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The Swarm


JoshC.

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I WANT THOSE MUGS! <3What about the shirt selection? From the updates I've seen, this is a stunner and unbelievably good...Sign of things to come under Merlin additions? As long as Sub Terra is as fab as this then the future will hopefully be a lot brighter than it has been (as long as the OTHER issues such as opening times and the like are sorted)...And lol, breaking down... I do hope it avoids doing that next weekend...

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I am so excited I can taste sick in my mouth

Noice. Glad I'd finished eating my lunch when I read that!I'll be brief as I'm on break: Swarm looks fooking epic, merchandise also looks epic, the whole thing looks epic :DI did laugh when I read that it broke down though :P Oh Thorpe... :')
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Why could they not have done a proper preview day? such as the th13teen preview weekend (which never happend properly)I am going to the Chessington AP day, but I am wondering whether to go to Thorpe first and get a ride on the swarm then leave at lunch time to go to Chessie or whether to enjoy almost a full day at Chessington then arrive at Thorpe about an hour before it closes! Any thoughts on what to do!?

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Go to Thorpe Park first and head to Swarm.You'll love the area so much you'd have more fun staying on the island all day then you would at Chessington. Trust me.As for the breakdown and mini evac... SHOCK HORROR, a new roller coaster has a small problem!!1! How people can slate the park for one small breakdown, on a REHEARSAL day, is beyond me...

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^ And the rest :POn another note, the ride area is amazing, really outstanding! My favourite part was definitly 2 or 3 dedicated speakers at points around the ride, where when the train is approaching & passing 'The Swarm' noise plays out at a deafening tone, most effective in the tower.

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Quick summary. Definitely one of the best rides I've ever been on, it even rivals the likes of Nemesis and Black Mamba for me. It's an absolutely perfect mixture of face-pulling intensity, and just pure fun. I had fairly high expectations but it probably even exceeded those. Massive, massive congratulations to Thorpe, they're onto a definite winner here.

On another note, the ride area is amazing, really outstanding! My favourite part was definitly 2 or 3 dedicated speakers at points around the ride, where when the train is approaching & passing 'The Swarm' noise plays out at a deafening tone, most effective in the tower.

This. Scared the life out of me on the first ride, so simple but so very effective. The little things like that are what makes the ride experience so much more enjoyable. Something to bear in mind though, it's easiest to hear towards the back of the train.
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I will be blunt here.The reviews are, to me, both surprising and greatly satisfying.I thought the reviews would be weak, I thought the layout looked weak and I thought the short duration would leave riders disappointed.I am now very excited to be riding it - I am trying to ignore the "up there with Nemesis and Black Mamba hype" as when I got off Rita for the 1st time I thought it was the best ride ever, but I am really, really looking forward to my visit next weekend.Seems like a job well done for Thorpe Park!! :P

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Right, now home and must echo Dan's comment that Thorpe really deserve applause for what they've accomplished with The Swarm. Starting with the ride itself, I must say it's the biggest example ever of the 'video gives you no idea' rule. I hit it 8 times today so managed to try front, back, left, right, inside and outside seats on various occasions. I must say the front is eye-watering, and the back has an intensity that's completely unimaginable from just looking at it. Also, I didn't feel like it was short at all.On the theming and queue / area front, it's even more impressive. The plane has wonderful bits of wreckage littered around it, and with the mist in there as well it looks excellent. The general looks of the area is exceptional - it has a wonderful atmosphere, is very detailed and feels much more spacious than it looks in pictures. Audio and video really complete it - the ambient and instrumental tracks fit the feel of the area perfectly and the news reports on the screen really add a depth and believability to the situation. It isn't cheesy or contrived like Saw's radio voiceovers, but rather makes you feel like a part of the action. And as has been said, the Swarm noises at various locations really add.Station and queue themselves are also great. The station has a nice feel inside and the queue isn't as overbearing as all the metal might suggest; it actually feels quite open with the wood used on the interior of it. Interaction is good too, with the inline over the station providing a very exciting distraction.Finally on the 'Premiere Screaming' side of things, I was very impressed by the actors and props around the place. Now a few pics I snapped for your viewing pleasure (quite a few, actually) :PPosted ImagePosted ImagePosted ImagePosted ImagePosted ImagePosted ImagePosted ImagePosted ImagePosted ImagePosted ImagePosted ImagePosted ImagePosted ImagePosted ImageAll I can say to Thorpe is wow. Thank you so, so much :o

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I am now very excited to be riding it - I am trying to ignore the "up there with Nemesis and Black Mamba hype" as when I got off Rita for the 1st time I thought it was the best ride ever, but I am really, really looking forward to my visit next weekend.

I'm not claiming it's as rip-your-senses-apart intense as Nemesis, but for me it was easily just as fun as either of those two. That said, there are definitely two or three very intense moments, some of which are less obvious than others. (I greyed out on two occasions, both of them just as we were exiting the pond turnaround into the corkscrew.)I couldn't feel much of a significant difference between inside and outside seating either, the outside is probably slightly better but it's not really something to make a big fuss about.
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Adam, your photo taking skills and camera put mine to shame.Posted ImagePosted ImagePosted ImageThe ride itself is excellent, even if it is somewhat disappointing that Merlin avoided a longer layout on a coaster once again. It's a lot of fun and due to the nature of the seats, every one offers a great ride. The leg guards are completely unnoticeable, unless you are sitting in the front row where they curve around.The actors around the area were all very entertaining with soldiers jumping out and screaming at people, while also not being afraid to walk up to groups and stare them down. The absolute standout was the minister roaming around the station though. He would sneak up behind you and whisper tag lines of the coaster, dance around the station, etc.Posted ImageWhether things like the front row system run smoothly in peak times will be interesting. Also, a long queue could be pretty painful in the summer as it offers little shade and is very compact.Posted Image

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