Xcelerator - Knotts Berry Farm (CA)

Date Ridden: First in 2006 and then a few different times since. Times Ridden: 9

For all of you Top Thrill Dragster fans (and Kingda Ka fans as well), let it be known those rides would not exist had it not been for the prototype located out in Buena Park, CA. Xcelerator was the first of the launch coasters and despite its relatively tame height (a little over 200 feet....hehe) in comparison to the two monsters listed above, it is still very worth of its place in the top steel coasters in the world.

That launch is well over 80 MPH so it gets you out of there and up the top hat in a hurry. Where Xcelerator differs is that there is more track than just an up and over the hill. There are a couple of overbanked turns taken at a very fast rate of speed and then a violent stop on the brakes at the end. Overall, Xcelerator is a total adrenaline rush from the launch to the brake run.

It is easily my second favorite Intamin launched coaster behind only TTD. The restraints are identical to those found on the Dragster which leads to a more intense experience than Kingda Ka. The two trains are dispatched quickly and the race car theme of the attraction is top notch as well.

As a footnote, the ride has been down for the last three weeks and is not supposed to be up for another two. It has had some issues with downtime in the past, so you do run a risk if missing out on the coaster when visiting. Keep that in mind when putting together travel plans.

In conclusion, Xcelerator is solidly entrenched in my top 10 steel coasters. it is a smooth yet intense launch coaster which is loads of fun, particularly in the front seat at night when you have an unobstructed view of Buena Park. It grades out as a solid 9.

Ride Xcelerator below.

The Georgia Cyclone - Six Flags Over Georgia (GA)

Date Ridden: Various times over the past 15 years with the latest being Opening Day 2008. Times Ridden: Many

To begin with, I am very proud of my home park. We have one of the top 10 steel coasters in the world according to both Mitch's poll and the Golden Tickets, a well respected steel looper in Mindbender, and also a strong woodie which gets solid reviews from most enthusiasts in the GA Cyclone.

While the Cyclone is not among my favorite rides, it is still a solid ride which gives tons airtime and lots of fun. The ride is not rough as other reviews say. It is simply the design and layout which leads to a very intense ride. Are you going to get slammed around? Yes. Are you going to get thrown from your seat on approximately a half dozen occasions? Yes. Are you going to tossed from one side of your seat to the next? Yes again because that is the way the ride is set up.

I personally prefer the back seat to any other area of the train. Unbelievably the ride seems just as intense but maybe a little smoother back there than up front or in the middle. Plus the airtime is really extreme......not El Toro extreme but very good nonetheless.

The GA Cyclone gets a solid 8 from me and a spin or two on every trip I make down to Austell.

Goliath - Six Flags Over Georgia (GA)

A good review for this ride has been a long time coming. To begin with, I was lucky enough to be able to ride this monster back in its inaugural year of 2006. It instantly jumped into my Top 10 since I had only ridden about 50 coasters total. It stayed there for a long time and is currently ranked # 11 in my overall rankings, # 4 among my steel coasters, and # 6 according to The Amusement Today Golden Tickets. It is hard to believe that a world-class steel coaster is located a mere two hours from my house.

Thanks to the closeness of this ride, I currently have 83 laps on Goliath. Yep, 83. On the first day I ever rode it with one of my younger cousins back in 2006, we put 6 laps on it which i thought was pretty decent. This past opening day however, Guy and myself rode it 50 times since there were no lines. the ops were nice enough to let us stay in our seats since no one was waiting, and well, we did. And had a great time. Around lap 38, I actually begin to feel nauseated due to the huge hills located throughout the course. We took a quick break, walked around a little and I was able to suck it up and finish up our 50 laps. Other the Cannonball up at Lake Winnie, I have ridden Goliath more than any other coaster.

The ride itself features a number of large hills with the second drop actually being longer than the first which is a rarity on a coaster. The ride actually leaves the park, travels out to the interstate, and then turns back to re-enter the park and finish its course. Highlights of the ride include the third drop which takes all the way to the surface of the pond located on the other side of the parking lot, the downward helix which is the best of its type on any B and M hyper I have ridden, and the banked curve which gives the feeling that you are about to fall out of the car. The final bunny hops are taken very quickly and offer some of the best floating air on the entire ride.

Goliath is just a great coaster. It is smooth throughout, yet offers enough intensity to satisfy even the most hard-core enthusiast. I really do not understand the theme (space ships and 60's themed music on a ride name Goliath?) and the drops are not as severe as those on Nitro up in Jackson, New Jersey. However, the ride experience itself is the best of all the B and M's I have ridden placing it in the upper echelon with a very high 9 grade. Hopefully, my home park will continue the upkeep of this wonderful coaster.

Ride Goliath below.

Ghostrider (New pictures and updated review) - Knotts Berry Farm

As you read in my previous post, eight rides on Ghostrider was the highlight of my half-day trip to Knotts. I rode from the middle to the front of seven of the eight with one backseat ride thrown in. I normally like back seat rides on woodies, but Ghostrider (along with the Beast and Mean Streak) is just a little too intense/rough. From about the 4th seat and on up, it is smooth and offers a great ride. There are a number of pops of airtime, some insane laterals, and the crazy section where you drop off the mid-course break. Overall, this ride still holds a soft spot in my heart and make sure to take a couple of laps each tip out west. Ghostrider is solidly in my Top 20 despite the complaints of many enthusiasts who claim it is too rough and not taken care of. It is possibly the most popular attraction at Knotts for good reason.

Pony Express Review and Knotts Berry Farm Trip Report 10-23-2008

My latest coaster trip out west was a definite success. Besides seeing some outstanding pieces of roadside American located in LA, I also had a great time visiting Knotts for about a half a day. The park was totally dead with all rides being walk-ons and half-empty trains the norm for all the coasters. With park closing at 5:30 in preparation for the Haunt, I guess people were simply not willing to pay full price for what amounted to half a day. With our

season passes, we had no problems visiting.

The trip to Knotts had a three fold purpose. First, I wanted to ride the all new Pony Express to add to the credits. Secondly, I hoped to spend some time on Ghostrider, one of my Top 20 rides out of over 300. Thirdly, I had been staring at the 9 as far as laps go on Xcelerator and was ready to hit double digits on it. Well, two out of three is not bad since Pony Express was running, Ghostrider was virtually empty but Xcelerator was down for maintenance. One of the workers said it would be 2-3 weeks before it would be running again. However, 8 rides on Ghostrider, including one where I was the only rider on the entire train, made up for the lack of Xcelerator. As far as Pony Express goes, it is a family oriented ride. The launch from 0-38 mph was very weak in terms of an adult coaster. However, I was very pleased with the ride because it continued the Knotts trend of building rides that all members of the family can enjoy. It is a unique coaster and I can just see younger kids jumping of the ride and getting straight back in line.

I love to see that excitement and kudos to Knotts for focusing on the younger generation.

In addition to this ride, I got in 8 laps on Ghostrider and 1 on Silver Bullet giving me 20 total rides for the day. Adding in the great lunch we had in Mrs. Knotts kitchen, our time spent here was wonderful. Knotts is one of the few parks I can visit and simply enjoy the ambience of the place without worrying about running around riding coasters. The park itself ranks easily in top 5 with a solid trio of coasters, the best woodie in California despite the complaints of many enthusiasts, and a good overall atmosphere. Pony Express grades out as a 6 which is above average for a family oriented ride.

Take a ride on it below.

Raptor Picture Update

Greetings from the west coast. With some computer problems at home, plus the flight out here to California, I have missed a few days. I visited Pacific Park today down in Santa Monica and will hit Knott's for about half the day tomorrow. For tonight, I'll update my Raptor review with a few pics from our last trip to Cedar Point. Thanks for reading.

Mindbender - Six Flags Over Georgia (GA)

Date Ridden: Many times over the last 20 years. Times Ridden: Lots of times in every seat.

I have a number of things to discuss regarding this wonderful old ride at my home park and I really don't know where to begin. I think I'll start with nostalgia.

Growing up and visiting Six Flags was always a fun experience and I can remember the Mindbender being the featured attraction. I was too small for it and would have never ridden it anyway. As I got older and was able to ride it, it scared me to death. It was tall, fast, and the part at the top of the lift hill where the train completely stops and then creeps around the curve before dropping into the first loop is among the scariest moments you will ever find on a thrill ride. I can remember when they re-themed the ride into that of the supervillain Riddler to go along with the Batman ride next to it. The themeing still exists today as both the track and the surrounding water elements (which the ride makes extensive use of) are colored green.

OK, enough nostalgia. As a current amusement park ride, Mindbender has its

definite pluses. Other reviewers have noted the presence of the inversions minus the OTSRs. That is a definite plus. The loops are also very intense with centrifugal force pinning you to your seat. One loop is located directly near one of the water falls which adds to the ride visually. The ride is also very smooth with no jackhammering or karate chops to the spine present.

So why only an 8? Despite the positive listed above, Mindbender is just not that great. I realize that the coaster is an engineering marvel for its time, but there is absolutely no way it is in the top 25 steel coasters in the world as the Golden Tickets continually place it. Having ridden over 300 coasters, I would place it in my top 50 but not any higher. I'm going with an 8 because I feel that rides like Goliath, Apollos Chariot, and Nitro deserve 9s and this creation from the 70s is nowhere near their class. I love the Mindbender and the memories that it brings back to me, but still cant justify a higher rating despite what most critics say. I'll always ride a couple of times on each trip as the line is virtually non-existent and appreciate the place it holds in many coaster enthusiasts hearts. I just don't understand the critical acclaim that it receives. Oh well.

Overall Rating - 8

Ride Mindbender below.

Ravine Flyer Picture Update

I've added a few pics of the coaster ranked Best New Ride of 2008. The coaster is well worth all the praise it has been receiving. It is almost a perfect combination of an classic older ride with the highly intense and newer thrills of a Gravity Group design. It is amazing that such a small park as Waldameer has such a great ride.

Just and FYI: the park is only about 2 hours east of Cedar Point. It is well worth the easy drive if you are in the Sandusky area. You have some options of buying tickets specifically for the coaster (they run about 4 bucks a ride) or purchasing an all you can ride wristband for a little over $20.00 The RFII is worth every penny and every second spent driving. The park is easy to find as it is only a few miles off the freeway. The park itself has a laid back and family oriented atmosphere and the view from the top of the lift hill of the ride itself is unparalleled. It is definitely a destination coaster for any enthusiast.

Mantis - Cedar Point (OH)

Date Ridden: Summer of 2006 through 2008. Times Ridden: 6

I like to sit down in a coaster. I do not like to fly, hand, or most assuredly, stand up. Coasters are made to sit comfortably in, not be a torture device with some type of gimmicky restraint system. For that reason, I do not like Mantis. As far as stand-up coasters go, it probably ranks toward the top. B and M did a decent job with the elements. Intensity is definitely not lacking either. However, I simply can not get comfortable unless I am sitting comfortably and that is impossible on Mantis.

When going up the lift hill (and it is very tall), you know that pain is on its way. We here at Coaster Reviews use what we call "The Turtle Method", which means we stand and lean as far out as possible with our heads so we do not bang our ears on the restraints when going through the elements offered by the ride. However, while this helps to avoid a headache, it does nothing for the neck pain that takes place afterward as well as possibly being dangerous. With the head flopping around all over the place, I would definitely not recommend that riding style, however I specifically prefer it to getting my ears bashed.

I really do not hate Mantis. The ride itself looks wonderful, is very intense, and normally has a very short line. I simply do not like stand-up coasters. The GA Scorcher at Six Flags over Georgia is probably my favorite stand-up simply because it is the shortest in length and ride duration. I had rather sit down and enjoy my coasters. That's just how I am.

Overall Rating - 6 (mainly for intensity and aesthetics).

Ride Mantis below. If you watch the people in the camera,, you will see the numerous examples of "ear-banging" into the restraints. Trust me, that hurts.

Wildfire - Silver Dollar City (MO)

Date Ridden: May of 2007 Times Ridden: 5 in a wide range of seats including once in the front and twice in the back.

Wildfire is a very solid B and M sit down looper located in a gorgeous area of the country. I am well aware that SDC is not known for its thrill rides. The park was packed on the day we went, but Wildfire was a walk-on as there were a number of elderly visitors interested only in the numerous exhibits and shows. Two trains were being run and there was no problem in getting numerous rides. The ride ops were even nice enough once our ride was over to let us off and line up on the side we exited at in order to fill in empty seats on the next train. I never left the station in getting my 5 consecutive rides.

What about the ride itself? Well, my favorite part was the initial drop into the large loop. I was surprised at the length of the drop (in excess of 100 feet)and was pleased with the ride overall. The corkscrews at the end were a little uncomfortable which makes this ride a slight step below other B and M loopers like Hulk and Kumba. However, I am going with the 9 because, once again, the location and visuals are worth a bump up. The coaster itself is probably an 8 but located on the side of a mountain giving a beautiful view of the Ozarks is worth an extra point. An 8.5 would probably be a little closer to the truth, but I had tons of fun getting re-rides as well as enjoying the view. I definitely recommend this as a coaster to ride on the front row thanks to visuals. Take a trip out to Silver Dollar City and enjoy this little B and M gem in the heart of the mountains.

Overall rating - 9.

Ride Wildfire below.