ML27

Saw this on twitter, credit Taz97 New pieces of track have been installed, a very different shade of blue. Will stick out for quite a few years. I can’t help but notice the paint quality. Already wearing away on the sides of the tracks and I understand it will. But that’s not great for so many test runs of the ride, by the end of the season it will look old. Nor does this track look new either. Strange how they took out the whole section then refitted some of the old track. Seems strange to me.

Was wondering what the future was for this attraction, going into its 3rd season. Eventually they will get rid of slammer leaving a big open space. BML doesn’t take up any extra space, will they just run it until it just dies, will there be any upkeep? When I last went on it in Octobers, the staff member wasn’t even bothered to correctly frame the camera.

Such a random sponsor and looking like the most invasive sponsor especially with that colour scheme, if it makes them more money to invest in the park who cares I suppose. I was looking back about 12 years ago on the thread complaining about how a tetley sponsor doesn’t fit the theme. Well it’s 2023, there’s no real uproar to it. Because we’ve been told there’s no themed areas and we now expect thorpe not to produce anything coherent anymore 😂

Funny that the coffee shop has Derren brown colours with the blue kiosk and the rails at the top near the TV screens

Please, not that name

All credit to those above. They’ve finally filled that blank space, nothing necessarily which to tease anything. On a GP level it’s a good teaser to get people excited at what it maybe. “Taking thrills to new height”. It’s a good idea remember that most people walking past this sign would have never heard about exodus. I think these references and hints are what I would have personally preferred to teasing exodus. Rather than info-splurge (on tbf fan groups) but that’s what I would have prefered….

I Noticed in Silkstones Vlog about containment going. He says that it’s good to see them cleaning and removing old attractions as they are investing in *new rides*. Hard to look too deep into this… but I will anyway. There’s clearly going to be a ride after exodus. What this will be, idk but I feel like the park is entering a new phase of investment. They have a lot of “brownfield” sites now, removed attraction sites which will be either left or paved over (such as containment and saw alive) Slammer will be removed at some point, there’s another site. It will go from having no space to having a lot of space. Then the argument for not having space is invalid. With a ride or attraction sitting SBNO, it makes sense why an attraction isn’t put there. However, when a ride is removed and then the space is available it makes no sense why the space isn’t used for a ride. (E.g Submission’s site at Alton Towers) Surely Merlin will now go round the whole park completely changing the older areas drastically to bring them up to modern, less run down spaces. It would make sense to do exodus, then rip out everything between the old town toilets and the bar and grill. Drastically change the layout of the paths to accommodate a big dark ride building and modernise the area. Are we going to enter a phase of multiple consultations every time a ride is built at thorpe in a short space of time?

It is funny, thorpe is getting the UKs tallest rollercoaster and there’s nothing to talk about as it’s explicitly being documented. The days of speculation are over

It could be a two day park on a busy summer weekend.. I can see their point, currently there is no point in staying on site at thorpe for a two day break. Bring up a variety of attractions (dark rides) and you could have something but the scale of investment would have to be huge and rapid. Regarding the areas, Thorpe Park themselves still kinda refer to the areas. On the FB Group they always say the area formerly known as “old town”. You either use them or don’t. What you’ve labelled above makes sense and I advocate they bring them back. Unless you lay into the island theme totally, then I can accept that. I think it’s ashame there’s no themed areas. ghost train will open against that graffiti wall which did brighten up the area, it just didn’t make sense

It should have been foreseen in almighty predictions along with rocky express

They have explicitly said that they are focusing on becoming a two day park before they think about it

They’ve started to remove the fake brick panels in the floating train carriage scene. If you’re not going to see it why remove it? Like what’s the point in removing it in such a big building. It’s a massive room. unless your going to walk down there which I highly doubt

I suppose with the windows they are going to need something. If you’re going to have a spiel on the train, then it’s going to be weird having plain white windows to stare at

Just watched Jacks latest video : After watching it, some thoughts… - Seems to have a big budget for the amount they are ripping out and not reusing pretty much anything. The detail and design show on concept art might follow through to the attraction - They are ripping out all illusions and any previously cool theming pieces which could have been reused if it was a budget retheme. Aka just repainting the train carriage. I’m shocked to see the first train scene with mirrors being ripped out. It’s such a cool effect and Jack seems to think so, he was also sad about it going in this video. So its replacement has to be worthwhile. With the train scene, they are clearly ripping out the brickwork, again pointing out a deep change in story and scenes. I wouldn’t be suprised if that room is turned into platforms, and the empty tube train shell is left exposed rather than the facade of the Victorian train carriage which was there. They would have to fill in the floor of that room, I don’t see how in a normal train station you’d board the train whilst walking over a bridge in the air. - On board the train, looks like modifications are happening and can happen, I was doubtful but clearly they can add whatever they want to it. I might be mistaken but are the window panels different, I thought they were plain white before. Jack hints the seats might change also showing this is a more detailed retheme. - The middle scene is completely empty,allowing them to use UV paint 😂 but seriously they have a large space to provide more of an experience. - Tube station is untouched. Overall: Until we see the final theming the budget of the retheme isn’t known but the amount they are ripping up which could have been reused and just been repainted or changed to fit the new story is insane and I don’t think this ride will be recognisable to DBGT and will be it’s own thing. I must admit, I will miss all the illusions like peppers ghost and the train set, it was one thing which really made the ride pretty high quality and almost amazing when you saw it. It makes me much more excited to experience a new ride, it’s not going to be rideable as Thorpe have confirmed it’s not a realistic target but it will be consistent and hopefully the theme will be throughout.

Time to eat my hat, we’ve got concept art. luckily it’s not the whole building, it’s very Easter egg heavy. I think it actually looks good for the theme being applied to it

Which would make sense… This attraction just feels very Thorpe-esk. It’s a new attraction but not much substance for its opening year, same as black mirror we had nothing. Why is the train emergency stopping? But also why is the only photo, there’s nothing much to tease or hint to anything.

I normally do hold judgement. Only comparable project would be the Curse at Alton Manor. In terms of a retheme using the same equipment. However, this isn’t a project which meant that DBGT had to close early unlike duel. Theres been no teasers until the night before they announced it. It closed with literally nothing saying it was closing (duel had that sign at the end) only started painting the outside with a month to go and also the inside of the carriage is pretty hard to change because it’s a set ride vehicle and the track is only so many meters long. I can see it open with little fan fare (high striker level) and it be a thing which just simply *exists*

It’s an undercoat but with those colours, they can’t really be much different from the basic blue colour at least. They can do whatever they want with the white paint. Whole issue with this is, is that the announcement video is showing the old exterior with graffiti on, why no have concept art for the exterior or something to release as part of the video. Feels like the park don’t even know what they are doing. They’ve started painting the exterior with a month to go until the main season and given us nothing or any reasoning why this building is changing. I don’t like how they’ve just painted over some of the small details on supports which connect to the roof structure. I can see all the paint washing away from the side of the building and one day we will have it’s original form back. Also if your painting the outside, the walls inside the pre show and as you board will have changed.

I know he’s working with the park but to know it was already closing and having that heads up is a little bad

I know zodiac used to have a lower height limit (1.1m maybe) and I know for a lot of family’s that was brilliant for them at thorpe. I always saw it on the Merlin Passholder group, if you added rides with a lower height restriction (including a rollercoaster) you’d get a lot more families. People aren’t necessarily put off Thorpe Park because of the intensity of the rides. It’s also down to when you go on the website and filter it to anything lower than 1.4m there isn’t much to ride.

Something to note, the investment into the cafe is not by Merlin or Thorpe. It’s actually Aramark, which by me is fine. Leave them to create their own dining experiences and that’s all they have to focus on right? Wrong, the quality of food and prices which accompany them have been poor. They can’t get the basics right…. However if the quality of the food was better and I’d be much more excited for better dining experiences in the parks. This is much needed for U.K. weather, the park does not have chill indoor places to sit.

The rumor was true 😂😂😂😂

I’ve heard a rumor that they are using the shop as a restaurant

The project has since been confirmed to be a Merlin Magic Making project. The pre-show can be easily changed, I don’t know if anyone watched The apprentice in 2019. At the start of the program Alan Sugar was projected using the same screen. So I can imagine Ghosts and spooky things may work well, it just might be not as serious as Derrens Spiel. They’ve got a good layout of a building, a pre show, waiting area, ride area and post show. Include the real shop into the to make the space bigger and wow. Just a shame there won’t be a proper ride to go on after the preshow. Concept and layout is thwre

Always better when Merlin Magic Making is involved. This is no way to dis the entertainments team at Thorpe. However, I find the quality at Thorpe when entertainments make an attraction with external contractors differs from a proper MMM attraction. Post DBGT I don’t think MMM have missed a mark with attraction considering budgets and constraints. They envisaged the original concept for the ride so it’s only fair that they make it work which I’m glad about. For me, I am 100% sure that the budget will make or break this ride. Higher budget = more changes, Lower = Temporary fixes and short term ride If they want a reridable ride, will they keep the fake shop? If you have to wait every time. It won’t be rerideable, Jack did hint saying that DBGT wasn’t rerideable