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VelociCoaster vs Iron Gwazi; the Florida showdown

VelociCoaster or Iron Gwazi

  • Total voters
    40
Matt N

Matt N

CF Legend
Hi guys. Within the last year, 2 rides have opened in the state of Florida that have taken the industry by absolute storm. If you’re oblivious to what I’m talking about, those 2 rides are VelociCoaster, an Intamin Blitz Coaster that opened at Universal’s Islands of Adventure in June 2021, and Iron Gwazi, an RMC IBox Track that opened at Busch Gardens Tampa in March 2022.

While I am aware that other roller coasters have opened or are due to open in Central Florida within the recent time period, these two have had the most hype by quite some distance, and most of those who’ve ridden both seem to hold them up as their favourite two coasters in Florida by a considerable margin. And while Iron Gwazi has only been open for little over a month, it feels like everybody and their dog has been to Central Florida in the last few weeks, and I think we are reaching a point where enough people have ridden both to gain a fair consensus on which one is generally preferred. So with that in mind, I ask you; if you have ridden both, do you prefer VelociCoaster or Iron Gwazi? And on a side question; are these your 2 favourite coasters in Florida, or do you go against the grain? (Or at least, the grain as I perceive it based on the reviews I’ve read)

I’m staying neutral, as I haven’t been to either of the two parks since 2016 and have ridden neither of the new rides, but I’d be really keen to hear your thoughts!
 
VelociCoaster appeals to the masses, while Iron Gwazi appeals to the hardcore thrillseekers. VelociCoaster is much more of an experience, focusing on storytelling, theme and immersive scenery alongside a very good (but not overly intense) coaster. When a train on VelociCoaster rolls back into the station, everyone on board is cheering. Meanwhile, Iron Gwazi doesn't have much theming or story to it, but it's pure, non-stop madness from the first drop to the brake run. When Iron Gwazi slams into the brake run, everyone on board seems to be stunned and breathless.

I understand why plenty of people prefer VelociCoaster - it's certainly more well-rounded than Iron Gwazi, especially in terms of theming - but for me, a hardcore thrill-seeker, Iron Gwazi is superior. Regardless, they're my top 2 coasters in Florida.
 
To give a voice for VelociCoaster: it is the better, all-round roller coaster that bolsters reridability much better than Iron Gwazi. As I covered in my trip report, one downside to Iron Gwazi's thrashing was taking more penalty on your shins in the restraints. Also, when push comes to shove - Iron Gwazi's second half is really quite lacking compared to other top 5-tier coasters, itself a very front-heavy coaster in its layout, while VelociCoaster's top hat, bowl turn, and Mosasaurus Roll keep a more even pacing headed into the brakes.

It's a splitting of hairs, I have both coasters in my top 5. But it's VC for me.
 
Hyde said:
To give a voice for VelociCoaster: it is the better, all-round roller coaster that bolsters reridability much better than Iron Gwazi. As I covered in my trip report, one downside to Iron Gwazi's thrashing was taking more penalty on your shins in the restraints. Also, when push comes to shove - Iron Gwazi's second half is really quite lacking compared to other top 5-tier coasters, itself a very front-heavy coaster in its layout, while VelociCoaster's top hat, bowl turn, and Mosasaurus Roll keep a more even pacing headed into the brakes.

It's a splitting of hairs, I have both coasters in my top 5. But it's VC for me.
Click to expand...
I have a top tip for you. When you ride an RMC, put you feet on tip toes (ankles off the floor) and slide your feet back towards your bum. Your legs should then be free from the shin guards 💪

This also allows you to bounce on your toes and adjust how tight the lap bar is as you ride. On Iron Gwazi, the ending was so intense with the airtime I found myself naturally raising my legs to contact the larbar in defence, to prevent them otherwise being slammed against it.
 
Sorry to bump this thread after over a year, but having now ridden these two coasters, I would unquestionably vote for VelociCoaster.

Both coasters are phenomenal, both coasters are among my top coasters, and both have their considerable high points.

For me, VelociCoaster wins because it keeps up the pace and thrill throughout and has some phenomenally impactful elements, such as the second launch, the top hat, the Mosasaurus roll, and so many others, while also being impeccably comfortable, fun and rerideable. It strikes the absolute perfect balance between striking impact and thrill and fun and rerideability for me. Every time I rode VelociCoaster, I was coming into the brake run with an “Oh my god, that was unbelievably sublime!” feeling that I get from a very top coaster, and it’s a ride I’ve thought about a lot since coming home from Florida. I’ve currently still got Mako ranked as #1 with VelociCoaster at #2, but VelociCoaster was so, so good that I honestly doubt myself about that a lot! It is a truly impeccable roller coaster in my view, and it definitely left a strong impression on me!

Iron Gwazi has some phenomenal elements and attributes; the first drop in particular is unspeakably obscene, and other huge highlights include the big overbank, the wave turn and the death roll! The ride also packs an awesome sense of speed throughout, and it undeniably has some of the strongest airtime you’ll find anywhere! However, my key flaw with Iron Gwazi is that while not rough per se, it’s quite a fierce ride; it’s not the most comfortable of coasters, and towards the end of the ride in particular when it started jerking quite violently in different directions, I did possibly find that to be toeing the line of my personal ferocity tolerance. The final few airtime moments were also slightly taxing on the thighs, which probably wasn’t helped by the train design, which isn’t the most comfortable. And overall, I didn’t come into the brake run on Iron Gwazi feeling quite the same feeling of “that was an absolutely sublime ride that was right up there” as I did on VelociCoaster. Make no mistake, it’s an absolutely phenomenal coaster; it’s in my 10/10 tier, and it sits at the #6 spot for me (and if I’m feeling generous, it could honestly be #5 if I’m in the right mood), so it’s not like I didn’t like the ride or even didn’t love the ride!

However, VelociCoaster was just that slight step up for me, and was truly right up there as a coaster that had the perfect blend of impactful elements and wonderful rerideability.

If you’re interested, my dad, the only other person on our trip who rode both rides, also voted VelociCoaster without a moment’s hesitation. He said that VelociCoaster was “an absolute revelation”, and “unquestionably [his] favourite coaster”, with him loving how “it sped up midway through to become absolutely relentless when it was already insane” and how “it had 4 or 5 moments where [he] was properly coming out of the seat”. By comparison, he said that Iron Gwazi was “good, but unspectacular”, and that he felt it was “wildly overhyped”. He preferred SheiKra within Busch Gardens Tampa, which I can honestly understand; SheiKra was pretty close to Iron Gwazi for me, and far better than I’d remembered!
 
Hey look, a whole bunch of Florida based polls that I can now answer. Yay! 😁

Iron Gwazi for me, a fairly easy decision too. It's just a 10/10 ride, totally relentless, not an inch of wasted track, just one killer element after another. Lapping this thing at night with zero wait time, front, back, wherever, sealed the deal as a personal Top 10 contender. Magic!

VelociCoaster is a great all rounder, but... I dunno, it lacked that extra special 'wow' factor for me. While the second half is amazing, I felt the first half meandered a wee bit. Launches are good but... there are better ones out there (Taron's launches feel notably more powerful) and the whole thing has way too much Bryce Dallas Howard for my liking.

An easy win for the RMC here.
 
Howie said:
Hey look, a whole bunch of Florida based polls that I can now answer. Yay! 😁

Iron Gwazi for me, a fairly easy decision too. It's just a 10/10 ride, totally relentless, not an inch of wasted track, just one killer element after another. Lapping this thing at night with zero wait time, front, back, wherever, sealed the deal as a personal Top 10 contender. Magic!

VelociCoaster is a great all rounder, but... I dunno, it lacked that extra special 'wow' factor for me. While the second half is amazing, I felt the first half meandered a wee bit. Launches are good but... there are better ones out there (Taron's launches feel notably more powerful) and the whole thing has way too much Bryce Dallas Howard for my liking.

An easy win for the RMC here.
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Let's be honest - riding with Joe Draves, Ian, Scott and myself sealed the deal.;)

Iron Gwazi.jpg
Thanks for taking the post-rides photo!

As for me, Iron Gwazi is relentless whereas VelociCoaster takes a bit to get going IMO. I don't mind the twisty bit at the start, but if the entire ride was like the second half (from the launch into the top hat onward) it might overtake Iron Gwazi as my #1.
 
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