Viper

Viper at Six Flags Great America

The Facts: Viper is another great example (see The Beast) of a park building a coaster in-house…and it being awesome. She’s certainly not young either, racking in at 15 years old. Viper stands 100’ with a drop only 20’ short of her full height, and with a top speed of 50 mph, she snakes around her 3,458 feet of track in just 1 minute and 45 seconds.

As I walked up to this coaster, I saw the old Viper logo. My experience with Viper is from Magic Mountain, and the stories I heard of the old Togo at Great Adventure. Neither are pleasant allusions. I had heard this was a good ride, but I wasn’t sure if the person who said so was being sarcastic, and I was never big on cyclone coasters.

What I Like: This coaster exceeds expectations. You walk over and you see a 15 year old cyclone. So it’s 100 feet tall? Big deal. Yeah, you say that until you’re holding on for dear life on one of the best paced coasters I’ve been on. Not only that, but it has some serious air time on any sort of hill it touches. It really feels like a cyclone! On top of it all, it’s aging excellently and therefore doesn’t leave you with that nasty headache some cyclones (I’m looking at you, Six Flags New England!) are prone to. And finally, that first drop… Even in the front, you can’t tell where you’re going. Awesome.

What I Don’t Like: They tried to bank. They really did. But it was 1995, Arrow was going strong, and all the good old woodies didn’t bank, so why should Six Flags? Well, it’s not terrible, but those side wheels screeching over I think the fourth turn around…clearly something is amiss. Also, these are PTC trains we are talking about here. Don’t sit anywhere but the front. Unless you want a headache.

Tips & Tricks: I have only visited Great America once, but I can tell you that I know a thing or two about PTC trains, which Viper uses. Always ride in the very front. Always. Ride in the very back if you have a crush on your chiropractor, and ride in the middle if you like being bored, or hate lines that much. Also, you will get wild, painfully insane air in the 3rd seat. This ride is no exception.

Ranking: #7 for Wood, #13 overall.

Smoothness: 4.5/5
If it was rough, I failed to notice. I know there was some places where the banking could have been better, and there were rough patches, but I was so into it that I failed to notice.
Forces: 5/5
This thing just drags you and tosses you around like its personal ragdoll. What's the point of a seat when you're never on it? :)
Pacing: 5/5
It didn't slow down until we were in the brakes. As I mentioned, you're thrown everywhere and you have no time to catch your breath.
Drop/Launch: 5/5
Even in the front, you can't tell if you're taking the track to the left or right until you're already plummeting, stomach in your throat. This ride doesn't miss a beat.
Enjoyability: 5/5
From start to finish, this coaster is non-stop fun. Definitely a five.
Layout: 4/5
Sadly, it IS a cyclone clone, so I had to take a point off for that. It still has the layout that'll rip you from your seat, though, so it still maintains a four.

Talon: The Grip of Fear

Talon: The Grip of Fear at Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom

The Facts: Built in 2001, this B&M invert was the first inverting coaster at Dorney Park, and one of the few coasters in the world whose tracks were filled with sand to reduce the notorious ‘B&M roar.’ He stands 135’ high with a 120’ drop, and includes 4 inversions - most notably, a 98’ loop. On average, he can hit 58 mph.

What I like: Talon is a unique and compact invert. The pace is phenomenal, leaving you no room for catching your breath until you’ve hit the brake run. To top it off, there’s actually airtime after the S turn. He can get 1200 people/hour and rarely has downtime. I still get butterflies going down that first drop. Sometimes, at sunset, the sun hits him just right and he GLOWS. There's just something about being in this cramped footprint, screaming past track around you, and not being able to comprehend what is going on. It's over so fast.

What I don’t like: He is 10 years old, afterall, and not as smooth as he once was. Talon is the landmark coaster of the park, the first one when you walk in, and therefore rarely empty.

Tips & Tricks: Avoid train 2 if you can, as it is a tad rougher. The seats closest to the exit are the best, and the very front & very back are obviously the best rows. If you’re bigger, you want rows 4 & 5. Do not ride if you can’t take the occasional rough spot, or if you have new ear piercings. If you want to avoid this, shove your shoulders back and up against the shoulder restraints, and keep your head flat against the seat as much as possible. Try to hold onto the restraints itself instead of the metal handles. For God's sake, leave your loose articles - this ride pulls a decent amount of G's, and also pulls items from your pocket.

Ranking: #20 overall, #10 Steel. It’s not the smoothest, and I’m not huge on inverts or inversions, but it is fun, and the layout is banging. It got a grade of 9.00/10.

Smoothness - 4/5
Not the smoothest B&M, but it's not noticeable unless you've been on smoother.
Airtime/Inversions - 4/5
Your standard B&M inversions, which are smooth. The corkscrew at the end is brill, though, and the air time after the S turn is divine.
Drop/Launch - 4.5/5
Still gives me butterflies, but not crazy.
Thrill/Fun - 5/5
I still love riding this ride, even after all these years.
Layout - 5/5
Unique, compact, breathtaking. It's like if you took Patriot from World of Fun, and squished it all together.

My severe apologies

I was all set to join the coaster industry blog, but let's face it. I don't work well on a schedule.
So, instead, I'm going to just make this about reviewing coasters. Something I like to do. Hopefully, you'll get one once a week, but honestly, I'll just do one whenever I'm bored. I've been on around 150, so that works out about 1 every 3 days to last me a year, and I plan on upping my count this Spring.

Also, all pictures on the coasters I've been on are by me, unless otherwise specified.

October!

Woops. Looks like some time passed by. Hah. I got promoted at work, and ended up working a lot. Like, everyday a lot.

To add on to my previous post, Texas Giant is apparently getting Gerstlauer trains. I don't know much about them, but they don't seem terribly remarkable. I don't really plant to go to Texas anytime soon, so I guess it doesn't really affect me.
Similarly, nobody is really sure if the Son of Beast is done for good or not. It was definitely closed for the rest of the season as of July. I think it could just use some TLC, but that is obvious from my last post.

So, it's the Haunt season!
Unfortunately, I'm a rides person regardless, and not much for "Haunted" attractions. Mostly because people jumping out at me and screaming doesn't really bother me, and I feel like I'm a spoil sport for the actors. Also, if they do manage to scare me, I'd likely hit them. It's lose-lose, so I just don't bother much with it.
During this time of the year, I'd be taking full advantage of the low crowds and visiting parks...but I work every weekend, haha. Alas! Parks are only open on the days I work. I will be going to Six Flags Great Adventure on Columbus day, though, so perhaps I'll do a trip report on here.
Peace!

Texas Giant, and other coaster closings.

While I have never been to Texas (not that I am aware of, at any rate), I do feel very passionate about roller coasters, and decided that this is worth a look.

If you don't feel like clicking the link, or don't trust links (I understand), then I'll summarize for you:
Texas Giant at Six Flags Over Texas was closed yesterday for undisclosed reasons. Apparently, it stopped midcycle, was properly evacuated, and has yet to reopen.

Weird how so many coasters have been closing lately. Six Flags Great Adventure's Kingda Ka was down not too long ago, from what I heard. Superman: Ride of Steel at Six Flags America was also down, but apparently is back up again (well, maybe. Screamscape is my source for this, btw). And then, of course, is Son of Beast. Apparently, that one's closed due to an injury though. Well, they tell you before you ride that you're riding at your own risk. Extreme forces, hello? Yeah. They exist.

Anyway!

What's also interesting though, is that they'll be renovating the big ol' gal. I think I heard this somewhere (NPN? Yeah, think so.), but didn't know the extent of it. They're putting $10 million into new track, new trains, etc. Personally, I think that's an awesome idea. If you have a coaster that is pretty flipping amazing, but it's getting pretty rough, why trash it? It's already popular, you know people like it, so just fix 'er up.
Also, the guys that built this - Dinn Corporation - also built Hercules at Dorney and Mean Streak at Cedar Point. Neither are/were noted as being, well, smooth. In any sense. Wild One at Six Flags America, though, was built by them, too. While it's not the smoothest ride, it's still pretty fun if you choose the right seat. So the question is, is it just poor maintaining or is it the company? Or, another question could be, is it the company that is attempting to maintain it? I've heard from a nice amount of people that Cedar Fair doesn't take very good care of their woodies. Yeah, neither of the coasters of theirs that I mentioned are exactly... wonderful. But Thunderhawk here at Dorney is still fun, and pretty smooth comparitively, and Blue Streak at Cedar Point is nice, too.

So? Who is to blame for these rough coasters?
Dinn Corporation? Poor maintaining by all parties or moreso by one than the other? Or is it just how most woodies are going to end up? I mean, yeah, we all love GCIs, but look at Roar in SFA. What happened there?!*

At any rate, I really wish Dorney/Cedar Fair had thought of the renovation thing long before this and given Hercules some TLC. It really was an epic ride, it just didn't get the love it deserved.

I shall leave you with this lovely picture of the Giant that I did not take, and a promise to keep an eye on this story.




*I do not like Roar. I tried, I really did. I love Wildcat and Lightning Racers. But Roar is just so owch. I'd rather ride Mean Streak.

To help make your visit to Steel Force go a lot smoother, I have compiled a list of helpful tactics that you can keep in mind in line, when boarding, and while riding our ride.

1. Handrails.
   Listen, we want you to make it onto our ride, and not to first aid. So, please do not sit, stand, swing, lick, chew, perform acrobatic maneuvers, or do anything that involves putting the vast majority of your weight, or your mouth, on our handrails.
   
2. You must be wearing shoes and a shirt to ride Steel Force.
   We are very aware that you are allowed to take off your shoes on Possessed, Talon, and Hydra. We have a floor on our ride, though. Physics, gravity, and a lot of very intelligent scientists and engineers have concluded that your shoes will NOT fall off on Steel Force, and therefore you must keep them on.As for the shirt… that’s just decency - we are a family park after all.
   
3. Electronic devices of any kind are not allowed on any ride at Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom.
   Period. End of sentence. Please secure your phone/camera/mp3 player in your pocket for the duration of the ride, or place them in the conveniently placed cabinets in front of you. If we see you on your phone, taking pictures, or listening to your mp3 player on the lift, we are going to stop the ride, and have to ask you to give us your electronic device. You may even get kicked out of the park. You're still on the ride as you come into the station and you will be asked, or even yelled at, to keep your phone/camera away. We realize you paid a lot of money for your device and we don't want you to lose it - or hurt anybody else with it.
   
4. Gates do not open automatically.
   None of the gates at Dorney Park open automatically, as far as I know. When we say, “Push on your gates!” 2 to 5 times, please do so. If you’re in any row but the front seat, try pushing (hard) on the upper right hand corner. Front should push left. If you’re too busy talking to notice everybody else walking onto the ride, I don’t want you cursing at me when I have to explain to you that the gates are locked and you’ll have to wait ‘til the next train. We have two and sometimes three trains to run, and we can't always wait for you to notice that it's time to get on.
   
5. There are two (2) seats per row.
   There are not 4 seats, or 6 seats per row, but we still have that many people walk in through one queue gate. Please be aware of how many people are in front of you, and allow for only 2 people to board per train. They went right through the seat? The chances are pretty solid that they’re just putting their stuff in the cabinets. If you end up in their seat as they’re doing that, and they turned around to discover this, you are line cutting, and we’re going to have to ask you to walk around.
   
6. Sit in the seat you are in line for.
   Oh, look! You say. There is an empty seat over there! Let’s go down there! As luck would have it, the people who were going to ride there were just putting their personal items in the cabinets. And you just took their seat. Again, this is line cutting. It also makes it a lot easier for the attendants when there is nobody in the station and we open the lapbars manually. I don’t want to have to open a car after you just stood in the same spot for 5 minutes, for you to just go to a different seat in a car I already opened, or didn’t open. What’s easier for us means you get to ride faster.
   
7. There are seatbelts and lapbars on Steel Force.
   Shocking, I realize. So, when you sit in your seat, please buckle your seatbelt first, and then pull your lapbar down towards you. You need both. The lapbar only goes down so far, but that’s why there is a seatbelt! And you’ll be fine, even if the lapbar isn’t touching you. There are kids who just barely make the 48” height requirement and they have all managed to come back alive. This week.
   
8. Seatbelts are recoiling.
   Your seatbelt may appear to be too short, or not tight enough. But instead of panicking and yelling at me as I’m closing the gates, sit tight and rest assured: we are not going to send the train until we’ve checked you. I will get to you, eventually, if none of the other attendants do so first. In the mean time, you could attempt the following maneuver to make your seatbelt work properly:
   -Notice where the belt is coming from.
   -Attempt to push belt into the previously mentioned hole.
   -Do so until the belt is in to the base, with the gray flap sticking out.
   -Pull!
   
   
9. No rerides.
   There’s nobody in the station. More importantly, there’s nobody in line for the seat you’re in. I’m sorry, and this is genuine, I’m really sorry, but you have to get out and go around. We actually got in trouble for allowing rerides when there was nobody in line, and now we have to make everybody get out and go around. It would be much more convenient for us and for you if we could, but we cannot. Again, I apologize for the inconvenience. The main reason for this is that some kid might see you reride, not knowing that you only did so because there was nobody there, and then try to reride when there is somebody behind him. It will cause an unbelievable scene, and it's not really fair to the riders who come on later.
   
10. Talk to the attendants!
    When I say talk to us, I mean make conversation. Don't be a condescending jerk towards us. As surprising as it may be, we're people, too. If we aren't smiling, it's probably not your fault, but somebody else's. I try to talk to guests, especially those I notice riding repeatedly, and keep up a smile, but in the morning, it just isn't happening. If you want to know something ask us! If we don't know, we probably know somebody who does. We're here to make your day go well, as long as you don't break the rules. :)
    And for Pete's sake, cheer when we ask you how your ride was. Please! XD
    

There you have it! Follow those rules and you should have a very enjoyable ride on Steel Force.

Inaugural Post

Hello world!
I sort of doubt the entirety of the world is reading this, but I digress.

As I'm sure you have guessed, this blog is going to be about roller coasters. That's the plan, at any rate.
The majority of it will be about Dorney Park, seeing as I work there. I will also periodically review coasters from other parks, or even post trip reports. News, too, should crop up. I get the majority of my news from NewsPlusNotes.com, so I'm sure I'll be linking to them quite frequently.
A lot of it will be about Steel Force, to be honest. I apologize in advance.


Anyway, if for some reason you come across this and enjoy it, then, awesome!