Megafobia

{{Short description|Former wooden roller coaster at Oakwood Theme Park}} {{Infobox roller coaster |name=Megafobia |image=Megafobia-1.jpg  |caption=Megafobia |location=Oakwood Theme Park  |section=  |type=Wood  |type2=  |type3=  |status=Closed |opened= April 1996 |closed= 3 November 2024 |manufacturer=Custom Coasters International  |designer=[[John Wardley]], Dennis McNulty, Larry Bill |model= |track= |lift= |height_ft=85  |drop_ft=  |length_ft=2956  |speed_mph=48  |inversions=0 |duration=1:40 |angle=55  |capacity= |cost= |acceleration= |gforce=2.75 |restriction_cm= 120 |rcdb_number=756  |coordinates={{coord|51.7807|-4.8056|display=title,inline|region:GB_scale:2000}} }} '''Megafobia''' was a [[wooden roller coaster]] located at [[Oakwood Theme Park]] in [[Pembrokeshire]], [[Wales]]. It opened on April 1996 and was built by [[Custom Coasters International]], who wanted a ride to showcase their company's work in [[Europe]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Flint |first=Rachel |author2=Edwards, Oscar |title=Rollercoaster fans mourn 'shock' Oakwood closure|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyjkz1gepro |work=BBC News |date=5 March 2025 |access-date=29 May 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Doran |first=Lorna |title=This is iconic rollercoaster Megafobia as you've never seen it before |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/iconic-rollercoaster-megafobia-youve-never-11519328 |work=WalesOnline |date=24 June 2016 |access-date=29 May 2026}}</ref> It was designed by [[John Wardley]], Dennis McNulty, and Larry Bill. It operated until 3 November 2024.

Megafobia was the first major attraction to be installed at Oakwood Theme Park. It was the most recent wooden roller coaster to be built in the United Kingdom until the opening of [[Wicker Man (roller coaster)|Wicker Man]] at [[Alton Towers]] in 2018.

On 27 January 2023, the park announced that Megafobia would undergo a £1.5 million replacement of its track by [[The Gravity Group]], a project that replaced around 40% of the track and re-profiled certain elements of the layout. Most notably, the first drop became steeper.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-01-27 |title=We’ve got some MEGA news… {{!}} Oakwood Theme Park |url=https://www.oakwoodthemepark.co.uk/blog/park-update-2/weve-got-some-mega-news/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230129003730/https://www.oakwoodthemepark.co.uk/blog/park-update-2/weve-got-some-mega-news/ |archive-date=2023-01-29 |access-date=2025-10-27 |work=Oakwood Theme Park {{!}} Oakwood Theme Park |language=en}}</ref> The updated ride re-opened to the public on 17 July 2023.<ref>{{cite web |title=It's MEGA Monday |url=https://twitter.com/oakwoodthemepk/status/1680851722544062468?s=61&t=Lr316xWnDoRzsxtAbe5Zcw |access-date=18 July 2023 |website=Oakwood Theme Park Twitter Account |publisher=Twitter}}</ref>

On 4 March 2025 it was announced that Oakwood Theme Park and all its rides would be closing indefinitely, with park owner [[Aspro Parks]] citing "challenges presented by the current business environment", and a decline in financial performance "making further investment unsustainable".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fr3ya0akw0od |date=2025-03-04 |title=Oakwood Theme Park to close {{!}} Oakwood Theme Park |url=https://www.oakwoodthemepark.co.uk/blog/sin-categoria/oakwood-theme-park-to-close/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250312161321/https://www.oakwoodthemepark.co.uk/blog/sin-categoria/oakwood-theme-park-to-close/ |archive-date=2025-03-12 |access-date=2025-10-27 |work=Oakwood Theme Park {{!}} Oakwood Theme Park |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Statistics == The ride was 26 metres (85 ft) tall, and reached top speeds of 77 km/h (48 mph). It was 901 metres (2,956 ft) long, and had a maximum vertical angle of 55 degrees. It exerted a maximum of 2.65 [[G-force|Gs]] on riders.

The ride had two trains which were built by [[Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters]]. The trains had six cars that seated four riders in two rows of two each, for a total of 24 riders per train.

==Ride experience== Upon dispatch from the station, the train made a left turn into a small dip before climbing the 26 metre (85 ft) tall chain [[lift hill]]. At the top, the track made a 180-degree left turn, before the train descended the first drop. The first drop passed through the support structure, which was followed by a sweeping left curve and an airtime hill which crossed over the lift hill. After this airtime hill, the track made a 180-degree left turn back towards the lift hill. An [[on-ride camera]] was situated at the exit of this turn. The track turned towards the lift hill again, traversing another airtime hill. The track then made a three-quarter right turn that passed through the lift hill's structure. Immediately following this, the train passed through another airtime hill and crossed over the exit from the first turnaround before turning in a 180-degree right turn and drop. The track weaved under itself and traced back along the earlier pass through the lift hill structure before making a drop and turn to the right. After passing under the second hill, the track made a final right turn and another drop before entering the brake run. Trains then passed through the transfer track and storage area before returning to the station. A full ride experience on Megafobia lasted approximately one minute and 40 seconds.

== Awards == Megafobia was consistently rated among the top wooden coasters in the [[Golden Ticket Awards]] by ''Amusement Today''.

{{GTA table | type = wood | access-date = September 24, 2015 | 1998 = 5 | 1999 = 10 | 2000 = 9 | 2001 = 10 | 2002 = 9 | 2003 = 9 | 2004 = 14 | 2005 = 13 | 2006 = 24 | 2007 = 25 | 2008 = 22 | 2009 = 25 | 2010 = 30 | 2011 = 20 | 2012 = 27 | 2013 = 30 | 2014 = 33 | 2015 = 27 | 2016 = 35 | 2017 = – | 2018 = 46 | 2019 = 44 |gt2020=DnF}}

<gallery> File:Megafobia Oakwood Theme Park.jpg </gallery>

== References == <references />

== External links == *[https://web.archive.org/web/20100709141609/http://www.oakwoodthemepark.co.uk/rides/megafobia.asp Megafobia] at Oakwood's website {{Custom coasters international roller coasters}} {{John Wardley}}

[[Category:Roller coasters in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Roller coasters opened in 1996]] [[Category:Roller coasters closed in 2024]]