Photo TR: Jeremy Rides all the RMC's

[Paradox]

Powder Keg absolutely blew me away when I was there. I wasn't expecting it to have as much airtime as it did, but it's such a great ride.

[chickenbowl]

Powder Keg absolutely blew me away when I was there. I wasn't expecting it to have as much airtime as it did, but it's such a great ride.

 

I forgot to mention that ride, didn't I? Yeah I too thought it was fantastic. The first half was amazing, but once you go up the lift again, it never really achieves what it did the first few hills.

 

Thunderation is another coaster that surprised me, easily my favorite non-Disney mine train. I just think it's smooth and fast and really fun!

[CoasterCrazy88]

Powder Keg is an odd coaster, in my opinion. I really enjoyed it, but it was strange in so many ways! The transfer track at the beginning, the random laterals scattered throughout the ride, and the lift 3/4 of the way through were all weird for me.

[DoinItForTheFame]

We woke up the next morning (3:30 am) and made the 7-hour drive to Silver Dollar City. It was a very long drive, Texas > Oklahoma > Arkansas > Missouri. In fact, we drove all the way back to Oklahoma City after the park closed too!

 

Wow. That is an intense drive. I don't see how you did it!

 

*My only problem with the ride - it can strangely feel a bit rough in the wheel seats. But we figured that out quickly and stuck to non-wheel rows and enjoyed our time on the ride!

 

See, I've mentioned this before, and all hell broke loose, and people thought I was an idiot for saying that Outlaw Run was a bit rough in the wheel seats. I'm glad I have finally found someone who agrees!! Not saying it is a bad coaster, I'll gladly ride the coaster in a non-wheel seat all day long!!

[chickenbowl]

We woke up the next morning (3:30 am) and made the 7-hour drive to Silver Dollar City. It was a very long drive, Texas > Oklahoma > Arkansas > Missouri. In fact, we drove all the way back to Oklahoma City after the park closed too!

 

Wow. That is an intense drive. I don't see how you did it!

 

*My only problem with the ride - it can strangely feel a bit rough in the wheel seats. But we figured that out quickly and stuck to non-wheel rows and enjoyed our time on the ride!

 

See, I've mentioned this before, and all hell broke loose, and people thought I was an idiot for saying that Outlaw Run was a bit rough in the wheel seats. I'm glad I have finally found someone who agrees!! Not saying it is a bad coaster, I'll gladly ride the coaster in a non-wheel seat all day long!!

 

We left Dallas by 4am and made it to the park by 11:30 or 12pm. It was kinda brutal, but we were all so excited that we didn't mind! After the park closed at 10pm, we made the (quite long) drive to Oklahoma city and got there at 2am. It was one of the most exhausting days I've ever had, but I regret nothing now!

 

It was funny, for our first ride we rode in the back car. And I happened to ride in the non-wheel seat - Me and Andrew loved it! Antonio and Gio rode in the very back row (wheel seat) - They came off disappointed that the ride was rough. We were actually arguing about the ride's smoothness for a while until we hypothesized that it was due to the specific row you sat. A few more rides cleared everything up and we all agreed on Outlaw Run's amazingness! I haven't had this problem on any other RMC, it's possible that it's due to OR having the prototype trains and prototype Topper Track.

[chickenbowl]

My next RMC was Goliath at Six Flags Great America. I visited the park for the first time on a weekend in October when I found $99 airfare out of LAX. I was on such a roll in 2015 already, I thought why not get another RMC?

 

My thoughts on Goliath? Great! Really really fun - but definitely not my favorite of them, in fact I'd have to say it's my least favorite. That's a strange title to give to a coaster that's in my top 5 wood, but I suppose that says a lot about how consistently amazing RMCs are!

 

Goliath has phenominal sections, but it also has sections I don't quite love. To me, it's more of a collection of 6 elements instead of a flowing organic layout like Outlaw Run. The drop is fantastic and I wouldn't change anything about it. The first turnaround is really interesting, I found great airtime in the front going up into it - Very unique! The airtime hill is quite amazing as well. I found the Dive Loop to just be ok, there was some good hangtime but nothing I really loved. The stall was pretty fun, it's longer than TC's, but it doesn't do a lot for me unfortunately. I really liked the final turnaround too, some good airtime in the front and back! Overall it is a super solid coaster, but it isn't quite insane like I found Outlaw Run to be. But not bad for being RMC's "worst" coaster I've ridden.

 

Here's my RMC rankings at this point:

1. Outlaw Run

2. New Texas Giant

3. Iron Rattler

4. Twisted Colossus

5. Goliath

 

My visit to the park overall was pretty pleasant. I had never been and I visited on a Saturday during Fright Fest so you know I had to splurge for the Flashpass! Goliath was averaging 2.5-3 hour long lines, I felt lucky to have ridden it twice - Very front and very back! Most coasters had insane waits and somehow I did not miss a credit! Go ahead and look at some of my pics!

Here we are, Goliath [RMC #5]

Amazing first drop - So steep and so long!

The airtime in the back is terrific, and the view in the front is breathtaking

The stall is fun, really floaty - Not exactly what I prefer on a wooden coaster though

Raging Bull ended up being my 350th coaster!

And it was pretty good! I loved the drop in the back row!

Ahhh, the classic. A bit overhyped, but decently fun!

Here's the first ever Batman which happened to be my 5th of this Trip Report!

The coaster did everything that I always wished Goliath at SFMM would do. A great Hyper/Twister

X-Flight was my second Wing Coaster, and I liked it a lot more than Wild Eagle

Too bad about the locking restraints though - For some reason they really get my collar bones

I thought this element was really cool. Why didn't Wild Eagle have cool unique Wing Coaster elements?

We had a pretty vantage point from X-Flight's queue during sunset

I thought this one turned out especially nice!

Last ride of the night in the front, I'm very impressed! I cannot wait for more RMC woodies!!

 

Up next: Medusa Steel Coaster (in about 3 weeks)

It's a beautiful coaster that really has an Intimidating stature - Funny that the structure also reminds me of Intimidator 305

It doesn;t have anything else too crazy other than a couple of great airtime spots.

But it's still not my least favorite B&M hyper. It felt unlike the rest!

Edited February 28, 2016 by chickenbowl

[horootle]

See, I've mentioned this before, and all hell broke loose, and people thought I was an idiot for saying that Outlaw Run was a bit rough in the wheel seats. I'm glad I have finally found someone who agrees!! Not saying it is a bad coaster, I'll gladly ride the coaster in a non-wheel seat all day long!!

 

I had the same experience last June. I couldn't figure it out at first but once I figured out to sit in the front rows of the cars I was a little better off. OR is a great ride but unfortunately those "potholes" I felt really kept me from riding it a ton :/ I never felt that on any other RMC (ridden all but Medusa).

[RyanTPM]

Thanks for that review, can't wait for Medusa now!

[CoasterDirected]

What day did you go because I went on a very similar day last year? we could've gone the same day!

[thedlr]

Thanks for the awesome and envy-inducing TRs. The wheel seat thing is interesting and good to know if I ever make it to SDC.

[CoasterCrazy88]

That was such a fun day at SFGAm! So packed though.

 

Yeah, the wheel seat phenomena on Outlaw Run is odd, considering that I haven't experienced it on any other RMC. Horootle, you describe the wheel seat feeling perfectly: potholes. It was terribly irritating on my first ride, and as Jeremy stated above, my brother and I were disappointed until we rode again in a non-wheel seat. Then, it became one of my favorite coasters ever and I wanted to ride it for hours!

 

Goliath is smooth everywhere, but it's my least favorite of the RMCs so far. It's in my top 5 wood coasters, but it doesn't compare with Rocky Mountain's other creations. The first drop, airtime hill, and turnarounds are great... But outside of those, it just doesn't do much and is over way too quickly.

 

At this point, I'm just ridiculously excited about riding Medusa in a couple weeks.

[805Andrew]

Riding all those RMCs looks like fun. The only RMC I've been on so far is Twisted Collossus, but I'll be riding the new ones at Dollywood and Kentucky Kingdom this Summer, plus Joker at Discovery Kingdom whenever that opens, so I'm excited for that.

[X2coasterfreak]

Goliath is an excellent wooden roller coaster, however it is my least favorite of the RMCs. The first drop in the back row is incredible,it has the amount of ejector airtime you'd expect from the tallest/steepest wooden coaster in the world. The first turnaround has an interesting pop in the front row, although it didn't provide the positive Gs I was hoping for. This pretty much sums up the reason why Goliath is my least favorite of the RMCs, it really is the weakest of these coasters in terms of force. I enjoyed the hang time moments in the dive loop and stall, the dive loop was especially funky. Overall I rank Goliath as my #3 wood behind Outlaw Run and El Toro, it is a very solid coaster with great airtime moments!

 

Also...people tend to hate on Raging Bull, but in the ride's defense I actually found the ride to be really good! The airtime in the back was laughably fun and frequent, definitely not deserving of the name Sleeping Bull!

[DoinItForTheFame]

Loving the TR! There are some really good photos in here. Can't wait for the next update!

 

Also:

 

. . . I wanted to ride it for hours!

 

[TranceFan138]

Out of the RMCs so far, I think Goliath is my least favorite. It's an amazing ride, but it just doesn't quite have the crazy RMC feel to it. The first drop is insane in the back, but the rest of the ride is better in the front. I was very impressed by the over-banks actually! Outlaw Run is definitely better, but I still really enjoyed Goliath. Even though I will be missing Medusa Steel Coaster, I am crazy excited to complete the US RMCs this year! It's gonna be a blast. And here are my RMC rankings so far.

1. Outlaw Run

2. New Texas Giant

3. Iron Rattler

4. Twisted Colossus

5. Goliath

[ytterbiumanalyst]

See, I've mentioned this before, and all hell broke loose, and people thought I was an idiot for saying that Outlaw Run was a bit rough in the wheel seats. I'm glad I have finally found someone who agrees!! Not saying it is a bad coaster, I'll gladly ride the coaster in a non-wheel seat all day long!!

 

I had the same experience last June. I couldn't figure it out at first but once I figured out to sit in the front rows of the cars I was a little better off. OR is a great ride but unfortunately those "potholes" I felt really kept me from riding it a ton :/ I never felt that on any other RMC (ridden all but Medusa).

I agree as well, and that's why I counsel people to ride in the front seat of the back car. The back rows are fun but jolty and make for just an average ride. The front rows are what makes this the best coaster in the Midwest.

[chickenbowl]

It's an amazing ride, but it just doesn't quite have the crazy RMC feel to it. The first drop is insane in the back, but the rest of the ride is better in the front. I was very impressed by the over-banks actually!

 

I completely agree. It's funny how before I rode it, I thought the turnarounds would be the weakest parts on the ride, but they were actually some of the best! I guess I'm just not a fan of the inversions on Goliath. I much prefer the inversions on Outlaw Run (although those inversions may also be my least favorite parts of OR too!). Goliath's dive loop and stall combo are just not very intense.

 

I know that the track length is longer on Goliath than Outlaw Run, but it just doesn't feel like it does nearly as much for some reason.

[CoasterCrazy88]

I am so anxious to see how Medusa stacks up against the American RMCs. It looks insane, but I'm trying really hard not to get my hopes so high that I let myself down. Aaaahhh it's ridiculously exciting!

[chickenbowl]

Hey everybody - Just got back from Mexico, so I have a new update!

 

Medusa Steel was absolutely the main reason for our visit, but we tried to visit some other places to make it a more substantial trip. We stayed in Mexico City and visited La Feria Chapultepec Magico. Our time at La Feria was cut short due to both Montana Triple Loop and Montana Rusa being closed. We were pretty bummed about this, so we just spent more time at SFM and got a bunch of rides on Medusa! We didn't miss any credits at SFM, so we ended our two-park trip with 9 new credits, yay!

 

Medusa Steel Coaster - This coaster is non-stop pacing. Much like Outlaw Run, it never slows down! I believe this coaster to be one of the few coasters in existence that actually has a perfect flow of elements, no dull section. This easily became my favorite steel RMC and sits just about with Outlaw Run. It's my new #3, closely behind Intimidator 305 and Skyrush. I had high expectations, and they were easily met and exceeded!

 

Superman also somehow made it into my Top 20, it's sooo good! I'd never think I'd like a (non-Phantom) Morgan this much!

This element is basically the closest thing to Lightning Rod's "Non-inverted half-loop" - I can't wait to check that one out!

Here's a layout overview

Here's the lift, Great views of Mexico City!

Forget Batman - Where Superman is in this picture is AMAZING in the front, and the next hill is even crazier! Super solid coaster!

This is sustained ejector in the front!

Ahhhh, we made it! [RMC #6]

And this is sustained ejector in the back!

There's so much positives, laterals, and airtime! Front of the train is awesome!

Speaking of amazing queues, Medusa's was a full-on wacky shack!! I had no idea!

I REALLY want SFDK to theme Joker this well - The full-on funhouse was amazing!

This coaster highly exceeded my expectations! Even better than a few B&M Hypers

Medusa's queue also gave some amazing views of the coaster, easily my favorite queue at a Six Flags park!

God, I love this coaster! Despite a few closed coasters, this was completely worth it!

 

Coming up next: Joker at SFDK (whenever that opens)

But at least this was open! Yay shuttle loop!

I wanted to ride this so bad... It's crazy steep here.

... and this, I guess. Way too spinny - some people love that.

Too bad I already had the credit, my first relocation though!

A great first drop, very floaty! Kinda like the inverse os Iron Rattler's zero-g.

First riders on Medusa! The front row of the train is definitely our favorite!

Night rides = Perfection. We got 10 rides total on our visit!

And this... It looks so good :'(

Oh well, let's go this Six Flags Mexico! (Which happened to be one of my favorite Six Flags parks out there!)

[SFOGdude25]

My gosh Medusa just looks amazing. As great as all the RMC conversions look so far, it just seems like they stumbled across some extra magic with this one, perhaps accidentally. It's kind of like a hit song from an artist that shoots to #1 immediately. It's not too different from his/her other songs, but something about it just pushes it far ahead of the rest.

All this and I haven't even ridden it yet!

[coasterer]

Thanks for the update! I agree with you on just about all points. Medusa Steel is seriously mindblowing, and absolute perfection at night. I actually rank it at #2 ahead of I305 and Skyrush, just behind Goliath at Walibi World (which is the perfect coaster in my eyes). When we were at La Feria, Montana Rusa was down for us too. I hate hate hate missing out on wood coasters like that, but we did get the triple loop (I thought it was pretty rough). Superman was a huge hit for my wife and I as well. Totally exceeded our expectations. Six Flags Mexico is such a nice park. And Mexico City itself is just fantastic.

 

Medusa is why I'm more excited for Joker than for Storm Chaser. I see way more similarities in layout to Joker than I do to Storm Chaser (besides the first drop of course).

[CoasterCrazy88]

Our quick trip to Mexico was an absolute blast. After riding Twisted Colossus again today, I kept thinking back to Medusa... And also being ridiculously excited about Lightning Rod, Storm Chaser, Joker, and Wicked Cyclone this summer!

[TheCoasterKid211]

This coaster highly exceeded my expectations! Even better than a few B&M Hypers

[CoasterCrazy88]

^ That coaster shocked me as well. I was astounded by the airtime and overall forcefulness.

[chickenbowl]

By this point of the summer, I should have been on every North American RMC, but sometimes shit happens... First Joker was down... And then Lightning Rod... Luckily, I don't live far from Joker and will make a return trip soon. Lightning Rod looks like possibly the most insane coaster ever (I saw 13 test runs over 2 days), so I'll have to fly out there again soon too, not all is lost!

 

My big summer trip has since commenced, so it's time to add a new post to my ever-evolving topic! I visited a lot of parks, but I think I will only post about the RMCs here...

 

Day 4 of my trip, we spent a good part of the day at Kentucky Kingdom before heading to Dollywood.

 

STORM CHASER!

 

This coaster is great! Like every RMC, it does something none of the others do. I loved the first straight airtime hill! In fact, it had a lot of airtime for how short the layout is! It's pretty hard to look past the size of this coaster though, it isn't very fast or intense - Just fun! It also has a lackluster ending, which dampens the already short layout. I'm also not a fan of the first drop - Like Medusa, it's slow and kinda boring/gimmicky. Looking past it's faults, I truly believe RMC did the best they could possibly do with this coaster, while being constricted by height, budget, and creating something different than Lightning Run. Overall, very fun, but nowhere near some of the other RMC creations.

 

Also, I should give a shout-out to Lightning Run here, also designed by Ride Centerline - it's basically the closest thing to an RMC that isn't! This coaster was super fun too - Again, kinda short, but ends on a VERY high note - 3 ejector bunny hills. The coaster doesn't do a whole lot of stuff overall, but does have some really solid moments! I'd probably give the slight edge to SC due to it's abundance/strength of airtime, but both are top-20 for me!

 

This is how I'd rank the RMCs at this point of my trip:

 

1. Outlaw Run

2. Medusa Steel Coaster

3. Iron Rattler

4. New Texas Giant

5. Twisted Colossus

6. Storm Chaser

7. Lightning Run*

8. Goliath

 

* (Because it feels just like an RMC too )

This coaster is the only coaster outside of B&M, Intamin, and RMC to make it into my top-25 steel!

 

Up next: Wicked Cyclone!

LET'S RIDE

After 5 rides, we called it a day!

Those overbanks were kinda weak... :/

Finally made it to Kentucky [RMC #7]

One of the best single moments of airtime on any RMC. I love being launched into the clouds!

Weird ending, but that double down was fun in the back.

This hill was fun as well!