Thorpe Park

Chertsey, Surrey, Surrey, England South East

Recommendation added: 28/01/2006 17:05
By: desirable (YSUK rating +16)

desirable has been thanked 3 times for this contribution

"Thorpe Park is a small to medium sized park located close to London. The front and sides of the park are surrounded by a lake, and to get into the park you must cross a bridge over the lake from the park entrance. The bridge leads into a large dome shaped building featuring shops, eateries, and gaming arcades. From then on you can take one of two routes into the main park area. The park is divided into nine themed lands, and although the theming is nothing special some of the rides have a good theme and pleasant landscaping, particularly Tidal Wave in Amity Cove and Nemesis Inferno in Calypso Quay.

The park is operated by the Tussaud's group, and has recently seen substantial capital investment which looks set to continue. Before the addition of Colossus in 2002 the park did not have that much to offer in terms of roller coasters, but they do have one of the largest selection of water rides in the UK. There are several kiddie rides, a farm, plus a number of good flat rides, especially Samurai and Vortex.

Thorpe Park is usually open from March to October, but is closed some weekdays out of season. I have visited the park over 50 times since 2002, and crowds have ranged from quite busy to absolutely packed, with several lines in excess of an hour. Food prices are reasonable, and the park is very clean. I was very impressed with the staff; they were both friendly and efficient, and the guest services at the park are also very good.

Overall this compact park is easy to navigate and features some pleasantly themed areas and one or two impressively themed rides. The selection of rides is good, although on quiet days there may not be enough attractions to fill a full day, but they are adding more and more rides each year. Thorpe Park is definitely worth a visit, but you would be wise to visit on an off-peak day to avoid crowds and long lines.

Also look out for the white knuckle rides, Slammer, Rush and Colossus... New for 2006 'Stealth' 0 to 128km/h in 2.8 seconds and launching to 205 feet."