A month since opening I’ve finally managed to sneak a little ride on. It was entirely worth the wait.
Reliability:
We entered the park and arrived within 20 minutes of the official opening. It had been testing the whole time we were in the area but sadly didn’t open until much later. When I checked more or less it was afternoon before opening. Once it did open it did stay open too. So, take that as you will regarding reliability. Perhaps it took longer in the morning to sign off or there were technical issues.
Theming / Storytelling:
I love how much the Nemesis and Phalanx story has kept going throughout the years the add-ons make the area feel more exclusively based around this theme. Toxicator theming is something at first glimpse feels should be next to The Smiler. However, the more you understand and know of the story the fit feels more realistic. The attention to detail and little nods to the past is always something wholesome. It has made Forbidden Valley feel almost complete as an area with the need for change at Galactica and the space where Blade sat to be replenished. But I enjoy the Toxicator theming I just love the continuation of storytelling more specifically. I don’t think the colour scheme will ever truly grow on me but I get to why it’s the colour it is.
Queue-Line / Single Ride:
During our visit, the queues were kept down to a minimum of 15 minutes. Of course, I used the single rider queue and it took 12 minutes exactly to join. So, take with that as you will. As I used the single rider there wasn’t much to see regarding queue line theming. I did notice when dealing with the queues it felt like a lot of faffing was happening and the holding section on the platform is a very tight space.
Ride Restraints:
With my little mum’s body nowadays I was anxious about fitting. However, it was more than comfortable. Not too tight and thankfully not too loose. As with all rides, I do think test seats should be a thing to help those with this uneasiness. Overall, the restraints are much more comfortable than they look. They do feel bulky but I guess they kind of need to be given the positions you get held in.
Ride Experience:
What a ride! I went on with low expectations in all honesty and not expecting much regarding forces. But sitting facing the former Blade sight I was pleasantly amazed by the feelings I felt. It was fierce but not to the point where it was uncomfortable or unbearable. The holding upside down before releasing into the spin was quite the moment. As someone short, I felt my body sliding into the shoulder harness and then quite honestly felt like a rag doll. There’s a bizarre squeaking sound coming from it but that doesn’t take anything away from the ride experience just more annoying off-ride. It’s slick, much more comfortable than the older ones and has a plausible length on the cycle too. The height feels higher than it presumably is and that alone just adds to the feeling of the experience. Visited on a cooler day which of course meant the fountains weren’t in action of wetting you. But the leaning into the fountains never gets old. All in all the ride experience incorporated with the comfort and theming is better than the older models.
How Does It Compare To Ripsaw?
From what I can recall of Ripsaw it felt a lot more intense than Toxicator does. Comparing it to Ramess Revenge who once lived at Chessington as well both of the older versions were VERY intense. However, this version simply having back-to-back seating makes it more fearsome. I prefer this version compared to the previous ones purely cause it’s not too intense it’s not comfortable.
Overall:
There’s no denying this is a brilliant addition to the line-up. It shows that the space of flat rides often fills beautifully. It’s given life to the area again and subtly took the acknowledgement away from the loss of Blade.
Have you ride Toxicator yet?
