The UK rollercoasters are quite underrated when it comes down to their first drops. I feel it’s something not many of us really talk about. So, here are my 5 top first drops on some UK rollercoasters.
5 – Thirteen – Alton Towers:
I feel Thirteen gets so easily disregarded because of its initial reaction to the mistaken “thrill” marketing that happened. But this is a solid rollercoaster with one of the best first drops in the UK. It’s steep and filled with airtime. I guess it’s amusing given off-ride it looks like nothing too thrilling but on-ride it’s truly stomach-wrenching. It’s beautiful nonetheless.
4 – Odyssey – Fantasy Island
The insane height of this helps make the drop a lot more fierce. There’s so much of this rollercoaster which unnerves me the fact you’re dangling under the track and so high up into that initial drop plunging towards the market stalls is quite something. It’s an unusual location to have a coaster and I guess the fact there are people and stalls underneath you definitely counts to the fun of the drop.
3 – Mumbo Jumbo – Flamingo Land
The restraints, the exceptional layout of this coaster and the fact the drop is so sharp it’s truly ominous. I’ve never quite experienced anything quite like this before if I’m honest. The feeling of heading down that drop is really quite something. It reminds me a little of the sensation I get when riding Revolution.
2 – The Swarm – Thorpe Park:
An inversion on a first drop? Each seat & on either side of the train offers a different perspective on this experience too. If your at the front you tend to hang a little longer as your waiting for the back of the train to catch up whereas if your at the back your thrown into the inversion. It’s so thrilling to say the very least. I love how distinctive it is & the fact you’re straight into an inversion is exciting too.
1 – The Big One – Blackpool Pleasure Beach
A true traditional coaster with a different drop to the original admittedly but this is the best drop in the UK for sure. You climb the lift hill so slowly that it just builds up an intense feeling inside regardless of the fact you’re riding the UK’s current* tallest rollercoaster. Before you know you’re been flung to the right although it feels like you’re about to plummet into the sea as you can’t quite see the track regardless of where you sat and down what feels like a never-ending drop. Again the location, roughness of the initial jolt to the right and height all create this perfectly laid-out first drop for sure. It’s terrifying it doesn’t matter how use you are to this coaster it’ll never fail to get your heart beating for sure.
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With the new rollercoasters opening next year I wonder if this list could perhaps change? What do you reckon?
Thanks for reading & I’d love to hear your top 5 too!
