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.