Thorpe Park |"The Swarm"| B&M Wing Coaster

[MouseAT]

I suspect this will be the same old story. They've got the space, height and budget to build something great, but I doubt they will. They'll do what they always do - the minimum they need to in order to make their gimmick marketable, then run another over the top marketing campaign in order to get more people through the gates to ride it. In the meantime, those of us who want new rides that actually try to provide a good experience need to be looking outside the UK.

I take that back. That layout looks pretty damn awesome. If they pull this off, it'll get a big thumbs up from me. Even if it does mean I need to trek all the way down south to ride it. Again.

 

[EnigmaHyena]

Oh, well that's a pleasant surprise! At least it means there won't be anymore arguments about what coaster type it'll be now. I'm really excited for this, it's about time Thorpe got another B&M! (I'm one of the few who DOESN'T hate Thorpe, but it really does need this to make the park have a truly decent line-up of rides).

2012 needs to hurry up now though! At least, for once, I don't live really far away from a soon-to-be coaster that looks epic - and I can stalk its progress as much as I like, haha.

 

[Smithy]

Looks short.

That said, it also looks like it has the potential to be brilliant.

First drop looks immense, can imagine sitting at the back you'll get dragged through it quite well. If as it looks on the plans you then dip underneath the wing it should be a great headchopper.

Then that zero-g looks epic, and the little helixes to one last inversion looks like it'll be pretty forceful.

Edit: Hmmm, just a thought.

How lame is it that all this planning has to be published online? I mean, can you imagine if this was done similar to Oblivion was? Kept a relative secret right up until the last moment when construction began?

 

[Nemesis Inferno]

Looks like Thorpe are under a lot of pressure to make enthusiasts happy...



13 months of silliness to go...

 

[nealbie]

It would appear that Thorpe saw Tom (Rush) in action at Chessington; and out of fear have combined his loves of B&M and Planes to appease his hammery wrath! Good call!

 

[Jake]

For some reason I can't get the plans to open? Can someone post the pictures here (and maybe on the first page?), seeing as it's been buried in the thread too...

 

[Martyn B]

^ They've been posted on page 7.

 

[Rush]

It would appear that Thorpe saw Tom (Rush) in action at Chessington; and out of fear have combined his loves of B&M and Planes to appease his hammery wrath! Good call!

Well it's safe to say that it worked like a treat!

Oh and I don't know if this has been mentioned yet but the ride's costing a total of £18 MILLION. Is this possibly the most expensive UK coaster project to date? I just hope they don't burn most of it on unnecessary IPs or ridiculous advertising campaigns.

The theming looks fantastic and the ride layout looks excellent. Not the longest layout but sometimes even the best coasters are short. I VERY much approve of incorporating aircraft into it and I have faith in Merlin to stick to their plans.

The project gets a big thumbs up from me.

The flat rides also all seemed decent, besides Rush which just sucked.

This however gets a big thumbs down.

:wink:

 

[Martyn B]

Hopefully we'll get that head/foot/arm chopper thing around the inline!

And anyone reckon that final bend will be home to a virtual water splash?

 

[nadroJ]

First off, I love the look of this. It's cashing in on a theme that has proved quite popular in a lot of films recently (I Am Legend, Cloverfield, District 9 (sort of)) so they've got the popularity there and they're building something a bit meatier than the likes of Saw and Thirteen.

Now onto my grovel. Is no-one else slightly peeved at the fact that they're building all these new 'islands' as they call them and yet all they're putting on them is coasters? Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled to bits that we're getting something that looks worthwhile here and I'm actually quite a fan of Saw, but I just wish Thorpe would add something else?

I also realise that in a short space of time they plonked down a LOT of flat rides, but I can see something like the topspin at Phantasialand fitting in really well with this theme, seems a waste to me to theme a whole island and then only have one ride.

Moan over though, hopefully it's going to be awesome. Merlin's attempts at theming just seem to be getting better and better and hopefully this will be no exception. Huzzah!

 

[Smithy]

Possibly.

****ing huge queue line.

 

[spicy]

And anyone reckon that final bend will be home to a virtual water splash?

I was thinking that. The helix over the water on baco is awesome and looks like theres two of them on this. One huge helix over water around the helicopter and the final turn into the brake run.

 

[Ollie]

It's not themed to Saw so it's going to be crap...

Nah. This ride does look good. Although that queue line is HUGE!!!
It's one of those horrible ones where you keep thinking you're getting closer to the station and then it turns you away and makes you go towards the ride then sends you away again.
Oh well. I get on the rides at Thorpe through the exit so what do I care?

 

[Nemesis Inferno]

^I'm suprised you didn't put that video you made on here Ollie...

You're slipping...


I too have wondered about the lack of flat ride space... Guess those are reserved for the next island now then...

Fish and Depth Charge might see a rise in queues as well...

 

[jokerman]

The first thing I noticed was the huge queue, which has sections like Saw with the high fences (although not quite to the same extent).

Looks interesting, but I completely agree with Jordan that they need to make these islands more interesting than just coasters.

 

[furie]

^I'm suprised you didn't put that video you made on here Ollie...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu-nlD4bhXM[/youtube]

Better Benin?

 

[Ben]

Um, Ollie, way to get the inversion list wrong!

 

[Nemesis Inferno]

Much better furie... This place would fall apart without you I swear...

 

[Mark]

Can I just say how pleased I am to see those plans. For me this is the most 'major' development in the UK since Stealth and I am already beginning to feel an excitement I hadn't felt since my early days on CF!!!

I was one of the ones who was growing ever doubtful that we would ever see a new B&M in the UK again when Merlin took over and started playing penny pincher.

I am not worried about the layout. From experience, even the poorest B&M is better then the majority of other coasters out there (and yes, I am a bit of a B&M fanboy)

I am a little shocked by the theme in a way. Involving crashed planes and helicopters almost echoes the original theme plans for Air at Alton until 9/11 happened. The whole plane crash idea can be quite a sensitive one... and they go and involve a smashed up church!!!!! I expect to see a few more Monk references between now and opening. I do hope this theme is going to extend to encompass a whole land in the long run rather then just a single themed ride.

so overall. YAY YAY YAY!

 

[Lofty]

Yeah Mark you're right, it's a bit risque to use a theme like this, if it goes ahead that is. The thing is, next year a LOT of things will be themed similarly. I know about 6 shows in the entertainment industry, a few scare attractions and films that are coming out next year dedicated to this, I doubt people complaining about it, and if they do, they can just put it as fantasy instead of reality and get away with it..