Tidal Wave (Thorpe Park)

Tidal Wave is a giant water ride located at Thorpe Park in Surrey, England, UK. It was opened in 2000 and was Tussauds' first major investment in the park.

When the ride was constructed in 2000 it was the tallest water ride in Europe^[1] and retained the title until 2002, when Hydro at Oakwood Theme Park was opened. From 2006 to 2009, the ride was sponsored by Original Source, and from 2010 by Dr. Pepper. The ride was temporarily closed on the 26th September 2015, but re-opened for the 2016 annual pass preview weekend.

Theme

The ride is set in a 1950s New England fishing village which has been hit by a tidal wave, named "Amity Beach". The surrounding area has a high level of detail to carry this theme. The ride's queueline is host to a number of partially ruined buildings, including a bathroom with a leaking shower, a toilet and a house with a boat stuck in its roof. The station is built at an angle to give the impression that the building has been damaged by the wave. The area's New England setting is only rough, as Storm Surge is set in Virginia.

Upon leaving the ride, guests are led through a building, named "Pier 13", situated directly in front of the splash pool and above the track. As the boat hits the water, the wave travels straight towards this building and often continues on to the pathway behind. Two windows of the Pier 13 building have no perspex, presenting another opportunity for riders to get wet.

Around the splash pool are several effects, such as a damaged gas tank which fires a large flame approximately every 10 minutes, a giant water tower which periodically releases a torrent of water, and the sound of an organ coming from the spire of a supposedly submerged church. As of 2006, the gas tank no longer operates because the cylinders that were used to fuel the flame were removed to make way for the construction of Stealth. The other effects are also currently nonoperational and have been out of order for several years.

Amity Beach also features a comical, fake radio station, named WWTP radio, that plays on a loop through speakers in the area. The radio show is hosted by the fictional character "'Big Bob' Jones" and plays music from the era, for example Elvis Presley and The Beach Boys. The show also features comical news reports, parodic advertisements and fictional competitions.

Shops

The area also features a few food outlets - a doughnut shop called Amity Naughty Bites and a kebab shop called 'The Amity Kebab Co.' (the Tidal Wave photo unit is located directly above the kebab shop). A small Ben & Jerry's kiosk is also located at Tidal Wave's exit. In addition, the area houses a fish and chip shop, known as 'Amity Fish & Chips'. There are also two shops in Amity Beach, Thorpe Park's largest shop (called Thorpe Mega Store) and in 2007 a new shop called Amity Shop and Drop opposite the 4D cinema. There is also a Tickets and Information kiosk next to Tidal Wave's entrance selling Fastrack and Bounce Back tickets.

There is also a KFC in the area, which fits into the theme as it looks like a 1950s American diner. Inside, there are broken mirrors on the walls and the ceiling appears to be damaged by the tidal wave. The restaurant has a life-sized shark piece of theming that appears to have been slammed into the side of the building.

A Burger King is also located within the area, and is themed, in a very similar fashion to the KFC, as a 1950s diner.

Other rides

When Tidal Wave opened, it was the only ride in Amity Beach and remained this way until 2004. In anticipation for Stealth, the Amity Cove area was extended towards the Teacups (a traditional fairground 'teacups' ride). The Teacups were re-themed, with cracks painted onto the cups and the ride was renamed "Storm In A Teacup". Stealth was the signature attraction in Thorpe Park when it opened and when the Flying Fish was relocated in 2007 it was also fitted to the Amity Beach theme. In 2008, Time Voyagers, a new 4D film opened, extending Amity Beach towards a fish and chip restaurant. In 2011, Storm Surge, a spinning rapids ride opened opposite Tidal Wave.

References

1. ↑ "Total Thorpe Park - Features - Timeline". Retrieved 07-09-10.  Check date values in: |access-date= (help)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tidal Wave (Thorpe Park).

• Tidal Wave at Total Thorpe Park
• Tidal Wave at ThemeParks-UK
• Tidal Wave at Thorpe Park's official website