Coaster reviews

First Drop Theming Smoothness Too short

I've ridden The Swarm 45 times. The Swarm delivers a graceful ride experience with decent moments of intensity. The theming on Swarm Plaza is immersive with the station located inside a demolished church, and an overturned police van ride control centre at the base of the chain hill. There is a dark colour scheme with bright yellow warning signs, discarded shipping containers, as well dented oil drums. All of this enhances the sense of devastation. There are also steam effects emanating from a crashed plane and news reporter on the loud speakers of the "alien invasion" that has just taken place. The trains are themed to an alien-robot swarm with comfortable vest restraints. The lift chain hill is fast and smooth, culminating in a forceful dive drop with hang time up front and a nice ejector whip 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 that narrowly misses 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. This is emphasized on the right side front row which looks great as you glide above the station. The final banked turn packs surprising force despite its awkward appearance. The Swarm maintains smoothness throughout with no rough spots or head banging. The duration is a bit short but distinctly different experiences on each side of the train make it re-ridable - I recommend the left side back row exterior seat for the best experience. The Swarm is a top-tier coaster that is more graceful than crazy-intense. Early rides are recommended as lines build quickly.

Nice surprise! Fun Smoothness Dead spots Intensity Lap Bar

I've been on this ride 7 times. The Walking Dead has updated theming from X: No Way Out but retains issues with lap bar comfort and intensity. The exterior queue sets the scene with corroded chain linked fences, weathered signs, and overgrown foliage. It gives a sense of urgency and desperation. The queue watchtower is a nice touch empathising that you've entered a hastily constructed safe zone requiring constant vigilance. It builds unease and trepidation. There is a decent pre-show to start the interior queue. Then the indoor queue consists of guests walking through dark and long corridors (the former queue of X). The ride itself is surprisingly smooth with no jolts or shaking. However, the uncomfortable lap bars and cramped cars interfere with the ride experience. The ride lacks intensity generally and theming quality is hit-or-miss with cheap zombie effects. A section of the rides with staggered motions synced to footage of walkers stands out as a highlight. Smoke effects at the base of a banked dive add a nice surprises. Live actors whilst exiting the ride are a nice touch (their presence is occasional). However, the exit has the same issue long corridor problem as the interior queue It's worth trying once if lines are short or for the Coaster Cred.

First Drop Inversions Smoothness Rattle Too short Layout

I've been on Nemesis Inferno 33 times. Nemesis Inferno is a solid B&M invert for Thorpe Park but does not have the innovative layout of OzIris or Black Mamba. The ride area is themed well with the station situated inside a volcano within a lush jungle environment giving the area the feel of traversing an untamed jungle canopy. This is reinforced by stagnant-looking water with reeds and aquatic plants. The IMA Score is great and enhances the theming. However, theming is lacking inside the station itself. There's a complex network of steel beams with light fixtures and minimal textured surface. It looks unfinished which is disappointing in contrast to the exterior queue. Another problem is the exit path goes behind the ride station - seeing the back of a warehouse post-ride breaks the illusion of being in a volcano. The seats and restraints are comfortable as expected for a B&M invert. The pre-lift section banks through a mist-filled tunnel (the mist effect is intermittent) with dark red lighting enhancing the volcano theme. This is a nice touch before the chain lift. This coaster has aged well becoming more intense around banked turns, the vertical loops, and ascending helixes (especially in the back row). Likewise, the front row offers great views of the jungle landscape. The ride remains smooth throughout the ride despite a slight rattle in the rear cars. It's more intense during Fright Night when traversing close to the ground in darkness and not being able to see properly where you are going. It's a good ride as long as you don't compare it to the original Nemesis at Alton Towers. Early morning rides are recommended due to lines building quickly. Nemesis Inferno will act as a solid support coaster to Hyperia in 2024.

Airtimes Launch Intensity Too short Harness Reliability

I've been on Stealth 52 times. Stealth is a short but intense ride. The theming in the ride area is minimalistic but it works. There are retro graphics and a 1950's American Aesthetic in the ride area. There is American music from the 1950s and 60s playing throughout the area adding to the racing theme as well as ambient announcements from WWTP radio in the ride area. The queue weaves around vegetation with little to no theming. Launch countdown announcements change for special events like Oktoberfest which is a nice touch. The train launches directly from the station building anticipation viewing the hydraulic launch cable up close. The trains are designed to look like racing cars. The OTSR are not the most comfortable and could be improved to vests or lap bars. 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. 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 does suffer from reliability issues meaning regular maintenance interferes with capacity.. Stealth remains one of the top coasters at Thorpe Park until Hyperia opens in 2024.

Theming Fun Smoothness Dead spots Lap Bar

I rode Velociraptor 1 time. The theming on Velociraptor is great. The ride area is surrounded by prehistoric-looking foliage/palm trees and models of Velociraptors making sounds from the Jurassic movie franchise. The ride itself is smooth and comfortable. There is a nice pop off airtime during a mid-run hill and descending backwards down the spike. There are some negatives. There's not much space in the cars which I found uncomfortable. The queue line is a caged cattle pen which would be unpleasant on a busy day. However, this is not a problem on quiet days. There are dead spots present despite the occasional pops of airtime. It's a fun family ride worth a ride if visiting Paultons Park.

Theming Smoothness Duration Capacity Dead spots Layout

I rode Dino Chase 1 time. It's well themed with prehistoric foliage and Dinosaur models. The ride is smooth but there are no noticeable g-forces at all. The layout is an oval circuit with some minor banking (it's not the most exciting layout). However, the ride performs three laps which made up for the short circuit. It's a fun family coaster with a basic layout.

Theming Fun Capacity Discomfort Layout

I rode the Dragon's Apprentice 1 time. The ride has nice Castle theming and weaves nicely around the terrain. The Dragon's Apprentice is a fun family coaster but shares several issues with its older sibling; The Dragon. The lap bar is uncomfortable and leaves riders feeling either not secure enough or stapled. The rigid bench seats offer little legroom which is made worse by riders carrying bags onboard. It's a junior coaster so lacks any real intensity and the layout is simple. The ride completes two circuits of the layout. A fast booster wheel lift hill provides a smooth transition between laps (mimicking a Mack powered coaster). The first element is a descending helix near the ground - more forceful than it appears but not thrilling. Coaster enthusiasts will find it lacks both intensity and interesting elements but it's a family roller coaster.

Theming Nice surprise! Fun Rattle Capacity Dead spots

I rode Journey to Atlantis 2 times. This was a great and well themed ride. The dark ride sections are great. The non-water ride sections will catch you by surprise if you're not expecting them. It's definitely worth a ride.

Fun Smoothness Theming Discomfort

I rode Green Scream 1 time. There was no significant theming in the queue or ride area. Upbeat eccentric music was playing in the station. The train was remarkably long. I don't think I've ever seen a train on a family coaster this long. This does have the added bonus of increasing capacity and thus throughput. The restraint was a single lap bar for two adjacent passengers. This does cause sliding from one side of the car to the other if riding by yourself (no seat separators). There was a surprising amount of leg room in the cars. A negative is that the seats themselves were uncomfortable. The front of the train is designed to look like a Crocodile head. The train completes one circuit of the track. There was no airtime or intensity except for the abrupt final turn into the station. I was surprised by the smoothness of this ride. The exception was a shaky lift hill that felt like I was being rotated side-to-side as we ascended. It's a fun ride worth riding for the coaster cred.

Theming Layout Duration Headbanging Discomfort Dead spots

I rode the Vampire 5 times This is a legendary coaster in the UK and a lot of fun. However, the ride does have some problems. The main positive is the theming which is awesome. The exterior ride area is gothic with ominous music and medieval architecture that looks decayed and creepy There are overgrown vines, lanterns hanging from fence posts, and items scattered around the queue area increasing the creepy aura. The exterior queue weaves underneath the track and it's difficult to identify where the train will come from next if you don't know the layout. Creepy objects are littered everywhere including a chess board with a half-completed game, Vampire bat busts, hand-written warnings on walls, and more. The interior queue starts with a series of corridors weaving back and forth with coloured glass panes containing Vampire-related objected behind them (eg, skulls, garlic, etc). The rider then enters the large station and animtronic organist. The room is dimly lit with Vampire murals on the wall. The station is quite dark like Black Mamba in Phantasialand. The cars are the swinging suspended model with OTSR. The restraints are big and bulky which is not ideal. There is a bit of a rattle and I had to lean forwards to avoid headbanging from the more abrupt banking. However, the ride was relatively smooth excluding this. Duration is great due to the length of track separated by two noisy chain hills. The rider exits the ride via a bridge that gives a good view of the Vampire track and exterior queue. Vampire is a must ride if visiting Chessington.

Fun Smoothness Duration Theming Dead spots

I rode Barnstormer 1 time. There's no theming in the queue or station interior. The train itself is themed like a plane with models of pilots on the front and last car. The blue and pink colour scheme are striking and work well together. The lap bar is okay; it is a single bar for two riders side-by-side. The result is that sliding from one side of the car to another occurs during banked turns if you're riding alone. There is a surprising amount of space in the cars so cramped legs are not an issue. The train performs two laps of the track providing decent duration. The track starts with a fast lift hill. The ride is surprisingly smooth with no jolts or rough spots. There is mostly no g-forces with the exception of some mild g-forces on the descending helix. The ride traverses over a flat roof, fake farm, and guests sitting down; this simulates the sensation of flying. It's a fun ride worth trying.

Fun Duration Theming Airtimes Layout

I rode Kiddi Koasta 1 time. There was no clear theming anywhere in the ride area. This is compensated by great ocean views during the ride. The comfort of the cars is okay. It's a little tight w. not not much leg room in the cars. The restraint is a T-shaped lap bar meaning the rider will slide from one side of the car to the other during banked turns. The ride itself is relatively smooth. The exception is the lift hill which has a very abrupt jolt half way up. The descending helix was a surprising moment of intensity as the train gets close to the ground. The two final bunny hills did nothing for me and delivered no airtime. The layout is relatively boring otherwise. The ride does two laps so the duration is decent. It's worth a ride for the coaster cred.

First Drop Smoothness Hangtime Headbanging Too short Capacity

I rode Rage 1 time. There was no noticeable theming on the ride or in the ride area. There is the occasional image of a superhero but that's it. The seats and restraints were comfortable with enough leg room for the rider. The ride operator was enthusiastic which enhanced the experience. I enjoyed the the intense vertical loop and hangtime from the heartline roll. I was impressed with how smooth the ride was. Contrast this with Saw at Thorpe Park which is a headbanging nightmare. There were only a couple of light headbanging moments on abrupt turns. Rage is fun and definitely worth a ride.

First Drop Theming Smoothness Capacity Discomfort Layout

I rode Cat o Pillar 1 time. The theming was a little eccentric given the area of the park. There was a surprising pop of airtime near the back during the first drop. The coaster was relatively smooth with no distinct jolts. It's a fun family time.

Lap Bar Intensity Smoothness Too short Capacity

I rode this ride 7 times. I was keen to try a Vekoma next gen coaster for the first time and it did not disappoint. You can see this ride on the left as you enter the park. The ride area is surrounded by rock formations giving a prehistoric feel to the ride and queue. The over the shoulder lap bar was really comfortable giving maximum freedom. The rider sinks into the seats giving a greater sensation of flight. This flight sensation is compounded by elegantly gliding over paths with guests. The lattice-like arrangement of the supports provides near misses combined with a tunnel midway through the ride. The highlight was a final 540 degree helix. This provided very close near misses to the rockwork and some decent positive g-forces. The ride hits an abrupt brake run inside the station at full speed which is great. The track was smooth with no distinct jolt or bump anywhere. The rider sinks into the seats more than a B&M invert giving a distinct sensation of flying. I recommend this ride if you've not been on a Vekoma next gen coaster before.

Theming Lap Bar Intensity

I rode Storm Chaser 3 times and was impressed with it. The ride is themed to a new device designed to chase Tornados. The theming around the ride area and station is really detailed. This includes a queue that weaves through a Mid-Western Barn and an awesome rock music score. The trains are good w. adequate leg room and comfortable lap bars. The layout is creative w. lots of banked turns and very few straight pieces of track. The final 540 degree descending helix is a surprisingly intense highlight. The overall experience was more intense than I was expecting for a family ride. It's a fun Mack Spinner worth riding.

Airtimes Nice surprise! Smoothness Theming Capacity Discomfort

I rode Cobra 1 time. The lack of theming around the ride area is a disappointment. It's beautifully kept but there's very little relevant to the Cobra theming. The cars are themed as the head of a Cobra, but it's all generic around the queue, station interior and ride area. It's a fun wild mouse with a creative layout and a classic Paultons Park ride. The first drop is great and unexpectedly steep. The lateral forces were not uncomfortably intense like other wild mouse coasters. The helixes were comfortable and enjoyable. Travelling close to the ground was also a nice touch. The final series of bunny hills provide nice airtime. It's a fun ride worth experiencing.

Fun Duration Theming Harness Discomfort

I rode this ride 1 time at HPWW and was excited to try out this rare coaster. The queue line was fun with elevated floor panels and floor rollers to keep guests entertained. General theming was lacking around the ride area with the exception of the additions to the queue line. There are issues with this ride. The restraints are not comfortable; there's a gap in them making you think you're going to fall out. The ride is quite rough and you can feel a noticeable rattling throughout. I did not feel genuine moments of weightlessness; rather, it felt like I was being tossed around inside 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. Don't bother otherwise.

Theming Pace Ejectors Rattle Headbanging Capacity

Saw is a decent ride but has some issues. Saw features immersive theming that incorporates movie references throughout the queue and warehouse interior. The exterior consists of towering metal frameworks and a dilapidated industrial warehouse. The queue is a claustrophobic maze of rusty-looking fencing without cover from the weather. Jigsaw's loading station announcements add to the overall ambience and pre-ride tension. Saw is a standard Eurofighter model with 8 passengers per train, and two trains deployed together spaced by block brakes. A result is that capacity can be an issue on busy days despite the streamlined boarding and bag storage process. The ride starts with an indoor section which excels. This consists of a steep drop combined with near misses, powerful air cannon effects, and a slow inline twist with water spray effects. This gives the impression of escaping Jigsaw's traps. The second Eurofighter car stops after dispatching from the station for a pre-show from Jigsaw to space the trains out; so try to board the second train if you can. The 100ft drop throws you out of your seat which is exhilarating. Great ejector airtime occurs during the hill after the overbanked turn as well as the drop preceding the final dive loop during the outdoor section. Unfortunately, the ride suffers from noticeable head banging and rattling. This is particularly noticeable in the front row and back row exterior seats. I'm especially disappointed after finding out how smooth Rage is at Adventure Island. 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. It's still a fun ride despite that and worth a ride.

Rattle Discomfort Tear it down!

I rode Nickelodeon Streak 1 time.

Fun Capacity Discomfort Pointless

I rode Blue Flyer 1 time. There's not much theming around the queue or station to enhance the ride experience. This is an old wooden coaster with uncomfortable lap bars and little leg room in the cars. The ride itself is rough and shaky.

Airtimes Theming Capacity Discomfort Lap Bar

I rode Rattlesnake 1 time. Rattlesnake is a wild mouse ride w. a Western theme. The theming is detailed with caverns in the queue line and animatronic rattlesnakes that light. The main problem comes from the cars that interefere w. the ride experience; which are uncomfortable. The lap bar is a single thick T-shaped horizontal bar attached to the car by a perpendicular rod. It was also difficult to fit my legs into the car and had to bend them sideways to get underneath the lap bar. The lateral forces felt stronger than usual for a wild mouse adding to the discomfort. This was made worse still by the lap bar painfully digging into my abdomen when exiting the airtime hills. Capacity is an issue given the cars can only hold four people but the cars were regularly deployed w. less passengers than that. Rattlesnake was not an enjoyable experience. It's an uncomfortable ride and only worth doing if you want the coaster cred.

Theming Launch Hangtime Rattle Capacity

I rode Mandrill Mayhem 3 times all near the front. The detailed theming in the station and around the Jumanji area is fantastic. There's extensive jungle foliage and the bright green tracks wraps the circumference of this area. The area soundtrack is equally epic. The area is a great addition to Chessington. The station interior continues the strong Jumanji theming w. lots of detail. A nice touch is hand-shaped cutouts in panels hanging from the ceiling providing a near-miss element during the LSM boost in the station. It looks like the riders hands smashed through the station infrastructure because of the power of the launch (this is not the case of course due to clearance requirements). The restraints are standard B&M vests which are comfortable and cause no headbanging. The LSM launch/boost through the station is smooth and more powerful than it looks. The in-line twist provides prolonged hangtime over the Jumanji entrance and the peak of the spiral rollback feels like you're going to slide out of your seat. The banked turn as you ascend the spiral is also forceful. However, these great elements are undermined by a distinct rattle especially when travelling backwards after descending the spiral rollback. I don't understand why this is a case on a brand new B&M roller coaster when B&M rides are known for their smoothness. This ruined the reverse section of the ride when facing forward. The ride is disorienting with the repeated back and forth motion from the LSM launches and boosts. Mandrill Mayhem is nevertheless a fun ride worth riding.

Airtimes Theming Fun Rattle

I rode Farmyard Flyer once. It's nicely themed around the ride area which is a nice touch There was unexpected floater airtime in the descending helix first drop but a slight rattle throughout the ride. The ride does two circuits providing decent duration. It's a fun family coaster worth a ride.

First Drop Nice surprise! Layout Theming Capacity Dead spots

I rode Dragon's Fury 1 time. Dragon's Fury is the sibling coaster to Spinball Whizzer at Alton Towers. A major negative of Dragon's Fury is a general lack of theming. There's the odd decorative piece (eg, a Dragon head) but no significant theming attached to the queue or around the ride. This is disappointing but the ride experience is great. The ride starts with a steep curved drop into a trench and a horseshoe-style turn. This is a great start setting good pace. The track is not compact and traverses a large area making it difficult to anticipate what's coming next if you're not familiar w. the layout. Two highlights were a forceful descending helix and an outerbanked turn before entering the brake run. There is the occasional dead spot but it does not detract from the overall ride experience. The ride is smooth except for the spinning locking mechanism delivering an uncomfortable jolt in the brake run (similar to Spinball Whizzer). It's a solid ride definitely worth trying. This ride has low capacity so early morning rides should be aimed for.

Fun Intensity Duration Theming Capacity

I've ridden Spinball Whizzer 2 times and it's a fun ride (especially at night). The biggest problem is the theming and colour scheme; it's completely out of place and robs from the beautiful surrounding environment. I was impressed with how smooth it was and the comfort of the restraints in the cars. Keep in mind that it's four riders per train meaning capacity is an issue. Decent pace is maintained throughout and it's difficult to know what element comes next thanks to the free spin which also makes it re-ridable. The compact layout is not as creative as Dragon's Fury at Chessington but it's fine. The most intense highlights are the overbanked horseshoe turn and the descending helix. The ride is mostly smooth with the exception of an uncomfortable jolt on the final brake run when the spinning mechanism locks in place. It's fun and worth a ride on a quiet day.

Theming Pace Fun Too short Capacity Lap Bar

I rode Avalanche 1 time.

Theming Fun Duration Dead spots

This version of Thunder Mountain was awesome. It was not too fast and had great theming. It's a very long ride.

Rattle Headbanging Discomfort

I rode Big Dipper 1 time. This is a very rough and shaky ride. The worst part was a diving banked turn midway through the ride. The cushioned seats did not help the roughness of the ride.

Theming Inversions Layout Headbanging Harness Discomfort

I've ridden Colossus 4 times. Colossus is an iconic Thorpe Park coaster but suffers from comfort issues. The ride entrance sign has been updated with a fresh colour scheme supported by yellow columns on either side. The cosmic designs, celestial imagery, overgrown vegetation, theming, and ominous music in the ride area are great. It provides a mythological ambience and makes the rider feel like they're journeying through a lost civilization. The queue winds underneath the track in a jungle-like environment building anticipation. This allows riders to feel the train's vibrations and roar overhead. The station has dimly lit orange lanterns hanging from the ceiling and wall ornaments that enhance the mythological atmosphere. Unfortunately, the ride itself is hampered by restrictive OTSR and limited legroom in the cars. This causes noticeable head banging in the vertical loop and cobra roll. The roughness mostly subsides during the rest of the layout. Highlights include the intense final heart line roll near the ground and ejector airtime between the loop and cobra roll despite the rough spots. The four consecutive heart line rolls deliver decent hang time. Lap bars like Sik at Flamingo Land or vest restraints could make Colossus rank among Thorpe Park's top rides. The head banging and discomfort issues holds Colossus back from reaching its full potential.