The event certainly had a birthday party vibe, as upon entering through a balloon archway we were greeted by various entertainers including stilt walkers, a plate spinner and a juggler. The park treated us to delicious milkshakes, 40th Anniversary cupcakes and party bags! As event sponsors, Attack a Snak were also handing out freebies.
BounceZilla
The day kicked off with a preview of BounceZilla, a new 96m inflatable assault course. We were the first group on, and after ditching our shoes their enthusiastic team led us through some warm up exercises before we set off. 3...2...1... go! Jumping over obstacles, tumbling through tunnels and sliding our way to the finish. It’s big, it’s bold and it’s definitely bouncy!
A hilarious soundtrack blasts throughout and a few tactically positioned members of the team armed with water guns keep you on your toes. It was so much fun, and that's despite feeling absolutely exhausted and completely out of breath by the end! BounceZilla is now open daily until 8th September 2019, and included in park admission.
https://www.themeparks-uk.com/thorpe-park-guide/news/vip-launch-for-bouncezilla-at-thorpe-parks-40th-birthday-party#sigProId558df07806
Jungle Escape
We were then met by some explorers. who led us across the park to the new Jungle Escape adventure game. Replacing the former I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! attraction, the 30 minute experience requires you to prime your wit and take part in a series of fun challenges.
As a team of 6 people, we entered the briefing room and the story was revealed. We were to be pursued through a jungle by the Huntsman, and would need a complete a series of rituals in order to escape. This would involve us decoding clues, testing our physical skills and most importantly teamwork. We won't spoil the details of the puzzles, but expect the unexpected and prepare for an exciting finale!
Jungle Escape is not included in park admission. It costs £10 per person (£9 in advance. £8 for Annual Passholders. £7.50 for Shark Hotel guests). It is open daily until 27th September 2019.
https://www.themeparks-uk.com/thorpe-park-guide/news/vip-launch-for-bouncezilla-at-thorpe-parks-40th-birthday-party#sigProIdb00f6dcbc3
GameFX
Back in April, the park opened a gaming arena powered by HYPD. It ends on 31st May, so this half term week is your last chance to check it out. Practice your eSports skills across multiple consoles and games, reignite your childhood in the retro gaming area and try the latest virtual reality tech. It is free to enter, although charges apply to enter the HYPD Legends Tournament and have a go at the VR experiences.
https://www.themeparks-uk.com/thorpe-park-guide/news/vip-launch-for-bouncezilla-at-thorpe-parks-40th-birthday-party#sigProId89170d4f78
We spent the rest of the day riding all of Thorpe Park's big roller coasters including Colossos, Nemesis Inferno, SAW - The Ride, Stealth and The Swarm. The ride operations across the park were excellent, with queue times of 5 - 20 minutes for every ride except Derren Brown's Ghost Train which maintained a wait of around 45 minutes for most of the day. Our other favourites were The Walking Dead: The Ride, Rumba Rapids and the Angry Birds 4D Experience.
We were really impressed with all the special 40th Anniversary items, especially the range of limited edition clothing, keyrings, magnets and mugs, plus Thorpe's Birthday Donut Sundae.
https://www.themeparks-uk.com/thorpe-park-guide/news/vip-launch-for-bouncezilla-at-thorpe-parks-40th-birthday-party#sigProIdb808bdb9f9
