Thorpe Park | Hyperia | Mack Hyper Coaster | 2024

[Rob Coasters]

@RobCoasters - I don’t think there has been any rumours of spinning trains?
There has been a few people, including myself - who have said if this to be a Mack coaster, then you can’t rule out this being an extreme spinner.

Of course people have made some very good educated guess at the manufacture based on the information Thorpe has released so far; and at this stage, we can’t rule out any manufacture and train / car configuration.

Time will tell…..

Yeah, fair enough I get your point. Nothings been confirmed at all on the trains so at this point it could be absolutely anything. Big Dipper trains? Could be. DCR trains with backwards facing seats? Might happen. Xtreme spinner trains? Who knows maybe that's possible. Normal trains? Maybe.

Sorry - I was making assumptions without knowing what will really happen! I understand that this is all some fun speculation and people should be able to assess the "what ifs" of the coaster.

Between making that previous comment and now I've completely changed my mind on the whole "not wanting Xtreme Spinner cars" thing, and from here on out my mind will be open for anything to happen even if it's not been confirmed.

I was just a bit concerned that the layout's not exactly optimal for spinning trains but I've been wrong in the past, and there's a certain chance that I still can be now - maybe it'll work fantastically with the spinning cars? I wonder if anyone's done a recreation with them?

 

[Jw081]

• The bit I left blank was supposed to represent the bit they've left for the plaza within the real proposal; I tried to make this ride fill as much of a similar area to Exodus as possible.
• I built the ride to a height of 236ft, the exact same as the real proposal. Track length is 3,310ft, top speed is 82mph, and ride duration looks to be 30-40 seconds from lift to brakes, so broadly similar to what Thorpe are proposing.
• The bit with the water splash rings and trim brakes is supposed to represent a splashdown; sorry if it's a bit clumsy-looking, but PlanCo doesn't do real splashdowns with water brakes, so it's the closest thing I could pull off. In terms of the deceleration rate in this section; I went for 4m/s^2.
• The ride has 2 trains with 7 rows/28 riders each.

As requested, TL;DR: I had a go at building a B&M Hyper within the brief that Exodus had, and it had very little airtime, instead looking more like Thunder Dolphin sans the building. This makes me very happy that Thorpe went for the ride they did instead of trying to cram a B&M Hyper into a brief not overly suited to one.

If this is accurate, it’s also going to beat stealth’s UK speed record. I honestly don’t care too much if the layout is short and it lacks airtime, I’m looking forward to that.

 

[Coaster_cat]

@RobCoasters - I don’t think there has been any rumours of spinning trains?
There has been a few people, including myself - who have said if this to be a Mack coaster, then you can’t rule out this being an extreme spinner.

Of course people have made some very good educated guess at the manufacture based on the information Thorpe has released so far; and at this stage, we can’t rule out any manufacture and train / car configuration.

Time will tell…..

There's no real evidence for this, but also none against it, so I think people are just throwing around ideas.

 

[Eyebrows]

Too long did not read
The Thorpe Park saga goes on
And on and on and

Strangers, waitin’
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night

 

[RenegdeGD]

Hey all, long time lurking, finally decided to get involved! I was hoping for a classic hyper with a straight drop off the lift hill as it feels so rare in the UK to get a clean drop and it felt like Thorpe was one of the few places that could get permission for such a ride. With Exodus it feels like thats off the table indefinitely, but I'm just excited for some big new development coming to Thorp and this looks like it has the chance to be something pretty thrilling. Hopefully the London Resort keeps moving ahead and ushers in a few years of investment into all parks.

Whats peoples expectations on original IP vs franchising an existing IP? I'm hoping for something original however (unless I'm wrong) Thorpe haven't done anything original since The Swarm so I can't help but feel they would keep on that trajectory and use an existing franchises to help push the marketing.

 

[Rob Coasters]

I hope they "theme the ride to itself" like with Millennium Force and Big One. It makes more fun of Blackpool and it just feels suitable for the ride. Theming the ride to itself can really put in the rider's head about what's about to happen.

Perhaps a techno beat in the station, a 3D model display in the queue that lines the Thorpe coasters up by height, and audio on the lift hill to really build up tension. The lift hill audio could start off calm at the bottom, then progressively get more intense as it goes up, then silence at the top before an audible wave goodbye. Kind of like X2.

I kind of hope they don't have an IP on it because I think I can really get behind the whole "theming the ride to itself" idea.

 

[Matt N]

Hey all, long time lurking, finally decided to getting involved! I was hoping for a classic hyper with a straight drop off the lift hill as it feels so rare in the UK to get a clean drop and it felt like Thorpe was one of the few places that could get permission for such a ride. With Exodus it feels like thats off the table indefinitely, but I'm just excited for some big new development coming to Thorp and this looks like it has the chance to be something pretty thrilling. Hopefully the London Resort keeps moving ahead and ushers in a few years of investment into all parks.

Whats peoples expectations on original IP vs franchising an existing IP? I'm hoping for something original however (unless I'm wrong) Thorpe haven't done anything original since The Swarm so I can't help but feel they would keep on that trajectory and use an existing franchises to help push the marketing.

Welcome to the forum @RenegdeGD; make yourself at home!

Personally, I don’t see this having an IP. The main reason parks often tend to go for IPs is marketability; even by Merlin, who often like using them, they’re mainly used as a tool to increase the appeal of something that might not be inherently marketable on its own. With this, the UK height record and the huge nature of the thing will sell itself on its own; apart from Saw and Chessington 2023 (rumoured), which I’d argue that weren’t inherently easy to market on their own, Merlin hasn’t used an IP for a big coaster.

 

[RenegdeGD]

I hope they "theme the ride to itself" like with Millennium Force and Big One. It makes more fun of Blackpool and it just feels suitable for the ride. Theming the ride to itself can really put in the rider's head about what's about to happen.

Perhaps a techno beat in the station, a 3D model display in the queue that lines the Thorpe coasters up by height, and audio on the lift hill to really build up tension. The lift hill audio could start off calm at the bottom, then progressively get more intense as it goes up, then silence at the top before an audible wave goodbye. Kind of like X2.

I kind of hope they don't have an IP on it because I think I can really get behind the whole "theming the ride to itself" idea.

Thats a good view of it. Something of this stature should be able to hold it's own theming. Agree with the thoughts on audio, having it onboard can add so much to the experience and using it to build the tension on this ride could have a real good payoff.

Welcome to the forum @RenegdeGD; make yourself at home!

Personally, I don’t see this having an IP. The main reason parks often tend to go for IPs is marketability; even by Merlin, who often like using them, they’re mainly used as a tool to increase the appeal of something that might not be inherently marketable on its own. With this, the UK height record and the huge nature of the thing will sell itself on its own; apart from Saw and Chessington 2023 (rumoured), which I’d argue that weren’t inherently easy to market on their own, Merlin hasn’t used an IP for a big coaster.

Thanks! I guess with smaller coasters like Saw and the Chessington 2023 installation it's easier to theme to an IP where as with a larger coaster once you are out the station and heading towards the sky it's hard to maintain that IP influence on the ride. I think you're right that on a TV ad this thing will sell itself.

 

[Snurt2theHark]

Honestly this ride is probably to heavily branded with a logo being very prominent, much like the Smiler but I doubt it'll be themed that much, it'll be more akin to The Big One or Cedar Fair's rides. The theme will probably be based around the height itself, like ascending or being abducted (but different enough from the theme of The Swarm) and I guess the colour scheme of the ride will also lend into the theme somehow. I think the absence of a large of large theming structure is because they want to be the height of the ride to be the focal point.

A few other things I'd like to say:

• I hope this has a 1.3m height restriction that most of the similar Mack's have and not a 1.4m height restriction like the rest of the coasters at Thorpe have, I know TWD was 0.9m before the retheme but got pushed back up to 1.4m because of nature of the theme and Saw is similar with the Eurofighter height restriction supposedly being 1.25m. Having a lower height restriction and less of a prominence of a scary theme would help increase the visitation of older families with children aged 10+.
• Also slightly concerned about this attraction replacing the entirety Old Town and being the only attraction in the area, hopefully in the future they'll be something like a flat ride on Slammer's spot as part of the area. As well as the plaza areas being used as event spaces throughout the various events. It's been suggested by Thorpe Park that Lumber Jump and Timber Tug haven't been retired from Thorpe's line-up, I hope they go somewhere like Amity as additions when the Angry Birds IP runs out.
• Minor note, Thorpe Park will probably still have additions (albeit probably small) for 2022 and 2023, but I think that anything that gets added now will be overshadowed by this.

 

[Bentleya]

I just can’t help but feel this investment might be a way of filling the line up “if” and this is a “if” Colossus will be retired?

I feel Colossus might be pretty redundant once this has been built and I can imagine the ridership levels will start to drop off - I know I avoid it as the trains are incredibly uncomfortable and the barrage of inversions at the end really kill it for me

 

[Wazzupnerds]

I’ve held my tongue for a while, but you guys should be really happy with what you are getting. A lot of people don’t get to see their park get a hyper (and a Mack one at that). Be happy.

 

[Project LC]

I’ve held my tongue for a while, but you guys should be really happy with what you are getting. A lot of people don’t get to see their park get a hyper (and a Mack one at that). Be happy.

I don't think anyone is unhappy they are getting a hyper coaster. The issue lies with the ride being way too short and not focusing on what the park needs which is a pure airtime machine.

Personally im rather critical of the ride for various reasons but just because I am being critical does not mean I would prefer nothing over it and I am sure everyone else who is being negative are in a similar boat. We can be happy we are getting something but critical of what we are getting.

 

[Nicky Borrill]

I don't think anyone is unhappy they are getting a hyper coaster. The issue lies with the ride being way too short and not focusing on what the park needs which is a pure airtime machine.

Personally im rather critical of the ride for various reasons but just because I am being critical does not mean I would prefer nothing over it and I am sure everyone else who is being negative are in a similar boat. We can be happy we are getting something but critical of what we are getting.

I get that, but we don’t even have a final design yet, we don’t know what trains it’ll be… Perhaps it’s best to save the bulk of the criticism until we know it’s valid… I.e, when we’ve ridden it, or at least seen the detailed layout plans.

Plus, as has already been mentioned here, this looks to have 5 good airtime moments, possibly up to -1.8g, that is far stronger than you get on most hypers... I'm probably on my own here, as I seem to be the only person beating this drum... But I'd take 5 elements of unique and strong airtime over 5 repetitive straight floater hills...

 

[jasone]

But I'd take 5 elements of unique and strong airtime over 5 repetitive straight floater hills...

I completely agree. If i want to ride a B&M hyper or a standard out and back hyper there are countless ones i can travel to and enjoy if I wish anyway. This unique layout, with to me what looks like it'll deliver really strong negative G's is much more appealing to have on my doorstep, and to me a better investment for Thorpe. The amount of international enthusiasts talking about it.... saying they will be making trips to the UK... I don't think that would happen with a standard B&M hyper layout where they could go to Europa, or Port Aventura instead and experience something similar in a bigger/better park with a more solid line up.

 

[Wazzupnerds]

I don't think anyone is unhappy they are getting a hyper coaster. The issue lies with the ride being way too short and not focusing on what the park needs which is a pure airtime machine.

Personally im rather critical of the ride for various reasons but just because I am being critical does not mean I would prefer nothing over it and I am sure everyone else who is being negative are in a similar boat. We can be happy we are getting something but critical of what we are getting.

You proceed to prove my point.

 

[Sandman]

I’ve held my tongue for a while, but you guys should be really happy with what you are getting. A lot of people don’t get to see their park get a hyper (and a Mack one at that). Be happy.

I'm not disappointed however I'm probably not going to be overly excited with this right now.
Maybe it's just me, but I work best when I don't set my expectations too high, too early. I'd rather be a bit jaded and then pleasantly surprised when I finally get on the ride in a couple of years.

 

[Pokemaniac]

I'm over the moon.

Mind you, I had expected a (possibly second-hand) junior coaster in a shed, marketed as "The world's first Terrorcoaster!!" and themed to some baby-eating monster to make it "scary" to make up for the lack of thrill. The fact they went all the way to a 70-meter hypercoaster was way more than I thought Merlin capable of.

 

[JoshC.]

"The world's first Terrorcoaster!!"

With the amount of times you've used this phrase, I hope that when this does happen - because it will happen for some ride sooner or later - you get a nice healthy commission from it.

 

[Project LC]

First off that ride layout isnt going to change in any major way. Its an S3 drawing so "for review/comment" next is s4 stage approval. Almost no changes should be happening from now other than to accommodate feedback from the consultation and minor engineering changes.

Second the ride layout does not lend itself to spinner trains so highly likely to be normal mack forward or backward facing. Also highly likely to be mack given the consultation but I suppose intamin could be an option.

Third there is absolutely no way that "splash down" (trims with some water effects) will not be slowing down the ride in some way so the -1.8g will not be occurring on that last outer banked turn.

Over the top negativity isn't great I agree, but the criticism of this ride is earnt. Its clearly too short, I don't see how that can be up for much debate. What the ride layout is trying to achieve is up for debate I can see how some will like it and others won't. The amount of airtime this will give we won't know until we ride it.

To say we should be happy regardless would make this thread meaningless. The ride will have strengths and weaknesses which is what myself and others have been discussing.

 

[pvnks]

One consideration for me is that I hope this cracks a few top lists.

For example, the CoasterBot top 50 vote pours shame all over the British scene; not a single entry.

Let's hope Thorpe smashes this out of the park, long overdue for us long suffering British coaster bastards.

If Poland, Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Germany and Finland can then surely, so can we?

As others have said, I really hope this marks the beginning of big coaster investments here.