JoshuaA

I think if people want to see concerts then they will go to an actual venue, not a budget setup in the middle of a theme park. Alton and Thorpe have both played with the concert idea and it definitely has proven underwhelming so I think the park won't bother in the future. If they had a actual stage and a way of organising the events better (like Europa does) then it might actually work, but currently they don't have that dedicated arena area. I honestly would like to see Amity Beach bulldozed for anything, I don't care if its a arena or a bouncy castle. I honestly think anything would be better than Amity Beach at the moment, its such a worthless and stupid waste of space. A tacky outdoor waterpark in the usually very overcast southeast england. At least Storm Surge appeals to a wider range, Amity Beach and the slides appeal to kids only on hot days only (which is once every blue moon..) It looks like a pile of crap to boot.

Alton must be taking lessons from Europa in the 'cramming dark rides into small buildings' department lol

I honestly think besides Paultons the Southern Merlin Cluster really do not have any competition. The London Resort is really only still a pipe-dream, even if it does get built it will be a long time until it properly opens. It might not even not end up threatening Merlin at all, it could totally fall on its face, its not even built yet! With that being said, I don't think Thorpe are building a coaster until they really have to. It isn't like they have any competitors or there is any other parks people can go to in that area (besides Paulton).

This is exciting. I think Alton are starting the new decade on a positive with this. If its executed correctly it could be a good midway point between Cbeebies and Thirteen/Wickerman. Its also good to see the most neglected area of the park seeing a new ride and area.

You better visit when I'm working this year! It was a shame I couldn't throw shade at you last year 😂

Its alright for what is it I guess, a very small coaster for small children. Throughput will be a nightmare though, but then most of the park has a throughput less than average so it'll fit right in! God though this park needs gravity group asap.

Yeah, totally agree. In the other post I kinda forgot about DBGT, because it sucks so bad. They can't even make the finale work anymore lol. I think onwards though I would be surprised if Merlin gave Thorpe anything more than a bench or another bouncy castle.

When it comes to roller coasters the 2010's have been the golden years. RMC have burst onto the scene, Intamin continue to do crazy stuff with varying degrees of success, and B&M continue to impress with Shambhala and Fury 325. This decade has also seen the turn of Vekoma and their new interesting projects and the reputation of that company practically being turned on its head. Mack also completely bloomed this decade with Helix, Time Traveller, Icon, Flash, DC Rivals, Copperhead, Pulsar, Lost Gravity, ECT. In terms of parks I think Europa really cemented itself as the best in the first half of the decade with Wodan and Arthur. Columbus Dinghy, Whale Tours, Madame Freudenreich, and Eurosat are also all brilliant refurbs that are now fun little gems. Last year also saw a new water park and hotel open- the park is certainly still on the rise. Europa is certainly under threat though, this decade has seen many parks in Europe add amazing coasters. Walibi Holland, Walibi Belgium, Phantasialand, Toverland, Hansa Park, Efteling, Bobbejaanland, Parc Asterix, Tripsdrill.. The European market is as exciting as ever, and I would say going forward Europe has a lot of coasters to look forward to, Well, all except the UK.. 2010's has been a pretty mixed but ultimately bad decade for the industry. On one hand we have Thirteen, Smiler, Wickerman, Swarm, all good coasters. But on the other we have seen the heavy fall from grace that Thorpe Park has taken since 2014. Ever year since 2014 Thorpe has got progressively worse, it is now nothing but a shell of its former self. Chessington a couple of years ago was a similar story but now I would say it is nowhere near the state of Thorpe, it at least has seen some steering in a new direction, even though direction isn't something the enthusiasts will like.. Alton has a had a couple of tumbles (The Dungeons) but ultimately has gained 3 very good coasters from this decade, I think Alton has really gained the most from this decade, Thorpe has lost the most. I think the UK market is still alive, but only in the North. Alton Towers, Blackpool, Flamingoland, that is where the coasters have mostly gone this decade, and I see next decade being the same story. Paultons looks pretty strong though going in this decade, hopefully this decade they will start to actually threaten the southern Merlin parks a little.. As currently the lack of competition has kind of made Merlin very stagnant with those parks in the south.

If Alton wasn't a 4 hours away then trust me I would be living at Alton. I only visit Thorpe these days for social reasons, like with a fun group of people its alright. I visit Chessington more now tbh, because it is better than Thorpe.

Certain: Thorpe Legoland Chessington Tulleys Maybe: Phantasialand Europa BPB Alton

Very true. I would put my bets on it being a new show in the old 3D cinema they use for Spooktoberfest (near Wreckoning) It could be a new scare zone or maze though.

So Scaretour just announced that the owner of the event just posted a new years message with this paragraph: This can't be true. Another new maze? We just got Wastelands! If that is another new maze next year then I am speechless.

This. I think some people have rose coloured glasses when talking about Stealth, maybe because it was their first big ride, hence how DARE you say its not a world class coaster or in the top 100 in Mitch Hawker's polls.. It is a good ride yes, but its not even the best in Thorpe IMO, let alone the UK.

Moan at guest services about the claustrophobic rooms?

Looks like a really fun time, can't go wrong with a Mack.

Honestly I'm not surprised, Valhalla is a nightmare to run and maintain, it must cost the park a fortune. Pleasure Beach are independent too, they probably don't have that spare cash to burn. It also seems to have a decent amount of downtime and honestly I've always wondered how long it would last, this isn't your average water ride, its a full blown dark ride with pretty much every effect in the book. I hope the park can redesign it in a way where it is sustainable in the long-term but also fun. Agreed with getting rid of some of the water effects, nobody wants to get that soaked while in Blackpool..

I will certainly try and visit Paultons next year, I feel like Tornado Springs is going to be such a fresh and exciting area for the UK.

If that is the mindset of the employees, then that is a accident waiting to happen. Look at rides like Dueling Dragons or Steel Vengeance, loose items on both rides have resulted in injuries and look at how strict Universal are now..

On a high speed roller coaster a loose object could be very serious, if that phone gets dropped it could seriously injure someone and it could completely damage the park's credibility and reputation. Some rules you can bend, but not enforcing this rule in particular could end in complete disaster.

Some parks don't have to. I don't like Europa Park because of its coaster lineup, I like it because the food, atmosphere, and shows make it such a magical experience. With Thorpe's case I would consider it more of an amusement park, so the coaster lineup is more important considering most rides (barring Swarm which has top tier theming) not many rides at Thorpe have theming or charm. I would compare the park more to a Six Flags Park than anything else (with those parks it isn't like your going for atmosphere..) Its not the quantity, its the quality. And Abyss isn't a clone (my bad) though it is pretty much the same ride (very minor differences). Dramatic much? . It is my opinion that Thorpe do not have a stand out coaster for ENTHUSIASTS. The lineup is great, it has 5 very solid coasters, but I would consider none of them anything overly exceptional and something I would go out my way for if I didn't live so near. Is that so wrong of a opinion to have? I'm not calling the lineup bad, I just don't feel there is a clear #1 there. I love Inferno, I love stealth, but I'm gonna admit I don't see them as something to write home about. Because its a theme park, and theme park have roller coasters. And we rank them, because we are enthusiasts and we do lists. Some coasters we get off and we say "that was good, solid", some we get off and say "that was actually unreal, I need to get back into the queue". None of the rides at Thorpe make me actively make me want to do the latter. Us enthusiasts also compare theme parks to others, and therefor we compare park lineups to each other.

I rate Stealth too, its a good coaster. But its not something I would go out my way for, especially when Dragster, Ka, Xcelerator, Red Force, and many other better coasters with a similar layout exist. Its a good coaster but by no means top 10, I would rank it similarly to Oblivion at Alton towers, a good ride but nothing worth shouting about. Yeah the lineup is solid, 2 middle of the road B&M's, a decent Intamin launch, a low tier Gerst, and a okay Intamin looper. The last three all have clones.. The lineup isn't bad, but it needs a ICON or a Nemesis to make its lineup truly complete. 5 decent coasters is good, but when you have 5 decent coasters and 3 elite ones a few hours away... I would ride Alton's top 3 over any Thorpe coaster. Sure Tina from tooting might of spent her child maintenance money on getting the train to Chertsey to ride Stealth, but in enthusiast's eyes, its just a smaller version of Ka and Dragster and a much worse version of Xcelerator, Thats the harsh reality. Nemesis and Smiler are rides you can't find anywhere else, some of the best rides in the country (if not the best). You also have the fact of the park not building a coaster since 2012. Smiler and Wickerman have gone to Alton since then, and both coasters have really improved the offering. Thorpe's coaster lineup has been stagnant for seven years which has perhaps has highlighted how none of their coasters are anything worth putting in your top 10.

To the GP yes, Stealth is one of the tallest and fastest in the UK so obviously to them it is a good headliner attraction. For us enthusiasts though, its nothing more than a decent coaster. Its layout is anything but unique, it has the terrible plastic intamin OTSR, and it just isn't something people will travel to ride.. People travel far to ride the likes of Nemesis and Smiler, Stealth not so much..

Lets read what I said in full context. I wasn't talking about the park, I was talking about mazes, Though I do disagree with some of the points raised. I disagree. I feel like Thorpe's coasters are actually the best part! The coasters are great, its just the non coaster-ry stuff that I think ruins the park. Inferno, Stealth, Colossus, Saw, Swarm. These are solid coasters, not anything that would crack Alton's top 3 but a decent lineup of supporting coasters. What lets down Thorpe down is a lack of a headliner and every decision after Swarm being utter bu**ocks.

Is that going next to the B&M Strata?

What I want: February Half Term event returns- I remember when Thorpe used to do this and honestly it was super fun. With Brainiac Live and a handful of rides and coasters open it was super cool. Easter Event- Thorpe did this for one year with a scavenger hunt-ish style thing across the park, it would be super fun to see them bring that back. Something light hearted and fun. I would like the park to also cleanup across the park- especially Inferno's queue and Swarm's station. For Fright Nights get the team who made Creek Freak and let them redesign some of the weaker attractions (basically all of them lol)