Date Ridden: Summer of 2007 and Spring of 2008. Times Ridden: 1 in 2007 and 12 in 2008 for a total of 13.
Once again I find myself reviewing a quaint old woodie.
First of all, the Dipper is good. During our visit to sunny San Diego last year, our time was limited and I was only able to get 1 back seat ride. I was impressed but I knew that we would be back so I held off my review.
After 12 laps, I can say that this coaster definitely deserved the reprieve it received. There is absolutely no way this thing should have been demolished or, even worse, left to rot as it was being left to at one point. Is there tons of air time? No. Is there a 150foot first drop? Uh...no again. Are there lots of fun laterals, a wonderful opening tunnel, small pops of air throughout the ride, and short lines? Yes to all of the above. As you can see in the picture, I had my own personal ride with no one else even on the train.
Despite not being tall, the first twisting drop gives a great hanging experience from the front and some floater air in the back. The ride has absolutely no rough spots to mention and is pleasant from beginning to end. And the location.........
You guys who read my reviews understand how important the surroundings are to my ride experience. The Dipper gets props here for its gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean mere yards from the park. The scenery is a definite plus.
OK, how good is the ride? I personally think its a notch below the Santa Cruz Giant Dipper. I could see myself going with a 9 here but decided on the 8 since I think it is on a peg below its northern counterpart. If you visit Belmont Park, go ahead and buy the unlimited rides wristband. It is around 30 bucks and you can get numerous rides on the Dipper with the ops not even making you get off if no one is waiting on your seat. The park also has some small bumper cars and a few flat rides as well. There are enough things to do to spend a few hours there. I personally rode everything I wanted and got my dozen rides in around 2 hours. We overall had a great time riding this piece of coaster history. And dont forget to check out the original car located in the gift shop. Now that would have been fun to ride in!!
Overall Score - 8
Ride the Giant Dipper below.
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