Thorpe Park has developed a new thrill seeker ride which cost an arm and a leg – literally. We are not referring to the £20 million price tag, but instead the fact that when the commercial property tested the ride using dummies, two of them came back with missing limbs.
The ride, which promises near misses, may be a bit too close for comfort. From Thorpe Parks’ website, they describe the ride as: “Be picked up and dragged on the wings of THE SWARM as you’re left exposed and vulnerable to the extreme near misses and gut-wrenching inversions as it rips through the sky on its mission of complete annihilation.”
The Swarm will now undergo alterations to make sure it is completely safe before it is opened to the public in March. A life-sized commercial property, which represents a church, was thought to be the main concern as the ride zooms up and over obstacles.
Speaking of the new ride, Mike Vallis, Divisional Director at Thorpe Park, said: “We have been planning for The Swarm for almost two years now, and we’ve pushed the boundaries to the absolute limit because “extreme” is what our thrill-seeking customers demand.
“The ride-testing phase is absolutely crucial in ensuring extreme fun doesn’t compromise safety, and we work with the very best teams in the world to ensure we reach the gold standard in safety.
“So if that means re-modelling a church it’s taken us a year to build, then so be it. To lift the lid on what goes on behind-the-scenes of building a monster roller-coaster such as The Swarm is quite unprecedented. We want people to understand the level of planning, precision and care that goes into creating their ultimate thrill-seeking experience.”
But some critics are arguing that the unfortunate experience the dummies suffered could have been a PR stunt; it would not be the first time. In the past, Thorpe Park have asked the public to donate urine in order to create a real life stench for their SAW ride, and they also banned people from putting their hands up in the air whilst on a ride, because of body odour. Both of these turned out to be publicity stunts.
The commercial property in Chertsey, Surrey opens its doors on 15 March and runs everyday until the middle of November. Prices are approximately £33.60 for adults (age 13+), and £27.60 for children aged under 12.
