TWISTED TIMBERS

Please see my review of Twisted Timbers posted on the CoasterCritic: http://www.coastercritic.com/2018/04/review-twisted-timbers/

BANSHEE AT KINGS ISLAND

Please see my review of Banshee posted on the CoasterCritic: http://www.coastercritic.com/2018/05/review-banshee-kings-island/

WICKER MAN AT ALTON TOWERS

Please see my review of Wicker Man posted on the CoasterCritic: http://www.coastercritic.com/2018/05/review-wicker-man-alton-towers/

THE JOKER - SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE

The Joker – Six Flags Great Adventure

This 4-D free fly coaster from S&S rides has been installed at a number of Six Flags parks.  It’s known as The Joker at all parks with the exception of Six Flags Fiesta Texas, where it’s called Batman: The Ride.  (Of course they had to name it Batman at Fiesta Texas, as it seems that every Six Flags park must have a ride with Batman in the title.)  I’ve ridden the installations at Great Adventure and Fiesta Texas, which are identical, so am basing my review on those and more specifically, The Joker at Great Adventure.

The Joker operates with five vehicles seating four riders in swivelling face-off seats on either side of the track.  (There’s a purple and a green side, representing The DC Comics villain’s signature colors.)  The seats are tilted slightly backward.  When the vehicles are dispatched they ascend a 120-foot 90- degree chain lift hill and riders get contrasting views depending upon which way they are facing.  The inclined seats rock while going up the lift hill, adding to the anticipation.  After reaching the top the seats flip over for the first of half a dozen times, at seemingly random intervals.  As is evident from the photograph, this is a multi-level ride with a series of dips and short hops.  And because there is no way to anticipate when the seats will flip, the ride is utterly chaotic.  There are two 90-degree “raven drops” which feel like free falls.  The riders find themselves facing almost straight down. 

The ride experience is disorienting and unpredictable with everything topsy-turvy.  At times it can be pretty intense and I find that it varies according to weight distribution.  The most intense ride I had occurred when I was riding with two people facing me while there was an empty seat beside me.  The combined weight of the two riders facing me caused me to flip over harder than had I been riding four to a vehicle.  While The Joker is by no means an extreme thrill ride, it’s a fun ride that wreaks havoc with the senses.  3 ½ out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Six Flags Great Adventure, visit https://www.sixflags.com/greatadventure

KUMBA

Overview

Kumba is a steel B&M (Bolliger & Mabillard) “sitting coaster” located at Busch Gardens Tampa.  Operating with four trains (only three are on the track at any given time) seating four across in eight rows for a total capacity of 32 riders, Kumba has been one of the park’s premier attractions since it opened in 1993.  It features seven inversions.  

Fun Facts

Kumba was the first B&M coaster with interlocking corkscrews and a dive loop.  And it’s one of only three in the world with a vertical loop encircling the lift hill.

Ride Experience

The ride begins with a right turn out of the loading station.  The train ascends a 143-foot chain lift hill, navigates a pre-drop and drops 135 feet to the left.  It then goes up into a 114-foot vertical loop followed by a dive loop.  The next element is a zero-g roll which packs a punch.  This leads up into a cobra roll, the last element before the block brake.  After the block brake the train navigates two interlocking corkscrews and flies through two tunnels before returning to the loading station. Kumba means "roar" in South African congo language - and roar it does, with no sand or other dampener to mute the sound of the trains.

Final Thoughts and Rating

Kumba offers a ride which is both thrilling and wonderfully smooth.  The elements flow so fluently that there is no need to brace oneself or ride defensively.  It features a great layout which was copied to at least one later, floorless B&M coaster.   In addition, the ride duration is 2:54, which is longer than that of a number of operating coasters.  Although this coaster is 25 years old it rides as well as the supposedly new and improved models.  I really got a kick out of it and ended up riding repeatedly.  Kumba rates a 4 on a scale of 1 to 5.  For more information about rides at Busch Gardens Tampa, visit buschgardens.com/tampa/https://