February 1, 20232 yr comment_293722 Has anyone actually ever questioned their own perceptions and memories after riding DBGT?
February 1, 20232 yr comment_293728 Look's like someone has pressed the button too early on the Thorpe Park official site 😱
February 1, 20232 yr comment_293745 1 minute ago, MattyMoo said: Ooooh! Where is this from? Thorpe Park Passholder Group! Announcement is imminent 👀
February 1, 20232 yr comment_293752 The website has already updated - it's now called "Ghost Train" https://www.thorpepark.com/explore/theme-park/rides/ghost-train-ride/ "Depart the mortal world on a one-way ticket beyond the veil into darkness on THORPE PARK Resort’s newest ride experience – Ghost Train. But watch your tracks, death is always one stop ahead. This next generation of Ghost Train will take you on a harrowing ride into the realms beneath THORPE PARK Resort to where the supernatural believers call home. Ghost Train is one of the UK’s longest ride experiences featuring live actors and multisensory effects to create a terrifying attraction like no other! There’s nothing virtual about this petrifying experience, so prepare to meet your maker as you come face-to-face with horrors that dwell within."
February 1, 20232 yr comment_293755 3 minutes ago, MattyMoo said: "There’s nothing virtual about this petrifying experience, so prepare to meet your maker as you come face-to-face with horrors that dwell within." Super excited at the confirmation of no virtual reality too! Really intrigued to find out what they've done inside. Spring 2023 opening, so will it be ready for opening day I wonder? 🤔
February 1, 20232 yr Author comment_293758 The tweet interestingly says “say your final farewell” A one year stint? I can see it happening, what is ghost train without the VR. It’s clearly going to be a variant of a black mirror type attraction. It’s prime real estate and to have such an expensive building sitting there for a ride which wasn’t intended to be there. I wonder if this is a merlin magic making project or if TP have organised it themselves?
February 1, 20232 yr comment_293763 I did think that about the final farewell thing, but I think they are meaning that you are saying your final farewell before meeting your maker as such - I can't really see them spending money on a refurb/modification for an attraction for just a year... but maybe I'm wrong. Plus, I would imagine the next big investment is a little way off with Exodus in 2024... so maybe a couple of years of Ghost Train at least. But then, you have a whole friggin' island that they MADE behind Swarm, at a cost of thousands, just sitting there too!
February 1, 20232 yr Author comment_293764 There is also that meaning but knowing Thorpe they are careful with what words they use. I can’t see a whole lot of money spent on it, no more then how much the dome toilet refurb cost. What do you guys think will happen to the ride system. Smoke machines ect?
February 1, 20232 yr comment_293781 34 minutes ago, ML27 said: There is also that meaning but knowing Thorpe they are careful with what words they use. I can’t see a whole lot of money spent on it, no more then how much the dome toilet refurb cost. What do you guys think will happen to the ride system. Smoke machines ect? I very much think the ride system will be pretty much exactly as it were - but I do think they would have gone with what the general public have been saying for years and that's adding screens to the train. They can do it super cost effective now that they have the likes of Jack and Kieran on board - no need to pay thousands and thousands to get a professional movie studio to create the visuals when you can give it to a couple of talented enthusiasts to do at a fraction of the cost. The mention of 'multisensory effects' does get me excited because as far as I can recall there wasn't really any on the original DBGT other than the motion platform the train sat on. I'm pretty sure the ride vehicle was fitted with leg ticklers right from the offset in 2016, but were never utilised for one reason or another. I wonder if they've programmed those in finally. A smoke machine would be really good, but wonder how they would do the whole live actor thing inside the train without it getting awkward being sat there for prolonged periods of time? Just good timing I guess as they'll need to reprogram the amount of time spent on the motion platform etc to fit the new visuals anyway. I'm just really glad that the attraction is finally getting some attention since 2017. It's been in a dire state for years and to see some loving coming to the attraction is really warming. I really hope they keep the fake shop ending though, that was the best part of the attraction. Providing that this 'Ghost' on the Ghost Train building is the antagonist for this ride, I would love to see a costume made for him for the fake ending... but I suppose that all depends on the budget for the attraction as it definitely wouldn't be at a small cost that's for sure.
February 8, 20232 yr comment_295879 Saw some updated photos of The Swarm station work yesterday going on, on some Facebook group I pretend I'm a member of, and, fair play - I mean yes, it's long overdue but at least they are doing it. It's looking fab, with the exception of the not-boxed in RSJs, naturally. The world's first horror themed picnic area will be ideal for food trucks/pop ups for events too, instead of fitting them in near the teacups.
February 21, 20232 yr comment_297978 Passholders group have now shown the removal of containment, great to see all the abandoned areas get some attention, alot more has happened than I expected albeit all long overdue things this close season
February 21, 20232 yr comment_297982 Now if they could do this for all the other shipping containers *ahem* shark cabins *ahem*, then they might actually be starting to make progress
February 21, 20232 yr comment_298007 Talk of hotels and I'm reminded of this https://www.thorpeparkmania.co.uk/page/watersidehotel I'm guessing this project is in development hell if existing at all now
February 21, 20232 yr Author comment_298038 They have explicitly said that they are focusing on becoming a two day park before they think about it
February 22, 20232 yr comment_298187 18 hours ago, ML27 said: They have explicitly said that they are focusing on becoming a two day park before they think about it Issue with that is the room that they have to play with. A park with, when you think about it, very little expansion room is going to make the whole 'two day park' thing extremely difficult - because when you think about it, Alton Towers is also very much, in terms of rideable attractions, a one day park. However, the park is absolutely massive, so can make constantly walking around different corners of the park to ride everything you want to ride extremely tiresome, therefore is a better fit being a two day park. Building on the island behind The Swarm is certainly a step in the right direction, but judging by how much friction they've had from the environmental agency with Project Exodus, building more land in the lake to further expand how much space they have to play with in the park is probably going to be met with equal or greater friction from said parties. I think if they were to actually build a decent hotel (with a waterpark would be a nice bonus!) and actually have good evening entertainment - such as the shows that Alton Towers have in their hotels - it would do them more favours in terms of getting returning and overnight customers than it would filling the little room that they have with more attractions. More attractions are always nice, don't get me wrong, but the focus is currently in the wrong place in my opinion. If they want to become a two day park, they need to make better investments to their overnight lineup to actually entice people to want to stay on resort.
February 23, 20232 yr comment_298323 2 day park if everything has a massive queue or is broken all day though.
February 23, 20232 yr comment_298324 5 minutes ago, Benin said: 2 day park if everything has a massive queue or is broken all day though. Which to be fair, at the moment is far more likely at Towers than it is at Thorpe. Hence probably why Thorpe is still only seen as a one day park.
February 23, 20232 yr comment_298352 Very true - 2022 season seemed pretty decent for downtime at Thorpe, other than Dezza Brown having lots of bits broken but that now makes sense with GHOST TRAIN coming. Like has been said before though, with all those ageing flats, it's a bit of a ticking time bomb. But at least they HAVE flat rides
February 23, 20232 yr comment_298368 On the subject of them ditching the areas, is it just me or does the excuse of the park being too small/rides close together and no entrance portals seem a bit rubbish? Chessington manages it very well these days. I've gone to the trouble of putting a map together (it's frankly way more interesting than what I'm meant to be doing right now!). A lot of these areas have existed for over 20 years, seems pretty easy to see where you'd stick an entrance arch (yellow box) or entrance feature (pink blob) like the existing Amity Cove sign. This is all with the expectation Angry Birds Land (which coincidentally currently has THREE entrance portals!) gets returned to Amity soon - didn't someone see Angry Birds theming being ripped out this winter? I refuse to accept Samurai ever not being a Lost City ride so I've put it back where it belongs 😉 I'd even separate the beach/Depth Charge away from Amity again and take the Fish with it (it was originally planned to give it the same design as Depth Charge with the Altantis style columns when it was relocated)
February 23, 20232 yr Author comment_298404 It could be a two day park on a busy summer weekend.. I can see their point, currently there is no point in staying on site at thorpe for a two day break. Bring up a variety of attractions (dark rides) and you could have something but the scale of investment would have to be huge and rapid. Regarding the areas, Thorpe Park themselves still kinda refer to the areas. On the FB Group they always say the area formerly known as “old town”. You either use them or don’t. What you’ve labelled above makes sense and I advocate they bring them back. Unless you lay into the island theme totally, then I can accept that. I think it’s ashame there’s no themed areas. ghost train will open against that graffiti wall which did brighten up the area, it just didn’t make sense
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