Coaster reviews

Smoothness

Rode at Hyde park. Had high expectations due to this coasters reputation, but I was underwhelmed. Yes it’s smooth, and for a travelling coaster is very imposing, but I didn’t find it very forceful. The shoulder restraints where also odd, and this killed any hangtime. Very average, but I appreciate the history.

Nice surprise!

Good moments of airtime, and a nice surprise going backwards! But otherwise very forgettable.

Fun

Good fun but as others have said looks a little out of place at Towers. I guess it’s a good kids ride, and the horseshoe element is pretty intense.

Pace Fun

Good fun and picks up speed surprisingly well. Good variant for Pleasurebeach’ coaster lineup, and great for kids and people who don’t want as intense ride experience from a coaster.

Comfort Duration

Comfy seating and a fairly long layout, but offers no real airtime. A strong ride for the park in that it offers kids their first real rollercoaster experience, so is an essential for the park.

Capacity Fun

The weakest woodie for me at Pleasurebeach, offers slightly more airtime that Nickelodeon streak but is very short and very rough. Would be the first coaster I would look to remove to free up space at BPB for a new ride. Sometimes you end up racing Icon in on the home straight if your lucky!

Airtimes First Drop Ejectors

Certainly the best woodie at Pleasurebeach, and tied with Wickerman for me for the best woodie in the UK. The Grand National is a fantastic Ride that offers lots of airtime, really throws you out of your seat and quite literally ‘hurtles’ around the track. It is rough, but it’s worth it for the airtime and the dual racing aspect.

Launch Fun Intensity

Stealth is a brilliant coaster, with a powerful launch as well as an intense drop. Queue times are always surprisingly short, and the theming- especially the radio station with 60’s songs- fits the ride perfectly. I could ride Stealth over and over again and never get bored of that launch and top hat!

Fun Intensity Layout

Obviously not as impressive as it’s namesake at Alton Towers, this ride was still very intense and has a great layout. You can’t go wrong with a B&M invert, they are smooth yet intense. Great addition to Thorpe Park, and the third strongest in the lineup (After Stealth&Swarm) in my opinion.

First Drop Theming Intensity

I really don’t get all the hate for Infusion. Maybe I’m just the right height to not experience severe headbanging, but I’ve never found the coaster to be particularly rough. The setting, over water, is fantastic- it’s one of the most visually pleasing coasters I’ve ridden. The first drop is solid, and there is a strange airtime moment just after the butterfly loop, which is a subtle favourite part of the ride for me. Ok it’s no Nemesis, but it’s a solid invert which is a good edition to Pleasurebeach.

Headbanging Capacity Discomfort

I queued two hours for this ride, and boy what a mistake that was. Quite simply the worst rollercoaster I have ever rode, and if all coasters where like this I would have no interest in them whatsoever. The restraints are awful, I’m a 6ft guy and my neck was banged to pieces throughout the ride. If I was a few inches shorter in height, I can’t imagine the headbanging I would have experienced. I actually felt sick getting off this ride, as my neck and base of head had taken a real pounding. The ride itself is rough, and by the time I experienced the 4th?! Heartline role I just wanted the ride to end.

Fun

A solid woodie, with a great first drop. However from then on I would have liked to see more airtime. The Grand National at Blackpool is a far more intense ride, but Wickerman has it for smoothness. I couldn’t pick between them for best woodie in UK for those reasons.

Inversions Hangtime

Saw has great theming- it’s been carefully planned out to provide an immersive experience. The strongest part of the ride for me is the indoor drop, which is very intense. I didn’t notice any roughness, and found the ride enjoyable from beginning to end. The first ‘outdoor’ drop after the vertical lift hill is Oblivion lite, which is never a bad thing!

First Drop Inversions Fun

Second strongest of the Thorpe park coasted (Behind Stealth) for me. The Swarm is a great coaster, with brilliant moments of hangtime, strong inversions, potentially the best theming I’ve ever seen on a coaster and a butter smooth ride. Favourite part of the ride for me was final inversion over the queue line, which provided great hangtime. Fantastic coaster and we are lucky to have one of it’s type in the UK!

Inversions Intensity

I had rode Nemesis a handful of times mid train, and must admit I just didn’t get the hype. I then rode it front seat, and boy was it a whole different experience. The near misses and sight of rocks/water whizzing by your feet completely changed the whole experience. It’s totally different admittedly, but comes just behind Icon @ Blackpool as one of my favourite coasters in the UK.

Launch Fun Intensity

Breathtaking launch, and the airtime hills afterwards are taken at breakneck speeds which makes Rita very intense and forceful. I’m a big fan, and find it very re-rideable. The only con for me is the lack of inversions, even a couple of corkscrews would have put the ride on another level for me.

First Drop Intensity

Very re-ridable, I’ll never get bored of that drop into the tunnel. The intensity of the drop is breathtaking, and it really is a credit to the UK themepark scene. Always smaller queues for this ride at Towers compared to some of the newer rides, which is a massive plus.

Comfort Fun Smoothness

Galactica is smooth as butter, but doesn’t really have any intensity. Restraints are comfortable and it is still a novelty to be lowered into the flying position. Flying on your back is probably the highlight of the ride for me, and it’s a ride that everyone must try once purely for the seating position!

Airtimes Intensity Ejectors

The airtime on this thing is bizarre, it throws you out of your seat and is very forceful. I do find the ride quite nauseating though, and can’t ride it more than twice in a row. Climbing the stairs is not for the faint hearted if you have a fear of heights (but then why would you be riding coasters?)

First Drop Fun Duration

Really enjoyed the Big One. First drop is daunting and provides some real force and speed as you hit the bottom. From then on it’s a solid, but unspectacular, speed merchant with no real airtime so to speak. The drop just before the midcourse break run is just about steep enough to throw you out of your seat. It’s a solid coaster for BPB, and one which everybody must ride once!

Smoothness Hangtime Duration

My number one UK coaster, and by quite a stretch! Memorable theme music and general theming, and great unrestrictive restraints. Icon has everything you could want in a coaster; hangtime, airtime, snappy transitions and a lengthy unrelenting duration. Absolutely wonderful coaster, and one which the Pleasurebeach should be proud of!