Vampire (roller coaster)
Vampire is a suspended roller coaster at Chessington World of Adventures theme park in London, England. It opened in 1990 in the new Transylvania area and is the only Arrow Dynamics suspended roller coaster still operating outside of North America.
The roller coaster features trains that hang beneath the track, swinging freely as they navigate the course. The roller coaster includes two lift hills and is characterised by numerous dives and turns. The majority of the ride occurs through a densely wooded forest environment. The ride layout was drafted by John Wardley and the theme designed by British firm Sparks Creative Services.
In 2001, The Vampire underwent modifications to accommodate new trains manufactured by Vekoma. The updated coaster reopened to the public in 2002.
History
Theme
The ride has a Gothic theme and was originally very detailed, with a queue-line through castle gates, a fog-filled underpass beneath the coaster track, a graveyard canopy with tombs and themed passageway into the station. The station was dressed as a castle ballroom with flaming chandeliers, Gothic murals and an animatronic organist playing a large pipe organ.The original theme music in the station was composed and produced by Graham Smart in the style of an organ overture with a Gothic rock sound, alluding to Phantom of the Opera.
Much of the theming in the queue line and ride station has gradually been reduced over time. For the ride's 30th anniversary, some of the queue line and station theming was altered and the music replaced with a new track.
The original Arrow Dynamics trains were themed as bats.
Towards the end of the ride, the coaster takes a sudden drop into a tunnel, which was originally longer, darker and the entrance partially themed as a cave, however it was altered to accommodate the larger, floorless trains from 2002.
Floorless refurbishment
As Vampire started to show its age, it suffered from a number of breakdowns and maintenance problems. The manufacturer, Arrow Dynamics, had gone bankrupt since the ride had been built, meaning little could be done to rectify these issues. The Vampire was closed for the 2001 season, and at the time this was thought to be permanent.However, instead of removal, the decision was taken to modify the ride so that it could use a new type of suspended coaster train. The track was to remain unchanged because modifying this would require planning permission, which was unlikely to be granted. Since the ride consisted of the suspended swinging model, with tight corners, any new trains would also have to be able to swing. This led to the development of swinging suspended floorless coaster trains, manufactured by Vekoma, which are still in use today. The modified ride opened in 2002.
Ride experience
Guests begin by entering the queue, which is adorned with numerous gothic-themed elements. The ride's station is designed to resemble a gothic ballroom, where riders board the vehicles.Upon dispatch, the train begins its ascent up the first of two chain lift hills. Once reaching the peak, the train disengages from the chain, and gravity takes over as it navigates a series of helixes and turns through a dense forest.
After losing momentum, the train ascends a second lift hill. It then continues through more banked turns and twists, soaring through the forest canopy. The coaster reaches its most intense moment as the train dives toward the ground, passes through a tunnel, and executes a sharp right turn to exit the tunnel.
The train then makes its way back to the station, featuring low-to-the-ground twists, before finally entering the brake run and returning to the station.