TALON

Talon The Grip of Fear, Dorney Park

 After Alpengeist, one of my all-time least favourite coasters, I said that I would never again ride an inverted suspended coaster.  However, I was feeling adventurous and decided to try Talon, which looked pretty interesting.  It was interesting, more than interesting.  After the 135-foot lift hill, the train plunges 120 feet, banking right, and goes up into a 98-foot vertical loop.  There are four inversions in all, the other three being a zero-g roll, Immelmann loop and corkscrew.   I've never had so much being flat on my back!  Highlights of the ride include the zero-g roll and very low, steeply banked turn.  The latter element was really wild and a first for me.  I had an odd perception of being totally disconnected from the train, flying just above the ground.  At any rate, I found this ride immensely entertaining.  I had just gotten off Hydra the Revenge before getting on Talon and although Hydra has more inversions, I think that Talon is by far the better of the two rides.  In fact I would go as far as to say that it's one of the best inverts in existence.   4 1/2 out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Dorney Park, visit www.dorneypark.com/

HYDRA THE REVENGE

Hydra The Revenge, Dorney Park

What I found most intriguing about Hydra the Revenge is that it’s the only coaster I’ve ridden thus far which features an inversion before the lift hill.  After the floor drops out from the loading area and the train is dispatched, this coaster rolls you over, makes a turn, climbs 95 feet, drops you 105 feet and sends you into a loop.   There are 6 or 7 inversions; there is apparently some controversy about this, as some claim that riders are inverted during the dive loop and others claim that they are only sharply banked.   I’m not sure about this, even after watching the video I shot.  However many inversions there are, they were all enjoyable, with the zero g-roll probably being the best one.  It was a fun ride but nothing exceptional.  3 out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Dorney Park, visit www.dorneypark.com/

BIZARRO SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE

BIZARRO

SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE

I had always bypassed this coaster on visits to Six Flags Great Adventure because I 'd never enjoyed going through vertical loops.  (That has since changed.)  However, finding myself stuck at the park for 10 hours one day, at the suggestion of someone who had been following my blog I decided to give it a go and am glad I did.  Bizarro, formerly known as Medusa, certainly exceeded my expectations.  Just before the ride is dispatched, the floor drops out from the loading area.  The train then climbs 142 feet, reaches a platform, plunges 132 feet at a right angle and goes up into a 119-foot vertical loop.  This is followed by a dive loop and zero-g roll.   Towards the end of the ride, riders go through a cobra roll, which hangs over the entrance to the ride, and interlocking corkscrews.

 There is a total of 7 inversions – one more than on Alpengeist, which I absolutely hated – and all of them proved to be thoroughly enjoyable.  I got the feeling that there was a little something extra on a couple of them and was impressed by how smooth this ride is.  Also worth mentioning is the speed  – 61mph.– and special effects.   As the train travels through the dive loop,  flames shoot up from the ground on both sides of the track.   The heat can be felt by not only the riders but by those waiting in line to ride.  When I first rode this coaster, it had a Bizarro-themed soundtrack blasting out of the speakers behind the seats but when I rode it the following year, the sound effects had been removed.  With or without sound effects,  Bizarro was so much fun that I rode it repeatedly.  4 out of 5 stars.   For more information about rides at Six Flags Great Adventure, visit www.sixflags.com/greatadventure/

INTIMIDATOR 305

INTIMIDATOR 305

Kings Dominion

I had been looking forward to riding this Intamin giga coaster and refused to be intimidated by the size and speed.  You can see Intimidator 305 in the background as you enter the Kings Dominion parking lot and it strikes a mighty pose.  It also delivers one hell of a punch.  The 300-foot first drop was, as I had anticipated, awesome.  Although there are no sizeable drops after this one – there IS one good airtime hill – there are other elements which make this ride noteworthy.  The most remarkable aspect of the ride – other than the first drop, of course – is the number of twists in the track.  The sharp twists in an otherwise flat track were amazing, like nothing I had ever experienced.  Guy in the seat behind me yelled “Holy shit!” and that pretty much sums it up.  It’s quite a ride.

Comparisons between Initimidator 305 and Millennium Force are inevitable, as they’re the only 2 coasters with a 300-foot droop at the time that I am writing this, both were built by Intamin and both use cable lifts.  Both coasters have outstanding features and I can’t say that one is better than the other although I am leaning slightly in favor of Millennium Force because of the scenery (breathtaking view of Lake Erie from the lift hill) and diversity (e.g., overbanked turns and tunnels).   I did think that the first drop on Intimidator was a little more intense, possibly because of the slightly steeper angle of descent (85 degrees as opposed to 80 degrees).   The ride duration, however, is shorter - just over a minute, but it's about as action-packed a minute as you're going to get on any coaster.

There are two things I didn’t much like about Intimidator: 1) the time from loading to dispatch struck me as inordinately long; and 2) the harnesses struck me as cumbersome and probably unnecessary on a coaster with no inversions.   When I rode, there was a definite lag before we heard the recorded “Gentlemen, start your engines!” and off we went.  As for the harnesses, although they’re soft – unlike those on many coasters – these contraptions were a pain in the neck to get in and out of with little room for sliding the head out at the end of the ride.

Despite the drawbacks mentioned above, I liked Intimidator 305 enough to ride it 7 times.  It’s a gem. 5 out of 5 stars. For more information about rides at Kings Dominion, go to www.kingsdominion.com/

VOLCANO

VOLCANO

Kings Dominion

The sign outside this ride says VOLCANO THE BLAST COASTER and it truly is a blast, in more ways than one.  Never a fan of suspended coasters, I didn’t expect to like this ride so was pleasantly surprised; I liked it so much that as soon as I got off, I got right back on.  Once the train is dispatched, it ascends to a tunnel where there is a pause before the riders are launched from 0 to 70mph.   There are four inversions on the twisted track and they are by far the wildest and most enjoyable I have ever experienced.  They’re startling and totally unexpected, but startling in a good way.  Not at all rough like those on Anaconda; just a whole lot of fun.  I was thinking WHOA, while laughing my head off.   Particularly noteworthy is the roll out at 155 feet, during which the train is completely inverted.  Everything on this ride happens so fast that you don’t know whether you’re coming or going.   The second launch comes as a complete surprise and blasts the riders out of the volcano.   You suddenly find yourself upside down looking straight up at the sky, and this is quite a moment.   If you look around you during the inversions and realize how high up you are, it's almost scary.  The ride is short  - just over a minute – but sweet.   4 out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Kings Dominion, go to www.kingsdominion.com/

ANACONDA KINGS DOMINION

Anaconda

Kings Dominion

This looked like an interesting ride although I had some reservations about getting on it – with good reason, as it turns out.  Once harnessed in and having reached the point of no return, I told myself OK, let’s do it and get it over with.  From the loading station, the train ascends 128 feet and descends 144 feet into a tunnel, then goes up into a vertical loop followed immediately by a half corkscrew.   These first two inversions were extremely rough; I banged my elbows and hit my head against the harness several times.   That was enough to spoil the ride, as I don’t find getting beaten up by a roller coaster  to be much fun.   Fortunately, the final two inversions were actually a pleasure, as they were not nearly as rough as the first two.   I would by no means classify this as a high thrill ride and it doesn’t travel at high speeds but does have some nice elements and is probably a good coaster for its type. 3 out of 5 stars. .  For more information about rides at Kings Dominion, go to www.kingsdominion.com/

THE HURLER KINGS DOMINION

The Hurler

Kings Dominion

This coaster is fairly unremarkable by today’s standards.  It’s a classic woodie with all that that implies.   After ascending an 83-foot lift hill, the train makes a turn before arriving at the first drop.  The 80-foot drop is nothing to write home about and the rest of the ride is about the same, consisting of a banked turn and series of drops most notable for their bumpiness.  The maximum speed is only 50mph.   I found it to be a fun ride with some pops of airtime but a rough one.  It was rough even in the front row so I can only imagine how rough it must be in the back.   2 ½ our of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Kings Dominion, go to www.kingsdominion.com/

MAVERICK

MAVERICK

Maverick,  Cedar Point

This is one of the oddest-looking coasters I have ever seen or ridden.  The short, bullet-shaped trains consist of six rows with a 12 rider capacity, for which reason there are multiple trains.  My first attempt to ride turned into a disaster.  Maverick is a motor-launched coaster and halfway up the lift hill, the launch system failed, sending the train back to the lower part of the hill. (Apparently rollbacks on this coaster have occurred on a number of occasions.)  So I sat there on the lift hill, harnessed in, baking in the hot sun for a good 40 minutes until ride operators were given the go-ahead to assist riders in getting off the train. (At least we were compensated for the inconvenience with a no-wait pass for Millennium and Dragster and the opportunity to get back on Maverick immediately once it was up and running.) 

When I finally did get to ride, it proved to be an absolutely amazing ride.   Wow! First you get launched from 0 to 70mph up the lift hill and drop 100 feet at a 95-degree angle – and at that angle, you can really feel the drop.   From that point it’s a series of drops and banked turns (one 92 degrees) with a couple of really cool, startling but delectable inversions.  Deserving of special mention is the twisted horseshoe roll, a combination corkscrew and zero-g roll.  (At the time of writing, there are only two coasters in existence with this element.) As the train comes around a right-banked curve, plumes of water shoot up and make a sound almost like a pistol shot although I did not notice this while riding.   There are so many sudden changes of direction at such a relentless pace that the rider can get a little beaten up - this coaster is definitely somewhat on the rough side - although not to the extent of in any way detracting from the ride experience.  The airtime on this coaster is incredible.  And as if all of this weren’t enough, three quarters of the way through the ride, the train enters a tunnel, there’s a short brake run and you get launched again!  Maverick is by far the wildest coaster I have ever ridden.  5 out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Cedar Point, visit www.cedarpoint.com/

TOP THRILL DRAGSTER

TOP THRILL DRAGSTER

Top Thrill Dragster, Cedar Point

Hydraulic launch coasters belong in a category by themselves.  On my first visit to Cedar Point last year, someone who struck up a conversation with me said he thought that Top Thrill Dragster was better than Kingda Ka.  Having now ridden both, I wouldn’t necessarily agree or disagree.   The two coasters are so similar in design and the ride experience is so parallel that it’s a toss-up – although the fact that Kingda Ka has the additional element of a 100-foot hill after the descent from the top would tend to give it a slight edge.   Anyway, Dragster is not a ride for the faint of heart.  The acceleration from 0 to 120 mph in a matter of seconds is enough to shock you almost senseless or give you a heart in the throat sensation along with a huge rush of adrenaline.   It’s a feeling of omigod, here we go and it happens so fast that you don’t even have time to think about it.   Before you know it, you’re rocketing up the 420-foot hill, twisting 90 degrees before reaching the top.  Then it’s back down with another twist and you cross the finish line.   It’s over in a flash; according to official stats, the ride time is only 17 seconds.   But it’s a very, very intense 17 seconds and quite an experience.   

 Given the extreme height and speed of Dragster, I was surprised to find that unlike Kingda Ka, which uses over the shoulder harnesses, Dragster uses only a lap bar and seat belt as a restraint.   But it works  - except that I found my elbows getting knocked about whereas this didn't happen on Kingda Ka because of the harness.  One thing I particularly liked about this ride is that it’s wide out in the open and even has a grandstand where people can sit and observe, like a real drag race.  In terms of theming, Dragster has it all over Kingda Ka but the theming doesn't necessarily make for a better ride experience.  One thing I didn’t like about the ride is that apart from the spectacular launch, nothing really happens, so that I didn’t find it to be as satisfying a ride experience as Millennium or Maverick.  3 ½ out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Cedar Point, visit

www.cedarpoint.com/

MEAN STREAK

MEAN STREAK

Mean Streak, Cedar Point

I had heard conflicting reports about this coaster before riding it.  It was good, it was awful, it was rough to the point of being painful, it was lacking in airtime, etc.    When I first went to Cedar Point, Mean Streak was closed for the season and now that I’ve had an opportunity to ride it, I would have to say that I wasn’t missing much.   There is hardly any line to ride and that says a lot. I agree that it’s lacking in airtime – surprisingly, considering its massive proportions.   With an initial drop of 155 feet, you would expect more in the way of thrills.  (The first drop on The Voyage is only about 12 feet longer but on that coaster,  it's a real thrill.) I didn’t feel much of anything on the first drop.  What the ride does offer is a jerky circuit of the lengthy track for almost 2 ½ minutes.  It’s a very, very bumpy ride.  And I would imagine that in the back of the train, it’s pretty rough – although I didn’t notice that when riding in the front.  Because the ride is rather long, I found myself wondering how long I’d been riding with my seat belt unfastened.  (When the train returned to the station, I was horrified to discover that the seat belt had come loose – but because the primary restraint is a lap bar, no harm no foul.)  Mean Streak isn’t a bad ride and at times was kind of fun; it just isn’t a particularly good ride.  2 ½ out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Cedar Point, visit www.cedarpoint.com/

SKYRUSH

SKYRUSH
HERSHEY PARK

As of May, 2012, this is Hershey Park’s newest, tallest and fastest coaster.    The park needed a good hypercoaster and they certainly got one with this gem from Intamin.    The coaster seats four across, with the two inside seats on the track and the two end seats off the track.  Unlike other hypercoasters I’ve ridden, this one has lap bars which are pulled down from overhead and hooked up to a safety belt.  The first thing that impressed me about this ride is the absolutely amazing speed with which the cable lift got the train to the top of the lift hill – that and the fact that on every dispatch I observed while waiting to get on the ride, the riders were screaming their heads off as the train took off like lightning.    The first drop of 200 feet at an 85-degree angle is pretty sensational, enhanced by the fact that the drop is not straight as it is on many other coasters of this type but banks to the right.  The ride is packed with high-banked turns, airtime hills and unexpected changes of direction – although there are no sizeable drops after the first one.   I found some of the turns to be much more intense than those on other hypercoasters I have ridden.  The ride is very, very intense.  It also has phenomenal ejector airtime.  I made it a point to ride off the track; this was so much fun!   The only thing I didn’t like is that on my second ride, the restraint was too tight, causing me considerable discomfort by digging into my thighs on every curve.   Even so, that wouldn’t prevent me from riding again, as the restraints are adjustable to some extent and you just have to get the right degree of snugness before the train is dispatched.    Numerous people have complained about the restraints and the park has been working to resolve the problem.  I do wish that the ride were longer; it's only a little over a minute.   Riding Skyrush gave me a real rush of adrenaline, so the coaster is very aptly named.    4 1/4 out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Hershey Park, visit www.hersheypark.com/

LIGHTNING RACER

LIGHTNING RACER
HERSHEY PARK

Because this coaster has been consistently ranked among the top 25 wooden coasters by Amusement Today, I decided that it was a must-ride.    Like Gemini at Cedar Point,  Lightning Racer is a duelling coaster with a race to the finish line.   There are two trains, Thunder and Lightning.  Although the track layout is such that both trains pretty much go through the same drill although at different times,  I found the Lightning side to be a better ride because of the superior airtime.  ( Despite that I found that Thunder wins the race more often than not.) The first curving drop of 90 feet was good enough and this coaster has a number of nicely banked turns with a decent amount of airtime.   It has the feel of a classic woodie without being at all rough; I experienced no discomfort whatsoever during the course of the ride.    One thing I didn’t like is the fact that each row has a single seatbelt for both riders, which feels somewhat weird for a single rider like myself.   That being said, I found it to be a fun ride – but by no means exceptional.   I think that Lightning Racer is somewhat overrated but have come to like it better every time I ride it.  3 ½ out of 5 stars.  First photograph courtesy of Coaster Image, a great site for coaster pictures: www.coasterimage.com. For more information about rides at Hershey Park,  visit www.hersheypark.com/

WILDCAT HERSHEY PARK

WILDCAT

WILDCAT
HERSHEY PARK

After riding Lightning Racer, it seemed only fitting to ride Wildcat, another wooden coaster built by Great Coasters International.   This coaster is a twister with a pretty good amount of airtime.  I think that I liked the first drop of 85 feet on a right-banked curve a little more than I liked the first drop on Lightning Racer but otherwise found this ride to be less enjoyable.   Compared with Lightning Racer, Wildcat is a very rough ride.    At one point I felt as if I were suffering from whiplash.  Like Lightning Racer, this ride has a single seatbelt for each row.  One thing I particularly liked about this coaster is the fact that a horn sounds as the train is returning to the station.  An OK ride but nothing to write home about.   2 ½ out of 5 stars.   For more information about rides at Hershey Park, visit www.hersheypark.com/

SHIVERING TIMBERS

SHIVERING TIMBERS
MICHIGAN'S ADVENTURE

From the time I first watched a video of Shivering Timbers (what a great name!), I was captivated.  I liked the way it looked and had never seen a coaster with so many consecutive drops.  It was on my must-ride list and I finally got the opportunity to ride it – six times, an indication of how good the rides were.  OK, so a 120-foot first drop is not very impressive in an era of wooden behemoths and steel hypercoasters, but it’s nonetheless a darned good drop.   And because it’s immediately followed by five more drops, this coaster provides a relentless, exciting ride.   The ejector airtime is phenomenal; in order to ride hands in the air, I had to brace myself with my feet to keep from sliding forward under the lap bar.  (I rode in the front, middle and back and found the G-forces to be best in the back although the back is a rougher ride.)   In addition to the numerous hills, there are jarring twists and turns.  At one point there’s an unexpected bend in the track which adds to the ride experience.   The track veers sharply right and then left while ascending a bunny hill.  The double helix at the end of the ride makes for a great finish.   I thought that the twisted finale on this coaster was much better than that on El Toro.  An employee of Michigan’s Adventure told me that the bolts on the first hill were replaced during the off-season and we got to talking about how most parks are no longer building wooden coasters because they’re expensive to maintain.  And that is unfortunate, as there’s nothing quite like a really good wooden coaster.  Shivering Timbers is a shining example of a good wooden coaster.   5 out of 5 stars.   For more information about rides at Michigan’s Adventure, visit www.miadventure.com/

WOLVERINE WILDCAT

WOLVERINE WILDCAT
MICHIGAN'S ADVENTURE

This coaster gets off to a good start with a journey through a pitch black tunnel after it leaves the loading area and goes around a bend.  What happens subsequently is not especially exciting or noteworthy, but I thought that the ride was fine for an intermediate coaster.  The first and longest drop is only 78 feet so there are no dramatic drops but there are enough twists and turns to provide an enjoyable ride experience.   I felt that there was a fairly good amount of airtime and this coaster has the rough feel of a classic woodie, so that the name Wolverine Wildcat was aptly chosen.  3 out of 5 stars.  For information about Michigan’s Adventure, visit www.miadventure.com/

KINGDA KA

KINGDA KA
SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE

I can think of many adjectives to describe Kingda Ka and the one that immediately comes to mind is extreme.    The height (456 ft.) and speed (128 mph) – not to mention the launch – are sufficiently extreme to take people way out of their comfort zones, which is why I hadn’t ridden it before.   There’s a first time for everything and not having done a launch coaster, I decided it was time to give it a shot, especially given the huge popularity of this ride.   Once the riders were all harnessed in, the train left the loading area and got into position for the famous launch, in what was a moment of great anticipation.  Then suddenly, zoom!   Accelerating from 0 to 128 mph in a couple of seconds was startling to the point of being shocking, but also exhilarating.   Wow!  Once at the top, the train spiralled down 418 feet in what is the longest descent I've ever experienced.   One more small hill and the train returned to the station.   I have mixed feelings about this coaster because it’s a very short ride – less than 30 seconds – and very little happens during the course of the ride.   Yes, the launch is thrilling but once you reach the top you go right back down and that’s pretty much all she wrote.   That's why Kingda Ka will probably never make my top 10 list.   However, the more I ride this coaster, the more I like it.   The rush of adrenaline during the launch is addictive and the front seat is pretty amazing.   Now that I've ridden both Kingda Ka and Top Thrill Dragster, I've decided that I like Kingda Ka a little more because even though it lacks the great theming of Dragster, it has the extra hill and I find that the harnesses on KK are more comfortable than the lap bars on TTD.  (On TTD I've had a problem with my elbows getting banged up.)  3 ½ out of 5 stars.  (In the  photograph taken from a cable car, that's El Toro in the foreground and Kingda Ka in background; I liked this shot because it shows how Kingda Ka towers over El Toro, which is by no means small.) For more information about rides at Six Flags Great Adventure, visit their website: www.sixflags.com/greatadventure/

BIZARRO

BIZARRO
SIX FLAGS NEW ENGLAND

Six rides on Bizarro almost made up for having to drive two hours from Boston to Six Flags New England due to misinformation on a website which said that Boston was the closest airport to Agawam.  (Hartford is the closest airport.)  Because this coaster was manufactured by Intamin, which built my two favourite coasters – El Toro and Millennium Force – I expected a good ride and believe me, I got one.  The lift hill reminded me of Millennium Force because both coasters have a body of water on the left side and no guard rail on that side, the only difference being that Bizarro uses a chain lift and MF uses a cable lift.  The first drop of 221 feet at a 72-degree angle was breathtaking, with the added element of speeding into a mist-filled tunnel at the bottom of the drop.  That was followed by a succession of drops and overbanked turns.  This ride is all about drops, angles and special effects.   The track layout is outstanding and the helixes were pretty intense.  I rode Bizarro in the front, middle and back of the train and found that the G-forces are much greater in the back.  This can be felt throughout the ride and particularly when racing around a right-banked turn into the second mist-filled tunnel.  However,  I still enjoy the front not only for the unobstructed view but for the very noticeable hang time before going over the first drop.  The only thing I wasn’t crazy about was the sound effects.  On my first visit to SFNE, each seat had a speaker in the headrest which blasted out Bizarro-themed music that sounded like a combination of commercial voiceovers and rap.  Well, a roller coaster soundtrack is an interesting concept but I felt that this detracted from rather than added to the ride.    (At least it wasn’t as obnoxious as the repetitive pre-recorded announcements in the loading area to the effect that riders must have two legs and at least one arm to ride Bizarro.)  When I visited the park a year later, the soundtrack had been removed.  With or without a soundtrack, Bizarro is one of the best coasters I have ever ridden.  5 out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Six Flags New England visit www.sixflags.com/newengland/

FLASHBACK

FLASHBACK
SIX FLAGS NEW ENGLAND

This coaster was a novel experience from beginning to end.  Going up a lift hill backwards was a first for me, and struck me as rather bizarre.  As the train was being pulled backwards I felt myself being pushed forward to the extent that it seemed as if I was going to be pushed out.  (Not a chance, as riders are restrained by harnesses.)   Not far from the top, the catch car releases the train and zoom, the riders are sent hurtling downhill without any warning.  The train proceeds through two corkscrews and a loop, then does it all in reverse.  Going downhill backwards felt as odd as going uphill backwards and this segment of the ride proved to be more intense than the first.  In one of the corkscrews I seemed to be flat on my back staring up at the sky, which in a way was pretty cool.  However, I didn’t find it as enjoyable as I might have because the force exerted in the corkscrews/ cobra roll caused me to hit my head against the headrest twice and bang one elbow while trying to regain a sense of balance.  That being said, Flashback was a pretty good ride.  3 ½ out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Six Flags New England, visit www.sixflags.com/newengland/

CYCLONE

CYCLONE
SIX FLAGS NEW ENGLAND

If you’re seeking high thrills, this is not the ride for you.   The longest drop is only 90 feet  although I must say that it feels like less than that so the anticipation I felt while being pulled up the hill turned into disappointment.  The lift hill is deceptive because the drop on the other side is 22 feet shorter than the length of the lift hill.  This is not to say that a coaster must have huge drops to be great;  Phoenix at Knoebels doesn’t have any big drops and is a great ride because it has other things going for it.   What I mean to say is that Cyclone struck me as unexceptional.  I thought that the best elements of the ride were the turns (this is a twister), which do offer some decent airtime.  And although the track looks pretty rickety, the ride did not feel at all rough.  It’s not a bad ride; it’s just very tame by my standards.  Ho hum.  2 ½ out of 5 stars.   For more information about rides at Six Flags New England visit www.sixflags.com/newengland/  (P.S. The video is almost unwatchable because of the green tint – the camcorder is obviously defective - but it will at least give you some idea of the ride.)