Coaster reviews

First Drop Capacity Duration Intensity

While not typically intense, Fury delivers tremendously on the fun factor, blistering speed and sustained, strong floajector on each hill (plus sideways floater on the Hive Dive), its only dead spot being that helix. Fury still has my favorite first drop of any coaster, nothing can beat those 10 straight seconds of free-falling bliss on Fury. It’s a little rattly in the helix, but not enough to detract from the ride experience in my opinion. Fury is a fantastic coaster overall, one that leaves me with a big smile after every single ride (think I’ve ridden it around 27-30 times now?).

First Drop Pace Intensity Headbanging

Wow, this is the first review of Mindbender on here. And it’s such a spectacular coaster! When I first rode this coaster, I ranked it as a 7/10 — a very intense coaster, but the Schwarzkopf Accordion restraints ruined it for me. I was able to secure another trip to West Ed a few days later, and one ride changed that 7 to a perfect 10. I made sure my head was above the OTSR’s and braced for any whiplash. You are nearly able to touch the 15-story ceiling from the top of the lift, but in a split second you are twisted sideways and dive down in an impossibly tight first drop! The next amazing moment is the two back-to-back vertical loops, where I was seeing black by their end — it’s no surprise that this coaster supposedly pulls 5.5Gs! The rest of this coaster is satisfyingly long and thrilling every second of the way, with an ejector pop thrown in as well as a pretty intense helix and a snappy vertical loop; it’s a shame this ride doesn’t get more love.

Pace Intensity Ejectors Capacity

The prelift section has a dose of speed (and laterals) before engaging the lift. The first drop is easily one of my favorites - in the back, there’s standing ejector air all the way down. Unlike a typical RMC, the pullout is shockingly intense - I started to see black on the climb up the outer banked hill. The outer banked hill itself doesn’t deliver the goods until the crest, where an abrupt transition from laterals and some positives to strong, banked ejector air occurs. But it’s sustained the entire way down, even as the track adjusts itself back to zero degrees roll, and there’s more strong positive Gs going into the death roll. The rise into the death roll is one of two breather moments in Iron Gwazi’s otherwise rampant layout, with light positives and not terribly noticeable laterals - though the front row has ejector airtime going into the roll. But unlike the slower, much more gradual barrel roll downdrop on Twisted Timbers, this inversion whips riders to the left, pins riders to the side and throws them out the entire way down. Sustained laterals plus ejector-like hangtime makes for a truly unhinged and iconic element. The overbanked inversion (“Reverse Stengel cutback”?) happens quickly, with crazy visuals and headchoppers within the wood supports, though it doesn’t have as much punch as the rest of the layout. This is the only moment I found to be better in the front, delivering a burst of standing ejector air on the drop, while the back just gets whipped into and out of the overbank. Thankfully though, the outer banked wave turn (“Twist and Shout”) over the station picks up the pace again, with strong whip immediately followed by an unexpectedly sustained moment of sideways, standing ejector airtime. The step up delivers more ejector, while the wave turn feels like a less sustained but much stronger version of Lightning Rod’s. Following that, the stall is solid (though less of a standout moment than Pantheon’s and Jersey Devil’s), it’s a short breather moment before the insane, ejector-loaded finale. The off-axis hill delivers a burst of ejector air, followed by whip into and strong positive Gs on the turnaround. The “Asian Camelback” has two more strong bursts of ejector, with stronger whip into the final turnaround. Then the last hill, which was higher off the ground than expected, delivers one last moment of ejector air all the way down. The turn into the brake run offers one last dose of whip, and the brakes come all too soon - they’re just as strong and sudden as expected. As soon as I got off my first lap on Iron Gwazi, I was immediately blown away. It went from top 10 in the morning to top 3 in the afternoon - Iron Gwazi runs even faster later in the day, with the final few hills delivering violent ejector airtime. For me, the highlights on Iron Gwazi are the death roll and outer banked wave turn, but the first drop, outer banked hill and final 4 hills were phenomenal too. While it doesn’t have the most elements or the longest duration, every single element on Iron Gwazi counts, packing in significant amounts of ejector airtime, ridiculous speed and/or whip every time. This makes Iron Gwazi feel short but pretty satisfying after every single ride, enough to entice me back in line again and again. Iron Gwazi feels like RMC’s take on Skyrush - tall in height, short in length but absurdly fast-paced the entire time - but even better than Skyrush. I preferred the back due to the stronger, more sustained and comfortable airtime, along with the increased whip.

Airtimes Hangtime Duration Theming

The first launch is short but surprisingly punchy. The zero-g winder has a dose of fantastic hangtime, followed by some solid positive Gs at the bottom. The miniature outer banked hills before the swing launch don’t provide much (if any) airtime. Instead, they offer wonky doses of laterals to the right and the left. As the launch isn’t sustained (it happens in quick bursts), it’s hard to feel the strong accelerational Gs. The first boost and airtime hill doesn’t provide much. Climbing the top hat for the first time, there’s a bit of weightlessness as the train stalls out and begins rolling backwards. But the second boost is noticeably more powerful than the first. This time, the airtime hill induces a sudden pop of ejector, followed by a burst of positives in the valley and another sudden pop of ejector on the step up into the spike. Especially in the back, the spike is a blissful moment of sustained floater (perfect 0G, pretty much), and one of Pantheon’s highlights. The spike is comparable to a camelback hill of a quality B&M hyper - not overly intense, just pure, blissful fun - except riding 90° straight up is easily a more unique visual (Sidenote, to compare speeds from my rides, the back car was entirely on the 2-tube track, with the 4th car halfway on as well…). Looking right during the ascent provides a rare view over the rest of Pantheon. Following that, the final boost is insanity: another ejector burst on the step down, strong positives in the valley, followed by the airtime hill at full-speed delivering crazy, violent ejector. Then Pantheon races up the top hat. In the front, there’s a solid moment of ejector up the top hat, while the back has some weightlessness. In any row, Pantheon’s 95° drop delivered, but it was exceptional in the back row - with sustained ejector air - and my favorite moment on Pantheon. The only drops I prefer are Fury 325’s and El Toro’s. The next valley isn’t too forceful, though it’s hard to appreciate the riverside setting due to Pantheon’s blistering speed. As expected, the outer banked hill isn’t very extreme, but the dose of laterals, fantastic sideways views and flojector air on the descent made for a solid element regardless. It’s definitely better in the front, the airtime is stronger and more sustained up there. The banked hop into the stall provided a short, not too noticeable pop of airtime, while the zero-g stall itself is the final highlight of Pantheon. The zero-g stall provides graceful, sustained hangtime high above the ground while somehow feeling fast. It’s one of my new favorite inversions for sure - flopping onto a lap bar while upside down is odd, but very fun. Then, the headchopper under the top hat goes by in a blur. The following S-bend is fairly whippy, like a faster version of Cheetah Hunt’s. And finally, Pantheon ends with a bang - the wall stall is surprisingly strong, delivering sideways flojector airtime that’s pretty sustained as well. My first 2 laps on Pantheon were in the afternoon. Undeniably, it was very good, but less intense than expected and not the top-10 contender I hoped for. The last two evening and night rides changed that though - Pantheon seemed to be running faster, every element delivered more, amplified by the pitch black setting (the lighting package nor the lights on the catwalks ever turned on). I found Pantheon itself to be eventful enough that the lack of theming wasn’t a major issue to me. On the whole, Pantheon is less centered around a single element, delivering a long, well-rounded experience with some of everything (all kinds of airtime, hangtime, some whip, backwards and fast sections) packed into one fulfilling layout. In that sense, Pantheon feels like a next-generation Maverick - and that’s really the only comparison I can make, considering it’s drastically unlike anything else I’ve ridden so far. TL;DR - Pantheon lived up to my expectations as a world-class coaster. The night rides elevated Pantheon to my top 10 overall and my new favorite coaster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. The 95° drop, airtime hill launch and spike were the highlights, but the zero-g stall and wall stall were fantastic too… actually, Pantheon doesn’t have any “bad” elements - they’re all interesting, powerful and/or sustained. While no single element is the best in its genre (besides the swing launch… that thing is insane), the variety of sensations, amount of airtime and consistent quality throughout the layout makes Pantheon truly top-notch. Well, it’s always left me satisfied and smiling, so…

Airtimes Fun Hangtime Too short

Twisted Cyclone packs a punch into its short but sweet layout. The most notable moments are the first drop (nice ejector with a little twist to the side), reverse cobra roll that gives some satisfyingly long hangtime, sideways airtime hill that has a crazy headchopper on the way back down, and zero-g roll. My favorite moment, however, is the ejector dive off the overbank going into the 3rd inversion. It has an absolutely INSANE moment of intense airtime coupled with a great headchopper.

Theming Inversions

I’m not sure whether I like this or Superman at Fiesta Texas more, but it’s one of my favorite floorless coasters overall. The fire and water effects are a nice touch, as are the facade cutouts and forested setting.

Intensity Rattle Headbanging Theming

I've enjoyed both Vortex at Carowinds and Georgia Scorcher, but I hated this ride - it’s definitely intense, but Green Lantern is rough with a lot of headbanging. It didn’t ruin my opinion of standups though.

Launch Pace Intensity Rattle Too short Reliability

I technically rode Kingda Ka twice, but on lap one, the ride broke down, and the train I was on rolled back into the station. Close to park closing, I got in line for Ka again - since El Toro had a ridiculously long queue - and Kingda Ka broke down again just when I was next to ride. I waited it out this time, and finally got on 3rd row. In short - Kingda Ka is not an amazing coaster, definitely not in the same league as Voyage, Skyrush, El Toro, Fury 325, etc., but it’s one hell of a ride for sure. It’s the only coaster that has left me utterly speechless after riding, and absolutely worth a go for the experience (and the bragging rights). Kingda Ka is rough, though - the train was shaking and rattling the whole way through the launch, up/down the top hat, and into the brakes, which did detract from the experience a bit.

Airtimes Capacity Theming Pointless Dead spots

I’ve been aware of this coaster’s cult-like status, but I’d never seen a POV before, so I went into Skull Mountain blind. It’s a pretty enjoyable, smooth family coaster with that uncharacteristically steep and intense first drop. All in all, I enjoyed Skull Mountain for what it is.

Pace Intensity Headbanging

It’s one of my favorite Batman clones I’ve done, second only to Over Georgia’s. Batman is a G-loaded, whippy invert that packs a mid-sized punch.

Pace Intensity Layout Rattle

Somehow, Thunderhead is drastically better in the front than any other row. It's so much smoother and more enjoyable up there. Thunderhead has laterals and pacing galore as well as a nice sustained bit of sideways floater air plus some quick pops throughout the layout, and the station flyby is fun during the ride - but quite loud for those waiting in the station.

Airtimes Location Intensity Disappointing! Lap Bar

Lightning Rod was all the rage back in 2016. No one talked about anything BUT the world’s first launched wooden coaster, meaning that my hype for this ride had skyrocketed for when I would finally get to experience it in October 2016. It certainly did live up to my absurdly high expectations, but I woke up with black-and-blue bruises the next morning. I re-rode Lightning Rod multiple times in 2017, and while the airtime was great, I didn’t find this altered version of Lightning Rod to be nearly as intense or airtime-filled as when I'd ridden it the first time around. There’s no denying that Lightning Rod is a very impressive coaster — however, the quality of my more recent rides didn't match the sheer insanity that this coaster delivered back in October 2016. It’s the flagship attraction at Dollywood and a must-ride for any coaster enthusiast like me, but I have yet to understand why others rate it so much higher than I do.

Airtimes First Drop Ejectors Rattle Dead spots

Having heard about how incredible this coaster is for years, my expectations were sky-high. While it wasn’t the Voyage-beater I hoped it could’ve been, those expectations were definitely met. The first half of El Toro, namely the drop and first 2 airtime hills, is absolutely incredible - all 3 moments provide sustained ejector air. There’s a particularly rough patch in between the turnaround and next airtime hill, and another on the following speed hill. The Rolling Thunder hill is a surreal moment of ejector, and definitely the highlight of El Toro. I found the rest of the ride (the twister section finale, as well as everything between the turnaround and Rolling Thunder hill) to be pretty intense, but rather rough and lacking in airtime. In conclusion, I definitely prefer Voyage, but El Toro is in my top 10 regardless. It’s not “as smooth as a steel coaster”, but it is less rough than most other woodies I’ve done. It’s the best coaster at Great Adventure for sure, and I’d love to get rerides.

Airtimes Comfort Duration

I expected Nitro to be weaker based on opinions I’d heard, but in reality, it far exceeded my expectations. I rode twice in the morning, and came back to re-ride later in the day. The first half is pretty standard (but well-done) for a B&M hyper - first few hills providing graceful, sustained floater with an average turnaround - but Nitro’s second half elevates it above the competition for me. That helix into the MCBR is somehow VERY forceful (I’d liken it to a smaller version of Titan’s infamous helix), and the 4-5 airtime moments after that MCBR all deliver sustained floajector/ejector air. The clamshell restraints without seatbelts and the pleasant, forested setting were also a plus. It's my 2nd favorite coaster at Great Adventure, only behind El Toro.

First Drop Capacity Hangtime Harness Disappointing!

If Six Flags and RMC’s intent was to create a less extreme, crowd-pleasing Raptor over the white-knuckle, intense experience of the prototypes, then they certainly succeeded. I prefer Wonder Woman for sure, but those who found the prototypes too extreme will love Jersey Devil. Although the coaster was down multiple times throughout the day, when running with all 4 trains, Jersey Devil’s operations were a sight to behold - the next train would climb the lift hill as soon as the one ahead cleared the MCBR, and the line was constantly moving. Unfortunately, the ride ops didn’t let anyone pick (or even ask for) a seat, and were stapling everyone. I didn’t find Jersey Devil exactly painful, but I wasn’t able to feel much from the stapling. My favorite moment on Jersey Devil was the stall - it was my first, and a super fun element at that - or the first big airtime hill. The first drop and drop off the turnaround also had solid ejector, but again, I couldn’t really feel it. I didn’t feel much of anything after the MCBR, with those banked hills providing weak floater, and a short pop of ejector on the last bunny hill. All in all, Jersey Devil is my 3rd favorite coaster in the park, behind Nitro and El Toro.

Airtimes First Drop Intensity Discomfort

Maverick is absolutely incredible. Somehow, it's the variety pack of coasters, delivering just about anything and everything - and even more shockingly, it excels in every single category. Sustained ejector airtime moments (that incredible first drop, the big airtime hill and speed hill), two ballistic Stengel dives, a VERY powerful launch, whippy S-curves all tied together in a satisfyingly long and well-paced ride. The airtime is so extreme that being thrown up into the restraints might cause some discomfort, but aside from that, Maverick is just about perfect!

Theming Comfort Hangtime Dead spots

The launches were more forceful than I was expecting, and the three great moments of hangtime (heartline roll, 1st loop, cutback/inverted tophat) compliment the two ejector hills (as I anticipated, the one right after the first loop, but unexpectedly there's that bunny hop just before the brakes). The ride overall has solid positive Gs, with a few unexpectedly snappy transitions (most notably the one immediately following the Stengel Dive through the first loop, favorite moment on the ride) and airtime pops that keep the coaster fresh and exciting. Carowinds also did a good job with theming this coaster and its queue, it's certainly a welcome departure from most of the park aesthetics-wise and I'd love to see more. While it may not be absurdly intense, Copperhead Strike is an all-around fun ride with a bit of everything peppered in.

Airtimes First Drop Smoothness Dead spots

After reriding Intimidator in October 2021, it was better than I expected: B&M hypers are airtime-filled coasters by default, and while Intimidator's trims mean its airtime is on the weaker side of the bunch, it's still graceful and fairly enjoyable. The first drop and the 2 return hills are the highlight, all giving very solid floater or floajector air, and the rest of the hills are decent too. I just wish that Intimidator had more interesting maneuvers after the mid-course, as from there it's a tame, airtime-lacking ride unlike the other B&M hypers I've ridden.

Inversions Launch Intensity Too short

Storm Runner may be short, but like Skyrush, it’s a powerhouse. My favorite moment is either the top hat (with whip and sustained ejector air all the way down, in the back) or the flying snake dive (a disorienting sensation that delivers ejector hangtime) — but that launch is excellent and forceful too. The heartline roll has some decent hangtime, and that wonky double up has pops of ejector air along with a slight moment of headbanging. The cobra loop is my least favorite element on the ride - it’s not bad per se, it just isn’t on par with the rest of Storm Runner’s layout in my opinion. Overall, it’s my 3rd favorite coaster in Hersheypark, behind Skyrush and Candymonium.

Theming Nice surprise! Fun Capacity

This coaster is a blast. The spinning coupled with the twisty layout and indoor carny theming makes for a joy of a ride. I’ve always enjoyed the Maurer and Gerstlauer spinners, and while I prefer this to the Pandemoniums, I prefer Galaxy Orbiter over Laff Trakk. Unfortunately, Laff Trakk’s low capacity does result in long lines, but given the chance, I’d love to marathon this ride.

Lap Bar Location Pace Dead spots

My first ever looping coaster, it’s just as good as I remembered - a smooth for its age, relaxing ride through the trees and around the hillside, complete with that signature Schwarzkopf G-loaded loop. Since I rode it in the rain, the trees were sagging; on the drop just before the final helix, riding with my hands in the air, I ended up getting a fistful of wet leaves. It hurt a bit at first, but I left the ride with a smile and a memory.

Airtimes First Drop Smoothness Intensity

The first drop and following two hills all have great, sustained floater air (with the first airtime hill being comparable to Mako’s 5-second floater hill), and the turnaround is surprisingly well-paced. My favorite moment on Candymonium is the speed hill; it reminds me of Mako’s, but larger and more sustained, so Candy’s is better. However, the outward banked hill was weaker than I expected, but still gives a pop of sideways airtime if you ride in the right-edge seat of back row (the magic seat on Candymonium). The fountain-encircling helix lacks force, but is graceful and a decent finale, while the airtime hill just before the brakes gives a nice pop of floater. The turnaround between the brake runs was a nice treat as well. All in all, Candymonium is my 2nd favorite coaster in the park, behind the obvious Skyrush.

Airtimes Pace Intensity Too short Lap Bar

Skyrush may only be 33 seconds long from the drop to brakes, but that layout is jam-packed with insanity. The first two airtime hills are still my favorite moments on the entire coaster, but the first drop (thanks to that ridiculously wide crest), Stengel dive, first turn, twisted hill and final airtime hill - in other words, the rest of the ride - are all fantastic elements in their own right. Even when I did get stapled, Skyrush wasn’t as painful as expected - I was still able to enjoy the ride despite not completely feeling its airtime. I did notice a rattle on Skyrush this time around, especially in the back, but it didn’t detract from the ride experience in my opinion.

Pace Masterpiece Intensity Harness Intensity

This is my #2 coaster of all time, just behind The Voyage. Intimidator 305 is a barrage of insanely whippy S-bends that make Maverick’s into laughingstock, a first turn with blackout-inducing 5 G’s, and relentless pacing throughout. I fought for my consciousness on that first turn, where my vision began to turn dark as night even though it the time was only morning, and won a victory as soon as we crested that second hill. Then I was treated to the most balls-to-the-wall intense coaster I have ever ridden. NOTHING compares to being thrown from side-to-side on every single turn, whipped from one side of your seat to the other on every directional change, and yanked down each airtime hill with unrestrained madness. As soon as I got off Intimidator 305, I knew I had a new #1 coaster. I couldn’t muster myself to ride it again that day, however, because of its sheer intensity. I wasn't as floored by the rest of Kings Dominion, but this coaster is absolutely phenomenal!

Airtimes Location Rattle

Comet is definitely a front row ride - it’s not just smoother up there, the airtime is also stronger in the second half. While the first half of Comet (in the front) doesn’t provide much airtime at first, there are some surprising moments of air later on, my favorite being the hill after the second turnaround - did NOT expect the ejector that was present there during my rain ride. Later in the day, my normal rides ran slightly worse than that, but were still pretty good.

Airtimes Intensity Duration Rattle Intensity

This is my favorite coaster of all time. Riding The Voyage at night, in the back row, with no trims on and thunder in the distance made this literal insanity. The first few hills are a nice warm-up, providing decent floater and even ejector on the small bunny hill. I couldn’t even see my hand in front of my face during the spaghetti bowl section, which gives some crazy laterals and a few pops of ejector diving into the mid-course. The third drop on the triple down caught me off guard on EVERY SINGLE ONE of my 9 rides, providing some absurd ejector airtime. The return run is the roughest part of Voyage, but it combines wild ejector airtime with ballistic pacing and side-of-your-seat-slamming laterals. The roughness does wear you down however, but it just adds to the intensity and out of control feeling of this coaster.

Nice surprise! Intensity Layout Rattle

Twister is a great contrast to the legendary Phoenix, also at Knoebels. In place of the literal standing airtime and graceful swooping motions of Phoenix is a barrage of constant lateral G’s and fast-paced transitions diving in, out of and around Twister’s colossal superstructure. The coaster picks up its pace just after lift hill number two — that first turn gives some surprisingly strong laterals, just before the train hits the first drop. The rose bowl double helix is an eyecatcher that doesn’t let up on its G-loaded curvature. The rest of the ride is a fast-paced victory lap through the structure, into the hillside using a tunnel, and completes one last turn before the brakes. The only downside is that Twister is pretty rough, especially toward the back.

First Drop Inversions Intensity Too short Capacity

Tennessee Tornado is a great ride by Arrow loopers’ generally low bar of quality. It has a fun first drop that takes you straight through the hillside, the huge vertical loop and then the two quick and intense inversions following the banked turn. However, right after you exit the sidewinder you pop up into the brakes — the original plan with 6 inversions would’ve been an outstanding coaster, had it been built. This coaster always runs one train, but the lines are generally not very long to begin with.

Pace Intensity Theming

Vortex deserves too much hate in my opinion. It’s a solid B&M coaster, certainly one that packs an unassuming punch, and doesn’t have a lot of roughness compared to other rides like Rougarou or Batman: The Ride. This is my fifth favorite coaster at Carowinds, behind Intimidator, Copperhead Strike, Afterburn and Fury 325.

Location Comfort Intensity Too short

Manta is a beautifully landscaped and graceful flying coaster, with the pretzel loop giving some insane G’s. The queue is interestingly enough a manta ray exhibit, which makes waiting in line just that much more tolerable, and the exit line is tucked off in between the mid-course and station. As the only other flyers I’ve ridden are Firehawk at Kings Island and Superman: Ultimate Flight at Six Flags Over Georgia, this bests both of them far and away. The layout is quite substantial, but it feels a lot shorter than it actually is — this is the only con I can think of on Manta, and it’s a minor complaint at that. All in all, Manta is a coaster that looks just as good as it rides!