The Coaster Critic's Blog

The Coaster Critic Returns to Space

The Coaster Critic — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:48:24 +0000

I finally got around to refreshing my other site, Coaster Portal. It’s a new take on the old school link directory that includes web site profiles, user ratings and reviews, general theme park web site news, all in a space themed package.

I really want the site to be more Web 2.0 and interactive than link sites of the past. There are several places for people to submit sites, submit news about sites, rate sites, or leave their own reviews or feedback. I’ve incorporated Snap Shots that show previews of links without having to click-through. Just hover your mouse over the icons when they appear next to links. I figured this feature would be perfect for a link directory web site.

Sites are listed in the following categories:
Theme Parks (including links to park Wikipedia & Twitter pages)
Roller Coaster Designers
Unofficial theme park sites
Communities & Clubs
Blogs
News Sites (including some site profiles)
Images & Videos
Theme Park Games
Tools & Resources (ie. coaster counters & soon iPhone apps)
Podcasts

Recent Web Site News stories include the Gravity Group’s blog and podcast, a look at CoasterBuzz’s new site, and Cedar Fair’s new Ride Warrior Nation site. Visit Coaster Portal.

What’s Your Take?
What do you think of Coaster Portal? Do you have any suggestions? What’s your favorite planet theme? Leave a comment below.

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Mind Eraser @ Six Flags | Coaster Reviews

The Coaster Critic — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 03:54:07 +0000

A Review of Mind Eraser & Its Many Clones
The concept of Vekoma’s Suspended Looping Coaster (SLC) is a great one. It’s a compact inverted roller coaster(even though the model name has ’suspended’ in it) with riders fixed below a tangle of twisted track. They are popular additions at theme parks with about 30 clones or slight variations around the globe. I’ve ridden the Mind Erasers at Six Flags America and Darien Lake, Great Nor’Easter at Morey’s Piers, T2 at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, and most recently Hangman at Wild Adventures. There’s very little difference between any of them. When I’m tight on time, I’ll skip them because it seems as if you’ve ridden one, you’ve likely ridden them all.

Vekoma SLCs Should Be Sponsored by Advil
The seemingly winning formula of a compact looper unfortunately fails greatly on the execution. These roller coasters are plagued with bad to horrible head banging as riders heads bounce of the head restraints like pinballs. The ear boxing can result in headaches and disdain from victims in the exit ramp.

The experience starts 0ff well enough. Riders board the two across trains that seem much smaller than the B&M inverted coaster trains. The train is lifted nearly eleven stories (109′) only to be dropped into a fast, swooping dive. The speed of these rides feels much faster than it looks from off the ride. Immediately following the drop, the train navigates its way through its first element; a rollover with two back-to-back loops. There’s typically a little headbanging here, but it’s about to get a whole lot worse.

Mind Eraser’s Rough Twisted Course
The train traverses back down, and then back up, and then dives next to the station’s exit ramp. This is a great spot for photos by the way. Then, the train rises up into a sidewinder loop with some more head banging. There’s a really good leg chopper moment that used to really get me. I remember on my first ride on Mind Eraser at Six Flags America I pulled my legs up thinking that they’d be knocked off by the track. Then, the ride finishes with the biggest OUCH, the tight double corkscrew. By now, there’s a good chance that riders minds are actually erased or at least in a bit of pain. On some SLC’s even the non-looping areas are rough and bumpy causing your back to bounce off the the seats.

It’s unfortunate that these coasters fail to live up to their potential. The layout is pretty ingenious. It’s an action-packed little course that doesn’t take up much space. I just wish they were better maintained and had better restraints. These rides only need a few things to become strong performers in your home park’s lineup. Vekoma’s new open restraints like those seen on Carowinds’ new Carolina Cobra. And probably a fresh set of wheels. Final Rating - 4.0 to 6.0 (Below Average to Above Average)

Check out this pov video of Mind Eraser at Six Flags America:

Mind Eraser and its clones are rated ‘TH’ for Thrilling. It’s a 3 out of 5 on my Thrill Scale.
What’s Your Take?
Have been victim to, I mean ridden a Vekoma SLC like the Mind Erasers or one of its clones? What was your experience like? Leave a comment below.

Other Vekoma SLCs:
Aside from the four that I’ve ridden, other Vekoma SLC’s in the U.S. are: Gauntlet at Magic Springs, Thunderhawk at Michigan’s Adventure, Kong at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and the Mind Erasers at Elitch Gardens and Six Flags New England.

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Big Bad Wolf to be Removed?

The Coaster Critic — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:08:54 +0000

Big Bad Wolf is a world-class suspended roller coaster at Busch Gardens Europe. It’s unique layout uses the terrain of the hilly, wooded, park giving you an experience that would be nearly impossible to find anywhere else. It’s a suspended terrain coaster that flies you through a Bavarian village then plummets you to a river. Also, Big Bad Wolf is a classic Arrow suspended coaster. There are only six of these in operation in the World.

Sadly, as Big Bad Wolf turns 25, rumors are emerging that this will be its last year. ScreamScape, ThrillNetwork, and Coaster-Net are all speculating about the ride’s removal. I’m not really sure how the rumors began, but enthusiasts have noticed that Busch Gardens celebrated Loch Ness’ 30th last year, but they haven’t done anything for the Wolf. The park hasn’t responded one way or the other and to my knowledge no one has seen signs of its removal, but you would think the park would confirm that it’s keeping the ride if they were.

Possible Reasons for Big Bad Wolf’s Removal
The first thought that comes to my mind when a roller coaster is removed is always low-ridership. Low-ridership compounded with the expensive maintenance costs (that some speculate exists) may be enough for the InBev-owned Busch park to consider removing it. Add to that, some are stating that Wolf is subject to frequent downtime although on all of my visits its been up and running. Not to mention for years there has been speculation of the park adding a new section themed after another European country like Spain or Greece. Maybe the park feels that the space that ride takes up could be better suited for a new section.

ScreamScape is calling for anyone visiting the park to stop by the Guest Relations desk and tell them how much they enjoyed Big Bad Wolf. But, if the low-ridership/maintenance cost issues are true I doubt that there’s anything that can be done to save the ride. I suggest you ride it this year while you can. If it is removed this winter it will be quite a loss, but I can see why it might make a good business decision. As with any classic roller coaster if Big Bad Wolf is removed it will be sorely missed by fans of all ages. Check out my full Big Bad Wolf review.

What’s Your Take?
Have you ridden Big Bad Wolf at BGE? If Big Bad Wolf is really on the chopping block would you be sad to see it go? Leave a comment below.

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Freestyle Music Park Ticket Giveaway

The Coaster Critic — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 20:10:44 +0000

Want to win tickets to an exciting new music-themed amusement park? Enter my Freestyle Music Park Ticket Giveaway. Freestyle Music Park is located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It offers more than 50 attractions including roller coasters, rides, shows, children’s play areas, restaurants, cafés, retail stores, a multi-purpose live music amphitheatre and a park-wide sound system, which creates an all-encompassing, rich family-fun experience. Not to mention it’s only a short drive from the beach.

I will be doing several giveaways for Freestyle Music Park tickets in the coming weeks. My first giveaway will begin tomorrow. To win a four pack of tickets, a mouse pad, and can koozie, you’ll need to answer the trivia questions that I’ll be quizzing you on here in this post.

For the next five weekdays, I will be posting a new trivia question and each time you submit a correct answer you will earn an additional chance to win! For each question that you answer correctly your chances of winning increase and if you answer all 5 trivia questions correct and earn the bonus entries you could have up to 7 entries for the week!

Get Bonus Entries Via Twitter & Facebook
Earn up to two additional entries if you follow me on Twitter or you’re a fan of my Facebook page. You must send separate emails letting me know you follow me (per entry) to be counted towards the giveaway. I’ll be using Facebook and Twitter for future giveaways as well, so make sure you sign up! Here are links to my pages on Twitter & Facebook. **Please note, you must email at least one correct trivia answer in order to be eligible for additional entries.

Entries will be accepted until midnight EST this Friday, July 17th. On Saturday, July 18th 2009, a winner will be selected by random, announced on the site, and notified by email. You must be 18 and have a valid mailing address within the United States to win. I will make two attempts to contact the winner. If I do not hear back from the winner within 48 hours I will draw a new winner.

To submit an entry, send your answer along with your name and a valid email address to giveaways@coastercritic.com. So, check back tomorrow for the first trivia question. I will be posting them everyday by 8 A.M. Good Luck! Here’s the park’s latest commercial:

For more on the Freestyle Music Park, visit the official web site. And check out my interview with the new park president. Also read my Led Zeppelin - The Ride review and all of my Freestyle Park posts. Image courtesy of CoasterImage.

Question #1
What is the name of Freestyle Music Park’s one-of-a-kind roller coaster that features a ferris wheel-like lift system and cars themed after British sports cars?
Answer: Round About

Question #2
What year did I start The Coaster Critic’s Blog?
Answer: 2006

Question #3
How many of Freestyle Music Park’s five roller coasters have on-board sound systems?
Answer: 3 (Time Machine, Round About, & Iron Horse)

Question #4
What is the name of Freestyle Music Park’s mascot that has been spotted around Myrtle Beach?
Answer: Boom the (Myrtle Beach) Troll
Watch videos of Boom out clubbing, at the mall, and at the new bridge opening at MyrtleBeachTroll.com

Question #5
Name one section of Coaster Portal and the corresponding planet that it’s themed after.
Accepted Any of the Following Answers: Mercury - Roller Coaster Designers, Venus - Unofficial Park Sites, Earth - Communities & Clubs, Mars - Blogs, Jupiter - New Sites, Saturn - Images & Videos, Uranus - Games, Neptune - Tools & Resources, Pluto - Podcasts

I’ll be holding the drawing for the winner Saturday afternoon. Also, stay tuned for details on next week’s giveaway. Thanks for participating!

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Robocoaster Coming to Harry Potter’s Wizarding World

The Coaster Critic — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 19:01:56 +0000

Next year, Universal Studios Islands of Adventure is set to open The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It’s taking over a portion of the Lost Continent section of the park as well as a plot of land that was previously unused. It will include locations from the books and films including Hogsmeade, the Forbidden Forrest, and Hogwarts Castle. It is being described as a “$200 million-plus theme park within a theme park.”

Details on the new land within Islands of Adventure have been scarce and contractors working on the project have been required to sign confidentiality agreements. The Orlando Sentinel has uncovered some new information about the section’s signature attraction.

Several people familiar with the project, including one person directly involved, said the ride will be what’s known as a “robocoaster” — a ride system in which guests sit in seats suspended from a robotic arm that can swivel and swoop in multiple directions while it advances along a track.

Plans show the track snaking through more than a dozen scenes, though what those scenes will be remains a mystery. The attraction, according to the people familiar with it, will also feature an elaborate pre-show queue with special effects such as floating candles and snow falling indoors. - Orlando Sentinel

The Orlando Sentinel also shared that their inside source thinks that the Flying Unicorn and Dueling Dragons roller coasters may be re-themed to fit into the Wizarding World.

I’m not that familiar with the books but I’ve seen movies 3 through 5 and I enjoyed them. I would think that a dark ride-like experience would lend itself well to the series. The actors recently mentioned that they had been doing some work for the new section so they may have been shooting scenes for this ride. It looks like Universal is putting a lot into this huge, expensive project. I’m sure it will be impressive as I was reminded just how great the theming is at the Universal parks on my recent visit.

What’s Your Take?
Are you excited about the new Harry Potter land within Islands of Adventure? What do you think about the rumored dark ride-robocoaster? Leave a comment below.

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Ring°Racer Opens: New World’s Fastest Roller Coaster

The Coaster Critic — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:45:09 +0000

Today, the roller coaster speed crown passes from New Jersey to Nürburg as Ring°Racer is set to officially open at Nürburgring, Germany. The former record holder Six Flags Great Adventure’s Kingda Ka, tops out at a blistering 128 mph. Ring°Racer will push the envelope even further with a top speed of 134 mph (217 km/h).

The world’s new fastest coaster will have an appropriate home. According to wikipedia, Nürburgring, known as simply “The Ring” by enthusiasts, is a motorsport race track in Nürburg, Germany. Like the infamous Autobahn it includes public acceess roads where anyone with a registered car can drive as fast as they want. Here’s a Google Translated version of how Ring°Racer is described on the Nürburgring web site:

The absolute madness: Formula-1-feeling in the fastest roller coaster in the world. In parallel with the start and finish line of the Nürburgring Grand Prix track star you on the journey of your life: pure adrenalin, the heart races. The traffic light goes to green and in less than 2.5 seconds you’ll get to 217 km / h faster. Twice as fast as a Formula 1 racer in the same time. A steep curve catapulted the car into the air and back into the ring boulevard °. In a dizzying height - directly under the ceiling - it’s back into the station. ” - Nürburgring.de

Check out this animation video of the Ring°Racer at Nürburgring:

To read another translated article and also to learn about other car and bike-themed roller coasters read this post. More discussion about the Ring°Racer can be found here.

What’s Your Take?
What do you think of the Ring°Racer? Leave a comment below.

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Song List for Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Released

The Coaster Critic — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 04:04:58 +0000

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit’s bright red track has changed the skyline of the Universal Studios Orlando with it’s 167 foot vertical lift and one-of-a-kind non-inverting loop. Aside from the roller coaster’s unique layout, riders will be able to choose their own soundtrack for their ride, and afterwards, cut their own personalized music video of their ride. Today, Universal Studios Orlando released the song list for their new multi-media roller coaster. As promised, the track list includes 30 songs from five genres of music. Here’s the full list:

Classic Rock/Metal
“Born to Be Wild,” Hinder
“Bring Me to Life,” Evanescence
“Gimme All Your Lovin’,” ZZ Top
“Kickstart My Heart,” Mötley Crüe
“Paralyzer,” Finger Eleven
“Rollin’,” Limp Bizkit

Rap/Hip-Hop
“Don’t Phunk With My Heart,” Black Eyed Peas
“Insane In the Brain,” Cypress Hill
“Pump It,” Black Eyed Peas
“Rock Star,” N.E.R.D.
“Sabotage,” Beastie Boys
“Stronger,” Kanye West

Club/Electronica
“Busy Child,” The Crystal Method
“Harder Better Faster Stronger,” Daft Punk
“Intergalactic,” Beastie Boys
“Keep Hope Alive,” The Crystal Method
“Le Disko,” Shiny Toy Guns
“Pump Up the Volume,” MARRS

Pop/Disco
“Bad Girls,” Donna Summer
“Glamorous,” Fergie
“Hella Good,” No Doubt
“I Will Survive,” Gloria Gaynor
“That’s the Way (I Like It),” KC and the Sunshine Band
“U Can’t Touch This,” MC Hammer

Country
“All Night Long,” Montgomery Gentry
“Guitars, Cadillacs,” Dwight Yoakam
“I Can Sleep When I’m Dead,” Jason Michael Carroll
“Living in Fast Forward,” Kenny Chesney
“Midnight Rider,” The Allman Brothers
“The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” The Charlie Daniels Band

Listen to the song list on Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit’s web site.

I’m excited about a N.E.R.D. song making the list. They’re a great band with a unique sound. I’m surprised that they made the list, because they’re not as popular as the rest of the choices. I’d like to give a virtual pat on the back to whoever pulled the tracks together. It would be cool to see which tracks are chosen the most. After ‘Rock Star’, I’d probably choose ‘Sabotage’, ’Intergalactic’, and then ‘Hella Good’ (produced by the Neptunes members of the aforementioned N.E.R.D.).

For more on Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, read my interview with one of the ride’s designers. Also, here’s the best test video on the Web. ParkSleuth.com posted this great test video that splices together almost the entire ride. Check out it out:

What’s Your Take?
I’m happy with the list. What do you think? I feel there’s a solid mix of old and new and different styles. What’s your take on Rip Ride Rockit’s track list? Leave a comment below. Images courtesy of Universal Orlando Resort

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Monorail Crash at Walt Disney World

The Coaster Critic — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 17:33:03 +0000

A monorail crashed into another stationary monorail around 2 A.M. Sunday morning at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The crash killed one of the train operators. More from the Associated Press:

Two monorail trains crashed early Sunday morning in the Magic Kingdom section of Walt Disney World, killing one train’s operator, emergency officials said.

The monorail operator died at the scene of the crash, which happened around 2 a.m., said Bo Jones, deputy chief for Reedy Creek Fire Department. The other train operator was not injured, but was taken to a hospital because he was emotionally shaken. Five park guests were treated at the scene.

It is unclear what caused the crash, Jones said. Orange County Sheriff’s officials are investigating the cause. Read the full story.

The guests who were interviewed at the park were shocked. Here’s a video at the scene of the accident.

UPDATE: Possible Causes of the Monorail Crash - Poor Communications, Fatigue
Orlando Attractions Magazine has more details on what might have caused the accident. At the end of the day, monorails return to a maintenance shop. In order to switch tracks and head over to the shop the monorails need to disable their anti-collision systems. At this point, the operators and workers at Monorail Central have to communicate by radio the location of the monorails. It’s possible that there was some kind of miscommunication while the monorails were in this state.

OAM also speculates that fatigue may have been a factor for the deceased operator. They point to his Facebook page where he commented that he had to work both 12 and 14 hour days in the past. Read more at Orlando Attractions Magazine.

What’s Your Take?
What do you think of the monorail crash at Walt Disney World? Leave a comment below. Image courtesy of Fox News Channel.

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Happy 4th of July

The Coaster Critic — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:13:12 +0000

As we celebrate our independence don’t forget to also celebrate our dominance with regards to roller coasters. There are some amazing roller coasters throughout the globe, so I wouldn’t say that the U.S. is home to the best especially without experiencing any of them myself. But in terms of sheer numbers, by far, the United States has the most roller coasters of any country in the World. Here’s a table showing the top five countries by roller coasters.

The Countries with the Most Roller Coasters

Country	Steel	Wood	Combined
United States	534	114	648
Japan	231	5	236
United Kingdom	159	8	167
China	152	---	152
Germany	119	4	123

Data Source - Roller Coaster Database Note - China’s first wooden roller coaster will be the Gravity Group designed Fireball at Happy Valley. Either it’s open and RCDB hasn’t updated it yet or it will open soon.

I hope that I’ve given my American readers another reason to feel patriotic today. Enjoy the holiday!

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Top 3 Theme Park Souvenirs

The Coaster Critic — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:00:52 +0000

No trip to a theme park is complete without that trip to the souvenir shop on the way out. You’ve got to pick something up that will remind of your great day at the park. How about a t-shirt reminding you that you survived The Beast or a stuffed animal to take the place of the one that you couldn’t win. Here are my Top 3 Theme Park Souvenirs in no particular order:

Should've Used Spell Check

Shot Glasses
I have no idea how theme park shot glasses became so popular. I doubt it’s because there’s some correlation between theme park goers and hard liquor. Regardless, you can find them at most gift shops. I suppose it’s because they’re like small chotchkies that you can put up somewhere and proudly display. I’ve taken to them over the years and have quite a few.Unfortunately, they’ve spent most of their time in a kitchen cabinet because I have no place to show theme off. I’m getting better at fighting the urge to buy them, because they’re pretty much a waste until I build my roller coaster den!

Post Cards
I love taking pictures while I’m visiting theme parks, but I’m no expert. There are professionals and others with great sites (like CoasterImage!) that do a much better job than I could ever do when it comes theme park photography. For that reason I’ll usually grab four or five post cards featuring the park’s best roller coasters to hang up in my cube at work. I’ve never actually mailed one to anybody. I wonder if anyone else uses them like I do or actually sends them in the mail. Who am I kidding? No one actually uses mail for anything anymore, do they?

T-Shirts
Shirts are another popular amusement park souvenir. But, changes in park ownership, bankrupt parks, and re-named roller coasters can make your t-shirts suddenly obsolete. I remember a few years ago Carowinds was slashing prices on their ’Paramount’s Carowinds’ gear as the park transitioned to its new identity as a Cedar Fair park. T-Shirts can get kind of expensive which makes the decision to buy one a tough call in my book. I’ve learned that it might be best to buy one that can kind of work any where you wear it. My bright blue comic-book styled Alpengeist shirt doesn’t get a lot of run but, my Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom and Kings Island Beast shirts do because they’re a little more subdued.

Honorable Mention - On-Ride Photos
On-ride photos are great especially when you’re with a group and can get everyone in one picture. Since I do so many solo trips, I rarely buy on-ride photos. In the last few years, parks have started to sell on-ride DVDs. Soon the on-ride media game is about to be taken to the next level with Hollywood: Rip Ride Rockit at Universal Studios Orlando. Riders will be able to cut their own on-ride & off-ride music video with all kinds of effects and shots from different angles. No word on how much they’ll cost, but I bet these will be very popular this Summer when the ride opens. Read more about Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit.

What’s Your Take?
Which souvenirs are your favorite to get when you visit amusement parks? Do you have a collection of stuffed animals, t-shirts, or something else? It’s okay, you can own up to it. Leave a comment below.

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