Texas/Midwest 2013 Tour Mini-Updates!

[robbalvey]

I thought that the new trains and track work might have launched this one back into a Top Ten coaster, but Robb's video and the facial expressions on the riders pretty much sum it up as a coaster that is still a wee bit too rough for the majority - that's too bad, really.

You mean the majority of enthusiasts, right? The GP don't care as much, only enthusiasts seem to do any noticeable complaining :/

Wrong! There were a LOT of public coming off that ride complaining how much it hurt.

[IronWolfman]

^Oh, dear. I guess all we can do now is hope for a true, honest-to-goodness, full-on retrack and adjustments. Too bad this is Mt. Olympus we are talking about

[SaintJared]

I thought that the new trains and track work might have launched this one back into a Top Ten coaster, but Robb's video and the facial expressions on the riders pretty much sum it up as a coaster that is still a wee bit too rough for the majority - that's too bad, really.

You mean the majority of enthusiasts, right? The GP don't care as much, only enthusiasts seem to do any noticeable complaining :/

Wrong! There were a LOT of public coming off that ride complaining how much it hurt.

 

 

I'll never forget the little boy coming off this ride with his dad and the mom asking how it was.

The boy responded "that one hurt mommy, i didn't like it"

He seemed barely tall enough to ride.

[beatle11]

In all honesty, Mt. Olympus is the only park I've visited that I actually thought I could die. One example: during ERT, the restraint popped open, while locked, when the op was checking it. The maintenance guy came and tightened a bolt or something and then locked the restraint again. I know this happened to at least one or two other riders at the same time. I also opted to go to the back of the station on the go karts so I could get in the station last at the end and not get rammed from behind by the terrible people there. I can't believe that place doesn't kill people on a regular basis.

[singemfrc]

I thought that the new trains and track work might have launched this one back into a Top Ten coaster, but Robb's video and the facial expressions on the riders pretty much sum it up as a coaster that is still a wee bit too rough for the majority - that's too bad, really.

You mean the majority of enthusiasts, right? The GP don't care as much, only enthusiasts seem to do any noticeable complaining :/

One of my favorite things to do at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom when not riding coasters is stand near the exit of Kong and just listen to people (GP and enthusiast alike) coming off cursing how painful the ride is..

[ZeroGravity55]

Wow, talk about a fall from grace. In the first couple of years I would certainly would have called Hades a top 20 ride. I wished that they simply spent the money doing a full retrack instead of a layout change.

 

Unfortunately, that's what happens when a wooden roller coaster is neglected by the park. I also couldn't agree more about a full re-track opposed to adding the inversion. It seems that Mt. Olympus is more about trying to find ways to get people into the park and taking their money opposed to looking for ways to improve guest experience once they're in the park.

[JJLehto]

Wow, talk about a fall from grace. In the first couple of years I would certainly would have called Hades a top 20 ride. I wished that they simply spent the money doing a full retrack instead of a layout change.

 

Unfortunately, that's what happens when a wooden roller coaster is neglected by the park. I also couldn't agree more about a full re-track opposed to adding the inversion. It seems that Mt. Olympus is more about trying to find ways to get people into the park and taking their money opposed to looking for ways to improve guest experience once they're in the park.

 

And it's always the big bad evil chains of SF and Cedar Fair that gets people angry for being about "business"!

[The Great Zo]

One example: during ERT, the restraint popped open, while locked, when the op was checking it. The maintenance guy came and tightened a bolt or something and then locked the restraint again.

 

This also happened to me, on my first ride, no less.

 

My near-death experience at Mt. O came on the Poseidon go-kart track. I was fifth out of the station, and got T-boned at the end of the first curve -- no more than 15 seconds after starting. I ended up facing the wall near a split in the track, unable to move. I looked around -- are the park employees coming to help? Anyone? Nope. After getting hit a second time, two helpful people used their go-karts to push my kart off the wall. Was I on my way? Nope -- I ended up going the wrong way on the split! So, at this point, I'm by myself, facing the wrong way up the track, and with probably 60 seconds to right myself before facing a head-on collision. I looked around for the park employees -- still, nobody there to help. So I did the only thing I could. I threw my backpack off the track, jumped out of the kart, and began pushing it away from the wall and straightening it out. After three attempts, I got it turned in the right direction, only to watch the kart go rolling downhill without me in it! I grabbed my backpack and started running after the kart -- first approaching on the left dropping my backpack in, and steering a little -- and then on the right, grabbing the steering wheel at a full sprint, and leaping into the kart in what would have been a very dramatic scene if anybody associated with the park had actually been watching!

[downunder]

I got some sensational rides on Hades in 2007. Riding again in 2013 for the first time since 2007, I have to say the roughness of Hades 360 was worst I've ever encountered in the 587 coasters I've ridden so far. Here's roughly what the bottom of my Mitch Hawker poll should look like this year:

 

116. Hellcat Lake Compounce

117.

118.

119.

120.

121.

123.

124.

125.

126.

127. Hades 360

 

I feel there needs to be a large amount of daylight at the bottom between Hades 360 and the next worst coaster.

[Philrad71]

In all honesty, Mt. Olympus is the only park I've visited that I actually thought I could die. One example: during ERT, the restraint popped open, while locked, when the op was checking it. The maintenance guy came and tightened a bolt or something and then locked the restraint again. I know this happened to at least one or two other riders at the same time. I also opted to go to the back of the station on the go karts so I could get in the station last at the end and not get rammed from behind by the terrible people there. I can't believe that place doesn't kill people on a regular basis.

 

 

And then you have Poseidon's Rage which absolutely tries to kill you during every wave...did that wave pool come from Action Park or something?

[markysharky17]

This trip looked very fun. I wish I could have made it. I think Hades won't get any better over time......

[brneff99]

I finally got around and time to read the Update in its entirety...I followed along each day on Social Media but there are some great recounts in here...I'm 100% convinced that I need to find time to do a lengthy TPR trip...I'm amazed at the dedication and time that Robb and Elissa put into these trips...

Out of curiosity, how was The Boss running...we rode it last summer and I seriously thought it might kill me...but I've heard its had some work this season...

I have not been to the Dells since I was a kid and now I see no real reason to rush back...

Anyway looking forward to WCB in a few weeks in our backyard...I hear that Accelerator has snapped a cable again (or it could be a bad rumor) and now I'm convinced that it won't matter because of all the other awesomeness that will no doubt be in store...

[The Great Zo]

Out of curiosity, how was The Boss running...we rode it last summer and I seriously thought it might kill me...but I've heard its had some work this season...

 

It seems disingenuous to compare any wood coaster to what we all survived at the Dells, but thankfully, The Boss wasn't in the same league as Hades. That said, it was rough (jackhammeringly-rough in a couple spots), and I think most of us were good after one ride (maybe two). The helix at the end seemed to be in pretty bad shape. There was definitely a minority of the group, though, that enjoyed The Boss enough to give it a few rides. On the plus side, I thought the layout/design was one of the more interesting wood coaster layouts on the entire trip.

[Barge84]

I just rode Hades and it was AMAAAAAAAAAZING!!!! I don't mind it a bit bumpy, and it didn't feel that rough to me.

 

You might want to see your Dr. I'm worried that it gave you a concussion...

[SharkTums]

^To be fair she said she rode Hades. I am more prone to believe that she created a Time Machine, went back in time to 2005 and rode good Hades, then to believe that she had a good ride on Hades 360!

[DanM64]

My girlfriend loves Mean Streak. She doesn't like that they've been doing work to it to make it smoother, she says it will ruin the ride because she loved how rought it was.

 

When we rode Hades last year, she said she'd never ride it again because it was too rough.

 

If that doesn't put how awful Hades is into perspective, I don't know what does.

[beatle11]

Mean Streak was actually pretty smooth, at least compared to what it was. It doesn't do anything, but it doesn't beat the hell out of you anymore either. Hades 360 was just awful.

[Barge84]

^To be fair she said she rode Hades. I am more prone to believe that she created a Time Machine, went back in time to 2005 and rode good Hades, then to believe that she had a good ride on Hades 360!

 

I've always been a believer in Occam's razor, and the Time Machine theory really does make more sense than the alternative.

[cfc]

Mean Streak was actually pretty smooth, at least compared to what it was. It doesn't do anything, but it doesn't beat the hell out of you anymore either. Hades 360 was just awful.

 

I think you're giving Mean Street too much credit; that being said, it's not as bad as Hades.

[terrancew_hod]

I thought that the new trains and track work might have launched this one back into a Top Ten coaster, but Robb's video and the facial expressions on the riders pretty much sum it up as a coaster that is still a wee bit too rough for the majority - that's too bad, really.

You mean the majority of enthusiasts, right? The GP don't care as much, only enthusiasts seem to do any noticeable complaining :/

Wrong! There were a LOT of public coming off that ride complaining how much it hurt.

 

 

I'll never forget the little boy coming off this ride with his dad and the mom asking how it was.

The boy responded "that one hurt mommy, i didn't like it"

He seemed barely tall enough to ride.

 

I heard two little girls complaining about how it hurt their backs. That's the first time I've ever heard kids complain about their backs getting off a coaster.

[gerstlaueringvar]

After Hades, I thought no coaster can be rougher than that… so I rode Mean Streak 5 times in a row…

[Whodey]

I rode Hades 360 yesterday in the front seat. It was a bit rough but I have been on worse. I was surprised after the ride was over. Everyone has been very harsh but I thought Viper at Darien Lake was worse.

[SharkTums]

^What else was worse to you other than Viper?

 

I'm not trying to be 'douchey' but I can see you've been on less than 150 total...I've been on 1500 and my one ride on Hades 360 made me long for a dutch SLC or Gouderix!

 

Did you ride in any row other than the front?

[cmullin]

I heard two little girls complaining about how it hurt their backs. That's the first time I've ever heard kids complain about their backs getting off a coaster.

Mean Streak killed my back when I rode, so they're not the only ones.

[FreeFaller]

Hades360 was really rough! Even Bandit at Movie Park would feel like Kumali now!