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Ripon, Yorkshire, England, UK
Raptor Attack is a Schwarzkopf enclosed roller coaster located at Lightwater Valley in Ripon, Yorkshire, England, UK. Opened in 1987, it was the first roller coaster at the park, and paved the way for the record-breaking Ultimate. The ride is a standard Schwarzkopf Wildcat model.
History[]
When the ride opened, it was named Rat Ride and themed around sewer rats.[2] The entry and exit corridors accurately replicated a real sewer and the ride vehicles were shaped as giant rats (unlike the usual muscle-car theme on Wildcat models).
Rat Ride closed in October 2009 at the end of the season. It reopened on 3 April 2010 with a new name and theme. The ride is now called Raptor Attack. Along with the new theme, the braking system was also updated, allowing for a better capacity.
Design[]
The ride is contained within a warehouse-type building which is hidden by trees and embankments. This gives the illusion that the ride is actually underground. The ride takes place in complete darkness making it impossible to predict the upcoming direction of travel, thus adding making it more thrilling.
Trains[]
Ride Experience[]
The ride's entrance
The ride is themed on an old abandoned mine shaft and riders queue at the entry point of this shaft. In the queue, giant newspaper clips are printed on the walls, which talk about the mine. Guests are sent in in groups of eight. The entrance is very small, meaning guests must get on to their knees to get in. After this, riders walk through a series of tunnels and descend down a spiraling staircase between which water is falling from overhead.
An abandoned office features blood-spattered equipment including a monitor which shows footage of a distressed miner. This footage originally had sound, with the miner calling out a warning that there is something moving down there and not to send anyone else down the mine. However the sound was removed partway through the season, as younger children thought that the footage was real and were becoming distressed.
Guests then reach the station and are seated in a four-seater mine-cart. Ride operators are dressed in themed miner clothing with hard hats and fluorescent jackets.
The train leaves the station into an area of total darkness and ascends a chain-driven climb. A series of drops follows interlinked between sudden appearances of animatronic velociraptors and sound effects designed to startle the riders. The roller coaster system and layout remains the same as the original 'Rat Ride' but the appearances of the dinosaurs and the rides revamped theming add refreshing new elements to the ride.
When the car returns to the station and riders disembark, they pass a steel door from behind which something begins to suddenly bang very loudly. This is another feature designed to startle departing riders and is activated via motion sensor.
Riders then continue on through the tunnels, passing a hydraulic piston in a pool of water and human bones. The piston suddenly discharges a blast of air from beneath the water, creating a loud noise and splash designed to startle the exiting riders. A staircase is then ascended, another tunnel passed during which sound effects of dinosaur roars and groans play and the surface is reached.
In the immediate area outside the ride exit is the raptor paintball range and riders leave via a merchandise shop which also sells on-ride photographs.
See also[]
References[]
| Lightwater Valley Roller Coasters | |
| Operating | Caterpillar • Ladybird • Raptor Attack • Twister • Ultimate |
| Former | Batflyer • Grizzly Bear • Soopa Loopa • Viper |