The Coaster Critic's Blog

Volcano's Blast Off - Memorable Coaster Moments

The Voyage's Triple Down in the Dark | Coaster Moments

After a rapid fire opening featuring hills, airtime, tunnels and a twisted turnaround, The Voyage like Happy Gilmore, has only just begun. The train slows considerably at the mid-course brake run and typically after brake runs most roller coasters can't live up to the intensity of their first halves. That's not the case with this Gravity Group monster. Immediately after the brakes, just as you let your guard down, you dive into INSANITY.

The train has slowed to a crawl as it creeps back into another tunnel. The dark cool tunnel contrasts greatly with the summer heat and bright sun above ground. Suddenly, the train takes a short dip. Then it drops again down a slightly larger hill. And then the bottom literally drops out from under you in pitch black darkness. The succession of drops are perfectly executed and really take you by surprise. My ride in the second car from the back was the best.

After the insane airtime, the train heads back to surface and completes its circuit with a surprising amount of speed and intensity so late in the ride. If you haven't made it to Holiday World, go now! It's a nice park and Voyage is amazing. Read my full review of The Voyage.

Elements like the triple down, put The Voyage in my Top 10 Coasters list as well as the top ten lists of pretty much anyone that's ridden it. What do you think of The Voyage at Holiday World? Leave a comment below. Photo Credit: Theme Park Review

Storm Runner's Flying Snake Dive | Memorable Coaster Moments
Hersheypark's Intamin launch coaster Storm Runner opened in 2004. It features an exhilarating launch 0 to 72 mph in 2 seconds, a 150' tall top hat hill at 90 degrees, and a unique inversion. Storm Runner's coup de grace is the flying snake dive. After performing a zero-g roll about 50' in the air, the train starts to roll again. Instead of completing the full barrel roll, the train dives and exits the inversion to the left. It's tough to describe. The feeling it gives is surprisingly disorienting. In a good way. It's easily the highlight of the ride.

The flying snake dive doesn't look like much in a video and pictures definitely don't do it justice, it just has to be experienced to be appreciated. It's easily one of the top 3 inversions I've encountered. For more including a video, check out my full Storm Runner review.

What do you think of Storm Runner and its unique inversion? Leave a comment below.

Hades' Subterranean Masterpiece | Memorable Coaster Moments
Hades is a vastly underrated wooden coaster at Mt. Olympus Park in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. The park boasts 7 Greek themed roller coasters, with Hades as the park's signature ride. Hades definitely lives up to its namesake as the god of the underworld and its #4 on the my top 10 wooden coasters list. Hades starts with one of the best ride openings out there. Even before the lift hill you're treated to airtime hills, twists, and turns. Then, after climbing the 13-story lift hill, you look down to see your 140 foot drop at a steep 65-degrees and a tunnel that you won't likely forget.

The next thing you know you're in complete darkness. You can't even see your hand in front of your face and it's not like the dark tunnels on The Voyage that are fairly brief, this truly is a journey. As you tear through the dark at 70 mph the train banks and dips as it tries to throw you around like a rag doll. You can't see a thing, but I could've sworn I saw some red eyes down there. It's completely insane! Did I mention that this coaster lived up to its name?

As you start to see light breaking through at the other end, you realize that the train is not right side up. You climb up the wall and ride along it, but because of the darkness and speed you can't even tell. Its one of the most disorienting things I've experienced. Check out this pic from the tunnel with the lights on. You come down from the wall and rise up into the turn around point.

Read about the trip back through the darkness and my full Hades review with an onride video. Have you ridden Hades? What did you think? Leave a comment below.

Montu's Egyptian-Themed Trenches | Memorable Coaster Moments
Fly through Egyptian-themed trenches like you're Luke Skywalker making that famous attack on the Death Star on Montu at Busch Gardens Africa (Tampa, FL). I'm no historian when it comes to BGA, but it appears to me that Montu was added to the park in a flat area close to the entrance that may have been a part of the parking lot. Rather than just plop the ride on the flat terrain (like many parks would do), Busch worked with Bolliger & Mabillard to spice up the ride's layout. Other inverted coasters, like the Batman clones and Cedar Point's acclaimed Raptor had no interaction with ground and plopping down a coaster on a plot of land had to be cheaper. But thankfully, Busch and B&M went the extra mile.

After the initial swooping drop (that's a trademark of many B&M's) and the opening loop, Montu takes its first subterranean dive as it flies through a tunnel. Then after an immelmann and heartline roll, Montu performs a batwing inversion. Similar to a corkscrew (or wingover) the train rolls over and down into a short Egyptian-themed ditch (pictured above). Later in the ride, the train dips low several more times giving the feeling of Luke Skywalker in the attack on the Death Star.

What do you think of Montu and its theming? Leave a comment below.

Phantom's Plunge Into a Ravine | Memorable Coaster Moments
Phantom's Revenge is a hyper coaster at the historic Kennywoood Park near Pittsburgh, PA. Unlike most hyper coasters, Phantom's Revenge is not taller than 200'. The steel Morgan coaster only rises to 160' on its initial ascent. But, after the first swooping drop, the trains climb up once again as it sets riders up for the drop of a lifetime.

Phantoms Revenge's claim to fame is it's breathtaking 225' drop down a natural ravine and through Thunderbolt's support structure. The train reaches a top speed of 82 mph as it dives above and below Thunderbolt's track as your pictures snapped. Passing through the supports also offers a head/arm chopper effect. This landmark is the 8th longest drop in the world and easily one of the most memorable coaster moments I've experienced.

Check out this onride video of Phantom's Revenge:


Read about this coaster's first incarnation, Steel Phantom. What do you think of Phantom Revenge and its famous second drop? Leave a comment below. Photos courtesy of CoasterImage.