WILD EAGLE

Wild Eagle, Dollywood

America’s first wing coaster, Wild Eagle is a groundbreaker and a must-ride.  I had ridden in wing seats (Skyrush) and other off-the-track seats (Griffon) but a coaster on which all of the seats are off the track was a novelty.   Even the loading area was different, as this is the first coaster I’ve ridden on which the train is loaded from opposite sites of the platform.  (As you enter the station, a park employee directs you to go up the steps either right or left.)

 Because of the coaster’s design, I expected to feel a heightened sense of vulnerability and did.   The 210-foot lift hill was somewhat daunting, giving rise to anticipation of what would happen on the other side.   What happens on the other side is a 135-foot drop remarkable for the sense it gives of free-floating, with nothing but air beneath the rider.  The train then goes into a 110-foot vertical loop.  If I felt a heightened sense of vulnerability, I also felt a heightened sense of freedom.  There are four inversions in all, including the vertical loop, zero g-roll, Immelmann loop and corkscrew – and all of them were awesome.  Travelling through these inversions on a wing coaster was like soaring through the air.   Wild indeed!   I also thought that the airtime was good, especially toward the end of the ride.  Unfortunately, it was difficult to get a good photograph of Wild Eagle, as it’s built on a mountain or hill or whatever they call it, and the track in its entirety is not visible from the ground.  Anyway, Wild Eagle proved to be quite a treat.  4  out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Dollywood, visit www.dollywood.com/

THUNDERHEAD

Thunderhead, Dollywood

This coaster with a twister layout has been repeatedly ranked among the top ten and in comparing it with the other 6 coasters I’ve ridden on the top ten list, I can appreciate why.   It has all the elements of a world class woodie, and then some.    The first drop of 100 feet at a sharp right angle was delicious and the rest of the ride was super.   Thunderhead is full of steeply banked turns – see the overbanked turn in two of the photographs -  and feels faster than the actual speed of 53mph, thundering into the loading station mid-ride, above the loading platform.  The station fly-through is a distinctive and fun element for both riders and spectators.   (I would have waved to those in line but wasn’t sure there was enough clearance to do so without losing an arm!)    Thunderhead provides a very good ride experience and constitutes an example of a woodie which isn’t unduly rough or in any way punishing.  4 out of 5 stars.   For more information about rides at Dollywood, visit www.dollywood.com/  First two photographs courtesy of Coasterimage.com

MYSTERY MINE

Mystery Mine, Dollywood

This coaster is very aptly named because part of the ride is indoors and what happens inside the mine is indeed a mystery to the uninitiated.  Some interesting things happen inside the mine, such as the train stopping in total darkness.  There are odd shapes, eyes seemingly looking at you and cackles.  It's pretty weird and eerie but in a fun way.  Upon exiting the mine the first time, the train goes up a lift hill at a 95-degree angle; it really does feel as if you’re going straight up.  Inside the mine for the second time, riders are treated to another steep ascent and spectacular effects with flames bursting forth and a sensation of intense heat. The two inversions -  heartline roll and dive loop - take place outside the mine and are pretty entertaining, especially the last one.  However, the ride on the whole tends to be a bit on the rough side.   A ride operator suggested holding onto the harness to avoid banging my head, and this was good advice.  One thing which struck me as unusual about this coaster was the configuration of the train, which consists of only two rows seating four across.   Mystery Mine is a fun and fairly original ride.  3 ½ out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Dollywood, visit www.dollywood.com/

TENNESSEE TORNADO

Tennessee Tornado, Dollywood

Because this coaster is pretty much obscured from view except for the lift hill and a large vertical loop, and I hadn’t researched it beforehand, I had no idea what I was letting myself in for.  I just hoped that it wasn’t anything too extreme, and it wasn’t.    After the train is dispatched, it goes around a bend, turns right and proceeds up the lift hill.   It then drops 128 feet,  banking right, on what proved to be a very good airtime hill, before entering a tunnel.   The ride features two overbanked turns and 3 inversions – 2 loops and a sidewinder.  The 110-foot loop  is purportedly the tallest one on an Arrow Dynamics coaster.   I thought that Tennessee Tornado was a pretty good coaster and a really fun ride, smoother than anticipated.    I'm not certain whether the on-ride cameras are still in  place (didn't notice) but as of 2008, Dollywood added video cameras to the first three rows,  enabling riders to record their rides and upload them onto YouTube.  3 1/2 out of 5 stars.  First photograph courtesy of Coasterimage.com.   (Unfortunately, my photographs are overexposed because I had to shoot into the sun through the trees.) For more information about rides at Dollywood, visit www.dollywood.com/

STEEL FORCE

Steel Force, Dorney Park

This coaster is noteworthy for being the first one on the East Coast to break the 200-foot barrier.  Now that it’s 15 years old and a multitude of other coasters with 200-foot + drops has sprung up, it no longer seems so remarkable.  I had expected the first drop of 205 feet to be somewhat more exciting than it was; I didn’t feel the same intensity as I felt on the first drop of Nitro, Apollo’s Chariot or other coasters of similar height.  However, I think that this was partly because I started out in the front seat and the train hangs over the drop for what seems like several seconds before plummeting 205 feet into a tunnel.  The back seat is a different story but I’ll get to that in a bit.  Despite my disappointment in the first drop, I thought that the coaster was well designed with a couple of outstanding elements.  There are some good airtime hills and the 510-degree helix was wonderful.  After the second hill following the brake run, the train enters another tunnel and goes over some bunny hills before returning to the station.   And on the subject of the station, I was impressed by the speed and efficiency with which the train was loaded and dispatched. 

As for the back seat, this is where you want to be to get the maximum ride experience.  From the back of the train, the 205-foot drop and everything else is significantly better.  There is delicious airtime, both floater and ejector.  I was getting bounced in my seat and could even see the lap bar, although locked, actually move up and down on the airtime hills.  (This is the only hypercoaster I can recall riding on which the lap bar never touches the rider’s body.)   This was so much fun!

One other thing I noticed about Steel Force is that it felt a bit bumpy at the top of some of the drops, lacking the smoothness I have come to associate with steel coasters.  Still, it’s a good ride and I would definitely recommend it.  4 out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Dorney Park, visit www.dorneypark.com/

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/