TPJames

I imagine next year will be a near repeat of this year. 
 
TWD, DBGTROTD, BM all closed.
Capacity issues elsewhere. 
 
If only they had a nice open space like a farm to relax in, a large capacity train ride to take you there, an event space like an arena where people could be spread over a large searing area, or a log flume where each riding group could have their own socially distanced ride vehicle. 

He travelled from a tier 3 area to visit Adventure Island and claimed it under "work" which, IMO, is nonsense.  The idea is travelling to a lower tier for work should only be done if essential, not to go and ride a few coasters.
 
It's also setting a bad example to his followers and is one of those things where just because you can find a loophole, it doesn't mean you should.
 
He has also been on a blocking spree on social media with anyone who has dared to question his actions, and has referred to them as "trolls" even though many are just (rightfully) calling out his actions as selfish.
 
Earlier this year when the allegations came to light, he also tried to hide those at first by removing the replies to his tweets.  He's awful IMO.

Thanks for the clarification on that, had no idea!
Squeaky bum time for Merlin parks for the next couple of weeks...

From the official gov website:
 
Businesses selling food or drink (including cafes, bars, pubs and restaurants), social clubs, casinos, bowling alleys, amusement arcades (and other indoor leisure centres or facilities), funfairs, theme parks, adventure parks and activities, and bingo halls, must be closed between 10pm and 5am. This will include takeaways but delivery services can continue after 10pm (from 24 September). Theatre and cinema performances are the only two exempt and can run over the 10pm curfew, but the bars/kiosks must be shut down by then.
 
So yes, guests will have to be out of the park by 10pm, so it will affect ride/maze close times; as they will probably have to shut the queues earlier due to how popular the event is.

Plenty of attractions of different types operate free (admission included) timed ticket slots on a first-come-first-served basis, so let's not pretend that charging £10 per maze was Thorpe's only option here.
 
I understand that the parks have suffered a lot financially this year, but nevertheless I don't think it's right that Thorpe have introduced such a hefty fee for these mazes when they are essentially one that has been around for years and Blair Witch without the IP.  Ultimately I do not believe it represents good value for money and it feels as though Thorpe are exploiting the fact that they are one of few operating Halloween events this year by charging such a high amount.

£10 for Platform 15...
 
£9 if you’re a pass holder...
 
A maze that was once free for the last 4 seasons...
 
And now costs more money for both a regular guest and a pass holder than any ScareFest maze did last year...
 
And the park still have the nerve to charge standard pass holders a minimum of £10/£25 to enter this “Fearstival”...
 
This could get... interesting. 
 
😬

The Storm Surge rule was being enforced by a staff member at the front of the entrance. Didn't seem to cause many issues, but did overhear one conversation from a group of 3 who just didn't get it.
 
It's a weird one as I don't think similar rides have the rule, nor did it have the rule in Cypress Gardens. Reason it exists is to prevent it from 'stalling' whilst going down the slide I've heard, but just seems weird.

Can you imagine the complaints even sized groups only can ride!

And a little more about the event:
 
https://www.thorpepark.com/explore/theme-park/events/oktoberfest/
 
The event sounds promising, and it's good to see they're actually planning on having an actual Oktoberfest drink there. Hopefully they can do it some justice.
 
---
 
On a different note, I visited on Monday. Something which was very striking was that, during a thunderstorm, every ride was closed (completely understandable and obvious). The only open attraction was Angry Birds 4D. I know there's a slight element of this being out of their control (Derren and Walking Dead being closed due to Covid, though I'm sure the latter could have reopened by now, which makes me wonder if there's a different problem...), but it really highlighted the park's need for more indoor rides frankly. They'd also have two indoor walkthroughs if it wasn't for Covid, but yeah, that's not what I'm talking about.
 
Yes, it's always been a problem for the park, and they face challenges with the amount of indoor space they can have. But it's something that really needs addressing, and something which I was just starkly reminded of during my visit. 

Some of them worked. But it was very vague, for example in the Colossus area we heard that Colossus was delayed over an announcement, but no mention of the power cut. If they just chipped in 'we're experiencing a power-cut in some areas which may delay some rides' would of been fine. We didn't really know what was happening until I read up on here.
 
It just really isn't enough for a peak august day. It isn't even like Swarm has many trains to deal with, really there is no excuse. Both should of been ready to go from the start of the day.

There is a few core reasons to why I think Thorpe has reached its current state.
Heavy expansion, and then, nothing at all. Thorpe had a rapid expansion/investment rate up until about 2012. They received the cream of the crop when it came to investments. Merlin at some point seemed to be more keen in investing in Thorpe over Alton even. Ever since 2013 the park has seen to take a backseat, and their last proper investment was the nail in the coffin (DBGT). The Ghost Train basically ruined all hope of Thorpe ever regaining its status as a worthy rival to Alton Towers for the best park in the UK. It also ruined all hope of any good investment anytime soon. Merlin have no reason to pump money into Thorpe anymore. Lack of a resort. Thorpe Park is barely a resort. It barely has a hotel, and honestly it offers the least out of the 4 UK Merlin Parks when it comes to non theme park stuff. Look at Alton, they offer 2 hotels, Enchanted village, the roller coaster restaurant that is open past park hours, a water park, golf, a ropes course, and entertainment in their hotels. Thorpe Shark is absolutely pathetic in comparison. Chessington and Legoland also have much better accommodation. I bet those hotels are cash cows too, why invest in a park with one small budget hotel when you can invest in a park that is a full resort (Alton Towers) No image. Thorpe Park is like a middle age person going through a identity crisis. It doesn't know who it is, who its target audience is, and it shows. 

So here's the Thorpe problem in a nutshell. Their investment in the 2000's was big. it was exciting, it was dynamic, it was a dream to be a Uk theme park fan with rides left right and centre. But the Thorpe problem comes down to a lack of space and a lack of diversity. They've got themselves into a rut when The Swarm kind of failed. Their target audience demands the newest, most exciting attractions. Who cares about Colossus and its measly ten inversions when The Smiler has fourteen.So then when they fail to grow, they start to downsize. The problems start to increase. The lack of investment means a lack of return which just spirals until we get to now. Thorpe doesn't have the advantages of the family market. Chessington went through a similar slump when it left the thrill market altogether and turned to family. The difference there though is that the family market spends money. Kids demand toys and treats. Ap family holders are all too happy to grab a nice meal and a pint with their family. They like staying in an over-priced hotel. Kerching. 
 
Thorpe's target audience doesn't. Thorpe AP holders are happy to only spend a pound in the park all day. It starts to cost too much money to remove the SBNO attractions. Just build a wall. Who do you target at now when the bulk of your attractions are thrill heavy. 
 
Really there is absolutely no reason why the park couldn't build a family rollercoaster or some entry level flat rides (give me a breakdance you cowards). But they won't because all they want are headlines and aren't interested in sustaining the park beyond the end of the financial year. So we get short term rubbish like I'm a Celeb or Black Mirror instead of attractions that stand the test of time. I'm amazed that Chessington actually replaced Black Bucaneer and are replacing Rameses with a generic drop tower AND redid Tomb Blaster AND built a Rainforest area, refurbishing Toadies and building a Log Flume at the same time. This stuff never happens at Merlin, it will certainly never happen at Thorpe because the idea of cookie-cutter attractions would never fly. So instead the current attractions just age away and nothing gets built or done. 
 
If you were to ask me what Thorpe should do, I'd go with refurbish attractions, build rides that attract a wider audience and beef up that awful entrance with a new look and better security stations. Inferno shouldn't be turning green, family rollercoasters are awesome additions and  a stabbing should never be able to happen again. There is absolutely no point in building an RMC or B&M Hyper if the rest of the park looks like a rubbish dump. Putting a bow on trash is still trash. 
 
And that for me is the Thorpe problem.

Seriously! 
 
Back in 2008 when I first visited the park was arguably the most exciting park in the UK due to amazing investments the park was installing each year! 
 
Now every new attraction is either a maze or “experience” and the fact they turned their only “good” family coaster into a horror themed attraction is just ridiculous! 
 
Why don’t they add any new coasters or flat rides? It’s becoming such a bore! The last decent addition was in 2012! 
 
The 2nd hand kiddie rides they’ve added to old town don’t even blend into the area they stick out like sore thumbs with their colourful colour scenes and old “theming” 
 
Why have they closed rides and left them to rot? Loggers leap is closed and rotting, Slammer is closed and rotting, Saw: Alive is closed and rotting are they just going to leave them there it’s so strange and sad to see the once great park in such a depressing state...
 
I also don’t understand who they are marketing themselves at anymore are they are thrill park or trying to be a family park because there image is all over the place and doesn’t quite fit together because they market it a lot different to the addictions they then add or don’t add... 
 
what’s going on? 

The lack of facilities is exactly my point - Thorpe should have a facility similar to Pleasure Beach where everyone gets searched IMO.
 
In relation to antisocial behaviour, it occurred at Pleasure Beach back when it was free entry however since introducing the security measures it's a very rare occurrence in my experience.
 
Thorpe Park on the other hand has a lot of antisocial behaviour, more than I've ever seen in Pleasure Beach, and yet their security measures are nowhere near up to the same level.  You mentioned about PB upping security due to antisocial behaviour, yes this is true, however my point is that they have had a secure entrance with the capacity to search everyone since 2009 whereas Thorpe (a park which has suffered from antisocial behaviour for years) doesn't.
 
I have witnessed more antisocial behaviour at Thorpe than in any other park personally, by a long way.  There have been times where I haven't felt safe due to the behaviour of other guests.  I feel that much stricter security and having scanners built into the entrance would prevent this, and given that Thorpe's bag checks have caused long delays whilst also not being thorough for years, they have had ample time to introduce a better more permanent solution IMO.
 
Why should it be accepted that a park handling thousands of guests per day has such a "DIY" security setup with a few huts and massive queues?  It is just not good enough.

But... but.... Black Mirror Labyrinth is coming next year - stay!
 

Sad to read but I can definitely relate to this. I have followed Thorpe and the forum for many years (often just a reader) - but I really feel the park just has nothing left to offer for me. Maybe I have grown out of it, but then again this shouldn't be the case for a "thrill" park, plus I love going to many other family parks, Disney, Europa, Alton to name a few.
 
I just feel the park now has very little to offer compared to most others. It looks run down, the rides are in general ok but nothing outstanding, and I feel my money is better spent elsewhere. Yes I now have the money and freedom to travel wherever I want, but Thorpe as a business should be still trying to draw me in as a person who loves themeparks. You have to spend money to make money, and whilst they may be short of it at the moment, the money they have spent over the last few years may as well have been thrown down the drain. Poor management and poor decision have led to the park becoming what it is today, a shadow of what it once was. Even with "average rides" the look and feel of the place can make a huge difference, and all I see is poor maintenance, rapidly deteriorating quality, and a "that will do" attitude. As James May would say, it just doesn't give me "the fizz". 
 
I will still follow this forum and the park, and I do hope it can turn things around, but changes in its management and direction are clearly needed. 

Marc, it’s great you are so positive and it’s always great to get a positive opinion and outlook on life!
 
Unfortunately I just cannot agree. Blackpool has had a really successful opening day (bar issues with the big one due to wind) whereas merlin parks have been a bit of a shambles across the board. I’m tempted to say there’s been more rides closed than open today, and when the closed rides aren’t advertised on the website in advance, that’s pretty unprofessional in my opinion. Chessington and Legoland posted a list of what’s going to be open and closed, whereas Alton and Thorpe left their customers in the dark as to what would be operating, then Thorpe had all water rides shut, and towers had 2 major coasters closed. We can argue indoor rides are closed due to social distancing but at the end of the day I think indoor rides being closed is just down to budget cuts- out in Europe parks have indoor rides open so I don’t see why it should be any different over here. 
 
In terms of covid mitigation, which is really important right now, merlin have done a pretty good job from what I’ve seen. But it doesn’t cover up the fact that parts of towers and Thorpe have been neglected and just not maintained, this was an issue pre-covid but is surely not going to be helped by the pandemic as any budgets left for park upkeep and refurbishment have probably been lost in the 3 months of the parks not being open. And to combine the abundance of SBNO rides today across all the merlin parks, it’s pretty poor.
 
When I checked the Thorpe park queue times at one point today there was only 10 rides open and 14 closed, and because of this queue times are elevated too which means people are in close proximity for longer.
 
I also struggle to see how chessington is operating on a 10am-4pm opening hours, that’s just shocking to be honest I can’t believe they can get away with that- not related to Thorpe though.
 
So yeah in terms of covid measures, they’ve done a good job but there’s been way too many unadvertised ride closures today across Thorpe and towers and the parks are just looking really neglected. The pandemic isn’t going to help with this as merlin now will be struggling financially along with every other business out there. 
 
I just wish we had some more competition in terms of uk parks to give merlin that extra push in terms of investing in park maintenance, theming and upkeep.

Don't forget to see the sights such as THE WORLDS ONLY REMAINING SKY SWAT or the log flume that DIANA princess of Wales rode thirty years ago. I hear there's the BRAND NEW FOR 2020 PRIPYAT EXPERIENCE next to DB's ghost train but there's been very few reviews of this new walkthrough so far.

Hi guys, just to let everyone know I'm heading to THE ISLAND LIKE NO OTHER on Monday with my mate, we have paid full price of £39 each online to ensure the ongoing financial stability of our beloved MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS ❤️ We have even paid for our CAR PARKING up front too.
 
Bit gutted that Rush is currently dead, can't lie, but excited for my first Stealth fix of the year - will try not to break it.

I agree - I’ve no idea on other Merlin parks but Thorpe did have a number of rides closed - I do not believe it all being down to budget cuts though, In general rides were staffed pretty well.
 
For the indoor rides it seems to be a choice merlin have made across the board - as far as I know it’s the same at all merlin parks - personally at Thorpe I can see why, Ghost Train would be an awful ride to run in these times, Walking dead wouldn’t be much better with its narrow / dark corridors - then the added issue of odd numbers and couldn’t pair Odd number groups together, angry birds could open and I expect will at some point.
 
Along with that Thorpe had Tidal Wave, Storm Surge, Depth Charge, Rumba, Lumber Jump, Rocky Express and Timber Tug closed. From what I understand rush is due to technical problems unrelated to covid. 
 
For me personally none of the above really affected my day - I’d open I’d have probably rode Rumba and Rush. I guess I did know in advance, the app was updated to have the open rides but I agree it could have been clearer on the website.
 
As for looking neglected - at thrope at least other than the mess of the rear of the arcade - I didn’t see anything which stuck out, plenty of places have been repainted, shops and food units have been refurbished. I do hope the arcade is sorted soon.
 
That said it don’t detract from the other genuine positives I mentioned across the park for this season.

Unpopular opinion but I love then new modern design on the dome looks so minimalist, modern clean and fresh! Perfect for the park and hopefully they go round the rest of the park when they have the time to minimalist the design of many areas, making them more clean and modern! 

Well think of it this way. Atleast they put in this rather than a damned bouncy castle!! 😛

If I'm being totally honest, this doesn't look up to Efteling's usual standard.
 
Sure it's only a junior coaster, but it just doesn't look inspiring at all; the layout looks worse than say, Scorpion Express or RMT, and there isn't really much theming beyond the station, just landscaping.  And then there's the cattlepen queue, I wouldn't really expect that at Efteling, I mean even the Dragon at Legoland Windsor has a proper themed queueline.
 
I'm obviously not in the target audience for this but for an investment from Efteling and as a replacement for Bob, this just looks disappointing IMO.

Even as a German you’d be lucky to get to europa park this season at all. Currently over 55,000 people waiting in the virtual queue and the hotels are fully booked out for the whole season.
 
Foreigners have absolutely no chance this season of getting there when you add border restrictions into the mix.

Meanwhile the UK will only start testing arrivals to the country at the end of this month.
 
So don't hold your breath on our lot opening anytime soon. Because we're run by idiots.