ML27

There is also that meaning but knowing Thorpe they are careful with what words they use. I can’t see a whole lot of money spent on it, no more then how much the dome toilet refurb cost. What do you guys think will happen to the ride system. Smoke machines ect?

The tweet interestingly says “say your final farewell” A one year stint? I can see it happening, what is ghost train without the VR. It’s clearly going to be a variant of a black mirror type attraction. It’s prime real estate and to have such an expensive building sitting there for a ride which wasn’t intended to be there. I wonder if this is a merlin magic making project or if TP have organised it themselves?

Proceeds to be a video revealing the same entrance sign

I’m still not sure, I feel like they are still messing. I’m surprised there’s been nothing at all, rumoring this. Duel we got something minor to indicate it was closing and fair enough no one knows what’s going on inside still. With Ghost Train, there’s been literally nothing other than ghost train haters wanting it shut and rethemed. Difference between this and duel, there won’t be anything physical coming out at all. If it does it will be minor, most of it will be changes to the media on the ride. Hoping for a decent retheme, if true. However, when we look back on this in 10 years. I feel like this retheme will be insignificant

I know this is a semi joke but someone asked if they had plans to bring in rides similar to retro squad. They replied that they already had a strong lineup of flat rides. I mean they do….but they are all of a similar age. I wonder if they are aware that they don’t last forever…

The current state of Swarms station, I know this forum has been really critical of general upkeep and they are finally doing it (aka getting the budget) HOWEVER *prepare for hypocriticalness* I can just see these repairs only last a year before they go back to before and that’s not the parks fault. Unless they really keep on top of it but that’s slightly impractical for Merlin. Really good to see, hopefully it will feel fresher and park have confirmed they have done similar upgrades in other queue lines. I wouldn’t assume it’s on the same scale. FYI, it’s a work in progress at the moment. It will get weathered and all that I assume

I remember in 2021, Jack asking Russ about the new sign posts! How they were no longer named after the areas, he said it wasn’t necessarily moving away from them. Well as of today, we found out the following: A bit contradictory to what Russ said in 2021. I understand that Thorpe doesn’t have defined lands to that extent because of how small. But they are equally as willing to call it “angry birds land” and surely amity is easy enough. I’d like lands back, but I have a feeling Thorpe are in their amusement park phase again. the lands thing didn’t last long….

It tries to be this themed experience park though. All recent investments have been to try to immerse yourself in the specific attractions. However, Stealth has a light theme. So I hope we at least something similar. I just kinda hoped when it was first annouced it would be similar thematic experience as wickerman. Clearly this won’t be the case

Ground Pin supports for exodus have arrived, according to the Thorpe Park Facebook group. I’d post pictures but honestly it’s not that interesting, Just pieces of metal rods. Regarding exodus, I think the bigger milestones for this project will come later when the site is fully cleared and track is going up. Everything happening right now is relatively minor. I think 2024 opening is still on the cards, and I don’t believe this coaster will have deep theming. I just hope it’s an original name like exodus is as a project name. Not Netflix: The Ride as some way to sponsor the U.Ks Tallest Coaster

I don’t believe it’s gone (not in an upset denial way) but it’s quite common for attractions to come and go from being listed on the app The park also Love messing with people, I think it’s a slight coincidence the Thorpe Park Official facebook group was created and people immediately starting asking about DBGT and next thing it’s gone…

This is the current most recent state of old town. It’s so big and open (without rocky express which it’s track has now been destroyed) I am starting to imagine the coaster in it place now. It’s starting to move fast now and they will need it

New FB group set up by Thorpe Park, looks semi like they are gonna get rid of slammer finally.

It’s definitely not a lot, other than the Colossus retrack. It’s ashame, I’ve seen staff insta stories from inside. It all looks the same, the blatantly obvious broken fencing and paint jobs need doing. It reminds me in the Jack Silkstone preseason video. I remember russ saying “we are gonna use this opportunity (storm eustace) to enhance and repair the theming. The repair carried out was just red paint. They didn’t even bother to get new fibre glass theming. They have started to repaint tidal waves supports but honestly again from a cosmetic level… did they really need doing? They seem to invest on really specific projects and go cheap/ leave general projects. It’s been said for years even since 2018. Just repair the infrastructure and fencing and have a big paint up. I do believe the dome could be receiving further refurbishment works. Skips have been spotted directly outside. But I can’t believe in 2023, they have advertised it as another season of thrilling events. It was good in 2019, 4 years later not so much eeeeek

A lot is happening in the background, before any work starts including removal. They have to satisfy the planning conditions by providing further documents. they’ve now submitted most documents to satisfy most and even some have started to be approved

When people take photos of something and sit on it until a few weeks late always makes me think there’s some insider info going on… Anyway, will be interesting to see as Thorpe seem to be getting some investment now like the rest of the parks. Considering it’s indoors, I don’t think planning applications are needed and there’s nothing thematic wise on the outside which would need to change regarless of theme. It will be interesting to see what happens as personally there’s not a lot of movement. Yeah ok you could overlay soemthing more generic but all that is doing; is delaying the end of the ride further. Stumbling on

Shame they are not staying at Thorpe or remotely close to Thorpe but still the best life for them. maybe a carriage will stick around..

The Thorpe GM said they wanted to tear it down and were looking winter last year to put a planning application in. This was before the delays to exodus application and likely they were wanting to wait before putting a further one in to prevent exodus being delayed further. Regarding that site, turn it into a plaza temporarily. Bit like where submission was at Alton towers. It could be prime event space, so it’s ideal. regarding events, think they were fine in 2019 and 2021 (2020 was a write off) but now they need something.

So I’m curious, Every year Thorpe Park do a preseason update video (in conjunction with Jack Silkstone) Its November 2022, What do you expect to see in the preseason update in March 2023? Toilet Updates? New bins? Haha, but seriously. We’ve got a collousus retrack on the cards.

It’s a retrack.

Everyone has assumed it’s a retrack, also rumours on Twitter that taziker (people who retract big one) are doing it. I find that hard to believe as this is Merlin I’m sure they still have a strong relationship with Intamin and would be able to retrack it. It could have just came off for a repaint and sandblasted. They might just want to do a high quality paint job. if it is a retrack, will it be full or partial (more likely) and new trains?

I went and did the mazes (except for SG) with someone who’d never done a maze and my god it was poor. I went into the event grudgingly paying a second time to do the mazes for £10 each again. Trailers was poor, one actor maximum per room. Bozos play zone had one and it was not scary at all. The run out corridor hasn’t been as good as last year, it’s too bright and lacks actors. They were batching groups of nearly 20 and that’s the largest I’ve seen. Being at the back of the group meant the scares had already happened and the actors had to reset (bedroom scene) and we were being held up in the corridors. The pacing was destroyed. Creak Freak felt like a proper scare maze but still some actor issues remain. No one got sent through the tunnel but they tried their best to split people up in the few sections you can be split up. This felt genuinely scary and that you were involved in the maze rather than watching which how trailers feels. Scare zones are not scary at all.

The SOS has indeed changed, it is now Michael Gove. Unless civil servants are mainly in charge of the application, it’s definitely going to be delayed a bit.

Due to todays political news, I’d expect the likeliness of the decision being delayed is much higher

I think pricing is the biggest issue, the lower the price goes > less you care about a run through. Until the wait gets longer and then you start caring again. I genuinely think, if mazes were cheaper, there would be a lot less negativity.

As things currently stand, we should have a decision by the Secretary of State within 21 days. Runnymede council have contracted a company to assess the EAs objections and see if the plans would meet the Law. Runnymede council assumes that if there is no response from the SOS within 21 days, then they can proceed with detirming the application and the SOS will no longer play a part in the application.