EL TORO vs. THE VOYAGE

[jamesdillaman]

Cheaper than paying a chiropractor...

 

-James Dillaman

[rjholla2003]

^When did Great Adventure retrack Hercules???

 

Anyway, Im sure we will see more of these wooden coasters in the future, because unlike the traditional wooden coasters, they dont end up as spine-adjusters after a few years of operation....

 

Whoops! Typo fixed. Ment to type "Dorney Park" there.

[Nitro1118]

After riding Voyage this [ast week, I have now been on both rides...

 

I give El Toro the slightest edge for the fact that it gives you the "wow" factor as you hit brakerun, and you are always going to get an amazing, smooth ride. With Voyage, when you hit the brakerun, because it sustains such a high intensity throughout the whole 6,000+ feet of track, you feel a bit worn out and beaten. And out of my 3 rides, I had 2 smooth rides, and one ride was pretty rough, which made the ride unbearable, and took away from most of the excitement.

 

Both rides are absolutely stunning, and my ride on Voyage at night was just as good, possibly better than any of my 7 Toro rides, but that wow factor Toro gives, and the conisistency of the ride is what gives Toro the edge.

[easytoremember]

What do you mean the wow factor when you hit the breaks. Voyage hits its final brakes pretty fast too, plus I would much rather use up more speed and hit the brakes slower then hit the brakes hard with speed that could have been used.

[Nitro1118]

What do you mean the wow factor when you hit the breaks. Voyage hits its final brakes pretty fast too, plus I would much rather use up more speed and hit the brakes slower then hit the brakes hard with speed that could have been used.

 

I'm not talking about the speed you hit brakerun. I'm talking about the wowo factor. Voyage is probably the most intense ride I have ever ridden...and is over 6,000ft. Not to mention it rides like a true wooden coaster, which means it already somewhat beats you up as it is. All of that combined make you feel a bit beaten and exhausted going into brakerun, while on Toro, which is very smooth and is 2,000ft shorter, doesn't push that limit and you go into brakerun filled with adreniline rather than feeling like you were just beaten up for 2 minutes. Voyage is absolutely amazing, but it doesn't have the same wow factor Toro does.

[ReLaPsE]

I haven't ridden The Voyage yet, however I would like to throw in my 2 cents about Toro.

 

El Toro is my #1. And, while I expect The Voyage to most likely be in my top 5 due its its sustained length, terrain, and just plain fun due to tunnels and plenty of turns and stuff, I do not see it right under El Toro. I expect it be be more towards the #5 spot. And while part of this will be personal preference: Here's why...

 

When I ride a coaster, I want the most intense coaster possible. Not VIOLENT, but intense. Every time I ride an older woodie, such as Rolling Thunder @ SFGadv, I almost regret getting on once the ride is over. It's basically the equivalent to having a few people smash you and give you dead legs for a couple minutes while moving forward and getting whiplash. THAT is NOT my idea of FUN or a GOOD RIDE.

 

Don't get me wrong now! There is NOTHING wrong with LATERAL G's. Lateral G's can be great fun and be very effective at certain times.

 

Most people who haven't ridden Toro say, " Toro is stupid anyway with the cable lift I'd rather have a chain lift it builds more anticipation". Ladies and gentlemen....NO IT DOES NOT!!! The super-fast cable lift scares the SHIT out of most people, and just mulitplies the adrenaline, anticipation, and fear in them. You start up the bottom of the lift at normal speed until the entire train is completely on the lift itself, and then BAM, most people start asking eachother, "Is this right?! Is this supposed to happen?!?! Holy ****!!!" It is a fabulous feature, and really helps Toro keep up its super-high capacity.

 

Front row: The best floater air EVER. It manages to be an INTENSE flaoter air! You don't just slowly rise out of your seat, you ROCKET out of your seat into the lapbar, but then you just float there inbetween the lapbar and the seat the WHOLE way over the hill.

 

Middle: A bit more gentle floater air.

 

Back row: My personal favorite. The most INTENSE, INSANE, POWERFUL, DEATHDEFYING EJECTOR AIR IN THE WORLD. Seriously, if the lapbars weren't there, you'd be on the moon. Period. You are out of your seat from the moment the parabola begins until the true bottom of the hill. The SPLIT SECOND that the airtime begins, you think and feel like you are gradually going to be lifted out of your seat, but then BAM you get whipped and rocketed into the lapbar. and you stay PRESSED against it for a ridiculously amazing amount of time.

 

The "Rolling Thunder" Crossover Hill: Ho - ly - s**t.

 

Twister Section: The twister section is incredible, but what makes it so much better is the crossover hill. Because it all happens so fast...going from the most negative g's of the ride one instant and then you fly into the most positive g's of the ride in the SAME instant! It really whips you through the twister section, with in my opinion a perfect mix of smoothness, positive g's, and lateral g's.

 

I will admit that the twister section could have been longer. The train SURELY has the speed to do so. If another maybe 30 seconds were added on to the twister section, including maybe a tunnel or 2, and if the track weaved in and out of trees and stuff, i DEFINITELY don't think that The Voyage would even stand a chance against Toro.

 

Here's a vid. that someone took and put it on YouTube. It's not That great of a vid as far as POV, but It really gives you an idea of the sheer power of El Toro:

 

[easytoremember]

Voyage Does not beat you up at all. It is VERY intense, especially the twister section and the ending. And It has the best most sustained airtime on any coaster. You are out of your seat every time you change height.

[ginzo]

and really helps Toro keep up its super-high capacity.

 

Are we talking about the same ride here? Isn't Toro the super low capacity, one train running, 10 minute dispatching by lazy Six Flags hoodrat ride ops, never open before noon ride?

 

I'm sure it's a great ride, but nobody has ever called it high capacity before you.

[HCOSurfer90]

and really helps Toro keep up its super-high capacity.

 

Are we talking about the same ride here? Isn't Toro the super low capacity, one train running, 10 minute dispatching by lazy Six Flags hoodrat ride ops, never open before noon ride?

 

I'm sure it's a great ride, but nobody has ever called it high capacity before you.

 

No it's not. It's the super low capacity, two train running, 10 minute dispatchingby lazy Six Flags hoodrat ride ops, never open before noon ride

[ReLaPsE]

When Toro first opened, yes, it only ran one train, and it took a while.

 

But now both trains are running, the crew is incredible, and it goes FAST. Waiting in a full queue is no big deal at all. The crew is seriously great, and is nothing like a normal SF crew.

 

Voyage is claimed 1200 riders per hour.

 

Toro is claimed 1500 riders per hour. And it at LEAST lives up to that.

[ginzo]

I guess I'll find out for myself next year when I go out there.

 

Voyage has three trains. So, all things being equal, the capacity should be higher. In fact, I was out there today, and never had to wait more than 20 minutes to get on. The longest wait I've ever had on it was a little under an hour, and most have been in the 10-30 minute range for a total of maybe 20 rides total.

 

I haven't been to SFGAdv in 10 years. They've added so much in that time!

[Satoshi]

hmm... real so hard to say which's better that people have

different taste on coasters so i can't go for which one - el

toro or the voyage. but if i was asked which one has good

pops in the air i'd go for voyage because el toro's kinda bit

short ride for a great scale yes it's shorter than 2 mins.

what about the voyage? too good for one coaster and we've

got plenty of more than 20 secs ejector pops in the entire

layout while we're doing at the xtreme speed. good thing it

goes on to the edge of holiday world as well. yes this can

make it more fun for all thrill seekers and all families for

sharing its real blast; expecting more longer traveling on

the woodies so that its takings would be one memorable

things. that's why i heart the voyage!

[Tank6585]

I like this POV of El Toro, if you listen when they go over the hills you can hear the upstops really doing their job.

 

 

I like The Voyage a lot too, but what wooden coaster give you -Gs like a drop tower?

[HCOSurfer90]

I love the crossover hill. It's the only time I had ever thought OMFG IM GONNA DIE on a coaster.

[DATman]

I like The Voyage a lot too, but what wooden coaster give you -Gs like a drop tower?

 

None. El Toro in no way gives you the insane sustained -G feeling that an Intamin drop tower does. (It's still my #1 woodie, as I don't think I'll be going on the Voyage for a long time...)

[Martin]

Wow, this POV shows how El Toro never lets up when it gets warmed up in the afternoon: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ty9c2b_JG-A&mode=related&search=

[KoasterKidz67]

I have never been on El toro but I went on the Voyage over ten times this year. So, so far in my opinion The Voyage would have to be better. Plus Holiday World is my favorite park. THat adds another plus to the Voyage.

[easytoremember]

of cource you think it is better, you haven't even been on el toro, lol

[verticalzero]

I have been on El Toro "brother" at Heide-Park Germany; it is the best woodie I have ever been on.

 

I did not mind the height, I knew just by looking at it, it was an " "machine.

 

The speed and "floating air" is insane, I wish it was nearer to the UK so I can enjoy it more often.

 

The roughest section is the Helix, which the park should ask Intamin to replace before it, shakes itself to bits.

 

I do prefer this type of "Plug n Play" wood by Intamin than normal wood coasters, I hope the parks will purchase loads more in the future.

 

 

For "old-skool" wood coasters like the "Voyage":

 

As long as the track has been well greased and serviced I enjoy being thrown about and hitting the "One click Lapbar".

 

The "Beast" was the best ride and the worst ride is "SOB".

 

I have not had the joy of riding the Voyage yet; it does look an amazing piece of wood engineering esp the "Triple" down in darkness and the 90% corners (this would never happen in the UK).

 

No wonder sections of the Voyage track had been replaced after the 1st season if it is a wild and out-of-control ride. I expect it to have a "Trims" added soon to slow it down.

 

I don't want the Park to receive a letter that starts with "I sue you for the wood coaster being 2 fast and feeling dangerous".

 

Anyone know "How many tress were used to create the Voyage" ?

[ginzo]

I have been on El Toro "brother" at Heide-Park Germany; it is the best woodie I have ever been on.

 

I did not mind the height, I knew just by looking at it, it was an " "machine.

 

The speed and "floating air" is insane, I wish it was nearer to the UK so I can enjoy it more often.

 

The roughest section is the Helix, which the park should ask Intamin to replace before it, shakes itself to bits.

 

I do prefer this type of "Plug n Play" wood by Intamin than normal wood coasters, I hope the parks will purchase loads more in the future.

 

 

For "old-skool" wood coasters like the "Voyage":

 

I personally wouldn't call The Voyage an "old school" woodie considering that it has a hybrid wood-steel design. Although there are a few examples of this design from the past (Cyclone, Traver coasters), the traditional way is to use all wood. The Intamin woodies, of course, use mostly wood. They're just engineered to get around a lot of the problems that woodies suffer from.

[coasterrider1998]

El Toro isn't just a coaster, its a mind blowing expirence. I know I am a GADV fan boy but I do have to agree on the ride. It is certianly unbelieveble. Lets just say after this ride, my whole body went into shock. I was freezing and it was about 90 degrees out. That is a ture story. To add on, Voyage looks amazing to, but like Robb said on page 1, I would also take a smooth GCI or Plug-N-Play over a rough woodie anyday.

 

/Cr98\

[coasterguy618]

I have been on El Toro "brother" at Heide-Park Germany; it is the best woodie I have ever been on.

 

I did not mind the height, I knew just by looking at it, it was an " "machine.

 

The speed and "floating air" is insane, I wish it was nearer to the UK so I can enjoy it more often.

 

The roughest section is the Helix, which the park should ask Intamin to replace before it, shakes itself to bits.

 

I do prefer this type of "Plug n Play" wood by Intamin than normal wood coasters, I hope the parks will purchase loads more in the future.

 

 

For "old-skool" wood coasters like the "Voyage":

 

I personally wouldn't call The Voyage an "old school" woodie considering that it has a hybrid wood-steel design. Although there are a few examples of this design from the past (Cyclone, Traver coasters), the traditional way is to use all wood. The Intamin woodies, of course, use mostly wood. They're just engineered to get around a lot of the problems that woodies suffer from.

 

Hybrid steel isnt a new design. It first came out in the late 80's to early 90's.

[easytoremember]

I think hybrid was made much earlier than that, because the Coney Island Cyclone utalizes hybrid structure.

[snuggles]

Why not make a voyage clone with plug and play intamin track

[robbalvey]

Why not make a voyage clone with plug and play intamin track

That would be pretty sweet! I felt Voyage was pretty darn rough when we rode it, and it only like 3 weeks old!!! And add a little bit more airtime while you're at it!

 

--Robb "A smoother Voyage with more airtime might have made me actually rank it #1." Alvey