Thorpe Park in 10 Years

[SaiyanHajime]

I can't believe it was 10 years ago that Stealth opened. Wow.

I was thinking, back then would any of us have guessed that Thorpe would be opening some kind of dark ride for 2016? In fact, the only thing they've done which seemed semi predictable was new B&M. For the longest time I was certain that would come in the form of a hyper.

So, what do you expect from Thorpe over the next 10 years?

 

[GuyWithAStick]

I can honestly see them getting an RMC of some sort. Be it the Raptor track or an awesome woodie, I think it'll happen soon.

 

[Jamesss]

As the "creepy abandoned building" approach to new attractions is working so well, I think we are looking at more of that. Eventually, the entire park will be made up of abandoned buildings and shipping containers, creating one giant "abandoned" theme. Not only will this save on maintenance costs, but it will really promote the "we are a family park" vibe and show that Thorpe Park really can do immersive theming. Ride-wise, we are looking at another coaster (possibly a Gerstlauer) which will be the World's First multi-inversion-flying-stand-up-back-to-back-spinning-virtual-reality coaster ever, as well as exciting new technological innovations such as Big Brother: The Experience. Also, Stealth's launch will be increased by 0.0001mph to make it more intense than ever, and Detonator will likely be removed to save on the park's running costs because it's obviously not very popular.

Things are looking bright. cool)

 

[JoshC.]

Well touch wood, in 10 years time we should see the 'priper' Thorpe Park Hotel open and fully complete, along with an entrance redesign and no more Thorpe Shark Hotel.

So taking that into account, we'll definitely see a more resort feel to the place I reckon. Which means they'll need a major family thrill coaster. Just look at how Towers needed Th13teen back in 2010, and how well that's been received in the long term. So I fully expect one of them. Who knows when it comes to manufacturer though...

Also, I wonder how long Colossus will have left come 2026? It'll be 24 years old and I fear it'll just get worse with age. And with the likes of the other 4 major coasters we currently have, plus the potential for two more by 2026, will Colossus really be maintaining its popularity. I really doubt it. If we ignore the sentimentality behind the ride, and how important it was for getting Thorpe 'on the map', it's just going to be an uncomfortable, old ride with a gimmick which has lost its importance. Space will also be a premium.

Straying away from major developments, I'm a bit worried about the park's filler rides. Merlin seem to not like adding in flat rides to their parks (have any of their parks actually seen a brand new, outdoor, flat since they took over?), and Thorpe have a lot of flats which will have ended their life in the next 10 years. Heck, some of them will probably end their life in the next 2 years. So what will happen there? They can't just add dark ride after dark ride, and they can't remove rides and not replace them. And even some of their water rides need redevelopment; Loggers does, Rumba will, Tidal should. There's a lot to do aside from major developments.

I've rambled a bit here... But basically, we know in theory there should be a hotel, potentially 2 new major big rides. One of them needs to be a family attraction. One of them could be an RMC or some woodie, given the park lacks that. But I don't think that will be the most interesting thing to happen in the next 10 years, but instead everything else that happens in between.

 

[elephant58]

A hyper.

 

[Pokemaniac]

If I were to throw out one wild, uneducated and inexperienced guess, I'd wager for them to get one or two dark rides somewhat along the lines of those at the Universal parks in Florida. The motion simulator/tracked ride hybrid with 3D glasses and all those extra effects (water spray, mist, wind, etc.) plus maybe some animatronics. This type of ride delivers a thrilling experience without sending the park's neighbours into a howling frenzy, and tends to be soft on the height restrictions.

Other than that, well, some kind of woodie or hybrid coaster is certainly not off the table. Thorpe could also do well with another launched ride, since Stealth is mostly a "relic" from back when launches were only used for the speed/height gimmick. An Intamin or Mack multi-launcher could easily be the most thrilling ride at the park, though the cost might be off-putting.

While a large Mega or small Hyper coaster isn't entirely off the table, getting permission to build one could be challenging and the cost is very high. Nowadays there are other options for delivering a thrilling ride without resorting to great heights, most notably launches. I think Thorpe would rather opt for a ground-hugging low-profile ride than a huge, sprawling Hyper. Great thrills can come in small packages nowadays, a welcome fact for any park that struggles with build height restrictions.

 

[nadroJ]

:--D

 

[jj23w]

Hmm yes, what an interesting question...It's funny because I know mwahaha.

Social Media Policy. I think they'll get something next year along with loggers reopening. A new hotel once development get the island for the hotel who knows what else maybe some wood maybe some expansion who knows except managers.

 

[DelPiero]

For a park as busy as Thorpe to not have a proper hotel yet is pretty shameful really, it could easily be built on the Employee parking lot near the entrance and move the parking to the back entrance near the workshops.

I expect Thorpe will carry on with the crap for a while(small IP focused stuff), considering they've blown a large wad of cash on DBGT I can't see anything huge in the near future. At some point soon they will use the reclaimed Island for something, and considering the space it takes up, it must be a coaster.

I also reckon they'll get rid of Saw Alive within the next 10, maybe reclaim a bit more land on that side of the island and put in a Mack to run from near Vortex to Saw.

 

[Smithy]

Yeah you'd assume the most obvious one is a proper hotel.

After that, you'd imagine a woodie will be at the top of the list of potential new rides. Can possibly see a coaster being removed too

 

[JoshC.]

Thorpe have been trying for a hotel since about 2006, but they've had problem after problem arise, so have had to keep changing and resubmitting plans.

Shark Hotel came about as a result of all those problems, and to test whether there was enough of a market for a hotel at the park. Clearly there is.

I remember at one point a set of plans stated a hotel wouldn't start construction until 2020 at the earliest, but fortunately things changed and the hotel should open in 2018 (bar some sort of catastrophe), and construction should start this summer.