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Thorpe Park

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For the Lincolnshire village see Thorpe Park, Lincolnshire.
Thorpe Park
LocationChertsey
Opened1979
OwnerThe Tussauds Group
Operating seasonMarch to October
Area500 acres
Attractions
Totalattractions in
Roller coasters4
WebsiteThorpe Park
Thorpe Park's rides and attractions against the evening sky and reflective lake.

Thorpe Park is an amusement park in Chertsey, Surrey, England built in 1979 on the site of a gravel pit which was partially flooded to make a water theme park. It added its first thrill ride in 1987, the "Thunder River" water ride.

Park guide

Like many theme parks, Thorpe Park is split up into several distinctly themed areas.

Port Atlantis

Also known more commonly as "The Dome". This building contains such essentials as guest services, shops, toilets, lockers, a bar and staff areas. It has a sea theming! When the park initially opened this was known as the Mountbatten Pavilion.

Lost City

The largest area of the park contains the majority of the park's rides and is loosely themed around a lost - presumably Mayan - kingdom. Rides include:

  • Colossus — Opened in 2002, this Intamin built rollercoaster features ten inversions (Vertical Loop > Cobra Roll > 2 Corkscrews > 5 Inline Twists) and currently holds the record for the most inversions of any rollercoaster in the world. The ride was also the first to feature Intamin's stadium seated cars outside of their megacoaster models. A clone of the ride was constructed at a park in China 2006.
  • 'Samurai' — Mondial Top Scan which originally opened in 1999 a few miles down the road at Tussauds' sister park Chessington World of Adventures. It moved to Thorpe Park for the 2004 season following a trip back to the Mondial plant in The Netherlands to be refurbished, which included a change to the colour scheme. Despite only ever seeing work at theme parks, Samurai is a fairground model and sits on a trailer.
  • Vortex — 32-seater park-based model of the popular KMG Afterburner. The ride opened in 2001.
  • Quantum — Fabbri Magic Carpet ride, opened in 2003 alongside Eclipse (A Fabbri Observation Wheel which moved to Chessington World of Adventures for the 2005 season) to act as an extra filler attraction.
  • Zodiac — Although the ride has only ever gone under one name, the park has actually had two Zodiacs. In 2000 following the destruction of one ride and the closure of another due to a fire on the Wicked Witches Haunt ride, the park purchased an ex-German Travelling Huss Enterprise to keep guests happy. Unfortunately due to the age of the ride and the amount of work it had seen, the ride was scrapped at the end of 2005 only to be replaced by another second hand Huss Enterprise, this time from Drayton Manor Theme Park who had been forced to sell the ride due to noise complaints from locals.
  • X:\ No Way Out — Housed within a very distinctive terracotta-coloured pyramid is the world's first (and only) backwards in-the-dark roller coaster. The ride is a modified version of the Vekoma Enigma and opened in 1996. One of the last major developments by former owners RMC to remain in the park today.
  • Rush — an S&S Screaming Swing seating 32 people on two arms, which uses compressed air to propel them up to a height of around 60 feet. The ride is renowned for its use of simple lap bars for restraint. The ride lost its crown as the world's largest Screaming Swing when Cedar Point opened a larger model.

Calypso Quay

Nemesis Inferno's first inversion.

Calypso Quay is home to:

  • Nemesis Inferno — a Bolliger & Mabillard inverted roller coaster, thought to include the familiar name of Nemesis (a popular roller coaster at Alton Towers) within its title for marketing purposes (a sign, when exiting the ride, invites riders to visit Nemesis at Alton Towers and refers to it as its "brother ride"). Themed as an escape from a giant volcano.
  • Detonator — a drop tower in which riders are hoisted up 100 ft, with legs dangling, and launched down by pneumatics. This gives a comparable amount of airtime to freefalling from a tower twice as tall.
  • Pirates 4D — a 3D cinema with water and vibrating effects in the seats.
  • Ribena Rumba Rapids — a river rapids ride by Intamin, which was updated from Thunder River in 2002.
  • Storm in a tea cup — this ride was rethemed to look worn down and damaged to fit with nearby Amity Cove's tidal wave theming.

Canada Creek

Themed around a Canadian creek, this area is home to:

  • Loggers Leap — a log flume which is themed around logging in Canada (hence the boats are themed as "logs"). Features two drops (one indoors/underground). The larger of the two drops contains a straight section (double drop) which adds a bit of airtime to the ride.
  • Slammer — an S&S Sky Swat, located to the rear of X:/ No Way Out. This ride is the first Sky Swat outside of America, and only the second to be built by the company. The ride was plagued with problems in its initial year of service, stranding riders in most positions imaginable (including upside down) and regularly opening late or not at all.
  • Canada Creek Railway Station — for the trains taking visitors to Thorpe Farm. This is currently the only method for visitors to reach the farm due to the waterbuses/ferries being removed since the construction of Stealth began.
  • Rocky Express — small, circular roundabout-type ride for younger visitors.

During the Fright Nights around Halloween, Canada Creek also becomes home to the "Hellgate" horror maze (previously "3D Freakshow").

Amity Cove

Themed around a 1950s American fishing village devastated by a tidal wave. The rides in this area include:

  • Tidal Wave — a "shoot the chute" style ride from O.D. Hopkins, on which riders are carried in a 4-tonne reinforced GRP hull to a height of 85 feet over a 3 million gallon lagoon. The boat is then dropped down a track into the lagoon with an impact force of 1.5g, forcing 3 tonnes of water into the air. Most of this water either shoots straight up and lands back on the riders, or shoots forward in a long spray that reaches a 'Splash Zone' where spectators can stand, meant to represent a tidal wave. It is often seen as 'the wettest ride in England' as the sheer amount of water dropped means that the riders get completely soaked.
  • Stealth — Thorpe Park's newest roller coaster which opened in 2006. Stealth is an Accelerator Coaster designed by Intamin AG and features a hydraulic 80 mph (128 km/h) launch up a 205 ft top hat incline at approx 3gs, a vertical drop and a large "airtime" hill.

Ranger County

Ranger County is themed totally around the "Thorpe Park Rangers" mascots, which are becoming more and more phased out of the park's identity as the years progress. The current rides consist of:

  • Mr Monkey's Banana Ride — a small swinging ship type ride, themed to a banana.
  • Chief Ranger's Carousel — containing figurines of the Thorpe Park rangers and references to past rides.
  • Miss Hippo's Fungle Safari — cars travel around a short track through figurines and shrubbery.

"The Sing Zone" is currently featuring on the Ranger County stage.

During the Fright Nights events in October, Ranger County also contains a themed maze, which has been known as "The Asylum" since 2005.

Neptune's Kingdom

Themed around the mythical Neptune, this area is home to:

  • Depth Charge — a four lane water chute ride. Riders sit in dinghies.
  • Neptune's Beach — two large paddling pools for small children with various fountains and an imitation sandy beach.
  • Wet Wet Wet — 3 water chutes differing in height.

Octopus's Garden

A small aquatic-themed area with several small rides for very young children. Currently working every half an hour.

Thorpe Farm

The farm is reachable by the Canada Creek Railway (this is currently the only method of visitors reaching the farm due to the waterbuses/ferries being removed since the construction of Stealth began). Thorpe Farm features many live animals, such as sheep, pigs and goats. There is also a small gift shop and a restaurant present on the farm.

The farm is now closed for "essential winter maintenance" until the start of the 2007 season.

Timeline

Pre-1987

  • A few attractions including the Cinema, Magic Mill, Waterbus services, Model World, Railway, Teacups, Nature Trails and Sunken Gardens.

1987

1988

  • Palladium Theatre opened.

1989

  • Canada Creek area opened.
    • Loggers Leap (largest log flume in the UK until 1993, and again since 2005) opened.
    • Rocky Express opened.

1990

  • Re-themed Space Station Zero into the Flying Fish.
  • Carousel Kingdom opened.
  • The Rangers Show opened.
  • Drive in the country opened.

1991

  • Fantasy Reef area refurbished.
    • Depth Charge opened.

1992

  • Children's area refurbished.
    • Viking Rowers opened.
    • Hudson River Rafters opened.

1993

  • Calgary Stampede opened.
  • Virtual Reality Centre opened.
  • Magic Mill closed.

1994

  • Ranger County area opened.
    • Carousel opened.
    • Mr. Monkey's Banana Ride opened.

1995

  • Mr Rabbit's Tropical Travels opened.
  • Miss Hippo's Fungle Safari opened.
  • Drive in the country closed.

1996

  • X:/ No Way Out, the world's first dark backwards roller coaster opened.

1998

  • The Tussauds Group purchase the park.
  • Palladium Theatre closed.
  • Ranger Show closed.
  • Dare Devil Drivers opened.
  • Wet Wet Wet! opened.

1999

  • Pirates 4D, a 4D cinema attraction starring Leslie Nielsen opened.
  • Carousel Kingdom closed.
  • Viking Rowers closed.

2000

  • Tidal Wave, a Shoot the Chute made by Hopkins Rides, opened becoming the tallest ride in the park, at that time.
  • Dare Devil Drivers closed.
  • Bumper Boats closed.
  • On July 21 a major fire broke out in the centre of the park.
    • This destroyed The Wicked Witches Haunt and Mr Rabbit's Tropical Travels rides, which both closed immediately.
    • A Huss Enterprise was drafted in as a replacement.
The Enterprise was renamed Zodiac.

2001

  • The Lost City area was established, with the Enterprise (that was introduced in 2000) being rethemed and renamed Zodiac and Vortex (A KMG Afterburner) as its first rides.
  • Thunder River closed, ready to be revamped into Ribena Rumba Rapids for the 2002 season.
  • Detonator, Mega Drop made by Fabbri, opened in Calypso Quay.

2002

  • Colossus, An Intamin roller coaster with a record-breaking 10 inversions, opened.
  • Safari High Dive show opened for one season.
  • Thunder River re-opened as Ribena Rumba Rapids.
  • Debut of the park's annual Halloween event, Fright Nights.

2003

  • Nemesis Inferno, a Bolliger & Mabillard inverted roller coaster themed around a tropical volcano opened.
  • Also Quantum, a Fabbri magic carpet ride, opened.
  • Eclipse, a Fabbri ferris wheel, opened.
  • A Spiderman show was performed in the arena. This continued into 2004 and was replaced in 2005 by Stuntzmania.
  • Calgary Stampede closed, to make way for Samurai from Chessington World of Adventures

2004

  • Samurai, a Mondial Top Scan, moved from Chessington, opened.
  • New Spiderman show opened.
  • Flying Fish closed at the end of the season to make way for Stealth in 2006.
  • Eclipse closed at the end of the season due to lack of riders. It was moved to Chessington and renamed 'Peeking Heights'.

2005

  • Slammer, an S&S Sky Swat, opened on March 27th, after being delayed due to technical issues.
  • Rush, an S&S Screamin' Swing and the world's biggest air-powered speed swing (Until the opening of Skyhawk at Cedar Point in the US), opened during the afternoon of 27 May.

2006

  • Stealth, an Intamin Accelerator Coaster which launches riders from 0-80 mph in 2.3 seconds opens with the park on March 15th. A 'Ride It First' competition was held with the lucky winner's experiencing Stealth before it opened to the rest of the guests.
  • Zodiac is replaced by another Enterprise, sourced from Drayton Manor.
  • StreetXtreme replaces Stuntzmania in the Arena.

Time(s) Unknown

  • "Dino Boats" were at one time built and later removed in the Calypso Quay area of the park.
  • The Rocky Express was moved from nearer the entrance to the park to the Canada Creek area at some point during the park's history.

Fright Nights

Since 2002.

Future developments

  • 2007
    • The Flying Fish powered roller coaster returns to the park after being removed at the end of the 2004 season to make way for Stealth. Planning permission .[1] has been granted and the ride's return is advertised on the latest edition of the park map. It will be located next to the lake, between Tidal Wave and Depth Charge. No rides will be removed for Flying Fish to be re-installed.
  • 2008
    • Originaly set for 2007, X:/ No Way Out will be receiving a re-theme, the trains will be placed forwards and the ride will be themed to a haunted mine.
  • 2009
    • This will be a big year for Thorpe Park. A new roller coaster, said to be the longest coaster the park has ever seen, will open. This has been confirmed by park managers during educational talks. The ride is likely to be made by Bolliger & Mabillard, who have produced other rides for Tussauds such as Nemesis, Oblivion, Air and Nemesis Inferno. It is likely to be either a "Flyer" or a "Floorless" model. Originally penned in for 2008, it seems the project has been put back a year to 2009. The two rumoured sites for the roller coaster are behind Loggers Leap on the far left hand side of the park, or around the treasure island area which has been closed to the public for many years. If the latter was chosen, it is likely that a large amount of the lake would have to be filled in to create more land.
    • Thorpe Park Hotel. This was first mentioned on the Medium Term Development Plan submitted in 2003. Recently, an exhibition has been staged at Thorpe Park giving locals a chance to view the plans, and planning permission is expected to be applied for shortly. The hotel is expected to be located away from the main park on an area north of the car park, previously owned by RMC quarry works. If built the hotel is set to have 250 rooms, and a possible indoor waterpark (similar to Alton Towers' Splash Landings Hotel). Planning permission has now been applied for. Planning permission

References

  1. ^ "Planning Application (PDF)" (PDF). Retrieved 2006-06-18.

See also


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