What has happened to Thorpe Park?

[BAP]

Hello guys, 

 

Been a regular of the forums for many years but decided to ask the burning question this morning... just what has happened to the park? 

 

Thorpe Park a few years ago was arguably the best park in the UK, it was going from strength to strength in terms of investments and then all of sudden we get IACGMOOH, bouncezilla, the year of the walking dead etc 

 

They even pulled The Big Top off the Fright Nights bill which from what I understand was a favourite by many

 

I assume 2020 will be just as poor in regards to the parks line up / investments as no planning has been put through for a coaster or even a new flat ride...  

 

Any information regarding the reasons behind the decline of the park would be interesting to hear... 

[Mark9]

I have a few theories. None of its concrete evidence and is pure conjecture on my part.

 

- The failure of the Swarm. We all know that Merlin were initially disappointed by the Swarms first season. Many reasons were cited (which I'm sure those in the know can find) but essentially, I think this lack of interest in the new coaster dented confidence in what the park could do. Baring in mind, 2011 saw one of the biggest years the park had and that was on the back of Storm Surge. Cheaper investment bought massive returns.

 

- The next Big thing. I think Thorpe has fallen into the trap that Six Flags did. By appealing solely to the thrill sector you severely limit interest. Teenagers want the next big thing and in the 00s, Thorpe easily provided that thrill. Hit after hit, success after success. Coasters galore, several years where we got two flat rides. That investment was unsustainable. Now though, rides like Colossus, Inferno, Tidal Wave, Detonator & Vortex are old hat. They are unmaintained and look their age. Thorpe were unable to drum up interest with The Swarm, Derren Brown opened late and was pretty weak and the less said about the reliance on IP to drive interest the better. The park has a real image problem which leads me to..

 

- Branding. Thorpe has a huge perception problem. Is it a thrill park, is it a park for up for it families, do we make X a family coaster then two years later refurbish it for adults. Do we change our market to families and then close the biggest family ride we've got (Loggers Leap). Do we advertise our park in our 2019 advert or have an image of goats, donuts and a hotel room. None of this evokes excitement. It smacks of a park throwing anything, everything at the wall to see what sticks and new general managers are not given enough time to evolve/change the place before they are fired and a new one bought in.

 

- The Smiler crash. Ironically, four years later, I feel like the crash has had this weird echoing effect at Thorpe compared to the other two main Merlin parks. It's almost like it never recovered from the initial drop in attendance whilst Alton has recovered well thanks to Wicker Man and Chessington never saw the drop because of its family audience. You could say the lack of investment is really hurting Thorpe right now but then there seems to be no steps to change this.

 

- The park itself. It's fallen a long way since the hefty days of 2006. If they are to recover the place they need to sort out their offering. Having abandoned flat rides and log flumes standing doesn't help, neither does the game stalls or the lack of maintenance and paint jobs on their rollercoasters. The basics need to be sorted for Thorpe to recover. Chessington was exactly the same way in the 00's but that now feels like the strongest Merlin park IMO. If Thorpe can sort this then they might be able to get back to the top.

[ste193]

Sadly I think the key thing in their decline was DBGT, they created such a hype for something that is pretty much a sit down VR experience you could get at home with some Halloween maze like acting thrown in the middle to break it up a bit (I haven't experienced the new version, so I assume its similar but better themed for the ending)

They threw alot of money into a project that just simply didn't return the profit or the hype for the park even after an essential do over attempt.

 

Then there's the fact old town has been a dormant area for years now with Loggers left SBNO for such a long time with no actual word and mixed social media messages angered alot of enthusiasts because its such an iconic ride (at least they had the decency to admit Slammer wasn't coming back) an area that now houses a couple of kids rides in whats marketed as a thrill park falls flat

 

They then choose a sinking ship of an IP in the walking dead that's been ravaged by bad reviews, much of the main cast being lost/going and fast dropping viewing figures to overlay a ride that had already actually been given a new lease of life and was making progress and adding another dark and depressing theme to a dark and depressing park tbh.

 

These IP events like love island lates and walking dead etc scream of latching onto something in desperation. Part of what has made our theme parks great in the past is creating unique immersive environments for rides that aren't bogged down by and IP and it feels like we are losing that, rather than being imaginative and daring the park seems to be latching onto BLANK the ride just to create buzz which evidently is only fleeting. I wouldn't mind if we got something to the quality of Harry Potter World etc (I KNOW I'M DREAMING HERE) but a walking dead re-theme that involves dark corridors a video and a couple of screens on the ride falls incredibly flat imho.

 

What they really need is a line of strong new additions to really draw people back to the park and stop disregarding unique immersive themes for IP's for a quick fix that obviously isn't lasting.

 

I fear that if they don't announce something soon the park is just going to fall of the map, the UK industry as a whole tbh really needs a kick up the ass right now, look at Eftling for example going from strength to strength great new additions and feedback essentially going head to head with DLP if our parks actually tried to compete with the better offerings out there like you see at Florida with Disney and Universal our theme park industry would improve vastly but being all owned by one company there sadly really isn't any competition that's why I pray this London Resort eventually happens and they actually start competing so they put some effort again into their offerings. 

[JoshuaA]

Most of what the posts above me say are completely correct, but here's my two cents.

 

1. Lack of image: Thorpe Park don't really have a clear audience now. At least back in 2012 they had a image and demographic, in 2019 the park have huge indentity problems and the new adverts and tagline just scream soul-less. Chessington and Alton are not perfect but any means but they have a clear brand and a clear target market which they both do well, Thorpe is the vanilla ice cream of branding at Merlin.
2. IP's that make no sense: Gruffalo and Room On The Broom make somewhat sense. IAC, Angry Birds, and TWD literally felt just Thorpe picked their IP from a hat. Do we need a half arsed area themed to Angry Birds? HELL NO. IAC was another example of Thorpe slapping on a short IP for a short lived attraction that shouldn't exist in the first place.
3. Poor small, medium, and large investments: For small investments we got IAC and a bunch of reused unthemed little flat rides which were placed pretty blindly.. For medium investments we got Angry Birds and the best family ride re-themed to something scary, for large we got DBGT- one of the biggest fails in Merlin history. 13 million spent on something that probably won't make it past ten years of operation.
4. Neglected parts of the park: Colossus's new concrete look, Swarm's wood in the station, Inferno's queueline, Old Town in general, Slammer.. The park feels so neglected, Thorpe right now feels like the unwanted redhead child of Merlin..

I think what Mark said was very true in that Chessington was in a similar position for a while, things can change. Though I feel like Thorpe really has a dug itself a hole and its going to take some hefty investments and clean up to recover what is the current mess of the park. I think replacing Loggers and Slammer with new attractions would be a good first step, that area is crying for a refurb, its needed a refurb for like 4 years now..

[Matt 236]

Sadly the park has been on a slippery slope for at least five years.

 

Some will say The Swarm was unsuccessful because it didn’t increase visitor numbers and attendance continued to decline. However it must be kept in mind 2012 was not a great year for park attendance industrywide as a result of the olympics and (proper) bad weather. 

 

There comes a time when attractions reach a glass-roof on attendance figures and for Thorpe that time was around 2011/2012. In it’s current footprint the park realistically probably can’t hold much more than around 2 million visitors.

 

With this in mind, the park should’ve intended to maintain gate figures as opposed to increasing but instead counted Swarm as a failure and made some questionable decisions (not saying they had already done-so before 2012). 

 

Some of the reasons the park has has fallen so much includes (but is not limited) to the following:

• Inconsistent marketing- family advertising years x&y, Thrill z&a, Park decisions contradict this 
• Lack of direction- Towers is for everyone, Chessington a theme park zoo, Thorpe doesn’t know what it is 
• DBGT- dubbed as the future of theme parks with one of the biggest budgets and marketing of any attraction, still a drastic failure that didn’t improve anything 
• Cheap attractions- Angry Birds, IAC, Timber Tug, Lumber Jump, quick cheap shoe-horned attractions that were just ‘plonked’ into what was available without really improving the product offering 
• Neglect and lack of TLC- many areas of the park still look a mess, rundown and dilapidated with little in the form of fun or escapism, ironically the dark themes seem better kept than the few happier ones, 
• Loggers Leap- still one of the most iconic and enjoyable attractions in it’s final years, the attraction was just abandoned with no clear future until the park bluntly confirmed it’s closure three years later
• The Smiler Crash- affected park attendance across the industry 

The previous decade saw much growth, progress and expansion to the park. Whether this was all sustainable and long-term thinking remains questionable as few parks can realistically continue adding hefty additions every year. 

 

Unfortunately I think the next decade of the park will be one of disappointments and further stagnation if current trends and operation continue. It is likely Merlin see the park as a resource drainer currently. However rather continuing to invest, it is expected the park is being managed on minimal funds making Park spending more difficult and we probably won’t see any noticeable investment for several years at least. 

 

The park has seen several directors come and go in short time and most of the park’s mid-higher management leave or sacked. 

 

It will take a while before the park moves forwards again (if it ever moves forwards again).

[JoshC.]

12 hours ago, Mark9 said:

- The failure of the Swarm. We all know that Merlin were initially disappointed by the Swarms first season. Many reasons were cited (which I'm sure those in the know can find)

Yes, this is true. The reasons include:

-A decrease in visitors compared to 2011. Despite the fact that 2011 was one of Thorpe's busiest and most profitable (and so, in that sense, 'best') years ever, Swarm still had to deliver an increase. It didn't, so Merlin saw Swarm as a failure, and immediately lost faith in whatever their thought process was behind that direction.

-Weak brand. Swarm didn't capture people's imagination. It was very generic and not very recognisable. The end of the world vibe was overdone and it merged in with so many other things that went for that.

-Experience didn't match marketing. For one reason or another, people expected an intense thrill ride, similar to Saw. Instead, Swarm offered a much more graceful experience, leading people to be disappointed. 

 

So basically, people had minor niggles about the ride, and less people visited Thorpe (which would have happened regardless). So, Merlin see it as a failure. Despite that, in the long term it's done a good job, is less generic these days and scores very highly in KPI scores, which Merlin love. So it's been a slow burner. But Merlin's model doesn't allow for slow burners.

 

 

Just a couple more to add:

 

Derren Brown's Ghost Train

Going for a dark ride over a coaster was always a risk, but it was one which needed to be done in my opinion. Sadly, DBGT missed every single possible mark, which really damaged the park. It did attract attention, and it did cause attendances to rise. But it damaged the park's reputation by so much more than the worth of a few thousand visitors. Two big investments in a row that failed is a big recipe for disaster. You need a sure-fire win after that; something with minimal risk. But when everything is spiralling downwards, the pressure is even great, and the amount of risk you take has to decrease. Ultimately it leaves us in the situation we're in now: the best way to minimise risk is to not take a risk at all. Can't lose money if you don't spend money, right?

 

Terrible Non-Big Investments

You have to go all the way back to 2007 when the park added a solid non-big investment, in Flying Fish. Arguments can be made for Storm Surge (diversifies the line up and added a much needed family ride) and Walking Dead (a solid scary-themed indoor attraction at the end of the day). I guess you could say 2013 with turning X forwards but that slipped under the radar with the focus on Swarm backwards. But I think Flying Fish is the last one where someone would struggle to come up with a reasonable negative for it. Since then, we've had short term investments, based off fads or needless IPs, which have led to a mish-mash of identities and ideas, and nothing which has really improved the line up.

 

This is coupled with a lack of general upkeep in the existing parts of the park. The bare minimum was done to rides, theming, presentation, etc., which eventually led to rides closing, theming being taken away, etc. 

 

Focusing too much on Scares

Fright Nights works for the park. Regardless of its quality, it's still the busiest, best received, and most profitable time of year for the park, year in year out. The park tried to capitalise on that and make it work all year round (which, in fairness, isn't too unreasonable). It worked with Saw - The Ride, because that was handled properly. Saw Alive was a nice idea and helped absorb the busyness whilst it was full time. After that, Thorpe should have quit whilst they were ahead.

 

Scare attractions don't work outside of Halloween in a theme park setting. Scary stuff doesn't work outside of Halloween in a theme park setting. One thing to compliment a line up, yes. But an overarching focus on it? No. Yet Thorpe didn't realise this. They didn't learn that in 2005 when Freakshow 3D was dead during summer because no one cared. They didn't learn that after Saw Alive's popularity dwindled in 2012. They didn't learn after Swarm. They didn't learn after Ghost Train. They probably haven't learnt after The Year of The Walking Dead. 

 

Keep scares for Fright Nights, and focus on a diverse line up.

 

Not Learning Lessons

Related to above, Thorpe make the same mistakes again and again. This likely comes down to management seemingly being a revolving door, especially in more recent years. A new person comes in, tries something, it doesn't work, leave. A new person comes in, tries that same thing in a different disguise, it doesn't work, leave. Repeat. They need to take a step back, look at what they've done for the past 15 years and realise what hasn't worked, and what has worked, and start building from that.

[Stuntman707]

Thorpe if you're reading this, Get rid of VR on the ghost train. Make it all live action and open it at 10am. VR in theme parks is not the future, the best part of the ride is the fake shop with the real effects.

[daboywunda]

You also have an element of Global business strategy going into play here too:

 

1. Nick V will only invest if it guarantees 25% return on investment (as quoted in an interview he did last year). This was not the case for the last 2 big investments, so there is an element of caution with Thorpe. Once bitten, twice shy, third time reluctant.

 

2. The strategy of Merlin is to add bedrooms and hotels. This is where the majority of the investment is happening because this is where the majority of the capital comes from - the rest of the investments are kept low key where possible and the parks hardware investment has ground to pretty much a halt except for special circumstances. It is safe business / revenue generation. Thorpe is limited to what it can do in this space because of location, available space etc. Compare Thorpe Shark to the hotels at Windsor, Chessie, Alton and Gardaland. As a result, you have a park that seems neglected because they aren't getting huge investments for hardware (other than DBGT) nor are they getting the hotel investments either.

 

3. IP's generally work. When you get the right one. Peppa Pig in Europe has been a massive hit at the parks and the World Of Play new openings are huge around the world. Sadly, Merlin will never have the UK license so has to settle for other IPs instead. Saw broke the mould and was a success. But piggy-packing on some-ones IP is less risky than creating your own - arguably the lazy, "quick win" option, but if it works you're a fool to not exploit it.

 

4. Thorpe seem to be becoming the Six Flags option of Merlin. They are going down the generic, lifeless, soul-less way of running a park as an experiment because they have no specialism - Chessie with the zoo; LEGOLAND with, well, Lego; Alton and the Towers, Gardaland being a bit like Disney, Heide Park being beautiful etc, Thorpe has no anchor and while it is so close to Chessie and LEGOLAND I don't think it ever will have one. But, they are now stuck in a rutt of this way of working doesn't work andno-one is willing to give up the capital to break them out of the cycle because of the toxic "you must perform financially in order to be given money to better yourself" attitudes that modern businesses have. I'd love it if Merlin were to just say "Right, here's £100 million. Sweep the entire park and make it great again within a year so that we can ramp up profits next year" but it won't happen.

 

5. I have a feeling that the new "owners" will not be as restrictive as playing shareholder politics. They are going to be investing for the strength of their business and not the perceptions and opinions of shareholders. This may see an uplift in investments in due course. But, don't hold your breath

 

6. MMM seem to play it safe with investments and there are no rumblings anywhere of us working with pioneering or elite ride manufacturers. And while Merlin have the perception that rollercoasters bring in more people than flat rides (which are by large more expensive to maintain for the investment they require in comparison), we will always see the decline in flats and ramping up of coasters of varying quality. Maybe if they were more daring, we would see an RMC spring up at Thorpe.. or a Mack Launcher at Chessie.

[JoshuaA]

I honestly think Merlin need to think outside the box for future investments if they are going to become reluctant with money.

Look at Six Flags, they put their faith and 5.5 million dollars on a company with no coasters to their name in the middle of Idaho, for 5.5 million dollars they got New Texas Giant.

Six Flags might be cheap but they are smart, if Six Flags ran Thorpe it would be a lot better than it currently is. Six Flags don't spend much money but when they do its spent fairly wisely.

If Merlin want to draw in the figures for peanuts they should considering adding rides like freespins, RMC'S, and skyline's crap. If they did adopt the Six Flags business model it would be more more effective IMO. Six flags are in many ways tacky and uncalled for, but they do install good rides at the end of the day and I think Merlin recently have been more focused on 'experiences' than actual rides (DBGT, IAC, Sub Terra)..

 

[Glitch]

31 minutes ago, JoshuaA said:

I honestly think Merlin need to think outside the box for future investments if they are going to become reluctant with money.

 

 

Is that not what they did with the ghost train?

[daboywunda]

Couldn't agree more Joshua. You hit it on the head. Thorpe need to become a "good amusement park" rather than a theme park. Hit the Six Flags / Cedar Point model and you're onto a winner by being different enough to Chessie and LEGOLAND just around the corner..

[JoshuaA]

1 minute ago, Glitch said:

Is that not what they did with the ghost train?

There is a difference between being innovative and being plain stupid. If the park worked with some of the smaller and cheaper manufacturers such as Chance, S&S, RMC, they could get great rides for peanuts. What Thorpe and Merlin have been doing recently isn't innovative or interesting, its a waste of money.

[Martin Doyle]

 

38 minutes ago, JoshuaA said:

There is a difference between being innovative and being plain stupid. If the park worked with some of the smaller and cheaper manufacturers such as Chance, S&S, RMC, they could get great rides for peanuts. What Thorpe and Merlin have been doing recently isn't innovative or interesting, its a waste of money.

 

Well DBGT is simply the biggest white elephant project in the history of the theme park industry. The ride will most likely be gone before it hits 10 years of operation whereas a solid coaster would have cost roughly the same (if not less) and guaranteed longevity. There lies the problem with a lot of the parks recent investments. They do NOT have a long term future. Tatty short term investment after tatty short term investment aswell as white elephant projects like DBGT as opposed to solid ride investments are a major reason behind why Thorpe are in the doldrums as much as they are right now.

[Han30]

Can’t really add to everything that’s been said already but what sticks for me is the whole sense of half arsed-ness.  Abanding Big Top but changing it to a show which although was ok, is nowhere near as good as maze form.

SBNO rides - never a good look even if they do shove bamboo fencing around them.

Half done paint jobs - either finish the job or don’t start.

 

It feels like Thorpe is a bit lost in what sort of park they are - 2013 (when I started visiting regularly) it was known as the nations thrill capital - fast forward a year and its “an island like no other” - shove in Angry Birds Land and appeal to younger audiences/families - great idea but then they remove the carousel and have Loggers SBNO for 4 seasons.

Add to that the height increase for X which is now The Walking Dead and they’ve spited a fair few younger guests who can no longer ride it.

 

I think I’ve visited Thorpe 5 times this season - and on one of those times the only thing I went on was the toilet - queue management even to get in was horrendous and once inside it wasn’t much better.

 

Can honestly say I’ve had more enjoyable visits to Chessie this year - Chessie has gone through some naff times but seems to be on the up which is great whereas Thorpe feels quite stale - hopefully they can turn it around because it has such potential and the rides (most) are brilliant 

 

 

[planenut]

34 minutes ago, Han30 said:

............... on one of those times the only thing I went on was the toilet - queue management even to get in was horrendous and once inside it wasn’t much better..........

 

 

 

 

very funny, but I hope that "queue management" wasn't to do with the loo?

 

I did think that the "direction" of TP had been put on hold for the last year or so, until they could judge the gains, or not, caused by other parks new rides; oh, then Merlin sold it all.

[Stuntman707]

Merlin should just sell Thorpe if they don't want to invest in it any more. Preferably while it still has value before they completely run it into the ground.

[JoshC.]

7 hours ago, JoshuaA said:

There is a difference between being innovative and being plain stupid. If the park worked with some of the smaller and cheaper manufacturers such as Chance, S&S, RMC, they could get great rides for peanuts. What Thorpe and Merlin have been doing recently isn't innovative or interesting, its a waste of money.

Thorpe went for a smaller and cheaper manufacturer for DBGT in Simworx. But Thorpe asked too much and Simworx over-promised (and had to get in multiple other manufacturers making it a cocktail of technology which didn't really mix). It doesn't matter what manufacturer you go for, it matters what brief you give them and how much money you put into it.

 

With RMC's popularity ever-soaring, their prices will be going up. They're definitely not a 'small' or 'cheap' manufacturer these days.

 

Exactly the same as with Vekoma, for example: rides like Lech cost £4m, but now they're charging significantly more for the new style rides because demand has increased.

 

S&S's track record hardly does much for them. Few of their coasters have been trouble-free (even Steel Curtain had construction issues). If Thorpe went for a coaster from them, if..or rather, when..a problem came about, they'd be slammed for being cheap.

 

It's simple: you get what you pay for.

[JoshuaA]

8 minutes ago, JoshC. said:

Thorpe went for a smaller and cheaper manufacturer for DBGT in Simworx. But Thorpe asked too much and Simworx over-promised (and had to get in multiple other manufacturers making it a cocktail of technology which didn't really mix). It doesn't matter what manufacturer you go for, it matters what brief you give them and how much money you put into it.

I was talking more about coasters.. The Ghost Train is a complete cocktail of an attraction, isn't there like 10 companies involved in the ride? Its needlessly complicated and expensive. Nobody could deliver that attraction, it failed before it was built..

 

9 minutes ago, JoshC. said:

With RMC's popularity ever-soaring, their prices will be going up. They're definitely not a 'small' or 'cheap' manufacturer these days.

RMC are still cheaper than Intamin, B&M, and major Mack coasters. They are rising in price but Six Flags were very smart by building those things left and right while they were cheap. What I am saying is Merlin should perhaps pull a Six Flags and try and install coasters that are cheap but good (freespins!). Working with more obscure manufacturers sometimes could lend to cheaper coasters and might even lend for some cheap deals. I feel like Merlin are a little too reliant on Intamin and B&M.. 

 

18 minutes ago, JoshC. said:

S&S's track record hardly does much for them. Few of their coasters have been trouble-free (even Steel Curtain had construction issues). If Thorpe went for a coaster from them, if..or rather, when..a problem came about, they'd be slammed for being cheap.

Freespins tho. Cheap, no problems with them.. Easy to install, fun rides IMO. S&S have had their issues but their freespin model has had no issues and would be something very easy for Merlin to start cloning for peanuts.

 

25 minutes ago, JoshC. said:

It's simple: you get what you pay for.

Is it though? New Texas Giant cost 5.5 million dollars and is considering one of the best coasters in Texas. 

Or look at Chance's GT-X model, Lightning Run is considered by many to be a top 30 coaster, this coaster model costs 7 million.

I think sometimes its about getting the right manufacturer at the right time, if you pin down a company while they are still very young (Six Flags to RMC) then sometimes you can get amazing coasters for 1/3 the price of most big coaster additions.

[Mattgwise]

11 minutes ago, JoshuaA said:

Is it though? New Texas Giant cost 5.5 million dollars and is considering one of the best coasters in Texas. 

The one someone fell out of? It was $10 million according to RCDB and it was also a conversion, not full blown new coaster. 

[JoshuaA]

35 minutes ago, Mattgwise said:

The one someone fell out of? It was $10 million according to RCDB and it was also a conversion, not full blown new coaster. 

Yeah, the one with the Gerstlauer trains.... 10 Million probably sounds more like a accurate price but that is still way cheaper than most coasters. Especially on the scale of New Texas Giant.                   

Sure it was a conversation, though conversations aren't much cheaper than ground up RMC's anyway.. RMCing a coaster literally just re-uses parts of the layout and parts of the supports..

Outlaw Run (groundup RMC woodie) cost 10 million too.. (according to RCDB)..

[Han30]

6 hours ago, Stuntman707 said:

Merlin should just sell Thorpe if they don't want to invest in it any more. Preferably while it still has value before they completely run it into the ground.

This ^^^ the park needs investment even if just to tidy up areas initially - when you look at parks like Paultons in terms of cleanliness and upkeep, it puts Thorpe to shame.  

 

6 hours ago, planenut said:

very funny, but I hope that "queue management" wasn't to do with the loo?

 

The loos were walk on which is rare! - plus there was both hand soap AND toilet roll which is a bonus at Thorpe (and Chessie to be fair)

[JoshC.]

8 hours ago, JoshuaA said:

RMC are still cheaper than Intamin, B&M, and major Mack coasters. They are rising in price but Six Flags were very smart by building those things left and right while they were cheap. What I am saying is Merlin should perhaps pull a Six Flags and try and install coasters that are cheap but good (freespins!). Working with more obscure manufacturers sometimes could lend to cheaper coasters and might even lend for some cheap deals. I feel like Merlin are a little too reliant on Intamin and B&M.. 

For a recent example, Untamed cost €12m. Assuming a ground-up RMC would cost more, and then take into account Merlin inflating prices, a brand new RMC would probably be slated to cost between the £18-20m mark. Hardly cheaper than a 'big' manufacturer.

 

8 hours ago, JoshuaA said:

Freespins tho. Cheap, no problems with them.. Easy to install, fun rides IMO. S&S have had their issues but their freespin model has had no issues and would be something very easy for Merlin to start cloning for peanuts.

Sure, Freespins would be a nice idea, but they'd be pretty low down on my list of rides I'd like to see go to Thorpe (or Towers really). It wasn't too long ago the idea of one them (or a similar-ish Intamin Zac Spin) would have been shot down for being ridiculous, due to their average throughput. Now it feels like that option would be brilliant because it's something.

8 hours ago, JoshuaA said:

 

Is it though? New Texas Giant cost 5.5 million dollars and is considering one of the best coasters in Texas. 

Or look at Chance's GT-X model, Lightning Run is considered by many to be a top 30 coaster, this coaster model costs 7 million.

I think sometimes its about getting the right manufacturer at the right time, if you pin down a company while they are still very young (Six Flags to RMC) then sometimes you can get amazing coasters for 1/3 the price of most big coaster additions.

It definitely is. Alton did that with B&M in the 90s to be fair. Six Flags seem to have done it with RMC.

 

But for every successful partnership, they'll be unsuccessful ones. Sure it's not coaster-related, but Merlin/Simworx is a prime example. Parque Reunidos work closely with Gerstlauer, but they've gotten very little out of it. It's a gamble, especially with smaller manufacturers, so it doesn't always pay off. 

[Benin]

Merlin can't clone things like Six Flags though, many of their parks are regional, so it doesn't matter if St Louis gets a Freespin as well as Great Adventure, majority of guests ain't going to go to both parks on a regular basis...

 

Also not considering that construction tends to be cheaper in America, especially when the manufacturer doesn't have to add transport costs on top...

 

The rumours were Merlin were looking at a RMC, but then New Texas Giant and Smiler both happened, which affected the decision separately...

 

 

What Merlin need to do is approach the development of their parks differently... The tell tale is in those small investment years, and generally the lack of maintenance within the parks... The obsession of adding something new isn't too bad, but when it has to fulfil some non sensical USP thing? When people will just come because there's something new and the parks are enjoyable to visit?

 

There are problems that are easier to fix before getting onto hardware...

[planenut]

5 hours ago, Han30 said:

This ^^^ the park needs investment even if just to tidy up areas initially - when you look at parks like Paultons in terms of cleanliness and upkeep, it puts Thorpe to shame.  

 

The loos were walk on which is rare! - plus there was both hand soap AND toilet roll which is a bonus at Thorpe (and Chessie to be fair)

I've heard about people who walk on loos!

[Mer]

23 hours ago, Han30 said:

Can honestly say I’ve had more enjoyable visits to Chessie this year - Chessie has gone through some naff times but seems to be on the up which is great whereas Thorpe feels quite stale - hopefully they can turn it around because it has such potential and the rides (most) are brilliant 

 

 

 

Haven’t been to Chessie yet this year (even though I’ve wanted to!) 😭 Some people moan about it/aren’t bothered about going because “It’s always busy” but I always manage to have fun there 😁 I don’t get that with Thorpe, instead I just feel let down. Yes, I have a MAP and can go whenever, yes, I’ve done the rides hundreds of times. That’s not the point. The lack of fun/relaxing, less busy attractions like Logger’s and CCR is a problem IMO. I’m not just being sentimental, it’s something the park needs.