Why you can be sure that Flamingo Land Resort's brand new ten inversion roller coaster 'Inversion' will absolutely obliterate Colossus in 2021!
Well, with 2020 turning out to be possibly the worst year on record for not only the theme park enthusiast community, but the entire world as a whole it’s safe to say that we can’t wait to see the back of this year enough and with that in mind it’s fair to say that when it comes to a fresh start here in the UK every roller coaster enthusiast and his dog are looking ever more forward to getting back to their favourite UK theme parks when the 2021 season begins next February.
With this in mind not only do we have our usual favourites to look forward to next season, however with 2020 delaying every one of the season’s brand new additions until 2021 this means that we can also look forward to experiencing a whole host of new rides and attractions next year too.
The only main ride which seems to be on everyone’s top spot for new additions to experience in 2021 however (alongside Tornado Springs and the UK’s first ever Mack Rides Spinning Coaster Storm Chaser) has to be Flamingo Land’s spectacular looking new addition – a roller coaster with the current working title (until confirmed of course) of Inversion.
It’s no secret that here at Theme Park Insanity we have been covering every possible inch of this new rides construction ever since the park broke ground back in early 2019, and with that in mind we thought there was no better time than the present to let you know in much more detail why you should be excited for this fantastic new ride too!
Now then, the one thing that has of course been a recurring theme when it comes to discussing the addition of ‘Inversion’ to the UK roller coaster line up is the fact that the layout of the ride itself is inevitably an almost direct (and we say almost as it’s actually still quite a way off being so) clone of Colossus at Thorpe Park, however one thing you can be absolutely certain of is this – Inversion will beat Colossus hands down when it comes to the overall ride experience itself without even so much as batting an eye lid!
When it comes to drawing comparison between the two, differences are aplenty an with this in mind let’s take a look at why this is so, and why when it comes to strapping yourself into this ride in 2021 you should be ready for a seriously thrilling experience.
The main difference of course which has already been confirmed when it comes to the most obvious is this! Where as Colossus operates with trains using over the shoulder restraints, Inversion on the other hand has lap bars!
This can therefore only mean one thing – you are going to feel so much more exposed overall when riding this epic new addition.
As you speed through the various different elements and traverse those absolutely iconic quadruple barrel rolls you are going to experience what will arguably become so of the most exquisite hangtime the UK has to offer to date, and this is due to the fact that you will literally be hanging out of your seat as you glide through each and every inversion (hence the working title) this ride has to offer.
The other most noticeable difference between colossus and Inversion of course is the first drop.
Where as Colossus has a turn around at the top of the drop and a gradual descent into the first inversion, Flamingo Land’s new coaster immediately plummets riders downwards immediately after rolling off the lift, banking as they do so meaning you will be hitting the vertical loop at a completely different speed to that of Colossus.
That therefore brings us onto the next major difference between the two rides – the overall pace of the ride.
Although Colossus picks up the pace fast and maintains it throughout very well, the Revision B model (inversion) is designed to pick up speed and maintain a constant right from the get go giving for a far more intense and thrilling experience overall.
This can be seen particularly well by the way that Altair at Cinecitta World in Italy (which is a direct clone of ‘Inversion’) rides and the sheer speed the coaster train maintains throughout all aspects of the ride.
The overall heights of the two rides differ quite considerably too with Inversion boasting a total height of 108.3 ft in total and Colossus a total height of just 98.4 ft overall.
Finally, the last and probably one of the most obvious differences between the two is the lift hill.
Where as Colossus utilises a conventional chain lift on the initial life of the ride, Inversion utilises a cable lift instead.
This therefore means that riders will virtually be thrust over the top of the lift hill as opposed to gently rolling off the lift effectively setting the precedent of things to come right from the start.
It’s very fair to say that with all previous points in mind the two rides are definitely going to offer completely contrasting ride experiences overall once Flamingo Land open their new ride next season and this means that out of the two ‘Inversion’ will more than likely hold the top spot as the best of the two in the years to come.
Ride Setting
One of the main things that seems to be apparent when considering these two UK additions has to be the overall settings and placement of the two.
Where as Thorpe Park made the decision to set Colossus back away from the main entrance to the resort in their ‘Lost City’ area, Flamingo Land Resort have instead taken the decision to make Inversion the main focal point when entering the park overall.
In our opinion the placement of Inversion really helps to set the precedent of what visitors can expect from their visit to Flamingo Land once through the gates of the park, and that’s pure unadulterated fun and thrills.
Colossus however gives for a completely different first impression overall and this is due the way that Merlin and indeed Thorpe Park have chosen to theme the ride.
Colossus is all about the outward appearence of being one of many long lost relics of an ancient civilisation (possibly Mayan? We’re not 100% certain to be honest haha) and where as this seems to work perfectly for Thorpe, placing Inversion in a similar setting with the same level of landscaping and foliage just simply wouldn’t have worked.
When you consider the fact that Flamingo Land have outwardly presented their new ride as a headline attraction they will therefore undoubtedly want every guest to see the full extent of what Inversion has to offer those brave enough to ride.
This is particularly well present by how the site at present seems to be sparse of any themeing elements or indeed landscaping overall, and although we know that the park have yet to complete construction it’s fair to say that this is probably one element to ride’s appearence the resort will most likely want to maintain.
This therefore takes us particularly well onto our next discussion point;
Theme and Appearence
To us a rides theme and indeed use of themeing within it’s layout is everything, and with that being said this is something that in our opinion Colossus at Thorpe Park achieves very well, however one of the most blatantly obvious factors when it comes to Flamingo Land’s newest additions is this – the ride’s theme and indeed confirmed name have yet to be officially confirmed by the park.
It’s no secret that the most speculated theme Inversion has been said to be utilising is a pirate theme, and this is most likely due to the position of the ride being as it’s directly next to the park’s entrance and the Pirates of Zanzibar stage show.
This could however be further supported by the fact Flamingo Land have installed a small pond within the final turn around of the ride and not only that, a large pressurised water tank (identical to those used for large scale water features) was also seen temporarily next to the ride area earlier this year by eagle eyed onlookers.
As mentioned previously no official name or indeed theme has yet been confirmed by the park themselves for their new ride, however when considering all of the above as well as a black and silver/grey colour scheme and a largely sand covered ride area all of this does indeed hint towards the strong possibility that the rumours could actually hold some truth.
If this was to be the case then ‘Inversion’ (most likely to be called by another name if true) would actually be the only pirate themed roller coaster located within the UK to date and for this reason the ride would hold a further unique factor which as we all know is something Flamingo Land seem to strive for when introducing new and exciting attractions into their line up.
If this was to be the case and Flamingo Land did indeed confirm these rumours in early 2021 (as we are expecting to see) then there is no doubt that the two experiences presented between Colossus and ‘Inversion’ really would be on contrasting ends of the scale.
The one thing that Colossus does have going for it with it’s theme is the sheer amount of head choppers and near missis achieved by the utilisation of the surrounding landscape, however in our opinion this isn’t always essential to creating a thrilling experience.
One other factor to consider here as well is the ride’s queue line and exit.
When it come to Colossus it’s no secret that most of your queue time is spent looking up at trees, walls and walking through tunnels meaning that views of the ride itself are fleeting and brief, however when you consider the queue line and views Inversion will present it’s no secret that most riders will be passing a brick before even getting on and this is due to the constant barrage of onlooking opportunities the ride will gift it’s riders.
This in our opinion only helps to further build suspense and again this is something Flamingo Land are very well known for.
You only have to look at the queue lines for the likes of Kumali and Mumbo Jumbo to know this is the case.
So why all the hype?!
At this point in the article it’s probably clear why we are so excited for this brand new ride, however just in case you aren’t quite feeling the love for it yet here’s why we feel ‘Inversion’ will be worth all the hype it has received when it finally opens to the public next season!
Inversion not only offers a far more thrilling, fast paced and energetic ride experience overall, however it will also give for some truly fantastic views of the surrounding area too.
Now we know what you’re saying, “so does Colossus”, however the one thing to take into account here when it comes to Flamingo Land is this – you are in the heart of Yorkshire right next to a zoo and within reaching distance of the North Yorkshire Moors!
Not only that, however with the added bonus of lap bars as opposed to the OTSRs on Colossus Inversion will very likely feel much smoother, exposed and intense overall.
As a rider your reach of movement will be identical to that on ICON at Blackpool Pleasure Beach and this means that no matter your size, height of build a ride on Inversion will always be a comfortable and pleasant experience.
This alone for us makes Flamingo Land’s addition far superior to Colossus, however the main thing that may have also slipped your mind is this.
Where as Thorpe installed Colossus and have barely put into the park since 2012 with The Swarm, Flamingo Land have n our opinion installed Inversion as a benchmark for the resort and it’s future ride related investment.
It’s no secret that should this new ride prove as much of a success as we anticipate it will be, the only way for North Yorkshire’s premier theme park resort and zoo is up!!
Inversion will very likely bring more new guests willing to experience this new ride into the park than the resort have experienced in recent times and this means an added financial boost.
This therefore means that the new ride should in theory secure the park’s future and give Flamingo Land the chance to secure the funds for not only a recovery from the current pandemic, however the chance to put aside in light of other possible planned future investments.
Overall, with everything from the sheer level of comfort Inversion will gift it’s riders to the ride’s open setting and the level intensity the ride will hold we therefore feel we can safely say that ‘Inversion’ will undoubtedly be hailed in the years to come as Colossus’ much bigger and better UK cousin meaning that this exciting new addition will be far more re-rideable than Colossus will ever be.
For all of the reasons stated we truly can’t wait to get on ‘Inversion’ when it finally opens in 2021, and we would definitely recommend doing the same and if you have yet to visit Flamingo Land then 2021 is undoubtedly the perfect year for a first ever visit!
