Tag Archives: thorpe park

Dogs and British Theme Parks

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If you are a dog owner and considering a trip to a British Theme Park you may be wondering if you can take your pet along for the day. Unfortunately theme parks are not dog friendly environments and so your pet, unless it is a registered assistance dog, will not be allowed into the parks.  It is best to find someone to look after your animals at home but if you have to take them on the trip then choose your destination advisedly and plan ahead. Here is a guide to the facilities on offer at the various parks. Continue reading →

The Thorpe Park Hotel

Not so long ago plans were afoot for a new hotel at Thorpe Park. It was a great idea. All the best parks have onsite accommodation after all. Naturally being such a good idea the plans were abandoned in favour of the Crash Pad. For those who have not experienced this less than idyllic accommodation, the Crash Pad is an unsightly temporary structure in which the rooms are actually remodelled shipping containers. Continue reading →

Angry Birds to Descend on Thorpe Park

Thorpe Park has announced its new attractions for the 2014 season and the ever popular Angry Birds are at the heart of a facelift for two old/existing installations. Those hoping for a major new ride at the park will be disappointed but parent company Merlin do not look keen on any major investment at Thorpe in the near future. Continue reading →

Is the Merlin Annual Pass a Good Investment?

I won’t beat around the bush here. If you are frequent visitor to Theme parks in the UK the Merlin Annual Pass is a no brainer. With four of the UK’s theme parks and many other visitor attractions being operated by Merlin Entertainments the Annual Pass can prove to be great value and you don’t have to make many visits to justify the cost. Continue reading →

Stealth

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I have to admit to a fair amount of bias regarding this ride as I worked on it for three years and it was certainly my favourite place to be every day. Stealth was built in 2006 and remains the most popular ride at Thorpe Park despite the arrival of Saw the Ride and the Swarm. The 205ft structure is visible from miles away and I still look up whenever I pass it. Continue reading →

Thorpe Park and Young Children

British theme parks lack the land and the financial clout of Disney and the big American operators. This has basically meant that it is very difficult for any of them to be all things to all people. They feel that they are forced to configure their parks to cater for one demographic or another and Thorpe Park has very much gone down the route of adult thrills. Continue reading →

The Swarm

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I can still remember all of the excitement surrounding the arrival of the Swarm. I was working at Thorpe Park at the time and watched with eager anticipation as the land for the new ride was being excavated and the Swarm Island rose up gradually out of the lake surrounding the park. We understood that the ride was going to be a B&M Wingrider but as none of these had yet been opened nobody really knew what this attraction would deliver. Continue reading →

Theme Park Retailing In the UK

The retail offering at UK theme parks never ceases to amaze me. I am always looking for a decent souvenir of my visit but usually find a huge array of plastic junk and silly toys that have little or nothing to do with the park. Whilst guests don’t visit theme parks to go shopping most end up wandering around the stores at some point but you rarely see people leaving the parks with bags full of merchandise. It is a very different story at the Disney parks overseas where almost everyone leaves weighed down under the enormity of their purchases.  With a great deal of money to be made why don’t the British parks make more of an effort? Continue reading →

Thorpe Park Fright Nights

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On special evenings in October as the sun sets Thorpe Park turns into a fear fest with crazy creatures and fearsome freaks lurking ready to scare the living daylights out of the guests who visit the park to join the Halloween party. The park is open well into the hours of darkness and offers several specially themed attractions in addition to the opportunity to take on the coasters in the dark. Continue reading →