Your 3 favourite things about Thorpe Park

[Inferno]

Hey guys, I don't know about you, but I am fed up of seeing all the negativity out there about Thorpe Park.

Sure, it's far from perfect, but this is the Thorpe fan site - If you're reading this forum, you must love the place to some extent? So why not share why?!

 

Let's bring back some of the glassy eyed excitement we all used to feel when using these forums  

 

Please let us all know what are your 3 favourite things about Thorpe Park.

Why do you love the place?

 

I'll start.  My favourite things about Thorpe are

1. The atmosphere. I don't know what it is about Thorpe, but it has a certain atmosphere that you don't get anywhere else. I can't put my finger on it, it's just "that Thorpe feeling" you get as you walk over the bridge in to the park - it's the same today for me as it was when I was a kid back in the early 2000's!  I think it's that it doesn't take its self too seriously, and it's certainly rough around the edges, but it's just got a chilled, fun vibe. It's quite a unique atmosphere in my opinion. The park has stayed humble as well which I like - it's not pretending to be more than it is.
2. Fright Nights. It's not the best horror event out there anymore, and yes some of the recent attractions have been a bit lack lustre, but Fright Nights is almost its own 'thing', and is a must-do at Halloween.
3. The familiarity and "at home" feeling.  A lot of people say walking in to Disney is like coming home. Now, I wouldn't say that about Thorpe, but it certainly has that kind of vibe for me.  I think it's because it's always been my "home park", and I sort of grew up with it over the years. It's by far my most visited park, so feels like "my place" if you know what I mean? I bet there are a lot of people that feel that way  

[Marc]

Good topic!

 

1. Skyline - it’s got the best skyline in the U.K. by far - it looks so good, from walking over the bridge to driving past on the m3, it stands out and is pretty unique.

 

2. Fright Nights - like you it’s definitely not the best Halloween event anymore but I’ll still visit multiple times every year, even without the mazes the atmosphere at the park alleys seems to be so good.

 

3. The rides - it maybe an obvious one, and Thorpe are in desperate need of something new but that don’t take away from the lineup they have - they have a great selection of rollercoasters and flats even with the lack of resent investments in this department  

[MattyMoo]

I love the place - I just want the best for it  

1. Stealth

Never disappoints, iconic. There is simply no better ride experience for me in the UK than front row on that beauty. Absolutely perfect, especially at dusk. As long as I get to go on Stealth, my Thorpe trip is worthwhile.

 

2. Fright Nights

The atmosphere is great, and some of the mazes have been legendary - Creak Freak Massacre is definitely a sign of things to come, glad I did it getting on for 10 times when we went on an off peak Fright Night! Just no more Vulcan Peaks please, yeah? I think Thorpe have realised now that quality over quantity is better for mazes. 

 

3. Swarm Island

Sticks out like a sore thumb - for being miles above any other themed area on park. Just a shame ol' Swarmy lives on it by itself, another flat ride there would be great. Just something. But yes - cracking theming, and loved seeing it come alive a little bit at Fright Nights 2020. 

[Martin Doyle]

1. Memories - regardless of any current opinion I may have on the park currently, that does NOT detract from the fact I grew up with this park and until 2019, had visited every year near enough since I was 6 years old. This naturally means many happy memories of a younger me visiting the park during the days of Wicked Witches Haunt and indeed the early 2000s when the park was firing on all cylinders with its investments of coasters and thrill rides aswell as Fright Nights during its prime years when we had the likes of Asylum and Se7en at the event which very much what started my interest in the horror event industry. Without Thorpe, I ain't sure I would have gone on to have anywhere near the level of interest in theme parks and coasters as I do now.

 

2. The social aspect - a theme park with several large coasters ofcourse makes for a good day out with friends (yes I actually have them. Shocker I know!!) especially when its local as well.

 

3. Stealth - nothing else to say really!! Just a good fun iconic coaster for the UK industry

[Hethetheth]

1. The size - It's so compact and easy to navigate, which means it's easy to just turn up, do a few rides and leave when you want. I rarely spend a full day there now, but it's sometimes nice to pop in and do some rides.

 

2. The coasters - World beating? No. Fun? Yes. Sure it could do with some more of them, but Stealth, Inferno and Swarm are solid.

 

3. Fright Nights - for the last few years this is the main reason I've gone. It's good fun!

[Mark9]

1. Nostalgia. The construction of Inferno, Stealth, Slammer, Rush. Riding Inferno 48 times in a day. Walking up the Colossus lift hill for the tenth anniversary (after riding it for an hour), riding the Swarm for an hour in the pouring rain for a press shoot. Thorpes jump from tiny regional park to big regional park coincided with my real growth as a rollercoaster fan and I will have always have rose tinted glasses for the 2001-2005 era where it felt like the future of the park was exciting and with no boundaries.

 

2. Friends. I don't think my social circle would be anywhere near where it is today without the people I met during my earlier Thorpe days. Born out of this era is so many European trips.

 

3. Detonator. It's just the best ride in the South okay.

 

 

[MattyMoo]

1 hour ago, Mark9 said:

1. Nostalgia. The construction of Inferno, Stealth, Slammer, Rush. Riding Inferno 48 times in a day. Walking up the Colossus lift hill for the tenth anniversary (after riding it for an hour), riding the Swarm for an hour in the pouring rain for a press shoot. Thorpes jump from tiny regional park to big regional park coincided with my real growth as a rollercoaster fan and I will have always have rose tinted glasses for the 2001-2005 era where it felt like the future of the park was exciting and with no boundaries.

 

2. Friends. I don't think my social circle would be anywhere near where it is today without the people I met during my earlier Thorpe days. Born out of this era is so many European trips.

 

3. Detonator. It's just the best ride in the South okay.

 

 

 

I forgot about that Swarm press shoot! I was dead afterwards hahaha. Remember a Stealth photoshoot too back in the day, riding it at 9am in the morning back to back... good times!

 

I was going to give Detty a shout too - packs a punch, and without fail, everytime I think "Oh yeah, it's higher than I remember!"

[Matt 236]

Sure.

 

1/ Life centre point 

 I have visited this place most years of my life. 1996 was roughly when I first went with family and fondly remember the charm and now defunct attractions such as Carousel Kingdom, Tropical Travels and Wicked Witches Haunt.
 

After a six year hiatus I finally returned to the park in 2006 (which by then felt almost unrecognisable). Countless trips  with school, family and friends took place. Before an even bigger influence commenced. 
 

The park certainly had much influence into who I am today. I even worked there a number of seasons ago. 

 

 

2/ Friends and Social Aspect

Thorpe has been something of a social hotspot for me. I’ve been here with friends and bumped into friends. I’ve even made new friends there (some on this forum). Some of my favourite trips to the park have been during TPM meet ups. As others have said, this lead to visiting further parks in Europe and beyond.

 

3/ Certain Rides

Thorpe’s selection is arguably a mixed bag. Some are great, others can’t hold a candle and the rest might just be adequate. 
 

Those that are great are simply something. Inferno gets better with age, Swarm is a decent wing rider and Stealth might just be only second to TTD when it comes to first launches. The flat rides range from ok to great, but with rides like Detonator and Quantum it is probably the best in the U.K.

[JoshC.]

Narrowing it down to 3 specific things was harder than I expected...

 

1. Flat Rides

I might have grown off a few as I've enjoyed spinning rides less and less, and some are ageing, but Thorpe has one of the better flat ride selections at a European park imo. Detonator and Rush are obvious highlights here.

 

2. Fright Nights

As others have said, it's not the best Halloween event out there, but it's easy to go and just get a kick out of it

 

3. The Connection

Thorpe is a park I grew up with. It's the park that got me into theme parks and scare attractions in a wider context. Being able to grow up with them building a major coaster every 3 years and a big flat ride yearly was incredible and really captured the imagination. Things might not be like that now, but it's what got me hooked on this hobby, and I can't help but have that connection and fondness for the place.

[JoshuaWAH]

I'm going to do four, sue me.

 

1: The Layout

Thorpe Park is an incredibly compact and easy to navigate park, by far the most easy out of the 4 merlin parks. This is great as you don't have to walk too far to get from point A to point B like you do at Alton for example.

 

2: Flat Ride Collection

Thorpe have the strongest flat ride collection in the UK imo. Detonator is my favourite drop tower of all time, and then rides like Samurai, Vortex, Rush, Quantum, Zodiac, and the bumper cars is a pretty good lineup. Samurai and Detonator being both pretty great rides that are always worth a ride.

 

3. Nemesis Inferno

Sometimes the smaller inverts are better than the bigger ones. Years ago I would of said it is naff, but I have came to respect it for that great ride that it is.

Smooth, forceful, reliable. Best coaster by far in the park in my opinion.

 

4. Fright Nights

Fright Nights alongside Tulleys really drove the scare attraction industry in those early years. Fright Nights was the pioneer for a lot of those years. Other events today would not be the same if Fright Nights did not exist, very few scare events came before Fright Nights. And it was the biggest of its kind when it debuted.

I have a love/hate relationship with it nowadays, but it can be a good time, even now.

 

[LukeP_8]

I often talk down on the park these days (the majority of the time actually) but that is entirely out of my love for the park and frustration with the direction its been moving in over the years. I just want the best for it!

 

But ye... I am honestly tempted to just fill up all 3 points with

1) The Past

2) The Past

3) The Past

But I'll actually give it a go...

 

1) The memories

So I've basically just gone back to what I said a second ago but its honestly the best part for me about the place.

The park is quite literally like my second home. The amount of incredible times I've had during my childhood and teenage years are countless, it actually hurts to look back on it as I grow up and the nostalgia kicks in... Most particularly stuff like fright nights years ago... The memories of the feeling of nervousness that lasted the whole night of the event in its prime... And in particular, walking through Asylum as a young kid absolutely scared ****less out of my mind are impossible to lose. 

I used to visit the park so much and have experienced so many different eras it's just played a huge part in my life so far!

2) Fright Nights

As pretty much everyone else has said, it is no longer the best Halloween event out there, and has drastically declined. But not only was it once the best, it has still year after year been an annual tradition for me to attend and I still look forward to it every year. Fantastic memories in the past in some mazes, but recently it has been a place to meet with friends and have a good time.

3) The thrill rides and coasters

While I'm not a fan of every one of their coasters, like the swarm for example, IMO the thrills that Thorpe park offers are the best in the country. Rides like Stealth, Samurai, Saw, and even the late Slammer and Loggers leap are all top tier attractions my eyes that I've always got a kick out of every single time I've ridden them.