Hyperia Speculation and Construction Thread

[Cal]

Very exiting to see Thorpe finally getting a new coaster, and a very run down area of the park seeing development. 

I'm personally hoping for a B&M hyper, think it would be perfect for Thorpe. Part of me does want a woodie and I've always thought the Loggers site would be perfect for a woodie, but I'd prefer a hyper and think it would be a much safer bet. A B&M would be high throughput, reliable, lower maintenance costs and with the cost of materials going up ridiculously a woodie would be much more expensive now, but I'd be very happy with either to be honest.

 

2 hours ago, Matt N said:

I used to think that Swarm filled this void, but a few things have happened with that one over time that have made it lose this status for me; the sustained g's in that helicopter helix are beginning to make me grey out for a sustained period of time most times I do it (which I don't especially enjoy), I'm growing to not be too keen on the restraints, and I also think it's getting a bit rougher. Not rough by any means, but in September, I had a back outer ride that really juddered quite a bit, and even the inner seats are beginning to develop a bit of a grind/rattle that the ride never used to have; it certainly seems to have lost that silky smoothness it once had for me. (Has anyone else found this, as I feel like I'm going insane here; most others still refer to Swarm as silky smooth and not intense in the slightest?)

 

Personally, I've always preferred more intense coasters so The Swarm has never been a personal favourite. I've always found it too smooth / slow. Over time its grown on me, its much more intense nowadays.

I agree about the restraints. By the end I can't wait to get off as my chest is so tight from the restrains tightening. It's got a lot worse I've found so they need to sort that out. 

 

[MattyMoo]

9 hours ago, ThorpeAddict said:

Very exiting to see Thorpe finally getting a new coaster, and a very run down area of the park seeing development. 

Very true - and that's saying something considering Merlin love the run down/abandoned "theme"! New area should be called HappyHappyShinyNewClean Town.

[Inferno]

Totally agree - Thorpe’s rides are generally pretty headache-inducing aren’t they!

I must admit I always take some paracetamol to Thorpe 😂 much needed when visiting on a quieter day.

 

There isn’t long to wait now until we get a clue what this might be.

[Glitch]

On 12/2/2021 at 8:29 AM, JoshC. said:

There are rumours circulating round that the park will be asking for proof of address to ensure you're local for the in person event. 

 

I think it's worth posting here what we included in our recent TPM article:

 

 

Does this include vloggers. I am based in Tamworth however I am entitled to get coverage of the event for my YouTube channel. I believe I qualify as local as live with a 400 mile radius of the park and want to record the meeting and all it’s details as an exclusive for the channel. I may even livestream it with the hope some of my fans give me donations to ask questions about if it’s an RMC!

[Matt N]

Out of interest, what do we feel the plan could be for Old Town as a themed area when this new coaster opens?

 

Personally, my suspicion is that whatever this ride is, it will likely see Old Town replaced by a different themed area with a totally new theme.

 

With Rocky Express and the two kids’ rides gone, as well as Loggers, Canada Creek Railway and Slammer, that leaves Old Town with only Black Mirror, Samurai and Saw, all 3 of which are quite debatable in terms of whether they properly fit into the Old Town theme or whether they’re even within the main body of the area at all; Black Mirror is a more technological theme that I wouldn’t say is overly Western at all, Samurai seems more like a Lost City ride (and I’ll admit I’m always surprised that it isn’t classed as being within Lost City given its proximity to Colossus et al), and Saw has always felt quite standalone to me (in fact, didn’t they actually used to say it was on “Saw Island” as opposed to in Canada Creek?).

 

To me, it seemed like Canada Creek/Old Town as a themed area had a dagger through the heart when they removed Logger’s Leap and Canada Creek Railway, and I’d argue that the removal of Rocky Express put the final nail in its coffin. Admittedly, I didn’t first visit Thorpe until 1 year before Logger’s Leap’s removal and 3 years after CCR’s removal (it was 2011, wasn’t it?), but from what I can tell, those 3 rides were what made Old Town/Canada Creek in the form that most are thinking of what it is/was. I’m assuming that with Rocky and the 2 kids’ rides now gone, they will close off the main part of Old Town that really made it what it is and make that part of the construction site.

 

Never say never of course (they could well retain the Old Town theme, for all I know), but with 2022 Old Town due to consist merely of 3 attractions whose link to the area is somewhat spurious, in terms of both location and theme (the actual Western/Canadian village bit will presumably be closed off entirely), my personal suspicion is that they’ll kill the theme off in favour of a new theme for that section of the park to suit whatever the new coaster is.

 

Merlin have never traditionally tended to integrate new coasters/major investments into existing themed areas anyway, from what I can tell; when coasters are built on land already in use, they usually either opt for the area retheme route (e.g. Thirteen seeing Ug Land get turned into Dark Forest) or the standalone attraction/theme route (e.g. Wicker Man, Saw, DBGT). The only time I can think of where they did go with an area’s existing theme was Smiler. And with Old Town as a themed area kind of lacking its main body from next year, I’d personally guess that the chances of an area retheme for the new coaster are quite high.

[JoshC.]

I would guess we'd see a new theme entirely. It's a perfect time to go out with the old (town) and in with the new.

 

Old Town has always been incoherent as a theme at best. The park's themed areas are sketchy and vague at best too. I see no reason why they would want to retcon a new coaster into it.

 

I'd be surprised if Black Mirror lasts much longer than 2024 too. Samurai has no theme. Saw is - and always was - detached and its own separate identity. So this is a chance to go from the ground up with a new theme.

 

Depending on the plan and everything, the Creek Freak building may have to make way too. Which would result in a complete blank slate too.

[Parm Pap]

This will be a big one.

 

But.

 

Will it go.  Ding dong ding dong ding dong ding dong.

 

Time will tell.

[Matt N]

26 minutes ago, Parm Pap said:

This will be a big one.

 

But.

 

Will it go.  Ding dong ding dong ding dong ding dong.

 

Time will tell.

Is this a teaser from the park that you’re relaying or something?

[Glitch]

I’m thinking a Matrix themed rollercoaster would be cool. People like the design of helix’s theme right?! I just don’t know where Warner Brothers IP’s sit in the Uk market.

[Theme Park Fanatic]

Is anyone else expecting the Octopus Garden rides to return adjacent to Depth Charge. I am expecting Timber Tug Boat,Lumber Jump and the Octopus Garden rides from the Farm to be relocated to the Wet Wet Wet site and form a new area. Thorpe have most of the Octopus Garden rides in storage and they would take only a few weeks to reassemble. Back in  2011 the Octopus Garden rides were taken down in weeks. I presume Thorpe have retained the Octopus Garden rides with the option to rebuild them. This move may only be temporary until the development on Old Town opens but I find it likely.

[Matt N]

19 minutes ago, Theme Park Fanatic said:

Is anyone else expecting the Octopus Garden rides to return adjacent to Depth Charge. I am expecting Timber Tug Boat,Lumber Jump and the Octopus Garden rides from the Farm to be relocated to the Wet Wet Wet site and form a new area. Thorpe have most of the Octopus Garden rides in storage and they would take only a few weeks to reassemble. Back in  2011 the Octopus Garden rides were taken down in weeks. I presume Thorpe have retained the Octopus Garden rides with the option to rebuild them. This move may only be temporary until the development on Old Town opens but I find it likely.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but wouldn’t the Octopus Gardens rides likely be long gone by now? I could have sworn I read that Merlin either sold them or relocated them to a different Merlin property (I think I heard SeaLife Oberhausen thrown around, as that one has/had a theme park section?), and even if they had been retained by Thorpe, surely they wouldn’t have been retained for 11 years (or at least, not retained well enough to be in a usable state by 2021)?

 

I’m not saying that it’s not possible by any means, as the likes of Flying Fish returning have shown that there is a precedent for Thorpe keeping old rides in storage for at least a short period, but I’m not personally too confident in the possibility of the Octopus Gardens rides returning, personally. I think they’ve simply been gone too long, and may not even be at Thorpe anymore.

[Hethetheth]

2 hours ago, Theme Park Fanatic said:

I presume Thorpe have retained the Octopus Garden rides with the option to rebuild them.

 

I sincerely doubt that.

 

Flying fish was only in storage from 2005-2006 and erected in 2007 again...not 11 years!

[javs]

12 hours ago, Parm Pap said:

This will be a big one.

 

But.

 

Will it go.  Ding dong ding dong ding dong ding dong.

 

Time will tell.

I’m not great with riddles, but you are referring to a big clock, possibly Big Ben?  What does this have to do with this new ride?

 

Time Traveller is a Mack Spinning coaster, which are becoming popular.   Ride to Happiness is the launched version at Plopsiland.  I’ve heard it’s incredible.  
 

Would be a good fit for Thorpe, bridging the thrill/family ride gap.

[Matt N]

On a different note, it looks as though very little has happened in Old Town since the season ended; Platform 15 is still fully intact, as are the kids' rides. The source for this is Jack Silkstone's recent Thorpe Park winter update:

(The Old Town section is towards the start, and takes up the bulk of the video)

 

Also, for some idea of how huge the plot of land they have to work with here is, it took Jack around 3.5-4 minutes to walk the entire length of the potential plot (from Old Town Burger King to the CCR train shed)!

 

This video has also made me guess that this coaster could well end up being one of the most heavily covered UK coaster projects in terms of construction updates; I can sense that the combination of the coaster site being directly next to Monk's Walk and Jack Silkstone's appetite for filming frequent Thorpe Park updates could lead to some excellent coverage of construction!

[JoshC.]

14 hours ago, Theme Park Fanatic said:

Is anyone else expecting the Octopus Garden rides to return adjacent to Depth Charge. I am expecting Timber Tug Boat,Lumber Jump and the Octopus Garden rides from the Farm

 

Timber Tug and Lumber Jump? Possibly.

The 11 year old rides from Octopus Garden? No.

 

 

8 hours ago, Matt N said:

On a different note, it looks as though very little has happened in Old Town since the season ended; Platform 15 is still fully intact, as are the kids' rides. The source for this is Jack Silkstone's recent Thorpe Park winter update:

 

I can't imagine anything will happen for a while. 

 

If the rides are moving elsewhere on park, they need to prep that area first. Winter maintenance on those rides is very short and simple too, so it won't be a priority. 

If the rides are being sold, they'll be waiting on the buyer.

If the rides are being scrapped, they'll scrap it when construction starts for the new roller coaster, which won't be for a while yet.

 

Same for Platform 15 and the rest of Old Town really; there's no need to do anything to it until construction starts.

 

 

[Parm Pap]

It would be too Early to say.

 

But.

 

There is sOmEthing I can say.  Ding dong ding dong.  Then.

 

It will all be xplained.

[Inferno]

7 minutes ago, Parm Pap said:

xplained

 

Yes there's still all the "Exodus" and "pyramid" stuff isn't there.

An exodus is "a mass departure".  Maybe X is going to disappear soon, making way for even more development space for the project (or later expansion to the project)?

 

A couple more days and we'll know a little bit more about it all 😃

[MattyMoo]

Literally zero surprises that there's nothing to see in Old Town and that P15 is still sitting there basically untouched.

[Matt N]

So, what are our final predictions the day before we find out what's in store?

 

My final prediction is:

 

• B&M Hyper Coaster
• UK's tallest coaster (unsure on exact height, but my personal prediction is that it will break Big One's park-billed height of 235ft as well as RCDB's figure of 213ft)
• Opening in 2024

Let's see how much of that, if any, I get right...

[JoshC.]

Something big and long, with a focus on airtime.

 

Manufacturer is something I don't care about. B&M, RMC, Mack, Intamin, Vekoma could all offer rides which fit the bill. As long as it's different to the park's other coasters, it's fine.

[Han30]

Going a tad off topic but I have 2 questions -

 

What is going to happen to - 

1) creek freak and

2) the curly fries place 🤣

 

[Project LC]

If I had to guess I think we are going to see a multilaunch coaster probably from b&m (explaining the odd choice for Chessington) 120ft maximum height focusing on airtime with a strange choice in IP. Although I don't think we will find out that IP for a while.  Probably of decent length given the footprint of the site.

 

If I were to wish for a ride it would be a RMC. I just don't think a hyper is best for the site and I don't believe Merlin would do it the justice a hyper deserves. 

[Inferno]

I’d put my money on a tall B&M, like a hyper but I reckon it will have a twist (maybe a couple of inversions or a launch).

 

I love that it’s so unknown - I’m kind of hoping the mystery is somehow kept for a while longer, like it used to be years ago when new rides got built!

[BBoyJD10]

I really think this could be the first AXIS coaster. I hope not though.

[Sphinxy]

BREAKING NEWS - Today, @THORPEPARK have revealed at their in-person consultation that they plan to build a 236ft coaster for the 2023/4 season. 
 

hyper it is!