Coaster reviews

Airtimes Launch Intensity Capacity

This format seems to get a lot of criticism, which is compounded further by it's status as a clone...but, I love this format and loved my ride on Tigris. I went on Tempesto this summer, so Tigris didn't catch me off guard in quite the same way, but I really enjoyed it nonetheless. Capacity is a challenge. We were lucky, it was a slow day at BGT so we didn't have to wait too long for it. The launches are great, the stall/airtime after the backwards launch is a fantastic element, the slow inversion at the top is quite enjoyable, and the shoulder harnesses didn't both me in the slightest. I may be in the minority, but I'm a big fan. Both Tempesto and Tigris are severely underrated in my view...

Launch Layout

Pipeline was a solid update to an otherwise fatigued format. I hope it breathes some life back into the stand-up coaster genre, which I feel has been too harshly judged over the years. The theming, launch, design and layout are all extremely well done and the ride has some really good moments of intensity beyond the launch, which was the highlight of my ride. The only gripe is that it never gets beyond "3rd or 4th gear" in terms of speed or intensity. I was hoping for a little bit more from it, but I recognize my tastes are not that of everyone else. I think it's a smart addition to the park with appeal that should lend nicely to the masses and aspiring enthusiasts. Extreme coaster enthusiasts should give it a shot with tempered expectations and look to Manta to scratch their extreme intensity itch.

Inversions Pace Intensity

Manta completely changed my view on the flying coaster format. I've been on Superman Ultimate Flight (SFOG) and Nighthawk and really didn't enjoy either, but Manta was a stellar experience...bigger, faster, and much more forceful. I don't know why a more intense combination of the same elements I've experienced before were so much more enjoyable - they just were. And I'm grateful for it. I was not expecting it, but Manta was the best coaster in the park. Great theming, beautiful design and a wicked experience...and the pretzel roll...just wow! Loved it front to back. Only complaint was having to hang for about 90 seconds after our ride finished waiting for the train in front of us to clear. A small gripe in the grand scheme. Bring on Tatsu!

Airtimes First Drop Location

There's nothing to complain about here. Mako is a solid B&M Hyper. I loved the color, layout/location and theme/connection to the park, but these are secondary things for me...as a ride it ranks in the middle of my B&M hyper experiences. Really good, but not great...Nitro is still the horse to beat (among those I've ridden.)

Capacity Nice surprise! Duration

Kumba is 30 years old and while past its prime delivered a pretty noteworthy experience. It doesn't compare to Iron Gwazi (not much will), but it had a good amount of intensity throughout the entire ride and I can only imagine how it stacked up to other coasters when it first came out. It must have truly stood out among the top coasters of the time. The foundations you now find in most B&M Hypers are evident in the car and track design. But surprisingly, it had a lot more tricks up its sleeve than the most modern of B&M hypers...inversions, corkscrews, etc. Made me wonder what something like Candymonium, Intimidator, Goliath (SFOG) or Mako would feel like if inversions were added to the equation. I have to imagine B&M has some things to gain if were to add some of Kumba's elements to its newest Hyper designs. One can dream...

First Drop Intensity Duration Discomfort

I wanted to like this coaster more than I actually did. Don't get me wrong, I really liked it, but I didn't love it as many folks clearly do. I found the first launch to be underwhelming; albeit, the drop that followed was great. From there, it was a bit too herky-jerky for my liking throughout the ride and a bit disorientating as a result. This is me splitting hairs, it's still a top 10-12 coaster and full of proper intensity and fun. But as an experience, its a tier down from my all-time favorites and so I'm being a bit critical to create some separation from those as a result.

First Drop Theming Smoothness Too short

A great dive coaster experience, which is a genre of coaster I really enjoy. What Dr. Diabolical lacks in height vs. other dive coasters, it makes up for in the 95 degree vertical drop and fantastic theming that you might expect from a Disney or Universal ride - not necessarily Six Flags. This is my #2 at the park behind Iron Rattler... It's too short, as are all Dive coasters, but the theming makes the experience feel much longer and immersive. Getting yelled at to "scream" while draped over a 150 foot beyond vertical drop was a really nice touch!

Airtimes First Drop Pace

The Dad: This ride is unbelievable and lived up to the hype for me. That it sits 45 minutes from my house at a really (I mean "really") small park with carnival rides as your alternatives is almost too odd to be true...but it meant no lines, low cost, and easy access to a top 10 coaster on the planet. I have to imagine Fun Spot is seeing the long view with this investment. I hope they keep this coaster to standard over time as it is truly a gem. We went on 4 rides in 75 minutes and could have done twice as many if we didn't take some breaths in between rides. I have it below Steve and above Twisted Timbers and Lightening Rod as my #2 RMC...we'll see where Iron Gwazi lands in a couple of weeks after a trip to Tampa. The first hill is awesome and the pacing across a plethora of high intensity elements from the first hill to the finish is just brilliant. That a record setting zero G-stall is the most sedate moment after the lift hill should tell you everything. It is packed with fantastic elements from start to finish, it never relents and the outward-banked airtime hill rivals Steve as the #2 moment I've ever had on a roller coaster (behind I305's first drop.) The front was more fun than the back for my daughter and I...it's smooth and silky no matter where you sit. The staff and operations were really top notch as well.96/100 from me. The Daughter: one less hill at the end would have been just fine (5 would do it.) The lap bar had me thinking I would fly out at any moment (she weighs 60 lbs). The first hill and the upside down part were both amazing...the first hill was my favorite part, especially from the front seat. My #1 RMC ahead of Twisted Cyclone (my only other at the time of riding.) It trails Hagrid's as my favorite coaster, but I loved this just the same.

Nice surprise! Fun Ejectors

We jumped on Thunderhead to start the day and came back to it for multiple rides towards the end of my first Dollywood experience. While we came to the park with our eyes set on other coasters (that also delivered), Thunderhead really brought a unique intensity and fun factor. It's fantastic modern wooden coaster that's easily overlooked in a park with many other enjoyable rides. But don't miss this one...simply too much fun and the only coaster whose capacity and appeal enabled 4+ rides in the same day. UPDATE after recent visit - Thunderhead was even better than I remembered. I've yet to hit Mystic Timbers, which sound like stands in a class of its own - for the moment, Thunderhead is my favorite CGI by a distance. Love the pacing and intensity. Night ride added to the experience.

Inversions Location Fun

This was my 4th B&M Invert of the summer after Raptor, Afterburn, and a Batman clone. I must say, I really liked it despite the novelty being a bit worn out. The setting, theming and views were much better than the other rides (2 of 3 look out over a parking lot) and Alpengeist had just a little bit more speed, height, intensity. Yes, it runs out of energy at the very end, but I don't need a coaster to come flying into the station to be considered a good ride. Unlike the other B&M invert rides, where I ironically preferred the front despite the poor views, I found the back to be where it was at on Alpengeist.

Nice surprise! Duration

A really strong effort for a family coaster with solid theming, some nice twists and turns including multiple helixes (I think), and an extended duration that weaves into the quarry setting and keeps you engaged throughout.

Theming Launch Pointless

Amazing theming and a pretty solid launch get this ride experience out of the gates in a very strong way. Unfortunately, I found the rest of the ride to be quite forgettable. Lots of twists and turns, but nothing that spikes the heart rate as I would've hoped. Its a fun ride but not fantastic.

Inversions Location Rattle Headbanging

This was my first floorless B&M and I didn't enjoy it very much. For whatever reason, I found myself a bit woozy and disoriented coming away from the ride. That could've been my fault as we were really pushing the limits throughout the day with Seaworld and SFFT stops. In terms of the ride itself, there are a lot of intense elements included throughout the layout, but I didn't find that any brought the kind of peak intensity that separates the best coasters from the rest. "The volume never got any higher than a 5-6" and for a top tier ride, I want at least one or two elements that hit a volume intensity of a 9 or 10. There was also a high degree of headbanging on the restraints, which didn't help...

First Drop Pace Intensity Rattle Too short Discomfort

I'm not sure the Raptor-track RMCs are for me. I enjoyed Golden Lasso and Jersey Devil before it, but I don't love the experiences. There is a lot of intensity packed into a short ride and small frame, but there's little-to-no build-up or even ability to anticipate what's around the next corner as a result of the design. I'm also seriously concerned with how long these coasters will hold up as there are notable rattles and visible track wear-and-tear already evident. The right bend and first drop are a really enjoyable way to start the ride and Golden Lasso is distinct from just about anything else I've been on, including Jersey Devil. But it's a "good not great" from my view.

Airtimes First Drop Nice surprise!

Steel Eel is highly under-appreciated in my view. I quite liked it. I haven't been on other Morgan rides, but I get the sense they all get an unfair wrap. Granted, the lap bars, train comfort and airtime hills are not as smooth as similarly sized B&M's. But I was ready for pronounced dead spots and back-breaking transitions based on what I'd read - and neither of these things occurred on any meaningful level. The first drop is great, the third air-time hill is really great, the turnaround/right-banking drop was solid and the rolling camelbacks are good. There is a slight "stutter" consistently felt in the air-time transitions, but the airtimes themselves were really enjoyable. Friendly operators, high re-ridability, a pleasant setting, and a striking color palate are added pluses. Steel Eel won't win any awards, per se (and I don't believe it has), but it's a really solid, steel coaster nonetheless.

Inversions Intensity Rattle

Standard Batman clone. It's never a "bad" experience, but the novelty has worn off a little as I've been on a few in the last month (SFGA, SFOG). The wear and tear on this one were more pronounced than I'd seen or felt on others. But the Great White name/theming is a nice change of pace and certainly proper for a SeaWorld version.

Pace Fun Duration Discomfort

A "good" ripping and rocking woody from GCI. I only went on it once and while it seemingly had all the elements of other CGI's I've enjoyed, it was "fine" and nothing more for me. There was no one else on the ride as the park was quite empty and this tempered the energy and enthusiasm surrounding our ride. I suspect my anticipation for Iron Rattler (which we rode later in the day) muted my interest as well. There's nothing wrong with it, but my experience was a step below my favorite GCI, Thunderhead. I do believe I owe it another go at some point...could have just been an off-day.

Launch Fun Layout Intensity

This coaster is not meant to blow your socks off and it doesn't. But it's really nice intro to intensity for younger audiences and delivers a really fun experience front-to-back for all riders. The two-launches and the over-the--water setting were highlights. Again, not going to push the boundaries of intensity for anyone, but I don't see how you exit this ride without a smile on your face.

Theming Fun Duration Intensity

I've been on this ride multiple times over 30 years...I've always enjoyed it much more than Space Mountain. It's not going to set any records, but it's pretty good by Disney standards and watching my wife and daughter enjoy it together adds greatly to it's allure for me personally.

a fine mine-ride/family coaster...not much more to say.

Capacity Inversions Harness Discomfort

This is a pretty typical Arrow from the 80's where there are clearly advances to pioneering coasters and multiple elements included in the ride - but it's not very comfortable and while it's enjoyable, it doesn't hold up to today's more dynamic coasters of scale. I liked it nonetheless. I won't seek it out again, but if I'm passing through and the lines are short, I'd give it another whirl.

Lap Bar Fun Discomfort

A better ride than I anticipated...not the best woody I've ridden, but certainly not awful. I went on it over 3 months ago and I thought I'd captured the review in a more timely manner. Unfortunately, I don't remember too many details beyond a solid first drop and some nice airtimes - potentially telling that the ride wasn't that memorable. But I do remember my first thought being that is was pretty fun given I had low expectations.

Airtimes First Drop Layout

I loved Nitro. I've been on a bunch of B&M hypers over the past year and while they are tamer than some of your top-end RMC's and Intamin rides, they consistently deliver quality riding experiences and they are by no means devoid of intensity. Nitro was a nice change of pace vs. El Toro and Kingda Ka. And while it's similar to other B&M hypers that I've ridden, it was not the same - it has it's own personality and a few tricks up its sleeve that I found to be great coaster elements (i.e. left bank turn coming out of the first camelback hill, elevating spiral.) Yes the trims can put a damper on things at the end, but the airtimes I experienced prior were fantastic and the lake setting was a nice added touch. Nitro did look like it could use a paint job, but that's me splitting hairs...this is a top-tier B&M hyper in short - really accessible and enjoyable.

Inversions Fun

I know it's a clone, but I like the SFOG version better. Maybe it's the paint...

First Drop Inversions Fun Rattle

My first RMC raptor track coaster...I really liked it, but didn't love it. I found Jersey Devil (and likely it's counterparts) to be an innovative and unique concept that enables you to experience some of the best elements felt on RMC I-Box coasters in a more compact frame/smaller real-estate footprint. Capacity was not an issue on the day I went as the lines were short (not surprising in November.) The first drop is great. The inversions are great. The zero-g stall is especially great. And the devil theming is pretty cool looking. But it's not as glass smooth and just not in the same league as the newer I-Box coasters (Arie Force, Wildcat's Revenge, Iron Gwazi), which is fine. It's still a really, really, really good coaster...just not great.

Pace Intensity Ejectors Discomfort

My goodness. El Toro is no joke. We opened and closed our day at SFGA with it and while I thought it would feel tamer on the second go-round, especially after hitting all the other big rides at the park, the second ride actually felt more intense. It almost seemed like the ride was angry at us for daring to underestimate it. Even the wheels were screaming at us! El Toro is aptly named, that's for sure. In terms of the ride elements, it's pacing is relentless. You fly up the lift-hill (I love this from intense Intamin coasters), the first drop is great, but it's the two subsequent camelbacks and resulting airtime that are the seminal elements on the ride. Our second ride was also a night ride and it made every twist and turn seem exceptionally forceful. I've seen many reference how rough El Toro has become. For me, the front was far rougher than the back. The back was fine, the front was barely tolerable. I came as close to blacking out as I've ever felt on a coaster before. I can only imagine how great this ride was in its early days. But two decades in, El Toro still brings it big time!

First Drop Location Intensity

This ride got it all started for me - back in 1982 when my love for roller coasters was born. I grew up 15 minutes from Hersheypark, but Hershey didn't have anything that could compare to the Loch Ness Monster - not at the time. I rode it for the first time when I was 7 years-old and I was simultaneously terrified and enraptured. My father and I still talk about this first ride together nearly 40 years later. As a result, my review is surely enhanced by the nostalgic lens through which I'll always see this ride...but in my mind, the ride was perfect. I rode it again a few times over the years and it never disappointed. I'm going to give a go again in a few weeks...my last ride was in 1993 - I hope it still holds up.

Airtimes Launch Hangtime Too short

Goodness, this ride gave me more of a thrill than I was expecting. And I don't think I was alone. The screams coming off Tempesto surpassed anything I heard on Apollo's Chariot and rivaled Pantheon. I realize it's a clone and may lack for originality, but as my first of this type of coaster (Sky Rocket II), it gave me everything I was looking for and packed quite a punch. If only it could be a little longer.

Location Discomfort Pointless

This ride has a fantastic location within the park and looks like it could have something special going on from the outside lookin in. Alas, it does not. I also found it really uncomfortable as my knees were bashed the entire ride. Granted, I have fairly long legs at 6'3". There were some little ones screaming/enjoying it - which is why I didn't give it a "Tear it down" con. Someone enjoys it...it just wasn't me. Feels like the real-estate and space could be leveraged to create something much more interesting.

Pointless

This was a bad wild mouse hidden in the dark. The kids might enjoy it, so I'm sure it has a role in the park's broader vision, but I was really underwhelmed.