Review: The Joker at Six Flags Great America
One of the best things about living in the good ol’ USA is the abundance of roller coasters we have at our disposal. All across the west coast, eastern seaboard, and deep in the heart of the Midwest, there’s a theme park close to every major city. Every now and then, something truly unique and noteworthy gets built and captures the attention of every thrillseeker in the country. Many times, howeve...[Read More]
Review: Shock Wave at Six Flags Over Texas
Overview Shock Wave at Six Flags Over Texas celebrated its 40th birthday this year and is aging gracefully. Unlike many loopers of similar vintage, this double-looping coaster from Schwarzkopf hasn’t become brutally rough over the years. It’s to the park’s credit that they were willing to invest the time and money to keep it running smoothly. As a result it continues to be a popular attraction...[Read More]
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: 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: 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: Hydra the Revenge at Dorney Park
In May of 2016 I visited New York with my parents for the purposes of seeing the Yankees take on my Chicago White Sox in the Bronx. I insisted that on this visit, we make the 2-hour drive west to Allentown, Pennsylvania and log some coaster credits at Dorney, another Cedar Fair property. Though it was a wet and rainy morning, by afternoon the skies cleared and I was able to nab multiple rides on a...[Read More]