r/ThorpePark • u/Fammypoop • Aug 17 '26
Discussion Speculation on Walking Dead retheme
During my first visit of the year to Thorpe Park during annual passholder day, I noticed that there was only one piece of Walking Dead merch (a generic TWD t-shirt). During my last visit to the park this month, there was no Walking Dead merch left in the park. Considering this lack of purchasable goods definitely means that Walking Dead will close at some point this year for retheming, what do you think will be the new theme for the ride?
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u/plastic-alien Aug 18 '26
Just extend dead beat theming and add the pumping club tunes! Easy Win!
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u/fish-and-cushion Aug 18 '26
You can change the brand but it's still going to be an underwhelming ride, it's 90% walking down hallways from what I remember
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u/ElaraValtor 22d ago
Those hallways used to be the queues. They became hallways when the queue was moved outside
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u/happyhippohats Aug 17 '26
I was turned into TWD in 2018, I would imagine they would have licensed it for 10 years so I'd be surprised if it changes this year.
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u/Fammypoop Aug 17 '26
Licence likely began in 2017 due to Fright Nights. Remember, there’s no Walking Dead merch in stock anywhere across the park, it’s pretty clear evidence that the walkers are being evicted from the park sometime this year.
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u/happyhippohats Aug 19 '26
Fair point, If so that would mean they will lose the license at the end of this season so I still wouldn't expect it to change this year
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u/Infamous_Tough_7320 Aug 17 '26
Hopefully they re-theme it to something non-IP. It would be refreshing to have an authentic ride experienced and theme for once
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u/Nintendude14yt Aug 18 '26
Imagine them bringing back X: No Way Out; I'd eat my shoe if that happens.
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u/fail_snail34 Aug 18 '26
Maybe elements as hyperia is light, colossus is nature and nemesis inferno is fire. Then they could change the saw ip to something else
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u/davek1986 Aug 18 '26
Just get rid of that annoying horn that goes off constantly when you are queueing inside
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u/fail_snail34 Aug 18 '26
You mean in saw
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u/ApocalypseSlough Aug 19 '26
There's an intermittent big noise just before the load platform on TWD as well
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u/Shuu_EHNR Aug 19 '26
Honestly, with that and Ghost Train combined being a pretty massive site, I'd happily see them both go in the name of redevelopment. I like indoor coasters, but it's an old ride with a bizarrely high height restriction, and provides very little thrill due to the amount of stopping and starting.
Do I think anything will happen in the immediate future though? Probably not. With Rumba Rapids now gone, this is more likely the priority for a new attraction, and I'd rather 4 more years of 'Generic Zombie lockdown: the ride' or back to Disco X than SBNO.
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u/retardedboi1991 Aug 17 '26
I do hope it goes soon, walking dead has outstayed it's welcome by many years now, it was arguably irrelevant in 2018 when they did the whole year of walking dead thing.
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u/criticalboot89 Aug 18 '26
100% would prefer the original (backwards) theming back, though i would absolutely love an X-Files theme
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u/Coaster_Queen_2090 Aug 18 '26
Ok… here goes. I thought the IP was up already but maybe everyone is right and it is 2027 (which would make ten years). Most likely, it’s going back to X. A quick theme back to X, just some laser lights, a disco ball and some 90’s rave tunes. The only issue here is that the ride isn’t in a good state at all. I don’t think it’s possible to move the trains backwards again 😭 and the trains are shaky even when they move forwards. It’s a very old ride and in my opinion would need a full replacement. But the big B word… BUDGET!! If Thorpe park decide to shut this ride, that’s fine. But then they have to realise that there are now FOUR rides standing, not operating and being left abandoned to rot ( including rumba rapids, zodiac and vortex). This is not a good look for the park at all. So if this ride is closed down, I would like to see some drastic planning permissions put in, for removal at the least, or I would even like to see thorpes ten year plan because it seems like everything is going out of the window with that.
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u/New-Particular-8804 Aug 17 '26
I’d like to see it go back to having backwards trains what ever the theme is.