If what they did for Verbolten is the new starting line for themeing to come, then we really have some exciting things to look forward to. The detail the have put in here…there is almost too much to look at. With how quick they were loading yesterday, there was so much I missed out on. Not only should you be excited about riding multiple times to be able to get all the stories in the event building, you should also be excited about getting in that queue house to see all the little details put into it. I am still so impressed just by the stuff in the flipping line. – RocketChk on BGWFans

The whole ride overall was better than I expected, but it did still seem like a “Family Ride.” It did seem a little rough though – I think Griffon and AC are still by far the smoothest, but the Black Forest was absolutely astonishing and the drop track was great! It’s hard to believe that not too long ago we saw the drop track bare and alone with nothing but concrete around it. – Kingadam on BGWFans

The reviews I’ve read have seemed to be overwhelmingly positive. I should get to ride Verbolten for myself in a few months. Until then I’m going to do my best ostrich impression and try not to read too much about what goes on inside the event building. For that reason, I’m providing a link to an authorized POV video, but I’m not embedding it like I usually do.

We all know that it’s dark in there, there’s a section of track that drops and there are special effects. That’s all I want to know for now, but if you want to see it all, here’s a POV video of Verbolten at Busch Gardens Williamsburg that was shot with the permission of the park.

Also, here’s a video of some of the Oktoberfest area surrounding Verbolten as well as the ride’s station and queue courtesy of Behind the Thrills.

X-Flight opened last week and from the footage I’ve been seeing, the ride looks incredible. Just as the animated videos and images showed, X-Flight is packed with inversions and great looking near-misses. I’m still feeling pretty good about picking it as my most anticipated roller coaster of 2012. Here’s a sample of some of the rave reviews that X-Flight has been receiving:

I got four rides on it today, and it didn’t disappoint. The hang time on the first drop-version is solid regardless of where you’re sitting, and everything that follows is an element or strong transition to an element. The headchopper after the keyhole is cringeworthy, because that roll seems to go on forever. – CMV on Theme Park Review

I rode X-Flight earlier today, and it greatly exceeded my expectations. The forces are strong, although very tolerable, and the ride is flat out fun. Everything about this ride is great for its own reason, with the inverted drop and key hole being my favorite parts. The barrel roll takes a seemingly long time to maneuver, and is one of my favorite inversions. The ride is also one of the smoothest I’ve ridden. – Airtime & Gravity on Theme Park Review

Here’s an off-ride video of X-Flightwith some awesome views of the near-misses and the Foo Fighters providing the sound track:

I rode it 4 times today in all different parts of the train and its just flat out fun. Good forces in the front and back with great hang time in the middle. I personally think the best seat is front row on the right wing, because you are literally hanging upside for the majority of the first drop and you get to see that control tower coming right at you. Plus you get a good look at all of the brakes and friction wheels. I think Six Flags has a winner. – Commando on Theme Park Review

And here’s a POV video of X-Flight at Six Flags Great America:

The “each seat provides a different ride experience” statement is especially true when the train maneuvers the first drop. Right-side riders dip down, and left-side riders dip up as the train slowly travels through the twist into the dive drop. – John on Coaster 101

I’m still planning on making it out to Six Flags Great America later this summer. So, check back for my own review of the ride in a few months.

Have you ridden X-Flight? Leave a comment below and rate it via the poll below.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

Hersheypark’s been putting its new roller coaster, Skyrush, through the paces. Sporting Intamin’s new 4-across seating and floorless outer seats, Skyrush can be seen zooming through its yellow track in these two videos.

Skyrush’s First Test Run: A Keystone Milestone

The first video is described as Skyrush’s first ever test run, but I’m not sure how enthusiasts would know that unless they’ve literally camped out right outside of Hersheypark for days…. Which come to think of it, isn’t that unlikely for us geeks. Okay, so it’s probably the first test run like the videos says.

Here’s a video of Skyrush testing at Hersheypark courtesy of All American Thrills.

Skyrush’s Second Test Run: G-Forces & OMG’s

The more entertaining of the two videos is the one below which is allegedly the second ever test run. I much prefer this video with its numerous “OMGs” from the videographers. There’s also a bit of drama when at the 1:08 mark something falls off of the train. I’m guessing that hill produces some real airtime! At least it didn’t appear to be one of the dummy’s limbs like in the wacky publicity stunt Thorpe Park did promoting The Swarm.

The filmers probably fall into the general public (GP) category. At one point someone says that the U.F.O. (unidentified falling object) was: “probably loose screws”. Let’s hope Skyrush will be designed better than that. Here’s a video of Hersheypark’s Skyrush second test run. You can skip to 1:00 as that’s when it crests the lift hill.:

Skyrush looks a lot more interesting to me than it did in its first animation video. The trees and terrain look like they may add a lot, especially for outer-seat riders. Hersheypark may have a great ride on their hands. We’ll see soon as Skyrush is scheduled to open May 26th.

For more, check out Hersheypark’s official Skyrush page. Also read more about my take on the ride when it was announced: Skyrush to Fly Over Hersheypark

How do you think Skyrush looks? Can you count the OMG’s or guess the age of the filmers in the second video. Leave a comment below.

Of course, this kind of move is going to stir up the roller coaster rumor mill. But what do you build in a theme park that has everything? With 16 roller coasters they’ve got many of the major ride types covered. They’ve got woodies, an inverted coaster, a suspended coaster, three launch coasters, two kiddie coasters, a twin racing coaster, a mine train coaster, a bobsled coaster, a stand-up coaster, a hyper coaster, a giga coaster, a shuttle coaster, and an old-school looper.

The latest rumor from Screamscape references green B&M track that’s been spotted at the Ohio plant. The popular thinking is that Cedar Point could be looking to add a Wing Coaster like Wild Eagle and X-Flight. I’d be fine with that, but I’d really rather seem them give Mean Streak the Rocky Mountain topper track before they build anything new. In my opinion, woodies are a big hole in Cedar Point’s vast lineup.

See a complete list of Cedar Point’s roller coasters.

What’s your take? Which type of roller coaster would like to see at the Point? Vote in the poll and leave a comment below.Image used with permission via CoasterImage.com. Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

After boarding the ride’s boats, I shoved off into the world of Atlantis, the mythical underwater city. For a while, guests float their way through the elaborately themed scenery until the tour takes a turn. The female voice you’ve been hearing as your guide turns out to be Medusa. Spoiler Alert: She’s not very hospitable and apparently, she’d like to send riders down a large drop. Maybe she’s upset about the Bizarro re-theming. The boat rounds a corner and approaches a dark lift hill with glowing green eyes at the top. This has to be pretty freaky for younger kids. As you crest the hill, the doors swing open and you drop down the ride’s largest plunge. I’ve never really gotten that wet and I tend to sit towards the front middle.

Now outside for on-lookers to watch, the boat floats around a curve to the right. It just so happened that the skies had opened up since I had boarded. So, even though I survived the splash without getting too wet, I was getting rained on steadily. The boat passed a ride op standing at a kind of mid-point station. After a very brief pause, the boat dropped into a bit small stretch of rapids and then up another lift hill as Medusa starts talking trash again. In case you haven’t noticed, there have been zero roller coaster elements to this point. At the top of this lift, you find yourself once again in Atlantis.

This second indoor section was quite a bit shorter and the boat’s pace seemed quickened. Almost out of nowhere the boat dives into a black hole of sorts. During this drop it’s pitch black and you finally get to ride the rails as the boat’s on a tracked roller coaster section. I couldn’t see much, but riding that huge vehicle on that wide track feels pretty cool and it’s very different than your standard coaster. After a short swoop and a turn the boat emerged in the sunlight once again with another smaller splash. Then, the boat floated on back to the station.

Journey to Atlantis has solid theming. It’s also lengthy, so you shouldn’t feel cheated if you had a long wait. I understand that Journey to Atlantis might have been a kind of a prototype as it was MACK’s first water roller coaster, but I do wish it had a larger roller coaster section. Still, for guests used to a typical water ride, Journey to Atlantis will blow them away. I’ll give it a 6 as it provides an above average experience for a roller coaster. I just wish that more of it was like an actual roller coaster. Most of the points here are for the ride’s theming.
Final Rating – 6.0 (Above Average)

Journey to Atlantis is by no means a traditional roller coaster, but it’s as intense as roller coasters in my Traditional category. It’s a 2 out of 5 on my Thrill Scale for its medium-sized drops. It’s a great family ride as long as your younger kids won’t be too scared of Medusa.

Read about SeaWorld Orlando’s world-class 1-2 punch in my reviews of Kraken and Manta.

What do you think of Journey to Atlantis at SeaWorld? Leave a comment below. Images courtesy of CoasterImage.

Check out this test video of Verbolten at Busch Gardens Williamsburg:

Verbolten’s trains look great! And, it’s nice to see the ride in action even though we can’t see the indoor section which will likely be the best part of ride. Screamscape recently reported that a scheduled employee preview for the ride has been canceled. Lance also stated that employees are telling guests that Verbolten is scheduled to open on May 18th. Let’s hope that it isn’t delayed.

I’m looking forward to reading and sharing early reviews as I have with other rides as they open, BUT I’m hoping that I’ll able to do so without spoilers about the event building. I’m hoping to ride Verbolten myself in July. So, I’ll have my own review on the site in time.

What do you think of this test video? Leave a comment below.

Leviathan’s Lair – New Tunnel Added

The preview videos and construction photos I’ve come across never showed a tunnel, but now that the ride’s open there’s a 100 foot steel covering at the bottom of the first drop. It’s being described as looking similar to Millennium Force’s tunnels. I’m big on tunnels so I’m all for it.

This post on Theme Park Review includes an image of Leviathan’s tunnel at the bottom of the first drop. Right now it’s just a steel covering, but some are wondering if Canada’s Wonderland still has more to do with it. To truly be Leviathan’s lair, and follow the theme of the rest of the ride fans are hoping for some type of cave-like theming.

Leviathan Reviews: Speed in Spades

As the reviews come in, I’ve been interested to see what people think. Here’s a sample:

Leviathan is all about speed. Sit on the outside at the front for the best experience. You feel like the ground is going to open up and swallow you during that first drop! - KDunatov on The Coaster Critic

“That first drop is just amazing and the speed just never lets up. Such a great ride! The tunnel is definitely a great head chopper and really gives a sense of how fast you’re going. If you blink, you’ll miss it!”  - rollin_n_coastin on CWMania

What a great ride! Fast, smooth and VERY fun. I could ride that all day. Rode 4th and 2nd car, didn’t get to experience the back. It’s like you don’t even notice the tunnel, you’re going to quick. If you happen to blink at that time, you would have gone through it and missed it anyway. – boomer78 on CWMania

The high speed curve is surprisingly fun, and yes you do pull a little airtime on it! Each element is executed with speed and elegance, Leviathan is a coaster that should be on an enthusiast’s bucket list! – PureCoaster

Here’s another great on-ride POV video from Theme Park Review. Again, don’t try this yourself kids:

Read Crave the Coasterer’s full coverage of Leviathan’s opening: First Ride: Leviathan Unleashes Its Fury

Leviathan just opened to the public, so I’m sure we’ll get to hear from more and more people what they think of it.

How do you think Leviathan looks now that it’s open? Have you ridden it? Leave a comment or review below. Images Courtesy of CraveCoasters.com.Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

Summer is almost here, so we can expect to see more theme parks on cable TV again. This year, the Travel Channel is debuting Insane Coaster Wars. The show will pit the country’s best roller coasters against each other in 6 different categories. Insane Coaster Wars will add an interactive twist as fans can visit their site and vote for their favorite starting Monday, May 7th.

Here’s more from the Travel Channel:

From May 7 – June 1, log on to www.TravelChannel.com to cast your
vote. Tune in to Travel Channel beginning July 8 and watch as coaster experts argue the pros, cons, advantages and weaknesses of each ride, and see which coaster won the most votes for the best in its class.

Categories and coasters include:

“G-Force Giants” – Medusa (Six Flags – Vallejo, CA), SheiKra
(Busch Gardens – Tampa, FL), Afterburn (Carowinds – Fort Mill,
SC/Charlotte, NC) and Apollo’s Chariot (Busch Gardens –
Williamsburg, VA). Vote online May 7 – 18. Episode premieres July
8.

“Hang ‘em High” – Manta (Sea World – Orlando, FL), Montu
(Busch Gardens – Tampa, FL) and Alpengeist (Busch Gardens –
Williamsburg, VA). Fourth coaster TBD. Vote online May 7 – 18.
Episode premieres July 8.

“Splintering Speedsters” – Thunderhead (Dollywood – Pigeon
Forge, TN) and El Toro (Six Flags – Jackson, NJ). Remaining coasters
TBD. Vote online May 14 – May 25. Episode premieres July 15.

“Wrong Way Up” – Kraken (Sea World – Orlando, FL), Wild Eagle
(Dollywood – Pigeon Forge, TN) and Hydra the Revenge (Dorney Park
– Allentown, PA). Fourth coaster TBD. Vote online May 14 – May 25.
Episode premieres July 22.

“Extreme Heights” – Intimidator (Carowinds – Fort Mill,
SC/Charlotte, NC) and Kingda Ka (Six Flags – Jackson, NJ). Remaining
coasters TBD. Vote online May 21 – June 1. Episode premieres July
29.

“Speed” – Xcelerator (Knott’s Berry Farm – Buena Vista, CA),
Bizarro (Six Flags – Agawam, MA) and Desperado (Buffalo Bill’s
Resort and Casino – Primm, NV). Fourth coaster TBD. Vote online May
21 – June 1. Episode premieres August 5.

I participated in the filming at Carowinds for Afterburn. So I may make an appearance in the “G-Force Giants” episode. I didn’t really have a good idea of what the show was about at the time so I didn’t know when I was chiming in that I was comparing Afterburn to the other coasters in its category. Mostly I just spoke on g-forces, the sensations that they produce, and what I thought about Afterburn. We’ll see how it turns out in a few months.

Until then, we can start voting on Monday (May 7th) at Travel Channel’s Insane Coaster Wars.

How do you think Insane Coaster Wars sounds? Are you planning on watching it? Leave a comment below. This story was submitted as a (You)Report. Got some news you’d like me to cover on the site? Submit a (You)Report. Image courtesy of CoasterImage.

It was my daughter’s first wooden coaster, but we’d previewed the ride via a legal POV shot by Theme Park Review. So, at least she knew what to expect. The 1,365-foot long ride starts with a 40′ tall lift hill. The ride’s on a bit of hill so you can see a most of the park from the top even though the lift isn’t that tall.

The train heads down the first hill, crests another hill and then drops under a section of track. I had flashbacks of riding Scooby Doo at Kings Dominion as a kid and how tall those hills felt. They didn’t seem to bother her as much as I remember them bothering me. She even managed to yell out a fun ‘woo-hoo’ about half way through.

Next, the train traverses a left turn and then navigates through about 5 or so small hills on its way back to the station. The ride was smooth so we could just enjoy it and not worry about bracing ourselves or getting rattled to death. The hills were small and at such a gentle slope that it was a perfect starter roller coaster for kids or anyone who’s new to roller coasters.

The proof’s in the proverbial pudding. As soon as we walked off, I heard, “Can we ride it again Daddy?” Nostalgia aside, Coastersaurus is a fun little wooden coaster. I don’t rate a lot of smaller rides and it’d be unfair to compare it to a full-sized woodies. It does what it’s made for and it does it well. For a family ride, Coastersaurus is above average. Final Rating 6.0 (Above Average)

Here’s a POV video of Coastersaurus at Legoland Florida

Coastersaurus is rated TR for Traditional. It’s a 2 out of 5 on my Thrill Scale. It’s a good roller coaster for novices and kids working their up to more adventurous rides.

For all of my reviews, see my entire roller coaster review list.

What’s your take? Have you ridden Coastersaurus? What’d you think? Leave a comment below. Image via (CC) Flickr user – sirexkat

Cedar Point announced today that the WildCat roller coaster is going to be removed before opening day. As is often the case in ride removals, the park cites “low ridership and increased maintenance costs” as reasons for its demolition. WildCat is a small Anton Schwarzkopf-designed roller coaster. It has been at Cedar Point since 1979. Here’s the official statement from the park:

The mention of WildCat “coming to the end of its useful life” is very reminiscent of Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s statement when it removed Bad Wolf. Will there be a similar outpouring of sadness as news of WildCat’s removal spreads? While coaster enthusiasts are likely to mourn the removal of any Schwarzkopf-designed coaster (his rides are often thought of as classics), I’d imagine that the general public will be more excited about the park’s future plans for the areas.

WildCat was one of the roller coasters that I wasn’t able to get to during my day at Cedar Point. So, I can’t speak to how good the ride was or wasn’t. So, I’ll leave that up to you. Are you sad to see the ride go or just looking forward to what takes its place? Is Cedar Point losing a classic or a clunker? Vote in the poll and leave a comment below.Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

Check out The 5 Most Missed Defunct Roller Coasters
Also, read about other rides that have removed and relocated in the past: Ride Removals and Relocations
Image courtesy of CoasterImage.