Walking Dead: The Ride

Roller coaster in the United Kingdom
Watch the on-ride POV
The Walking Dead: The Ride
A concept image released alongside the announcement of The Walking Dead: The Ride in February 2018
Thorpe Park
Location Chertsey, Surrey, England, UK
Coordinates 51°24′12″N 0°30′48″W / 51.403433°N 0.513261°W / 51.403433; -0.513261
Park section Dock Yard
Status Operating since 23 March 1996
Theme The Walking Dead
Rider height 140 cm minimum
Statistics
Manufacturer Vekoma
Product Enigma
Type Steel - Enclosed
Riders per train 10
Hourly capacity 1000
Propulsion Tire propelled lift
Area 40 metres × 60 metres
Height 12.7 metres
Top speed 44.6 km/h
Length 400 metres
Inversions 0
Duration 2:00
HELP

The Walking Dead: The Ride is a steel enclosed roller coaster located at Thorpe Park in Chertsey, Surrey, England, UK. Manufactured by Vekoma, it is located in the Dock Yard themed area. It was previously called X:/ No Way Out.

History

The ride's exterior when it was known as X:\ No Way Out

X:/ No Way Out was marketed as the "world's first backwards roller coaster in the dark" and "kids' stuff... not" when it first opened in 1996. The ride was loosely themed around a computer virus. Prior to 2002, there was an extended queue area full of interactive rooms such as a decontamination room. Two robots from the queue were placed at the top of the final lift hill post 2002. There were a lot more effects and sounds on the ride back then; there was a on-ride camera on the first lift hill until 2005, strobe lights were added on the first lift hill in 2000, and in the ride's early days, the entire ride, except for the flash of the on-ride camera, operated in pitch darkness.[1]

The ride had several modifications for the 2007 season, including improved queue line lighting, new video and sound effects, and a new control cabin. However, the queue line video ceased playing after a year and the television screens were now switched off.[1]

During 2010, X:\ No Way Out intermittently operated with the safety lights turned on, giving riders a view of the layout. By the end of the season, the roller coaster had returned to operation with the lights turned off.[1]

For the 2013 season, X:\ No Way Out was renamed X. Dance music and additional lights were added to the ride and queue line as part of a tie-in with the park's Ministry of Sound club night events.[2]

In November 2017, rumours began to circulate that the ride would be either overhauled again or removed for the 2018 season. These rumours gained steam when a photo was taken on 17 November 2017 showing that the ride's entrance had been removed, leaving a large gap in the ride's building. Thorpe Park has not yet confirmed anything. On 1 December 2017, Thorpe Park filed a planning permit that confirmed a retheme was in the works for 2018. The permit included the replacement of the entrance portal and the installation of barbed wire around the exterior queue area.

On 20 February 2018, Thorpe Park confirmed that the ride would be rethemed to the AMC TV series The Walking Dead and renamed The Walking Dead: The Ride for the 2018 season. As part of this, the ride's height restriction went up to 1.4m (55 inches) and a recommended age restriction of 13 years was added due to its darker tone.[3]

The ride reopened in this form on 31 March 2018.[4]

Design

Elements

The ride has a tire propelled lift. It is entirely enclosed within a pyramid-shaped building.

Color scheme

Black track and supports.

Trains

5 trains with 5 cars per train. Riders are arranged 2 across in a single row for a total of 10 riders per train.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "X:\ No Way Out". Memories Of Thorpe Park.
  2. "X roller coaster reopens at Thorpe Park with new light and sound effects". Theme Park Tourist.
  3. "The Walking Dead: The Ride coming to Thorpe Park this spring".
  4. Groux, Christopher (2018-03-30). "'The Walking Dead' Ride at Thorpe Park Opens Soon - Location, Price & More". Newsweek. Retrieved 2022-01-07.

External links

Articles on Thorpe Park