Winter Preview – Passholder VIP Tour 10.03.24
We attended the Winter Preview – Passholder VIP Tour event, which took place on the 10th of March 2024. 10.03.24. We shared the latest updates on the Sparkle Project, Hyperia and merch updates, as well as taste test some of the brand new food from Amity Kebabs, to thorpeguide.co.uk/live. This post is a log of all of those updates with some more detailed descriptions.
Upon entry, we were given our very own Behind the scenes VIP branded Hi-Vis jackets to wear throughout the day, and to take home as a souvenir.
After a few words from the park’s commercial director, Russ Gaines, we walked to our first stop of the day, the Thorpe Shark Cabins. At the cabins, we visited the brand new, never seen before Hyperia themed cabins. Due to the fact this is unseen by the public, we were unable to take photos in these rooms.
The next stop of the day was over at The Swarm’s refurbished toilets. The circular sinks have been replaced, and new lighting has been installed.
Next up, Tidal Wave! The bridge now says ‘Pier 13′ on the top, and is no longer sponsored. It was also confirmed to us that the fire effect won’t be returning – not yet, anyway. This is due to complications out of the parks’ control, who would’ve thought that fire & water don’t mix well?!
We then moved to the Megastore to visit… you’ll never guess, more toilets. We’ve never enjoyed a visit to the park’s toilets more, though, as the Megastore has a load of easter eggs to check out about the park’s history, with a nod to our favourite FRIGHT NIGHTS attraction, Creature Campus.
Next up was The Dockyard, which features the all new Cape Cod Fish & Chips for ’24.
Moving round to the brand new Big Easy Boulevard, we took a peak into CandyPips Sweet Easy – previously Flock ‘N Shop. We were also told that the film in the Sunset Cinema would be Ready Player One. 14 minutes worth of clips from the film will play in there, we’re excited!
As we walked into the Stealth area, we were pleasantly surprised to see the ride testing. In the area, lots of theming updates have taken place, including a brand new tire & a ton of updates on the station.
Shortly after, we moved into the redesigned Nemesis Inferno shop & saw some of the new merchandise. Looking good!
The part we were all waiting for – Hyperia! On our way to the site, we stopped to take a look at the refreshed Burger King exterior, and it definitely fits the Hyperia theme!
No words can explain how tall Hyperia really is – only numbers! Hyperia’s 236ft tall lift-hill towers over SAW: The Ride. Hyperia even has the powerful to make it’s surrounding attractions look like junior coasters!
We were then taken onto the construction site’s viewing platform for Hyperia, and got a full view of the site. No hidden trains in sight, unfortunately! We’ll update you as soon as they arrive.
Once we had left Hyperia’s viewing platform, we briefly stopped at Samurai, where we were informed that it’s unlikely to be opening with the park in 2024, due to the ongoing repaint & awaiting parts back from the manufacturer, Mondial. Hopefully it’ll be back soon for those ace views of Hyperia!
Towards the end of the tour, we ventured through Lost City, and saw the partially repainted Colossus, as well as several theming updates to the area. The shop has also been partly refurbished – some would say it’s sparkling! Colossus’ repaint will continue over the ’24-’25 closed season.
We then gathered in the Zodiac/Vortex plaza for a group photo, courtesy of one of Thorpe Guide’s very own team members. 😉
Once we’d taken our group photo, we went into The Island Shop & previewed some of the new merchandise for the year – some exciting ranged coming!
Once we were finished in there, we went over to Vibes Bar & Kitchen for a delicious lunch! I had a pulled pork & chicken gyro with a side of cajun spiced fries & an apple juice (other drinks were available) – bloody lovely, props to Aramark on this one! A further review of the food will be available in Matt’s Food Review soon. We were then treated, even further, to an exclusive preview of the FULL Hyperia soundtrack! A few clips of the track can be found at youtube.com/@thorpeguide.
On the way out, we could see that the entrance plaza has also been changed to fit the rebrand, including a new photo point.
That brings us to the end of our Winter Preview: Passholder VIP Tour live recap! Props to Thorpe Park on this tour, we were super happy with our experience and wouldn’t have changed one bit. We’re excited to return to the park on Friday 15th March for their first operational day of the year – we’ll be posting live updates again at thorpeguide.co.uk/live. Please note that this is an invite-only event for Thorpe Park’s staff, friends & family. Unless you have tickets, do not travel to the resort.
