• Taylor Carmines

    Formerly known as Red Devil. Rode some time in the early 2000s. Basically a carnival rollercoaster made permanent... On a crumbling mountainside

  • Taylor Carmines

    Launch Intensity Layout Capacity Discomfort

    I still remember the marketing campaign for "The Blast Coaster"- on TV and Pepsi cans all over the Mid-Atlantic. It would take several years before my first trip to KD to experience it, and now that it's gone I'm glad I was able to get several rides in over a couple different visits. First things first: the launch was awesome. As my first launched inverted coasted (and to this day, one of only two I've ridden), I was blown away by the straight-up "eruption" up and out of the top of ol' Smurf Mountain. I will admit, the layout was a bit aimless after reaching the high point, but a few well-placed heartline rolls were sufficient while enjoying the views of the park and the very expansive parking lot. Being a 2-by launched train, capacity wasn't great but luckily I rode Volcano late enough in its life to avoid any lengthy lines. RIP

  • Taylor Carmines

    Nice surprise! Smoothness

    Not many coasters of this type ever existed, and while not particularly thrilling it was certainly unique. Nice little cooldown in the shadow of Volcano.

  • Taylor Carmines

    First Drop Intensity Duration

    I've known about Millennium Force ever since it opened- but the closest I had gotten to experiencing it was in Rollercoaster Tycoon. Somehow, I'd never gotten around to watching any POV videos of the layout on YouTube. So going in pretty much blind, I was absolutely blown away by the combination of intensity and yet also smoothness of this classic. Given the train has to be going 70+ for damn near the entirety of the circuit, it's a good thing the track is as long as it is- otherwise, the ride would be over in a flash. While I'm sure the current tallest/fasted shuttle-type coasters bring a whole different level of intensity in terms of acceleration and speed, the fact that MF offers still-very-fast with a long, a truly classic layout is really remarkable. Maybe some of this is rationalizing because Top Thrill was down all day when I was there, but my front row ride on MF was definitely a highlight of the day and all of my coaster-riding experiences.