Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park Discussion Thread

[EricGarbo]

They are much more comfortable then the PTC trains! The individual lapbars are a huge improvement in safety, too, over the seat belt and that lap bar that never did anything.

Edited May 28, 2013 by EricGarbo

[apatos99]

They are much more comfortable then the PTC trains! The individual lapbars is a huge improvement in safety, too, over the seat belt and that lap bar that never did anything.

 

PTC's and Arrow trains...LOL. Torture devices.

[A.J.]

Not necessarily. Some of the best wooden coasters in the world - Boulder Dash, Phoenix and Ravine Flyer II to name a few - run PTC trains. Ravine Flyer II is even the exact same setup as Hades - a Gravity Group steel-supported hybrid.

[australianalex]

I'm pleasantly surprised by how good the full length timberliner trains actually look, considerng how ugly and awkward the 6 car timberliners looked on Twister and Wooden Warrior.

[robbalvey]

Not necessarily. Some of the best wooden coasters in the world - Boulder Dash, Phoenix and Ravine Flyer II to name a few - run PTC trains. Ravine Flyer II is even the exact same setup as Hades - a Gravity Group steel-supported hybrid.

No. It's a wooden coaster. Ravine Flyer II is a steel supported wooden coaster.

Edited May 28, 2013 by robbalvey

[robbalvey]

I just fixed the problem!

[jray21]

Lol! Another amazing one!

[ernierocker]

A hybrid coaster sounds absolutely yummy!

[A.J.]

Eh, I prefer strawberry-flavored fruit chew coasters.

[simaticable]

Oh God, I love this filter!

[coasterkid21]

This is literally making me laugh so hard right at my desk that people are giving me funny looks!

[cfc]

Eh, I prefer strawberry-flavored fruit chew coasters.

 

I hear that they come in many delicious, chewy flavors.

[uwgbdork]

I'll be completely honest about this, from the moment that I heard the announcement that I was like 'are you kidding me', for starters I've been against Timbeliners from day 1 because I HATE how they look (one of my friends compared them to mutated go karts), and honestly I feel that they committed a crime with this because IMHO you should NEVER be able to add an invert to an existing woodie and keep it a woodie, the RMC iron horse treatment is another story (since it's now a steel coaster), and I know this place well, it's my home park afterall, which I'm ashamed to say, and the overbank feels absolutely unnecessary since it overshadows the 90 degree bank, and the name, really how original,

But the fact that apparently it's STILL rough just shows that they (IMHO) screwed up, but is Hades old train now on Cyclops? but to those of you who have been there, how are Zeus and Cyclops riding, not that I ever want to ride Zeus again (first ride was BRUTAL, and I regret riding it again the next year, DON'T RIDE ZEUS! NOT EVEN THE VERY FRONT IS ANY BETTER!), don't want to end of with an ACTUAL broken rib (though on the flip side, I might have a reason to sue the park then and force them to change the that they DESPERATELY need to do), but Cyclops is my current #1 after one ride that I'll never forget, and the only bad part on Cyclops for me at least is the bottom of the 'drop o death' , and I want to know how it has fared since last season, and with Pegasus were the ONLY 2 good rides there last season , and BTW I also rode Hellcat last year, and THAT puts Zeus to shame in shear brutality that a ride could EVER give,

But with my 'rant' over, now what I'd do, well at least the gist of it since it would go on for damn near ever

Have Rocky Mountain give Zeus the ol' iron horse treatment and give it the name Wrath of Zeus, change they layout have a barrel roll (now a steel grape flavored fruit chew, not a woodie) and give it an L shaped layout from the drop (I know that layout shape includes the lift, but it makes more sense to me in this case),

Add a few flat rides, an Intamin half-pipe (originally the Boomerang from Alabama's Adventure), add a Euro-Fighter, level the indoor theme park for a new GCI woodie, among MANY other things,

 

Comparing Hades 360 to The Voyage, why is a ride only allowed one key maneuver? The overbanked turn rides so beautifully and does nothing to overshadow the 90 degree turn, it adds to the overall experience of the ride. The overbanked turn is actually my favorite part of the new addition. It was such an incredible way of changing directions when at high speed. It doesn't simply point you to the ground and turn; the ride starts at an upward angle, begins the turn, and the rotation happens about a fixed point with an invisible line being drawn about the riders spines to that fixed point for the entire maneuver. It's so beautiful I can't even comprehend what this will do for roller coasters of the future. Think of any huge B&M with a hammerhead turn where the riders bank towards the ground versus the air. This is the real beauty of Gravity Group's design. CORRECTION: I just remembered Leviathan as well as Diamondback does in fact have a downward facing hammerhead turn.

 

I do agree with you on most of the rest of what you said; Zeus needs an overhaul and so does Cyclops. The old Hades train is nowhere to be found and the Zeus backseat was out of commission today. The first drop on Pegasus was rebuilt, however.

 

The old trains are sitting behind the long "building of retail" Could see them today in the little gap between that and the "indoor theme park" section

[GayCoasterGuy]

I suddenly have a taste for something grape With all this bickering about is it/isn't it wood, etc., I've never heard anyone acknowledge that the original Texas Giant's first drop opened with steel I-beam track. From about a third the way down and up to the first curve. The ride opened that way; the I-beams weren't put on later, as they were on American Eagle and Colossus. Six Flags learned their lesson with HUGE wooden drops and opened the ole' boy with steel track on the first drop.

 

But guess what? It was still a wooden coaster to everyone. It was still a top rated wooden coaster (for the first few years anyway). American Eagle - with it's steel I-beams from first drop to helix - is still a wood coaster to most people. No one ever throws a fuss over that. So why all the debate about Hades/Outlaw Run, etc.? Maybe it's due to the parks claims?

 

Here is a picture of the Giant's first steel drop. Notice, the galvanized steel "I-beam" track with matching steel track ties. Same as on American Eagle (all the steel track and ties on AE are painted blue; that's an easy way to tell where the steel track starts and stops.) In both cases, there are still 2 layers of wood track on top of the I-beam track; opposite configuration of topper track.

 

[EricGarbo]

Too bad they didn't replace more of the track. I do like the trains, they remind me of those metal building kits I had as a kid.

 

The track they did replace was incredibly good, though. Coming out of the tunnel past the station the second time used to be so brutal and is much improved.

 

At least we got something.

[jray21]

That is very true, at least we got something! I'm excited to try it someday! I think it's a great addition, and hope it brings more improvements in the future.

[goatdan]

Maybe it's due to the parks claims?

 

Bingo. I've said it before, but really the difference between what a roller coaster is really comes down to how the park bills that ride. You can classify lots of things different ways - there used to be "inversion debates" about 12 years ago with enthusiasts over if the inclined loop on Chang for instance counted as an inversion, and then if the first overbank turn on Millenium Force counted as an inversion and so on.

 

Ultimately, the owners of the ride said that Chang was an inversion, and Millenium Force wasn't, so how much arguing can there really be? If Mt Olympus wants to call Hades the first ever donut buster coaster, it's the first ever donut buster coaster. If you believe it is up to you, but it's a losing battle to argue that a ride is or does something that the park doesn't claim that it does, or doesn't do something that they claim it does.

 

With that, I'll just add that I have always found it fascinating that the steel supported wood coasters I have been on all seem to age really, really poorly. I heard about Hades before this being really rough, the MegaZeph was a jackhammer when I rode it, the Villian went from awesome to crap quickly, the Hurricane and Cornball Express were both really jackhammer-y... Anyone know why? I would have thought these would have all held up a LOT better than they seem to.

[Woodie Warrior]

How is this a debate?

Hades is a wooden coaster. Just like Voyage is a wooden coaster. They both have wooden tracks and steel supports.

[GayCoasterGuy]

With that, I'll just add that I have always found it fascinating that the steel supported wood coasters I have been on all seem to age really, really poorly. I heard about Hades before this being really rough, the MegaZeph was a jackhammer when I rode it, the Villian went from awesome to crap quickly, the Hurricane and Cornball Express were both really jackhammer-y... Anyone know why? I would have thought these would have all held up a LOT better than they seem to.

 

Indiana Beach has been under new ownership since about 2009. Every year since, things have quickly gone down hill. Those 2 woodies always ran great and were always reliable. I dunno, I don't want to speculate what is really or was really going on at Indiana Beach... but I've heard good reports this year so far. I hope the Indiana Beach I've known and loved for most of my life returns.

 

The steel supported woodies are generally more jarring than wood supported woodies, especially if not maintained well. Steel doesn't have the same amount of movement - or "give" - that a wooden structure does. The non-intended accelerations (pot holes, etc.) are more efficiently transmitted through the track -> wheels -> seat and into YOU, the rider. With a brand new steel structure woodie (I'm thinking Hades in 2005, it's first season) a coaster can run GREAT. There is less momentum lost with a steel structure, as the forces, yadda yadda yadda... but when it's not maintained, things start to hurt.

[goatdan]

Indiana Beach has been under new ownership since about 2009. Every year since, things have quickly gone down hill. Those 2 woodies always ran great and were always reliable. I dunno, I don't want to speculate what is really or was really going on at Indiana Beach... but I've heard good reports this year so far. I hope the Indiana Beach I've known and loved for most of my life returns.

 

I was there the year Cornball Express opened, and it was outstanding, but the Hurricane was a mess. I don't deny anything about what has happened the last couple years, but it definitely didn't always run awesome in previous management either. I've just never found the metal supported woodies to hold up worth anything.

 

The steel supported woodies are generally more jarring than wood supported woodies, especially if not maintained well. Steel doesn't have the same amount of movement - or "give" - that a wooden structure does. The non-intended accelerations (pot holes, etc.) are more efficiently transmitted through the track -> wheels -> seat and into YOU, the rider. With a brand new steel structure woodie (I'm thinking Hades in 2005, it's first season) a coaster can run GREAT. There is less momentum lost with a steel structure, as the forces, yadda yadda yadda... but when it's not maintained, things start to hurt.

 

I mostly agree with you, but it seems like the lack of give should also theoretically make it hold up better, longer. I would expect the additional give in a wooden structure would accelerate the appearance of potholes and whatnot, but with few exceptions (Son of Beast, I'm lookin' at you... er... your remains) it seems like steel framed wood gets WAY worse potholes WAY quicker.

 

Right? Or my imagination from relatively limited ride experience on the steel woodies?

[downunder]

Is the word hybrid being filtered?

 

I think Hades 360 is way better than Prowler and the Voyage...

 

Maybe some Brangelina style names: wood on steel supports: woost.

[australianalex]

Hybrid.

 

I like this new filter.

[GayCoasterGuy]

but the Hurricane was a mess. I don't deny anything about what has happened the last couple years, but it definitely didn't always run awesome in previous management either. I've just never found the metal supported woodies to hold up worth anything.

 

I'll assume you didn't ride it last year? It was horrendous. I went for their annual "Hawg Wild" event and people weren't riding it during ERT; that bad. In previous years, the "bridge drop" could be a little rough and pot-holey, but nothing like last year.

[LoneRider92]

I kind of forgot to ask earlier, but how accommodating are the seats? I'm 6'1" 177 lbs, so I'll have no trouble fitting at all; my friend, however, is in the mid 300's. He rode Hades before with the original train and made it, but I was wondering how forgiving the restraints on the Timberliners were.

 

Hopefully I can make it out between Sunday and Tuesday. I'm chomping at the bit to get some Hades action and do an in-depth report of my favorite ride.

[GayCoasterGuy]

I'm 6-1 and 220, and I had no problem. I did see one guy not able to ride because of his size. Your friend will probably just have to get in and try it out, hope he gets to ride!

 

Hopefully I can make it out between Sunday and Tuesday. I'm chomping at the bit to get some Hades action and do an in-depth report of my favorite ride.

 

I'm looking forward to more reports! I never got to know the ride too well. I went a few times since it opened in 2005, but didn't have the greatest experiences at the park - that kept me from going more. I broke down and got a season pass this year, so I'll at least go once or twice more.