Thorpe Park Resort

Thu Dec 15, 2011 9:04 am

Aaaaaah, it wouldn't be Christmas without an argument!

YouTube · Thu Dec 15, 2011 9:37 am

Dylan wrote:If I am being totally honest, I sometimes wonder wether Merlin look at area and ride theming directly as something that can be easy and fairly cost effective to pull off.

Saw - Abandoned warehouse in overgrown derelict area.
Th13teen - Crypt building in overgrown abandoned woodland.
The Swarm - Crash site. In an overgrown derelict area??

That's not to say this is a bad thing, as most of the budget can be focused on the ride and set pieces but it does eliminate the need for surrounding attention to detail in theming.

You've forgotten Raptor, which is the most immensely theme ride by Merlin, and believe me, they've not missed a trick there. Its stunning.

Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:50 am

Of course coasters are going to be compared; it is the nature of the industry. Coaster manufacturers do it, theme parks do it, the general public do it and clearly, a lot of enthusiasts do it as well. It could be a means of research, to see what worked with other parks, to get inspiration and obviously some parks are in competition.

It is becoming much easier and in some cases cheaper to just hop over the water and visit one of our European parks. Clearly Europa are in such a league of their own, but I would say that it is fair to compare parks of a similar scale and see what is being done elsewhere.

Merlin should always be striving to achieve excellency, sometimes I think there is a bit of confusion about what is considered excellence but I have no gripes about Swarm, except maybe, the ride duration. As I've said before though, £20M is a serious amount of money and it is quite satisfying to see where a lot of it is being spent. Certainly in UK terms, this has been my favourite project to follow and looks to be one of the most visually pleasing investments in many, many years. It has to be exceptional, however, to reach the heights of Raptor; Gardaland. Just over 13 weeks until we find out!

Website · Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:54 am

Jared wrote:
Dylan wrote:If I am being totally honest, I sometimes wonder wether Merlin look at area and ride theming directly as something that can be easy and fairly cost effective to pull off.

Saw - Abandoned warehouse in overgrown derelict area.
Th13teen - Crypt building in overgrown abandoned woodland.
The Swarm - Crash site. In an overgrown derelict area??

That's not to say this is a bad thing, as most of the budget can be focused on the ride and set pieces but it does eliminate the need for surrounding attention to detail in theming.
You've forgotten Raptor, which is the most immensely theme ride by Merlin, and believe me, they've not missed a trick there. Its stunning.

I did miss Raptor, oops, and from what I have seen and heard it pretty much looks perfect.

fredward · Thu Dec 15, 2011 7:22 pm

I'm not saying all comparisons are bad... I'm pointing out pointless comparisons that have become so frequent in the speculation sub-forums...

As said in my previous post. A comparison that only consists of "this ride is good but not as good as that" is just pessimistic...

constructive comparisons such as, "this ride could be a lot better if they adopt this strategy like this ride" sound more optimistic...

This is just my views on the hordes of European park fanboys who seem to have flooded the forum as of late... (bit over exagerated, I know! :P )

as said pointless comparisons are really tiresome, to be honest I don't like having this argument with you Dan, because your comparisons are often entirely valid, it was just that one comment...

So far no-one seems to be able to see where I'm coming from with this opinion, be my rambling posting style or something else! hopefully this reply sums it up however, though here is a quick saying I made up that hopefully sums up my point of view of this discussion.

"You can follow peoples example to seek improvement, but if everyone on the planet started comparing themselves to Chuck Norris.. the world will become a very depressing place."

[/end ramble]

:P

Tue Dec 20, 2011 7:11 pm

Just a little something to celebrate The Swarm. I have really grown to love this ride to bits

JAMMYD777/8

Tue Dec 20, 2011 7:12 pm

Nice promo Jammy

Website · Wed Dec 21, 2011 11:38 am

They really putting some great levels of detail on this ride!!

Wed Dec 21, 2011 11:44 am

Just been looking at these on Facebook, it's really looking very promising!

AstroDan · Wed Dec 21, 2011 1:29 pm

Finally something themed that people are genuinely excited about in the UK.

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Big Dave · Wed Dec 21, 2011 1:32 pm

Yeah, this actually looks amazing. More like this please Merlin..... A lot more! :P

AstroDan · Wed Dec 21, 2011 1:37 pm

The main thing for me is the fact that Merlin have already shown they can theme well - see SBR or Saw, as examples. They haven't shown though (at least, not in Britain) that they are prepared to invest in a quality physical coaster as is the case here, AND theme it well.

Finally, that's happened...

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Wed Dec 21, 2011 1:57 pm

The level of theming on this ride is quite simply amazing. Keep it up Thorpe/MAerlin!

Big Dave · Wed Dec 21, 2011 2:31 pm

Thing is as well, this is not a worlds first and by the time it is launched there will be 4 of them in the world. What makes this special is that, ok there is nothing like it in the UK, but more importantly, it has a great layout, looks very impressive structurally and has great theming! The first dive loop/drop is amazing and I have heard it being called the Thorpe Loop on various sites and even by the construction team.

This is what the UK needs urgently. Cut down on making worlds firsts, yes they pull in the crowds for a year or two, but they quickly loose their appeal. Instead invest in a great layout, something that looks impressive and theme it really well. It will have a much greater appeal and will give the look and feel of the park a great boost!

Wed Dec 21, 2011 2:32 pm

If only they had kept up this level of detail with Nemesis Inferno, Stealth and Colossus...

Website · Wed Dec 21, 2011 2:37 pm

dominoes wrote: If only they had kept up this level of detail with Nemesis Inferno, Stealth and Colossus...

In fairness, I don't think the theming of the stations of all the above is at all bad.
The Inferno volcano is pretty impressive and on quite a large scale for a UK attraction. I don't find any of Thorpe's station buildings that bad really.

Wed Dec 21, 2011 3:06 pm

^Oh yes, the stations are lovely! But the surrounding scenery is a bit boring. Especially on Stealth.

SpinballEdders · Wed Dec 21, 2011 3:16 pm

*GASP!* merlin making great themeing (and a great ride) at Thorpe Park?

Wed Dec 21, 2011 3:41 pm

Dylan wrote:
dominoes wrote: If only they had kept up this level of detail with Nemesis Inferno, Stealth and Colossus...
In fairness, I don't think the theming of the stations of all the above is at all bad.

Stealth's station, not all that bad? Is there a second secret hidden station I don't know about?

Still, mustn't jest - Swarm is looking epic, to say the very least!

Website · Wed Dec 21, 2011 3:51 pm

Islander wrote:
Dylan wrote:
dominoes wrote: If only they had kept up this level of detail with Nemesis Inferno, Stealth and Colossus...
In fairness, I don't think the theming of the stations of all the above is at all bad.
Stealth's station, not all that bad? Is there a second secret hidden station I don't know about?

Still, mustn't jest - Swarm is looking epic, to say the very least!

Stealth less so, as it's barely a building. The other three (Inferno, Colossus and Saw) are decent though!