2013 Changes

[TPJames]

Rumours I've heard recently are X No Way Out will be forwards this season and the back two rows of Swarm will be backwards.

Just thinking, wouldn't it make the coaster look stupid if only two of the rows were facing backwards and the rest were facing forwards?

[Pickles]

Sometimes it's better to take things with a pinch of salt, others maybe not Holly

I refer you to Benin's post.

[JoshC.]

With regards to Swarm facing backwards, something pulled from the Developer Diary in February:

Adam Kehoe asked:

Q. Will The Swarm ever be released backwards to give thrill riders a more terrifying experience as they face war?

A. One of the most thrilling elements of THE SWARM is the deliberate close proximity of the ride to the various ‘near miss’ elements around the track – guests won’t truly know they are far enough away until they’ve safely made it past! Running the train backwards would means these ‘near misses’ wouldn’t be seen until the guests had travelled beyond them, and the ride would therefore actually be less scary. Numerous components on the train would also have to be modified, making it very technically challenging.

Basically from the park's mouth - Swarm will never run backwards.

[MarkC]

Honestly, I don't think Thorpe will be getting anything in 2013 and shouldn't get anything for 2013. They just got Swarm, a massive investment and I think it would be smart just to continue advertising that it's the new ride throughout 2013 like how Knott's advertised Pony Express as the new ride for multiple years.

However am I right in saying that according to the MTDP that there will be a medium instalment this year:

2009 - Saw The Ride (Major investment)

2010 - Saw Alive (Medium investment) rethemed Thorpe Bell.

2011 - Storm Surge (Small investment) relocated from Cypress Gardens

2012 - The Swarm (Major investment)

2013 - New Flat Ride (Medium investment)

So this may suggest that there is a new ride coming next year? It all seemed to be pointing that way when the old Jungle Sufari was being fenced off but after no development through the season, it seemed like that theory was no longer possible!

Going back a bit now, when the swarm was released the original plans were to have a follow up ride coming in 2013 and after the now succes of Nemesis Sub Terra, rumours began that we would be seeing a N:ST style ride making its way to thorpe park!

But then, in the summer, The London Dungeons submitted plans for it to be relocated to near the London Eye however, theese plans did not include vengeance the recently opened 5D ride!So once again rumours began that the ride will be relocated to thorpe park. But then after many posts of debate, it came to the conclusion that it was not being relocated due to the low throughput and the unreliability!

So what is coming in 2013?

Personally, I hope that the following things will be done:

1) Colossus Repainted

2) Saw Alive Reopened

3) Storm Surge Station rebuilt and more scenery added

4) X://No Way Out re themed and the queue line to be indoors

5) General clean up on most rides

So, I think that there will not be a new ride coming next year but hopefully, Thorpe park will respect the ones they already have!

[TPJames]

To be honest as many people would like to see those things done, most of them are unlikely to happen. Firstly, saw alive is not going to be reopened due to high costs to run it, I would like to see something like a saw themed flat ride instead!

As for the new ride, I think thorpe will be following their MTDP and will build a new ride. The only obvious possibility for this is vengeance from the London dungeon, but the problem is it has to low capacity and through-put! If veagence is not included in the London dungeon next year, what are merlin going to do with it?

[tomglazed]

Surely for a ride to open in time for 2013 Season it would have to have been way in the planning stages by now? If not then I suppose it would open later on in the season however it is rare for Thorpe to do this and I really cannot see us getting a new ride for 2013.

1) Colossus Repainted
2) Saw Alive Reopened
3) Storm Surge Station rebuilt and more scenery added
4) X://No Way Out re themed and the queue line to be indoors
5) General clean up on most rides

All of the above would have to require Thorpe to go above the bare minimum effort. I know I am being quite negative but Thorpe's overarching approach to their rides to me is:

1. Build them
2. Keep them running in the most cost effective but safe manner

With regards to Colossus needing a repaint (which in my opinion should be high on the priority list), unless it is mandated by Intamin for them to repaint the track for safety reasons or that it will increase the lifespan of the ride then I can't see Thorpe doing it. I realise that there are exceptions to this.

[Doc]

I think it is unlikely we will see a new ride for 2013. I know parks have a habit of releasing plans late in the year, but with hardly any leads to go with, except maybe the reuse of vengeance, I imagine the management will live off the success of The Swarm for at least another year and focus the rest of their efforts on the Snoozebox. I don't think this is a bad way to go, at least for next year anyway

[Topsyturvy15]

Maybe a Fright Nights ride opening? A new scare attraction/ X no way out re-branding could fit in well with the Halloween season. Would give Thorpe plenty of time to sort out a new attraction!

[JoshC.]

The sooner people stop expecting a brand new ride, the better. Otherwise, it could well lead to disappoint and such.

The only time I can think Thorpe have EVER opened a new ride mid-way through the season is Rush in 2005, and the planning application for that was submitted around early Autumn in 2004 (the same time as Slammer). Personally, I'm against the idea of opening rides mid way through seasons any way; always seems a bit messy, especially as it feels like closed season should be the time to build things and the like.

I would still expect Thorpe to be working on the 3 year plan, so 2013 to be a medium-investment year. However, do any of us really know the actual costs of the Snoozeboxes? For all we know, despite what they are, Snoozebox could have a large cost to them, which in turn means we're perhaps seeing more invested this year than a normal medium year.

Another thing to note is that, since 2007, the medium and small investments have been cheap. Flying Fish cost about £1 million, and I've heard the X:\NWO refurb thing cost about £600k (not sure on that though..). 2008 was pretty much free I'd assume, bar getting voice actors for Time Voyagers. I can imagine Alive cost in the region of £1-2 million to create (could be wrong here, more a guestimate), though the running costs are a lot more than other attraction. 2011 was pretty much another freebie with Storm Surge. So, in the 4 'non-large investment' years, the park probably didn't spend more than £5-6 million?

It just doesn't seem likely to me that we'll get a new ride. Most new rides would require planning permission, of which we haven't seen yet. So, any new ride would have to require little to no permission - for example, be indoors. The rumour of Vengeance moving to the 4D theatre had been around for a while now, but the big question would be 'Why?'. It just seems to be little more than a low throughput filler ride; something which Thorpe shouldn't really consider if they're expanding. A retheme of Saw Alive to a Swarm maze has also been suggested, but again, what's the need? It's expensive to run and the novelty wears off quickly - just doesn't seem worth the effort really.

So, what do I think will happen in 2013? Well, I can see X getting attention if the strong rumours are the case, and perhaps being marketed as new (depending on how much work is done). It's likely a cheaper option than getting a new ride, rejuvenates an old ride and helps give attention. I hope we see general touch ups around the park, but then again, that's always said every year Thorpe doesn't open a coaster, so is that wishful thinking? We'll have to wait and see...

[Benin]

If X gets a refurb you can guarantee that it'll be marketed as new... Especially when the only other thing they can market is a pay over the top extra for being able to use it...

I think the hope of ANY of the UK parks giving themselves a spruce up happens every year, regardless of a new coaster or not... Cos by god do they need it...

[Coaster]

I think the hope of ANY of the UK parks giving themselves a spruce up happens every year, regardless of a new coaster or not... Cos by god do they need it...

Considering that Thorpe aren't having any new rides this year (as far as we know) this could be the year they spruce up their rides... Or save money.

(Or spend it on shipping container hotels!)

[Topsyturvy15]

Although unrealistic I think in the short term it would be great is the X queue line was opened up like a maze (as with nemesis sub terra) and this could go in well with the theming. The ride could make a decent scare attraction although it would lack a long term appeal as it could get very samey. Theres so much space in the pyramid for new ideas yet it looks as if little will come of it. Having said this a retheme would still be very interesting to see!

WIth regards to Vengeance I havent ridden it yet but I can see how the low throughput would make the idea very impractical. Thorpe are without doubt looking at the Time Voyagers area and building but this idea just seems like a rushed thought of how to fill it. Something worth looking at in the future but no real need to for now.

Finally although a new ride isnt really needed maybe a Thorpe Alive retheme or new scare attraction as a whole could be an idea. These seem really popular at the moment and would fit with the investment plan. Again this could be something to look into later in the year.

[Benin]

The scare attractions seem popular?

Must be why Saw Alive was so busy everyday this year...

They really (as an all year attraction) do not work well, especially considering the high running costs involved... Just pointless...

[tomglazed]

I think the thing that annoys me is that giving X a proper new lease of life is something which could be done relatively easily and cheaply compared to getting a brand new ride in. But if it doesn't happen, past experience so far has shown that hoping for these dreamed "general spruce ups" often are just wishful thoughts.

I hope to be proved wrong.

[Graeme]

Well we've done well to get to almost January before talking about an X://nwo spruce up.

Just like we've done EVERY year since southparks.org

[TPJames]

Going back to x, if the queue line was actually a maze after waiting to go outside to go in, it would make it seem like there was truly no way out!

[JoshC.]

Well we've done well to get to almost January before talking about an X://nwo spruce up.

The X:\NWO spruce up was mentioned before closed season even started this time around - sorry!

If this whole retheme / spruce up happens, I'm really hoping we don't see another dark / scary / rundown theme. I know it's popular with guests, and for upkeeping reasons for Merlin, but X isn't a 'scary' ride in respect really, whether you face forwards or backwards. As it is, one reason I love X is because I don't take it seriously and, in a way, I'd say this is what the park want it to be perceived. The ride has no consistencies whatsoever, and is just a mash of things, which is one of the reasons why it needs sorting out. But if the park wanted the ride to be taken seriously, they'd have done something about that long ago, rather than tweaking bits of the experience to mash things up.

So, if it gets a retheme, give it a consistent theme, but make it so it's clear the ride isn't serious - have something like a club or rave, florescent lights and such. Or make it a little jokey, tongue-in-cheek and such. I don't know really, but just don't have anything serious or scary, otherwise it will make the actual ride a total let down.

[tomglazed]

I think we can for certain say that there will be noting brand new for 2013, most we can hope for is an X spurce up but this has been asked for every closed season, even the closed season after it did indeed receive some work.

If anything "new" does happen for 2013, I really hope they move XNWO down to the Thrilling and Fun rating because having it as Extreme Thrill really does make a mockery of the other rides which have that rating. Rating XNWO as the same as Stealth, Detonator, Slammer or Swarm?... You get the point.

[Coaster]

This has just been posted from Thorpe park Official's facebook:

"Are you dying to know what surprises we've got planned for 2013?! Don't worry, you won't be in suspense for much longer... Keep an eye on our page for exclusive clues before the big reveal... coming soon!"

Most probably won't be a new ride but I didn't know where else to post this

[Benin]

SW7 is actually going to Thorpe?

[TPJames]

This has just been posted from Thorpe park Official's facebook:

"Are you dying to know what surprises we've got planned for 2013?! Don't worry, you won't be in suspense for much longer... Keep an eye on our page for exclusive clues before the big reveal... coming soon!"

Most probably won't be a new ride but I didn't know where else to post this

I was about to post this up

My guess is a new ride of some sort- it has to be they can't just reveal more clues on the crash pad lol...

Wonder what it will be really, even if it isn't a ride, maybe just like a x no way out refurb it will be interesting to know what it is!

I really hope we get something good, personally I would love a new flat ride at thorpe something like danters extreme or speed flip

[Marc]

As nice as a new ride would be, I guess we would have seen a planning application by now for it, unless it was inside but I cant really see that happening

[TPJames]

Yea, that's probably true, but the only thing I can think of is either a new ride or a ride refurb! New restaurant or something isn't gonna really excite people...

They are keeping this secret until soon, just wondering, can thorpe not release plans to the public and keep it secret?

Maybe this is why people are saying there will be nothing new, but thorpe could have secret plans aiming to suprise people.

Whether it is a refurb or a new ride, I think thorpe will need one of them to bring the guests back, I have a merlin pass so I will be visiting anyway

Also there is nothing on the website to hint anything new at all! It can't be the crash pad because that has already been revealed, it can't be something to do with park wifi or extended dome opening hours because all of those have been released! I really wonder what it will be, I drove past thorpe the other day and couldn't see anything new but that's probably because if there was a new ride it would have been covered by trees, something like that!

Thorpe please bring something amazing!(preferably a flat ride )

[Tom]

THORPE PARK is not getting a new ride for the 2013 season.

I mean variations of rides are a possibility eg X turning forwards Swarm turning backwards. ;-)

[TPJames]

How do you know? For all anyone knows thorpe could have a new flat ride.

X will not turn forwards as far as I'm concerned, it would cost too much money and its not just a case of turning seats around. It would be very hard to do this as there would be lots to deal with such as force, logistics etc. there would also be a lack of appeal because if x was turned forward, it wouldn't be x no way out for a start, the whole ride would need a refurb and also it would surely need to be moved down into thrilling and fun!

Also it would totally ruin the concept of worlds first backwards coaster in the dark, simply not an option.

There are too many rumours going on, people are even saying swarm will be turned backwards, that is not going to happen either as it would take to much work and you wouldn't be able to appreciate the near misses. Also it would ruin the idea of there front row queue system as there wouldn't be a front row!

As far as I'm concerned, it's either a new ride(this is unlikely) or a ride refurb(probably x)

Nothing else can really change at this stage unless something like Canada creek is demolished and loggers leap and rocky express are retheme. CCR will reopen and be called the lost railway or something like that... This would mean lost city would become biggest area in the park as I feel it is like the major area of the park. It would need better themeing though as swarm island, saw island and amity cove are all better themed than it!

Nothing else is going to happen at this stage in time, for some people they still haven't ridden the swarm and they may well want to ride it forwards, x would become worse going forwards and demolishing a land is unlikely. Although, at the moment distinction between one land and the next is nothing but a sign!