Take a spin in a giant teacup
Take a spin in a giant teacup
| Theme Park | Thorpe Park |
|---|---|
| Park Area | Amity |
| Type | Teacup Ride |
| Audience | Families |
| Opened | 1986 (Teacup Ride) 2004 (Storm in a Teacup retheme) |
| Closed | 2022 (replaced by Dobble Tea Party) |
| Manufacturer | Mack Rides |
| Model | Tea Cup Ride |
Spinning teacups
The Teacups was one of Thorpe Park's earliest rides and opened at the park in 1986. The ride received a retheme in 2004 to better fit with its home in the disaster-striken Amity Cove, and became known as Storm in a Teacup.
Riders sat in one of twelve giant teacups which sat on a large spinning disc, all set around a giant teapot which sat in the middle. The disc span, and riders could spin their individual tea cups too by using a black plate in the middle of their cup. Some cups also sat on smaller spinning discs in sets of three, which span in the opposite direction to the main disc resulting a very disorienting experience.
Up until 2003, the teacups came complete with handles, but these were removed and cracks painted on the cups when the ride underwent its Storm in a Teacup retheme. This remained until 2022, with the ride being rethemed into Dobble Tea Party for the 2023 season.
Storm in a Teacup was an enjoyable diversion from Thorpe's larger rides, and did not often attract a long queue. The ability to control the speed of your spin yourself really added a social dimension to the ride, with friends screaming with pleasure or fear as their compatriots turned their teacup ever faster.
Storm in a Teacup, with Stealth towering behind
The ride sits in its own Square between the Stealth plaza and Nemesis Inferno
Take a teacup for a spin
The ride is a family favourite
The giant teapot at the centre of the ride
Riders can choose between sitting in a teacup on the main platform, or on a second smaller spinning disc for a more intense experience
Guests control the spinning of their teacup by turning it themselves
Storm in a Teacup's surroundings look beautiful in the summer months when Thorpe's gardeners have been out
Photos of the original Teacups ride, prior to the "Storm in a Teacup" retheme in 2004.
The original Teacups ride in 2003
The teacups had handles, and the floor was a more muted blue and white
The queueline, with Model World behind
Teacup Twisters in 2003
