This is more going to be a review of Stealth than anything, so here goes!
We (me, Gazag, his sister and her two friends) arrived at the park pretty much as it was opening just a little after 10. Me, Gazag's sister and her friends, got into the park for only ?????????5 each, because a school party had 4 spare tickets they wanted rid of, Gazag however, still had to pay full price, muahaha [lol].
Stealth - 11/10
The first thing we did (naturally) was hop, skip and jump over to Stealth, taking photos and shooting video as we went. We got to Stealth and queued for the longest that we did all day, because the ride hadn't actually opened yet. We queued for 30 minutes or so outside the entrance to the ride, with about 30 other people (seriously, I think it was everyone in the park, it was damn empty). When they did open it, we were glad to find that the queue wasn't a rita-style queue, which you have to walk miles and miles and end up being in the queue for about 20 minutes even if you're the only people in the queue. It was infact we planned out so that you just had to walk the length of the launch and up into the station, although obviously when the park is fuller they will open up the rest of the queue, which really was Rita-style [lol]. We were quite amuzed that in their haste to complete the ride for the start of the season, they had left a lot of the themeing completely unfinished and had not even attached the test seat to it's stand, it was just sitting on the floor behind the stand. Not that we were concerned with themeing once we had stepped into the station of course. Once in the station, it didn't feel as intimidating as Rita has done at the same point, that was until we were sat in the front row, looking ahead down the track at what we were about to do, that's when the butterflies began. The countdown to launch is much the same as Ritas, they have even just used some of the same soundbites, which I thought was a little lame, but it certainly didn't ruin the experience!
........ go, go, GO!
The launch was damn impressive! For those of you who have ridden Rita, the launch on Rita, is nothing! For those of you who have ridden Xcelerator, you're lucky for having experienced this launch a long time ago! [lol] What else can I say? It's an Intamin Rocket, most of you will know what the launch is like I guess, all I can say is, AWESOME! heh heh. The launch is a given thrill obviously, but it was the rest of the ride that impressed me most, I'm sure in pictures, it looks like nothing in comparrison to rides like TTD and KK and, having not ridden either of those, I can't say whether Stealth is as good or not. What I can say however, is that Stealth is truly an amazing ride, with airtime in both front, middle and back row seats. The best aritime was in the back row however, as from the top of the top hat, to the point where it starts to pull up, you are completely out of your seat, floating. No matter where you sit in the train, the airtime over the airhill is MASSIVE, although it's at it's most massiverist in the front row [;)].
we managed to get on this ride 3 times in the space of 5 minutes and they really were the greatest, most exciting, most jumping and screaming inducing 5 minutes of my life! [lol] (bar a few football (soccer) related moments of course).
I know it's impossible to give something 11/10 but I have done, so shut up! [lol]. Seriously though, in mine and Gazags opinion, this is exactly the kind of addition that the park needed and it sits in the park perfectly, like it's been there forever (it will sit even better when they actually complete the themeing! haha). Honestly, as a thrill and as a spectacle, I now rate this coaster more highly than I rate Nemesis, in terms of how it has transformed the park and completed the park so to speak. I really do love this ride now as you'll already know by my msn name and msn display pic, if you are on my msn list [lol] it has 11/10 now, but whether it stands up to the test of time and is still as amazing in 10 years time, remains to be seen. For that reason I guess Nemesis is probably still my favourite ride, but this thing sure has given it a run for it's money, a photo finish, if you will! heh heh.
The onride photo sections are at the very begining of the launch, when your face is at it's most contorted and also about half way down the other side of the airhill, just as the brakes are really starting to slow you down. The onride photos weren't working yesterday however, probably for the same reason the themeing wasn't finished [lol].
Keeping in mind that any attempt at POV footage of Stealth would result in prosecution, Gazag asked if he could set up his camera in the exit area of the station and film it launching off into the distance, which would have been a great shot. However, they wouldn't even let us do that [:(]. We did however get good footage of it, which you will see in the video [;)]
Nemesis Inferno - 8/10
Having ridden this ride plenty of times before, I knew what to expect, but it does still deliver! It's a neat little ride that really packs a punch if you love positive g's. There is more positives on this ride than there is on it's big sister, which is saying something because it's big sister is hardly known for lacking positive g's. The final helix on this ride has your face pinned to your knees, which is always a good thing [:)] A good, solid ride that would be a welcome addition to any park.
Colossus - 9/10
Again, having ridden this ride plenty of times before, i knew what was coming, I also knew that meant thrills thrills thills! [lol] I do really like this ride and it will always be placed well in any top 10 list of mine. I love the way it dives in and out of the floor and up, over and under queue lines and paths, as if it's part of the scenery. Also, if anyone has ever harboured ambitions of being inside a washing machine in motion, this ride is the for you! [lol]
X: no way out! - 2/10
Yes, the feeling of going backwards in the dark is quite a good one, but honeslty, what the hell is the point of htis ride? [lol] It doesn't do anything, it does a helix, into some brakes, then goes through a helix and into some brakes....copy and paste, copy and paste [lol]. I have decided, that Thorpe Park should knock it down and replace it with a small Limbowl type coaster [:)]. Seriously, one hell of a crappy ride.
That's pretty much it in the way of a report because after about 12:30, the day got a little crappy see. The park was completely empty, so we thought we were probably going to have one of the best days at a theme park ever, that thought was only strengthened by being able to get on Stealth 3 times in the space of 5 minutes. HOWEVER! and it is a big however (hence the capitols [:)]), having all of the rides, all to yourself, really does mean nothing, if every single ride in the entire park is broken! Stealth had been periodically breaking down for 30 minutes or so all day, which is quite understandable for a brand new ride. That excuse however, does not cover Nemesis Inferno, Colossus and the better flat rides, all being closed down by like 2PM because of technical faults. Never ever, have I left a park before the closing time, but having walked around the park doing nothing for quite a period of time, we decided we would leave and so we did, at around 4 Oclock. Having only paid ?????????5 to get in myself, I would have felt rather guilty complaining, Gazag however, had paid full price, so off he went to complain, coming back 5 minutes later with the news that we had been given 8 free tickets to Alton Towers [:D], which will certainly make the meet-up there later this year, a lot less expsensive for those of you considering coming to it [;)]
Anyway, here are some pictures that I took during the day, there is quite a few of them to trawl through, but stick with it [;)] heh heh.
If anyone would like any of these pictures, for whatever reason, in their original 2592x1944 size, then please feel free to PM me. Feel free to use any of these pictures for your own purposes, as long as you don't claim them as your own [:P]. Some pictures are a little dark, as the lighting was hardly perfect, us being in England and all!
I like this entrance, I think it's cool [8D]
This is pretty much every car on the car park
Colossus as you enter the park
A women pointing, saying "that is the sexiest cobra roll ever" [:)]
Cornetto Soft, a new software company perhaps?
Enough bins?
Twisted B&Ms are sexy!
Very Stealthy, you can hardly see the top of it!... oh wait, that's just bad photography [:(]
Looks like they just ran out of paint doesn't it really?
Whoosh!
The leaning tower of Stealth!
I want one for my garden!
First rider of the day, looks a little lonely huh?
Not that I think he's partuclarly bothered!
One for the support enthusaists
crappy paint job or not, the ride still looks cool!
everybody in the park queueing for Stealth
This is what we in the business call "getting your finger in the shot" [;)]
Funky looking!
Anyone getting bored of looking at the top hat? Not me!
Ok, maybe just a little now...
I love Zero g rolls [:D]
Nice and tight!
That red gravel is starting to run a li'l thin on the ground these days huh?
Sexy!
Colossus sure is one sexy ride [;)]
Getting bored of the word sexy yet?...
...tough! Sexy!
Here's the section I like to call "The washing machine" [:)]
Seriously now, do they really need this many bins?
The washing machine is my favourite part of the ride [:D]
Don't you just love the whole oversupportedness thing?
Stealths top hat trying to get a look in
Beware the long orange snake in the water!
back to the top hat, oh and "taidal werv" ey English Coaster Guy? [lol]
...wait for it...Sexy!
Some child about to be attacked by a white fluff ball
Stealth was just a little too thrilling for someone
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's a big blue pole... oh yeah and Stealth
gorgeous helix don't you think?
Nobody doesn't like Zero g rolls
Just incase you missed that last photo...
hey, N:I is being stealthy too, you almost can't see the top of the loop.... oh wait. My camera skills leave the top of elements to be desired
I really like this photo, not really sure why
swish!
I thought this looked a bit like lips, so...
...I used my unparalleled photo editing skills to make the rest of you see what I see inside my strange little mind [:D]
I managed to get the whole loop in this time! [:)]
Action shots are always good
Looks a bit weird doesn't it?
oooOOOooo, twisty
It actually is rather tight at the top there [;)]
A beautiful mess!
I love B&M wingovers [:)]
I love B&M diving drops
Screw it, I just plain straight forward love B&Ms!
Intamins aren't bad either [;)] heh.
Ok, honestly, I've never seen so many bins...
How fierce is the airtime on Stealth I hear you ask?... This fierce!
...over the shoulder restraints remember [;)]
Finally, I was messing around and did this and thought I'd shove it on nyah [:)]
That's it from me, overall it had the potential to be one of the best theme park visits ever, but it ended up a little bit of a damp squid, aside from that one particular 5 minutes of pure joy of course! [:D]