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Review the last roller coaster you rode
- Thread starter Matt N
- Start date
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- Tags
- last roller coaster
Skyscraper
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
Let me guess... Hero?
Poisson
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- The Giant Squid
Let me guess... Hero?
Mumbo Jumbo
D4n
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Zadra
"Wow this is disappointing "??
Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shambhala (PortAventura Park)
Sorry to bump the thread, but as most of you probably know, I recently got 12 new credits at Europa Park (didn't do B-a-a-a, as I don't generally do kiddie creds).
Going in alphabetical order:
Alpenexpress Enzian
This is a fun little ride for what it is! It's surprisingly fast, the helixes are good fun, it's got a good, unique layout; what more can you really ask for from one of these Mack powered coasters? To be honest, it's up there with RMT at Towers as one of my favourite ones; a fun little ride!
6/10
Arthur
A very pleasant surprise! I was expecting quite a tame, kiddified ride, but I thought it was really good fun, and a definite hidden gem within Europa's lineup, in my opinion! The theming is fantastic throughout, the dark ride scenes are all very well done, it's long, and the coaster sections have surprising vigour; the ride definitely feels faster than it supposedly is, in my view! All in all, a really fab little family coaster that certainly put a smile on my face!
7/10
Atlantica SuperSplash
I was hoping I might quite like this, as the drop sequence looked fun and I thought you might get some nice airtime on the backwards drop, main drop and airtime hill, but I'll digress that I found it underwhelming, and I wasn't really a huge fan. Speaking honestly, I found the backwards drop (the main "coaster section") a bit pointless; it didn't really offer any interesting sensations, and just kind of... exists. And while the main drop and airtime hill are OK, I wasn't really wowed by them; surprisingly, I didn't actually get any airtime on the airtime hill. Granted, Atlantica looks beautiful and is well themed, and it did fulfill its water ride credentials by getting me decently wet while remaining within the realms of fun wetness, so I'm probably being a tad harsh, but I wouldn't even say it was a favourite of mine within the water ride category. Overall, I wasn't hugely inspired by this; it felt more like a one-and-done than a truly worthwhile rollercoaster experience, and I probably wouldn't go out of my way to ride again unless the queue was short or I had a lot of time on my hands.
4/10
Blue Fire
This was great fun, a really excellent roller coaster... but I'll digress that I was a tad underwhelmed by it. Don't get me wrong, I had a great time on Blue Fire; the inversions are neat, particularly the final heartline roll, it's very smooth on the whole, the launch is surprisingly punchy, and overall, it is a really nice ride! However, I'd heard many say that they vastly preferred it to Icon, my #2 coaster prior to visiting Europa and a true 10/10 ride for me, and I'll admit that I felt that it was lacking a certain je ne sais quoi to take it to the same level as Icon, let alone surpass it, and I can't quite place my finger on what it was missing. I will say that for a Mack launch coaster, I felt it lacked airtime; I only felt one airtime moment on there, and it wasn't an overly strong one compared to what you get on something like Icon. 1 or 2 of the transitions also felt slightly weird and unnatural to me (I'm referring to the pull up into the MCBR and the whip out of the final heartline roll; both felt slightly off to me, for some reason...). Nonetheless, Blue Fire was a great coaster that I thoroughly enjoyed riding!
9/10
Cancan Coaster
A very fun ride! I really enjoyed this coaster; it's very smooth, has some fun twists and turns, is surprisingly punchy in areas, is quite long, and overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it! An excellent all-round family coaster, in my opinion!
8/10
Euro Mir
Oh dear... I didn't enjoy this at all. I get why people like it, as it is admittedly quite forceful for a ride of its type, and it looks beautiful and has a catchy soundtrack, but I found this far too rough, personally. The ending is possibly among the roughest sections of coaster I've ever ridden, and it felt like the ride bashed me about like mad whenever it exerted force. Not one I was keen on at all, personally.
2/10
Matterhorn Blitz
I found the elevator lift on this quite fun and unique, and it was possibly the smoothest wild mouse I've done, but it's not a ride style I generally enjoy (I don't especially enjoy the strong laterals), so it was never going to rate that highly for me, I'm afraid.
4/10
Pegasus
This was quite a surprising coaster! Going in, I was expecting something more akin to a Vekoma Rollerskater, but I was really surprised at how thrilling Pegasus was! There were 1 or 2 surprisingly decent pops of airtime, the ride was fast-paced, the twists and turns were really fun, it was very smooth; all in all, an excellent little family coaster!
7/10
Poseidon
Ouch, this was really rough. As with Euro Mir, it felt like the ride jolted about like crazy whenever it exerted force (although possibly slightly less bad), so I didn't find it overly enjoyable at all. Granted, it looks beautiful, is a long ride, and certainly earns its water ride credentials, getting you decently wet while staying within the realms of fun wetness, but the sheer joltiness was a bit much for me, I'm afraid.
2/10
Schweizer Bobbahn
While not quite as strong as Blackpool's Avalanche, in my opinion, I thought Schweizer Bobbahn was a fun little ride! There were some fun helixes, and it picked up decent speed by the end! However, it didn't feel quite as fast as Avalanche, and there was a slight rattle present that Avalanche didn't have that detracted slightly for me. Overall, however, I thought Schweizer Bobbahn was a fun little ride!
6/10
Silver Star
Euphoric. Breathtaking. Phenomenal. Those are just some of the superlatives I would use to describe Silver Star; I absolutely adored this coaster! Going in, my expectations were mixed; with Mako being my favourite roller coaster prior to visiting Europa Park, I had very high hopes for Silver Star, but part of me also wasn't expecting it to be on quite the same level as Mako, as a lot of enthusiasts don't seem to overly rate it. Comments like "the world's largest family coaster", "I got more thrills on Pegasus", "dull as dishwater" and "the worst rollercoaster in Germany" loomed at the back of my mind, so I was very nervous to see if the B&M Hyper experience lived up to my memories of it from Mako 6 years ago. Let's just say; I had nothing to be worried about, as Silver Star well and truly blew me away! The airtime is absolutely phenomenal, with strong sustained airtime over every hill. The ride delivers right to the end, with the ending packing a real punch. The ride is very smooth and comfortable (albeit not quite as glass smooth as Mako, although that's to be expected given that SS is 20 years old, whereas Mako was brand new when I rode), and all in all, it's so much fun, and intensely rerideable! In terms of SS vs Mako; Mako remains my #1 coaster after a bit of careful thought, as it's slightly smoother (SS is still very smooth on the whole, but Mako has this glorious "100% smooth as glass" feeling that SS can't quite match) and some of its airtime moments like the first drop and first big hill still have slightly more impact than any individual airtime moment on Silver Star, from memory. However, it is extremely close, and Silver Star is still an easy steal for the #2 spot; it's still very smooth on the whole, and its airtime moments are all still extremely impactful. Overall, I absolutely loved this thing; it left me speechless and crying with laughter every time, and it was just absolutely exceptional!
10/10
Wodan Timbur Coaster
This ride is relentless! In fact, I don't think relentless quite does it! It is well and truly demented from start to finish, but strikes just the right level of intensity; it never feels too much, and the positives aren't too strong, but it feels phenomenally fast like no other coaster I've ridden, it hurls you out of the seat with airtime at every opportunity, it's very smooth & comfortable by traditional wooden roller coaster standards, and it's just so fun and rerideable! Overall, Wodan is truly nuts, and just feels totally demented, but is outrageously fun and phenomenally rerideable, in my opinion; a truly exceptional ride! It's my new favourite wooden roller coaster (sorry, Wicker Man...), and my overall #3 behind only Mako and Silver Star!
10/10
If you're interested, my ranking of these is:
Going in alphabetical order:
Alpenexpress Enzian
This is a fun little ride for what it is! It's surprisingly fast, the helixes are good fun, it's got a good, unique layout; what more can you really ask for from one of these Mack powered coasters? To be honest, it's up there with RMT at Towers as one of my favourite ones; a fun little ride!
6/10
Arthur
A very pleasant surprise! I was expecting quite a tame, kiddified ride, but I thought it was really good fun, and a definite hidden gem within Europa's lineup, in my opinion! The theming is fantastic throughout, the dark ride scenes are all very well done, it's long, and the coaster sections have surprising vigour; the ride definitely feels faster than it supposedly is, in my view! All in all, a really fab little family coaster that certainly put a smile on my face!
7/10
Atlantica SuperSplash
I was hoping I might quite like this, as the drop sequence looked fun and I thought you might get some nice airtime on the backwards drop, main drop and airtime hill, but I'll digress that I found it underwhelming, and I wasn't really a huge fan. Speaking honestly, I found the backwards drop (the main "coaster section") a bit pointless; it didn't really offer any interesting sensations, and just kind of... exists. And while the main drop and airtime hill are OK, I wasn't really wowed by them; surprisingly, I didn't actually get any airtime on the airtime hill. Granted, Atlantica looks beautiful and is well themed, and it did fulfill its water ride credentials by getting me decently wet while remaining within the realms of fun wetness, so I'm probably being a tad harsh, but I wouldn't even say it was a favourite of mine within the water ride category. Overall, I wasn't hugely inspired by this; it felt more like a one-and-done than a truly worthwhile rollercoaster experience, and I probably wouldn't go out of my way to ride again unless the queue was short or I had a lot of time on my hands.
4/10
Blue Fire
This was great fun, a really excellent roller coaster... but I'll digress that I was a tad underwhelmed by it. Don't get me wrong, I had a great time on Blue Fire; the inversions are neat, particularly the final heartline roll, it's very smooth on the whole, the launch is surprisingly punchy, and overall, it is a really nice ride! However, I'd heard many say that they vastly preferred it to Icon, my #2 coaster prior to visiting Europa and a true 10/10 ride for me, and I'll admit that I felt that it was lacking a certain je ne sais quoi to take it to the same level as Icon, let alone surpass it, and I can't quite place my finger on what it was missing. I will say that for a Mack launch coaster, I felt it lacked airtime; I only felt one airtime moment on there, and it wasn't an overly strong one compared to what you get on something like Icon. 1 or 2 of the transitions also felt slightly weird and unnatural to me (I'm referring to the pull up into the MCBR and the whip out of the final heartline roll; both felt slightly off to me, for some reason...). Nonetheless, Blue Fire was a great coaster that I thoroughly enjoyed riding!
9/10
Cancan Coaster
A very fun ride! I really enjoyed this coaster; it's very smooth, has some fun twists and turns, is surprisingly punchy in areas, is quite long, and overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it! An excellent all-round family coaster, in my opinion!
8/10
Euro Mir
Oh dear... I didn't enjoy this at all. I get why people like it, as it is admittedly quite forceful for a ride of its type, and it looks beautiful and has a catchy soundtrack, but I found this far too rough, personally. The ending is possibly among the roughest sections of coaster I've ever ridden, and it felt like the ride bashed me about like mad whenever it exerted force. Not one I was keen on at all, personally.
2/10
Matterhorn Blitz
I found the elevator lift on this quite fun and unique, and it was possibly the smoothest wild mouse I've done, but it's not a ride style I generally enjoy (I don't especially enjoy the strong laterals), so it was never going to rate that highly for me, I'm afraid.
4/10
Pegasus
This was quite a surprising coaster! Going in, I was expecting something more akin to a Vekoma Rollerskater, but I was really surprised at how thrilling Pegasus was! There were 1 or 2 surprisingly decent pops of airtime, the ride was fast-paced, the twists and turns were really fun, it was very smooth; all in all, an excellent little family coaster!
7/10
Poseidon
Ouch, this was really rough. As with Euro Mir, it felt like the ride jolted about like crazy whenever it exerted force (although possibly slightly less bad), so I didn't find it overly enjoyable at all. Granted, it looks beautiful, is a long ride, and certainly earns its water ride credentials, getting you decently wet while staying within the realms of fun wetness, but the sheer joltiness was a bit much for me, I'm afraid.
2/10
Schweizer Bobbahn
While not quite as strong as Blackpool's Avalanche, in my opinion, I thought Schweizer Bobbahn was a fun little ride! There were some fun helixes, and it picked up decent speed by the end! However, it didn't feel quite as fast as Avalanche, and there was a slight rattle present that Avalanche didn't have that detracted slightly for me. Overall, however, I thought Schweizer Bobbahn was a fun little ride!
6/10
Silver Star
Euphoric. Breathtaking. Phenomenal. Those are just some of the superlatives I would use to describe Silver Star; I absolutely adored this coaster! Going in, my expectations were mixed; with Mako being my favourite roller coaster prior to visiting Europa Park, I had very high hopes for Silver Star, but part of me also wasn't expecting it to be on quite the same level as Mako, as a lot of enthusiasts don't seem to overly rate it. Comments like "the world's largest family coaster", "I got more thrills on Pegasus", "dull as dishwater" and "the worst rollercoaster in Germany" loomed at the back of my mind, so I was very nervous to see if the B&M Hyper experience lived up to my memories of it from Mako 6 years ago. Let's just say; I had nothing to be worried about, as Silver Star well and truly blew me away! The airtime is absolutely phenomenal, with strong sustained airtime over every hill. The ride delivers right to the end, with the ending packing a real punch. The ride is very smooth and comfortable (albeit not quite as glass smooth as Mako, although that's to be expected given that SS is 20 years old, whereas Mako was brand new when I rode), and all in all, it's so much fun, and intensely rerideable! In terms of SS vs Mako; Mako remains my #1 coaster after a bit of careful thought, as it's slightly smoother (SS is still very smooth on the whole, but Mako has this glorious "100% smooth as glass" feeling that SS can't quite match) and some of its airtime moments like the first drop and first big hill still have slightly more impact than any individual airtime moment on Silver Star, from memory. However, it is extremely close, and Silver Star is still an easy steal for the #2 spot; it's still very smooth on the whole, and its airtime moments are all still extremely impactful. Overall, I absolutely loved this thing; it left me speechless and crying with laughter every time, and it was just absolutely exceptional!
10/10
Wodan Timbur Coaster
This ride is relentless! In fact, I don't think relentless quite does it! It is well and truly demented from start to finish, but strikes just the right level of intensity; it never feels too much, and the positives aren't too strong, but it feels phenomenally fast like no other coaster I've ridden, it hurls you out of the seat with airtime at every opportunity, it's very smooth & comfortable by traditional wooden roller coaster standards, and it's just so fun and rerideable! Overall, Wodan is truly nuts, and just feels totally demented, but is outrageously fun and phenomenally rerideable, in my opinion; a truly exceptional ride! It's my new favourite wooden roller coaster (sorry, Wicker Man...), and my overall #3 behind only Mako and Silver Star!
10/10
If you're interested, my ranking of these is:
- Silver Star
- Wodan Timbur Coaster
- Blue Fire
- Cancan Coaster
- Arthur
- Pegasus
- Alpenexpress Enzian
- Schweizer Bobbahn
- Atlantica SuperSplash
- Matterhorn Blitz
- Poseidon
- Euro Mir
Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shambhala (PortAventura Park)
Which rides in particular would you be referring to, out of interest?
As for Icon; I've always adored it! It has excellent airtime, it's smooth, the twists and turns are really fun, it's exciting throughout (albeit perhaps not the most fast-paced coaster on earth), and I just find it intensely fun and rerideable! Admittedly, however, it's been nearly 3 years since I rode, so who knows whether it would still hold up if I were to reride. I'll also digress that Silver Star and Wodan did usurp it for me, so it now holds a slightly weaker position within my top 10, ranking #4 instead of #2. I still maintain a lot of love for it, however!
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Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shambhala (PortAventura Park)
Now I’ve completed my first trio of days at Universal Orlando for my current Florida trip, I may as well post reviews of the new coasters I’ve ridden (VelociCoaster and Hagrid’s) as well as updated reviews of the existing coasters that I’ve re-ridden for the first time in 7 years!
New coasters
Jurassic World VelociCoaster (#92)
This was a phenomenal ride! The second launch, top hat and mosasaurus roll are absolutely top-dollar elements, the ride has quite a few very nice pops of airtime, some very nice inversions, and a nice sense of speed throughout, the restraints are sublime and incredibly exposing, and it’s overall a wonderfully fun, thrilling and rerideable ride that ticks all of my boxes! However, I must admit that it didn’t quite live up to some of its obscene hype for me, and I’m not entirely sure why. The first half had some good speed to it and some fun twists and turns, but it was somewhat less eventful than I’d expected aside from one nice pop of ejector airtime, and overall, the ride, while sensational, wasn’t quite as sensational as I was hoping for based on the reviews. With that being said, it is a truly excellent coaster that sits firmly in the top tier of coasters I’ve ridden, and there’s a chance that a re-ride without the mantle of high expectations could make it go up for me.
10/10 (#5/93)
Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure (#93)
I had high expectations for Hagrid’s, but in many ways, it still surprised me! The ride felt so much faster than I was expecting, with the launches being surprisingly punchy, and the low-to-the-ground corners were fantastically thrilling! Above all else, though, Hagrid’s is just a phenomenally fun coaster. Upon hitting the brake run, I was smiling and laughing hysterically in a way that few other rides I’ve ever been on have been able to match. Unlike other rides in my top tier of coasters, which are rides where I can pinpoint specific elements and firm reasons why that ride makes my 10/10 tier, Hagrid’s makes the 10/10 tier for me simply because it is so, so fun in an indescribable way. Fun is ultimately what I seek from a ride, and Hagrid’s provides fun in absolute droves like few other rides I’ve ever ridden. It’s a truly phenomenal coaster, and although it may be a “family” coaster, it is possibly the ultimate family coaster you will ever ride, in my view, as it wowed me, an adult coaster enthusiast, just as much as it wows younger kids who only just meet the height restriction. If you want a good, fun roller coaster, I can think of few better coasters to satisfy that brief than Hagrid’s; it’s an absolutely spectacular ride, in my view!
10/10 (#3/93)
For those interested, the current composition of my top 5 following these new coasters is as follows:
Existing coasters
Incredible Hulk
This was a good ride; that launch into the zero-g roll never fails to deliver, in my view, and the ride maintains good speed throughout! However, it’s not one of my absolute favourite coasters. The ride, while not unbearably rough, is a bit fierce, with some headbanging in a few sections, and it’s perhaps a little too intense for me in terms of sustained positive g’s in 1 or 2 areas, with the section between the cobra roll and the exit of the loop in particular providing one of the most extended grey outs I’ve ever had on a ride, which I didn’t find especially pleasant. Nonetheless, it’s a good ride, and one that I was glad to reride!
7/10 (#27/93)
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
I was looking forward to getting back on this, as I’d always remembered enjoying it on previous visits. Indeed, it was the first coaster I ever remember experiencing airtime on, and even though I liked it somewhat less in 2016, it was still a coaster I remembered really enjoying. However, I’m afraid to say that this one did not hold up 7 years and many coasters later. Don’t get me wrong, the layout is decent, and there are a couple of decent pops of airtime, but there was less airtime than I’d remembered, and it was rather jolty and uncomfortable, much more so than I’d remembered. The ride rumbled considerably throughout, and the entries into the brake runs almost felt like punches in the stomach. On a side note, it also now crawls and creaks over the top of the lift hill in a manner reminiscent of Speed at Oakwood… since when has it done that? Overall, while HRRR doesn’t have a bad layout, and it’s not the roughest coaster I’ve ridden, it’s a bit too rough for me, and it just feels a bit outclassed by other coasters I’ve ridden in the height/airtime/lap bars genre nowadays.
4/10 (#62/93)
Revenge of the Mummy
I’d remembered this being decent in 2016, but I dare say that it was even better than I’d remembered! The launches are great, there are two surprisingly decent pops of airtime, the coaster itself maintains a good sense of speed, and the layout has some very fun twists and turns! Not to mention that the themed experience is wonderful, with the use of fire in particular being absolutely spectacular! Forget Valhalla, forget Wicker Man, this is easily my favourite theme park fire; it’s absolutely immense! Overall, Revenge of the Mummy was an absolutely awesome ride!
9/10 (#11/93)
Coaster reviews from SeaWorld and Busch Gardens will be coming later in my trip, and if I feel the need to, I may insert updated thoughts on the Universal coasters too.
New coasters
Jurassic World VelociCoaster (#92)
This was a phenomenal ride! The second launch, top hat and mosasaurus roll are absolutely top-dollar elements, the ride has quite a few very nice pops of airtime, some very nice inversions, and a nice sense of speed throughout, the restraints are sublime and incredibly exposing, and it’s overall a wonderfully fun, thrilling and rerideable ride that ticks all of my boxes! However, I must admit that it didn’t quite live up to some of its obscene hype for me, and I’m not entirely sure why. The first half had some good speed to it and some fun twists and turns, but it was somewhat less eventful than I’d expected aside from one nice pop of ejector airtime, and overall, the ride, while sensational, wasn’t quite as sensational as I was hoping for based on the reviews. With that being said, it is a truly excellent coaster that sits firmly in the top tier of coasters I’ve ridden, and there’s a chance that a re-ride without the mantle of high expectations could make it go up for me.
10/10 (#5/93)
Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure (#93)
I had high expectations for Hagrid’s, but in many ways, it still surprised me! The ride felt so much faster than I was expecting, with the launches being surprisingly punchy, and the low-to-the-ground corners were fantastically thrilling! Above all else, though, Hagrid’s is just a phenomenally fun coaster. Upon hitting the brake run, I was smiling and laughing hysterically in a way that few other rides I’ve ever been on have been able to match. Unlike other rides in my top tier of coasters, which are rides where I can pinpoint specific elements and firm reasons why that ride makes my 10/10 tier, Hagrid’s makes the 10/10 tier for me simply because it is so, so fun in an indescribable way. Fun is ultimately what I seek from a ride, and Hagrid’s provides fun in absolute droves like few other rides I’ve ever ridden. It’s a truly phenomenal coaster, and although it may be a “family” coaster, it is possibly the ultimate family coaster you will ever ride, in my view, as it wowed me, an adult coaster enthusiast, just as much as it wows younger kids who only just meet the height restriction. If you want a good, fun roller coaster, I can think of few better coasters to satisfy that brief than Hagrid’s; it’s an absolutely spectacular ride, in my view!
10/10 (#3/93)
For those interested, the current composition of my top 5 following these new coasters is as follows:
- Mako - SeaWorld Orlando
- Silver Star - Europa Park
- Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure - Universal’s Islands of Adventure
- Wodan Timbur Coaster - Europa Park
- Jurassic World VelociCoaster - Universal’s Islands of Adventure
Existing coasters
Incredible Hulk
This was a good ride; that launch into the zero-g roll never fails to deliver, in my view, and the ride maintains good speed throughout! However, it’s not one of my absolute favourite coasters. The ride, while not unbearably rough, is a bit fierce, with some headbanging in a few sections, and it’s perhaps a little too intense for me in terms of sustained positive g’s in 1 or 2 areas, with the section between the cobra roll and the exit of the loop in particular providing one of the most extended grey outs I’ve ever had on a ride, which I didn’t find especially pleasant. Nonetheless, it’s a good ride, and one that I was glad to reride!
7/10 (#27/93)
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
I was looking forward to getting back on this, as I’d always remembered enjoying it on previous visits. Indeed, it was the first coaster I ever remember experiencing airtime on, and even though I liked it somewhat less in 2016, it was still a coaster I remembered really enjoying. However, I’m afraid to say that this one did not hold up 7 years and many coasters later. Don’t get me wrong, the layout is decent, and there are a couple of decent pops of airtime, but there was less airtime than I’d remembered, and it was rather jolty and uncomfortable, much more so than I’d remembered. The ride rumbled considerably throughout, and the entries into the brake runs almost felt like punches in the stomach. On a side note, it also now crawls and creaks over the top of the lift hill in a manner reminiscent of Speed at Oakwood… since when has it done that? Overall, while HRRR doesn’t have a bad layout, and it’s not the roughest coaster I’ve ridden, it’s a bit too rough for me, and it just feels a bit outclassed by other coasters I’ve ridden in the height/airtime/lap bars genre nowadays.
4/10 (#62/93)
Revenge of the Mummy
I’d remembered this being decent in 2016, but I dare say that it was even better than I’d remembered! The launches are great, there are two surprisingly decent pops of airtime, the coaster itself maintains a good sense of speed, and the layout has some very fun twists and turns! Not to mention that the themed experience is wonderful, with the use of fire in particular being absolutely spectacular! Forget Valhalla, forget Wicker Man, this is easily my favourite theme park fire; it’s absolutely immense! Overall, Revenge of the Mummy was an absolutely awesome ride!
9/10 (#11/93)
Coaster reviews from SeaWorld and Busch Gardens will be coming later in my trip, and if I feel the need to, I may insert updated thoughts on the Universal coasters too.
Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shambhala (PortAventura Park)
I had my first visit to SeaWorld Orlando in 7 years yesterday, and I got on 3 new coasters as well as 3 coasters I had ridden before.
New coasters
Pipeline: The Surf Coaster (#94)
With another SeaWorld visit comes another brand new B&M coaster. Last time I went to the park, Mako, a B&M Hyper Coaster, was brand new, and on my revisit, Pipeline, the world’s first B&M Surf Coaster, was brand new; things have gone full circle in the last 7 years! Unlike Mako, however, this one didn’t quite do it for me, sadly. It has lots of really great elements on paper; the launch is fun, there are a few surprisingly strong airtime moments, and the layout is overall decent. However, the discomfort of the ride ruins it for me; I don’t feel that B&M have managed to solve this aspect of older standup coasters with Pipeline. It’s not at all rough, but the standing position is inherently a bit uncomfortable, and I did experience some pain when the seats “jumped”. The vests were also quite uncomfortable, and they really pinched at my collar bones when the airtime came on the ride. In short, I’ll concede that Pipeline has a good layout with fun elements, but rightly or wrongly, I simply felt that the discomfort was somewhat of of a deal breaker for me.
5/10, #51/96
Ice Breaker (#95)
I didn’t have overly high expectations for this, but I have to say that they were comfortably exceeded; I thought Ice Breaker was an absolutely phenomenal ride! The swing launch that kicks things off is great fun, with punchy launches, some really fun floater airtime in the reverse spike and ejector airtime that progressively grows to be surprisingly strong towards the end of the launch. After the swing launch ends, the top hat is another absolutely awesome element, with some great airtime that really whips you out of the seat! The rest of the layout is really good fun, with a nice pace, some fun turns, and a couple more surprisingly excellent pops of ejector airtime! The ride is also perfectly smooth, with not a hint of roughness anywhere! The trains are a little bit tight to get in and out of, but the restraints were perfectly unobtrusive for me when I was sat down, so this didn’t detract from the ride for me. I should add that the often-maligned “comfort collars” have been removed, however… I can’t imagine Ice Breaker being much fun with those in place. Overall, I thought Ice Breaker was a fantastic little ride, and a real sleeper hit of the trip for me; it was great fun, and I absolutely loved it!
10/10, #7/96
Super Grover’s Box Car Derby (#96)
This is what it is, really. I don’t normally ride children’s roller coasters, but I rode this for tactical coaster count related reasons that should hopefully become apparent later in the trip. It was OK for a kiddie coaster, although perhaps not one of the better ones I’ve done; it had a few moments of mild speed, but it only did one lap, and was also surprisingly jolty in places.
3/10, #80/96
Existing coasters
Mako
I was excited to reride my all-time number 1 coaster, and wow, it did not disappoint! I had 5 rides over the course of the day, with 3 in the back, one in the front and one in row 2, and this coaster is still absolutely sensational like no other coaster I’ve ever ridden! The sustained airtime in places is absolutely biblical, the sense of speed of wonderful, it’s so smooth and rerideable, and without going on too much, it’s still comfortably the most thrilling, fun and rerideable coaster I’ve ever ridden. If you’re looking for an intense positive g-machine or something with lots of bells and whistles, Mako may not be for you, but I simply look for a fun, thrilling and rerideable experience in a coaster, and Mako still provides that for me better than any other coaster I’ve ever ridden. What a ride!
10/10, #1/96
Kraken
Kraken never gets an overly good rap, but I’d remembered it being a surprisingly decent B&M coaster back in 2016, and I have to say that that impression stayed much the same in 2023. It keeps its speed well and has some good inversions, I quite like the ending through the tunnels, and despite there being a slight rattle, there was no real head banging present either; what’s not to like? It’s not my favourite coaster in the park, and indeed, B&M loopers in general are not my absolute favourite ride style these days, but I did really enjoy my lap on Kraken; it’s a really good, solid coaster!
8/10, #20/96
Manta
I hadn’t remembered being massively enamoured by Manta back in 2016, but I decided to give it another ride regardless. My reride reaffirmed my prior suspicions that I’m not massively keen on this coaster; it looks pretty, and I can understand why people like it, but I just find the flying position uncomfortable, and Manta felt even more uncomfortable than Galactica, for some reason. Maybe it’s the higher forces? Perhaps controversially, I’m also not at all keen on the pretzel loop; it admittedly wasn’t quite as bad as I’d remembered back in 2016 (although I was seated in the back then, whereas I was further forward yesterday), but while something like Galactica’s fly to lie is a bit uncomfortable but bearable, Manta’s pretzel loop gets a bit much for me in terms of forces towards the end. Overall, I’m not a massive fan of this coaster; I prefer Galactica of the flying coasters I’ve done, and I’d say it’s my least favourite B&M overall.
4/10, #67/96
New coasters
Pipeline: The Surf Coaster (#94)
With another SeaWorld visit comes another brand new B&M coaster. Last time I went to the park, Mako, a B&M Hyper Coaster, was brand new, and on my revisit, Pipeline, the world’s first B&M Surf Coaster, was brand new; things have gone full circle in the last 7 years! Unlike Mako, however, this one didn’t quite do it for me, sadly. It has lots of really great elements on paper; the launch is fun, there are a few surprisingly strong airtime moments, and the layout is overall decent. However, the discomfort of the ride ruins it for me; I don’t feel that B&M have managed to solve this aspect of older standup coasters with Pipeline. It’s not at all rough, but the standing position is inherently a bit uncomfortable, and I did experience some pain when the seats “jumped”. The vests were also quite uncomfortable, and they really pinched at my collar bones when the airtime came on the ride. In short, I’ll concede that Pipeline has a good layout with fun elements, but rightly or wrongly, I simply felt that the discomfort was somewhat of of a deal breaker for me.
5/10, #51/96
Ice Breaker (#95)
I didn’t have overly high expectations for this, but I have to say that they were comfortably exceeded; I thought Ice Breaker was an absolutely phenomenal ride! The swing launch that kicks things off is great fun, with punchy launches, some really fun floater airtime in the reverse spike and ejector airtime that progressively grows to be surprisingly strong towards the end of the launch. After the swing launch ends, the top hat is another absolutely awesome element, with some great airtime that really whips you out of the seat! The rest of the layout is really good fun, with a nice pace, some fun turns, and a couple more surprisingly excellent pops of ejector airtime! The ride is also perfectly smooth, with not a hint of roughness anywhere! The trains are a little bit tight to get in and out of, but the restraints were perfectly unobtrusive for me when I was sat down, so this didn’t detract from the ride for me. I should add that the often-maligned “comfort collars” have been removed, however… I can’t imagine Ice Breaker being much fun with those in place. Overall, I thought Ice Breaker was a fantastic little ride, and a real sleeper hit of the trip for me; it was great fun, and I absolutely loved it!
10/10, #7/96
Super Grover’s Box Car Derby (#96)
This is what it is, really. I don’t normally ride children’s roller coasters, but I rode this for tactical coaster count related reasons that should hopefully become apparent later in the trip. It was OK for a kiddie coaster, although perhaps not one of the better ones I’ve done; it had a few moments of mild speed, but it only did one lap, and was also surprisingly jolty in places.
3/10, #80/96
Existing coasters
Mako
I was excited to reride my all-time number 1 coaster, and wow, it did not disappoint! I had 5 rides over the course of the day, with 3 in the back, one in the front and one in row 2, and this coaster is still absolutely sensational like no other coaster I’ve ever ridden! The sustained airtime in places is absolutely biblical, the sense of speed of wonderful, it’s so smooth and rerideable, and without going on too much, it’s still comfortably the most thrilling, fun and rerideable coaster I’ve ever ridden. If you’re looking for an intense positive g-machine or something with lots of bells and whistles, Mako may not be for you, but I simply look for a fun, thrilling and rerideable experience in a coaster, and Mako still provides that for me better than any other coaster I’ve ever ridden. What a ride!
10/10, #1/96
Kraken
Kraken never gets an overly good rap, but I’d remembered it being a surprisingly decent B&M coaster back in 2016, and I have to say that that impression stayed much the same in 2023. It keeps its speed well and has some good inversions, I quite like the ending through the tunnels, and despite there being a slight rattle, there was no real head banging present either; what’s not to like? It’s not my favourite coaster in the park, and indeed, B&M loopers in general are not my absolute favourite ride style these days, but I did really enjoy my lap on Kraken; it’s a really good, solid coaster!
8/10, #20/96
Manta
I hadn’t remembered being massively enamoured by Manta back in 2016, but I decided to give it another ride regardless. My reride reaffirmed my prior suspicions that I’m not massively keen on this coaster; it looks pretty, and I can understand why people like it, but I just find the flying position uncomfortable, and Manta felt even more uncomfortable than Galactica, for some reason. Maybe it’s the higher forces? Perhaps controversially, I’m also not at all keen on the pretzel loop; it admittedly wasn’t quite as bad as I’d remembered back in 2016 (although I was seated in the back then, whereas I was further forward yesterday), but while something like Galactica’s fly to lie is a bit uncomfortable but bearable, Manta’s pretzel loop gets a bit much for me in terms of forces towards the end. Overall, I’m not a massive fan of this coaster; I prefer Galactica of the flying coasters I’ve done, and I’d say it’s my least favourite B&M overall.
4/10, #67/96
Poisson
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- The Giant Squid
Freestyle - Cavallino Matto
Manufacturer: Togo
Model: Stand Up
I approached this with dread, but an unfounded dread. Rides acceptably, not exactly smooth but not damaging, bit rattly. Miles better than say Shockwave and less likely to render you impotent for the remainder of your days.
Manufacturer: Togo
Model: Stand Up
I approached this with dread, but an unfounded dread. Rides acceptably, not exactly smooth but not damaging, bit rattly. Miles better than say Shockwave and less likely to render you impotent for the remainder of your days.
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Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shambhala (PortAventura Park)
I haven’t ridden a new coaster since SeaWorld, but I feel compelled to provide some updated thoughts on VelociCoaster after I managed to reride it today…
On my first ride on 12th June, I absolutely loved it, and thought it was a great ride, but I was unsure whether it was right up there for me. After the first go, I settled on the #5 spot for it, between Wodan and Icon. It was a great ride, but I wasn’t sure that I enjoyed it discernibly much more than something like Icon on that first go.
Well, I managed to reride it today, in the front row… and WOW! I’m not sure what was wrong the first time I rode it, but I definitely enjoyed it more today!
The first launch is fairly snappy, the speed and airtime were brilliant in the first half, there were some airtime moments I didn’t notice in the first half the first time around, and overall, the first half seemed faster, more fun and like it had a bit more going on.
The second launch was absolutely obscene in the front row, even more so than I’d remembered from the other day, and while the top hat perhaps wasn’t quite as strong up front for me, you still got an absolutely sublime pop of ejector going up into it. The zero-g stall was an element that I weirdly didn’t remember that well from my first ride, but it was brilliant this time, with some really nice out of your seat floater action going through it! The first wave turn had a nice little pop of airtime going through it, the big turning sequence was so fast, with the little off-axis flick providing a surprising pop of airtime, and that mosasaurus roll is an absolutely mind-blowing finale; that’s easily my favourite inversion ever, with the fast barrel roll really flinging me out of the seat and leaving me stunned!
I know this isn’t a new coaster for me, as I rode it for the first time last week, but today’s ride on VelociCoaster was truly mind-blowing and definitely gave me a new perspective on the ride, so I felt compelled to talk about it! I didn’t think it was right up there after my first ride, but after my second… it is right up there!
I’m still not entirely convinced that it’s necessarily my #1 coaster, as I still think the fun, rerideability, speed and sustained airtime of the two B&M Hypers I’ve done (particularly Mako) still really hits the spot for me like nothing else I’ve ridden (which my ride on Mako last Friday confirmed for me), but it’s right up there for sure, and I won’t lie, the thought of “could this be my favourite?” did cross my mind after riding VelociCoaster today… I’ve tentatively settled on #3, behind only Mako and Silver Star, but even then, I still wonder if I’m ranking it too low based on how truly brilliant it was…
But in conclusion; what a ride! Today, VelociCoaster convinced me that it’s top 3 material at minimum, and it’s definitely won me around more than it did the other day; today’s ride was absolutely astonishing!
Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shambhala (PortAventura Park)
I went to Busch Gardens Tampa today for my only visit there this trip, and I rode 3 new coasters as well as 3 previously ridden ones!
New coasters
Iron Gwazi (#97)
This was a big, hotly anticipated ride for me; it was my first ever RMC coaster, and it’s often billed as one of the best coasters, if not the best coaster, in the world, so I naturally had very high expectations. Make no mistake, it’s a phenomenal ride! The ejector airtime in places is absolutely ludicrous, some of the elements are absolutely sublime, it’s so fast-paced, and overall, the ride has so much going for it! However, the ride wasn’t an instant, undeniable #1 for me like it is for most, and there is one key reason for that… this is going to sound incredibly petty, and I apologise for that, but it’s almost a little bit much for me in areas. It’s not rough by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a pretty fierce coaster in some areas, and for me, the ending section in particular, with all the high-speed jerking about, almost hurt me a little bit and was almost a little bit much. It was… a lot in terms of jerking about and intensity. Overall, Iron Gwazi is an absolutely phenomenal ride, with some truly brilliant elements, but I do personally prefer VelociCoaster at IOA, and I perhaps didn’t love the ride quite as much as I’d hoped, if I’m being honest.
10/10 (#6/99)
Sand Serpent (#98)
I don’t like wild mouse coasters at the best of times, but this one was possibly the worst of the lot for me; it was absolutely abysmal. The hairpin turns were on the rougher side for a wild mouse anyway, which detracted from it for me, but to top things off, the brakes on this one were horrifically sharp, almost feeling as though they give you the Heimlich manoeuvre with how they stop the car so abruptly. Overall, I did not enjoy this coaster at all; I won’t miss it when it closes in a few weeks, and I hope its replacement is more enjoyable.
2/10 (#97/99)
Scorpion (#99)
I was intrigued to try a Schwarzkopf looping coaster without the shoulder bars like Olympia Looping has, but I still wasn’t a fan, I’m afraid. Scorpion was more comfortable in terms of restraints than Olympia for me, and the layout wasn’t quite as uncomfortably intense, but that Schwarzkopf loop was still a very queer sensation for me, and the ride was also horribly rough, which really surprised me given how smooth Olympia was. It jolted about horribly around pretty much every corner, and that final brake run in particular was very harsh.
3/10 (#81/99)
Existing coasters
SheiKra
This was phenomenal, and definitely exceeded my previous memories of it! I love a good B&M Dive Coaster, and this was indeed a good one! The sustained airtime over the two drops was sublime, the sense of speed was awesome, and overall, it was just a phenomenal ride! I would say I prefer it to Oblivion at Alton Towers, the other Dive Coaster I’ve done, and it was just a fantastic ride!
10/10 (#7/99)
Kumba
Kumba was a really decent B&M looper, and quite possibly my favourite of the 3 B&M sit-down/floorless coasters I’ve ridden this trip. The ride held its speed really well, had some great inversions, and was also remarkably smooth for a 30 year old B&M, with no notable rattle and only one minor spot of headbanging! There were one or two minorly unpleasant spots of high positive g’s, with the section between the loop and dive loop in particular providing a fair grey out, but the ride overall was decent, and definitely one I enjoyed my lap on!
8/10 (#21/99)
Cobra’s Curse
This was a fun, albeit unremarkable, family coaster, in my opinion. The final spinning section was quite fun, with just the right level of spin for my liking, and the controlled spinning is admittedly clever and novel, but I wasn’t huge on the initial two sections, with the backwards section in particular feeling like it was there for the sake of it rather than doing anything particularly purposeful. There was also a definite rattle that wasn’t there when I last rode in 2016, but the ride still isn’t rough by any stretch. Overall, Cobra’s Curse is a fun enough family coaster, but not one that will set the world alight, in my view.
6/10 (#47/99)
New coasters
Iron Gwazi (#97)
This was a big, hotly anticipated ride for me; it was my first ever RMC coaster, and it’s often billed as one of the best coasters, if not the best coaster, in the world, so I naturally had very high expectations. Make no mistake, it’s a phenomenal ride! The ejector airtime in places is absolutely ludicrous, some of the elements are absolutely sublime, it’s so fast-paced, and overall, the ride has so much going for it! However, the ride wasn’t an instant, undeniable #1 for me like it is for most, and there is one key reason for that… this is going to sound incredibly petty, and I apologise for that, but it’s almost a little bit much for me in areas. It’s not rough by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a pretty fierce coaster in some areas, and for me, the ending section in particular, with all the high-speed jerking about, almost hurt me a little bit and was almost a little bit much. It was… a lot in terms of jerking about and intensity. Overall, Iron Gwazi is an absolutely phenomenal ride, with some truly brilliant elements, but I do personally prefer VelociCoaster at IOA, and I perhaps didn’t love the ride quite as much as I’d hoped, if I’m being honest.
10/10 (#6/99)
Sand Serpent (#98)
I don’t like wild mouse coasters at the best of times, but this one was possibly the worst of the lot for me; it was absolutely abysmal. The hairpin turns were on the rougher side for a wild mouse anyway, which detracted from it for me, but to top things off, the brakes on this one were horrifically sharp, almost feeling as though they give you the Heimlich manoeuvre with how they stop the car so abruptly. Overall, I did not enjoy this coaster at all; I won’t miss it when it closes in a few weeks, and I hope its replacement is more enjoyable.
2/10 (#97/99)
Scorpion (#99)
I was intrigued to try a Schwarzkopf looping coaster without the shoulder bars like Olympia Looping has, but I still wasn’t a fan, I’m afraid. Scorpion was more comfortable in terms of restraints than Olympia for me, and the layout wasn’t quite as uncomfortably intense, but that Schwarzkopf loop was still a very queer sensation for me, and the ride was also horribly rough, which really surprised me given how smooth Olympia was. It jolted about horribly around pretty much every corner, and that final brake run in particular was very harsh.
3/10 (#81/99)
Existing coasters
SheiKra
This was phenomenal, and definitely exceeded my previous memories of it! I love a good B&M Dive Coaster, and this was indeed a good one! The sustained airtime over the two drops was sublime, the sense of speed was awesome, and overall, it was just a phenomenal ride! I would say I prefer it to Oblivion at Alton Towers, the other Dive Coaster I’ve done, and it was just a fantastic ride!
10/10 (#7/99)
Kumba
Kumba was a really decent B&M looper, and quite possibly my favourite of the 3 B&M sit-down/floorless coasters I’ve ridden this trip. The ride held its speed really well, had some great inversions, and was also remarkably smooth for a 30 year old B&M, with no notable rattle and only one minor spot of headbanging! There were one or two minorly unpleasant spots of high positive g’s, with the section between the loop and dive loop in particular providing a fair grey out, but the ride overall was decent, and definitely one I enjoyed my lap on!
8/10 (#21/99)
Cobra’s Curse
This was a fun, albeit unremarkable, family coaster, in my opinion. The final spinning section was quite fun, with just the right level of spin for my liking, and the controlled spinning is admittedly clever and novel, but I wasn’t huge on the initial two sections, with the backwards section in particular feeling like it was there for the sake of it rather than doing anything particularly purposeful. There was also a definite rattle that wasn’t there when I last rode in 2016, but the ride still isn’t rough by any stretch. Overall, Cobra’s Curse is a fun enough family coaster, but not one that will set the world alight, in my view.
6/10 (#47/99)
Skyscraper
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
Looping Star, Clacton Pier. My first Pinfari. Had to wait a while as it requires a minimum of 8 riders to dispatch, but I lucked out and got front row. The trains were surprisingly spacious in terms of legroom, which for 6ft 2 me was very useful. Quite comfortable too, although I did bump my head slightly on the restraint when climbing in.
Ride itself was a fair bit jolty as expected, but manageable. Loop was intense, also as expected.
Wouldn't go rushing back but it was nice to finally get on one of these.
Ride itself was a fair bit jolty as expected, but manageable. Loop was intense, also as expected.
Wouldn't go rushing back but it was nice to finally get on one of these.
Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shambhala (PortAventura Park)
I had my first ever visit to Flamingo Land on Monday, and I rode 5 new coasters!
Mumbo Jumbo (#103)
Mumbo Jumbo is certainly novel, but it’s not one that I massively enjoyed, if I’m being honest. A beyond-vertical drop is always good fun and Mumbo Jumbo’s is no exception, but the key thing ruining the ride for me is that it has some very uncomfortable shoulder bars. With the tight turns and sustained hangtime that the ride had, these shoulder bars did really take away from the ride for me, unfortunately, and I'm not the biggest lover of slow, sustained hangtime of that style anyway.
4/10, #74/107 overall
Kumali (#104)
I had low expectations for Kumali given that my least favourite coaster was Infusion at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, a fellow Vekoma SLC, but I have to say that Kumali was actually OK, and nowhere near as bad as I'd expected given my previous experience with Infusion. It is still a bit rough, and that does still detract from it to an extent for me, but it's certainly a lot more bearable than a ride like Infusion, and the layout is actually pretty decent, with some fun inversions and a good pace and level of intensity! It still isn't one of my favourite coasters, and it is still a bit of a headbasher in places, but Kumali was actually OK, with some fun elements; I enjoyed it far more than I enjoyed Infusion, anyhow.
6/10, #43/107 overall
Hero (#105)
I had very low expectations for Hero given its general notoriety, and I'm afraid to say that those were not exceeded. I hate to be negative, but Hero was utterly dire, in my view. For starters, I did not like the car at all; I found getting on the stepladder, getting my head through the head hole and getting whacked in the chin by the bit at the bottom very unpleasant, and when you got into the ride itself, I just got whacked around the cage horribly for the whole thing. I'm not the biggest fan of flying coasters at the best of times, but the additional awkwardness of the cars and profiling on this one made it something I didn't enjoy at all. It's admittedly a novel ride, but it was a very unpleasant one for me; I'm tempted to say that it's usurped Infusion as my least favourite coaster.
1/10, #107/107 overall
Velocity (#106)
I was unsure quite what to expect from Velocity, as the only vaguely similar thing I'd ever ridden was Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at Universal, and even that had a regular seat as opposed to Velocity's proper motorbike seat. Overall, I found Velocity to have quite a fun layout; the launch is punchy, and there are a few nice pops of airtime and some fun turns! However, I must admit that while admittedly unique, I found the motorbike riding position a little odd and uncomfortable, which did detract from the ride a fair amount for me; I wasn't a huge lover of how the riding position had your whole body weight rested on your chest.
5/10, #59/107 overall
Sik (#107)
Despite not being a fan of Colossus, I was interested to see how Sik rode, as my main issues with Colossus have always been the trains and the roughness, and Sik looked to make an earnest attempt at solving both issues. Overall, I have to say that I thought Sik was a very decent coaster that I thoroughly enjoyed! The lap bars are an absolute game changer, and I also surprisingly really liked the altered first drop compared to Colossus'; I loved how you banked down to the side and then curved low to the ground at high speed! The first half rides quite similarly to that of Colossus, and I've always felt that this first half is quite a decent first half with some great elements. I've never been particularly keen on Colossus' second half with the quad heartline roll, and I'm not 100% sure that Sik has changed that aspect; I find that sequence of elements a little bit dizzying and taxing on the thighs, although I did think that the lap bars improved it somewhat. Overall, though, I thought that Sik was a pretty decent coaster that I definitely enjoyed; it's a vast improvement on Colossus and a very firm headliner at Flamingo Land, in my view!
8/10, #22/107 overall
Mumbo Jumbo (#103)
Mumbo Jumbo is certainly novel, but it’s not one that I massively enjoyed, if I’m being honest. A beyond-vertical drop is always good fun and Mumbo Jumbo’s is no exception, but the key thing ruining the ride for me is that it has some very uncomfortable shoulder bars. With the tight turns and sustained hangtime that the ride had, these shoulder bars did really take away from the ride for me, unfortunately, and I'm not the biggest lover of slow, sustained hangtime of that style anyway.
4/10, #74/107 overall
Kumali (#104)
I had low expectations for Kumali given that my least favourite coaster was Infusion at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, a fellow Vekoma SLC, but I have to say that Kumali was actually OK, and nowhere near as bad as I'd expected given my previous experience with Infusion. It is still a bit rough, and that does still detract from it to an extent for me, but it's certainly a lot more bearable than a ride like Infusion, and the layout is actually pretty decent, with some fun inversions and a good pace and level of intensity! It still isn't one of my favourite coasters, and it is still a bit of a headbasher in places, but Kumali was actually OK, with some fun elements; I enjoyed it far more than I enjoyed Infusion, anyhow.
6/10, #43/107 overall
Hero (#105)
I had very low expectations for Hero given its general notoriety, and I'm afraid to say that those were not exceeded. I hate to be negative, but Hero was utterly dire, in my view. For starters, I did not like the car at all; I found getting on the stepladder, getting my head through the head hole and getting whacked in the chin by the bit at the bottom very unpleasant, and when you got into the ride itself, I just got whacked around the cage horribly for the whole thing. I'm not the biggest fan of flying coasters at the best of times, but the additional awkwardness of the cars and profiling on this one made it something I didn't enjoy at all. It's admittedly a novel ride, but it was a very unpleasant one for me; I'm tempted to say that it's usurped Infusion as my least favourite coaster.
1/10, #107/107 overall
Velocity (#106)
I was unsure quite what to expect from Velocity, as the only vaguely similar thing I'd ever ridden was Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at Universal, and even that had a regular seat as opposed to Velocity's proper motorbike seat. Overall, I found Velocity to have quite a fun layout; the launch is punchy, and there are a few nice pops of airtime and some fun turns! However, I must admit that while admittedly unique, I found the motorbike riding position a little odd and uncomfortable, which did detract from the ride a fair amount for me; I wasn't a huge lover of how the riding position had your whole body weight rested on your chest.
5/10, #59/107 overall
Sik (#107)
Despite not being a fan of Colossus, I was interested to see how Sik rode, as my main issues with Colossus have always been the trains and the roughness, and Sik looked to make an earnest attempt at solving both issues. Overall, I have to say that I thought Sik was a very decent coaster that I thoroughly enjoyed! The lap bars are an absolute game changer, and I also surprisingly really liked the altered first drop compared to Colossus'; I loved how you banked down to the side and then curved low to the ground at high speed! The first half rides quite similarly to that of Colossus, and I've always felt that this first half is quite a decent first half with some great elements. I've never been particularly keen on Colossus' second half with the quad heartline roll, and I'm not 100% sure that Sik has changed that aspect; I find that sequence of elements a little bit dizzying and taxing on the thighs, although I did think that the lap bars improved it somewhat. Overall, though, I thought that Sik was a pretty decent coaster that I definitely enjoyed; it's a vast improvement on Colossus and a very firm headliner at Flamingo Land, in my view!
8/10, #22/107 overall
Zeock
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Journey to the Center of the Earth
I went to Brean yesterday. I will review Astro Storm (formerly Space Invader at BPB) and Magic Mouse (a Reverchon spinner).
Astro Storm
It is a very fun ride! There is an air cannon just before the first drop, which is mildly startling. The ride is exhilarating in places, but there are quite a few dead spots. There is a bit of a jolt near the end of the ride, which can be a little bit painful if you do not brace for it. There is theming during the ride, but it is extremely cheap, as is expected from Brean. 7/10.
Magic Mouse
It was closed for most of the day, but I managed to have a single ride on it. It is quite rough, and it tosses you around quite a bit. There is quite a bit of airtime to be found, though. Also, the spinning is fairly good. 4.5/10.
Astro Storm
It is a very fun ride! There is an air cannon just before the first drop, which is mildly startling. The ride is exhilarating in places, but there are quite a few dead spots. There is a bit of a jolt near the end of the ride, which can be a little bit painful if you do not brace for it. There is theming during the ride, but it is extremely cheap, as is expected from Brean. 7/10.
Magic Mouse
It was closed for most of the day, but I managed to have a single ride on it. It is quite rough, and it tosses you around quite a bit. There is quite a bit of airtime to be found, though. Also, the spinning is fairly good. 4.5/10.