The Coaster Critic / October 13, 2011
This is a photo of Skull Mountain at Six Flags Great Adventure. It illustrates just how much of an impact theming can make on a ride. Inside this rocky building you’ll find a pretty benign Intamin family coaster. It’s almost like an over-grown version of the neighboring Blackbeard’s Lost Treasure. RCDB calls Skull Mountain an Indoor Family Coaster, but there’s
The Coaster Critic / August 3, 2011
Holiday World Announces World’s Longest Water Coaster for 2012 As Some Coaster Fans Groan Today, Holiday World announced Mammoth their largest single ride investment with a price tag of $9 million. Like the park’s Wildebeest, Mammoth will feature both down hill and up hill sections made possible via linear induction motors that will propel the ride boats. Unlike Wildebeest, the
The Coaster Critic / June 29, 2011
This ho-hum looking ride found in the kiddie section at my home park, Carowinds has a wild alter-ego. I had always wondered about the interest hardcore theme park fans had in flying scooters or flyers as their called. Flyers can be flown with very little movement and taken as a nice, breezy ride. Or, riders can play the role of
The Coaster Critic / May 19, 2011
I thought this was an interesting snapshot of the clashing of two eras of amusement rides. I took this photo on my recent trip to Six Flags Fiesta Texas. It was a beautiful park and probably my favorite Six Flags park in terms of aesthetics. There was a surprising amount of greenery and some of the best theming I’d seen
The Coaster Critic / April 2, 2011
Six Flags New England’s Pandemonium was a pleasant surprise on my visit to the park back in 2005. Obviously, Bizarro (then Superman – Ride of Steel) was THE main attraction. But Pandemonium (then Mr. Six’s Pandemonium, what’s with all the name changes?) was one of the best family roller coasters I’ve ever been on. It had the rare benefit
The Coaster Critic / March 8, 2011
Gotham City Gauntlet’s Coming to Six Flags New England Three years after Six Flags New England was to open (and later cancelled) their last roller coaster, the park is about to open Gotham City Gauntlet: Escape from Arkham Asylum. Like the Dark Knight coaster that was planned for the park, Gotham City Gauntlet will be a wild mouse coaster. Unlike
The Coaster Critic / March 5, 2011
This is a photo of Darien Lake’s Lasso. It’s a swing carousel or wave swinger built by Zierer. I took this photo on my first trip to the Buffalo area park back in 2003. It was my wife’s home park growing up. Years later, this photo was chosen by Schmap as the icon for Darien Lake in their Buffalo guide. I think
The Coaster Critic / October 9, 2010
There was an accident Thursday night on Pony Express at Knott’s Berry Farm (Buena Park, CA). The family-oriented launch coaster begins with a relatively tame 38 mph launch up a short hill. The night of the accident, the departing train was not able to climb the hill and rolled back into the station striking another train that was in the
Aric / June 6, 2010
Space Mountain is easily one of the most venerable of modern coasters, a true legend in its own time and it has been hallowed since its inception, but does it deserve the hype
The Coaster Critic / December 27, 2009
Avalanche @ Kings Dominion | Coaster Reviews The Avalanche at Kings Dominion is located in the Congo area (oddly enough) at Kings Dominion next to Volcano mountain. It’s a fun family coaster and one of the few bobsled roller coasters around. Bobsled coasters feature chutes or half pipes without fixed tracks like most roller coasters. This allows the bobsleigh-like cars to
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