Thorpe Park 2022

[Mattgwise]

Seems to be a theme of broken seats across park today.

 

-Four random seats out of action on Vortex

-One random seat out of action on Samurai

-Two seats out on one of Nemesis Inferno's train

-A storm Surge boat on the circuit taped off - Why they bother having more than 4 boats on this thing is beyond me, theres always 3 or more boats stacked before station, with lots of upset guests struggling to keep their feet out of the paddling pool in the boats

I mean of course i'd rather them be open but this is (bar Vortex) unusual for Thorpe at start of season (if at all tbh)

[JoshC.]

1 minute ago, Mattgwise said:

-A storm Surge boat on the circuit taped off - Why they bother having more than 4 boats on this thing is beyond me, theres always 3 or more boats stacked before station, with lots of upset guests struggling to keep their feet out of the paddling pool in the boats

 

Storm Surge requires a minimum number of boats on the circuit to operate (this goes even for testing purposes). Effectively, the boats need to be nudged onto the conveyor belt, which can only practically happen when there's a certain number of boats.

 

This - I think - is the same for all of these boat rides made by WhiteWater West.

[Mattgwise]

 

4 minutes ago, JoshC. said:

 

Storm Surge requires a minimum number of boats on the circuit to operate (this goes even for testing purposes). Effectively, the boats need to be nudged onto the conveyor belt, which can only practically happen when there's a certain number of boats.

 

This - I think - is the same for all of these boat rides made by WhiteWater West.

In that case it really is just a shame they can't send it more frequently of which I am sure I had heard there was a reason they don't though can't remember exact details.. The Parc Asterix one Oxygenarium regularly has 4 boats on the lift.

 

Anyway won't really affect me as with that pool of water in the boats I simply won't ride these days.

[JoshC.]

I would imagine some internal H&S measure says only so many boats can be on the lift, in case of a stoppage and need for an evacuation, for example. I also think they're very much against boats bumping on the drop; something which could happen if there's many boats on the lift and one comes to a stop on the slide. 

[JoshC.]

The most anticipated new investment for 2022 in the UK, High Striker!, opened yesterday!

 

It has its own custom soundtrack which is pretty neat. Think cheesey classic board walk style test-your-strength game and you're most of the way there. Doesn't quite fit in with the Amity area, but let's face it, themed areas don't exist at Thorpe.

 

The ride looks nice enough for what it is. Shame about the operator box being very bland, and the back of the ride (which of course faces the beach) being exposed and not looking pleasant. 

[JohnnyRocket]

2 more additions to Amity this year, an ever expanding area loosely clinging onto the original Tidal Wave! Now awaiting the inevitable absorption of the dodgems and the cinema - may as well do the whole park while they’re at it. Amity Giant Swing. Amity Super Looper.

 

Just messing, it’s a good theme, one of the better things Thorpe has going for it.

[Theme Park Fanatic]

Now that the Thorpe Park 2022 season is in full swing,could someone please ask about Rocky Express’s future?

[JoshC.]

55 minutes ago, Theme Park Fanatic said:

Now that the Thorpe Park 2022 season is in full swing,could someone please ask about Rocky Express’s future?

 

Rocky Express is closed and will not be reopening. It will not be relocated either.

 

At best, we will see part of the ride included somewhere around Project Exodus as a theming feature. If not, the ride will just be scrapped.

[Matt 236]

I mean, they might cannibalize parts that can be used in similar attractions in their portfolio. But otherwise, no! 
 

Rocky is dead and won’t be returning ever. 

[JoshC.]

Lower Dome toilets have reopened and look very nice:

 

 

Couple of highlight features:

-Lights above cubicles indicating if someone is in there

-3-in-1 sinks featuring soap, water and hand dryer in one location 

 

[Cal]

Look very nice!

 

Does this mean I don't get to watch people try and wash there hands without realising the foot pedals anymore though? 😄

[Pickles]

19 hours ago, Matt Creek said:

I mean, they might cannibalize parts that can be used in similar attractions in their portfolio. But otherwise, no! 
 

Rocky is dead and won’t be returning ever. 

Your words, they cut me to the soul. 

 

Hopefully they incorporate it into theming but I can't see a move as it was realistically an extreme kids ride so not family friendly in the 2020's compared to the 90's

[Inferno]

Genuinely think these toilets are the best addition this year. Looks good!

 

8 hours ago, ThorpeAddict said:

I don't get to watch people try and wash there hands without realising the foot pedals anymore though? 

Telling people it's a pedal is such an essential part of a day at Thorpe isn't it 😂

[RyanCoasters]

Thorpe's stunning grammar today. Also think they shouldn't be sending me adverts to my notifications but 🤷‍♂️

[ML27]

The Infamous Tik Tok board has seemingly been removed from the park. I went yesterday, it wasn’t there…

😂😂

 

It was bad regardless, in a themed area even worse…

[coasterverse]

9 hours ago, ML27 said:

The Infamous Tik Tok board has seemingly been removed from the park. I went yesterday, it wasn’t there…

😂😂

 

It was bad regardless, in a themed area even worse…

Thank the lord for that.

Christ, what an eyesore.

[Glitch]

How has Thorpe been this year so far?

[ML27]

On 4/12/2022 at 8:02 PM, Glitch said:

How has Thorpe been this year so far?

From an operations perspective, I’d say good. Every coaster except for Colossus has been constantly running two trains.

 

The park feels fresh in areas, I’d say each area has had something done to it to make it a little bit fresher. 
 

The park and management team seem to be very aware of what people want.

They are pushing their TikTok which is working. They listened (I can’t confirm) to comments on Twitter saying about how bad the TikTok board was and removed it. They’ve also returned the old swarm audio after complaints…
 

 

The Roaming entertainment team have found their feet. The Thrillmakers seem to fit the Thorpe brand, however I notice they are almost always dancing with young children…. The park which has just lost two children's rides.

 

High Striker is ugly from the back and should have been placed against a wall or a less prominent view from the dome.

The theme suits the area and the soundtrack which plays is pretty good.

 

They are appealing to enthusiasts by releasing special pins such as a loggers leap pin and selling coaster climbs. Again a good thing, they are quite an open park compared to Alton Towers.

 

The new events seems like they could have a lot of thought put into them. They are really pushing the events on the app and on the park trying to get people to return for the events. 
 

TL:DR

Very positive start, the park is listening and responding. Few issues to iron out but generally most are out of the parks control and more about Merlin.

 

 

 

[MattyMoo]

Playground not yet open, will not be visiting on Wednesday 27th April.

 

Oh wait, new toilets - T R I P  I S  B A C K  O N 🥰

[JoshC.]

12 hours ago, ML27 said:

They are pushing their TikTok which is working. They listened (I can’t confirm) to comments on Twitter saying about how bad the TikTok board was and removed it. They’ve also returned the old swarm audio after complaints…

I'd be interested how reactive they actually have been to complaints. 

 

The TikTok board went as quickly as it came, which could be because of complaints. It could also be because they were using it briefly, and it was only ever intended to be temporary.

 

The Swarm audio going to back to normal is weird. It was using the newer audio at the start of the season, then one day it just seemed to change. It would be a very random time to change it because of feedback, given they introduced it last summer, and there wasn't a particular wave of dissatisfaction over it at the start of season. So it just feels weird. 

Personally, I like that it's back so not complaining, but I'm curious exactly what the thought process was.

 

12 hours ago, ML27 said:

The Roaming entertainment team have found their feet. The Thrillmakers seem to fit the Thorpe brand, however I notice they are almost always dancing with young children…. The park which has just lost two children's rides.

 

The Thrillmakers send shivers down my back with cringe. But they seem to resonate well.

 

But once again, we're at a stage where Thorpe are shifting brand and target. The Thrillmakers have a big presence in Amity now, and it's something geared towards children and younger teenagers. They take over the bridge at the start and end of the day, playing loud pop music over the bridge's calm music. It's all very cheesey and corny.

 

The branding has this big push on being simple and using emojis a lot (just look at any new signage around the park introduced this year). That diverges away from the crisp, smart branding they introduced just two years prior. Which is also away from the Island Like no Other brand. It's another mish mash.

 

As I say though, the Thrillmakers stuff has been received well. And the new branding has too. So that's something. I will say that I think the Easter period was a bit quieter than expected, especially after a busier-than-usual season start. So hopefully the well-received nature of what the park are doing translates to good attendance figures.

 

The Events are the big thing for 2022 (like they have been for the last few seasons). They will be the big factor in how successful the park is. The quality of their events in the last few years has been mixed, so hopefully the quartet they have this year works, and the park has learnt what works and what does not.

[Matt N]

Out of interest, is Thorpe going back to the older families market as well as teenagers & adults with their recent moves? It appears to me as though things like the playground and roaming entertainment are geared towards a younger audience than the park has targeted for the last few years, but I could be wrong there…

[JoshC.]

50 minutes ago, Matt N said:

Out of interest, is Thorpe going back to the older families market as well as teenagers & adults with their recent moves? It appears to me as though things like the playground and roaming entertainment are geared towards a younger audience than the park has targeted for the last few years, but I could be wrong there…

 

Honestly, no clue who they're targeting any more these days. They're a park which are still going for "thrills", but the people and age range seems to be broad and unclear.

 

Apparently the addition of the Playground is something that's come from above. The idea is that Merlin want some form of play equipment at every park, regardless of target audience, etc 

[ML27]

9 hours ago, JoshC. said:

I'd be interested how reactive they actually have been to complaints. 

Ok, the two examples could be coincidences. 
 

Swarm audio might have been as a result of the audio changes across the park. It wasn’t good audio either way, they are still using the new station audio unfortunately. Anytime there’s a slight pause in a dispatch, the music will stop once the track is played, it doesn’t loop.

 

TikTok board feels like the most reactive, it was clearly deliberately set up and painted. Not long after twitter went at it, it was gone.

[Matt N]

If Swarm’s old plaza audio has returned and the new station audio has stayed, then perhaps controversially, I actually think that would be my ideal Swarm music scenario, as I preferred the old plaza audio to the new one bought in last year, but I thought the new station audio was awesome!

[Han30]

I went on Tuesday  - second visit of the season.  It was pretty busy in comparison to over the Easter weekend (guessing due to only premium and platinum passholders being the only annual passholders able to attend those dates).

The Thrill Makers are…..interesting - I’m not bashing them because they seem popular for younger visitors - one of them came over to us and was really engaging which was nice but we wanted to move on before the show started so used the excuse that I needed a cigarette - I was quite shocked when the girl said “oh it’s fine don’t worry you can smoke here, it’s not enforced” - literally smack bang in the middle of what was a quite busy area and where kids were around.  She even pointed to someone else smoking to prove her point.  I know Thorpe aren’t as strict as other parks but I wouldn’t sit and smoke where there are kids about because it’s disgusting and I’m sure many parents wouldn’t want their kids inhaling second hand smoke.

One fairly big gripe I have is with the Colossus team - painfully slow.  Both this visit and last they weren’t even opening the air gates until the station was clear from previous riders which is insane - the queue yesterday was at 90 minutes at this point and my friend timed how long it took from the train coming in and the air gates opening and it was over 2 mins.  If this is to do with safety issues then fair enough but it’s not happening on the other coasters?  Very bizarre and it also results in being sat on the brake run for what seems like a bloody eternity which is uncomfortable.

 

The new toilets are actually the best thing this year 😂.  Staff on the whole are very friendly aswell