How much fun is the ring of fire ride?

[Calvin6670]

I really want to ride it but want to know what it is like. How comfy and tight is the harness? Do you feel like you move a lot in the harness? How scary is it? Where would you recommend sitting? What is the scariest part of the ride?

[robbalvey]

What model are you talking about? Do you mean one of the more recent park models? Personally, as much as people gave the parks crap for putting them in (you know after years of also complaining that the parks need for flat rides), I actually like those rides. I think they are fun and comfortable and provide a decent enough thrill.

 

If you're talking the older school traveling carnival model, those seats aren't quite as comfy and it also depends on the group that is setting up the ride. There could be a lot of different variety in those.

 

Hope that helps!

[Physical]

The new park models are pretty decent as far as fair rides go. I actually prefer them to Zamperla's Hawk

 

Manual control so you're kind of at the mercy of the op, but the last few times I've been to SFGAdv the ops on El Diablo were pretty decent, weren't making it just whip around far too fast (Which is my major complaint about Zamperlas model, it goes around far too fast for my taste) and gave us some pretty decent hangtime, along with a very good stall at the top of the loop.

[dannyboy13]

I've been on the new one at SFDK and really enjoy it. Harness is a bit rough on my collar bones while hanging, but I've also got an abnormally tall torso. You are held in place very well.

Traveling models... Been on a few. Generally a similar experience, just less comfy seats.

[oriolat]

The new park models are pretty decent as far as fair rides go. I actually prefer them to Zamperla's Hawk

 

Manual control so you're kind of at the mercy of the op, but the last few times I've been to SFGAdv the ops on El Diablo were pretty decent, weren't making it just whip around far too fast (Which is my major complaint about Zamperlas model, it goes around far too fast for my taste) and gave us some pretty decent hangtime, along with a very good stall at the top of the loop.

 

Maybe someone could back this up, but I guess that all models operating at corporate parks such as Six Flags will only run in automatic mode.

 

As for the ride itself, I think it fits a nice gap between family rides and big roller coasters with inversions. I remember riding one at a travelling fair in Spain that had lapbars only with a huge amount of padding. It was scary but so much fun!

[Geauga Dog]

I have ridden the one at Darien Lake and was quite surprised how fun it was since I had never ridden one before. It's not scary but I also sat in the middle since the end seats filled up first. I found it comfortable and the restraints were fine.

[XII]

They're fun rides. They have some decent forces going around the loop, and they're fairly comfortable rides. From my experience, you don't really move around too much in the seats and it really doesn't matter where you sit. Far from the best flat ride ever, but they're fun to ride once in a while.

[canadianparkfan]

^My thoughts exactly. Sitting in the front of the train gives a cool "whip" effect going around the loop.

 

Only complaint I'd have is that the hang time is a little too excessive for my taste... Rode the travelling version this year at a local fair, and could only handle a few cycles in a row because of the extreme hang time. Had a bit of a headache afterward.

 

Personally prefer the faster paced flats, like the chance zipper, mondial topscan, KMG Freakout etc.

[Cmbgo12]

I've only ridden the fair version, but they one I rode was a ton of fun with one op, but sucked with another... So it seems for the traveling ones that the op running it makes a real difference. As for comfort the one I went on had almost unpadded shoulder restraints so it gave some gnarly friction burns on my bare shoulders after the 3-4 ride, but if you're wearing a t-shirt or long sleeves you should be fine.

[KBrylczyk]

They're decent. The air hose system for the restraints at a permanent installation made me laugh.

[Physical]

The new park models are pretty decent as far as fair rides go. I actually prefer them to Zamperla's Hawk

 

Manual control so you're kind of at the mercy of the op, but the last few times I've been to SFGAdv the ops on El Diablo were pretty decent, weren't making it just whip around far too fast (Which is my major complaint about Zamperlas model, it goes around far too fast for my taste) and gave us some pretty decent hangtime, along with a very good stall at the top of the loop.

 

Maybe someone could back this up, but I guess that all models operating at corporate parks such as Six Flags will only run in automatic mode.

 

As for the ride itself, I think it fits a nice gap between family rides and big roller coasters with inversions. I remember riding one at a travelling fair in Spain that had lapbars only with a huge amount of padding. It was scary but so much fun!

 

The one at SFGAdv was being ran in manual mode at the beginning of the season, and in early July. I'm going again on October 15th, I'll check to see if it's still being ran manually.

 

I don't think this style of ride could operate automatically, the balance is different every time, along with other factors that would make it difficult to set a pre-programmed cycle.

[Goliath513]

Maybe someone could back this up, but I guess that all models operating at corporate parks such as Six Flags will only run in automatic mode.

 

The one at SFGAdv was being ran in manual mode at the beginning of the season, and in early July. I'm going again on October 15th, I'll check to see if it's still being ran manually.

 

I don't think this style of ride could operate automatically, the balance is different every time, along with other factors that would make it difficult to set a pre-programmed cycle.

 

Having operated Elitch's Brain Drain last season, I doubt these would be changed from manual. The ride is controlled by a joystick and is up to the operator to know when the train has enough momentum to keep going or change direction. The drive system is pretty simple and only can tell if a directional change is too fast (makes a "pew" laser sound). The difference in weight of the train has a huge effect on operation, so an empty train can go around many more times than full for the timed cycle. Automatic mode would require a complete redesign of the ride.

[robbalvey]

Wow, it's kind of crazy to think these are still run manually. It's sort of funny how they really haven't progressed THAT much from your local carnival version! Not that that's a bad thing, just interesting....