vaugc002
Hyper Poster
So now that my big North America park trip with @Climb is over, I thought I’d write up a fairly brief trip report of the parks and notable creds.
I know these are all parks that have been posted a lot - but these were entirely first visits for the both of us so hopefully may still be interesting. We spent two days at all the parks except for Canada’s Wonderland, and had 30c+ weather most days. I tried to be as honest as possible in my reviews
Parks visited:
Six Flags Great Adventure
Cedar Point
Kings Island
Canada’s Wonderland
Creds ridden
56
Park 1: SFGA
I’ll be upfront when I say that I wasn’t won over by this park. I had high hopes - and while I wish we’d headed for Herhseypark instead, I’m still glad we visited to ride the iconic Kingda Ka and El Toro duo. The park was very basic - that’s the best way I can easily describe it. Not much theming, lots of flat concrete/ tarmac sections, but thankfully many many huge coasters. The park’s location was a bonus too - with some of the coasters enjoying amazing forest and river views.
Park favourite - Jersey Devil Coaster 8/10
This coaster was the standout for me. It was one of the smaller ones in the line-up but was just pure fun. From the insane first drop, to the amazing zero-G stall, and the airtime-filled finale, it’s a hoot.
Looking absurdly fast off-ride, it’s not too crazy on-ride - and the excellent restraints let you move freely and lean into the tight elements.
Plus, the location overlooking the river is amazing and made for an unforgettable golden hour ride.
Kingda Ka 4/10
I’m sorry but I really disliked this experience. We were lucky to get it because a cable snap had closed Ka a few weeks prior. But it was not at all like I was expecting (having ridden Red Force I thought it would be a similar experience). I rode twice, and found it unbearably rough. The wind is too much yes, but the roughness made it a horrible ride for me and I was grimacing even as we hit the brake run.,
El Toro 6/10
Another coaster I had high hopes for but just didn’t enjoy much. The first drop is undeniably incredible and very intimidating on and off-ride, but the airtime was too extreme and the horrible s-bend slalom section had me pushed into my seat with such force. Plus, it was juddering a lot even in the front row - just not my type of ride unfortunately.
Medusa 7.5/10
This floorless coaster was a pretty impressive-looking ride. Beautiful location looking over the Safari, very smooth, not overly intense and with a nice long layout. It’s a great classic.
Green Lantern 6/10
Basically the same as Medusa except with uncomfortable standing trains. Except for one wild airtime moment, the position was far inferior to floorless in my opinion.
Superman - Ultimate Flight 4/10
I was really looking forward to this, and expected a fun swoopy ride that felt like flying - much like Air/Galactica. But I had forgotten how bad the riding position is (or this one is slightly different to Galactica?) so you are forced to look down the whole ride - as looking up is very difficult thanks to a bulky headrest . I also found the pretzel loop unbearable, with the back of my head forced into the hard seat. Not fun to me.
Skull Mountain 5/10
Beautiful exterior but the inside was just semi-darkness with no theming whatsoever. Surprisingly big first drop but otherwise a one and done.
Dark Knight - 4/10
This indoor Wild Mouse was rubbish - the theming was weak (kinda run-down warehouse vibes), it was heavily trimmed and there was no music or sound at all as we rode - perhaps we got unlucky!
Batman The Ride - 6/5/10
This is a classic, but for me it was just too continually intense. I prefer some variation with my inverts - some floaty slower bits, some faster bits. But this was relentless. A good ride but not my cup of tea.
Nitro - 6/10
I like hypers but this one wasn’t like I was hoping it would be. A beautiful setting amidst the forest and river, but it was quite rough, didn’t have much airtime (we rode midday so perhaps that’s why) and I didn’t like greying out on the massive upwards helix tbh. Again, not my vibe but thing get better at the next parks don't worry
Runaway Mine Train - 6.8/10
For a mine train this was great fun. It was old Arrow hardware so was janky in all the right ways. Loved rushing through the trees - and the absurd airtime hill at the end with a lapbar was wild - especially sitting right up front.
Joker - DNR
Park 2 - Cedar Point
This park had a truly iconic skyline - and arriving onto the ‘island’ felt surreal.
The entrance was magnificent and in all the park became a favourite of the trip. It had a surprising amount of theming - mostly Western-style - and even had a craft area with little artisan shops (like a smaller version of Dollywood or Silver Dollar City). The location surrounded by water also made the coaster views rather special - especially at sunset.
This park is crowned by three incredible coasters in my opinion - and one of those is unexpectedly now my number one (Maverick).
Park favourite - Maverick 9/10
This coaster was one of the smaller rides in terms of stature out of the park’s line-up, but it proved to be just a real joy. With a beyond-vertical first drop, awesome changes in direction over water, a second launch and then some savage final elements at the end, it was just sublime to ride. Incredible operations too - I think five trains or even 6 in operation at one time. I just wished the trim after the launch didn’t hit quite so hard… although I felt like our evening rides had a tiny bit less trim perhaps…
Steel Vengeance - 8.5/10
All day me and @Climb were trying to work out which we preferred between Maverick and SteVe. They’re so close to each other and both incredible rides but in very different ways. Steel Vengeance was and amazing tour-de-force - and the first drop in the back seat was absolutely unhinged. It had moments similar to Zadra but went on way longer and with much more airtime crammed in. The only regret for me is the lack of zero-G stall - my favourite ever element on a coaster and something I felt could have broken up the finale.
Millennium Force - 8.5/10
Our first ride early in the morning left me disappointed. But after a 10:30pm semi-dark ride, this coaster has probably made it into my top ten. It was absolutely hauling late in the evening, and the first drop is one of the best out there in my opinion. Yes it’s not an airtime machine, but I loved the corners and the tunnels and sensation of unadulterated speed - just a wildly exhilarating ride.
Gatekeeper - 7.25/10
This winger coaster was huge, and it was a fun ride but the actual ride experience didn’t stand out too much to me. Except for the first key-hole element, there wasn’t much interaction or theming. And it just fell a little flat by the end. Tbh I think it missed the long drawn-out in-line twist that The Swarm has...
Iron Dragon - 5/10
I had high hopes for this as I love Vampire back in the UK. But this one was pretty slow except for the final few elements, and the old-style trains took away from the free swooping feeling that Vampire gives. Later in the trip I discovered two Suspended coasters that really impressed me so more on that later.
Valravn - 7/10
This was a day one spite, but we got on it in the afternoon of day two. It was tall and quite imposing,,, but truly, I prefer Oblivion (or perhaps the memory of my last ride on Oblivion). The drop wasn’t as intense as I expected - MF and SteVe had better in my opinion. And the rest of the layout after the mid-course was a bit lame. Still a strong ride but not giving what I hoped it would.
Rougarou - 7/10
This ride is quite a large and impressive coaster, and the layout goes on a while. It was fun but had some head-banging at the end. Still, the location over water and the iconic design made it a fun ride.
Wild Mouse - 6.5/10
Yes it’s a Wild Mouse, but it is quite a decent one being a custom design. We had the Cheese car which apparently spins most - and it really did spin. Quite fun but not really the family coaster they need. Where’s the Gerst family coaster, CP??
Raptor - 4/10
I strongly disliked this invert. You could tell how old it was for B&M from the transitions - and it rode pretty rough by the end of the day (heat may not have helped as it was a 31c day). The corkscrews were taken too quickly and the final brake run slam wasn’t fun.
Gemini - 6/10
For a family-style ride this was huge. A dueling pseudo-woody (steel supports and wood-style structure), with huge drops and dips. It was fun but a bit janky especially when the final helix ran without the trims!
Corkscrew - 5/10
I didn’t enjoy this much either - a boring and uncomfortable ride. But I was feeling a bit of the heat at this point so maybe I’m getting jaded aha.
Magnum Xl-200 - 4/10
Okay so I rode front row and it was horrible - not sure if I had the lap bar too tight but every airtime hill hurt and it was really uncomfortable. My friend rode solo later further back and enjoyed it though so maybe I got unlucky.
Cedar Creek Mine Ride - 7/10
For a mine ride this was awesome - great theming, amazing location over water and a long layout… classic fun.
Park 3 - Kings Island
This park was more compact than the others, but was still of a decent size. It had a nice atmosphere, and I loved the terrain - this park actually had hills and valleys which is something the other two had been lacking, and was surrounded by dense forest - making the views quite stunning. II do think the park lacks a true stand-out though… (sorry Orion)
Park favourite Mystic Timbers - 8/10
Mystic warmed up marvellously throughout the day - but even in the morning it was just super fun. The bouncy transitions switching from side to side were awesome, and the way the coaster used the terrain to give bigger dips as a surprise really made it. The shed part was a little silly (better than waiting on the brakes but should have included a drop track or even some sort of water spurt as a surprise).
The Beast - 7.8/10
We got the infamous night ride - having to wait for the firework/ drone show and the track check… I believe it was nearly 11pm by the time we rode. The sky was mostly dark, and the forest was very dark indeed. It made for a magical ride - feeling totally out of control throughout and absolutely unlike anything I've been on. However the actual coaster itself feels a bit inconsistent - with big drops, then harsh trims, intense corners then slow sections. At night it's deranged fun, but day-time it lacks a bit.
The Bat - 8/10
This coaster looked the part - set in a deep valley away from the other rides. The path runs right by one of the fastest parts of the coaster and makes for an incredible glimpse of the layout - you really see how far the coaster swings on the corners. We rode front and back - and front is by far the best - swinging like crazy and pulling some intense G’s on the corners near the end. A wild fun ride from start to finish.
Orion - 7.5/10
The morning ride on this was weird - I’ve never experienced a large coaster be so forceless and smooth that it was almost relaxing. The elements are so drawn out that there’s not much feeling - and not many elements either tbh. By the evening, it was running better, and the beautiful forest views did make it a nice ride. But it still didn’t hit like a hyper, and seemed to waste the height and speed that the first drop gave.
Diamondback - 8.2/10
A really good hyper - this one looks the part and rides the part. The amazing stadium seating gives an incredible back row ride (at the expense of the weaker front). The 215ft first drop seems to go on for an absurdly long time at the back, and each hill is so pronounced and steep - it really was an out-of-your-seat experience on every drop. Then there’s the splashdown at the end - giving a fun and exhilarating end to the ride.
Banshee - 7.5/10
Finally an American invert I liked. Banshee was huge and super impressive - with a terrain layout that kept on giving. The first ride actually made me feel a bit scared for how high the elements were above the valley in front of the ride. A second ride was shakier than the first (edge seat) and the vest restrains aren’t nice but it’s an excellent ride imo otherwise.
Backlot Stunt - 7/10
A really surprisingly fun ride, let down by the upwards helix element after the launch. The launch itself is powerful, and the helix is a bit too intense for it… but the rest of the layout was fun and quite varied, especially with the surprising dark section. A decent ride in all.
Invertigo - 3/10
Horrible horrible ride - I dislike Boomerangs, and this was worse again with odd seating where you face complete strangers. Not for me!
Adventure Express - 7/510
The best mine train of the trip - this was a really fun and surprising ride with a long pre-lift section, hidden tunnels and wild swooping bends. It reminded me of a mini version of The Beast in parts!
Flight of Fear - 7/10
This coaster was a weird one but quite fun. The building hid the layout completely, and also hinted at a themed experience. The coaster had little theming and was just a thrilling race through darkness. Hard to tell what the inversions were, but the faster and faster ending was great. Not sure why it has such long queues though - 70 mins most of the day.
Racer - 7/10
What a fun classic - it’s so smooth and the design is beautiful, the way two tracks mirror each other. Fun and a great trad woodie - maintained just the right way.
Park 4 - Canada’s Wonderland
Maybe we’d been spoiled by the previous parks, but this one was not hitting for us. It’s big and has an amazing selection of flats - quite a shocking number to be honest. There was actually theming in places and some impressive coasters too on the skyline. But none of them stood out for us, and there were a LOT of mid rides. It just wasn't a very joyous park, and we spent just the one day here rather than two like every other park.
Vortex - 8.5/10
A clone of The Bat at Kings Island, but arguably with a better location - beginning with a drop off the edge of a mountain, and finishing with tight turns practically skimming the water of the lake at the park's centre. This one was even more unhinged than the Bat, with the swinging so crazy that on the brake run I actually thought I’d hit the supports. An amazing experience and a true classic.
Wonder Mountain’s Guardian - 6/10
A weird janky coaster by what seem a somewhat amateur manufacturer that combines coaster with interactive dark ride. It has a cool setting inside a faux mountain, and the shooting screens looked good quality. I could tell they were made for 3D glasses though (which they didn’t have any more). But the ride is saved by the drop track - which was very surprising and quite intense - right near the end of the ride.
Flight Deck - 1/10
I’ve ridden one SLC before - the newer Mayan at Energylandia with different trains. This one we rode in the front… and from the very first drop it was juddering worryingly. The restraints are very bulky and solid, meaning that there was no way to stop head/neck banging. Throughout the entire layout it was very rough and shaky, and I wanted to be off the coaster almost immediately. Even on the return to the station the train was shaking and I bang my neck again. Just awful and should not be operating tbh. It seems to be one of the oldest out there (almost as old as Nemesis sheesh) and clearly these models don't age at all.
Time Warp - 3/10
Flight Deck actually made Time Warp seem bearable. Still a bad ride, with horrible restraints and elements, but it was actually a little smooth in places and over quite quickly. Perhaps better than the one at Wiener Prater...
Leviathan - 7.5/10
It’s a good ride but I can’t pretend I wasn’t a bit disappointed. It’s better than Orion but not by much - still quite a short layout for the height, but with a few more airtime moments and a more fun turnaround. I wish it had stadium seating because this could be close to Shambahla if it had those trains and a little more length to the end of the ride.
Yukon Striker - 7.8/10
A tall and impressive dive machine that towers over the surrounding area. The drop has a tunnel beneath water which is a nice addition, and the layout is quite interesting with a vertical loop and a final steep drop. Impressive and fun, but I still think Oblivion’s drop hits harder.
Mighty Canadian Minebuster - 5/10
This is not quite a classic - but is fairly old. And the layout shows this because it’s pretty uninspiring, and also very jerky. The front of the train shook a lot, bouncing my legs against the lap bar painfully. It’s a no from me… but not as bad as...
...Wilde Beast - 2/10
We joked that this is a coaster that could do with a little fire… and we’re not talking Wickerman style. The ride is 1980’s again (like the Mighty Canadian Minebuster) so not really old enough to be allowed to be this rough. It’s horribly juddery throughout the whole layout and has some unhinged barely banked corners taken at speed - really just a bad bad ride in it's current state which basically no redeeming features.
Behemoth - 6/10
A lovely layout over the water, and a nice first drop but otherwise this one wasn’t very fun or inspiring. It has three trims that hit fairly hard, and just bland airtime hills for most of the layout. Diamondback shows how far these have come.
Dragon Fyre - 6.8/10
This Arrow semi-classic is really quite smooth and fun - I was shocked at how smooth tbh. It’s not much but is a good example of a classic looper.
Backlot Stunt - 7/10
Same as Kings Island - just a good fun ride. Dispatch was amazing on this - we counted and they dispatched a train within 30 seconds (including loading passengers).
Bat - 4/109
A boomerang, fairly okay but I dislike these rides and the horrible backwards inversions they offer.
Thunder Run - 6/10
RCDB says this powered coaster hits 40mph… I’d say it barely hits 25mph. Set in a mountain but with no real theming or lighting, it’s just not really what it could be but isn't bad at all.
Summary
The trip was a great introduction to North American theme parks - hitting some of the biggest. The route could have taken in more, and perhaps included a few more interesting parks but I'm glad we visited the parks we did. I got myself a new number one (Maverick) and the trip actually helped me realise what I like more in coasters as well as parks.
Thanks for reading
I know these are all parks that have been posted a lot - but these were entirely first visits for the both of us so hopefully may still be interesting. We spent two days at all the parks except for Canada’s Wonderland, and had 30c+ weather most days. I tried to be as honest as possible in my reviews
Parks visited:
Six Flags Great Adventure
Cedar Point
Kings Island
Canada’s Wonderland
Creds ridden
56
Park 1: SFGA
I’ll be upfront when I say that I wasn’t won over by this park. I had high hopes - and while I wish we’d headed for Herhseypark instead, I’m still glad we visited to ride the iconic Kingda Ka and El Toro duo. The park was very basic - that’s the best way I can easily describe it. Not much theming, lots of flat concrete/ tarmac sections, but thankfully many many huge coasters. The park’s location was a bonus too - with some of the coasters enjoying amazing forest and river views.
Park favourite - Jersey Devil Coaster 8/10
This coaster was the standout for me. It was one of the smaller ones in the line-up but was just pure fun. From the insane first drop, to the amazing zero-G stall, and the airtime-filled finale, it’s a hoot.
Looking absurdly fast off-ride, it’s not too crazy on-ride - and the excellent restraints let you move freely and lean into the tight elements.
Plus, the location overlooking the river is amazing and made for an unforgettable golden hour ride.
Kingda Ka 4/10
I’m sorry but I really disliked this experience. We were lucky to get it because a cable snap had closed Ka a few weeks prior. But it was not at all like I was expecting (having ridden Red Force I thought it would be a similar experience). I rode twice, and found it unbearably rough. The wind is too much yes, but the roughness made it a horrible ride for me and I was grimacing even as we hit the brake run.,
El Toro 6/10
Another coaster I had high hopes for but just didn’t enjoy much. The first drop is undeniably incredible and very intimidating on and off-ride, but the airtime was too extreme and the horrible s-bend slalom section had me pushed into my seat with such force. Plus, it was juddering a lot even in the front row - just not my type of ride unfortunately.
Medusa 7.5/10
This floorless coaster was a pretty impressive-looking ride. Beautiful location looking over the Safari, very smooth, not overly intense and with a nice long layout. It’s a great classic.
Green Lantern 6/10
Basically the same as Medusa except with uncomfortable standing trains. Except for one wild airtime moment, the position was far inferior to floorless in my opinion.
Superman - Ultimate Flight 4/10
I was really looking forward to this, and expected a fun swoopy ride that felt like flying - much like Air/Galactica. But I had forgotten how bad the riding position is (or this one is slightly different to Galactica?) so you are forced to look down the whole ride - as looking up is very difficult thanks to a bulky headrest . I also found the pretzel loop unbearable, with the back of my head forced into the hard seat. Not fun to me.
Skull Mountain 5/10
Beautiful exterior but the inside was just semi-darkness with no theming whatsoever. Surprisingly big first drop but otherwise a one and done.
Dark Knight - 4/10
This indoor Wild Mouse was rubbish - the theming was weak (kinda run-down warehouse vibes), it was heavily trimmed and there was no music or sound at all as we rode - perhaps we got unlucky!
Batman The Ride - 6/5/10
This is a classic, but for me it was just too continually intense. I prefer some variation with my inverts - some floaty slower bits, some faster bits. But this was relentless. A good ride but not my cup of tea.
Nitro - 6/10
I like hypers but this one wasn’t like I was hoping it would be. A beautiful setting amidst the forest and river, but it was quite rough, didn’t have much airtime (we rode midday so perhaps that’s why) and I didn’t like greying out on the massive upwards helix tbh. Again, not my vibe but thing get better at the next parks don't worry
Runaway Mine Train - 6.8/10
For a mine train this was great fun. It was old Arrow hardware so was janky in all the right ways. Loved rushing through the trees - and the absurd airtime hill at the end with a lapbar was wild - especially sitting right up front.
Joker - DNR
Park 2 - Cedar Point
This park had a truly iconic skyline - and arriving onto the ‘island’ felt surreal.
The entrance was magnificent and in all the park became a favourite of the trip. It had a surprising amount of theming - mostly Western-style - and even had a craft area with little artisan shops (like a smaller version of Dollywood or Silver Dollar City). The location surrounded by water also made the coaster views rather special - especially at sunset.
This park is crowned by three incredible coasters in my opinion - and one of those is unexpectedly now my number one (Maverick).
Park favourite - Maverick 9/10
This coaster was one of the smaller rides in terms of stature out of the park’s line-up, but it proved to be just a real joy. With a beyond-vertical first drop, awesome changes in direction over water, a second launch and then some savage final elements at the end, it was just sublime to ride. Incredible operations too - I think five trains or even 6 in operation at one time. I just wished the trim after the launch didn’t hit quite so hard… although I felt like our evening rides had a tiny bit less trim perhaps…
Steel Vengeance - 8.5/10
All day me and @Climb were trying to work out which we preferred between Maverick and SteVe. They’re so close to each other and both incredible rides but in very different ways. Steel Vengeance was and amazing tour-de-force - and the first drop in the back seat was absolutely unhinged. It had moments similar to Zadra but went on way longer and with much more airtime crammed in. The only regret for me is the lack of zero-G stall - my favourite ever element on a coaster and something I felt could have broken up the finale.
Millennium Force - 8.5/10
Our first ride early in the morning left me disappointed. But after a 10:30pm semi-dark ride, this coaster has probably made it into my top ten. It was absolutely hauling late in the evening, and the first drop is one of the best out there in my opinion. Yes it’s not an airtime machine, but I loved the corners and the tunnels and sensation of unadulterated speed - just a wildly exhilarating ride.
Gatekeeper - 7.25/10
This winger coaster was huge, and it was a fun ride but the actual ride experience didn’t stand out too much to me. Except for the first key-hole element, there wasn’t much interaction or theming. And it just fell a little flat by the end. Tbh I think it missed the long drawn-out in-line twist that The Swarm has...
Iron Dragon - 5/10
I had high hopes for this as I love Vampire back in the UK. But this one was pretty slow except for the final few elements, and the old-style trains took away from the free swooping feeling that Vampire gives. Later in the trip I discovered two Suspended coasters that really impressed me so more on that later.
Valravn - 7/10
This was a day one spite, but we got on it in the afternoon of day two. It was tall and quite imposing,,, but truly, I prefer Oblivion (or perhaps the memory of my last ride on Oblivion). The drop wasn’t as intense as I expected - MF and SteVe had better in my opinion. And the rest of the layout after the mid-course was a bit lame. Still a strong ride but not giving what I hoped it would.
Rougarou - 7/10
This ride is quite a large and impressive coaster, and the layout goes on a while. It was fun but had some head-banging at the end. Still, the location over water and the iconic design made it a fun ride.
Wild Mouse - 6.5/10
Yes it’s a Wild Mouse, but it is quite a decent one being a custom design. We had the Cheese car which apparently spins most - and it really did spin. Quite fun but not really the family coaster they need. Where’s the Gerst family coaster, CP??
Raptor - 4/10
I strongly disliked this invert. You could tell how old it was for B&M from the transitions - and it rode pretty rough by the end of the day (heat may not have helped as it was a 31c day). The corkscrews were taken too quickly and the final brake run slam wasn’t fun.
Gemini - 6/10
For a family-style ride this was huge. A dueling pseudo-woody (steel supports and wood-style structure), with huge drops and dips. It was fun but a bit janky especially when the final helix ran without the trims!
Corkscrew - 5/10
I didn’t enjoy this much either - a boring and uncomfortable ride. But I was feeling a bit of the heat at this point so maybe I’m getting jaded aha.
Magnum Xl-200 - 4/10
Okay so I rode front row and it was horrible - not sure if I had the lap bar too tight but every airtime hill hurt and it was really uncomfortable. My friend rode solo later further back and enjoyed it though so maybe I got unlucky.
Cedar Creek Mine Ride - 7/10
For a mine ride this was awesome - great theming, amazing location over water and a long layout… classic fun.
Park 3 - Kings Island
This park was more compact than the others, but was still of a decent size. It had a nice atmosphere, and I loved the terrain - this park actually had hills and valleys which is something the other two had been lacking, and was surrounded by dense forest - making the views quite stunning. II do think the park lacks a true stand-out though… (sorry Orion)
Park favourite Mystic Timbers - 8/10
Mystic warmed up marvellously throughout the day - but even in the morning it was just super fun. The bouncy transitions switching from side to side were awesome, and the way the coaster used the terrain to give bigger dips as a surprise really made it. The shed part was a little silly (better than waiting on the brakes but should have included a drop track or even some sort of water spurt as a surprise).
The Beast - 7.8/10
We got the infamous night ride - having to wait for the firework/ drone show and the track check… I believe it was nearly 11pm by the time we rode. The sky was mostly dark, and the forest was very dark indeed. It made for a magical ride - feeling totally out of control throughout and absolutely unlike anything I've been on. However the actual coaster itself feels a bit inconsistent - with big drops, then harsh trims, intense corners then slow sections. At night it's deranged fun, but day-time it lacks a bit.
The Bat - 8/10
This coaster looked the part - set in a deep valley away from the other rides. The path runs right by one of the fastest parts of the coaster and makes for an incredible glimpse of the layout - you really see how far the coaster swings on the corners. We rode front and back - and front is by far the best - swinging like crazy and pulling some intense G’s on the corners near the end. A wild fun ride from start to finish.
Orion - 7.5/10
The morning ride on this was weird - I’ve never experienced a large coaster be so forceless and smooth that it was almost relaxing. The elements are so drawn out that there’s not much feeling - and not many elements either tbh. By the evening, it was running better, and the beautiful forest views did make it a nice ride. But it still didn’t hit like a hyper, and seemed to waste the height and speed that the first drop gave.
Diamondback - 8.2/10
A really good hyper - this one looks the part and rides the part. The amazing stadium seating gives an incredible back row ride (at the expense of the weaker front). The 215ft first drop seems to go on for an absurdly long time at the back, and each hill is so pronounced and steep - it really was an out-of-your-seat experience on every drop. Then there’s the splashdown at the end - giving a fun and exhilarating end to the ride.
Banshee - 7.5/10
Finally an American invert I liked. Banshee was huge and super impressive - with a terrain layout that kept on giving. The first ride actually made me feel a bit scared for how high the elements were above the valley in front of the ride. A second ride was shakier than the first (edge seat) and the vest restrains aren’t nice but it’s an excellent ride imo otherwise.
Backlot Stunt - 7/10
A really surprisingly fun ride, let down by the upwards helix element after the launch. The launch itself is powerful, and the helix is a bit too intense for it… but the rest of the layout was fun and quite varied, especially with the surprising dark section. A decent ride in all.
Invertigo - 3/10
Horrible horrible ride - I dislike Boomerangs, and this was worse again with odd seating where you face complete strangers. Not for me!
Adventure Express - 7/510
The best mine train of the trip - this was a really fun and surprising ride with a long pre-lift section, hidden tunnels and wild swooping bends. It reminded me of a mini version of The Beast in parts!
Flight of Fear - 7/10
This coaster was a weird one but quite fun. The building hid the layout completely, and also hinted at a themed experience. The coaster had little theming and was just a thrilling race through darkness. Hard to tell what the inversions were, but the faster and faster ending was great. Not sure why it has such long queues though - 70 mins most of the day.
Racer - 7/10
What a fun classic - it’s so smooth and the design is beautiful, the way two tracks mirror each other. Fun and a great trad woodie - maintained just the right way.
Park 4 - Canada’s Wonderland
Maybe we’d been spoiled by the previous parks, but this one was not hitting for us. It’s big and has an amazing selection of flats - quite a shocking number to be honest. There was actually theming in places and some impressive coasters too on the skyline. But none of them stood out for us, and there were a LOT of mid rides. It just wasn't a very joyous park, and we spent just the one day here rather than two like every other park.
Vortex - 8.5/10
A clone of The Bat at Kings Island, but arguably with a better location - beginning with a drop off the edge of a mountain, and finishing with tight turns practically skimming the water of the lake at the park's centre. This one was even more unhinged than the Bat, with the swinging so crazy that on the brake run I actually thought I’d hit the supports. An amazing experience and a true classic.
Wonder Mountain’s Guardian - 6/10
A weird janky coaster by what seem a somewhat amateur manufacturer that combines coaster with interactive dark ride. It has a cool setting inside a faux mountain, and the shooting screens looked good quality. I could tell they were made for 3D glasses though (which they didn’t have any more). But the ride is saved by the drop track - which was very surprising and quite intense - right near the end of the ride.
Flight Deck - 1/10
I’ve ridden one SLC before - the newer Mayan at Energylandia with different trains. This one we rode in the front… and from the very first drop it was juddering worryingly. The restraints are very bulky and solid, meaning that there was no way to stop head/neck banging. Throughout the entire layout it was very rough and shaky, and I wanted to be off the coaster almost immediately. Even on the return to the station the train was shaking and I bang my neck again. Just awful and should not be operating tbh. It seems to be one of the oldest out there (almost as old as Nemesis sheesh) and clearly these models don't age at all.
Time Warp - 3/10
Flight Deck actually made Time Warp seem bearable. Still a bad ride, with horrible restraints and elements, but it was actually a little smooth in places and over quite quickly. Perhaps better than the one at Wiener Prater...
Leviathan - 7.5/10
It’s a good ride but I can’t pretend I wasn’t a bit disappointed. It’s better than Orion but not by much - still quite a short layout for the height, but with a few more airtime moments and a more fun turnaround. I wish it had stadium seating because this could be close to Shambahla if it had those trains and a little more length to the end of the ride.
Yukon Striker - 7.8/10
A tall and impressive dive machine that towers over the surrounding area. The drop has a tunnel beneath water which is a nice addition, and the layout is quite interesting with a vertical loop and a final steep drop. Impressive and fun, but I still think Oblivion’s drop hits harder.
Mighty Canadian Minebuster - 5/10
This is not quite a classic - but is fairly old. And the layout shows this because it’s pretty uninspiring, and also very jerky. The front of the train shook a lot, bouncing my legs against the lap bar painfully. It’s a no from me… but not as bad as...
...Wilde Beast - 2/10
We joked that this is a coaster that could do with a little fire… and we’re not talking Wickerman style. The ride is 1980’s again (like the Mighty Canadian Minebuster) so not really old enough to be allowed to be this rough. It’s horribly juddery throughout the whole layout and has some unhinged barely banked corners taken at speed - really just a bad bad ride in it's current state which basically no redeeming features.
Behemoth - 6/10
A lovely layout over the water, and a nice first drop but otherwise this one wasn’t very fun or inspiring. It has three trims that hit fairly hard, and just bland airtime hills for most of the layout. Diamondback shows how far these have come.
Dragon Fyre - 6.8/10
This Arrow semi-classic is really quite smooth and fun - I was shocked at how smooth tbh. It’s not much but is a good example of a classic looper.
Backlot Stunt - 7/10
Same as Kings Island - just a good fun ride. Dispatch was amazing on this - we counted and they dispatched a train within 30 seconds (including loading passengers).
Bat - 4/109
A boomerang, fairly okay but I dislike these rides and the horrible backwards inversions they offer.
Thunder Run - 6/10
RCDB says this powered coaster hits 40mph… I’d say it barely hits 25mph. Set in a mountain but with no real theming or lighting, it’s just not really what it could be but isn't bad at all.
Summary
The trip was a great introduction to North American theme parks - hitting some of the biggest. The route could have taken in more, and perhaps included a few more interesting parks but I'm glad we visited the parks we did. I got myself a new number one (Maverick) and the trip actually helped me realise what I like more in coasters as well as parks.
Thanks for reading
