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THORPE PARK
United Kingdom
Merlin Entertainments Group
 Park News - (5/31/2024) Thorpe Park has posted a new update about the status of Hyperia this week. While they are still not saying what the problem is that shut down the ride after the first day, the official word is that they ‘are unable to commit to re-opening Hyperia before Saturday 8th June.”
This doesn’t mean it won't open, as they say that they are working to try and get it open sooner if possible, but for now it sounds like they feel confident it will be ready by June 8th at least. Stay tuned.
According to all the reports I’ve seen from the opening day however, Hyperia is worth the wait!
(5/26/2024) It appears that Thorpe Park is having some teething issues with their new Hyperia roller coaster. This started with a general post on social media on Saturday claiming that Hyperia would not be opening that day, and was followed later in the day with a statement from the park confirming that Hyperia would also not be open between Sunday, May 26 to May 29th. This was followed by a warning to look for operational updates for any date beyond May 29th that they will post as well, so don’t assume it will be open then as well.
The cause of the problem is not known at this time.
Meanwhile, Thorpe Park also found themselves under fire from rival, Blackpool Pleasure Beach who hired a box truck covered with video walls to patrol the area with messages such as “Beating the Big One’s Tallest Rollercoaster Record by 1 Foot? How Petty…(almost as petty as us hiring this van.)” and “We’ll just have to come up with something else then, won’t we?” on the back.
That’s some COLD next-level shade to be throwing!
Though keep in mind, Pleasure Beach is STILL maintaining that the BIG ONE is 235 feet tall in this reference to Hyperia being 236 feet tall, however it is not. The height of the BIG ONE has always been controversial because the park’s marketing team claim of 235 feet was the height of the coaster from sea level, and not the actual height of the coaster from the actual ground where it stands, which is actually only 213 feet according to RCDB.
(2/24/2024) According to various online reports the Black Mirror Labyrinth attraction at Thorpe Park has closed and will not reopen for the 2024 season. Between the space used for this attraction and the unused space taken up by the former Slammer attraction next door, it would open up a good sized area for a future expansion.
Having had the chance to visit Thorpe Park for the first time in 2023, I’m glad I got to experience Black Mirror myself, as it was probably one of the more unique concepts I’ve seen in awhile that actually added a fun SciFi theme to a modified mirror-maze style experience. My son and I actually enjoyed Black Mirror more than the “new” version of Ghost Train during our visit. The reality however is that I don’t think Black Mirror Labyrinth was ever intended to be a long term attraction, just a short term concept that was originally set to open in 2020 but delayed an extra year to open in 2021 due to the pandemic. At the time the attraction was announced in 2019, it was an attempt to tie into the resurging popularity of the series following the move to Netflix where it was being seen by a broader audience.
2024 - Big Easy Boulevard - (11/28/2023) Thorpe Park has confirmed that the section of the park currently occupied by the Angry Birds will be transformed into Big Easy Boulevard for the 2024 Season. This will add all new theming to existing attractions in the area such as the Dodgems (no more King Pig theme) and the Detonator ride will now have a fireworks theme. This update will help rejuvenate this section of the park with the removal of the Angry Birds IP.
No word yet on what new attraction is coming to the 4D theater to replace the Angry Birds film, but the park says that something is indeed in the works that will be announced in a future update.
Keeping in mind that on the other side of the park they will also be opening the new Hyperia roller coaster, and this should be a really big year for Thorpe Park! Look for Big Easy Boulevard to be ready by Spring 2024.
2024 - HYPERIA - (6/16/2024) While Hyperia has reopened to guests, there was a small hiccup on Saturday as a train became stuck on the lift hill for about an hour, following which it was closed again for some safety inspections. The good news is that the park’s social media has confirmed that it was up and running again on Sunday, and to be honest, an E-Stop on the lift hill is not that unusual of a problem, especially for a new coaster still in the process of being broken-in.
So all is well… head on out and give Hyperia a try! I’m heard it’s fantastic!
(5/28/2024) While Thorpe Park continues to have some issues with Hyperia, keeping it closed for the next few days at least, a more detailed review of the ride from the VIP event can be found over at Themeparks-UK.
(5/24/2024) The official POV video of Thorpe Park’s new HYPERIA roller coaster has now been posted and it looks pretty darn amazing and is full of surprises we never really noticed on the layout drawings before. Check it out below!
(4/17/2024) Congratulations to Thorpe Park for successfully sending Hyperia out on the coaster’s very first test run! Check it out over on Facebook.
(4/13/2024) Thorpe Park has officially revealed the look of the trains for their new Hyperia Roller Coaster, which you can see below. This close up and detailed look at the trains should also be on interest to those following the construction of the Universal Epic Universe park in Orlando, which will also feature Starfall Racers, a pair or racing/dueling coasters also from Mack Rides that will feature very similar train design, just with a more cosmic theme.
(4/2/2024) Thorpe Park has confirmed that their new Hyperia roller coaster will be opening on May 24th.
(3/3/2024) A new construction video update for Hyperia at Thorpe Park shows that the top section of the coaster’s crazy looking 236 foot first drop has now been installed with the help of a massive crane. I don’t know the exact stats, but the drop on Hyperia appears as if it will feature a straight down twisting 90º dive that twists the train approximately 180º around to face the opposite direction when it finally pulls out of the spiral near the ground. Visually to the riders, this is going to look and feel somewhat similar to twisting vertical dives you may have seen on coasters like Kingda Ka or Top Thrill Dragster.
The only thing remaining for the crane to do is install the top of the lift hill, thus topping out the massive coaster. If it hasn’t happened already, I’d expect it to take place within the next few days, weather permitting of course, and assuming everything fits as designed.
(2/4/2024) A fantastic view of the entire Hyperia construction site taken from the air can be seen below, showing off the true scope of this massive new roller coaster, especially when when you notice how small Colossus looks standing just behind it on the left side of the image.
(1/18/2024) Three new construction pictures of Hyperia at Thorpe Park can be found over at Reddit this week, showing off the completion of one of the coaster’s more unique elements.
(12/24/2023) Some great Hyperia construction update pics can be found on Twitter (see below) as well as on Reddit this weekend.
(12/10/2023) A quick video construction update showing off the progress of Hyperia at Thorpe Park can be seen below.
(10/11/2023) Hyperia is going vertical already at Thorpe Park. Check out the video below or follow the link to see a YouTube short showing off the installation in progress from earlier today.
(10/6/2023) Thorpe Park have finally dropped the official name for their new 2024 coaster project, formerly know as Project Exodus. The 2024 coaster will be named Hyperia, stand 236 feet tall and hit speeds of over 80mph. Check out the preview video below!
(9/29/2023) More sections of track are now arriving on site at Thorpe Park for their new 2024 Project Exodus roller coaster, from Mack Rides. This will be a major new roller coaster for the UK, as the first new coaster that will finally take the record for being the Tallest roller coaster in the UK away from The Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.
(8/19/2023) According to the latest update large gold colored support pieces for Thorpe Park’s new 2024 roller coaster (aka: Project Exodus) have started to arrive in a nearby staging area.
(5/6/2023) According to updates, it appears that Thorpe Park’s new “Project Exodus” roller coaster plans show off the ride with a gold and white paint scheme. Attraction Source says that the coloring will be done similar to how Steath was done, with the gold color fading into a white color as it passes the treeline to reduce the visual impact from afar. The new roller coaster from Mack Rides, is set to be the tallest coaster in the UK when it opens in 2024, and site prep is already under way.
(11/5/22) A new video from Coaster Chall highlights what’s going on at Thorpe Park and their Project Exodus coaster.
(11/2/22) According to several reports Thorpe Park has been given the final go-ahead to proceed with plans to build a new £18 million roller coaster for the 2024 season. It’s been given the nickname, Project Exodus, with the goal of being the tallest roller coaster in the UK, standing 236 feet (72 meters) tall.
(3/17/22) According to the tweets below, Thorpe Park have applied to build the UK’s tallest roller coaster under the codename Project Exodus.
(12/12/21) New details have finally been revealed about the next roller coaster proposed for Thorpe Park this week. According to a write-up posted at Theme Park Tourist, the plan is for the coaster to be very tall, standing at 236 feet, which would make it the tallest coaster in the UK when it opens in 2024.
The new addition will go on the site of the former “Old Town Area” and cause the removal of some older attractions as well, which will apparently include the Loggers Leap. Some rough concept art for the new has also been released, which show a very tall, but compact looking ride experience. To me however, only one other ride popped into my mind as looking a bit like this, which was Steel Curtain at Kennywood in the US. While I’m not saying for sure this will be an S&S coaster, it does sure share a similar look, including a very bulky looking support network and that weird outward banked turn while leaving the station and heading to the lifthill looks like it was borrowed right from an S&S El Logo coaster design book. You can only read so much from concept art however, as it is always subject to change and sometimes not a true representation of what the final product will be, so we’ll have to wait and see what happens.
(12/1/21) While we don’t have a timeline, Thorpe Park did post on twitter that they are working on plans for ‘a new world-class rollercoaster!” Currently they are still working with local authorities for planning approval, so they aren’t quite ready to share what they are working on just yet.
I’m told the park has quietly been teasing a few things since Fright Nights that could be connected to the new project, or simply may be red-herrings intended to mis-direct from what is really going on. I’m told during Fright Nights were were several references to “Exodus” mentioned, as well as a fake construction box spotted with the label ‘TP-RMC 22” on it. The later find most certainly sounds like something meant to mis-direct from what the park is really up to, and I’m told that some early tree clearing may have already begun in the park’s old town section. Some older rides may also be moved or removed entirely to make room.
So what could the park be adding? Looking back at the additions over the past couple decades, it looks like the park has primarily made purchases from both Intamin and B&M when it comes to building major new roller coasters, along with one Gerstlauer. With the last big coaster being Swarm (B&M) that opened in 2012, the park is long overdue for a major new attraction.
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