• Ben Hopson

    Nice surprise! Fun Intensity Too short

    Surprisingly intense and an absolute blast

  • Ben Hopson

    Airtimes First Drop Hangtime Rattle Too short Theming

    The first drop - especially near the back - is one of the best I've ever experienced, but unfortunately the rest of the ride never really reaches that peak again for me with the exception of the outerbank when warmed up, even though objectively the layout (while short) is absolutely stunning :(. I'm not quite sure why this is the case, maybe it's the persistent rattle or being a symptom of overhype? Either way we're still lucky to have a ride of this scale in the UK, and it's objectively a great coaster! It just for some reason hasn't 'clicked' with me, atleast not currently. Although one huge negative is Fearless Valley is a little bit of a mess. Nearly 4 months after opening and there's still clearly exposed pipe, tools, clearly unfinished landscaping, temporary fencing, etc. I don't really care that its not 'themed', but unthemed coasters can still look nice and presentable, and as it stands Hyperia really doesn't :/

  • Ben Hopson

    Nice surprise! Location Smoothness Capacity

    First one of this model, surprising fun! Good sense of speed and great location

  • Ben Hopson

    Airtimes First Drop Fun Dead spots

    Best in the UK ❤️. Masterclass in how to do an effective layout with relatively limited space with it's only flaw being a middling return to the breaks. Despite this however, the first 3/4 are so good it really creates something special. Smoother now too!

  • Ben Hopson

    Theming Nice surprise! Layout

    Very pleasantly surprised, so much fun!

  • Ben Hopson

    Discomfort

    unpleasant

  • Ben Hopson

    Headbanging Discomfort Tear it down!

    Wow! Awful!

  • Ben Hopson

    Nice surprise! Smoothness Harness

    Why's this good

  • Ben Hopson
  • Ben Hopson

    Theming Fun Intensity Rattle Discomfort

    Tracks the worst out of all the vekoma mine trains I've done, it really does have quite a nasty rattle, but the layout itself is one of my favourites! Very good sense of speed in the valleys after the second and third lift hill, and surprising positives.

  • Ben Hopson

    Airtimes Fun Intensity Headbanging

    I found this really really fun lol

  • Ben Hopson

    First Drop Layout Hangtime Harness Discomfort

    Adore the layout, theme, and overall presentation, but for some reason the harnesses on this one in particular REALLY started to dig into my collarbone, which was a shame. Replace the vests and it'd be my favourite wing!

  • Ben Hopson

    First Drop Nice surprise! Fun Too short

    New favourite dive! It's still short but every element hits hard so it feels much more complete than others. Biggest surprise was the airtime hill, much stronger than expected!

  • Ben Hopson

    Airtimes Nice surprise! Fun Lap Bar

    Lap bar was a lil uncomfortable but this ride was so much better than I'd been led to believe, and smoother?! I expected the worst but it's honestly up there with some of the smoother woodies I've done. Wouldn't exactly call it comfortable but the likes of Megafobia/Stampida, etc are all significantly rougher! Alot of fun!

  • Ben Hopson

    Airtimes Fun Smoothness Dead spots

    Balder may just be the most 'fun' coaster I've ever ridden. The layout isn't exactly inspired - generally consisting of: hill, hill, turn, repeat. However, despite this, Balder delivers a fantastic ride with the most airtime I've ever experienced on any single coaster. Not only that, but it never feels repetitive even though the layout may objectively be repetitive. I couldn't stop laughing when I rode it and could not wait to ride it again once we hit the brakes. Absolutely love this thing!

  • Ben Hopson

    Airtimes Nice surprise! Fun

    Was expecting a pretty solid coaster but this one really took me by suprise! A cracking first drop (especially on the back), some great airtime, surprising positive forces, and good presentation. It really has a presence in the area!

  • Ben Hopson

    Airtimes Masterpiece Intensity

    My personal perfect roller coaster - not even the rattly Problem Train™ (which was nowhere near as bad as I was expecting from previous reviews) could detract from the layout and forces. I've never experienced airtime as strong as that on this ride, there were a surprising amount of positive forces, and overall it threw me around like a ragdoll in the best possible way in every direction. Helps that the theming is also great 👍. Absolutely incredible I cannot stop thinking about this thing

  • Ben Hopson

    Airtimes Fun Smoothness

    On the front row, I saw Jesus on those first few hills

  • Ben Hopson

    Location Intensity Layout Rattle Too short

    This ride is one of the most talked about in the UK, and for good reason! It's very intense and the pacing is incredible, not to mention the location and surrounding scenery which really adds to the ride. Although I wouldn't call it rough, I've had some rides on it recently that did knock my head around. Also, despite having a great layout, the ride is really quite short. UPDATE POST REBORN: Ride thoughts remain mostly unchanged, but the new theming REALLY elevates it higher than I ever could've expected. Big eye <3

  • Ben Hopson

    Airtimes Smoothness Hangtime Launch Dead spots Intensity

    Used to love it but idk man, just a bit dull innit. Good fun moments in a creative layout, but absolutely not the unmatched UK #1 I used to tout it as

  • Ben Hopson

    Theming Fun Masterpiece

    Every time I ride this thing I love it more and more. The first time I experienced it the ride sat in my top 15. Then top 10. Then top 5. And now it's my #3! An absolute masterclass in everything ride-related, I can't get over how amazing both this ride and area are!

  • Ben Hopson

    Theming Launch Fun Rattle Inversions

    Weird. Not bad, it's good fun, but weird.

  • Ben Hopson

    Theming Fun Duration Headbanging

    Objectively weirdly paced, rough, and worse-for-wear, but I am absolutely infatuated with this thing. We are very lucky to have this still in the UK <3

  • Ben Hopson

    Pace Masterpiece Ejectors

    wow

  • Ben Hopson

    Fun Intensity Smoothness Too short

    Really enjoyed this one. Despite it's size it's a very solid coaster! Decent launch, quite intense, good pops of airtime and some snappy transitions. It's a bit short but for the space used, it's very good fun.

  • Ben Hopson

    Nice surprise! Intensity Smoothness Capacity

    Actually quite intense for a family coaster, especially on the back! Very snappy and those helixes have some good force to them, really took me by surprise on my first ride. Also I love the location along the water and it has some decent theming

  • Ben Hopson

    Comfort Fun Duration Intensity

    Underrated in my opinion. Very smooth, long and a lot of fun. It's not too intense but it's quite snappy when warmed up and there's a few great spots of both positive and negative g forces. The trim does take away from the top hat but the rest of the ride doesn't get affected, so I don't really mind it. Overall it's great fun and a solid 3rd at the park!

  • Ben Hopson

    Theming Pace Fun Lap Bar

    It's a good fun GCI! Don't get me wrong it's no Wodan or Troy, but for its size it's really good. This year it's back to running smooth again which is a bonus, yet it still has enough of a small rattle to feel exciting. The layout itself has nice pops of airtime and surprisingly strong laterals, as well as a great sense of speed. The theming is also fantastic! However, as much as I like millennium flyers, the lap bar can really come down on you throughout the ride, which (on this ride more than any other I've ridden) REALLY ruins the airtime. I'd recommend holding onto the lap bar to stop this from happening, if you do this I guarantee you'll enjoy the ride significantly more. Overall a great family/thrill coaster and in my opinion one of the country's best!

  • Ben Hopson

    Pace Fun Smoothness Capacity

    Despite being the same layout as several other vekoma family coasters I've been on, this one actually seemed to retain its speed much better! Led to some intense turns with decent laterals and even a small pop of floater!

  • Ben Hopson

    Comfort Fun Smoothness Dead spots Intensity

    Very fun ride and quite underated in my opinion, it's not very intense but it's not supposed to be. It's good as a first 'big' coaster and even for more experienced riders it still provides a fun, smooth, comfortable ride as expected from a B&M flyer. Sit in the back for a bit of an extra 'whip' through some elements!