Coaster reviews

Airtimes First Drop Masterpiece

(Updated from last year's review): Ahh Shambhala! Where to start? Quite literally a MASTERPIECE! From start to finish, this rollercoaster will leave you in awe of how great it is. Definitely the best B&M hyper. Even better at night. The first drop is nothing like I've experienced before on any coaster, extremely smooth. This is one of the only coasters where I can say it is ENJOYABLE to go on. There's absolutely ZERO discomfort, there's no way anyone can feel lightheaded after going on this. Overall the best rollercoaster in Europe (arguably in the world) in my opinion, and one of the best B&Ms in general. DO NOT THINK OF SKIPPING! Went on it 8 times in one day (with the express of course, lol) and didn't even feel a scratch! Can't say many coasters didn't leave me with a headache after going on them 8 times!

Theming Launch Intensity Headbanging Too short

Furius Baco! That dang ride that always has 2+ hour waits! Located right at the entrance of the wonderful PortAventura Park, in the Mediterranean area, let's start off by saying the theming of this rollercoaster is PHENOMENAL. SPOT on. From the entrance, to the waiting lines, to the music, to the short film at the beginning of the ride and the monkey hanging out at the end of the ride, you exit through an actual winery where you can buy wine too! PortAventura really nailed the theming & immersion for Furius Baco. The launch is great as well, absolutely no warning and fantastically intense yet smooth. Furius Baco is the only rollercoaster I've been on where you actually launch 135km/h onto a drop. Wow! Unfortunately however Furius Baco does not offer more than that. The ride experience after the amazing start is just filled with right & left turns that hurt more than anything really. The headbanging is very present especially on the outer seats. No wonder why Intamin never re-made a Launched Wing Coaster. On top of that, the experience is very short. Furius Baco operations are okay though! To end on a good note however, Furius Baco is definitely a ride not to skip. The theming & launch are incredible. Try going later on in the day since everyone queues for Furius Baco right at 10 AM. Check out Shambhala or Dragon Khan (which open a little while after) in the meantime because Furius Baco will always have a long wait time, whether it's morning or afternoon.

Location Fun Layout Rattle

(Copied from Stampida - Red review.) Stampida is located in the 'Far West' zone of PortAventura Park which is phenomenally beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous. The views you get are great, and the layout of the rollercoaster is fantastic. I had rated this coaster a mere 1.5 stars just one year ago, because of the genuine damage it puts on your body from the rattle & discomfort, but I'm putting 3 stars this time. Not sure if it's because I knew what to expect this time & actually braced, but it actually did not hurt & was greatly enjoyable with amazing operations! The part where the 2 racing trains separate and then face each other is definitely the highlight reel! Overall I think you're in for a great ride IF YOU BRACE and KEEP YOUR KNEES WELL CENTERED! I can't stress this enough! I advised to skip last year, but definitely definitely do not! Simply brace & have fun on this nice ride!

Location Fun Layout Rattle

Stampida is located in the 'Far West' zone of PortAventura Park which is phenomenally beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous. The views you get are great, and the layout of the rollercoaster is fantastic. I had rated this coaster a mere 1.5 stars just one year ago, because of the genuine damage it puts on your body from the rattle & discomfort, but I'm putting 3 stars this time. Not sure if it's because I knew what to expect this time & actually braced, but it actually did not hurt & was greatly enjoyable with amazing operations! The part where the 2 racing trains separate and then face each other is definitely the highlight reel! Overall I think you're in for a great ride IF YOU BRACE and KEEP YOUR KNEES WELL CENTERED! I can't stress this enough! I advised to skip last year, but definitely definitely do not! Simply brace & have fun on this amazing ride!

Capacity Inversions Intensity Rattle Headbanging

PortAventura's historic ride and the ex-7 year world record holder for the most inversions on any rollercoaster! Dragon Khan is a very fun & aesthetically pretty ride with fantastic operations & definitely one of the 'great fours' at PortAventura World. Unfortunately or fortunately depending on your taste, this 28-year-old rollercoaster now packs quite an intense punch that will leave you KO'd once you're done. Get ready to get WHOOPED from inversion to inversion, and have your head spinning at the end. Try not to do this ride multiple times in a row or right after eating, instead do that with the mythical Shambhala. I had originally rated this 4 stars last year, but I will be reducing to 3.5 stars because of the rattle that's becoming more & more present, either on the inside or outside seats. Overall however, it's still a ride packed with fun elements & an extreme source of intensity. Definitely don't skip this one, it's a classic!

Airtimes Nice surprise! Fun Dead spots

Cú Chulainn was great fun and definitely the big highlight of Tayto Park! Great drop, airtime and turns but it has a few dead spots especially the second half of the ride, near the end. I'm not sure how it's ranked the tallest wooden coaster in Europe with an inversion, when the "inversion" in question is a 115° overbank. Anyway, overall comfortable, fun ride with good operations! Must try if you're in Ireland!

Fun Rattle Dead spots

There's really not much to say. It's fun. Rattles quite a bit, has a lot of dead spots, but overall fun. Hard to rate those coasters at fairs on the same level as amusement park coasters, that's why I'm giving it a one star.

Airtimes Layout Rattle

There's not much to say about American Eagle. Your typical wooden rollercoaster, however it's old & consequentially has quite a strong rattle. Get ready to get hurt and have some fun! I wouldn't prioritize American Eagle at Six Flags Great America, try going on all the other phenomenal rides and if you have remaining time, give it a try.

Theming Disappointing! Dead spots Layout

El Diablo - Tren de la Mina has great theming... and that's it. I consider this coaster an absolute mistake and am still wondering why it exists. It takes a good amount of space that can be used for anything else, literally. There are chain lift hills... and nothing afterwards. Just brakes & another chain lift hill. No drops, no steep turns, no acceleration. You can hear people trying hard to make it a little fun by wanting to scream 'Woo!' at the of the chain lift hill but only ending up with a dead 'W...o..o...'. Everyone is confused, when is the ride starting? Why are we going through multiple chain lift hills & experiencing no drops? Oh it's already over? The only fun experience is the fact that you're close to the log flume & can say hello to people over there from the coaster for a few seconds, but that's it. I get that it's a mine train, but it's fast enough to not be able to see anything around you, yet slow enough to be genuinely boring. An absolute waste of time! A better experience on the actual train that takes you from zone to zone in PortAventura!

First Drop Masterpiece Intensity Too short

Ahh what to say about Goliath?! Is 'fastest wooden rollercoaster' enough?! That first drop is insane. The entire ride is insane, from start to finish. For once I'm writing up a relatively short review for a masterpiece of a coaster. A real bummer it's not longer. RMC does not disappoint yet again. If you skip you might as well go home! This is one of the best rides SFGAm has to offer!

Capacity Comfort Smoothness

X-Flight was very difficult for me to rate. Without a doubt it is the smoothest, most efficiently operated & most comfortable ride in the park. However, nothing is really extraordinary on it. The experience is great, but you're not gonna end your day at SFGAm remembering your X-Flight experience particularly. It is outshined by its neighboring coasters, despite being a very solid B&M wing coaster. I recommend going on it once or twice, however there's no denying you're bound to get more intensity & fun on other rides.

Launch Fun Intensity Capacity

Operations & capacity wise, Vertical Velocity is a nightmare. You wait in line for a while (or, in my case, purchase a fast pass), & once you're done queueing, you're sent to the station where there's dozens & dozens of more people with absolutely no line or staff. The station wait time was approximately 35 minutes. That's the station wait time only, not the line. Now with operations all cleared up, this is a VERY fun ride, and man is it intense! Launch is fine, nothing extraordinary, but the overall experience is extremely fun & nice. No rattle or discomfort whatsoever, so great on that aspect as well. It will be hard to skip Vertical Velocity, as it is a solid entry in Six Flags Great America's lineup.

Airtimes First Drop Masterpiece

Six Flags Great America really has a hell of a lineup, and Raging Bull is most definitely part of it! Classic B&M hyper, amazingly well maintained, & I most definitely agree with the people comparing it to the mythical Shambhala at PortAventura Park in Spain. B&M excells once again! Wonderful ride that you'll want to go on again & again & again! Operations are fantastic! Don't skip!

Launch Layout Too short Capacity

Longest wait at Six Flags Great America by a mile. Flash Pass doesn't include it either. The day I went, Maxx Force was only operating one train that takes 3-4 minutes to dispatch 16 people. Expect 1-3 hours of wait time for a sub-30 second ride. Apart from that, it's phenomenal. Truly deserves the 4 stars. The records it breaks say enough. Fastest acceleration, inversion... The launch is insane (insanely loud as well...), and for once a launch actually serves for something! SFGAm definitely had limited space for the ride, as the brakes positioned at the end of the hill shows, but it still is an amazing coaster overall. Don't skip but also avoid the very long wait times... I recommend either buying a fast pass or wait until the line is under an hour 30 minutes long.

Theming Layout Headbanging Harness Tear it down!

Absolutely phenomenal theming & layout for Demon. That's it. That's the only thing this ride offers. You should admire it from far away & stop there. It genuinely HURTS. No wonder there's absolutely zero line & the trains usually leave with 2 or 3 people on them. Absolutely skip this if you don't want to have a headache for the rest of the day. Thankfully went on it last so the headache wasn't that big of a problem...

Inversions Fun Intensity

Superman: Ultimate Flight was my favorite ride at SFGAm! That pretzel loop alone gives this rollercoaster the 4.5 stars! It is SO fun, smooth and WOW is it intense!! Some people say it has nothing else to offer except the pretzel loop, I disagree. The overall layout is fantastic, and the pretzel loop is the cherry on top. Skipping Superman: Ultimate Flight should be a crime. Never do that!! Operations aren't the best on this ride, quite a bummer, but if you have the unlimited fast pass (lucky you...!) definitely go so many times!!!

Inversions Nice surprise! Fun

Batman: The Ride was really nice! Located in the DC area, it is my first inverted coaster. Didn't expect much but those dang inversions are crazy! Operations are fine. Get ready to have a blast, do not think of skipping the world's first ever inverted coaster!

Launch Pace Intensity Too short

Oh what to say about Red Force... A real beauty! You can see it miles & miles away on your road to the park. The on-ride experience is, while very short like all top hats, extremely enjoyable. Some say they should've added an element to the drop but I think the pure drop makes it even more extreme. Overall an iconic & hard to skip coaster in PortAventura World, the sole reason many people buy extension tickets to Ferrari Land!