Saw seems to be having issues today, with engineers on the lift hill.

 

Obvs very jealous of all the attention Hyperia is getting.

It's been having a few issues of late, seen it a few times stopped on MCBR.

 

Today it had been shut most the day and opened around 4:30pm.

I've noticed it's been stopping on the MCBR recently too. Got a really nice view of a group being evaced from there on Hyperia open day when I was going up the lift hill.

Yesterday, Sat. 6th, just as chaotic on platforms, with no-one batching.

Staff in the bag room have to work hard, well done them.

5 hours ago, planenut said:

Yesterday, Sat. 6th, just as chaotic on platforms, with no-one batching.

 

Was the SRQ closed with no one batching? 

14 minutes ago, Cal said:

 

Was the SRQ closed with no one batching? 

That is correct.

Out of interest, I’d be curious to know; which row do people find rougher on Saw?

 

Personally, I find the front notably rougher than the back, as a general rule. On my most recent visit to Thorpe, I actually did 2 rides on Saw; I had one in the back, which was a bit rough in places, but not too bad overall, and I had one in the front, which was really rough.

 

However, I’ve heard others say that the back is way rougher and the front is smoother, which completely contrasts with my experiences…

On 7/25/2024 at 12:55 PM, Matt N said:

Out of interest, I’d be curious to know; which row do people find rougher on Saw?

 

From my personal experience, I don't really find a difference with what row I sit on. I find different trains to be rougher than others though, I imagine that depends on which ones have recently been serviced, and had wheels replaced etc...

On 7/25/2024 at 12:55 PM, Matt N said:

Out of interest, I’d be curious to know; which row do people find rougher on Saw?

Similarly to you I’ve always found the back to be smoother, and the inside seats to be smoother as well.

 

Front row outside seat is just god awful these days. But I guess it fits the theme better than it ever has before 😂

What does everyone think of Saw’s new queue structure?

 

I think it’s a great step in the right direction. Plenty of shade in the summer, and shelter from the rain.  I’m surprised this hasn’t been done on any of the other rides to be honest. Especially Hyperia where something generic could have gone down well.

 

Saw’s new one is very rough and ready, but I suppose they can get away with it given the theme. I think on any other ride it would need a different approach.

 

Great to see positive steps being taken still even mid way through the season.

I wasn't a massive fan of it in initial pictures, but I understand the need for it and I have to say that it doesn't look as bad in person.

 

I'm still not madly keen on it, as it does seem to make the queue seem even more like you're penned in than you already did before, but it's not as bad as I expected in person and I think it's good that the park is trying to retrospectively shade some of its queues.

SAW's station now has a brand new pre-boarding video on the TV. No longer loops Rules Of The Game like it used to.

Audio is quite the issue for the indoor section of the ride right now.

 

The on-ride talk from Jigsaw (if in car 2) is so quiet I could barely hear it despite being next to the puppet. There was no arrow noise during the air cannons on my ride yesterday. The scream from the Jigsaw body is definitely quieter too.

 

Little things in grand scheme of it all, but certainly adds up.

3 hours ago, JoshC. said:

Audio is quite the issue for the indoor section of the ride right now.

 

The on-ride talk from Jigsaw (if in car 2) is so quiet I could barely hear it despite being next to the puppet. There was no arrow noise during the air cannons on my ride yesterday. The scream from the Jigsaw body is definitely quieter too.

 

Little things in grand scheme of it all, but certainly adds up.

I’ve never been able to decipher what jigsaw is saying when in the 2nd car. There are always screams and the sound of the air cannon below that just make it impossible to hear in my opinion.

Audio has never been the same since they got rid of all the Bose speakers in my opinion. 

 

I miss the loud audio at the bottom of the lift too, much quieter now.

Does anyone know the relevance of “JBS Works” to the back story, which is on the side of the Saw warehouse and on various signs around the plaza?

1 hour ago, Inferno said:

Does anyone know the relevance of “JBS Works” to the back story, which is on the side of the Saw warehouse and on various signs around the plaza?

To many theme park fans visiting Thorpe Park in early 2026, those new "JBS Works (est 2009)" signs are a brilliant double-reference. They serve as both a piece of gritty, immersive worldbuilding for the "Saw Warehouse" and a sentimental meta-tribute to one of the park's most influential creative figures.

1. The Lore Reference: "Jigsaw's Building Services"

In the fictional world of Saw, John Kramer (Jigsaw) was a highly successful civil engineer and architect. Before he became a serial killer, he operated through various property management and engineering fronts (like Gideon Properties).

Within the context of the ride's backstory, JBS Works likely stands for "Jigsaw's Building Services" or "John's Building Solutions." * The Aesthetic: The name fits perfectly with the industrial, rusted warehouse theme. It suggests that the warehouse where the "games" take place was a legitimate business front owned by Kramer.

• The Date: The "est 2009" is a direct nod to the year SAW - The Ride first opened at Thorpe Park, bridging the gap between the fictional company and the real-world history of the attraction. 

2. The Meta-Tribute: John Burton Studios

Beyond the Saw universe, there is a very high probability that "JBS" is a "signature" left by John Burton (JB), the Senior Creative Lead for Merlin Magic Making who was the driving force behind Thorpe Park’s recent "Golden Era" (including Hyperia and The Walking Dead: The Ride). 

• The Timing: John Burton officially announced his departure from Merlin Entertainments in March 2026. As he moved on to new ventures, it’s standard practice in the industry for designers to hide their initials or "studio" names in the queue line theming or on building facades as a final farewell. 

• The Signature: Fans often refer to his work and the team he led as "John Burton Studios" (JBS). Placing "JBS Works" on the side of the warehouse for the 2026 refresh is a way for the park to honor the man who spent years maintaining and evolving their world-class thrill rides.

3. Why the Refresh in 2026?

The appearance of these signs coincides with a broader effort in 2026 to "clean up" the older IP-themed areas of Thorpe Park. While Hyperia remains the flagship, the park has been investing in high-quality signage and fresh paint for Saw and The Swarm to ensure the entire "Thrill Quarter" of the park stays cohesive and atmospheric.

For a non-AI answer, there's no explicit reference.

When the ride opened, it did have the "JBS.wrks" sign painted on the building. It was purposefully made to look faded, fitting in with the abandoned warehouse motif of the station and the general Saw storyline.

Image from 2009.

Back then, there was much less emphasis on Easter Eggs, hidden meanings, etc. It was likely thrown on there just to add an extra layer of 'this is an abandoned warehouse' and 'JBS.wrks' sounds like a plausible thing for a warehouse.

The addition of the new signage is a bit unnecessary and doesn't add anything meaningful or worthwhile in my opinion. But equally, for some signs that were probably a couple of hundred quid, it adds another layer for repeat visitors to make things feel fresh.

You could even argue that the "JBS.wrks Est 2009" signage goes against the original planned story, as the whole point is that the warehouse was abandoned and taken over by Jigsaw in 2009. But it's not that deep and doesn't matter.

So yeah, no real relevance. Almost certainly doesn't actually mean anything. And very much done for the sake of it.

Lol at calling Walking Dead and Hyperia part of Thorpe's "Golden Era".

Probably is just one last "DO YOU GET THE REFERENCE?" installation before he left. Maybe now rides will be focused on actual themeing elements rather than references and Easter eggs.

I might be misremembering this but think the initials related to one of the contractors that worked on the ride. I know the initials on the shop (PGB/PBG) relate to the architect involved with the project.

3 hours ago, Benin said:

Lol at calling Walking Dead and Hyperia part of Thorpe's "Golden Era".

Probably is just one last "DO YOU GET THE REFERENCE?" installation before he left. Maybe now rides will be focused on actual themeing elements rather than references and Easter eggs.

Tbf John B won't have had anything to do with the installation of some signs. That'll all be because of Thorpe's internal creative / marketing.