Big Easy Bumpers

Classic dodgem cars in a New Orleans-themed setting - a crowd favourite for groups and families.

About Big Easy Bumpers

Big Easy Bumpers is Thorpe Park's dodgem attraction, themed around New Orleans and jazz culture. The ride arena features the standard dodgem format: electric cars on a conductive floor, riders steering into and away from each other for a fixed session length. The theming is more involved than a standard fairground dodgem setup, with decorative set dressing in the arena and on the surrounding structure.

Dodgem cars are one of the most universally accessible theme park attractions - no significant height requirement for passengers, fun across all age groups, and appealing to visitors who aren't interested in the intense rides elsewhere. Big Easy Bumpers fills this role at Thorpe Park.

What to Expect

Each session lasts a few minutes. Riders who meet the minimum height to drive solo get their own car; younger children can ride as passengers with an adult driver. The session ends when the power cuts and cars coast to a stop. Queue times here are driven primarily by the fixed session format - the floor resets and loads in batches, so the wait can feel choppy.

This is not a thrill ride in any meaningful sense. It is a fun, social, low-intensity attraction that works well as a break between the more demanding rides in the park.

Tips for Big Easy Bumpers

• Good rest stop. After a morning of coasters, Big Easy Bumpers is a natural break - low intensity, enjoyable for groups, and covered so it works in any weather.
• Children under 1.2m can still ride. As passengers with an adult driver. A useful option for families with a mix of heights who want to do something together.
• Sessions load in batches. You'll wait for a full session to end before loading, which means the queue can pause for several minutes at a time. Don't be misled by a short visible queue - you may still wait 10–15 minutes.
• Groups are more fun. Dodgems are social by nature. With a group of friends or family, the experience is significantly more entertaining than riding as strangers.

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