Coaster reviews

Had to be done :)

Wonderful!!!

Airtimes First Drop Ejectors Rattle Dead spots

Having heard about how incredible this coaster is for years, my expectations were sky-high. While it wasn’t the Voyage-beater I hoped it could’ve been, those expectations were definitely met. The first half of El Toro, namely the drop and first 2 airtime hills, is absolutely incredible - all 3 moments provide sustained ejector air. There’s a particularly rough patch in between the turnaround and next airtime hill, and another on the following speed hill. The Rolling Thunder hill is a surreal moment of ejector, and definitely the highlight of El Toro. I found the rest of the ride (the twister section finale, as well as everything between the turnaround and Rolling Thunder hill) to be pretty intense, but rather rough and lacking in airtime. In conclusion, I definitely prefer Voyage, but El Toro is in my top 10 regardless. It’s not “as smooth as a steel coaster”, but it is less rough than most other woodies I’ve done. It’s the best coaster at Great Adventure for sure, and I’d love to get rerides.

Airtimes Comfort Duration

I expected Nitro to be weaker based on opinions I’d heard, but in reality, it far exceeded my expectations. I rode twice in the morning, and came back to re-ride later in the day. The first half is pretty standard (but well-done) for a B&M hyper - first few hills providing graceful, sustained floater with an average turnaround - but Nitro’s second half elevates it above the competition for me. That helix into the MCBR is somehow VERY forceful (I’d liken it to a smaller version of Titan’s infamous helix), and the 4-5 airtime moments after that MCBR all deliver sustained floajector/ejector air. The clamshell restraints without seatbelts and the pleasant, forested setting were also a plus. It's my 2nd favorite coaster at Great Adventure, only behind El Toro.

First Drop Capacity Hangtime Harness Disappointing!

If Six Flags and RMC’s intent was to create a less extreme, crowd-pleasing Raptor over the white-knuckle, intense experience of the prototypes, then they certainly succeeded. I prefer Wonder Woman for sure, but those who found the prototypes too extreme will love Jersey Devil. Although the coaster was down multiple times throughout the day, when running with all 4 trains, Jersey Devil’s operations were a sight to behold - the next train would climb the lift hill as soon as the one ahead cleared the MCBR, and the line was constantly moving. Unfortunately, the ride ops didn’t let anyone pick (or even ask for) a seat, and were stapling everyone. I didn’t find Jersey Devil exactly painful, but I wasn’t able to feel much from the stapling. My favorite moment on Jersey Devil was the stall - it was my first, and a super fun element at that - or the first big airtime hill. The first drop and drop off the turnaround also had solid ejector, but again, I couldn’t really feel it. I didn’t feel much of anything after the MCBR, with those banked hills providing weak floater, and a short pop of ejector on the last bunny hill. All in all, Jersey Devil is my 3rd favorite coaster in the park, behind Nitro and El Toro.

Airtimes First Drop Intensity Discomfort

Maverick is absolutely incredible. Somehow, it's the variety pack of coasters, delivering just about anything and everything - and even more shockingly, it excels in every single category. Sustained ejector airtime moments (that incredible first drop, the big airtime hill and speed hill), two ballistic Stengel dives, a VERY powerful launch, whippy S-curves all tied together in a satisfyingly long and well-paced ride. The airtime is so extreme that being thrown up into the restraints might cause some discomfort, but aside from that, Maverick is just about perfect!

Theming Comfort Hangtime Dead spots

The launches were more forceful than I was expecting, and the three great moments of hangtime (heartline roll, 1st loop, cutback/inverted tophat) compliment the two ejector hills (as I anticipated, the one right after the first loop, but unexpectedly there's that bunny hop just before the brakes). The ride overall has solid positive Gs, with a few unexpectedly snappy transitions (most notably the one immediately following the Stengel Dive through the first loop, favorite moment on the ride) and airtime pops that keep the coaster fresh and exciting. Carowinds also did a good job with theming this coaster and its queue, it's certainly a welcome departure from most of the park aesthetics-wise and I'd love to see more. While it may not be absurdly intense, Copperhead Strike is an all-around fun ride with a bit of everything peppered in.

Airtimes First Drop Smoothness Dead spots

After reriding Intimidator in October 2021, it was better than I expected: B&M hypers are airtime-filled coasters by default, and while Intimidator's trims mean its airtime is on the weaker side of the bunch, it's still graceful and fairly enjoyable. The first drop and the 2 return hills are the highlight, all giving very solid floater or floajector air, and the rest of the hills are decent too. I just wish that Intimidator had more interesting maneuvers after the mid-course, as from there it's a tame, airtime-lacking ride unlike the other B&M hypers I've ridden.

Theming Discomfort

Its a cute ride. Its cool that you go around all the other kiddie rides. The manual breaks are also neat. But its definitely not a must when you visit Quassy unless you have kids.

Something the kids will enjoy is possible to catch a split second of airtime.