It could easily be shifted to another location, but - if we're being honest to ourselves - is it worth it?  

 

It's a carousel, a ride designed to be enjoyed by families with very young children.  Thorpe aren't marketing towards families with young children (and indeed, less and less are going now because of how Thorpe have marketed themselves for the past few years), and the ride is just less and less popular.  It makes sense to get rid of it really; sentimental value is the only reason I can see to keep it.

 

We're not talking about attractions like The Flying Fish, CCR or Time Voyagers, attractions which everyone could enjoy, even if they were designed for the younger market.  We're talking about an attraction which is essentially just for the younger market and, unfortunately, has no place in the Thorpe Park of tomorrow.

It could easily be shifted to another location, but - if we're being honest to ourselves - is it worth it?  

 

It's a carousel, a ride designed to be enjoyed by families with very young children.  Thorpe aren't marketing towards families with young children (and indeed, less and less are going now because of how Thorpe have marketed themselves for the past few years), and the ride is just less and less popular.  It makes sense to get rid of it really; sentimental value is the only reason I can see to keep it.

 

We're not talking about attractions like The Flying Fish, CCR or Time Voyagers, attractions which everyone could enjoy, even if they were designed for the younger market.  We're talking about an attraction which is essentially just for the younger market and, unfortunately, has no place in the Thorpe Park of tomorrow.

 

Well, in theory at least!

Oh come on, it's a carousel. It's not like they're painting The Swarm orange or adding awful trains and a ridiculous braking system to Nemesis Inferno now is it. If you cared enough, you'd have ridden it over your year(s) of visiting. 

Why would they paint The Swarm orange?    

And what I mean is that the carousel has a lot of the park's old characters and rides on it and it is a shame to see it just being ripped out.

^ I agree on some levels, but I'd rather the park evolved and developed with new attractions than have them squeezed in between the old rides!

I read somewhere that the building will be a "graffiti covered warehouse."  Surely they're not going for yet another run down, destruction theme?

I read somewhere that the building will be a "graffiti covered warehouse."  Surely they're not going for yet another run down, destruction theme?

 

No one knows at this point - the plans show a template of what the building could look like, like Saw I expect they will be keeping things like its theme under wraps as long as they can and wont give clues away in the planning application. 

One of the plans shows the what the finish will be, this includes boarded windows, graffiti and distressed materials.

 

Yum Yum, I feel the escapism washing over me already.

If they do use Screens, one thing I hope they take care of is the projection resolution. One of the only downsides to rides like Transformers and Spider Man at IOA, for me, is the fact that the image isn't scaled very well, and you can still see lines across the screen.

If they keep all the carousel pieces then they can redo Dead End win some more of the parks history

 

LOL God know! Not one of their Halloween high points.

 

In regard to Projection screens, and I'm assuming they're going for the 3D thing.. I never have a problem with screens, whilst you can be distracted after a few re-rides, the screens never bother me - the exceptions being fussy DLP Star Tours screens and fuzzy 'we're way too close' Forbidden Journey screens. Both Spidy and Transformers work great.

I'd like the see the Ranger carousel pieces either dotted around the park, maybe along side ride time signboards etc, or added to the lack of theming on the rapids. 

Or stuck ontop of the shark 'hotel' !

Why not turn the area where X is into like a Party land or a ministry of sound/clubland area and they could have a Huss Booster indoors and you have powerful spotlights on during boarding and then once the safety bars are checked the music starts and the ride lights turn on and off you go! Could be good as small kids 5 and upwards are able to ride since they'd be at 1.2 meters! I know its a flat but its a cool idea! I really want it to be a decent ghost train. We don't have enough decent ghost trains in the UK!

Why not turn the area where X is into like a Party land or a ministry of sound/clubland area and they could have a Huss Booster indoors and you have powerful spotlights on during boarding and then once the safety bars are checked the music starts and the ride lights turn on and off you go!

Can't they just do that on X?

*looks up Huss Booster*

 

Show me a 5 year old that would openly want to ride that please...

Why would they paint The Swarm orange?    

And what I mean is that the carousel has a lot of the park's old characters and rides on it and it is a shame to see it just being ripped out.

He's making a comparison to your beloved pleasure beach .

 

Old characters don't suit the park, it'd require a huge retheme so sod it, removal is all good.

Why not turn the area where X is into like a Party land or a ministry of sound/clubland area and they could have a Huss Booster indoors and you have powerful spotlights on during boarding and then once the safety bars are checked the music starts and the ride lights turn on and off you go! Could be good as small kids 5 and upwards are able to ride since they'd be at 1.2 meters! I know its a flat but its a cool idea! I really want it to be a decent ghost train. We don't have enough decent ghost trains in the UK!

A party land/clubland area?

 

Just by curiosity alone, what is the possibility of Thorpe making this new ride based on a newish film? The film that pops to mind for me, for the family market, is Bananaman which will be released in 2015. Maybe Merlin renewed a license with the Beano lot again.

 The film that pops to mind for me, for the family market, is Bananaman which will be released in 2015. Maybe Merlin renewed a license with the Beano lot again.

It's probably too much of a risk to go with something that isn't even released yet, if it flops you have a few million pounds of something no one is interested in sitting there. And for Bananaman we'd hopefully be seing plans for Acacia Road, not some gothic warehouse type thing.

 

For those that haven't seen them here's the proposed finishes, which should give a good idea of the feel the finished building will have

 

Yes hopefully a abandoned Hospital or Asylum XD

Let's just hope the ip they go for also isn't one that's dead or dying I.e saw or Madagascar.

Hooray for more bland abandoned building based rides then...

Who says its an IP?

Asylum: The Ride.

That'd be a good way to give the finger to all those idiots complaining about the maze.

Was watching Gotham on Monday and the gate to Arkham Asylum in it reminded me of something and it looked a bit like the gate that is in the plans for the dark ride. And with the asylum style that we can currently gather I thought maybe a batman ride? Six Flags own the DC rights in America but not globally so maybe.

Also, with the gate details shown but details for the entrance feature not (other than the floorspace and dimensions) maybe they don't want to release the actual design to the council as it would give away the theme/IP. Just a thought.