Canobie Coaster Posted June 11, 2018 Share Posted June 11, 2018 Great report! These Raptor coasters are awesome and this is the perfect coaster for Great America's lineup. Your thoughts on the ride match how I felt about Wonder Woman. How quickly were they getting trains out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenbowl Posted June 11, 2018 Author Share Posted June 11, 2018 Great report! These Raptor coasters are awesome and this is the perfect coaster for Great America's lineup. Your thoughts on the ride match how I felt about Wonder Woman. How quickly were they getting trains out? Thanks, man. I remember you writing that the Raptor clone is maybe second only to the Mega-Lite clone - I would agree! It was a preview so they had a ton of ops and supervisors around. They were trying to push them out quickly, but they were also just getting used to the unique loading system and actual guests, I think. The line definitely moved quickly for the capacity limitations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canobie Coaster Posted June 11, 2018 Share Posted June 11, 2018 ^ Technically I've never ridden a Mega-Lite (thought that should change in a few weeks), but based on the praise those things get, the Raptors have to be neck and neck for the top clone now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
805Andrew Posted June 11, 2018 Share Posted June 11, 2018 Yaaaay! I'm going to make a trip up there sometime this week to ride RailBlazer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterCrazy88 Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 Awesome report to follow an awesome day! Seriously, Railblazer is unbelievably excellent. RMC continues to blow my mind with each new creation. The airtime on the outward banked hill is more intense than any moment on any of the ibox or topper coasters I've ridden thus far (and I've been on all of them that Jeremy has). I'm so excited to ride the 2018 RMCs soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skittles Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 Wow, it's been a while since you updated this thread Jeremy Having ridden RailBlazer, I agree for the most part. I wasn't quite blown away by it, as the restraints weren't very comfortable on my shoulders, but I agree about the first drop being so insane along with a lot of the other elements being the same. Great report, however! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenbowl Posted July 3, 2018 Author Share Posted July 3, 2018 Hello again. I just got back from a crazy coaster trip - EUROPE. And wouldn't you know it...Another RMC!! With this trip report, I'll keep it simple. I'll mostly talk about Wildfire and then a quick blurb of my feelings of other noteworthy coasters. Here we go! Wildfire. Like many US-based enthusiasts, I have seen these incredible coasters get built on the other side of the globe that seem so impossible to ever ride. Well with a lot of planning, hope, luck, and privilege, I can tell you that it IS achievable - And not as hard as you might think. Lately, as I have been lucky enough to ride more and more across the US, my eyes have been set on Europe as the next place I must visit. And that's hugely because of this coaster, Wildfire. Located in the middle of the Swedish peninsula and accessible by train/bus is Kolmården, a zoo... with a massive god damn RMC. The park is beautiful and has a ton of great animals, but let's be honest, I'm here for Wildfire. Starting off with a massive lift hill and a very scenic turnaround helps orient you in a forest along a series of large bays, but while you're distracted with the views a massive drop pops in a gets it going. Coming out the the drop is my favorite stall I've been on which is very whippy and very long. The next turn has incredible force and launches you into an outward banked hill with ejector airtime in the strangest way. Your body is heading outward as the train pulls inward diving down through a foggy shed (This part feels like the fastest part of the coaster). Next is a twisty hill into a quick double-up and wave turn triple-combo. The pacing through this section is incredible. We take a small break with a floaty zero-g and head back towards the front of the ride before diving up under the lift and curling right down next to the station. The following zero-g is taken with incredible speed and throws you hard right up the hill where the train loses a bit of momentum. We end with a slalom section into the brakes and a big goofy smile. Wildifre's series of elements feels like a perfect flow and a great match of airtime, positives, and inversions. I got 20 rides in a few hours and couldn't be happier. Some people may ask: Is it as good as Lightning Rod? Nope. It’s simply not as intense or have as much airtime, although it’s very long and super amazing. Each ride feels built for a different purpose and it's not really worth comparing them too much. All that needs to be said is that RMC continues to dominate. Wildfire was insane and easily managed a spot in my top 5 wood coasters. My current RMC rankings: 1. Lightning Rod 2. Outlaw Run 3. Wildfire 4. Medusa Steel Coaster 5. RailBlazer 6. Iron Rattler 7. Twisted Colossus 8. New Texas Giant 9. Joker 10. Storm Chaser 11. Goliath 12. Wicked Cyclone Bakken is old as hell (435 years old) and had some fun coasters! This one was smooth for it's age. Tivoli was a magical tiny park in Copenhagen. The vibe felt like Disneyland in a city with all the restaurants and rides compact together. Dæmonen was very small, but it flowed well enough and had great pathway interaction. Rutschebanen was excellent! Mountain theming incorporated felt so classic and perfect Tripsdrill was a fantastic little park. A ton of charm. Karacho was also damn good - Better than HangTime and is now my favorite Gerstlauer. G'Sengte Sau was super fun too. The sustained ejector on this hill... my god This coaster ended up as my favorite of the trip and placed as my #7 overall. Taron was speedy and fun! Could use a bit more airtime, but it’s at least very long and gorgeous. 22 rides with hotel ERT. Every ride at Phantasialnd was awesome, Black Mamba is not talked about as much as it should Troy was a solid mid-tier GCI. Nice pacing, but I prefer like 4 or 5 others. Still relatively smooth for its age though! Not a bad little Intamin Mega! Goliath has 4-5 really good spots of airtime and a beautiful setting. Basically a ‘mini-Superman the Ride’ Helix was phenomenal. I didn't know I could like a 7-inversion coaster this much. Also, multiple spots of ejector airtime and great pacing! Top 25 coaster for me. Balder was my second Intamin Prefab and it did not disappoint. Airtime buffet with a side of headchoppers. Another top 25 coaster. Also, Liseberg is a f*cking incredible park. This turn had a nice pop into some positives. I loved the pacing here. Here is the first drop - 83 degrees is always a great way to kick the ride off. This outward bank thing took me by surprise and offered some of the craziest airtime on the whole ride. [RMC #12] I cannot believe I'm here! AHH! (Also, it's like a mile trek from the entrance to where this coaster sits) Walking through Kolmården offers some amazing views. Sweden is a gorgeous country. Backside view gives you some understanding of the terrain usage! Overview of the coaster layout (sorta). Shows how close to the terrain the ride remains after a few large elements. I'll leave you with my favorite view from the Safari gondola ride. This coaster is a dream Onto a quick recap of other European things Last day at Gröna Lund. I love this tiny little park! So many drop towers and a maze of fun coasters - All with a classic boardwalk feel. Jetline and Vilda Musen were wonderful! Twister was... weird. It had pacing of a Knex coaster with bizarre kinda airtime. Just ughh. Ikaros (tilting drop tower) was my favorite ride at the park! Europa had a lot of amazing coasters - Blue Fire became my 500th coaster! Silver Star is exceptional, lots of ejector in the back. Wodan had great pacing and an amazing queue. But the park is a lot more than coasters! Arthur may be my favorite dark ride ever. And the food, ahh! After years of waiting for it, I finally rode GeForce! Verdict: Insane, very satisfying, and a simply fun ride One last thing, traveling isn't always about coasters for me, so here's a little taste of what else I did. Preikestolen in the fjords of Norway - So amazing! Good bye! Until the next RMC comes along... Looking at you Steel Vengeance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfalcioni Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 That final pic is breathtaking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boldikus Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 Great update with some excellent photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Condor Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 Interesting thoughts on Wildfire. Good report! Out of curiosity, how would you compare Expedition GeForce to Goliath @ Walibi and Blue Fire to Helix? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenbowl Posted July 4, 2018 Author Share Posted July 4, 2018 Thanks, guys!! ^ I really liked Goliath, but it definitely felt a little lacking when compared to EGF. The helices were fun, but nothing special and the twisty hills didn't have airtime. There's a long middle section without anything too interesting. The 4 or 5 airtime spots and the stengel dive are fantastic though. EGF barely has a dull middle section, but it's a monster. I really enjoyed Blue Fire, but it had nothing on Helix. Blue Fire didn't really have any airtime and a couple slow/floaty bits. The last roll on Blue Fire was nuts though. Helix felt fast the whole time and had legitimate ejector - And don't get me started on Helix's helix... My god. I didn't mention Lost Gravity, which I thought was really enjoyable! Kinda like Mack's version of a Eurofighter/El Loco thing. Lost Gravity had some great wonky elements, comfortable seats, and great airtime! I feel qualified to have a quick Mack breakdown now: 1. Helix 2. Lost Gravity 3. Blue Fire 4. Manta (SD) 5. Space Fantasy 6. Euromir 7. D'wervelwind (Toverland) 8+. Mice, water coasters, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canobie Coaster Posted July 4, 2018 Share Posted July 4, 2018 Great report! Wildfire really is one of the best coasters. Since I visited on a grim, rainy day, it's nice to see the coaster on a sunny day. It's too bad I couldn't even see the water in those conditions when I visited. ^ And don't forget Mack has hypers popping up too. With how comfortable their vehicles are and their glass smooth ride, the world needs more Macks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedimaster1227 Posted July 4, 2018 Share Posted July 4, 2018 A great addition to this awesome ongoing report! Wildfire looks fantastic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenbowl Posted September 3, 2019 Author Share Posted September 3, 2019 (edited) Hello everyone, it's been a while. I figured I should follow through on this trip report because although there's been a lack of updates, I have been chugging away on riding all these darn RMC's. In an effort to catch up (and because I didn't take many pictures of Twisted Timbers) I will include TWO RMC's in today's update - Let's get started! Twisted Timbers. 2018 was actually pretty nuts for US parks, we got a whopping FIVE RMC's. For most (including me), the hype surrounding Steel Vengeance overshadowed the other three. But once I saw a POV of Twisted Timbers, I knew it must be tackled sooner rather than later. The planned trip utilized the Cedar Fair platinum pass and involved a heck of a drive between Doswell, VA and Sandusky, OH. After waiting for an afternoon storm to pass, I managed 11 night rides on Twisted Timbers, and holy hell my expectations were BEYOND exceeded (I expected a top 15-25 coaster, NOT top 10...). I'll start off by saying that the new generation trains are smooth. Like glass (Or like the early Gerstaluer trains). They simply feel really good rolling around, no hiccups, no bumps in the track seams - perfect. Much like Medusa or Storm Chaser, Twisted Timbers' first drop didn't do much for me and is likely my least-favorite part of the layout - I think I prefer to move faster through rolls like that. But what follows is one of the most spectacular flow of elements on an RMC. Starting with speed-lateral hill #1, then a nice forceful overbank, speed-lateral hill #2, then three by-the-book straight ejector hills, and finally speed-lateral hill #3. What an incredible sequence! The rest of the layout has more laterals, more inversions, and lots of wonky stuff! All very speedy and awesome! This coaster is just so much fun. So much airtime, such great pacing, and SO much better than the pile of garbage that sat here before. For a ride that ONLY makes right-hand turns, it feels like so much more. After I rode this, I declared it my favorite IBox yet! But the fun is just beginning... Steel Vengeance. Yeah, yeah, I know - I'm late to this party. What can I say that hasn't been said 1000 times at this point? Steel Vengeance is insane. It has more airtime than anything in the world. It's incredibly long and incredibly fast. These are things we all know at this point. I guess I'll just try to add another perspective on this coaster for those who have yet to make their exodus to Ohio. In my experience, Steel Vengeance is perfect. There's literally nothing I would change about. The airtime, speed, laterals, pacing, comfort, setting, length - Everything exactly what I want in a coaster. If feels as if RMC threw in everything they learned from the previous dozen coasters they designed and blended them into one enormous package. Starts off with a massive first drop - sustained ejector in the back row for 200 ft is unbelievable. The two massive hills are highlights, both with sustained ejector. The second more outward-banked hill is particularly insane. The upward roll is so fast and has legit airtime coming out the top. The mini-stall is taken at an insane speed. The drop off the mid-course is an amazing highlight. The entire second lap packs in so many airtime moments that it's impossible not to lose track. There is not a wasted foot on this ride, any possible moment for airtime has it. And the night rides I got were somehow even better. It's hard to fathom how good this coaster is. Sorry if this whole post just sounds so exaggerated and fanboy-ish, but I sincerely believe Steel Vengeance to be the best coaster on the planet. If you're a fan of long, well-paced, airtime-focused, fast coasters, get your butt to Cedar Point immediately. RMC Rankings as of Sept. 2018: 1. Steel Vengeance 2. Lightning Rod 3. Outlaw Run 4. Twisted Timbers 5. Wildfire 6. Medusa Steel Coaster 7. RailBlazer 8. Iron Rattler 9. Twisted Colossus 10. New Texas Giant 11. Joker 12. Storm Chaser 13. Goliath 14. Wicked Cyclone At least I got to peer at this elegant, little first drop! [RMC #14] Yeah, uh... That's pretty massive Made it! Time to put FL+ to use Time for night ERT! Excuse me, I think you're going too fast. My view of a dormant Twisted Timbers as we wait out the lightning I can't get over the size and steepness of this drop Holy crap, that was insane... Up next: A return to Texas! [RMC #13] OMG. 11 night rides in a row wholly makes up for a rain delay! Edited September 10, 2019 by chickenbowl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterCrazy88 Posted September 3, 2019 Share Posted September 3, 2019 Riding all these RMCs has been such an awesome adventure. Can't wait to finally make it out to Zadra! Anyway, Twisted Timbers and Steel Vengeance are both essentially perfect. I expected SV to be my #1 steel coaster, but it still exceeded all of my expectations. Those first two giant hills are insane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canobie Coaster Posted September 3, 2019 Share Posted September 3, 2019 Great report! The fact Steel Vengeance combines the tall elements of the first half with the lower second half is what makes it so special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JG-77 Posted September 4, 2019 Share Posted September 4, 2019 Glad you enjoyed them, I had the privilege of riding Twisted Timbers recently and it was freaking awesome, especially considering my only other RMC was Goliath (which I also love, but not nearly as much as TT). It just kept throwing you out of your seat over and over. That reverse banked part was probably the highlight for me, though the whole thing was excellent. It's a shame that I only managed 2 rides on it due to a tight schedule, but I'm glad I got what I got. Also minor correction, we got five new RMC's in 2018, not four: SV, TT, Wonder Woman GLC, Railblazer, and Twisted Cyclone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenbowl Posted September 4, 2019 Author Share Posted September 4, 2019 Also minor correction, we got five new RMC's in 2018, not four: SV, TT, Wonder Woman GLC, Railblazer, and Twisted Cyclone. Thanks for the correction, it just proves my point even more! And I'm glad you liked Twisted Timbers so much Great report! The fact Steel Vengeance combines the tall elements of the first half with the lower second half is what makes it so special. I agree, the coaster has a very diverse layout in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenbowl Posted September 10, 2019 Author Share Posted September 10, 2019 My next RMC venture came in the form off a free afternoon during a business trip in Austin, Texas. I knew if this coaster ran anything like it's California clone the drive down to San Antonio would be worth it. Needless to say, it was. Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster. Firstly, I want to lay out a "hot take" of mine: A coaster being "cloned" does not inherently devalue either version of that coaster. When a ride is good, it's good (see: Batman, Mega-Lite, Manta/Acrobat, iSpeed, RailBlazer/Wonder Woman). If a park had nothing but these 5 clones, it would have one of the best park lineups anywhere. This Raptor V.1 is my favorite cloned coaster ever. In short, Wonder Woman rides just as good, if not better than RailBlazer. It holds it's speed incredibly well. It moves through every element much faster than you think. It's tiny and it's incredible. Just read my report on RailBlazer if you need more specifics - It feels just the same. I can't wait for Jersey Devil Coaster (and it's eventual clones that everyone will complain about)! RMC Rankings as of April 2018: 1. Steel Vengeance 2. Lightning Rod 3. Outlaw Run 4. Twisted Timbers 5. Wildfire 6. Medusa Steel Coaster 7. Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster 8. RailBlazer 9. Iron Rattler 10. Twisted Colossus 11. New Texas Giant 12. Joker 13. Storm Chaser 14. Goliath 15. Wicked Cyclone Pleased to say that this version if just as batshit insane as RailBlazer. The backrow on this drop is divine. [RMC #15] Yes, yes, yes. I love Raptors! Save for the top of the quarry and overall length, this ride is fast and fun! Up next: RMC's first Asian masterpiece One of my favorite outward banks ever, sustained ejector. Looks like an 8 year old designed this. I want every park in the country to have one of these. SeaWorld SD next please? Night rides are insane too. The flimsy-looking ribbon track is still hilarious to me. Great little corner of the park. Superman stills holds up as my favorite floorless! Yeah, this thing rips Also, Iron Rattler is still amazing and so smooth. I prefer Wonder Woman by a hair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canobie Coaster Posted September 11, 2019 Share Posted September 11, 2019 Great report! Out of curiosity, did Wonder Woman have a shuffle/shimmy to it? I've seen a few people mention that. It wasn't there when I rode it, but I rode it opening day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenbowl Posted September 11, 2019 Author Share Posted September 11, 2019 Great report! Out of curiosity, did Wonder Woman have a shuffle/shimmy to it? I've seen a few people mention that. It wasn't there when I rode it, but I rode it opening day. Thank you! I did not notice any roughness/rattle/shuffle on either ride, nor did I find discomfort from the restraints (which I do on B&M's or S&S's vests). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenbowl Posted September 17, 2019 Author Share Posted September 17, 2019 Hello again, everyone - We're finally catching up to the present day here. This August I took my second big International coaster trip. I visited Japan and Korea and rode a lot of bucketlist coasters. I'll share a few thoughts on some notable coasters, but let's dive into the real reason for this Trip Report. Hakugei. I've been following this coaster since the beginning and to be honest, when I saw the layout and initial test runs/POV I wasn't expecting too much, maybe middle of the pack RMC? There was so much to look forward to on this trip, that by the time I got to Nagashima, this coaster was able to completely catch me off guard. It's fast. That initial drop delivers so much power that even the shallower, less-dynamic elements are taken at a speed where they become insane. I love this type of ride pacing so much. I was able to get four rides on Hakugei (~2 hour queue all day), but the lengthy duration made for a satisfying experience and I wasn't disappointed with my outcome. This ride starts off with the most interesting pre-lift on any RMC to-date, but like the rest, it pales in comparison to what follows. There's a nice long lift that provides a stellar view of the park and ocean. The pre-drop turn is much like Wildfire where there's a bit of speed and some laterals too. The small rise into the drop really helps boost the airtime duration across the entire train and it's spectacular in the back. The double up is filled with ejector in every seat somehow and I immediately knew I had downplayed this coaster beforehand. The small outward-banked hill in the middle of the structure is the wildest one to-date and is more comfortable than some others I've done. The following double down is faster and stronger than I expected too. The first half is wrapped up with a decent zero-g stall, much like others but unique to Asia. Every element following is very low and taken at a rapid-fire pace. A turn-around cleverly inserts two sideways airtime moments to break up the positives. There's a low roll that feels like you barely raised in height. The lap continues with ejector, laterals, positives, and structure weaving that reminded me so much of Steel Vengeance. As it wrapped up I knew it was my favorite coaster in Japan and one of my favorites ever. I'm so glad RMC is finally spreading across the globe. Chasing these installations has been so much fun. RMC Rankings Today: 1. Steel Vengeance 2. Lightning Rod 3. Hakugei 4. Outlaw Run 5. Twisted Timbers 6. Wildfire 7. Medusa Steel Coaster 8. Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster 9. RailBlazer 10. Iron Rattler 11. Twisted Colossus 12. New Texas Giant 13. Joker 14. Storm Chaser 15. Goliath 16. Wicked Cyclone Walking to the ride, this thing towers over you and feels massive. Pyrenees was a bit out-of-the-way, but was running like a dream. So intense and so long. This quickly became my favorite operating invert! [RMC #16] Time to ride the world's best whale-themed coaster! The rest of Nagashima was a ton of fun. SD2000 backrow is great! Plus the Ultra Twister and old Schwarz collection are amazing classics. Tobu felt like it's barely holding on. Regina's demise was announced the day before we arrived and the park was dead. But that meant we got 10 rides on this little beauty and it solidified by love for Mega-Lites. There's not much "zero-g" in this whippy roll They were definitely able to retain the enormous beauty of White Cyclone's structure Yomiruiland was a really cool park, but the coasters didn't really stand out. I did love the Gondola though and the way Bandit jumps over these hills! This little stretch of midway provided such a cool vantage point Can we agree that this is the most beauty RMC has achieved in an install? I still don't get how the designers fit TWO airtime moments into a turn-around Fuji-Q was a mess. Even a rainy day made for insane lines. The only solution is to spend a ton of cash on line-skippers. I did wait 3 1/2 hours for Eejaniaka. Although it had a more interesting layout, it was riding more violent than I've ever felt on X2. I didn't need to ride it again. Fujiyama was a lot of fun though, and the line was only 90 mins. My return to Universal was amazing. Flying Dino is still VERY intense. Hollywood Dream Backdrop is hilariously fun and Space Fantasy is a gift (Running with full effects and without any VR now) The mythical Aquatrax... Actually quite punchy and and super fun. The theming was so incredible and had some very tight clearances. Lotte was a beautiful park with a amazing collection of rides. I can't wait to return someday Moving on to other parts of the trip, here's T Express. This coaster was insane. 1/2 of El Toro + ALL of Balder. Felt so long and was running so fast. This is now my favorite Intamin and my #3 coaster ever. Splurging for passes on the last coasters turned things around a bit. Do-Dodonpa's launch is something else. Terrifying. The rest of the layout was mediocre. Takabisha was great too, had some Eurofighter roughness, but felt more complete than any other. We swung by the wonderfully-set Seoul Land and got to encounter this horrible pile of steel, Black Hole 2000. Oh, and I also visited the best theme park on the planet! That wraps this up. In 2020 the US will have 3 RMCs that I need to ride, so that's all until then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 Glad to hear T-Express is still the awesome mix of El Toro and Balder! I hope they continue to take care of it. You have way more patience than I do for some of those wait times though. The only way I'll even tolerate FujiQ is with the express passes for ALL the coasters. Especially if I'm going to get beat up on them in the process! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Finn Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 Love the pics, Jeremy! The only two things I'm sad I missed in Japan are Hakugei and Journey to the Center of the Earth. But I know I will be back soon and will get on both! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canobie Coaster Posted September 18, 2019 Share Posted September 18, 2019 Great report! It seems like the few people who have ridden Hakugai all agree it's running way faster than the initial POVs looked. T-Express is a big bucket list coaster of mine and I'm glad it's still running well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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