Blogcritics Author: The Coaster Critic

Travel Review: Hard Rock Park - The Birth of a Rock 'n' Roll Theme Park

The Coaster Critic — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:48:31 EDT

Hard Rock Park has infused its rock 'n' roll theme park with attitude and ingenuity in every aspect of the park.
Hard Rock Park officially opened for business last week with much fanfare. The $400 million Myrtle Beach park was six years in the making. In May I visited the park for the Media Preview during the Sound Check or soft opening. As a seasoned theme park enthusiast, I was impressed by the level of detail and ingenuity that the creators employed while...

Book Review: Lake Compounce by Lynda J. Russell

The Coaster Critic — Tue, 20 May 2008 11:35:18 EDT

This book is a trip through the rich history of recreation and amusement in America.
On my visit to Lake Compounce in 2005, I was impressed by the aura of the park. Boulder Dash, an acclaimed wooden coaster built on a mountain, had brought me to the park. I was pleased to see the park had more to offer than its marquee roller coaster.While I knew the Bristol, Connecticut park was the oldest in the country, I had no idea how rich...

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

The World's Tallest, Fastest Roller Coaster: Kingda Ka - New Jersey

The Coaster Critic — Tue, 1 May 2007 02:40:32 EDT

After my rainy trip to Cedar Point and the subsequent closing of Top Thrill Dragster, I was looking forward to getting to Six Flags Great Adventure. Not only does Great Adventure have the only other Strata Coaster on the planet, they boast the world record holder for height (456 feet) and speed (128 mph) in Kingda Ka. Top Thrill Dragster and Kingda Ka launch riders in excess of 120 mph. Riders then climb a 40-story hill at 90-degrees only to drop back down, spiraling back to Earth.Loading was very slow going and the park was only running two trains while two more were set off to the side. If I hadn’t had a Flash Pass I don't think I would have waited for a second or third ride. Waits were two hours or more, but with the pass I waited no more than 15 minutes. While I didn't get to ride Top Thrill Dragster thanks to the rain, I do prefer its theming and integration into the park to Kingda Ka's. The launch area was near a footpath, but exotic foliage partially blocked the view of the launch section. There were onlookers and you could see the launches, but why not highlight them instead of hide them? Six Flags dropped the ball in that regard.Any Last Words? Kingda Ka's intimidating launch and ridiculous height had quite an effect on the park-goers. In the station and aboard the trains people were saying their goodbyes. "If I die, you can have my girlfriend," said one teen-aged rider to a much older gentleman in line. One girl frantically told her boyfriend that she loved him just before the launch. She begged him to put his arms down for fear that they might be dislocated by the intense launch. Some baggy-clothed onlookers standing near the launch area were yelling to their scared friend waiting to be launched. "When you hear the click you got five seconds [left]!" They laughed for a moment at the double meaning. If I could have taken excerpts from what people were saying, you would think we were in a war zone, not an amusement park. It was silly, but entertaining at the same time.A Rocket Coaster Indeed On my first ride they sounded a horn. On my two later rides there was no horn, just the train shifting backwards a few feet and a small clicking noise. It was the only warning before we started tearing down the long straight track. The faster it got I realized my head was pinned to the headrest and my cheeks were being pushed back. The train felt like it was going too fast. The experience was unreal! Over in the new Plaza del Carnival section people heard what sounded like thunder, but it came from the ground instead of the sky. As we hit top speed (128 mph), the train was rattling like it might come apart and then you begin your ascent.The View From the Top of the (Coaster) World Cresting the top was awesome. The view was amazing and the quietness was in direct contrast to the mayhem from seconds earlier. From certain seats I got a little pop of airtime at the top. Really about as much as you would want when you're 45 stories up. Extreme El Toro-like airtime at that height would be pretty terrifying. I had heard that on a clear day both New York City and Philadelphia are visible from the top.Call me stupid, but I didn't expect the drop to be that great; maybe because I've scoffed at other ultra steep, 90-degree drops offered by coasters like Hypersonic XLC and SheiKra. Kingda Ka's drop is fun. You feel yourself dropping and you get that nice twist on the way down. Vehicles in the parking lot below looked like ants. As we picked up speed on our way back down to Earth, the ride became pretty rough again. The train crested the second hill and then smoothly decelerated. I think I was sitting towards the front when I got a little lift on that second hill. It was nothing to write home about, but perceptible.An Awesome Thrill Ride and a Great Coaster If I were rating thrill rides, Kingda Ka would get a 10! As a roller coaster, it's way too short and pretty rough in some seats. It has a reported time of 28 seconds, but it felt even shorter. Six Flags really needs to work on the capacity and loading time. If they have four trains, then they should use them. I also hear that breakdowns are very common. I experienced a brief amount of downtime during my trip. I'm giving Kingda Ka a very weak 8 out of 10. The points are for the insane experience that the launch provided, that unforgettable view, and the long drop. It's an awesome experience, but not a great overall roller coaster. Kingda Ka is still worth the trip to Six Flags Great Adventure if you don't mind a long wait, if it doesn't rain, and if it doesn't break down.

The Coaster Critic is a coaster enthusiast that loves reading and writing reviews of all kinds. Recently, he decided to merge his passions for coasters and writing by starting a theme park blog. Currently, he's ridden more than 100 coasters and visited more than 20 theme parks.

2007 Roller Coaster Preview

The Coaster Critic — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 16:01:55 EDT

Last year the amusement industry was buzzing about Holiday World's Voyage and Animal Kingdom's Expedition Everest. More than 80 new roller coasters will open this year. With the 2007 season underway, it's time to preview the most anticipated roller coasters that will debut this year. Maverick: The Coaster Capital Strikes Again Cedar Point, the self-proclaimed roller coaster capital of the world will debut its 17th roller coaster this season. The park has a track record of offering the most coasters of any park and also setting new world records for height and speed. Maverick will have a wider appeal than the skyscrapers Cedar Point has been installing. It looks to be more fun than extreme and will appeal to families, enthusiasts, and teens. Sure Maverick has two launches and a couple of inversions (loops), but it's less likely to scare off Mom and Dad while still impressing the hardcore enthusiasts. This kind of family thrill ride is definitely a smart move. Cedar Point looks to have a winner with Maverick as they steer away from their record-breaking addiction for something more family-friendly. Maverick gets my vote for the most anticipated roller coaster of the year. I'm happy to say that for once the Cedar Point hype is deserved Griffon: Acclaimed Designers and Acclaimed Park Team Up Once Again Busch Gardens Europe will unleash Griffon on its visitors in late Spring. It will feature an intimidating 205' (twenty-story) drop at 90 degrees. That's straight down by the way. If that wasn't enough, brakes will hold riders at the crest of the drop for a few seconds so they can stare down at the ground far below. In addition, Griffon was designed by the acclaimed designers who have created some of the best steel masterpieces of the past 15 years. Busch Gardens has a history of having fewer, but more highly rated attractions. It has been rated "America's Most Beautiful Park" for the last 16 years in a row. Busch also does a great job of integrating their rides into the rolling green terrain of the park and their rides are always themed better than your average seasonal park. Test footage of Griffon has already surfaced on YouTube. Boardwalk Bullet: The Dark Horse of 2007 The Gravity Group will be bringing their magic to the Kemah Boardwalk with the Boardwalk Bullet. It will be one of the few wooden coasters joining the Class of 2007. There's a good chance it will be overlooked as it is being built at a small amusement park southeast of Houston, Texas. While this will only be the Gravity Group's third roller coaster their first two, Hades and Voyage, have made quite an impact in the industry. They both placed in the top-five wooden coasters of the 2006 Golden Ticket Awards. They also placed in the top-10 wooden coasters in the Internet Roller Coaster Poll, with Voyage taking the top spot. It's safe to say Gravity Group is off to an amazing start. After the loss of Six Flags AstoWorld in 2005, this is great news for coaster enthusiasts in the Lone Star State. If Gravity Group's former success is any indication of what we can expect from the Boardwalk Bullet, Texans should be in for quite a treat. Will lightning strike three times? Mystery Mine: Dolly's Little Park, No Longer Little Dollywood made a big splash in the Amusement Industry in 2004 with Thunderhead. It quickly became a favorite by enthusiasts and average park-goers alike. After two back-to-back Golden Ticket Award titles, it has given people a reason to take the trip to Eastern Tennessee. Dolly hopes to give people another reason as her park just opened Mystery Mine last week on Friday the 13th. Seats on the initial running of the Mystery Mine were auctioned for charity on eBay. It's great that Dollywood gets theming as there's an eerie back story and a haunted-looking, dilapidated building involved in the ride. Mystery Mine features three loops and a short, but ultra steep 95-degree drop. With a $17.5 million dollar price tag, it looks like Dolly's ready to play with the big boys. Best of the Rest Knoebels, located in Elysburg, PA will resurrect the extinct wooden bobsled coaster with Flying Turns. The wooden roller coaster Renegade will open at Valleyfair! in Minnesota. Wicked, a steel looping coaster, will open at Lagoon near Salt Lake City, Utah. Sierra Sidewinder will spin its way into Knott's Berry Farms in Buena Park, CA. Six Flags is opening two Tony Hawk's Big Spin family roller coasters. One will open at Six Flags St. Louis and the other will open at Six Flags Fiesta near San Antonio. Lastly, a flying coaster has been moved from Geauga Lake to Kings Island (near Cincinnati). It will be reborn as Firehawk and is set to open on Labor Day.

Cedar Point Releases "Maverick" Coaster Details

The Coaster Critic — Thu, 7 Sep 2006 14:40:03 EDT

Cedar Point, the self-proclaimed Roller Coaster Capital of the World, has been working on a new coaster for 2007. The park has a track record of erecting jaw-dropping, record breakers. It's been home to the speed and height world record holders four times. In 1989 with Magnum XL-200, in 1991 with Mean Streak, in 2000 with Millennium Force, and again in 2003 with Top Thrill Dragster, the park has boasted the king of steel or wooden coasters. It's safe to say that Cedar Point has been pushing the envelope in coaster design for years.Throngs of coaster enthusiasts have been salivating as construction photos started showing up on the Internet. Cedar Point has kept all of the details under wraps until today. This morning Cedar Point released the details of its 17th coaster. Maverick will be a steel launch coaster with speeds of 70 mph, three inversions (loops), and a drop at a staggering 95 degrees.Not a Record BreakerI will go ahead and state the obvious. Maverick will not be a record breaker. Earlier this year, Cedar Point's blog On Point hinted that the park may not build another height monster for its next coaster. In my opinion, this is a smart move. Is going 500 feet into the air really that much more thrilling than going up 400 feet as Top Thrill Dragster already does? I'm sure Cedar Point will return to the coaster arms race at a later date as that seems to be the park's bread and butter. For now though, it is nice to see them switching it up.A Neo Mine Train CoasterMaverick will be located in the Frontier section next to Mean Streak. From looking at the ride animation, the layout will be interesting with lots of theming and faux rock terrain. Via linear synchronous motors riders will be launched up an incline and immediately sent down a 100 foot drop. 100 foot drops are a dime a dozen these days, but this one is at 95 degrees. I still doubt seasoned veterans like me will be blown away by the drop, but at least they're trying something different. I'm more interested in the 4,450 foot long course that will twist and turn through the rocky terrain while staying low to the ground. Maverick will also feature eight airtime hills and three inversions. One of the inversions will be a one-of-a-kind twisted horseshoe roll. At one point the train will slow to only 5 mph before riders will be launched to 70 mph through a 400-foot tunnel. That sounds cool, but with two launch sections, I have to think that this coaster will have some down time.Similar CoastersThere aren’t many coasters being built these days that look exactly like Maverick. This could be another chance for Cedar Point to start a trend like they did with Magnum XL-200 and hyper coasters. It appears Maverick will offer theming similar to a mine train coaster. It will be close to the ground and is more of a family attraction like mine train coasters. Built by Intamin, it may have similar trains, track, and the same overall feel of Storm Runner at Hershey. It will also boast an inversion that may be comparable to Storm Runner’s unique and disorienting flying snake dive. Lastly, it will use the same propulsion system that the Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster at MGM Studios and Superman The Escape at Magic Mountain use.While Maverick won't blast riders into the stratosphere it may go down as one of the park's most complete coasters. Other than Magnum XL-200, I wasn't blown away by the park's selection of coasters. Several were sub par, others were okay, and a few were good, but didn't have the complete package. If Cedar Point can actually pull off all of the purported elements of Maverick they could have a coaster loved by hard core coaster enthusiasts, families, and even those not under its spell. I’m in that last group if you couldn’t tell.

Busch Gardens Reveals New Dive Coaster Named Griffon

The Coaster Critic — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 20:26:52 EDT

Busch Gardens Europe (formerly Busch Gardens Williamsburg) located in Williamsburg, VA, has finally released details about its newest coaster. The coaster enthusiast community has been eagerly waiting for the details on the park's first coaster in eight years. Busch Gardens Europe has a reputation of installing world-class coasters and some of the best-themed attractions for a seasonal park. It is also a perennial winner for Best Landscaping and Most Beautiful Park in Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards.Griffon will be located in the New France section of the park. The Le Mans Raceway has been removed to make room for the new attraction. Construction photos have already been posted by fervent enthusiast hoping to get a glimpse of the layout of the new coaster. Griffon is named after a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. This fits with the park's tradition of naming their coasters after Old World myths and mythical creatures.Thanks to the Internet, it’s been fun watching the coaster enthusiast community pick up the clues along the way. First, there were pictures on the web of spray paint utility markings on side walks. Next, there were references to James City County documents where Busch applied for a height waiver to build a new attraction. Then, there was the patent for the name found on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s web site.The details of the new coaster are what coaster fans are bound to geek-out over. This will be only the second dive coaster in the U.S. Griffon will boast an ultra steep, 90 degree, 200 foot drop. If that's not intimidating enough, there are brakes at the crest of the drop that hold riders for a few seconds as they stare down at the ground far below. Griffon will be similar to SheiKra, a coaster at a sister park in Tampa, FL.I wasn't blown away by SheiKra last year. Right away my reviews caught a backlash from coaster fans that probably aren’t as well-traveled as I am and probably hadn’t even ridden the coaster. It had two 90 degree drops, but the overall course was pretty short. However, I am comforted in the fact that Busch is not the type of park chain to install an exact clone of another coaster. Griffon’s layout is similar to SheiKra’s, but it will offer two inversions (loops) and floorless trains. It’s not as long as the park’s other coasters, but I'll give Busch the benefit of the doubt. Loch Ness Monster, Big Bad Wolf, Alpengeist, and Apollo's Chariot are all excellently-themed, world-class coasters. I'm excited to see what Busch will do with this long-awaited addition. Griffon is scheduled to open late Spring 2007.

Army Shoots Down Military Theme Park Proposal

The Coaster Critic — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 15:30:10 EDT

According to the Washington Post, the Army is no longer planning to add a theme park to their plans for a history museum. The proposed museum and entertainment complex will be located in Fort Belvoir, Virginia in the suburbs of Washington DC. Army officials approached Universal Studios for strategies to make the museum more attractive to today's audiences. Early reports referenced a proposal submitted by a Florida developer for a military theme park.Army spokesman Dave Foster said yesterday that the Army did approach Universal Studios, but only for information about using "so-called 4-D experiences" within the museum. The subsequent proposal from Universal City was "grander in scope than what the Army thought appropriate," Foster said. Universal was welcome to submit a future proposal, but "in no event would any proposal containing what might be characterized as an 'amusement park' be . . . seriously considered," he said. The Army's decision not to build the park should put to rest the debate over whether such an attraction should exist. The initial proposal included rides that would give visitors control of tanks and attack helicopters. Critics were arguing that a military-themed park would romanticize war.Local officials and residents were also concerned about the impact of a major tourist destination like a theme park on area traffic. This makes sense because the Washington DC area has the third-worst traffic congestion in the U.S., behind Los Angeles and San Francisco according to a 2005 study. In the nineties, a proposed Disney theme park met so much opposition that it was never built. The museum planners wanted to add the theme park to make the Army museum more of a draw, which would have increased the traffic problems.I am glad that they are not moving forward with the theme park. As a coaster enthusiast, I love theme parks and the possibility of having one in my backyard is exciting. But, the idea of large scale war-themed attractions built by the Army seems inappropriate. On the other hand, I have no problem playing war-themed video games. Some would argue that they romanticize war as well.The planned history museum, adjacent hotel, and conference center will still get plenty of tourist attention.

For Sale: Six Flags Elitch Gardens

The Coaster Critic — Tue, 8 Aug 2006 13:04:41 EDT

And so it begins... On the heels of last week's announcement that Six Flags is still in the red, comes news this week that Elitch Gardens is being sold for $170 million. Located in Denver, Elitch Gardens was acquired by Six Flags in 1999.From a coaster enthusiast's standpoint, the closing of this park isn't that devastating. It's not home to any monuments to coaster history or world-class thrill machines, and while it does boast the U.S.'s only half pipe coaster, the attraction looks like it could be easily moved to another park. Elitch Gardens could meet a similar fate as Six Flags AstroWorld. That park was shut down last season and its rides were moved to other Six Flags parks. However, there is always the chance that another company will buy the park and it will be saved.While the sale of Elitch Gardens is news in the theme park community, Six Flags had already announced that six of its thirty parks were on the proverbial chopping block. Real shockwaves will be felt if the company sells the Magic Mountain park as rumors suggest. It's home to seventeen roller coasters, which is the most anywhere.