INSANE first drop, which gives it an automatic 5 stars, DESPITE IT NOT BEING A PERFECT RIDE (far from it actually). If you ride in any row that isn't ...
INSANE first drop, which gives it an automatic 5 stars, DESPITE IT NOT BEING A PERFECT RIDE (far from it actually). If you ride in any row that isn't in the first two trains, you can't can't see the track coming while you're cresting over the top thanks to that 180 degree drop, and you get whipped out of your seat. The single best drop on any roller coaster I've ridden and it's not even close. The outer bank turn into a dive loop is a unique element, but kind of lasts for too long in my opinion? I feel like if it didn't feel so drawn out the inversion would have felt way more powerful, but at the same time it gives some weird but good lateral hangtime. Not too sure how to describe it. Definitely one-of-a-kind sensation. The stall is UNBELIVABLE. Yet another area where having lap bars is such a major benefit to the ride experience. You feel like you're hanging down FOREVER. The break section is a cringe and you can feel the rattle, but it's near the end of the roller coaster anyways, so it's not bad. You then have two elements which offer some decent airtime, but which feel like nothing compared to insanity that you just experienced. A good way to end the ride, but feels a bit short. Given how popular the ride is, ESPECIALLY during fright nights, this should have been a 3 train ride. I won't be docking points from the roller coaster for this, since I'm sure that it would have felt better had I visited any other day, but on a Saturday at 7PM fright night visit, I waited for over 3 hours for a ride on it. Unfortunately, I don't think that ANY roller coaster regardless of popularity is worth a line this long. Operations are fantastic though, they dispatch trains in under a minute for the most part. The only comparison I can draw from my experience is Kondaa, since they're both airtime-focused steel coasters with a lap bars. While Hyperia's first drop and the stall eclipses Kondaa's by a significant margin, I personally prefer the ejector airtime that you get on Kondaa's outer bank turns. Hyperia is unique, but Kondaa feels longer and the pacing feels more consistent given how low to the ground it stays. With that said, given the space that Merlin had to deal with, this is definitely a world-class layout and worth a ride.
