Charlesberg Posted December 9, 2021 Report Share Posted December 9, 2021 Ngl a part of me thought a coaster that size would be too good to be true but that part of me can be reassured now! If this goes to plan, this will defo save the park imo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Project LC Posted December 9, 2021 Report Share Posted December 9, 2021 Well never thought a mack (not yet confirmed but looking like it) hyper would have been what we are getting. Absolutely huge inversions, compact layout (for a hyper), splash down. Whats not to love. Inferno 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted December 9, 2021 Report Share Posted December 9, 2021 And breathe. As a local, I attended. I aired a question of concern I had, speaking with a member of the presenting team afterwards. I will give a brief rundown of what we know. I'll try and post in more detail later. 1. 72m / 236ft high. 2. A proposed layout didn't give anything away in terms of manufacturer. 3. Someone did say "There is a team performing noise surveys on a similar ride in Turkey" 4. The current design suggests a station roughly where the old train station is. It is compact round the Loggers lake. 4a. A "splash zone" overlooking the lake 4b. Possible inversions, but maybe not. Hard to say. 4c. If inversions, then maybe world's tallest inversion is possible. The general vibe was that people are frustrated with current noise levels and how the park is operating, but don't seem particularly opposed to a new investment. As I say, I will try and post more later. Please remain calm. Matt 236, Glitch, Inferno and 1 other 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blublublub Posted December 9, 2021 Report Share Posted December 9, 2021 (edited) Going on from what Josh said, I'm not sure if it was deliberately vague with track structure but it certainly could be a Mack, S&S (like Steel Curtain), Gerstlauer (like Karnan?), maybe an Intamin mega coaster (Hyperion-esque) based on the splash down or outbanked curves? really could be anything trains/theme/anything wasnt really disclosed either. General layout is station over the old train running in same direction, left outbanked curve before lift, huge lift (72m) seeming vertical twisting drop into huge dive loops? (hard to say) that all seem to run parallel to the lift? this part was hard to read. Eventually youll be spat out toward the lake with a splash and a final turn towards the station. So it will probably be another tall, fast and shortish ride. Although from the lift hill direction they showed the main drop will be facing the closest residential properties to the park in Chertsey so Idk if that will be an issue with the design seeing as theyre no further than 500m away. I rather liked that during the presentation one of the planner's mentioned how the colour scheme is going to be influenced by the impact on the sightlines (like Stealth's white) as well as the fact that its more of a replacement rather than an extension so things like flooding and wildlife wont be impacted hugely if at all, excited for everyone to see plans tomorrow! Edited December 9, 2021 by Blublublub typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glitch Posted December 9, 2021 Report Share Posted December 9, 2021 Wait so enthusiasts from all around the globe travelled to Thorpe park this afternoon and all they got was a height. Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blublublub Posted December 9, 2021 Report Share Posted December 9, 2021 LMAO, I mean I live in Chertsey so it wasnt exactly a long-haul flight, and the event isnt about the ride just how it affects local residents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2542464 Posted December 9, 2021 Report Share Posted December 9, 2021 I mean if Thorpe get a 72m coaster that is truly impressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ML27 Posted December 9, 2021 Report Share Posted December 9, 2021 It’s clear they are now going down the Older Family/ Thrill route. Hopefully, this is the start of a clear direction. Still all could change and questionable if the thrill route is profitable especially after the loss of 2 family rides in order for this to happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattgwise Posted December 9, 2021 Report Share Posted December 9, 2021 Thorpe have released a video on socials as well confirming it is in the works, as well as announcing aloud the closure of the flats or a potential relocation. My bet is the beach by Wet Wet Wet/Containment for Timber Tug Boat and Lumber Jump. One thing for certain is there are very exciting times ahead* *Pending planning permission approval Matt N and Inferno 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inferno Posted December 9, 2021 Report Share Posted December 9, 2021 5 hours ago, JoshC. said: The general vibe was that people are frustrated with current noise levels and how the park is operating Oh dear that doesn’t sound like a good start. Forgive my ignorance - but are Thorpe really a bad neighbour? I wouldn’t have thought noise levels would be excessively bad, but traffic would be the big issue? Hopefully the noise issues will be addressed somehow, and everyone is happy in the end. @JoshC. I don’t mean to pry, but what was your concern if you don’t mind me asking? (Genuinely interested in what it’s like to live close to Thorpe tbh) Love that video on Thorpe’s social media confirming the facts - would like to see more of that sort of stuff! Great to read that this is going to be “a big one” after all! 236ft is enormous for the UK! UK’s tallest coaster - that’s not a bad claim is it!! @Project LC You mentioned it’s quite a compact layout - does the proposed layout still appear to be a decent length? Thorpe’s rides are over rather quickly aren’t they! Interesting that this isn’t your traditional out and back hyper. Any indication of wood or steel? Very exciting times ahead! Looking forward to seeing the website tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted December 9, 2021 Report Share Posted December 9, 2021 1 hour ago, Inferno said: Oh dear that doesn’t sound like a good start. Forgive my ignorance - but are Thorpe really a bad neighbour? I wouldn’t have thought noise levels would be excessively bad, but traffic would be the big issue? Hopefully the noise issues will be addressed somehow, and everyone is happy in the end. I think I made it sound worse than what it is. Ultimately everyone seemed understanding of the need for expansion and investment, but found that the noise from tannoys and some screaming can carry over the lake. The concern was that the park didn't fully appreciate or understand what the base level of noise can sometimes be. I think it's easily rectified with some dialogue between both sides, which is the point of this consultation. I don't think it's a particular bump in the road, and don't think people will end up being against the investment. I'm sure a good resolution can come from this. 1 hour ago, Inferno said: @JoshC. I don’t mean to pry, but what was your concern if you don’t mind me asking? (Genuinely interested in what it’s like to live close to Thorpe tbh) It was to do with traffic. Peak times around the park are congested (not just because of the park of course), and I'm aware in the past construction of rides has highlighted this further. I'll give a summary of everything I can remember, but obviously we'll have actual pictures and stuff tomorrow: The Ride I will give an honest reaction here: when people see the visuals shown today, I think people will be divided. It didn't look that long. Looks can be deceiving and it was hard to get much of a feel from quick looks at the visuals. It's a very densely packed layout. It goes over the central lake a few times, but doesn't sprawl much. It has quite a few high points, again all closely packed together. It gave me a little bit of Steel Curtain (Kennywood, USA) vibes in some sense, where there's a lot of elements packed together. Looking at it, it's hard to tell if there were inversions or not. The visuals are very loose. There's elements which look like they could be inversions, but they could also be non-inverting elements. IF there are inversions, we could be looking at the world's tallest inversion. We could be looking at anywhere up to 6 to 7 inversion or so. There's also a splash zone, which could indicate a splash down too. But it didn't look like it was near any track. Very confusing. So this will be very interesting to see people's reactions when we get a look at the visuals. Other details -Manufacturer: The official line was they are still talking to multiple manufacturers. One member of the team speaking at the consultation said "there's people doing noise tests on a similar ride in Turkey". Would suggest the Flash clone, and hence Mack, but who knows. -Other rides: No other rides were shown in the area. -Existing rides: They said they're looking to retain "at least one of the existing rides". -Height: 72m/236ft -Speed/Length: Nothing said Timeline (if all goes to plan) -Today to January 2022: Consultation period -Spring 2022: Plans submitted to council -Summer 2022: Plans approved -Late 2022: Construction starts -Date TBC: Ride opens. They did mention 2024, seemingly by accident. It also seems likely, given the timescale. It does beg the question why Old Town needs to close now if construction isn't due to start until late 2022. I guess they could do some work during 2022 to prep, with main construction starting in 2022. It also answers a potential question about Creek Freak Massacre. That could certain return next year if work around that building hasn't started by next October. Project Name One of the visuals labelled the roller coaster as Project Exodus. So that answers that. Track Colour Stealth is coloured white on the top to blend in with the skyline, then has blue elsewhere. The park are considering something similar with this, but nothing is confirmed. Visitation The park said that they see the need for investing as a way of stopping declining visiting numbers, and getting people coming back. They don't expect the visitor levels to rise up dramatically. They also acknowledged the potential for competition from London Resort. Personally I found it convenient that Merlin don't think it will happen, but they'll cite it as a need to invest in a new ride. ha Anything Else I can't think of anything else major. There will be lots of trees cut, but these will be carefully chosen and likely lots of ones which are dying. The area isn't of any ecological interest. I'm sure everything else will come tomorrow and I'll remember more. Locals The actual consultation was fine (at least, the one I went to was). Maybe a couple of questions which were more geek-oriented, but it was nice to see people being respectful that this was a process for locals. That said, it's a little disappointing hearing and seeing people online referring to people as "Karens" for bringing up concerns. I don't think that anything raised by anyone was unreasonable. These are people with genuine concerns, some of whom have lived in the local area for many years before the park became filled with thrill rides. As I've said, I don't think anyone is against development particularly (and indeed, even those with pressing concerns acknowledged that it looks and sounds good for the park), but these are people's lives. I think it's worth stressing time and time again, there's a pretty good two way communication between the park and locals, and both sides are keen for that to continue. I just hope that everyone appreciates that, and don't berate people in any way for having concerns. It's not like they're even being Roper-esque (Alton Towers reference), they just want a very happy and respectful compromise. Inferno, CharlieN and Matt N 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glitch Posted December 9, 2021 Report Share Posted December 9, 2021 43 minutes ago, JoshC. said: That said, it's a little disappointing hearing and seeing people online referring to people as "Karens" for bringing up concerns. I don't think that anything raised by anyone was unreasonable. These are people with genuine concerns, some of whom have lived in the local area for many years before the park became filled with thrill rides. As I've said, I don't think anyone is against development particularly (and indeed, even those with pressing concerns acknowledged that it looks and sounds good for the park), but these are people's lives. That’s just enthusiasts being enthusiasts. Think they are entitled to everything. Those Karen’s are the ones who have the power to block the coaster and humiliate every enthusiasts dreams. Wonder if Kwasi / Ben Spenser are on board. Good on the park for not revealing too much information just that was required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuntman707 Posted December 9, 2021 Report Share Posted December 9, 2021 It would be great to have a Mack coaster at Thorpe. Smooth, high throughput and the best coaster seats in my opinion. If the London Resort never happens, at least it was enough of a threat for Merlin to finally build a new coaster at Thorpe. As to theming, I’m getting a lot of X vibes. Matrix type theming would be interesting with the speed and airtime. Something new and fresh to Thorpe's offering like Helix. I’m certain MMM could come up with a unique theme as compelling as Wickerman and the Smiler if they wanted something without an IP. They can do their own great standalone themes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theme Park Fanatic Posted December 9, 2021 Report Share Posted December 9, 2021 Hi does anyone know the fate of Rocky Express,Timber Tug Boat and Lumber Jump? I would like to know if they have been relocated within Thorpe,relocated to another Merlin attraction or sold to a Theme Park outside of the Merlin chain. If The rides have left Thorpe I would imagine their bound for Alton Towers. The rides could easily be rethemed and relocated to The World Of David Williams or even CBeebies Land. My first guess would be that the rides have been relocated to the area adjacent to Depth Charge. These rides combined with the stored Octopus Garden rides could form a brilliant expansion to Amity. Thorpe could even create a new Children’s nautical Themed area with these rides. Talking about Octopus Garden and Rocky Express, an interesting piece of Thorpe Park trivia is that Rocky was initially located in Octopus Garden. In the mid 90’s Rocky was relocated to Canada Creek or Old Town as it was latterly known. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parm Pap Posted December 9, 2021 Report Share Posted December 9, 2021 The first section has been realised. But. There is not full steam ahead. Prepare for a rocky few years. Ding dong, ding dong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBoyJD10 Posted December 9, 2021 Report Share Posted December 9, 2021 What ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theme Park Fanatic Posted December 9, 2021 Report Share Posted December 9, 2021 11 minutes ago, Parm Pap said: The first section has been realised. But. There is not full steam ahead. Prepare for a rocky few years. Ding dong, ding dong. @Parm Pap what are you going on about? I don’t know wheather I am being thick but I cannot understand what you are saying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuntman707 Posted December 9, 2021 Report Share Posted December 9, 2021 I have little patience for cryptic / troll posting unless it can be verified. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javs Posted December 10, 2021 Report Share Posted December 10, 2021 Very Tall, Compact Layout, Splashdown……sounds like a B&M Dive Machine to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted December 10, 2021 Report Share Posted December 10, 2021 5 hours ago, javs said: Very Tall, Compact Layout, Splashdown……sounds like a B&M Dive Machine to me. I can assure you it looks nothing like a dive machine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javs Posted December 10, 2021 Report Share Posted December 10, 2021 I didn’t realise there was a detailed layout already! Excited to see it. I was just speculating. A coaster that high with such a short layout as described by those that attended the consultation, is rather unusual to say they least. I haven’t seen it myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inferno Posted December 10, 2021 Report Share Posted December 10, 2021 I'm wondering how high the chances are that they have just shown a layout to show “an roller coaster” in the rough area it’s planned for, just to give an idea what a ride would look like there, but it’s actually nothing like this in reality? Will be interesting to compare the layout they’ve revealed with what actually gets put through to planning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted December 10, 2021 Report Share Posted December 10, 2021 45 minutes ago, javs said: I didn’t realise there was a detailed layout already! Excited to see it. I was just speculating. A coaster that high with such a short layout as described by those that attended the consultation, is rather unusual to say they least. I haven’t seen it myself. Sorry, should have expanded a bit more. The layout shown wasn't "short", a la a Dive Machine. I reckon it could still be the longest ride on park. But, I think it was on the shorter side for a hyper coaster (but that's a personal opinion) 19 minutes ago, Inferno said: I'm wondering how high the chances are that they have just shown a layout to show “an roller coaster” in the rough area it’s planned for, just to give an idea what a ride would look like there, but it’s actually nothing like this in reality? Will be interesting to compare the layout they’ve revealed with what actually gets put through to planning. Unlikely. They have also shown sight surveys from various views outside the park in the local area. These show how the coaster will impact the skyline and views for locals. Whilst superimposing the layout of a coaster isn't the most difficult to do, they usually only do that with a final (or near-final) layout to give locals (and the council) a concrete idea of what is to come. Hopefully this will all become clearer when the consultation website goes live and shows the same pictures that were shown during the presentation! It's hard to put across everything that was discussed clearly, whilst also trying to set expectations right! Inferno 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inferno Posted December 10, 2021 Report Share Posted December 10, 2021 Thank you for relaying it all @JoshC.! JoshC. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted December 10, 2021 Report Share Posted December 10, 2021 The key piece of information is the noise survey. All but effectively confirms a Mack considering large rides in Turkey aren't exactly common. Good jolly at least. Much like when Smiler was released and they'd surveyed Saw. Gonna be a long 2 years given the way social media behaves these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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