Excellent coaster. I didn't have any expectations for this before I rode it. It doesn't seem to get any love online. After riding it several times ...
Excellent coaster. I didn't have any expectations for this before I rode it. It doesn't seem to get any love online. After riding it several times back to back, I'm not sure why. Full disclosure it didn't crack my top 3 B&M inverts,--it is 4th, just behind Banshee, but it is very close and this coaster is definitely worthy of consideration. It belongs in the debate. It is that good. I have no complaints at all. It is fast and smooth just as you would expect from a B&M Invert--except for Patriot. Excellent pacing and it delivers very good forces--perhaps just not quite as intense as the best of the best. It really is an excellent coaster.
This is a B&M invert so even an average one of these is still a pretty good ride. This definitely falls into that category. It is no where near as r...
This is a B&M invert so even an average one of these is still a pretty good ride. This definitely falls into that category. It is no where near as relentless as Raptor, Montu or any of the Batman clones. It isn't as lifeless and jittery as Patriot, though. The way it starts sets the tone. It is a nice and easy turn around instead of an immediate drop off the lift hill. It then drops you into the first loop--again nice and gradually--it isn't steep at all. This is really where this coaster comes to life and you go through the major inversions and elements. None are overly thrilling, but very solid and fun. Super smooth like it should be. Then it changes character. The second half just has you meandering along the creek with a few lazy twists and turns at a very leisurely rate. I don't think it breaks 30MPH again. Nothing is inherently wrong with it, but it is no where near intense enough to any where near my favorite B&M invert.
I was super excited about this ride and was hoping that it was going to be my favorite in the park. Unfortunately, it wasn't for 2 reasons. By far t...
I was super excited about this ride and was hoping that it was going to be my favorite in the park. Unfortunately, it wasn't for 2 reasons. By far the biggest reason is, I don't really fit in the restraints. I'm 6'0 tall and they are too short. As the restraints cam down they were crushing my shoulders. I kind of had to hunch down and it wasn't comfortable. As much as I tried, I couldn't get comfortable. I was under constant crushing pressure. They look like the design should be super comfortable, and they would be if they were 1" taller. I'm a big guy, but I'm not a body builder big or very tall. I should fit just fine and I just don't. The second reason this isn't one of the top 3 coasters in this park is that the ride has and extreme rattle/vibration. It basically lasts throughout the entire second half of the ride. It was much worse on this than Storm Runner. It really took away from the ride experience. The first hill is amazing on both the up and the way down. Really fun. On paper this should be one of the best, but it just doesn't quite live up to expectations. Still a good ride, but it should be great.
Excellent, classic woody. Sure, it rattles something fierce and jitters its way around the flat turns, but it is just fun. Excellent and surprising ...
Excellent, classic woody. Sure, it rattles something fierce and jitters its way around the flat turns, but it is just fun. Excellent and surprising bursts of air over the hills. The train seems to skip along the track for much of the second half of the ride. I literally think the wheels were off the track as much as they were on it for much of the last 1000 ft. Excellent ride for sure. The fact that is over 75 years old definitely contributes to appreciation of this wonderful ride.
This is closing permanently on 7/31/22. I got to ride it 10 days before its retirement. After experiencing this, I must say that retirement can't co...
This is closing permanently on 7/31/22. I got to ride it 10 days before its retirement. After experiencing this, I must say that retirement can't come soon enough for this. That pains me a bit as I love GCI's. This has the wonderful Millennium trains. So, in the station I was thinking, this can't be that bad. Boy was I wrong. The layout seemed perfect--tons of tight twists and turns and transitions in all directions. I'm sure this was absolutely wonderful when it was new. I don't know what happened to this--total neglect or was it just that GCI didn't quite have everything figured out 100% as this was their first coaster? Again, I have no idea, but what I do know is that this is truly a terrible ride. I rode it in the back seat and even with the sofa-like Millennium trains, it was unbearably rough. I held on for dear life and braced myself the entire ride. I was almost in disbelief at how rough it was. This is by a very, very wide margin the worst GCI I have ever ridden. I assume the owners know that as it either needs a total retrack job or it needs to be torn down, hence the upcoming retirement date. I'm hoping for a retrack, but I don't think that is what is happening. I was sad to find out they were getting rid of a GCI, but after ridding it, I can honestly say, good riddance.
What a great compact coaster. We must have ridden this 10 times the day we were there. The straight up and beyond straight down first hill is defini...
What a great compact coaster. We must have ridden this 10 times the day we were there. The straight up and beyond straight down first hill is definitely the highlight, but this isn't just a one trick pony. The rest of the ride is excellent. The tight twists, turns and inversions all really work here. It is a very smooth and quick transitioning little coaster that really delivers and excellent ride.
I really enjoy spinning coasters. This one is a fine example. Plus, being built where it is, there are tons of near misses with everything else in t...
I really enjoy spinning coasters. This one is a fine example. Plus, being built where it is, there are tons of near misses with everything else in this small space that ups the intensity a bit. This was the longest line all day. Good ride. Good times.
This was one intense little coaster. It felt more "full" size than it was. It had the quick jerky transitions we are all familiar with on compact co...
This was one intense little coaster. It felt more "full" size than it was. It had the quick jerky transitions we are all familiar with on compact coasters like this, but they weren't quite as bad as most. It delivered forces more like a full sized coaster with an actual train instead of just a car. By far the most intense element was the final diving turn, I'm not sure what the actual term for this element is, but it is almost a dive loop without truly counting as an inversion as you never break 90 degrees. It was a very small radius turn that dropped substantially. It jarred you pretty good during this. I wouldn't say this was brutal or a anywhere near a torture device, as I believe we rode it several times during out Branson weekend. That said it was not a fluffy smooth ride by any means. Plus, with the world class gem of Ozark Wildcat 50 yards away being a walk-on all weekend, there was no reason to ride this more. It was more than a good a additional to this wonderful little park.
This was my favorite wooden coaster on the planet--for about 10 minutes--the time it took for me to walk from the exit of this ride to the entrance of...
This was my favorite wooden coaster on the planet--for about 10 minutes--the time it took for me to walk from the exit of this ride to the entrance of The Voyage. This thing is incredibly intense from the very beginning to the end. You have no idea what is coming as 90% of the this coaster is completely hidden from view anywhere in the park. The helixes are insane and seem almost never ending. The laterals are crazy. This is so much fun. Sure it isn't liquid smooth, but it is in no way painful. Intensity, intensity, intensity. It just makes me laugh like an idiot every time I ride it. One of the best.
Another awesome surprise at Dollywood. It is a family ride. So, I wasn't expecting much at all. I love going backwards and I had no idea that this ...
Another awesome surprise at Dollywood. It is a family ride. So, I wasn't expecting much at all. I love going backwards and I had no idea that this did that. I only wish it did it for longer. Excellent theming and theatrics to boot. The ride itself is decent enough--obviously not too terribly fast or thrilling, but definitely not a total bore fest. Of course, it is comfortable and smooth. Overall, way, way better than a typical mine train, "family" coaster or any of the compact kiddie coasters out there. It does more than just provide a lame ride to entertain the kiddos, it is good enough and unique enough to entertain even seasoned coaster fanatics. Perhaps the best family coaster I have ever ridden.
Excellent "family" coaster. It is very forceful and an excellent ride even for seasoned coaster nuts. With the spinning action each ride is unique. ...
Excellent "family" coaster. It is very forceful and an excellent ride even for seasoned coaster nuts. With the spinning action each ride is unique. I really enjoy it. My issue with it is they took out the auditorium with the pool to put this in. Now I would always trade any show for a decent coaster. However, the show used to occupy hundreds of people that lessened the lines everywhere else. That of course doesn't take away from the ride experience which is more than pretty solid. An excellent addition to the park.
Every time I think about my coaster rankings, I debate this ride in my head. How can I still have it so high on my list? I rode it originally back i...
Every time I think about my coaster rankings, I debate this ride in my head. How can I still have it so high on my list? I rode it originally back in 2004, which was a time the world barely knew that such levels of thrill were even possible. Now almost 20 years later and close to 150 more coasters under my belt, how do I still rank this in my top 5. It simply comes down to that initial adrenaline rush. The first time I ever rode this, it was an epiphany. I had ridden other launched coasters at that point--Mr. Freeze is at my home park of SFSL. But this is a whole other level of insanity. The launch is just nuts. Just when you think you can't go any faster it keeps on going. It is FAST. The forces make your body react with adrenaline. It is such a rush. The hill and the height are barely even an factor compared to the launch. Is it 1 trick pony? Perhaps, but it is the best trick I've ever experienced on a coaster. It is super short? Of course it is. But I can't think of a better way to spend 15 seconds with my clothes on.
What can I say about Raptor that hasn't been said before--not much, but here is my take. This is my second favorite invert-behind only Montu. I thin...
What can I say about Raptor that hasn't been said before--not much, but here is my take. This is my second favorite invert-behind only Montu. I think I like the Batwing better than the cobra roll and the tunnels and theming up the ante. With that said this is a fantastic ride. It absolutely has to be in the conversation for best invert there is. The initial drop almost seems like you are over the midway. It is pure intensity from there until the end with the one slight pause on the mid course break run. The ending seals the deal, though. The spiral tries to pull your face and rip you feet off. Positive G's that you don't experience in this way just about anywhere else. Great invert. Great coaster.
This was one of the best GCI coasters ever. It was a small footprint, twister that was relentless and amazing. It kept you moving up and down, left ...
This was one of the best GCI coasters ever. It was a small footprint, twister that was relentless and amazing. It kept you moving up and down, left and right continuously, but because of the wonderful Millennium trains, comfort was always there. We rode it 25 times in one day. I could have ridden it 25 more. Truly a shame that this park is closed. The coaster community lost one of its finest.
What a great coaster. I get why some people have issues with it. It does not have many elements, very true. There is not ejector air, also very tru...
What a great coaster. I get why some people have issues with it. It does not have many elements, very true. There is not ejector air, also very true. But what it does deliver, it delivers like no other. First of all the you have to start with the trains. Not as comfy or easy as the huge B&M's for sure, but the open feeling and freedom of only being 2 across without a true, enclosed car is amazing. It totally adds to the experience. In my opinion, these are the best there are. Then the lift hill. Yes, the cable lift instead of the usual clankety-clank of a chain lift is not only unique, but it is FAST. Then it accelerates the train over the top. That is just a precursor for the rest of the ride. Then you get to the famous first drop. Everyone in the coaster world can recognize the shape of the first hill. This is "THE Drop" that all others will forever be compared to. After that...what can I say besides speed and more speed and then some speed piled on top of that. The way it maintains that speed is almost scary. You are still going faster than the top speed of most coasters when you hit the brake run on this. Did I mention this thing is fast. Oh and BTW it is long. You continue to travel faster than most interstate speed limits for well over a mile. Ride it in the back seat at night--epic. Ride it in the front seat during the day--epic. It's not often you get to travel at 90+ MPH in open air with just essentially a lap bar. It is fast, long, smooth and very non restrictive. This is a great recipe for fun. While it may not deliver jolts of negative G's, or flip you around, or any other "elements", it doesn't matter because what it does deliver, it does so better than any coaster ever built before it and better than the vast majority of those built after it. Still a legend in the coaster community for good reason. World Class.
This used to be my barometer for a fun, intense woody. That was many years ago. It was always a bit bouncy and jolting--you're on a woody doing 60+ ...
This used to be my barometer for a fun, intense woody. That was many years ago. It was always a bit bouncy and jolting--you're on a woody doing 60+ MPH through turns, that is to be expected. It used to be thrilling. It hasn't aged well. The helix at the end used to be amazing--better than The Beast's famous helix, but the last 10 years of its existence, it was very, very rough. So rough they removed it entirely a few years back. The last time I rode this about 4-5 years ago, was the last time I will ride it until major renovations are done. It isn't the roughest or worst I have ever ridden, but it is no where near smooth or comfortable. Again, you are getting beat up at over 60+mph for much of it. I don't know of another coaster right now that could use the RMC treatment more than this. It is huge, it is fast, and there is plenty of ground around it to work with.
We went here second right after Xcelerator. There was absolutely no one in line. I think we rode it 8 times in a row. I really like the straight up...
We went here second right after Xcelerator. There was absolutely no one in line. I think we rode it 8 times in a row. I really like the straight up and the more than straight back down. All of the inverts work and the pacing keeps you scrambled up internally from beginning to end. It remains smooth throughout. Great compact coaster.
My favorite B&M invert. Raptor and Banshee are both great, as is Silver Bullet, but this wins. I like the batwing more than the cobra roll on Raptor...
My favorite B&M invert. Raptor and Banshee are both great, as is Silver Bullet, but this wins. I like the batwing more than the cobra roll on Raptor. Plus the theming and troughs it passes you through put it on top for me.
What an amazing surprise. When I saw they built this, I was highly confused. What is the point of a relatively, by today's standards, small coaster ...
What an amazing surprise. When I saw they built this, I was highly confused. What is the point of a relatively, by today's standards, small coaster without inversions? It is not even close to hyper, so no huge height or speed and it doesn't go upside down--so what gives? What this coaster delivers is a ride experience unlike any other coaster I have ridden. Again it doesn't really fit any of today's popular categories. I would call it a steel twister. My expectations weren't very high, but after riding it, I can tell you they were shattered. This thing is amazing. Air on top of air on top of air and then they threw some air in for good measure. Think of a wooden airtime machine that is silky-steel smooth and that's it. Simple formula that we don't see, but man oh man does it work. We rode this I think 10 times in one day. Where you sat didn't matter much--they are all excellent. Of course there are differences and I had my favorite, but dead center of the train was still a great, great ride. By far the biggest surprise of the trip. Truly a one of a kind gem for Chance and KK. Hopefully Chance will get to build more of these.
I still like and appreciate these old, classic loopers. The thing I like best about Demon is actually from the walkway parallel to the loop. Just wa...
I still like and appreciate these old, classic loopers. The thing I like best about Demon is actually from the walkway parallel to the loop. Just watching the train bend over backwards in a seemingly too tight to fight radius loop is rather impressive. It almost seems like the riders at the front and the back of the train could reach up and give each other high fives as the front exits and the back enters. The tunnel at the beginning is...interesting. The first half is decent, not too much banging. The one spot that is really a killer is the transition into the first corkscrew--it really throws you sideways into your restraints. After that it is decent again. Again, I still enjoy these type of coasters as they still deliver a decent ride. This one is pretty standard, middle of the pack. It is no where near the best or the worst of the genre.
Even with the great coaster resume that is available at this park, this might be my favorite of the bunch. It is simply a great woodie. This is what...
Even with the great coaster resume that is available at this park, this might be my favorite of the bunch. It is simply a great woodie. This is what a twister is supposed to be like. It keeps you hopping in all directions all the while never beating you up. When ridden as it should be, arms up, you have the feeling like you are going to get thrown out repeatedly. Great ride. Interesting memory: First time I rode this, someone on the ride before we us had a...how do I put this...vertical release of bodily fluids? Always a good sign.
I've seen some woodies in pretty bad shape over all the years of riding coasters, but nothing has ever been as bad as this. Going up the lift hill, I...
I've seen some woodies in pretty bad shape over all the years of riding coasters, but nothing has ever been as bad as this. Going up the lift hill, I wasn't sure it wasn't going to collapse. Splintered and rotted wood everywhere. It was shocking how bad it was. It looked as if it hadn't had any maintenance at all over all the years it stood out in the weather. It was deplorable. Unfortunately, the condition of the ride was a perfect indicator of the ride experience itself. It was awful. My favorite coaster type is a GCI twister. So this, in theory, showed promise. It absolutely did not deliver. It was one of the single worst rides I have ever been on. This did not age well at all as it was basically neglected and left to rot. I am not sorry at all to see that it is gone.
If you were to look up 80's looper in the dictionary, this ride should come up. This was the quintessential and ultimately the culmination of this ty...
If you were to look up 80's looper in the dictionary, this ride should come up. This was the quintessential and ultimately the culmination of this type of coaster. It has the most of everything. It was one if not the longest, tallest, fastest and most inversions of this type all in one ride. Most from this era were 1 or 2 trick acts, but not Vortex. It had many up its sleeve. This one seemed to age better than the vast majority as well. Even in its final years it very re-ridable. I wouldn't go quite as far as to say it was liquid smooth by today's standards, but you could somewhat comfortably ride this several times in a day without getting beat up too much. Again this was probably the best genre. Sorry to see it go.
Six Flags was super creative with this name, huh? Its a boomerang. What shall we call it? I know, "Boomerang." Brilliant. What can I say its one ...
Six Flags was super creative with this name, huh? Its a boomerang. What shall we call it? I know, "Boomerang." Brilliant. What can I say its one of many across the country. They do deliver a decent ride. I really love going backwards so that helps. This one isn't the smoothest, which is somewhat surprising as it is the "newest" one I know of--or more correctly the one reassembled the most recently. Again, it's a boomerang. If you have ridden one, you have ridden them all. Good, not terrible and not great.
It's a Batman, but not exactly. This one is a mirror image to all of the others. It goes to the right off of the lift hill instead of left like all ...
It's a Batman, but not exactly. This one is a mirror image to all of the others. It goes to the right off of the lift hill instead of left like all of the rest. Interesting? Perhaps. Does it make it better than all of the others? Perhaps, perhaps not. It just simply makes it a bit unique. The ride delivers just like all of the others. That is a good thing. It is definitely better than one of them that I can think of for sure. These were put up all over the country for one good reason--they simply work. They move a ton of people through the line all day everyday. On top of that they deliver one heck of a good ride. If there were only one of these in existence it would get more love, but the fact that there are several kind of waters down its greatness--at least on discussion boards. In reality, these are really good rides. It took me a long time to appreciate this one. It is in my home park and I wasn't thrilled with it when I first rode it. I always appreciated it for what it is--super smooth, crazy fast paced, and intense throughout without a brake run to interrupt the fun. I just didn't get off of it thinking, "That was great!" I don't really know why. Over the years that opinion has changed completely. This still isn't my favorite invert--or even top three, but it is still one of the best rides our community has ever had.
THE coaster that got me into coasters. I grew up riding this repeatedly. It used to have the old buzz bar restraints which didn't do much of anythin...
THE coaster that got me into coasters. I grew up riding this repeatedly. It used to have the old buzz bar restraints which didn't do much of anything if you were under 150 lbs. I used to stand up on this when I was a kid. It was the best. It went through a rough stretch but they have gotten back on top of it kept up on the maintenance over the years and the last few times I have ridden it, it still delivered just like always. This coaster seems faster than it is. This used to be the tallest, fastest and longest coaster on the planet. The industry has come a long way, but this coaster still delivers a far batter ride than many, many much newer coasters. They have clipped it's wings a bit over the years as they took some height out of a couple of the bunny hops and they tapered off the up into the headchopper ending, but it is barely noticeable. Most people would never know. The most intriguing fact about this coaster is the largest drop is the last one. It was world class when it was built 45 years ago and it is still a great, great coaster.
The single most impressive wooden structure I have ever seen. The amount of trees that died for this hunk of garbage is truly sad to think about. I ...
The single most impressive wooden structure I have ever seen. The amount of trees that died for this hunk of garbage is truly sad to think about. I was super excited to ride this. We went straight there as soon as the park opened. We rode it up front to test the waters. The scenic turn around over 200 feet up before the first drop was very cool. Sadly, that was the best part. I was about to go down the single largest wooden drop ever made and what do I see--trim brakes on the drop. Yep. This thing was only 1 or 2 years old when I rode it and they already had to start restricting it. So you start to head down and don't really get into mother nature's full grasp until you are fully half way down. This was a highly disappointing start. Then the two giant helixes. These were a series of events--super slow and boring top parts followed by extremely rough and violent bottom parts. I believe they were just too steep to be an effective continuous spiral. After those huge let downs came the loop. The second best part of the ride. It was a loop--nothing special except for we were on a rickety and shaky wooden coaster. It was fine. After that was just a series of small hills and a few twists and turns before you mercifully made it to the brakes. I did brave it again in the back, but the brakes were more noticeable and the helixes were borderline torture. Up front I did make the entire ride as a coaster should be ridden--with my hands up. In the back, no possible way. The helixes were viscous. I don't really know what was wrong with this from the beginning, but it never worked well. It was a huge waste of time, money and effort. Truly a shame.
I like inverted coasters. I like loops. I like cobra rolls. I love launched coasters. I like compact coasters. I love going backwards. While Inv...
I like inverted coasters. I like loops. I like cobra rolls. I love launched coasters. I like compact coasters. I love going backwards. While Invertigo technically isn't launched, I kind of think of it on those terms. So if you add all of the things up you get a pretty likeable coaster on paper. Luckily this delivers the goods. It isn't liquid smooth, but nothing at all painful. Going backwards through the inversions really makes this ride for me. It just makes me laugh. The biggest drawback to this type of coaster is the very low capacity which leads to extremely slow moving lines. Overall, a very good coaster.
Truly a shame that this no longer exists. This is far better than the B&M flying coasters. I love how they twist you into the flying position. This...
Truly a shame that this no longer exists. This is far better than the B&M flying coasters. I love how they twist you into the flying position. This was a great ride.
I have loved this ride since I first rode it 15 years ago. The launch is more than decent, but being in the dark is what makes this thing great. You...
I have loved this ride since I first rode it 15 years ago. The launch is more than decent, but being in the dark is what makes this thing great. You have no idea where you are going or what is coming next. They do have some lights in the "spaghettis bowl" but those only serve to blind you even more and keep your eyes from ever fully adjusting. The theming was better years ago that the last time I was there. You used to be a bit more involved in the video that is playing while you wait. They used to turn the lights out completely and alarms would go off. It was rather entertaining. It was needing as this the line for this is incredibly slow moving. That is it's biggest negative--the low capacity. It used to have two lines, but now only one. The ride itself is fantastic. Tons of twists, turns and inversions all in an almost impossibly small area full of twisted track. A rather unique ride that is very entertaining.
