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» 2008 coasters

  • Led Zeppelin Re-Themed as The Time Machine

    Written by The Coaster Critic 4 Comments
    Last Updated: May 4, 2009
    Led Zeppelin Re-Themed as The Time Machine
    Freestyle Music Park has re-themed Led Zeppelin The Ride as The Time Machine. The park’s signature looping roller coaster features 6 loops, a maximum height of 155 feet and a top speed of 65 mph. The Time Machine will take riders on a musical journey through the last five decades. Towering more than 150 feet into the sky, the looping, steel roller coaster features a high fidelity, on-board...
    • 2008 Theme Park Year In Review

      Written by The Coaster Critic 8 Comments
      Last Updated: November 26, 2008
      2008 Theme Park Year In Review
      Class of 2008 – Roller Coasters That Debuted This Year As predicted in my Top 10 New Roller Coasters for 2008, my top pick Ravine Flyer 2 opened to many positive reviews and it landed at 8 on my Top 10. Read my full review. I’m looking forward to seeing how it fairs in Mitch’s ‘08 Coaster Poll next month. Canada’s Wonderland’s Behemoth also received a lot of pro...
      • Michigan’s Adventure Photos

        Written by The Coaster Critic No Comments
        Last Updated: August 18, 2008
        Michigan’s Adventure Photos
        Loyal reader Judy P in Pgh, sent in these photos from her trip to Michigan’s Adventure in Muskegon. New for 2008, the park unveiled the relocated inverted coaster Thunderhawk from Geauga Lake. Michigan’s Adventures’ signature ride is Shivering Timbers. It’s a massive wooden coaster that boasts almost 5,400 feet of track. Check out these photos that Judy took on her trip: H...
        • Ravine Flyer II @ Waldameer Park | Coaster Reviews

          Written by The Coaster Critic 5 Comments
          Last Updated: August 3, 2008
          Ravine Flyer II @ Waldameer Park | Coaster Reviews
          Ravine Flyer II: An Impressive World-Class Wooden CoasterI’d been excited for Ravine Flyer II since I learned about it last winter. It’s the product of 15 years of work, planning, and local politics. The Gravity Group designed hybrid woodie was my top pick for the new coasters opening in 2008. The New York Times even quoted me when I dubbed it the “Sleeper Hit of 2008″. So...
          • OCC MotoCoaster @ Darien Lake | Coaster Reviews

            Written by The Coaster Critic No Comments
            Last Updated: July 30, 2008
            OCC MotoCoaster @ Darien Lake | Coaster Reviews
            MotoCoaster Marks New Era for De-Flagged Darien Lake On my recent trip to Darien Lake, near Buffalo, NY, I was happy to see that the park is thriving post-Six Flags. PARC Management, the new operators, have the park hitting on all cylinders. They even invested in a first-of-its kind motorcycle-themed launch coaster in the Orange County Choppers MotoCoaster. Darien Lake did a great job tying in the...
            • Evel Knievel @ Six Flags St. Louis Opens

              Written by The Coaster Critic 1 Comment
              Last Updated: June 19, 2008
              Evel Knievel @ Six Flags St. Louis Opens
              Daring New GCI Woodie Debuts at Six Flags St. LouisToday, Six Flags St. Louis’ opened its ninth roller coaster with the debut of Evel Knievel. The Great Coaster International woodie was my #4 pick for the Top New Roller Coasters of 2008. Knievel’s a clone, but in this case that’s a good thing. It’s based on Thunderbird at PowerPark in Finland, which came ranked 10th on the ...
              • Steel Hawg Looks Loco!

                Written by The Coaster Critic No Comments
                Last Updated: June 16, 2008
                Steel Hawg Looks Loco!
                El Loco Indeed | Indiana Beach’s Steel Hawg Takes ShapeOne of the most anticipated roller coasters of the year is taking form in Indiana. As I said shortly after the initial announcement, Indiana Beach’s Steel Hawg has eye-popping inversions that border on “I didn’t know that was possible.” If they can pull it off, Indiana Beach may just have a landmark roller coaster...
                • Led Zeppelin – The Ride Review @ Hard Rock Park

                  Written by The Coaster Critic 10 Comments
                  Last Updated: June 7, 2008
                  Led Zeppelin – The Ride Review @ Hard Rock Park
                  Hard Rock Park’s Headliner Doesn’t DisappointLed Zeppelin: The Ride is the headliner in Hard Rock Park’s ride lineup. Creating a great new rock-themed park is a draw, but nothing catches the eye of would-be visitors like a flashy new looping roller coaster. To that end, Led Zeppelin delivers a thrilling roller coaster that does an excellent job incorporating the music of a legend...
                  • X2 Opens at Magic Mountain

                    Written by The Coaster Critic 5 Comments
                    Last Updated: May 30, 2008
                    X2 Opens at Magic Mountain
                    X2 Officially (Re)Opens at Six Flags Magic Mountain Rob Alvey from ThemeParkReview was at Six Flags Magic Mountain’s X2 Media Day. X2 is the much anticipated ‘remix’ of X, the world’s first 4th dimension coaster. I smell another Coasterology 101 post. Six Flags promised the special effects and new trains would really add to the experience. According to Rob, it sounds like t...
                    • Slippery When Wet Review | Hard Rock Park

                      Written by The Coaster Critic 2 Comments
                      Last Updated: May 27, 2008
                      Slippery When Wet Review | Hard Rock Park
                      Slippery When Wet at Hard Rock Park | Coaster ReviewsIn the heart of Hard Rock Park lies one the park’s few attractions that incorporate water. Slippery When Wet (likely named after the Bon Jovi album) is a suspended coaster designed by Premier Rides. It is similar to Carowinds Flying Super Saturator and Hersheypark’s Roller Soaker. Each car holds four riders, two facing frontward and ...
                      • Dominator Opens at Kings Dominion

                        Written by The Coaster Critic 3 Comments
                        Last Updated: May 20, 2008
                        Dominator Opens at Kings Dominion
                        Dominator Reigns Over Kings DominionRecently Dominator opened at Kings Dominion. ThemeParkReview has a message board thread with photos from media day. Check out the photos here. I’m glad Dominator found a new home at my old home park. All those Northern Virginians that I couldn’t convince to travel the extra hour south to Busch Gardens will finally get to experience some B&M great...
                        • Dark Knight Coaster Opens @ Great Adventure

                          Written by The Coaster Critic 9 Comments
                          Last Updated: May 17, 2008
                          Dark Knight Coaster Opens @ Great Adventure
                          A First Look at Dark Knight @ Six Flags Great AdventureSix Flags Great Adventure’s Dark Knight coaster is open for business. After viewing the press video that Six Flags posted on YouTube, I have to say that my prediction was right! Dark Knight’s not a groundbreaking, ultra thrill-ride, but it will be great for families and a wider age group than more intense coasters. Six Flags has re...
                          • Waldameer’s Ravine Flyer II Video

                            Written by The Coaster Critic 2 Comments
                            Last Updated: May 14, 2008
                            Waldameer’s Ravine Flyer II Video
                            Ravine Flyer II @ Waldameer Park | On Ride VideoWaldameer’ Park’s Ravine Flyer II is my pick for the sleeper hit of 2008. It was designed by the Gravity Group. They’ve produced the 2007 Golden Ticket winner Voyage as well as the greatly underrated Hades at Mount Olympus. Ravine Flyer II will feature a 120 foot first drop, 10 moments of air time, 6 tunnels, 10 cross overs, a 90 de...
                            • Maximum RPM! Preview | Hard Rock Park

                              Written by The Coaster Critic 4 Comments
                              Last Updated: May 10, 2008
                              Maximum RPM! Preview | Hard Rock Park
                              Maximum RPM Coaster Preview | Hard Rock Park – EXCLUSIVE!On my recent media trip to Hard Rock Park I was lucky enough to become one of the first to get a tour of Maximum RPM. It’s a first of its kind roller coaster with a unique lift mechanism. The six person cars will enter a ferris wheel-like hub that will rotate cars to the top. Once cars reach the top, the cars will drop into the r...
                              • Fahrenheit Testing Video | Hersheypark

                                Written by The Coaster Critic 3 Comments
                                Last Updated: May 9, 2008
                                Fahrenheit Testing Video | Hersheypark
                                First Fahrenheit Video & An Early Incident | HersheyparkYouTube strikes again! This time some coaster fans video taped Hershey’s new Intamin looper with the beyond 90-degree drop, Fahrenheit. The ride’s in its testing phase and won’t open until late May. The women taping the video remark that Fahrenheit looks slow. It looks fine to me, but they may be on to something. Apparen...
                                • Orange County Choppers MotoCoaster

                                  Written by The Coaster Critic 1 Comment
                                  Last Updated: April 25, 2008
                                  Orange County Choppers MotoCoaster
                                  Darien Lake’s MotoCoaster Gets a New NameDarien Lake, near Buffalo, NY, is building the first Zamperla MotoCoaster. This week, the park announced a new name for its first new coaster in nine years. Named after the popular reality show, the ride will be known as the Orange County Choppers MotoCoaster. The partnership makes sense. Especially when you consider that the show is based in Orange C...
                                  • Tony Hawk’s Big Spin | Six Flags Over Texas

                                    Written by The Coaster Critic No Comments
                                    Last Updated: April 19, 2008
                                    Tony Hawk’s Big Spin | Six Flags Over Texas
                                    Tony Hawk’s Big Spin Opening at Six Flags Over TexasLast year, Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Six Flags St. Louis built two of these. They must have been successful because Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom will debut another Tony Hawk coaster this season. These are basically wild mouse coasters with more open layouts. They feature spinning coasters with four seats where rider...
                                    • Fahrenheit Nears Completion | Construction Photos

                                      Written by The Coaster Critic 2 Comments
                                      Last Updated: April 8, 2008
                                      Fahrenheit Nears Completion | Construction Photos
                                      Fahrenheit Nears Completion at HersheyparkHersheypark’s new Intamin looper Fahrenheit is nearing completion. Coasterdom has a ton of construction photos that can be found here. The 90-degree vertical lift and 97-degree beyond vertical drop can be seen in the picture to the left. Part of me still questions Hershey’s decision of adding another steel looper with a top hat shaped hill. But...
                                      • Batman Dark Knight Coaster Construction Photos

                                        Written by The Coaster Critic 2 Comments
                                        Last Updated: April 4, 2008
                                        Batman Dark Knight Coaster Construction Photos
                                        More Batman Dark Knight Coaster PhotosNewsPlusNotes has some great photos that give us a behind-the-scenes look at the new Dark Knight coasters coming to Six Flags Great America, Great Adventure, & New England. There are even some real photos of the ride’s cars from the Great America version. It’s cool to see more photos emerge as specifics on the ride have been a little hard to co...
                                        • Pony Express @ Knotts and MotoCoaster @ Darien Lake

                                          Written by The Coaster Critic No Comments
                                          Last Updated: March 31, 2008
                                          Pony Express @ Knotts and MotoCoaster @ Darien Lake
                                          Both Coasts Get Zamperla MotoCoasters in 2008Zamperla will be bringing their motocoasters to the U.S. in two different installations. MotoCoaster at Darien Lake, near Buffalo, NY will be a stock installation with bikes that riders will mount. Staying in step with Knotts Berry Farm’s western theme, the Pony Express will feature horses. ScreamScape has a real picture of the horse trains. The r...
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