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Daniel.S313

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Just looked on Thorpe's website at the gate price (out of interest, I have a MAP).

£49.99!!

We all knew this day would come sooner or later - though I must admit I was expecting later (2015/2016).

Wouldn't be surprised if it's so high to encourage people to book in advance and such though. £40 for a child ticket as well is shockingly high too...

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It's obviously not too much for people to pay because otherwise they wouldn't go. One of my work colleagues is going tomorrow and even after I said that they should book online for a cheaper price or find a 2-4-1 they said £50 isn't unreasonable for a 12 hour day. It's what, £4 more expensive than it has been most of the season and you're getting rides in the dark, a longer day, plus 5 Halloween attractions. In comparison to non-Merlin parks it is expensive, but compared to what the price is for the non FN dates I don't think it is unreasonable.

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In terms of charging £50 for Fright Bights, it's a lot of money and very pricey which it seems now the £50 themepark charge barrier has just been reached.

However if you look at the current aspects below, it does justify the extra £5 charge for fright nights (in most ways).

1/ the park is open for up to 12 hours (giving those who arrive around the start a long park day)

2/ There are three mazes & a scare zone added to the lineup

3/ the only (real) time of the year to experience night rides (within a full day ticket)

4/ most people may buy online or use recouping to reduce costs

So to most it's quite a fees able up charge however not worth paying if your only visiting for a few hours on a peak fright nights.

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Can't really compare funfair pricing though, because those are mostly different operators and have to pay various different things (rent being one of them, I can't imagine Hyde Park being cheap to have a space in)...

Thing is, until the BOGOF pricing reaches breaking point, this won't matter too much as very few people actually pay full price in the first place... Be it via BOGOFs or even pre-booking on the internet...

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£50 is a daft price. It is totally unrealistic and only exists to be discounted.

This bogof situation is crazy and doesn't serve the park well as the bogof vouchers are flat dated. I'm sure the extortionate base price puts off nearly many people as the vouchers entice, and I doubt anyone is thinking they've got a bargain as they know the game.

With a lack of anything big and new at any of the parks next year it is a great opportunity to use the advertising budget to promote a new sensible reduced price, £25 maybe. It doesn't need to mean the end of the vouchers though, they can still be given out in papers for all that free advertising, but they would be money off for off peak days only which would surely help the parks manage demand and level things out across the season.

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Well if people keep paying the price and still have plenty of cash left over for Fast Tracks, Food, Photos etc, then the park will continue to charge it.

If you feel the price is too high, then vote with your feet and don't go/buy. :)

My point isn't that it is too expensive, as Benin said I know everyone uses vouchers and no one pays that price. So why is that £50 price there? Why is it any different/better than this? The price structure is a shambles and only exists to be discounted. That can't be right.

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The price is there to bring in a sense of quality - expensive things, with authentic looking branding, make it seem rather quality.

Then put in offers, which boosts the PR and the parks name, helps make the park seem good value.

Of course, it all goes to pot when you realise the park itself isn't anywhere near quality or value for money.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I was on park yesterday for a very empty day, probably the emptiest day I have ever been at Thorpe.

Samurai and Slammer were both shut. Samurai was still just sitting there with a sign infront and no work being done to it. Slammer had a big crane like vehicle next to it and it had covers over the restraints. I did talk to a member of staff at the entrance who told me that they were considering removing slammer altogether however I am not sure whether this information was true...

The day was good and there were few break downs on park which is good. All rollercoasters were on 1 train and saw was only on 4 cars but despite this the queues stayed down at 5/10 mins for everything except for saw which we queued 30 mins for due to only 4 cars meaning that the queue was moving up VERY slowly.

Overall it was a great day because of its emptiness however operations seemed to be generally slow and the staff were just having a general chat because it was so empty. Re-rides on most of the rides were optional aswell on most of the flat rides and a couple of the rollercoasters.

Time in park: 11am-5pm

Ride count:

Vortex- 2

Rush- 2

Detonator- 2

Swarm- 2(1 forwards, 1 backwards)

Stealth- 1

Colossus- 2

Saw- 1

X- 6

Rocky Express- 2

Loggers Leap- 6

Tidal Wave- 1

Rumba Rapids- 1

Flying Fish- 1

Depth Charge- 3

Zodiac- 1

Quantum- 2

Total Ride count: 35!!

By far the most rides I have done in a day at thorpe which is partly due to it being so empty. We did also have a shock on detonator where we got stuck at the top. We were at the top and could here the 'fright nights countdown', the music went 'and cut...' however we did not drop. We were stuck at the top for another two minutes or so and the car had started shaking because the 'metal cage' which brings you up was trying to lower as it thought it had dropped the car. The ride operator made an announcement that it was broken and we were stuck at the top however after a couple more minutes he managed to release the car and we dropped. Detonator is scary enough without getting stuck at the top!

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I was on park yesterday for a very empty day, probably the emptiest day I have ever been at Thorpe.

Samurai and Slammer were both shut. Samurai was still just sitting there with a sign infront and no work being done to it. Slammer had a big crane like vehicle next to it and it had covers over the restraints. I did talk to a member of staff at the entrance who told me that they were considering removing slammer altogether however I am not sure whether this information was true...

The day was good and there were few break downs on park which is good. All rollercoasters were on 1 train and saw was only on 4 cars but despite this the queues stayed down at 5/10 mins for everything except for saw which we queued 30 mins for due to only 4 cars meaning that the queue was moving up VERY slowly.

Overall it was a great day because of its emptiness however operations seemed to be generally slow and the staff were just having a general chat because it was so empty. Re-rides on most of the rides were optional aswell on most of the flat rides and a couple of the rollercoasters.

Time in park: 11am-5pm

Ride count:

Vortex- 2

Rush- 2

Detonator- 2

Swarm- 2(1 forwards, 1 backwards)

Stealth- 1

Colossus- 2

Saw- 1

X- 6

Rocky Express- 2

Loggers Leap- 6

Tidal Wave- 1

Rumba Rapids- 1

Flying Fish- 1

Depth Charge- 3

Zodiac- 1

Quantum- 2

Total Ride count: 35!!

By far the most rides I have done in a day at thorpe which is partly due to it being so empty. We did also have a shock on detonator where we got stuck at the top. We were at the top and could here the 'fright nights countdown', the music went 'and cut...' however we did not drop. We were stuck at the top for another two minutes or so and the car had started shaking because the 'metal cage' which brings you up was trying to lower as it thought it had dropped the car. The ride operator made an announcement that it was broken and we were stuck at the top however after a couple more minutes he managed to release the car and we dropped. Detonator is scary enough without getting stuck at the top!

Great ride count - at least you had time to take in the view from Detonator.

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I was in TP today intending to make it really casual - once inside the park staff were holding guests at barriers just the other side of the dome. the illuminated signs stated that Stealth was closed so decided to try Colossus, but got round there and that had not opened, moved round to Saw, where we were held at the gate for another five minutes.

Rode Saw twice and it certainly is a lot smoother. then went to Colossus and rode that twice.

Then ventured round the Stealth which was just opening and went on to make full use of that.

At times after 4p.m., no queue for Stealth but each boat on Tidal Wave was full, odd how we make our choices.

I could see that SWARM was virtually walk-on all afternoon.

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