Reviews • Kellen Grady

This is easily the craziest launch I've ever experienced. For whatever reason, Stealth at Thorpe Park, which has similar stats on the launch itself, f...

This is easily the craziest launch I've ever experienced. For whatever reason, Stealth at Thorpe Park, which has similar stats on the launch itself, felt less intense (the top hat felt much more intense though, I feel like I didn't get much airtime on this tophat). This one felt like it was trying to push me through the back of the train, it was insane. Never felt anything like it. Velocicoaster has "better" launches in terms of their pacing and the continuity of the ride, but in terms of pure intensity, Xcelerator takes the cake. So great that it's finally open to the public again!

This was down when I went to Knotts in late 2021 so I had to do it on this trip. It’s really fun and that hanging over the drop gimmick is fucking awe...

This was down when I went to Knotts in late 2021 so I had to do it on this trip. It’s really fun and that hanging over the drop gimmick is fucking awesome, but it is really brief.

What a snooze fest. I won't rate it lower than a 2/5 because there isn't any major discomfort, but there's no forces or fun to be had on this. Timberh...

What a snooze fest. I won't rate it lower than a 2/5 because there isn't any major discomfort, but there's no forces or fun to be had on this. Timberhawk is a better wooden coaster and that's at Wild Waves of all places.

Holy shit this thing loads slow, other than that pretty much a typical wild mouse without much to stand out. I remember riding this back when I was re...

Holy shit this thing loads slow, other than that pretty much a typical wild mouse without much to stand out. I remember riding this back when I was really young.

This one was an unexpected winner from my trip to CGA. That final turn over the water is incredible, but it is a pretty short ride without a lot to ma...

This one was an unexpected winner from my trip to CGA. That final turn over the water is incredible, but it is a pretty short ride without a lot to make it stand out.

This is a wild mouse with a rotating car - sounds like a fun enough gimmick, but it doesn't provide enough force or spinning to stand out. I was prett...

This is a wild mouse with a rotating car - sounds like a fun enough gimmick, but it doesn't provide enough force or spinning to stand out. I was pretty disappointed, and even the two young kids who happened to be in the same car as me were underwhelmed. Worth a shot for the credit but not worth the hour-long wait it sometimes gets - I used the single rider line and basically walked on.

Jesus, I honestly was expecting worse but this is still so bad. The rattle is worse than anything I've experienced. It's less of a rattle and more of ...

Jesus, I honestly was expecting worse but this is still so bad. The rattle is worse than anything I've experienced. It's less of a rattle and more of a full shake - it feels as though the coaster isn't even bolted into the ground. The layout isn't particularly awful but it is on the longer side which makes it even worse to sit through. Still better than Green Lantern: First Flight though.

This is a great RMC, really fun, but definitely, the worst I've ridden. I see why people call it the worst, I don't like it as much as any of the rapt...

This is a great RMC, really fun, but definitely, the worst I've ridden. I see why people call it the worst, I don't like it as much as any of the raptor prototypes, but I love this one regardless. Definitely the best ride in the park and has a ton of great moments and 3 killer inversions.

Yet another shuttle coaster at SFDK - why so many??? Regardless, this is probably my favorite shuttle coaster at the park. The launch is really great ...

Yet another shuttle coaster at SFDK - why so many??? Regardless, this is probably my favorite shuttle coaster at the park. The launch is really great and that hangtime you get is absolutely insane.Going backwards and then into that launch is also amazing. Kind of a one-trick pony, but a really fun one.

This one is just a really boring kiddie coaster that's a little more intense than the average one, but still without any real kick. Got some laterals ...

This one is just a really boring kiddie coaster that's a little more intense than the average one, but still without any real kick. Got some laterals on the first helix and that's it

This is a fun little ride - actually, the first ever Boomerang I've ridden. It's short, low capacity and has some dead spots, but it has its spot in h...

This is a fun little ride - actually, the first ever Boomerang I've ridden. It's short, low capacity and has some dead spots, but it has its spot in history. I'm assuming this will go away soon so I'm glad I got on it.

I've been wary of getting on a FreeSpin for a while after a truly awful experience with Green Lantern: First Flight back in 2017. However, the differe...

I've been wary of getting on a FreeSpin for a while after a truly awful experience with Green Lantern: First Flight back in 2017. However, the different axis of rotation makes this ride SO much more comfortable, and actually pretty fun! I'll definitely ride one of these again, although there is still some mild discomfort for me due to the unpredictability of the flipping.

This is a fun little ride! The shuttle coaster element of it makes it a really slow loader, but I found it to be enjoyable. I'm a sucker for a good la...

This is a fun little ride! The shuttle coaster element of it makes it a really slow loader, but I found it to be enjoyable. I'm a sucker for a good launch and I love that it goes back and forth more times than you'd expect - kind of reminds me of full throttle but without as good of a launch. It's fun, but nothing incredible.

This could be a great one if it was comfortable but no, walked off this one with a major headache. Not surprising, but disappointing. 4-10-2023 Rer...

This could be a great one if it was comfortable but no, walked off this one with a major headache. Not surprising, but disappointing. 4-10-2023 Reride: I'm not sure if this has been renovated in the last year, but it seemed a lot smoother this time. Unfortunately, though, I didn't find it that great despite the enhanced comfort. Still one of the worst in the park.

I'm really sad to say this, but this coaster was extremely uncomfortable for me. Maybe it's something wrong with me, I don't know, but when a coaster ...

I'm really sad to say this, but this coaster was extremely uncomfortable for me. Maybe it's something wrong with me, I don't know, but when a coaster has limited legroom like this one, Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland, or Colossus at Thorpe Park, I get extremely painful hip cramps. This completely ruined this ride for me, which is really too bad because from what I did experience, I would have loved it. The speed is pretty insane and the single rail makes it so smooth. Hopefully, I can figure out the cause of this issue, but regardless these rides should really be more comfortable for taller people! 11-20-22 re-ride: I was less uncomfortable this time, mostly because I prepared myself for the discomfort and positioned my body to reduce it. However, though I had fun, it really is a bummer that this incredible layout is hampered by its restraints and lack of legroom. I hope to ride it's near-clone, Jersey Devil at some point and see if it's any better for me. 4-10-22 re-ride: okay, I rode it in the back and asked the attendant to give me a little bit more room between me and the restraint, and I finally was able to enjoy this layout as it should be. What an amazing airtime machine! That first drop absolutely TOSSES you into the air and the elements are coming at you so fast that you barely have time to catch your breath. This just moved up considerably in my rankings.

While this is a really fun ride, I am pretty disappointed by how cheap the theming is. Queue aside, the actual rollercoaster ride is so... bare seemin...

While this is a really fun ride, I am pretty disappointed by how cheap the theming is. Queue aside, the actual rollercoaster ride is so... bare seeming. You can very clearly see the edges of the screens, it's hard to tell what's going on because the dialogue and music aren't mixed very well. The songs are great, I got One Way or Another although I was hoping for September or Everybody Wants To Rule The World, but I can't complain too much. Because of the virtual queue, I only got one ride. All told though, this ride is really fun and the queue is impressive. It is just pure fun. But the cheapness... I mean that moon just looks so shitty. Fun as a ride, but I expected more from Disney.

This ride is great, but in its current state, it borders on TOO intense for me. I grayed out basically from the first inversion until the mid-course b...

This ride is great, but in its current state, it borders on TOO intense for me. I grayed out basically from the first inversion until the mid-course breaks - which are more like 3/4ths course breaks, so essentially most of the ride. Maybe it was the heat, maybe I was dehydrated, maybe I was just tired, but regardless of the reason I was a little bummed out that it beat me up so bad. Not that graying out is a bad thing inherently, but being unable to see for a large portion of the coaster wasn't the most fun experience. I still give this an 8/10 because I've enjoyed this ride the past few times I've gone to Universal and I think there's a high likelihood it was just an issue with me rather than the coaster.

From a theming and artistic standpoint, this is a perfect ride. The pacing is brilliant, the queue is perfect and tells a story, but the story is simp...

From a theming and artistic standpoint, this is a perfect ride. The pacing is brilliant, the queue is perfect and tells a story, but the story is simple enough for you to grasp even if you don't look at the queue, and the final animatronic is (SUPPOSED TO BE) incredible. However, the things that hold it back are the lengthy track switches and the long-since motionless animatronic. The switching of forwards and backward is brilliant and really works, but the tracks can take so long to switch that it can really hamper the momentum of the ride. Also, I know the animatronic is borderline unfixable, but it really takes away from the impact when it's so clearly a strobe light on a giant figure. Regardless of those flaws, this ride is a classic and I can't recommend it enough.

Far better than the dinky one in Hollywood, but still just a kiddie coaster with a cool animatronic at the beginning. This one has probably 40ish seco...

Far better than the dinky one in Hollywood, but still just a kiddie coaster with a cool animatronic at the beginning. This one has probably 40ish seconds of actual ride time whereas the California one feels like 20 seconds. Don't wait in line for this one but it's not a total waste of time.

I remember being fairly disappointed by this ride when I first rode it in 2017. I was expecting something as forward-thinking and mind-blowing as Forb...

I remember being fairly disappointed by this ride when I first rode it in 2017. I was expecting something as forward-thinking and mind-blowing as Forbidden Journey and it really doesn't come close aside from the impeccable queue. However, this time I went in knowing what I was getting into, and I found it more fun as a result. There just isn't much thrill, a lot of it is just watching stuff happen on screens. However, the story is engaging and some of the ways that the onscreen elements interact with your car are really really cool and clever. I wish the USF side had a better attraction than this when IOA has both Hagrid's AND Forbidden Journey - two of the best rides in the country - but it's a fun ride that's worth a ride or two.

Good god, what a beautiful dark ride/coaster combo. This ride is incredible. Right from the start, it strikes a great balance between the campy atmosp...

Good god, what a beautiful dark ride/coaster combo. This ride is incredible. Right from the start, it strikes a great balance between the campy atmosphere of a classic horror attraction and a genuinely creepy atmosphere. The false ending is one of my favorite moments in any attraction. The launch into Imhotep's mouth is also so great. Having been on the lamer Hollywood version several times in the last year or so, this one had even more impact. I love this ride so much, it's just near perfectly done.

Since I'm familiar with Florida's version of this ride, this ride is pretty lame in comparison. However, it's still a fun small coaster in the dark wi...

Since I'm familiar with Florida's version of this ride, this ride is pretty lame in comparison. However, it's still a fun small coaster in the dark with some good effects. That ending sucks so bad though, why is it so abrupt??? They could have easily fit a better ending in that room. Update: Having been on this ride a bunch of times since becoming a pass holder at USH, I definitely am liking it more. I also have a direct comparison to it since I just got back from Florida. It's a fun ride, way lamer than Florida, but still with some pretty fun parts. Bumping it from 6/10 to 7/10.

Not worth a considerable wait or anything, but I found this ride fun. It goes much faster than I expected and offers some mild thrills. Definitely the...

Not worth a considerable wait or anything, but I found this ride fun. It goes much faster than I expected and offers some mild thrills. Definitely the most "thrilling" kiddie coaster I've been on. Theming is fun, although pretty spare.

While not as good as the one at Disneyland, this ride is an absolute blast. The theming, especially on the first lift hill and the exit, trumps the Ca...

While not as good as the one at Disneyland, this ride is an absolute blast. The theming, especially on the first lift hill and the exit, trumps the California one for sure, but the lack of music and the less stable track definitely hurt it. It's unclear to me if this coaster used to have the brilliant Michael Giacchino score that exists in Anaheim, but it wasn't present when I rode it. The rickety track simultaneously gives it more character but less comfort. Overall incredibly fun, but it just doesn't stack up to California's version. Also, no real difference in quality between the two sides in my opinion, they're just mirror images of each other.

While not as good as the one at Disneyland, this ride is an absolute blast. The theming, especially on the first lift hill and the exit, trumps the Ca...

While not as good as the one at Disneyland, this ride is an absolute blast. The theming, especially on the first lift hill and the exit, trumps the California one for sure, but the lack of music and the less stable track definitely hurt it. It's unclear to me if this coaster used to have the brilliant Michael Giacchino score that exists in Anaheim, but it wasn't present when I rode it. The rickety track simultaneously gives it more character but less comfort. Overall incredibly fun, but it just doesn't stack up to California's version. Also, no real difference in quality between the two sides in my opinion, they're just mirror images of each other.

I really like this ride for the fact that you get to choose your music. It's a cute gimmick. However, the rattle has gotten reaaaallly bad recently. I...

I really like this ride for the fact that you get to choose your music. It's a cute gimmick. However, the rattle has gotten reaaaallly bad recently. I last went on this in 2018 and back then I didn't really think about stuff like this, so I couldn't tell you if it was rattling this bad back then - it's not as bad as something like Scream at SFMM, where I think anyone would notice it. However, it's really uncomfortable. It's a shame because the layout seems pretty cool, the music selection is outdated but still decent, and the surrounding scenery is nice. But it's just not very enjoyable in it's current state.