Reviews • David

Ok I was expecting a normal boring janky mine train ride and this ride really hauls to the point I was genuinely afraid something had gone wrong. It’s...

Ok I was expecting a normal boring janky mine train ride and this ride really hauls to the point I was genuinely afraid something had gone wrong. It’s smooth for an old Arrow and really has some amazing height and speed to it, far more than any other mine train I’ve ridden. The use of the terrain really makes a big difference and the theming of the station was pretty cool as well.

This is a near perfect coaster. I love the layout and it really reminds me of all the things I love about Lightning Rod with an amazing first drop tha...

This is a near perfect coaster. I love the layout and it really reminds me of all the things I love about Lightning Rod with an amazing first drop that might be my favorite to all sorts of great insanity. The big problem with this is the roughness to the point that I cannot re-ride this without taking a break. It desperately needs the I-Box track instead of topper/wood. This makes such a great impression and is probably top 3 of all RMCs.

This is definitely another painful Arrow/Vekoma looper. It is intriguing though as it doesn’t follow the usual loop and corkscrew model. It has the An...

This is definitely another painful Arrow/Vekoma looper. It is intriguing though as it doesn’t follow the usual loop and corkscrew model. It has the Anaconda one and half loop into a corkscrew to the side to an awkward couple turns and then a brake run, then a double corkscrew and helix ending so it’s still all the usual cookie cutter pieces with janky transitions. I guess I’m making a poor argument for it but I still want to like it but it’s just not a good experience. Instead of just demolishing these sorts of rides, I wish at least one park would hire S&S to modify them to be smooth while keeping the main elements.

This is a top mine train contender for its terrain layout and smoothness, especially compared to most other Arrow mine trains where you will get bruis...

This is a top mine train contender for its terrain layout and smoothness, especially compared to most other Arrow mine trains where you will get bruised. The drop in the dark at the end is a wonderful touch and much preferred to a helix ending.

I only got one ride on this but that was all I could take. I swear, the train was smacking my back over and over like it was a giant’s hand. I was try...

I only got one ride on this but that was all I could take. I swear, the train was smacking my back over and over like it was a giant’s hand. I was trying to hold on for dear life and avoid the smacking seat by sitting away from it but defensive riding was only helping so much. It’s a real shame because I love the terrain and out and back layout and the speed. It should be a top wood coaster in the world if it were smooth and maintained but unfortunately it’s at a Six Flags so it’s neglected and barely legally safe.

This ride brings me right back to the coaster wars when parks were trying to build bigger and faster wood coasters. We can look back and see it was a ...

This ride brings me right back to the coaster wars when parks were trying to build bigger and faster wood coasters. We can look back and see it was a mistake and that wood coasters work best at certain limited sizes and speeds but this dinosaur is still biting. The first few tall drops are all amazing and I love them for their excess but everything after that is a waste. Still, I’m glad this exists flaws and all.

After riding the other Mr Freeze in Texas I was excited to get on this one and it was very similar. The back seat going backwards is my favorite seat ...

After riding the other Mr Freeze in Texas I was excited to get on this one and it was very similar. The back seat going backwards is my favorite seat with those wonderful high views on the spike. I did get a little rattle on this unlike the Texas one and overall thought it was a bit rough or harsh. It’s still the best coaster in the park but only because the big wood coasters are in so poor a state due to neglect.

The layout of Hoosier Hurricane is great and there were some good moments. Overall I thought it was a bit rough and needed some repairs to help bring ...

The layout of Hoosier Hurricane is great and there were some good moments. Overall I thought it was a bit rough and needed some repairs to help bring it back to its peak.

This little S&S single-car coaster is amazing and unique! I found it very comfortable, even hanging upside down in the restraints. The lift hill is su...

This little S&S single-car coaster is amazing and unique! I found it very comfortable, even hanging upside down in the restraints. The lift hill is super quick and then that first drop really surprised me how it gives a little hang time. The pacing and elements are wonderful.

This ride was another unique and creative design in a park full of them. It is all elevated above the ground including quite the stair climb up to the...

This ride was another unique and creative design in a park full of them. It is all elevated above the ground including quite the stair climb up to the station. A short lift hill and then a great first drop and then on that first hill you get wonderful airtime and a few more moments of airtime throughout. The coaster felt slightly rough in a spot or two with an uncomfortable jolt during the helix but overall was excellent for that airtime.

The ride in the back is so smooth and fun through so many inversions. It’s like an RMC but even better. The closest thing to this is Iron Gwazi but wi...

The ride in the back is so smooth and fun through so many inversions. It’s like an RMC but even better. The closest thing to this is Iron Gwazi but with more inversions. This is coaster nirvana: high thrill and no pain. I could bring my elderly relatives on this.

I really enjoyed Xcelerator, especially once the wait time got really short at the end of the day. It’s got that wonderful launch out of the station, ...

I really enjoyed Xcelerator, especially once the wait time got really short at the end of the day. It’s got that wonderful launch out of the station, top hat, and couple of overbanked turns. Of course it’s too short and the launch is not as punchy as either of their Stratacoasters or Stormrunner, but it’s still a very punchy launch and the whole ride is very smooth and lots of fun.

Giant Dipper is a gem and I love its unique and historic design. I do wish the park would keep the ride layout and character but rebuild it to be less...

Giant Dipper is a gem and I love its unique and historic design. I do wish the park would keep the ride layout and character but rebuild it to be less painful and jerky on the riders.

Premier Skyrockets are fun with great swing launches and pacing over the top. It’s also been cloned many times, has a very short layout, and very low ...

Premier Skyrockets are fun with great swing launches and pacing over the top. It’s also been cloned many times, has a very short layout, and very low capacity.

This feels like something between a family ride and a thrill ride and works really well with the park and theme. It has a strange show at the beginnin...

This feels like something between a family ride and a thrill ride and works really well with the park and theme. It has a strange show at the beginning with no narrative, and then a good punchy launch into a twisty layout with minimal hills or drops. It moves quickly but feels too flat.

Rapterra is really a wonderful family/thrill coaster with broad appeal to enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts. The launch caught me by surprise where most...

Rapterra is really a wonderful family/thrill coaster with broad appeal to enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts. The launch caught me by surprise where most launches happen from a stop this one just rolls out of the station and then takes off. The view from the front row is the place to be on this and it's also very comfortable. My favorite element is a zero-g inversion in the middle of the ride. It doesn't have the unique character and personality of the Arrow looper it replaced nearby but it's difficult to fault this ride in any way. Like most other fans, I would love if they had installed some near-miss visuals during the ride and I also wish it was bigger and longer. And while we are wishing, I wish they rebuilt the mountain that used to be on this spot and incorporated the ride into that.

I rode this the year it first opened and I remember thinking how it gave me a headache and was too rough. Fast forward to today and all these years la...

I rode this the year it first opened and I remember thinking how it gave me a headache and was too rough. Fast forward to today and all these years later it's probably one of the better Vekoma boomerang clones still running. It's extremely intense in the back row on the backwards ride, even pulling 5+ g-forces. I still always get off this dizzy but it was fun and it wasn't too rough this time.

For being the first Intamin hyper coaster it's easy to see how they were still figuring out how to design something custom that felt like a complete a...

For being the first Intamin hyper coaster it's easy to see how they were still figuring out how to design something custom that felt like a complete and continuous ride. This feels more like an assembly of parts (first drop, airtime hill, and helices) that don't really form a coherent ride and have straight track in between. That said, its best attribute is the high speed at which you take these elements and how smooth and big each element is. My favorite part is easily the first turn after the drop where you see the ground right next to you whipping by at 75 miles per hour as you lean into that turn.

I got a fresh few rides on this after becoming an enthusiast and riding a whole lot of other coasters in between and having all that experience, I rea...

I got a fresh few rides on this after becoming an enthusiast and riding a whole lot of other coasters in between and having all that experience, I really appreciate this coaster a lot more than I did before. It's definitely in the upper tier of all Arrow coasters. I would rank it above Loch Ness Monster and all the Loop and Corkscrew models. It not only has 5 inversions including a single vertical loop, the batwing double inversion (with the one bad transition neck snap in the middle of that), and then the double corkscrew, it also has an underground very dark helix at the end. There's something special about this ride and I really hope they keep this classic going in perpetuity.

This was my first coaster and ignited my love for roller coasters. I got a ride with the titan track and I have to say it's not my favorite experience...

This was my first coaster and ignited my love for roller coasters. I got a ride with the titan track and I have to say it's not my favorite experience because now it's just a weird transition from typical wood rough ride to glass smooth and back but it's inoffensive and fun. I would prefer if the park just did what every park has done for the last century and replace the wood at regular intervals and keep it a wood coaster.

My initial impression was very positive with the big swing launch and I still like that element in the back row. It's fun and solid but also short and...

My initial impression was very positive with the big swing launch and I still like that element in the back row. It's fun and solid but also short and is missing a strong finish.

It's a fairly standard older wood coaster that has finally gotten some fresh lumber and is riding somewhat comfortably. It still needs a lot more trac...

It's a fairly standard older wood coaster that has finally gotten some fresh lumber and is riding somewhat comfortably. It still needs a lot more track replacement work to bring it back to its prime. The capacity is one of the worst in the park though so maybe wait until the end of the day to ride it.

It's a fun Arrow mine train that didn't feel too rough to me but still requires some defensive riding. Unfortunately there's no theming on the ride it...

It's a fun Arrow mine train that didn't feel too rough to me but still requires some defensive riding. Unfortunately there's no theming on the ride itself so it's not as good as the mine trains at Six Flags Over Texas and at Kings Island.

I rode this a few times in the day and again at night in complete darkness for the fright fest and wow, highly recommend doing the pitch dark ride bec...

I rode this a few times in the day and again at night in complete darkness for the fright fest and wow, highly recommend doing the pitch dark ride because it's already insane in the daylight but not being able to see what's coming cranks it up to 11. I do wish Hershey spent a little more on smoothing this with fresh lumber though.