Samurai

Arms extend outward and spin at speed while the whole platform tilts - a classic fairground experience scaled to theme park size.

Is Samurai open today?

Samurai is currently closed as of 20:02 UK time. This is normal outside opening hours, and also happens for weather or short technical stops during the day. Check the live status above through the day — it updates every couple of minutes.

Typically 5 minutes at this hour over the last 28 days, ranging from about 5 minutes at its quietest to 22 at its busiest Compare with every other ride →

About Samurai

Samurai is a Huss Condor-type flat ride at Thorpe Park. Riders sit in gondolas arranged on extending arms around a central hub. The arms spin the gondolas outward while the main platform simultaneously tilts to different angles - creating a ride experience that combines centrifugal force with constant changes in orientation. The overall effect is a sustained, spinning thrill at moderate intensity.

Rides of this type have been a fairground staple for decades, and Samurai is the park's version at full theme park scale. It's not the most extreme ride in the park, but it's consistent - every cycle delivers the same reliable combination of spinning, tilting, and the centrifugal sensation of being pressed outward into your seat.

What to Expect

The ride runs for a standard cycle of a few minutes. The spinning sensation builds quickly once the arms are fully extended and the platform starts tilting. At full speed the centrifugal force is noticeable - riders are pressed firmly into their seats and it becomes difficult to move your head against the force. The ride is smooth rather than jolting.

Samurai is a good option for riders who want a sustained thrill without the height component of Detonator or Rush, and without the inversion element of the coasters. Note that it sits at the top of the height range for a flat ride - the 1.4m requirement matches the major coasters, so shorter riders who clear the park's other flat rides may still be too small for Samurai.

Tips for Riding Samurai

• Avoid after eating. The sustained spinning and tilting combination is one of the more reliable ways to feel nauseous. Leave a gap after meals before riding.
• Good throughput. Samurai loads quickly and cycles frequently, so queues tend to move fast even when the visible line looks long.
• Loose items. The centrifugal force during the ride will throw anything unsecured. Empty pockets into the provided bins before boarding.
• Moderate intensity overall. Samurai sits in the middle of the park's intensity range - more intense than Vortex, less so than Quantum or the coasters. A solid mid-day ride.

When to Ride Samurai

Samurai's queue is short but slow: the ride seats relatively few people per cycle and the program is long, so even a dozen groups ahead of you can mean 20 minutes. It rarely goes beyond that outside peak Saturdays. Mid-morning and early evening are near walk-on; the post-lunch flat-ride rush is its only real busy period.

Sequencing tip: Samurai is the most intense of the flat-ride cluster, so ride it before lunch or at least an hour after - seasoned visitors do Vortex first, Samurai second, and leave Quantum for whichever member of the group is showing off. As ever, the live queue board settles the order.

Good to Know Before You Queue

The top scan's arms pitch, roll and spin independently, which means no two cycles are identical and no rider can predict the next move - the source of both its cult following and its fearsome motion-sickness reputation. Forces swing from floaty to firmly pinned in the same ten seconds. Among Thorpe regulars Samurai is quietly rated one of the most intense experiences in the park, coasters included.

It relocated here from Chessington in the early 2000s and has outlasted several flashier neighbours - machines like this are increasingly rare in UK parks, which makes it something of a connoisseur's ride. Empty pockets thoroughly, skip it entirely if you are prone to dizziness, and note the 1.4m minimum height. Fans of unpredictability should follow it with Quantum; fans of survival should follow it with a sit-down and a cold drink.

Samurai: common questions

How tall do you have to be to ride Samurai?

Samurai has a 1.4m minimum height — the same requirement as Thorpe Park's major coasters such as Stealth and Nemesis Inferno, and taller than most of the park's other flat rides. Shorter riders who clear Vortex may still be too small for Samurai.

Does Samurai make you feel sick?

It can. The continuous spinning combined with the platform tilting through changing angles makes Samurai one of the most reliable motion-sickness triggers in the park — regulars quietly rate it among the most intense experiences at Thorpe Park, coasters included. Avoid riding straight after a meal, and skip it if you are prone to dizziness.

What type of ride is Samurai?

Samurai is a Huss Condor-type spinning flat ride: gondolas on extending arms rotate around a central hub while the whole platform pitches and rolls, so no two cycles feel quite the same. It relocated to Thorpe Park from Chessington in the early 2000s and is now an increasingly rare machine in UK parks.

How long is the queue for Samurai?

Usually short but slow-moving — the ride seats relatively few people per long cycle, so even a dozen groups ahead can mean a 20-minute wait. It is near walk-on mid-morning and early evening, with a brief post-lunch peak. Check the live queue times before joining.

Samurai queue times - what the data shows

Across 113 recorded park days, Samurai has averaged a 20-minute wait. The quietest hour is typically 21:00 and the busiest 12:00. The longest wait we have recorded was 62 minutes on Tuesday, 14 July 2026.

Figures come from this site's own record of the park's live wait-time system, sampled every 2 minutes since May 2026. See the full daily archive.

Average Samurai wait by hour of day

Blue = 20 min or under, orange = 21-60 min, navy = over 60 min.

Average Samurai wait by day of the week

Average Samurai wait by month

← All Rides  |  Visitor Guide