Benin

9 times yesterday, including the front and back on both sides...It's fab, and surprisingly intense through the final inline, it's perfect for Thorpe because it's one of two rides at the park I get off and want to go on again, especially after the first time...So first time was a 60-90 minute queue due to one train operation. However after a 20 minute odd shutdown the second train appeared and halved the queue greatly, very quickly moving although I would NOT want to go over to the other side of the island's queue. Especially as you get so close to get on only to have to vanish off to a hidden cattlepen... Ew...Went front row first time (as there was no queue) and they had no tickets. Fail. However after some communication between staff (or very lacking) we were allowed through and told the batcher we were for the front, and we were on...Getting up to the top and realising the drop's style is so different and amazing. I much prefer being flipped over on the right than the left, however both are good. It certainly builds and keeps the speed more than Raptor did, as seen by the difference in the speed the final inlines are taken at the end. The headrush through the final inline as well is brilliant (although after essentially 8 times in a row, is too much for me)...As for the area, it's nicely themed although looks unfinished due to the mass of dirt at the other end. Next 3 years needs to hurry up in that respect. But overall it does the job well. The instrumental version of the YMAS song was actually pretty good and fitted well, and the news program showed a great amount of effort had been put into it, especially as it was (I think) around a 30 minute loop. So long enough to avoid boredom.Easily the best ride in the park, even with Inferno running the best I've ever ridden it. But I need to have a think before I put it in the top 10. However it most definitely gets a 9/10...Better than Raptor? I think Raptor's overall package might give it the edge. But Swarm is more intense in ways. The rides are hard to judge in comparison because they both do well what the other one doesn't. But they are both brilliant rides and I hope the Wing-Rider becomes an extremely popular type. Because that's 2 for 2 on great rides.

Swarm really shows how bad the rest of the park is...Went to ride Saw, it broke, Slammer died, Colossus broke for a while, Inferno on one train (which was a result of it having problems apparently), Stealth broke when we joined the queue as well...Bleh, least Inferno was running brilliantly <3 And of course Swarm <3 B&M superiority ftw!

Went on it yesterday to be surprised by the presence of new restraints...Shame they don't do anything at all to help the ride. It's still absolutely awful and it's a joke how they expect people to get in and out of the back row. I had to go through the gap between the front seats to actually get out...Intamin ¬¬

Oh botheration and various axes of the bad kind...I wanted to hear the old music

Shame it was only actually good for one of those years...

Ahem...

You mean the tram tracks I'm guessing?It's theming...

Lol, loving the Underground direction of the Valley post...Although, OMG SCARY PIG!

Cos how many cables have Intamin ruined?B&M go for the tried and tested method, if it ain't broke, they won't try and fix it...

To be fair though, B&M floater is fab <3

Then we'll have everyone running up and down the stairs to get to the other side like loons...

Yeah, Chessie needs another Thorpe hand-me-down like it needs a bloody hole in the head...Besides, it already has Buccaneer...

Hah! Classic... I remember that ad so clearly...

^Final Destination 3 [/pedantic]Yeah, I'm not going to be a hypocrite here, so I'm going to leave this thread before it's too late...

Meanwhile, in other Wing-Rider news...

Cos I probably would have properly scarred me for life...Scary/Creepy dark rides are NOT my favourite rides...

Urgh Alien Encounter... I avoided that for good reason 10 years ago...But yeah should be good... Like that they didn't really go "OMG LOOK AT WHAT THIS RIDE DOES!" ala Thirteen... Yet........

MOAR!

B&M's are expensive...And you pay for quality... Looking at Swarm, I'd say it's worth it (plus Merlin add in other figures like theming and marketing to the total cost)...

You would have thought someone would have done a Risk Assessment by now?

Filling in the lake is not simple though... And quite expensive...If more land was filled, less money would go into the park's actual physical additions...

Surprised no-one's posted pics of the revamped area yet...Looks bloody awful... BENCHES! BENCHES EVERYWHERE!

Sure you don't mean the Golden Ticket Awards rather than Mitch Hawker? I don't care much for the Golden Tickets due to the overally American bias it gains, but the Hawker ones are even worse for it...Meh, whatever... The one opinion that matters to me is my own, and since I found Raptor to be fab, I reckon Swarm will be too... Not every ride is designed to be intense grey out inducing machines that require a 10 minute rest period... I ADORE re-rideable rides more than intense ones at times, because often enough, fun trumps intensity quite a lot...As an aside, one of your negative points is something OUTSIDE the ride's area and that does reek of being picky against it let's be honest... If we gave rides negative marks for being able to see things from other parts of the park then that would count for near enough every single ride in the world...

The poll ain't worth anything... So it's pointless to expect it to do much in there...

Here, hang on, what's that there arch they're building on the path leading up to Scream and the Bobsleigh?New theming there as well? Defo wasn't about last year...