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Theming Fun Masterpiece Intensity
Unlike anything else I've been on...a hair inside of the intensity I was seeking, but two rides provided two totally different experiences and both were quite enjoyable. I guess a trip to Belgium is next...
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Inversions Location Intensity
I'm not the biggest fan of floorless B&M's, but I think they are unheralded and Wildfire might be my favorite. The layout was really nicely positioned in the park against the backdrop of the Ozarks (I think), the color of the ride is striking against this backdrop, and the ride itself has a lot of intensity - the first drop, great whip in the inversions, a solid cobra-roll....not much not to like here.
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Location Headbanging Discomfort
I found Thunderation really uncomfortable and generally underwhelming. I liked Roadrunner Express a lot more - that's the closest experience I could compare it to. The lift-hill conclusion vs opening was novel, but aside from that, this ride wasn't for me. The family behind me on the other hand, they loved it! And so I'd say just know what you're getting before you go. An entry-level family coaster with some nice speed and intensity - that's what we've got here.
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Theming Disappointing!
I couldn't tell what was going on...the acoustics were awful, the story made no sense as a result, and Fire in the Hole ultimately felt like a dated ride without any meaningful enhancements or memorable elements. And I got really wet somehow...boo!
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Airtimes Location Harness Disappointing!
I found powderkeg to be a disappointment. It's not bad by any means, but all the elements were a little bit less than what they could've/should've been and the aggregate was an underwhelming ride for me. The launch isn't quite punchy enough, the drops aren't quite intense enough...it's just not quite what I hoped. And if we're being totally honest - it's a bit janky. I liked it...but it felt like a missed opportunity - so close to being something special.
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Location Intensity Layout Rattle
I can only imagine this ride in its prime. It was a little too rough for my liking, but aside from that, I found the ride nearly perfect. The layout is top-notch, the setting and backdrop on what was a sunny day were both amazing, and I found every element to be properly punchy from the first drop all the way through the break-run. Others have complained about the length, but I thought it was plenty long. Not every RMC needs to be SteVe and short lines enabled high re-ridability.
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Inversions Nice surprise!
Way more pop to this ride than I was expecting. Pretty solid considering its age.
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Duration Harness
Its not offensive, but it certainly isn''t a ride an enthusiast should chase down. The theming is quite a production for what this ride really is...reminded me of Skull mountain at SFGA, but this has a few degrees of intensity beyond what you might expect. It's certainly not dreadful (Skull Mountain is...) The lap bars on Jaguar were an enigma...I'm not sure what they were stopping or supporting.
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Don't love the format, did not love my ride. But I can appreciate why others dig it. I was stuck facing backwards most of the ride while the cars right behind me were spinning and having a much more dynamic ride. It's pretty forceful...but its not for me.
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Nothing to go out of your way for, but it's not that awful. I don't understand the harsh critique.
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First Drop Hangtime
Really enjoyed the Infinity format…solid intensity throughout after a climactic start. Much punchier than the Euro-fighters I've been on. Frankly, much better than I expected.
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Airtimes Fun Layout
Slick wooden coaster…really slick.
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Fun Masterpiece Layout Reliability
10 out of 10. I waited so long for today and was tormented one final time by what seemed to be another extended closure right as I was about to board. But alas, the fates were kind and after a short delay, I finally got to ride X2. In spite of outrageous expectations, X2 overdelivered. I loved every second. If there’s anything resembling a complaint, its that the ride could’ve been a bit longer. I'm still waiting to catch my breath...wow, just wow!
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My favorite Arrow suspended coaster since Big Bad Wolf. Pretty fun and quite whippy.
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Location Duration
A good way to kill time while others are shopping.
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Location
The kids favorite on our visit to MoA.
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First Drop Nice surprise! Location
Pretty whippin ride for a mall setting. First climb and drop are where it’s at.
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Airtimes
Pretty fun...certainly had more to it than we anticipated. nice pops of airtime throughout. A great way to start the day at Valleyfair.
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First Drop Disappointing! Discomfort
First drop suggests promise, but it was janky, uncomfortable and short. Its rare I run into a roller coaster I don't like. But I didn't like Excalibur at all.
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First Drop Layout Ejectors
GCI's are increasingly growing on me...I'd put Renegade below Thunderhead (my favorite) and Mystic Timbers, but ahead of Texas Stingray and Apocalypse. No moments of calm at any point on the ride. I would've liked a bit more airtime, but the first drop was quite unique and the pacing was fantastic. Lots of good lateral moments, nice ejector and airtime...just not quite enough.
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Launch Fun Intensity Capacity
My first and only impulse coaster to date. Pretty wild experience. The holding break is the headliner, but the first reverse launch was my personal favorite moment. I don't know why these don't get more love...it was by far the most intense coaster at Valleyfair.
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Capacity Fun Duration Intensity
Not as mild as I anticipated, but such a missed opportunity. Fun nonetheless. And a good looking ride if nothing else.
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not much to say here...bring a kid and enjoy it for what it is...
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Airtimes First Drop Fun Rattle Discomfort
Superman was something special...I can see why it rated so highly in the past. It felt a lot like Millennium Force on a slightly smaller frame, but had a better combination of airtime elements and was more dynamic overall. In it's prime, this would've been a top 5 for me, but there was a noticeable rattle and my knees took a bit of a beating, so while immensely enjoyable, I can't rate it as high as others with a similar profile. I really like Intamin hypers - they aren't as smooth as the B&M's but they feel more dangerous, which I really like.
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Airtimes Inversions Layout
Wicked Cyclone has so much going on in such a seemingly small frame. It's not in my top 5 RMC's on any standard measure, and yet, I had feels and thrills I've never experienced on any RMC (or any coaster for that matter.) The dimensions of WC are modest, but the ride seemingly goes on and on...and there isn't a dull moment that I can recall. Pacing was great, lots of elements, layout is very nicely done. Only got on it once due to weather...really want to try this one again.
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First Drop Capacity Masterpiece
Fury 325 is everything it was hyped to be. First hill was stellar, but the speed is what separates it from almost all others. Five rides across the day. Front row for ride one, back row, seat 4 for the final ride - an all-time favorite.
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Theming Comfort Fun Disappointing! Intensity
I'm being a bit hypercritical with this review, but Diamondback just didn't do it for me. The aesthetics, operations, water feature and location within the park are all stellar. Beyond these elements, I found Diamondback to be underwhelming. Two things are likely skewing my pov: 1. I went on Diamondback immediately after Orion and everything felt slightly subdued by comparison (I did this with Leviathan and Behemoth last month with similar effect.) 2: I think the B&M hypers are a format that's begun to fatigue for me. I love the concept and have come to appreciate the airtimes more and more, but when the trims are hitting hard (as they were on my ride), it feels like the ride is deliberately trying to throttle back levels of intensity and enjoyment and I just can't get my head around this. Ensuring safety and finding a reasonable accessible level of intensity for a broader set of riders makes sense to a degree, but knocking 20+ mph off the pace of things and bringing things to a near standstill are another thing altogether. Wanted to love this ride more than I did...next time I go to KI, I'll ride it first and hopefully that will allow me to appreciate it more.
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Inversions Nice surprise! Intensity
I came into Banshee with a lot of B&M Hypers under my belt over the past 12 months and a diminishing interest in the format as rides started to feel similar if not same (or exact in the case of Batman clones.) So with low expectations, Banshee completely overdelivered for me. It was my last ride of the day at King's Island and somehow, it's intensity exceeded anything else I experienced during the day. While others have complained in a lack of whippiness - I actually appreciated that not every inversion had a high whip and that there was nuance throughout the ride. The scale and speed also felt grander than any other invert out there...maybe Alpengeist can compete on size, but Banshee was packed front to finish. It's my new #1 invert hands-down.
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Nice surprise! Layout Duration
The Beast was an absolute Beast! What a marvel of a coaster. I loved it - and can only imagine how stellar it was in its prime. It must've been unlike anything else in an era dominated by Arrow loopers. The length, intensity, and especially the pacing throughout are solid...I make exception for pacing on the lift hills as a ride of this length deserves some grace in that regard. Until my backseat, nighttime ride on Mystic Timbers (the second ride of the day) I was ready to give Beast the trophy for best wooden coaster at the park. I'm still not sure it doesn't deserve this title.