Returning for yet another season was the fab event Carnival at Thorpe Park. Visiting Thorpe Park on a Saturday I almost dreaded how hectic it was going to be but was pleasantly surprised by how chilled it was by all means not quiet but it was a pleasant atmosphere. So, let’s have a chat about the event as well as a general overall on Thorpe Park too.
Carnival:
Carnival truly does start the moment you step through the turnstiles with all the bunting and carnival-like audio blasting out. The walk across the bridge is like you’re entering another place than your typical Thorpe Park. Heading down the side of Vortex to enter the thorough Carnival experience you’re welcomed by the stage that was next door to Vortex last year but now lives where the former Saw Alive queue once lived. There are several stalls dotted about with various experiences to throw yourself into including a balloon maker & fortune teller. The movement of this area to the new location is great as it makes maximum use of the free spaces at the park. On this stage has performances such as a magic show & the flosser’s singing trio.
But this isn’t the only entertainment space for this year’s event over in the Dockyard next to Ghost Train is another space where shows happen which include Mime flash mobs and Junkyard drummers. This set-up has so numerous throwbacks to former attractions & rides like X, Rocky Express & Big Top which theming elements from them all. This is something I love as it keeps those attractions alive and it’s nice to see recycling happening rather than those iconic pieces going to the scrapyard! Also, this area is home to the scare maze that’s open during this event too Bozos Breakout in the Trailers building, last year this was ace! Within this area is some tasty treats as well! This event just feels whole. It has it all themed merchandise in the shops, entertainment for all the family, themed foods, themed audio across the entirety of the park & rides not to forget there’s even a themed freestyle cup. It really is the event that gives it all and Thorpe Park has smashed it again.
Eateries:
We originally didn’t plan to eat at the park but ended up eating at Last Stop Cafe which was fantastic! Affordable & good quality food which is lovely to see. We did attempt to try the apple fries but for some reason, they closed up at 3 pm on a 7 pm closing time. It seemed to be the pattern amongst the food outlets that they closed quite early which is baffling to me to comprehend why.
The Rides:
We didn’t get around to riding any of the rides given we were too lost in the Carnival spirit. But the queues we did see all seemed fairly reasonable. It didn’t appear there was much if any downtime during our visit either.
Fright Nights Construction:
Fright Nights construction is well underway. It seems there’s potentially a brand new scare maze under construction over nearby Rush/Vortex and it looks huge. Potentially one of the biggest mazes at Thorpe Park? I’m sure someone can correct me if I’m wrong. Over underneath Nemesis Inferno is the construction for Death Doors which seemingly is very near to being completed. Of course, the park has already shared there’s two returning maze with one brand new maze this season. I’d assume one of the returning would be Trailers (hopefully they add in the Buckwheats)
Atmosphere:
Having an event such as Carnival really does alter the climate of the park in my opinion. There were lots of families dotted around and it felt really uplifting, joyful and almost like a holiday vibe again. It’s been a while since I found the park to feel this way but this visit really did store my love for the park.
Overall:
Thorpe Park is a park where I honestly think the future just keeps looking brighter. Watching them bring back events like Carnival but continue to evolve and better themselves is something I truly adore. The park looked stunning as ever. For me, it’s somewhere that doesn’t get the praise it deserves when it comes down to the effort & theming when they are hosting an event. They don’t need to modify all the ride audio to match but they do and it’s small things like that which assemble the perfect event in my opinion. Of course, the park continues to expand with Project Exodus set to open next season with the record for being the UK’s tallest & fastest rollercoaster which is an extremely thrilling time for the park. No doubt the future has a lot more development plans as well. With Fright Nights around the corner, I can’t help but feel it could be their strongest yet. But as for our visit, we honestly had such a lovely time at the park and didn’t do a single ride but just relished the vibes and the event!
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Have you checked out Carnival this season? If so, what are your thoughts??
Thank you so much for reading!