I must admit.

Will these trains have side lighting in addition to frontal lights does anyone know?

Besides from that, this looks amazing!!!
 

I'm probably in the minority view here, but I happen to really like the snake skin design on those trains along with it's colour, makes it look more unique and less bland compared to being a single flat colour. Quite reminiscent of Helix's trains which look as though they have scales on them, though not as noticeable as Icon's here I must admit.

Will these trains have side lighting in addition to frontal lights does anyone know?

Besides from that, this looks amazing!!!
 

Icon's train minus the lead car, I really like the "BLACKPOOL PLEASURE BEACH" text on the front - looks smart!
 

 
Image courtesy of Theme Park Updates on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Coolcabbage43/

Sounds horrendous, no 3D glasses in the 3D walkthrough... are their standards of guest experience really THAT low?!
 
Shocking...

Got a table booked at TGI's in Staines  

Can't say I'm impressed given the trains look no different and the indentation "THORPE PARK" is still visible on the front. I know the ride is still being worked on and this could change later but please, at least make some amount of effort to get your marketing material looking decent guys...
 
What concerns me more in that image is the floor on the other side of the platform hasn't been painted to match the new Walking Dead theme, which says it all to me really. If something as basic and easy as that isn't looked after, what hope is there for the rest?

EDIT: Just seen this additional photo online and I'll leave it here, annotated and let you decide if this all seems like a thorough retheme, or a cheap and quick rehash of a 22 y.o. coaster. Such quality and attention-to-detail in the offload station here it's unreal......
 

Can't say I'm impressed given the trains look no different and the indentation "THORPE PARK" is still visible on the front. I know the ride is still being worked on and this could change later but please, at least make some amount of effort to get your marketing material looking decent guys...
 
What concerns me more in that image is the floor on the other side of the platform hasn't been painted to match the new Walking Dead theme, which says it all to me really. If something as basic and easy as that isn't looked after, what hope is there for the rest?

EDIT: Just seen this additional photo online and I'll leave it here, annotated and let you decide if this all seems like a thorough retheme, or a cheap and quick rehash of a 22 y.o. coaster. Such quality and attention-to-detail in the offload station here it's unreal......
 

I don't see how a graffiti wall and train with the logo ripped off can be classed as impressive, personally.

Can't say I'm impressed given the trains look no different and the indentation "THORPE PARK" is still visible on the front. I know the ride is still being worked on and this could change later but please, at least make some amount of effort to get your marketing material looking decent guys...
 
What concerns me more in that image is the floor on the other side of the platform hasn't been painted to match the new Walking Dead theme, which says it all to me really. If something as basic and easy as that isn't looked after, what hope is there for the rest?

EDIT: Just seen this additional photo online and I'll leave it here, annotated and let you decide if this all seems like a thorough retheme, or a cheap and quick rehash of a 22 y.o. coaster. Such quality and attention-to-detail in the offload station here it's unreal......
 

If you look reaaaaaalllly carefully you can see where it used to say Thorpe Park on the front of those amazing trains. Ahem. Second only to Disney, lads!

I'm only going on the 24th to ride Loggers, Slammer, X & Rocky Express tbh so will be heading straight to guest services if any of these rides are not available.

According to talk over in Towersstreet SRQ are a thing of the past at Towers. Rumours are they’re all going.
 
 
https://towersstreet.com/talk/threads/single-rider-queues.4679/

As expected, IMAscore have created the soundtrack for Wicker Man.
https://www.imascore.com/imascore-produces-soundtrack-alton-towers-resorts-wicker-man

In all the years visiting BPB I've never had any real issues with guests inside the park, it's very secure and the atmosphere is generally nice - mostly families visiting.  It's certainly nothing compared with Fright Nights at Thorpe, the behaviour I've witnessed from guests on numerous different ocasions there is atrocious.
 
I've encountered a few idiots in the town (mainly up at the Tower end) but it's very rare and no different to any major town/city really, there are always a few morons who choose to deride people they don't even know but they aren't worthy of anyone's time.

First image of Icon's trains, posted by Amanda Thompson on Twitter;
 

Source: https://twitter.com/MandsThompson
 
I think they look absolutely stunning, but a shame they don't have the PB logo indented anywhere.

Famous last words

Observing all the moaners in this thread like

So there’s a 1.4m height restriction once again on a coaster which succeeded these last several years for welcoming those just 1m onto, along with a minimum age restriction that’s higher than Saw: The Ride?
 
I have one word for this and I frankly don’t care how nicely themed it might be when it opens:
 
FAIL

If the same height restriction as previous was used for this retheme, along with no minimum age restriction, I would've actually given this a chance to deliver and see what it's like despite being against the whole TWD theme in general.
 
But it's because the park are intentionally going to make this out as their next big thrill machine I have a problem, as this is once again going to lead to false expectations and promises with guests. People naturally are going to think this will be an amazing ride with the OMG ANOTHER WORLD FIRST nonsense when in truth, the coaster just isn't great for the market Thorpe are trying to go for here. Therefore, a fair few people who do ride it are likely going to be disappointed as a result and you end up questioning whether this retheme was worth doing in the first place other than for IP bragging rights. X as far as I could see worked very well with it's target audience, this change I simply cannot see happening.
 
You know something is clearly very wrong here when for example a coaster like Helix with 2 launches, seven inversions, massive airtime and near-60mph speeds has a lower height restriction than this. Increasing a ride's height restriction based purely and only on it's theme is sheer stupidity in my view.
 
This is an enormous two fingers up to anyone in the 1m - 1.4m height category.

What an absolute joke Thorpe Park have become. One bad decision after another  with their new investments.
The place is a total dump and this new run down addition just tops it off.
The amount of money they waste on rubbish temporary attractions like this  could have been used to tidy up the decaying park.
 
Thinking back through the years when there was Colossus > Nemesis Inferno > Samurai > Slammer and Rush > Stealth > Saw.
 
They were really heading somewhere and now look. I blame too many young inexperienced managers. Pathetic Thorpe Park ! 

Gutted. My little boy loves X, one of the few rides there he could go on. He's 9 and under 1.4, and even if he was tall enough, the theme would scare the life out of him :-(