The Carolina Cyclone - Carowinds (SC)

Date Ridden: Summer of 2007 and 2008. Times Ridden: 2

There is nothing wrong with being average. Despite most of my reviews receiving scores of and 8 and above, over half of my 328 coasters score in the 7 or lower range. These are normally coasters at parks that are not as famous and, let's face it, not as good, as the others I have ridden.

The Carolina Cyclone is one such coaster. To begin with, it is a steel looping coaster, not a wooden coaster like the original Coney Island Cyclone. The ride consists of vertical loops and corkscrews and, despite its age, is still relatively smooth.

The restraint system is not the greatest in the world, but is still not a horrible ride so there is not a lot of head banging and ear bashing. One good thing is that we have only ridden this specific coaster in the first third of the train. I have found that on sit-down steel loopers, the back is to be avoided at all costs as the force of whipping the train through the inversions leads to a great deal of discomfort on any looper not built by B and M. I avoid riding in those positions.

So anyway, I guess an average coaster deserves only an average review. When at Carowinds, don;t forget about the old girl toward the back of the park. The lines are never long and the ride is ok. I do not regret any of my rides on the Carolina Cyclone......because there is nothing wrong with average.

Overall Rating - 7

Ride the Carolina Cyclone below.

Steel Hawg - Indiana Beach (IN)

Date Ridden: Labor Day weekend of 2008. Times Ridden: 1 in the front seat.

Wow!This is my second Indiana Beach coaster review and there will probably be more to come as the week progresses. As far as this ride is concerned, I have to say I am impressed. When I saw the lay-out and the restrain system, I was ready for some serious pain as this little coaster looked seriously intense. The steepest drop in the world and some crazy inversions and transitions on this ride looked like total insanity. I was not far from wrong but the coaster is not as rough as I thought. At least for me it wasn't.

I may catch some criticism for this, but Steel Hawg looks and rides like a Mad Mouse/Wildcat on steroids. I understand that it is not a mouse ride per se as it does not contain the switchbacks or quick turns but I still got that feeling while in line and while riding. It basically has three elements. They include the steep 120 degree first drop, the twist and dive inversion similar to the one found on the former Manhattan Express in Vegas, and the zero-g roll right at the end. These three elements are each very unique due to the small size of the 4-seater cars. The restrains are not really the "over the shoulder" types that one normally sees on looping coasters. Instead they use a hydraulic type system to lower the top shoulder restraints into place as well as the lap bars. For me, the restraints were ok, but Julia, who is a bit shorter, said she had terrible problems. That made me wonder, so for the rest of the day I asked a variety of people in the park who had ridden the ride if they thought it was comfortable. I made special note of their sizes and heights. For the most part, riders between 5'9 and 6'0 were satisfied while those much shorter or taller said the ride was uncomfortable. I am around 5'11 so I fit just fine. Larger guests in general said they felt cramped and would not ride again. That might be something to keep in mind as the restraints are very unique.

As for the ride itself, I have to say I was impressed. The first drop was pretty darn good despite being very short. It is nowhere near as good as the steep drops on Maverick or Fahrenheit since the lift hill on the Hawg takes you up and around a curve before you drop. Still, the forces are there and it is actually pretty scary. The twist and dive produces some serious hang time and the zero-g/barrel roll at the end is smooth as well.

The ride is very short but still offers enough unique elements for me to give it an 8. It is by no means a landmark coaster or a destination ride. It is probably the 3rd best coaster in the park but it does offer some elements rarely seen on larger rides. Be prepared for about a 30 minute wait as the capacity is horrible. They have four cars but were only running two when we were there. Everything else in the park was a walk-on but we had to wait a while on this.

It is still tough for me to look at this as anything but a pumped up mouse despite its unique thrills. I enjoyed the Hawg immensely but just can't go above an 8.

Overall Rating - 8

Check out Steel Hawg below.

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster - Disney's Hollywood Studios (FL)

Date Ridden: 1-1-2008 Times Rdden - Once in the back seat.

Hmmmmm.....this ride seems to receive either outstanding reviews or poor reviews so I'll try to shed a little light on why I think its pretty good.

First, the launch is excellent. I prefer the back part of the train (limo in this instance) on launched coasters because to me it makes the launch seem longer and faster. The launch compares favorably to that of the Flight of Fear rides at KD and KI in that you are blasted into darkness. Entering the trains and beginning the ride builds up a great deal of anticipation for what is a very good launch. The ride itself is solid with only a few cases of minor head or ear banging. I once again used what I call "The Turtle Method" to avoid getting my ears bashed too badly.

The ride theme is excellent, the soundtrack is outstanding (if you like Aerosmith obviously....the song I heard on my ride was Dude Looks Like a Lady) and the entire experience is a pleasurable one. I felt the pre-show was lacking as the band performs much better as musicians than they do as actors. However, at least there is an attempt made to theme the ride and it does rate as well above average.

I'll give this an 8 but I do not think it is on par with Everest or California Screamin. It is more of a 7.5 type of ride but I'll go with an 8. Make sure to get your fast pass or make use of the single rider line. With this ride being close to Tower of Terror it is easy to knock off both of these attractions at once. I would recommend getting your fast pass for this ride (the wait is usually longer here) and then riding TOT which I think is better anyway. Just a suggestion that we found worked well.

Overall Rating - 8

Check out the video below dealing with the Rock-n-Roller Coaster on Modern Marvels.

Leap-The-Dips - Lakemont Park (PA)

Date Ridden: Summer of 2008. Times Ridden: 1

Welcome to a short review on the most significant coaster operating today. Well, that may be a little dramatic, but Leap-The-Dips is the oldest operating coaster in the world. It has been in existence since 1902 and thanks to some TLC from the current ACE organization is still running wonderfully.

The ride itself is known as a side-friction coaster in which the car continuously bounces along the track at a whopping 7 MPH meandering along and at times "leaping the dips" which are tiny 4 -5 foot drops along the track. There is only 1 car which seats two riders in the front and two in the back. Think of the typical Santa Clause sleigh minus the package of presents in the back and you have the Leap-The-Dips car. There are no restrains/seat belts as one climbs in, is pushed to the lift hill by the 14 year old ride op, and off you go. The ride seems fairly lengthy mainly because it is so slow. However, for a coaster of its age and historical importance it is a fun and smooth ride.

Lakemont Park itself is a small park with three coasters including the Starliner which overlooks the local minor league baseball field. We entered on a weekday morning and paid 3 bucks for a ride all day wristband. We only had about an hour but it was an hour and 3 dollars well spent. I am confused as to why the park does not market this ride more. Being the oldest coaster in the world, they have an excellent drawing card to bring in visitors as the park is located right off the freeway. A few billboards and a cheap ride ticket for the Dips would bring in even non-enthusiasts who wanted to simply say they had ridden the oldest operating coaster.

I absolutely loved the ride. I actually debated on giving it a 10 as there is nothing in the world to compare it to but decided on a 9. It is definitely a ride I personally will never forget. I hope and pray that this wonderful little piece of Americana continues its run for another 100 years.

Overall rating - 9

Leap-The-Dips below.

Alpengeist - Busch Gardens Europe (VA)

Date Ridden: Summer of 2007 and 2008. Times Ridden: 2 with once on the front and once toward the back.

OK, this thing is huge. Alpengeist is one of the top ranked inverted coasters in the world mainly due to its enormous size. It is an absolute must-ride on the front seat as the view dropping down the almost 200 foot first drop is spectacular.

Everything about Alpengeist is big. The Cobra Roll is gigantic as is the vertical loop. The ride is themed very well like everything else at Busch Gardens. Along with Montu (another Busch Gardens coaster) there is probably more attention to detail paid than on any other invert I have ridden.

Now, what does all this mean? First it means that despite some flaws, Aplengeist is a great coaster. The problem with the ride being so huge is that the inversions seem forceless at times. It is like the ride is crawling through them offering good hang time but little else. On most cobra rolls, the whipping action pins the rider to the seat. On this ride, there is actual hang time as the train meanders through the element.

For the reasons listed above, this is a commonly criticized coaster. It does not in my opinion rank above Montu or Raptor, but is a unique attraction due to its enormous size and gigantic elements. I enjoyed the ride immensely although it does slow down significantly toward the end. It is still fun and is a can't miss attraction while at Busch Gardens. Thanks to the wonderful first drop, it grades around a 8 which I will bump up to a low 9.

Overall Rating - 9.

Ride Alpengeist below.

The Cornball Express - Indiana Beach (IN)

Date Ridden: Labor Day weekend of 2008. Times Ridden: 10 all over the train.

The Cornball Express was our reason for visiting Indiana Beach. This coaster is constantly ranked among the top wooden coasters in the world and I really wanted to see what the hype among enthusiasts was all about. Based on the short, intense layout, I was fully expecting a Top 20 ride with possibly a perfect score. Unfortunately, I did not get that but Cornball is still pretty good.

The ride has 3 or 4 serious moments of air time in both the front and back seats. My first ride was toward the middle and it was very underwhelming. The front is probably the best seat (I rode it at night for my final ride) but the back is excellent also. One problem is that the single train has really taken a beating and needs some serious TLC. When riding the back seat, there was a screw that kept popping out on the car in front of me causing a piece of trim to flap around right in front of me. I was constantly taking off my shoe and hammering it back down into place so as not to get my eye put out. I mentioned this to a ride operator who just smiled and said they would work on it before the next day. The ops themselves were very friendly and allowed re-rides without having to walk around if there were empty seats. That is always a plus, but it is also important to make sure all screws are locked down tight.

Each seat on the train had numerous signs of wear and tear on the restraints and the seats themselves. Some of the seatbelts were very ragged as well. All of the problems seemed very minor. I think just fixing a few areas could really make this thing look and ride like the world class coaster it has the potential to be.

Let's face facts. This ride could score a 10. It has enough airtime, a smooth track, and only a buzz bar/seat belt restraint system. These three facts, plus the fast and friendly station crew (despite their adversity to a simple screwdriver) make this a fun experience. The view of Lake Shafer was gorgeous as well.

In conclusion, riding in the middle of the train gets a solid 8 while the front and back are very high 9's. I do score rides based mainly on my experience and I had a great time on the Cornball Express. I will give it a 9 with a little more love by the park bumping up into the ranks of the top wooden coasters in existence. As of right now however, it is not there.

Overall Rating: 9

Ride The Cornball Express below.

The Flying Super Saturator - Carowinds (SC)

Date Ridden: May of 2007 Times Ridden: 1 (facing backwards)

So far I have reviewed a number of large and impressive coasters since they are my preference when it comes to theme park thrills. However, once in a while along comes either a flat ride (Maxair/Delirum or Skyhawk, a totally immersive attraction (Tower of Terror or Indiana Jones and the Forbidden Eye), or a 3D dark ride extravaganza (Curse of Dark Castle/Spiderman) that offers a top of the line blast of a good time. Sometimes even a log flume (Rip-Saw Falls) can do the same thing. I prefer coasters, but I really enjoy these other attractions as well.

Now where was I going.....oh yeah. The Super Saturator.... Is it a coaster or simply a "theme park experience". As a coaster, this ranks in the family coaster range of a 5 or 6 on par with Swamp Thing at Wild Adventures/Cypress Gardens or Runaway Reptar at Carowinds itself. However, I am not going to critique it as such. I am going to base my grade (a solid 8 ) on the entire attraction and the amount of fun one can have by participating.

First, you WILL get soaked. There is no question about that. Most riders take the easy way out and simply bomb the people in line since they are sitting targets. We were drenched well before getting on the ride itself. I am assuming that most people know each rider has a "water bomb" that can be used one time by pulling a lever. While you are riding, bystanders are manning water cannons and pushing buttons activating water explosions in order to further soak you. You have the option of attempting to hit these people instead of the Innocent and defenseless targets standing in line. While waiting in line, we noticed one girl (rather large in skin tight white leotards and a white top) firing a water cannon toward the end of the ride. She was absolutely soaking people and most all of the riders had already emptied their bombs by the time they reached her. She was a having a blast. It was at this point that me and my partner/girlfriend made a vow.....white leotard girl would pay and pay severely.

We watched as other cars moved along the track. We watched as they released their bombs and decided on the precise point at which we were to send down the water laden "Fat Men" from our Enola Gay suspended coaster car. When the time came (we had decided upon the back seat so we could see her reaction) we dropped and released......and did we ever connect!!

She never knew what hit her as she had no clue we were armed as we came by. The que line let out a huge cheer as we moved back toward the station house....alas we were pummeled by an 8 year old at the final point blank water cannon (he hit me directly in the eye) but it was still worth it. As we exited, the spandex lady had left probably due to the necessity of changing clothes into something less revealing.

We on the other hand, found a spot in the sun and attempted to dry off since it was a semi-cool day. Our wait for the ride was only about 20 minutes but it still had terrible capacity as we were almost on the steps once we walked through the line. Its sad that this ride is no longer running since it was great fun for the entire family. I am going with the 8 due to the uniqueness and the overall fun factor. High thrills were not an expectation for the SSS, but loads of laughs were. And this little ride delivered.

Overall Rating: 8

watch the Super Saturator in action below.

Vortex - Canadas Wonderland (Ontario, Canada)

Date Ridden: Summer of 2008. Times Ridden: 1

Vortex is a suspended coaster (some people call them "basket rides") in the far, far north. It is among the top coasters at CW and ranks second to the Big Bad Wolf at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg among suspended coasters. It offers an enjoyable climb up the top of the signature mountain in the middles of the park, a great first drop, and lots of speed and swinging which is what a good suspended coaster does.

The line is normally backed up out of the que but does move very quickly. A full que seems to be about a 30-45 minute wait which is not bad. The ride itself seems to be well maintained and the station crew does a wonderful job of hurrying people on and off. There are no signature or stand-out moments on the ride but there is nothing that bad either.

Despite its location at one of my most despised parks, Vortex is the perfect example of the average coaster. It does not offer an outstanding ride, but does not offer a horrible experience either. It is not a fast ride but is not slow either. I was not really comfortable in the trains, but was not really uncomfortable. Everything it is designed to do, Vortex does and for that it should be commended.

I enjoyed my single ride on Vortex but do not plan to visit again anytime soon. CW in general suffers from horrible park operations, poor customer service and massive amounts of people. Visit the park at your own risk but if you do, take a pin on this ride. It is one of the only decent rides at the entire park.

Overall Rating - 7

Ride Vortex below.

Lightning Racer - Hersheypark (PA)

Date Ridden: Summer of 2008. Times Ridden: 4

Every so often, you hear of a coaster that sounds so unique and interesting that when it is finally ridden, there is the inevitable let down. On our summer trip of 2008, Lightning Racer unfortunately fell into that category due to a number of reasons. However, lets look at some of its positives first.

Lightning Racer is considered to be a dueling or racing coaster due to the fact that it contains two coaster trains which run simultaneously along two different tracks. The coasters in this case (named Lightning and Thunder) begin on staggered lift hills and are constantly flying beside and around the other coaster train. This technique is done to perfection with IOA's Dueling Dragons (see my review) and this ride is almost as good. Unlike other racing coasters, (Gemini at Cedar Point, Gwazi at BGA, etc.) it is never known which side will win. We rode each side twice and won both times on the Lightning side and once on the Thunder side. There are a variety of factors which cause once side to finish first and probably the way I leaned forward and yelled at the top of my lungs are not among them. Regardless, the racing aspect is great fun and adds to the overall experience.

Both sides are also silky smooth with nary a hint of roughness. There are very few, if any, pops of airtime but there are tons of laterals which make up for it. The quick directional changes and transitions are smooth, fast, and fun as well. So what is the problem?

This sounds dumb but I really don't know. I do have a few ideas but am not really sure if any of them are legit. This ride is a capacity machine since it runs two trains on each side. However, on our visit they had the entire middle of each train roped off. They only opened about 4 seats on the front and 4 on the back. I am not sure if this is standard procedure on slack days but this led to wait time in the station. Now granted, the wait time was not significant (less than 10 minutes) but as an enthusiast I was wanting re-rides. I do not think there would have been a problem filling each train on each ride so that was not an issue.

It's also known among coaster enthusiasts that wooden coasters run better when the trains are full. The added weight usually adds speed and thus the elements are more enjoyable. Since wooden coasters do not have inversions (except for the former Son of Beast at King's Island) the laterals and speed are very important. Since Lightning Racer was not running full trains, I think some of this was lacking.

Then again, I was looking for a better version of Dueling Dragons and this ride is definitely not that. Since wood is my preferred material of choice when riding coasters, I was fully expecting this ride to dive into my top 10 among the great woodies. Alas, it is not even in my Top 20 despite the high score I will still give it. Maybe another day the Coaster Reviews Staff can make it back to Hershey and give this thing another whirl or two. Until then, Lightning Racer gets a solid 9 and, despite its shortcomings, is still the best ride in the Land of Chocolate. And it has a short wait.

Overall Rating - 9

Ride Lightning Racer below.

Storm Runner - Hersheypark (PA)

Date Ridden: Summer of 2008. Times Ridden: 1 in the second seat.

Here again, is a unique Intamin ride. Storm Runner, has a powerful launch, a great Top-Hat, and an intense inversion called a Flying Snake Dive. This thing has to be seen to be believed. However, like so many Intaim rides that have been built recently, the restraint system causes a point to be taken away in my book.

Millennium Force and Top Thrill Dragster are 2 Intamin rides that have received perfect 10's from me. That is not due to the fact that they are located at Cedar Point but rather due to the simple lap-bar style restraint system they have. However with Kingda Ka and their other looping sit-down coasters, these restraints just cause me to have to fight to be comfortable and that is not what a perfect coaster does.

Maverick, Farenheit, and Storm Runner are all very similar to me. They are outstanding rides that could be 10's if their restraints were a little more comfortable. I still recommend the method I described in my Maverick review of placing the elbows against the back of the car and pushing forward slightly when entering an inversion. However, on Storm Runner, I was not prepared and took two seriously hard shots to the neck going through inversions.

I will still give the ride the benefit of the doubt and score is as a 9. I know that with another ride, I would have been prepared and enjoyed the elements much more. Some positives of the ride include the launch, the top hat, and the unique inversions. Just be prepared when you enter them or you will leave with a sore neck.

Overall Rating - 9.