Wild Mouse Coasters Are Fun For All Ages
At first glance wild mouse roller coasters look like boring ‘kiddie’ rides. They’re typically no taller than 40 or 50 feet with mild speeds that top out at about 30 mph. Unlike most roller coasters that use trains with several cars, wild mouse coasters run single cars that seat four riders (two in front and two in back). Wild mouse coasters are known for their flat, un-banked track and tight hairpin turns.
The tight turns give riders the feeling that the car may just fly over the edge. If you’ve never ridden a wild mouse, they’re worth a ride. As I said, they look tame, but the turns will really catch you by surprise. I generally don’t ride them because once you’ve ridden one, you’ve ridden them all. Aside from the themed indoor versions that we’ll see this year with Six Flag’s new Dark Knight coasters, I haven’t seen a lot of variation on the wild mouse concept. For the most part they are cookie cutter installations and often even bear the name ‘Wild Mouse’.
What do you think of wild mouse coasters? Leave a comment below. Also, you can get the lowdown on floorless, dive, hyper coasters and more in my Coasterology 101 posts. Photo courtesy of CoasterImage.
September 25, 2008 at 13:58
I was looking for a coaster that used to thrill me as a kid in the NYC area in the 60's. It was called either the White Mouse or the Wild Mouse and I can't remember where it was. We used to go to a Playland but I thought it was in Rockaway, not Rye. We also went to Palisades and Coney Island. I just remember it as being a blast – basically a flat riding platform with hairpin turns that made you feel like you would go over the edge and into the water…
September 26, 2008 at 13:39
Bud, you should be able to find the coaster you're looking for in the Roller Coaster Database. Here's a picture of a Wild Mouse at Coney Island, but it doesn't look that close to the water. I found Rockaway in the database, but it didn't have a wild mouse. And Palisades had a coaster called Wild Mouse, but it was wooden.Hope this helps.
September 24, 2009 at 08:02
I rode the mouse trap rollercoaster at Hershey Park last weekend. Want to hear something funny? I enjoyed Fahrenheit more because the mouse trap actually makes me more light headed and sick feeling. Maybe it's the drastic drops and hairpin turns. I dunno. But Fahrenheit rocked!
September 24, 2009 at 12:52
Rollercoaster dude, happy to hear u enjoyed Fahrenheit so much!!! Now to get on topic, all of my friends have the same problem with the Wild Mouse……I don't get it, I never have experienced this sorta problem…… How could u ride out all extreme, and then this give you such a whirly feeling?
September 24, 2009 at 20:20
Great question RealRideWarrior. I'm not sure if it's cause it jerks fast, or what? Perhaps it's because most Mouse-coasters use a small amount of space and make very fast turns and fast drops. Mega coasters, Giga coasters, etc…I LIVE FOR, and coasters like Fahrenheit, Stormrunner, etc., but put me on a Mouse-coaster, and it makes me a bit nautious for about 20 minutes or so. I guess I'm a glunton for punishment. Hey, have you done Fahrenheit and Stormrunner at Hershey too? Great coasters!
September 24, 2009 at 21:32
I have done Farenheit…..when i went to Hershey this year for my return trip for the first time in years Stormrunner was down…….but i will be hitting Hershey again early next year, and hopefully then i can add that ride to my credits.
September 25, 2009 at 14:05
Hey guys, I got a good trick for any of you that are going to Busch Gardens Africa to pull on your coaster luvin bud. On Kumba, once out of the tunnel, make sure theyre on the right end of the train. Tell them to try to touch the grass, and it shocks you a little!
September 25, 2009 at 16:40
Now, back on topic, I think Wild Mice just try to kill you. Jerk you to one side, jerk you to the other, then slam your head against the lap bar on the breaks. Probably the best family coasters outside Disney.
September 25, 2009 at 17:42
I dont know if this is true, but I heard somewhere that next year, another coaster is coming to Universal, and not the harry potter thingy. Im talking like Hulk big. Has anyone else heard of this?
September 26, 2009 at 04:13
Yes, they will be a harry potter place there for 2011. and yes it will also be at universal. also, C.C. put up an article about it i cant send you a link but if you go to most recent articles and keep going back i`m sure you can find it.
back on topic, i don`t realy mind them but when they built the dark knight iwas realy disapointed, i thought it would be a quality in-the-dark not a suprisingly well-light wild mouse.
PS – JaMeS above, would you mind changing JaMeS to James or somthing, someone is alredy using that name and it`s realy confusing.
September 26, 2009 at 05:22
Here's the article "Robocoaster Coming to Harry Potter Land". Nothing's confirmed yet though.
September 26, 2009 at 07:57
thats me, my computer just lost all its memory
September 26, 2009 at 08:47
Guys, has anyone heard from Matthew lately?
September 26, 2009 at 14:23
Wild mouse coasters are the most scairy ride to me. They scare me way more than ttd which barely fazed me. I don't know why but I am like you rollercoaster dude.
September 26, 2009 at 14:26
Oh also I know there not technecally wild mouse's, but has anyone rode an el-dorado? I would think that they are a lot of fun. For people that don't know el dorados are coasters that somewhat resemble wild mouse's but they have much steeper drops and go upside down.
June 14, 2010 at 11:36
I acquired a disassembled Mad Mouse years ago – still stored in one of the barns at my farm. The cars are very cool.
October 10, 2011 at 19:55
My grandfather Robert James Thomas and Alf Green were the first owners of a Mad Mouse in Australia. The ride was purchased in 1960 or 1961 from England. It lived most of its working life at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds in Victoria. My father Barry was in charge of running the ride and doing all the maintainence on it. Wittingslow amusements then had the ride from about 1990 until it left the show in 2003.