Date Ridden: Summer of 2006 and Spring of 2007. Times Ridden: 4 with once in the front, once in the back, and twice in the middle portion of the train.
This version of the Giant Dipper is a wonderful and quaint old woodie with a gorgeous backdrop located right along the Pacific Ocean down in Santa Cruz, CA. My first time out here was totally unexpected. Julia and I had spent half a day at what was then 6 Flags Marine World and were ready to go somewhere else. We had intended on a full day there but the weather was really warm and there was not much there other than the floorless coaster, Medusa. We checked the distance and decided it would be nice to make the trek up to the boardwalk and walk around at night. She told me about an old woodie that she had ridden as a little girl so I was excited about it.
We didn't have but a couple of hours so we bought some tickets instead of the wristband. We each rode the other coasters as well as two rides on the Dipper itself. I was hooked from the beginning.
What makes this ride so much fun? Well, the opening drop down into the tunnel taking you to the lift hill was a unique experience for me. At the time, I was well under 100 coasters so this was a different way to begin. The Dipper does not contain a hint of roughness. It is a smooth ride with small pops of airtime and some nice laterals. The ride itself probably scores more in the 8 range but I always like to take into account the setting of any coaster and this one gets a full point bump thanks to its locale. Our night ride on the very front was a great experience.
The station is a great experience. As the train enters from finishing the course, it is possible to high five the people waiting in line as they lean over the track. If you have been there you know what I mean. If not, it is tough to describe as it is not dangerous at all and loads of fun.
If you are a lover of woodies and are in the vicinity you should not miss the Giant Dipper. I have since gotten another couple of rides as we are sometimes in the Santa Cruz area and stop in to get a quick ride since entrance to the park is free. We are hoping to get down there (or I should say up there I guess) and stay a couple of days to fully enjoy everything the park has to offer. This is definitely not the tallest or fastest, is not made of pre-fabricated wood, does not threaten to eject you from the train into the ocean beyond, but is still superbly maintained and a wonderful coaster experience.
Overall Grade - 9 (Outstanding Experience)
Take a ride on the Giant Dipper below:
2 comments:
Interesting! I think it's a rough ride with amazing airtime and nice laterals. It's currently my favorite wooden coaster.
Thanks for the post. I love the Dipper. It will probably always reside in my Top 20. It is a gorgeous ride, particularly for its age.
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