 Dear Coaster Friends,
This week we have Nitro and Batman from Six Flags Great Adventure. The Nitro ride crew has been on point the last two years and on my recent visit to Great Adventure they were moving three trains like clockwork all day. Nitro is running really fast too. The ride crew are trying to break the two million rider threshold this season, and they are really hustling. If you have a chance go take a couple of laps on the most explosive coaster at Great Adventure and be part of their record. Author Jeff Goodman  Dear Coaster Friends,
2020 is all set up to be a very exciting year with a large group of varied and exciting roller coasters. I wanted to look at ten of the most interesting new additions to me and compare their expected experience with ten coasters we are already familiar with. Often new coasters compete for our collective attention and praise, and I feel for now this how I am personally thinking of each one. 10. Dragon Coaster at Legoland NY may have flown under the radar for many but I am a New Yorker so this ground up park has my attention. The ride is a Ziere Force Five and it has a dark ride component at the beginning. The height will be about 50 feet and the speed will be about 35 MPH. I expect this will be an English language clone of the other versions of this ride overseas. I am purposely not looking at the dark ride portion of the ride in other parks however the outdoor sections look similar to a mine train layout. Swoops and turns with mild drops. I think the standard to put it against would be Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I know this is a tough benchmark but the theming at the beginning and the general layout seems like it could be a very well done family ride. 9. Mako (or whatever they end up calling it) at SeaWorld San Diego isn't low on this list because I'm not impressed by dive coasters, it is mainly based on location. It is hard to say if the extra elements will allow it to compete with the taller and faster dive coasters out there. I am sure it will be a big hit for SWSD and southern California in general, however I will say that SheiKra, the OG dive coaster for the chain, is the tough one to beat. 8. Aquaman: Power Wave at Six Flags Over Texas is an odd one. It it part roller coaster and part chute the chutes ride. My first thought was to ignore the water and I thought of the Intamin impulse coasters like Possessed or Vertical Velocity. I really like these coasters even though many dismiss them as clones. To me the best part of these rides is ascending the spike backwards and the float airtime you get. Aquaman looks to be able to offer a similar experience but with an airtime hill and splashdown. As long as the launches feel strong on Aquaman I'm on board. 7. Texas Stingray at SeaWorld San Antonio is another ride I am cautiously optimistic for. I have only ridden a handful of GCIs and I consider them a mixed bag.Texas Stingray looks to have that classic twister layout that made GCI a household name for enthusiasts. However some of the newer coasters they have built like InvadR have mixed in more airtime to the formula. I am going to compare Texas Stingray to this breed of GCI . This ride looks to have fast sections with strong laterals, but I expect some airtime as well. InvadR managed to cram a lot of fun into a tight footprint, I expect Texas Stingray to do the same on a slightly larger scale. This should be a fairly easy goal to beat. 6. Ice Breaker at SeaWorld Orlando has some elements we have seen before and some interesting new ones too. The ride begins with towards and backwards launches. The twist is that the launch track has a step up and step down on either side, depending on your direction or travel. The rest of the ride looks to have a good mix of airtime and laterals, but nothing too extreme. I have a hard time identifying a direct competitor, and that makes the ride have an extra level of intrigue. I am going to throw a curve ball and line this new attraction up against Verbolten at BGW. I don't see a similarity in layout or overall experience, but I think it is aimed at the same audience. Both rides will appeal to thrill seekers who are not quite ready for inversions and extreme maneuvers. If Ice Breakers can deliver that feel of something unique, launches into and out of the step up/downs, without making children cry I would consider it a success. 5. Candymonium at Hersheypark is the hyper coaster that no one saw coming. While many were left scratching their heads about how it would fit into the park's line up with Skyrush. I think Skyrush is the exact opposite of a B&M hyper so it will not be challenging for it to stand out. Its place in the middle of this list should not be a negative, I love B&M hyper coasters. It should offer an excellent experience that may become many fans top ride at the park, but not me, “I’ll always love you best Skyrush!” The most modern and recent example of a hyper from B&M is Mako at SeaWorld Orlando. Many see Mako as the top of the food chain, so for Candymonium to be relevant and sweet in this ever expanding field of B&M hypers Mako should be the one to beat. 4. Jersey Devil at Six Flags Great Adventure is something I am extremely excited about since it will be the closest big addition to where I live. The addition of a custom single rail is certainly promising for the ride type, and shows that Six Flags is willing to pay for custom layouts. Wonder Woman down at SFFT is a very twisty layout and Jersey Devil looks like it will follow a more traditional double out and back layout. I don't think the records for tallest and fastest single rail will automatically make it the best single rail model. They layout looks fun and promising, however the two mirror image single rails have gotten positive reviews. This may be too close to call because of the variety offered. 3. Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa is another RMC looking to break records for its type. Many people are already trying to compare it to Steel Vengeance because it will top some of its records. Iron Gwazi has had me on the hype train for the longest of any of the 2020 additions, but the one I feel I know the least about the whole layout, as no image or POV puts the entire layout on display. I feel like with what I know about Iron Gwazi right now from the partial POV and artwork it shares more similarity with Goliath at SFGAm. Both layouts were pushed to break records with the lift hills and look to have have large elements instead of many elements. I do see a divergence in the focus even though they look to share the same design language. On Goliath the overbank, dive loop and stall all focus on hang time. While Iron Gwazi looks to focus on twists and turns from the information we have right now. Only time will tell which record breaking RMC with rise to the top. 2. Pantheon at Busch Gardens Williamsburg has me really excited. I know for many reading this it may not make the number two spot, but for me it signals something I have been waiting for a long time. Longer than I have been waiting for RMC to convert Gwazi, longer than Kings Island fans have been waiting for a giga, and that is Intamin returning to North America on a signature high thrill roller coaster. This ride will feature new elements from the manufacturer including a high speed switch track. I know what you are thinking, it is an unnecessary complexity that is bound to break down. My response, "Embrace the excitement! Will it work? Probably most of the time, isn't that part of the fun?" An exotic sports car is exciting because of the maneuvers it can pull off, but also because it can be on the side of the road in a cloud of steam. That is its natural habitat. So what ride could I compare Pantheon to? Like Ice Breaker it looks very unique and I have a hard time drawing a direct parallel. Last year I used Storm Runner at Hersheypark as a benchmark for Maxx Force. Since Storm Runner is still the man in the unusual launch coaster category, it will be the benchmark for Pantheon too. 1. Orion at Kings Island is the big dog of the class. Standing at almost 300 feet tall it is sure to be a crowd favorite for the Kings Island fans, at two for one this is surely still a bargain. It is impossible for me to put a giga in any place except most anticipated if one is a choice. I know many people want to compare it to Fury 325 and point out how it won't measure up, while others will point to Leviathan and challenge Orion to feel more like a complete ride. The wisdom is to put it up against another B&M, but I am not wise. I feel the best point of comparison is also in Ohio and that is Millennium Force. Millennium Force will be twenty years old when Orion opens and will have a lot of crossover in ridership. Orion really should be able to gain as many if not more fans than Millennium Force with a more modern approach to design and ergonomics. It is always impossible to determine how these new rides may be received and this ride class is varied. I really look forward to getting out there next year and trying a few out for myself. Author Jeff Goodman  Dear Coaster Friends,
I love Star Wars, I know not a bold statement. Star Wars has been an ever present staple in pop culture for decades. It is really the only cool science fiction, suck it Star Trek! When Disney took over the franchise there was a doubt by many that they would treat this beloved story well and continue to grow it in a way that the fan base would approve of. Star Wars fans can be a discriminating bunch, but they also show up with their wallets open when something new is introduced. That is where Disney was like, “Hold my beer”, and created plans for a Star Wars themed land, called Galaxy’s Edge, with attractions in their theme parks. They were building an immersive land with rides, characters, shops, and experiences that would make you feel as if you had stepped into a galaxy far far away. That was the expectation and from a business standpoint, it sounds like a surefire way to print money. Galaxy's Edge has been opened for several months at Disneyland and then at the end of August it opened in Disneyworld. However it did not create the mass hysteria and crowds that were expected, in fact I would call the opening underwhelming. What happened? Disneyland opened up Galaxy's Edge first so the public knew what to expect later in Florida. The land opened with Smuggler’s Run a Millenium Falcon simulator ride. The introduction of the land was restrictive; advanced reservations only, restrictive time windows, a price increase, and a blackout for passholders. This attempt to control crowds may have had the opposite effect, and that was to create a land without a crowd that highlighted that there wasn’t much to do yet. The feature attractions are not open so after one ride, Smuggler’s Run, had been experienced the only thing left was to go shopping and meet the characters. So you want a Star Wars T-shirt? Sorry they don’t sell T-shirts in a galaxy far far away. You can go into stores you may see in the movies and buy personalized replicas but not the type of souvenirs you would expect at a theme park, and it is expensive enough that these items are not for everyone. You could take photos, just not with the beloved characters you may expect. There is no Darth Vader, Ewocks, Yoda, or Han Solo. Disney focused the land on the new generation of Star Wars movies so the classic characters aren’t represented. Combine the thin amount of entertainment with the promise that the best is yet to come, and people waited. The attendance boost that they were expecting was nonexistent and worse yet it had the opposite effect for people looking to avoid the crowds that never formed. There reality was that attendance declined. These results must have hit Disney hard. They are restarting a campaign to spread the word that the Star Wars attractions are there, in case people who may plan a trip to either Disney property were unaware. They will be campaigning on TV hard with cooperation from Disney’s cable network, ABC, & ESPN. Neil Patrick Harris will host a celebrity packed two hour special on Freeform showing how much fun you can have in the 14 acres expansion drinking blue milk and building droids. Their initial approach was very light and this new promotional campaign will be in your face. There has also been shake ups in leadership following the Galaxy’s Edge expansion. Catherine Powell announced she would be leaving her role as president of Disney Parks West, and her position would be eliminated. Internally many executives changed leadership roles as a step in reorganization. This may have addressed leadership choices, but fundamentally ignores that Galaxy’s Edge did not live up to expectations. Tourists like accessible souvenirs, Disney needs to have a place where that can take place. Give fans a chance to buy a Star Wars or even better Smuggler’s Run T-shirt. At the very least make a Darth Vader costume and get someone to wear it so we can take selfies with the dark side. The only way the area is going to truly feel alive is if it is full of guests who are excited to be there, and their vision of what Galaxy's Edge is what will make that happen. Author Jeff Goodman  Dear Coaster Friends,
Enjoy this lockscreen\wallpaper sized for your phone. I305 is one of the wildest rides I have ever been on, it is hands down one of my favorites. However it is so wild when people ask me if they would like it I often reply it is wild! You may hate it, you may love it, but it will definately be one of those. If you make this your phone's background it will definitely speed it up. Author Jeff Goodman  Dear Coaster Friends,
Six Flags and Cedar Fair have fully announced their 2020 plans, but SeaWorld has been slowly wetting out appetites with drips of information. Three of their five parks have signaled that next week they will be presenting more information. All five of the parks have shared some info, so we know that they are all building roller coasters. We know that some are aimed to be record holders of their type or region. We know some names, we know partial layouts. However this campaign of releases of information in bits has been building towards the simple revelation that SeaWorld parks, the smallest of the big chains, is gearing up for an epic year. Next week SeaWorld Orlando will tell us about their 2020 project, so far only a teaser with no images of the ride was released. Busch Gardens Tampa will also be sharing the day with hopefully a name and more layout revealed. Most recently SeaWorld San Diego announced they will also be sharing the day to share more info on their unnamed wooden coaster. Could the remaining two parks hop into the mix for a chain wide reveal? While 2020 will obviously be the year to visit your Busch Gardens and SeaWorld parks I wanted to look further into their future. The parks have committed to ending their Orca breeding program so basically in about 20-30 years it is safe to say they will be losing those animal shows and exhibits that helped define their brand. It is also plausible that in the future other animal exhibits could be phased out as well. The general public is less enthusiastic about these types of attractions in theme parks and eventually like it or not they will become a thing of the past. Ultimately I think they will hit a tipping point where the resources needed to properly care for these animals and the space they take up inside the park will become a loss compared to thrill rides. While SeaWorld in their public statements push against this idea, everything we see them do on the business side of things points towards a future of investing in thrill attractions. So at what point will it become silly to have Shamu as the company mascot or even the SeaWorld name over the gate? I think the best strategy for the brand is to pivot the three SeaWorld branded parks to Busch Gardens. From this point forward I'd like for you to think of me as Neptune proposing a dramatic shift for these three parks. That way they could retain some of their animals and as areas become vacant they can be replaced with rides. My suggestion is to change SeaWorld Orlando into Busch Gardens Southern Oceans. The focus on this year-round hotspot could be staying cool. The continent could be Antarctica, but the park could also feature rocky islands, icebergs and other natural looks instead of the typical architecture of specific regions. This would leave room for the penguins and other sea life to stick around. SeaWorld San Antonio could become Busch Gardens Australia. They could lean on their climate and create a collection of land animals like kangaroos, while retaining sea life in a Great Barrier Reef themed area. Finally I would theme SeaWorld San Diego to Busch Gardens Asia. This park gets the most local resistance for animal exhibits and the San Diego Zoo is considered to be at the top of their field. This park could focus on regional architecture to give different areas a distinct feel. However since the sea is an important part of life in many Asian cultures it could still accommodate sea life exhibits. All of these changes, no matter what cosmetic overlay I suggested, the focus moves away from the animal exhibits and shows. The focus moves towards cultures and natural uniqueness. This is why the two Busch Gardens parks have escaped the same level of public scrutiny that plagued the three SeaWorld parks. They are theme parks full of thrilling attractions that have animals, while SeaWorld was viewed as profit driven aquariums with rides. You may say I am erasing the soul or identity of the brand, but I am not. I am trying to hide it in plain sight while preserving and enhancing what I like about theme parks, the rides. I know my proposal is drastic and many will not like this suggestion, and to you I say don’t worry. I am not in charge of SeaWorld nor am I qualified for such a position, however these tough choices will be in the company’s future. As in nature you need to evolve to survive, so embrace the change or go extinct. Author Jeff Goodman  Happy Labor Day from your coaster friends at COASTER-net! As our hot days at the parks come to an end, don't worry because they are going to be replaced by cool autumn nights. Enjoy this wallpaper of the carousel at Six Flags Great America.
Author Jeff Goodman  In the spring of 2019 Six Flags published a press release about their new venture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Like it's other projects outside of North America Six Flags is licensing their name, brand as well as their consultation to another investment group. They have a deal in China, a recently dissolved project in Dubai, and now in Saudi Arabia. Just to be clear, because I have seen people rage about low cost attractions at their local parks, the money paying for these overseas parks is not from the Six Flags corporation. They are offering license and consultant services it is a local group who is investing in these proposed projects. Your membership will most likely not be accepted in any of these yet to be built parks, yes even for diamond elite. This new project in Saudi Arabia, just revealed detailed descriptions of the park and attractions and takes ambitious to a new level.
The proposed property is only 79 acres, and from the sounds of the description will be jam packed with mind blowing attractions. Some claims are interactive mechanical horse rides controlled by the guest, sounds plausible. A multi launch roller coaster and a ground up hybrid, a bit more based in reality. A combination dark ride and mine train sounds interesting, along with a twist on the traditional log flume. The attractions listed seem to combine many leading edge technologies combined to offer something different. However they are also boasting plans to build the tallest drop tower in the world, a significant claim. The signature attraction is the most ambitious roller coaster the world has ever been introduced to, Falcon's Flight. Falcon's Flight is planned to be the tallest, fastest, and longest steel coaster in the world. I know if you are reading this you already know how off the wall these claims sound but let's review anyway. The tallest roller coaster in the world is Kingda Ka at 456 feet tall. The fastest roller coaster in the world is Formula Rossa at 149.1 MPH. The longest roller coaster is Steel Dragon 2000 at 8,133.2 feet long. Those three are all impressive records, however it is notable that these records are held by three different rides, and Falcon's Flight is aiming to eclipse all three. The notion of actually topping these three records is exciting, however there is a but… The animation that showed off the concept is totally nuts and looks to be made by someone who just drank a case of Mountain Dew, stayed awake until they couldn't think, and was completely unconstrained by reality. I mean this on all levels. The ride has a massive lift hill, but the layout also leads up a mountain and dives through a crazy disco tunnel. There appears to be LSMs along the circuit to provide the boost to defeat gravity as the layout appears to reach its max height and speed in the middle of the ride. The cost of construction would be unfathomable and it is designed in a vacuum where money is no object and a return on investment is second to bragging rights. The final bizarre twist to this coaster rendering is that it seems to be detached from reality? The transitions between the sections seem to be spliced together at odd angles without smoothing out the track. It is tough to imagine anything about this rendering is based on reality. The cost cutting in creating the rendering that displays what would be the world's most expensive roller coaster is bizarre. I thought it was made by a kid using NL2 and not an official rendering from the park when I first saw it. Well they were thoughtful enough to add windshields to each car to protect the riders from sand or debris that would be encountered at at least 150 mph, nah nevermind it is still crazy. Author Jeff Goodman  Everyone I know seems to be taking out the old tape measure to see what measures up. Today I present Top Thrill Dragster, almost the tallest, almost the fastest, but just as much fun as when it was. Records don't create fun, and they are made to be broken. Marketing doesn't make our favorite ride our favorite. As soon as TTD gets its fix you can hop on and get blasted into space, if there is a clear sky you might just see Orion before twisting back down to Earth. If you can't wait that long just hop on Kingda Ka!
Author Jeff Goodman  EDITOR'S NOTE: The author of this article is a community member and not a member of the site staff. We encourage all members of our community to submit similar op-ed pieces by e-mailing them to blogs@coaster-net.com for review by our editorial staff.
August 15, 2019 at 10:00 PM Kings Island announced what we have all known was coming for months. The attraction had been teased, and leaked to death, it had been analyzed and over-analyzed. We now know this coaster will be called Orion and according to the park, this new attraction will be the 10th fastest coaster in the world. The park proudly presented the second “Giga” coaster in the state of Ohio. This all sounds great. After all who can be unhappy with another Giga coaster? However, the statistics paint another picture of this coaster all together. Orion has a length of 5,321 feet, a height of 287 feet, a drop of 300 feet and a speed of 91 MPH. The definition of a Giga coaster appears to be somewhat of a moving target. Like many of the “records and statistics” parks have claimed in recent years, it seems the parks can and do modify definitions at will. Wikipedia (incidentally the park uses this also) defines a Giga coaster as any full circuit coaster with a 300 plus foot height or drop. Many other coaster sites and enthusiast define a Giga coaster as any full circuit coaster that is between 300 and 399 feet tall. For a reason that will become clear shortly I tend to dismiss the Wikipedia definition and subscribe more to the coaster site definitions. I do this for many reasons, but the biggest reason is simple. It makes sense to me that if you want to obtain good information about roller coasters, you would ask the people that know about coasters. I know you are all starting to see where this is going, but before you lose your minds hear me out. Let’s compare Orion to Millennium Force. Orion has a 287-foot height with a drop of 300 feet. Millennium Force has a height of 310 feet and a drop of 300 feet. To me the drop does not a Giga make. This is my rationale. If we look at the 6 other Giga coasters on the planet, my argument begins to take shape. Let’s look at all 6 strictly from the perspective of height.
You now have my permission to lose your mind. Are you ready? The Kings Island Giga is no such thing. It is a Hyper!!! It falls significantly below the height of other Gigas, and if the coaster settles at all it won’t even make the cut based on height of drop. But what about the drop you ask? I would contend that the drop is irrelevant when classing a coaster as a giga. If you look at Millennium Force, What made it special? It was the first complete circuit coaster with a height greater than 300 feet. Using this logic all other coasters should be judged against the same criteria. With this said, Orion looks like it has the potential to be a great ride. I am sure the Kings Island faithful will get years of enjoyment out of riding it. We will have to wait and see if it becomes the headliner that Kings Island hopes it will, or if it will be the second-best Hyper coaster in the park. Will it make me beat feet across the country to ride it? NO. Then again, Steel Vengeance didn’t make me do that. I will get there when I get there. After all there are plenty of ACTUAL Giga’s that I still need to ride. Author Brad Crowe  I visited Kennywood for the first time this past Monday August 12th. Phantom's Revenge had already been on my radar, but the addition of the Steel Curtain put this park on my short list to visit this year. We arrived before the park opened so we could get an early start. My expectations were low since this isn't a typical corporate park and I have heard from friends that this park is somewhat inconsistent with customer service and ride ops. I would have to say that was my observation as well, however I found many friendly employees who went out of their way to engage with myself or my wife. They were juxtaposed by many disinterested employees and ride ops. Some were very friendly and helpful and others were so disengaged I felt like I was being ignored, this was a recurring theme during our visit. I did have a great time at Kennywood, but as someone who breaks the door down when the park opens I will warn you they did start letting people in at opening, however they essentially didn't open the park for another 30 minutes. A few stands and services were open by the gate, but other sections of the park were closed entirely and shuttered. They allowed people to line up outside the queue for Steel Curtain, but did not open the queue and the ride for about 30 minutes. Annoying but not the end of the world. Another thing to note is that Steel Curtain and the gift shop are essentially the only part of Steelers Country that are done and open. The rest of the area is under construction.
The ride collection at this park is varied and make this park feel unique. The roller coaster collection is what I was interested in but they had a good mix of kiddie, family, and high thrill attractions. They also had a good mix of classic and modern attractions. We spent all of our time on the roller coasters, though we did not ride Exterminator or Lil Phantom. Steel Curtain is a great ride for the park and is a really fun ride experience for guests. The trains and restraints are really great and are super comfortable. I hope to see S&S use this chassis in the future since I felt both Maxx Force and Steel Curtain rode well. The lift is very steep and brings you up to the top for a pre-drop curve before the fake out barrel roll drop. I like the drop and it felt unique compared to other inverting drops I have tried before. The ride may be the inversion record holder in North America, but the ride isn't only about inversions. The sensation of speed is great through the entire layout, and there are even a few airtime hills that delivered great negative G's. The inversions are obviously the highlight of the ride and a cool variety are offered. The two sets of double inversions are fun and offer a twisted experience that really caught me off guard my first few laps. The dive loop and corkscrew provided nice whips, and the stalls gave good hang time. Steel Curtain was very re-rideable, and both my wife and I found it more enjoyable with each lap. The stand out at this park for both of us was Phantom's Revenge. I love how the ride interacts with the Thunderbolt and the ravine. It gives it a special feel like it could not exist anywhere else. I was a little nervous the ride would be too rough to enjoy. While it was wild and out of control feeling in all the best ways I didn't feel it was rough at all. There was a jarring moment on the ride but after the first lap I knew it was coming and braced myself for it and the rest of my laps were awesome. I never experienced the original Steel Phantom, but I have to imagine the work that went into changing it over into the Phantom's Revenge was worth the effort. The ride feels modern and smooth, while at the same time holding onto some sort of DIY nostalgia fitting it into the landscape. The ride delivers heights, speed, intensity, with a generous helping of both positive and negative G's. I hate to call the rest of the coasters the rest of them because they all are fun and have something cool about each of them. Skyrocket has a good launch and tons of airtime on the tophat. Jack Rabbit might have delivered the most surprising airtime of the day on the unique double down drop. The Racer was a fun layout with the cool racing interaction you would expect. Finally the Thunderbolt was the most complete and thrilling of the three classic woodies. Also as a whole group none of the wooden coasters have ratcheting lap bars. Thunderbolt and Racer have buzz bars, while Jack Rabbit has a single position lap bar. The steel coasters give riders freedom too with only lap bars and no over the shoulder restraints to be found. Kennywood offers an experience that feels nostalgic and unique at the same time. My wife and I truly enjoyed our visit and I can't stop thinking about Phantom's Revenge. Author Jeff Goodman |
Archives
November 2019
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed