The "Pleasant/Unpleasant Surprise" Thread

[GwaziBSRider1]

Pleasant Surprise:

-Space Mountain at WDW: I wasn't expecting much from it, but I ended up really loving it. It has such a great layout that really packs a punch.

-Thunderbolt at Luna Park: I didn't expect to enjoy this ride since it's from Zamperla, but I really enjoyed it. It has a great layout, and I didn't find it to be all that painful.

-I-305: I was sure I wouldn't like it because I don't like Maverick, but I was very wrong. That ride is just incredible.

-Predator at Darien Lake: I was bracing for the worst, but it wasn't all that bad and that was in the back seat! It's a decent coaster with a good layout. It just needs some good retracking.

-FireChaser Express: From the POVs, this coaster looked like a snooze fest, but it was a fun ride.

-Mr. Freeze Reverse Blast: Wow! I really loved this ride. I loved being pulled up the tower backwards and then rampaging through the rest of the course.

 

Unpleasant Surprise:

-Maverick: I was SO excited for this coaster when it was under construction, and I couldn't wait to ride it. After getting off, I felt so disappointed. It was EXTREMELY painful for me, and the layout doesn't excite me at all. This is a coaster I WANT to like, but just can't.

-Possessed at Dorney: It took me four tries to get this credit, and it was so unsatisfying. The brake was very painful.

-Voyage: This coaster gets such high reviews, and I don't understand it. It's VERY rough, and the design is just okay.

-Lost Coaster of Superstitious Mountain: Again, I don't understand why people love this coaster so much. It's incredibly rough and you can't really see any of the theming inside.

-Nitro at SFGAdv: This coaster is incredibly boring. There's not much airtime, and it has a horrible rattle.

-Kraken: Rattles horribly and the layout does little for me.

 

There's more, but I don't feel like writing a book here.

[mike541x]

Pleasant:

Fairenheight-It wasn't a ride I was all pumped about riding at Hersheypark before my trip. When I rode it, I found it a lot more enjoyable than I thought, great transitions and that pop of airtime near the end was a amazing.

 

Dominator-Even on a slow windy day when the train barely makes it through the loop, it's still delivers one of the best rides in the park. The first drop in the back row still gets me every time, no matter how many times I prepare for it.

 

Anaconda- The last time I rode this on KD's last day of the season it was one of the smoothest rides I've had on it, it was almost hard to believe. No head banging, even on the god awful butterfly transition.

 

Unpleasant:

SooperDooperLooper-What would've been a decent roller coaster was killed by the trims. Great layout and takes good advantage of the terrain around it but those trims really kills the pacing of the ride.

[cfc]

^I'll go along with Fahrenheit as a "pleasant surprise," as well. It was better this year than it was when I first rode it a few years ago.

Edited November 11, 2014 by cfc

[hey...hey]

Pleasant Surprise:

-Space Mountain at WDW: I wasn't expecting much from it, but I ended up really loving it. It has such a great layout that really packs a punch.

-Thunderbolt at Luna Park: I didn't expect to enjoy this ride since it's from Zamperla, but I really enjoyed it. It has a great layout, and I didn't find it to be all that painful.

-I-305: I was sure I wouldn't like it because I don't like Maverick, but I was very wrong. That ride is just incredible.

-Predator at Darien Lake: I was bracing for the worst, but it wasn't all that bad and that was in the back seat! It's a decent coaster with a good layout. It just needs some good retracking.

-FireChaser Express: From the POVs, this coaster looked like a snooze fest, but it was a fun ride.

-Mr. Freeze Reverse Blast: Wow! I really loved this ride. I loved being pulled up the tower backwards and then rampaging through the rest of the course.

 

Unpleasant Surprise:

-Maverick: I was SO excited for this coaster when it was under construction, and I couldn't wait to ride it. After getting off, I felt so disappointed. It was EXTREMELY painful for me, and the layout doesn't excite me at all. This is a coaster I WANT to like, but just can't.

-Possessed at Dorney: It took me four tries to get this credit, and it was so unsatisfying. The brake was very painful.

-Voyage: This coaster gets such high reviews, and I don't understand it. It's VERY rough, and the design is just okay.

-Lost Coaster of Superstitious Mountain: Again, I don't understand why people love this coaster so much. It's incredibly rough and you can't really see any of the theming inside.

-Nitro at SFGAdv: This coaster is incredibly boring. There's not much airtime, and it has a horrible rattle.

-Kraken: Rattles horribly and the layout does little for me.

 

There's more, but I don't feel like writing a book here.

 

Agree with Maverick and Possessed. I wanted to like both of them too. On Maverick, I also felt it was extremely painful. On Possessed, I like the straight up side, but the brake put a little "hurtin" on the family jewels.

 

As for Fahrenheit, I love the ride, but I noticed a little rattle the last time I rode it.

[TPDave]

A bit of an odd one but the Wild Mouse at Nigloland was the smoothest, most comfortable one I've ever been on! I didn't need to hold on or brace at all (which for a big guy is normally mandatory on those things!)

[GnastyGnoric7]

Zumanjaro was a pleasant surprise for me, I was freaked out about the ride, but I did ride it and enjoyed the drop a large amount.

[piedude81]

I was so pumped to ride Hades in 2012... boy was that a mistake. The worst coaster I've ever ridden. I wish I could have ridden it back before Mt. Olympus' lack of ride maintenance killed it.

[cfc]

^Yes, Hades--the ride that looks like it should be great, but . . .

 

I'm going to give Thunder Run at Kentucky Kingdom a vote for "pleasant surprise." RMC did a lot of work on that coaster to get it ready for the season, and it really paid off. The ride is a lot of fun and doesn't beat you to death.

[Woodie Warrior]

^Hades was amazing when I rode it this summer. Top 5 material in my opinion. HellCat on the other hand...not so much.

 

In fact, Hades gets my vote for pleasant surprise. After reading all the complaints about it, I was not excited about riding it. But it was not rough at all. I guess the track work last fall really paid off.

[MrSum1_55]

I am going to add another unpleasant surprise to my list: Possessed at Dorney.

 

I normally think impulse coasters are a lot of fun. I do like coasters like Wicked Twister and SFDK's V2 a lot, so I was really excited to try one with a holding brake.

 

But OUCH! That element I looked forward to probably came close to ruining by ability to have children.

[bigcoasterfan]

Pleasant:

The Ultimate: Even though I don't live far from Lightwater Valley, hadn't visited until about 3 years ago. I really liked the Ultimate, really interesting layout and long! The 2nd half was really good.

 

Skyrush: Visted the US and Hershey two years ago, Skyrush was probably the biggest surprise ever! I had heard complaints, but I absoulutely loved it, one of the best coasters in world! Brilliant! Rode it several times in different seats and it was totally one of best, almost as good as Expedition GeForce! Knocked all my other fave hyper coasters down a notch.

 

Unpleasant:

The Beast: Once I finally rode it after years of waiting, I was severely disappointed. Didn't do anything that good woodies do other than go very fast. Lots of dead track, where's the excitement? Maybe it used to be better, but the layout doesn't suggest it could be much better.

 

Grizzly: Made it to Kings Dominion on the US trip, not that good, decent in that I preferred it to the Beast but not really all that great either. I think all the woodies at Kings Dominion were ok and similar in feel and thrills. The Grizzly just didn't stand out.

[rcdude]

From this summer's trip...

 

Pleasant Surprises:

-American Eagle: While not a spectacular ride, I enjoyed this one quite a bit.

-Banshee: Best B&M I've ridden since Tatsu.

-Beast: The layout looks dull, but the ride is actually a lot of fun, especially at night.

-Fahrenheit: Excluding Disney coasters, this is probably my favorite Vekoma.

-Goliath: My first experience with a RMC didn't disappoint.

-Fahrenheit: I never expected this to become my favorite coaster at Hersheypark, but it ended up doing so.

-Lightning Run: I never expected this to be a top ten coaster, but after riding I'd definitely consider it one.

 

Unpleasant Surprises:

-Bat: Kings Island's suspended is similar to Canada's Wonderland's but isn't as good.

-Flying Turns: I'm glad I got to ride it, but it really wasn't that exciting of a ride.

-Possessed: I thought the holding brake would make the ride better, but it actually made it worse.

-Skyrush: I expected a super intense but really good ride, and I got a reasonably intense good but not great ride with moderate discomfort.

-Talon: A lot of people consider this the last good B&M Invert (until Banshee), but I consider it only slightly better than Silver Bullet.

-Thunderbolt: Oh man this thing sucked, and it looked so good too.

-Whizzer: Fun but not as amazing as all the Schwarzkopf fans make it out to be.

-Six Flags Great America: If I had to pick the most underwhelming park I visited this year (not necessarily worst), it is definitely this one.

[bigcoasterfan]

From this summer's trip...

 

Pleasant Surprises:

-Fahrenheit: Excluding Disney coasters, this is probably my favorite Vekoma.

 

Fahrenheit is an Intamin, probably explains why you like it so much! It was also a highlight of my visit Hersheypark. I think it is one of my favourite loopers, up there with the best!

[Angle O. Descent]

My year in review:

 

Pleasant:

 

1. Six Flags America - This was a last-minute add-on to my spring Hershey Park trip. The staff was super friendly, and has a decent collection of coasters. Batwing and Joker's Jinx were surprisingly fun for me. Having Ride of Steel as the main event didn't hurt either. The only downside was that Wild One was closed for maintenance.

 

2. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit - Fun coaster with the added bonus of onboard audio. "Rollin'" was pretty fitting for the experience

 

3. Beast - I knew it was one of the top rated woodies in the world, but I didn't believe it until I rode it. It did a great job of feeling fast in parts that didn't appear so. Only second to Shivering Timbers for favourite CF woodie.

 

Unpleasant:

 

1. Goliath (SFNE) - Ever see those hand-held plastic clapper-things that sports fans use when cheering on their team?... that was my spine against the seat on this thing. Painful as both f*ck and sh*t combined.

 

2. Gwazi - Similar situation as above, but not painful... more like an electric shock shooting up your butt.

 

3. Raging Bull - Whoever called this the "Wandering Steer" is my hero... that sums it up perfectly. Remove even the first trim, it already becomes a good hyper. It just bothers me that the solution is THAT simple. Not asking too much, right?

[IntaminLove]

Unpleasant surprise:

 

Wildcat - A lot of people like GCI coasters so I was looking forward to riding my first GCI. I was excited going up the lift hill, but that's where it ended. I felt like Wildcat was trying to break all of my bones and give me brain damage. I think this is the worst coaster I have ridden and I have no desire to ride it again. I probably will during my next visit anyway because I'm an idiot.

 

Pleasant surprise:

 

American Thunder - After riding Wildcat and Lightning Racer I was not impressed with GCI. I was hopeful that American Thunder would be decent, but I felt it was going to be a one and done. I wasn't just pleasantly surprised, I was shocked. American Thunder is relentless from start to finish and it has a great combination of airtime and laterals. I love this coaster and I rode it four times during my visit.

 

Screamin' Eagle - I never hear anyone talk about this ride so I figured it must be underwhelming. I love airtime and Screamin' Eagle is an airtime machine. It's pretty smooth on top of that. Screamin' Eagle was down most of the day so sadly I only got one ride in. That one ride left a good impression and I think it's my favorite coaster at SFStL.

 

Boss - A lot of people say the Boss is really rough and is a candidate for RMC. Boss is really rough, but the layout made up for it. I liked the big drops and laterals. I had a fun night ride as well. With a lot of love Boss could be a great coaster.

 

Ninja(SFStL) - No one likes this coaster and people say it's very rough. I was surprised that Ninja is pretty smooth and I didn't bang my head once. Maybe I had a good ride because I know how to ride rough loopers. However, Ninja is boring and is a good candidate for removal.

 

Banshee - I'm not much of a B&M fan so initially I wasn't too excited for Banshee. The reviews here made me optimistic, but I didn't want to get my hopes up. Banshee far exceeded my expectations and it's fun from start to finish. My favorite part is the drop into the valley. Raptor is my favorite invert, but Banshee comes close. B&M showed us that they can make an intense coaster and I hope they continue down this path. Chances are Banshee is a one time deal.

 

Diamondback - Diamondback never did much for me, but I had my best rides ever during my visit this year. I got ejector airtime during the first drop and there were other moments of strong airtime. I may have caught Diamondback on a good day, but I hope I have rides like this from now on.

[cfc]

Another pleasant surprise for me was Raging Spirits at Tokyo DisneySea. From what I understand, this heavily themed looping coaster used to be a torture device, much like its French cousin at Paris Disney (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril). But the park completely re-tracked the ride; yes, they literally rebuilt it from the ground up in two phases, fixing the bad spots. Although it isn't exactly "top-ten" material, the ride is now fun and no longer causes great pain.

 

[alilstronger]

Pleasant Surprises:

 

Vortex - Kings Island

Invertigo - Kings Island

Demon Drop - Dorney Park

Apocalypse - Six Flags Magic Mountain

Sledgehammer - Canada's Wonderland

Viper - Six Flags Magic Mountain

 

Un-pleasant Surprises:

 

The Beast - Kings Island

Wild Beast - Canada's Wonderland

Predator - Darien Lake

Leviathan - Canada's Wonderland

Green Lantern - Six Flags Magic Mountain

Superman - Six Flags Magic Mountain

[boldikus]

pleasant:

 

Wild Cat (Hershey) Based on the reviews I expected this kill me but it just felt like a good wooden coaster, and rough the way it should be. Not my favorite by any means but its not the death machine folks make it out to be.

 

 

Skyrush This was at the top of my list when I went to Hershey but based on the reviews of its intensity I went into it a little bit intimidated. I actually had a knot in my stomach while boarding, which is rare for me. Yes, you do have to hang on for dear life, but it turned out to be one of my favorite coaster experiences ever. Its insane but I could ride it til my thighs fell off.

 

 

Talon I expected this to be good but it blew me away and became another I could have rode all day. Hands down my favorite B&M invert and one of my top faves overall. Perfect pacing, not too intense, smooth as butter, and love the low-to-the-ground maneuvers.

 

 

Dominator (Dorney) This time last year I wouldn't have gone anywhere near a drop ride, but I braved Zumanjaro and then made it a point to ride every other drop ride since. It's been my own little personal challenge all year. All of those that I rode this past year *except* Dominator pale in comparison to Zumanjaro. The space shot side was cool but didn't blow me away but for whatever reason the drop side, even though its half the size of Zum, gave me one of the biggest "OH SH*T" moments I had on anything all year.

 

 

unpleasant:

 

Kingda Ka Ahhhh the ride that got me back into coasters last year, and I was so, so excited to ride it. Since then, Ill only ride if I have FP/no wait or someone with me who has never ridden. I appreciate its speed and height and how its a "must do once" coaster, but its just such a quick ride and I don't find much of it pleasant. The launch is so intense its not enjoyable for me. I have bad eyesight and don't wear my prescription glasses on coasters so I can't really see well from the top hat, and the twist down the drop kinda kills that for me for whatever reason. I have ridden it multiple times (yet never in the front, and I know thats the magic seat) but its always at the bottom of my list when I'm @ the park.

 

 

* all photos from the TPR park index

[Rotura Violenta]

Slightly tangential, but I actually expected Nitro to suck based on how forceless B&Ms can be, but it ended up being my favorite ride in the park. The airtime was so well calibrated throughout in contrast to the jarring violent airtime of El Toro (which I liked, but not nearly as much). Nitro was a huge surprise for me.

[cfc]

^I've always liked Nitro better than Apollo's Chariot.

 

^^I concur about Kinga Ka (an interesting, but not particularly enjoyable, experience), Talon (a good invert), and Skyrush (completely insane ride).

[la2lvtom]

Two of my most loathed coasters are in the same park, Kings Dominion.

 

I had seen pictures of Volcano : the Blast Coaster for years and always wanted to ride it because the layout looked so interesting and when I305 opened a few years ago I finally went to the park and was able to finally ride it. This thing is compareable to a midevel torture device, my head banged the OTS harness so much that afterwards I had to go back to the hotel and sleep it off. I really loathe this coaster and the fact that it still stands, mocking me due to its very existence.

 

The other unpleasant surprise was I305. The hype built up around this coaster had me itching to go and seeing Robb's HD video of it sealed the deal. It is an amazing looking coaster and I figured I305 and Volcano at the same park, let's go. I had heard about the graying out/blacking out but just blew it off but alas I grayed out really bad and after riding I had to sit on a bench for about 20 minutes for my equilibrium to return. I rode it again the following day figuring it was a fluke but same experience. I went again this past summer because I heard they fixed the problem with graying out and I really wanted to give this coaster a chance but actually had a worse experience. I grayed out the same but it stayed with me through the night and as I layed in bed I continued to have that sensation in my head to the point that I was looking up hospitals in the area just in case. I know it's not just me, if you watch people exiting this ride most don't look happy they mostly look like they survived.

[rcjp]

^I've always liked Nitro better than Apollo's Chariot.

 

^^I concur about Kinga Ka (an interesting, but not particularly enjoyable, experience), Talon (a good invert), and Skyrush (completely insane ride).

I really like KK in the front but I could see why someone would find it too intense. The wind blowing in your face + the high Gs you pull when entering the top hat make it quite extreme.

[grsupercity]

I heard how great Magnum was. It was the coaster that brought live back into coasters. When every park wanted loopers, they did the opposite and made the tallest and fastest coaster ever. It broke records and sent shivers across america. Well, least thats what i read. I walked into a big ugly station which huge bath tube trains. The lab bars had no padding. I was expecting this ride to be great. I dreamed of its airtime. I was hoping for an amazing ride. Every hill it crested my legs would burn. When I should of been laughing in joy, I was screaming in pain. It was the worst coaster I have ever been on, Very unpleasant ride.

 

That brings me to windseekers. I never though anything of them. They looked gimicky, and slow. To my amusement comes a very attractive ride decked in amazing light packages. Great views from atop and nice wind in the face. They were a pleasant suprise.

[boldikus]

^I've always liked Nitro better than Apollo's Chariot.

 

^^I concur about Kinga Ka (an interesting, but not particularly enjoyable, experience), Talon (a good invert), and Skyrush (completely insane ride).

I really like KK in the front but I could see why someone would find it too intense. The wind blowing in your face + the high Gs you pull when entering the top hat make it quite extreme.

 

I think for me its less about the G's and more about my height - I'm 6'2, right at the max height for it, and no matter where Ive sat (2nd row, back row, middle of the train) those shoulder harnesses sit right on my shoulders and its hardly a smooth launch IMO so it kills me. Its just not pleasant. I have yet to ride Dragster so maybe I'll like it better for that reason. Edit: that said, Storm Runners and Fahrenheits harnesses were the same, and sat at the same place on me, but it wasnt an issue.

[falconsfury]

i never really liked the pendulum rides especial rides like max air or Frisbee during the Florida state fair i rode a pendulum ride called fire ball after that ride i found that pendulum rides are enjoyable and not what i thought they where.

file:///C:/Users/home/Pictures/Fireball.jpg