Coaster reviews

Theming Capacity Comfort Too short Dead spots

Most of the ride is just slowly going around long drawn-out corners but the two drops are really good. I hardly got wet on either of the drops so I was confused as to why most of the other people on my train were getting soaked but I guess it is a case of where you sit. The theming is really good with two large fake ruins around the layout to sail under and the station is similarly themed. The queue was a walk-on for most of the day which was great in the heat and I saw lots of empty trains going around throughout the day. The staff were amazing at getting trains out quickly and this was actually the only coaster at Cinecitta World with more than one train running, I believe they had two or three on this ride.

Lap Bar Comfort Duration Rattle Theming Capacity

The new generation of trains make this ride really good. Having ridden Colossus at Thorpe Park, this experience was much better as there is no horrible headbanging and hardly any space to get into the train. The trains are still pretty small, but the lapbar doesn't really make it noticeable. As for the layout, having a lapbar makes the experience feel much more open and more thrilling. Apart from a bit of a rattle the ride is also mostly smooth. The main problem with the ride is how slow the operations are, they only have one train operating and it takes a long time to load and check the restraints. Overall, everything except the theming is a great experience and some good thrills.

Lap Bar Fun Smoothness Too short

Inferno was a great surprise when I visited. If you want the best ride then they to avoid any spoilers before your visit. Inferno is surprisingly fast and thrilling with some whippy elements and great theming all around you. The only cons on Inferno were how short the ride was and the fact that there was only one train, but despite this the queue never got longer than walk-on during my visit. Overall it is an amazing ride with some surprising elements.

Airtimes Fun Intensity Too short

Very fun family coaster. Packs a punch for such as small ride with some surprising intensity around the helixes and turns. All day there was barely any with quick two train dispatches. The coaster, queue line and area of the park are both themed exceptionally well for such a small park!

Airtimes Fun Theming Discomfort

As a family ride, this is a great coaster with very whippy turns and sharp bunny hills at the end. The only disadvantages are that the turns can be uncomfortable at the beginning and the ride severely lacks theming considering the rest of Paultons Park and how amazing the theming is. Other than that, it's a fun little ride with very cute trains.

Theming Fun Intensity Too short

Fun little family invert which can be entertaining for older kids too. Very well themed with the rockwork and fits into the Lost Kingdom. The ride layout, though short, is very fun and the helix near the end is a lot more intense than you'd except for a family coaster.

Fun Too short

Fun for a little boomerang and perfect for the target audience of younger kids, but nothing special around that. Some theming pieces which fit into the Lost Kingdom area and the actual ride experience is quicker than you expect, especially in the backwards section.

Theming Rattle Discomfort Lap Bar

Ouch. There is literally no reason for a ride this painful to have ever been built, but it was. The theming is the only good part of this ride, other than that it is painful, boring and always has long queues. Despite being a wild mouse Rattlesnake has absolutely ZERO airtime because of the tight lap bars which crush you into the seats. The only reason I think Chessington shouldn't remove this ride is because it takes up a lot of people in the queues and that is what Chessington needs.

Fun Disappointing! Pointless

This is perfect for a park's family coaster, but since Chessington has so many family rides it is pretty pointless. Other than a fun helix, there isn't to much to it and other than taking some of the queues from other rides in the park, it's pretty pointless. On the other hand, the theming for Scorpion Express is great and it fits perfectly into the Mexicana part of the park.

Fun Layout Headbanging Discomfort Dead spots

Lots of dead spots as most of the ride is simply moving through the forest around it. The best part of the ride is definitely the drop into the tunnel as it picks up a lot of speed and sends the train swinging to the side. As an old arrow coaster the track has plenty of jolts throughout which aren't a huge problem, only a bit uncomfortable. The theming for Vampire is quite weak but as the ride takes place in a big area in a forest it doesn't take from the experience - what little theming there is in the queue and station are pretty good.

Comfort Fun Theming Disappointing! Pointless

Spinball Whizzer, although fun to ride, it pretty disappointing. It has very poor theming around the area which simply looks like a lot of bright colours, and the ride layout itself looks better than it is. The best part is definitely the drop into the horse shoe element but the rest of the ride is pretty disappointing. Good to do while at the park and perfect for a first thrill coaster but not worth a long wait, which often happens because of the awful capacity of the ride.

Comfort Launch Hangtime Capacity

Chessington's brand new for 2023 coaster!! This ride is perfectly themed and places you right into the World of Jumanji. The station has fantastic theming and even the audio as the first launch starts just wants to make you laugh as you ride. Throughout the layout you get some good pops of airtime, especially at the front of the train on the left side while dropping into the backwards spike. The inversion has some great hangtime and the launch gives a great kick to bring you through the layout!! I noticed a bit of a rattle on the ride and it is worse on the right side of the train but doesn't take away too much from the ride itself. Mandrill Mayhem is the perfect addition to the Chessington line up and it is definitely worth a visit to Chessington!

Theming Harness Intensity Rattle

(Before the retrack) I absolutely love Nemesis for how much it packs a punch. From the first drop until you hit the brake run, Nemesis is just pure intensity with the forceful helix at the beginning, the vertical loop and all of the corkscrews and 0G rolls. I hope that with the changes of the retrack, too much of the theming is not altered because the Nemesis theme is so iconic, but I look forward to seeing how it will look and ride after the retrack.

Airtimes Theming Lap Bar Rattle

My only con for this ride is the slight rattle it has, but being a wooden coaster that is completely expected. The entire experience for Wicker Man is incredible. The queue line offers some incredible views of the ride, especially at the beginning and end of the queue and the theming of the area is amazing. The preshow for the ride is a great introduction to the story and a great way to build suspense before the ride. The ride experience is much faster and intense that you would think. The layout has some great pops of airtime and with only the lap bar holding you in it feels incredible. Passing through the Wicker Man structure is an amazing head chopper effect and it happens three times throughout the layout. Overall, Wicker Man is the perfect example of a well-themed coaster with the full storyline and ride experience. Definitely worth a visit to Alton Towers on its own.

Capacity Fun Dead spots

As a small family coaster, the Runaway Mine Train does exactly what it needs to. The ride takes you around the Katanga Canyon area while perfectly fits into the theme of the ride, there is a tunnel which gets the ride going quite fast while moving alongside the Congo River Rapids ride which is fun. The restraints are only a lap bar so when the ride speeds up it takes you by surprise as you dip into the tunnel. Overall it is the perfect family coaster for the Katanga Canyon area of the park.

First Drop Too short Layout

Oblivion is perfect as the world's first vertical drop coaster, but over time has become a bit disappointing. Despite this, Oblivion has great re-rideability and comfortable restraints. The suspense that the lift hill and first turn bring is simply fantastic and the drop is amazing, but the layout could definitely use a bit more to it.

Comfort Smoothness Capacity Dead spots Reliability

Galactica is a very good ride but it is near impossible to get on without having to wait through a break down. The restraints can be uncomfortable before dispatch and while waiting on the brake run which seems to happen a lot but it isn't noticeable during the ride. The ride itself is very fun as you do feel like you're flying, and the turn while you are on your back is very relaxing. Outside of the very well-themed station there is very little theming, but I find that the ride is so quick that it doesn't really matter. It is a pretty short ride and not worth the long waits that it usually gets due to capacity but it is great to ride when you get the chance.

Comfort Fun Theming Dead spots

While The Walking Dead is a fun ride and a pretty good overall experience, the theming of the ride sort of ruins the fact that it is a good family coaster. The theming looks cheap and badly put together, but despite that the preshow and building walk through are a good way to build up suspense. The actors at the end of the ride make it very scary when you leave the building but other than that the ride is a bit of a let down. It tells the story well and I make sure to ride it almost every time I visit Thorpe Park but it still doesn't quite meet the standard. The Walking Dead was definitely better as X and should have stayed that way.

First Drop Intensity Smoothness Harness

Everything about the Swarm is perfect. The first drop is simply incredible and the pull-out delivers so many forces. There are so many extremely forceful parts of the ride and the entire ride is butter smooth. The theming for the Swarm is another incredible part of the ride - from the moment you walk onto Swarm island you feel like you are part of the story. Nothing feels out of the place, even the station and train are perfect for the area. The only con of the ride is that the vest restraints can dig into your hips and collarbones, but by the time you actually notice it you are already on the brake run.

Airtimes First Drop Launch Headbanging

Stealth is all about the launch, but that isn't where the fun ends. The launch on Stealth is simply incredible with the insane acceleration, although there can be a little headbanging on the launch track. Not only that but the top hat and airtime hill at the end deliver some great airtime and the turns unto and out of the top hat give for great forces. The theming for the Stealth Plaza is also on point with the drag racing theming, even the launch audio fits perfectly into the ride.

Comfort Fun Capacity

For a kiddie coaster, this a pretty fun ride to go of if you get the chance in the day. Unfortunately though it often gets long queues as one of the only kiddie rides in the park.

Inversions Intensity Harness Discomfort

Shockwave has some surprising intensity which you wouldn't really expect by looking at it. The 0G roll makes your feet lift off the floor which is a great feeling and the final two inversions are pretty forceful. Due to only running one train and having a long load time, Shockwave had a pretty long queue throughout the day which the complicated loading certainly didn't help, and at the end of the ride the brakes are very sudden and throw you forward which can be uncomfortable, but that wasn't a big issue at all. Theming in the Adventure Cove area is pretty good but not overly noticeable unless you are looking.

Theming Capacity Dead spots

While it was quite a fun ride, the capacity was terrible which meant that there was a very big queue line the whole day. Most of the ride was just long straight parts and the helix was forceless even for a kiddie coaster. Despite this it is themed to fit well into the Viking section of the park with a well-designed train.

Comfort Intensity Too short

A fun little family boomerang which has some surprising forces to it. Accelerator has a few surprising pops of airtime and pull forces around some of the bends. Going through the layout backwards is the most fun part although some of the turn are a little uncomfortable. Pretty good theming inside the queue line and a few bits along the layout. Had surprisingly good capacity for a boomerang so the queues weren't too long through out the day.

Airtimes Inversions Headbanging Harness

For an inversion based ride, the best moment is by far the second airtime hill. The theming really makes the ride one of the best I've ever ridden. From entering the X-Sector area you can see the Smiler and hear the iconic theme tune. The way the queue line is sat under the ride is cool although very noisy and the theming inside the station building is also spot on. The ride layout is mainly just a lot of inversions with two lift hills and two airtime hills to separate them. The main issue with the Smiler is how rough it can be. Most of the layout is rather shaky but there is a jolt in the second half if the cobra roll which can be painful and the 2 last inversions are pretty snappy but otherwise the ride is just great fun.

First Drop Ejectors Rattle Headbanging Harness

SAW - The Ride is certainly not a comfortable ride in the slightest. The main drop has a big pothole at the bottom which is pretty painful to ride, the restraints crush your legs by the end of the ride and the dive loop sends your head smashing into the side of the restraint if you don't brace at the right time. On the other hand, SAW is full of great ejector airtime on the first indoor drop, the main drop, the ejector airtime hill and the drop off the midcourse. The indoor section of the ride is very well themed alongside the stations theming and the theming of the SAW Plaza. The music inside of the station can give you a headache but you fortunately don't spend too much time in the station before getting on the ride. Overall, SAW the ride is a fun coaster but can be very rough if you don't know when to brace.

Theming Intensity Harness

This is one of the most intense rides at Thorpe Park. The inversions are all amazing, especially going into that first vertical loop at the beginning. The restraints often sit loose on me which can be an issue of comfort some of the time but it isn't an issue for anyone else that I know. Theming is also good as the station is set inside of a volcano structure and feels very much like a Jungle in the surrounding area. It is also accompanied by the best soundtrack at Thorpe Park

Airtimes Inversions Rattle Headbanging Harness

While it may appeal to people with 10 inversions, the headbanging makes this ride simply too painful to ride. The whole layout just throws your head into the restraints and leaves you with a massive headache. The constant pain during the ride makes me avoid it every visit. The trains are the worst part of the ride with no leg room and the worst restraints I've ever had on a coaster which makes it impossible to stop the headbanging.

Airtimes Launch Rattle Headbanging Disappointing!

Rita is a pretty poor ride in the Alton Towers ride line-up. Despite featuring a cable launch it is only the second fastest ride in the park and it is also one of the shortest rides in the park at only 25 seconds long. The ride experience isn't the best with a rattly launch, a first turn that smashes you head into the restraint and nothing more than a few airtime hills and turns. Unlike Alton Towers, Rita also lacks in theming. The theming of the ride can be pretty unclear if you don't look at the few posters around pathway near the launch section. Overall, Rita is a pretty poor experience and the other rides are much more worth your time, but if you have some time left at the end of a visit, its always worth a ride to get it done.

Nice surprise! Comfort Smoothness Too short Layout

TH13TEEN has a pretty boring first half, but the second half perfectly makes up for it! While the trim brakes on the first drop take away from the first half, it is pretty good and you can get a bit of airtime over some of the hills in the back rows. In the end, it is the surprise in the second half that really makes this ride re-rideable and more interesting. TH13TEEN also got some incredible theming and is perfectly placed in the forest to fit in with the 'Haunted Woods' type theme that created the Dark Forest area of the park. The inside park of the queue line also continues the theme and gives you a good idea of the TH13TEEN theme. Overall, TH13TEEN is a fantastic full experience with 10/10 theming and a solid ride experience.