Yes, I know a little bit late to the party in sharing my thoughts on this coaster. But better late than never, right?
Off-Ride Impressions:
When I first laid eyes on this coaster I’ll be honest with the fact I was quite confident it would be a relatively standard family rollercoaster experience on-ride. It looks tame and slow but complicated in the ride layout with what the train does. By that I mean it’s very evident it had a unique riding experience even if it doesn’t have the quickest.
It’s worth pointing out that there is a tester seat outside the entrance for those who like to use them.
Queue Line:
There’s unfortunately no queue boards still (I believe there is somewhere in the park but not particularly outside the rides). This makes joining the queue quite alienating and raises the question of how long you end up waiting. As for the queue line, it’s fun. I love I mean LOVE the nods to Apocalypse. It’s nice to keep that ride’s legacy remaining even if it is a headstone in memory of. But still, as a little geek I love touches like this. Again, the theming is great it is similar to Paultons Park and quite honestly you can’t moan with that. Unfortunately, there’s so much graffiti that’s happened across the wooden fencing in the queue line and this is something which always irritates me with the lack of respect people have. The queue line is quite lengthy but I’ll talk more about that below in the throughput section. However, the theming throughout is radiant. I think this ride would benefit from a single rider queue given the amount of empty seats though.
Theming:
I adore the theming of this entire area. The moment you step beyond the Frontier Falls sign it’s like a shift into another universe. The buildings are all themed and the Gold Rush itself is well themed. From the plaza to the exit shop the theming doesn’t stop. It keeps offering and adding to that storyline. All the safety videos on the screens are themed. It’s tremendous.
Throughputs:
This is where my opinion starts to vary. The throughputs aren’t great at all. We queued for around 30 minutes the queue felt as if it was barely moving there were plausible gaps between dispatches. I believe it’s usually a two-train operation on this coaster so hopefully that’s something we’ll see return soon.
The Carriages & Restraints:
The cute little mine train-like carriages are quite comfortable actually. The restraints aren’t too restrictive at all they are pretty much standard lap bars.
The Ride Itself:
I honestly love this coaster. It’s quirky, unique and a whole lot of fun. The fact that after 2pm the whole cycle changes is tremendous. We’ve only done the AM version and that was fun. The uncertainty of what’s going to happen keeps your excitement high but the twist turns, launches, airtime hills it all has created one very very outstanding rollercoaster. Intamin & Drayton Manor have smashed it out of the park. It’s a ride experience which can immerse such a mixture of age ranges and preferences it’s impossible not to enjoy it.
Overall Thoughts:
I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily the absolute best family rollercoaster in the UK my heart stays with Thirteen on that but it comes near. It’s such an unusual ride which you can’t find elsewhere in the UK. The unique element of how ride experiences differ from the morning to the afternoon is truly a genius idea. That element alone is fab. I adore the entire package it delivers with theming, storytelling and the ride experience itself. We had a lot of fun riding and can’t wait to experience the PM version on our next visit. Overall, it’s the perfect rollercoaster for Drayton Manor that incorporates the whole family if they are tall enough. It’s fun, different and something the UK doesn’t have to offer elsewhere. Hats off to the team for putting together this coaster and if you haven’t already please go and experience it for yourself!
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Thank you for reading…