Looping is great for a travelling ride, but in the grand scheme of things it's pretty average. Plus if you're not sitting in the correct position it's very uncomfortable as the ride goes on.
I gave it a miss this year, it's not worth £8-10 per ride. Save your money for the flat rides, beer and sausage.
Not a new cred (I'm finding harder to come by), but last cred I rode was Rutschebanen at Bakken.
Hadn't been on it in 4 years, and I'd forgotten how much the ride has been ruined since the manually operated trains were removed and the disgusting Kumbak trains and operating system were put on. I'm glad to report it's still as **** as ever since the ride was redone, and if you were lucky enough to ride it with the old trains and brakeman. then I implore you: don't ruin the memories of how amazing it used to be.
Last new cred was in October at a funfair in the car park of Owlerton Greyhound Stadium in Sheffield that I found when getting a KFC the morning after a night of drinking. Can't even remember it's name. +1.
Like a few above my latest new ride was Olympia (Munich) Looping. The shoulder pads really aren't great (I'm 6 foot 4) but the lapbar and legroom was fine. It was intense and pretty smooth. For a travelling ride it's a beast but, yeah, it didn't quite live up to the hype or the £9 per ride price tag.
Right, I'd like to update this thread, as I've just gotten back from my first ever visit to Magic Kingdom:
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train was a surprisingly fun coaster! Very smooth, packed a surprising punch for such a small ride and had adorable theming! All in all, a very fun coaster! 6/10 (3 stars) on overall spectrum, but it's a top tier family coaster as far as I'm concerned.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was a fun mine train with some great moments and a surprising amount of airtime for a family coaster. Nothing amazing by any means, but a very fun coaster! One con is that it was slightly on the rattly side, but that's to be expected given the ride's age and the nature of the ride. 6/10 (3 stars) on overall spectrum, but it's a top tier family coaster as far as I'm concerned.
Barnstormer was pretty much your average Vekoma Rollerskater. It was actually my first experience of the 207m model, and I thought it was perfectly fine as far as kiddie coasters go, but it was slower than Hippogriff at IOA and a bit on the rattly side. So all in all, perfectly fine as far as kiddie coasters go. 4/10 (2 stars) on overall spectrum, but it's a kiddie coaster, so can't really be compared to major thrill rides.
Space Mountain (Alpha) was a pretty fun enclosed coaster! Considering it only went 28mph, it felt pretty quick in sections and had some surprising airtime for such a small coaster! However, it was a tad on the rattly side and the seating position made for a slightly uncomfortable ride, but it was still a pretty fun ride, and definitely my favourite of the day! 8/10 (4 stars)
I also just got back from a Disney park, so my last cred was Big Thunder Mountain - DLP
All 6 of us rode this, even my 4 year old girl, which in hindsight wasn't the best idea, she didn't like it. The other 3 kids enjoyed it though and it was my GF's fave ride of the trip. The tunnels are great and it's beautifully themed, fab ride 8/10.
Raging Bull(during Holiday In The Park): Much better in the cold than normal summer operation. You get a better sense of speed, a bit 'crisper' airtime, and just overall a better experience.
Right, today I revisited Animal Kingdom for the first time in 5 years:
Expedition Everest was similar to how I remembered it being in 2014; a solid, fun family coaster with some cool tricks and exciting moments, as well as its impressive theming! I think I enjoyed the coaster slightly more than I did in 2014, although I'm still not entirely sold on some of the hype it gets. 6/10 (3 stars) on overall spectrum, but it's a top tier family coaster as far as I'm concerned.
Primeval Whirl was your average Reverchon spinning mouse coaster, really. I actually got put onto the side that I didn't ride in 2014, so that was a bonus credit I wasn't expecting; great times! As for the coaster itself; I've never really been a fan of wild mouse coasters, so I wouldn't say I rated Primeval Whirl too highly. It felt similar to the other side that I rode in 2014, although I oddly thought it felt slightly rougher. 2/10 (1 star)
While I'm here, I feel as though I should also review the criticially acclaimed Flight of Passage. In my opinion, it is a fantastic ride; very impressive, and quite different to anything else I've ever ridden! However; I wasn't entirely sold on some of the hype it gets. While it is undeniably a fantastic attraction and a very impressive experience, I don't think it is the "best thing in the world" as some reviews implied. Controversially, I'd also say that I still rate the two Potter dark rides and Spider-Man at IOA higher; Flight of Passage is probably my 4th favourite dark ride, though. So for a non-spoiler conclusion; a fantastic (albeit slightly overrated) dark ride that was well worth the wait! The queue line and area are also absolutely stunning!
If you want more spoilers, however:
For starters, I'd say that I felt more isolated on the ride than I was perhaps expecting; I was expecting to board in a massive theatre, but I thought that the experience actually felt quite personal and very isolated, which I'd say benefitted the immersion! I also thought that the effect of the creature breathing on you (?) was very clever and slightly weird; I'll admit that I was slightly nervous when it started doing it initially! I also thought that the attraction felt quite exhilarating on the whole; some of the effects reminded me of Universal's dark rides, which I really liked! Furthermore, the use of 3D benefitted the attraction, in my opinion; it certainly made the attraction more convincing, in my opinion!
Flight Of Passage is just the most stupidly overrated thing ever. It's not even in my top 3 rides in the park. The queue is great but the ride itself - the main event - is literally just a simulator with slightly better tech than all the others. So glad I got there early and only waited a few minutes for it.
Slinky Dog Dash was honestly such a pleasant surprise! For starters, the theming and area are just so cute to look at, which I absolutely loved! The ride itself was also far more fun than I was expecting; quite smooth on the whole, just fast enough for its target audience and immensely enjoyable! There were even a few very gentle pops of airtime! If I was to be picky, I'd say that there were a couple of moments where it could have gone a bit faster; mainly the two high elements following the launches. I'd also say that I would have personally preferred a rolling second launch and that the ride was slightly more rattly than Icon at Blackpool Pleasure Beach (the other Mack launch coaster I've ridden), but that is just me being incredibly picky; it's honestly such an immensely enjoyable family coaster, and much better than I was expecting! 6/10 (3 stars) on overall spectrum, but it's a top tier family coaster as far as I'm concerned.
Rock'n'Rollercoaster was a really good ride! Firstly, the launch was very intense; equally as forceful as the Intamin hydraulic launches and easily one of the best launches I've ever felt! Surprisingly, I also found the rest of the ride to be taken with reasonable force at a reasonable pace, and despite a bit of a rattle through some of the elements, I found the ride to be relatively smooth on the whole considering the ride's age! So overall, I immensely enjoyed Rock'n'Rollercoaster; it's easily my favourite roller coaster in WDW, and it slides in to the #10 spot in my top 10! Yes it may be a stock Vekoma layout, but that launch was such a rush, the rest of the ride was reasonably good and I just really liked it on the whole! 9/10 (4.5 stars)
March 23rd, 2019
Technically, my last credit (#148) was Grover's Alpine Express - where only one mother looked at me like I had three heads - but for the sake of a thoughtful review I'll write one for my 147th coaster, Verbolten. Spoilers ahead of what's inside the show building!
I came in expecting Verbolten to be a souped-up FireChaser Express. While it is similar to that description in a few ways (unique element, enclosed segment, launches, terrain interaction), Verbolten absolutely one-ups its Southern comparison in every possible way - FireChaser Express is a very enjoyable family coaster don't get me wrong, however, Verbolten takes it up a notch. For one, the launches were very intense; I'd even say they felt like a slightly toned-down version of Maverick's 2nd launch! Verbolten's start is very tame, but it picks things up immediately as you are thrown back and hurtled into the Black Forest. The indoor segment is wildly fast-paced with crazy G's that nearly induced me to grey out, followed by that spectacular track drop (which took my father's breath away). The forceful 2nd launch and rush to the 88-foot peak are succeeded by a quite snappy, lateral-heavy finale complete with a pop of airtime diving down to the Rhine. Verbolten's theming feels extremely authentic with much attention to details (Thanks to the entry/exit spiel, I think I'll have "Auf wiedersehen!" stuck in my head for a while...) and complements the ride itself perfectly. I'd give Verbolten an 8.5/10 without a second thought, placing it just behind the big 3 B&Ms of Busch Gardens Williamsburg - this is seriously an underrated coaster that looks unassuming, but has set my expectations bar higher for thrilling "family" coasters.
#179 - Scream'n Eagle at Fun Spot America Atlanta
It looks sketchy from the road and at the park, but this one really did kinda suck. There were some decent drops and pops of airtime, but once you get to the end all the laterals and **** are terrible.
Phantom's Revenge (last cred)
Was better than expected, and I had some decently high expectations. Didn't expect much of the first half, but the twisting drop was pretty fun, and I like the big turnaround more than expected. No need to get into the airtime fueled finale, we all already know about that. Definite top 15 steel, probably top 15 overall. I get the need for the trims at the end, but I would kill to have some special event (thus capacity concerns not really an issue) where ya could ride it without those. But yeah, the hype did not let down. Thunderbolt (last new cred)
Honestly....disappointed. OK maybe I expected too much, but I wasn't expecting a top 10 woodie here. I guess the hype got to me, it was a fairly lackluster ride. I don't recall getting really any air on it, drops were decent but a kind of slow plodding ride overall. I didn't like the whole turning turning lateral Gs part as much I figured.
Rides were near the front, as the person I was with (had to find a rando) wanted. Perhaps back would be better.
Took a slight detour from Disney to visit Fun Spot Kissimmee today:
Mine Blower was a very good little wooden coaster! It really packs a lot in for a ride of its size; the ride didn’t feel short despite it not being the longest of coasters, and its pacing was something to behold! It just didn’t let up until you hit the brake run! There was also a decent amount of airtime compared to other wooden coasters I’ve experienced, including a little pop during the signature inversion! To keep it short, I really liked Mine Blower; I’d say it’s probably my favourite wooden coaster I’ve done! 9/10 (4.5 stars)
Took a slight detour from Disney to visit Fun Spot Kissimmee today:
Mine Blower was a very good little wooden coaster! It really packs a lot in for a ride of its size; the ride didn’t feel short despite it not being the longest of coasters, and its pacing was something to behold! It just didn’t let up until you hit the brake run! There was also a decent amount of airtime compared to other wooden coasters I’ve experienced, including a little pop during the signature inversion! To keep it short, I really liked Mine Blower; I’d say it’s probably my favourite wooden coaster I’ve done! 9/10 (4.5 stars)
I second this! Mine Blower is an excellent, underrated woodie that is often overlooked... it feels longer than the advertised 2,290 feet of track, airtime and laterals are everywhere, and the inversion is an awesome, unique touch! I hope Fun Spot Atlanta gets something like this - because man, would that make for an amazing ride. Obviously it's not my #1 wooden coaster as the legendary Voyage, Beast and Phoenix exist; but, Mine Blower holds its own against the top wooden coasters in the world.
As for Scorpion (#150)? I rode this yesterday (April 15, 2019). It's a fun ride and all, however, it fell short of my expectations. There were decent forces in the loop at the beginning and 900 degree helix at the end, but there was lots of vibrations and jolts in the trackwork - it wasn't a rough ride, but Scorpion looked less jerky than it rode. I chose this over Cobra's Curse (#149) because I am obsessed with Schwarzkopf's masterpieces such as the Mind-Bender duo (Both of which I have ridden ), Olympia Looping (which I have not yet ridden but I greatly aspire to) and Tsunami (Sadly, this one was demolished in 2016 ). It's a solid, compact family coaster that delivers a classic thrill; but watch out for the jerky turns!
Kentucky Flyer is a decent ride, but amazing for a family coaster. You're not going to put it up against the other amazing coasters out there but it has great rerideablity and it shares a park with Lightning Run and Storm Chaser, two phenomenal rides. Definitely worth it.
Just got home last night from Chicago ended up getting two bonus creds. Tiger Terror at Safari Land (last cred) and Python Pit at Go Banana. +1's is all they are.
Lets get into Six Flags Great America the main reason for me going on this trip. American Eagle (Red) - Blue side was down all day so I only got to ride Red. It hurt but I didn't hate it. It was one of those fun wild wooden coasters instead of one of those that you never want to even look at again. Middle of the road coaster kind of what I expected. Is there a queue line longer than this anywhere? The thing seemed to be never-ending.
Batman The Ride - Probably the worst one of the Batmans I have been on. Much prefer the ones at Great Adventure, Over Georgia, and Over Texas. Did not enjoy this one.
Dark Knight - Same as the one in Jersey. Standard mouse Batman theming makes it only slightly better then your average mouse. Nothing special.
Demon - Demon gets a 10/10 for the station/queue music alone. As far as the coaster is concerned it wasn't bad. Arrows are pretty hit or miss with me. Its either good or bad and this was good. Nothing that crazy definitely enjoyed it though.
Goliath - Oh baby. Most anticipated coaster of the trip and it did not let me down. Rode it twice once front row and once back row. First ride I went for the back because I know if it was like Wicked Cyclone I would get tossed over the lift hill and I did. Second ride in the front row however I enjoyed more. One of my favorite things about Wicked Cyclone is like preparing myself for the inversions and moving my body with the train if that makes any sense. So with Goliath front row I saw everything coming so I was able to do that and man was it fun. Entire thing start to finish was perfect. Smooth, fast, and the stall<3. What a ride.
Joker- Same as Jersey and SFNE. I didn't spin a lot which is good because previous 4D's have made me feel like trash afterwards. Did it for the cred.
Little Dipper - +1
Raging Bull - Very solid B&M hyper. Definitely my favorite at a Six Flags park for sure. Could be one of my favorites overall. Had a ton of fun on this one. Don't really know what much else to say. Just a quality coaster.
Sprocket Rockets - +1
Superman - Ultimate Flight - Like the other superhero coaster clones this park has this one was on par with the other ones I have been on. Just another B&M Flyer.
Vertical Velocity - Meh. Didn't care for Possessed at Dorney. Didn't think I would care for this one either. It doesn't hurt it isn't rough its just kinda whatever and boring to me.
Viper - Viper was pretty good. The ride seemed to go by really quickly. It is based off the Coney Island Cyclone. In comparing the two it is definitely smoother than the Cyclone but I would hope it is since its like 70 years younger. Cyclone is still giving it a run for its money though the nostalgia of Cyclone probably pushes it ahead of Viper in the head to head contest but Viper is not a bad coaster by any means.
X-Flight - Unpopular opinion of mine is my love for wing coasters. Have sincerely loved every one I have been on and X-Flight was no exception. I adored this ride. Definitely second favorite coaster in the park behind Goliath of course. This thing was fun though and I was really excited to ride it. I remember being on CF quite a bit when this was under construction so it was kind of awesome to finally get to ride it. Super smooth, great inversions, the near miss through the tower was awesome. Just one of my kinda rides for sure.
Missed out on Whizzer. Assume Maxx Force construction being so close to it was causing it to be closed but I could be wrong.
Overall I enjoyed the park. I did the Justice League ride as well. Always enjoy a spin through those. Goliath, X-Flight, and Raging Bull were definitely the top at the park for me with shoutouts to Demon and Viper. The rest was just clones and +1's but I would still rank the park higher up on the Six Flags scale for me. Would definitely put it above Great Escape, Darien, Over Georgia, and New England. Somewhere around Great Adventure and Over Texas in the top 3.
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), Olympia Looping (which I have not yet ridden but I greatly aspire to) and Tsunami (Sadly, this one was demolished in 2016 
