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SAW: The Ride


Mark9

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

After replying to a question in Liam T's blog - I replied the following response below. I know I'm in the minority here when it comes to my love of this ride but when I started writing my response to Liam, I suddenly got all involved and my first experience and the emotions that came with it just came flowing back. So as I was quite proud of my response and it also gives a little indication of why I started to love this ride so much - to give you an opening into the mind of Peaj I thought I'd also post it here: :D

Being a fan of the saw films to start off with, when I found out about the IP I literally had a geekasm. I remember the little promos they did before its opening. YouTube videos with 'I want to play a game.' Clips of people trying to escape - but hardly any indication of what the coaster would entail. (Apart from a few statistical facts) but these facts were meaningless as the campaign was about the horror of trying to escape this 'trap' rather than being a rollercoaster.

The day arrived when I got to go to a preview event - the likes of jonathan Ross and other guests were there to try it out. The annual pass holder event also copied the format 2 days later. I entered the seat for the first time and the car sprung into action. Billy greeted us with his speech, we turned the corner and trap after trap came by - everything the promos had been promising us.

The drop on the inside was kept secret. We knew about the big one outside but that small one indoors packed a punch and really got the juices flowing. Around we went into an inversion over a dead body into the outside world and then the thrills and excitement of the outside section came. At no point was the ride tame - each element had some sort of kick to it and by the time we got back to the station, tears of joy were streaming down me and my friends faces - everything that the promo had promised plus there was a good rollercoaster attached to it too.

Yes for those who go on it all the time and then try and nit pick at all the faults they start to see or experience on their xth time - then yes they will try and find the faults but for something that you go on a rare occasion with the initial trailers telling you you will be part of the experience - put in a trap from the film and also having a queue line with actual props from the movie - Boy George did they do themselves proud.

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Saw is a ride I both love & hate in different ways.

I love the pre-indoor section of the ride, it packs lots of the surprises and that small drop intense and lots of I teractive theming elements such as the swinging blades and body at the end. I also like the general creepiness of the area and ride snd the whole rundown theme.

Ok, what I don't like about the ride. The outside section. It's not the layout itself, which is okay, but that's not the problem, the jolt(s). I find several uncomftable moments, notably after the drop and just before the last inversion, which can be pain. I also don't like how some trains are noticeably rougher than others as some rides I find myself really enjoying it and the next finding it a rough experience.

My final flaw with the ride is the fact it replaced plans for a GCI woodie on its spot (something I would've preferred if I could choose one of the two).

In conclusion, whilst I would say Swarm is the better of the two (merlin) coasters, with its large scale theming, smooth yet powerful force it flies through the track and comftable seats, Saw has definitely been the most popular snd successful attraction built at the park since Colossus and the general public seems to really riding it (it had the biggest queue on every fright nights I went).

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Ah, the Blogs feature really is great - http://forum.maniahub.com/blog/10/entry-309-why-saw-is-actually-a-really-good-coaster/

 

NB:  The title of the blog was really just designed to make people read it. ;)  Whilst I do like Saw, I think my opinion of it is not as high now as I make it out to be in that blog.  But alas, that's what time does I guess!

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IMO Saw is a good ride. People have told me how rough it is, to the likes of Colossus, but the roughest coaster I have ever been on which was steel was probably The Smiler, and at that, it is one of the only steel coasters I've ever found rough to the point of notability during the ride experience.

 

I loved saw because until 2011 I was too scared to go on it (those who know me will know that I just can't do horror mazes), and when I first rode it, everything was a surprise for me. I wasn't such of an enthusiast and just went to parks occasionally, and Saw was honestly one of the scariest experiences of my life. The indoor parts left me on the edge of crying, I still remember the spike cylinder flashes to this day, and how I screamed like a chicken getting decapitated. And at the end of the ride I was so hyped I insisted on high-fiving the host at the time.

 

Whilst I really appreciate saw though, I do have favourites above it, although there is a little reserved seat half way up the good list for Gerstlauer's beast at Thorpe ^_^

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I personally *really* like Saw, the first time I ever went to Thorpe when it was there I remember being so excited about it. After getting off of it I was in tears, it was the first proper coaster I'd ever been on and ever since then it's been a beautiful love affair. Don't get me wrong, the queue line outside could be much better rather than just barbed wire everywhere with fake saw traps jotted around. But inside I think it really gives an atmosphere, the shotgun bit actually really spooked me! Because it's so dimly lit and you have to actually look to see where you're going sometimes it feels like a real warehouse.

The inside 'secret' drop is my favourite, is a bit rough if you haven't been on it before as you don't know when to brace yourself but you can say that about most!

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The indoor drop is always a highlight on the Eurofighters that have them; Mystery Mine's is good for the sheer starting point (I.e. straight into the drop out of the station, rather than turning a corner into it like Saw), and Fluch's drop propels you into a launch (after some random German storytime)...

 

Fortunately for those two, they don't become awful after a solid start...

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http://www.justshowingoff.com/site/websites/saw/

 

Looks like 'justshowingoff' made the Saw minisite (which is now offline).  It doesn't include all the videos or the delightful Disciples of Saw game where you had to saw off your own leg, but shows how nice the site was.

 

Just a shame they couldn't recreate a similar tone for the ride's building!  

 

(NB:  If you're planning on opening link, make sure your volume isn't up TOO loud! ;) )

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  • 2 months later...

^It's been just me and my friend in the dark on saw during fright nights, felt really creepy as there was no one sitting behind us but didn't feel rough in the slightest. Then again, I don't find saw rough or jolty in general anyway except right before coming into the final break run. Colossus on the other hand, is one of the roughest and bumpiest rides I have been on excluding the front row seats.

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Saw seems to vary a LOT more than Colossus. Much like Smiler can vary (that seems a lot better this year though, think they may have had the axle grinder out over winter).

 

Yes Colossus is rattly, bit bumpy and you can feel the wheel thump but it's really not that bad. May favourite seats are the back, I love the relentlessness of it (although I enjoyed gwazi and will no doubt love Baco) and it's no rougher than The Ultimate which is crazy but brilliant. Simple fact, don't like the roughness of it, don't ride it :)

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