Thorpe Park: General Discussion

[saltedpeanuts09]

First time on Hyperia yesterday, 70 min in single rider que, I had row 6 and I found it rough, Has anyone else has this experience or have I just been treated to the joys of Shambala last week and set my standards to high. The first drop is just incredible

 

[Matt N]

First time on Hyperia yesterday, 70 min in single rider que, I had row 6 and I found it rough, Has anyone else has this experience or have I just been treated to the joys of Shambala last week and set my standards to high. The first drop is just incredible

Some do seem to have found the ride rough.

I didn’t personally find it rough to the degree that it inhibited my enjoyment of the ride (and I should add that my roughness tolerance is not the highest), but it does have more of a rattle than Shambhala, from my experience.

I found Shambhala absolutely glass smooth, whereas I found Hyperia to have a little bit of a rattle (albeit not a major one). I found it most pronounced in the valley between the Immelmann and the outer bank.

I should add that I’ve only done it in rows 8 and 10 thus far. I have heard people say it’s roughest and also most intense in the middle of the train, for some reason, and your experience in row 6 would line up with that.

 

[Bowser]

70 min in single rider que,

That seems longer than the main queue yesterday! Not sure what to do today, won't be able to gauge visibly as i've never been there. My gut says these off peak days are probably more likely to attract single riders and its better off going in the main queue...

 

[saltedpeanuts09]

That seems longer than the main queue yesterday! Not sure what to do today, won't be able to gauge visibly as i've never been there. My gut says these off peak days are probably more likely to attract single riders and its better off going in the main queue...

Oh yeh, I wish I used the main que, 99% of people were in 2s and single rider que was just not moving at all, 70 min for Hyperia to 3 back to back walk on's for Stealth so cant moan too much

 

[Bennitoburrito]

Single rider varies hugely too. I had two laps in single rider yesterday at around 10:30 and 11. First time I waited from the bottom of the stairs and it took 35 mins. The second time it had halved and was from the final straight (back of the queue in the photo) and it took an agonising 25 mins to go the very short distant to the front. If crowd levels are similar today and the back of the main queue hovers around Burger King I’d use main queue over single rider if single rider backs up onto the straight section before all the main queues merge. When I checked back in the afternoon main queue stated 60 but single rider looked enormous and would have taken about 90 by my crude estimations. I then tried to ride for the final ride of the day but they shut the queue as I was walking towards it 10 mins early.

 

[DiogoJ42]

The paint's already wearing off that handrail. It's been open how long?

 

[Smiley]

on to point B, is this you?

as for the dual station, could help but they can also cause a big hinderance, as if there are guest not leaving quick enough it can hold the train up, and sometimes the added time of moveing stations and lack of people boarding whilst other people are unloading can cause longer dispatches.

Oh, yes, that was me. Ooops. Great idea! I think the use of mini-LIMs could create new coaster designs with near-stall elements - maybe even full stalls.

As for dual station, there is no conceivable scenario where throughput would be less, as you'd have 4 blocks instead of 3. Unloading is always quicker than loading as no baggage store/restraint checks. But Merlin are quite happy for you to queue for 2 hours....

 

[Bowser]

I have Hyperia’d!

Very fun. Bit juddery and short but airtime is very cool. Bought FT as it’s still on 90 min plus I like to support struggling businesses.

Hopefully get another go later but do think I preferred Swarm.

 

[dave___]

Single rider varies hugely too. I had two laps in single rider yesterday at around 10:30 and 11. First time I waited from the bottom of the stairs and it took 35 mins. The second time it had halved and was from the final straight (back of the queue in the photo) and it took an agonising 25 mins to go the very short distant to the front. If crowd levels are similar today and the back of the main queue hovers around Burger King I’d use main queue over single rider if single rider backs up onto the straight section before all the main queues merge. When I checked back in the afternoon main queue stated 60 but single rider looked enormous and would have taken about 90 by my crude estimations. I then tried to ride for the final ride of the day but they shut the queue as I was walking towards it 10 mins early.

That is Smiler queue line levels of dank. And it hasn’t even been open a year yet? Already resembles a car park stairwell

 

[flyingguitar]

I think the use of mini-LIMs could create new coaster designs with near-stall elements - maybe even full stalls.

may as well use a full launch rarther than a lift.

As for dual station, there is no conceivable scenario where throughput would be less, as you'd have 4 blocks instead of 3. Unloading is always quicker than loading as no baggage store/restraint checks. But Merlin are quite happy for you to queue for 2 hours....

it heavily depends on the set up and opperation of the ride, but very often the gates can are opened even when people are still getting out of their seats, this means the time the train spends in the station is essentially both unloading and loading riders, but by splitting it up you add the problem that the time of unloading and then the time of loading are now seperate this means that if a train comes in a while after the first train advanced into the load you could end out with the train stuck at the unload waiting for people to leave the unload station before it can depart in which case having just another block zone and train would be more efficient

 

[Martin]

Just to keep us back talking about the Hyperia that exists and not the imagainary one with LIMs, here's my review.

Over the weekend I got three rides, one at night (albeit middle row), one back and one front. And I still don't know what to make of the world's first rollercoaster where its toilet block looks nicer than its station.

After looking at the supports for so long I felt like Bart Simpson.



This truly is a hideously presented ride. The colours. The swamp. The box station. All of it. What were they thinking? I was hoping it just didn't come out well in photos but it really is that colour. The little art deco details that pop up a few times are really nice, it's a shame they didn't bother really doing anything with it. I guess the toilet block made an effort but it still looks like a newbuild train station or something. The area follows the standard Merlin layout of plonking the ride in the corner, sticking a horrible queue down cheaply and dotting some buildings around the other side in a way that really doesn't lend itself to extension or blending in with the areas around it. The biggest let down though was perhaps how few good photo opportunities there are for it, which seems crazy considering its size. It was also disappointing that the front of the train just has a sticker on - it could do with all those rivets being real to add a bit of mass and momentum.

There's been a lot of comparisons with Nemesis due to how short it is, but I don't think they really hold at all. Nemesis uses all of its potential energy and feels complete in a narrative sense - it builds towards the climactic loop, the big turnaround gives a breather, the final inversion provides the payoff. Nemesis manages twice as many elements before it ends. If you don't count the (incredible) drop, which every coaster with a lift hill has, Hyperia manages three elements before the brakes. And two afterwards if you're generous enough to include the bump into the final, huge brakerun. Is that really good enough given the height?

Some rides get away with being extremely minimal, like Oblivion or even Stealth across the way, because they're designed to be focused on that singular feature, and that purity is the point. But there's a ceiling to how good these coasters can be. Hyperia is maybe more like coasters like Stormrunner, choosing to go all out at the start and end suddenly instead of allowing themselves to start slowing down and fading away. The problem with Hyperia with this is because the brakes come at the bottom of a straightforward half-loop after a long, graceful zero-g hang, it doesn't feel like it's at its peak, or like it's out of control and being wrestled to a stop lest you or it stop being able to cope with the forces.

That said though, the first drop really is spectacular. The best I've ever been on. The little fake-out where it briefly looks as if the drop is leading into the turnaround, before snapping around to face the opposite direction really adds something to it, especially at the front. The not-quite inversion that follows has a satisfying snap to it and the airtime that follows is great.

The turnaround is a weird one. The first time I rode it I got a lot out of it, thought it was really funky and cool, but on subsequent rerides it didn't really do much for me. Maybe it was the novelty wore off, maybe the extra speed at night made a difference. It's definitely more fun on the right hand seat, and the supports seem a bit closer to you on that side. The stall is great, but I prefer the versions on the likes of Volton and Wildfire that snap back the right way round instead of the half loop. This has been quite a negative sounding review so far but honestly, it's a great start.

And then it's over.

The final turn is bigger, faster, more forceful than I expected it to be in fairness. I love the little outerbank out of the station and how it makes all three turns have this repeating motif, I just wish that on the final turn it had a little bit more speed and could have done more, maybe something like a cross between what was built and the finale of Zadra; like a squashed version of the big turn. It would stick to the theme but just make it a bit more interesting.

It does have a little bit of a rattle, I think as I'm starting to age I'm becoming more sensitive to that sort of thing, but it's never distracting or detracting.

Just like The Swarm, what they built is great while it lasts, and then just ends at a seemingly random point and so it just about misses out on the top 10 of my fairly limited count. For me it's probably the best ride at Thorpe, but in the UK? Not even close. The first drop alone carries it above most of what we have here, but that's not hard considering how starved we've become compared to the continent. A little bit longer and it would seriously trouble The Smiler, but even after all these years, Nemesis is still way clear.

 

[Dhev123]

Got 2 rides today, bringing my total to 4 rides now. Both row 3.

Can confirm train #1 valleyed (the smooth one) not train #2.

Waited 10 min first time after a breakdown which was lucky, second time queued 80 min in single rider in front of two racist and homophobic teens

Now had rides in row 3, 7, and 10.

Row 10 is best for the first drop and Immelmann, row 3 is better for the outer bank

 

[Plastic Person]

I was also there today, and also scored a lucky post-breakdown queue. I folded for a one-shot Fastrack later on, as I won’t be back to Thorpe for some time. Incidentally, and surprisingly, the queue was still open at 1710, advertising 45 minutes, but likely closer to 30.

Echoing the thoughts of many others, what’s there is great. The first drop is just incredible, easily the best I’ve ever experienced anywhere in the world. The stall isn’t far behind, although I’m not sure it’s quite worth the technical bother it’s obviously causing them.

It’s too short.

 

[Bowser]

the queue was still open at 1710, advertising 45 minutes, but likely closer to 30.

The queue was 100% closed at approx 4:50, i was standing right there watching it whilst waiting for someone. At several points people jumped the barrier and were shouted at by staff, by the PA and finally by security escorting them out. The board and app remained active advertising the previous wait time. The final train left around 17:45 until the night rides began.

Had my night ride later. It was advertised at 30 but ended up taking 45, still tolerable. Single rider was walk on annoyingly but oh well. There were a LOT of RAP users in the evening too whereas i didn't see any in the day.

Night ride was fun and the way the whole park is lit up is amazing.

As for Hyperia... it's a cool ride but i still prefer Swarm and probably even Stealth. Hyperia is fun but it's uncomfortably intense at points. I accept part of that is me getting old and i much prefer smooth rides these days.

 

[George W]

To be specific the queue shut at 16:55 today I was the last in line and had last train back row, 2 lap special because the whole train was chanting for one more ride .

 

[RustyRider]

well, that was an interesting day, JUST got back. Started my day off taking the car for a service at 07:30am. Got the car back at 11am then me & the mrs decided randomly to head down today from north devon (it was either today, or next March!) A breezy 3 1/2 hour drive later we arrived at Thorpe with a plan. 2+ hours to cram as many rides in as possible for the day.

After a Cheeky little walk on moment for stealth, swarm, detonator & inferno we dumped £40 into Merlin’s coffers for a hyperia fast track each, joined the queue at half 3 and got batched into row 4. Bit disappointed we couldn’t get nearer either end of the train but ‘tis what ‘tis.
Rejoined the queue at around 4:20pm in case they randomly shut it at half 4 ish. Second ride was row 7. The 2 kids in front requested the back row and it was granted, couldn’t have been more fuming about it but I respect the hustle!

First ride thoughts:
I honestly couldn’t fault a single aspect of the ride, smooth, fast, absolutely jam packed with airtime. That first drop is like nothing else out there! You crest the lift and it honestly feels like you don’t contact your seat until the break run. The outerbank is everything I expected and more, the dive loop is so incredibly graceful… and then the trim hits, but it doesn’t detract from the ride imo, that wave turn is still laced with airtime. However, the final turn into the break run is very lacklustre.

I came today with expectations of a great ride with **** poor finer details, I left thinking that the ride is absolutely phenomenal, and that in all honesty, the lack of final touches in the surrounding area, queueline and station don’t really detract from what is without a doubt, the UK’s best coaster and one of the best in Europe.

Not a bad day all round considering all I had planned was a spoons lunch and some sock shopping. 10/10 would do it again.

 

[Bowser]

Well i'm glad i went yesterday, a nice THREE HOUR queue for Hyperia this morning. Absurd it's like that 6 months after opening. Appreciate there's a reason and it's advertised but still. Will they be letting people use the toilets like the opening period during Halloween if this is going to be a regular occurrence?

Probably not viable at this point but surely a virtual queue system would be better whilst it is on one train? Could temporarily replace the single ride line.

Also forgot to mention and i know others have but that lift hill noise is truly atrocious. I have no real sensory issues but still had to put my hands over my ears when we were waiting next to it so can only imagine how intolerable it would be for others. Very poor design on their part.

 

[RustyRider]

Also forgot to mention and i know others have but that lift hill noise is truly atrocious. I have no real sensory issues but still had to put my hands over my ears when we were waiting next to it so can only imagine how intolerable it would be for others. Very poor design on their part.

It is very loud I’ll give you that but even on a one train operation I was only along side it for 2 ride cycles and it wasn’t anywhere near as bad once you turn the corner underneath the lift hill.

I will say though that it should definitely have a solid fence there, it’s only a matter of time before some bored kids try and throw things into it.

 

[Plastic Person]

The queue was 100% closed at approx 4:50, i was standing right there watching it whilst waiting for someone. At several points people jumped the barrier and were shouted at by staff, by the PA and finally by security escorting them out. The board and app remained active advertising the previous wait time. The final train left around 17:45 until the night rides began.

Aha, thanks for clarifying. We had to head back round in that direction as my friend had lost an (expensive) cashmere hat on Saw earlier in the day. We saw the queue time was still advertised, with a staff member stood beside the entrance. It did seem odd to me, but I wondered if they were just keeping the ride cycling ahead of the private party. Anyway, we chose to attempt to retrieve the hat instead, to no avail. Jigsaw will be warm for winter.

 

[owenstreet7]

Well i'm glad i went yesterday, a nice THREE HOUR queue for Hyperia this morning. Absurd it's like that 6 months after opening. Appreciate there's a reason and it's advertised but still. Will they be letting people use the toilets like the opening period during Halloween if this is going to be a regular occurrence?

Probably not viable at this point but surely a virtual queue system would be better whilst it is on one train? Could temporarily replace the single ride line.

Also forgot to mention and i know others have but that lift hill noise is truly atrocious. I have no real sensory issues but still had to put my hands over my ears when we were waiting next to it so can only imagine how intolerable it would be for others. Very poor design on their part.

Definitely a good idea to have this system for toilets in place for the time it remains on one train. Especially if it's until the end of the season.

I love the idea of virtual queue, I think it could be in FastTrack if it happened either sharing with or replacing FastTrack completely.

Another option could be getting rid of the standby queue so only virtual queue is in place like with Mandrill.

Single Rider could be useful whilst it's on Reduced Capacity so no empty seats are on each train however I think staff should be enforcing a "No Groups" rule whilst on reduced capacity. Odd numbered groups really clog up the single rider queue when they're crucial to getting that queue moving.

I'm not against having groups in the SRQ entirely, it's fine when they know they are getting split and don't mind.

I'm not really keen when loads of 3s and 5s triple the waiting time for singles by using the SRQ when the main queue would enable a single to ride with them