Coaster reviews

Inversions Dead spots Layout

I wanted to love this relic of my defunct home park, but it just wasn't great. The pacing was loose and it didn't maintain a feeling of speed. The layout doesn't hold a candle to its New Jersey brother Bizarro.

Airtimes Lap Bar Smoothness

Some really solid airtime, but the ride falls short everywhere else. I will say that the trims were not nearly as bad as I was led to believe - definitely odd to trim on the way down after an airtime hill, because it makes it feel like much more speed is sapped than actually is, while a trim before the crest (like on Diamondback) just adds to the feeling of floater.

Intensity Discomfort Dead spots

I respect what this ride does. I got severe tunnel vision from the pullout of the drop all the way to the crest of the first airtime hill - that's some insane sustained intensity (to the point of discomfort and a bit of panic). But after that, it just seemed to durdle aimlessly to get back to the station. The transitions were whippy, but it was just long low turn after long low turn. I found it a bit monotonous; it's called the Maverick turns section, but there's so much more variety and better pacing on Maverick than just sharp transitions between s-curves.

Location Fun Layout

The side-by-side helix is a very interesting element on a traditional-style racing coaster. Unfortunately, dispatches were staggered when I rode, so I didn't get a racing run, but it was a pretty fun, if forgettable, ride.

Comfort Fun Layout Too short

Surprisingly intense for a suspended model, The Bat is a very fun ride through a picturesque part of the park. A second half would add a lot to this ride, but it's still quite good.

Location Intensity Ejectors Discomfort Dead spots Lap Bar

She's tall, she's fast, she's reasonably smooth - until you get to the jank transition into the turnaround and remember that pre-CAD Arrow built this ride. The triangular airtime hills give great ejector, but the transitions are nowhere near smooth and the lapbar is quite uncomfortable even when bracing. Maybe a Morgan retracking or new B&M trains would make this a great ride, but for now, I just lament that Schwarzkopf and Stengel couldn't have designed and built it instead.

Theming Inversions Smoothness

Not a whole lot to this one, but the near miss elements are incredible and salvage a mediocre ride.

Location Fun Layout

For what it is - a family woodie for a park in need of family coasters - it's pretty fun, packs some interesting forces, and interacts very well with the flume and the terrain. Is it tame? Sure, it's no Mystic Timbers. But it's a good ride that serves its purpose well.

First Drop Fun Dead spots

It's fast, it's forceful through the first tunnel, and it's pretty fun. It just doesn't do anything after that; it's just overbanks and straight track once you get to Millennium Island.

Airtimes First Drop Hangtime

An incredible warmup or cooldown ride, GateKeeper gives insane hangtime on the inverting drop, strong positives on the pullout, then some great floater air and some solid zero g moments through the keyholes. Worth the wait for the front, and if you're riding with a partner, make sure both of you get the chance to experience an outside seat.