Wazzupnerds
Mega Poster
what the hell? When I went in March 2016 I think it was 20 bucks for an unlimited rides band. Covid must have screwed them.
Last Cred Review
- Thread starter Snoo
- Start date
Kw6sTheater
Hyper Poster
Finally got to ride Iron Gwazi and VelociCoaster this week!
Iron Gwazi (#196)
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 the airtime is sustained the entire way down, even as the track adjusts itself back to zero degrees roll, and there’s 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 - it’s a shockingly good element. 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 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 sustained 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 prefer the back due to the stronger, more sustained and comfortable airtime, along with the increased whip.
VelociCoaster (#198)
The first launch is pretty forceful, while the Immelmann gives a solid pop of airtime on the descent. In the front, the dive loop delivers sustained flojector airtime while rolling, an odd but amazing sensation to me. Following that, the first overbank is decent, while the twisted hill delivers a pop of ejector air. Then, the second overbank and downward S-curves are light on the forces but still fun, while the third overbank is also decent. The mini-Stengel dive is a nice change of pace, with solid whip on the left side of the train. Then, the off-axis hill into the second launch has light floater air.
Fortunately though, the second launch is strong and forceful. VelociCoaster’s top hat, highlight number one, rides similarly to Storm Runner’s: front row gets an ejector pop on the ascent and sustained floater the entire way down, while back row gets strong ejector on the drop. The following stall is interesting - it’s a lot less fluid and faster than Pantheon’s - starting with a whippy transition in, then what feels like straight track upside down (not as much of an arch shape as the stalls on Pantheon/Jersey Devil), followed by another whippy transition out. Though there isn’t as much hangtime as Pantheon’s stall, VelociCoaster’s stall has more than I expected. The wave turn provides a pop of sideways flojector air, and the larger off-axis hill gives decently sustained flojector air coupled with side-to-side whip. The final overbank has cool visuals with the bridge below, and the speed bump gives some floater air in the front. Then, the Mosasaurus roll is the other highlight of VelociCoaster for me. Like the death roll on Iron Gwazi, riders are pinned to the side of their seats while being thrown out violently. Plus, the setting over water causes a feeling of danger. It’s a highly unforgettable and fantastic moment, and the other highlight of VelociCoaster for me. Finally, the twisted double up into the brakes gives two last pops of ejector air.
Besides the drop off the top hat, every element on VelociCoaster is significantly better in the front, delivering stronger and/or more sustained airtime. The theming and setting were excellent, though during the ride itself, I didn’t notice them as much as expected.
Now... for some controversy, here are my opinions on VelociCoaster compared to other, highly rated coasters that opened this year:
Velocicoaster vs Pantheon:
I prefer Pantheon… by a bit. I’m surprised too - I expected to like VelociCoaster more than Pantheon, especially after hearing reviews and comparing the two coasters extensively. Both are extremely good rides - I am not insinuating that VelociCoaster is “bad” at all here. From the storytelling, theming and “full package” perspectives, VelociCoaster is certainly superior to Pantheon. I simply found Pantheon to have stronger, more and longer-lasting airtime moments than VelociCoaster, along with a more intense ride experience overall. I’m able to look past minimal theming if a ride is fantastic by itself, and Pantheon really is that good in my opinion.
Velocicoaster vs Iron Gwazi:
Having ridden them two days apart, I prefer Iron Gwazi. As said before, I prefer thrills over theming - and I especially love aggressive, crazy rides. Every single element on Iron Gwazi delivers powerful airtime, laterals and/or whip with no dead space. Meanwhile, VelociCoaster’s elements aren’t as strong or sustained (besides the Mosasaurus roll and drop off the top hat), with a series of “just fine” elements in between the twisted hill and second launch. Both of them are very good rides, but each one appeals to a different type of thrillseeker.
Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure (#199)
It doesn’t have much in the way of forces or airtime, but Hagrids is just plain old fun - it’s a long, scenic and well-paced ride that’s constantly moving, from the first launch to the final brake run. The highlights for me are the backwards section, drop track and finale. The backwards section is surprisingly whippy and intense, while the drop track, though not as crazy as Verbolten’s, is still very cool. The finale picks up the pace with pure speed and a substantial increase in intensity, though I wish that last coaster section was 10-15 seconds longer to really utilize that final 50mph launch. The launches are pretty zippy and fairly forceful, on par with Verbolten’s, and surprisingly, the double down has a hint of floater air. Hagrids is my 4th favorite ride at Islands of Adventure, behind Forbidden Journey, Spider-Man and VelociCoaster.
Iron Gwazi (#196)
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 the airtime is sustained the entire way down, even as the track adjusts itself back to zero degrees roll, and there’s 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 - it’s a shockingly good element. 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 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 sustained 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 prefer the back due to the stronger, more sustained and comfortable airtime, along with the increased whip.
VelociCoaster (#198)
The first launch is pretty forceful, while the Immelmann gives a solid pop of airtime on the descent. In the front, the dive loop delivers sustained flojector airtime while rolling, an odd but amazing sensation to me. Following that, the first overbank is decent, while the twisted hill delivers a pop of ejector air. Then, the second overbank and downward S-curves are light on the forces but still fun, while the third overbank is also decent. The mini-Stengel dive is a nice change of pace, with solid whip on the left side of the train. Then, the off-axis hill into the second launch has light floater air.
Fortunately though, the second launch is strong and forceful. VelociCoaster’s top hat, highlight number one, rides similarly to Storm Runner’s: front row gets an ejector pop on the ascent and sustained floater the entire way down, while back row gets strong ejector on the drop. The following stall is interesting - it’s a lot less fluid and faster than Pantheon’s - starting with a whippy transition in, then what feels like straight track upside down (not as much of an arch shape as the stalls on Pantheon/Jersey Devil), followed by another whippy transition out. Though there isn’t as much hangtime as Pantheon’s stall, VelociCoaster’s stall has more than I expected. The wave turn provides a pop of sideways flojector air, and the larger off-axis hill gives decently sustained flojector air coupled with side-to-side whip. The final overbank has cool visuals with the bridge below, and the speed bump gives some floater air in the front. Then, the Mosasaurus roll is the other highlight of VelociCoaster for me. Like the death roll on Iron Gwazi, riders are pinned to the side of their seats while being thrown out violently. Plus, the setting over water causes a feeling of danger. It’s a highly unforgettable and fantastic moment, and the other highlight of VelociCoaster for me. Finally, the twisted double up into the brakes gives two last pops of ejector air.
Besides the drop off the top hat, every element on VelociCoaster is significantly better in the front, delivering stronger and/or more sustained airtime. The theming and setting were excellent, though during the ride itself, I didn’t notice them as much as expected.
Now... for some controversy, here are my opinions on VelociCoaster compared to other, highly rated coasters that opened this year:
Velocicoaster vs Pantheon:
I prefer Pantheon… by a bit. I’m surprised too - I expected to like VelociCoaster more than Pantheon, especially after hearing reviews and comparing the two coasters extensively. Both are extremely good rides - I am not insinuating that VelociCoaster is “bad” at all here. From the storytelling, theming and “full package” perspectives, VelociCoaster is certainly superior to Pantheon. I simply found Pantheon to have stronger, more and longer-lasting airtime moments than VelociCoaster, along with a more intense ride experience overall. I’m able to look past minimal theming if a ride is fantastic by itself, and Pantheon really is that good in my opinion.
Velocicoaster vs Iron Gwazi:
Having ridden them two days apart, I prefer Iron Gwazi. As said before, I prefer thrills over theming - and I especially love aggressive, crazy rides. Every single element on Iron Gwazi delivers powerful airtime, laterals and/or whip with no dead space. Meanwhile, VelociCoaster’s elements aren’t as strong or sustained (besides the Mosasaurus roll and drop off the top hat), with a series of “just fine” elements in between the twisted hill and second launch. Both of them are very good rides, but each one appeals to a different type of thrillseeker.
Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure (#199)
It doesn’t have much in the way of forces or airtime, but Hagrids is just plain old fun - it’s a long, scenic and well-paced ride that’s constantly moving, from the first launch to the final brake run. The highlights for me are the backwards section, drop track and finale. The backwards section is surprisingly whippy and intense, while the drop track, though not as crazy as Verbolten’s, is still very cool. The finale picks up the pace with pure speed and a substantial increase in intensity, though I wish that last coaster section was 10-15 seconds longer to really utilize that final 50mph launch. The launches are pretty zippy and fairly forceful, on par with Verbolten’s, and surprisingly, the double down has a hint of floater air. Hagrids is my 4th favorite ride at Islands of Adventure, behind Forbidden Journey, Spider-Man and VelociCoaster.
LiveForTheLaunch
CF Legend
Finally got my giga cred collection again since the closed border kept me from riding Orion. All I have to say is, how the heck did B&M drop the ball so ****ing hard on a giga especially after their masterpiece, Fury?! Incredibly underwhelming, no airtime, no good sensation of speed except for the first drop. I'd say it's my least favourite giga out there and no word of a lie I wish they kept Firehawk. That's saying something given my intense dislike of I305.
Rode it multiple times in the back, once in the front, and all at different times of day hoping to feel something other than bored.
Rode it multiple times in the back, once in the front, and all at different times of day hoping to feel something other than bored.
Indy
Hyper Poster
In B&M's defense, sometimes it's not the designer's fault. Sometimes a company designs a ride based on what the park wants, which can include constraints on space, features, intensity, and budget. I definitely agree that Orion is the weakest B&M giga by a landslide. However, I don't know that they necessarily dropped the ball per se. They just provided the park what they wanted.
CanobieFan
Strata Poster
Tumbili was a.......thing. (thing #1,068)
LiveForTheLaunch
CF Legend
Either way, disappointing. I'm sure there were (or hope there were, to excuse them for how blah the ride is) some land constraints and stuff but yeah, it's big for the sake of being big and doesn't do much else.
Thekingin64
Strata Poster
Last actual cred: mighty mini mega, Adventure Island. It's alright, done a few of that model before so knew what to expect. Fun enough on its own, but when it's sandwiched between 2 better family coasters, I'd rather ride the others.
Last major cred: Rage, Adventure Island. Very fun, smoother than most eurofighters. Very good for a park of this calibre but nothing special in the grand scheme of things.
Last major cred: Rage, Adventure Island. Very fun, smoother than most eurofighters. Very good for a park of this calibre but nothing special in the grand scheme of things.
Eyebrows
Hyper Poster
I went to Dollywood during the first week of April, but I've been slacking and haven't said anything about it here! I have some free time now, so might as well:
126: Lightning Rod
Starting my trip off with a bang, its the big one. I rode in row 6 to start off, and left a little disappointed. Later, I rode in rows 2, 4, and 12. The ride didn't completely blow me away like it did for a lot of people. It was great, don't get me wrong, and it sits in my top 10, but it's not a world-beating experience in my opinion. Most of the elements in the first half felt underwhelming, like the wave turn and twist-and-shout. There was also quite a bit of roughness in the valleys. The second half does live up to the hype, but doesn't do much more than that. The quad down is as great as I expected, and though I did initially leave with a bitter taste in my mouth, the ride grew on me a lot more over my second day there. I currently have this at #7, above Beast and below El Toro.
127: Tennessee Tornado
This ride makes me sad. If Arrow didn't go bankrupt, this is what could have been. This ride shows the competency of the designers at arrow, held back by their methods. When you embrace new technology, you can make a great ride. Despite the dramatic irony-filled optimistic nature of the ride, it's not without its flaws. The huge loop is super imposing and represents the ride perfectly, but rides kind of weird with some funky profiling. Most of the overbanks felt forced, but that could just be the tech demo-y nature of the ride. Overall though, this ride is good. fun air on the drop, nice positives, and smooth throughout. Sad that we couldn't see more of this.
128: Wild Eagle
The drop. The first drop. Holy moly the drop. Yooooop! Ride this in the back for the love of god. The rest is fine I guess but the drop holy ****.
129: Blazing Fury
Fun little dark ride coaster! Lots of Black Diamond Knoebels vibes, though I do think that this ride is better executed. Lots of great sets, and the drops work nicely with the story of the ride. Great little thing, and good for an escape from the heat.
130: Mystery Mine
Was expecting a quirky ride, but even this was a lot quirkier than I was expecting. The dark ride sections are fun, but the ride sort of meanders around, and the payoff is good but honestly not enough to justify it. Also oof ouch headbanging,
131: Thunderhead
Very good. Very very good. Pops of air all throughout in the front and a creative layout that feels long enough. Station fly throughs are really cool as well. I have this at #10 right now, above Mystic Timbers and below Kumba.
132: Rocky Top Mountain Coaster
How'd this get in here? Was good, but the pacing felt off with 4 short sections separated by long lifts.
133: Firechaser Express
Snagged this one at the start of my second day, and just in time too. It went down right after we got off. This was a fun ride! Good pops of air and fun usage of launches. Layout gets a little repetitive but it's all forgivable, being a family ride.
134: Dragonflier
It's an SFC, and a good one too. Fun but short. I liked the overbank. That's about it.
Overall, I had a great visit! Would absolutely come again, especially with that new expansion they're talking about...
126: Lightning Rod
Starting my trip off with a bang, its the big one. I rode in row 6 to start off, and left a little disappointed. Later, I rode in rows 2, 4, and 12. The ride didn't completely blow me away like it did for a lot of people. It was great, don't get me wrong, and it sits in my top 10, but it's not a world-beating experience in my opinion. Most of the elements in the first half felt underwhelming, like the wave turn and twist-and-shout. There was also quite a bit of roughness in the valleys. The second half does live up to the hype, but doesn't do much more than that. The quad down is as great as I expected, and though I did initially leave with a bitter taste in my mouth, the ride grew on me a lot more over my second day there. I currently have this at #7, above Beast and below El Toro.
127: Tennessee Tornado
This ride makes me sad. If Arrow didn't go bankrupt, this is what could have been. This ride shows the competency of the designers at arrow, held back by their methods. When you embrace new technology, you can make a great ride. Despite the dramatic irony-filled optimistic nature of the ride, it's not without its flaws. The huge loop is super imposing and represents the ride perfectly, but rides kind of weird with some funky profiling. Most of the overbanks felt forced, but that could just be the tech demo-y nature of the ride. Overall though, this ride is good. fun air on the drop, nice positives, and smooth throughout. Sad that we couldn't see more of this.
128: Wild Eagle
The drop. The first drop. Holy moly the drop. Yooooop! Ride this in the back for the love of god. The rest is fine I guess but the drop holy ****.
129: Blazing Fury
Fun little dark ride coaster! Lots of Black Diamond Knoebels vibes, though I do think that this ride is better executed. Lots of great sets, and the drops work nicely with the story of the ride. Great little thing, and good for an escape from the heat.
130: Mystery Mine
Was expecting a quirky ride, but even this was a lot quirkier than I was expecting. The dark ride sections are fun, but the ride sort of meanders around, and the payoff is good but honestly not enough to justify it. Also oof ouch headbanging,
131: Thunderhead
Very good. Very very good. Pops of air all throughout in the front and a creative layout that feels long enough. Station fly throughs are really cool as well. I have this at #10 right now, above Mystic Timbers and below Kumba.
132: Rocky Top Mountain Coaster
How'd this get in here? Was good, but the pacing felt off with 4 short sections separated by long lifts.
133: Firechaser Express
Snagged this one at the start of my second day, and just in time too. It went down right after we got off. This was a fun ride! Good pops of air and fun usage of launches. Layout gets a little repetitive but it's all forgivable, being a family ride.
134: Dragonflier
It's an SFC, and a good one too. Fun but short. I liked the overbank. That's about it.
Overall, I had a great visit! Would absolutely come again, especially with that new expansion they're talking about...
JJLehto
Hyper Poster
Cheating a bit but all feel "big" to me so a few of my last lol:
Pantheon (#197): Two years of waiting and hype are over! It was fun but, a tad underwhelming honestly :O
I was expecting a bit more "punch" to it. Was slow over the top hat, though great pull in back, was slow through the wave turn, and honestly through much of the second half while quick I just expected more oomph to it. This was early (forth train of day) and was still in the 60s so I figured I'd give it time to warm up, do the rest of the park, finish off with Pantheon many times as I can. Sadly went down around 1 and never re opened Will re-ride again of course but based off that one ride, albeit maybe not best conditions yet, not sure it would even make top 15. Not that this is an insult but yeah expected more, like I would rate Velocicoaster over it for sure which is not what I figured. Unless the ride is faster at a future visit...I dont see this changing, VC was better in every aspect!
Verbolten (#200): Surprisingly fun! Perhaps the gift of low expectations but yeah, this ride really felt it like moved, the dark part was quite cool, the little upward launch took me by surprise, and the drop track felt quite significant. It got me hard despite knowing it was coming. Great example of not real big or fast, nothing "extreme" but just done really well and really fun, more "feel" to it than I anticipated.
InvadR (#201): Same as above, did not expect this to be really good! Maybe the situation helped, front row and like 815ish PM, but this ride had some whip to it, unexpectedly solid air time, decent length, really fun ride! The cycles were slow as sin, I thought it was one train ops and was shocked to see it was two...only knock on a pretty solid ride. Like Verbolten a "moderate" coaster that does it perfect.
I305: Not new, but it has been 9 years. Holy **** I forgot how truly insane this ride was. Had to hold on for my bodily protection! Those whips were savage. The speed, force, intensity, in back the drop is superb, even a great airtime moment if you can notice it during the chaos lol. It's got it all though without doubt this ride is the upper limit of what one can do. 4 in a row and I decided I was good. Helluva ride, though I see why nothing like has been attempted again
Pantheon (#197): Two years of waiting and hype are over! It was fun but, a tad underwhelming honestly :O
I was expecting a bit more "punch" to it. Was slow over the top hat, though great pull in back, was slow through the wave turn, and honestly through much of the second half while quick I just expected more oomph to it. This was early (forth train of day) and was still in the 60s so I figured I'd give it time to warm up, do the rest of the park, finish off with Pantheon many times as I can. Sadly went down around 1 and never re opened Will re-ride again of course but based off that one ride, albeit maybe not best conditions yet, not sure it would even make top 15. Not that this is an insult but yeah expected more, like I would rate Velocicoaster over it for sure which is not what I figured. Unless the ride is faster at a future visit...I dont see this changing, VC was better in every aspect! Verbolten (#200): Surprisingly fun! Perhaps the gift of low expectations but yeah, this ride really felt it like moved, the dark part was quite cool, the little upward launch took me by surprise, and the drop track felt quite significant. It got me hard despite knowing it was coming. Great example of not real big or fast, nothing "extreme" but just done really well and really fun, more "feel" to it than I anticipated.
InvadR (#201): Same as above, did not expect this to be really good! Maybe the situation helped, front row and like 815ish PM, but this ride had some whip to it, unexpectedly solid air time, decent length, really fun ride! The cycles were slow as sin, I thought it was one train ops and was shocked to see it was two...only knock on a pretty solid ride. Like Verbolten a "moderate" coaster that does it perfect.
I305: Not new, but it has been 9 years. Holy **** I forgot how truly insane this ride was. Had to hold on for my bodily protection! Those whips were savage. The speed, force, intensity, in back the drop is superb, even a great airtime moment if you can notice it during the chaos lol. It's got it all though without doubt this ride is the upper limit of what one can do. 4 in a row and I decided I was good. Helluva ride, though I see why nothing like has been attempted again
CanobieFan
Strata Poster
A tale of two credits ~
Coaster I tried to ride last year but it was closed.... was closed again. Xolo Loco
Coaster I tried to ride last year but it was closed.... was now open, Jersey Devil Coaster! #1,069 ✔
It's good, but it's not SFFT/CGA good backseat is better than the front, stall feels better in the front. The "lag" feeling in the roll is odd, almost like the whole train is pumping. MCBR is a mood killer, it might not slow the train (doesn't really feel it?) But it's an unnecessarily long/dead spot mid ride that definitely kills the flow. Also, the whole time while riding i wondered why the ride is even in the park. I'm sure it'll seem almost as useless at SFMM where sooo many other rides in the park will overshadow/outshine it. Yet at Great Escape or SFA... or SFStl it could be your star attraction.
Today it seemed like nobody cared, 2 trains running and sometimes it would dispatch with just 3 or 4 riders.
Coaster I tried to ride last year but it was closed.... was closed again. Xolo Loco
Coaster I tried to ride last year but it was closed.... was now open, Jersey Devil Coaster! #1,069 ✔
It's good, but it's not SFFT/CGA good backseat is better than the front, stall feels better in the front. The "lag" feeling in the roll is odd, almost like the whole train is pumping. MCBR is a mood killer, it might not slow the train (doesn't really feel it?) But it's an unnecessarily long/dead spot mid ride that definitely kills the flow. Also, the whole time while riding i wondered why the ride is even in the park. I'm sure it'll seem almost as useless at SFMM where sooo many other rides in the park will overshadow/outshine it. Yet at Great Escape or SFA... or SFStl it could be your star attraction.
Today it seemed like nobody cared, 2 trains running and sometimes it would dispatch with just 3 or 4 riders.
cookie
Giga Poster
PortAventura/Ferrari Land:
#139 - Dragon Khan
Intense, old-school B&M. Bit of a rattle towards the back, and the zero-G-roll slams you to the side, but overall nothing too bad. Didn't really feel those eight inversions as much as I probably would've with a more varied layout. The thing is deafeningly loud so it's hard to stand near it.
#140 - Shambhala
A master-class display of speed and floater airtime, and surprisingly intense too. Butter smooth. The first drop was crazy in the back, and the speed hill after the ampersand is out of this world. Could've used a bit more length after the MCBR, but overall, one of the greatest coasters on earth and worth a trip to PA alone.
#141 - El Diablo
Fun mine train even if the second lift hill is entirely pointless and the lap bars suck. Drop out of the station is jarring in the back row.
#142 & #143 - Stampida
Probably the most temperamental pair of wooden coasters I've ever seen when it comes to maintaining their speed over the course. Sometimes the red side absolutely hauled while the blue side absolutely sagged, and other times it was the opposite. Some jackhammering in places, particularly in the turnarounds, but the sections that were recently re-tracked were pretty smooth. An overall solid, fun ride.
#144 - Furius Baco
What a difference outer and inner wing seats make. First ride was third row, inner wing seat, and it was actually great. Walked off really impressed. Last ride was fifth row, outer wing seat, and it was hideous. Gave me a horrendous headache that lasted for a good ten minutes after. Not sure where Intamin messed up, but the outer wing seats should be avoided at all costs. Cool pre-show section tho, the park could use more "dark ride" elements like that.
#145 - Tami Tami
Standard Vekoma junior coaster that's a one-lap special. Not much to say.
#146 - Tomahawk
Shockingly good in the very back car. Ejector on the first drop and several hills after. Butter smooth for a wooden coaster as well.
#147 - Red Force
Launch was insane but for a five-year-old coaster it has a hideous rattle in the back car. Not sure what happened there. The little bump at the end looks dumb off-ride and feels dumb on-ride.
Tibidabo
#148 - Muntanya Russa
Fun and intense terrain coaster. Turn after the first drop pulls some surprising forces and the views are excellent.
#149 - Tibidabo Express
Unremarkable Mack powered coaster with a nice setting.
#139 - Dragon Khan
Intense, old-school B&M. Bit of a rattle towards the back, and the zero-G-roll slams you to the side, but overall nothing too bad. Didn't really feel those eight inversions as much as I probably would've with a more varied layout. The thing is deafeningly loud so it's hard to stand near it.
#140 - Shambhala
A master-class display of speed and floater airtime, and surprisingly intense too. Butter smooth. The first drop was crazy in the back, and the speed hill after the ampersand is out of this world. Could've used a bit more length after the MCBR, but overall, one of the greatest coasters on earth and worth a trip to PA alone.
#141 - El Diablo
Fun mine train even if the second lift hill is entirely pointless and the lap bars suck. Drop out of the station is jarring in the back row.
#142 & #143 - Stampida
Probably the most temperamental pair of wooden coasters I've ever seen when it comes to maintaining their speed over the course. Sometimes the red side absolutely hauled while the blue side absolutely sagged, and other times it was the opposite. Some jackhammering in places, particularly in the turnarounds, but the sections that were recently re-tracked were pretty smooth. An overall solid, fun ride.
#144 - Furius Baco
What a difference outer and inner wing seats make. First ride was third row, inner wing seat, and it was actually great. Walked off really impressed. Last ride was fifth row, outer wing seat, and it was hideous. Gave me a horrendous headache that lasted for a good ten minutes after. Not sure where Intamin messed up, but the outer wing seats should be avoided at all costs. Cool pre-show section tho, the park could use more "dark ride" elements like that.
#145 - Tami Tami
Standard Vekoma junior coaster that's a one-lap special. Not much to say.
#146 - Tomahawk
Shockingly good in the very back car. Ejector on the first drop and several hills after. Butter smooth for a wooden coaster as well.
#147 - Red Force
Launch was insane but for a five-year-old coaster it has a hideous rattle in the back car. Not sure what happened there. The little bump at the end looks dumb off-ride and feels dumb on-ride.
Tibidabo
#148 - Muntanya Russa
Fun and intense terrain coaster. Turn after the first drop pulls some surprising forces and the views are excellent.
#149 - Tibidabo Express
Unremarkable Mack powered coaster with a nice setting.
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CanobieFan
Strata Poster
Coaster #1,070 
✔
Pantheon was a whole lot of fun but had some of the worst park operations I've ever had at a Busch park. Like, 4-5 minute dispatches every single train. The line started at the station and it still took 30 minutes for my first ride
The quad launch part is definitely the highlight of the ride and way more intense that I expected.... especially the backwards launch + airtime. The spike is pretty awesome in the back row too, not so much in the front although the tophat is better in the front. Would love to have ridden it more but the slow line was a massive turn off (like, I don't care if a line is long but moving ....this was just slow-ass operations making what could have been a near walk-on upwards of an hour wait just going sllooowwww)
Now I gotta wait till Friday for my next new credit (GotG)
✔Pantheon was a whole lot of fun but had some of the worst park operations I've ever had at a Busch park. Like, 4-5 minute dispatches every single train. The line started at the station and it still took 30 minutes for my first ride
The quad launch part is definitely the highlight of the ride and way more intense that I expected.... especially the backwards launch + airtime. The spike is pretty awesome in the back row too, not so much in the front although the tophat is better in the front. Would love to have ridden it more but the slow line was a massive turn off (like, I don't care if a line is long but moving ....this was just slow-ass operations making what could have been a near walk-on upwards of an hour wait just going sllooowwww)
Now I gotta wait till Friday for my next new credit
(GotG)
Christian
Hyper Poster
Looked into it when I went at the beginning of 2020. They had just removed the pay per ride option around the end of 2019. Phil Ruffin bought the Circus Circus Resort in 2019 from MGM. Don't exactly remember how much it cost when I went but it was also around 60$.
While I think their move is stupid for the GP it benefits us enthusiasts. Everything at the Adventuredome is always a walk on and El Loco and Canyon Blaster are great rides. It's basically a private coaster for the day. I spend about 4 hours there and got at least 40 rides on each coasters. I was usually the only one on the train. I have never experienced a good coaster so empty. It's probably due to no GP spending 60$ for a ride. If you think about it, it was really good value, 80 rides for 60$, that's 75 cents per ride for really good rides. You can't find that anywhere else. Big Apple Coaster is 20$ for a ride and that is horrible.
Only sad part is that the ride ops never let me sit on between rides. They always kicked me off and made me walk around the station. I have never before had to walk around an empty coaster. Really stupid. Would they have allowed me to sit on I would probably have reached 100 rides on each coaster but I was fed up with walking.
DelPiero
Strata Poster
Back from Hansa yesterday after my first trip there. Lovely park, bit small (and a bit cold 
), but a really charming park.
Karnan - Expected to love this but actually I didn't. Would really like to go back when it's a bit warmer though as I feel a lot of my grumbles would be improved in warm weather. Love the theming, love the queue, love the last room, love the lift and the first drop, also kinda like the weird tophat type thingy, but then it was just a bit meh. Very quick but mainly changes of direction which is fine, but holy smokes it was cold.
I hated the last part of the ride too. Like really hated it.
Running 1 train on this is criminal though, probably my biggest grumble, 16 people every 4/5 minutes is really poor.
Flucht Von Novrogod - I love this ride. Definitely my fave in the park and definitely my fave Gerstlauer. Yes it's a bit rattly but not so bad it was a problem. Excellent theming, excellent layout, loads of quirky bits which really fit the ride. Love it. Not top 10 material for me, but I wouldn't have any issues seeing it in other peoples.
Nessi - One badass Schwarzkopf, one of my faves for sure. The airtime in the back is brilliant, loads of force through the loop too, and great views. Also really like what they've done with the station which is apparently quite a new refurb.
), but a really charming park.Karnan - Expected to love this but actually I didn't. Would really like to go back when it's a bit warmer though as I feel a lot of my grumbles would be improved in warm weather. Love the theming, love the queue, love the last room, love the lift and the first drop, also kinda like the weird tophat type thingy, but then it was just a bit meh. Very quick but mainly changes of direction which is fine, but holy smokes it was cold.
I hated the last part of the ride too. Like really hated it.
Running 1 train on this is criminal though, probably my biggest grumble, 16 people every 4/5 minutes is really poor.
Flucht Von Novrogod - I love this ride. Definitely my fave in the park and definitely my fave Gerstlauer. Yes it's a bit rattly but not so bad it was a problem. Excellent theming, excellent layout, loads of quirky bits which really fit the ride. Love it. Not top 10 material for me, but I wouldn't have any issues seeing it in other peoples.
Nessi - One badass Schwarzkopf, one of my faves for sure. The airtime in the back is brilliant, loads of force through the loop too, and great views. Also really like what they've done with the station which is apparently quite a new refurb.
Rob Coasters
Rob Poster
#122 Crazy Caterpillar, Finsbury Park Funfair
Wow. Just wow. This may be my 15th unique Wacky Worm but WOW this is an incredible ride. This one stands out from the rest as an astonishing display of creativity and "going out there" providing an experience that no other Wacky Worm has provided before. "What DOES this Wacky Worm provide?" cry the masses, and while I can't yet reveal what it's secret is until the end, I can first cover everything else in intricate detail and why this ride is such an engineering marvel beforehand.
First of all, nothing beats the philosophy of a Coaster Counter stumbling into a funfair, and having the iconic structure of a Wacky Worm being slowly revealed to their eyes. An anticipated +0 turns into an anticipated +1, though not guaranteed as first we need to check to see if it really is a Wacky Worm we haven't done before. Some close up inspections and comparisons to previous Wacky Worms indeed confirm that this one is brand new, and the Coaster Counter is overjoyed with emotions they are unable to keep in. It IS a +1!
But first, we need tokens to pay for the Wacky Worm and ride it so then we investigate its pricing. How much do I have to cough up? One pound? A fiver? Turns our that this one costs three quid. Three Great British Pound Sterling! But in the end its all worth it because it is a plus, one, to, the, count. If I never rode a Wacky Worm in my life my cred count would be down by fourteen, now fifteen! And this is something that we simply cannot accept. I know some masses cry "STOP THE COUNT!" but I power forwards with full intention of continuing and going harder than ever, losing control in the process but with a smile on my face.
With my three tokens in one hand I come down to the unsuspecting operator who stands ready to take my currency, but not exactly from the age range he was anticipating. Excitedly parking myself into the back seat, I hear dreaded words that suddenly fill my mind with depression.
"To the front, please"
My head is now consisting of the five stages of grief.
Denial. I cannot be moving to the front. He didn't tell me to go down to the front. This is my second Wacky Worm in a row where I have to move down the row. Has the World of Wacky Worms really peaked with Crazy Caterpillar, ironically of the same name, as Pettitts? Maybe it is all downhill from here?
Anger. The World doesn't understand Coaster Counters. Society doesn't understand Coaster Counters. Mr. Operator whose shift is done in an hour just doing what he's told by management doesn't understand Coaster Counters. When is my next back seat experience on a Wacky Worm? I can't believe I haven't gotten one since January. (PLEASE note that this isn't what I'm like in real life I just said 'okay' and walked down this whole thing is being exaggerated for comedic effect okay)
Bargaining. ...Did he actually ask me to move down to the front? Maybe I do have to. Maybe the train has to be front loaded so it can run through and finish the course. It's only best for the system but what if it could still complete the circuit with me chilling in the back so I can get that potential elusive Wacky Worm airtime?
Depression. I'm not getting this back row ride. I'm never getting back row on any Wacky Worm again. I'm never getting back row on any coaster with assigned seating again. I'm never getting back row on any coaster outright again. I'm gonna trundle along the course doing nothing and there is not a thing I can do about it.
Acceptance. I get out of my seat and move down to the front. I guess I can't get back row of every single Wacky Worm I do, it's only fair that things keep even with some back some middle and some front row rides. Perhaps front is better than the back after all? Maybe I wouldn't have gotten any airtime at all after all in the back? Would I have gotten ejected out of my seat and just outright died on that big drop?The op knows what's best for me. It's best for me to follow his instruction. I park myself into the front and pull down my lap bar which the op checks twice.
And we're off. We dip down a fantastic two feet and we're cruising around the corner. I look to my right and see the incredible Avenger flat ride loading up its next riders. The lift engages, and clank! clank! clank! I realise that I'm on a WACKY WORM! My emotions fuel me. We're at the top of the lift! Giving me incredible panoramic views of the fair, I see classics such as a Sizzler, Waltzer, Discovery, Remix and Freak Out plus so much more. We're doing perhaps the most iconic part of all Wacky Worms now - the little humps at the top of the ride. While they didn't hit as hard as other Wacky Worms admittedly, they were still an absolute blast to ride and I was overjoyed with excitement as we're on a roller coaster, for Christ's sake! Who doesn't have fun on a roller coaster?! And then we're turning, and turning some more...
And then the big drop comes in to view. Anticipation reaches sky high levels. Will it trim? How fast will we be flying down that drop? Avenger is running its cycle now, what a beautiful view! But wait! The DROP!
We go down. It doesn't gain the supersonic pace that Pettitts does but it's not as speedless as the one at Botton's. I feel like I've said exactly this before... can't remember where. Might be in the Coaster Hunting Mission. Might be in the Roller Searching Task (spoilers?). But wherever it is, it's out there. Somewhere?
This, this next part, is where Crazy Caterpillar sets itself apart from EVERY other Wacky Worm that I've done. The track CHANGES COLOUR. From pink to yellow! How does this happen? How did this happen? Who came up with such an impeccably brilliant idea? I love it, so much! It brought joy to my face. The greatest smile of all. Forget the back seat. Forget the trim. Forget Marble Madness's existence for good measure, it's an awful ride. THIS is what makes coasters good. Random changes in track colour. It's a symbol of perfection. It's a symbol of fantasticness. It's a symbol of an ascension devised by a supernatural being higher than God himself.
I'm crying. I'm in tears. I'm in disbelief. We cross over the yellow track, only for it to turn purple again as we cross into the station.
And then the op sent me round two more times so I could relive the moments, every single moment of the ride as a matter of fact. I thanked the op as I got off, for he is a legend who must be worshipped.
It all makes sense now. The front seat. The trims. The three tokens. The ride coming into view as I walk down the fair. The Oasis bottle I put on the station floor as I got into my car. It ALL alludes to the YELLOW TURNAROUND. I understand everything now, and I am truly blown away by the weight of everything as it crushes and overwhelms me.
Best day of my life.
#116/124 (the extra two are because I rank relocations separately, but they are not new creds)
Wow. Just wow. This may be my 15th unique Wacky Worm but WOW this is an incredible ride. This one stands out from the rest as an astonishing display of creativity and "going out there" providing an experience that no other Wacky Worm has provided before. "What DOES this Wacky Worm provide?" cry the masses, and while I can't yet reveal what it's secret is until the end, I can first cover everything else in intricate detail and why this ride is such an engineering marvel beforehand.
First of all, nothing beats the philosophy of a Coaster Counter stumbling into a funfair, and having the iconic structure of a Wacky Worm being slowly revealed to their eyes. An anticipated +0 turns into an anticipated +1, though not guaranteed as first we need to check to see if it really is a Wacky Worm we haven't done before. Some close up inspections and comparisons to previous Wacky Worms indeed confirm that this one is brand new, and the Coaster Counter is overjoyed with emotions they are unable to keep in. It IS a +1!
But first, we need tokens to pay for the Wacky Worm and ride it so then we investigate its pricing. How much do I have to cough up? One pound? A fiver? Turns our that this one costs three quid. Three Great British Pound Sterling! But in the end its all worth it because it is a plus, one, to, the, count. If I never rode a Wacky Worm in my life my cred count would be down by fourteen, now fifteen! And this is something that we simply cannot accept. I know some masses cry "STOP THE COUNT!" but I power forwards with full intention of continuing and going harder than ever, losing control in the process but with a smile on my face.
With my three tokens in one hand I come down to the unsuspecting operator who stands ready to take my currency, but not exactly from the age range he was anticipating. Excitedly parking myself into the back seat, I hear dreaded words that suddenly fill my mind with depression.
"To the front, please"
My head is now consisting of the five stages of grief.
Denial. I cannot be moving to the front. He didn't tell me to go down to the front. This is my second Wacky Worm in a row where I have to move down the row. Has the World of Wacky Worms really peaked with Crazy Caterpillar, ironically of the same name, as Pettitts? Maybe it is all downhill from here?
Anger. The World doesn't understand Coaster Counters. Society doesn't understand Coaster Counters. Mr. Operator whose shift is done in an hour just doing what he's told by management doesn't understand Coaster Counters. When is my next back seat experience on a Wacky Worm? I can't believe I haven't gotten one since January. (PLEASE note that this isn't what I'm like in real life I just said 'okay' and walked down this whole thing is being exaggerated for comedic effect okay)
Bargaining. ...Did he actually ask me to move down to the front? Maybe I do have to. Maybe the train has to be front loaded so it can run through and finish the course. It's only best for the system but what if it could still complete the circuit with me chilling in the back so I can get that potential elusive Wacky Worm airtime?
Depression. I'm not getting this back row ride. I'm never getting back row on any Wacky Worm again. I'm never getting back row on any coaster with assigned seating again. I'm never getting back row on any coaster outright again. I'm gonna trundle along the course doing nothing and there is not a thing I can do about it.
Acceptance. I get out of my seat and move down to the front. I guess I can't get back row of every single Wacky Worm I do, it's only fair that things keep even with some back some middle and some front row rides. Perhaps front is better than the back after all? Maybe I wouldn't have gotten any airtime at all after all in the back? Would I have gotten ejected out of my seat and just outright died on that big drop?The op knows what's best for me. It's best for me to follow his instruction. I park myself into the front and pull down my lap bar which the op checks twice.
And we're off. We dip down a fantastic two feet and we're cruising around the corner. I look to my right and see the incredible Avenger flat ride loading up its next riders. The lift engages, and clank! clank! clank! I realise that I'm on a WACKY WORM! My emotions fuel me. We're at the top of the lift! Giving me incredible panoramic views of the fair, I see classics such as a Sizzler, Waltzer, Discovery, Remix and Freak Out plus so much more. We're doing perhaps the most iconic part of all Wacky Worms now - the little humps at the top of the ride. While they didn't hit as hard as other Wacky Worms admittedly, they were still an absolute blast to ride and I was overjoyed with excitement as we're on a roller coaster, for Christ's sake! Who doesn't have fun on a roller coaster?! And then we're turning, and turning some more...
And then the big drop comes in to view. Anticipation reaches sky high levels. Will it trim? How fast will we be flying down that drop? Avenger is running its cycle now, what a beautiful view! But wait! The DROP!
We go down. It doesn't gain the supersonic pace that Pettitts does but it's not as speedless as the one at Botton's. I feel like I've said exactly this before... can't remember where. Might be in the Coaster Hunting Mission. Might be in the Roller Searching Task (spoilers?). But wherever it is, it's out there. Somewhere?
This, this next part, is where Crazy Caterpillar sets itself apart from EVERY other Wacky Worm that I've done. The track CHANGES COLOUR. From pink to yellow! How does this happen? How did this happen? Who came up with such an impeccably brilliant idea? I love it, so much! It brought joy to my face. The greatest smile of all. Forget the back seat. Forget the trim. Forget Marble Madness's existence for good measure, it's an awful ride. THIS is what makes coasters good. Random changes in track colour. It's a symbol of perfection. It's a symbol of fantasticness. It's a symbol of an ascension devised by a supernatural being higher than God himself.
I'm crying. I'm in tears. I'm in disbelief. We cross over the yellow track, only for it to turn purple again as we cross into the station.
And then the op sent me round two more times so I could relive the moments, every single moment of the ride as a matter of fact. I thanked the op as I got off, for he is a legend who must be worshipped.
It all makes sense now. The front seat. The trims. The three tokens. The ride coming into view as I walk down the fair. The Oasis bottle I put on the station floor as I got into my car. It ALL alludes to the YELLOW TURNAROUND. I understand everything now, and I am truly blown away by the weight of everything as it crushes and overwhelms me.
Best day of my life.
#116/124 (the extra two are because I rank relocations separately, but they are not new creds)
Howie
Donkey in a hat
Ethan
Strata Poster
Red Force
Very fast, very intense, also pretty shaky both at the front and back. Class ride though, going that fast does not feel natural and the launch just keeps on going. Far better than Stealth for me.
Furius Baco
Actually really like it. No doubt it’s rough as hell, but for me it’s not the sort of rough that’s painful, and the launch/in-line twist are fantastic in my opinion.
Shambhala
Really solid ride, but I really don’t get the hype? Was getting almost ejector airtime on every hill which felt fantastic, and the drop is superb at the back, but it’s just a little repetitive for my liking. Don’t get me wrong, it’s really really good, and I’m excited to whore it with express pass tomorrow, but better than Taron? I guess it’s all subjective, but I think it’s just not the sort of coaster I would scream about, that goes for other hypers I’ve done too. Each to their own!
As for PA as a resort itself, people here love to queue jump and whilst I’m ok to turn a blind eye to it, it’s really rather frustrating. More so when they literally push people out of the way to do it. Operations are also rather poor in areas but the amount of faffing and pissing about I’ve seen some guests do at coaster platforms, I feel I can’t blame the staff.
Very fast, very intense, also pretty shaky both at the front and back. Class ride though, going that fast does not feel natural and the launch just keeps on going. Far better than Stealth for me.
Furius Baco
Actually really like it. No doubt it’s rough as hell, but for me it’s not the sort of rough that’s painful, and the launch/in-line twist are fantastic in my opinion.
Shambhala
Really solid ride, but I really don’t get the hype? Was getting almost ejector airtime on every hill which felt fantastic, and the drop is superb at the back, but it’s just a little repetitive for my liking. Don’t get me wrong, it’s really really good, and I’m excited to whore it with express pass tomorrow, but better than Taron? I guess it’s all subjective, but I think it’s just not the sort of coaster I would scream about, that goes for other hypers I’ve done too. Each to their own!
As for PA as a resort itself, people here love to queue jump and whilst I’m ok to turn a blind eye to it, it’s really rather frustrating. More so when they literally push people out of the way to do it. Operations are also rather poor in areas but the amount of faffing and pissing about I’ve seen some guests do at coaster platforms, I feel I can’t blame the staff.
Sandman
Giga Poster
This is what I like to hear.
The launch is ferocious. Vastly overlooked, thinking about it.
The setting is gorgeous, and the theme is weird for such a beast of a ride. But that only makes it more fun!
Ethan
Strata Poster
Glad somebody feels similarly! I agree, the setting is stunning (minus the cattlepen), the launch is fab and I couldn’t stop laughing every time we took a ride. Definitely the surprise of the trip so far!