Ranking the Roller Coasters of Hersheypark

Growing up in the suburbs of Baltimore, MD, Hersheypark was basically my home park. Even though Wild World (Six Flags America) was closer, we chose to visit Hershey multiple times a year. Consequently, this park will always be a special place for me. The park has most definitely evolved a lot in the past 15 years or so. But despite its growth, the park has managed to hold on to its charm while becoming one of the better roller coaster parks on the east coast.

The park’s website boasts 15 coasters. This may make you wonder why I’m only ranking 13. The reason there are only 13 on my list is that Candymonium hasn’t officially opened yet so I can’t accurately rank it. I would speculate it would fall into my top 5, but not exactly sure where. The other ‘missing’ coaster is their water coaster. I don’t count those so we won’t discuss that one.

13. Cocoa Cruiser

It’s a kiddie coaster and not a great one. It’s actually fairly rough for something so small. Get the credit and keep moving. As you can see from this pic, even my kids don’t seem to be overly impressed.

12. Sidewinder

It’s a Vekoma Boomerang. These things are all over the place and while they are surprisingly intense through the vertical loop, I find the one at Hershey to be on the rough side.

11. Wild Mouse

In all actuality, Wild Mouse and Sidewinder could be interchangeable for ride quality. This is your standard wild mouse style roller coaster. You’ve got hairpin turns, a few little dips, and you feel like you’re going to go off the side of the track. Nothing special.

 

10. Trailblazer

As a kid, I absolutely loved this old Arrow mine train. I thought the final double helix was a really cool element. This is a really good entry-level coaster for the kid that is tired of the kiddie coasters but doesn’t feel quite ready for anything too big. I should also mention that this ride can sometimes get a line as it is often on single train ops. If you need the credit, knock it out early in the day.

9. Comet

The sentimental feelings continue with the Comet. This 1946 wooden coaster from PTC is an absolute classic. It’s a fun out and back layout that gives you some nice little pops of airtime as well as a few decent laterals in the turn arounds. Some of my fondest Hershey memories involve closing the park down by going back and forth between Comet and sooperdooperlooper for the last 2 hours of the night. Some would possibly rank this coaster higher up the food chain at Hershey, but as much nostalgia as it brings to the table for me, it just doesn’t stand up to the rest of the rides on the list.

8. sooperdooperlooper

You can never go wrong with a Schwarzkopf looper. While I miss the old paint job with the white track and orange trains, there’s no denying that this ride still holds its own despite its age. The vertical loops on these Schwarzkopf coasters are surprisingly intense. Add in a fantastic double helix finale and you have a great classic ride. This was my first looping coaster as well as my oldest daughter’s first looper. This will always be a sentimental favorite of mine.

7. Laff Trakk

Spinning coasters have become a recent trend at amusement parks. Hershey got into the game in 2015 with this spinner from Maurer rides. While I’m not a fan of spinning, this is easily my favorite spinning coaster that I’ve ridden. It has incredible theming in the ride building and it also doesn’t spin completely out of control. I can ride it comfortably without getting sick. This ride sits in the back corner of the park and can quickly get a line, so it’s not a bad idea to rope drop this coaster and then head straight to the next coaster on my list.

6. Fahrenheit

The first of 3 Intamin rides on our list, Fahrenheit is a pretty crazy ride. It packs 6 inversions into a VERY tight layout. The ride also features a vertical lift hill (I’m really not a fan of these) that leads to a 97 degree beyond vertical drop. While the drop is cool, the highlight of this ride is simply how Intamin crammed so much into such a small footprint.

5. Wildcat

The first coaster built by GCI. I’m expecting a little bit of blowback from this selection. A lot of people really don’t like this ride and about 5 or 6 years ago, I would have been one of them. It was a headache-inducing trainwreck for a while.  A little bit of track work though has Wildcat running great. There’s some uproar for Hershey to bring in RMC to convert this to one of their hybrids, but I really hope the park continues to let GCI love on this wooden monster. As you will see in the picture below, it also has one of the better ride entrance signs as it reminds us that you must be wearing pants to ride.

4. Great Bear

Great Bear is, in my opinion, the most underappreciated inverted coaster that B&M has designed. It has a very unique layout that includes a little pre-drop helix. I love the way this ride interacts with the looper and then has a final flyover of the Coal Cracker flume as it makes its way back into the station. It’s not the longest or tallest invert by a long shot, but it’s a great ride.

3. Storm Runner

The second Intamin coaster on the list is Storm Runner. This is an Intamin accelerator that features an initial launch that takes riders from 0 to 72mph in 2 seconds. Let me tell you that the launch is bonkers. The complaint about this ride is that it is too short and I completely agree with that assessment, but again it’s that launch that makes this ride so impressive. Oh, and you also get a great view of the park as you go over the top hat.

2. Lightning Racer

This is simply put an elite wooden roller coaster. It’s my #2 wooden coaster anywhere. What makes this coaster special is that it doesn’t just race side by side, it duels. You get multiple flyby moments with the other train and the ride really just doesn’t let up. It’s a fantastic wooden coaster and you need to ride both sides as each side gives you a different experience.

1. Skyrush

This is perhaps Intamin’s craziest ride. I-305 sits higher on my list, but not by much. The wing seats make this thing feel so completely out of control. Much like Fahrenheit, I’m amazed that Intamin was able to fit such an incredible hyper coaster into a relatively small piece of land. The restraints are the only bad thing on this ride as they just clamp down on your legs more and more as the ride goes on. The airtime on this beast is almost all ejector and those wing seats feel as if you’re going to get thrown out of the ride. This ride is just an absolute beast and a must ride.

Well there you have it. That’s my rankings of the coasters of Hersheypark. How do my rankings compare to yours? What do you think of these rides and the park in general? Leave some comments down below.

Ride on!

Ranking The Coasters of Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Welcome to another edition of Thrilling Thursday here on the blog. I’ve spent the last 10 weeks counting down my top 10 wood and steel roller coasters and with that coming to an end, I want to do something slightly different for the next few weeks. I am going to do a series where I look at a park’s entire coaster lineup and rank them from my least favorite to my favorite.

I can’t think of any place better to start than at my home park of Busch Gardens Williamsburg. I live about an hour from the park and visit multiple times a year. This park has a great lineup of roller coasters and I can honestly say that none of them are bad rides. Sadly, that won’t be the case with some other parks I will feature. Without any more fanfare, let’s jump right into the roller coasters of Busch Gardens.

#8 – Grover’s Alpine Express

This is a children’s coaster that was manufactured by Zierer Rides. There’s not a ton to say about it except that it is very smooth for a kid’s coaster and it is a lot of fun. Both of my kids really enjoy it. The reality is that it just doesn’t compare to anything else in the park.

#7 Tempesto

Tempesto is a Premier Rides Skyrocket II model. It is a quick (45 seconds) triple launch coaster. While it is short, it does pack a pretty good punch as the launches are pretty forceful. When you look at it, you can see the heartline roll at the top of the structure. Let me tell you that you get a ton of hangtime when you go through that element. This is a very solid ride, but for me, it is not incredibly re-ridable and because it is a shuttle coaster and can only run 1 train, it almost always has a line. Those two factors are the reason that I would put it this low on my list.

#6 Verbolten

Not many parks can claim to contain 2 roller coasters from Zierer Rides. Busch Gardens is one of them. Verbolten is another multi-launch coaster (2 launches), but unlike Tempesto, it is a full circuit coaster. This is easily the most well-themed coaster in the park. The ride takes you into the Black Forest (inside the show building) where you will encounter one of three different experiences. In the building, you will either encounter the spirit of the forest, a lightning storm, or the legendary Big Bad Wolf. Once you escape the forest you will then follow a familiar path. From the top of the drop to the end of the ride, you will retrace the same path from the coaster that used to stand in this spot. That coaster was the Big Bad Wolf. The fact that a unique and solidly themed coaster like Verbolten sits at #6 on this list tells you just how good the park’s lineup is.

#5 Griffon

Griffon is a dive-coaster from Swiss manufacturer B&M. It delivers a very smooth ride that takes you through 2 inversions. The star of the show though is that initial 90-degree drop. As the train approaches that drop it comes to a stop with riders dangling over the edge. After a few seconds, the holding brake lets go and it’s off to the races. The ride also features a splashdown ending.

#4 InvadR

This is the park’s wooden coaster from Great Coasters International. Many enthusiasts don’t give this ride great reviews. While it’s certainly not one of the bigger GCI coasters, don’t let its stats fool you. This ride delivers a really good family wooden coaster experience complete with airtime and laterals, not to mention several head-chopper elements. The back row is the best spot to ride this coaster.

#3 Loch Ness Monster

‘Nessie’ is easily the park’s most iconic ride. This 41-year-old Arrow looper is still thrilling passengers of all ages. Not only is the ride very photogenic, but it is still a very enjoyable ride. It is the only ride still operating in the world with interlocking loops. Unfortunately, they no longer time the blocking of the trains so that the trains enter the loops together. Even without that added bonus, you can not miss this ride when you visit the park.

#2 Apollo’s Chariot

This is the park’s hyper coaster from B&M. In fact, this is the first hyper coaster that B&M opened. It edged out Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America by a few weeks. Opening in 1999, this is still one of the better hyper coasters out there.  In fact, prior to my ride on Mako in 2018, this was my favorite hyper out there. This ride is packed with airtime from start to finish and features an upward helix at the turnaround point. If you can grab a ride on it while the park’s fireworks are going off during the summer, you are in for an even more special treat.

#1 Alpengeist

Alpengeist is an extreme inverted coaster from B&M. It is still the tallest B&M invert in the world and wow is this ride crazy. It is my second favorite invert of all the ones that I have ridden. Let me tell you, the cobra roll element is one of the more intense moments on a coaster that I’ve ever experienced. If you ride in the back row, you can feel the forces all the way down in your feet as you go through that element. The only thing keeping this behind Montu at Busch Gardens Tampa for me is the way it slams into the mid-course brake run. If that wasn’t so jarring, I would rate this above Montu.

This year, if the parks are able to open, BGW plans to open Pantheon. This will be another multi-launch coaster. Intamin is the manufacturer and let me tell you, from what I saw in person last year during construction and what has shown up online since, this ride will be bonkers. I strongly suspect it will become my new #1 in this park, but until I ride it, I won’t rank it.

Well there you have my countdown of BGW’s roller coasters. How do my rankings compare to yours? Let me know in the comments.

Let me give you a little bonus.  The park has two legendary roller coasters that are no longer operating in Drachen Fire and Big Bad Wolf. For some hypothetical fun, I will let you know where those rides would fall in my countdown if they were still standing.

1. Alpengeist
2. Drachen Fire
3. Apollo’s Chariot
4. Big Bad Wolf
5. Loch Ness Monster
6. InvadR
7. Griffon
8. Verbolten
9. Tempesto
10. Grover’s Alpine Express

Finally, if this blog got you interested in learning even more about the park, check out this video that I was honored to record with Steven from Thrill Maxx. We talk about the roller coasters and so much more as we walk around the park. Give their channel a subscribe as well.

We’ve Reached The End – The Number 1 Coasters are Unveiled

Holy cow. Have I really been at this countdown for 10 weeks? It is truly hard to believe that this week ends the coaster countdown and next week Thrilling Thursday will shift its focus away from this list. But let’s be real, you don’t want to hear me ramble. You want to know what my favorite wooden and steel roller coasters are. Let’s do it.

#1 Wooden Roller Coaster – Phoenix – Knoebels – Elysburg, PA

Phoenix

I’ll be completely honest. When you walk up to this ride, it doesn’t look that impressive. What it does look like is your everyday, cookie-cutter out and back wooden roller coaster. It’s not overly tall and it doesn’t have any crazy maneuvers to take you through.

So what is it about Phoenix that has it so high on many people’s lists? I think it comes down to 2 things: airtime and buzz bars. This ride is an absolute airtime machine. Add the fact that there is no seatbelt and the only restraint is a buzz bar that sits a good several inches about the top of your legs (even a guy my size) and you will spend more time out of your seat than in it. I honestly felt that I was on the verge of standing up at certain points in this ride. It was absolutely crazy. Phoenix is also insanely smooth. I’m not talking smooth for a wooden coaster, but I’m talking B&M hyper smooth. Phoenix is one coaster that will easily prove that stats don’t matter. This ride also holds one other piece of nostalgia for me. It became my 100th coaster credit when I rode it.

#1 Steel Roller Coaster – Fury 325 – Carowinds – Charlotte, NC

Fury 325 POV

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you B&M’s masterpiece. This ride is so much fun. Is it as intense as Skyrush or I-305? No. It doesn’t have to be. It’s smooth as glass, it’s fast as lightning, and it’s an absolute blast to ride. Some say that this is just a bigger version of their hyper coasters. I strongly disagree. The drop is one of my favorite drops on a coaster anywhere. The trains fly through the course. I think my favorite element to this ride is the unique treble clef turnaround into the ‘hive dive’ where the track dives into a tunnel that goes underneath the walkway that leads into the park.

Here’s another perspective on this ride.  My wife enjoys coasters but doesn’t ride them as much as I do.  She is scared of heights. She loves Apollo’s Chariot at our home park of Busch Gardens Williamsburg. She took one look at Fury and said no way.  Then after riding Intimidator there in the park, she looked at me and said let’s go over to Fury right now before I change my mind. Not only did she ride it, but it is her absolute favorite roller coaster.

Well, there you have it. The countdown is complete. I’m excited to shift gears for Thrilling Thursday coming around next week. Hopefully you will enjoy what I have planned.

The Coaster Countdown – #3

I’m back to talking roller coasters again. Each week I’ve been unveiling from 10 down in my top 10 steel and wooden coaster list. We’ve finally reached the top 3. I have one coaster in these last 6 that is sure to create a little bit of controversy, but that’s fine. It’s all subjective so there is no right or wrong answer. Missed the earlier blogs, go here.

#3 Wooden Coaster – Son of Beast (defunct)- Kings Island – Mason, Ohio

Son of Beast POV

Here is where the controversy lies. Son of Beast has a rough history. Literally. This massive wooden structure is best known for the bone-rattling rides that it gave. I only got 2 rides on it during its opening season and it wasn’t running terribly rough yet. Sure it wasn’t the least bit smooth, but this was a first of its kind wooden hypercoaster that, by the way, featured a vertical loop. Oh, what could have been if RMC had been around when this beauty was built.

Now for some stats. 218 feet tall. 214-foot drop. Its top speed was 78.4 mph. 78 freaking miles per hour on a wooden coaster. The ride pulled 4.5gs. In addition to the 214-foot drop, the ride featured two other drops of at least 150 feet. Yes, this coaster was absolutely massive.

Between the 2006-2007 seasons, the loop was removed and several track issues were supposedly solved. All of this would allow the coaster to use lighter trains which would theoretically reduce the stress on the structure.  Unfortunately, the improvement was minimal at best and the ride was permanently closed in 2009. It would ultimately be destroyed and the B&M invert, Banshee now sits on its land.

#3 Steel Coaster – Skyrush – Hersheypark – Hershey, PA

Skyrush POV

Intamin goodness right here. This is a pretty unique hypercoaster in that while it sits 4 across like the B&M hypers, the 2 middle seats are right on top of the track and the two outside seats are essentially wing seats that give you a very free feeling and also make you feel completely out of control, especially on this ride.

Most hyper coasters follow and out and back layout and are spread out over a pretty large plot of land. Not so with Skyrush. This hypercoaster is wedged into a pretty small piece of real estate which gives you some incredibly fast transitions and tight turns. It is an absolutely wild ride.

The biggest complaint that people have with Skyrush is the restraints. This ride produces some crazy forces and the restraints get tighter on your thighs as the ride goes on. I personally find it uncomfortable, but the ride is just too despite that minor flaw.

Want some stats? Height – 200 feet. Drop – 200 feet. Top speed – 75 mph. This ride features no inversions but you don’t miss them. From the time you leave the station it’s non-stop in your face intensity. This is Intamin at their best. Well….almost their best. That ride will be in next week’s blog.

What are your thoughts on these rides? Have you experienced them? Where do you agree or disagree with me? Leave some comments below.

We’ve Reached the Final Four

Normally at this time of year, the headlines would revolve around March Madness. Well, that’s not happening, but that wasn’t the point of this post anyway. We continue the coaster countdown today. This week it’s the #4 steel and wooden coasters on my favorite coaster list. Here’s the link to last week’s unveil which also has the links to each previous week. Make sure to check them out if you haven’t.

#5

#4 Steel Coaster – Mako – Sea World – Orlando, Florida

Mako – POV

This is the highest-ranked B&M hyper coaster on my list. I finally got to ride it for the first time back in 2018. I went in skeptical as I had heard how great this ride was. I’ll also admit that I’m kind of an Apollo’s Chariot fanboy. The thought of another hyper being better than Apollo’s seemed incomprehensible. When my oldest daughter and I sat down on the front row for our first ride, I told her all that I had heard about it and she couldn’t believe it either. When we hit the final brake run, we looked at each other in disbelief because wow did this ride live up to the hype.

Photo Credit Wikipedia

Photo Credit alcapones.com

In typical B&M fashion, this ride is super smooth and has TONS of floater airtime. The airtime hill after that first left turn is absolutely unreal. This ride just delivers from start to finish. I could keep raving about it, but that would get boring. Let’s look at the numbers.

The ride time is a bit over 2 minutes. It has a height of 200 feet and a drop of 200 feet so it just barely fits into the hyper category.  It reaches a top speed of 73 mph. By the numbers, it looks like just another B&M hyper, but when you talk to anyone that’s ridden it, it is just really in a different class. If you’re in the Orlando area, you need to ride this.

#4 Wooden Coaster – Gwazi (Now Defunct) – Busch Gardens – Tampa Bay, Florida

Gwazi – Tiger

Gwazi – Lion

You get 2 separate POVs for this ride as it was a dueling coaster built by GCI. I probably should have tried to split them into two different rides for my list, but it was 2000 when I rode it and I honestly can’t remember which of the sides I preferred so they are treated as one coaster for this list (as is the other dueling woodie that we haven’t gotten to yet).

What do I remember about this coaster? I remember it being absolutely relentless. This ride is known for giving a very rough ride. It was in just its 2nd year of operation when I rode it so it was not rough at that time. It was just intense and the dueling element made it that much better.

Both sides of the ride posted identical heights of 105.4 feet and drops of 91.8 feet. They each hit 51 mph. Remember when I said relentless? They each also pulled 3.5 Gs during their circuits.

While Gwazi is now defunct, it is not completely dead. Rocky Mountain Construction has come in and worked their magic yet again. Iron Gwazi will open later this year (probably within days of the park re-opening). While they removed the dueling element, this ride genuinely looks like it’s going to be a monster. They haven’t even released a POV yet, but I can’t wait to ride this new coaster.

That’s it for this week. I’m really excited to break into the top 3 next week. Yes, there will be more controversy with at least one ride in my top 3.

Splendid Sixes – The Coaster Countdown

It’s another Thrilling Thursday and the coaster countdown is going to continue as this week I unveil the roller coasters that sit in the number six spots on my wood and steel lists.  Reminder: This list is as of the end of the 2019 calendar year. With our regional parks here opening soon, it is possible that by the time I get to the number 1 coasters the list will have changed, but we will see.  I am really excited to be getting to Busch Gardens Williamsburg this weekend for their Member Preview Day. But enough of the preliminaries. It’s time to unveil the next coasters on my list.

#6 Steel Coaster – Montu – Busch Gardens Tampa – Tampa Bay, Florida

This is the second coaster from BGT to make my list and also the second inverted coaster on my list.  This is my favorite invert, edging out Alpengeist by the slimmest of margins. The difference for me between the two is in how well that Montu has aged.  Alpengeist is bigger and faster, but Montu is significantly smoother. The ride dives in and out of trenches through a layout that is very well themed to the Egyptian landscape. A very unique feature that was ultimately removed was a crocodile pit right underneath the train as you pulled out of the station. Some sources call it an alligator pit, but at least to my eyes, the animal in the picture looks more like a crocodile and rcdb.com says that it was live crocodiles.  I kind of wish that was still there.

Live crocodile underneath Montu

Now for some of the raw stats on this ride.  It was built in 1996 by the Swiss Company B&M. It has a height of 150 feet and features a drop of 128 feet. It reaches 60 mph and goes through 7 inversions. This ride also pulls 3.8 gs on those who are brave enough to ride it. Needless to say, Montu is a relentless ride that certainly packs a punch. Definitely a must-ride when visiting Busch Gardens Tampa.

Take a ride on Montu

#6 Wooden Coaster – The Beast – Kings Island – Mason, Ohio

This one may be semi-controversial as it seems that roller coaster enthusiasts have become increasingly critical of this massive wooden coaster at Kings Island. Opening in 1979, The Beast is the 3rd longest roller coaster in the world and the longest wooden coaster in the world. It features 2 lift hills and 7,359 feet of track length. It reaches a height of 110 feet with a drop of 141 feet and hits just under 65 mph. The ride duration is also over 4 minutes in length.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been on the Beast and I have never had one of its legendary night rides so I am missing out on that. The night ride is the one thing that even its critics still agree is amazing and one of the best night rides out there. While this coaster isn’t incredibly forceful and some trim brakes have been added to tame the ride a bit, this coaster is just still so legendary and it is absolutely massive. Most of the ride layout is out in the woods so you really can’t see much of the ride when you aren’t actually on the ride. That added mystique is certainly a great feature in my opinion. Maybe my ranking of this one is nostalgic, but either way, if you’re at Kings Island and you don’t take a ride on The Beast, you’re missing out on something special.

Tame The Beast

Have you ridden either of these rides? Do they make your top 10 lists? What are your thoughts on them? Be sure to leave a comment below and subscribe to the blog. Every Thursday you will get roller coaster/theme park related content.

Coaster #7

Coaster #8

Coaster #9

Coaster #10

Lucky 7s: The Coaster Countdown Continues

Up until this point in the countdown, maybe you’ve scratched your head a little bit with one or two of my choices, but that’s all about to change this week.  I’m about to send some of you enthusiasts through the roof with the coasters sitting at #7 in my wood and steel coaster lists. Both coasters are from the same park, but neither operated at the same time as the other one. On the steel coaster side, we have a ride that operated for only 6 years and met an untimely end.  Not to be outdone, the wooden coaster in this spot is often maligned as being ‘weak’ and a ‘little family coaster.’ Intrigued yet? Let’s go.

#7 Steel Coaster – Drachen Fire (defunct) – Busch Gardens Williamsburg – Williamsburg,  VA

Photo from Pinterest

I can feel the hate comments already. Drachen Fire has a unique history.  If you compare the two Busch Gardens parks, you will notice that they have some very similar rides. However, if you’ve been to Tampa and seen Kumba, you may have wondered why Williamsburg doesn’t have a similar ride.  Oh, but they did.  This is that ride. The difference is in the manufacturer. Kumba was built by then-newcomer, B&M. They wanted B&M to build Drachen Fire and open the rides the same season.  B&M didn’t feel that they were equipped to do that, so the initial ride concept was then given to Arrow Dynamics for them to build the Williamsburg park’s version of the ride. Oh, what might have been.

It’s no secret that Drachen Fire had a history of being rough.  So much so, that BGW originally was hoping to simply reprofile some of it to smooth it out.  In the end, they tried to sell the ride and when no buyer was found, the ride was torn down in 2001-2002 after standing dormant since July of 1998.

I only had one experience with this ride. It was during the 1996 season and I was 17 years old.  I was blown away and fell in love with this coaster.  My favorite of it’s 6 (eventually 5 as one was removed) was the corkscrew that took you into the first drop.  Yeah, you inverted almost immediately after coming off of the lift hill.  I got 7 rides on this beast that day and it has been one of my favorite coaster experiences to this day.

Perhaps it remains this high on my list for sentimental reasons.  But, hey, it’s my list.

Take a ride on Drachen Fire

#7 Wooden Coaster – InvadR – Busch Gardens Williamsburg – Williamsburg, VA

My photo

If I hadn’t triggered you yet, I’m sure I have now.  InvadR is technically a hybrid coaster as it has steel supports with a wooden trackbed, but for all intents and purposes, this is a wooden coaster. InvadR was built by Great Coasters International and opened in 2017 in the New France (Canada) section of the park. It features a covered (to reduce noise) drop of 74 feet and reaches 48 mph.

Admittedly, the stats on InvadR aren’t great and it IS a family coaster.  Where I differ with most enthusiasts here is that being a family coaster isn’t necessarily a bad thing if done well and I believe InvadR is done very well.

There are two things about this ride that I love. First, the multiple pops of airtime.  When you look at this ride you don’t expect to get much, but there are plenty of moments where the ride pops you out of your seat (especially in the back row). Normally, I’m a front-row guy, but this ride is definitely much better on the back row.

The other thing that I love about InvadR is that it is getting better each season. The year it opened, I liked the ride, but I didn’t love it.  It was just a nice little addition tucked into the back corner of the park. Then as I rode it more in 2018 and 2019, I noticed that it was consistently running better and better with each passing season. This is certainly not an out of control and crazy roller coaster. It is a very solid family coaster that seems to be improving each year as it ages. Don’t let it’s size turn you away.

Take a ride on InvadR

If you’ve missed the earlier editions of this countdown, click the links below to get caught up. Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts on these 2 rides.

#10 Coasters

#9 Coasters

#8 Coasters

Thrilling Thursday: The Countdown Continues – Crazy Eights

Welcome back to another Thursday edition of the blog. If you haven’t been keeping up, you can click here and here to view the first two editions of my roller coaster countdown. This week we are going to look at my #8 wooden and steel roller coasters. There might be a little bit of controversy here, but nothing like what’s going to show up in some of the future weeks of this journey. Let’s ride!

#8 Wooden Coaster – Wild One – Six Flags America – Upper Marlboro, MD

photo courtesy of rcdb.com

Take a ride on Wild One

Let’s face it. There aren’t many roller coasters still running that are more than a century old.  This is one of them.  It has not operated continuously in one location. It began its history in 1917 as Giant Coaster at Paragon Park in Hull, Massachusetts. From there it was relocated to its current home at Six Flags America where it is known as Wild One. At first glance, this looks like your typical out and back style roller coaster and for the most part, it is.  It’s 98 feet tall, has a drop of 88 feet and hits 53 mph over its 4000 feet of track. You get pretty good air time as you go over the air time hills, but what sets this woodie apart for me is in that final helix. You hit it at a pretty decent speed and it packs some solid lateral g-forces going through it. When you factor in the ride’s age and that it has been relocated, it is a really solid ride. I had all but forgotten about this coaster until I had the opportunity to take a lap on it last year. While Six Flags America certainly isn’t a favorite park of mine, if you’re in the Baltimore/Washington area, it is worth your time to check out their collection of coasters.

#8 Steel Coaster – Cheetah Hunt – Busch Gardens Tampa – Tampa, Florida

My Photo

Go for a ride on Cheetah Hunt

Here’s where I expect a little bit of kickback from the coaster community. Just remember that I haven’t been to Cedar Point yet so I don’t have the Maverick experience to compare this one to. Cheetah Hunt is an Intamin Blitz coaster that features 3 launches and 1 inversion. This ride is definitely more about speed and turns than it is heights and drops.  Its highest point is only 102 feet and its biggest drop is 130 feet.  I think the uniqueness of the figure 8 element immediately following the second launch along with the snappiness of the turns is what I really like about this ride. It hits a top speed of 60 mph and pushes a rather impressive 4.0 g’s. The launches are moderate with regard to forcefulness, but the way this ride dives into the trenches and whips along the old water section of the now-defunct Rhino Rally makes it a must ride if you’re in the park.

Have you ridden either of these attractions? If so, what are your thoughts? Would they make your list? Comment below and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss out on any posts.

This Week on the Blog

Last week was one of the most active weeks we’ve had on this blog.  We had visitors from around the world, which is really cool. If you’re one of our international readers, leave a comment and let us know where you’re reading from!

I just wanted to give you a little preview of what you can expect to see this coming week here at The Journey of Ascent.

On Monday, I am going to share some thoughts I had while listening to an incredible new worship project that just released this weekend.

Tuesday, of course, will be a recap of last week’s training as well as an update on my weight loss.

For Wild Card Wednesday, I will be revealing my five favorite Broadway musicals that I have seen in person. This is not soundtrack based, it will be based on the show in its entirety.  Spoiler alert, the show pictured below makes the list.

On Thursday, my roller coaster countdown continues as I will unveil my #8 wooden and steel coasters. For this blog, we will travel to parks in Maryland and Florida.

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Finally on Friday…..well you’ll just have to come to visit us on Family Friday to see what family story or person I am going to feature.

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Thrilling Thursday

Today we will continue with the new format of the blog.  Today is the day where my love of roller coasters and theme parks will come to the forefront.

For the first several installments of this concept, I thought it would be fun to unveil my top 10 steel and top 10 wooden coasters.  Each week, I will unveil one steel and one wooden coaster for my lists. These lists are obviously completely subjective and are based on my personal experiences through the end of 2019. At this point in time, I have ridden 123 roller coasters. Some may say that’s a lot, but the reality is it’s a modest count based on what many who share this passion have ridden. I’m sure that if you are a coaster enthusiast you will probably have some disagreements with my rankings, but again, they are my rankings.

My number 10 wooden roller coaster is Wildcat at Hersheypark in Hershey, PA.

Photo from rcdb.com

Wildcat opened in 1996 as the first coaster designed and built by Great Coasters International.  It has a height of 85 feet and its top speed is 50 mph. Despite its relatively small size, the coaster still packs a punch as it pulls 3.5 g’s.

This ride has a reputation for being seriously rough.  For a long time, I was one who would have had that same assessment.  However, during my most recent rides on this coaster back in 2015, I was pleasantly surprised at how well it was running.  It’s certainly not glassy smooth, but these types of wooden coasters aren’t supposed to be really smooth.

In recent years, there has been a growing outcry for Hershey to bring in Rocky Mountain Construction to turn this coaster into a hybrid coaster (see Steel Vengeance, Twisted Timbers, as well as several other conversions). While I have no doubt that RMC could have a blast converting this ride, I would rather see the park continue to give it the yearly TLC that it needs and keep this coaster running as it is.

And now for my number 10 steel coaster: The Incredible Hulk at Universal’s Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida.

Photo from http://www.rcdb.com

This one is probably a surprise to many that it would be in my top 10 steel list.  This is an older B&M sit-down looper, but man is this thing fun. I have only ridden it on one occasion and that was our honeymoon way back in 2003. Since then, the ride has essentially been completely rebuilt.  There was no change to the layout but it was still taken down and then rebuilt.

The Incredible Hulk features 7 inversions, has a height of 110 feet, reaches 67 mph and pulls 4 g’s. What makes this ride unique is that instead of your traditional lift hill, you are launched up the hill through a tunnel and straight into the first inversion.

This is also one of the more well-themed roller coasters you will find.   The queue is very detailed and the launch sequence is even themed to Bruce Banner turning into the Hulk. There are certainly bigger and faster coasters out there, but I have a soft spot for this one.  Maybe it’s the memories from a fantastic honeymoon, maybe it’s just that good of a ride or maybe it’s both. Whatever the case may be, this is a ride that you don’t want to skip if you’re at Islands of Adventure.

For reference, neither of these coasters crack my overall top 10 list.

Well, that does it for Thrilling Thursday.  Next week, I will unveil my number 9 wood and steel coasters. Let me know what you think of Wildcat and The Hulk down below in the comments and if you’re enjoying the content here, make sure to subscribe!

Chris