SAW – The Ride
Encyclopedia
Saw – The Ride is a custom Euro-Fighter
roller coaster
in the Thorpe Park
theme park in the United Kingdom
. It is themed around the Saw horror film franchise
.
During construction, a large section of the Canada Creek Railway had to be rebuilt, a small section of the Samurai queue was also affected. Competition winners and annual pass holders were allowed to attend a preview event, before it opened to the public on Saturday 14 March 2009 a day later. Saw – Alive, a live-action horror maze, was opened at the park in 2010 to complement the ride.
A Police Ford Crown Victoria
is displayed next to the SAW ride.
's equipment and Billy
on his tricycle, who laughs at you as the train passes by (although if you are on the second dispatched car, the vehicle will stop while Billy gives a speech, informing you that there is no escape, and proclaiming 'here's what happens when you lose' before allowing the train to pass). Riders then come across two swinging blades which appear to get closer, before a previously unseen nearly vertical drop saves the riders from hitting them, plunging them directly into a pit of spikes which are narrowly avoided. The train travels along a straight piece of track and the riders are blasted with air firing from crossbows giving the effect of the syringes loaded in the crossbows firing over the riders' heads. The train goes into a barrel roll, as riders can see Jigsaw in a pool of blood. 'Blood' (water) is sprayed at the train from the body, then the train exits the building and travels towards the 100 feet (30.5 m) vertical lift hill.
Before going up, riders pass two large TV screens and a digital clock. When the digital clock counts down to zero, Billy appears on the TVs and Jigsaw says "Game over". Billy's evil laugh can be heard as the train travels upwards. The cars then dive down the 100° drop (reaching 55 miles per hour (24.6 m/s)) and pass under large spinning blades. The second inversion then takes place, an Immelmann loop, which delivers three seconds of weightlessness. This is followed by a tight overbanked corner and an airtime hill. The on-ride photos are taken as the cars rise to the left into a set of brakes. Then they descend a steep drop into a dive loop and the ride ends with a banked turn into the final brake run. The train makes a turn to the right into the station to be unloaded.
It is also possible for riders to buy a DVD of their ride experience, using cameras mounted to the front of the car and the back of the front seats. The ride is extremly rough for riders, especially at the bottom of the major drop and various corkscrew elelments throughout the ride.
fences and various large torture implements rusting on the ground (most of which come from the films). Walkie talkie announcements are heard from policemen inside the building, often sounding as if they are panicking. Loud ambient music is played throughout the area. The queue travels around the back of the warehouse and then into the building itself. Inside, riders walk through a dimly lit corridor, with four shotguns hanging from the ceiling. The guns 'fire' every few minutes to give a jump effect. The corridor leads up some stairs past a cage with a trap (the Rack from Saw III
) seen in it. On special occasions, live actors are placed in this cage and act as Jigsaw's victims. Above the queue, a body is seen tangled in barbed wire (referencing the first Saw
), before the queue goes into the station. In here, mannequin parts are fixed in various small devices or hanging from the walls, and misted windows flash on the wall opposite the queue.
Once finished, riders exit the cars and walk back down another stairway. The two industrial fans on the exterior of the Saw warehouse are seen on the wall by the exit path. A short video of Billy plays at the end of the stairs. More mannequin parts hang from above, as well as a severed head on a weighing scales (as seen in a poster for Saw IV
). Riders then exit the building and pass the Saw Store and Photo Booth.
On 11 March 2009, the ride was scheduled to be launched by a group of invited celebrities, including the director of Saw II
, Saw III
and Saw IV
Darren Lynn Bousman
, who posted an account of his experience on his Facebook profile. The ride experienced a delay, a barrier shut-down and a subsequent stop, blamed by park officials on a computer programming error. An ambulance was called when one woman suffered a panic attack.
On 14 March 2009, the ride was scheduled to officially open to the public. However, less than two hours after the park's opening, the ride was shut down due to technical difficulties (braking and sensor failures) and did not re-open for the remainder of the day, and was also closed for the following day. Thorpe Park offered complimentary tickets to all guests who had bought tickets at the gate, and free priority passes for the ride to all annual pass holders.
Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter
The Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter is a popular roller coaster design built by Gerstlauer. It was launched in 2003 and now has many installations around the world, including a number yet to be completed. The trademark feature of the roller coaster is its 'beyond vertical' drop, which reaches an angle...
roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
in the Thorpe Park
Thorpe Park
Thorpe Park is a theme park located in Chertsey, Surrey, England, UK. It was built in 1979 on the site of a gravel pit which was partially flooded, the intention of creating a water based theme for the park. The park's first large roller coaster, Colossus, was added in 2002...
theme park in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is themed around the Saw horror film franchise
Saw (film series)
Saw is a horror franchise distributed by Lions Gate Entertainment and produced by Twisted Pictures that consists of seven films and two video games, published by Konami. The franchise began with the 2003 short film which was created by Australian director James Wan and screenwriter Leigh Whannell...
.
Background information
The codename "Project Dylan" was used during construction to keep the movie tie-in secret, until the full details were announced on Friday 13 October 2008. The name 'Dylan' in fact came from the project director's cat, with no actual relevance to the ride. A small tag reading "PRO. D9LAN" is printed on the side of the Saw Store.During construction, a large section of the Canada Creek Railway had to be rebuilt, a small section of the Samurai queue was also affected. Competition winners and annual pass holders were allowed to attend a preview event, before it opened to the public on Saturday 14 March 2009 a day later. Saw – Alive, a live-action horror maze, was opened at the park in 2010 to complement the ride.
A Police Ford Crown Victoria
Ford Crown Victoria
-1992–1994:Released in March 1991 as an early 1992 model, the Crown Victoria sedan was completely redesigned with a rounder, eight-window roofline . The redesign reduced the coefficient of drag from 0.42 to 0.34; the suspension setup was also heavily revised...
is displayed next to the SAW ride.
Ride experience
The ride starts with an indoor section, where riders pass JigsawJigsaw Killer
John Kramer is a fictional character and the central character of the Saw franchise. Jigsaw made his debut as the primary antagonist in the first film of the series, Saw, and he's later portrayed as an antihero in Saw II, III, IV, V, VI and 3D...
's equipment and Billy
Billy (Saw)
Billy is a puppet that has appeared in the Saw films. It was used by the series' primary antagonist John Kramer, a.k.a. Jigsaw, to communicate with his test subjects by delivering recorded messages, often appearing on a television screen or occasionally in person to describe the details of the...
on his tricycle, who laughs at you as the train passes by (although if you are on the second dispatched car, the vehicle will stop while Billy gives a speech, informing you that there is no escape, and proclaiming 'here's what happens when you lose' before allowing the train to pass). Riders then come across two swinging blades which appear to get closer, before a previously unseen nearly vertical drop saves the riders from hitting them, plunging them directly into a pit of spikes which are narrowly avoided. The train travels along a straight piece of track and the riders are blasted with air firing from crossbows giving the effect of the syringes loaded in the crossbows firing over the riders' heads. The train goes into a barrel roll, as riders can see Jigsaw in a pool of blood. 'Blood' (water) is sprayed at the train from the body, then the train exits the building and travels towards the 100 feet (30.5 m) vertical lift hill.
Before going up, riders pass two large TV screens and a digital clock. When the digital clock counts down to zero, Billy appears on the TVs and Jigsaw says "Game over". Billy's evil laugh can be heard as the train travels upwards. The cars then dive down the 100° drop (reaching 55 miles per hour (24.6 m/s)) and pass under large spinning blades. The second inversion then takes place, an Immelmann loop, which delivers three seconds of weightlessness. This is followed by a tight overbanked corner and an airtime hill. The on-ride photos are taken as the cars rise to the left into a set of brakes. Then they descend a steep drop into a dive loop and the ride ends with a banked turn into the final brake run. The train makes a turn to the right into the station to be unloaded.
It is also possible for riders to buy a DVD of their ride experience, using cameras mounted to the front of the car and the back of the front seats. The ride is extremly rough for riders, especially at the bottom of the major drop and various corkscrew elelments throughout the ride.
Queue
The entrance is situated at the back of the Saw Plaza. The exterior queue line consists of razor wireRazor wire
Barbed tape or razor wire is a mesh of metal strips with sharp edges whose purpose is to prevent passage by humans. The term "razor wire", through long usage, has generally been used to describe barbed tape products...
fences and various large torture implements rusting on the ground (most of which come from the films). Walkie talkie announcements are heard from policemen inside the building, often sounding as if they are panicking. Loud ambient music is played throughout the area. The queue travels around the back of the warehouse and then into the building itself. Inside, riders walk through a dimly lit corridor, with four shotguns hanging from the ceiling. The guns 'fire' every few minutes to give a jump effect. The corridor leads up some stairs past a cage with a trap (the Rack from Saw III
Saw III
Saw III is a 2006 Canadian-American horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman from a screenplay by Leigh Whannell and story by James Wan and Whannell. Wan and Whannell directed and wrote Saw and Bousman wrote and directed Saw II. It is the third film in the seven-part Saw film series and stars...
) seen in it. On special occasions, live actors are placed in this cage and act as Jigsaw's victims. Above the queue, a body is seen tangled in barbed wire (referencing the first Saw
Saw (film)
Saw is a 2004 American independent horror film directed by James Wan. The screenplay, written by Leigh Whannell, is based on a story by Wan and Whannell. The film stars Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Monica Potter, Michael Emerson, Ken Leung, Whannell and Tobin Bell...
), before the queue goes into the station. In here, mannequin parts are fixed in various small devices or hanging from the walls, and misted windows flash on the wall opposite the queue.
Once finished, riders exit the cars and walk back down another stairway. The two industrial fans on the exterior of the Saw warehouse are seen on the wall by the exit path. A short video of Billy plays at the end of the stairs. More mannequin parts hang from above, as well as a severed head on a weighing scales (as seen in a poster for Saw IV
Saw IV
Saw IV is a 2007 Canadian-American horror film and midquel to 2006's Saw III. It was directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and written by newcomers Patrick Melton, Marcus Dunstan and Thomas Fenton. The film was released in North America on October 26, 2007...
). Riders then exit the building and pass the Saw Store and Photo Booth.
Incidents
Saw II
Saw II is a 2005 Canadian-American horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and co-written by Bousman and the first film's co-writer Leigh Whannell. It is a sequel to 2004's Saw and the second installment in the seven-part Saw film series...
, Saw III
Saw III
Saw III is a 2006 Canadian-American horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman from a screenplay by Leigh Whannell and story by James Wan and Whannell. Wan and Whannell directed and wrote Saw and Bousman wrote and directed Saw II. It is the third film in the seven-part Saw film series and stars...
and Saw IV
Saw IV
Saw IV is a 2007 Canadian-American horror film and midquel to 2006's Saw III. It was directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and written by newcomers Patrick Melton, Marcus Dunstan and Thomas Fenton. The film was released in North America on October 26, 2007...
Darren Lynn Bousman
Darren Lynn Bousman
Darren Lynn Bousman is an American film director and screenwriter.-Personal life:Bousman was born in Overland Park, Kansas, the son of Nancy and Lynn Bousman. He is a graduate of the Film School at Full Sail University. He attended high school at Shawnee Mission North High School in Overland Park,...
, who posted an account of his experience on his Facebook profile. The ride experienced a delay, a barrier shut-down and a subsequent stop, blamed by park officials on a computer programming error. An ambulance was called when one woman suffered a panic attack.
On 14 March 2009, the ride was scheduled to officially open to the public. However, less than two hours after the park's opening, the ride was shut down due to technical difficulties (braking and sensor failures) and did not re-open for the remainder of the day, and was also closed for the following day. Thorpe Park offered complimentary tickets to all guests who had bought tickets at the gate, and free priority passes for the ride to all annual pass holders.
Other Saw attractions
- Saw – Alive is a live action horror maze located near Saw – The Ride. Guests walk through a scene from each Saw movie: the BathroomSaw (film)Saw is a 2004 American independent horror film directed by James Wan. The screenplay, written by Leigh Whannell, is based on a story by Wan and Whannell. The film stars Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Monica Potter, Michael Emerson, Ken Leung, Whannell and Tobin Bell...
, the Electrified CorridorSaw IISaw II is a 2005 Canadian-American horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and co-written by Bousman and the first film's co-writer Leigh Whannell. It is a sequel to 2004's Saw and the second installment in the seven-part Saw film series...
, the FreezerSaw IIISaw III is a 2006 Canadian-American horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman from a screenplay by Leigh Whannell and story by James Wan and Whannell. Wan and Whannell directed and wrote Saw and Bousman wrote and directed Saw II. It is the third film in the seven-part Saw film series and stars...
, the Mausoleum TrapSaw IVSaw IV is a 2007 Canadian-American horror film and midquel to 2006's Saw III. It was directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and written by newcomers Patrick Melton, Marcus Dunstan and Thomas Fenton. The film was released in North America on October 26, 2007...
, the Pendulum TrapSaw VSaw V is a 2008 Canadian-American horror film directed by David Hackl and written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan and stars Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor and Scott Patterson...
and the Carousel TrapSaw VISaw VI is a 2009 horror film directed by Kevin Greutert from a screenplay written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. It is the sixth installment of the seven–part Saw film series and stars Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell, Mark Rolston, Peter Outerbridge, and Shawnee Smith...
. The walk-through attraction is dark throughout and uses lighting, smells, mist and make-up to add effect. Parts of the maze were gutted by fire in early April 2011 and was shut for work. It was reopened to the public on Friday 27th May 2011.
- Saw – Movie Bites was a temporary attraction as part of the park's 2009 Halloween 'Fright Nights' event. It consisted of a compilation of clips from the Saw films, played in the theatre usually used for Time Voyagers. The attraction did not return for the 2010 Fright Nights event.