I went into this knowing that it is widely considered one of the top coasters on the planet. After riding it, I can say I have no reason whatsoever t...
I went into this knowing that it is widely considered one of the top coasters on the planet. After riding it, I can say I have no reason whatsoever to say anything that would argue with that. It is truly a world class thrill machine. This thing is intense from the launch to the brakes. There are several, severe, ejectors. I rode it in 4 different rows--The fact that Universal doesn't really let you choose your own row is beyond ridiculous. Each row was an entirely different ride experience. My first ride was 2nd row. The first twisting diver loop delivered one of the most intense ejectors ever. We are talking the 4th one on Lightning Rod level. Those who know, know. It was crazy. IT then just twists and winds around all of the themed structures for a good little while, never really letting up. Then you enter the second launch that takes you from about 45 to about 70 and throws you up and over the giant top hat hill. This give you a couple of seconds to take in the view of whole park before it slams you back down towards the earth and builds you speed right back up to north of 60 again. It winds around a bit and then enters the famous corkscrew over the water. It doesn't end there. It still hits you with a couple more pops of air and turns before finally entering the final brakes at quite a good clip. I rode it in the 2nd from back, the very back and then the 4th row. The 2nd row was by far the best. The ejectors were far more intense. The back was second best--it delivered several floaters that were superior to up front. The 2nd to last row was just about as good. The 4th row didn't have the ejectors of the 2nd row, nor the floaters and the whipping action of the back. As great as this coaster is, I do have one, rather large complaint. The cars and the restraints seem wonderful, at first. They are very open so you are free to move around, no over the shoulder nonsense to bang your head on, no belts, just wonderful openness and simplicity. However, they included one little part on the arm that comes down to hold you into your seat. It is a little nub or large nipple if you will that kind of separates your legs from left to right a bit. The one thing I think that the designers forgot to consider is that 1/2 of the world has an appendage with some fragile parts right in that area. The first ejector, that little nub dug into my "right fragile part" and crushed it to smithereens. I had to hold on for dear life for the rest of the ride. I still enjoyed it, but I was truly in pain. I rode it again, but I left myself a bunch of room to avoid getting stapled in. Because I left room to move around I had to ride this holding on the whole time. It isn't a huge deal, but I prefer to ride arms up, all the time. This ride was so good, it didn't really take away from the overall experience, it just changed it. Truly one of the most intense thrill machines there are. It deserves all of the praise. It earns it. It may not break into my top ten because of the seat issue, but I appreciate it and I will sing its praises. Great coaster.
I was expecting a standard B&M standing coaster. It is not that. This is a whole new beast. Frist the trains are only 2 across. This helps with sc...
I was expecting a standard B&M standing coaster. It is not that. This is a whole new beast. Frist the trains are only 2 across. This helps with scale, but isn't a game changer. The other difference is. The little bicycle seats that you are forced onto on most of these is pretty awful. Here it was bit more of a proper seat. I wouldn't go near as far as to say it is comfortable, but it is much better the older ones. This isn't the big change, though. I didn't notice until I was already on the ride and over the crest of the first hill. The little seat you are one doesn't lock into place at all. It is free to bounce up and down as the coaster swaps from delivering positive Gs to negative ones. On several of the negative ones my feet were completely up in the air and I truly floated over the tops of the hills. It was great. In the valleys, I held myself and the weight of the restraint up against the positive Gs. At one point my feet started to tingle from all of blood rushing into them. It wasn't until the halfway through my second ride that I realized that the seat does have a locking down position and I didn't have to hold myself up. I could squat down and let the seat do the work, but that wasn't as fun. The last airtime jolt before the final right hand turn is sudden and violent--in a good way. It throws you up until the restraint catches you and you are literally in the air with your feet off of the ground. It is wonderful. This slight change to the mechanism of the ride makes this a whole new beast and easily moves this to the top of the standing coaster world.
I rode this last night the IAAPA private event. The line was relatively short--only about 10-15 minutes. I love spinning coasters and was really loo...
I rode this last night the IAAPA private event. The line was relatively short--only about 10-15 minutes. I love spinning coasters and was really looking forward to this new one. Did it deliver? Well...kind of, but mostly not really. First and by far the biggest issue is the length of the ride, or more specifically, the lack thereof. It is tiny and a very short ride experience. It is over in the blink of an eye. I fully expected another launch when we came to stop in the themed station. But, no, it just slowly rolls you back into the loading/unloading station. During the 30 seconds of actual ride time, it is fine. My particular car didn't spin much at all, but even so, it still delivered a few nice jolts here and there. If it has zero line, I would re-ride it several times in all of the various rows. Here, though, that is about impossible. The park capacity is super low overall. They need at least 3-4 more major, "people-eater" rides. With less than 4000 people there, a few of the lines were still about as long as I will tolerate. This ride does have one more major trick up its sleeve that I will not divulge, but I did enjoy it quite a bit. It just needs one more loop to add to the duration. Overall, a decent, albeit, very short ride experience.
I rode this at the IAAPA private event last night. Even with less than 4000 people total in the park, the line for this was almost an hour. This is ...
I rode this at the IAAPA private event last night. Even with less than 4000 people total in the park, the line for this was almost an hour. This is with the Harry Potter and Frankenstein rides eating up a ton of people in their incredibly long queues. I can't imagine how bad it will be next summer with 40,000 people there. The ride itself is pretty cool. It is a bit herky-jerky as you would expect from a single car, but nothing painful or even distracting at all. The "trick" is pretty cool. If you can ride in the front of you car--do so. It will be a better experience. I don't want to give anything away, but the first time you ride it, you will be wondering what is going on and how this possible. It definitely adds to the fun and the thrill of a size limited coaster. Good fun.
This is a great family coaster. It is thrilling enough that it borders on just a thrill coaster. Enthusiasts and thrill seekers can and will enjoy t...
This is a great family coaster. It is thrilling enough that it borders on just a thrill coaster. Enthusiasts and thrill seekers can and will enjoy this. It is quite fast, super smooth and almost gives a few proper airtime moments. The theming is extensive and wonderfully done. Sticking with calling this a family coaster, it is right up there with the best of the genre. Excellent fun for everyone.
I rode this last night at the IAAPA private event. It was amazing. The only oddity or thing I would change is to more clearly mark the split in the ...
I rode this last night at the IAAPA private event. It was amazing. The only oddity or thing I would change is to more clearly mark the split in the queue between the Green and the Yellow. The queue leads directly into the Green line. If you want to ride the Yellow you have to notice the markings on the ground and take a few extra steps over into that line. So, the Green had a longer line all night. I noticed and rode Yellow the first time. When I immediately got back in line to ride the Green, it was 4 times as long as the Yellow. They need at least one big sign in addition to the stickers on the ground. The ride itself is amazing. Tons of air--ejectors and floater. Tons of tight twists and turns. It constantly races with the other train and several times you are side by side. The Yellow won both times I rode it--once by just a hair and the next time by about 10 feet. It is a great coaster. Super smooth and fast. I may like the Green slightly more simply because you go under the Yellow at the far end. It was very cool at night. During the day, I probably would like the Yellow better as their unique dive is a bit bigger. Overall, a superb new addition to the coaster world.
I rode this last night at the private IAAPA event. The line was about 5 minutes each ride. I rode both Yellow and Green. I rode Yellow first. Both...
I rode this last night at the private IAAPA event. The line was about 5 minutes each ride. I rode both Yellow and Green. I rode Yellow first. Both are amazing as they essentially do the same things. The racing action is perfect. You are almost constantly aware of the other train. It definitely adds to the thrill of the ride. I especially liked that when you get side by side, they hit you with another launch as if you decided they aren't going to get ahead of you and you floored it. The ride delivers a ton of ejectors on the first half. The final stretch has you twisting and crossing back and forth with the other track several time. This was super cool. Excellent coaster.
I went into this with an open mind. I really enjoyed it. I'm not sure why I felt like I was surprised at how good it is. I really loved Kumba and t...
I went into this with an open mind. I really enjoyed it. I'm not sure why I felt like I was surprised at how good it is. I really loved Kumba and this is very similar to that. The launch is fine. It feels faster than it actually is. The twisted inversion right off the top of the launch is pretty cool. It then just becomes a looping twister for what seems like forever. The brakes in the brake run don't do a ton, but they do enough to reduce the fun on the second half a bit. The hill off of the brake run needs to be steeper and it would be better. It delivers zero air at all. It gets just a bit sluggish on the last couple of turns, but again it seems to go forever. In the back it can get just a bit jerky with some very minor headbanging, nothing at all painful or even distracting, but just noticeable. Very unique, very cool ride. Excellent coaster.
I know absolutely nothing about Harry Potter. Literally, nothing other than he's a wizard and Emma Watson was in the movies. So all of theming may h...
I know absolutely nothing about Harry Potter. Literally, nothing other than he's a wizard and Emma Watson was in the movies. So all of theming may have been perfect, I have no way of knowing. It was extensive. First, the walk into the building, which I guess is supposed to be a castle, is extremely long. I thought OK once we finally reach the building we will be boarding in a couple of minutes. We went through a few sections of completely empty switchbacks and I was still thinking, this wont' take more than a few more minutes. Was I wrong. The line took forever. We started in the line in the small room with the fireplace. This was the first switchback I waited in all day--Hulk and Velo were both walk-ons all day. This line simply doesn't move. Even after the first the 10-15 minutes in that first room, I kept thinking the station must be right outside this room. Wrong again. Then you enter a huge 100 ft long room with 3 switchbacks in it. It took at least 35 minutes to get through that room. Finally, I thought, the station must be right outside this room. Nope. Then you enter a series of tunnels that go on for at least another 150 ft or so and then it opens up to a yet another room. No station in this room either. Just another series of switchbacks. This was crazy. Finally after that last room you enter the "station". It just a moving sidewalk that parallels the cars/motorcycles and you get on. Then the ride finally starts. This was literally one of the longest lines I have ever waited in for any ride, ever. The ride starts with a decent launch. Much more forceful and faster than I anticipated for a family ride. It twists and turns and goes up and down several times. It is all super smooth and excellent fun. I won't ruin the last third of the ride as I had no idea what it actually does, but I'll just say it is super surprising and super fun. It was very, very unique and thrilling. I enjoyed it thoroughly. I do have to mention that it stalled or stopped completely. We all though we were stuck on a broken or shut down coaster. It was 95% dark all the lights went out and we were just stopped. It lasted a full 5 minutes or so. We kept waiting for maintenance to arrive to manually let us out of the restraints and walk us off the coaster. I was getting quite upset as I said previously, this was the longest wait I have ever endured for any ride and it broke down on us. Then all of a sudden it started back up and we finished the ride. Overall, it a great ride. The line was ridiculously long, especially considering that the two major coasters in the park were literally walk-ons all day. They were running Hulk with half-full trains and sending one of the three through empty. It didn't make any sense, but it was what it was. I'm not sure I would still consider this a "family" coaster or if it good enough to be considered a proper "thrill" coaster. If the former, than I have to rethink my family coaster ratings. It is that good. Great ride. Crazy line.
This is just a really basic, kid friendly coaster. It has a ton of theming because of where it is, but that does nothing for the ride itself. It is ...
This is just a really basic, kid friendly coaster. It has a ton of theming because of where it is, but that does nothing for the ride itself. It is very tame. It isn't at all rough or jerky, which is great. The cars have plenty of room, even for larger guests. Decent little family coaster.
My wife confused this with Ice Breaker and she just kept walking all the way up to the gate at the platform. I followed her, the whole time questioni...
My wife confused this with Ice Breaker and she just kept walking all the way up to the gate at the platform. I followed her, the whole time questioning what she was doing. I had zero intention of riding this. I have ridden kiddie coasters before for the credits, but I wasn't going to here. However, when she was already at the station before I caught up to her, I figured she wanted to ride it. She did not, nor did I, but we were already there. So, we did. It was fine. It wasn't jerky. There was plenty of room in the car. It is an excellent kiddie coaster.
If you would have asked me what a B&M family coaster would be, I would describe this exact coaster. It was exactly what I expected it to be--with one...
If you would have asked me what a B&M family coaster would be, I would describe this exact coaster. It was exactly what I expected it to be--with one exception. I rode it in the front seat the first time. Here it was exactly what I expected it to be. That is smooth with excellent transitions and just enough excitement to not put you to sleep. A perfect family coaster. However, on the second ride we rode just one row back and the first half was about the same, but on the second half an odd rattle/shaking started to occur. It was bizarre. I had never experienced anything like it on a B&M before. Very strange. It was well beyond just barely noticeable, but it wasn't so bad as to ruin the ride experience in any real way. It was just very confusing. Overall, this ride will do exactly what it is designed to do--be a great addition to this park that more families can ride. Good ride.
Easily the best of this type that I have ridden. This is a massive step up from the Superman flying clones out there. Same idea, this is just much b...
Easily the best of this type that I have ridden. This is a massive step up from the Superman flying clones out there. Same idea, this is just much bigger and it has the addition of the water features and tight quarters with all of the landscaping that put it head and shoulders above there other, similar models. The pretzel loop is really a special maneuver that is only possible on this type of coaster. It truly delivers. The rest of the ride is more than solid. Typical B&M smoothness and inversions. Very good times.
This may be the most intense B&M hyper I've ever ridden. That is a very, very good thing. It delivers very nice forces. A few of the airtime hills ...
This may be the most intense B&M hyper I've ever ridden. That is a very, very good thing. It delivers very nice forces. A few of the airtime hills were actually forceful, which is rare for a B&M. They typically only deliver the nice and easy floater air, not sudden and forceful air that I enjoy much more. Here I was pleasantly surprised. It still had its share of nice, lovely, floater air as well, but the fact that it had both was a real treat. The first drop was really good and you float the whole way down it, being pushed up into the industry-best clamshells. It isn't perfect, perhaps it could be, but it isn't. By that I mean, they added brakes right at the top of one of the airtime hills. It isn't drastic, but it is very noticeable and it kills some of the fun for two hills in a row before the midcourse brake run. In the brake run, they slow you down quite a bit. The ride picks right back up for the next couple of maneuvers, but it gets rather sluggish for the last 750ft or so. You are kind of just winding around at about 20MPH. The massive B&M trains are too big to be thrilling anywhere near that speed. The air is so good on the front half though, that I am debating with myself whether or not this is my favorite B&M hyper. It that good. Excellent ride overall.
Excellent coaster. It delivered far more air time jolts than I expected it to. Anytime you get to go backwards on a coaster, that is a good time to ...
Excellent coaster. It delivered far more air time jolts than I expected it to. Anytime you get to go backwards on a coaster, that is a good time to me. This, obviously, gives you the opportunity to do that, twice. The little hill on first backward trip is nice, but on the second it is hilarious. The airtime hill going forward after the final push by the LIMs is also a great airtime moment. After that, you crest the big hill and you continue with only the use of gravity from there on out. It is quite a nice coaster on the second half as well. It delivered several nice pops of air. My only complaints are that it was running single train operation today leading to unnecessarily long lead times and the trains themselves are really hard to get in and out of. The lap bars don't get out of the way of the seat. You have to wriggle your legs through to get from one side to another. Neither of these complaints take away from the ride experience itself, but hurt the overall experience of the ride. Overall, a great and highly unique coaster.
This is much better than expected. The final spiral feels like a baby Raptor. This is far better than the full sized SLC Vekoma coasters. It was sm...
This is much better than expected. The final spiral feels like a baby Raptor. This is far better than the full sized SLC Vekoma coasters. It was smooth and it feels faster than it looks. An excellent family coaster.
I rode this last night 6 times. The first ride was second car from the back and I didn't love it. It just didn't flow well. It wasn't super smooth ...
I rode this last night 6 times. The first ride was second car from the back and I didn't love it. It just didn't flow well. It wasn't super smooth and the air wasn't great. There is one really rough transition in the 90-degree banked turn around that hits with a pretty good jolt. That was the only "rough" spot. I then rode it in the front. It was a completely different creature up front. All of the hills provide nice gentle floater air in the front on the first half. The jolt in the turnaround is only slightly noticeable in the front. From there on, it is GCI at its finest. The train dances left-to-right and up-and-down beautifully. These transitions are so much fun. It keeps you hopping around without being rough. To me, this is approaching coater perfection. I absolutely loved it. I rode it 4 times total in the front back-to-back. I could have continued to ride it dozens more. It was so comfortable. It just made me laugh and smile. I rode it one more time in very back and it was just a good. This is wonderful GCI. One of the best I have ever ridden. It reminded a ton of The Ozark Wildcat. It just flows beautifully. Solid 9.5 out of 10.
This ride could be, more to the point SHOULD be so much better than it is allowed to be. The first half is super solid. Zero complaints. Huge hills...
This ride could be, more to the point SHOULD be so much better than it is allowed to be. The first half is super solid. Zero complaints. Huge hills, tons of speed, smooth and the long sweeping helix turn around is excellent. Then and this a HUGE THEN, right where the real fun should begin they castrate this thing. Right as you are entering the series of bunny hills back to the station there is a brake run. Fine, lots of great rides have brake runs in the middle. However, this one basically takes you to a stop and you enter the "airtime" hills a crawling pace. It is essentially a kiddie coaster from the brake run back to the station. Where this coaster should shine is on that return trip. It should be air followed by air followed by air--think Magnum, but they brake this so much it delivers absolutely nothing. It is a 205 foot tall, 75 MPH kiddie coaster. If they only would let it rip through the small hills on the way back it could literally have been one best coasters on the planet for the last 20+ years. As it is, it is a hugely wasted opportunity and a massive let down.
When this was new it had OTSR's that sucked out loud. They switched to just lapbars forever ago and it has been great ever since. Then they turned i...
When this was new it had OTSR's that sucked out loud. They switched to just lapbars forever ago and it has been great ever since. Then they turned it around several years ago and now run the trains backwards. The reverse launch is pretty awesome. It is intense and super unique being backwards. You go from dark to bright daylight and can't see anything until you are upside down in the tophat. It has been very reliable over the years. The two train operation keeps people moving through the line pretty well. Overall a very exciting and excellent coaster.
Update: I just re-rode Mr. Freeze this past weekend. I forgot how intense this thing is. The launch is actually the least intense part. The tophat is great, in both directions. Some of the intensity may be on accident as it tosses you around a bit, but I loved it. After all these years, it is still a very, very good coaster that continues to deliver.
Great family coaster. One of the best "starter coasters" out there. This isn't a tiny, 10ft little kiddie coaster. The cars are very roomy and airy...
Great family coaster. One of the best "starter coasters" out there. This isn't a tiny, 10ft little kiddie coaster. The cars are very roomy and airy. They have tons of space even for large adults. The theming is great with the race talk radio playing the whole time. It is very well done. The ride itself is more than decent. It is liquid smooth. In the back seat you get just a bit of air over the initial drop. The rest is just smooth twists and turns. The best part is you get two laps of the short course. This makes each ride much longer and much more of a fun experience. They were also letting us re-ride it without having to do the walk. So, we rode it I think 5 times in a row for a total of 10 laps around the circuit. My 5 year old great nephew, my newest coaster apprentice, just got to 48" tall. So, this was a big trip for us. While riding this, he yelled, "It is so smooth. I love it." I can't think of a better compliment than that.
Uh...it's a Boomerang. It does what it does. Some are slightly smoother than other and run better than others. This one, unfortunately, is not one ...
Uh...it's a Boomerang. It does what it does. Some are slightly smoother than other and run better than others. This one, unfortunately, is not one of those. This one is a bit herky-jerky, but nothing too terrible. Going backwards through the cobra roll and the loop always makes me smile. I enjoy these compact coasters even though there are many of them out there.
I do enjoy a good spinning coaster. Is this better than the The Orient Express they tore down to build this...probably not. But it is a good ride. ...
I do enjoy a good spinning coaster. Is this better than the The Orient Express they tore down to build this...probably not. But it is a good ride. It think the bigger question is, is it any better than it's twin on the other side of the state at SFSTL? It is hard to say. I know it makes a ton of financial sense for the manufacturers to sell and build standard models, but to coaster enthusiast it kind of stinks. In WOF's defense they built theirs first. It is far more scenic than Pandemonium. Being a spinning coaster, you get a slightly different ride each and every time you ride it. So, that makes these fun. This is smooth, and delivers nice jolts of forces throughout. I enjoy his coaster.
I expected this to be good when I rode it. However, I was not prepared for just how amazing this coaster is. I have only ridden it twice, both times...
I expected this to be good when I rode it. However, I was not prepared for just how amazing this coaster is. I have only ridden it twice, both times the same day. An added bonus to this wonderful ride, is that the rides I experienced were different. At one of the "launch barns" where you get launched again midcourse, I had two different experiences. The first ride, we basically came to stop before launching back out to finish the ride. On the next ride, we didn't slow down through the barn. We just accelerated seamlessly. This difference in ride experiences adds a bit of extra flavor to an already very spicy ride. The pacing is phenomenal. It has you twisting and turning and flipping constantly all at really good clip. It is a very intense ride. Which for me, translates to smiles. Even with all of these high speed transitions, it remains remarkable smooth throughout. Add in the location over the water with all of the canyon structures they built to have you fly by, and you have a recipe for a world class thrill machine. This ride truly delivers the goods. Great time for sure.
This was an excellent ride when it was working and if there weren't more than 50 people in the line. It had one of the lowest capacities of any moder...
This was an excellent ride when it was working and if there weren't more than 50 people in the line. It had one of the lowest capacities of any modern, coaster built by any of the major manufacturers. The loading and unloading procedures were just a mess. The single train operation was the biggest issue, but the train layout itself was an issue with the staggered seats. People didn't understand how to get on and off efficiently. Plus, 50% of people that ride coasters have bags that they have to take the bins. It just became a jumbled mess that took way too long. It broke down regularly. However, when it was running it was great fun. I loved the vertical spike that held you in place staring at the ground. Good times. If only it had 2 trains operation that could slide into place similar to Mr. Freeze. It would have been much, much better.
I was really looking forward to this. We rode it twice and had no desire to ride it again--even with less than 5 minute wait times. It was quite a d...
I was really looking forward to this. We rode it twice and had no desire to ride it again--even with less than 5 minute wait times. It was quite a disappointment. It is just too good to be fun. By that I mean it is liquid smooth, but it lacks intensity. Yes, it is tall and yes it is fast, but it feels almost a bit lethargic. I didn't experience any of the awesome floater air I was anticipating. They don't let you choose where you sit anymore--which is truly a terrible decision, but we got lucky on the first ride and got the back row. It just didn't deliver. I wanted to ride in the front to see if it is better, but I didn't get a chance as you have to sit where they tell you. We got our second ride about 3-4 rows back from the front. Equally disappointing. It is in a completely different class than Goliath at SFOG. Goliath is way, way better. On paper they are very similar, but Diamondback just doesn't do much. No air. No intensity. Without those, what is the point?
This was the longest line we waited in all day. I bucked up and bought the fast past wrist bands because we were only there one day. Even when Candy...
This was the longest line we waited in all day. I bucked up and bought the fast past wrist bands because we were only there one day. Even when Candymonium was a 90 minute wait we only waited 5 minutes because of the wrist bands. However on Laff Trakk it only cut off about 25% of the line and we still had to wait about 30 minutes. The mirrors in the line made about 5 of those 30 tolerable. The ride itself is pretty tame. The fun house theming almost made it fun. There are couple of the drops that almost generate enough forces to be called fun. It is an excellent family ride.
This was essentially a glorified wild mouse, but with its own layout with a bit character than most. In most parks, this would be an afterthought, bu...
This was essentially a glorified wild mouse, but with its own layout with a bit character than most. In most parks, this would be an afterthought, but in a small park with only 3 coasters, this is one of the highlights of the park. However, with the truly epic, world-class woodie, The Ozark Wildcat being a walk-on all day, there was no reason to ride this more than once. It delivered the typical herky-jerky ride with rather intense drops and turns that these types of coasters are known for. It delivered almost exactly what I expected from it. Overall, a decent ride and a good addition to this wonderful little park.
This was a very good, classic, PTC, John Allen coaster. On its own, in a park with 10+ other coasters, this still would have been a solid addition to...
This was a very good, classic, PTC, John Allen coaster. On its own, in a park with 10+ other coasters, this still would have been a solid addition to that park. Being where it was at Bell's, it was truly a gem. This was the only coaster and by far the main attraction of the wonderful little park. I went several times over the course of just a couple of years. I had a blast each and every time. This coaster still had manual brakes, making it unique. That of course doesn't add anything to the thrill of the ride in any. It is just and feature that adds a bit of interest or intrigue as you literally got to watch the ride operator pull on this 5ft tall wooden lever to apply the brakes as the train comes into the station. The ride experience itself was way more than decent. It had all the classic wooden shakes and rattles with excellent pops of air. The first drop into the Joker's mouth was fun and a bit of a head chopper. It was very re-ridable. The coaster community lost a real treasure when Bell's closed.
