Coaster reviews

First Drop Inversions Smoothness Too short Layout

I've been on this ride twenty two times. Nemesis Inferno is a solid B&M invert. The ride station is situated inside a volcano with lush overgrown foliage giving the area the feel of traversing a jungle canopy. The IMA Score soundtrack is also fitting, but theming is lacking inside the station itself. Also, the exit path goes behind the ride station; seeing the back of a warehouse breaks the volcano illusion. The pre-lift section banks through a mist-filled tunnel (the mist effect is intermittent) with dark red lighting enhancing the volcano theme, a nice touch before the chain lift. This coaster has aged well, becoming more intense around banked turns, loops, and helixes (especially in the back row). The front row offers great views of the jungle landscape, and the ride remains smooth despite a slight rattle in the rear cars. The layout is standard for a B&M invert, but it's intense during Fright Night when traversing close to the ground in darkness. Early morning rides are recommended due to lines building quickly. Nemesis Inferno will act as a decent support coaster to Hyperia in 2024.

Airtimes Launch Intensity Too short Harness Reliability

I've been on this ride thirty five times. Stealth is short and intense, but it suffers from reliability issues. There is American music from the 1950s and 60s playing throughout the area adding to the race theme. The train launches directly from the station building anticipation viewing the hydraulic launch close. Launch countdown announcements change for special events like Oktoberfest which is a nice touch. The launch is glass smooth with some minor rattling occurring during the top hat ascent. The views across the park from the top are stunning day and night. The OTSR are not the most comfortable and could be improved to vests or lap bars. Strong ejector airtime occurs going over the top hat and pre-brake hill. Lines for Stealth can build quickly so ride it first thing in the morning. Stealth remains the top coaster at Thorpe Park until Hyperia opens in 2024.

First Drop Theming Smoothness Too short

I've been on this ride twenty two times. The Swarm, delivers an intense and graceful ride experience. The theming on Swarm Plaza is immersive with a demolished church station and overturned police van ride control centre. The lift chain hill is fast and smooth, culminating in a forceful dive drop with hang time up front and an ejector whip over the top in the back row. Several near-miss highlights include diving under a plane wing and through a billboard after the zero-g roll. The zero-g roll is great delivering weightlessness. A personal highlight is the intense banked turn over water, narrowly missing a crashed helicopter. A corkscrew afterwards provides nice floater airtime on the left side. The final inline twist inversion over the station gives more near misses and hang time, especially on the right side which looks great as you glide above the station. Despite its awkward appearance, the final banked turn packs surprising force. The Swarm maintains smoothness throughout with no rough spots or head banging. The ride length is a bit short, but with distinctly different experiences on each side, it is re-ridable - for the best experience, I recommend the left side back row exterior seat. The Swarm is a top-tier coaster that is more graceful than intense. Early rides are recommended as lines build quickly.

Theming Fun Duration Airtimes Dead spots Intensity

I've been on this ride six times. The Dragon is the major roller coaster at Legoland Windsor The queue is immersive taking riders through the interior of a themed medieval castle, complete with Lego models like a dancing bear, wizard's cloaks hanging on a coat rack, and mosaic paintings. The station continues the medieval theme with dark, ominous music playing in the dimly lit room with Lego torches. The train itself is designed as a green dragon with red eyes and wings, based on the early 2000s Knight's Kingdom Lego sets. Each pair of riders has individual seatbelt and a joint lap bar restraint. The lap bar is uncomfortable with large gaps in the incremental locking making it feel too loose or overly tight. Little leg room and onboard storage for bags does not help, nor do the rigid bench seats that are not comfortable. The ride begins with a slow meander through castle interior. Riders are treated to the Disco Dragon during Brick or Treat with upbeat disco music/lights replacing the medieval theme here. Extensive Lego theming continues indoors with medieval Lego characters, smoke effects, and an animatronic dragon bellowing smoke. However, there is a consistent screech of rubber that detracts from this section. As the train exits outdoors, it rapidly picks up speed going up the first booster wheel lift hill. The forces are stronger than expected, with riders whipped over the crest in the back and dangling over it in the front. Banked turns close to the ground rattle noticeably, especially in the middle of the train, and there are distinct dead spots. The highlight of the outdoor section is a quick dive into a tunnel that provides an illusion of greater speed and a head chopper moment from a support beam. The ride finishes anticlimactically, with an awkward lift hill back into the station. The track itself looks in need of a fresh coat of paint. While not an intense coaster, The Dragon remains a fun family ride worth experiencing.

Inversions Intensity Layout Theming Harness Dead spots

I've went on this ride twice. This is a great historic and classic coaster that I rode at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland. It is surprisingly smooth with no jolts or head banging. The positive g-forces are powerful through the almost circular vertical loops. They can be felt strongly entering the loops near the front of the train and exiting the loops near the back. There are some minor dead spots at some other points but this is not a major issue. There's a general lack of theming which is disappointing. The lap bar and OTSR that lowers vertically are uncomfortable. However, the Olympia Looping model is definitely worth a ride.

Nice surprise! Fun Smoothness Theming Layout Lap Bar

I've been on this ride twice. The Walking Dead has updated theming from X: No Way Out but retains issues with comfort and intensity. The indoor queue lacks immersion, with guests just walking through monotonous corridors. The uncomfortable lap bars and cramped cars continue from the previous ride system. The experience lacks intensity, and theming quality is hit-or-miss with cheap zombie effects. On the plus side, live actors are a nice touch (their presence is occasional) and the pre-show is decent. The ride is smooth, and a section with staggered motions synced to walker footage stands out. Various smoke effects and jump scares add nice surprises. The Walking Dead needs improvement or removing. It's worth trying once if lines are short. Otherwise, give your attention to other rides.

Theming Lap Bar Comfort Capacity Dead spots Layout

I rode this ride twice. The Duplo Dino coaster is well themed with colourful Duplo bricks around the entrance and ride area. A large rotating sculpture of Duplo dinosaurs and palms dominates the middle of the track, surrounded by greenery that evokes a prehistoric jungle feel. The yellow and blue track works in the landscape. However, repetitive yelling of "WOAH" and "YAY" from the ride audio quickly becomes irritating - the jungle beat alone would suffice. The queue weaves back and forth along the main banked turn. Riders place bags on a basic storage rail before boarding the colourfully themed train modelled after Duplo dinosaurs. The seats are far more comfortable than the rigid benches of The Dragon, with decent legroom and smoothly contoured lap bars. The simple oval layout feels uninspired, lacking meaningful elements that do not take riders on a journey. A highlight is spotting the under-construction Minifigure Speedway coaster from the boost lift hill. Aside from bumpy lift wheels and a mild jolt on the banked turn, the ride is relatively smooth. However, it is completely forceless, with a noticeable dead spot after the first drop. There is a clumsy transition between the two circuits involving abrupt braking before the train can complete the second lap. Small trains and slow loading keep throughput low. It succeeds as a family coaster but has little appeal beyond its target audience.

Nice surprise! Fun Smoothness Theming Dead spots Lap Bar

I rode this at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland and I was pleasantly surprised. It was a smooth ride with no significant jolts. The effects of the trim brakes were minimal maximising the impact of the lateral forces (they were very strong on this ride). Lap bar could have been better but it did not detract from the overall experience. I’m not a fan of wild mouse coasters but this was fun and worth a ride. It wasn’t as intense as the Ice Mountain wild mouse ride but a solid ride regardless.

Fun Duration Theming Harness Layout

I went on this ride at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland. I was excited to try out this rare coaster, but it has a few issues. The restraints are not very comfortable, although there's a gap in them that adds to the thrill as you traverse the track. Unfortunately, the ride is quite rough and you can definitely feel a noticeable rattling throughout. I didn't experience any moments of weightlessness; instead, I felt like I was being tossed around by the restraints during the drops and climbs. The turns are banked, so you don't feel any lateral forces. It's a unique ride that's worth trying if you want to boost your coaster creds, but otherwise, don't bother.

Nice surprise! Fun Smoothness Lap Bar

Ice Mountain coaster is an indoor winter-themed spinning wild mouse coaster. I rode this at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland and it has some of the most intense spinning on a wild mouse coaster I’ve experienced. The lateral forces on the turns were powerful and the final bunny hop was an intense and unexpected final surprise. The laser effects and Arctic scenery was a nice touch to the overall scenery. The lap bar was not comfortable, but overall, it was a fun coaster; definitely worth a ride.

Theming Pace Ejectors Rattle Headbanging Capacity

Saw features immersive theming that incorporates movie references throughout the queue and interior warehouse. Jigsaw's loading station announcements add to the ambience. The indoor section excels, with a steep drop, powerful air effects, and an inline twist with water effects. Two Eurofighter trains are deployed simultaneously with the second stopping for a brief Jigsaw show to space out trains between block brakes. Great ejector airtime occurs during the hill after the overbanked turn, and the drop preceding the final dive loop during the outdoor section. Unfortunately, the ride suffers from noticeable head banging, especially in the front row and back row exterior seats. This issue is most prominent in the valley after the first outdoor drop before the Immelmann. Saw could rank among the top Thorpe Park rides with smoother transitions and improved restraints (lap bars or vests). The rough spots and OTSR hold it back.

Theming Inversions Layout Headbanging Harness Discomfort

Colossus is an iconic Thorpe Park coaster but suffers from comfort issues. The lush, overgrown foliage, theming and ominous music in the queue, Lost City area and station are fitting. The queue passes under the track allowing riders to feel the train's vibrations and roar overhead, building anticipation. Unfortunately, the ride itself is hampered by restrictive OTSR and limited legroom in the cars. This causes noticeable head banging, especially on the vertical loop and cobra roll. The rest of the layout is okay. Despite its rough spots, highlights include the intense final heart line roll near the ground and nice ejector airtime between the loop and cobra roll. The four consecutive heart line rolls deliver decent hang time. With lap bars like Sik at Flamingo Land or vest restraints, Colossus could rank among Thorpe Park's top rides. The head banging and discomfort issues holds Colossus back from reaching its full potential.

Fun Smoothness Duration Theming Capacity Lap Bar

The Flying Fish is disappointing. The lack of theming in the queue and surrounding area contributes to a rather generic ambiance. The layout is devoid of compelling elements, and the lap bar restraints can staple riders. This, coupled with slow boarding and a low throughput, frequently results in long queues that hardly seem worth the wait. It offers a low-intensity experience that might be a welcome respite for those seeking a break from more exhilarating rides, making it a suitable option for families. There is a noticeable dead spot on the lengthy straight track section. The two descending helixes provide the ride's only moments of light intensity. Distinct jolts can be felt along the track. On quieter days, the ride duration is satisfactory with four laps. The support beams are positioned in a way to provide decent head chopper moments which is a plus. Don't bother with this one.

Theming Fun Capacity

The Dragon's Apprentice shares several issues with its older sibling, The Dragon. The lap bar restraint has an uncomfortable large incremental locking system, leaving riders feeling either not secure enough or excessively stapled in. The rigid bench seats offer little legroom, made worse by riders carrying bags onboard. Like The Dragon, it's a tame family coaster lacking real intensity. The train completes two circuits of the track. A fast booster wheel lift hill provides a smooth transition between laps, mimicking a Mack powered coaster. However, the layout itself is boring. The first element is a descending helix near the ground - more forceful than it appears but not thrilling. It's a family roller coaster roller coaster suitable for children. But the uncomfortable restraints and seats shared with The Dragon persist, marring the experience. For families with young kids, it serves its purpose fine, but coaster enthusiasts will find it lacks both intensity and interesting elements.