GOLIATH

Six Flags Fiesta

This suspended B&M coaster, in its third incarnation (formerly known as Gambit and Batman:The Ride before being transplanted to Six Flags Fiesta) seats four across and ascends the 105-ft. lift hill directly from the station as soon as the train is dispatched. It then drops 80 feet at an angle before traversing the first of two tight loops.  This is immediately followed by a zero-g roll and the second loop.  I thought that the sequence of inversions contributed a lot to the overall ride experience.  Altogether there are 5 inversions including 2 corkscrews and a couple of other nice elements, most notably a helix and a downward turn that gave me the sensation of free flying.  It’s definitely a fun ride but in my opinion nothing exceptional.  3 out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Six Flags Fiesta, visit  www.sixflags.com/fiestatexas/‎

BOOMERANG COAST TO COASTER

Six Flags Fiesta

I’d done a similar ride before but on a smaller scale, so that this was to some extent a fresh experience.  An inverted coaster in operation at a number of Six Flags parks, Boomerang Coast to Coaster goes through the second part of the ride exactly in reverse of the first part.  Although not much fazes me when it comes to roller coasters and I consider myself a seasoned veteran, I must admit that the first part of the ride had me completely unnerved.  Being pulled up the first lift hill backwards made me feel as if I was about to pitch forward at any moment and I had to brace myself hard with my feet.  This was slow torture.   Before reaching the top of the 116-foot lift hill - and none too soon, from my perspective - the catch car releases the train, sending the riders hurtling downhill through the loading station before rocketing up into a cobra roll followed by a vertical loop.  The train then ascends a second lift hill, facing forward, and without warning is sent downhill backwards before going through the 3 inversions in reverse.  I found that going down the second hill backwards was a lot easier than going up the first hill backwards but also found the inversions more disorienting when experienced in reverse.   Boomerang is a ride that packs quite a punch - maximum G-force is 5.2 - but it’s not for everyone and I personally found it to be a bit much.   One thing I will say in its favor is that the ride is relatively smooth.   I was comparing it with Flashback at Six Flags New England and while Flashback is a headbanger, Boomerang is not. 2 ½ out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Six Flags Fiesta, visit www.sixflags.com/fiestatexas/‎

POLTERGEIST

Six Flags Fiesta

This linear induction motor launch coaster is different from anything I had ridden before due to the configuration of the track.   The track is contained within a remarkably compact area, much more so than even the space taken up by a compact twister such as the Coney Island Cyclone.  The ride begins with a launch out of the station from 0 to 60mph and I must say that the launch was a blast. After the launch to just under 80 feet (no, this is not a tall coaster) the train goes through a number of twists and turns within this limited area, so that the rider has the sensation of going around in circles.  The ride features 4 inversions, including a cobra roll, sidewinder, and near the end of the ride, corkscrew.  This was my first time on an inverted coaster without a harness and I decided that it would be good practice for my upcoming ride on Outlaw Run (which has nothing in common with Poltergeist other than a lap bar as the primary restraint).  Of note is that the maximum G force is a whopping 4.5.  Poltergeist is a fun ride with elements that give it novelty value but nothing so exceptional that I would be dying to get back on it.  3 out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Six Flags Fiesta, visit www.sixflags.com/fiestatexas/‎

SUPERMAN KRYPTON COASTER

Six Flags Fiesta

This floorless coaster is purportedly the fastest B&M coaster of its type, with a top speed of 70mph.   It features some exquisite scenery and nice, long (4,025 ft.) track.  As the ride is dispatched, the floor drops out and the train, with riders sitting four across, climbs a 168-foot lift hill which hangs over a cliff.   The train then enters a helix, drops 163 feet at a deliciously wicked right angle and shoots up into a pretty impressive 145-foot vertical loop, followed by a zero-g roll.   There are six inversions in all, the other four being a cobra roll and double corkscrew.  I thought that the combination of elements in such a scenic setting made for a very good ride.  And at 2:35, you get a lot of ride.  I liked Superman Krypton Coaster enough to ride it three times in succession .and thought that it stacks up well against other inverted coasters I’ve ridden.  4 out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Six Flags Fiesta, visit www.sixflags.com/fiestatexas/‎

BATMAN: THE RIDE

SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE

I had observed Batman: The Ride from the loading area of Nitro on numerous occasions and never felt the slightest inclination to ride it because I’d heard that it was sufficiently disorienting to induce headaches and nausea.  However, I was ready for a new experience and decided to take the plunge.  A suspended coaster with multiple inversions, Batman is in operation at a number of Six Flags parks although there are differences in the ride from park to park so this review will be confined to the one at Six Flags Great Adventure.   The ride is nicely themed, accessed through a tunnel, and boarded in a dark area no doubt designed to resemble the Batcave.  Once dispatched, the train climbs the 105-ft. lift hill, drops on a curve and immediately traverses the periphery of a very tight loop.  (The loop is so tight that for the train to actually travel inside the loop would be an impossibility.)  It then goes into a zero-g roll and around another loop before a drop followed by two corkscrews.   What struck me most about this ride was the intensity and relentlessness.  This is a coaster with very abrupt directional changes which occur sequentially and rapidly, leaving the rider with no time to regroup.  I didn’t know whether I was coming or going.   The maximum g-force is 4 and it can certainly be felt. Parenthetically, I had struck up a conversation with a young couple who got on the ride just before I did.  When the one train that was running at the time returned to the station, I asked them what they thought of the ride and the guy said “She’s going to be sick!”  This did not bode well, as I was next to ride, but contrary to my expectations, I actually enjoyed the ride.   The feeling of disorientation and dizzying inversions were to some extent thrilling.  However, I must say that although I did not become nauseated, I did feel lightheaded at the end of the ride and decided that it was a good time to get some lunch, chill out and regain my equilibrium.  I would not recommend Batman: The Ride to anyone prone to motion sickness but would recommend it to anyone else interested in having a good ride.  3 ½ out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Six Flags Great Adventure, visit www.sixflags.com/greatadventure/

SUPERMAN: ULTIMATE FLIGHT

SUPERMAN AT SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE

The most intriguing thing about this coaster, in operation at several Six Flags parks, is the concept and its implementation, the concept being flight simulation.   This is achieved by pronating the train prior to dispatch so that the riders are riding face down.  For me, this was a novelty and although I suppose that the intention was to create a sensation of flying freely, I found that it contributed to a heightened sense of vulnerability.  I knew that my harness was nice and snug but nevertheless felt as if I was going to pitch forward and fall out of the train at any moment during the ascent of the 106-foot lift hill.  The train drops 100 feet and shortly thereafter proceeds into its signature element, a 78-foot pretzel loop (see 4^th photograph).  This is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the ride, partly because of the sudden, unexpected acceleration and plunge to the ground.   Other notable elements of the ride are two horseshoe turns and a nice inline twist.  I tried to capture this last element in the 3^rd photograph but it didn’t come out very well, as you can’t see the train rolling over.   Anyway, Superman: Ultimate Flight provides an interesting, different and fun ride experience.  The only thing I definitely disliked was having to maintain this posture (see 5^th photograph) at the end of the ride for several minutes, with my hair falling all over my face, while stuck outside the loading area waiting for the next train to be dispatched.  3 out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Six Flags Great Adventure, visit www.sixflags.com/greatadventure/

SHEIKRA

Busch Gardens Tampa

This was to some extent déjà vu, as I knew that SheiKra was very similar in design to Griffon, another dive coaster, at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.   Still, it was a different coaster and a new experience, one well worth having.  Whereas Griffon consists of 3 rows that seat 10 across, SheiKra consists of 3 rows that seat 8 across.   As the ride is dispatched, the floor drops out, the train makes a right turn to the 200-foot lift hill and at the top of the  hill, makes a U-turn to the first drop.   It hangs the riders over the drop for some very suspenseful seconds – and like Griffon, affords a breathtaking view of the park – before abruptly dropping them 200 feet at a 90-degree angle.   Awesome!  Although I’d been through this drill twice before, hanging over a precipice and going almost straight down is always a thrill.   This is followed by a 140-foot Immelmann loop and a second drop of 138 feet.  At the second drop, the riders once again hang over the edge before plunging into a tunnel.    I thought that the tunnel was a nice touch.  The splashdown after a turnaround is more like a splash-up, as the water sprays out as the train reaches the bottom of the turn and goes up into a helix.  The riders don’t get wet but anyone standing outside the ride close to the track had better watch out!  SheiKra is a thrilling coaster with an unusual twist.  4 ½ out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides a Busch Gardens Tampa, visit seaworldparks.com/buschgardens-tampa

CHEETAH HUNT

Busch Gardens Tampa

Cheetah Hunt is a linear synchronous motor launch coaster with an unusual twist.  Unlike the other LSM/LIM coasters I’ve ridden – Maverick and Volcano, The Blast Coaster – which are stationary on a launch track prior to the launch, Cheetah Hunt seems to be actually in motion at the time of the launches, at least for the second and third.   I could be mistaken about this but that was my perception and the fact that there are no brake runs before the second and third launches tends to support my theory.  Anyway, the ride begins with a launch out of the station at a modest speed and shortly thereafter launches the riders to the maximum speed of 60mph, just before a 102-foot hill.   The third launch takes place toward the end of the ride.   In the meantime, riders are taken through overbanked turns and helixes, and dropped into a subterranean trench.   Among the best moments of the ride, apart from the launches, are those in which the train makes abrupt changes of direction and those in which it seems dangerously close to the ground.  The ride features only one inversion, a heartline roll, but the heartline roll is enough to really knock you for a loop, sorry about the mixed metaphor.  And 4 g’s ain’t bad, baby.   There’s an interesting figure-8 layout at the top of the ride, displayed in one of the photographs.   I knew nothing about this coaster before riding it so had no idea that it was a launch coaster.    Was I ever surprised!   The sudden, unexpected acceleration makes for a thrilling ride.  I thought that this coaster was nicely themed, and the sudden bursts of speed very much in character with cheetah on the hunt.  Cheetah Hunt is a lot of fun, one of the most entertaining coasters I’ve ridden.  It’s easy to see why the ride is so popular and the queue to get on it is so long.  4  out of 5 stars.   First photograph by Martin Lewison, with kind permission of the author.  (As you can see, my own photographs are less than optimal because they were taken at dusk and in one I accidentally caught an unsuspecting passerby in the foreground.)   For more information about rides at Busch Gardens Tampa, visit seaworldparks.com/buschgardens-tampa/

GWAZI

Busch Gardens Tampa

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Busch Gardens in Tampa actually has a wooden coaster.  (Busch Gardens in Williamsburg does not.)  In fact, Gwazi turned out to be the one big surprise of my visit to this park.    Although I expected the steel coasters to be good because I knew a little about them by reputation, my expectations of this one were low because it clearly wasn’t in the same class as El Toro or The Voyage.  However, and this is what was so surprising, it far exceeded my expectations.  It contains all the elements of a good wooden coaster.   After making a right turn from the loading area, the train drops into a tunnel before ascending the lift hill and dropping 91 feet.  Not a big drop but one that can be appreciated for its airtime.   Although the coaster is not particularly fast (51 mph), because of the succession of banked turns and length of the ride (2:30) at a steady clip, my perception was that it was going faster than it actually was.  One of the highlights of the ride was a plunge into total darkness.  I rode at night and this greatly enhanced the experience.   You get a lot of ride on this coaster because of the substantial length of the track.  And because the old trains were replaced some time in 2011, the ride is not nearly as rough as it purportedly was with the old trains.  I should point out that until recently Gwazi was a duelling coaster, with separate entrances for the Lion and Tiger side.  The Tiger side was closed, I gather permanently, so I can’t conceive of what this ride would be like with two trains operating, but the Lion side stands well on its own.   Gwazi is a gem of a coaster, in my opinion superior to some that are consistently rated higher, such as Lightning Racer.  4 out of 5 stars.   Photograph  by ClaudiaTampa39, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.  (I couldn’t use my own photograph because I can’t get clear images with my camera after dark.)  For more information about rides at Busch Gardens Tampa, visit seaworldparks.com/buschgardens-tampa/