to complain to Thorpe Park?

[daisydoodoo]

Through my dads nectar points we get free merlin annual passes each year. We didnt renew them until last weekend this year becasue of the weather.

So on saturday we got to Thorpe park as the boys (10 and 15) want to go on swarm. I dont normally mind Thorpe Park as there are a few things for the younger ones to go on, whilst the older two go on the rollercoasters.

It would seem this season all of the younger childrens rides have gone! dd who is 6 had gone on the mini pirate ship ride (think they call it the banana boat) in the morning with her 15yr old brother and then we all went on storm surge and logger leap. Then while the boys queued for nemesis inferno i took dd to the train ride where you count bears, well thast no longer there, so i thought id send dd onto the small train roundabout last year she was going on it on her own, this year she was told she needed a grown up, so the boys come back and 15yr old ds takes her on but is told he cant as has to be over 18! so he says he will take her back on the boat, again hes turned away as not over 18 but yet has already taken her on it that very day.

Thorpe park are ignoring the younger market and its now not somewhere we can go as a family with a mixed age range (i have a younger dd who doesn tlike the train and also a bad back which was already playing up after loggers leap). This is no longer a family theme park and purely aimed at teenagers and above.

So am i bu to send an email to complain about the lack of rides for younger children?

Thorpe Park has closed all rodes for smaller kids - it's on their website - you can complain but it won't get you anywhere they will just refere you to the website.

one reason we didn't renew our melin passes this year as with 3 yr old twins there is nothing for them to do there really :(

chessington is better for small one's although it is usally very very busy :(

Chessington is not that far away, you could salvage the day and do half at each? That's what dp does when he goes with his mates and chessington has a good mix.

I wouldn't complain purely as thorpe park had made it clear that they are aimed at teens and young adults, so you're somwhat at fault for not checking before you went as they are not shy about telling the world about the changes they've made to the park!

ah right, i didnt even think to check the website. We've been going for years as its not far from us and had noticed that they had closed more and more young rides, but didnt think they would close them all.

Legoland is no good for the older boys even my 10yr old finds the rides a bit babyish now, chessington is ok but takes so much longer to get to.

Part of me says oh well the passes didnt cost anything but the other part feels cheated out of yet more family friendly days out with all the dc.

the boys also prefer thorpe park, i obviously knew about the faster and bigger rides, but had naively assumed that they would keep some smaller rides for younger family members.

YWBU to complain since they have publicised this pretty heavily. They are deliberately targeting the tenager/young adult sector of the market rather than families now, presumably because they find it more profitable. And they have orinted Chessington more towards kids.

You could give Thorpe Park feedback that because there isn't something there for all your family you won't be going any more. I would guess that most people who don't have passes and are planning a big day out would check the website pretty carefully and know which rides are available.

You can complain but they aren't going to do anything about it.

I always though that Tussards aimed Legoland the below 8s, Chessington at mixed age range and Thorpe Park at those taller than 1.4m.
So last weekend took two eight year olds and the 12 year old to Chessington where we had a great time. Would have never considered Thorpe Park.

They havent had any ride at Thorpe park for us cowards for years. We went 3 years ago and dd and I went on
3 rides all day.

Chessington isn't at all far from Thorpe Park really.. and it's miles better for kids. Try it, you'll have fun!

we've been to chessingotn lots of times, it alwasy seems much further away for us, maybe im going the wrong way? I live near Reading and we go on the motorway, if we got to thorpe park or legoland we go through ascot, virginia waters and seems to take no time at all.

Nt sure if anyone else will read this, but promised the older boys Alton towers for october half term, is it going to be any good for the younger dd's as well (6 and 3)?

Chessington is one our two junctions from thorpe park on the m25, even in traffic it only took us 20-30 mins to get between the two a few weeks backi think?

Alton Towers should be fine. Here's the link for the list of rides, www.altontowers.com/rides-and-attractions/

From what I remember it has a fairly good mix for all ages. That was a few years ago but it doesn't look like much has changed.