Skycoasters

[99er]

That whole "3, 2, 1, Fly" is more than just a motivational countdown, it also means everything and everybody on the ground is clear of your flight path.

 

Indeed. But anyone that has flown on a Skycoaster knows you can clearly see your path and if its clear. If you are working on the crew, you know darn well that even if the flight line is NOT clear, there isn't a thing you can do to keep a guest from pulling their cord. And in the 5 years I spent overseeing the operation of a Skycoaster, not once was the flight line "not clear"

[DBru]

Not that anyone would waste their money by doing this...but if you were to pull the ripcord while you were still rising up, would your flight begin from there, or is it not possible to pull the cord until you reach the top?

[24]

If it's your first skycoaster ride I think it's worth it only once or twice.

 

The only other time I would pay for a skycoaster is if it's the one in Florida thats 300ft tall.

[RctInfinity]

^^ I was wondering that.

 

I would like to go on the Kissimmee Skycoaster one day with two friends. That would be a lot of fun!

[99er]

Not that anyone would waste their money by doing this...but if you were to pull the ripcord while you were still rising up, would your flight begin from there, or is it not possible to pull the cord until you reach the top?

 

Actually, people do it all of the time. I have had people do it about 15 feet of the ground....and they were FINE with that being the ride.

 

It all depends on where you ride at and their policy on this. I know my Skycoaster would only do it if we were really slow (had only a few guests waiting) and it would depend on how high up the guests were when they pulled it. Its a waste of time to re-fly when someone does this, especially if you told them "Don't touch it till you get to the top and don't pull it till you hear Fly".

[MixedDrink]

I've on Xtreme Skyflyer here at Canada's Wonderland. Its worth it the first time, as re-stated several times by others.. but I found the drop much better than on drop tower. I had nothing to hold on to, it felt like I was just falling. In my opinion, Skycoasters and Drop towers are completely different experiences, the vest feels like clothing vs the seats that feel like... seats.

 

At the CF Parks if you ride alone it'll cost you 2-3 times more than it does if you have friends, so I'd just try and find two random people to split the bill.

 

At $22.50, I regret nothing. However, hell if I'll ever spend that money again.

 

- MixedDrink

[steel]

At the CF Parks if you ride alone it'll cost you 2-3 times more than it does if you have friends, so I'd just try and find two random people to split the bill.

However, you don't have to hold on to anything during the initial freefall if you're by yourself.

Incidentally, Valleyfair occasionally has $10- or $15-per-flyer discounts, which are awesome. I rode twice in one day once (one of those times at night)

[disneyfan1313]

I honestly can't get past my fear of them, but I think an upcharge attraction in the $20-30 range is reasonable.

[screaminkid2005]

I'm a Skycoaster Site Controller, so (obviously) I love skycoasters.

 

I'm glad to see that there is another site controller on here! =D

 

The first time I went on the one at Six Flags New England was in 2005 when it still had the rolling boarding platform. Needless to say it was the scariest thing i've ever done in my life, but I loved it. I was so happy when I found out that I would work it in 2011! Once you work on them and know everything about them, your fear of them disappears.

 

So far i've been on...

 

Six Flags New Englands

Six Flags Great Adventure

Six Flags Magic Mountain

Lake Compounce

Funtown Piers

The Great Escape

 

They are a ton of fun and they are just as safe if not safer then any ride you will ever go on! =]

[Lareson]

Skycoasters vary by park, for sure. I rode one of the shorter ones down in Florida and though that it was alright probably wouldn't do it again, then I rode the one up at Michigan's Adventure which is 186ft tall, and I thought it was worth every penny, and have done it several times since. The 100-140ft ones just seem like a giant swing, not very thrilling, while the ones that are over 150ft tall, you actually have a freefall before the cables catch you.

 

I've heard things about the 300ft tall Skycoaster that make it sound not so pleasant. Bruises on your shoulders from the flight suits and it being not so much of a freefall because of how heavy the cables are. I guess I'd have to experience it myself to see how it is, but I'm in no hurry to go down to Florida right now.

[ArundelHigh Coasters]

they are worth riding 1 or 2 times, I don't care what anyone says, but everyone gets scared their first time on. I remember ridding the one at my home park SFA for the first time, and when I was being lifted, everyone in the food court, and mid-way was staring at me, and I got nervous. when it dropped it was so scary because I had nothing to hold onto, and I was just flying over Gotham City, and I remember having the fear of the cord breaking. It's also kind of weird when a bunch of people in the midway are looking up and pointing at you when your flying over .

 

Overall, it's a fun , and scary experience the FIRST Few times, I don't find it scary as much anymore, but it's still fun, and if you feel shelling out the $15 is worth the try , then do it!!

[dippindotsguy8]

I've been on a decent handful of them, and so far the best ones I've been on are at Worlds of Fun and Valleyfair (haven't been on the Kisemee one yet). The lift tower and the main tower are close enough together on those two that you get a pretty good freefall in before all of the slack is picked up. Also, going by yourself tends to give more of a nose dive during the initial fall (at least from my experience), and while you don't swing as far out as on a 3-man flight, it's just as crazy because there's literally nothing and no one to hold on to.

[Voxelmatic]

Well, I've decided that no matter what, I'm riding the next Skycoaster I see. They looks awesome, and very fun.

Edited December 1, 2012 by Voxelmatic

[rcdude]

I've never been on a skycoaster because the nearest one to me (the one at Six Flags Magic Mountain) is fairly expensive and because when I'm visiting a park i don't visit that often I'd prefer to do everything included with my ticket first (every other park I've been to with a Skycoaster was a first or second visit). Skycoasters aren't that great for capacity (maybe a few hundred riders per hour on a double with everyone flying in groups of three) so if there is a line it can be quite a bit of a time investment. When I get to a park that I've already visited a couple times and has a skycoaster that is at a price I'm willing to pay ($20 or less), I'll give it a try.

[nannerdw]

I had the chance to ride the one at King's Island for $5, but I chickened out. I really wished that I'd done it, so I decided if I ever had another chance to ride one for $5, I would. I finally got that chance at Kentucky Kingdom, 2 rides for $10.

I had to ride by myself, though, since I couldn't convince anyone else to do it.

It was surprisingly not that scary. The upside-down freefall felt a lot less intense than a drop tower, IMO.

[VinTheAttendant]

The additional fee has driven me away from many Skycoasters, as well as my ironic fear of heights. However, when I do find myself on a Skycoaster, they are extremely fun in their own terrifying way. My first one was the Skycoaster at Six Flags New England that I got to ride for free during the pre-season when operators were being trained and needed some test dummies. Needless to say, I got to experience what it was like to scream at the top of my lungs in an empty amusement park. The second one I ever rode was the Kissimmee Skycoaster.....yeah, fancy going from one of the shorter models straight to the one almost three times as tall. It's expensive, but come on, it's the tallest one in the world; those are some steep bragging rights, peoples' jaws still drop when I tell them it's just five feet shorter than the Statue of Liberty. Needless to say, it was one of the few rides that managed to extract a scream of 100% "I'm gonna die" terror out of me, and I don't think I'll ever forget my ride on it. While I'm not a Skycoaster enthusiast, and will likely remain that way, the Kissimmee Skycoaster was worth every cent paid, and I would love to do it again.

[Team Thriller]

I did a skycoaster once (Ripcord at WOF)

It was worth it just to say I've done it but honestly the only scary part for me was when the floor drops and it feels like you're about to do a face plant into the platform. Other then that I actually found it rather tame, still loads of fun though!

 

I'd love to try a bigger one like Old Town!

 

-- James

[Angry_Gumball]

Nearly 10 years later I decided to give another sky coaster a shot, being CGA's. Initially I did not want to fork over the $17 but we all convinced ourselves to do so. TPR member Blue Fire Guy had never been on one and wanted to check it out so we forked over our cash, got suited up and away we went! Now I said that I've been on one before but being CGA's is much taller than the one at SFDK, it freaked me out more...especially being the lucky one to pull the cord. Again the initial dive head first is what gets you!

 

Since CGA's Star Tower was down, this doubled as our Gold Striker construction viewing

 

Offride footage shot by my cousin (who nearly misses our flight after the initial drop). You can hear my terrified scream

The initial pull...

[Midgetman82]

So far the only one I've ever been on was the 180ft one at Kentucky Kingdom. Scariest thing I've ever done at an amusement park, and I loved it completely! The point when you pull the ripcord and when the lift cable detaches, you hang mid-air for a fraction of a second before you're falling face-first towards the ground!

 

The drop was only surprising and the rest of the ride was fun. The scariest part of it seemed to have been the lift up, when the ground gets further and further away from you! I always closed my eyes on the way up thinking "I'm almost there!"

[ajfelice]

Skycoasters are not worth it. The inital release is cool, but not worth paying the upcharge for. Also, the following swings are very tame.

 

I have never tried the one that you sit in the ball-shape, and you are slingshot upwards. I imagine these are better.

[screaminkid2005]

^Thats because its not a Skycoaster!

[RCF]

I have never tried the one that you sit in the ball-shape, and you are slingshot upwards. I imagine these are better.

I feel the slingshots aren't as good as Skycoasters. They both have the same ride experience with the intence start into a tame aftermath. Free-falling to the fast-approaching ground is more of an experience to me than being shot into the endless sky.

[The Yeti]

I think a skycoaster is more worth it if it is not at a traditional park, but at least worth trying once at a Fun Spot or something. I've only ridden one which was 150 ft. tall. On the way up, I figured we were near the top until I looked back and realized we were only halfway. It was a little freaky, but after the free fall it is actually pleasant. Whether or not I ride again really depends on who I am with if I am given the chance. I'm iffy on riding the 300 ft one in Orlando though...seeing that thing up close was probably enough for me.

 

Slingshots are just pure awesome if you ask me.

[Skycoastin Steve]

Skycoasters are awesome.

[goatdan]

The only part of the Skycoaster experience that scared me was after they lifted you up and attached you to the wires, when they lowered the lift down a bit and you dropped into the horizontal position, stopping like a foot from the ground.

 

I think in general if part of the reason you like coasters is because you are scared of heights, you'll love overcoming the Skycoaster scare. If you aren't so scared of heights, other then when I thought I was going to break my nose on the lift, I can honestly say it wasn't much more than a giant swing.