The Walking Dead - The Ride: SPOILERS

[Marc]

 

You’ll not get many chances to be riding rides at Thorpe at midnight!

 

CHERTSEY, Friday 13 April 2018: THORPE PARK Resort has announced that for the first time in its 38-year history, it will open its gates at midnight on Tuesday 24^th April 2018 for 1,000 lucky fans to experience its new attraction The Walking Dead: The Ride for free.

All that visitors will need to do to qualify for the unique experience is to come to the Surrey based theme park dressed as a zombie and be prepared to act in a zombie-like manner in the queue line. Visitors must be in the queue by 11pm on 23^rd April.

Tickets for Midfright will be available via Eventbrite from 23^rd April at 10am and will be limited to 1,000.

As the UK’s first and only multi-sensory and multi-part rollercoaster, The Walking Dead: The Rideinvites thrill seekers to flee The Walking Dead in a relentless and terrifying ride for survival. 

It is also the world’s first rollercoaster themed around the global TV phenomenon of the same name and comes complete with state of the art special effects, a replica of the iconic watch tower, and will be the ultimate test of riders’ mettle.

THORPE PARK Resort’s Divisional Director Dominic Jones said, “We’re really excited to announce for the first time in our history that we will be creating a midfright experience for our valued guests centred around our new attraction The Walking Dead: The Ride. We can’t wait to see all of the gruesome outfits that our fans wear to qualify for this unprecedented opportunity.”

The Walking Dead: The Ride is at the centre ofTHORPE PARK Resort’s Year of The Walking Dead unmissable series of events. 2018 also sees guests able to purchase Thorpe Park Annual Passes, through the website, at £49 for multiple visits.

[Mark9]

I bet people can't wait to ride this indoor rollercoaster at midnight, it's going to make a big difference. 

[Mattgwise]

It is quite risky putting an event like this on given the amount of downtime the ride has had of late. 

[Marc]

33 minutes ago, Mattgwise said:

It is quite risky putting an event like this on given the amount of downtime the ride has had of late. 

Touch wood after it’s few days down it seems to be behaving much better - hopefully it stays that way!

[ProudToServe]

so it's only the WD ride thats open? also an Indoor ride at night isnt going to make much of a difference haha

[RobF]

Have to say is it worth driving to thorpe just to ride x ... at midnight haha

 

[Stuntman707]

I can’t be arsed to do that event but good luck to those who go!

[JoshuaA]

I think I'll find more intensity in checking my facebook news feed than this at midnight..

[08newmanb]

If fans have loved X so much, then the walking dead ride would have been placed between the swarm and the lakeview tent, as an enclosed roller coaster (Schwarzkopf Jumbo Jet model is my guess). And then X would have been kept for many years to come (even for the dance scene from the peanuts movie as a makeover). So what do you think of my opinion?

[Marc]

I’m not sure the budget would of stretched quite that far! This is thorpes “low” capex year so a whole new ride as always pretty unlikely! 

[08newmanb]

2 minutes ago, Marc said:

I’m not sure the budget would of stretched quite that far! This is thorpes “low” capex year so a whole new ride as always pretty unlikely! 

Well at least I made on ROBLOX, anyway.

[JoshuaA]

1 hour ago, 08newmanb said:

If fans have loved X so much, then the walking dead ride would have been placed between the swarm and the lakeview tent, as an enclosed roller coaster (Schwarzkopf Jumbo Jet model is my guess). And then X would have been kept for many years to come (even for the dance scene from the peanuts movie as a makeover). So what do you think of my opinion?

That would of been a much better addition but I think it really would be a unlikely place and ride model.

With Schwarzkopf being defunct I think we wouldn't see another one at a Merlin Park. Especially after Black Hole was scrapped due to Health and Safety standards (correct me if I'm wrong)

I'm not sure that plot of land would be plausible to have a coaster plonked on it too?

 

Money is another thing.. Spraying a bunch of black and red paint on X probably is the cheaper move..

[Flipper]

I stand by what I said before. Who knows that X was the plan. There was so much rumour and suggestion around the Swarm, even VR, who’s to say they didn’t opt for this as a better option within the budget?

[Stuntman707]

Off the top of my head, I think Gerstlauer refurbished the Jet Star II when Towers sold it. So it may be possible to still get a used Jet Star II or III. Though I think it’s highly unlikely we’d ever see one at Thorpe. I wish someone would take Knightmare though! It’s still rusting away at Camelot.

[08newmanb]

9 hours ago, JoshuaA said:

That would of been a much better addition but I think it really would be a unlikely place and ride model.

With Schwarzkopf being defunct I think we wouldn't see another one at a Merlin Park. Especially after Black Hole was scrapped due to Health and Safety standards (correct me if I'm wrong)

I'm not sure that plot of land would be plausible to have a coaster plonked on it too?

 

Money is another thing.. Spraying a bunch of black and red paint on X probably is the cheaper move..

Well, I may be sure that Gerstlauer would refurbish the model, or make a new custom track of the same layout.

 

2 hours ago, Stuntman707 said:

Off the top of my head, I think Gerstlauer refurbished the Jet Star II when Towers sold it. So it may be possible to still get a used Jet Star II or III. Though I think it’s highly unlikely we’d ever see one at Thorpe. I wish someone would take Knightmare though! It’s still rusting away at Camelot.

Well that could a good idea, for a next coaster.

 

9 hours ago, JoshuaA said:

That would of been a much better addition but I think it really would be a unlikely place and ride model.

With Schwarzkopf being defunct I think we wouldn't see another one at a Merlin Park. Especially after Black Hole was scrapped due to Health and Safety standards (correct me if I'm wrong)

I'm not sure that plot of land would be plausible to have a coaster plonked on it too?

 

Money is another thing.. Spraying a bunch of black and red paint on X probably is the cheaper move..

For maybe some land filling and road re-tracking.

[JoshuaA]

I think Merlin's history with Gerstlauer would perhaps not make it the most likely thing to happen, I think the model itself is also kinda a thing of the past.

I think if we're going to get a coaster there I think it would be perhaps something a tad more modern and marketable than a old ride model like a Jet Star II.

 

Yes Jet Star II's are still being sold and bought by smaller parks but I think with Merlin being a major scale park, I think perhaps it would be a odd move.

[Mega-Lite]

Just got back from my brush with The Walking Dead, thoughts...

 

Firstly and I cannot stress this point enough, I don't think they should have done this to X. Rave X was a genius idea and the perfect family friendly roller coaster that Thorpe needed so badly in it's line up. The removal of X in my opinion at least was incredibly short sighted and ill advised. Therefore, no matter how good or bad Walking Dead is, in my eyes, the decision to replace X with it, was a mistake.

 

So how was The Walking Dead then? Was alright.

 

Exterior Queue

 

This was almost exactly the same as it's always been, but now with loud Fright Nights style music and a cheap looking watch tower, no complaints, no praise.

 

Preshow

 

This was hilarious. Chris Hemsworth delivering comedy gold while a jombie chews some glass on a flat screen TV behind you. Footage of jomies invading Thorpe Park that made me literally laugh out loud. Then more hilarity from Hemsworth and off you go. It was cheesy, it was a dumb, I quite enjoyed it.

 

Preride Corridors

 

Literally the same X corridors but this time with 80 percent less rave. It reminded me of a heavily discounted Platform 13 at Walibi Holland. Sirens, a sense of urgency, people running and screaming but nothing at all happening. It could be worse but it certainly wasn't as good as it could be. Needs more jombies.

 

Coaster

 

At the air gates, the staff member was smashing their height stick on the floor to scare people, someone needs to tell him that they are 1) expensive and 2) if damaged it won't accurately tell you heights any more, but hey, you scared a bloke, so well done I guess!

 

Not going to lie, I quite enjoyed the actual coaster portion.

 

All 4 block sections are laughable, in a good way! First one, plastic jombies light up, I hope that's a reference to when XNWO had those weird plastic robots on that section, either way, it amused me. Second one, nothing at all, followed by Chris Hemsworth shouting. Third one, 3 flat screen TVs of jombies licking glass, while Chris Hemsworth makes the train judder about, suddenly triggering me to need the toilet. Fourth one, something about a generator, then a jombie lights up, the end. Hilarious.

 

It's the inbetween, fast sections that are slightly impressive. The jombies lighting up and lunging at you as you speed past reminded me a lot of the fantastic Raptor Attack and Revenge of the Mummy. Also the theming on some of these fast sections looked to be of quite a good standard.

 

Postride 

 

The train rolls into the station and the offload host goes bats**t insane, flailing like a madman, almost tripping over and screaming at you to get out. Then you're in a canteen or something and a loud noise goes off, neither of which made sense to me but some people screamed, so I guess it's fine? After this you walk through the old X exit corridors, except for the addition of 1 section now having rubber things you need to push through and strings that tickles your head as you do so, one of said strings slapped me in the eye, so if mildly unpleasant was the goal, they succeeded. Then you just walk out via the old exit.

 

I can't help but feel this ending is lacking something. Were jombies meant to be attacking me at every turn but said effects/actors were missing? If the answer is no then the ending is rather disappointing, I was half expecting to be put in my place for the rest of the attraction making me laugh, but said big ending scare never came.

 

Talking of scares... I'm a HUGE wuss when it comes to scare attractions and normally won't do them at all unless a cred is attached. So I have to ask, if this scaredy cat came off with nothing but comedy to report, where the hell did this 15/10 crap come from?

 

To summarise, The Walking Dead is fine. I enjoyed it for what it was. If you go in with low expectations and the mindset of having a laugh, then like me you'll probably walk away mildly amused by the whole experience.

[Stuntman707]

Some footage from the midfright TWDTR event is on Facebook. It’s certainly good advertising for the attraction if nothing else.

 

[JoshC.]

Lots of improvements and subtle changes made to the ride lately:

 

-New siren in the pre show area.

-Walkway from pre show to station is darker and more intense.

-New dispatch sequence (lights dim to near pitch darkness, plus either new audio or louder audio)

-New speakers on the lift hill

-Lots of special effects at the end of the ride (generator), with flashing lights, loud audio and air blasts.

-Even LOUDER fog horn in post show

-Changes to the exit corridor, with more stuff throughout

 

It's great to see lots of tweaks being made to get this right. For me, the corridor between the pre show and station is a real highlight - genuinely unnerving walking through near darkness, hearing that each area you walk through had been compromised, and all lights going out behind you.

 

[Graw]

5 hours ago, BaronC. said:

Lots of improvements and subtle changes made to the ride lately:

 

-New siren in the pre show area.

-Walkway from pre show to station is darker and more intense.

-New dispatch sequence (lights dim to near pitch darkness, plus either new audio or louder audio)

-New speakers on the lift hill

-Lots of special effects at the end of the ride (generator), with flashing lights, loud audio and air blasts.

-Even LOUDER fog horn in post show

-Changes to the exit corridor, with more stuff throughout

 

It's great to see lots of tweaks being made to get this right. For me, the corridor between the pre show and station is a real highlight - genuinely unnerving walking through near darkness, hearing that each area you walk through had been compromised, and all lights going out behind you.

 

sounds really good, I'm excited to ride it soon. is the generator post-ride or like as the carriage is going to the ending station? and what's been added to the exit corridor? 

[JoshC.]

The generator scene is on the final brake run before you go into the offload station.

 

The exit corridor has had some more audio and lighting effects put in, as well as some changes to the pitch black area (where ropes were hanging). 

[Stuntman707]

Sounds great, hopefully I can try it soon.

[Marc]

Really like the improvements over the past couple weeks - the queue line corridors are very well done with the lighting / sound, the station dispatch sequence with the lighting and sound is also very cool!

 

Looking forward to seeing how it evolves!

[Mega-Lite]

I guess I'll have to give it another go on the next pass holder thing then, I hope the comedy has not been lost!

[Stuntman707]

I did it for the first time at the weekend. What I think;

Had to queue for longer as half the batch groups were made up of disabled and fastrack users. We would have got in sooner until two fastrack users jumped in the group just before us.

The preshow was not great, doesn't really explain much, it's a hard story to follow if you go into it not knowing anything about it. The screen and sound effects behind did nothing to scare the group, actually I don't think anyone else knew it was there. I think there's a missed opportunity to start the experience and bulk out the story in the queue pen. Just something as simple as having announcements over the speakers about the outbreak of walkers on the island, why you're being grouped into the safe zone, what the safe zone is, etc. This was done to an extent on Sub Terra.

 

I didn't really notice the lighting changes in the entry corridors and zones, I don't know if it wasn't perhaps working exactly as intended? The theming is much better in the corridors now although X hardly had any theming at all apart from the lights and some signs. The station was really good, glad to see it is fully themed and I thought the dispatch sequence was really good but I didn't see much of it being on the first train.

 

I actually really enjoyed the ride, for me the best part of the attraction. The only thing I would change would be to add more of the old stopping points and scenes on the other brake runs. The strobe effect on the walkers was good, loved the new stop section. The flame effects and generator scene was fun, especially with the lighting and audio it felt so chaotic.

 

The canteen was a bit of an anti climax. Everything was static, and the only effect was a crashing sound. It was dimly lit but there wasn't much of a creepy atmosphere or surprises. Just a dark, farty smelling room. The exit corridors were pitch black in places which was a little disorientating and I think another missed opportunity for some good surprise scares while people are still on edge before finishing the attraction.

 

So I think the ride itself is pretty good. It's something quite different and a strong theme which I appreciate. As someone who does watch zombie films, it's good to have a ride with a zombie theme and not just dozens of scare mazes. The overall experience could be improved quite easily which I hope it will be. I'd give it the attraction as a whole 5/10, the ride 8/10 and a scare rating of 3/10 (I've jumped more on DBGT 2.5)