The Walking Dead: The Ride

See X2 (roller coaster) for the steel roller coaster formerly known as X operating at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, USA.

The Walking Dead: The Ride
X entrance from 1996 until 2012.
Previously known as X:\ No Way Out (1996–2012) and X (2013-2017)
Thorpe Park
Park section	The Dock Yard
Coordinates	51°24′13″N 0°30′48″W / 51.4036°N 0.5132°W / 51.4036; -0.5132Coordinates: 51°24′13″N 0°30′48″W / 51.4036°N 0.5132°W / 51.4036; -0.5132
Status	Operating
Opening date	March 23, 1996 (1996-03-23) (As X:/ No Way Out) March 31, 2018 (2018-03-31) (As The Walking Dead: The Ride)
General statistics
Type	Steel
Manufacturer	Vekoma
Designer	Vekoma
Model	Enigma
Track layout	Modified Enigma
Lift/launch system	Drive tire lift hill
Height	41.7 ft (12.7 m)
Drop	32 ft (9.8 m)
Length	1,312.3 ft (400.0 m)
Speed	27.7 mph (44.6 km/h)
Inversions	0
Duration	2:00
Capacity	700 riders per hour
G-force	2.4
Height restriction	140 cm (4 ft 7 in)
Minimum age to ride	13
Restraints	Individual lap bar
Fastrack Available
Ride access pass Accepted
The Walking Dead: The Ride at RCDB Pictures of The Walking Dead: The Ride at RCDB

The Walking Dead: The Ride (formerly known as X:\ No Way Out and X) is an indoor roller coaster located at Thorpe Park, England. It was the park's first non-powered roller-coaster. It was themed around a rave and had the strapline "Ride on a wave of light and sound" — when it was titled X — but currently The Walking Dead: The Ride’s slogan is “Those who ride, survive”.^[1]

The X roller coaster combined a variety of lights, lasers and music with a completely indoor ride circuit, featured inside a large blue and terracotta pyramid structure.

On 1 December 2017 plans to drastically change the entrance of the attraction were filed. The name “X:\ NWO WD” written on the documents sparked rumours of a The Walking Dead re-theme.^[2]

On 20 February 2018, it was announced that the ride was to become The Walking Dead: The Ride. On 27 March 2018, Thorpe Park announced that the ride would open on 31 March 2018.

History

The ride opened as X:\ No Way Out on March 23, 1996 as Thorpe Park's first non-powered roller coaster. It was marketed as the "world's first backwards roller coaster in the dark" and featured an elaborate queue system through multiple interactive themed rooms, such as a trommel tunnel, "decontamination" area and illusionary rooms. The ride's cyberpunk theme was drastically toned down by the mid 2000s when most the interior rooms became disused, and many in-ride effects removed. In March 2013 the ride underwent further significant changes, which removed the remnants of the computer horror theme and shortened its name simply to 'X'. The trains were refurbished by Vekoma to now run forwards, to resolve the common issue of motion sickness. The addition of lighting and lasers from 2013 onwards removes the pitch black darkness that riders originally rode in.^[3] In the exit queue line, there was a 5 ft-long model of an Eveready AA battery labelled 'Thorpe Park Power Supply';^[4] this was removed in 2013.

The ride layout has also had many features removed since its opening. There was an on-ride photo camera which allowed riders to purchase their on-ride photo; this was removed in 2005. The lift hill of the ride had multi-coloured flashing LED light strips added in 2000; these were removed in 2013.^[3]

Ride experience

When the ride was X, riders entered the queue line inside the pyramid and proceeded down a long and narrow corridor with neon lights and lasers in the ceiling. Dance music played throughout the corridor. After turning a few corners, riders were asked to secure any loose belongings in a baggage area before proceeding into a large room with a segment of switchback queue line, which was put into operation on busier days. After queuing in this room, riders entered the station. After riders were seated and secured, the train exited the station into a tight right hand turn that leads up onto the lift hill. It was mandatory for both seats in a row to be occupied and single riders are not allowed.

After reaching the top of the hill, the train plummeted down at speeds of up to 28 mph into various helixes and tight turns. While the ride negotiated its circuit, there were bright multi-coloured disco lights and laser effects combined with a dance version of the park's 'Island Theme', composed by IMAscore. Once the ride reached the end of the circuit the train arrived at an exit platform where riders disembarked, before collecting their belongings and heading outside.

As 'The Walking Dead: The Ride', riders use the bag drop at the end of the queue line, and are then led into a small room where a man begins asking them three questions, as a voice from a speaker answers them. An emergency alert is issued, cutting the questioning short and alerting everyone to a zombie breach, and he instructs the riders to make their way to the loading zone, which the riders reach after walking through narrow corridors covered with red flashing lights and "blood" smeared on the walls. Riders then emerge in the loading room with loud music and the occasional air horn going off. Riders get on the ride and are taken up on the tire drive lift to the main ride. after a few twists and turns, the ride comes to a stop and the man from the video at the beginning tries to start the ride up again, eventually it gets going again. after some more twists and turns, the ride goes to the end and riders are instructed to get off the ride and go through the famous "don't open dead inside" doors. in this room actors then start to get up and scare the crowd of people and chase them briefly down the corridor to the end.

References

External links

• X at Total Thorpe Park
• X:\No Way Out at ThemeParks-UK