THORPE Park’s waterpark has closed after more than 35 years.
Visitors will no longer be able to splash about in the Amity Beach pool on a hot summer day as the area is being completely transformed in time for the 2026 season.
Thorpe Park has revealed it’s new area called The LaunchpadCredit: Instagram/@ThorpeParkOfficial
It has taken over the area where Amity Beach used to beCredit: Instagram/@ThorpeParkOfficial
announced it would be replaced by a new attraction on social media.
They said: “As we say goodbye to Amity Beach and get ready for this next exciting chapter, we’re proud to reveal what’s coming next!
“The Launchpad will be a recharge zone, designed for thrillseekers to rest, reset and refuel between adrenaline hits.
“As the UK’s Most Thrilling Theme Park, we recognise how important it is to recharge between our exhilarating rides, and this space will be the perfect place to do that.”
New concept art of The Launchpad shows an open seating area with some shaded areas.
Dotted around the outside are kiosks as well as some planting.
It sits in the forefront of its huge rollercoasters and is meant to be a ‘recharge’ area for visitors in-between rides.
Comments about The Launchpad are mixed, but one Thorpe Park fan wrote: “I think this is gonna be awesome if it’s built right!”
Another added: “I think this looks great. it matches with the new branding of thorpe park and is a lovely entrance way and is a lot more open than amity beach. It will hopefully help spread crowds out at the start of the day too.”
One was less-enthusiastic and wrote: “Thorpe is my favourite park and has been since the 90s but this looks like a flop.”
The Launchpad will have open spaces and food kiosksCredit: Instagram/@ThorpeParkOfficial
Amity Beach first opened at the theme park in 1991 – it was a seasonal attraction with sandy shores and a splash park for kids.
The opening of the beach was dictated by the and visitors could find out on the day if it was open on the app.
Alongside Amity Beach was the Depth Charge attraction, a four-lane, 39-foot-tall outdoor inflatable dinghy water slide.
It has not been confirmed whether or not the attraction remains after the makeover – but it has does not appear in the concept art.
Thorpe Park itself opened in 1979 and has more than 30 rides – including the coaster which is the tallest and fastest coaster in the UK.
Thorpe Park will reopen for the 2026 season on March 27, 2026.
Day tickets into Thorpe Park start from £32, overnight stay with two day park entry starts from £63pp.
Here's one writer's review of Hyperia at Thorpe Park...
Travel writer Lee Bell visited Thorpe Park to try the ride out when it first opened…
“I was able to ride the steel monster three times, experiencing its exhilarating speeds in the middle of the train, at the front and then, for my last (and best) ride, right at the back.
“First impressions: it’s unlike any other rollercoaster in the UK right now. Not only for the obvious reason that it’s over double the height, but its focus on flinging riders out of their seats and experiencing ‘weightlessness’.
“It’s no surprise that the first drop is what really steals the show on this rollercoaster. While it’s the tallest in the country, it’s unique in that it twists riders 180 degrees while they plummet down a huge vertical drop right before reaching the ground at top speeds of over 80mph.
“The back row is easily the best place to experience this, since you’re catapulted over the crest of the drop at speed, and right into the drop with a free-fall-like feeling.
“It’s an incredible ride that will make you want to ride it again and again. It’s certainly a coaster that can compete with some of the best in Europe and is easily, in my experience, the best the UK has to offer.”
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Amity Beach has closed and will reopen as ‘The Launchpad’Credit: Unknown
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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