Motion sickness at Thorpe Park: what's rough and how to cope

Chertsey, Surrey, United Kingdom · Merlin Entertainments · ~1.62M visitors (2023, industry estimate)

Yes, and the park's structure makes it harder than the rides alone suggest. Thorpe Park is the UK's most thrill-dense park: Hyperia is the country's tallest coaster, Stealth launches from 0 to 80 mph in about 1.9 seconds, SAW - The Ride drops beyond vertical at 4.7G, Colossus turns you over ten times and finishes with a quadruple heartline roll, Nemesis Inferno inverts you with your legs dangling, and Samurai pitches and flips its seat pods at up to 5G. What it does not have is a middle. The gentle rides here are aimed squarely at small children, so there is very little to build up on if you are unsure of your tolerance. You are choosing between extreme and tiny, which is a real planning problem rather than a complaint about the park.

The rides most likely to set you off

• Colossus: ten inversions finishing with a quadruple heartline roll, one of the most disorienting endings anywhere.

• Samurai: top scan flat ride whose arms pitch and flip the seat pods at up to 5G.

• Hyperia: the UK's tallest coaster at 236 ft, with outer-banked airtime hills.

• SAW - The Ride: beyond-vertical 100 degree drop pulling up to 4.7G.

• Stealth: hydraulic launch from 0 to 80 mph in about 1.9 seconds.

• Nemesis Inferno: inverted coaster taken with your legs dangling through multiple inversions.

Colossus is the hardest ride here for a stomach rather than for nerves. Ten inversions is punishing on its own, but the quadruple heartline roll at the end is the part that does the damage: four consecutive rolls around the length of your body, taken when your inner ear has already been working overtime for a full lap. Plenty of riders handle the first two thirds comfortably and remember only the finale.

Where to reset between rides

When your stomach needs a break, head for Flying Fish (19 mph starter coaster), Mr Monkey's Banana Ride (small swinging ship) or High Striker (small kids tower). Slow visuals, a fixed horizon and a seat that is not spinning give your inner ear time to settle before the next big ride.

Feeling queasy at Thorpe Park right now?

Stop the nausea

Open Dizzout, plug in any headphones, tap play. Drug-free sound therapy, and most people feel better in about 90 seconds. No pills, no drowsiness, no waiting for a tablet to kick in.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

On a computer? Dizzout installs on your phone. Scan the code, or open dizzout.com/get on your phone and it'll take you straight to the right store.

Your survival plan for Thorpe Park

1. 1

   Accept that there is no middle gear and plan for it. Pick two big coasters for the day rather than assuming you will work your way up to them.

2. 2

   Ride Colossus early or skip it. The heartline rolls at the end are the day's biggest disorientation, and they are far worse on a full stomach.

3. 3

   Treat Samurai as separate from the coasters. Flat rides that pitch and flip catch people who are fine with speed and inversions.

4. 4

   Take Stealth if you want the smallest time commitment. The launch is over in seconds and the ride is short, which makes it easier to recover from than a long inverting layout.

5. 5

   Space Nemesis Inferno and SAW - The Ride apart. Both keep sustained force on you, and back to back they compound.

6. 6

   The park sits on islands with a lot of walking and water. Keep headphones on you and run a Dizzout session at the first wobble: drug-free, and most people feel better in about 90 seconds.

Going with kids

This is the weakest park on the list for young children and for anyone who wants a middle gear. The gentle rides are aimed at small kids, so a nervous adult has little to graduate onto between them and the big coasters.

Common questions