Detonator: n. Device used to initiate the reaction of a disrupting explosive.
In Short
Detonator is an extreme drop tower with quite a punch, putting riders through 5.5G.
Fact File
Opened
2001
Manufacturer
Fabbri
Ride Type
Megadrop
Official Rating
Extreme Thrills
On Ride Photo
Yes
Fastrack
No
Height Restriction
Min 1.3m
Chest Restriction
Max 52in
Max Height
115ft (35m)
Max Speed
46mph (74km/h)
Throughput
400 people/hour
Max G Force
5.5
Photos
Video
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Ride Music
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TTP Review
Detonator is a 115ft high Fabbri Megadrop, and is easily one of the most intense rides in the park. Riders sit in one of 12 seats in a circle around the tower, and are slowly winched up until they reach the top. At this stage, guests are either feeling scared or admiring the view, when a countdown interrupts the silence:
Then comes the sharp drop of 100ft; falling faster than gravity, riders noticeably feel themselves lifting off their seat. Arguably, there is no ride in Thorpe Park where guests value their restraints more than on Detonator! At the bottom of the drop, where the breaks kick in, up to 5.5 Gs are pulled, so everyone comes off the ride with the adrenaline really pumping.
Detonator is a superb tower ride. The stomach-in-your-mouth feeling one gets from this ride is rarely matched. There are bigger and more imposing tower rides out there, but not many really come close to the thrill of this one. It's fairly well themed, with cannons dotted around the outside of the ride, and the ride music is exciting - a suspense-building soundtrack prepares you for your adrenaline-filled experience. If there's one gripe with the ride then it's the low throughput - there are only 12 seats, and queues build up quickly. Unfortunately, the ride is short too. Few tower rides can escape these limitations though, so compared like-for-like, Detonator fares very well indeed.
It's intimidating, it's intense, and it's guaranteed to leave riders with their heart pumping. Very few rides in the Park can match this one for thrills, and so earns 4.5 stars from us. Make it a priority.
Positives:
One of the most intense drop towers in a Theme Park today; utterly thrilling.
Offers riders a spectular view of the Park.
Large seats make the ride accessible to all - and allow for a lot of airtime.
Tension building ride music makes the experience even more scary.
Negatives:
Low throughput means that long queues often build.
As with all drop towers, the ride time is short.
Verdict:
Themeing/Presentation
Smoothness/Comfort
Enjoyment/Fun
Intensity/Scariness
Overall
Your Reviews
"Most definitely the scariest ride at the Park. You feel like you will die! But that feeling of weightlessness is the most thrilling in Park - AMAZING!" George, Middlesex, UK.
"If you've never been on this ride, you are a total NUTCASE! For those who need tons of adrenaline, this ride is WORTH it! Detonator is a ride that will leave you screaming for more!" Tommy Murray, Bracknell, UK.
"This ride is completely thrilling!! You think you are at the top of the ride but it keeps on going up, making your stomach churn! Speaking of stomach churning... the countdown is really intense! But then the ride is completely worth it when you come down. Definitely one for the thrill seekers!" Gemma, Weston-Super-Mare, UK.
"This is one ride that is WILL pack a punch! Even if you are a thrill seeker it will leave you trembling in your boots!" Helen, Southampton, UK.
"I personally hate the experience of being launched down this tower, but it got me very scared, the drop seems like it would never come. Be warned, its extremely intense..." Josh Day-Jones, Cheltenham, UK.
"It is the most stomach churning ride in the Park! It is one of my favourites though, as the intensity builds as you enter the queue line!" William, Calne, UK.
"I hate this ride!! So scary! Good view from the top though." Katie, Bookham, UK
