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Last Cred Review

This last weekend I did a trip to Sweden to do Grona Lund and Kolmarden

Grona Lund: I'm not going to a big write up for each of the creds at Grona All that needs to be said is that 4 of the main attractions (WIld Mouse, Twister, Jetline, Monster) are great and a lot of fun, but nothing really stand out as an incredible ride. Insane is bad, zacspins are a bad ride type.

Wildfire: WIldfire had been closed the previous 2 weekends before my trip, so as I was making my trip down to Kolmarden from Stockholm, I was pretty ****ing anxious going into this. While it was closed at the start of the day, which made me fear the worst, it eventually started testing and opened.
Even after just my first ride, I knew this was going to place high, but as the day went on, it just kept getting better and better to the point that even that one hill that always looks slow in povs was pulling decent air.
I always had in my head that "Zadra but full length" would be my #1 ride and WIldfire is the closest I feel I've come to that ride. While its a little bit slower paced (not saying much given how much a monster Zadra is for pacing), it more than makes up for it with the extra length, and all this combined with the later sunset/dark rides has pushed WIldfire up to my #1.
It's just an incredible ride and on its own was worth the trip to Sweden.
 
Finally, I can reply in this thread.

Obvioulsy, the past 2 years hadn't permitted to visit parks for many people. I became a father last year also, so going into a theme park with a few months old baby wasn't an option. And then, my wife got minor health issues (luckily all right now) so until 2 weeks ago, the last creds I rode where Indy and BTM at DLP in february 2020, where the Covid was just a Chinese stuff.

So, imagine my excitment when we planned a visit to Walibi Rhône-Alpes saturday the 16th of october !
Yes, it is my home park, and yes, being that, I went to it a lot.

But, how good it was to ride Timber and Mystic !

Timber : A rather small GG woodie. Rather small in dimensions, but not in sensations ! Greats pop of airtimes everywhere, the slightest amount of rattling to make it a good wooden and a layout close to the ground to get decent speed, this thing is a lot of great fun, and for me, one of the best woodies I've ever done (considering I didn't rode too many, true.)

Mystic: A one-of-a-kind Infinity Gerst. Vertical lift, indeed not very high, but high enough to make it really good. Strong airtime on the top hat, great hangtime on the twisty dive loop and of course the piece de resistance, the inverted spike. This thing is terrifying, especially with lap-bars, but also so much fun !
Dunno if my starvation of coasters during these 2 past years have played, but I found this coaster better than my memories.
For example, the Zero-G seemed to me more ...zero-g than in 2019 and the lateral airtime on the wave turn either.
Oh, didn't I mention it was smooth as silk ?

And that's for now. 2 coasters in 2021. Go to DLP in 2 weeks so it will higher the count to 6, still a shame !
 
Haha, I also rode the two coasters two days ago. Yeah, Mystic is a good Gerst and a very smooth one, indeed. The twisted drop, the nice and floaty zero-g roll and, in particular, the dive loop, are all very well executed. A bit short though...

However, I actually wanted to report on another coaster that I think was my favorite on my little trip to France: Alpina Blitz at Nigloland. First of all, this is a really neat park, nice landscaping and in a beautiful surrounding area. The coaster itself looks great too including the cute station building.

Although it's almost a copy of Intamin's Mega-lite (the second half is just mirrored) it actually feels very much like a Mack. I guess it's the subtle things in the profiling of the track that are somehow characteristic here. What Alpina Blitz does very well is the seamless and forceful transitions from the hills into the low-to-the-ground turns, most prominently after the first drop but also in two following turns. Combined with decent ejector air on the hills that's what makes this coaster shine. Unfortunately, I haven't ridden the Mega-lite to draw a comparison here.

The only spots where I could think of slight improvements of the profiling are the two consecutive twisted airtime hills in the middle of the layout. I could imagine that Intamin does these slightly better. And, yeah, the very last curve before the brake is odd. It's like they somehow wanted to create a super-mini version of the first element on blue fire and ended up with this pretty tame element that still manages to feel somewhat uncomfortable the way the track twists back from the banking (at least in the back). Anyway, this doesn't really bother me. All in all, I really like the coaster. It's intense but nothing over-the-top. Heard people reporting that the greyed out after the first turn just from the duration of the positive gs, but that didn't happen to me.
 

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I rode 'Ride to happiness' last Wednesday. Wow, this is such a good ride. I must say, I went in with mixed expectations. On the one hand, I have never been a particular fan of (conventional) spinning coasters. On the other hand, I've heard so many good things about the coaster. Still, I must say I was a bit skeptical whether that thing could live up to the hype. But it really delivered. And it is so much fun! I think, for what it is, it's an almost perfect ride. It's a very well paced and varied layout and just an overall well-rounded attraction. Already the heartline roll in the beginning is such a cool element in those spinning cars and that first launch with the little kick half-way through is great fun. In such a setup, it actually does not hurt at all that Mack is not building the most powerful launches. I also loved the airtime-packed top-hat, the smooth banana-roll, the floaty zero-g roll and that "Step-Up Under Flip". Top-notch elements!

I found, the spinning of the cars is just at the right level to deliver spectacular maneuvers but still allow you appreciate what's going on. In fact, the cars are designed so openly that you really have a fantastic view, in particular, in those tall inversions like the banana roll.

I had my most intense ride in the front. Actually, the intensity does vary quite a bit between the cars but also due to the orientation of the car at a given point. Overall, I'd say it's very re-rideable and nothing over-the-top, although I had that one ride in the front later in the day that left me a bit shaky when getting off. :)

Ah, I should also mention the park it's in. Another Wow! I actually had pretty low expectations as I didn't know much about it except for the fact that Plopsa is also running Holiday Park... But that park is different. First, it's really cute, very well themed and landscaped. But what really wowed me was their policy to run almost every ride with full capacity regardless the pretty low attendance that day. In fact, I didn't wait for single ride that day, just walk-ons.

I'd say, this is easily the best park in Belgium. And Ride to happiness for me is one of the best coasters in Europe and a big surprise for me.
 

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Couple more reviews on my recent Florida trip (some old creds, some new).

Mako

Got another 10 rides last Friday, and still just as fantastic as I remember it. The first camelback is the best floater hill on any coaster, and the first drop is honestly my second favorite after Skyrush. I had some of my best rides ever on it in the back row, with some good room between myself and the clamshell. Honestly thought I was gonna fall out of my seat on the first drop... the displacement between my butt and the seat is wild! It'd be nice if the ending was a little more exciting, but it's still a ton of fun. Just shy of Top 10, but it's my second favorite B&M. @Matt N's not kidding around. :p

Incredible Hulk

I don't know what happened, but my ride on this was far more intense than any of my previous rides. Pulled some serious g's there. Had a really prolonged grey out that lasted from the first loop and through the cobra roll. It was quite good, but had to decline a re-ride. It kicked some serious ass!

Mine Blower

Hated it. Went down the first drop and... nope... immediately lowered my hands and gripped onto the restraint. Looks like I fall in the category that says it's rough... it is, but not like your old school PTC rough where it throws your body around. No, this one went all straight to the head. Immediately gave me a headache... in the front row. It's a shame, because the airtime is definitely there, but I found it impossible to enjoy. I even gave it a second chance in a different row, but instantly regretted it. Honestly the worst coaster in Florida for me (because I can't think of another Floridian coaster I dislike).
 
So, another year done with riding creds ... with a massive total of 5!

Lame.

For the final 3, we were at DLP a week ago. And for the first time with our little boy !

Casey Junior : For us, boring. I mean, a rather flat powered Vekoma with no speed variations... The Disneyland RailRoad is more interesting. But it was baby's first cred !!!! He enjoyed it, so did we !

Hyperspace Mountain : God (or what you want, I'm not a believer) bless those new trains ! Really enjoyable now, no more headache, a gentle rattle and it makes the ride so much better. Ok, the layout is a bit outdated, but the vibe is still here, and it doesn't hurt anymore. I just hope they get rid off the Star Wars theme and give it back it's former Jules Vernes glory ! Especially the indoor queue, which is ugly.

Big Thunder Mountain : What can I say about BTM that haven't already been said ? Maybe that thanks to the FastPass disappearance, the line moves really quickly now ! Spent barely 20min in the waiting.
Dunno if it's because I didn't ride a lot these past 2 years, but I found it more "forceful" than the previous times (forceful for BTM, it's still not Colorado Adventure). I also had a surpise airtime in the splash zone (that didn't worked, but it was rather cold).
The ride still has a very good vibe, especially at dawn.

So yeah, that was 2021. A bit lame, but good fun then !
 
VelociCoaster - Got a lot of rides on this bad boy over the last weekend. Final ride was at-night, hand-in-hand with @Snoo in back row. Shared more hottakes in my trip report (https://coasterforce.com/forums/thr...3-and-why-you-should-to.45184/#post-1121783); VC is interesting in that back row is not necessarily the best seat; there is a lot of floater hangtime in the front to be had as well.

I also wrestled with some nighttime shot exposures - the trains light package is absolutely breathtaking. (again, check out the trip report for photos!)
 
Peter Immelmann said:
I rode 'Ride to happiness' last Wednesday. Wow, this is such a good ride. I must say, I went in with mixed expectations. On the one hand, I have never been a particular fan of (conventional) spinning coasters. On the other hand, I've heard so many good things about the coaster. Still, I must say I was a bit skeptical whether that thing could live up to the hype. But it really delivered. And it is so much fun! I think, for what it is, it's an almost perfect ride. It's a very well paced and varied layout and just an overall well-rounded attraction. Already the heartline roll in the beginning is such a cool element in those spinning cars and that first launch with the little kick half-way through is great fun. In such a setup, it actually does not hurt at all that Mack is not building the most powerful launches. I also loved the airtime-packed top-hat, the smooth banana-roll, the floaty zero-g roll and that "Step-Up Under Flip". Top-notch elements!

I found, the spinning of the cars is just at the right level to deliver spectacular maneuvers but still allow you appreciate what's going on. In fact, the cars are designed so openly that you really have a fantastic view, in particular, in those tall inversions like the banana roll.

I had my most intense ride in the front. Actually, the intensity does vary quite a bit between the cars but also due to the orientation of the car at a given point. Overall, I'd say it's very re-rideable and nothing over-the-top, although I had that one ride in the front later in the day that left me a bit shaky when getting off. :)

Ah, I should also mention the park it's in. Another Wow! I actually had pretty low expectations as I didn't know much about it except for the fact that Plopsa is also running Holiday Park... But that park is different. First, it's really cute, very well themed and landscaped. But what really wowed me was their policy to run almost every ride with full capacity regardless the pretty low attendance that day. In fact, I didn't wait for single ride that day, just walk-ons.

I'd say, this is easily the best park in Belgium. And Ride to happiness for me is one of the best coasters in Europe and a big surprise for me.
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Nice, I was at Plopsa yesterday and had a similar experience. Park was deserted but 2 trains on RTH, 2 on Heidi and 3 on Anubis. I rode RTH about fifteen times as you could stay in your seat and several were alone zen rides mid afternoon, never seen anything like it. Felt cool to have a coaster the scale of RTH dispatched entirely for my own benefit. Also loved the slightly later close time of 17:30 so ended the day with a sunset marathon.
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^My jealousy levels get ramped up with every new review I see of RTH. Haven't seen too many direct comparisons with Time Traveler yet - I'm guessing the number of goons who've ridden both is still relatively low - but if anything the reaction to Ride to Happiness seems even more positive than it was for its Missouri cousin. I guess that could be because Time Traveler is in the same park as, and therefore competes for attention with, Outlaw Run, Wildfire and Thunderation (not to mention cinnamon bread), whereas RTH is up against much more modest fare - a small GCI and a 12 year old Gerst'. However, I suspect it's more to do with the fact that RTH is simply better than Time Traveler. Seriously can't wait to ride it - that CF Live can't come soon enough.
 
In what is arguably the biggest 180 of "Last Cred Reviews", following VelociCoaster:

Nuclear Rush, SBF Spinner, Scene75, Dublin, Ohio - It was not as nearly a nutty ride as @Antinos and I's ride in Camden Park, but cute they can fit a sizable roller coaster into an indoor space. Was offered a free second ride, to which we kindly declined. 😅
 
I returned from Copenhagen last night where we visited Tivoli on the opening day of their Christmas season. What a wonderful little park, it's a very different experience to the parks we'd usually visit but we expected that and were honestly awestruck at points. We loved the old wooden side-friction coaster, we both preferred it over the B&M, it's jam packed full of character and you can actually get a tiny pop of airtime if you've got a 'driver' who's a bit looser on the brakes. I genuinely didn't know about the shooting dark (water) ride underneath it so that was a pleasant surprise, and welcome reprieve from the cold too.

Unfortunately the star flyer was down due to high winds (genuinely surprised the drop tower and Fata Morgana were still operating), but the flat selection is better than most larger parks here. I'd love to see Merlin invest in a Mondial Shake and Zierer Inverted Magic Carpet for Towers.
 
I recently visited NYC, and made a few trips to American Dream Mall. May do a little report, but for this thread:

ShellRaiser
Not a great ride personally.
I had the car to myself. Rode front row. As soon as it went down the first drop, it had an obvious shake/ rattle..
Launch was very forceful. Every element pretty much had some rattle/ juddering.
The mid-course lift hill and drop is pretty impressive (with a glass window looking towards the Manhattan skyline).
Quite intimidating waiting at the top, but the actual drop wasn't great - too steep maybe.
Lots of inversions close to one another. Gave me Smiler vibes.

Impressive but not a fun ride IMO.
 
Have you done Shambhala yet @CanobieFan? I’d be very intrigued to hear your thoughts on that one, if you have; I’ll admit it’s a big bucket list ride of mine!
 
I rode Shambhala a few hours later, twice. Fun stuff but it feels a bit short haha. I hadn't made a tweet about it yet. I'll just edit this post when I do, ha. Only 3 credits I'm getting, a return to Tibby didn't work out although I could see the rides from the Zoo.
https://twitter.com/x/status/1466792103086862345


Edit (for @Matt N haha)
https://twitter.com/x/status/1467394083266207754
Shambhala was awesome although the operations were less than desirable. No choice of seat was making me mad when trains were going out half full but with some sort of mandatory loading front to back meaning the last 2 or 3 cars were going empty 🙃 (I did eventually get a back seat ride....although I'm slightly annoyed I've not gotten the front yet, I'll have to try today)
 
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Stunt Fall, Parque Warner Madrid.

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I was gonna write a full trip report, but after a week I've barely managed to scrape together a paragraph. Dunno why, but I just can't find my 'angle'. Maybe the parks weren't actually inspiring enough to make me want to write a full trip report? Maybe I'm too busy. Or maybe I just can't be arsed.
Either way, in the spirit of getting at least some of my thoughts on the Madrid parks down in forum form, I've decided to break down some of the highlights into more manageable, bite-sized chunks, starting with this bad boy:

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Definitely the highlight of the trip for me. One of the most intimidating, intense coasters I've ridden in a looong time. I was genuinely scared of the thing. It's a hulking, big, brutal looking ride, not at all pretty, almost industrial in appearance and it roars and hisses and clangs like some giant mechanical beast. The massive rush of wind as you're waiting in the station when the train hurtles through, the way it hoists you backwards, vertically, face-first, 150ft above the concrete with just a shoulder harness holding you in, the big 'clunks' as the catch car engages at each end - all of these things added up to one of the most unnerving coasters I've ridden in years. Not only that, the ride is fast, forceful, intense and disorienting. Wouldn't call it glass smooth, but it's not rough by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I think it's probably smoother than all the other, standard Vekoma boomerangs I've ever ridden.
Ok, objectively speaking it's really not the 'best' coaster in the park - that title clearly belongs to Superman, the B&M floorless a few hundred yards away - but here's the thing: I've been on half a dozen B&M floorless coasters, and while they've all been great, they've all been very smooth, very safe, very comfortable and very predictable rides.
Vekoma's Giant Inverted Boomerang on the other hand, is rare, massive, old skool thrill machine that grabs you by the balls. Everyone should try and ride one at least once before they are consigned to the history books.
On a more personal note, after being spited by Deja Vu at Magic Mountain waaaay back in 2010, it felt really good to finally tick this elusive model off my ridden list and complete the portfolio of all the different variations of the Vekoma boomerang.
One seriously bad ass coaster, this, well worthy of multiple re-rides. Me likey.
9/10

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American Flyer - Some random funfair in the Dominican Republic
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I found this completely by accident yesterday, while travelling with local family to the peninsula of Samaná for a couple days. I have no idea whom the showmen are and it’s not listed on CoasterCount, thus I took the liberty of documenting as much as possible. A Maine license plate and multiple US state certificates suggest that this was only imported a few years ago. In any case, the conditions of the few rides were terrible, and safety protocols nonexistent. When I returned for its scheduled opening that evening, as the fair’s only guest at the time I traded a 100-peso bill for 10 of the most migraine inducing laps that I’ve had on any coaster to date. I’m glad to have gotten what’s obviously a rare and undocumented credit in the middle of nowhere, but everything here — from myself running down park staff responsible for it, to the Ferris wheel’s breakneck test run, to the rusty parts, and myself receiving the first operation of the day — would not have flown well at home. Managed to get a lot of photos of some great behind-the-scenes sights, though.
 
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