New Events Announced

Thorpe Park have announced a line-up of new events heading to the park during the Summer months. Since last year Thorpe Park have slowly been evolving their events offering guests more to do on park than just the rides. This has been stepped up a gear for the 2013 season with The Crash Pad opening to guests, the park is now a 24 hr operation, and a new line up of events have been announced to keep guests saying on park overnight entertained.

District 3 Gig – 11^th May 2013

Performers on last years X Factor, District 3 will be on park for an exclusive evening gig, plus a chance for fans to meet and greet the trio. If that don’t do it for you, THE SWARM will run exclusively for guests between 6:30 and 7:30 and there will be a Live DJ performing till 11pm. Early bird tickets available from £5.

Roller Disco Nights – 24^th – 28^th May

A line up of roller disco nights will be hosted in the dome between the 24^th and 25^th of May. From 8pm till 11PM the dome will be transitioned  into a huge roller disco, with a line up which includes:
24^th May – School Disco
25^th May – Club Floor Fillers        
26^th May – Back to the 80’s
27^th and 28^th May – Retro Nights
There will be live DJ’s and prizes for the best fancy dress! Early bird tickets available from £5.

Comedy Night – 8^th June 2013

In June THORPE PARK will open its doors to some of the UK’s newest comedy talent, with a night of comedy gold from the likes of Mat Ricardo, who you might recognise from The Jonathan Ross Show, Barbara Nice and the award-winning Incredible Hula Boy!

Along with this the hugely successful Ministry club nights return for 2013, with events running each month. Be sure to snap up your ticket as they do sell out!

Wi-Fi Now Available

Thorpe Park is now able to offer guests Free Wi-Fi powered by The Cloud. Since the beginning of the season work has been taking place across the park installing the small Wi-Fi access points and over the past week these have been switched on and guests can now connect to the free high speed internet for free.

Whilst mobile signal is usually quite reliable at Thorpe Park, this is a welcome move and will certainly help during the parks busier times when the mobile networks struggle.

District 3 Comes To Thorpe Park

District 3, known from one of the top UK television shows, The X Factor are starring in a live gig at THORPE PARK. The famous trio will be performing  on May 11th 2013. With early bird tickets just £5. Playing in the dome at 8PM you have the day to enjoy of Europes most thrilling rides. Book early to secure your position at the live gig as well as massive savings on te tickets.

Why not stay the night at The Crash Pad and extend your visit to two days, with prices starting from just £28.9PP*. 

*T&C apply, visit THORPEPARK.com for more information. 

New Queue Boards Installed

Over the past couple of weeks Thorpe Park have been in the process of replacing its Park information boards across the park. Every ride has had its Queue board replaced, and the Park Information boards have been replaced with larger colour versions.

The system is still being tweaked and will be finished soon. It’s thought the new system will better integrate with the new Mobile Apps due out soon.

The park is also due to install park wide Wi-Fi soon.

Mash Up 2013 Begins

Mash Up - in association with Ministry of Sound Tours returns to Thorpe Park taking over the park for the next 4 days this Easter half term.

Ministry of Sound Tours will take control of the park wide sound system over by Stealth to create a "clubbing atmosphere" but thats not all, The Arena will host a stunt show presented by Animal Action Tours.

From THORPEPARK.com:

"Animal Action Sports Tour are mashing up the incredible skill, control and balance of World Champion Trials rider, Martyn Ashton, with the spectacular aerial style of one of the world’s most exciting jump riders, Blake Samson. And mixing it up, parkour gymnast, Luke ‘Mad-Gun’ Madigan, will wow the crowds with his freerunning stunts."

Along with this, THE SWARM'S queue line will be transformed this Easter into a Silent Disco, so dont forget to collect your headphones at the entrance and tune into the live DJs  playing a choice of Cool Contemporary songs or The Ultimate Cheesy Mash-Up.

Cold Weather Continues

Cold weather is continuing to affect operations at Thorpe Park during this Easter half term. Rides at the park, particularly the coasters are affected by the cold conditions resulting some either opening late or not able to open at all.

Thorpe Park are currently running a Beat The Weather offer, offering guests a free ticket to return if their trip was affected by the weather. Click Here for more information.

For the latest on the weather and how it may affect your day we recommend you keep an eye on the parks official Facebook and Twitter pages. 

X Opens

X has now reopened following its re-development for the 2013 season. The ride cars which were sent to Vekoma over the closed season are now back fully refreshed and turned around to now travel forwards, they now also feature individual lapbars, allowing guests at the height of 1m to ride (previously 1.4m). 

The queue line has seen improvements with new lighting and audio throughout. The main improvements are within the ride area its self with a spectacular light show and lazer show being the main feature with the building pumped full of smoke effects. 

Check out our images below.

Crash Pad Opens

Today marks the opening of The Crash pad at Thorpe Park, billed the ultimate sleep over with some of the UK’s most thrilling rides in your back garden! There’s a selection of evening entertainment available in the dome which is open till midnight each night. The entertainment on offer varies each night so make sure you check at the Entertainment desk in the dome.

The rooms as expected are cosy, but are fitted out nicely and have a good heating system so they are nice and warm this cold Easter. The rooms also come with complementary water and shower gels.

Breakfast is served between 7 and 8 or 8 and 9, The Swarm is set to open for Crash Pad guests from 9am.

Check out the images below of the rooms!

Crash Pad Preview

Thorpe Park tonight held a preview evening of the Crash Pad opening next week, it gave us a chance to try out some of the entertainment which be on offer to guests staying over. There was a variety on offer from games such as giant jenga, connect 4 and ping pong along with a comedy show on stage.

The dome was done up for the evening with new lighting and sound with inflatable domes holding some of the entertainment. Check out some of our pictures below, we will be back on the 28^th (the first night of the Crash Pad) to give you a full report!

X Changes Announced

After months of speculation about X:\ No Way Out, Thorpe Park have today confirmed the ride will be lease of life when it reopens for the 2013 season known as "X".

From Thorpe Park's Facebook page:

"X has been renamed and is heading in a new direction in 2013 as it challenges adrenaline seekers to face a rollercoaster experience like no other at THORPE PARK. Thrill your senses with a race through light and sound that will plunge you into a mix of intense colour and music. 

Redesigned and reprogrammed around light and sound, the X trains will now speed forwards into tunnels of changing coloured light. And with a new coaster experience, new fans can enjoy the ride when, for the first time, thrill seekers in the making will be able to face the challenge of X."

It is yet to be confirmed when the ride will reopen, but what has been confirmed is the ride will have a new 1.0m height restriction giving younger thrill seekers the chance to ride.  

Slammer becomes Worlds Only Sky Swat

From 2013 Slammer at Thorpe Park will become the world’s only operating S&S Sky Swat as Six Flags New England confirm the removal of Catapult for the 2013 season.

Slammer opened in 2005 and has been operating since, but thanks to technical issues has seen prolonged downtime over the years and S&S have now discontinued the model. Thanks to the parks persistence in keeping Slammer operating, visitors to Thorpe Park from this year will get the chance to experience a massively unique experience. 

For more information on Catapult's removal Click Here

2013 Roundup

Over the weekend Thorpe Park has opened its gates for separate preview days on both days, giving the park a chance to prepare for the 2013 season starting this coming Thursday. Thorpe Park Mania have been on park and round up all the changes we've noticed for the 2013 Season!

The Swarm - Brave it Backwards

NEW for 2013, War has evolved and the park have turned the 2 back rows on the Swarm around giving riders a unique opertunity to "Brave it Backwards" and ride the worlds first backwards WingRider! The queue line has been adapted for this and front row queue is no longer available. Unfortunately only one train was available the weekend, which did extend waiting times, but the experience is a unique one and we highly reccoemnd you give it a go! Along with that the new billboard is is giving a great near miss opertinty as the train flies through!

X

From 2013 X:\ No way out will be simply known as X - Very few other details are available at this time, although it is heavily rumoured the trains will face forwards now. The new park map has confirmed the ride has a new 1.0m height restriction which gives younger guests a great opportunity to ride their first big rollercoaster! When we hear more details on this we will update you!

The Crash Pad

The rooms are here and The Crash Pad is starting to take shape, it is not due to open for another couple of weeks, but from what we can see all the rooms are now in place. The connecting bridge is also almost complete. With the Dome set to host Crash Pad guests we noticed a much improved offering in Bar360 with more food choice and still offering 2 meals for £13.95 offering good value for money!

General Park Improvements

With no new ride for the 2013 season, the park has had chance to look over the rest of the park and make improvments where they are needed. Nemesis Inferno which is 10 years old this year has seen much work, with the mist effects working as well as they ever have with new bright red lights giving the great effect back. The much loved dispatch theme is also back and sounds great! Across the park things have been painted and cleaned and given a new lease of life, Stealth trains are looking great and the launch smoke is once again workng. 

Music across the park has been fixed with rides such as Stealth, Flying Fish, Zodiac and of course Nemesis Inferno all seeing audio improvments. The entrance and Dome also play a new Thorpe Park themed radio station known as "The Noise"!

In other news, Fright Nights is being advertised as being as being revamped for the 2013 season, no mention as of yet on a Fireworks event. Loggers Leap has also seen part of its tunnel which covered the first lift hill and drop being removed. The rest of the tunnel still remains in place. 

2013 Park Map

Today, THORPE PARK released their 2013 park map which features the brand new Crash Pad opening 2013. The map shows off some changes for the upcoming season including the twisted metal of a devastated billboard.

Here are some of the pointers we found:

• The Crash Pad is now featured on the map
• Saw Alive has been removed from the map.
• X:\No Way Out has been renamed 'X' and is now part of the Thrilling & Fun category.
• The Dome has been revamped to show a party atmosphere. (The Dome is resident to Ministry of Sound club nights, check out the events page to find out more!) Alongside this the Arena is now shown to be a party Arena suggesting more music events will take place this year.
• On Ride Photos are no longer on Detonator and Depth Charge.
• Depth Charge photos has been transformed into a Fastrack sales kiosk.

These are some of the major changes we can see. Upon opening day, we will endeavour to give a full line up of the changed around the park for 2013.

For the downloadable full scale map visit THORPE PARK.com or click here 

Crash Pad Bridge Works

Work is continuing on work on the new access bridge to the Crash Pad opening for 2013. As you will see in the images below, the bridge is now up and follows the same style as the existing bridge into the park. Today the bridge has been cut to open up access to the new walkway. It is expected that the Crash Pad rooms will arrive on site within the next few weeks.

2013 Open Hours

Thorpe Park have updated their website with the latest opening times for the 2013 season. The season is set to start on Thursday 14^th March running through till Monday 4^th November. Open times across the entire year have been increased, notably there are no longer any weekends, which close at 17:00 as per previous years. Fright Nights, running between 11^th – 13^th, 18^th – 20^th and 25^th – 2^nd November, remain open till 9pm.

Throughout the 2012 season the park frequently extended operating hours on the day to meet demand. 

Swarm To Run Backwards

Thorpe Park have today confirmed that new for 2013, The Swarm, the UK's first WingRider rollercoaster will run its back 2 rows backwards giving the ride a new twist for the 2013 season. Along with that, new theming is to be added including mangled metal of a devastated billboard, which we suspect The Swarm will "Smash through" 

Club Nights Return

THORPE PARK has confirmed the return of its popular Ministry of Sound Tours club nights for the 2013 season. The events will be held monthly throughout the season, the first one on Saturday 6th April - "Clubbers Guide, With Danny Howards (Radio 1 DJ). Prices for the club nights start from £18 when booked in advance, with ERT on a selection of rides from 9pm till 11pm with the main club hours being 10pm till 3am.

The Ministry Club nights which started last season were highly sucseessfull, with every event selling out its allocation of tickets well in advance, and with the addition of The Crash Pad, will give guests the perfect place to crash out after a night of partying! 

Crash Pad Progress

Work is continuing on the construction of the Crash Pad, Thorpe Parks new temporary hotel opening for the 2013 season. Access to the facility will be via a bridge connected to the existing bridge which guests cross to enter the park, see below for some images of the construction of this walkway. 

Closed Season Update

As you all will know we are well into the Closed Season and the park is already well underway in its preparations to open in March for the 2013 season. Thorpe Park have provided us with some images of some of the things going on behind the scenes as the rides are prepared for reopening in March! 

Crash Pad Bookings Open

Bookings have now opened for The Crash Pad, THORPE PARK's new tempoary hotel opening for the 2013 season. The Crash Pad will enable guests to stay overnight on park for the first time in the parks history, as the park look to further push its late night club nights and out of hours events.

It will consist of 58 small rooms sleeping four, all consisting of an en suite wet room, free Wi-Fi, flat screen TV's and a safe. 

Prices start from £64 per person per night, which includes 2 day park tickets, Annual Pass holders can take advantage of a special rate not including tickets, the Crash Pad is due to open from March 28th 2013.

For booking information Click Here

2012 Season Ends

Closed season  is officially here as today Thorpe Park closed for the 2012 season! Compared to previous years of fireworks, the park closed on a quieter note giving its die hard fans a chance to brave the cold and get some last rides before the closed season.

The Passing

Yesterday THORPE PARK released information about the 2012's new Fright Night's horror attraction, which is revealed to be named 'The Passing'. The information given to us shows the attraction will be hitting us harder than ever with new scare techniques which could make it the UK's scariest attraction to date with an accompanying slogan ' It Begins With Death '. Please note that the attraction will be subject to a £3 charge.. Information as follows:

As one of the darkest and twisted criminals to wreak havoc upon society, you are being tried, tested and sentenced to death. And that’s just the beginning of your suffering as the after-life will demand you brave the unknown horrors of The Passing in order to reach your final resting place.

Are you ready for your judgement day? As murderers, arsonists and kidnappers you must be brought to justice and pay for your crimes with your life. No one will escape The Passing and as you struggle for your last breath in this world, your nightmare will begin in the next.

As one of the dead you will be bagged and tagged, ready to face up to your own burial. Experience suffocating terror as you lay trapped in your own body, surrounded by the stench of fear with only your guilt for company.

The echoes of those who you have hurt will ring in your ears as you stumble through the after-life in search of salvation. Will you reach redemption and finally rest in peace or will you be left to rot deep underground for all eternity?

The current location for the attraction is unknown and the park are saying the attraction is not for the faint hearted or for under 12's.

SnoozeBox Details

Last month THORPE PARK submitted a formal planning application to Runnymede  Borough Council to install a SnoozeBox facility at the park, a SnoozeBox is a temporary hotel constructed of shipping containers which has become a hit at many festivals and sporting throughout the year. We know you all have many questions regarding the installation so we put your questions to THORPE PARK, and have some of the best answered below, along with an official  Press Release from the park.

Q&A
-------------------------------------

Q) Will the dome opening hours be extended to facilitate hotel guests?

A) At the moment we are still planning what our entertainments calendar for next year will look like, but we hope to have something to occupy Snoozebox guests every evening.

Q) Will THORPE PARK run the hotel or will it be run by SnoozeBox?

A)  Snoozebox will operate the accommodation on our behalf.

Q) Will there be annual pass discounts if snoozebox run the hotel?

A) Final pricing strategy has not been confirmed yet.

Q) Is there going to be a theme for the hotel and if so what?

A) We're working with Snoozebox on how we can make the accommodation unique to THORPE PARK but nothing has been decided yet.

Q) Will the hotel stay there during the closed season?

A) We would hope to operate the Snoozebox throughout the closed period as we have many successful corporate events in our Lake View marquee especially around Christmas, however this has not been decided yet.

Q) Roughly how much would a room be?

A) We hope rooms will start from £100 for 4 people (just £25 each if 4 people share!), however final pricing strategy has yet to be fully confirmed.

Q) Are these facilities on temporary or permanent lease from Snooze Box UK?

A) The planning permission will grant us use of the Snoozebox for 3 years.

Q) Which clientele demographic are these facilities aimed at?

A) We hope to target thrill seekers and up-for-it families during the season as we know a lot of our guests are already using local hotel accommodation. We also hope to capitalise on the success of our Ministry of Sound club nights and offer rooms to clubbers attending these events. Finally we want to target corporate customers who would like to book events in our Lake View marquee but who are put off by the Park not having accommodation.

Q) What prompted the decision to halt the progress of the 250-room hotel construction outlined on the 2010-2016 MTDP?

A) The permanent hotel is an ongoing project and we are working with the local authorities to ensure it is moving along as quick as possible. We're still very excited about this project.

Q) Why have you chosen to install these facilities as opposed to say, leaving the area unused until such time sufficient funds/interest are available to build the previously planned hotel?

A)There is a demand from our guests for on-site accommodation and the Snoozebox will meet this demand whilst also allowing the Park to compete with other theme parks to ensure a sustainable economic future by testing the market prior to a substantial permanent investment.

Q) Why do you believe these Snooze Boxes to be a valid measure of interest in a permanent hotel, when they don't appear to fit the same criteria nor appeal to the same clientele who might require a larger, fully-equipped hotel facility?

A) While a higher number of the Snoozebox guests will no doubt be teenagers, we are still targeting the accommodation at the same guests as we would a permanent hotel (outlined above). The only additional people we would be targeting with a permanent hotel would be local residents who could use the hotel facilities (which the Snoozebox understandably won't have) and companies who would use conference facilities.

Q) Will there be any Merlin-specific branding on these Snooze Boxes?

A) Any branding would be unique to THORPE PARK and this is in discussion at the moment.

-------------------------------------
Press Release

Catch some zzz’s at The Crash Pad at THORPE PARK

Planning application submitted for innovative overnight accommodation concept for 2013

As the nation’s Thrill Capital, THORPE PARK has developed significantly over the last decade to become the ‘must do’ destination for thrill seekers in the UK, with a focus on investing in the delivery of world class rides and more recently sell out evening entertainment. And with more now on offer than ever, guests are choosing to extend their visit to the Park over 2 or 3 days. In response to this demand, and to bridge the gap prior to the opening of the approved permanent hotel, THORPE PARK has submitted an application for planning permission for the temporary installation of TheCrash Pad presented by Snoozebox, an innovative and exciting new accommodation concept to open, subject to approval, in spring 2013.    

Working with innovators in transportable, temporary hotel accommodation, Snoozebox, The Crash Pad will provide overnight guests with on-site accommodation for the first time in the Park’s history. Planned for spring 2013, thrill seeking guests who want to stay the night won’t have to go far for their rest. Each of the 117 proposed climate controlled rooms will sleep up to 4 guests in one double bed and 2 bunks and all accommodation includes an en-suite shower room and toilet, flat screen TV, free wi-fi and a safe.

A dedicated reception and on-site housekeeping team will ensure guests are looked after throughout their overnight stay and for those who haven’t had enough thrills on the rides during the day, an evening entertainments calendar, including club nights and music events, will be on offer. And to prepare adrenaline junkies for another day of action on some of Europe’s most extreme rides, a breakfast option will be available in the Park’s Bar 360. Rooms at The Crash Pad will start from £100 per night – just £25 per person if four people share - and all evening entertainment and breakfast will be included in the price.

Mike Vallis, Divisional Director of THORPE PARK, said: ‘THORPE PARK is committed to continued investment to ensure the long-term success of the Park and accommodation is central to this. By both enhancing the experience our day guests receive with new rides such as the UK’s first winged rollercoaster, THE SWARM, and by responding to customer expectations with the inclusion of The Crash Pad, we can transform the Park into a high quality short break tourist destination.’

The tie up with THORPE PARK will be the first time Snoozebox have branched in to the theme park market, having made their name at festivals and sporting events. The portable hotel can be loaded, stacked and transported with ease and can be fully operational and ready to welcome guests within 48 hours of arriving at a site.

Fireworks Cancelled

Fireworks look to be canceled after returing for just one season in 2011 as "Blow s*it up" after Thorpe Park have updated their opening times and event information on their website.

There was much speculation on the subject after mid-way through the season adverts for the event were taken down across the park and on the official website, but opening times were left unchanged giving fans of the event some hope they would hold a firework event in some shape or form.

The parks official site now advertises Fright Nights running till Sunday 4th November giving us 2 extra days of the haloween event, and the park set to close on Monday 5TH November open from 10:00 till 17:00.

New Fright Night Attraction

Today the park have put up a new marketing banner at the park's entrance to advertise Fright Nights 2012. On the banner was information that for 2012 the park will be opening a new horror attraction. The current theme & location for the new attraction are currently unknown and will be released at a later stage. This news was following suit after the park posted a status on facebook.

"Morning thrillseekers! Loads of you are asking about Fright Nights - we've got some surprises up our sleeve for you, and we'll be releasing more information soon, so keep an eye out here! And you can already buy your tickets online - just select the dates 12-14 Oct, 19-21 Oct or 26 Oct - 3 Nov and grab yours for amazing discounted prizes!"

The status has sparked many questions which we hope will be answered before too long! We're bursting to find out!

Snooze Box to Open 2013

Thorpe Park have applied for planning permision to open a temporary hotel known as a "Snooze box" in spring 2013. Back in June 2011 Thorpe Park had planning permission granted to build a 250-bedroom hotel on the former CEMEX site, but due to delays incurred in securing minor ammendments and permanent costs in its development, its expected construction could not start until at least late 2013/early 2014.

During the current economic climate, the park has responded by deciding to test the market demand for such facilities. In place of the original planning permission, which will now see the first construction on the permanent 250-bedroom hotel begin in 2016, the park have turned to Snoozebox. Snoozebox are a company local to the park, based in Weybridge. They have provided accomodation at seveal major venues since their inception. This year alone, they have provided top class accommodation for The Queen's Diamond Jubilee, Goodwood Festival of Speed and the 2012 Silverstone Grand Prix.

The temporary hotel is to be built on the land to the right of the main bridge as you enter the park and will include the following:

• 117 bedrooms (6 DDA Compliant)
• Two "mother ship" units (Plant Rooms)
• A Reception Unit
• A raised broadwalk with low level lighting linking to the main entrance bridge.

Each bedroom will provide a double bed, a set of bunk beds with storage facilities, flat screen TVs, an en-suite wet room, fully-enabled WiFi, and customer-specific key cards that allow personal access, which will help security of the complex.

See images from the official planning documentation below.

Sun Scream Kicks Off

Summer is here (well it’s meant to be!) and Sun Scream is underway at THORPE PARK! Returning bigger than ever there will be a host of events on park over the next couple of weeks such as Animal Bike Tour & Freestyle Basketball and the Maverick Slackliners performing nail-biting tricks before challenging the crowds to get involved too! A party atmosphere is ensured as DJ’s take over the Park Wide audio!

Fright Nights Focus Group

Earlier today, THORPE PARK posted about a focus group to get feedback and new exciting ideas for the iconic 2012 event, FRIGHT NIGHTS. The ideology of the focus group is to suite the event more for the guest experience, so the park get a bigger picture of what the guests visiting the park expect.

More information:

Morning Thrill Seekers! Fright Nights is returning this year and we want you guys to get involved and tell us YOUR opinions about the event. 

If you're available between 3pm and 5pm on Monday 23rd July send us an email to TPSocial.Media@thorpe-park.co.uk with the following info:

-Name
-Age* (over 18s only)
-Location
-Please answer this question: What does fear mean to you?

Please note: Applications to get involved close tomorrow!

Don't miss out on this awesome opportunity! 

Ride And Rave

THORPE PARK recently announced an awesome new concert event in August! From awesome rides to epic tunes, this concert is definitely not one to miss out on! Information as follows:

26 August, park admission from 4 pm

Exclusive sets from Pendulum (DJ set), Tinchy Stryder, Rudimental and more!

Don’t miss out on being at this year’s hottest end of summer party as THORPE PARK presents Ride&Rave!

On 26th August brave some of Europe’s most extreme rides including the UK’s first winged rollercoaster, THE SWARM, before experiencing an incredible evening of live music as some of today’s top acts - including Pendulum (DJ set), Tinchy Stryder, and Rudimental - perform live in the Park!

The Line up: Pendulum (DJ set) // Tinchy Stryder // Rudimental // Skepta // The Wideboys // Majestic

Ticket Information:

• VIP Ticket: £35
• Early Bird Ticket: £20 (Limited time only!)
• Standard Ticket: £25

VIP ticket information:

• Special entrance just for VIPs/li>
• Access to the “golden circle” (front of stage). You can’t get any closer!
• PLUS skip the queue: Your VIP wristband will allow you ultimate Fastrack entrance to all rides from 7pm*!

Don't miss out! Grab your tickets now at THORPEPARK.com! Also information such as FAQ's and T&C's can be found online.

Sun SCREAM Details Released

Event details have now been released for the yearly sumer event, Sun SCREAM. Presented to you by Dr Pepper with the slogan 'What's The Worst That Could Happen?', The park are going all out this year with awesome acts such as a freestyle basketball game in the Arena to queueline silent discos!

Full event details:

''Get hot, wet and sweaty at THORPE PARK this summer as Dr Pepper presents Sun SCREAM between 17th and 26th August 2012. Experience this season's hottest stunts, rides that will get you seriously soaked and festival vibes that will make you sweat, as THORPE PARK ends the summer in style.

Grab your tickets to experience this summer's hottest adrenaline fix. From the high energy slam dunk freestyle basketball show (17th to 19th August 2012) to the return of the jaw-dropping stunts of Animal Bike Tour (20th to 26th August 2012) the rush won't stop.

And that's not all that will get you hot under the collar, the Maverick Slackliners will be performing nail-biting tricks before challenging the crowds to try out the extreme balance sport, thrill seekers will be dancing before they're riding during the silent queue line disco and there will be insane summer sounds pumping out across the Park as DJ's takeover! What's the worst that could happen?''

Event from 17th - 26th August 2012

New Loggers Leap Boats

Today, THORPE PARK opened Loggers Leap with 2 modified boats. The new modified boats offer a chance for guests 1.1m tall to ride after the previously raised hight restriction to 1.2m. With additional H&S installations, the logs can now help brace smaller thrill seekers whilst riding Loggers Leap.

More modified logs are expected to appear on the circuit in the upcoming weeks.

Colossus ERT Event

Join Thorpe Park Mania on Wednesday 4th July as we celebrate Colossus, the worlds first 10 looping rollercoaster's 10th birthday with an ERT session!

Along with that the park will give us an indepth talk on the history of Colossus along with some "Exclusive extras", which we are assured you will love!

Click here for more!

Ask THORPE PARK

We are pleased to announce the return of a much loved feature over on the Thorpe Park Mania Forums, Questions to THORPE PARK! This gives you an exclusive opportunity to get answers to them questions your dyeing to know the answer to, direct from the park its self!

Check out our forums here to check it out! 

Happy Birthday THORPE PARK

Today marks the 33rd anniversary birthday for the Nations Thrill Capital, THORPE PARK. Since it's opening in 1974, the park has seen many major changes from company takeovers to opening the worlds first 10 looping roller coaster, Colossus. 

Back in the 1970's the land that now situates THORPE PARK was a mere gravel excavation pit, which then was closed by the owners RMC (Ready Mix Concrete) to pursue a different ambition of a leisure park. The ground was flooded in the late 70's leaving only an island which was to later become the leisure park site, around this time RMC was sold out by CEMEX. On the 24th May 1979 the park was officially opened by Louis Mountbatten, who lent his name to the Mountbatten Pavilion, now more formally known as 'The Dome'. The park opened with a select few educational exhibits including Model World (1979-2004) and the Mountbatten Pavilion which housed a standing aircraft display. And this is where the history began.

For the full timeline, from 1979 to present day THORPE PARK it can be viewed in our past and future section in Features.

Since opening the park has gone from an educational leisure park to the Nations Thrill Capital, home to some of Europe's most exhilarating thrill rides including Stealth, a launch coaster that propels you from 0-80 in 1.9 seconds, Colossus, the worlds first 10 looping roller coaster , The SWARM, A UK's first winged roller coaster which takes you on a death defying flight through apocalyptic devastation.

Happy 33rd Birthday, THORPE PARK!

Late Night Events Granted

Planning permission has been granted to Thorpe Park for them to host events in the Dome till 3:30 am on Friday's and Saturday's, 1 and a half hours later than previously aloud.

Thorpe Park had applied for the extension earlier in the year, for the hosting of their late night club nights, Ministry, which will kick of on Saturday 30th June. Local resedents were opposed to the idea, with complaints of possible noise late at night from the events, and in turn the number of aloud events to this time has been reduced from 79 to 42.

Rollercoasters Reduce Stress

Riding rollercoasters can reduce stress and enhance memory, according to a new study by a leading theme par.

Research by Thorpe Park in Surrey among people on its new Swarm ride suggested "astonishing" health benefits.

Neuropsychologist Dr David Lewis, who worked on the study, said: "While the immediate euphoric buzz generated by the flood of feelgood chemicals released into the rider's brain and body seem likely to fade fairly rapidly, more subtle effects may well exert their influence for far longer."

Anyone who is suffering from short-term stress could find that rides increased their self-confidence and reduced their levels of anxiety,he said. A couple who ride together may also find that it strengthens their mutual attraction, he added.

Source: The Press Association

Best Price Guarantee

THORPE PARK have released an awesome new deal which can save you up to 40% off your entrance ticket. If you book your ticket online 7 or more days in advance you will recieve an awesome 40% off, If you miss the 7 day deadline, don't worry! You are still entitled to 20% off your ticket price between 2 and 6 days in advance. Please note you will have to pay full price on the day and full price booking online the day before.

Ticket price at 20% discount - £33.60
Ticket price at 40% discount - £25.20

Rainy Day Guarantee, If your a Thrillseeker who wants to take on Britain's wild weather then this if just for you! When you purchase your tickets to visit between 1st May and 31st May 2012, if it rains for one hour or more, we will guarantee you a 50% off voucher for a return visit between

For all the latest deals and offers, head over to our Offers page under info!

Please Note: Car Parking charge has increased to £4 and is free to Premium Annual Pass Holders only.

Saw Alive Closes

After the announcement at the start of the season that Saw Alive would only be open during weekends and holidays, Thorpe Park have once again updated Saw Alive's operating calendar, with changes that advertises that the attraction will only be available during the Fright Night season, the park have sent us the following explanation:

After careful consideration, we have made the decision to restrict the 2012 opening days of SAW Alive to just the Fright Nights period. We are sorry for any disappointment that this may cause but we are excited at the prospect of working on the attraction to ensure that when it returns over the Halloween period it will truly live up to it's description as the world's most extreme live action horror maze.

Colossus the power of 10

Today marks the 10th birthday of Colossus, the worlds first 10 looping rollercoaster, arguably the most important investment in the development of the park which helped put Thorpe Park on the map, and the start of its successful years to come.

In celebration of 10 years of Colossus, we will be very soon launching a feature on the ride, giving you a chance to look back over the history of the ride.

THE SWARM Single

THE SWARM - A single released by You Me At Six released last week to celebrate the opening of Thorpe Parks new ride, THE SWARM is currently making its way up the UK's charts!

At the time of writing The Swarm sits at number 16 in the iTunes chart and number 1 of the Rock charts!

Click Here to show your support and download THE SWARM now!

2012 Season Begins

Thorpe Park reopens to the public today after nearly 5 months. 2012 brings them a whole new gut-wrenching ride, THE SWARM, which hurtles you through a devastation scene. Being the tallest winged roller coaster in Europe and having mind blowing inversions, we recommend you ride as soon as possible!

Thorpe Park have done a lot of work over closed season to bring some life back old areas such as Stealth's station being repainted and Tidal Wave supports also being repainted with a rust effect. If your heading to the park today have a great day and remember to tell us all about it over at the ManiaHub Forums!

TPM7 Out Now

As you will see, we have now released the all new look Thorpe Park Mania! Over the past few months we've been working around the clock to make this happen and hope you enjoy the results.

Extended thanks go to Chris and Ricky without whom this wouldn't be possible!

As with all major works like this, there may well be errors as things are finished off, please do contact us with any bugs / suggestions.

2012 Map Released

Thorpe Park have released their new map for 2012, the map retains the same style as previous years with THE SWARM added.

The map also confirms the removal of TIME VOYAGERS, with no 4D show set to replace it, The park has also followed other UK Merlin parks and has introduced Smoking Areas across the park.

Groundwork Underway

The LC12 island is a busy place with ground work for The Swarm well underway!. Huge construction machinery is now on site, along with piles of pre made concrete foundations ready to be sunk into the ground. The ride is to be built by ride construction service, the same company which constructed Stealth.

Marketing Begins

In the last week LC12, Thorpe Parks new B&M Wingrider rollercoaster due to open in 2012 has been advertised on park for the first time.

Flyers appeared across the park overnight stating "The end is coming. Uncover the truth LC12.net", there was also an actor on park wearing a billboard, franticly telling guests the world was going to end in 2012 and being promptly escorted away by security... LC12.net , which we suspect will be the coasters minisite has a countdown, counting down to 01.08.11, no one yet knows what the park has in store for this date.

Plans Released

Today in an exciting development, Runnymede Council have uploaded the plans submitted by Thorpe Park regarding the new attraction LC12, the parks new rollercoaster scheduled to open in 2012.

From the plans we can now confirm the ride will be a B&M Wing Rider model, similar to one currently under construction at sister park Gardaland, although we can still not confirm rumors as to if the seats will spin or not to add the "4D effect".

The ride will stand at an impressive 126 feet making it making it the 2nd tallest ride on park. From the plans we can see the ride will carry an "apocalyptic" theme where riders "Fly" through a crash scene and experience the full size replica themeing. In keeping with this theme the track will be painted a grey color with the supports being greeny-grey in color.

Being one of the first areas with new development for a reasonable period of time the area also has a series of ancillary buildings including themed toilets, retail outlets and a food and beverage unit. Due to the rides location a new bridge will also be constructed joining "Island C" with the rest of the park.

Head over to our plans page to see them in full detail!

New Swarm Video

Earlier today THORPE PARK released the very first video of The Swarm running for tests, THORPE PARK have also sent us a video for us to all enjoy of the train flying over the rides station at some speed!

Click here to download the video.

Swarm Testing Video

Following our exclusive shots of some of the very first test runs of The Swarm over the past weekend, Thorpe Park have uploaded a video to their Swarm developer diary of the ride running.

Click Here to go there now!

Swarm Testing Starts

Swarm testing has begun and we have managed to snap some pictures taken today. Were unsure when the testing begun.

Images taken from monks walk.

2012 Open Hours

Thorpe Park have today released the open times for the 2012 season. The park is set to open on Thursday 15th March and will close on Monday 5th November 2012, Fright Nights, will now close an hour earlier at 9:00pm each night, and that Fireworks look set for a return in November.

Key Dates

Open Day: 15/03/2012 - 10:00 - 17:00
Summer: 23/07/2012 - 29/08/2012 - 9:30 - 19:00
Fright Nights: 12th - 14th, 19th - 21st, 26th (October) - 3rd November - 10:00 - 21:00
Fireworks: 4th - 5th November 10:00 - 20:00

2011 Season Ends

Yesterday, the final day of Thorpe Park Blows It Up marked the end of the 2011 season and the park is now closed for the winter. The park held a huge display on the lake, and blew up a fire engine to promote The Swarm, due to open in Spring 2012. Check back soon for more!

Coming UP BLOWS IT UP

As we head into the final weekend of the season and prepare for another long and cold winter, Thorpe Park are planning to end the season with a bang with THORPE PARK BLOWS IT UP, an all new Firework's event, which is the first Firework event to be held at the park since 2008.

Promising to be bigger than any Firework event at the park before there will be plenty to keep you entertained on park, not only will the park be open till 8:00 giving you maximum time to enjoy the park for the last time this year, you will get to try out some of the parks most extreme rides in the dark! Thats not all, across the park there will be Fire Performers and the Burning of effigies, leading up to the main display at 7:00pm

Tickets are limited and you are strongly advised to pre book, Standard annual pass holders will need to pre book and pay a £5 event charge, Premium annual pass holders can pre book and guarantee their place for free. Click Here for more details.

Fright Nights Draw To End

Today marks the end of the 2011 Fright Night event and leads us into the final week of the 2011 season. Celebrating 10 years of Fright Nights this year's event was bigger than ever, new for 2011 was Experiment 10, an all-new horror maze, putting its daring victims in the middle of a government experiment gone wrong. Roaming clowns also roamed the park terrifying those in sight.

The park will remain open 10-5 until Friday, and will then host the all new "Thorpe Park Blows It Up" firework event over the bonfire weekend which will mark the end of the 2011 season.

CCR Closure Confirmed

Thorpe Park have confirmed that the Canada Creek railway will run for the last time this year, and will be removed for the 2012 season. See below for the press statement from the park.

After 22 years of service, THORPE PARK has made the sad decision to retire the Canada Creek Railway. The ride will operate until Sunday 6th November but will not return for the 2012 season.

The number of guests choosing to experience the Canada Creek Railway has been steadily declining as the number of other new rides and attractions opening at the Park has been increasing, and this decline has been instrumental in us reaching this decision.

We hope this does not cause too much inconvenience and we would like to thank all of our guests who have enjoyed the Canada Creek Railway over the years.

Fright Nights Preparation

Preparation for this years Fright Night event is well underway, promising to be bigger than ever as Thorpe Park celebrate the events 10th Birthday!

Time Voyagers has closed, earlier than usual in the build up to the event, stating that its closed for Fright Nights, if this means we will see the return of Barry and Stuart or a new show we are not yet sure. The Curse tent has been erected in its usual position, and the other side of the beach has been cleared for what we beleave to be a relocation of Se7en.

Taking Se7en's place in the arena in Thorpe Parks newest maze, whilst not much is known at the moment... but Thorpe Park have told us this.. "A disturbing government test lab's latest project has taken a sinister twist.."

We can also confirm Hellgate and Dead End terror zone will not be returning this year.

Message from THORPE PARK

As you all know, new for 2012 Thorpe Park are opening The Swarm, within the past week news has come out that Six Flags Great America will also open a new Wing Rider ride with many similar features...

Hi THORPE PARK Mania fans.

We hope you're all excited about the arrival of THE SWARM. We're having great fun building up to its launch and we hope you are too!

We wanted to write a little message to you all following the news that Six Flags Great America will also be launching a winged rollercoaster next year very similar to THE SWARM. Some of you may have noticed that when we say it's going to be very similar, it really is going to be VERY similar. When we set about designing and developing our winged coaster we had to make sure it had the THORPE PARK stamp on it. One of the ways we achieved this was by developing the unique inverted dive at the start of the ride that will be sure to kick-off your awesome apocalyptic flight in adrenaline-fuelled style! As you can imagine then, we were quite surprised to see that the new ride at Six Flags will also adopt the 'THORPE PARK Inversion'!

While we could be bitter about this, we would actually like to wish Six Flags Great America the best of luck with the 'THORPE PARK Inversion' and we hope that this is a start of things to come, that one day the 'THORPE PARK Inversion' will become famous in the rollercoaster world! We aim high!

Thanks again for all your support and we'll see you all at Fright Nights.

The THORPE PARK Team

So thats THORPE PARK's opinion, whats yours?

The SWARM Announced

Thorpe Park have unveiled the name of their new rollercoaster opening in Spring 2012 as The Swarm. The ride will be the UK’s first B&M Wing Rider rollercoaster with a staggering investment of £18 Million into its development. Check back soon on Thorpe Park Mania for our new mini site dedicated to The Swarm.

RELOAD Under 18s Club Night

RELOAD - Under 18's Club Night!

Thorpe Park have released details on their new Club Night event - Reload! This exciting event promises to mix amazing sounds with exhilerating rides to provide you with a night of great entertainment.

Head down to THORPE PARK for the ultimate adrenaline-fuelled Club Night, RELOAD, exclusively for under 18s! With extended ride time and awesome tunes from resident DJ, THORPE PARK is the place to get your weekend started!

Kick off your night with exclusive ride-time available for RELOAD guests only! Brave rides including the world's most terrifying rollercoaster SAW - The Ride and the epic Colossus before the party really kicks off and the music gets pumping back in The Dome for the heart of the Club Night!

So go on, what are you waiting for, grab your mates and book your tickets now! - http://bit.ly/iYfAL9

Don't forget all you Annual Passholders receive a discount on RELOAD tickets.

Full ride offering until 7pm followed by exclusive ride time on selected rides until 8pm - Colossus, Rush, Quantum, Zodiac, Vortex and SAW – The Ride.

Saw Alive May Reopening

Thorpe Park have now confirmed on their facebook page that Saw - Alive, their all year round horror maze will reopen in May Half-Term, following essential maintenance after a fire broke out, damaging parts of the maze on the 5th April.

The following was posted on Thorpe Parks official facebook page:
"SAW Alive Update: Further to our announcement on Tuesday, we are extremely pleased to announce that you can Face Your Fears at THORPE PARK's SAW Alive very soon as it will reopen during the May half term!"

Saw Alive Work Starts

Work to restore Saw Alive, Thorpe parks live action horror maze has commenced after it damaged by a fire overnight last month.

Construction fences have been erected around the attraction along with temporary lighting. 2 skips full of fire damaged material from the attraction sit on the path outside.

Remember to check back on Thorpe park mania for all the latest news!

LC12 Marketing Begins

In the last week LC12, Thorpe Parks new B&M Wingrider rollercoaster due to open in 2012 has been advertised on park for the first time.

Flyers appeared across the park overnight stating "The end is coming. Uncover the truth LC12.net", there was also an actor on park wearing a billboard, franticly telling guests the world was going to end in 2012 and being promptly escorted away by security... LC12.net , which we suspect will be the coasters minisite has a countdown, counting down to 01.08.11, no one yet knows what the park has in store for this date.

Check out the pictures below with thanks to Neilfever

Saw Alive Fire

On the evening of Tuesday 5th April 2011 a minor fire broke out on board the Saw Alive horror attraction, leaving the attraction closed until further notice, Thorpe Park have released the following press statement.

On Tuesday 5th April 2011 at 7.47pm, after Thorpe Park had closed to guests, a minor fire broke outin the Saw Alive horror maze.

Our well rehearsed emergency procedures were immediately put into operation. The emergency services were called at 7.51pm with two fire vehicles on site within 5 minutes and the fire was brought under control very quickly.

The health and safety of our guests is our primary objective and the Thorpe Park Management Team, in conjunction with the Fire Service, are investigating the cause of the fire. The attraction will remain closed until the investigation is complete and while we assess the extent of the damage. It will re-open when we have brought the maze back to full operating standards and had it passed through the relevant Health and Safety inspections. The rest of the Park remains open for business as usual.

Check back on Thorpe Park Mania for the latest news.

LC12 Plans Approved

THORPE PARK is delighted to announce that on Wednesday 30th March 2011, the Runnymede Borough Council granted full planning consent for the development of the Park's seventh rollercoaster, with construction due to commence in May 2011.

Considered by many as the 'Rolls Royce' of the rollercoaster industry, Swiss manufacturer, Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) has been commissioned to build the 127ft high coaster that is due to open in spring 2012. The ride, known as a Wing Rider, is a significant overall investment of £20m, and will feature the unique seating arrangement where guests are positioned either side of the track with nothing below or above them, leaving them to feel vulnerable and exposed..heightening the thrill.

Project named LC12, the ride will be located on one of the new islands next to the Park's iconic rollercoaster, Stealth, and will take on a THORPE PARK twist through 4 extreme inversions as riders are dragged on a death-defying flight into apocalyptic devastation.

With some of the theme elements, including crashed aircrafts, having already drawn criticism from the British Airline and Pilot Association (BALPA) who branded it 'tasteless' due to the Park's proximity to Heathrow, Mike Vallis, Divisional Director at THORPE PARK, comments: "We're absolutely ecstatic with the decision as we're incredibly excited about the new ride. It is something that cannot be found anywhere else in the country and the exceptional theme elements will enhance the experience. The whole project has been heavily researched and the results showed unequivocal support for the theme of 'urban devastation'.

This new rollercoaster is the first investment of our Medium Term Development plans that were also granted by the Council yesterday and marks a significant stage in moving THORPE PARK towards a short break destination, and ultimately a resort positioning with a hotel proposal also in development."

2011 Season is here

Following an eventful Annual Pass preview day Thorpe Park has now fully opened for the 2011 season! Storm Surge has received much attention since Sunday, this includes new theming around the ride / area, pathways around the area now fully compete and the ride now running at its maximum capacity of 10 boats. Storm Surge is not the only ride which has seen changes during the week, the volcano effect on Nemesis Inferno has been fixed, Storm in a Teacup is now sponsored by Tetley Tea and Detonator on-ride photos have opened.

To celebrate the start of the new season, Thorpe Park are holding a special Launch Weekend event, featuring exclusive performances from Beatbullyz, Parade, Rachel Adedeji and many more over the weekend!

2011 Opening Nears

After Thorpe Parks Annual Pass event yesterday (Sunday 13th March 2011) the countdown is now on till the official open day for the 2011 season, this Thursday where the park will officially open their new ride for 2011, Storm Surge!

Check back on Thursday evening for a full report of the day!

Official Statement

Thorpe Park held their annual Annual Pass holders preview event yesterday (Sunday 13th March 2011) giving annual pass holders an opportunity to try out the park and its new ride for 2011, Storm Surge before opening to the general public on Thursday 17th.

Unfortunately, due to a huge unexpected demand, the park struggled to cope resulting in large queues for both Rides and Food Units.

In response this morning, Thorpe Park have issued the following statement on their Facebook page:

"We are very sorry to anyone who came to the Park yesterday (Sunday 13th March 2011) and didn't have the day out they were expecting.

Our Annual Pass holders are incredibly important to us and we put the event on as an additional benefit to give exclusive access to the Park before we open up for the full season. This year's event saw unprecedented numbers turn up to experience the new ride and the Park’s first day of the season, so much so, that the final numbers were four times more than that for the Annual Pass event last year.

We are instigating a full investigation and will re-assess how Annual Pass events are held moving forward to ensure we are delivering an enjoyable experience."

The last..

TEST OF THE NIGHT, i have selected a different image pack just to prove the amazing times are working :O Whilst stealth looks squishyeed, this is due to the news posts on TPM having a differnt size avatar, this is ok as in theory there will not be a image pack which is needed on both sites, this is a long news post, read more dont work yet :(

OMG

IT ACTUALLY WORKS!!!:D It proves that if you prod code enough it will eventually do what you want, this post will post to the top and stay at the top until i make another post, this is VERY SEXY TIMES!

test 2

this is a another CWOA mania test, i hope this works, i am happy so far :D

STAND CLEAR

This is a test of the news, this is posted on "thehub" to "Chessington" , this proves that this is working, this is chessington mania and this is not on thorpe park mania, there is some formating to be fixed on this but this is SEXY TIMES

LC12 Plans Released

Today in an exciting development, Runnymede Council have uploaded the plans submitted by Thorpe Park regarding the new attraction LC12, the parks new rollercoaster scheduled to open in 2012.

From the plans we can now confirm the ride will be a B&M Wing Rider model, similar to one currently under construction at sister park Gardaland, although we can still not confirm rumors as to if the seats will spin or not to add the "4D effect".

The ride will stand at an impressive 126 feet making it making it the 2nd tallest ride on park. From the plans we can see the ride will carry an "apocalyptic" theme where riders "Fly" through a crash scene and experience the full size replica themeing. In keeping with this theme the track will be painted a grey color with the supports being greeny-grey in color.

Being one of the first areas with new development for a reasonable period of time the area also has a series of ancillary buildings including themed toilets, retail outlets and a food and beverage unit. Due to the rides location a new bridge will also be constructed joining "Island C" with the rest of the park.

Storm Surge Build Update

Thorpe Park have released a new update of images of their new ride 2011 - Storm Surge. The update shows that vertical construction of the ride is now almost complete, and work on the surrounding area such as buildings is now underway.

Click Here to go to see our latest construction images.

2011 Annual Pass Day

Merlin have today confirmed that once again Thorpe Park will hold an official Annual Pass holders event, opening up the park exclusively to Pass Holders the weekend the park is scheduled to open on Sunday 13th March 2011.

Last years event was a great success with a full ride line up and short queueing times, the event went down a storm both enthusiasts and the general public. Merlin have said they will release further details such as times in the near future.

LC12

Project LC12.. We are pleased to exclusively announce the project name of the new 2012 roller-coaster! In a image sent to us by Thorpe Park (See below) the image carries the slogan "The End Is Coming" with a nuclear explosion in the background hinting at a possible theme for the ride.

The image also hints at a possible location of the ride, with Stealth located to the left, it could well suggest that the ride will be built on the new island located between the old Thorpe Farm and Stealth.

No other details are available, but when they are, we will release them here!

Let It Snow

Winter is here and the snow is (already!) falling, Thorpe Park have sent us a selection of wintery images from the park today to give us a look at the wintery scenes across the park!

2010 Season Over

Thorpe Park has closed its gates for the final time in 2010 marking the end of another hugely successful season for the park.

The 2010 season saw many improvements across the park, notably with Ride Reliability being the best its been in years, themeing fixed across the park and looking great once again.

We hope you enjoyed the season as much as we did, and dont forget to stay with TPM for the latest Storm Surge construction, along with more exciting news soon!

Storm Surge

Today Thorpe Park have revealed the new name, logo and theme of their new water ride due to open in Spring 2011!

"Storm Surge" will open in the Amity Cove area of the park replacing Octopus Garden with construction already well under way. The art work indicates the ride will also feature interactive elements, with water guns around the ride giving guests a chance to soak riders!

Fright Nights Approach

Fright Nights 2010 are fast approaching and preparations are well underway for the event. This year will boast a bigger than ever line up, with the return of The Asylum, Hellgate, Se7en, The Curse, and new for 2010 - Dead End - an all new Terror Zone where guests will enter a gruesome ride grave yard, who knows what will lurk around the corner!.

Check Back soon for a full review and images from this years event, which starts this Thursday (7th October) with a free preview for standard annual pass holders (Usual price £5)

Octopus Garden Shut

Octopus Garden's have now closed and work is well under way with the removal of the rides making way for the new 2011 water ride. See our gallery by Clicking Here for the latest images.

Octopus Garden Closes

Today (Sunday 5th September 2010) marked the final operating day of Octopus Garden, the area is being replaced by a new water ride due to open in 2011.

It is expected construction will commence soon, firstly with the removal of the 6 remaining rides in the area, following Slippery serpent, removed earlier in the year.

See below for images of Octopus Garden in its last moments of operation.

Coming Up Sun Scream

Sun Scream will once again be returning this summer and promises to be more extreme than ever! Following on from last year's success there are a number of new events taking place across the park this year during the event.

The Dr Pepper Stunt Show Head over to the arena to see the parks most extreme stunt show, there are sure to be plenty of extreme moves to make you wow.

The Pete Box In the Showcase Thorpe Park will be presenting "The Pete Box" ,an incredible human beat boxer who claims he will take you on a journey of real time music production. You will also have the chance to get involved and help orchestrate your very own beatbox songs with the man himself.

Soul Mavericks Head Stealth side and see the Soul Mavericks dance crew, busting their moves to the live Stealth DJ, and that's not all, why not take them on yourself and learn from the boys themselves in a dance stage battle.

And that's not all, right across the park there will be plenty of going on's from cheerleaders to American footballers! And if none of that interests you, don't forget the parks open until 8pm giving you the best chance to take on all the parks most extreme rides. So make sure you don't miss out and head down to Thorpe Park between the 21st and 31st August.

Adverts up

New adverts have been put up across the park for the new water ride due to open in the 2011 season replacing Octopus Gardens, See our galley page for images.

2011 Plans Released

Runnymede Borough council have released the plans submitted to them last week with Thorpe Parks latest plan to install a new water attraction at the park, replacing the existing Octopus Garden area to open in 2011. The ride will expand across the entire existing Octopus Garden area at 19m high.

Details on which area the ride will be in or theme are yet to officially confirmed.

See below for the plans which were submitted by Thorpe Park, These may take some time to download over a slow connection.

New for 2011

Today Thorpe Park have submited further details to the council with their plans to open a new water ride in 2011.

In line with the THORPE PARKs Medium Term Development Plan that was submitted early this month, application for full planning permission for a new water ride opening in 2011 has been submitted to the Runnymede Borough council.

At a height of 19.4metres, the new ride will be located in the area currently occupied by Octopus Garden and will help establish the Park within a very competitive industry, appealing to both our core audience of 16-34 year old thrill seekers and families.

Slippery Serpent Removal

On the evening of Tuesday 6th July, THORPE PARK started to remove Slippery Serpent from the Octopus Garden area of the Park.

The decision was made to close the attraction due to the fact that for a ride of its nature, Slippery Serpent had unrealistic maintenance costs and the ROI (return on investment) for the business was not viable.

"We are constantly researching and looking to develop our product offering and this removal ensures that we are continuing to develop the Park's overall objective to establish its brand positioning within the very competitive industry, as the nation's Thrill Capital. Any future developments can be found here on Thorpe Park Mania.

New Thorpe Park App

Thorpe Park have announced this week they have launched their very own dedicated iPhone app. The app named "THORPE PARK Official" is available free of charge from Apples App Store for iPhone and iPod touch users.

Full of features the app will be a valuable tool to anyone visiting the park with live updates on both ride availability and the latest queue times across the park.

Full Press release:

THORPE PARK, the nation's Thrill Capital, is the first European theme park to launch an official, dedicated iPhone App. As of today, THORPE PARK Official is available to download free of charge, from the App Store, for all iPhone and iPod Touch users. This easy-to-use, interactive application is designed to maximise guests' enjoyment on their day out by providing navigational tools, fun interactive games, promotional offers, information on rides and retail units, as well as live queue times - keeping them one step ahead of the crowds.

"This App enables THORPE PARK to take communication and interaction with our guests to a new level" said Vicki Smith, THORPE PARK's Marketing Director. "It's the perfect accompaniment to a visit to the Park providing navigation, information and insane fun at the guests' finger tips, helping them to maximise their enjoyment on a day out."

Sitting within the Entertainment category on the App Store, the application offers a variety of innovative features* to help guests make decisions prior to their visit, as well as keeping them entertained and informed while at the Park.

*Augmented Reality - Point and discover! Point the phone around the Park to see what's close by in regards to rides, restaurants and retail units. Plus check out live queue times digitally overlaid on top of what you see through the camera feature.

*Park Map - Interactive Park map shows guests their exact location in relation to the rides, food and retail units, cash points, toilets and lockers..all via the iPhone's GPS capability.

*Ride Information - Allows guests to see all the extreme thrills awaiting them on their favourite rides, as well as videos and photos to really get the adrenaline pumping in anticipation.

*Offers - With the introduction of Eagle Eye technology at the Park being implemented in the very near future, a later version of the App will provide guests with exclusive discounts and promotions to the Park as well as at the retail and food units.

*Insane Fun - Includes 'Find the Fathead' game, 'THORPE PARK Quiz', random facts, queue line games and more.

*Park Info - Providing information on THORPE PARK, including: opening times, upcoming events and directions to the Park.

GOALERCoaster

Thorpe Park are backing England this world cup campaign and claim to be flying the country's fastest St Georges Cross, turning Stealth, the parks signature ride into a "Goaler-Coaster"!

Not only that, the park have confirmed that during opening hours all the most important games will be shown live at the park, giving you the chance to enjoy the park without missing the footie!

Full press release:

THORPE PARK, the nation's Thrill Capital, have created the fastest England flag in the country by turning Stealth into an 80mph St George's Cross, preparing England supporters across the country for the World Cup and a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

From Friday 11th June, and for as long as Stevie G and the boys are still competing in the tournament, THORPE PARK are offering patriotic fans half price entry* when wearing official England replica shirts - giving them the chance to ride Stealth, one of Europe's fastest rollercoasters, and the country's fastest national flag.

Vicki Smith, Marketing Director said: 'We know how supporting England can feel like you're on a rollercoaster ride at times, so we're asking fans to substitute it for the real thing at THORPE PARK. Everyone at the Park is going football mad, we've even turned Stealth into our very own 'Goal-ercoaster'!

The team may be thousands of miles away, but supporters will feel every high and low, and with views of Wembley from the top of Stealth, THORPE PARK is a great place for fans to sport their shirts and support their team.'

With Capello's team starting the group stages on Saturday, fans are able to take advantage of half price entry to the Park in a bid to tackle some of Europe's most extreme rollercoasters. Kick off with the ten-looping Colossus, shoot from 0-80mph in under 2 seconds to the height of 205ft on Stealth and finish the hat-trick on Nemesis Inferno, the 4.5 G-Force experience. And if there's any extra time, England fans will be able to face their fears on the world's most terrifying rollercoaster, SAW - The Ride before braving SAW Alive, the world's most extreme live action horror maze.

After all that, the highs and lows of an England match won't seem so bad and with games being shown live at the Park**, there will be plenty of time to experience both the ups and downs of the match and the rollercoasters!

Car Park Charge

As of this week Thorpe Park will be charging for the use of their Car Parking facilities on park following on from successful tests of the system earlier in the week.

We believe that it will be an initial fee of £2 for cars and similar Alton Towers charge, free for all Annual pass holders.

Scream If you know the Answer

Filmed on some of Thorpe Park's terrifying rides and hosted by Duncan James Scream If You Know the Answer! is Watch's brand new, hair-raising, adrenaline-fuelled game show.

Imagine experiencing forces of a terrifying 5.5 Gs, whilst trying to hold down your dinner and answering questions all at the same time - is your stomach churning yet?

Each show features two contestants paired with a celebrity to form two teams. They will compete in a series of hilarious challenges all of which take part ON the rides themselves - for a potential prize pot of £5,000.

See the likes of Ben Shephard, Katie Price, Matt Willis and Suzanne Shaw (plus many more) as you've never seen them before - no one can look glamorous when hurtling at 115mph in the air!

Scream if You Know the Answer! will feature a wide selection of extreme games, including: "Retch-A-Sketch", a hilarious drawing game which sees both team members riding together in a bid to win points; "Easier Said than Spun", where contestants describe objects for the celebs to guess while enduring 5Gs on the notorious Samurai or Slammer rides. The tasks are simple - but trying to complete them whilst upside down and moving at high speed is another thing!

It's an adrenalin packed programme with lots of twists and turns - a must see for all thrill seekers.

Starts 7pm, Sunday 2nd May, EXCLUSIVELY on Watch (Sky 109, Virgin Media 124)

Peter Andre Live

Thorpe Park have announced that Peter Andre will be performing LIVE at Thorpe Park on 23rd May 2010, he will be joined by 'X Factor sensation Lucie Jones' and Flawless will be heading back to the park to show off more of their legendary dance moves!

Tickets are available from £28 on the Thorpe Park Website by Clicking Here, along with seeing your favourite stars perform, ticket holders will get 1 hour ERT (Extended Ride Time) on the parks most thrilling attractions, Saw - The Ride, Stealth, Colossus and Nemesis Inferno!

Cirque Du Freak

Thorpe Park have announced a new event for Easter 2010, "Cirque Du Freak" which will run between the 2nd and 5th April 2010. The event will feature insane shows throughout the day, from insane aerial shows to twisted contortionists and dark mind readers!

And if that's not enough, Britain's Got Talent stars, "Flawless" will take the stage in the Arena showing off some of their most inspirational dance acts! To make sure you don't miss out on any of the fun Thorpe Park have extended opening hours for these dates, opening at 9:30 and staying open right the way through till 7:00pm giving you plenty of chance to have a fun filled day!

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Park Open for 2010

Thorpe Park has now officially opened its gates for the 2010 season, opening its brand new all year round horror maze Saw Alive, A new horror experience themed around the 6 series of the Saw franchise. Along with this as we reported in our last update a series of other improvements across the park.

Dont forget to let us know what you think on the Mania Hub Forums!

2010 Starts Here

Thorpe Park opened its gates to Annual Pass holders today to give us all an exclusive peak at the park before opening to the public on Thursday and we were there to bring you an exciting update!

As you already know, for 2010 the park has undergone a huge rebranding, love it or hate it there's no denying the park has clearly spent a lot of money, and it does show with much signage across the entire park being replaced to either fit in with the new brand, or just to neaten things up with gets a big thumbs up from us!

Along with this, from walking around you can tell a lot of time has gone into freshening up the park, the entire park has been "de-gummed" over the closed period, theming, which is often a hot subject between the parks biggest fans has been worked on, replaced and looking nice and fresh again. It's also nice to see many buildings and rides across the park have been repainted, giving the park a real fresh feel as you walk around.

But we don't expect you to take our word for it! Take a look below from photos from the weekend!

On Park Update

Thorpe Park invited us on park for an exclusive preview of the upcoming 2010 season and we a pleased to bring you a photo update from the day! The most noticeable changes have taken place in the Admissions area of the park, it has been entirely repainted and all signs around the area have been replaced and updated with the new park brand. Saw Alive - Thorpe Parks new live action horror maze is now in place and the area, themed to Saw fits in well with the area and looks like it will be a good addition to the parks line up.

There have also been changes on park, many areas and rides have had a lick of paint or have had some work to improve the presentation, the parks audio system has been worked on and is sounding as good as ever, new theming has also appeared, most notably in the way of a huge shark being erected at Amity Cove KFC!

Click Here to see our closed season archive for all the images from the day!

Annual Pass Day 2010

Today Thorpe Park confirmed it will be holding an Annual Pass day on Sunday 14th March 2010, this will give annual pass holders an exclusive opportunity to experience Saw Alive, the brand new live horror maze opening on the Thorpe Belle this year.

Thorpe Park have stated on their official facebook page they expect all rides to be in operation, and that annual pass holders have a chance to bring up to 2 friends who are not annual pass holders, for a fee of £15 each. The park will be open from 10:00 - 17:00

Saw Alive Update

Today Thorpe Park have sent us a photo update on the construction on Saw Alive, The parks new live action horror maze opening in the 2010 season. As you can see from the images, like Saw - The Ride we can look forward to a high standard of theming detail throughout the attraction.

New Site Out

This week Thorpe Park released phase 1 of their brand new website for the upcoming 2010 season. The site has been redesigned by Semantic, who have a long history building high quality websites for the park in years gone by.

The site features a whole new branding image for the New Year, with a huge concentration on the parks target audience, Thrill Seekers in a nicely designed clean and easy to use layout. The site is due to be updated with more information on the upcoming season in the next couple of months in the run up to the new season!

Take a look for yourself on www.thorpepark.com.

New 2010 Annual Pass

Today Merlin released details of its new annual passes released for the 2010 season. This year we see two types of Annual Passes, a Standard Annual Pass (Priced at £150) and a Premium Annual Pass (Priced at £200).

This year we see new benefits including unlimited coke capsule refills for only £10 for the entire season at selected attractions & 50% off entry to the International Merlin Attractions.

Snow 2010

Whilst the snow is causing chaos up and down the country, it's looking very pretty at Thorpe Park and we are pleased to present you with a selection of images taken from within the park this morning under a fresh layer of snow!

In addition, look out for the image of Saw -Alive, the new horror maze opening at Thorpe Park in 2010 which is currently being themed.

Saw Alive Concept Art

Today Thorpe Park have sent us a new concept art image showing Saw Alive - The new live action horror maze opening in 2010.

The image shows the re-themed Thorpe Belle which will house the attraction along with some general theming around the area, similar to Saw - The Rides.

We look forward to bringing you more exclusive information and images from Saw Alive in the new year!

Saw Alive Plans

This month Thorpe Park submitted its plans for Saw Alive to Runnymede Borough Council, giving us an insight of just some of what's to come in the new year.

The plans show the completed path to the existing Saw - The Ride island, along with the plans for the horror maze's queue line which also looks to feature some theming to fit in with the Saw theme. The plans also confirm the much speculated location of the maze, which will be on The Thorpe Belle, which has been un-used for over a year since the education centre moving.

2009 Season Ends

After another successful season, Today, THORPE PARK closed its gates for the last time in 2009, marking the end of the season.

We look forward to 2010 where we see Saw - Alive - An all year round live action horror maze opening in Spring 2010!

Remember to check back on Thorpe Park Mania for all the latest information as we start the countdown to open day 2010!

SAW Alive Details

Earlier this week Thorpe Park Mania were the first to reveal the news we have all been awaiting, what we will see new for 2010 - SAW Alive, a brand new all year round horror maze, and today THORPE PARK have released further details on the new attraction for 2010.

With the huge success of SAW - The Ride, which launched in March 2009, THORPE PARK has seen visitor numbers increase significantly against 2008, despite the global economic downturn. Today, the nation's Thrill Capital has announced they will launch SAW Alive, a year round live action horror maze, in Spring 2010 to firmly establish themselves as the ultimate theme park experience for thrill seekers.

Based on Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures' SAW movies, the most popular horror film franchise in history, SAW Alive will be the world's most extreme horror attraction and with the latest installment in the series, SAW VI, premiered on Friday 23rd October, THORPE PARK will be inviting visitors to 'Face Your Fears' in their new terrifying attraction next year.

Like the films, SAW Alive will test the nerve of all who dare enter it and visitors will be at the mercy of the series' master manipulator, Jigsaw. THORPE PARK's year round live action horror maze will be the first of its kind at a theme park that does not only focus around the Halloween period, and will feature six iconic scenes from the six films released to date. The attraction will also incorporate a photo opportunity to capture terrified guests as they're subjected to the horror of the maze.

Mike Vallis, Divisional Director of THORPE PARK comments, "THORPE PARK has seen incredible growth year-on-year since the Park was repositioned 5 years ago as the nation's Thrill Capital - through our programme of regular and continued investment in our thrilling rides, attractions and events."

Marketing Director of THORPE PARK Vicki Smith says, "SAW Alive is definitely only for the brave, and coupled with SAW - The Ride, the new attraction will add an extremely thrilling edge to an already adrenaline packed breadth of thrills on offer. We're certain the SAW theme will send heart beats pumping and will satisfy the appetite of those in search of the ultimate live action experience."

"Anybody who has sat through a SAW film terrified beyond belief will have some idea of what's in store for them at THORPE PARK as SAW Alive is going to be shocking and intense to really enhance the experience they will get alongside SAW - The Ride. We have worked closely with Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures on this project to ensure total accuracy of the key elements of the SAW films."

Lionsgate UK COO Guy Avshalom added, "As the SAW brand continues to grow we are very happy to be extending our relationship with THORPE PARK with SAW Alive. With the recent release of SAW VI and the success of SAW - The Ride we are delighted that SAW Alive will allow the fans of the franchise to experience fear on a new level. This is an exciting time for SAW fans nationwide."

SAW ALIVE 2010

Are you ready to FACE YOUR FEARS and enter a new dimension of SAW? Coming Spring 2010 an ALL NEW SAW experience, SAW ALIVE. A brand new walk through horror maze experience for you to enter. Are you ready for SAW ALIVE?

After much speculation regarding the upcoming 2010 season Thorpe Park Mania can confirm that we will see a new horror maze opening in the park in Spring 2010, "SAW - ALIVE HORROR MAZE".

Fright Nights Return

So you thought the games were over? You were wrong. Fright Nights is back for 2009 and scarier than ever with the all new Saw: The Ride comes alive! Experience Saw like you've never experienced it before, as Jigsaw gets set to take the game to a whole new level. You'll have to face your fears all over again as you enter the new live action horror queue line, the first of its kind. Come face to face with Jigsaw's accomplices, and watch in horror as his sickening traps spring into action.

And in true Saw fashion, just when you thought the games were over, it's time for level 2 with Saw: Movie bite. Get ready to squirm and scream at some of the most gut wrenching and sickening scenes from Saw play to those who dare to watch. Strictly not for the faint hearted, and under 18's.

If that hasn't got your pulse racing then maybe The Aslyum, HellGate, The Curse, and Se7en will, as they return for more. Expect all new twists and turns that are guaranteed to have you running for the door; if you can find it.

It's a whole new park after dark.

Don't forget Thorpe Park Mania will be there this Sunday (18th October) for our Annual Fright Nights meetup. Come along for the ride, if you dare, if not, check back on Thorpe Park Mania for a full review of this years event!

Stealth ERT Announced For ManiaHub

Join us on the 3rd of October when Thorpe Park Mania goes 'Stealth side'. For a full half hour Stealth will be closed to the public so TPM members can enjoy reduced queuing times on the park's signature ride, Stealth!

If that's not got you firing on all cylinders then maybe the chance to meet new people with the same interests will. People of all ages and size* are welcome, so feel free to come along for the ride.

If you wish to attend this exclusive ride session, then head on over to the Mania Hub forums and post in the trip topic.

*height restrictions apply.

2009 Fright Nights Prep

Studios North are on park and preparations for the 2009 Fright Nights are already well underway! The walls at The Asylum have been constructed, along with the attractions sign and entrance into the maze, cleaning is also being undertaken throughout

Sun Scream Over

Along with the sunny weather, Thorpe Parks new summer event Sun SCREAM is now coming to an end. Sun SCREAM bought to the park a number of additional attractions along with extended park opening hours. Here we will look back at what the event offered...

No More BO

The summer has finally arrived, and to tackle the hot weather, Thorpe Park have said No to BO!
From tomorrow, THORPE PARK will be banning vistors from riding their star attractions with their hands in the air when temperatures top 25oC in a bid to crack down on summer B.O. complaints as terrified Brits sweat it out in queue lines of the Park's big rides.

Sun Scream

Thorpe Park has released the latest details of its new summer event for 2009 "Sun SCREAM" sponsored by Dr Pepper.
The event will see a series of attractions, including:

Moto-X Daredevils The extreme Moto-X Show returns to Thorpe Park between the 22nd and 31st August, where you will be blown away by some of the most spectacular deaf defying stunts, which claims to put Thorpe Park's biggest thrill seekers to shame!

Festival Vibes Weekends throughout August Thorpe Park will host performances by a variety of acts, which will be sure to ensure a great atmosphere across the park!

What's the worst that could happen? Thorpe Park will give you the chance to compete against fellow thrill seekers in a series of exciting and nerve-wracking rounds for your claim to fame and be crowned champion!

Along with that, the Fungineers will return to the park throughout August, this crazy team of characters will be around the park, to make sure the maximum fun is had by all! The EA hub will also return to the park, giving you the chance to play the latest games on the latest technology such as PS3's and Xbox 360's. The park will be open till 8:00pm throughout August ensuring you have the maximum time to experience all the park has on offer!

May Head Rush

Head Rush kicked off for the second time this year, retuning by popular demand for May Half Term. The show includes a host of death defying stunts, including a world record breaking 75ft jump.

Along with this, on Sunday 24th May, THORPE PARK celebrated it's 30th Birthday!
Check our our pictures from May's Head Rush event below.

Head Rush Returns

Today Thorpe Park have announced that the "Head Rush" event will return to the park for the upcoming May half term. The event features extreme show, featuring a display of aerial acrobatics and thrilling crowds with death-defying 75ft back flips!

Quote from Merlin News Letter:

"Back by popular demand, Head Rush is returning to THORPE PARK for May Half-Term from Saturday 23rd to Sunday 31st May for X-treme stunts and X-treme rides!

Get ready to experience an intense mix of Moto X stunts as three of Britain's top freestyle Moto X riders, Dan Whitby, Jamie Squibb and John Pearson will be performing an awesome display of aerial acrobatics and thrilling crowds with death-defying 75ft back flips!

And if that's not enough, prepare for extreme thrills as you test your nerve on the world's most terrifying rollercoaster SAW - The Ride, as well as the Park's 'Unholy Trinity' of Stealth, Nemesis Inferno and Colossus."

Head Rush 2009

Yesterday marked the end of 'Head Rush' 2009 and what a spectacular event it was!

Ramped up for 2009 an intense mix of Moto X riders, inline skaters and BMXers performed an awesome display of aerial acrobatics and thrilled crowds with 75ft back flips. The main show was located in the park's arena where five shows were put on throughout the day. Flares, fireworks, flame jets and loud music accompanied the shows adding real excitement! A big screen was also in place for spectators to view the action from every angle including the landing ramp and even on one of the Moto X rider's heads!

THORPE PARK has really raised the bar for next years 'Head Rush' event and we can't wait to see what the park has in store next!

Tuesday 31st March 2009

Saw - The Ride has been open a few weeks now, and has received raving reviews from those who have rode the ride..

The theming inside the building is incredible, with an exceptionally high attention to detail inside the building. Saw - The Rides advertising campaign is also now under full swing, with TV and Radio adverts being regularly played. Click here to watch the full TV Advert!. We thought for our last update from the following of the ride construction we would treat you to some spectacular images from every aspect of the ride.

We hope you have enjoyed following the construction of Saw - The Ride on Thorpe Park Mania!

Main Season Begins

On Saturday 14th March 2009 Thorpe Parks full season begun where Saw - The Ride was unleashed to the public. Unfortunately, due to a technical difficulty suffered, Saw - The Ride's opening was short lived and closed on Saturday and remained closed until Monday 16th March 2009 to which THORPE PARK responded with the following:

"THORPE PARK would like to apologise to anyone disappointed by the minor technical faults that have occurred over the opening weekend and would like people to be rest assured that we have a commitment to getting the ride running again as quickly as possibly. Gerstlauer have been onsite all weekend to rectify the problem and SAW - The Ride opened up this morning (Monday 16th March 2009)."

With full season opening, this meant a number of attractions reopened for the year including Rumba Rapids, Samurai and Canada Creek Railway, each with various visible improvements which have been carried out over the closed period.
Stealth, Loggers Leap and Slammer are also still undergoing their annual maintenance and are expected to open soon, Remember to check www.thorpepark.com for the latest availability updates.

Friday 13th March 2009

Today Saw - The Ride opened to guests for the first time with its Annual Pass event. Theming around the ride is incredible.

Expect a full review and many more high quality pictures from the day later this evening. Many thanks to ride-guide.co.uk for the supplied images.

Thursday 12th March 2009

Thorpe Park opened its gates to coaster clubs from across the world, to try out Saw - The Ride before opening to the public on Saturday 14th March.. Unfortunately all didnt go to plan!

Saw - The Ride, was unfortunately unable to open due to a technical fault it suffered the night before. But, Thorpe Park still opened up the area for us to get a up close for the first time of some of the amazing theming which has been put up around the area. Saw - The Ride is planned to open for Annual Pass day tomorrow on Friday 13th March 2009.

Open Day Countdown

With the Ultimate thrill chill now over, the countdown has begun to the parks full open day on Saturday 14th March 2009, where Saw - The Ride will open to guests for the first time. Along with Saw - The Ride, we will also from next week see a full selection of rides open, and work is well underway for the final 5 closed days till November!

Slammer has had its tops put back on, Tidal Wave has started to fill up and Stealth has had its cables put back on. Samurai, has been rebuilt, along with its and Colossus's queue lines receiving much needed extensions. Rides such as Nemesis Inferno and Detonator have received new signs keeping presentation around the park top notch ready for opening.

We look forward to full park opening, along with the opening of Saw - The Ride!

Competition now closed

We would like to thank you all for the over-whelming response received from you for the competition to ride Saw - The Ride on Thursday 12th March 2009. The competition is now closed, and winners will be contacted shortly so make sure you keep an eye on your inbox's! Thanks again for all your entries!

Sunday 8th March 2009

Today work was being carried out on the theming elements of the ride including the huge Saws above the first drop creating the head chopper effect.

Today we saw a look at some of the rides impressive theming in action, after work being carried out on them throughout the day, Saw's head chopper blades were spinning later in the day, along with the police car's lights and the flickering entrance sign lights.

Saturday 7th March 2009

We are now in the final stages of construction, the area has been cleared of most machinery and work to clean up for opening has started.

Since our last update a few more themed signs have been put up around the area, the ride was testing, sound effects from the ride could be heard which included a police siren and Jigsaw's Laugh.. We look forward to riding on Thursday!

Let the games begin

SAW - The Ride, the world's first ever horror movie themed rollercoaster, launches to the public on 14th March 2009 We are delighted to be able to offer you the opportunity to face your fears on Saw - The Ride, and ride it with the mania hub team before the launch on Thursday 12th March 2009 from 2:00pm till 3:00pm.

To be in with a chance to take up this opportunity, we want you to tell us in less than 150 words why we should invite you. Please email all entries to sawpreview@maniahub.com before 6:00pm Sunday evening, including your Name, Contact Email and Age. There are limited spaces available. Winners will be independently chosen. Let the games begin..

Annual Pass Day

THORPE PARK today released details of an Annual Pass day, giving annual pass holders an exclusive opportunity to face your fears on Saw - The Ride on Friday 13th March, before the official park opening on March 14th 2009.

Along with Saw - The Ride, THORPE PARK will also be opening a selection of additional rides, including Colossus, Rush, Zodiac, Quantum and Vortex.

Pre-Booking is essential, so to guarantee your seat on Saw - The Ride, you must book in advance, Click Here for more information.

Opening Preparation

With full park opening in less than 2 weeks now, work is well underway on site to prepare the park, getting it ready for open day.

There has been work across the park over the past closed week, with a lot of work going into presentation across the park, work carried out includes Vortex and Detonators platforms being repainted, Tidal Waves splash pool being repainted, along with the recently refurbished bridge being repainted to make sure it still fits in with the Amity Cove theming. Colossus's fountain has also been turned back on and is in the process of being cleaned out. The parks landscaping team have been busy, with many areas around the park being cut back, neatened up in preparation for the new season. The Flying Fish has also now opened to add to the Ultimate Thrill Chill line up.

Don't forget to check out our Saw - The Ride update by Clicking here!

Sunday 1st March 2009

There has been much progress on the site since our last update, theming has been worked on around the whole area including the rides Shop and Entrance Signage.

Themeing has continued on site, the entrance sign has been put up, aswell as the rides future shop themed. A cage walk though has been erected on the path towards the ride to protect guests from falling objects. Various signs have been put up, and waiting to be put up around the queue line and area.

Sunday 22nd February 2009

Work has continued on theming elements around the ride, including the plaza area and queue lines.

As you can see from the pictures, there has been much progress in the last few days. Signage has been put up at the entrance, which also reveals that there will be live actors in the queue line, also a Police car has appeared on site. Work on access to the rides island has been worked on. Barbed wire has also been put up on top of the chain link queue line.

Park Improvements

With THORPE PARK now open, we are able to take a look at some of the smaller improvements which have been carried out on park for this year. It is obvious that much detail has gone into the parks general presentation, with rides around the park receiving work to improve their general presentation.

As you can see from the pictures, X:\ No Way Out entrance has been totally repainted; along with this the queue line and exit have been re-cladded and repainted. Tidal Wave is also currently receiving some work, with its station being repainted and metal work around the ride being blasted and cleaned of rust which has built up over the years. Neptune’s Kingdom has also been worked on with signs repainted and replaced where necercery.

With just under a month left until full park opening, we look forward to seeing what else is in store for us for the new season.

Tuesday 17th February 2009

With THORPE PARK now open, we are able to see the fast pace of the continuing work on Saw - The Ride

Work is currently being carried out on more of the rides theming, along with the rides future plaza, block paving and brick work is currently being laid across the site, along with fencing around the island. Work on the rides future queue line has also progressed.

Saturday 14th February

With THORPE PARK opening its gates for the first day of the season, we saw more of what's to come from Saw - The ride..

As you can see from the pictures, the station theming, along with q lines and ride theming has been worked on.

Open day report

After a long and cold closed season, THORPE PARK today re-opened its gates for the first day of the 2009 season kicking off with the Ultimate Thrill Chill Event!

Despite the cold weather many turned up, but unfortunately the cold weather also brought limited ride availability with few rides available at park opening, but with temperatures steadily rising, ride availability improved with most rides open by 12pm. Queues around the park were minimal, helped with rides running closer to full capacity than previous years such as Nemesis Inferno running 2 train operation.

It was obvious that around the park much effort has been put in to make things look fresh and new for the new season, this included Nemesis Inferno with the trains nicely cleaned up and gleaming again, Tidal Wave, with the station in the middle of being fully repainted and the bridge being blasted and neatened up. X:\ No Way Out was also on the receiving end of some TLC with the Entrance and bag room being repainted, the Q line has also been worked on with the walls being re-built and the floor being repainted making it look much smarter for the new season.

With full park opening fast approaching, work is being carried out on the remaining attractions which are yet to open, along with Saw – The Ride which is looking great Click here for more information .

Friday 6th February 2009

Today THORPE PARK have gave us more of a peek at whats to come from Saw - The Ride!

In the latest picture from THORPE PARK we are able to see some of the exceptional detail going into the rides theming and surrounding area.

Monday 2nd February 2009

In our latest Saw - The Ride update we see the latest developments, under 6 inches of snow!

As you can see in the pictures, much progress as been made on the ride Queue Lines, along with the exterior Station theming. We also get a glimpse at the themed test seat waiting to be installed.

Snow Days

With Thorpe Park's opening now only ten days away, to help whet your appetite, the park has sent Thorpe Park Mania, pictures of a very snowy park.
Enjoy!

Friday 30th January 2009

Saw - The Ride testing is now in full swing, and we are pleased to bring you pictures from that today!

Our latest set of pictures show the highly detailed ride cars around various sections around the track.

Saw The Ride Testing

Thorpe Park Mania exclusively reveal the very first footage of Saw - The Ride Testing...

Rumoured to be filmed during the rides very first test runs on December 13th 2008, here we exclusively unveil footage of Saw - The Ride testing.

Please remember to Digg it and spread the word.

Saw - The Ride Testing!

Thorpe Park Mania exclusively reveal the very first footage of Saw - The Ride Testing...

Rumoured to be filmed during the rides very first test runs on December 13th 2008, here we exclusively unveil footage of Saw - The Ride testing.

Fungle Safari Removal

Speculation regarding the future of Miss Hippos Fungle Safari was today settled, when THORPE PARK confirmed to us that the ride will be removed from the park for the 2009 season.

Opening back in the early 90's the ride is almost 20 years old, what with the parks audience changing dramatically in that time along with rising costs, the decision was made to remove the ride.

Friday 9th January 2009

Happy New Year from Thorpe Park Mania! In our first update from the year we see an exclusive peak at the new ride cars

Our latest set of pictures from Saw - The Ride construction coverage shows 2 images taken of the rides Cars. You can see in the images the cars will feature both the THORPE PARK logo and Saw - The ride logo, along with blood spats along the side.

Ultimate Thrill Chill 09

Today Thorpe Park have released the latest information about the returning Ultimate Thrill Chill event in 2009. The park will open on Saturday 14th February.The event is primarily marketed to Thrill Seekers prepared to brave the cold to take on Thorpe Parks most thrilling rides for the first time this year, meaning the majority of rides available are the thrill rides, including Stealth, Colossus, Rush and Vortex.

Tickets will cost just �20 on the day, and �16.50 when booked online in advance. If you manage to book online before the 13th February, one adult ticket will cost just �15.

Current ride lineup:
Nemesis Inferno
Colossus
Rush
Detonator
Vortex
X:\No Way Out
Zodiac
Quantum
Time Voyagers
Mr Monkey's Banana Ride
Chief Rangers Carousel
Octopus Garden

For further information see www.thorpepark.com

2009 Season

The official Thorpe Park website has been refreshed and re-launched today, giving us the latest information regarding the upcoming 2009 season! The park will open for the annual "Ultimate Thrill Chill" event on Saturday 14th February 2009, remaining open until Sunday 22nd February, and will then remain open weekends leading up to the official season opening on Saturday March 14th 2009.

Along with this Thorpe Park have revealed the latest prices for the season. Entry to the park will cost �35 on the day, and �24 online, meaning a saving of over 30% when booking online. Merlin Annual Pass prices have also increased and will cost �150 for a new pass and �100 for a renewal. A Thorpe Park annual pass is �68.

For further information see www.thorpepark.com

Tuesday 23rd December 2008

In our latest on-site update, we can see more progress on theming, along with a first look Canada Creek Railway testing..

Friday 12th December 2008

For the first time, Today THORPE PARK have shown us just a glimpse of just what we can expect from Saw - The Rides theming

The Origin of Dylan

Whilst the enthusiast community and general public awaited the name announcement for the 2009 coaster at THORPE PARK, many speculated on the meaning and relevance of the project name, especially after the last major coaster instalment kept its name, Stealth.

We can now reveal that the name Dylan has no relevance at all, and the project was named after the Marketing Director's cat, Dylan.

Stealth inherited its project name after continuous searching and deliberating of the possibilities, not one suggestion lived up to the name that the Park had all become accustomed to calling the ride. Due to this, the project team wanted to have a name that would be completely random and irrelevant. The first 'off-the-cuff', irreverent thought that came up was of The Magic Roundabout. From there it was decided to name the project after one of the characters...it just so happened that the Marketing Director's cat also had the same name as one of them...Dylan, decision made!


Cat Fact File

Name: Dylan
Description: Ginger, stripy cat
Manufacturer: Moggie
Born: 2002
From: Battersea Dogs and Cats Home
Max Speed: 30mph
Max Height: 1ft (ish)
Max Drop: Depends how he feels, but he always lands on his feet.

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Coaster Fact File

Name: Project Dylan
Description: Euro-Fighter
Manufacturer: Gerstlauer
Born: 2008
From: Munich, Germany
Max Speed: TBC
Max Height: 100ft
Max Drop: 100°

Saw The Ride Renderings

We are pleased to bring you the very latest from Thorpe Parks new roller-coaster, Saw - The Ride. Here we see renderings of Saw - The Ride's Station, and a Stairwell within the ride's building. As you can see, there has been huge attention paid to every detail for the themeing planned.

Saw The Ride Update

Thorpe Park Mania are pleased to exclusively unveil the latest pictures from Thorpe Parks latest ride, Saw - The Ride.

In this update, we get our first chance to get a proper look at the fully erected track behind Samurai. Click here to view the update.

Wednesday 19th November 2008

We are pleased to once again bring you another update, right from Saw - The Ride's construction site!

THORPE PARK Q and A

Thorpe Park Mania are pleased to unveil a feature to TPM "Questions to THORPE PARK"! This will give you an exclusive opportunity to submit your questions, directly, and THORPE PARK endeavour to answer as many as they can!

To make use of this exclusive opportunity, you must first be a member on our Forum, From there, you can submit the questions you have allways wanted to ask to the park in the "Questions to THORPE PARK" forum!

2008 Season Ends

The Thorpe Park 2008 season drew to an end yesterday hosting its annual Thorpe Blast event. The event consisted of loud party music being pumped out replacing the rides general theme, which created an amazing party atmosphere leading up to the spectacular Firework Display, once again hosted across the lake with fireworks set to this years latest songs, which in many people's opinions, was a better display than last years!

Thorpe Blast Returns

Thorpe Blast returns with a bang to Thorpe Park! Between Friday 7th November and Sunday 9th November, Thorpe Park will be lighting up the sky's with their annual Firework Display! The display, which is set over the lake features some of this years most popular songs,

Including:
Sonny J - Can't Stop Moving
Utah Saints - Something Good is Going to Happen
Take That - Rule the World
Fat Boy Slim - Right Here Right Now
The Prodigy - Firestarter

And if Fireworks are not your thing, rides will be open until 8:00pm so you can enjoy all your favourite rides, in the dark!

Book now at www.thorpepark.com to avoid disappointment!

Fright Night 2008 Ends

Now Fright Nights 2008 has drawn to a close, Ian and Marc of Thorpe Park Mania take a look back at what has been without a doubt one of the more eventful Fright Nights in recent years.

We are Recruiting

Thorpe Park Mania and Maniahub are currently recruiting several new team members. For this we have created a new dedicated mini-site, which will show all current and future team vacancies for Maniahub.

Sunday 2nd November 2008

Saw - The Ride's huge station framework is now complete, only now are we able to see the huge scale of the rides Station Building

SAW The Ride

Today, in the latest instalment of Project Dylan videos , THORPE PARK have unveiled Saw - The Ride, claimed to be the worlds scariest ride yet!

Press Release:

The UK's thrill-capital, THORPE PARK, leading next generation film studio LIONSGATE (NYSE: LGF) and TWISTED PICTURES today announced that they will launch SAW - The Ride, the world's first ever horror movie-themed rollercoaster, in Spring 2009. Based on Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures "Saw" franchise, the most profitable horror franchise in movie history, SAW - The Ride is the scariest ride in the world. The latest installment in the series, 'Saw V,' premieres on Friday 24th October, and THORPE PARK will be inviting visitors to 'Face Your Fears' on their new terrifying attraction next year.

Thursday 9th October 2008

The Project Dylan track has now been completed. In our latest update you can see the rides exciting layout which features many tight twists and turns.

Monday 29th September 2008 - Onsite!

This update shows the completed Vertical lift hill and 100 degree beyond vertical drop in all its glory.

TPM Official

Thorpe Park Mania is happy to announce that we are now the 'Official THORPE PARK Fansite'. This is an excellent opportunity for the Park to reach out to its fans of which they have a shown a strong interest in doing so as of late, with events such as 'Behind the Loops' for its most dedicated fans.

Tower Complete

Today the most iconic part of Thorpes new thrill machine was completed, the beyond vertical drop.

Friday 26th September 2008

We are pleased to bring you some more shots right from the Project Dylan construction site this afternoon.

Back on the Dylan Site

We're very pleased to bring you another update, from the Project Dylan construction site. As we can see, the loop is now completed, as well as half the lift hill tower. Thanks to Thorpe Park for the photos.

Tuesday 23rd September 2008

In todays update you can see more progress on the rides 2nd Inversion, which now is almost completed and will shortly be disappearing out of view into Canada Creek behind Samurai.

More Loop Action

You're spoilt, yet another update! Martin has sent in some more pictures of the loop that went up today, in ultra Hi Res, wallpaper size.Enjoy, and thanks Martin!

Dylan Loop

Today the Immelman loop was completed. The ride is now really starting to take shape, pictures below.

Dylan On Site

Today Thorpe Park Mania is very happy to present some exclusive on site photographs, supplied by Thorpe Park! The photos show the track up close and personal as well as in depth look onto the construction site. We can see what will eventually be the bottom of the lift hill, lifting pieces into place, the lift hill motor, and an assortment of other track goodness. Take a look below, or on our Project Dylan Mini Site.

Exclusive

Today Thorpe Park Mania is very happy to present some exclusive on site photographs, supplied by Thorpe Park!

The Curse

After a long wait Thorpe Park have unveiled their new scare attraction for this years Fright Nights. The new maze is titled "The Curse" and will be positioned on Neptune's Kingdom. The maze will be accessed via Amity Cove, as the ride is based around a ship wrecked on the isles of Amity.

2009 Statement

On the 13th of August, a shocking development was made on the development site of Thorpes new roller coaster, involving a metallic box, and the disappearance of blue prints for the ride. The source and the contents of the box is currently unknown, but an internal investigation was immediately implemented. We cannot disclose details of the device activated when the box was opened, however a number of items were found inside, a key, a photo of an unknown individual, and this note:

2009 - Statement

It's that time of the month once again, the 13th, meaning THORPE PARK has once again released a new, rather cryptic, video. The whole video is centered around a statement issued by Peter Ronchetti, the parks Divisional Director. The statement reads as follows:

Zero G Complete

Today the Zero G section of Project Dylan has been completed. It's taken only 3 days to erect what you see so far.

Fright Night Update

More work is visible around the park as they prepare for Fright Nights starting on the 13th October 2008! Since our last update, showing the fully cleared smaller side of the beach, the floor has been laid and planked out for the attraction, covering almost the whole of the small beach. There was also work being carried out on Hell Gate, with a Studios North van parked out side the attraction.

Thursday 11th September 2008

Construction has really stepped up a gear now with track being put up and delivered at a rapid rate!

Fright Night Preparation

Preparation is now well under way for Thorpe Parks annual Fright Night event. One side of the beach has been cleared of sand and the slides removed from the pool, for what we understand to be the new attraction for this year, a 4th horror maze. The Asylum exit has been constructed with a new themed exit for the attraction. It has also been confirmed that the event will once again be sponsored by Fanta.

Sunday 19th September 2008

The huge slab foundation for the station has made alot of progress since our last update, and as you can tell from pictures, its going to be one huge station. There is also a deep underground part to the foundation but its not clear what this will be for yet. Other foundations have also started to be constructed, around the station area and behind Samurai.

Behind the Loops

Thorpe Park today emailed the winners of its "Behind the loops" competition. The latest competition from the park was an opportunity for fan boys and girls alike to be taken 'behind the loops' and see backstage of the park. Winners also have the opportunity for a question and answers session with the management. All you had to do was describe in under 200 words or less, why you should be taken 'behind the loops'.

Mobile Zone

This week Thorpe Park unveiled their new 'Mobile Phone' service in association with EA Games, titled "THORPE PARK MOBILE ZONE". The Mobile Phone application is a full park guide, reviewing the vast majority of the parks rides, along with information on park photography, eating and shopping and tickets. The application also sell's some of the latest chart ringtones, games and other content which is not directly associated with the park.The application also contains an instant messenger supporting the most popular messenger clients such as MSN and Google Talk, which the park say is for "to chat with your friends at the park". To download this application on your phone Thorpe Park have posted instructions on their website.
Charges apply for select content apply. Normal operator charges will also apply for connection to the service via GPRS/Edge.

Sunday 17th August 2008

Progress continues on the Dylan site, pile drivers are on-site which will be used to create the deep foundations required for the ride. Work has also been ongoing on the future station for the ride, and a future access route from the Colossus area.

Video Series: Discovery

Today Thorpe Park released a new video, in what appears to be the first of many to come.

Saturday 9th August 2008

Work has progressed on the huge foundations for the rides station, which is also currently being filled with concrete, Along with this, there has been a steady stream of new materials arriving on the site.

2009: Discovery

Today was the big day in many fans eyes, the 13.08.08, which Thorpe Park in a previous video posted had stated something would occur. Today they released a new video, in what appears to be the first of many to come.

August Action

This summer Thorpe Park is holding a feast of events between the dates of the 8th and the 24th of August. Read below for a breakdown of the summer festivities.

Saturday 26th July 2008

Little has changed since the last update, ground work is continuing on the future station area of the ride including the huge foundations being buried into the ground. Work is also continuing on the new access routes to the ride. More material has arrived on site for future foundation construction.

Sunday 20th July 2008

Ground work continues on the Project Dylan site, much focus is around the area of the future station with the early stages of footers and huge foundations being created. Infilling is also continuing near colossus, which will be a future access route to the ride. See the pictures below for all the latest from today.

Official trailer

Today Thorpe Park released a sneak preview of their upcomming roller-coaster on their official YouTube account. The video has a very dark feel to it. "You survived Stealth. Conquered Colossus. Defeated Nemesis Inferno. But nothing can prepare you. In spring 2009 everything is going to change. The countdown has begun. 13.08.08." So looks like we have an opening, spring 2009. What will happen on 13.08.08? Time will tell. Stay tuned.

High activity

Work continues with lots of activity happening on the site. Huge trenches have appeared in the area, which we assume is to house cabling for the ride. Holes are also being drilled into the ground, in preparation for the ride footers. More posters adverting the ride have also appeared since our last update.

Colossal Nets

Colossus opened to the public once again today after it remained closed for 2 weeks for work to be carried out around the area. Fine mesh nets have been added everywhere that the train passes over, in an attempt to catch, or slow down falling objects from the ride.

Rush Opens

After being closed for a period of over 6 weeks, today Thorpe Park opened Rush once again to the public. The ride remained closed under investigation and repair after a large part of the ride itself fell onto the swing whilst in motion. Although no guests were injured, Thorpe Park immediately ceased operation of the ride and put it under investigation, issuing a statement that "guest safety is our priority concern".

Dylan - Ground work continues...

The 2009 Coaster area is a busy place as ground work continues making progress since our last update, in particular notice work continuing on one of the soon to be new access routes to the ride from the Colossus area. There have also now been adverts placed up for the new ride, in time for the busy summer to come.

Merlin Blame Government

Signs have started appearing around all UK based Merlin Attractions apologizing to guests about the high prices. The sign outlines that Merlin have to pay a 17.5% VAT rate on admission to all it's UK based attractions, opposed to 5% it pays in other EU countries.

Dylan - Work Starts!

Today Thorpe Park Mania took a trip down to Thorpe Park to bring you the latest updates from the 2009 coaster construction site, the first of many updates to come! Offices have moved onto the site as well as new diggers moving land.

Rush Part Falls

Today THORPE PARK have announced their S&S Screaming Swing, Rush will remain closed after a part fell from the 70ft ride during operation. It happened Tuesday whilst the ride was full of guests, but fortunately no one was hurt. A THORPE PARK spokesman said "All guests safely disembarked. We are investigating.�

Stealth Stuck

Today THORPE PARK's signature roller-coaster, Stealth stalled at its peak height of 205ft during testing. Guest arrived at the park to see the 10 ton train stranded at the top of Stealth's top hat. Engineers were called to the ride and the area was cornered off to make way for a large crane. Three engineers were taken up in the crane to the platform, where they then positioned themselves to push the train. The train was successfully pushed, where it then rolled back down the tower coming to a complete stop.

Screamsaver!

Now that Easter is over, Thorpe Park has introduced a 30% discount to all online bookings before the 31st May! All individual adult tickets with this offer are only �22. A great bargain if you�re looking to take a trip to Thorpe Park before the busy summer months kick in! Head to Thorpepark.com to book now!

With an excellent line up of attractions now available, we here at Thorpe Park Mania certainly recommend a visit!

For guidance on how to get to Thorpe Park, please take a look at our Travel advice.

Head Rush Kicks Off

Thorpe Parks Easter Event, Head Rush kicked off for the first time today which people flocked to see. There were various shows on around the park, including the use of the lake for the first time for Jet Ski shows. The arena was the host to "Bolddog Extreme Action", but unfortunately due to the weather conditions some shows were canceled when Thorpe Park Mania visited, but we were able to get some pictures of the goings on around the park none the less.

Time Voyagers Review

The much anticipated replacement for Pirates 4D opened today as planed. The film from Gardaland, another Merlin Park, starts off with an introduction from two robots, which fly you around and into a pyramid, telling the tale of a lost space ship. You then fly into a scene similar to that of Pirates 4D where bats come swooping down. After some more robot antics you are attacked by snakes, but are promptly rescued by a swarm of fish. The film climaxes with a speech from a man warning you not to speak to anyone about the place you have visited.

Time Voyagers Open!

Thorpe Parks new attraction for 2008, Time Voyagers is set to open tomorrow (Friday 20th March), Right in time for the busy Easter period! The film, which is also shown at Gardaland has been translated from Italian to English, and replaces the ever ageing Pirates 4D, which was Tussaud's first installation at the park opening 9 years ago in 1999. Check back soon for what we think about the new attraction!

2009: Latest

We are pleased to bring you another update from the Project Dylan construction site! As you can see from the pictures, its still very much all about the infilling of the area and ground work preparations for the ride. Construction fences have been erected around the area at Loggers Leap, Samurai and the Colossus Queue line. The Colossus queue line has also been slightly shortened, for preparations of one of the acces routes for the public to the new ride as seen in the plans. Click Here to go to the construction archive!

Officially Open!

Thorpe Park has now officially opened for the 2008 season and Thorpe Park Mania has taken a visit to bring you all the latest updates from the park! The park opened with limited ride availability on the 17th February.

Time Voyagers Update

Time Voyagers, the all-new film replacing Pirates 4D is starting to take shape. Most of the old pirate theming from within has been removed, and the attraction is nearing completion. The Pirates 4D �sail� is gone, and has been replaced with a new one sporting the new Time Voyagers logo.

New Map for 2008!

Today Thorpe Park released their all new park map for 2008. After many years of the old computer generated style, it has finally been replaced with a hand drawn look and feel, much like pre 2000 park maps.

Easter Event

Replacing the "Be Discovered" easter events of previous years, Head Rush is Thorpe Park's Easter offering for the 2008 season. From Friday 21st to Monday 24th March 2008 the lineup of normal rides will be supported by a variety of extreme sport events.

Opening Day: Reviewed

Well, after much wait and anticipation Thorpe Park is open, but what did you make of it? We�re going to break the day down into the good and the bad, and the really bad, in the case of the entrance queue.

Thorpe Now Open

For what has seemed an eternity for fanboys and coaster enthusiasts alike, Thorpe Park finally opened its gates to an all-new season. Opening on February 16th, Thorpe managed to draw in large crowds with queues spanning the length of the car park. Thorpe Park Mania was there, and will be posting an in depth review shortly.

Pirates 4D: Re-Theme Back On?

A few weeks ago we received an email from THORPE PARK revealing the possibility of a Pirates 4D re-theme. However we since learnt that email was a fake, but it could hold some truth.

Merlin Re-Brand Thorpe

It looks like Merlin has made the decision to re-brand Thorpe Park, or should we say, THORPE PARK. The name has actually been changed to THORPE PARK, all uppercase, as it is now used on their site, press releases and emails. Why? We don't know, but to accompany their grammar defying new name they also gave THORPE PARK a new logo, as seen below. In unrelated news, welcome to THORPE PARK MANIA. Oh snap.

Thorpe Launches New Site

Another year, another new website from Thorpe Park, however this time they have made the (odd) choice to leave Semantic. The new website is plastered with flash, and causes some users browsers to crash unexpectedly. If that wasn't bad enough you're now greeted with a Welcome splash, and have to wait for that to load, play, then click enter to actually get on the site. What if you don't have flash? Then you're out of luck, as Thorpe currently don't offer a flash free version, despite them saying they do. On top of all that the site launched with spelling mistakes everywhere, even ride names spelt wrong such as "Nemisis" and "X:\\\NO way out", but most spelling mistakes have been corrected since.

Canada Creek Coaster: Confirmed

After months of debate and discussion Thorpe have finally unveiled their new coaster for 2009, a Gerstlauer Euro Fighter just as predicted. From what we have seen in the plans so far we know the ride will have following layout:

• On load
• Zero-G Roll
• Vertical Lift Hill
• 97 Degree Drop
• Immelmann Loop
• Immelmann Turn
• Block Breaks
• Over banked Turn
• Block Breaks
• Dive Loop
• Break Run
• Offload

Now Showing: Thorpe Blast

Thorpe Blast has now begun at Thorpe Park. It will be the first firework display at the park for over 3 years. The display will be featuring tracks from Mika, The Scissor Sisters, Robyn, and the Chemical Brothers. This display will not feature a theme, like 2003s Nemesis Inferno volcano theme. The event starts today (2nd November) and finishes on the last day of season, 4th November. Thorpe are expecting a huge turn out, so to avoid disappointment book your places online.

Canada Creek Coaster: EuroFighter?

We have had numerous reports from separate sources all saying the same thing; the 2009 coaster we have all been waiting anxiously for will be a Gerstlauer Eurofighter. It�s planned to be on the newly created land behind Samurai, as well as venturing out to surrounding areas. Planning applications are expected to be submitted to Runnymede Borough Council soon.

Fright Nights are here

It's that time of the year again, and darkness falls on Thorpe Park as Fright Nights return. Experience the Asylum as disturbing mental patience break free and chaos ensues. Hell deepens as the forgotten souls of Hell Gate awaken for more. Seven Sins, seven chances to survive as each room is more horrifying than the last. The freak show that is The Circus of Horrors returns once again. So, will you make it through the night?

Fright Night Press Images

Today Thorpe Park have released new press imagery for the up coming Halloween event, Fright Nights. There are 8 new press images of actors from the Asylum in various poses, complete with blood and gore. You can check out the new press images in the TPM gallery or visiting Thorpe Parks image bank. Fright Night Press Gallery.

Features Galore

The move to a new server not only brings backend benefits, oh no! There are now several new features around the site that you may have already spotted. If not, here's a brief rundown.

Firstly and most significantly is Mania Hub. Thorpe Park Mania is expanding, and to accommodate this we felt a central Hub was needed for all the different areas of the site. Currently we are still focusing on Thorpe Park, but there are now tonnes of ways for you to get to know Thorpe fans through the site, and other theme parks will be coming soon!

Summer Sizzler

Dispite the summer being a wash out, Thorpe Park are 'rasing the temperature' with another offer. Simply book in advance to visit between 21st July and 2nd September, and you can save nearly 40% off entry as an individual or up to 50% off entry by booking as a group of 5 or more people. But that’s not all! Come along from 4th August and you can use this offer to join the Campaign for Real Fun! Get ready for 30 days of summer madness as the ‘Fungineers’ take control, spreading mayhem across the Park!

For more information and T&C visit Thorpe Park's website at www.thorpepark.com.

Linked Problems?

'Project Link' is the new Bose powered park wide audio project which connects all the park's speakers and ride PAs to one central system, enabling park-wide announcements to be made with ease. It's been six months in the making and came with a hefty price tag, but has it really been worth it? With reports flooding in of the park's audio being a mess with WWTP radio playing in the Nemesis Inferno queue line, speaker volumes way to loud, or not loud enough, an annoyingly short WWTP Radio loop, and many, many others. Is it then right to assume at this point that it was a mistake to undertake such a colossal project, and that it has been a failure? Since the link is in its early days, glitches are understandable, but to some Project Links' extensive list of issues are not. What are your thoughts on the state of Thorpe Park's audio? Have your say in the Mania Forums.

Thorpe Park Freedom Pass

The Thorpe Park Freedom Pass has now launched in time for summer break! The pass offers you 30 days of summer madness for just ?30! The pass is valid for 30 days from when bought, meaning it will cost the equivalent to just ?1 per visit! To buy your pass you have to have bought a day ticket, and present this when you buy the pass. Additionally there are now new Bounce Back prices, these are: Normal time: ?10 Fright Nights: ?18 Fireworks: ?20. The park is currently in the middle of Schools Weeks, meaning if you plan a visit any time soon, be prepared for queues!

Fireworks Confirmed!

Thorpe Park have confirmed that they once again will be lighting up the November skys with Fireworks this season! The park will be open between 10:00 and 20:00 for the event which will be held from Friday 2nd November untill the last day of the 2007 season on Sunday 4th November. Thorpe Park will also be hosting a number of other events throughout the year, including the EA Hub visiting the park showing off all the latest games from EA and EA Sports on next-gen consoles such as the Sony Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii and XBox 360. There are still many events coming over the current season including a summer kids club and of course Thorpe Park are inviting you all to join the campaign for real fun this summer as the park opens with extended hours. Remember to keep checking TPM for all the latest from Thorpe Park!

Project Link

The new park wide audio system is now online. After 6 months in the works the parks speakers are now powered from one central location. This is useful for park wide anouncments, in cases such as power cuts, evacuations, etc. There has also been many ride audio changes, some rides to be changed are Colossus Station, Nemesis Inferno Loading, Rush, Vortex, Detonator, Samurai, Slammer and we can expect more to be changed soon. To hear the latest park music, TPM has a great colection of it all, visit our audio section.

Thorpe Park Loves Friends!

This weeks your last chance to head down to Thorpe Park with a group of your friends at reduced prices! So if you and your friends are off down to Thorpe Park, maybe to celebrate a birthday or the end of your exams, remember to book online at www.thorpepark.com!

Screamsaver Deals!

If your planning to visit Thorpe Park soon why not book on-line and save 44% of the normal gate price? From just ?18 per person or ?55 per family there has never been a better time to visit the park. For more information on this promotion and T&Cs visit the official site.

Concrete Stylez

Starting from today, Thorpe Park will host a 'spectacular Battle Royale' featuring the Urban Free Runners against the Funkstylerz! Both famous, the two groups have been part of numerous shows; the Urban Free Runners featured in the opening chase scene in the last 007 movie, Casino Royale and the Funkstylerz have just finished a their show with Madonna on her world tour. Concrete Stylez will be performing from the 26th of May until the 3rd of June, so make sure you don't miss out!

An all new Mania

After months of hard work and planning, the TPM Team are proud to present an all new Thorpe Park Mania. Completly re-designed from the ground up, Version 5 offers a whole new level of user interactivity with My Mania and Ride Count. We have also improved the Park Guides with a tabbed interface, making it easier to separate and find information. An all new feature section with more ride audio, video and goodies than ever. In addition to all this the whole site is now database powered, which means you can expect to see some more exciting changes coming soon! Let us know what you think by getting in touch with us, either on the forum on the contact page. Enjoy!

Flying Fish Open

Today, Thorpe Park's returning attraction for 2007, Flying Fish opened to the public! Check back on Thorpe Park Mania soon for the latest pictures and videos from the ride!

Flying Fish Update

Work continues on the returning attraction for 2007, The Flying Fish and Thorpe Park Mania is pleased to be able to bring you an update, Click Here for the latest pictures! As you will be able to see the train is now on the tracks and has started testing. Keep checking back on Thorpe Park Mania for the latest news from Thorpe Park!

Updated Park Map

Thorpe Park have updated there park map for the 2007 season. Some interesting things to note: The flying fish is now on the map, with "Returning This Year" beside it. Rumba Rapids no longer has the Ribena sponsorship. The farm has been removed and The Canada Creek Railway disappears into the trees. But more interestingly the Flying Fish now appears to be part of Amity Cove, even though it was originally intended to part of Neptune's Kingdom. You can download the new park map here.