Thanks for checking out this video! If you like this video thank you for your support, if you dislike this video, thank you for your support! If you know of any additional hidden secrets behind Hex then please do leave them in the comments box below!
I remember the first time on Hex, actually made me feel sick as I thought we were upside down haha. Love it now as it normally doesnt have much of a queue during nice days and great for the kids. It is really well made.
Went on this ride for the first time on Thursday as it was my first time at Alton Towers. Ended up doing the ride 4 times in 2 days and enjoyed it a lot. Am not a coaster person, but do love stuff like this that tricks you into thinking it's doing something it's not. Fun note when you leave the ride and walk along the long passage your basically walking around underneath the way in to get back into the main building before you exit the towers themself, but the blending between the show room and the real building is done so well, you don't even notice the fact at all, and you pop out from the other side of the octagram room where the final preshow is.
I love how the first half of the ride takes place inside the actual Towers ruins and also how well hidden the actual ride building is. Makes me wonder what the reactions were like from local conservation groups when the ride was being constructed
Great video! My first time on Hex I had no idea what it was and I was grateful to have a sit down - then the ride started and my motion sickness kicked in slightly 🤣. I’ve done 4 Vekoma madhouses and Hex is my favourite but I agree about the pre show - like Derren Browns Ghost Train it would be brilliant if they had an option to skip the pre show as it does become tedious after a while
Thanks for watching and I agree, it's a bit ridiculous to keep going through it over and over and over. Great for first timers but if you've been a handful of times it'll just grate.
@jarmoliebrand2005 not sure if that question was for me but I’ll answer anyway 🤣. I’ve only done 4 - Hex at Alton Towers, Haunted House Monster Party at Legoland Windsor, Villa Volta at Efteling and Feng Ju Palace at Phantasialand
I just went to alton towers and I went on hex for the first time. Me and my family after we’re so confused how it worked! It was a really good ride though
Ive only done thie ride twice. The first time was in 2014 when I was 10 and it terrified me so much because the illusion was so powerful. My second ride was in 2021 where i had been an enthusiast for some time so I knew a bit about how it works. Great ride and I wish it was open more often
It's great if it's your first time on the ride but for regular visitors... my god don't we wish we could skip it 99% of the time (same with the Wicker Man pre-show for me)
@@LiftHillsandThrills well I suppose your right I went on the wicker man for the first time and I loved the pre show and I guess now in the future I’ll be just wanting to get on the ride 😂☺️
Thanks so much for making this video. I have just been on HEX and ever since I got off I have wondered how it works and what actually happens inside. 👍🏻
Last week I visited Warner Bros Movie Park in Madrid and rode the "Haunted Hotel" which happens to be an identical version of this ride, also by Vekoma. Ours is also 78 passengers and 30 degree tilt. I'm so used to it that I cannot imagine it being any smaller or tilt any less tbh. It feels great and I absolutely love it. Greetings from Spain!
This was so interesting!! Unfortunately I haven’t been to Alton towers since I was really young (like 8 years old) but at Legoland they have a ride called Monster dance party and the ride is just like this! It was sooo trippy and I was so curious to learn how it worked and this has defo explained it!
Great video explaining it perfectly, i close my eyes cos i hate the upside down feeling and it feels like being on a swing in the wind, a great way to meditate 😃👍
@@emmalee2458 Aw that's great to hear! I have to be honest I'm usually keeping myself occupied with something else when the pre-show is on, I just wanna get in there and ride the thing haha far too impatient me. Appreciate the comment! Sean
I just rode Legoland's Haunted House Monster Party and I just immediately needed to know how the ride worked, I had some idea but this video was great, thank you! Just so disappointed at how nauseated it made me feel, I love a good rollercoaster but I couldn't believe how disorientated I felt when I came off of it, it is so clever and even though I knew we weren't going upside down how it manages to always trick your mind is so amazing! But sadly I don't think I could go on any madhouse ride again after how it made me feel haha!
2 days ago, i rode villa volta. i immediately need to know: how does the door rotate? thankfully, i came out confused, but completely fine. im still very curious about how exactly it works. how does the light flicker? how does it ACTUALLY seem like your upside down? why does the door rotate along with the entire room!
It’s so cool reading this comment section to see English people have the same sort of nostalgia/awe/frightening experiences as we do here in the Netherlands with Villa Volta. The first (few) rides were scary. But it did (and still does) capture my imagination. Ever since I’ve known how it works… I deliberately try not to look at the thing that break the illusion.
Despite knowing the secret it still doesn’t change it for me, I appreciate it more. Sadly Hex has now been given an updated lighting package that now resembles a high school disco so sadly all of the mystique and darkness of the storyline has been ruined somewhat
@@LiftHillsandThrillsI think Hex still does look really cool. I have this sense of nostalgia and love for Villa Volta, but Hex is the madhouse that seems really interesting as well. I do love how both rides incorporate local myths into their stories. The preshows do drag on upon reriding, but the actual stories are really quite good. And how is it that madhouses get such amazing music? The way the rides are synched to music is just super immersive (I’m not sure if Hex is synched to the music, or if the music is synched to the ride… I do know that is the case with Villa Volta for sure).
I went on this yesterday and freaked out!!! It was the worst experience for me. I felt claustrophobic and so disorientated I had a panic attack. Never again! I am sad I know 😞
Aww bless you, it can be a very unusual feeling and an assault on the vestibular system for sure! I used to love it but now getting older and suffering from vestibular migraine I just wouldn't be able to handle it anymore.
I went on for the first time today. Didnt quite have a panic attack but I was shaking worse than almost any ride I've ever been on 😂 I can't explain why but it's an absolute nope for me
Just been on Hex today, it was incredibly aursom. Made my visit so magical, better than the crazy fast roller coaster rides. ! A beautiful place to discover xxx especially for Halloween 🎃
The Efteling in the Netherlands also as a Madhouse called Villa Volta, and was actually the first one of its sort! When we go to the Efteling this is also one of the rides I just have to go on!
@@LiftHillsandThrillsvisited it 2 days ago, saw 4 things new: 1st, i rode MEM for the first time. 2nd, i saw raveleijn. 3rd, i rode villa volta, my very first madhouse. 4th, i saw aquanura.... with lights on. it was the last show of the day.
My Mum's Godfather is the narrator in the pre-show video for this. You may all know him as Mr Carson in Downton Abbey, I just know him as "Uncle Jim" 😍😍😍😍
The start is really boring and drags but the ride really triggered my vertigo I couldn’t even walk of the ride but you can’t not go on for a second time it’s fun and deffo messes with your head for a while great video ! ;)
We have been on this numerous times but the first time was years ago (Probably when it was new) and my dad has vertigo and didn't realise what the ride was actually about, fair to say he's never gone on it since. His favourite ride is Oblivion.
Good video, as a past engineer on a mad house I will dispell some information in that video. The ride is not tilted when you enter it, seeing as the Towers are not tilted, you would notice this tilt as you enter the vault, something which you do not do. The 15 degrees quoted is technically correct. The 78 seater madhouse such as Hex has a maximum tilt range of 30 degrees, which is 15 degrees of tilt in each direction. The 40 seater model has.a 15 degree tilt range. 7.5 degree each way. This does not make the tilt less though. The tighter circumference of the smaller model means less swing is required to achieve the same effect. Finally, there is nothing special about Hex in terms of it's size. The 78 seater model is the standard one. Most installs around the world are the same model as Hex. It is intact the 40 seater model which is much more rare. Drayton Manor have a 40 seater model. Legoland Wondosr and Alton Towers have the 78 seater model.
Yeah 2-3 times a year is manageable. Whilst I love the theming being forced to watch long videos (not one but two) winds me up Everytime 😂 I was usually there once a week and now I just keep Hex to a once a year experience. Thanks for watching JT!
It's an updated version of the old 'Haunted Swing' first invented in the 1890's. Blackpool used to have one with Issac Newton and his apple outside. It started in 1955 (it was a C classed ride back in the 1980s) I heard it got absorbed into a mash of the Hall of Mirrors and the old Fun House. dunno if it's still there - should be listed if it is!
@@LiftHillsandThrills - cool, thanks! I'll pay it a remembrance visit next year. Been over 20 years since I was in Blackpool last. Glad it's still around
Anyway - back to @Lift Hills and Thrills - great vid mate. Went on Hex year it opened. massive upgrade on the original 'swing' and the fact it's tied into the 'history' of the Towers and you feel you are REALLY in a secret hidden vault make it 5 stars for me
My question about Hex has always been this: What is the story behind the painting you're shown before entering the first pre-show? Is it an original? A recreation? Or was it created for the ride? The background does include a reference to lightning striking a tree, but as the legend existed long before the ride, that doesn't really help. If it was created for the ride, they certainly did a good job of making it look authentic
Here I am as one of those guys in the comments who is gonna say what you said is completely and utterly wrong :D At 4:41 you mention that HEX is rare Vekoma madhouse with 78 passangers and that a standard Vekoma madhouse only holds 48 passengers. However, all standard models of the Vekoma madhouse holds up to 78 people (that's the case since the very first madhouse Villa Volta at Efteling), and HEX is nothing different from those. It's only the smaller Vekoma Madhouses which are rare with a maximum of 40 people. Only 2 of the smaller versions are built with The Haunting at DraytonManor and Verließ des Grauens in Belantis. While the standard Vekoma Madhouse with 78 people is much more common with currently 12 in operation. About the swinging. Vekoma has always mentioned 30 degree for the standard model and 15 degree for the small model. I do believe that some staff-member from parks who do these BehindTheScenes tours misinterpreted those stats and convert the 30 degree to +-15 degree in either direction (with a total span of 30 degree). But this is not true and I do believe that for a standard madhouse the swinging indeed goes up to 30 degree in each direction (It's easily recognized from behind the scenes video where at the start of a ride when the drum and gondola moves simultaniously, the drum rotates to precisely 30 degree before rotating the other way). For this as well, this is the case for all Vekoma madhouses except for the small onces obviously Edit: I see that someone in the comments as a mad house engineer has already commented about the passenger size and the swinging. Although I believe he is still incorrect about the swinging
It's more my point of it being rare in this country with many others LEGOLAND, Drayton etc opting for the smaller seated madhouses making them less rare than Hex in this country.
@@LiftHillsandThrills But Legoland is actually a standard one as well with 78 people. I don't blame you, I have heard different sources from Alton towers claiming HEX was much more unique with increased ride capacity and increased swinging as well, but those claims are actually unfounded
@@Mennoo_ Are you sure? Monster House is TINY compared to Hex. It's the same size as The Haunting (at least looks wise) I've never looked into capacity of Monster House. Update - The LEGOLAND website itself says 76 riders, Haunting 40 riders and Hex 78 riders.
@@LiftHillsandThrills Interesting that Legoland's website says 76. Could be weight related. The difference between a small and big one is easily recognized. The small one has a set of 3 benches per row over 4 rows where per bench around 3 to 4 people can sit. A bigger madhouse like HEX and MonsterParty as well has a set of 5 benches per row with room for 4 people per bench. This indeed would give room for 80 people to sit on it, but the limit has always been set on 78 due to weight safety. Maybe Legoland has set this down to 76 for additional safety or something. I wouldn't know about that. 1 thing is for sure tho, The Haunting is waaaay smaller than Monster Party ;)
@@Mennoo_ Yeah The Haunting is tiny! I appreciate the comment but when researching for the video there was a lot of contrasting information on many 'reliable' source websites. Hopefully folks just get a general idea of how it works without worrying too much about size comparisons haha
I'd probably self combust with a choice between the two. I'd just be awkward standing between them both not wanting to do either (unless it was Scarefest then it's straight in Hex and then off to Th13teen for a night ride (the only time I can tolerate it)
I’m going to Alton towers on Friday for 1 day, I hate roller coasters and tbh rides in general so I am so scared. I feel that I’m gonna get forced on at least this one. I think I’ll be able to do this one but things like the smiler I would literally have a panic attack in the queue
Funny enough first time I saw this I sussed it was based on the Victorian haunted swing idea. There's a smaller simpler version in Blackpool, even though it's far smaller it's still just as a effective mind fk as it's bigger brother in Alton
Watching this to get my nerve back for Thursday , it terrifies me ( most normal people are scared of smiler 😂 ) I’ve been on loads but I still feel like shit after I might try it again but I’m not sure I’ll ever like it 🤦🏻♀️
In behind the scenes footage (on RUclips) the member of staff saying they’re hydraulic whilst pointing at the electric motors 😂 I imagine it’s both. At a guess I’d say the pendulum was a hydraulic pump movement and the drum was electric motor controlled, thanks for commenting!
@@LiftHillsandThrills yeah it looks that way, the drum motors sound like electrical motors, unless it is the gear boxes on the front that makes that sound. It didn't look like they had any hydraulic hoses connected to them either, and I would expect a hydralic motor to be a lot shorter than the ones moving the drum, since there is no need for large windings inside them like in an electrical motor. But the machanism (or at least what we can see of the mechanism) for the gondola movement is definetly hydraulic. That was a beefy hydraulic pump in the picture you showed. It makes sense as well, I would expect the hydralics to do the slower, heavier movements while the electrical motors do the faster, more light-weight movements. And no probs, thanks for replying! I love ur channel so it's always nice to comment :)
@@genericaccount7422 You definitely know more than I do but it’s been hard to research I was going to go into details of how much it cost, and loads of sites say it cost £4M (even Wikipedia but how reliable are they?) then the same staff member (motor pointer guy) say it was £2M 😂 Appreciate the kind words! Means a lot. Sean
@@LiftHillsandThrills 3D and make it looks like the tree branches are falling on top of you or before the ride have the old lady witch jump out on you cursing you for coming to the park
It’s crazy as the ride is literally moving like a toddler swinging ship you’d see at a funfair but the illusion from the barrel knocks me sick everytime too. Really does confuse your body!
@@LiftHillsandThrills we went on it yesterday, not knowing what it was. My 13 year old daughter cried all through the illusion and I had to concentrate so hard not to vomit. We couldn't work out how it works, your video helped to understand what happened. The way it messes with your mind and body is crazy. Makes me feel sick just thinking about it.
i wouldn't mind the pre show if the audio wasn't so raspy and loud. Its very muffled and hard to here yet really loud at the same time. So it hurts your ears. They beed a new speaker system for it
Thanks for checking out this video! If you like this video thank you for your support, if you dislike this video, thank you for your support! If you know of any additional hidden secrets behind Hex then please do leave them in the comments box below!
I remember the first time on Hex, actually made me feel sick as I thought we were upside down haha. Love it now as it normally doesnt have much of a queue during nice days and great for the kids. It is really well made.
It’s very clever!
Went on this ride for the first time on Thursday as it was my first time at Alton Towers. Ended up doing the ride 4 times in 2 days and enjoyed it a lot. Am not a coaster person, but do love stuff like this that tricks you into thinking it's doing something it's not.
Fun note when you leave the ride and walk along the long passage your basically walking around underneath the way in to get back into the main building before you exit the towers themself, but the blending between the show room and the real building is done so well, you don't even notice the fact at all, and you pop out from the other side of the octagram room where the final preshow is.
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
It's been ~10 years since my visit to AT and this is the ride I remember the most! Can't wait to go again!
Let’s hope you can visit sometime soon!
I love how the first half of the ride takes place inside the actual Towers ruins and also how well hidden the actual ride building is. Makes me wonder what the reactions were like from local conservation groups when the ride was being constructed
They blended it perfectly!
Umm the actual towers is the hotel on the other side of the lake
Great video! My first time on Hex I had no idea what it was and I was grateful to have a sit down - then the ride started and my motion sickness kicked in slightly 🤣. I’ve done 4 Vekoma madhouses and Hex is my favourite but I agree about the pre show - like Derren Browns Ghost Train it would be brilliant if they had an option to skip the pre show as it does become tedious after a while
Thanks for watching and I agree, it's a bit ridiculous to keep going through it over and over and over. Great for first timers but if you've been a handful of times it'll just grate.
What other madhouses have you ridden?
@jarmoliebrand2005 not sure if that question was for me but I’ll answer anyway 🤣. I’ve only done 4 - Hex at Alton Towers, Haunted House Monster Party at Legoland Windsor, Villa Volta at Efteling and Feng Ju Palace at Phantasialand
Great video! Glad we could help with the POV!
Thank you so much dude!
Love the 'old abandoned' smell you get on this ride.
Aromaprime do a great job with the scents!
Personally I love the entire experience including the pre-show!
I’m just a very impatient person Mark aha thanks for watching
I still remember the smell of being inside the place xD
Aromaprime do a great job with the scents
Same it was like that old musty smell like an old persons attic
@@ARL2D2 Funnily enough the smell used in the Attic scare maze (and Duel for that matter) is just a slightly tweaked Hex scent
@Tanaya Ward i like it kinda xp
It smelled damp and old
I just went to alton towers and I went on hex for the first time. Me and my family after we’re so confused how it worked! It was a really good ride though
Even after making this video and knowing how it works, it still manages to confuse / intrigue me haha
Ive only done thie ride twice. The first time was in 2014 when I was 10 and it terrified me so much because the illusion was so powerful. My second ride was in 2021 where i had been an enthusiast for some time so I knew a bit about how it works. Great ride and I wish it was open more often
It’s a shame it’s down for the rest of this season but they’re investing money into it so I can’t see it leaving anytime soon
I think the pre show is what creates the atmosphere of the ride and history. It wouldn’t be the same if I’d skipped the pre show ☺️
It's great if it's your first time on the ride but for regular visitors... my god don't we wish we could skip it 99% of the time (same with the Wicker Man pre-show for me)
@@LiftHillsandThrills well I suppose your right I went on the wicker man for the first time and I loved the pre show and I guess now in the future I’ll be just wanting to get on the ride 😂☺️
Thanks so much for making this video. I have just been on HEX and ever since I got off I have wondered how it works and what actually happens inside. 👍🏻
My absolute pleasure :)
Last week I visited Warner Bros Movie Park in Madrid and rode the "Haunted Hotel" which happens to be an identical version of this ride, also by Vekoma. Ours is also 78 passengers and 30 degree tilt. I'm so used to it that I cannot imagine it being any smaller or tilt any less tbh. It feels great and I absolutely love it. Greetings from Spain!
Greetings! I was at Parque Warner a few months ago. Loved it!
This was so interesting!! Unfortunately I haven’t been to Alton towers since I was really young (like 8 years old) but at Legoland they have a ride called Monster dance party and the ride is just like this! It was sooo trippy and I was so curious to learn how it worked and this has defo explained it!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Yes exactly the same ride at LEGOLAND just smaller in capacity and actual size of the ride system. Have a lovely weekend!
Great video explaining it perfectly, i close my eyes cos i hate the upside down feeling and it feels like being on a swing in the wind, a great way to meditate 😃👍
It gets my stomach everytime despite it not really doing much at all!
Love Hex. It was my first ever madhouse as a kid and I was convinced that I had been upside down.
Haha yeah it’s crazy how it works isn’t it. Whether we’ll see it return again or not remains to be seen
@@LiftHillsandThrills we will see it return 😂😂😂😂😂
@@altonalex1235 Oh this is only temporary dude... it's still got some major issues
i like the feeling of your mind being tricked, because you know you aren't upside down but your eyes see different
Agreed
One of my favourite dark rides going😊
It’s a solid ride. Does the pre show get annoying for you with you going on it so many times it’s it just an all round experience for you Emma?
@@LiftHillsandThrills it’s just an all round experience really like the whole theming of it gives it the experience really😊
@@emmalee2458 Aw that's great to hear! I have to be honest I'm usually keeping myself occupied with something else when the pre-show is on, I just wanna get in there and ride the thing haha far too impatient me. Appreciate the comment! Sean
I just rode Legoland's Haunted House Monster Party and I just immediately needed to know how the ride worked, I had some idea but this video was great, thank you! Just so disappointed at how nauseated it made me feel, I love a good rollercoaster but I couldn't believe how disorientated I felt when I came off of it, it is so clever and even though I knew we weren't going upside down how it manages to always trick your mind is so amazing! But sadly I don't think I could go on any madhouse ride again after how it made me feel haha!
haha no worries, appreciate you watching!
2 days ago, i rode villa volta. i immediately need to know: how does the door rotate? thankfully, i came out confused, but completely fine. im still very curious about how exactly it works. how does the light flicker? how does it ACTUALLY seem like your upside down? why does the door rotate along with the entire room!
It’s so cool reading this comment section to see English people have the same sort of nostalgia/awe/frightening experiences as we do here in the Netherlands with Villa Volta. The first (few) rides were scary. But it did (and still does) capture my imagination. Ever since I’ve known how it works… I deliberately try not to look at the thing that break the illusion.
Despite knowing the secret it still doesn’t change it for me, I appreciate it more. Sadly Hex has now been given an updated lighting package that now resembles a high school disco so sadly all of the mystique and darkness of the storyline has been ruined somewhat
@@LiftHillsandThrillsI think Hex still does look really cool. I have this sense of nostalgia and love for Villa Volta, but Hex is the madhouse that seems really interesting as well. I do love how both rides incorporate local myths into their stories. The preshows do drag on upon reriding, but the actual stories are really quite good. And how is it that madhouses get such amazing music? The way the rides are synched to music is just super immersive (I’m not sure if Hex is synched to the music, or if the music is synched to the ride… I do know that is the case with Villa Volta for sure).
I went on this yesterday and freaked out!!! It was the worst experience for me. I felt claustrophobic and so disorientated I had a panic attack. Never again! I am sad I know 😞
It’s certainly not for everyone!
Aww bless you, it can be a very unusual feeling and an assault on the vestibular system for sure! I used to love it but now getting older and suffering from vestibular migraine I just wouldn't be able to handle it anymore.
@@jenelines8471 As a vestibular migraine sufferer myself I cannot stand Hex 😂 yet I’m absolutely fine on the coasters… weird
@@LiftHillsandThrills same here! Nice to "meet" a fellow member of the weird world of vestibular migraine x
I went on for the first time today. Didnt quite have a panic attack but I was shaking worse than almost any ride I've ever been on 😂 I can't explain why but it's an absolute nope for me
Just been on Hex today, it was incredibly aursom. Made my visit so magical, better than the crazy fast roller coaster rides. ! A beautiful place to discover xxx especially for Halloween 🎃
Agreed. Perfect time of year for it! X
The Efteling in the Netherlands also as a Madhouse called Villa Volta, and was actually the first one of its sort! When we go to the Efteling this is also one of the rides I just have to go on!
Efteling is one park I must visit at some point!
@@LiftHillsandThrills it's a beautiful place I loved visiting
@@LiftHillsandThrillsvisited it 2 days ago, saw 4 things new:
1st, i rode MEM for the first time.
2nd, i saw raveleijn.
3rd, i rode villa volta, my very first madhouse.
4th, i saw aquanura.... with lights on. it was the last show of the day.
@@danielcappelle3233 Did you have a good time that's the main thing! Aquanura is beautiful!
Love hex but I agree the preshow is quite a drag once you’ve seen it a few times
Great if you’ve never been before of course but yeah it dragsssss
Great video and love your presentation style, like you are talking to a friend :)
Ah thanks buddy! I’m glad that comes across. Always here to chat! Sean
I love Hex and did you know that the actual chained oak tree is a few yards away from the park entrance close to the Chained Oak B&B.
It sure is although I’ve never been to see it
My Mum's Godfather is the narrator in the pre-show video for this. You may all know him as Mr Carson in Downton Abbey, I just know him as "Uncle Jim" 😍😍😍😍
Brilliant 😀
😮 I love the pre ride bits, always have... It's currently shut down for update. Hope it opens soon!
They’ve been so slow with it.. I’m sure it’ll open sometime this next century
@@LiftHillsandThrills This aged well.....
Omg at 5 23 I went to school with the operator 😂😂😂
😂😂
I feel sad that it only has 66 likes.
I liked the video
Haha thanks for watching Neil.
Sean with those technical words 😎
For a split second I was convinced I was educated
Would love a video like this on DBGT explaining how it’s done as we have had many debate how it’s done
There’s already a video out there dude I watched it a few weeks ago but couldn’t for the life of me tell you what channel it was on!
Great video! I dont know what they can do but i think its time for a spruce up of the ride!
Just shorten the pre-show for me and I’m happy aha
@@LiftHillsandThrills yup the first show after the turnstyle should be scrapped.
The start is really boring and drags but the ride really triggered my vertigo I couldn’t even walk of the ride but you can’t not go on for a second time it’s fun and deffo messes with your head for a while great video ! ;)
Yeah the pre show is SOOO long but the rides pretty cool!
We have been on this numerous times but the first time was years ago (Probably when it was new) and my dad has vertigo and didn't realise what the ride was actually about, fair to say he's never gone on it since. His favourite ride is Oblivion.
It’s definitely not great to experience with vertigo, it’s why I rarely go on it!
@@LiftHillsandThrills Yea he used to go on every ride but nowadays he stays away from the nauseating stuff 😂
I remember the first time when i was on Hex almost a year or two ago. I was crying by the time i got off it.
It’s a strange experience that’s for sure!
I cried when I first did this and now ,9 years later I know how it works
Taadaa
Great Video!
Thanks bud!
No worries 😃
Good video, as a past engineer on a mad house I will dispell some information in that video.
The ride is not tilted when you enter it, seeing as the Towers are not tilted, you would notice this tilt as you enter the vault, something which you do not do.
The 15 degrees quoted is technically correct. The 78 seater madhouse such as Hex has a maximum tilt range of 30 degrees, which is 15 degrees of tilt in each direction. The 40 seater model has.a 15 degree tilt range. 7.5 degree each way. This does not make the tilt less though. The tighter circumference of the smaller model means less swing is required to achieve the same effect.
Finally, there is nothing special about Hex in terms of it's size. The 78 seater model is the standard one. Most installs around the world are the same model as Hex. It is intact the 40 seater model which is much more rare. Drayton Manor have a 40 seater model. Legoland Wondosr and Alton Towers have the 78 seater model.
Thanks for watching / thanks for the input!
I remember back in the day they had people in vault as restoration builders.
In the queue line? I can’t remember that
Sean, couldnt agree more about Hex, once a year Scarefest for me too, Towers is way more fun at Scarefest
Such a great event and with the theming of Hex added with the atmosphere of Scarefest, it’s a must do especially coming out of the towers at night.
@@LiftHillsandThrills just something about Towers i prefure st Scarefest. The history behind the place just wow.
@@ChazzCoombes Agreed
@@LiftHillsandThrills Towers ain't even my local park, lol. 4 hours drive but worth it and cant just have one day there must be 2 or 3 at a time
@@ChazzCoombes That’s the dream. Just live there aha
It's a great ride
Agreed
You mentioned the preshow getting boring but I really like the atmosphere tbh but then again I only get to the towers 2-3 times a year
Yeah 2-3 times a year is manageable. Whilst I love the theming being forced to watch long videos (not one but two) winds me up Everytime 😂 I was usually there once a week and now I just keep Hex to a once a year experience. Thanks for watching JT!
Lift Hills and Thrills yeah that's fair enough mate, some of us don't have the luxury of local theme parks 😂
@@jt8643 I wish I didn’t, I’d be much better off financially 😂😂
Bro its so trippy
It is dude, even when you know how it works it still confuses me
It's an updated version of the old 'Haunted Swing' first invented in the 1890's. Blackpool used to have one with Issac Newton and his apple outside. It started in 1955 (it was a C classed ride back in the 1980s) I heard it got absorbed into a mash of the Hall of Mirrors and the old Fun House. dunno if it's still there - should be listed if it is!
It’s still in the impossible building I believe
@@LiftHillsandThrills - cool, thanks! I'll pay it a remembrance visit next year. Been over 20 years since I was in Blackpool last. Glad it's still around
Anyway - back to @Lift Hills and Thrills - great vid mate. Went on Hex year it opened. massive upgrade on the original 'swing' and the fact it's tied into the 'history' of the Towers and you feel you are REALLY in a secret hidden vault make it 5 stars for me
@@paulmckean5692 Definitely an attraction that has grown on me these last two years that’s for sure
@@LiftHillsandThrills I definitely need to go back
My question about Hex has always been this: What is the story behind the painting you're shown before entering the first pre-show? Is it an original? A recreation? Or was it created for the ride? The background does include a reference to lightning striking a tree, but as the legend existed long before the ride, that doesn't really help. If it was created for the ride, they certainly did a good job of making it look authentic
That’s a good question that I sadly don’t know the answer to
Just come back from Alton Towers. Hex was closed on both days I was there.☹️
It’s going to be closed for a while I feel 😞
Here I am as one of those guys in the comments who is gonna say what you said is completely and utterly wrong :D
At 4:41 you mention that HEX is rare Vekoma madhouse with 78 passangers and that a standard Vekoma madhouse only holds 48 passengers. However, all standard models of the Vekoma madhouse holds up to 78 people (that's the case since the very first madhouse Villa Volta at Efteling), and HEX is nothing different from those. It's only the smaller Vekoma Madhouses which are rare with a maximum of 40 people. Only 2 of the smaller versions are built with The Haunting at DraytonManor and Verließ des Grauens in Belantis. While the standard Vekoma Madhouse with 78 people is much more common with currently 12 in operation.
About the swinging. Vekoma has always mentioned 30 degree for the standard model and 15 degree for the small model. I do believe that some staff-member from parks who do these BehindTheScenes tours misinterpreted those stats and convert the 30 degree to +-15 degree in either direction (with a total span of 30 degree). But this is not true and I do believe that for a standard madhouse the swinging indeed goes up to 30 degree in each direction (It's easily recognized from behind the scenes video where at the start of a ride when the drum and gondola moves simultaniously, the drum rotates to precisely 30 degree before rotating the other way). For this as well, this is the case for all Vekoma madhouses except for the small onces obviously
Edit: I see that someone in the comments as a mad house engineer has already commented about the passenger size and the swinging. Although I believe he is still incorrect about the swinging
It's more my point of it being rare in this country with many others LEGOLAND, Drayton etc opting for the smaller seated madhouses making them less rare than Hex in this country.
@@LiftHillsandThrills But Legoland is actually a standard one as well with 78 people. I don't blame you, I have heard different sources from Alton towers claiming HEX was much more unique with increased ride capacity and increased swinging as well, but those claims are actually unfounded
@@Mennoo_ Are you sure? Monster House is TINY compared to Hex. It's the same size as The Haunting (at least looks wise) I've never looked into capacity of Monster House. Update - The LEGOLAND website itself says 76 riders, Haunting 40 riders and Hex 78 riders.
@@LiftHillsandThrills Interesting that Legoland's website says 76. Could be weight related.
The difference between a small and big one is easily recognized. The small one has a set of 3 benches per row over 4 rows where per bench around 3 to 4 people can sit.
A bigger madhouse like HEX and MonsterParty as well has a set of 5 benches per row with room for 4 people per bench. This indeed would give room for 80 people to sit on it, but the limit has always been set on 78 due to weight safety. Maybe Legoland has set this down to 76 for additional safety or something. I wouldn't know about that.
1 thing is for sure tho, The Haunting is waaaay smaller than Monster Party ;)
@@Mennoo_ Yeah The Haunting is tiny! I appreciate the comment but when researching for the video there was a lot of contrasting information on many 'reliable' source websites. Hopefully folks just get a general idea of how it works without worrying too much about size comparisons haha
Best ride in the UK - The pre-show is excellent. Did they previously put scare actors in the second pre-show room during scarefest?
Not that I ever experienced personally or know about I’m afraid but it certainly sounds plausible
@@LiftHillsandThrills Im sure it happened - I probably went like 10 years ago 😂
I went Saturday (for scarefest 2022) and I was convinced there were going to be people jumping out. But nope.
I went on this I ended up lead on my back screaming!
Aw 😂 bless you
I didn't go on this last year, went on thirteen instead. Silly me 😆
I'd probably self combust with a choice between the two. I'd just be awkward standing between them both not wanting to do either (unless it was Scarefest then it's straight in Hex and then off to Th13teen for a night ride (the only time I can tolerate it)
Rode on it yesterday scarey
Glad you enjoyed it!
love every moment im a theme expert so i knew before
Appreciate you watching all the same Neil, I'm absolutely no expert haha
I’m going to Alton towers on Friday for 1 day, I hate roller coasters and tbh rides in general so I am so scared. I feel that I’m gonna get forced on at least this one.
I think I’ll be able to do this one but things like the smiler I would literally have a panic attack in the queue
None of the big rides are open until March so you’ll be safe
@@LiftHillsandThrills YESSSSS
Bin on hexs it is amazing
It's a very unique ride! :)
Funny enough first time I saw this I sussed it was based on the Victorian haunted swing idea. There's a smaller simpler version in Blackpool, even though it's far smaller it's still just as a effective mind fk as it's bigger brother in Alton
It rarely operates nowadays but there sure is, I wouldn’t mind going on the one in Blackpool if it ever opens one day
am I the only one that felt light headed when u sat on the seats and it spun upside down?
You're definitely not the only one. I get that quite a lot too
@@LiftHillsandThrills frfr I felt like my head went missing
Watching this to get my nerve back for Thursday , it terrifies me ( most normal people are scared of smiler 😂 )
I’ve been on loads but I still feel like shit after I might try it again but I’m not sure I’ll ever like it 🤦🏻♀️
Best of luck aha
@@LiftHillsandThrills it just feels wrong , I might just do smiler twice instead 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I never knew the motors for the drum were hydraulic ones... They look like electrical ones
In behind the scenes footage (on RUclips) the member of staff saying they’re hydraulic whilst pointing at the electric motors 😂 I imagine it’s both. At a guess I’d say the pendulum was a hydraulic pump movement and the drum was electric motor controlled, thanks for commenting!
@@LiftHillsandThrills yeah it looks that way, the drum motors sound like electrical motors, unless it is the gear boxes on the front that makes that sound. It didn't look like they had any hydraulic hoses connected to them either, and I would expect a hydralic motor to be a lot shorter than the ones moving the drum, since there is no need for large windings inside them like in an electrical motor.
But the machanism (or at least what we can see of the mechanism) for the gondola movement is definetly hydraulic. That was a beefy hydraulic pump in the picture you showed. It makes sense as well, I would expect the hydralics to do the slower, heavier movements while the electrical motors do the faster, more light-weight movements.
And no probs, thanks for replying! I love ur channel so it's always nice to comment :)
@@genericaccount7422 You definitely know more than I do but it’s been hard to research I was going to go into details of how much it cost, and loads of sites say it cost £4M (even Wikipedia but how reliable are they?) then the same staff member (motor pointer guy) say it was £2M 😂
Appreciate the kind words! Means a lot. Sean
wait so it doesnt go upside down?
oh man now that i know this im going to have lots of fun
It doesn’t. Enjoy!
This ride scarred me when I was about 5 ish. Screw you hex! 😆
This was in 2000 - 02 'ish. We were posted a RAF Lakenheath at the time!
My dad was Usaf (US air force).
😂 I remember taking someone’s kid on Duel at 4 years old and it had the same impact 😂
Somehow I get dizzier on this than the smiler.
It’s definitely a headache inducing ride aha
@@LiftHillsandThrills well not as much as colossus, now that’s a ride that gives you a headache
I really hope hex gets some love one day I hope they make it more crazy (⊙_◎) one day if any one knows the plans for hex in the future let me know
How could they make it more crazy?
@@LiftHillsandThrills 3D and make it looks like the tree branches are falling on top of you or before the ride have the old lady witch jump out on you cursing you for coming to the park
This ride made me more sick than smiler
Me too 😅
Short answer it doesn’t work 😉😂
Aha not at the moment
Horrible horrible ride, NEVER AGAIN! How I wasn't sick I don't know but it seriously messed me up for a good hour afterwards.
It’s crazy as the ride is literally moving like a toddler swinging ship you’d see at a funfair but the illusion from the barrel knocks me sick everytime too. Really does confuse your body!
@@LiftHillsandThrills we went on it yesterday, not knowing what it was. My 13 year old daughter cried all through the illusion and I had to concentrate so hard not to vomit. We couldn't work out how it works, your video helped to understand what happened. The way it messes with your mind and body is crazy. Makes me feel sick just thinking about it.
@@sarahcrawford7254 I hope you had a good day regardless y’know.. outside of Hex haha
@@LiftHillsandThrills absolutely brilliant day 👍🏼
@@sarahcrawford7254 That’s good to hear!
it doesn't
😂
As of 2023 it doesn't!!!
right.... :(
simple it doesnt
Think it'll ever reopen?
i wouldn't mind the pre show if the audio wasn't so raspy and loud. Its very muffled and hard to here yet really loud at the same time. So it hurts your ears. They beed a new speaker system for it
They really do Emily! I did it today and could barely hear a thing when the music kicks in and distorts the vocals