Until a few days ago, I hadn't had a chance to see this ride in real life. I was pleasantly suprised.
Thirteen. This is possibly the creepiest ride I think I have ever been on. The queue line could be improved massively if they removed the wooden picket fencing that has adorned the area since Corkscrew was still causing headaches and installed some rusty iron barriers or something that doesn't look quite as friendly.
Be prepared for a long walk to the station, however, when you do eventually get there, it's well worth the wait.
I would liken the station to what Thorpe Park have attempted to do with the 'Saw' station, only, Alton Towers have done it much much better. You get a sense of danger and eerieness just walking into the station. I love the great chalk scribings on the wall that just add something sinister to the area. There is something insanely creepy about the young girls voice (at no point do you find out who she is) that is hauntingly singing and counting to thirteen. The hooded figures around the area give it a real sense of unease and to be honest, I was creeped out before I even jumped into the train. There is a part of the station that made me and the wife jump but I don't want to give it away to people that haven't seen it. The second time I rode, I didn't see it, just heard it, so even if you have ridden, you may not have seen it.
The ride itself is good. It is certainly no more than a family thrill ride and my 9 year old son loved it. I wasn't expecting the first drop to be so steep and the corners to bank so steeply and it added quite a good fun element to the ride.
The ride is very short and before you know it, you're in the crypt where the 'World's first' element comes into play.
A freefall drop followed by a reverse train ride out of the crypt is enough to freak anyone out that wasn't expecting it and thats exactly what happened to yours truly.
In summary, this is a good family ride that will appeal to a lot of people. I loved the ride because of the theming around it, but the area will be much better once the young trees have had time to grow around the area. The queue line fence needs to be re-done, but overall, this is a good stop gap before SW7 is released in 2012.
