Vampire (roller coaster)
Vampire (originally named The Vampire) is an Arrow suspended swinging roller coaster at Chessington World of Adventures theme park in London, England. It opened in 1990 in the new Transylvania area (now renamed "Wild Woods") and is the only Arrow Dynamics suspended roller coaster still operating outside of North America.
| Vampire | |
|---|---|
| Previously known as The Vampire 1991-2001 | |
Vampire's second lift hill and drop | |
| Chessington World of Adventures | |
| Location | Chessington World of Adventures |
| Park section | Wild Woods |
| Coordinates | 51.347279°N 0.315607°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | 11 April 1990 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Suspended |
| Manufacturer | Arrow Dynamics |
| Designer | John Wardley |
| Model | Suspended Swinging Coaster |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift |
| Height | 70 ft (21 m) |
| Length | 2,200 ft (670 m) |
| Speed | 45 mph (72 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Height restriction | 43.3 in (110 cm) |
| Trains | 2 trains with 12 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in a single row for a total of 24 riders per train. |
| Theme | Gothic |
| Slogan | "Sit back, hold on tight, the Vampire is taking flight!" |
Reserve and Ride available | |
Must transfer from wheelchair | |
| Vampire at RCDB | |
The trains hang from the track, and swing freely as the roller coaster completes the course. It has two lift hills, featuring many dives and turns throughout, and takes place almost entirely through a forest. The ride layout was designed by John Wardley and the theme design by British firm Sparks Creative Services.
The Vampire underwent modifications in 2001 so that it could use new trains manufactured by Vekoma and reopened in 2002.