Which 2024 UK coaster project are you most looking forward to?

[Matt N]

Hi guys. 2024 is set to be a pretty big year for UK roller coasters, with four different roller coaster-related projects happening for next year. These are:

• Hyperia at Thorpe Park, a Mack HyperCoaster that will be the UK’s tallest and fastest roller coaster.
• Nemesis 2.0 at Alton Towers, the rebirth of the much-loved B&M Inverted Coaster that is widely accepted to be the most revered UK coaster.
• Drayton Manor’s new coaster, an Intamin lift and launch coaster with spinning trains.
• Legoland Windsor’s new coaster, a duo of Zierer family shuttle coasters.

It’s certainly a big year for UK roller coasters when you look at this motley crew of upcoming rides! But I’d be really interested to know; which of these 2024 coaster projects are you most excited for?

Personally, I’d have to pick Hyperia at Thorpe Park. It’s so exciting that the UK height record is finally being broken after 30 long years, and even besides that, I think the layout of Hyperia looks phenomenal, with some really unique and impactful elements. I can’t wait to see how that first drop and outerbank into an inversion ride in particular, and the other elements like the Immelmann, the stall/dive loop, and the outerbank should provide a real breath of fresh air to the UK coaster scene and provide sensations that have never really been felt on a UK coaster before! I have a huge amount of faith that it will be a big hit, and while it would be overly presumptuous to count your chickens before they hatch, I think that there’s a fair chance that we could be looking at the ride that will finally unseat Nemesis from the position of “most revered in the UK”!

I am excited for Nemesis’ rebirth, but it is a coaster that I’ve already been riding for 10 years rather than anything new, so it does lack some of the anticipation of a new coaster project for me.

I’m also excited to see what Drayton Manor’s coaster turns out like. It sounds like it could be a really intriguing ride, and I’m so glad to see them back on the coaster building map after so long!

Legoland Windsor’s investment looks great for that park, and I’m sure the two coasters will ride really well and go down well with the target demographic, but I’m not as personally excited for them by virtue of them not really being aimed at my demographic.

But I’d be keen to know; which of the UK’s 2024 coaster projects are you most looking forward to?

 

[Niles]

What about the 100% happening Southport Pleasure land 2024 coaster?? Just kidding, I think if that's still happening they will delay it as not to compete with this banger of a year.

I have been waiting for Thorpe's next coaster for over 10 years, Hyperia is easily what I'm most looking forward to.

Drayton's is very interesting however and I'm very curious to see what they are doing.

2024 defiantly fees like the year of the coaster as along with the above coasters I love duelling coasters so even a family one is exciting, then you have Nemesis and even Shockwave seeing some love, should be a great year.

 

[Graeme]

Drayton's lift & launch coaster. I'm not very interested in the Legoland shuttles, and Nemesis is great, but it's going to be very much the same as what we've been on before. Hyperia looks good, but honestly, I'm not that good with heights - around 150ft is OK, but when you start getting 200ft+ it has to really appeal to me in terms of layout to make me want to ride it. Definitely looks like it wastes a lot of energy, it can't be denied. If it was more like Mako at SeaWorld or Goliath at La Ronde I'd be much keener (I know those wouldn't be UK's tallest, but I'm just saying what kind of ride appeals to me).

The Drayton coaster, on the other hand, could potentially be the UK's best family-thrill. It could have indoor sections, lots of theming, who knows? I know I'm naive, but in my head I've built it up to be like Big Thunder Mountain. I must admit the "spinning" aspect has lessened its appeal to me, so I'm hoping it's forward-facing at least some of the time.

 

[emoo]

Hyperia feels like the best thing for the UK for such a long times. Loads of flaws and improvement wish lists from so many have been repeatedly brought up but with all that its still more local hope than I literally remember living through.

 

[Flash Shift]

Drayton's is intruiging and the Nemesis retrack is also good. I didn't even know about Legoland's shuttles so I guess I'm not that bothered about that!

But obviously, it's Hyperia. Helix and Icon have really made me appreciate Mack, and I've wanted a good hyper in this country for a while. I was hoping for a more B&M or Intamin style airtime machine as England's really lacking that, and also hoping for it not to be really short, but it looks like it could still be a banger.

 

[Sandman]

Surely Hyperia is the correct answer here.

Sure, there are aspects of the project I could easily critique, but this is still the most significant coaster investment in the UK for a long, long time.

Other than that, I'm excited for Nemesis to reopen with a new lease of life.

 

[Hixee]

Imagine if anyone voted for the boomerangs... lol.

It's Hyperia, clearly. Nemesis will be great, but it's not 'new', so doesn't have the same buzz of the unknown.

Drayton... just no.

 

[Rob Coasters]

It's Hyperia, but I've always disliked my Nemesis opinion. My placement of it feels wrong & half-assed, never really gave the ride a chance. While Hyperia will be the smash hit of 2024, I also just as highly anticipate going back into Nemesis to give it an honest and open chance to redeem itself.