The Walking Dead: The Ride is the world’s first roller coaster themed around the global TV phenomenon and Thorpe Park invited us along to the launch event on 29th March.

It is a complete transformation of the former roller coaster X with all new theming and effects throughout, including a pre-show, walkthrough and live actors. 

Here's our review of the new experience, with some spoilers!

The theming is heavily inspired by locations from the TV series including the Prison, Terminus and Alexandria Safe Zone. The outside of the attraction features a replica of the iconic guard tower within a compound surrounded by chain link fences and large corrugated metal gates.

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On arrival at the new Thorpe Park Safe Zone you enter a holding bay for registration, here a pre-show introduces the backstory to the experience and you are informed of an imminent invasion of walkers.

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From here you must navigate a series of highly themed passages through Zones 1 to 4 until you reach the transit system. Along the way there are a variety of sound and light effects all triggered to build tension and create drama.

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Upon boarding the train, with 5 rows of seats for 2 riders per row, you enter the lift shaft where the new on-ride effects begin.

The roller coaster has over 1,300 ft of track and it descends from almost 42 ft, reaching a top speed of just under 28 mph.

Although the track remains the same as the previous roller coaster X, a significant amount of new theming has been added including a sequence around half way through the ride on a mid course brake run.

We particularly enjoyed the use of projection, smoke and light effects in the second half of the ride. It's not an intense roller coaster, with no inversions, but combined with the new additions it's a lot of fun!

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After you exit the train and pass through the famous doors marked Don't Enter, Dead Inside you enter a canteen overtaken by walkers and must then escape from the building.

Further techniques commonly used in live action horror maze attractions are used and you encounter some staff that have become walkers!

The attraction also features several nods to the history of the park and the former ride, so regular visitors should look out for these.

Once you have finally returned to the outside world (assuming you do!) riders pass through The Megastore where on-ride photos and a selection of The Walking Dead merchandise is available.

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The Walking Dead: The Ride is now open!

The roller coaster is at the centre of The Year of The Walking Dead, an unmissable series of events at Thorpe Park in 2018:

• The Walking Dead: Living Nightmare Extreme – the live action horror maze at its most terrifying, available only for May Half Term (25th May – 3rd June)
• Apocalypse Weekends – select weekends in May and June
• Summer Lates – opening until 10pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 26th July – 1st September
• Zombie Hunt – an extreme battle for survival in woodland on the outskirts of Thorpe Park for the six weeks of summer (21st July – 3rd September)
• Fright Nights – returns to Thorpe Park with a The Walking Dead theme (5th October – 31st October)