Rush

A giant swing ride that takes you 75 feet into the air over the edge of the lake - then swings you back the other way.

Is Rush open today?

Yes — Rush is open right now, with a 15-minute queue (as of 20:02 UK time).

Typically 11 minutes at this hour over the last 28 days, ranging from about 8 minutes at its quietest to 29 at its busiest — that is busier than usual for this hour. Compare with every other ride →

How high does Rush swing?

Rush swings riders up to 75 feet (23 metres) out over the park's lake. It is a giant pendulum that builds height with each pass, producing repeated moments of near-weightlessness at the top of every arc. The minimum height to ride is 1.3m. Check live Rush queue times, updated every 2 minutes.

About Rush

Rush is a large pendulum swing ride positioned alongside Thorpe Park's central lake. Riders sit back-to-back in a long gondola, facing outward, and the whole assembly swings in an increasingly wide arc - eventually reaching near-vertical at 75 feet on each side. The motion is sustained: once it reaches full height it keeps swinging at that amplitude for several passes before gradually winding down.

The ride is manufactured by KMG (the Afterburner model) and has been at the park for a number of years. Its lakeside position means riders get a clear, unobstructed view of the water and the surrounding park on each peak, which adds to the sense of height and exposure.

What to Expect

Rush is less abrupt than a drop tower - the fear builds gradually as the swing increases in height with each pass. By the time it reaches full height you're travelling fast and the sensation of being nearly inverted at the peak, with nothing below you but the lake, is significant. The ride sustains that height for long enough that it doesn't feel like a brief surprise - you're fully aware of where you are.

Physically it's not particularly intense - the g-forces are moderate and there's no sudden stop - but the feeling of exposure at the top is what makes it memorable. Riders who are comfortable on roller coasters but find height genuinely unpleasant may find Rush harder than the coasters.

Tips for Riding Rush

• Shorter queues than the coasters. Rush has decent throughput and doesn't attract the same peak queues as Stealth or Hyperia. A good mid-morning ride before the coaster queues build.
• The view at the top. At full height on the lake-side arc you get a wide view across the park. On clear days this is genuinely impressive - it's worth being present for rather than closing your eyes.
• Secure loose items. At near-vertical height, anything in pockets will fall. There are lockers nearby.
• Not suitable if you fear height specifically. Unlike coasters where speed is the primary sensation, Rush is about sustained exposure at height. If height is your specific fear rather than speed, this will test it more than most coasters.

When to Ride Rush

Rush queues longer than you would expect for a flat ride - each arm seats a limited number of riders and the swing cycle is long, so throughput is modest. On busy days it can post 30–40 minutes by early afternoon, which is poor value next to a coaster. Catch it before noon or in the last two hours instead, when 10–15 minutes is typical; term-time visitors will often walk straight on.

Its neighbours make sequencing easy: it sits in the same loop as Samurai and Vortex, and the three together make a tidy flat-ride circuit for the hour after lunch when coaster queues are at their worst. Glance at the live board and take whichever of the three is shortest first.

Good to Know Before You Queue

A screamin' swing is simple physics done at scale: two giant arms swinging out of phase, pushing riders up to around 75 feet with a long floaty weightless moment at each end. The sensation is closer to Detonator's freefall than to a coaster - repeated stomach-drops rather than sustained G - and the view at full height, facing straight down at the lake, is glorious and slightly rude.

Rear-facing swings feel noticeably stronger than forward-facing ones; you cannot choose precisely, but the outer seats amplify everything. It is also one of the park's most watchable rides - non-riders get a genuinely entertaining five minutes from the fence. Minimum height 1.3m. If the swinging weightlessness agrees with you, you are exactly the person Hyperia's airtime hills were built for.

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