My Family

[Sundae]

Well now. Onto my most feared ride of the day.
Stealth.
Silly name for a dirty great big coaster that dominates the skyline.

Still.

I do not like big drops. I abhor slow climbs, which give me The Fear (that my mind will snap, yes.)
I had to go on this because it is one of the main rides and I would die of shame if I didn't. But I was terrified.
My only consolation was that John Barrowman had also been on it. And come off unscathed. Stevo & I were discussing the many things JB had done that meant it was okay for me to go on. He answered questions (Scream If You Know The Answer - main reason I chose Thorpe Park), he looked handsome, he had good teeth, he was gay. Steven objected to the last criterion, saying that no theme park ride could change your sexuality. Correct, little bro, nice to know you were listening

I loved it!
It was so fast that the climb was nothing.
The height was all talk and no trousers because it was over so quickly.
But what a thrill!
Ste and I whooped like gaylords. Sorry, I mean like over-excited heteros who have a day off work.

Went on twice, part of the Steven feeling ill session.

My car coming out of the station.
Me on ride. The one in the middle in the grey top, not the one near the front.

Yes the long scarecrowy arms are mine, I didn't have anyone next to me. Due to speed/ photo setting. Y'all know I'm not quite that spindly.

[zippyt]

That Looks like a HOOT !!

[DanaC]

Excellent reportage Sundae

[Big Sarge]

omg, i'd lose my lunch on that one. rollercoasters scare the piss out of me!

[BigV]

I'm glad you wrote that up, because words fail me.

No. Way. but thanks for asking. Yes, I'll operate your camera from here on Earth. Looks awesome, I admit.

[Sundae]

Oops. There is actually more.
You know me - if it's worth writing in 10 words it's worth writing in 100!

So the next big ride was Colossus.
I wasn't too worried about this one - it's a twisty-turny-loopy kind of ride, no big drop, no supersonic speed. So I was quite blase. It took a whole to find the entrance; the only downside of a mostly empty park being that you can't follow the crowds to the big rides. Oh and their map is PANTS - lots of big cartoon graphics and little to show where actual entrances are. We walked round a later ride one and a half times before we saw where to enter. Grrrr.

I had lost The Fear at this point. Not bad after two rides! I was chopsing to Stevo all the way up the first hill. After that it was screams and squeaks and gasps! The damn thing just doesn't quit. It has 10 inversions and I was held by my shoulder restraint for all of them. Small dips compared to Stealth but far more air time - I screamed at each one. Just bloody good fun. I came off and said to Ste "I want to go on that one again!"

We didn't immediately, as we had more to do, but we did go back for more eventually.

Got this from youtube - posted by the official website, so I assume it's okay to repost.


And some of those inversions, looking like nothing at all from the outside but really noticeable on the ride!

[Sundae]

Nemesis Inferno is just across from Colossus, so it made sense to go there immediately. We've both been on the original Nemesis at Alton Towers and loved it for the sheet dizzying speed and compact turns. I always loved Nemesis for taking the rider on the outside of the loop - it's exhilarating when you are on it, and when you watch it, it's like the flashing fin of a great serpent breaking the water.

Anyway, I seem to remember that this ride was themed around a volcano originally. If so, it's not now, which is a shame. Of all the rides this was not the oldest but looked the most battered. It was end of season and in bright sunlight which can't have helped. Still, once again we walked on, which at least meant we weren't staring it the same tatty bit of "landscaping" for long. When we came back to this ride we queued for the front seat. I got really restless and impatient. 25 minutes? Bloody hell. No, I didn't forget that I queued 70 minutes for Nemesis at Alton Towers when it was new. Or that I got sunburnt in doing so. Or that I was with my big lump of a boyfriend whose fastest walk was an amble and we only got on four rides that day... It was just 25 minutes was out of synch with the rest of our day. Anyway, Ste wanted it and it was the least I could do.

Nemesis Inferno is longer and more dramatic than the original. You get really chucked about and it is still a blitz of a ride. I sussed out where the cameras were on the first ride and got a good pic on the second, but Stevo looked a bit wall-eyed so we didn't get that one They were £8 each and he was paying after all.

Another shot of Colossus showing the empty queueing pen for Nemesis and an unprepared Steven.
Saw from Nemesis.

[Sundae]

And then onto Saw.

This one did spook me. Partly because of that vertical climb, however small it is in rollercoaster terms.
This was our 7 minute wait, and I did not appreciate it. You had to climb up rather dank stairs, as if in an abandoned carpark (except they did not smell of wee). I could easily have been spooked into a bad state of mind by a cruel companion. Thank FSM for easy-going younger brothers who this would strike as cruel and unusual.

The line ran quickly. Two cars of eight (four in each row) were loaded at a time and set off at intervals. First trip we were in the back seat but there were only the two of us. Second trip we made a four with another couple but were in the front. Four tiny girls got in behind us - two veterans, one solicitous mother-hen-alike and Holly. All the way round we heard "It's okay Holly! Close your eyes Holly! Oh no, don't cry Holly!" Well, at least until we started screaming loud enough to drown them out. Seriously, they looked about nine to me, bless them.

SPOILERS!
Saw starts with a section in the dark with a sudden drop. Then there is an inversion in the dark. It's worse in the second row, because the big fat heads in front block out any possible daylight. Second time, especially in the front row, you can see the track.

That vertical climb is appalling.
Once I knew it wouldn't kill me I was more relaxed (unlike poor Holly) but it's still unnerving. The drop is spectacular, especially coming over the lump on top - two shocks for the price of one.

It keeps going until the last possible moment, with a drop and an inversion just before the station.

The ride is excellent, it was my favourite of the day. It's a right head-banger though. It shook me up so much the second time I was calling out more in pain than fear. A walk around and a rest cured me, but I did worry that it had finished me off for the day.

Our official Saw photo.

[Sundae]

After this we did a trio of water rides.
It was still only about 11.30 I think, and the sun was as high in the sky as it was going to get.

ALL the water rides advise that you are going to get VERY WET. Given that it was a November day, albeit a clement one, Steven thought long and hard about going on them at all. I was all gung ho, but I'm the one with an empty bank account and he has savings - say something?

He agreed! Yay!
We'd been on one of the lesser rides (Samurai - which is like being in a washing machine) and it was right next to the entrance to the Log Flume. Kismet. So Log Flume we did. The plastic log was awash with water, but we'd seen people coming off and at worst they'd caught some spray, so we just hopped right on. I had my phone and camera in a sealable sandwich bag and Ste had his (much superior phone/ Blackberry/ thingy) in the inside pocket of his waterproof jacket.

Self portrait taken leaving the station before I stowed camera safely in said plastic sheath.

[Trilby]

Aw, Cherry! You guys look like you had a frigging blast!!

YAY! You look very happy, too. Good for you, girl.

[Sundae]

No pics of the next one - Storm Surge.
My brain has erased it from my memory because it was rubbish and caused problems.

High summer, hot day, okay. Although you'd probably waste over 30 mins in the queue.
Novemeber, chilly, walk right on wothough seeing other rides coming down - bad news.
The worst part was that there were inches of water in the bottom of the raft. You can't help but step in it before you realise. Unless you are the last person in (me) and put your feet up on the seat. Poor old Steven soaked his trainers and socks. And then whinged like a girl for the next hour. Oops - where's the code for crossing out?

Bless him - he'd brought his American Theme Park (no idea which park) poncho on my request. We bought a locker for £1 before going on the second two rides and he never asked for a borrow. Then again - he had his waterproof with hood, as opposed to my sweatshirt and scarf.

Here is a video that shows it wasn't worth the wet for those people in March either.


And two photos of me standing in front of Tidal Wave - last to follow.
danm I wish I knew how to post 3 in a row.

[Sundae]

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[Sundae]

We went on Tidal Wave too (the ride above)
It was the standard kinda water ride you had before flumes were invented.

I'd worked out the photo carefully - where to stand for maximum impact and least chance of getting wet. I did this by moving my bro around (between rides) and watching the splash patterns once he'd moved. A number of really kind chaps asked if we both wanted to be in the photo. "No thanks" I replied, obviously sounding rather cavalier about my supposed partner.

So. Lunchtime.
Can you believe it was warm enough to sit outside in November?
Don't get me wrong, neither of us took any clothes off (one noticeable exception I will mention later) but the sun was warm enough to be able to choose outside dining. The park was also empty enough to pick and choose where we wanted to eat, not to queue for food and not to have to hover for seats (although this is a particular brand of the Dark Arts I am proud to call my own). You can't even get into these places when the park is at capacity - unless you eat at 10.00 or 16.00.

We chose Calypso BBQ.
Don't shoot me, okay - I know from watching Adam Richman that there isn't any BBQ on there. It's theme-park-international.

Menu.
Note incorrect use of it's? I did.

[Sundae]

I had the Piri Piri Salad. What a good girl am I.
It came with cherry tomatoes, which were definitely NOT on the photo menu outside.
But it was such a large portion and a reasonable flavour so it seemed mean to cavil. Also it was the last day and they probably thought they were giving me a treat.

Ste had the rack of ribs. The sauce was good and the meat was tender, he sez.
I tried some of the sauce on one of his leftover potato lattices and I agree, not bad at all.

[Sundae]

Mid-munch and leftovers.