Review: FireChaser Express at Dollywood
FireChaser Express is a family roller coaster that debuted back in 2014 at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Designed by Gerstlauer, it is geared toward families and young coaster riders, but not without packing a few surprises as well. The attraction replaced the former Adventure Mountain, a ropes course situated on the same hillside FireChaser currently occupies–and an attraction that ...[Read More]
Review: Mako at SeaWorld Orlando
Happy Holidays! For the second year in a row, we are running our 12 Days of Coasters special! Every day from Christmas until January 5th, we will be giving away a roller coaster review for you to enjoy. We thank you for reading, and wish you a merry holidays and happy New Year! A few weeks back, I traveled to Orlando to experience its collection of world-class theme parks. In addition to Disney an...[Read More]
Review: Monster at Adventureland
When I planned a quick weekend trip to see a Minor League baseball game and visit Iowa’s premier amusement park in early June, this ride was at the very top of my radar. It’s 1 of 2 steel roller coasters at Adventureland, located just outside of Des Moines, Iowa. Monster debuted in 2016 and replaced the park’s venerable log flume. Although some may miss the water ride, it’s hard to argue that what...[Read More]
Review: Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster
Overview Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster, located at Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio, is one of two coasters incorporating RMC’s (Rocky Mountain Construction) innovative Raptor track to open in 2018. (The other is RailBlazer at California’s Great America.) What makes the design innovative is that in lieu of the conventional two rails found on most coasters, Wonder Woman’s trains ride on a...[Read More]
Review: Colossus at Thorpe Park
Overview Colossus at Thorpe Park in Surrey, UK is a steel 10-inversion coaster manufactured by Intamin. Opened in 2002, it held the record for most inversions on a roller coaster until 2013, when The Smiler (with 14 inversions) opened at Alton Towers. (Colossus was subsequently cloned as 10 Inversion Roller Coaster – how original – in China.) Layout, Theming and Elements Colossus has a fair...[Read More]
Review: The Swarm at Thorpe Park
Overview The Swarm at Thorpe Park in Surrey was the first – and only – wing coaster to be built in the UK. It was the second wing coaster to be built by B&M (Bolliger & Mabillard), which thus far is the only company to manufacture wing riders; the first was Raptor at Gardaland in Italy. As of 2018 there are nine wing coasters in operation and six more under construction. Layo...[Read More]
Review: Wicker Man at Alton Towers
Overview Opened in March of 2018, Wicker Man is the first wooden coaster to be built in the UK in 21 years and the first ever wooden coaster to be built at Alton Towers. When SW8 (projects at Alton Towers are given codenames, SW standing for Secret Weapon) was announced, it ignited considerable curiosity, especially when it became known that this coaster would incorporate the element of fire. The...[Read More]
Review: Banshee at Kings Island
Overview The longest inverted coaster in existence and the last one to be built in the USA, Banshee at Kings Island in Mason, OH opened in 2014 to critical acclaim. Built by B&M (Bolliger & Mabillard), it boasts 4,124 feet of track, operating with three trains seating four across in 8 rows for a total capacity of 32 riders. The restraint is an over- the- shoulder harness. Layout, Theme a...[Read More]
Review: Time Traveler at Silver Dollar City
Overview Advertised as “a revolutionary coaster ahead of our time,” Time Traveler at Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO is indeed a groundbreaking/trailblazing phenomenon. The new coaster from Germany’s Mack Rides represents a $26,000,000 investment and forward-thinking technology which certainly puts a new spin on things. I wanted to resist using the phrase “a new spin” but in this case it’s so ...[Read More]
Review: Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point
It has been exciting watching the construction of Steel Vengeance as it transformed. From a lame-duck, once record-breaking wooden roller coaster, the former Mean Streak has come out of it’s wooden and steel cocoon to be reborn as a stunning and acrobatic-looking predator. Certainly no butterfly, Steel Vengeance appears to have been fed off of the intense energy and longing of the enthusiast...[Read More]
Review: Twisted Timbers at Kings Dominion
Overview Twisted Timbers at Kings Dominion in Doswell, VA is the reincarnation of The Hurler, a lumbering wooden coaster well past its prime. It’s the latest RMC (Rocky Mountain Construction) makeover to open – to critical acclaim. Featuring RMC’s signature I-Box track – 3,351 feet of it – it’s taller, longer, faster and smoother than its predecessor. It’s also a lot more exciting. Talk ...[Read More]
Review: Viper at Six Flags Great America
For as many trips as I’ve logged on this roller coaster, I feel like it’s time someone paid kudos to this unassuming, often overlooked ride. It’s 1 of 4 wooden coasters at Chicago’s Six Flags. Viper debuted in 1995 as part of Great America’s expansion into a new themed land and was later officially added to Southwest Territory in 1996. It’s the only coaster ever built directly by the Six Flags cor...[Read More]