Thorpe Park typically closes its doors for the season during the first week of November. Think of it as nature’s way of saying, “Stop pretending you’re not cold, you absolute fool.” The exact date shifts each year, but expect the final screams to echo around Bonfire Night. After that, the park enters a deep, thrilling hibernation until the spring. It’s basically a rollercoaster bear, but with more fog machines and fewer grunts.
Check their website in October, because the closing weekend is often a special “Fright Night” extravaganza. You might get chased by a clown and frozen to the bone—two experiences for the price of one. After that Sunday, the gates lock tighter than a teenager’s bedroom door during exam season.
What happens to all the rides?
You’d think the coasters just sit there, lonely and sad, but no—they get a full spa treatment. Engineers crawl over them like ants at a picnic, checking every bolt and wheel. The Swarm probably gets a fresh paint job to cover up your terrified drool from last summer. Stealth gets its launch cables replaced, because apparently even a 0-80mph burst of terror gets tired after a season.
But here’s a shocking fact: some rides actually enjoy the cold. Wooden coasters like The Walking Dead: The Ride (RIP) used to warp less in winter. And yes, the park’s employees still go in—to shuffle papers, polish the vomit stations, and argue about whose turn it is to buy the kettle. Imagine a ghost town, but with better coffee and fewer tumbleweeds.
