JoshC.

Isn't it only on passes issued at Chessie during the January Sale? If so, it could be a mistake on their system there during that period. It's not affecting anywhere else, and it's not a general problem with passes from Chessie. It should eventually be sorted so people who are unaffected by it should stop worrying about it.

I think many people find it scary as well due to the high level of media attention it got in its first couple of seasons when it was breaking down with people on it. Of course, that then gets over exaggerated to 'People were stuck upside for hours in the freezing cold!' Whilst I agree that it looks intimidating, I just find the general ride experience somewhat boring...

It was open today. I saw it on one swing in the afternoon but I think it was on two swings in the morning - not too sure though.

So, I went on X today, and well...I'm a bit disappointed. First thing first - my expectations. I wasn't expecting anything amazing, but some loud music, some nice lights in different sections and for it to be a bit of fun. In turning it forwards, I knew it wouldn't be a great coaster by itself, just something that was a bit random. As a note, anyone wishing to have the experience unspoiled should stop reading now... When the ride first starts and you go up the lift hill, my first thought was 'Wow, this looks good'. You can hear the music in the distance and see the lights - this should be quite fun. You then start, and you realise the 'music in the distance' isn't really in the distance, it's as loud as it's gonna get. The light show is nice, but after a short while, the impressive of them wears of and I quickly began to feel they weren't there to wow you, but to light everything up in a slightly more creative way than turning the lights on. The breaks don't feel random any more; they feel like you've broken down. I think their effect is only suited to the ride being in the dark in honesty. As said, the wow factor of everything wears off quickly and the ride begins to bore you, instead of intrigue you (as the ride did as you continued previously). I feel quite biased in reviewing this, having a weird soft spot for X:\NWO, and I almost instinctively think to myself 'well, when it went backwards, it was like this...', which I guess is only natural. But I feel they've almost done too much. Personally, I think adding the lights and such and turning it forwards was too big a change - the ride is now a bit of bore and doesn't give you any sort of buzz. I guess the thinking was 'Turn it round for the kids and add rave-esque stuff for the adults'. Whilst I can't comment on how kids find it, the rave stuff just isn't any cop for the older target market - this is coming from someone who hates nightclubs too. The music isn't loud enough (or memorable enough...), and the lighting effects are only nice. I think it would have been better to just make the trains go forward OR add in the extra lights (and get new trains with individual lap bars if it would lower the height restriction). As I say, both changes just makes it too weak of a ride in my opinion. I guess it hasn't even been open a week though. Hopefully the sound and lighting will be tweaked as time goes on until they've found something right. Just a case of playing the waiting game... X - 5/10

On reflection now, I do think the backwards rows idea on Swarm is brilliant - it makes the ride even more re-rideable and just seems all round great. The queue system isn't great though, and on busier days, I expect it to be a nightmare for staff and guests. Speaking of queues, there was one point where the Fastrack queue for Swarm was longer than the main queue! Made me chuckle...

Went to Thorpe today. Wasn't expecting warm weather, though I wasn't expecting it to snow today either! A fair bit of snow, on and off during the day, some times it was blizzard conditions. Most rides were operating, expect Saw and Colossus. Inferno opened late and Stealth was only on one train all day; don't quite know why? We arrived just about 10 to 10 and the park had opened, so we headed straight to X (avoiding Swarm due to what seemed like 3/4 of the park going there...). Review in the appropriate topic, but in short...I'm somewhat disappointed. Preferred it forwards. Stealth was done, and we seemed to get on it before the queue started to build up. As said, it was on one train all day, which feels me with a bit of concern in honesty - it has 3 trains, and both Swarm and Inferno were on two trains, so it wasn't a park-wide thing. Surely it's not the case the other two trains are out of action? Also did Loggers in the snow. Come to the conclusion that the taking away of the tunnel doesn't really affect the ride experience too much (it does a bit, but not a lot), though the sound effect before the first lift (the 'Your adventure is really about to begin' one) feels pointless. It's still a shame that the tunnel reached the state that it got to and needed demolishing partially - LOOK AFTER YOUR RIDES IN FUTURE THORPE! Lunch was had at the Mexican, as per really. The fajitas were lush. Also, I believe if you get a meal deal at any Merlin outlets and want a hot drink instead of a soft drink, you usually have to pay extra or you just can't do it? Well, today you could get a hot drink at no extra charge - was nice to see. Swarm followed. The queue times said 60mins to go forward, 30mins to go backwards, but it was more like the other way round. As it was my friend's first visit this season, we opted to go backwards, and waited about 45mins. There was a poor balance of back row queue guests in the station though; the right hand side was completely filled and probably another 10-15min wait, whereas the left hand side was literally empty, and the ride before ours' hand empty back row seats. That needs sorting. At this point, it had been snowing for a while and going on Swarm, backwards, in the snow was a mighty experience. Loved it. We then noticed that, as usual for about 2pm this season it seems, The Swarm area was very quiet. The backwards queue was about 10-15mins, the forwards queue about 5-10mins. A couple more goes were had, in increasing snowy conditions, and I was told by a staff member if it got any colder, they'd have to close it down. Both goes ended up being front row on the left hand side. Usually Swarm front row brings tears to my eyes, and this was no different. It felt so fast, so forceful, so elegant. Every time I ride this thing it just feels better and better. My friend's opinion was that whilst going backwards was great, forwards is just about better. Saw some preparations for Mash Up on Swarm's island; a stage in the same place as last season. No work was going on in the arena. I do hope the event, starting tomorrow, doesn't get snowed off! Inferno times finished off the day, with a 30 minute queue and a brilliant as ever ride. For those wondering, no mist on today, but I expect that to be down to the weather as opposed to anything else. Finally, here's a couple of piccys of the park in the snow (these were taken on my phone, so sorry if the quality isn't great): Snowy Swarm. Snowy Tidal Wave. Many mad people rode Tidal Wave today. I love the 'hard guy' on the back row on this boat - he looked frozen solid.. I think this was my first time on park whilst it was snowing. It was really rather cold, but it was an experience we both enjoyed, and one which I hope I can experience again - though hopefully not too often..

Yep, it opened a little late, but it when it opened, it was going strong. Pretty much had a 30min+ queue all the time it was open. And as a little Inferno birthday present... Feel the heat SNOW!

Same! This is just another reason to hate spiders...

I thought it was tomorrow? WIKIPEDIA YOU HAVE FAILED ME! (shock horror)

July and August I can do - so if it ends up being one of those dates, put me down as a Yes for the Meet and a Maybe for everything else (so likely this will be my first meet of the year!). Whether I go to the meal depends on finances and stuff. Clubbing really isn't my thing, so I'd have to see how I feel closer to the time whether I'd be up for it.

Meh, just don't hold on at all - much more fun!

As we know, following a poor response to marketing of Swarm last year, Thorpe decided to "revisit" Swarm's image and increase the "'thrill factor' for visitors". This was despite very positive reviews for Swarm as it stood last year. So, along with the new billboard theming elements, the back two rows have been turned backwards. Now, in a way, it's very hard to do a comparison between the two. They are, essentially, the same ride - they follow the same layout, you more or less experience the same things, the off-ride experiences (queuing, ride interaction, etc.) are basically the same and so forth. More or less the only difference is the way you're facing. So, a comparison between the two is highly subjective - it boils down to what you're looking for when you ride Swarm. So, the best way I can think to compare the two experiences is to focus on individual aspects of the ride's layout and how they ride when going forwards and backwards. Then, any other things can just be dealt with afterwards... Inverted Drop One of the defining features of Swarm is the 'head first inverted drop'. When going forwards, you are either in the front row, so are left looking at the track ahead of you, unaware of how much of a spectacle the 180 degree turn really is. In any other row, you see the train twist slowly upside, which is one amazing sight. It shocks you, makes you realise what you're about to experience, and before you know it - there you are, spinning around yourself. It is truly great. Going backwards has little difference to the front row in my opinion, except you just don't know exactly when it will happen. It's still a great feeling, but it neither adds nor takes away from the experience. So, basically, either way, it's great! The Plane Wing The first of the near misses really does little for me when going forwards. It's there, but it is a generic 'close, but not too close' near miss. It's certainly there more for the spectacle of it all as opposed to being something that's genuinely too close for comfort. That said, when on the left hand side of the train, it can catch first-timers off guard. When going backwards, it's as you would expect - you don't see it. I personally don't really even realise it's there when going backwards - may as well be a mist box there as the plane wing adds absolutely nothing. So the plane wing is nice and all going forwards, and superfluous when going backwards. So, forwards > backwards. Zero-G Roll Now, I absolutely LOVE this when going forwards. It's an inversion you really, really feel - something which I think is lost on more modern inverting coasters. When you are nearer the back of the train, it's great being able to see the train twist through the inversion as well. Going backwards is good as well; again, you really feel the inversion. But I'm not as big a fan of it going backwards; I still enjoy it, but just not as much as going forwards. A part of me thinks that, because when you were at the back of the train (I.e. row 7) and going forwards, it added to the idea of seeing the train twist through even more, I'm thinking that 'well, the backwards rows lose this effect'. Thus, as a straight out comparison between the forwards and backwards rows, I think the forwards rows JUST edge it out over the backwards rows, but comparing the Swarm we have now to the Swarm we had last year, the Swarm we had last year was better. So, forwards > backwards. It is here I'd also compare the ways facing when the fire goes off from the fire engine, but as I've only been fortunate enough to experience it going forwards, it would be unfair of me to compare. The Billboard The all new near miss for 2013 is certainly a great addition. Many people's favourite near miss of the ride, it is certainly effective. Off ride, it is great to look at, and has a nice bit of quirkiness to it. On ride, when going forwards, just WOW. The way the train twists out of the zero-G roll means is it is genuinely an exciting feature and one where it seems like you may not 'twist enough in time'. The left hand side also provides a secondary near miss after the corkscrew, which is nice. Backwards though, you of course don't get the effect. You simply twist out of the zero-G roll and dive on through. Yeah sure, you see it afterwards (which is a nice advantage of the billboard compared to the other near misses, as it feels designed for backwards as well as forwards viewing, probably due to the fact it was built with the backwards rows in mind), but it's nothing special really. So, again, forwards > backwards. The back of the billboard. The inclined loop follows. It's nothing special either way - just a solid element that is paced well. Nothing more to say here other than forwards and backwards are equally solid. Turnaround / The Helicopter The turnaround is probably by favourite section of the ride when going forwards. It is surprisingly fast and forceful, and lasts a decent length of time. When on the right hand side of the train, it is just phenomenal, with the addition of the water spray and the subtle near miss of the spinning helicopter blades which can catch the unsuspecting off guard. One of the reasons why last season the back-right seat became my favourite was because of this part of the ride - you'd get a splash of water, force, speed and a near miss - what more could you want?! Backwards through this section is great as well; being able to see the water effect 'chase' you feels nice, and is something missed a bit when going forwards. But the subtle near miss from the helicopter is missed, which is a shame, as it is my favourite near miss of the ride. When it boils down to it, riding forwards or backwards through this section of the ride is equally good. However, I did prefer back-right going forwards to going backwards there. Corkscrew The entrance into this element is great, continuing the forcefulness of the turnaround. Going forwards, the corkscrew is another solid element, and I think it has been designed with the visual spectacle in mind - going through the inclined loop looks great off ride. However, going backwards, it is a real highlight. I can't explain it really, but I just love it. Maybe it's the novelty of doing a common inversion on coasters backwards, but it's just a great feeling and the one thing I think 'WOW' about the most after riding backwards. So, backwards > forwards. The corkscrew, beautifully cutting through the inclined loop! The Tower, Church and Inline Twist Near miss wise, I don't rate the tower or church highly. They're a very generic 'close, but not too close' near miss, and whilst nice, it doesn't impress me much. This doesn't mean they're bad in any way, and off ride it is simply stunning. The inline twist is, as with all the inversions, one you feel, and even if you don't get the near miss effect too much from the theming, it's still great being twisted upside down over it! Backwards you miss the near misses (same old story there then...), but the inline twist is fun, and as with going forwards, it's great seeing the station when you're hurled upside down. So, backwards and forwards are both equally good. The tower, where the brilliant 'Swarm noise' plays. And that basically ends the ride. The rest that follows is the worst part of the ride as it stands, going forwards or backwards. Other Bits and Bobs Just one final thing I want to say. I'm going to ignore the fact that I hate the way the queue system works and not use that in my judgement of which 'way' is better. However, the fact that the old Fastrack queue is now the backwards queue means there's less chance to see the ride in action, and it's harder to see the queue line TVs (and they are less frequent). I'm a big fan of having the experience of a ride start when you enter the queue, and finish when you're out of exit - a ride should never just be about the hardware. The backwards queue suffers from the fact that you can't get a decent 'feel' of the back story unless you've already seen it, which is a shame. It's only a little niggle, but it's a niggle nonetheless. And so, there we have it. So, if you haven't been counting, here's how each of the individual on-ride elements 'score up', if you will: Forwards 'wins' - 3 Backwards 'wins' - 1 Ties - 4 The fact that there are equally many ties and 'wins' should tell one thing - The Swarm is an amazing ride. Whether you have the seats facing forwards, backwards, inwards, whatever-way-wards, you won't take that away. However, facing forwards is the way forward (if you'll pardon the pun...); as, simply put, it allows you to experience the theming and the near misses that Swarm has been designed to take advantage of. If you take them out the equation, the experience is lacking something. Now, me knocking the backwards rows all sounds very negative, but honestly, it is my third favourite coaster experience - only beaten by Swarm going forwards and Nemesis at Alton Towers. So, time for the final verdict: The Swarm (Forwards): 10/10 (In a way, I don't want to give it a perfect score, but I just can't justify not doing so). The Swarm (Backwards): 8.5/10 (And comments and criticisms are welcome! )

IT'S SPELT COMMA! (Also, there's no need for three exclamation marks; one will do just fine). [/endpendant]

At least Saw actually had a decent enough plot line! And sorry mate, you won't find Dora, she's gone Exploring.

The only way you 'notice' the change is the jolt (and by eye if you closely examine it for long enough; which is what I assume A-Kid did originally). As for Colossus' loop (and any vertical loop for that matter), it's not a perfect circle, so it has a change in radius (change in curvature I'm not too sure, but if it does, it's not in a bad way). Technical name for it is a clothoid loop. Basically, as you get nearer the 'top' of the loop, the radius increases, which in turn decreases the force on the riders. So, as Fred says, all those loops are fine!

I read something on TST which may explain the cause of the delay (or, at the very least, contributed to it). Here's the post my member 'Dar' This would go some way to explain the delay. They would have had to find a different way to excavate the areas that would satisfy the inspector and then complete the new work. Of course no work could be done while these notices were in effect! Does beg the question of how they could have overlooked these, they seem like simple things to get done. "Digging a hole? We better make sure the sides don't fall in on us!" "Nah, leave it. It'll be right"? So it seems that the "we need to blame someone" camp can aim their vitriol at the groundworks company. Source - http://www.towersstreet.com/talk/planning-portal-and-the-smiler/(the-smiler)-construction-updates-and-ride-speculation-part-2/180/

With regards to the 'jolt', this was posted shortly after Saw opened: So basically, just a change in curvature of the track. This then led to higher laterally Gs at the base of the drop than, which creates the jolt so many people experience. At an educated guess, I think this could be down to the drop - it was originally meant to be a 97 degree drop, like most Eurofighters, but was instead changed to the 100 degree drop for the record, which could explain the change in curvature of the track (as the Immelmann loop was kept exactly the same, so was designed to follow a 97 degree drop, not a 100 degree one).

*You're. Sorry, a pet hate of mine, and seeinghow it's the Rant thread...

Ah, that explains why my Mum's AP has been dodgy the past couple of visits! Strange...

Here's my kitten, called Baby, trying to help out with my uni work...

I too have heard about the park getting WiFi, and that it would be usable from today. Also, if you look on the back of the park map, on the section about the App, it mentions 'WiFi Powered by The Cloud'; the same as at Alton. So, if it hasn't be released today, I expect it will be sometime soon.

I count that as 42 seats per ride. That video leads me to think that, as it is, you're looking at about 5-6 minutes between rides, so a nice maximum throughput of 220pph. Even if you half the ride time, or even reduce it to a third, you're not going to get more than 500pph on that thing. Something with that low a throughput at Thorpe? No thanks. Looks like quite a repetitive ride after a while, so would lose appeal quickly.. Would ride it given the chance (and if the price was right), but if that ever appeared in any theme park (especially in the UK), I'd lose my faith in humanity just a bit...

Well played Mark, well played...

Source? If so, looks like I'm not going to Chessington till the Summer... EDIT: Please don't tell me I've been April Fooled...