Stealth. If there was ever a word to describe this coaster, Stealth would not be it. Why Thorpe Park took the decision to go ahead with this name, nobody will ever know. It was allegedly not the first name proposed for the ride - "The Edge" and "Johnny Rocket" were previous (and better?) contenders. This coaster is massive, at over 200ft tall, it's noisy, using a hydraulic launching system and it's rapid, at over 80mph. Hardly "Stealth", then.
Another criticism arises from the layout of this coaster. Riders are launched from 0 to 80 in under 2 seconds, are catapulted up a 200ft near vertical incline, and drop down the same height again the other side. They experience one final "bunny hop" before returning to the station. And that's your lot. There are coasters that use a launch system to provide an initial thrill, and then follow it up with a great roller coaster ride afterwards. Stealth provides that initial boost, but doesn't really follow it up with everything. It's all over in 20 seconds!
Aside from these two issues, Stealth really has a lot going for it. Thorpe Park wanted an "icon" coaster - and this is truly it. It towers over everything else in the Park and, being visible from the M3 and M25, dominates the skyline. The rush of being thrown from 0 to 80mph in such a small space of time is quite euphoric; the acceleration is stunning - it never falters. Just as riders think the train won't go any faster down the launch track it keeps relentlessly speeds up, and doesn't let up until guests are cresting over the top of the Top Hat. For our money, these Intamin accelerator coasters provide the biggest adrenaline shots a Theme Park can offer.
The ride is comfortable and smooth, despite the high speeds the train is going through, and is very re-rideable. Without a shadow of a doubt the best ride can be had sitting in the front row with your hands firmly in the air!
Stealth really hits the spot. Perhaps the most adrenaline fuelled ride in Park (only Detonator competes), it continues to bring in the visitors and has most definitely secured Thorpe Park's place as the Nation's Thrill Capital. Make it a "must" in your next visit.
"Stealth is a very good ride when you are launched to the top hat, but there is no sense of weightlessness at the top and it should be a lot longer. And why does it have shoulder restraints? These are entirely unnecessary!"
Richard, Sevenoaks, UK.
"You can see this from the M25!! It is wicked. But, the restraints are silly and it's just not long enough."
Miles, Chalfont St Giles, UK.
"Take no notice of the 'ridiculous name' - Stealth is an AMAZING ride! Even my BFF (who always has a lot to say) lost her voice on this ride, but she had plenty to say after!"
Michaella, London, UK.
"Here are the words to describe it: amazing, incredible, supreme, extreme, thrilling, fun, fast... and HIGH!"
Ashley, Winchester, UK.
"You must ride this if not once, hundreds of times! The only downside is the duration of the ride, just wished it turned in to a rollercoaster after the drop."
Andrew, London, UK.
"Stealth is top of my list with Saw - The Ride! It's the fastest coaster and at the top of the tower, I get an awesome view of Thorpe Park!"
Tommy Murray, Bracknell, UK.
"I think it's very good. It is over in ten seconds, but it makes you very nervous and excited, and gives you a rush as well!"
William Phillips, Shorham, UK.
"This ride really blows your head off! I went on with my Dad at the front, and it was awesome. I then went on again 3 more times that day; plus it was an achievement - I had ridden the fastest and highest launch coaster in Europe!"
Chris Jones, Hampshire, UK.
"I like Stealth, it's thrilling - wow!"
Hayley, London, UK.
"Action packed thrill ride. Worth the wait. If it was like Storm Runner at Hershey Park, it would be much better - if it had a longer track and went around more. Other than that it was great."
Robert, Hertford, UK.
"I sat in the seat, pulled down the over head bar, and held on so tight my knuckles turned blue. 3..2..1 AHHH! I screamed so loud, I lost my voice half way up... to sum this up, BEST RIDE EVER!"
Beverly, London, UK.
"Stealth is not a ridiculous name, it's quite good. The downer is that it's short, not the name!!!"
Ross, Dundee, UK.
"I sat in the seat, but didn't know how fast the ride was. The countdown went off... it was the fastest thing I had ever been on! Best ride in the world."
James, UK.
"Awesome ride! I only ever ride it once per visit though - it's never worth the queue!"
Matt, UK.
"Very good ride but all over a little too quickly and not worth queuing more than half an hour for. But the launch is incredible with the intense G-Force and then the massive rise and fall. 8/10."
Adam, UK.
"Stealth is amazing! I split up with my group to go on the single rider entrance and skip the queue. It's better the second time round when you know what to expect. 10/10"
Katherine, UK.
"One of those rides that leaves you buzzing for ages afterwards. The acceleration has to be experienced to be believed, and the vertical freefall as you pass the top of the arch is absolutely fantastic. A great experience, just a shame it's all over so quickly."
Dan, UK.
"Thrills are what you get for sure. The best ride ever!"
Jibran, UK.
"The acceleration is absolutely insane. The thrust feels like you've been disembowelled - brilliant and terrifying. Go on it in the back seats, that's the scariest place!"
Lily, London, UK.
"To all of those who are too scared to ride Stealth, don't be. I've been on Stealth about 10 times, and to be honest I'm a bit of a wuss! I hate all those flat rides like Rush and Samurai, but that didn't stop me riding it. One time, I decided to give the front row seats a go... I was pooing myself and then the countdown came on 3...2...1...! And I had my hands up the whole time! IT WAS AMAZING! I jumped straight off smiling and bought 2 fastrack tickets for it that day!"
Ryan, Ruislip, UK.
"I got caught on a rollback on Stealth! I was mega weirded out - it felt really odd and I didn't know what was going on!"
Poppi, UK.
"Great ride! If you want max thrills, sit as close to the back as possible. That way you have the maximum downwards velocity and G-force!!"
Kate, London, UK.
"I hate coasters but to keep my hubby happy, I went on Stealth not once but twice... the initial thrust is amazing and the momentum that forces you vertically up 200ft where you hang in freefall for a split second before gravity pulls you back down is amazing! Pity I can never open my eyes on these things. The G force was huge and enough to make it worth going on again."
Deborah, London, UK.
