What's new

Your Least Common Opinion?

Pear

Strata Poster
Yeah KK is honestly quite ****. The launch isn't as powerful as it should be and it rattles a lot and the restraints just suck. TTD is a much better ride experience and it actually feels forceful and fun.
 

Hutch

Strata Poster
How does TTD make your top 10 but Kingda Ka "isn't good". I have been on both and prefer Dragster due to the smoother ride, restraints, and overall atmosphere, but they aren't so different really! I feel as though people exaggerate the disparity between the two coasters. Honestly Kingda Ka has the better, and much more original, theming, albeit the horrible business decision to hide much of the ride away from the park. The OTSRs limit rider freedom but for me at least, my body cam in contact with the OTS part of restraint anyways. The launches are quite comparable, Ka's being slightly more intense and TTD's a bit smoother (but once again the difference in smoothness is exaggerated).
So I guess it's my unpopular opinion that TTD isn't that much better than Ka, as they rank only one apart for me in my own personal rankings.
What @CookieCoasters said. The rattle on Kingda Ka was so bad that it didn't matter that is was launching you at 128 mph and going up 450ft. I just could not enjoy it and it ruined the ride. Only did it once, but I didn't want to wait another 30 minutes for something like that (plus I needed creds!). I would like to give it another chance though at some point, preferably in the front row as apparently it's much smoother up there... queuing for that will be a chore though as it's a popular ride, GP love the front and, you know, Six Flags operations.

Dragster is smooth and has no rattle at all, so I can actually enjoy the ride. It still wows me every time I ride it so it deserves a spot in my Top 10 right now.

And I gotta disagree with you on the theming. Now both coasters don't exactly have the best theming but Dragster's is better. It has cool trains, nice station, green lights next to the launch and on the whole structure, sound effects, and the bleachers to make it a cool area. Dragster it just works, I know exactly what it's trying to be. Kingda Ka on the other hand I don't know what it is. Isn't it themed to some snake or something? (let me look it up... ok apparently it's a tiger) Let's be honest, all Six Flags really did was just put some trees and bushes around the queue.
 

Snoo

The Legend
What @CookieCoasters said. The rattle on Kingda Ka was so bad that it didn't matter that is was launching you at 128 mph and going up 450ft. I just could not enjoy it and it ruined the ride. Only did it once, but I didn't want to wait another 30 minutes for something like that (plus I needed creds!). I would like to give it another chance though at some point, preferably in the front row as apparently it's much smoother up there... queuing for that will be a chore though as it's a popular ride, GP love the front and, you know, Six Flags operations.

Dragster is smooth and has no rattle at all, so I can actually enjoy the ride. It still wows me every time I ride it so it deserves a spot in my Top 10 right now.

And I gotta disagree with you on the theming. Now both coasters don't exactly have the best theming but Dragster's is better. It has cool trains, nice station, green lights next to the launch and on the whole structure, sound effects, and the bleachers to make it a cool area. Dragster it just works, I know exactly what it's trying to be. Kingda Ka on the other hand I don't know what it is. Isn't it themed to some snake or something? (let me look it up... ok apparently it's a tiger) Let's be honest, all Six Flags really did was just put some trees and bushes around the queue.

This. @TMCoasters .. KK is noticeably worse outside of the front seat. While I can ride TTD in every row in every seat without the same rattle. I refuse to ride anything but the front on KK because I enjoy not having a migraine.

Theming wise.. KK doesn't do anything unique or special short of having trees and bushes as Sanchezmran said. TTD is fully incorporated into the heart of the park and while the "theming" really is minimal, the whole experience it still a better theme overall in comparison.

And really. the OTSR's disqualifies it IMO as the freedom of the T bars make TTD the instawin when comparing the two.
 

Edward M

Strata Poster
Here's my thing. I rank my coasters based on my favorite rides, so Kingda Ka is close to TTD in my count. The rattle is rough, but, in the front, the launch is still fun and impressive. Elsewhere, it's a 3/10.
 

FarleyFlavors

Mega Poster
I would like to give it another chance though at some point, preferably in the front row as apparently it's much smoother up there... queuing for that will be a chore though as it's a popular ride, GP love the front and, you know, Six Flags operations.
I've been to SFGA twice and both times I managed to get the front row of the first train of the day by walking there briskly (no running required!) at rope drop. And on both visits, the line for a front row reride consisted of fewer than ten people. It's such a bloody long hike to the ride from the entrance that the GP don't seem to rush there immediately.

'Course, you take the risk that it's not operating and you have to hike all the way back again...
 

TLARides

Hyper Poster
Well, I find Arrow Loopers to be classics that tend to be unavoidable.

Sent from my LG-TP260 using Tapatalk
 

NAPayne31

Mega Poster
This. @TMCoasters .. KK is noticeably worse outside of the front seat. While I can ride TTD in every row in every seat without the same rattle. I refuse to ride anything but the front on KK because I enjoy not having a migraine.

Theming wise.. KK doesn't do anything unique or special short of having trees and bushes as Sanchezmran said. TTD is fully incorporated into the heart of the park and while the "theming" really is minimal, the whole experience it still a better theme overall in comparison.

And really. the OTSR's disqualifies it IMO as the freedom of the T bars make TTD the instawin when comparing the two.
Kingda Ka’s launch feels like it gains speed in spurts as opposed to Dragsters (and Stormrunner’s) smooth acceleration. While I only rode once in the front row, this sensation was easily identifiable.

In terms of theming, KK’s theme is cool but the entire experience is runied due to the duel loading station not being used. Walking onto that platform actually felt extremely underwhelming and sad as the tallest coaster in the world should have some sort of pristine appearance. Instead you get 1/4th of a loading station that looks like a broken shell of what it should be. Couple that with inefficiency and the entire ride just feels less impressive.
 

Hixee

Flojector
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Social Media Team
Kingda Ka’s launch feels like it gains speed in spurts as opposed to Dragsters (and Stormrunner’s) smooth acceleration. While I only rode once in the front row, this sensation was easily identifiable.
KK does use a triple pull launch, unlike Storm Runner (and most of the other <100mph ones, as far as I know). It uses three accumulators to generate the pressure, which are then released in stages down the launch. The sensation you feel is the accumulators handing over to each other. It's very noticeable on KK, and reasonably noticeable on Formula Rossa too. I personally thought I could feel it on TTD, too, but that was a long time ago.

If you can't feel it on TTD at all, I wonder if this whole 'triple pull' thing is an enthusiast fiction...
 

NAPayne31

Mega Poster
KK does use a triple pull launch, unlike Storm Runner (and most of the other <100mph ones, as far as I know). It uses three accumulators to generate the pressure, which are then released in stages down the launch. The sensation you feel is the accumulators handing over to each other. It's very noticeable on KK, and reasonably noticeable on Formula Rossa too. I personally thought I could feel it on TTD, too, but that was a long time ago.

If you can't feel it on TTD at all, I wonder if this whole 'triple pull' thing is an enthusiast fiction...
Maybe dragster’s is just smoother in the “triple pull” transitions. I have never felt like I was being yanked 3 separate times while riding Dragster but I definitely felt it on Ka.
 

GuyWithAStick

Captain Basic
That last one makes complete sense. HWS is useless outside of TOT. That thing is one of the best rides in any park ever.
Came here to reaffirm this. The park just felt so lifeless and boring. The theme is the same throughout the entire park. And not how Animal Kingdom or Epcot is the same theme throughout the park, either. I mean it's practically the same style of buildings and theming everywhere bar Toy Story and Star Wars. AK and Epcot have a theme that's coherent enough that everything makes sense, but each individual subsection is different to make it stand out. Oh yeah and the park layout is utter ****. At least Tower of Terror is still fab.
 

GeodieCoasterFan

Mega Poster
Maybe dragster’s is just smoother in the “triple pull” transitions. I have never felt like I was being yanked 3 separate times while riding Dragster but I definitely felt it on Ka.

I would totally agree with this, KK seemed to go then go then go, whereas TTD was just a blast from the off, I wonder if this effect accounts for more of the rattling on KK
 

Snoo

The Legend
I would totally agree with this, KK seemed to go then go then go, whereas TTD was just a blast from the off, I wonder if this effect accounts for more of the rattling on KK

I think that's more the train itself then the pull of the launch. Those OTSR's add significantly more weight then the standard T-Bar (relatively of course in comparison). I wouldn't doubt the pull has something to do with it, but not as much as the makeup of the train itself.
 

Zek_Teh_Kek

Hyper Poster
NGL, Gatekeeper uses the vests well. Valravn's tighten a lot of the first drop, and why use them on Banshee?
Speaking of vests, with my only experience, the Vekoma Vests on Flying Cobras aren't that good. They dig into my shoulders a lot.
 

VikingsAf

Mega Poster
Gotta give a really uncommon opinion.
I actually really like SLC's. Maybe it's because I'm tall and pretty tight in the restraints, but I don't find them to hurt as much as everyone else says. (The same goes for standard Vekoma Boomerangs, but to a lesser extent)
 
Top