WC16 Ground Works Continue
Thursday 28th May 2015
Work is progressing nicely on WC16 with ground works fully underway. Sheets of metal are being put in the ground to prevent the shrouding ground form falling in. At the moment there isn't much of a pit however we believe these sheets of metal will soon outline the outline of what will become the building.
A pump has been added into the centre of the building site which is draining water from what used to be the diving pool. Previously covered over so no one fell in it, it would appear that the diving pool has become water logged and now requires a pump to drain it 24/7. The output from the pump goes thorough the Colossus queue line and into the lake under the Colossus loop. Little bridges have been added in the Colossus queue line whilst the pump's hoses are still in use. Signs have been put out near Slammer and near the entrance of I'm A Celebrity giving alternative routes for when the maintenance gates have been opened so building work can continue when the park is open. We believe that the pit will be fully dug out by late August time with the building starting to be put up by Fright Nights.
Saturday 9th May 2015
Work on WC16 Thorpe Park’s next addition is well underway with ground works in the arena started. The concrete floor in the area has started to be ripped up, in some sections of the small pit rebar can be seen. We believe over the next few weeks work in the area will step up a gear and the pit will slowly get bigger to house whatever ride machinery the ride may need. The carousel console has now been removed leaving a small pit next to the concrete footer the carousel used to sit on. No more information has been released about the new ride however we think a micro site might be on the way in the next few weeks.
Marketing Campaign Starts
Sunday 19th April 2015
2015 is a big year for the park with the addition of Im A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here Maze, however work on the parks next big attraction code named WC16 is slowly progressing. Fences that used to contain the arena have been removed opening up the area ready for ground work to begin in the next few months. No information about the attraction has been released yet however we expect that the park will start marketing the attraction soon with a micro site launched during the summer. Boards have already been put up on the contraction fences saying “The island landscape is changing" and “Theres a dark secret coming.”
Tuesday 7th April 2015
Thorpe Park have submitted more plans to the local authorities regarding the parks next big investment, code named WC16. Plans to build a 8m high tower have been submitted which will be built in the plaza area of the ride. The tower looks to be being built out of bricks featuring smashed and boarded up windows.
The broken windows on the tower fit into the old abandoned building theme we believe the attraction will have. Although some of the places have “Project Whitechapel” written on them we believe the ride will have a unique theme and will not be based on an ip. A code name for the project has also been confirmed, WC16 will be the new attractions project name. Previously LC12 was used as The Swarms project name.
Modifications to the covered queue line have also been submitted in these plans, previously all of the queue line would be covered however now only a small section will be covered from the elements. The value of the plaza theming feature and the queue line entrance is set to be 3 million pounds. This does not include the cost of the ride hardware or the theming inside the attraction.
Plans for the attraction can be found on the Runnymede website under the application ID: RU.15/0605
Thorpe Park Rangers Carousel Removal Begins
Thursday 12th March 2015
Work on removing the Carousel at Thorpe Park is well underway with the canvas removed from the top of the ride exposing the metal structure. All of the horses have been removed with the last few big items remaining such as the Teacup and Tropical travels ride vehicle. The vehicles from the carousel have been placed on pallets in the arena for storage. Hopefully one day we might see the carousel re-born?
Saturday 14th February 2015
Work on the parks next project in the arena seems to have slowed down a bit with nothing else happening since our last update. However this time we get a clear picture of the work that has been done during the closed season. The site has been completely flattened with all trees removed and fences being taken down where necessary. We expect by April time there will be a pit for the foundations for the building and the site will be a hive of activity. No information about the attraction has been released however we believe that the ride could be a trackless ride system something along the lines of Mystic Manor at HongKong Disneyland.
Derren Browns Ghost Train! New for 2016
Sunday 18th January 2015
Three years in the making the secret is finally out! Derren Browns Ghost Train will be a world’s first one of a kind experience like you have never seen before! Re-invented for the 21st century this ghost train will blow your mind.
Prepare to derail your mind on a ghost train re-invented for the 21st century that will leave you questioning where perception ends and reality begins.
Crafted by the master of mind control, Derren Brown, this one-of-a-kind 13-minute theme park experience will be the world's only fully immersive psychological attraction designed to manipulate the human mind.
Like its inventor, this is a smart ride that also has 12 multiple knee-shaking journeys and two endings - so not only will no two ‘rides’ on board Derren Brown’s Ghost Train be the same but every journey will provoke an intense response and reaction in each individual ‘passenger.’
“Unique, world first new attraction promises to blow guests’ minds by fusing five multi-sensory experiences: grand illusion, live action, next generation technology, 4D special effects and physical transit”
The team involved in the creation of the attraction includes over 1,000 specialists from THORPE PARK Resort’s Merlin Magic Making Creative Department and external experts who have pooled their skills.
"The future of theme parks across the world"
Promo videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAHenmKkasc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhH ub5Ed8Y
Minds Wanted Sited Updated:
https://mindswanted.co.uk/#dark-secret
Closed Season Update:
On Thursday 14th we took a walk down monks walk to see the latest on the project. Since our last visit down monks walk the site has rapidly progressed and the exterior of the building has been painted and more theming appears to be being added in the form of artwork. The words “Thorpe JCT” has been painted on one of the sides of the building. Helping form the theme of an abandoned train station building.
Thorpe Park Plans Given Go Ahead
Saturday 3rd January 2015
Following Thorpe Parks application for a brand new attraction to be built in the space of the unused arena area for the 2016 season Runnymede Borough Council have approved the plans! The park has been given full planing permission for the new attraction which is believed to be a dark ride. Work on removing the arena is already fully underway with the grand stand fully removed and the grass bank and trees already gone. However it is believed that work will rapidly progress over the next few weeks before the main season starts again in March.
The new attraction looks set to have a ride bag drop off and collection point as well as a shop and pre show area. According to rumours this will be the biggest project Merlin and Thorpe Park have ever undergone!
Saturday 20th December 2014
Over at the arena the park have been hard at work preparing the area for building work to commence once the park have got planning permission. The grand stand has now been fully removed with the grass bank also being removed and the area now being from what we can see flat and ready to be built on. The concrete floor has also been removed with the fire exit to X being visible on the photos below. It is currently unknown if the park will be forced to close X at certain points in the season next year.
Saturday 15th November 2014
A skip has been placed outside off one of the exits to the arena for rubbish and clearance work to continue. With what appears to be wood on the concrete steps which used to be home to seats for the shows in the arena. The carousel which is leaving the resort this year looks to still be in one piece with the hippos safari site looking like it's going to be used as just a service road for the closed season.
