So I’m curious, 

 

Every year Thorpe Park do a preseason update video (in conjunction with Jack Silkstone)

 

Its November 2022, What do you expect to see in the preseason update in March 2023?

 

Toilet Updates? New bins? Haha, but seriously. We’ve got a collousus retrack on the cards.

 

 

I expect to see Rocky Express refurbished and relocated to Amity Beach. To be precise I think Rocky Express will be located in the area formerly occupied by Wet Wet Wet. I also expect to see some track that has arrived for Project Exodus. This is unlikely but I hope Slammer would’ve been removed. Slammers been SBNO for over 5 years.

9 hours ago, Theme Park Fanatic said:

I expect to see Rocky Express refurbished and relocated to Amity Beach. To be precise I think Rocky Express will be located in the area formerly occupied by Wet Wet Wet. I also expect to see some track that has arrived for Project Exodus. This is unlikely but I hope Slammer would’ve been removed. Slammers been SBNO for over 5 years.

 

You believe that removing Slammer is 'unlikely', yet your equally made up and unfounded opinion that Rocky Express will be relocated is something you 'expect'. 

 

OK

Really can't see them removing Slammer until they have plans to build something there and include that cost in the new attraction cost - possibly they may do it in 2023 closed season for 2024 because it'll look nicer with Exodus near by, but I can't see it myself.

 

I expect Rocky Express to be dismantled and parts of it shoe-horned into next year's new Fright Night's maze as an "easter egg", sigh.

 

2023 will be the year of the Tidal Wave fire effect, with a new event called Fire It Up to replace Carnival and celebrate the success of delivering the Tidal Wave fire effect 2 years after it was put in.

 

Jokes aside - no idea how they are going to try and push 2023. Towers may not have Nemesis but they'll have Duel and probably Sub Terra.

12 hours ago, ML27 said:

Its November 2022, What do you expect to see in the preseason update in March 2023?

 

Toilet Updates?

 

You joke, but the toilets by Slammer definitely need refurbishment! All other toilets on park have seen upgrades in the past few years (Swarm aside, but they're new and seemingly hardly ever used), so the Old Town ones could certainly do with a refresh. Especially since 2024 the area will be much busier. So certainly wouldn't mind seeing them upgraded next year..

 

Thorpe had posters on park stating their intention to have Mardi Gras, Carnival, Oktoberfest and Fright Nights as their core event line up. So it doesn't feel like there will be any new events. 

 

Given the park's continued focus, growth and success with events, it would be good to have a permanent stage area with seating set up. This allows the park's event line up to grow in quality too. The Wet Wet Wet / beach site is an obvious location. The Saw Alive pathway could work too, albeit with more work (and more expensive work at that). 

 

2023 really could do with a new ride. The last time a 'new' ride was added to the park was 2017, and that was in the form of Timber Tug and Lumber Jump. The last time a new 'ride experience' was added was 2018, with Walking Dead The Ride. In the years since, we've had events and a maze. And yes, we've got Exodus coming in 2024 (or 2025...). But the park needs something new and fresh, and just generally extra support. I don't expect it to happen, but that's what I want to happen.

 

2023 also has a big question: What do you do with Derren Brown's Ghost Train? As I understand it, the IP contract is either up, or in its final year. In terms of upkeep and technology, it feels like it's falling apart...in the case of the headsets, completely so. They could easily keep the experience the same and drop Derren from it (effectively just record a new pre show with some crazy psychology professor, and call it Professor FakeName's Ghost Train). They could drop the VR and go for in-train screens possibly, but that would be expensive. They could rip it out and put something new in. But those options get exponentially more expensive. 

Whatever happens, one thing I know for certain: if Ghost Train continues to run and operate the way it did towards the latter half of this season, it would be shambolic in my opinion.

 

In any case, here's what I think we might see happen:

-Some progress towards a permanent, custom-made event space

-Drawn out Exodus teasers

-New Fright Nights maze to replace Creek Freak

-Possible new toilets

-Generic minor improvements across the park

Darren SBNO after contract ends …. 
 

what ultimately can you do with the ride that will make it work or be suitable for people to want to ride…

 

a train crash simulator???

3 hours ago, MattyMoo said:

Really can't see them removing Slammer until they have plans to build something there and include that cost in the new attraction cost - possibly they may do it in 2023 closed season for 2024 because it'll look nicer with Exodus near by, but I can't see it myself.

 

It would make a great deal of sense for Thorpe to get something new in this location to help support Exodus when it opens.

 

Though in an ideal world they'd be better off removing the giant pyramid in the middle of the park and really opening up some expansion area.

2 hours ago, RobF said:

Darren SBNO after contract ends …. 
 

what ultimately can you do with the ride that will make it work or be suitable for people to want to ride…

 

a train crash simulator???

 

I really can't see it being SBNO. As much as it probably makes sense for it to be SBNO or the entire project shelved for something else, I honestly think that the execs at the top of Merlin just simply wouldn't allow it. It was the biggest investment the park's ever made, and for it to be shut down a mere 7 years after opening would be a disaster.

 

My opinion, they'll re-theme it for a few years (probably until it's 10 or some sort of milestone like that) and then cut their losses if it still doesn't garner enough attention. But, in all honesty, I can't see them wanting to pump more money into DBGT at the moment with Exodus, the Colossus retrack and any possible new ride additions come 2024 to support Exodus' launch. I really can't see them wanting to put more money into an old attraction when they could utilize that money elsewhere on something else brand new.

 

Who knows. Maybe we'll see it SBNO, at least for a while, until other investments elsewhere in the park come to fruition.

5 hours ago, JoshC. said:

-Drawn out Exodus teasers

 

Genuinely wouldn't surprise me if they put something in the end of season/here's to 2023 video to be honest, where the people who created the promo can then speculate about what it means even though they know already.

The Thorpe GM said they wanted to tear it down and were looking winter last year to put a planning application in.

 

This was before the delays to exodus application and likely they were wanting to wait before putting a further one in to prevent exodus being delayed further.

 

Regarding that site, turn it into a plaza temporarily. Bit like where submission was at Alton towers. It could be prime event space, so it’s ideal.

 

regarding events, think they were fine in 2019 and 2021 (2020 was a write off) but now they need something.

For me I would just like the car park barriers issue to be resolved and more focus around the music around the park back to at least 2021 standards. Definitely a good shout with continuing the toilets refurb to old town etc don’t think will be too much difference around the place roll on 2024

bop bang bang

Any rumours or further thoughts about anything 2023 wise since park opening is only a few months away? 

I'm guessing "not a lot"....

2 hours ago, MattyMoo said:

Any rumours or further thoughts about anything 2023 wise since park opening is only a few months away? 

I'm guessing "not a lot"....

@MattyMoo maybe a relocated and renamed Rocky Express.

It’s definitely not a lot, other than the Colossus retrack. 
 

It’s ashame, I’ve seen staff insta stories from inside. It all looks the same, the blatantly obvious broken fencing and paint jobs need doing. It reminds me in the Jack Silkstone preseason video. I remember russ saying “we are gonna use this opportunity (storm eustace) to enhance and repair the theming.  The repair carried out was just red paint. They didn’t even bother to get new fibre glass theming. 
 

They have started to repaint tidal waves supports but honestly again from a cosmetic level… did they really need doing?

 

They seem to invest on really specific projects and go cheap/ leave general projects. It’s been said for years even since 2018. Just repair the infrastructure and fencing and have a big paint up. 
 

I do believe the dome could be receiving further refurbishment works. Skips have been spotted directly outside. 
 

But I can’t believe in 2023, they have advertised it as another season of thrilling events. It was good in 2019, 4 years later not so much eeeeek

1 hour ago, ML27 said:

Skips have been spotted directly outside. 

 

Maybe the skips are theming for Exodus.

11 hours ago, ML27 said:

I remember russ saying “we are gonna use this opportunity (storm eustace) to enhance and repair the theming.

 

The Dodgems had a plastic sheeting roof all of last season....

10 hours ago, Hethetheth said:

 

Maybe the skips are theming for Exodus.

 

Exodus sponsorship confirmed. Can reuse the old Dragon's Fury audio to save on money too.

 

"WOAHHHH YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE COME THIS WAY!"

SLKSTN UPDT INCMNG AT 7PM

 

Video from the other side of the fence on park. Be interesting to see what has or hasn't happened.

New FB group set up by Thorpe Park, looks semi like they are gonna get rid of slammer finally.

Just checked the updated map on the Thorpe Park App and noticed Derren Brown’s Ghost Train is missing?

18 minutes ago, TheSneakyFerret said:

Just checked the updated map on the Thorpe Park App and noticed Derren Brown’s Ghost Train is missing?

 

Being updated to have you ride Rocky Express after the first VR section. 

2 hours ago, TheSneakyFerret said:

Just checked the updated map on the Thorpe Park App and noticed Derren Brown’s Ghost Train is missing?

 

Sadly, it makes sense. The IP, I believe, was set to expire this year. I’d imagine Thorpe’s focus is 100% on Exodus at the moment so I doubt they’ve even thought about updating it to remove all traces of Derren - and as far as I’m aware even if Thorpe wanted to renew the IP I don’t think Derren wants anything to do with it.

 

I think 2023 will be the year we see it SBNO all season, perhaps for the next couple of seasons, before the park decide what to do with it.

Could the removal of the long term SBNO Slammer mean Rocky Express is taking it’s location? Alternatively could Thorpe have secretly purchased a brand new flat ride.

11 hours ago, TheSneakyFerret said:

Just checked the updated map on the Thorpe Park App and noticed Derren Brown’s Ghost Train is missing?

 

Interesting. It's still on the main website, for now at least: https://www.thorpepark.com/explore/theme-park/rides/derren-browns-ghost-train/

 

But yes, one would imagine it takes a certain level of direct intent to remove a ride from the app. So it will be interesting to see if it's a goner or if they're planning a retheme. 

 

As I've said prevuously, they can't leave it in the state it was in at the end of last season.

 

7 hours ago, Theme Park Fanatic said:

Could the removal of the long term SBNO Slammer mean Rocky Express is taking it’s location?

 

Rocky Express is not returning.

 

7 hours ago, Theme Park Fanatic said:

Alternatively could Thorpe have secretly purchased a brand new flat ride.

 

Highly unlikely. If Thorpe were getting a new flat ride, it would almost definitely have required planning permission. And if they wanted to open it for this season, we would have seen a planning application by now.