(BP) Giant Dipper vs. (SCBB) Giant Dipper

[Crazy4Coasters!]

It just came to my attention while reading the SFMM thread that the Giant Dipper in Santa Cruz could be a top 3 woodie in California. Personally I have only ridden the one at Belmont Park but every time I hear about the Giant Dipper people usually refer to the one up north. I just want to hear from you guys if there is a different between both of these classic coasters. I personally enjoy the the Giant Dipper at Belmont Park and I could easily see why someone would place it high on the list of best Cali woodies.

[packfanlv]

I have only been on each one of these coasters one time, so I am not knowledgeable of all of the differences, but the one up north seemed a bit faster and more forceful. I would agree that they both are solid and fun coasters and rank highly among wooden coasters in California.

 

Of course there isn't much competition in that category.

[larrygator]

I have also ridden both on one occasion. I found the one at Belmont to be tame and lame.

 

I much preferred the wilder ride at SCBB.

[CreditCrazy]

IMO, Santa Cruz's is much better than Belmont's. Both have fun pre-lift tunnels but I thought Santa Cruz's was better. Santa Cruz had more airtime (both don't have too much, but Belmont has zero) and I found it smoother. I would rank Giant Dipper Santa Cruz as the 4th best woodie in California, behind Terminator, Roar and Ghostrider and Giant Dipper San Diego towards the bottom, just ahead of Grizzly and Colossus (never rode Psyclone).

[speedracer]

Ridden both numerous times, definitely SCBB. The only area I would rate SD's better is the first drop, other than that, there's a valid reason why it's the best rated Cali woodie on Mitch Hawker's 2008 poll.

[Crazy4Coasters!]

Hopefully whenever I get the chance to go up north I can give the GD at SCBB a try. The one in San Diego is a fun little ride but I can see where a little more speed can add to the experience. I do agree that the one down south is a bit shaky but I have to remember these are early 1920's coaster we're talking about... but decently maintained ones at that .

[Mechanic]

The Santa Cruz Giant Dipper still feels like it was built yesterday. Well, maybe not yesterday, but it is exceptionally well maintained. It's really hard to believe that it's as old as it is. The coaster delivers a ride that is truly deserving of its landmark status.

[ebl]

The last time I rode the Giant Dipper at Belmont Park, it was a bit rough, but it is a nice layout with a good tunnel to start it off.

 

At Santa Cruz, I've never had a rough ride, and I like its tunnel better.

 

Honestly, I give my nod to Santa Cruz.

 

Regardless, though, I'm glad we still have both of them.

 

Eric

[WFChris]

I like both, but like everybody else I give the edge to SCBB.

 

SCBB has a great pre lift tunnel with a nice pop of airtime right out of the station. The ride layout is a little, I don't know, more traditional feeling than the one in San Diego. It was fun, and ran very smooth. I remember comparing the smoothness to that of the (then newly opened) Ghostrider.

 

BP was fun as well, I remember when it reopened that I found it to be quite jerky. I have ridden in the last year and was happy to find that it was much smoother, and even had some pops of air. I was also lucky enough to be riding it in the rain, so that may have helped quite a bit

 

They are both really good rides though and purely on a historic basis, I find them both to be important California landmarks in their own right. I also love the smell in the tunnels on both of the coasters, has that whole...old time grease smell. I dunno, call me weird LOL.

 

Chris.

[The Bebes]

The Bebes have ridden both this year (belmont in March and Santa Cruz just last week). Both were pretty smooth rides.

 

Belmont's was a nice ride on an old classic. Nothing bad about it, but easily forgettable.

 

Santa Cruz's was surprisingly smooth, especially in the front. It had great airtime pops in the front seat and scary aggressive airtime thrusts in the back seat. The only BAD ride we had was in the middle where it shook around a bit much. It has a great tunnel, an awesome first drop, good forces (laterals and airtime), and some out of control craziness.

 

Check out our ratings on Coasterfanatics. SCBB blows BP away!

 

Follow our Bay Area Theme Park Tour by clicking our link below, and our other park adventures (like Termination Day) if you've missed them!

[ebl]

At one time, the Giant Dipper at Belmont Park had nine-car, single bench Prior and Church trains, similar to today's Millennium Flyers. Not sure what Santa Cruz had originally, but I'd bet it was something similar.

 

It'd be great if somehow, modified Millennium Flyer trains (modified, as in shortened to nine cars from their standard 12-car ones) to either or both rides. I think then you'd get a ride more true to its/their original form.

 

Eric

[alpengeist04]

While I can't chime in on the comparison of the two coasters, I can say that the Santa Cruz Giant Dipper is a lot of fun. Maybe not in my top 10, but definitely in my top 20. ...Oh and you really can't beat the location on the boardwalk near the water.

[packfanlv]

For the person that placed the GD at SCBB behind Roar and GhostRider, I have to disagree. For me it sits slightly behind Terminator as far as wooden coasters in California go. I also agree with everyone as to how suprisingly smooth it is and the beginning tunnel is awesome! I wish both Roar and GhostRider were so smooth.

[speedracer]

It'd be great if somehow, modified Millennium Flyer trains (modified, as in shortened to nine cars from their standard 12-car ones) to either or both rides. I think then you'd get a ride more true to its/their original form.

 

BP yes, SCBB no. The Morgan prototype trains are actually half the reason why SCBB's is so much fun (fixed lapbars + roomy seat dividers + no seatbelts = happy happy joy joy airtime!) Those heavy MF lapbars and restrictive seatbelts/dividers would most likely significantly decrease what little floater air there is. Unlike all the other Morgan trains, these are actually not bad and track great (also helps that the ride is so meticulously maintained).

[ebl]

^ That's right. SCBB's Giant Dipper has the very first Morgans. So, yeah, maybe just Mission Beach should get new trains.

 

Eric

[65skylark]

I've been on both many times and SCBB is a much better coaster, IMO. Noticable airtime, much better pacing and a lot smoother. The tunnel leading to the lift is a lot better on the SCBB Dipper, also. The only California woodie I haven't been on is Terminator. Out of all the rest, I rank Giant Dipper at SCBB number one with Roar a close second. There was a time when I had Ghost Rider firmly at number one but those days are long gone.

[ebl]

I know I've mentioned it here somewhere, but about ten years ago, I got to take a walking tour of the SC Giant Dipper. Some people don't know this, but a big leather belt connects the lift motor to the chain drive. That's pretty amazing.

 

Eric

[darklingscribe]

I have to say I prefer SCBB's Dipper as well. Last year on a hot night I had some rides on it that blew me away. It was on a Friday concert night and though the lines were long and the boardwalk was packed shoulder to shoulder, I had one of the best times I ever had at a theme park outside of a TPR trip.

[some sort of coaster dude]

i have been on the belmont park coaster twice

 

there was nothing interesting or notable about it to me

 

Ghostrider is, however, amazing and perfect in the backseat,

 

Psyclone was terrible, parts of it are and were almost good, but not quite, because of trims

 

have not been on the norther california rides.

[rcdude]

I like the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk's Giant Dipper better than the one at Belmont Park. I've been on both about the same number of times, but Santa Cruz was all in one visit while Belmont Park was a few visits (would go over when I went to Sea World). However, I haven't been on either of them since 2004.

 

If I remember correctly, the Santa Cruz one had a slightly longer ride time (hardly noticible unless you timed it). Santa Cruz is also smoother, and has a more thrilling first drop. I remember them both having about the same length tunnel at the beginning, and they both had about the same amount of airtime. However, I think the reason I liked the Santa Cruz one better was because of its location. The Santa Cruz Giant Dipper feels like a classic roller coaster at a seaside park, while the San Diego one feels like a random old roller coaster with nothing much around it, even though it isn't far from the beach either.

[some sort of coaster dude]

There was a time when I had Ghost Rider firmly at number one but those days are long gone.

 

Why is this so ?

[ebl]

^ Because GhostRider has gone to you-know-where. It was one of my very favorites at one time, but it's gotten way too rough for the most part.

 

It has its moments, but they're few and very far in between.

 

Eric

[TPDave]

I much prefer SCBB, it might even be ahead of Terminator for me. BP was nice, but lacked forces and airtime (it was a little too shaky as well!).

 

i have been on the belmont park coaster twice

 

there was nothing interesting or notable about it to me

 

Ghostrider is, however, amazing and perfect in the backseat

 

Wow.

 

That ride beat the crap out of me! Once was enough and I was in a supposedly "good" seat. I could tell it would be a great ride if it was smooth (which I'm told it used to be) but seemingly a lack of maintenance has made it pretty much unbearable.

[some sort of coaster dude]

what years of Ghostrider were "good"

 

i think i went on it in 2001 and had mind blowing airtime on every every every single hill, unforgettable, better than el toro (not quite as intense, but its not just out and back hill hill hill and painfully intense turns that i wish were airtime hills instead)

 

then i went on in 2003 and did not get the ejector air but my cousin didn't agree that we needed the BACK and went one row up from it instead (which i've always noted is a no no no no no on that ride, back back back of silver train back in those days)

 

my friend and i loosened our restraints as much as we felt safe doing , and we sat in such ways so that it was harder for them to staple us

 

"standing air" actually meant something literal and beyond that

and of course it was tremendously rough

 

i think we went on it again in 2002 and it was still good, with ridiculous lines

 

in 2003 i did not feel the air i adored, but i didn't get to sit where i wanted.

[Groteslurf]

I rode both on the WCT last month and I too prefered the one at SCBB. But the one at Belmont was certainly not a bad coaster either.