The Coaster Critic's Blog

Class of 2008 - Roller Coasters That Debuted This Year
As predicted in my Top 10 New Roller Coasters for 2008, my top pick Ravine Flyer 2 opened to many positive reviews and it landed at 8 on my Top 10. Read my full review. I'm looking forward to seeing how it fairs in Mitch's '08 Coaster Poll next month. Canada's Wonderland's Behemoth also received a lot of props on the Web and some even hailed it as the best B&M hyper coaster to date. Fahrenheit's reception was mostly positive, but its opening wasn't the smoothest including a session where it valleyed back in May.

Also, a couple of family launch coasters opened. I rode both the Pony Express at Knott's Berry Farm and OCC MotoCoaster at Darien Lake and they were pretty fun. Here's my review of the MotoCoaster. X2 was reborn, but I can't really compare it to its former self. Supposedly, it was smoother. The schizophrenic music was more weird and annoying and done much better on Led Zeppelin. The only special effect that I remember was the super hot flame which was okay. Here's my X2 review.

Dark Knight Movie = A+, Dark Knight Coasters.....
On the far other end of the spectrum, the Dark Knight coasters at Great America (Chicago) and Great Adventure (New Jersey) were slammed with bad reviews and comments. Like this 40 comment post where angry readers left reviews that included words like: 'lame', 'terrible', 'wack', and 'horrible.' Even though they were based on a run-of-the-mill wild mouse, I thought these coasters had potential. Allegedly, I was wrong. SF New England lost their Dark Knight clone due to planning mishaps. They may have actually dodged a bullet. The Dark Knight coaster that was coming to New England is now being built at Six Flag Mexico.

Theme Park Accidents
Like 2007, we saw another high profile, gruesome theme park accident in June. Last year there was a teen girl whose feet were severed while on a drop ride at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. This year, a teen was beheaded by one of Batman: The Ride's trains. Read the full story including a video of CNN coverage. Since the incident, Six Flags has increased the presence of warning "Do Not Enter" signs around their coasters. Aside from signs and the 6-foot fences there isn't a whole lot Six Flags can really do with incident like this and another one at Magic Mountain where a man was hit by Ninja. For more, read all of my roller coaster accident posts from this year and years past.

Troubled Economy Strikes Amusement Park Industry
One of the biggest stories of the year was the opening, and premature closing, of the brand new $400 million Hard Rock Park. The park sited insufficient marketing funds and Myrtle Beach guests taking shorter trips. As I've said before, I wonder how the park would have done if its first year would have been in a better economy. Read about all things Hard Rock Park including my park and coaster reviews.

Herschend closed Celebration City and canceled Adventure Montain at Dollywood. Cypress Gardens will no longer be a theme park and is selling its theme park rides. And somehow, after talks of being de-listed from the stock exchange, Six Flags faired relatively well according to their latest earnings release. They definitely took noticeable action to combat the down economy with the "everyone pays kids price promotion"
running for much of the summer.

Amusement Industry Continues to Consolidate
PARC Management who also acquired seven former Six Flags parks in 2007, bought Arkansas park Magic Springs, several Family Entertainment Centers and NASCAR Speed Parks. InBev bought American brewing stalwart Anheuser Busch which has major implications for the Busch Entertainment Group which runs the SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, and Discovery Cove parks. Still no word yet on the fate of the parks, but all signs are pointing to the new owners selling off the amusement park arm of the business as InBev likes to stick to their core competencies. I for one think beer and theme parks co-exist beautifully. Well, not really, I just don't want anything to happen to my favorite park chain.

Dubai Explodes with Future Theme Parks Planned
Suddenly Dubai, a city that's literally rising from the desert overnight, is the place to be for the amusement industry. Everyone's looking to or already has planted their flags there. A large Busch multi-park on an island shaped like Shamu was just the beginning. There will be a Universal Studios Dubai, a Six Flags Dubailand (2011), Legoland Dubailand (2011), a Marvel Theme Park (2012), and a Dreamworks Dubailand (2012). I'm sure there are more as well. I might have to find myself a plane ticket to the United Arab Emirates in 5 years or so.

In Memorium
This year, we said goodbye to a few roller coasters. One of the most missed will be Dorney's Schwarzkopf designed looper the Laser. I never heard any official word on why it was sold, but I would assume low ridership or to make room for something new. Super Saturator's gone from Carowinds to make room for the Carolina Cobra. Thankfully, Hypersonic XLC was removed from my old home park, Kings Dominion. I can't say that I'm sad to see it go. Read my Hypersonic XLC review to see why. Six Flags America is selling Two Face after many breakdowns leaving riders stranded. A landmark coaster in the UK was recently removed from Alton Towers. The Corkscrew, was one of the first double-looping coasters in Europe.

What's Your Take on 2008?
Did I miss anything? What do you think was the biggest story of the year? Did you have a favorite ride or really memorable trip to a park? Leave a comment below.

The Next Generation of Wooden Roller Coasters - Part I
Not Your Father's Wooden Roller Coasters
From my early riding experiences at Kings Dominion on wooden staples like the old-school racing coaster Rebel Yell, I would use two words to describe wooden roller coasters. Rough and boring. Of course some woodies were more enjoyable than others, but I think overall I didn't appreciate wooden coasters. And who could blame me? Compared to their steel counterparts that were breaking world records for height and speed and throwing riders into awe-inspiring loops and inversions, wooden coasters seemed about as run of the mill as can be.

I'd heard about legends like the popular woodies out in Ohio like the Beast and Mean Streak. Also, Texas Giant, Megafobia in England, and the preeminent woodie, The Cyclone at Astroland, But these seemed like exceptions to the rule. The wooden coasters in my neck of the woods, the Mid Atlantic area of the Eastern U.S. were nothing to write home about. So, my status as a steelie fan was solidified early on in my coaster enthusiastness.

However, this all changed a few years ago. Both Great Coasters International, Gravity Group, and even steel stalwarts Intamin are changing the game by delivering wooden coasters that I would never describe as boring or even all that rough. My new found respect for wooden coasters both new and some old all began with Boulder Dash in 2005.

Boulder Dash - A Fast & Furious Ride on a Mountain
Boulder Dash is a terrain coaster located on the side of a mountain behind Lake Compounce. The large Custom Coasters International woodie likely helped to put the small Connecticut park on the map. After an unforgettable climb through the dense forest on the mountainside, the train takes a swooping dive to the right and the rest is an intense ride packed with lots of speed and several moments of airtime. Boulder Dash's unique setting brought me to the park and thankfully its ride was as impressive as its location.

Thunderhead – World-Class Woodie with a Smooth & Twisted Ride
Dollywood received critical acclaim for their GCI designed Thunderhead. The coaster promised a beautifully twisted layout and it more than delivered. Aside from the ride's twists and turns, Thunderhead features a one-of-a-kind station fly-through. About midway through its course Thunderhead sends riders tearing through an upper area of the station. I enjoyed the fly-through, but was really most impressed by the coaster's buttery smooth ride. Using GCI's millennium flyer trains that were lightly themed and more open than PTC's, the ride was surprisingly smooth. The smoothness encouraged re-rides, something unusual for most woodies.

The Voyage – An Intense Marathon of Thrills
Holiday World's The Voyage is a wonder to behold. It sports a traditional out-and-back layout, but riders encounter so many insane elements that The Voyage is far from traditional. This monster features eight underground traverses, two 90-degree banked turns, and a total ride time of 2 minutes and 45 seconds. An unassuming 154' drop generates the speed needed to push the standard PTC trains to warp speed for nearly the entire ride. Thanks to the Gravity Group's genius design The Voyage is still storming its way down the track all the way up to the final brakes.

The highlight on the journey is the 'triple down in the dark'. Leaving the mid-course brake run, the train enters yet another tunnel and then the bottom literally drops out from under you in pitch black darkness. The Voyage is far from boring, but a little rough. It's definitely a wooden coaster that's redefined its genre and has taken the Golden Ticket Award from the former winner, Thunderhead.

In Part 2 of Next Generation Woodies, I'll cover Intamin's revolutionary, pre-fabricated El Toro, Ravine Flyer 2, and the god of the underworld Hades. We'll also take a look into the future with wooden coasters set to open in 2009.

What's your favorite wooden roller coaster? Are you a fan of older woodies or today's woodies? Leave a comment below. Images courtesy of CoasterImage.

The Best of Top 3 Thursdays
For this week's Top 3 Thursday I'm doing a 'Best of' post. I'm recapping my favorite Top 3's and their number 1's.

Top 3 Most Annoying Things at an Amusement Park
I ranted about the most annoying things I find at my favorite places to be. Number 1 was line cutters.

Line Cutters
There's nothing worse than waiting in a long line, just to have some rude people push by you to "join their friends in the front of the line". It's enough to nearly ruin a visit.

I've decided to stop letting people cut in front of me. Somehow I manage to never have to cut in line or have my friends cut in line to join me. Ride queues are first come first serve people! If I'm in line ahead of you too bad.

The "Line Cutters Beware" T-shirt can be bought at Coaster-Net.

Read the other things that annoy me (and most likely you) at theme parks here.

Top 3 Movie Coaster Appearances
Corkscrew @ Playland Park
Final Destination 3 (2006)
Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ryan Merriman, Chris Lemche, Gina Holden
The Corkscrew at Playland Park in Vancouver, British Columbia plays a major role in Final Destination 3. In reality, it's a very tame coaster (pictured here), but thanks to a nice dosage of CG effects, Devil's Flight is a monster of a coaster. One of the riders has a premonition of the disaster that's about to happen so she, and several other riders are released from the train before it departs. The remaining riders experience a ride from hell. Their restraints become inoperable and they are thrown from the ride at high speeds while the coaster does more loops than you would find at an entire park.

After the ride, the surviving riders are picked off one at a time because they cheated death by getting off of Devil's Flight before the accident. The deaths are some of the most gruesome imaginable, but it is an interesting twist on the teenage slasher flicks. Check out my full review.

Read the rest of the Top 3 Movie Coaster Appearances.

Top 3 Extreme Air Time Roller Coasters
In May 2007 I wrote about the most extreme moments of airtime on of the 150+ roller coasters I've ridden. My top choice wasn't a consistent air time ride like Knoebel's Phoenix, it was Cyclops at Mt. Olympus which offers one scary ejector-like pop of airtime.

Cyclops at Mt. Olympus
Wisconsin Dells, WI
You have to be 18 or older to ride in the back seat of the Cyclops at Mount Olympus. This must be because of the infamous drop towards the end of the ride. It's innocent looking enough, but has been known to launch riders in the back seat. I've read accounts of riders landing in the lap of the rider next to them. (See Timberman's review). These aren't exaggerations. I experienced it myself last Summer. It was as scary as advertised launching me higher than the seat divider.

On re-rides I would stay away from the back seat, I enjoy a thrill as much as the next guy, but the airtime on the end of Cyclops coupled with the age of the ride takes this airtime past my comfort level. The subterranean monster known as Hades is also at Mt. Olympus, check out my full Hades roller coaster review.

Read the rest of Top 3 Extreme Airtime Roller Coasters.

What's your favorite air time moment on a roller coaster or coaster movie appearance? What's the most annoying thing for you at an amusement park? Leave a comment below.

When Rides & Food Don't Mix
In Tim Mollen's syndicated humor column called Lost Journal, he recounts a day from his past and writes about it like a journal entry. This week, Tim sent me his piece about a childhood experience at the now defunct Magic Valley Park in Bushkill, PA. I don't want to give away the ending, but it involves a bad combination of junk food and the merciless spin of a scrambler ride.

Read the column: Amusement Park Ride 'Brings Out' the Worst in a 5th Grader.

Ever been sick on a ride or roller coaster? Leave a comment below.

Biggest Loser for Coaster Enthusiasts, So They Can Ride Again
It goes without saying that safety's important when riding roller coasters. If restraints like lap bars and over the shoulder harnesses do not fit correctly, riders would be in danger. Add the U.S.'s growing obesity rate and you have more and more theme park guests getting turned away just as their about to enjoy a great coaster.

For example see Cedar Point's "Guests with Exceptional Size" section of their Rider Safety Guide:

"Due to rider restraint system requirements, guests of exceptional size may not be accommodated on some of our rides. This may apply, but not be limited to, guests who exceed 6'2" or those who exceed 225 pounds, have a 40" waistline or 52" chest or females who exceed 200 pounds or wear a size 18 or larger.

Our larger guests may experience difficulty on Blue Streak, Chaos, Corkscrew, Disaster Transport, Mantis, Maverick, maXair, Mean Streak, Millennium Force, Mine Ride, Power Tower, Raptor, Skyhawk, Top Thrill Dragster, Wave Swinger and Wicked Twister."

I've ridden with people who have had to take the 'walk of shame' and were asked to get off the train. Another positive for my beloved B&M coasters is that they typically have trains with a few larger seats for just this reason. I wonder if they have these special seats on their European and Asian coasters. Hmmm.... Having to get off the train and move to another seat must still be embarrassing.

One of the guys over at CoasterCrew was unable to ride Millennium Force and now he's decided to do something about it. They're working on starting a Biggest Loser-type competition to help the enthusiasts on the site get back into riding shape again. Good for them. Any excuse to get in shape and adopt a healthy lifestyle is great. Especially if it allows you to enjoy one of your passions.

What do you think about this issue? Have you ever been unable to ride a coaster? Leave a comment below.

New Book Chronicles America's Oldest Amusement Park
Recently, I received a copy of 'Lake Compounce' by Lynda J. Russell. While I knew the Bristol, Connecticut park was the oldest in the country, I had no idea how rich its history really was. Lake Compounce, by Lynda J. Russell, chronicles the park's history from its many owners and plethora of attractions over the years. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, and Lake Compounce is jam packed with pictures dating all the way back to the 1800s. More than just the story of one amusement park, the book also tells the story of recreation and amusement in America.

An Experiment to Blow Up the Lake?
Lake Compounce had very interesting beginnings. The first time the land by the lake was opened to the public was for a scientific exhibition in 1846. The experiment with electricity was supposed to result in blowing up the lake! I wonder if the scientist was related to Doc Brown from Back to the Future. The experiment failed, but the owner saw the potential in making the lake a permanent place for events. Gad Norton built picnic tables, extended pathways around the lake, added a ten pin alley and rowboats, and America's first amusement park was born.

Every Type of Attraction Imaginable
Over the years, Lake Compounce has been home to about every type of attraction you can imagine. Paging through the black and white photos of Russell’s book is like a trip through the history of recreation in America. Lake Compounce has had a mini train, trolley, steamboat, bowling alley, casino, a 20,000 person concert venue, a large ballroom, and water rides - not to mention the standard amusement park rides and roller coasters you would expect to find at a great regional park. For the coaster geeks out there, the book includes a few rare pictures of Lake Compounce's first roller coaster, the Green Dragon. It operated from 1914 to 1926.

New Park Ownership
Hershey purchased the park in 1985, and with the new ownership came several new rides and renovations. Then in 1996, the Kennywood Entertainment Group became managing partners and eventually gained ownership over Lake Compounce. Recently, Kennywood and its sister parks, including Lake Compounce, were sold to Parques Reunidos, a Spanish theme park operator. Hopefully, the new owners will continue to allow this gem of an amusement park in Bristol, Connecticut to continue to flourish.

Does Theming on a Coaster Matter? | Theme Park Round Table
News Plus Notes provided this week's topic. NPN posed the question: "Does theming on a coaster matter?"

I'm going to surprise even myself and say no. My answer is really more of a 'yes, but...'. Let me explain. Theming on a coaster is something that I'm quick to give points for. It can take a ride from mediocre to memorable. But, I can't think of a time where it can take a coaster that would be a '5' to a '9' or even an '8'.

While I really enjoy the Egyptian theming on Montu at Busch Gardens Tampa, it doesn't completely affect my overall opinion of the ride. To me, theming is like seasoning a dish. If you start with a sirloin and add the perfect seasoning, you've got a winning dish, but the sirloin would still be quite tasty without it. And inversely, seasoning a gross dish usually doesn't make up for its grossness.

Also, my top 10 coasters are a bunch of great rides with just a pinch of theming. And in some there's nearly none at all like in the case of Cedar Point's Magnum XL-200. While I really enjoy theming, no amount of theming could equal Magnum's wild, almost soulful ride. It's like it has a personality. Theming can add a lot to the experience of riding a roller coaster, but in the end it all comes down to the quality of the ride.

See what the other bloggers have to say on this week's topic:
Coasterdom
A Walk in the Park
Theme Park Village
News Plus Notes

What's your take? Does coaster theming matter to you? Leave a comment below.

Steel vs. Wood | Theme Park Round Table
For this week's Weekly Topic I thought I'd invoke the eternal battle in the coaster enthusiast community. Like PC vs. Mac, conservative vs. liberal, Pepsi vs. Coke. Most fall into one or the other. It's a simple question that's been asked and discussed countless times. Which do you prefer wooden or steel roller coasters?

I would like to add a wrinkle to this classic question. What if you could only ride just one type of coaster? I know that there are many woodie fans that swear by their beloved wooden coasters, but still enjoy the extreme heights, speeds, inversions of steel coasters. Well, I'm making them choose. If they could ride exclusively wooden coasters, would they still choose their allegiance to those old amusement park staples.

Steel Coasters: State of the Art Thrill Machines
I fall in the steel coaster camp, but I've grown to appreciate wooden coasters as I've started to travel more. Rides like Boulder Dash, Voyage, and Hades are amazing to say the least. Even still, I prefer the smooth ride, jet fighter-like inversions, and insane heights that steel coasters can offer. I also enjoy the many varieties of steel coasters. The last few decades have brought us a plethora of new ride types including dive, flying, inverted, and hyper coasters to name a few. With the many flavors of steel coasters comes an wide range of sensations that riders can experience.

Wooden Coasters: Timeless Amusement Park Staples
Woodie fans love the classic and time tested feel of being thrown around on a rickety old wooden landmark like the Coney Island Cyclone. I credit a large amount of the love for wooden coasters a result of nostalgia as many fans grew up riding them way back when.

Many woodie fans prefer the roughness for the challenge that it brings. This was no more apparent than when Intamin's first pre-fabricated wooden coaster debuted in the U.S. with Great Adventure's El Toro. Enthusiasts like myself applauded the smooth as glass ride (not to mention the abundance of airtime), but wooden purists scoffed at the idea of a wooden coaster with an overly smooth ride. They claimed that El Toro much like Son of Beast, when it had its loop, were abominations and were not what wooden coasters were meant to be.

See which side of the great debate these other theme park bloggers fell on:
Responses:
News Plus Notes
Theme Park Village
A Walk in the Park
Coasterdom
What's your take? If you had to choose one, would it be wooden or steel? Leave a comment below. Photos courtesy of CoasterImage.

Weekly Topic | Theme Park Round Table
In Response to Coasterdom's 'Trees Please'.

As Nate from Coasterdom wrote, there are two sides on the issue of having a lot of trees at theme parks. On one hand you have the enthusiasts that argue that parks look better with a greener, more natural atmosphere. On the other hand, removing trees allows for parks to create larger midways and walking areas which can keep congestion and bottlenecks at a minimum.

I'm in the former group. I'd prefer an attractive park with trees that provide plenty of shade. Trees also enhance a park's skyline. There's nothing like a lift hill rising above a vast, green forest. The abundant foliage at Busch Gardens Europe is one of the reasons I love that park. Another advantage that Nate mentioned was that the trees help to hide a coaster's layout. Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens is a perfect example. There's no way to see what's going to happen on that ride unless you actually ride it.

Aside from Busch Gardens, it seems like most of the greenest parks are smaller parks. Knoebels, Holiday World, and Dollywood all have beautiful green surroundings. Some larger chain parks do okay with the best of both worlds. I remember Six Flags Over Georgia being pretty green when I visited back in 2002.

I can also see Patt from A Walk in the Park's point. You go to theme park's for the attractions first and foremost. But if I'm asked about my favorite theme park, the first parks I think of are the most aesthetically pleasing like both Busch Gardens parks.

What's your take? Leave a comment below. Also, see Coasterdom's article and A Walk in the Park's response.

The Name Game: The Latest Coaster Name Changes Happening in 2008

Former Paramount Parks Lose Movie Licensed Names, Theming
Don't be surprised if you return to your park this summer and find that the names of a few attractions have changed. The five former Paramount Parks that have been purchased by Cedar Fair went into the final stage of their acquisition which meant the renaming of rides named after Paramount licensed movies.

Paramount didn't name a lot of their rides and coasters after movies, but both Top Gun and BORG at Carowinds were two examples of pretty memorable theming. I will definitely miss the Top Gun soundtrack in the station. And allegedly the sphere (pictured right) that riders fly around on the BORG Assimilator has been removed. At least the Nighthawk name compliments the Firehawk name which Cedar Fair gave to another flying coaster at Kings Island.

Below is a list of renamed Paramount rides & coasters:

Top Gun will be Flight Deck at Kings Island, Canada's Wonderland, & Great America
Top Gun: Jet Coaster will be Afterburn at Carowinds
BORG: Assimilator will be Nighthawk at Carowinds
Italian Job will be Backlot Stunt Coaster at Kings Island, Canada's Wonderland, Kings Dominion
Tomb Raider: The Ride will be The Crypt at Kings Island
Tomb Raider: Firefall will be The Crypt at Kings Dominion

The two wooden coasters named "Hurler" (loosely themed after the Wayne's World movies) have kept their names so far. Those Wayne's World queue and station videos are long gone, thankfully. They were funny the first 3 or so times, but after a while they were annoying. Kid rides including Scooby Doo, Rugrats, & Hey Arnold appear to be unaffected as well.

Clementon Coaster Renamed, Again
Frequent visitors to Clementon Park in New Jersey are likely getting used to that park's signature coaster getting a new name. In 2004 the S&S woodie opened as Tsunami. After the tsunami disaster in South Asia that year, the park decided to rename the ride J2. For Jack Rabbit 2 on a play of their first coaster named Jack Rabbit. Now under new management, the park has decided to again rename the coaster to Puma. And why not, there have been a plethora of coasters named Wild Cat over the years. Why not move on to another feline mascot. Hopefully, Puma will stick.

Once Abandoned Coaster Gets New Life & New Name
Red Devil, located at Ghost Town in the Sky in western NC, had a scenic mountain view, but looked a little less than safe. To me, the supports don't look rusty and not too sturdy. It doesn't help that you're on the side of a mountain. After laying dormant for a few years, Ghost Town in the Sky has reopened and Red Devil got a make over including a new paint job, refitting by local NC Safety officials and a new name, Cliffhanger. See the before and after photos.

Aftershock Wins Name Contest at Silverwood
Lastly, that Deja Vu coaster that was purchased from Six Flags Great America and moved to Silverwood in Idaho has a new name. The park held a contest and went with the name, Aftershock. I think that's a pretty original choice and it goes with the park's signature woodie called Tremors.

What do you think of these name changes? Leave a comment below. For more on names, specifically what some of the worst names are, see What's in a Name? Part 1.

Does Eagle Fortress Deserve Third Best in the World?
The interesting part of this year's Mitch Hawker Internet Poll is Eagle Fortress coming in at the third best roller coaster in the world. Eagle Fortress is an unlikely coaster to rank so high. It's a sixteen year old suspended coaster built on a hillside at Everland in South Korea. It's a controversial ranking as only six of the riders polled had ridden it. However, all six of those riders placed Eagle Fortress in their top ten and according to Mitch they were all well traveled enthusiasts.

To some, this may be looked at as a flaw in Mitch Hawker's Poll, but I disagree. The mutual ride comparisons at the heart of the poll still mean that those that rode Eagle Fortress preferred it over Millennium Force, Nitro, etc. Aside, from method, (which I completely buy into), here's an Everland trip report that includes a short review of Eagle Fortress. Maybe Busch Gardens Europe's Big Bad Wolf isn't the world's best suspended coaster.

The rider claims it's the best terrain coaster around and he's ridden the best out there including, Thunderbolt, Boulder Dash, and Beast. Of course we'd like many more riders to agree with these six that the old Arrow suspended coaster Eagle Fortress is THAT good, but we've got a handful of people that rank it really high and this counts as data. It's much better than Mitch throwing out the data versus keeping it. The asterisk is the perfect way to handle it, way to go Mitch!

Also, the next time you're in South Korea, or if you already live there, you might want to stop by Everland. With the Intamin wooden coaster T Express opening this year and Eagle Fortress, Everland may be one of the best theme parks in Asia.

Here's an onride video of Eagle Fortress. I know by now I shouldn't be surprised that someone has posted a YouTube video of this obscure coaster in South Korea, but I am.

Top Ten New Roller Coasters for 2008 | The Top 5
And now for the conclusion of my top picks for the new roller coasters opening in 2008.

5 - Fahrenheit at Hersheypark
Hershey's New Steel Looper Goes Beyond Vertical
Hershey's new looping coaster will boast a 97-degree drop which is beyond straight down. Aside from the ultra-steep 12-story drop, Fahrenheit will reach a top speed of 58 mph and traverse a twisted course of inversions. The five loops include: a corkscrew, cobra roll (2), inverted S roll, and another corkscrew. Read more on Fahrenheit at Hershey...>>>

4 - Evel Kneivel at Six Flags St. Louis
Six Flags Clones a World-Class Coaster
Six Flags St. Louis is going to introduce their 9th coaster with Evel Knievel. It will be a wooden twister designed by Great Coasters International. Knievel's layout will be an exact copy of Thunderbird at PowerLand in Finland. That's a good thing, because Thunderbird ranked 10th on the 2007 Internet Coaster Poll. If this design was a success once, it should be again. Six Flags could have another world-class wooden coaster. Read more about Evel Kneivel at Six Flags St. Louis...>>>

3 - Behemoth at Canada's Wonderland
Canada's Largest, Tallest, and Fastest Coaster
The roller coaster landscape north of the border is about to get a whole lot more interesting. Canada's Wonderland is building an impressive B&M hyper coaster that will be Canada's tallest, fastest, and largest roller coaster. Behemoth's layout is reminiscent of Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure.

As with most B&M coasters Behemoth should boast a smooth and satisfying ride. One important distinction will be the coaster's unique trains. With a kind of wing formation, each car will have two seats in the middle-front and two on either side. This will likely allow an unobstructed view of the ride. See constructions photos and watch an onride video and read more about Behemoth at Canada's Wonderland...>>>

2 - Steel Hawg at Indiana Beach
Indiana Beach Teams with S&S to Build a Landmark Coaster
Just as Indiana Beach's Crow's Nest Blog quoted me, the announcement of Steel Hawg and its insane details made my winter. As I reported, ”…with Steel Hawg’s eye-popping inversions that border on “I didn’t know that was possible”, Indiana Beach may just have a landmark roller coaster.”

Steel Hawg will be an S&S steel looping coaster with numerous one-of-a-kind elements. Its based on the appropriately named El Loco coaster from the IAAPA. The real question for Steel Hawg is whether those crazy inversions will punish its riders. I'm hoping that S&S can pull off the maneuvers in a relatively smooth fashion. Hopefully, my prediction comes true. Read more about Steel Hawg...>>>

1 - Ravine Flyer II at Waldameer Park
Ravine Flyer - The Sleeper Hit of 2008
While it's not breaking news, it is definitely newsworthy. Waldameer Park, located in Erie, Pennsylvania, is building a Gravity Group wooden terrain roller coaster called Ravine Flyer II. Gravity Group is my favorite wooden coaster company. They've produced the 2007 Golden Ticket Winning Voyage as well as the greatly underrated Hades at Mount Olympus.

It features an out and back terrain layout with some twister elements. Highlights include a 120 foot first drop, 10 moments of air time, 6 tunnels, 10 cross overs, a 90 degree turn, a view of Lake Erie, and a 165 foot bridge over a highway. In my opinion, Ravine Flyer II's the coaster that's most likely to become a classic. For construction photos and more on Ravine Flyer II including a video click here.

Check out my picks for 6 through 10 in part 1 of my Top Ten Coasters for 2008. Which roller coasters are you the most excited about? What do you think of my picks? Leave a comment below.

Predicting the Best Roller Coasters of the Class of 2008
With the 2008 season upon us I thought it was time for a countdown of the biggest and best roller coasters opening in 2008. I admit it's impossible to rank coasters I've never ridden, but how can I turn down an opportunity to do another Top 10?

10 Flying Turns at Knoebels
Knoebels to Resurrect an Extinct Type of Wooden Coaster
Keeping with Knoebels' tradition of classic wooden coasters, the park has been working on Flying Turns for the past few years. According to Wikipedia, Flying Turns was the name of a specific type of wooden roller coaster. They featured a trackless wooden chute that was twisted like a bobsled course and had toboggan-like cars. There hasn't been one in operation in over 30 years, so it seems like a great move by Knoebels to resurrect this type of coaster. Flying Turns will help to put the small park on the map, just as the airtime-packed Phoenix has, while still keeping in step with the homey old school amusement park feel. Check out these photos of Flying Turns.

9 Dark Knight at Six Flags Great Adventure, Great America, New England
Dark Knight Roller Coasters Swoop into 3 Six Flags Parks in 2008
Six Flags looks to mass produce (well mass produce in coaster terms) a new indoor wild mouse coaster for three of its parks. In 2008, Six Flags Great Adventure (Jackson, NJ), Six Flags New England (Springfield, MA), and Six Flags Great America (Chicago, IL) will get Mack Wild Mouse coasters enclosed in a Batman themed building.

Details have been sparse other than the blueprints that emerged and this concept art (pictured right) in a recent New York Post article. Some enthusiasts have been quick to dismiss the DK coasters, because the wild mouse coasters are not the most thrilling coasters, but with the dark ride feel and the right theming the Dark Knight coasters could surprise a lot of people. More on the Dark Knight coasters...>>>

8 Dominator at Kings Dominion
Kings Dominion Adds Dominator for 2008
Another Geauga Lake orphan has found a new home. The Bolliger & Mabillard floorless coaster will dominate the Kings Dominion skyline next year. Among the five inversions is the largest vertical loop on the planet. So, that will give KD's marketing department something to tout. Dominator is easily one of my favorite floorless coasters and also one of my top 10 or 15 seated looping coasters. Virginians should be excited. More on Dominator at Kings Dominion...>>>


7 - Led Zeppelin - The Ride at Hard Rock Park
Hard Rock Park in Myrtle Beach to Feature a Led Zeppelin Roller Coaster
The new Hard Rock Park set to open in 2008 in Myrtle Beach will feature a large Bolliger & Mabillard looping coaster with themed after legendary rock band Led Zeppelin. The station will be a zeppelin and the ride will be synchronized to their hit "Whole Lotta Love". Members of the band apparently worked with Hard Rock on the theming and picked the song from their catalog.

The layout of the coaster looks great. It will have six inversions (vertical loop, cobra roll, zero-g roll, vertical loop, and a corkscrew) and it will be situated partly over a lagoon. More on the Led Zeppelin Coaster and Hard Rock Park...>>>

6 - X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain
X Gets Remixed and Enhanced for 2008
X at Six Flags Magic Mountain was the world's first 4th dimension roller coaster. Instead of riding above or below the track, riders are positioned beside the track in seats that spin. Here's a really good look at one of X's trains. If that doesn't sound insane enough, Six Flags is taking X2 to the 5th dimension(?) with $10 million dollars worth of audio and visual enhancements. More on X2 as Six Flags Magic Mountain...>>>

Check out the rest of my picks, including my top pick, in the New for 2008 Top 10 Part 2. What do you think of picks 10 to 6? Do you agree with the rankings? Leave a comment below.

A Review of the Return of Coaster Radio
On February 1st, Coaster Radio re-launched. The site and podcast had gone dormant for well over a year. When I reviewed a few theme park podcasts last year I found the Coaster Radio podcast to be pretty entertaining. I was late to the party though as they had decided to stop making shows. Anyway, on the 1st the new site launched with a blog as the main page. All comments on the blog posts are directed to their forums. It's a neat concept, but requires an account to participate in the discussions.

The five members of the show have a lot of fun together. Although I can't tell all of them apart, the resulting chemistry is great. And if you're a long time listener, you probably enjoy the call-back jokes to earlier episodes. They spent a portion of the return show talking about the re-launch of the site where they fought the urge to call their site a blog. Get over it guys! Your main page is a blog, I'm not sure where the negative connotation comes from. Blogs can be pretty dynamic and a lot more than just diaries or journals. Not to mention the love search engines give blogs. Yet I digress.

Anyway, they recapped some of the major '08 roller coasters and a few news stories from 2007. Like I said, the banter is pretty amusing, albeit PG-13 at times. (Most real enthusiasts are much older than that, I just thought I'd mention it.) I'm looking forward to future shows although they mentioned that they'd only be producing three total.

Check out their complete archive of past shows here. To download the latest show click here. Ever listened to Coaster Radio? What did you think? Leave a comment below.

Now that 2007's in the history books, let's take a look back at the biggest stories of the year.

Six Flags Sold Seven Parks
In an attempt to reduce debt, Daniel Snyder (Washington Redskins owner and Chairman of the board at Six Flags) sold seven Six Flags theme parks. The seven parks were: Darien Lake (Buffalo, NY), Elitch Gardens (Denver, CO), Frontier City and White Water Bay (Oklahoma City, OK), SplashTown (Houston, TX), Waterworld USA (Concord, CA) and Wild Waves and Enchanted Village (Seattle, WA). Jacksonville-based PARC 7F purchased the parks for the price of $312 million. I haven't heard of any trouble since the transition, so I'm assuming things are going relatively well witht he new management. Read more...>>>

Griffon Made a Splash at Busch Gardens Europe
Busch Gardens Europe's long awaited 5th coaster finally debuted. The record breaking dive coaster, was worth the wait as it matched and surpassed the thrills of it's sister coaster SheiKra at Busch Gardens Africa. It also helped BGE set amazing attendance of 4 million visitors. There was also the strange incident with the college kids tampering with the restraints. Check out my complete Griffon coverage including a review and several videos here.

Maverick Opened Late, but Still Thrilled Cedar Point Guests
Cedar Point disappointed thousands when they had to postpone the opening of Maverick last May. The builders of the new launch coaster had to make a modification to the track. Unfortunately, a sick heartline roll in the final third of the ride had to be removed. I didn't get to ride it, but from what I heard it was worth the wait. For all of the Maverick news you can take including an on ride video visit my Maverick coasters news posts.

Theme Park Accidents Get Serious
Unfortunately, theme park and roller coaster accidents aren't that unusual. They're still rare when you consider how many rides are given every year, but typically about a half dozen or so notable accidents occur. In 2007, they seemed to be happening a little more often. Whether it's because of the Internet and the increased access to information or there really were a lot of accidents this year. The girl who legs were severed while riding Drop Zone at Kentucky Kingdom received a tremendous amount of national attention. Currently, she is recovering, but it's going slow. For more on the other four or five major incidents of 2007 including the derailment at Expoland, see my roller coaster accidents posts.

Geauga Lake Dried Up, Transitioned to a Water Park
The writing was on the wall last winter when the flying coaster, X-Flight was relocated to Kings Island to become Firehawk and Steel Venom disappeared from the park and resurfaced eventually at Dorney as Voodoo. Even with those two things happening, I don't think enthusiasts expected Cedar Fair to completely transition Geauga to a water park. I'd thought turning Geauga into a smaller amusement park like Lake Compounce or Knoebels made sense considering how crowded Ohio is, but I didn't think Cedar Fair would go this far. For more on the shrinking park and its adopted coasters see my roller coaster removals and relocations posts.

Voyage = Undisputed King of the Wooden Coasters
Well no roller coaster's really undisputed in the coaster enthusiast world, but Voyage claimed two of the biggest titles in the enthusiast community. In its second year in existence it snatched the Top Wooden Roller Coaster title from Thunderhead in the 2007 Golden Ticket Awards. Then, the Voyage reclaimed the top spot in Mitch Hawker's Internet Poll. This year the poll had the highest number of ballots ever. People can discuss the validity of both of these polls, but either way it's all we have and at the very least they give some direction of the best coasters on the planet. Congratulations to Holiday World! Read my full Voyage review including an onride video.

It's been a great year for the blog. Thanks for reading and stay tuned up for announcements and updates for 2008. Thanks to CoasterImage for providing great images, like photo 3 above. What were your favorite ride experiences of 2007? Mine would have to be my night rides of the Beast at Kings Island. What do you think were some of the biggest stories?

Roller Coaster Walkers - Wooden Coaster Maintenance
Last year I wrote a post on Coaster Rehab where I discussed the affects of aging on wooden coasters. The Washington Post recently wrote an article that showcased a day in the life of a Coaster Walker at Six Flags America.

Every morning at dawn, he's out there.

They all are.

The roller coaster walkers.

All across the country, where there's a wooden coaster, walkers such as Tony Zelko at Six Flags America in Prince George's County are climbing the descents, rounding the curves and double-checking every wooden plank and every nut, bolt and bit of rail.

The job is a throwback and a workout -- "think of a StairMaster on steroids," says Zelko, director of maintenance and construction at the park -- and it can be a daily meditation: "the Tao of maintenance," he says.

"It's like a big spider web, and we crawl around in it," says Rob Lattin, 28, who has been coaster-walking at the amusement park for eight years. "We're the spiders."

With steady maintenance like what's described in the article you'd think woodies like Roar wouldn't beat you up the way it does. But I guess some roughness just can't be helped. Check out the full Washington Post article here.

Top 3 Most Annoying Things at Amusement Parks
This week's topic is pretty self-explanatory. I love visiting theme parks, but here are the least enjoyable things about my visits.

3 - Coaster Misinformation
I can't count the number of times that I've been in line and overheard the most insane, unrealistic, and impossible things about the coaster I'm in line for. They are said like fact, not just an educated guess. I can't tell if people believe these things or they're making them up on the spot to kill time in line.

I know that I'm a coaster geek and I know a lot more than the average person about roller coasters, so 99% of the time I restrain myself from correcting people. I don't want to come across like that comic book geek from The Simpsons.

2 - Paying for Parking
You're already being raked over the coals with current park admission prices these days (unless you've been using my tips to find theme park coupons). But parks also charge in excess of $10 for parking. I'd love to look at a park's bottom line to see what the parking revenue goes to.

1- Line Cutters
There's nothing worse than waiting in a long line, just to have some rude people push by you to "join their friends in the front of the line". It's enough to nearly ruin a visit.

I've decided to stop letting people cut in front of me. Somehow I manage to never have to cut in line or have my friends cut in line to join me. Ride queues are first come first serve people! If I'm in line ahead of you too bad.

The "Line Cutters Beware" T-shirt can be bought at Coaster-Net.
Got a comment about this week's annoying Top 3? Got a suggestion for next week's Top 3? What's the most annoying thing you experience at theme parks? Leave a comment below.

Thinking of Going it Alone?
Are you the type that doesn't mind eating out alone? Ever go to a movie by yourself because you didn't know anyone who wanted to see a movie? Then, you might be secure enough to reap the benefits of the Solo Amusement Park Trip. First, I'm assuming that your an enthusiast, or at least some one that's itching to go to a theme park enough to consider going it alone. Again, this is more of a tip for coaster enthusiasts and serious theme park fans.

I've had to go it alone either because I was in a city on business and figured it was the perfect chance to get into a new park or because I didn't know anyone willing to take a trip and spend the money to go a theme park. There's no way I'd have been 20-some parks and ridden 130-some roller coasters if I hadn't taken some solo trips.

Benefits of Going Solo:
-There's an "I" in Solo Trips!
It's all about you! No checking on seeing what the group wants to do. In fact "the group" is completely out of the equation. (This is usually a good thing in my mind). Any group larger than say four people is going to split at some point as people like to do different things. Then someone brought the friend to the park that doesn't ride roller coasters?!?! Someone's got to stay with her while everyone else rides. Oh and Suzy doesn't like this coaster so we'll go ride this and meet you back here at 2. It's a mess! If you're like me and want to enjoy the park groups can really stink!

-Move around the park at your own pace.
Want to zip around the park, barely stopping to eat, drink, or go to the bathroom? Would you like to focus on taking some great pictures or chill out and grab a bite to eat. Not a problem.

-Ride things when you want to.
5 rides in a row on Hades? Sure. Why not?

-Single Rider Lines!
Single rider lines are a Godsend for solo trippers or even couples or groups that don't care if they ride together. Wait times can be decreased by amazing amounts on some attractions. I got hooked up by a single rider line at Six Flags New England on their brand new Mr. Six's Pandemonium. Also, often B&M roller coasters with 4 across seating will call for single riders to fill in gaps. I can't count the number of times I've cut ahead of a ton of people because the ride ops called for single riders.

Disadvantages of Solo Trips:
-No one to talk to while waiting in lines.
Just try to pick an off day like a weekday or a weekend late in the season or early in the season. Waiting in lines can be even less fun when you're alone. Although I've never tried it, you could bring an mp3 player or hand held video game system to pass the time.

-No one to ride with on "Group Rides"
Some rides lend themselves to groups more than your average roller coaster. Joining other groups and riders is always an option, but you'd have to be comfortable with that. I ride roller coasters almost exclusively only on my trips, so this isn't an issue for me.

Hear Some Other Opinions
Here's a link to a CoasterRadio podcast about Solo trips. One of the hosts of the show had qualms about doing it but then described it as liberating, because it really is all about you. He also had a really funny story about something that happened to him at Disney World, but you'll have to listen to the podcast for that. Hilarious!

If you're on the fence about trying it, give it a shot. You can't knock it until you've tried it. Anyone want to chime in about solo trips? Think it's a bad idea? Do you have any stories to share? Leave a comment below.

My trip to Cedar Point was successful. I rode my 100th coaster (Millennium Force) and ten more while I was there. The weather was a factor as it hampered ride operations all day. In fact, Top Thrill Dragster didn't run until about 3 in the afternoon. I'll be adding a full trip report soon. I'll also be reviewing the eleven new coasters that I've ridden.

Overall, Cedar Point is great and I can see why it got its reputation. Yes. They have the most coasters. Yes. They break world records. But after visiting I don't find myself looking for a house in Sandusky. In a way, Cedar Point's like other great parks. They have a few world-class coasters and a good to just average (albeit large) supporting cast of coasters. It ain't like the park's chocked full of classics and 10's and 9's. That's how people make it seem. That's all.

And I will admit that my opinion is based mostly on the coaster aspect. I do recognize that they have a great selection of flat rides and probably excel in park operations, cleanliness, etc. It's a great park, but personally, I think the park is a bit overrated. But how could it not be with all the hype that it gets? Final Verdict: Mostly Coaster Hype, Not Really Coaster Heaven

Coasters are over 100 years old. The oldest operating coaster in the world is Leap the Dips at Lakemont Park (b. 1902) in Altoona, PA. Leap the Dips operated from 1902 to 1985. Then it sat in decay until 1999 when it was restored.

Unfortunately, many coasters don't age very well and for one reason or another are never rehabed. Their rides become bumpy and rough to the point where ridership becomes low and parks have to remove them. Other coasters defy their years and still operate as great as they always have. It takes great construction in the first place, a park that cares, and sometimes re-tracking, but some ancient coasters out there run better than coasters a quarter of their age. The Comet at Hershey Park (b. 1946) and the Jack Rabbit at Kennywood (b. 1921) are two great examples. Even Raging Wolf Bobs at Geauga Lake (b. 1988) is old enough to turn into a rotten coaster with a rough ride. It doesn't take long for things to go south, see the Predator at Darien Lake (b. 1992). Thanks to a healthy re-tracking the Comet, Raging Wolf Bobs, and others have been revitalized and will continue to thrill without giving back adjustments for many years to come.

However, a failed re-tracking isn't unheard of. My ride on the renovated Cyclone at Six Flags New England was probably my most painful experience on a coaster. I got off feeling more like 62 than 26. Ouch!