Ryan Posted February 23, 2013 Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 The only way we'd see a farm at Thorpe again is if it was a Cannabis farm. Benin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inferno Posted February 23, 2013 Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 Sunken Gardens seems to have taken on that role these days JoshC. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelPagett Posted February 23, 2013 Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 I love the old maps with the 'thrillometer' it is great to see how samurai was only intense excitement I prefer the old maps more, they just have a charm to them, and the rides actually look something like the actual thing unlike what we get today, a mangled mess of metal for Colossus! My favorite style was the ones between 2003 & 2005, they look really cool, in comparison to the mess of a map we have today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPJames Posted February 23, 2013 Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 I really want all the maps as a collection but can only find 2007,2009 and 2012 on ebay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted February 23, 2013 Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 Sunken Gardens seems to have taken on that role these days "I'm gonna get high!" "Oh, so that's why you're going to Stealth?" "...yeah...Stealth..." JoelPagett 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelPagett Posted February 23, 2013 Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 I really want all the maps as a collection but can only find 2007,2009 and 2012 on ebay I suspect they would be really hard to find, I know I wouldn't sell mine as I would doubt anyone would want it and it would make no money! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPJames Posted February 23, 2013 Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 haha, I would buy them not for much money though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted February 23, 2013 Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 Only the 2007 ones are worth any money; they cost 50p for a large part time of the season if memory serves me correctly. Don't quite get why people would sell maps though. They're pretty much worthless (monetary-wise), and if you no longer wanted them, then recycle them or give them to someone who may be interested (to be honest, if you collect theme park maps, you're likely to know someone else who does, even if it's through something like these forums). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPJames Posted February 23, 2013 Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 I dont collect theme park maps, I am just interested in the thorpe ones I dont really fancy paying 99p per one through ebay... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted February 23, 2013 Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 Don't quite get why people would sell maps though. Because there are some people stupid enough to buy them for actual cash... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJ Posted February 23, 2013 Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 A collection of all the old Chessington maps since 1994 sold for about £70 a while ago. I have all the Thorpe Park maps since 2001 and Chessington since 2002, which I collected myself over the years. Also Alton Towers maps since 1994, of which those pre-2003 I bought. The most I have paid was £13 for the 1998 map. So.. I guess I'm stupid! But they are an amazing representation of the park's development and full of theme parky imagery. I really like the older hand-painted ones, as you can spot little visual jokes the artist has hidden in the picture. Mark9 and Phill Pritchard 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted February 23, 2013 Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 I'd sell my friends for the 1998 Chessington map. I used to spend hours of the day just looking at it and remembering my day to the park. I've no idea what happened to it. Same with my 2001 Thorpe map. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted February 23, 2013 Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 A collection of all the old Chessington maps since 1994 sold for about £70 a while ago. I have all the Thorpe Park maps since 2001 and Chessington since 2002, which I collected myself over the years. Also Alton Towers maps since 1994, of which those pre-2003 I bought. The most I have paid was £13 for the 1998 map. So.. I guess I'm stupid! But they are an amazing representation of the park's development and full of theme parky imagery. I really like the older hand-painted ones, as you can spot little visual jokes the artist has hidden in the picture. £70?! *faints over-dramatically* Don't get me wrong, collecting maps isn't a bad thing, I do it myself, at there are some maps which are just beautiful. But I'd never really go to the 'extreme' of buying or selling them really. Or if there ever was one I particularly wanted, I would not pay much money for it. As for paying £13 for the 1998 map, well fair enough, each to their own, but I don't think I could ever value any map at that high a cost; for me, they're more 'sentimental' items. I'd sell my friends for the 1998 Chessington map. I used to spend hours of the day just looking at it and remembering my day to the park. I've no idea what happened to it. Same with my 2001 Thorpe map. I think I may have a spare 2001 map if you're interested Mr 9? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted February 23, 2013 Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 I think I may have a spare 2001 map if you're interested Mr 9? Which friend would you like to own in exchange Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted February 23, 2013 Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 I'd sell my friends for the 1998 Chessington map. I used to spend hours of the day just looking at it and remembering my day to the park. I've no idea what happened to it. Same with my 2001 Thorpe map. Which friend would you like to own in exchange I was under the impression it was more than one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJ Posted February 23, 2013 Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 As for paying £13 for the 1998 map, well fair enough, each to their own, but I don't think I could ever value any map at that high a cost; for me, they're more 'sentimental' items. They might be worth more than we think, but yes, the only reason anyone would buy them is for sentimental reasons. Opening up my 2001 Thorpe Park map is like going in a time machine, because I instantly remember how I used to perceive the park. There's Tidal Wave and Logger's Leap drawn to look like they are 200ft tall, old rides long since removed and of course the promise of a "10 looping coaster coming in 2002" - and the mystery of not knowing what it would be. It is an extremely different sensation to what Thorpe Park is like today, so it's not really the map itself I find special, it's the reminder of the past. Even with the old Alton Towers maps I feel like I know the park as it was years ago. For example, there are endless mentions of "the magic" throughout the 90s, but then abruptly the imagery turns sterile when Tussaudes was bought by DIC. Also, there's Toyland Tours being marketed on par with Nemesis as "new for '94", as if they expected both rides to be as popular as each other, and totally forgotten things like Peter Rabbit on Ice being a flagship attraction. Then Oblivion comes along and the park's whole brand image suddenly changes, now using computer drawn images, 3D logos, with a big new emphasis on thrills, and you realise what a change of direction Oblivion was. Phill Pritchard 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phill Pritchard Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 Archive you have made my day with the Sculpture Studios videos! They are such a great find and "right up my street" so thanks for sharing them. SteveJ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RideAddict Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 "I'm gonna get high!" "Oh, so that's why you're going to Stealth?" "...yeah...Stealth..." I remember the phrase "Hard, fast and up in under 2 seconds!" Lame. jom222 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topsyturvy15 Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 That phrase is still sold on the Stealth mugs!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 And the condoms! Gggggggg 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 I guess I can say it now that it's a decade ago.. One of my main frustrations of visiting Thorpe Park in 2013 as opposed to 2003 is just how far the park has fallen. Attendence may be ultimately higher but the enjoyment at the park has fallen so far for me. I used to enjoy the park on a huge scale and now I go solely to see people I know. So where do I start I guess. Lost City -Vortex. This ride used to be so much better. I suppose Rush has had a big part to play here. Nonetheless from Vortex's soundtrack, its striking pink restraints, its length of ride. All of it has gone in favour of a dull ride which features Nicky Minaj pounding an alarm as you get one full swing at best, a queue line that is literally falling apart and a dull looking ride. Gone are the days of efficiency on this ride. -Zodiac. The old Zodiac was a wreck but at its least it suited purpose. It was a beautiful ride to look at when it ran. Now a days we have Draytons old cast off in its dull white structure. The music hardly fits the ride either. Just rubbish. - Quantum. Long gone are the days when this actually looked like a carpet and had a bark just as good as its bite. Nowadays you can occasionally get a good ride with a fitting soundtrack if the staff can be bothered to use it. It's a shame that it looks like a clark shoebox now because back in 2003 it could be a contender for one of the best rides on park. - Colossus. Surprisingly, I don't think too bad of this ride even if it looks older then it actually is. Calypso Quay - Nemesis Inferno. Could be a lot worse, but I do wish some of the things that made Inferno that little bit better were still around. The tunnel mist effects in particular and the launch music which I haven't heard for years. Without those features its just another B&M inverter - Rumba, This ride just needs destroying. I can find very little justification for its existence. The only positive is that you can always find it without a queue. Amity Cove - Tidal Wave. How they turned one of the best rides this country will ever see into the disgrace that it has now become I will never know. People may argue that it still works sufficiently but it speaks volumes when the KFC looks better then Tidal Wave does. From the cannery slowly falling apart, too none of the effects around the ride working it shouts laziness from every direction. The most frustrating thing is knowing that the park want these things fixed but have neither the funds or resources to make this happen. So just a few things from the old days that I wish we could go back to pluk, RideAddict, Coaster and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RideAddict Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 Generally, you are accurate with most of the rides you have mentioned, and to be fair, Thorpe's prime was about 10 years ago. In addition to what you wrote about the rides, le me say this... Zodiac It's enjoyable to ride and is nothing like it's predecessor which was a rusting hazard. It has bits of fibreglass falling off the pods and staff cramming people in the pods like sardines in a tin, however, I do like the lights on the pods, and I hate the park logo stickers slapped on to cover up any old Drayton evidence. Quantum The ride may not look as good as it used to but it still packs a punch. Colossus 11 years in and the ride is running very well, and has aged badly, with various modifications made throughout its life so far. My main beef with it is the cobra roll pit and the mess it has fallen into. It needs a good clean, the medusa needs to pour water again rather than dribble into an empty, patterned square floor. The installation of safety nets has somewhat dampened the appearance in my opinion. And then there's the trees and plants, overgrowing everywhere, it's a wonder how people don't catch these when riding it. The overgrowing greenery seems to be general problem throughout the entire Lost City, it's everywhere you go - now we know why they named it the Lost City. Rumba Rapids Perhaps Rumba's days are numbered. we now have 4 water rides in the park, and however crappy Storm Surge may be, I think I'd rather keep that and get rid of Rumba. It's an original and it's lost its shine. It's been 11 years since the Ribena sponsorship began, and about 5 since it ended, and the colours are still evident. No new sponsorship looms, so let's get rid and put something decent in. Tidal Wave The ride is still fantastic for the experience and it's general appearance and may not be what it was. However, it's iconic and unique, a little more TLC and they can have it looking better again. Want more? OK... Loggers Leap Another very old ride, Loggers is looking tired and worn along with the rest of CC generally. With it's double-dip drop it's another unique ride, and needs either a major retheme or tidy-up. The way the water pisses out of a section under the main lift hill or drop (can't remember which) onto the ground below is a sign it's saying "I'm dying!" - this was only visible when CCR passed alongside it. Flying Fish 6 years after it's re-introduction, it's stil running strong. But I wonder why it's still there. Yes, it was good to see it back after 3 seasons of absence, but now Octopus Gardens has gone, this, the Teacups, the Carousel and Rocky Express are all rides only really for the younger generation, and they're all dotted about the park. Even Fungle Safari was good for kids until they removed it. In light of this, the park is a shambles and falling apart. Fact. They need to make use of areas that are hardly used, the Arena and Fungle's old area are potential spots. Why do I go? To have a great day out. But I'm also one to see the positives more than the negatives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NathP Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 Found a hidden gem while clearing my loft out. A old Thorpe Park flag from the early 90s Phill Pritchard and pluk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pluk Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 A Fortnights Fun In One. I remember that tag line, how did they get away with it? There was a few hours fun at best! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelPagett Posted June 13, 2013 Report Share Posted June 13, 2013 Hey guys just wanted to show you some old park maps I have just scanned all the way back to 2002 :-) You can check them out on my Flickr HERE There are also park maps from CWOA, Alton Towers and loads more :-) pluk and Phill Pritchard 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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