Samurai (ride)

Last updated

Samurai
Samurai Thorpe Park.jpg
Samurai, at highest point in cycle.
Thorpe Park
Area Old Town
Coordinates 51°25′58.16″N0°35′48.72″W / 51.4328222°N 0.5968667°W / 51.4328222; -0.5968667
StatusOperating
Opening date2004
ReplacedCalgary Stampede
Chessington World of Adventures
AreaMystic East
StatusRelocated to Thorpe Park
Opening date1999
Closing date2003
Replaced by Peeking Heights
Ride statistics
Attraction type Top Scan
Manufacturer Mondial
Height60 ft (18 m)
G-force +4g / -3g
Capacity500 riders per hour
Vehicles6
Riders per vehicle5
DurationApproximately 2 minutes (Setting Dependant)
Height restriction140 cm (4 ft 7 in)
Merlin Entertainment Fastrack availability.svg Fastrack available
Single rider line availability icon.svg Single rider line available
Wheelchair symbol.svg Wheelchair accessible
Attraction transfer icon.svg Must transfer from wheelchair

Samurai is a Mondial Top Scan ride located at Thorpe Park in the United Kingdom. It operated at nearby Chessington World of Adventures between 1999 and 2003, and was transferred to Thorpe Park at the end of the 2003 season. It has operated at Thorpe Park since 2004. [1] The song played on the ride is a modified version of "Burly Brawl", from the soundtrack of The Matrix Reloaded .[ citation needed ]

Contents

Technical details

Ride Type: Mondial Top-Scan
Height: 60 ft (18 m)
Length: Approximately 2 minutes (Setting Dependent)
Height Restrictions: 1.4 m(55 in.)
On-Ride Photo: No
G-Force: +4g / -3g
Status: Operating
Capacity: 30 seats per ride, 400 riders per hour

Samurai at Chessington

Samurai is a Top Scan ride from the Dutch company Mondial. The ride was originally installed at Chessington World Of Adventures in 1999 as part of the Mystic East section of the park, and replaced the original plan of installing a Huss Flic Flac on the site[ citation needed ]. The ride was the first of its kind in a UK amusement park, [2] though a travelling version, "Top Buzz" debuted on the UK fair circuit the previous year.[ citation needed ]

Samurai stayed at Chessington until the end of the 2003 season when it was closed, dismantled and moved to Thorpe Park. [3] Reasons for the ride's move are largely speculative. Most enthusiasts[ citation needed ] generally regard the decision to be part of Tussauds (the company which owned Thorpe Park and Chessington at the time) plans to change the target audience of both parks. Chessington was intended to become a more family orientated park and installations since the 2002 season have been in line with this policy. Similarly, Thorpe Park has moved towards attracting the 14-30 market and has installed thrill rides since this policy emerged. [3]

Keen-eyed guests can still spot a reminder of Samurai at Chessington when they ride the Tiger Rock log flume - a theming item depicting a samurai warrior gripping the head of his decapitated foe, emerging disconcertingly from the undergrowth.[ citation needed ]

Samurai at Thorpe Park

Samurai opened at Thorpe Park as the sole new ride for the 2004 season. It sits in the site which had been occupied by the Calgary Stampede ride. [1] Some confusion emerged with regards to the location of this ride in relation to Thorpe Park's themed "lands".[ citation needed ] Calgary Stampede was a Canada Creek ride, yet Samurai was painted and themed to match the Lost City rides, similar to Vortex. [4] This decision sparked discussion of a "three areas" system for Thorpe Park where the existing themed areas would be condensed into three larger themed areas, which would probably be the Lost City, Amity Cove and Calypso Quay areas of the park.[ citation needed ] Subsequent installations in Canada Creek seem to have dispelled this rumour.[ speculation? ] (As of 2016, Samurai has been listed as a ride in the Old Town area.[ citation needed ])

Samurai's arrival at Thorpe Park met with mixed reactions. The move had been long discussed on fan sites but few saw it as more than a fantasy. When the move was announced, many fans were disappointed to see Chessington lose one of its best (if not the best) rides. There was further controversy when it emerged that Samurai was to retain its name at Thorpe Park, despite not fitting the style and theme of the area.[ citation needed ] There have also been suggestions that since its move to Thorpe Park it has been run on less intense settings and the use of manual control has been all but abandoned, to the disappointment of enthusiasts. [4] Although during Fright Nights, the settings on Samurai were raised on some occasions, comparisons to other Top Scan rides around Europe, particularly on the travelling fair circuit, show that even at Chessington the ride was already running well below its maximum speed and intensity.[ citation needed ]

There were rumours that the Samurai was to be integrated into the Canada Creek area and re-themed for the opening of SAW: The Ride in 2009, [5] however, this did not occur. Instead, the blue fences around the ride (seen in the above photo) were painted red to fit in better with the roller coaster. As well as this, the ride received a queue extension so that it could cope with the increased number of visitors in the area of the park.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

The Milky Way Adventure Park (Downland Farm) is an amusement park in North Devon. It was named as Devon's Large Attraction of the Year by Visit Devon in 2023/24 and as one of the UK's best amusement parks by Trip Advisor every year since 2015 in their Travellers Choice Awards. The Milky Way park has over 110,000 sq ft of indoor and outdoor activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alton Towers</span> British theme park

Alton Towers Resort is a theme park and resort complex in Staffordshire, England, near the village of Alton. The park is operated by Merlin Entertainments Group and incorporates a theme park, water park, mini golf and hotel complex. In 2021, it ranked first for attendance among amusement parks in the UK, with an estimated 1.8 million visitors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thorpe Park</span> Resort Theme Park

Thorpe Park, formerly also known as Thorpe Park Resort, is a theme park located in the village of Thorpe between the towns of Chertsey and Staines-upon-Thames in Surrey, England, 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Central London. It is operated by Merlin Entertainments and includes rides, themed cabins, live events and Hyperia, the United Kingdom's tallest and fastest rollercoaster. In 2019, Thorpe Park was the UK's third most visited theme park, behind Alton Towers and Legoland Windsor. However, in 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the park only had a 125-day operation season, along with limited capacity, leading to massively reduced visitor numbers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lagoon (amusement park)</span> Amusement park in Farmington, Utah, U.S.

Lagoon is a family owned amusement park in Farmington, Utah, located about 18 miles north of Salt Lake City. Lagoon is divided into five main areas: The Midway, containing the majority of the rides; Pioneer Village, which has several exhibits displaying pioneer buildings and artifacts; Lagoon-A-Beach, a water park; Kiddie Land, an area with several rides for small children; and X-Venture Zone, featuring more extreme rides that are upcharge. Lagoon also offers an RV park, a campground, and a walking trail outside the park that stays open all year. Every autumn, the park offers Halloween-themed shows and attractions, collectively known as Frightmares.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chessington World of Adventures</span> Theme park in England

Chessington World of Adventures Resort is a 128 acres theme park, zoo and hotel complex in Chessington, Greater London, England, around 12 miles (19 km) southwest of Central London. The complex originally opened as Chessington Zoo in 1931; the theme park aspect was developed by The Tussauds Group, debuting on 7 July 1987 as one of the first combined animal-amusement parks in the UK. The theme park, which features over 40 rides, is now owned by Merlin Entertainments, following its merger with The Tussauds Group in 2007. Under Merlin, Chessington has been increasingly developed into a resort and tourist destination, including two on-site hotels, swimming pools, a campground, spa and fitness facilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lightwater Valley</span> Amusement park in North Yorkshire, England

Lightwater Valley Family Adventure Park is an adventure park in North Stainley, North Yorkshire, England. The park was once home to Europe's longest roller coaster, The Ultimate.

John Richard Wardley is a British developer for theme parks in the UK and Europe: an innovator of special effects, dark rides and roller coasters in the themed attraction industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The American Adventure Theme Park</span> Former theme park in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, England

The American Adventure was a theme park in Derbyshire, England, quite close to both Nottingham and Derby on the edge of Heanor. The park for many years had a number of large white-knuckle attractions, but in 2005 was rethemed as a 'family' park aimed at the under-14 market. In January 2007, the owners announced that it would not reopen for the new season, and the rides would be sold off.

<i>Dragons Fury</i> (roller coaster) Amusement park ride

Dragon's Fury is a steel spinning roller coaster located at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in southwest London, England. Manufactured by Maurer AG, the ride opened on 27 March 2004 and features individual four-person cars that spin independently on a horizontal axis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vampire (roller coaster)</span> British roller coaster at Chessington World of Adventures

Vampire is an Arrow suspended swinging roller coaster at Chessington World of Adventures theme park in London, England. It opened in 1990 in the new Transylvania area and is the only Arrow Dynamics suspended roller coaster still operating outside of North America.

<i>Rattlesnake</i> (roller coaster) Steel wild mouse ride

Rattlesnake is a steel wild mouse style roller coaster ride which opened in 1998 at the Chessington World of Adventures Resort in southwest London, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fantasy Island (UK amusement park)</span> A Resort Theme Park on the East Coast of Lincolnshire.

Fantasy Island is a Resort Theme Park located in Ingoldmells on the East Coast of Lincolnshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Logger's Leap</span> Closed Log Flume water ride

Logger's Leap was a log flume ride at Thorpe Park, UK. It was the tallest log flume in the UK. The ride closed in 2015.

<i>Tomb Blaster</i> Dark ride

Tomb Blaster is a dark ride that opened in 2002 at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in London. Riders travel in trains through a series of crypts, shooting laser guns at targets for high scores.

<i>Rameses Revenge</i>

Rameses Revenge was a Top Spin ride at Chessington World of Adventures Resort theme park in southwest London, England, introduced in 1995. It was the world's first top spin ride to feature a drown-upside-down element.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiger Rock</span> Flume ride

Tiger Rock is a flume ride at the theme park Chessington World of Adventures in Chessington, southwest London, England. The ride was manufactured by Mack Rides, based on a concept designed by John Wardley, and opened in 1987. It is located in the Land of the Tiger area of the park that was formerly known as Mystic East. The ride was originally extensively themed, although the majority of its scenic design was later removed due to lack of maintenance and durability over time. A contest was held in 2014 that focused on possible new themes for the ride. In September 2017, the ride closed for refurbishment and reemerged on 5 May 2018 as Tiger Rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saw – The Ride</span> Steel Euro Fighter roller coaster

Saw – The Ride is a steel roller coaster located at Thorpe Park in Surrey, England. Manufactured by Gerstlauer, the Euro-Fighter model opened to the public on 14 March 2009 as the steepest freefall roller coaster in the world, with a drop angle of 100 degrees. It is themed to the Saw franchise, featuring an enclosed dark section and queue theming which makes numerous references to the film series as well as actual props used in the films and other Saw related media.

<i>Flying Jumbos</i> Red Baron ride in London, England

Elmer's Flying Jumbos is a Red Baron ride operating at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in London. Originally in the area of Toytown, it later moved to the Zufari area and then finally Adventure Point. In the spring of 2020, it was renamed Elmer's Flying Jumbos. As of May 2023, the Chessington ride continues to operate after a long 36 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scorpion Express</span> Mine train themed roller coaster

Scorpion Express was a mine train themed powered roller coaster at Chessington World of Adventures in Greater London, England. It opened with the theme park in 1987 as the Runaway Train. The original ride was closed in 2012 for refurbishment and reopened on 14 March 2014, with the same track layout but new name and theming. Scorpion Express is set in a small mining village, featuring an animated metalwork scorpion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandrill Mayhem</span> British roller coaster at Chessington World of Adventures

Mandrill Mayhem is a launched, steel shuttle wing coaster located at Chessington World of Adventures in Chessington, United Kingdom. The ride was designed by Swiss rollercoaster manufacturers Bolliger & Mabillard, and is located in the World of Jumanji section of the park, themed to the Jumanji film and book franchise. A consultation for the ride took place in May 2021, and the coaster opened two years later on the 15th May 2023. The last row faces backwards.

References

  1. 1 2 "Samurai, Thorpe Park". Theme Park James. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  2. "Samurai, Chessington World of Adventures". Theme Park James. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Samurai @ Chessington World of Adventures - Attraction Source - Theme parks and attractions from another point of view!". Attraction Source. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  4. 1 2 Sheen, Marcus (11 July 2004). "Samurai, Thorpe Park". Coaster Kingdom. Archived from the original on 24 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  5. "Info". Project Dylan by Thorpe Park Mania. Archived from the original on 18 October 2008. Retrieved 16 October 2008.