Winter is coming to an end as theme parks in the UK prepare to open for the main 2025 season. In this article and video we have collaborated with the team at Thorpe Park to check out and document all of the updates, changes and improvements that the park are making ahead of the start of the season on March 28th.
Last closed season saw the very well documented Sparkle Project commence, with a vast amount of work taking place to improve the presentation of rides, attractions and amenities throughout the park. This was in addition to the UK’s tallest and fastest coaster launching – Hyperia has become a huge success. Thorpe Park also rebranded their marketing strategy and launched a new logo – so it is fair to say a lot was accomplished in a short amount of time. Although this closed season does not see this scale of projects happening again, the park have continued to build on the success and are laser focussed on ensuring the guest experience is the best it can be leading into 2025.
Starting in the Dome, there’s no changes to note other than seeing most of the furniture and arcade machines organised neatly for the winter. The Coke Freestyle machines around the park have all been replaced with the newest versions as installed in this location last year. Heading outside, the beach is largely intact. In November 2024, Thorpe Park submitted a planning application known as Project Pivot to redevelop part of Amity Beach into a new plaza area featuring a stage, seating areas and food, beverage and retail kiosks. It was hoped that this would have been ready for the start of the 2025 season, however the planning application is still pending, and no work has commenced in this area as of the time of our visit. The smaller side of the beach is expected to operate in the Summer of 2025, but the larger side will remain closed.
New for 2025 is the Assistance Dog Relief Area which is situated between the Lakeview Marquee and Swarm Island. This small, grassed area features newly painted fencing which matches that of the existing pathway. The area consists of ample space for our furry friends to run around in, new signage, a garden bench as well as a bin for dog waste disposal. The marquee is currently receiving a new climate control system which will be most welcome for those hosting events at the park – especially in summer.
Ben and Jerry’s Scoop Shop is undergoing a complete refurbishment, with improvements to the internal layout planned, along with a cosmetic refresh. The usual winter maintenance was taking place on Stealth – it’s clear that the park recognise how loved the ride is by enthusiasts and the general public alike, and despite the decline in Intamin hydraulic launch coasters worldwide, there are no plans to remove it. Over at Ghost Train, the Last Call Café is expanding into the former retail space, with additional seating added which will be welcome as the venue is very popular. New Costa Coffee signage has been installed on the exterior of the building.
Nemesis Inferno, Thorpe Park’s classic B&M inverted roller coaster is about to enter its 23rd season at the park, and is ageing like fine wine! In order to secure the longevity of this attraction, additional maintenance has been completed to the ride structure over the closed season. The pumps for the ponds underneath the track have been serviced, with the waterfall at the photo point running well, and the tropical foliage within the queue line trimmed back significantly to enhance the area’s presentation.
The most notable change for the 2025 season is the removal of Slammer. This rare S&S Sky Swat was one of just two ever built with the other operating at Six Flags Astroworld in Texas before being relocated to Six Flags New England in Massachusetts, closing ahead of the 2013 season. Slammer originally opened at Thorpe Park in 2005, and operated for the last time in 2017, and has sat standing but not operating since. Following its closure, the queue line for Slammer has been used for scare attractions such as Walking Dead: Living Nightmare, Black Mirror Labyrinth and most recently Dead Beat. The area where the ride system was located has been flattened, and at the time of this update the platforms at either end were still intact. It’s not known what will eventually replace Slammer, but we hope it’s something as visually impressive, as Slammer was quite the iconic spectacle to riders and bystanders alike.
The main attraction in Fearless Valley is of course Hyperia. Following its debut in 2024, the coaster has successfully completed its first winter maintenance schedule where the trains are stripped back and rebuilt, and the ride is cycling around the track once again. Further enhancements to the area around Hyperia have been taking place, with the garden areas seeing turf and new planting installed instead of the bark chippings which looks much better and brings welcome colour into the area. We do feel that additional fencing is required to keep guests off the grassy areas, as naturally over time with wear they may not look quite so pristine.
Work to the drainage and flooring in the centre of the area is underway, with this section awaiting new resin bounded flooring. Cabling has been tidied up in various places, especially in the area where the stage was located during the first half of last season, with a new electrical cabinet installed. The ride’s splashdown element is being assessed for continued viability, and a decision will be made on its future in the coming weeks. With a month to go until the park opens, Fearless Valley is still a work in progress, and we are looking forward to seeing the end result in March.
Moving over to Colossus, further painting of the ride’s track and supports has taken place. The airtime hill, two corkscrews and the turn leading into the quadruple set of inline twists are looking fresh in new turquoise and cream paint. The corkscrew that inverts riders over the pathway looks especially nice and makes the area feel fresh and vibrant. The lift hill, first drop and vertical loop are the only areas of the ride yet to be finished, and this will not take place prior to the start of the season as the coaster is now testing again. We hope that the rest of Colossus will be repainted next winter. The entrance sign is still painted in a solid yellow colour throughout, and remains the same as it was during the 2024 season.
Other notable changes around the park include new paving outside of the toilets on Big Easy Boulevard, the return of Samurai’s cover on the central motor, and lots of smaller decorating projects the keep the park’s aesthetic looking good. A large focus has been on keeping on top of flora and fauna by ensuring foliage is cut back to avoid anything looking overgrown. Notably some shrubs have been reduced in height by Tidal Wave, enabling a clear sight-line from the Dome balcony all the way to Big Easy Boulevard. The area around Lost City and Vortex also looks especially tidy.
It’s clear that the various teams at Thorpe Park have been hard at work preparing all of the rides, attractions and amenities for the start of the 2025 season. We were lucky enough to see select rides running during our visit. Each area of the park seemed to have something going on with inspections, jet washing, decorating and maintenance taking place.
Thanks again to Thorpe Park for allowing us to check out the ongoing winter preparations this closed season. 2025 is shaping up to be another great year for the park, and we can’t wait until opening day. We’ll be hosting two events at Thorpe Park in 2025, these being Accelerate on Saturday 5th July, and Fearless Frenzy on Saturday 6th September – we would love to see you there. Head over to the Attraction Source Events website for further information, with tickets for each event going on sale closer to the respective dates.
What are you thoughts on the closed season updates to Thorpe Park this winter? Are you excited for the park to reopen for 2025 in March? Let us know via our social media channels.
