Slammer replacement?

[pluk]

46 minutes ago, MattyMoo said:

Would they consider a Star Shape (a la Danter's Air) to replace Samurai one day do you think?

I'd hope not, such a dull ride.

 

I can imagine the Slammer/Samurai/Loggers/CCR area being cleared and combined for a new major ride rather than being used as it is now.

[MattyMoo]

Same here really. As to when that will be mind you... expect to see clearance start in 2 years from now?

[Glitch]

2 hours ago, MattyMoo said:

Would they consider a Star Shape (a la Danter's Air) to replace Samurai one day do you think? Would be unique to have one permanently... I really do think Thorpe could do with some more flats (that aren't Lumber Jump or Timber Tug )

You may have missed Samurai on Saturday but it was top notch.

[Mattgwise]

I still can't get my head around how good Samurai was on Saturday. For a nearly 20 years old ride it was back at its best (after years of awfulness) 

 

So no please no replacement for now! 

[MattyMoo]

I'm genuinely - pleasantly - shocked to hear this Samurai news! Maybe they should move Ramases Revenge to Thorpe too, finally, so it can be back to it's best

[RobF]

Tbh anyone remember bling at bpb ? 

 

This would be a bad idea, thorpe has a respectable amount of flats, its towers that needs the flat’s investment tbh. I hope the whole area gets a major investment and is beborn keeping to the west/canada theme.

maybe add a traditional saloon to the area serving food/ drink (smith and western operated anyone?). With a decent woody comparable to woodan/troy. Interacting with a good old fashion mine train (not a mack powered).

 

The area has a decent footprint and potential, lets see what thorpe come up with. . . (Tbh it will likely be something boring and uninspiring)

 

 

 

 

[Exodus thrills]

I think it will be reopened and used as a flat ride in the same area as project exodus or it will become a ride a bit like Kobra at Chessington 

[coasterverse]

37 minutes ago, Exodus thrills said:

I think it will be reopened and used as a flat ride in the same area as project exodus or it will become a ride a bit like Kobra at Chessington 

 

You think Slammer will be reopened? No chance. That rust bucket has been stood SBNO for so long now that I guarantee if they tried to as much as budge it, it would crumble to a thousand pieces.

 

That combined with the fact that S&S no longer manufacture said ride will make finding replacement parts a fairly impossible task.

 

My prediction - it will be removed shortly after Exodus because the park will realise how disgusting it looks next to a brand new coaster, turned into a temporary picnic area with benches until 2025 when the park have the funds to invest in a brand new type of flat ride to sit in its place.

 

It would've made much more sense to factor in Slammer's replacement into the Exodus plans, but I guess demolishing multiple rides in Old Town along with the buildings and infastructure, then rebuilding a few buildings on top of building the UK's tallest rollercoaster probably isn't the cheapest thing in the world.

 

I hope the park put a system into place (hopefully not virtual queuing like Madrill Mayhem, but I guarantee we'll be getting that exact system) to help manage queues once Exodus opens - because without any supporting rides in the area, the queue is going to be absolutely heaving.

[Parm Pap]

Will it be, or won't it be, please money, we want it please

 

The time has come, to say farewell, or say hello, but who does care

 

 

How can we dance when our ride's not turning,

 

 

How can we build when the power's going,

 

 

How will we look when the eyes are on us,

 

 

Will we succeed with the eyes, car, on, us

[Matt N]

Hi guys. Slammer has not operated at Thorpe Park since 2017, but as of late, some developments have occurred that lead me to believe that we may be seeing development on the Slammer site.

 

The first thing to note is that Thorpe Park have said for a while that they intend to remove Slammer by the end of the year. Now this is not a smoking gun on its own, and I accept that, but my thought is; why would they remove it if they didn't intend to replace it at some point? It's been there for 7 years; what harm would a few more do if they aren't intending to put something there?

 

That is not the only piece of evidence I cite by any means, however. Or even a particularly compelling piece of evidence compared to some others.

 

Another piece of evidence I cite is a recent trademark application by Merlin's trademarking company. In recent days, Merlin's trademarking company have filed a trademark for the name "Skybound", with all of the usual uses listed:

https://www.facebook.com/AttractionSource/posts/830235939140659?ref=embed_post

This would indicate to me that Merlin are planning to install an attraction somewhere within their estate that is to be named Skybound, but I can't think of any currently known Merlin plans that would fit this overly well. I don't see this name being very befitting of Project Ocean at Alton Towers, and I think this is too soon to be for Project Horizon at Alton Towers. However, it is worth noting that the Slammer site is within the area that Thorpe Park is now coining as "Fearless Valley", the new area surrounding Hyperia. And I don't know about any of you, but given that Hyperia's theme/style centres around flight, Skybound sounds to me like it would be quite a fitting name for an accompanying flat ride addition to Fearless Valley...

 

Finally, Thorpe Park have now begun clearing the old queue of Slammer with machinery, as per Thorpe Park Mania on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/thorpeparkmania/posts/958603549598834?ref=embed_post

If they're clearing the queue, I reckon they must be intending to do something with it...

 

Could all of this potentially be pointing towards some sort of new development on the old Slammer site? I think it's very possible... although I'm not saying that this is confirmed by any means or even much of a rumour. This is purely me linking a few things together and offering my thoughts on what they could potentially mean. I could well be adding 2 and 2 and getting 5 here, but I think that these pieces of evidence could well suggest some sort of new development on the former Slammer site.

 

What does anyone else think?

[Inferno]

Could well be!  That’s exciting if it is!

 

I suppose the queue clearance could be with fright nights in mind, because I think a couple of weeks back weren’t they clearing out the Black Mirror stuff?

 

The trademark application is interesting!

[Marc]

Do think maybe something in this, if they were planning to put a maze in black mirror it makes sense to keep slammers old queue to use that, with slammer removed it’s a fairly large area, with the age of lots of Thorpes flats it would be nice to see something new on this front.

[Cal]

Interesting! Agreed it would make sense to keep Slammers queue and use that for a FN maze so it does seem like something is being planned, and Skybound definitely sounds like a name of a flat that would fit Thorpe in that area.

 

Sounds silly as its been SBNO for years but I'll actually be sad to see Slammer finally go 😢

[JoshC.]

Let's take stock for a moment.

-The park have said on a number of occasions they will remove Slammer. The most recent suggestion was they would remove Slammer this upcoming closed season. Frankly, I won't believe it until I see it.
-Whilst I admit Skybound fits in with Hyperia, there's no reason to believe it definitely will be.

At the same time, the removal of queue line and such is interesting. It's also worth noting that there has been some removal of the interior of Black Mirror too.

It could easily be space for Fright Nights, and the possible removal of Slammer ends up just opening the area up for picnic area / shop / restaurant.


But, it certainly makes sense to replace that area with a new attraction, especially since it increases support around the brand the new ride.

Assuming it is a new ride, and it is for 2025, it needs to be something that can be constructed reasonably quickly. Removal of Slammer plus construction of a new ride (to open no later than May, say) means we likely won't see an indoor ride or a more complicated ride. Some sort of Star Flyer or similar tower-based ride might work pretty well to be fair.
Equally, if they choose to wait until 2026, they could build something a bit more in depth.
 

So yeah. Cause for optimism, but cautious optimism for now.

[Mattgwise]

What about one of these? 

 

https://www.mondialrides.com/avalanche/

 

Could be fitting to the Skybound name if it even is Thorpe Park? 

[owenstreet7]

Hmm... I remember the park mentioning they're intending to remove Slammer this closed season however need planning permission to do so? I haven't seen any planning applications made so could this be delayed?

[JoshC.]

30 minutes ago, owenstreet7 said:

Hmm... I remember the park mentioning they're intending to remove Slammer this closed season however need planning permission to do so? I haven't seen any planning applications made so could this be delayed?

 

The park do not need a planning application to remove it.

 

However, if the park intend to use the space for a flat ride, it is better to leave it until they submit the planning application. This is because it makes it easier/quicker for the application to go through ("We have a ride here, we're replacing it with something of a similar size and scale"). If they remove the ride, turn it into a blank space, then put in an application, it's slightly more effort to put through (not to mention a general faff too).

 

The park did say they'd look at removing it this closed season, but beyond that statement there's no indication either way whether that will happen. As you say though, there's no planning application in place as of yet, so it's unlikely we'll see a new ride in its space in 2025.

[Matt N]

It’s looking to me like whatever is happening with the Beach might potentially be 2025’s draw instead. I wouldn’t be wholly surprised if they built some sort of ride there.

 

Where did the park get with that proposal to not need planning applications for structures below 25m? If that got passed by the council, then they could theoretically be doing anything below 25m without us needing to know about it.