I went today for the first time this season. I did the OG 500+ times, and it has always been my favourite coaster, so I was worried about Reborn.
I rode it twice - rows' 2 and 7.
Beforehand, I was actually more apprehensive about the 'experience' elements like the colour scheme, the re-brand, theming, new soundtrack, queueline route, however, in the end, I'm actually impressed with that side of things, on the whole. It's the ride itself that's disappointed me.
My thoughts:
Main Pros
• The area feels more immersive, there is more theming and most of it is good.
• I know it's a cliche piece of theming but the helicopter at the top of the valley works well and they've done the theming + sound effects well.
• The eye is cool.
• I actually like the colour scheme, it works (and this was one of my major concerns).
• I liked the previous logo, but the new logo is great too.
• The dnn dnn tch dnn dnn tch sound is still there!
Mixed Bag
• The soundtrack in particular areas is very good (queue line entrance, Forbidden Valley entrance). It's very thematic and bassy in places so I enjoyed that. However, like others have intimated, it's lost some of its character. Some of the nuanced moments of the original are gone, those moments that built up the suspense until the beast re-appeared.
• The queueline route - the new route provides a much better perspective of some of the key elements like the zero g roll, the stall turn, and the vertical loop, but it's not as immersive. I'll miss walking beneath the first drop and corkscrew, and the turbulence from the loop. That closer interaction really built up the ride.
Cons
• No front-row queue. I think this should be an option on all coasters excepting for Oblivion, so that's really disappointing, the extra bit of theming isn't worth losing the front-row queue over. It was always popular too, so why remove it?
• The ride is not as intense nor as forceful. I had anticipated a drop in intensity by 10 as it's new and "fabricated", but not by 20%. It feels slower at pretty much all points of the ride, even if marginal, it makes a difference. That's all inversions and the helix. Hopefully once it settles, it'll return to its former intense self.
• The roar is pretty much gone.
• Why is it rattling so much? There's something not right and it needs to be sorted.