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]
Alton Towers Announces Wicker Man Wooden Coaster
It’s now official. Alton Towers has announced that their project named Secret Weapon 8 will be Wicker Man, a new ride from GCI (Great Coasters International) and the first wooden coaster to be built in the UK in over 20 years as well as the first wooden coaster ever to appear at Alton Towers. The ride will feature 2,028 feet of track with a drop of 46 feet and if that doesn’t sound exactly awe-ins...[Read More]
Review: Lightning Racer at Hersheypark
When the new millennium rolled around, it seemed everyone was trying to capitalize on the big event. Hersheypark joined the fray by opening Lightning Racer. It’s no Millennium Force, but this wooden dueling and racing coaster is still pretty fun. The second Great Coasters International woodie at the park, it is much better than the first, Wildcat. That one is more on the rough side, as Joel ...[Read More]
Review: American Thunder at Six Flags St. Louis
American Thunder at Six Flags St. Louis is a Great Coasters International woodie that I feel flies under the radar for many enthusiasts. Originally, it opened back in 2008 as “Evel Knievel” after the American daredevil of old. In 2011, however, a then recently-bankrupt Six Flags dumped the branding in a cost-cutting move, giving the ride its more generic and patriotic moniker of today....[Read More]
Review: Mystic Timbers at Kings Island
Mystic Timbers was my first modern wooden roller coaster. Prior to that, the most recently built wooden coaster I’d ridden was Cedar Point’s Mean Streak which, I can attest to, was never a great ride even when it was brand new in 1991. Within a couple years it had become fairly rough. I remember very clearly riding Mean Streak its last summer before it received the trim brakes on the first hill. I...[Read More]
Kings Island Trip Report & Future Speculation
Visiting Kings Island had been a bucket list item of mine for many years. I can’t say whether it was effective advertising that I’d absorbed watching Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoons or whether it was due to my early research on roller coasters as a kid on a database such as ProQuest in the public library. I remember looking for the record-breaking coasters that existed at the time, a quest...[Read More]
Should Hersheypark’s Wildcat Get an RMC Redesign?
Last year, the Wildcat at Hersheypark thrilled riders for its 20th season. Once the anchor attraction of the Midway America section of the park (yes, you read that correctly: it was an anchor), the very first wooden roller coaster from manufacturer Great Coasters International is now notably less popular. This has led many coaster enthusiasts, myself included, to speculate that famed company RMC—R...[Read More]
Top 9 New Roller Coasters for 2017 – Part 2
Here are my top picks for the best new roller coasters opening in 2017. As I stated in Part 1, I decided to focus on North America. Again, let us know how you’d rank them in the comments. 5 – GaleForce at Playland’s Castaway Cove In Ocean City, New Jersey beach-goers will have more than just the waves and warm sun to look forward to. Playland’s Castaway Cove is set to open a comp...[Read More]
Mystic Timbers is Kings Island’s Mysterious New Roller Coaster
Mystic Timbers Opening at Kings Island in 2017 This Spring, Kings Island will be opening a new roller coaster called Mystic Timbers. It’ll be the park’s 15th roller coaster and 4th wooden roller coaster. Mystic Timbers will be 109 feet tall and reach speeds of 53 mph along a course of 3,265 feet featuring 16 airtime hills. It will be located in the Rivertown section of the park near hy...[Read More]
InvadR Roller Coaster Coming to Busch Gardens
InvadR Opening in 2017 at Busch Gardens Williamsburg This Spring, Busch Gardens Williamsburg will be opening a new roller coaster called InvadR. It’ll be the park’s first ever wooden roller coaster. Guests will experience a 74-foot drop, speeds of 48 mph, and nine airtime hills. InvadR will be located in the New France section of the park near the Le Scoot Log Flume and the Caribou Tra...[Read More]
Guest Review of White Lightning at Fun Spot
Brand new this year, Fun Spot America in Orlando opened one extremely unique coaster, made by Great Coasters International. Fun Spot is certainly a one-of-a-kind park. It’s made up of an arcade, go karts, a 250 foot tall Sky Coaster, and two roller coasters. White Lightning has a completely different attitude from other coasters. It has a short 2,032 foot course and doesn’t even reach 50 mil...[Read More]
Great Reviews Great America's Gold Striker
Positive Reviews for Great America’s Gold Striker California’s Great America’s new wooden coaster Gold Striker has been open for a while now and the reviews have been very positive. It sounds like this exciting GCI woodie was just what the park needed. It’s always good to see a new wooden coaster as they’re less common. Here are a few reviews that I’ve found: A ...[Read More]