The Next Major Investment?

[Glitch]

We all know that 2025 is reserved for hyperia updates and theming (perhaps removing the bog).

Who knows what’s in store for 2026 perhaps a new rollercoaster or flat ride central at the beach…..

 

Perhaps @Parm Pap could shed some light…..

[JoshC.]

2 hours ago, Glitch said:

Perhaps @Parm Pap could shed some light…..

 

Ahh man, we've had so much peace and quiet, but you've ding dong done it

[MattL28]

What does everyone think about these rumor of the beach going? The poster in the queue for DeadBeat hints that it’s going. 
 

Would we see planning permission beforehand? I assume if they were getting rid, it would be done this closed season rather than just leaving it SBNO. 
 

It’s gotta be replaced with something which improves the current view for all times of year. Two routes they could go down, an impressive flat ride that people can watch from the dome or simply just a large area to improve general park infrastructure.

 

I still believe all of the park needs resurfacing still this closed season…

[owenstreet7]

On 10/9/2024 at 8:58 AM, MattL28 said:

What does everyone think about these rumor of the beach going? The poster in the queue for DeadBeat hints that it’s going. 
 

Would we see planning permission beforehand? I assume if they were getting rid, it would be done this closed season rather than just leaving it SBNO. 
 

It’s gotta be replaced with something which improves the current view for all times of year. Two routes they could go down, an impressive flat ride that people can watch from the dome or simply just a large area to improve general park infrastructure.

 

I still believe all of the park needs resurfacing still this closed season…

For the beach, I believe a Modern Flume would be fantastic for that site and could even improve the skyline from the dome.

 

Something like Chiapas (Phantasialand) or Biberburg (FamilyPark Austria) would be a huge success at the park.

 

Could Thorpe Park still be able to build something without planning if below a certain height? I'm thinking that if so, options could be open.

[JoshC.]

48 minutes ago, owenstreet7 said:

Could Thorpe Park still be able to build something without planning if below a certain height? I'm thinking that if so, options could be open.

 

Unfortunately not. The park need planning permission for any permanent ride (to the best of knowledge).

 

Personally, I don't think a ride suits the Beach area. There's no natural landscape there, so it would be a blank slate, flat surface. It would need a significant amount of visual appeal to fit in and not be an eyesore, or spoil the the view.

 

I'm not saying it wouldn't work, or that Thorpe couldn't make it work. But I just don't see it happening.

[Vinlarr89]

Runnymede planning is quite stringent, Thorpe always have to include significant detail and apply for planning for even small modifications. Can’t see any world in which they could install even a small ride without planning. 
 

Personally agree with others that the area isn’t best suited to a ride, however I do also think Thorpe need to be savvy in terms of usage of space for rides given the target audience. The park is very limited for future expansions 

[JoshC.]

5 minutes ago, Vinlarr89 said:

Can’t see any world in which they could install even a small ride without planning. 

 

They did manage to get Timber Tug Boat and Lumber Jump without planning application. Equally the move of Lumber Jump to High Striker didn't require prior approval. Can't think of any other time that's happened, so I imagine it's because they're small rides which aren't technically permanent (ie if necessary, they could literally pick them up and move them at any given notice)

[Pickles]

The land behind Stealth needs to settle for another couple of years before building on it. Swarms was complete about 6 years before. You really don’t want shifting foundations so that’s out the question for the next development.

[Inferno]

That would sort of line up though to be fair wouldn’t it?
I can’t imagine another major coaster until then realistically.
 

Hopefully there will be a flat ride of some sort in the meantime - that would go well I think.

 

The beach is interesting. It would be really nice to make the most of the front of the park there, because Thorpe really does have a lovely skyline from there.

alongside whatever’s happening there, I wonder if there are plans to finally sort out the entrance plaza and security area pretty soon too. It’s so dated now, and the temp queues for security are just terrible.

 

Thorpe have really levelled up pretty much all of the “non-ride-related stuff” in recent years.  All the toilets, shops, branding, planting, restaurants etc are actually really very good now. The entrance is one of the last “non ride” things that is still crap.

 

As much as I love new rides of course, and would love to see another one asap, a new well designed entrance with a modern and much faster security check point honestly would make SO much difference to the whole experience, especially if that new swish experience continued over the bridge and out to “the beach”.

[JoshC.]

Nah, the land behind Swarm is fine and ready for a coaster, unless there's something seriously wrong with it.

 

You don't need that long for the land to before you can build on.

 

If we take a look back in 2005, none of the infilled land was present. That includes Saw, Saw Alive path, Swarm, island behind Swarm and the road linking up the old Treasure Island to the Engineering area, plus Hyperia's infilling. 

 

2005:

 

Google Earth allows you to look at 3D models of current buildings too. It's not accurate, but gives a rough look:

 

Fastforward to 2008. The land for Saw was infilled and settled (completed by 2007). The park are starting on Saw Alive pathway, and the two islands.

 

What's noteworthy is that Saw's had been completed and constructed on between 2005-2008, and neither Swarm nor the other island are complete yet.

 

2008:

 

Go again to 2010 (annoying Google Earth doesn't have yearly looks). Saw open, Saw Alive pathway being used. Swarm island complete. Adjacent island almost complete.

 

2010:

 

2012. Swarm opens and Thorpe flops, apparently. Tidied up of Swarm island land. The adjacent island is now completely infilled, even featuring some of Swarm's layout. All is golden.

 

2012:

 

I also haven't mentioned the building of the hotel. We see nothing in 2008, the land almost complete in 2010, and by 2013, the hotel exists.

 

We can also see with Hyperia, some supports were built on reclaimed. Compare 2024 vs 2022.

 

2024:

2022:

 

 

The island behind Swarm has been complete since 2012. Whilst no doubt there is a level of needing the ground to settle, it will be settled by now. If not, there's major integrity issues and the park would either be actively doing work to resolve that, or not be considering the area for rides at all.

 

However, before Swarm's failure, a coaster was planned there for 2015. A coaster was considered there for 2020. The project that ultimately ended up with us getting Hyperia was considered for there. The park have actively considered rides there, and as I understand, it's the front runner location for the next major investment.

[MattyB]

Just to chime in on this as I was involved with this project.  The trucks used to deliver the material and the excavation machinery were used to compact the earth as it was filled in.  I seem to remember we handed over the SAW island to the project team pretty much a couple of months after we had finished infilling.  Same with SAW Alive.  For The Swarm, think it was about a year, maybe 2 after infilling completed that they started on construction for that project.  Any ride structures foundations actually go through the infilled material and into the bedrock below.  From memory think the SAW foundations go to 50m

Edited October 12, 2024 by MattyB
added words

[Parm Pap]

On 10/8/2024 at 1:59 PM, Glitch said:

We all know that 2025 is reserved for hyperia updates and theming (perhaps removing the bog).

Who knows what’s in store for 2026 perhaps a new rollercoaster or flat ride central at the beach…..

 

Perhaps @Parm Pap could shed some light…..

 

something will surf you to dizzying heights, if we can afford the charge

 

 

ding dong, ding dong, ding dong, ding dong

 

 

something kinda spin, something else by them, them, all the depth is gone, creaking on and on, on

[Glitch]

On 10/15/2024 at 2:39 PM, Parm Pap said:

 

something will surf you to dizzying heights, if we can afford the charge

 

 

ding dong, ding dong, ding dong, ding dong

 

 

something kinda spin, something else by them, them, all the depth is gone, creaking on and on, on

Appreciate it thankyou for the insight.

[skelly]

On 10/15/2024 at 2:39 PM, Parm Pap said:

 

something will surf you to dizzying heights, if we can afford the charge

 

 

ding dong, ding dong, ding dong, ding dong

 

 

something kinda spin, something else by them, them, all the depth is gone, creaking on and on, on

giga mack extreme spinner confirmed for 2027 then?

[Parm Pap]

On 10/19/2024 at 11:02 AM, skelly said:

giga mack extreme spinner confirmed for 2027 then?

there is a lower number of gigs, to be span

[JoshC.]

Until we see otherwise, this is unlikely to be related to a major investment, but there is a digger on the old Treasure Island plot:

 

https://x.com/ThorpeParkMania/status/1878473914944282751

 

Treasure Island does feature a service road that links the park's main engineering workshop to the park, but this digger is away from that road. 

 

There's a hundred and one potential reasons for it to exist there. But one of those reasons is early work related a future investment...

 

 

[tactic]

Where is the old Treasure Island plot in comparision to the rest of the park? It's probably just for regular maintainence or something similar but I'm now curious to where Thorpe's new potential investment could be. (the closed season dellusion has 100% hit me, its defo just like some dull work not a new coaster)

[JoshC.]

7 hours ago, tactic said:

Where is the old Treasure Island plot in comparision to the rest of the park? It's probably just for regular maintainence or something similar but I'm now curious to where Thorpe's new potential investment could be. (the closed season dellusion has 100% hit me, its defo just like some dull work not a new coaster)

[tactic]

So in theory this could possibly indicate some ground testing occuring in the area for a new coaster or flat ride behind swarm island and on the surrounding area??

[JoshC.]

15 minutes ago, tactic said:

So in theory this could possibly indicate some ground testing occuring in the area for a new coaster or flat ride behind swarm island and on the surrounding area??

 

In theory yes.

 

Looking at that image I've posted (which is a couple of years old now), it does look like there's effectively a road which leads to the main island behind Swarm. This would also make sense since supports of Hyperia were stored on that island during construction. 

 

So it could potentially be something as simple as work on the road following that, ensuring it is in a safe to use condition. But it could be for something, anything, else.

[Mark9]

Does this confirm an RMC or should I wait for the great nonsense talker to emerge with some obscure clue and babble.

[owenstreet7]

I'm thinking that the island behind Swarm along with Treasure Island are prime development spots for the future. 

 

If combined with Rumba Rapids, it could be massive 🤩

[JoshC.]

9 minutes ago, Mark9 said:

Does this confirm an RMC or should I wait for the great nonsense talker to emerge with some obscure clue and babble.

 

Ding dong no

 

The sky is dark, the coast is rocky, the island mountainous. Construction is far away.

 

Wait bugger wrong account

[Vinlarr89]

My understanding is from last year during Hyperia build a significant amount of material was placed on this island. 
 

I thought back then that it was probably a sign that it would be for future development. Still think this is probably 2030 ish tbh 🤔

[MattL28]

If they are to decrease the gaps in investment, planning permission for a new ride surely has to be put in this year?