Marc Posted April 3, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2019 18 minutes ago, Ivsetti said: Which is obviously a good thing. Now they can feel what we feel when we visit the park. No ones forcing you! JoshC. and yeah 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshuaA Posted April 3, 2019 Report Share Posted April 3, 2019 20 minutes ago, Marc said: No ones forcing you! I still enjoy Thorpe Park to a extent but its crystal clear the park currently lacks a direction or much of a image. I still have a bit of fun when I visit the park- Inferno has aged well, Swarm and Stealth are fun, but when you have so much crap being added into the park you start to feel like the place you once used to love is losing all its charm and character. When I visit the park presently its bitter-sweet, sure the rides are great, but all the little touches and details such as Swarm's station or Inferno's station feel like they are slowly peeling away and its depressing. Its also sad that the last solid investment was 2013, and that was X.. 2542464 and Olistjj 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted April 3, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2019 10 minutes ago, JoshuaA said: I still enjoy Thorpe Park to a extent but its crystal clear the park currently lacks a direction or much of a image. I still have a bit of fun when I visit the park- Inferno has aged well, Swarm and Stealth are fun, but when you have so much crap being added into the park you start to feel like the place you once used to love is losing all its charm and character. When I visit the park presently its bitter-sweet, sure the rides are great, but all the little touches and details such as Swarm's station or Inferno's station feel like they are slowly peeling away and its depressing. Its also sad that the last solid investment was 2013, and that was X.. Don’t get me wrong, im not saying the park don’t have its problems, but I wouldn’t say it’s quite at the soul destroying level! I do disagree though - personally think The Walking Dead retheme of X was executed brilliantly and was their last solid investment! JoshuaA and Coasterforce 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1729 Posted April 3, 2019 Report Share Posted April 3, 2019 On 4/2/2019 at 8:08 PM, EpicSmatty said: DBGT: Hide contents No actors today and staff acting in the middle section wasn't quite as good. Much shorter as nothing much happened in the middle section, just a bit of audio and then you're on to the 2nd VR section. 2nd section was also shorter, didn't show the "I want to get off" person. No delays or technical issues though. If I'm correct with the way those scenes are set up Spoiler The scene with the "I want to get off" and the girl getting told to sit down, possessed and then dragged away are part of the filler scenes The ride for rise of the demon replaced one of the biggest complaints of the green gas filling the train as a way to pad out the VR without stopping it (if I'm correct the original had a 15 or 30 min loop of the stuff as the person who had to check that hated having to test it for that long) they solved the problem by having a VR show that could be cut at points with extra scenes beyond the 5ish min sequence before the final motion table "ending" scene as you descend into "hell". That scene is one of them if I'm correct The shame is the want to get off saga is one the best parts of the ride as its 4th wall breaking and nice but the only way to experience it in full is for 3 trains to be running and for them to be a loading delays cause otherwise most of that scene just wont be shown The green gas lives on due to the fact if the train is delayed enough the screen will cut to a Sub core energy technical difficulties screen with happy music Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattgwise Posted April 3, 2019 Report Share Posted April 3, 2019 1 hour ago, Marc said: personally think The Walking Dead retheme of X was executed brilliantly and was their last solid investment! Agreed! Far more of an investment compared to X in 2013... 2542464 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuntman707 Posted April 3, 2019 Report Share Posted April 3, 2019 Shame the zombie in the roof at the end only has a pole for a head now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coasterforce Posted April 3, 2019 Report Share Posted April 3, 2019 So I stayed at the Shark Hotel for two days and had a great time surprisingly. Although there was a drastic difference out of the two days operations wise. First day everything was running swiftly, a few rides shut because of the dreadful weather but in all it was good. Fins Bar And Grill was a complete joke though. Firstly I noticed the menu hardly offers anything other than a small burger meal or cod and chips. It was extortionate too. The service was utterly dreadful, the woman serving me had no idea what she was doing. I asked multiple times for an order and they still got it wrong. I realised the order was completely different and headed back. There was 3 or people in front of me and in the time she took to serve them the wrong food had arrived. In the end the manager had to sort out the order. Same thing happened to someone else too. Today was a mixed bag though; rides were down - Tidal Wave all day when it was actually sunny? The staff were good nonetheless, allowing re-rides on practically everything towards the end as it was so quiet. In terms of the overall structure Old Town just looks sad, there's arcade games that aren't even working and a lost theming that feels empty without Loggers. The whole Colossus/Saw area looks empty too. Amity's looking great though. Looks more neat and polished compared to last time, the speakers and audio were great too. Rapids are improved too, you actually get splashed and they're more rapid. Everything else was running well though, besides Saw that I'm sure gets rougher every year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuntman707 Posted April 3, 2019 Report Share Posted April 3, 2019 In regards to the 2019 TV ad, IMAScore made Thorpe a brilliant, brand recognisable theme tune in my opinion that is fully owned by them unlike Alton Towers and they don't even use it in the advert. wtf are they doing? ?♂️ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mer Posted April 4, 2019 Report Share Posted April 4, 2019 Earlier on, the new Thorpe advert played twice in half an hour. I honestly felt so embarrassed when it was on! ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted April 4, 2019 Report Share Posted April 4, 2019 On 4/3/2019 at 9:37 AM, Ivsetti said: GameFX starts Saturday. Further note: the park's new social media team don't use sarcastic gifs anymore! Personal opinion: Chris is right but I feel the park also wanted something "new" to make you visit for the 2019 season hence their choice of this badly-decided event (it's becoming more apparent that the event really is just a couple of console games you could play at home). Also, the events being put on this year (bar FN's and Jungle Escape) are probably just chicken-feed little "extras" the park have put on until they decide the upcoming direction for the park for the next few years which is where we'll see the really big investments (2020 being a prime example. It's not a coaster so could be something else). One hopes improvements to aesthetics, operations from restaurants to rides and ride availability will also be a core focus on future investment in the park. Spoilers. 2020 won't have a big investment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Portvls Posted April 4, 2019 Report Share Posted April 4, 2019 You know what, it looks really well done. Impressive line-up of games and consoles in my opinion, and the interior is well designed and lit. It’s basically a gamer’s paradise. However, I would consider myself a pretty avid gamer and it does not interest me one bit. If I’m going to Thorpe Park I’m going because of the rides and the atmosphere, not to play videogames. I just find the whole thing a bit of an odd idea personally. JoelAllen 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted April 4, 2019 Report Share Posted April 4, 2019 I was at the press event tonight. Some general thoughts/comments: -There sections are PlayStation 4, XBox One, VR and retro (plus a tournament area) -There will be 16 VR options available, each priced at £5 a go (you buy tokens for the VR experiences at the bar) -It's not necessary to book a time slot, but if the marquee is full, you need a ticket Personally, the retro area disappointed me. It was old consoles with certain games. No doubt it'll bring nostalgia to some, but it didn't do it for me (I expected like retro arcade game machines like Pacman, Space Invaders, etc). There was a small selection of VR experiences to try tonight freely. I tried a walk the plank experience, which was fun, but I wouldn't think it's worth £5. Some of the other VR experiences are a lot more involved though (team zombie shooting game will be there apparently). Personally, this wasn't my thing at all. I'm sure for some people, it is their thing, and plenty of people were really enjoying it. And I kind of get it I guess - it's just like an upgrade on an arcade, except you can't win money. It also adds something indoors for people to do, which is good. I really don't know how it will be received and how successful it will be. Hopefully it will do the trick for some people though. As a final point - cost. This is a free thing, but there's a lot of upcharges (the 16 VR experiences really do feel like the focal point). This isn't a money-grubbing thing from Thorpe. Hypd (the company Thorpe are doing this with) get all the money from that, since they're not making money from it in any other way. I'm under the impression Thorpe have had to pit very little money into the event, so this isn't an event where money has been spent in one way when it could have been spent elsewhere. This event purely exists to try and diversify the line up, it's just an unfortunate scenario that the focal point of it has been made an upcharge by a third party. Hopefully this doesn't cause too many problems. Rach666 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted April 5, 2019 Report Share Posted April 5, 2019 That's not taking the time to talk to guests, that would be answering each response with a distinct flavour to the actual content... That is just asking guests to continue waiting for a response in a different format... If they get a response at all... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted April 5, 2019 Report Share Posted April 5, 2019 That video has been used since mid-2017 I believe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted April 5, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2019 1 hour ago, Ivsetti said: If you haven't been yet this season they have a new 60 second opening of the day countdown similar to the one used on BBC News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dl_79qCdDzo Have you actually seen it working at the park this year? Not seen it work since the end of 2017. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuntman707 Posted April 20, 2019 Report Share Posted April 20, 2019 Is anyone going on traveller day tomorrow? It may not be official but do you think the reason they're going cashless is to deter these people from visiting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pickles Posted April 20, 2019 Report Share Posted April 20, 2019 Went for the first time in years, most of what you guys have covered I agree with. It's all just a bit run down and looks dirty. The most shocking thing for me is not being able to stand for long periods of time and having to join the fastrack queue for Colossus and having to wait for 20 mins. I understand why they have changed the RAP to minimise waiting times for people who physically need to use it but basically saying to me that I need to physically be in a wheelchair to use it to the full is ridiculous. Plus a £50 deposit for a wheelchair is fantastic for people who can afford it. I won't be going back for a while, wanted a nice pain free day out and ended up pissed off and in a lot of pain. Might seem like a stupid thing to moan about but I use the RAP because I am unable to stand for long periods of time, I shouldn't have to rely on someone to wheel me around the park. Best part of the day was seeing a staff member shoot down another guest who was complaining that we got let up Infernos volcano first. Kerfuffle and Ringo 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerfuffle Posted April 21, 2019 Report Share Posted April 21, 2019 22 hours ago, Holly said: Best part of the day was seeing a staff member shoot down another guest who was complaining that we got let up Infernos volcano first. Sounds like the usual yob who thinks Fastrack magically gets them onto the ride in the blink of an eye... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marhelorpe Posted April 22, 2019 Report Share Posted April 22, 2019 Warning to all those with the new freestyle refill capsules - if the park sell out of the capsules on any day you visit this year, they will shut down all the refill points across the park for all those who do have them because they "don't want to encourage guests to think they can be used due to no stock being available to buy at the park"............?! Also, Tidal Wave at opening time was on one boat today for 23C temperatures on a bank holiday. Yay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Posted April 22, 2019 Report Share Posted April 22, 2019 Wait, so they're selling a product you can't use? Contact the ASA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattgwise Posted April 22, 2019 Report Share Posted April 22, 2019 29 minutes ago, Marhelorpe said: Warning to all those with the new freestyle refill capsules - if the park sell out of the capsules on any day you visit this year, they will shut down all the refill points across the park for all those who do have them because they "don't want to encourage guests to think they can be used due to no stock being available to buy at the park"............?! That's outrageous! I bought it for the sole reason that I would be able to purchase the refill fee every visit. Its an insult that because they have sold out of cups the rest of their customers have to suffer. Surely a sign saying new capsules have sold out and sorry for the inconvenience would have been a better decision. Marhelorpe 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marhelorpe Posted April 22, 2019 Report Share Posted April 22, 2019 20 minutes ago, Coaster said: Wait, so they're selling a product you can't use? Contact the ASA. Pretty much yes. If you're someone who has bought one of these capsules on a previous visit, if you turn up today with it, you wouldn't be able to use a single freestyle machine because they ran out of capsules to sell for other guests. I ain't bothering getting one of these capsules at all if this is how the park wants to run the system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattgwise Posted April 22, 2019 Report Share Posted April 22, 2019 I think this is completely unacceptable, making others suffer as they ran out of capsules. They really should not have shut them completely. I am sure there will be a few complaints (already a couple on twitter) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Posted April 22, 2019 Report Share Posted April 22, 2019 They should refund at guest services if you can't use it. Can't sell a product and then not let people use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted April 22, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2019 Lets get the facts right before we go running to report the park and looking silly... The capsules are not sold out (if they were to sell out the machines would remain open) - the mixing syrup is what’s sold out which is why machines are closed - if you are to buy a cup today you can refill them at f&b units (although the park are recommending not buy a cup today due to the lack of freestyle offering!) PJ. and Glitch 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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