Thorpe Park
Built on a small island in a lake in south west London, Thorpe Park offers a surprising number of rides for such a compact space. It is owned by the Merlin Group who also own Alton Towers and Chessington World of Adventures (as well as other attractions in the UK and Europe). In the past few years there has been a clear strategy to target Thorpe Park towards the thrill-seeking end of the market, with several new big coasters.
Last visited June, 2019
INVESTMENT
7
THRILL FACTOR
6
FUN &
LAUGHTER
5
STAFF &
FACILITIES
9
UNIQUNESS
6
VALUE
6
THEMEING &
IMMERSION
4
THOMPSONS'
RATING
6
Nemesis Inferno - A good ride to start the day
BEST BITS
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There are some very good coasters. The Swarm and Stealth stand out.
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There are a good range of options for getting there. The park is just off the M25 but is also easily accessible by train (free buses run from Staines and taxis are also pretty cheap).
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All the rides have space to leave your bag before boarding. These are free, so no need to pay for lockers.
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There are queue times displayed on boards around the park to help you work out where to go next.
DOWN-SIDES
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The fact that the park is so compact makes it feel very busy. No matter when you visit it always seems like there are a lot of people there, and the queues are rarely empty.
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The lack of space means that there is not capacity for big themed areas.
TOP TIPS
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Although there are some smaller rides, it is best suited to teenagers and upwards. Families with small children should go to nearby Chessington World of Adventures instead.
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Remember that if you are visiting a number of attractions it is worth checking out the Merlin Annual Pass.
The Swarm
Thompsons' overall rating 8
Thrill
Fun
Themeing
Immersion
Smoothness
7
8
8
8
10
Stealth
Thompsons' overall rating 7
Thrill
Fun
Themeing
Immersion
Smoothness
8
7
4
6
7
Saw: The Ride
Thompsons' overall rating 6
Thrill
Fun
Themeing
Immersion
Smoothness
9
4
7
8
6
Nemesis Inferno
Thompsons' overall rating 6
Thrill
Fun
Themeing
Immersion
Smoothness
7
5
4
5
7
Colossus
Thompsons' overall rating 2
Thrill
Fun
Themeing
Immersion
Smoothness
4
3
2
3
2
X
Thompsons' overall rating 3
Thrill
Fun
Themeing
Immersion
Smoothness
3
4
4
3
4
Vortex
Thompsons' overall rating 5
Thrill
Fun
Themeing
Immersion
Smoothness
5
6
1
6
N/A
Rush
Thompsons' overall rating 4
Thrill
Fun
Themeing
Immersion
Smoothness
4
6
1
5
N/A
Samurai
Thompsons' overall rating 3
Thrill
Fun
Themeing
Immersion
Smoothness
4
4
1
4
N/A
Storm Surge
Thompsons' overall rating 3
Thrill
Fun
Themeing
Immersion
Smoothness
4
6
1
3
N/A
Quantum
Thompsons' overall rating 2
Thrill
Fun
Themeing
Immersion
Smoothness
3
2
1
2
6
Zodiac
Thompsons' overall rating 3
Thrill
Fun
Themeing
Immersion
Smoothness
4
5
1
4
N/A
Rush
A giant swing. Riders sit on either side, meaning they swing forwards and backwards at high speed.
Our view: Rush is a decent ride but nothing exceptional. Joe prefers Vortex as a ride which swings and provides airtime, but Hayley prefers this as it doesn’t make her feel as sick.
Zodiac
A flat ride with cars attached to a large wheel. As the wheel turns it also goes from horizontal to almost perpendicular, meaning that the cars go upside down. Although the cars have bars around them, the riders have no restraints on them – they are held in place by the centrifugal force created by the ride.
Our view: Hayley finds these rides can make her feel sick, so Joe went on it alone. This ride is exactly the same as others of its type. If you enjoy the feeling of force and weightlessness these rides create then it is worth going on. If you don’t, don’t bother.
The first drop on The Swarm - Thorpe Park's best ride
X
An indoor coaster which features some small drops and turns. It features a dance soundtrack and lighting effects.
Our view: X used to have riders facing backwards. A few years ago Thorpe Park decided to turn the cars around and have riders facing forwards. We cannot understand why. It used to be fun, but now it is bland and unexciting.
Stealth
The Swarm
The UK’s only winged coaster, themed around being caught in a disastrous weather event. The ride begins with a lift hill straight into the second half of a large loop, followed by multiple other inversions. As with other coasters of its type, it has B&M’s modern harnesses - a lap-bar and thick but flexible shoulder straps rather than a hard frame across the upper body.
Our view: Easily the best ride at Thorpe Park, The Swarm is ultra-smooth and not too fast to detract from the airtime. The theming is very detailed (we love the fact the ride control room is in an upside-down ambulance!) and adds to the ride experience. Although it looks quite daunting, the ride is less scary than it appears as it is not fast. As such, we think most people would enjoy it.
For a few years Thorpe Park turned the last two rows of seats around so they faced backwards. This was a great idea and made it a really different ride (effectively, two rides in one). Unfortunately, they have changed this back. We don’t understand why!
Tips:
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There is more airtime sat at the back. However, the closer to the front you are the better view you get of the theming.
Rumba Rapids
A water rapids ride themed around a boat journey along a fast-moving river.
Our view: This is a typical rapids ride. Good fun, but nothing exceptional.
Tips:
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Although riders generally don’t get as wet on this ride as on some newer rapids ride, there are elements which can soak riders. We strongly recommend you consider the weather before getting on this ride. Thorpe Park may generally be warmer than Alton Towers, but it is still in the UK!
The vertical lift and beyond vertical drop on Saw: The Ride
Stealth
An Intamin launch coaster, Stealth features an 80mph launch which propels riders initially on a flat track and then up an ‘n-shaped’ hill with a vertical descent. The whole ride takes about 20 seconds.
Our view: Although not as fast or as high as similar rides in the USA (such as Kingda Ka or Top Thrill Dragster) Stealth is a really enjoyable ride. It is the fastest ride in the UK, and for those who are not likely to make it out to New Jersey or Ohio, it’s a great way to experience the thrill of a fast and high launch coaster.
Tips:
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It does not really matter where you sit on this ride, the experience is very similar.
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You cannot wear glasses on this ride. You can leave bags etc with the ride attendants but you may wish to leave glasses with a non-rider (if there is one in your group).
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As with all launch coasters, be prepared to queue.
Saw: The Ride
Themed around the horror film franchise, Saw is a rollercoaster that features an indoor section, a vertical lift straight into a beyond vertical drop, and then a fast ride through inversions and banked turns.
Our view: One of the most unrelentingly intense coasters we have been on, Saw is not for the feint hearted. This is not because of the horror theming; simply that once you go down the first drop there is no time to draw breath until you reach the end. The ride is fairly smooth, but the intensity is likely to leave you a little dizzy.
Tips:
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They load two cars at a time but the second one waits at various points of the ride whilst the first car moves off. This means you get to see more of the detailed theming. If you are into the films, or just enjoy ride theming, then try and sit in the second car.
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As there are only two rows on each car, it does not really matter where you sit. The back row generally gets to see slightly more of the theming, but the front row gets the best view of the upcoming track. Make your choice!
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We have not seen the Saw films (other than a few clips) so cannot really comment on how accurate the theming is. But it is quite detailed and we can imagine it scaring some younger children.
Colossus
A large rollercoaster with ten inversions.
Our view: When it first opened, Colossus had one of the highest number of inversions in the world. It has now been surpassed not only in inversions but also in pretty much every other way by more modern coasters. The ride is jerky and uncomfortable.
Samurai
A spinning flat ride on which riders sit on one of six arms which form a kind of star shape. Not only do the arms spin but so does the centre of the star shape, and the seats.
Our view: Quite uncomfortable and certain to make you dizzy, Samurai is not much fun even for fans of flat rides.
Quantum
A flat ride with a platform which is rotated around by four arms, similar to the motion of a steam train wheel.
Our view: A jerky and uncomfortable ride. Not recommended for anyone.
Vortex
Vortex
A flat ride featuring a pendulum which swings at high speed up to around 90 degrees. Riders sit facing inwards in a circle of seats which spins gently as the ride swings.
Our view: Joe is a big fan of these types of rides as they provide good airtime at the top of each swing. Vortex is a good example of the form, let down only by the fact the seats face inwards rather than outwards, which slightly lessens the excitement.
Nemesis Inferno
The sister ride to Nemesis at Alton Towers, Nemesis Inferno is a fast hanging coaster with a number of inversions and steep drops. It is themed around a volcanic eruption.
Our view: Nemesis Inferno lacks the intensity of its Alton Towers sibling, although for some people that may be a good thing! It is a fairly smooth and enjoyable ride. The first drop, in particular, is exciting as it feels a lot higher than it looks.
Tips:
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As it is right at the back of the park, this is a good ride to go to first
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The ride feels faster at the back.