Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shambhala (PortAventura Park)
Hi guys. Sorry if there's already a thread like this, but I made this thread on another forum I'm on, so I would be interested to hear what you guys have to say in this topic. As the title would imply, the topic is for describing your first ever ride on your current favourite attraction. I'll get the ball rolling by telling you guys the story of my firs ever ride on my current number 1; Mako at SeaWorld Orlando:
My first ever ride on Mako (23rd August 2016)
I had been anticipating Mako for a long time prior to our August 2016 Florida holiday. In fact, I'd been anticipating it since it was first announced in May 2015. After I discovered that my family had bought 14-day SeaWorld tickets for our latest holiday to the sunshine state, my excitement crept up another few notches. Then, many months later, the day of my very first ride came; 23rd August 2016. However, I didn't think I was in with much chance of riding it, as my parents had explicitly stated to me that that day was a day to look at animals, not to ride coasters, and that we would likely ride Mako later in our trip.
The ride teased me for the whole day while we were at SeaWorld Orlando; I could see happy riders screaming on the ride from the Sea Lion Stadium, there was a promo for it in the Shamu Stadium and we even nearly rode it in the middle of our day when it was on a 30 minute wait. Alas, it was not to be. However, towards the end of the day, the ride had a 10 minute wait, so my family and I decided to get in line.
My excitement kept on creeping upwards as we walked through the queue; I was finally getting on what was arguably my most anticipated ride of Florida 2016. Then, my excitement crept up again when I saw that B&M hyper train waiting in the station. I was finally riding Mako.
We were seated in row 2 for our ride, and I had a relatively loose lap bar! I was anticipating great things as we left the station and crested the lift hill! However, part of me didn’t know what to expect from Mako, as the only airtime-focused coaster I’d ridden before that was Megafobia at Oakwood. Due to this, part of me was thinking “What if this airtime isn’t as good as the enthusiasts online all say it is? Then there won’t be any inversions to make it interesting!” But that part of me was hastily silenced as soon as we crested the lift hill...
because the first drop ejected me out of my seat like there was no tomorrow! After that, our Mako train careened through a brilliant overbank and into the first major airtime moment, which had me flying out of my seat for a good couple of seconds! It was insane! Then, our Mako train navigated a hammerhead turn with amazing precision before ascending into another airtime hill which had just as much force and length as the first one! Then came another one... and another one... and another one! The airtime just kept on coming, and I was loving it! My bottom briefly met the seat again during the MCBR, but was then launched out of it again during yet another airtime moment! After another airtime hill, our Mako train negotiated what is arguably the most iconic sequence of elements on the ride; the banked turns above the plaza. Our train swooped to the right and then to the left, before swooping over the water and coming into the brake run with one final pop of airtime...
I was amazed. I think my family was too, as they were all grinning along with me! That first ride on Mako was quite frankly breathtaking, and I knew straight away that the only place for it in my coaster rankings was the very top! It had tons of airtime (a lot more than any other ride I’ve ever done), packed some great G’s, had great pacing and was as smooth as can be, so I would have been rude not to have it as my number 1! 2 more rides on the coaster later in our trip only furthered Mako’s lead, and it’s still my number 1 2 years later!
So, what were your guys’ first experiences of your number 1 attraction like?
P.S. Sorry for the insanely long post.
My first ever ride on Mako (23rd August 2016)
I had been anticipating Mako for a long time prior to our August 2016 Florida holiday. In fact, I'd been anticipating it since it was first announced in May 2015. After I discovered that my family had bought 14-day SeaWorld tickets for our latest holiday to the sunshine state, my excitement crept up another few notches. Then, many months later, the day of my very first ride came; 23rd August 2016. However, I didn't think I was in with much chance of riding it, as my parents had explicitly stated to me that that day was a day to look at animals, not to ride coasters, and that we would likely ride Mako later in our trip.
The ride teased me for the whole day while we were at SeaWorld Orlando; I could see happy riders screaming on the ride from the Sea Lion Stadium, there was a promo for it in the Shamu Stadium and we even nearly rode it in the middle of our day when it was on a 30 minute wait. Alas, it was not to be. However, towards the end of the day, the ride had a 10 minute wait, so my family and I decided to get in line.
My excitement kept on creeping upwards as we walked through the queue; I was finally getting on what was arguably my most anticipated ride of Florida 2016. Then, my excitement crept up again when I saw that B&M hyper train waiting in the station. I was finally riding Mako.
We were seated in row 2 for our ride, and I had a relatively loose lap bar! I was anticipating great things as we left the station and crested the lift hill! However, part of me didn’t know what to expect from Mako, as the only airtime-focused coaster I’d ridden before that was Megafobia at Oakwood. Due to this, part of me was thinking “What if this airtime isn’t as good as the enthusiasts online all say it is? Then there won’t be any inversions to make it interesting!” But that part of me was hastily silenced as soon as we crested the lift hill...
because the first drop ejected me out of my seat like there was no tomorrow! After that, our Mako train careened through a brilliant overbank and into the first major airtime moment, which had me flying out of my seat for a good couple of seconds! It was insane! Then, our Mako train navigated a hammerhead turn with amazing precision before ascending into another airtime hill which had just as much force and length as the first one! Then came another one... and another one... and another one! The airtime just kept on coming, and I was loving it! My bottom briefly met the seat again during the MCBR, but was then launched out of it again during yet another airtime moment! After another airtime hill, our Mako train negotiated what is arguably the most iconic sequence of elements on the ride; the banked turns above the plaza. Our train swooped to the right and then to the left, before swooping over the water and coming into the brake run with one final pop of airtime...
I was amazed. I think my family was too, as they were all grinning along with me! That first ride on Mako was quite frankly breathtaking, and I knew straight away that the only place for it in my coaster rankings was the very top! It had tons of airtime (a lot more than any other ride I’ve ever done), packed some great G’s, had great pacing and was as smooth as can be, so I would have been rude not to have it as my number 1! 2 more rides on the coaster later in our trip only furthered Mako’s lead, and it’s still my number 1 2 years later!
So, what were your guys’ first experiences of your number 1 attraction like?
P.S. Sorry for the insanely long post.
