Tag: Wild Mouse

Having a sugar rush at Hersheypark

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Hersheypark

Even if you don’t feel like visiting the amusement park, you can still have a lot of fun at Hersheypark. In addition to the Hersheypark Stadium and the Hersheypark Arena, where numerous sporting events and concerts take place, there is also a large souvenir shop, The Chocolatier restaurant and Hershey’s Chocolate World. 

Hershey’s Chocolate World

There is a lot to experience at Hershey’s Chocolate World and you can learn a lot about the production of the famous chocolate. The highlight of the exhibition is the Hershey’s Chocolate Tour dark ride, which you can experience for free. At the end of the informative and entertaining ride, there is even a small tasting.

Candymonium

Since 2020, the Candymonium hyper coaster has dominated the entrance area of the theme park, which has been relocated to form a large entrance plaza starting from Hershey’s Chocolate World, where visitors gather in long queues early in the morning.

After entering the park, you can turn directly into the old Main Street or immediately turn right, where the entrance to the B&M Candymonium rollercoaster is located.

After leaving the lift hill behind us, we immediately plunge into the depths. After a rapid descent, we head straight into a classic camelback, which we fly over. Now we smoothly change direction in a horseshoe turn. Two airtime hills are followed by an intense upward helix. In a short left-hand bend, we then descend the next drop, whereupon another airtime hill awaits us. Now we ride once in a helix around a fountain. After a short ascent and a small dip, we reach the brakes of the ride.

Candymonium is one of the best B&M Hyper Coasters I’ve had the pleasure of testing so far. The ride has a great layout with lots of speed and plenty of airtime. As the braking sections only come towards the end of the ride, you fly through the many elements without interruption. A great ride!

Comet

The Comet wooden roller coaster is a real classic at Hersheypark. Since 1946, the 84ft high wooden roller coaster has been captivating riders with its classic out-and-back layout and the slightly out-of-control ride between the Sooper Dooper Looper and the Skyrush roller coaster. The track runs through an L-shaped layout with numerous camelbacks, all of which lift you slightly out of your seat.

Skyrush

At a height of 200 feet, Skyrush dominates the front of the park. The very slender supporting structure does the rest. Most of the ride is very close to the ground, which makes for a very fast ride.

The ride on Skyrush starts with a very fast cable lift. After a few seconds we reach the top of the lift hill and plunge into the depths. In the bottom third of the first descent we take a right turn. We then cross the water basin below us in a large camelback. After a wide left turn we enter another airtime hill. Now we go full throttle through a right turn and a Stengel Dive. After a short left-hander, the track continues into a right-hander and then through a valley. After a nice change of direction, we ride over another airtime hill. Finally we enter a left turn and shortly after the final brake of the coaster.

The Skyrush coaster is just perfect. The ride is high, incredibly fast and mercilessly intense. The bars used are a bit tight, but not as bad as some fans have described. All in all, a great ride.

Sooper Dooper Looper

The Sooper Dooper Looper is the second looping coaster from German manufacturer Schwarzkopf.  It opened just one year after the Revolution at Six Flags Magic Mountain.

As soon as we take our seats in the new Gerstlauer trains, the ride can begin. After the ride up the lift hill, we immediately enter a left turn and the first descent. This leads us into the vertical loop of the ride. A wide left turn then takes us through the middle of the loop. After a change of direction, the track leads us through a long tunnel, where almost every rider starts to scream. Parallel to Spring Creek, we then ride a little over hill and dale. Finally, a helix awaits us just before the final brake.

The Sooper Dooper Looper is a great coaster with a fantastic name. After the nerve-wracking highlight at the beginning of the ride, we are treated to a very nice but also extremely leisurely ride.

Coal Cracker

Coal Cracker is the large Arrow Hydro Flume here at Hersheypark. The ride not only gets you wet, but also offers a great view of the tangled tracks of the Sooper Dooper Looper and the Great Bear rollercoaster. Unfortunately, the Coal Cracker was not in operation when I visited.

Great Bear

On the same hill as the Sooper Dooper Looper and the Coal Cracker, there is also a large section of the Great Bear rollercoaster track.

The ride on the B&M Inverted Coaster starts directly at the lift hill of the roller coaster. However, instead of starting directly into the big drop, you first enter a helix. The actual first drop then follows in a steep right-hand bend. With plenty of momentum, the ride goes through the first valley and into the roller coaster’s large loop. We then change direction in an equally large Immelmann. Now it’s straight into the Zero-G Roll, which takes us in the direction of Spring Creek. Parallel to the river, the path now leads us into a corkscrew. Interestingly, no supports are allowed to protrude into the creek, which leads to some pretty cool near-miss elements. After a few bends, we reach the braking section of the ride.

The Great Bear is a really cool inverted coaster. The ride is really fun, which is mainly due to the rather unusual layout.  The only pity is that the walk from the exit to the entrance is quite strenuous, which unfortunately makes the ride unsuitable for continuous riding.

Twin Turnpike Speedway and Kissing Tower

At the top of the hill, next to the Twin Turnpike Speedway vintage car racing circuit, is the Kissing Tower. The windows of this observation tower are designed to resemble the famous Hershey Kisses.

ZooAmerica

Further down the slope is the entrance to ZooAmerica, which is also included in the entrance fee. Here you can mainly see native animal species. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to visit the zoo during my visit.

Reese’s Cupfusion

Reese’s Cupfusion is one of the most popular attractions at Hersheypark. On this interactive dark ride, you act as an agent and shoot a bunch of evil sweets to protect the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups factory. A fun ride for the whole family.

Cocoa Cruiser

The Cocoa Cruiser is the smallest family roller coaster in Hersheypark. In addition to a sweeping first drop, the ride also offers a helix and another right-hand bend.

Hershey Triple Tower

One of the most interesting attractions in Hersheypark is the Hershey Triple Tower, which is reminiscent of the towers of the neighbouring factory. The conglomerate of three free-fall towers from the manufacturer S&S promises three different experiences, whereby the size of the individual towers is not at the expense of intensity. The smallest of them, the Hershey’s Kisses Tower, is a double shot tower where you are not only shot upwards but also downwards with brutal airtime.

Trailblazer

Unfortunately, the Arrow Mine Train Trailblazer was closed when I visited. Making perfect use of the terrain, the ride promises a fast-paced adventure for the whole family.

Jolly Rancher Remix

The remodelling work on the Vekoma Boomerang was still in full swing when I visited. The ride now has a candy theme and is called Jolly Rancher Remix. The new Zamperla NebulaZ ride Mix’d Flavoured by Jolly Rancher had also not yet opened.

Storm Runner

Ever since I first played Roller Coaster Tycoon 3, I’ve been fascinated by the Storm Runner roller coaster. The accelerator coaster from Intamin has a very imaginative layout and some inversions that have never been seen before. When I signed up to the gaming forums, I named my nickname after this rollercoaster. I even thought about doing a Stormrunn3r meets Storm Runner tour one day. After all these years, I finally made it to Hersheypark and luckily Storm Runner ran smoothly today.

The ride on Storm Runner starts with the entrance to the launch area. After a countdown, we shoot up a top hat and turn 90° to the side. Just above the apex, we immediately go back down vertically. After a powerful descent, we enter the Cobra Loop, after which we change direction – similar to a sidewinder. Following a climb, we enter the Hearline Roll and then the Flying Snake Dive. The combination of these two elements is simply breathtaking. Once back in the valley, the ride takes several bends back to the station. Once at the top, we immediately enter the braking section of the rollercoaster.

What a rollercoaster. The launch, the top hat and the roll with the subsequent flying snake dive – everything is just right on this coaster. Only the ascent back to the station is a little rougher on Storm Runner, but still very pleasant thanks to the soft straps used in the restraint systems. What a great ride!

Frontier Flyers, Pirat and The Claw

Also in this part of the theme park are the Flying Scooters Frontier Flyers, the HUSS swing ride Pirat and the Chance Rides Fireball The Claw, all of which offer a great ride.

Fahrenheit

97 degrees and getting hotter. There are few other roller coasters where the angle of inclination of the first drop matches the temperature as well as the Fahrenheit, assuming you visit the park in high season.

After the vertical lift, we immediately hit the steep drop. We ride through the first valley and then up the Norwegian Loop. At the top of the hill we first turn overhead in a roll and then plunge down half a loop before experiencing the element in reverse order. Back at lofty heights, we plunge into the next drop. Now the ride’s big cobra roll awaits, spinning us through the air like crazy. A short straight then leads us into the rollercoaster’s two corkscrews. After a steep turn we cross an airtime hill into a left turn close to the ground. This leads us into the braking section of the ride.

As an Intamin fan, it is really difficult to choose a favourite roller coaster at Hersheypark, as all of the coasters at the park are definitely among the best of their kind. However, of the three coasters, Fahrenheit is my favourite. What a great ride!

The Boardwalk and Tidal Force

There are some pretty cool water slides at The Boardwalk water park. Unfortunately, the park was not yet open for the season, which also applied to the big water ride Tidal Force. This Shoot the Chute by O.D. Hopkins creates a huge wave. A net designed to break the wave, which is attached above the ride’s runout, floods all passengers with water. Great fun, at least if you ride the ride in swimwear!

Wildcat

The Wildcat roller coaster is the first wooden roller coaster from the manufacturer GCI. The layout of the ride is very winding and has some interesting curves.

The ride on the Wildcat begins with a right-hand bend, after which you enter the ride’s lift. Once at the top, the ride immediately descends steeply in a right-hand bend. After an incline, we ride through a left-hand bend at a lofty height before approaching the ground again in a steep bend. The path now leads us over a camelback. At the next crest, we turn into a steeply descending right-hand bend. After a short climb, we change direction and plunge into the depths once more. A wide bend then takes us over another airtime hill. After another left-hand bend, we take a right-hand bend that leads us first into a valley and then up a hill. Finally, after a short dip, we reach the ride’s final brake.

The Wildcat wooden roller coaster is a really good ride. The layout of GCI’s first ride is excellent and offers some daredevil turns and great airtime moments. Unfortunately, only one train was running on the day of my visit, which, combined with the long ride, led to long waiting times.

Wild Mouse

One of the big family rollercoasters at Hersheypark is the Wild Mouse. Throughout the day, this usually had a waiting time of around 40 minutes. However, as I joined the queue, it started to rain lightly, which is why the ride was closed indefinitely. Although I could have continued to wait here, I decided not to take a ride.

Laff Track

More than at any other park, it is worth starting the day at the back of Hersheypark at The Boardwalk water park, as there are two compact and popular roller coasters here, both of which unfortunately have a rather low capacity. While the waiting time of 40 minutes for Wild Mouse was still reasonably acceptable, the indoor roller coaster Laff Track had us standing around for hours before we could even get to the ride.

As always, it’s worth getting on the SC2000 backwards so that you can experience the first drop backwards before the turning function is activated after a climb and a short curve. The subsequent hairpin bend gets the car rotating like crazy, so that the Immelmann Turn is usually experienced looking up or down. The following section consists mainly of smaller bends and a fun straight with lots of twists and turns before the grand finale down a helix. All in all, a really great roller coaster that offers a superb atmosphere thanks to the many very impressive black light effects.

Whip, Music Express and Ferris Wheel

In addition to the Lightning Racer and Wildcat wooden roller coasters, this area also houses the theme park’s large Ferris wheel and the two flat rides The Whip and Music Express.

Lightning Racer

The Lightning Racer wooden coaster is one of GCI’s most exciting projects. Here two trains duel in a wild race through a very winding track.

The ride on Thunder and Lightning starts with a twisting ride to the two lift hills, which run parallel but not at the same height. Once at the top, both trains go down in a steep turn. The tracks now run largely parallel over a hill and then over a bunny hop. The two tracks then separate and both Thunder and Lightning enter a turn. Both tracks now enter a tunnel next to each other, in which there is another speed bump. After a left hand bend close to the ground, the track leads over another speed bump directly into a right hand bend. The two tracks separate again on the next hill. Thunder now enters a clockwise helix, while Lightning goes counter-clockwise.  Both tracks then run over several intertwined hills. As Thunder enters a right-hand turn, Lightning comes up to him again. After another hill, the two lanes run parallel towards the home straight. Shortly after that we reach the braking section of the coaster.

Lightning Racer is a unique double wooden roller coaster. Not only is it one of the few racing coasters available today, it also has a very varied layout that keeps you guessing until the very end. In short, Lightning Racer is a world class roller coaster.

Pictures Hersheypark

Conclusion Hersheypark

I really enjoyed my visit to Hersheypark. The park has a really nice atmosphere and almost all the attractions are really good, including three of intamin’s best roller coasters. There are also three world-class wooden roller coasters and a simply brilliant B&M Hyper and Inverted Coaster. If I’d had a bit more time, I would have liked to stay another day. I will definitely be back.

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Hersheypark / The Stumbled Runner Day 9

Going on a Great Adventure

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Six Flags Great Adventure

Six Flags Great Adventure has a rather unusual park layout, with visitors entering the park at its narrowest point in the centre. Here there is a long midway that runs across the entrance, with the Giant Wheel at one end and a land of milk and honey themed area with a carousel and a tea cups ride at the other.  The main attraction in this area is the Sky Screamer swing ride.

Wonder Woman Lasso of Truth and Cyborg Cyber Spin

To the right of the Ferris wheel is the large Movieland themed area. In addition to the interactive dark ride Justice League: Battle for Metropolis and the two roller coasters The Dark Knight Coaster and Batman The Ride, there is also the large swing ride Wonder Woman Lasso of Truth and the flat ride Cyborg Cyber Spin. Unfortunately, the latter wasn’t on my schedule during my visit, so I didn’t get to ride an Intamin Tourbillon.

Justice League: Battle for Metropolis

Developed by the Sally Corporation, the Justice League: Battle for Metropolis dark ride combines large plastic scenes with 3D screens where you have to fend off all sorts of Lex Luthor’s gadgets before he manages to capture the entire Justice League with the help of the Joker. It’s great fun, as you’d expect from Sally, and a surprisingly well-made dark ride that can be found in many Six Flags theme parks.

The Dark Knight Coaster

The Dark Knight Coaster is proof that Six Flags can do theme rides when they want to. The indoor Wild Mouse offers an amazingly fast ride in total darkness, with the hairpin turns in the upper part of the ride being themed throughout. The wilder part of the ride on the lower levels takes place mainly in the dark. All in all a great attraction!

Batman The Ride

Directly after the great success of the B&M inverted coaster Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Great America, the Dark Knight found his place at Six Flags Great Adventure in 1993.

After climbing the lift hill, passengers can expect a pre-drop before the train finally plunges down the first drop in a steep curve. On the descent, passengers can expect high G-forces before entering the first loop. The second inversion, a zero-G roll, follows in no time at all. Then another loop is taken. The blood pressure in your feet rises instantly as you go through a steep bend and a straight section of the track. It then heads mercilessly towards the bottom, where the first corkscrew awaits us. This element is pure madness if you are travelling at the back of the train, as the acceleration changes abruptly. The second corkscrew follows after a short right-hand bend. After that, a left-hand bend takes you straight into the braking section.

Batman: The Ride is still one of the best inverted coasters out there. The ride offers an intense ride layout with lots of positive G-forces on a relatively small footprint. Apart from the theming, the ride experience does not differ between the different rides, which is a good sign.

Nitro

Since the release of the computer game Roller Coaster Tycoon 2, Nitro has become one of the most famous hyper coasters in the world.

After a turn, the ride immediately begins on the 230-foot lift hill. Once at the top, the ride immediately descends. Interestingly, we change direction on the very first hill. The momentum takes us through another valley and over a classic camelback before we change direction in the best out-and-back style in a horseshoe turn. Another airtime hill is followed by another hill where we turn left. With plenty of speed we then enter a powerful helix that gets tighter and tighter and ends in a block brake. We then ride a series of very nice airtime hills to the final brake.

Nitro is a very cool old school hypercoaster. Although you only get floater airtime during the long ride, the many hills make it a real experience. The highlight of the ride is the intense helix before the block brake. In short, a really great coaster.

Jersey Devil Coaster

Past the Intamin Rapids Ride Congo Rapids, which was unfortunately closed on the day of my visit, we now head to the park’s newest rollercoaster, the Jersey Devil Coaster. The ride on the RMC Raptor Track begins immediately with the ride’s lift hill. After reaching the starting height of 40 metres in no time at all, we plunge straight down a very steep descent. After a quick ascent, it’s straight back down again in a dive loop. With brutal airtime, we then go over a huge camelback and immediately afterwards into a zero-G stall. A steep ascent then leads us into a very tight turn. Now we descend again quite abruptly and immediately enter a zero-G roll. Another ascent then leads us into a block brake. Without much delay, we then enter the next descent, after which another turn awaits us. Still very fast, we now race over a series of airtime bumps before reaching the final brake.

The layout of the Jersey Devil Coaster single rail coaster has a really nice flow. The inversions are all very easy to ride and the airtime is also very nice. I at least really enjoyed the ride, even if it is a bit tame compared to the other Raptor Track Coasters from RMC.

Skull Mountain

Every Roller Coaster Tycoon player will remember the Skull Mountain indoor roller coaster for its façade. The ride itself is a family roller coaster from Intamin, which is located in an unfortunately rather bright hall.

The ride begins rather curiously with a two-section lift and a short panoramic ride through the first level. Once in the main hall, the ride continues upwards for a while before a steep curve takes you straight back down to the hall floor. After an incline, we quickly change direction and make our way round a wide left-hand bend. After a short right-hand bend, we immediately enter a longer Bayernkurve, which leads us further and further downhill over hill and dale. After a right-hand bend, we enter a helix. Finally, after a short climb, we reach the braking section and soon afterwards the station, where our wonderful ride unfortunately comes to an end.

Harley Quinn Crazy Train and The Joker

Directly opposite the popular family coaster Harley Quinn Crazy Train – a Zierer Tivoli coaster that has run several laps in a row in this park – is the S&S free spin coaster The Joker. As always, the ride comfort on this coaster was quite good and there were plenty of rollovers at the end. For this reason, I can only warmly recommend a ride on the free spin coaster The Joker.

Houdini’s Great Escape

While Vekoma Mad Houses are a very common sight in European theme parks, they are not at all well known to an American audience with Houdini’s Great Escape being one of only two installations in the United States. In the story, we take part in a séance to bring Houdini back from the afterlife. In reality, however, we only experience a clever trick in which the benches each swing 30° to the side while the room rotates around us. A great attraction!

Twister and Parachute Training Center: Edwards AFB Jump Tower

Right next to the unfortunately closed HUSS Top Spin Twister is one of the park’s major attractions from the 1970s, which goes by the long name of Parachute Training Centre Edwards AFB Jump Tower. The Intamin Parachute Tower offers a great view over the park and the ride is quite fast. The actual drop, however, is very leisurely.

Superman – Ultimate Flight

Superman Ultimate Flight is located next to the entrance. As it takes a little longer to clear the coaster, it is advisable to get to the ride as soon as the park opens.

The ride on Superman Ultimate Flight begins immediately after a right turn as you enter the coaster’s lift hill. After reaching a height of 106 ft, the ride immediately descends in a right turn. The ride then climbs a hill, which introduces the main element of the ride: the Pretzel Loop. We are now pulled down with all our might and then hurtle through a valley on our backs. Once back up in the air, the ride takes us through three very gentle turns that add to the feeling of flying. A helix is followed by a nice roll. We then reach the braking section and shortly after the station.

The ride on Superman Ultimate Flight is very leisurely for a flying coaster, with the pretzel loop at the beginning being the highlight of the ride. Without it the ride would be a bit boring.

Green Lantern

The Green Lantern stand-up coaster has been located on the site of the Great American Scream Machine since 2011. However, the ride itself is much older and was located at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom from 1997 to 2009, where it was known as Chang.

The ride on the giant stand-up coaster starts right away with the lift hill, which takes us to a height of 47 metres (154 ft). After a bend at a lofty height, the big drop awaits. In classic B&M coaster style, a very large loop awaits us and after a right-hand bend we enter the equally large dive loop. After a sweeping ascent, we pass through a high left-hand bend and immediately afterwards into an Inclined Loop. After a quick change of direction, the route then heads uphill again into a mid-course brake. Without adjusting the speed, we head downhill again. Here we enter the first corkscrew and after a crazy right-left bend, we immediately enter the second corkscrew. Another right-left bend then takes us into the final braking section of the rollercoaster.

Green Lantern is one of the most modern stand-up coasters, so the ride is relatively fast. The ride is very spectacular due to the impressive height and the huge inversions, but not quite as pleasant due to the frequent contact with the bars.

Runaway Mine Train

One of the theme park’s original attractions is the Runaway Mine Train. It is housed in a large fort. There is also a station for the Skyways gondola lift.

The ride on the rollercoaster begins with an unusually high lift hill. Once at the top, however, we first make our way through the treetops. The path first leads us through a long helix and then over several hills. After passing a block brake, we fall to the ground for the first time. Now the trail leads us into a surprisingly intense helix and over a flawless airtime hill. We then whizz over the lake past the fort before taking an incline and reaching the braking section of the rollercoaster shortly afterwards.

The Runaway Mine Train has a surprisingly high layout for an old school mine train. Although the start of the ride is not quite as exciting with the longer helix and the slightly descending and ascending straights, it gets really fast from the steep curve after the brakes. The Airtime hill and the bend at the lake around the fort characterise the overall very good ride.

Medusa

Passing the Saw Mill Log Flume, which was unfortunately still closed on the day of my visit, we now head to the back of the park, where the Medusa roller coaster is located. This rollercoaster is quite something and should definitely not be missed.

It is not to be missed. After climbing the coaster’s lift hill, you immediately descend into the depths. The ride takes you through the valley at high speed and immediately into the large loop of the coaster. A climb to the left turns out to be a dive loop and immediately brings us to the ground. With a lot of momentum we then go through a Zero-G roll and immediately into the Cobra Roll of the coaster. A climb then leads us into a block brake, where we get only a brief moment to catch our breath. A steep bend takes us downhill. We then enter an intense helix just above the ground. After changing direction we enter the Interlocking Corkscrews. A short turn to the left then leads us into the last incline of the ride, after which we enter the braking section of the roller coaster.

What a ride! The Medusa floorless coaster is an absolute fun machine with a breathtaking layout and a total of seven inversions. I always enjoyed getting on this ride, partly due to the very efficient handling of the ride.

Zumanjaro Drop of Doom

Unfortunately, the Zumanjaro Drop of Doom freefall tower, which is attached to the support structure of the KingdaKa rollercoaster, was out of service during my visit. This tower is the largest freefall tower in the world. Interestingly, in the early days of the attraction, the tower was only allowed to be operated when the rollercoaster was not in operation. This led to long queues for both attractions. However, this restriction has now been lifted and both rides can be operated at the same time.

Kingda Ka

Kingda Ka has been the theme park’s main attraction since 2005. The 456 ft high launch roller coaster from the manufacturer Intamin towers over the park and cannot be overlooked, casting a spell over everyone in its immediate vicinity.

Right at the start of the park, I was able to ride several laps in a row without having to queue for long. After all, the ride only takes a few seconds, during which you reach a top speed of 128 mph before climbing the tall Top Hat. We then cross its apex rather leisurely and with tension on the vertical slope directly in front of us. On the way down, we turn round once on our own axis. Finally, we race over a 130 ft high hill where the roller coaster brakes.

Kingda Ka is a damn short roller coaster, but also a damn good one. As the speed increases, you realise what forces are acting on the train before it goes up the top hat. You are really shaken up. The descent and the final rush of speed also provide enough endorphins to leave the ride overjoyed.

El Toro

Five years after Colossos revolutionised wooden roller coaster construction at Heide-Park in Germany, the El Toro roller coaster opened at Six Flags Great Adventure in 2006.

Here, too, the ride begins after a rapid lift hill with a high turning curve before entering the steep drop. We then experience the finest airtime and an unrivalled rush of speed over two consecutive airtime hills. After a lively turn, we ride over another airtime hill and then over a speed bump. At high speed, we are now drawn into a left-hand bend and immediately afterwards onto another airtime hill. This is followed by three quick turns in a row. With momentum, we then ride over a series of rather flat hills. Shortly afterwards, we reach the braking section of the rollercoaster.

El Toro is a really great rollercoaster with a genuinely good layout. Unfortunately, the ride characteristics of this wooden roller coaster are no longer the best compared to the other Prefab wooden roller coasters from the manufacturer Intamin. Despite being retracked during the seasonal break, the ride is quite bumpy. Accordingly, I like Colossos much better than El Toro, and not just because I have ridden Colossos hundreds of times and El Toro only once.

Pictures Six Flags Great Adventure

Conclusion Six Flags Great Adventure

My visit to Six Flags Great Adventure left me with rather mixed feelings. On the one hand, the park has a lot of really good roller coasters to offer, but on the other hand, the park simply has no charm. The existing buildings are all getting on in years, and the park really does have a lot of open spaces and lots of areas covered in concrete. Nevertheless, the park is very popular and was accordingly well attended on the day I visited. In the end, I was able to try out all the attractions except for the water rides, which were unfortunately closed. I think I’ll have to come back sometime in the middle of the season to experience the park in its entirety.

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Six Flags Great Adventure / The Stumbled Runner Day 8

Stumbling into Carowinds

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Carowinds

I’ve always wanted to go to Carowinds. When the Buzzed Bars Coaster Club announced their Stumble 325 event, I couldn’t wait to finally go to the park. It was a two-day event with lots of cool activities. There was a Fury 325 backstage tour on the morning of the second day and much more. In general, I always enjoy spending time with Gary, Latifa, Matt and all the others. 

Thunder Road

The Thunder Road theme area is named after the wooden roller coaster Thunder Road, which travelled from one state to another and back again. An identical roller coaster can still be experienced today in the sister parks Kings Island and Kings Dominion.

Intimidator

The Intimidator is the classic hyper coaster here at Carowinds. The layout here consists of several camelbacks, which are travelled through at a decent speed, resulting in wonderful floating airtime, i.e. airtime that allows you to lift out of your seat quite smoothly and harmoniously.

After the first drop, the track leads us directly to a hill where we turn right. This is followed by a classic camelback that leads into the big horseshoe turn. After two more airtime hills, we enter the intermediate brake of the ride. Following a short drop and a subsequent ascent, we enter a steep turn. After another drop, we reach the final brake of the ride.

The Intimidator is a really good hyper coaster from B&M, which unfortunately suffers somewhat from the fact that there is a very similar coaster in another corner of the park. Nevertheless, a ride here is incredibly fun, especially at the back of the train, and should definitely not be missed.

Kiddy Hawk

The layout of the Kiddy Hawk roller coaster is a tried and tested classic from Vekoma, but in this case designed as a suspended family coaster. Accordingly, the ride begins with a short curve out of the station, after which the lift hill is already waiting. The ride immediately takes a left-hand bend with a subsequent upward helix, through a short valley and a wide right-hand bend close to the station. Over a hill, you cross the track you have just travelled on, whereupon you lose some height in another helix. After a left-hand bend, the braking section awaits and the journey ends. Here in Carowinds, the ride is unfortunately anything but pleasant, which is why I would advise against riding it.

Nighthawk

At the centre of the Carowinds theme park is the Nighthawk roller coaster. It is the world’s first flying coaster, which operated as Stealth at California’s Great America from 2000 to 2003. Here at Carowinds, the coaster initially had a Star Trek theme, but this was abandoned when Cedar Fair took over in 2008. Unfortunately, the ride was out of service when I visited.

Camp Snoopy

Camp Snoopy is the large children’s area at Carowinds theme park. There are a variety of rides for the whole family, including two rollercoasters.

Peanuts Pirates

If you have visited well over 100 theme parks, you will notice certain parallels between the parks from which rules can be derived. One of these is that a park with a Mack Rides sea storm ride cannot be a bad park. Peanuts Pirates is one such ride. As always, the ride is in a class of its own and should not be missed.

Wilderness Run

Wilderness Run is the large family roller coaster from E&F Miller Industries. The large layout not only offers the usual wild curves, but also a large airtime hill right at the start of the ride.

Woodstock Express

The Woodstock Express is the smaller of the two wooden roller coasters at Carowinds. The ride through the compact layout of the purple and yellow painted roller coaster begins after a short right-hand bend with the ascent of the lift hill. Once at the top, it’s straight into the first descent. At approx. 35 mph, we ride through the first valley, after which a turning curve at a lofty height awaits us. After another descent, we race over a small speed bump before crossing the wooden structure and taking another turn on the other side of the ride. Now it’s over hill and dale for a while before we dive into the wooden structure below the first turn and follow its course. Back out in the open, we dive into a small dip, after which we are already on the braking section of the roller coaster and the fun wooden roller coaster ride soon comes to an end.

Crossroads

Afterburn

The Afterburn rollercoaster is the theme park’s large B&M Inverted Coaster. The roller coaster adorns the rear entrance to the park.

The ride on Afterburn begins by entering the lift hill of the roller coaster. Once at the top, we immediately enter a steep curve. After a rapid descent, we enter a huge loop. Immediately afterwards, the ride goes through an equally huge Immelmann into a zero-G roll. This is followed by a very unusual element for an inverted coaster, a Batwing, where we stand on our heads twice and ride through a tunnel shrouded in fog. After a short hill past the station, we enter a corkscrew and, after a curve, the ride’s braking section.

Afterburn is a very good inverted coaster that impresses with its sequence of elements. The ride itself is not quite as powerful as other larger inverted coasters, so you can easily complete lap after lap on this ride.

Boo Blasters on Boo Hill

The interactive dark ride Boo Blasters on Boo Hill was originally opened in 2001 under the name Scooby-Doo! and the Haunted Mansion. Back then, the ride in the Mystery Machine took you through two-dimensional scenes with the characters from the well-known Hanna-Barbera series, in which you could trigger your own effects and unmask the villain at the end. Now there are only ghosts. It’s still very cheesy and well done, but unfortunately Boo Blasters on Boo Hill no longer captures the spirit of the original attraction.

Southern Star

Southern Star is the second Looping Starship I have encountered on my Stumbled Runner Tour. In contrast to the ride in Kings Dominion, the Southern Star takes a little longer to complete the loop. As always, the hangtime is in a class of its own.

Plants vs. Zombies

The interactive theatre Plants vs. Zombies is an interesting experience. Here you play against each other in two teams. Unfortunately, it’s quite easy to lose track due to the large number of players. All in all, a very nice attraction based on the famous video game.

Blue Ridge Junction

Wie gut Cedar Fair seine Themenparks inszeniert, zeigt der Themenpark Blue Ridge Junction. Hier steht neben dem Flying Scooters Mountain Gliders die Achterbahn Copperhead Strike.

Copperhead Strike

Copperhead Strike is a very special coaster from Mack Rides as it represents a turning point in the company’s design process. The coaster surprises with many never before seen features.

This starts with the heartline roll out of the station, which you ride through with a decent hangtime. After a turn we enter the first launch area. After a short stop, we immediately accelerate into an almost circular loop. While we experienced this with a lot of hangtime, the following airtime hill almost catapults us out of the car. As soon as we are back in our seats, we immediately enter an intense corkscrew. After a right-hand bend, the Bayernkurve takes us over hill and dale before we enter the second launch area. This takes us over a hill directly into an airtime hill with a subsequent cutback. After a sweeping turn, we enter the second loop, which we take at a good speed. After a hill through the first loop, the track takes us through numerous changes of direction, a helix and another airtime hill before we reach the brake section of the ride.

Copperhead Strike is Mack Rides’ best roller coaster to date. The track is incredibly dynamic with some truly breathtaking elements. The very original track layout also speaks for itself. All in all a very good coaster.

Carolina Harbor Waterpark

The Carowinds theme park offers a water park, Carolina Harbor, which is included in the admission price. Carolina Harbor has a variety of breathtaking water slides. As these are the only water attractions in the theme park, the park is particularly popular in summer.  Unfortunately, the water park was not open when I visited.

Country Fair

The Country Fair themed area is home to numerous rides, most of which have been touring the European fair circuit for several years. In addition to the Zierer Wave Swinger Zephyr, the area features the Mondial Top Scan Electro Spin, the Mack Rides Music Express Rock ‘n’ Roller and the Vekoma Boomerang Flying Cobras.

Flying Cobras

Originally opened as the Carolina Cobra, this rollercoaster comes from the Geauga Lake theme park, which has unfortunately closed. The Flying Cobras roller coaster has been in the park since 2009. Thanks to the new trains, the rather rough roller coaster is still a pleasure to ride.

Carolina Boardwalk

The Carolina Boardwalk takes us to the beaches of the two southern states. This area is home to three of the park’s most family-friendly roller coasters.

Carolina Goldrusher

Carolina Goldrusher is the classic mine train roller coaster at Carowinds. The ride first takes you past the roller coaster’s siding before heading up the first lift hill. Once at the top, the ride begins with a long straight into a right turn. As the speed increases, we enter a long helix. We approach the second lift at a leisurely pace. The track continues into a long straight and then a fast downhill helix. After a short climb, the track drops down into a tunnel. A final climb leads directly into the braking section of the ride, where our fun ride soon comes to an end.

Carolina Cyclone

The Arrow looping roller coaster Carolina Cyclone was the first roller coaster with four inversions. The layout was later built by Vekoma under licence several times in Europe, where it can be experienced in theme parks such as Efteling and Gardaland. Here at Carowinds, the ride is a little faster, but also a little bumpier.

Ricochet

Ricochet is the classic wild mouse rollercoaster from Carowinds. It is not quite as dead-braked as is often the case in America and therefore offers quite a pleasant and fast-paced ride. Due to the low capacity, there may be longer waiting times, which is why a visit in the early morning hours is recommended.

Carousel Park

The Carousel Park gets its name from the Grand Carousel. This area is also home to the Vortex Stand-up Coaster and the classic Scrambler flat ride.

Vortex

The Vortex roller coaster has been at the front of the park since 1992. After its sister ride of the same name at Great America in California, it is the third roller coaster made by B&M.

The ride on Vortex begins with the coaster’s lift hill. Once at the top, a steep turn leads directly into the loop of the ride. After a sweeping hill, we enter an intense helix. This is followed by a descent that takes us into the corkscrew. Finally we pass through two figure of eight turns before reaching the braking section of the ride.

Vortex is a really nice coaster. The stand-up coaster not only offers excellent ride characteristics, but also a very intense but not overcrowded layout. All in all, a great roller coaster.

Thrill Zone

The unfortunately rather generic Thrill Zone themed area contains the theme park’s biggest thrill machines. In addition to the Hurler and Fury 325 roller coasters, you will also find the large Drop Tower and the fantastic Schwarzkopf Enterprise Scream Weaver.

Hurler

The Hurler is one of the most unpopular wooden coasters in the world. After a big drop, the layout leads through a long straight and then into a right turn close to the ground. This is followed by three hills, which are ridden rather gently. Another bend is followed by two more hills. A turning bend leads into another hill. This is followed by the final turn which brings us into the braking section of the coaster.

The ride characteristics of Hurler are good, but the layout is incredibly boring. Almost nothing happens here. Especially when compared to Kings Dominion’s Twisted Timbers, which used to have the same layout, you can see how much potential there is hidden within the raw track layout. While one of the rides is now at the top of the rankings, the other is rotting away in the basement. It would be nice if Cedar Fair would give this ride the RMC treatment as well.

Fury 325

Few roller coasters at Carowinds are as iconic as B&M’s Fury 325 Hyper Coaster, which graces the park’s entrance. The 325-foot-tall coaster has an unusual layout for the manufacturer, relying almost exclusively on fast turns instead of hills.

The ride on Fury 325 begins as soon as you enter the lift hill. After reaching a height of 325 feet, it’s time for the big drop. At 95 mph we pass through the first valley. Shortly afterwards we turn right onto a large hill. After several left and right turns, we reach the big turn, which is very reminiscent of a clef. After a long descent, another hill awaits, which is quickly conquered. The track now takes us over a classic airtime hill and into a very close to the ground helix. After two more hills and turns we reach the final brakes of the ride.

Fury 325 is a fantastic roller coaster. The very fast layout with the great turns speaks for itself. Even though the coaster doesn’t rely on airtime, it still has some really nice airtime moments, which are more memorable than on Intimidator thanks to the consistently high speed. In short, Fury 325 is by far one of the best roller coasters in America.

Pictures Carowinds

Conclusion Carowinds

I really enjoyed my visit to Carowinds. The park has a great atmosphere and a very solid rollercoaster portfolio. Although I could have done everything in one day, I was very happy to have a second day available. The visit was also more than worthwhile for the Stumble 325 event organised by the Buzzed Bars rollercoaster club.

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Carowinds / The Stumbled Runner Day 2 and 3