Mark9

I've learned that to enthusiasts, every ride is rough and has a rattle.
 
I've learned that our passion is one of the only ones with such a limited life span. These huge pieces of metal have a limited existence and when they're gone, that's it. No one else will experience Wild Mouse at Blackpool, a 400 foot hydraulic launch rollercoaster, the world's only duelling B&M inverter and much much more.  For a lot of rides all we have is faded memories, hazy POV's and photos of ourselves in our younger days. I wish I'd taken more photos of some of the rides I've done because that's all I have left. It's kind of sad when you think about it. I've become almost obsessed with the demolition of Green Lantern and Kingda Ka. 

I've learned that to enthusiasts, every ride is rough and has a rattle.
 
I've learned that our passion is one of the only ones with such a limited life span. These huge pieces of metal have a limited existence and when they're gone, that's it. No one else will experience Wild Mouse at Blackpool, a 400 foot hydraulic launch rollercoaster, the world's only duelling B&M inverter and much much more.  For a lot of rides all we have is faded memories, hazy POV's and photos of ourselves in our younger days. I wish I'd taken more photos of some of the rides I've done because that's all I have left. It's kind of sad when you think about it. I've become almost obsessed with the demolition of Green Lantern and Kingda Ka. 

I've learned that to enthusiasts, every ride is rough and has a rattle.
 
I've learned that our passion is one of the only ones with such a limited life span. These huge pieces of metal have a limited existence and when they're gone, that's it. No one else will experience Wild Mouse at Blackpool, a 400 foot hydraulic launch rollercoaster, the world's only duelling B&M inverter and much much more.  For a lot of rides all we have is faded memories, hazy POV's and photos of ourselves in our younger days. I wish I'd taken more photos of some of the rides I've done because that's all I have left. It's kind of sad when you think about it. I've become almost obsessed with the demolition of Green Lantern and Kingda Ka. 

Does this confirm an RMC or should I wait for the great nonsense talker to emerge with some obscure clue and babble.

Does this confirm an RMC or should I wait for the great nonsense talker to emerge with some obscure clue and babble.

How was your 2024?
 
Park count
Alton Towers X6
Chessington X1
Thorpe Park X4
Animal Kingdom X1
Hollywood Studios X1
Magic Kingdom X2
Disneyland Parc X3
Studio Parc X1
Linanmaki X1
Europa Park X3
Efteling X3
Emerald Park X1
Six Flags over Georgia X1
Carowinds X2
Fun Spot Atlanta X1
Dollywood X2
Holiday World X1
Kentucky Kingdom X1
Kings Island X2
Cedar Point X3
Kennywood X1
 
New rollercoasters of the year
 
Year highlights
- First day visits for Nemesis Reborn and Hyperia
- Finally visiting Dollywood and trying the cinnamon bread
- Hitting 500 and 550 credits
- Riding some absolute beasts this year (Voltron, Taiga, Afterburn, The Voyage, Steel Vengeance) 
 
 
2025 is more of a rest year but with big hitters like Tokyo Disneyland, Fuji Q and Nagashima Spa land, I'm hyped. 😃

How was your 2024?
 
Park count
Alton Towers X6
Chessington X1
Thorpe Park X4
Animal Kingdom X1
Hollywood Studios X1
Magic Kingdom X2
Disneyland Parc X3
Studio Parc X1
Linanmaki X1
Europa Park X3
Efteling X3
Emerald Park X1
Six Flags over Georgia X1
Carowinds X2
Fun Spot Atlanta X1
Dollywood X2
Holiday World X1
Kentucky Kingdom X1
Kings Island X2
Cedar Point X3
Kennywood X1
 
New rollercoasters of the year
 
Year highlights
- First day visits for Nemesis Reborn and Hyperia
- Finally visiting Dollywood and trying the cinnamon bread
- Hitting 500 and 550 credits
- Riding some absolute beasts this year (Voltron, Taiga, Afterburn, The Voyage, Steel Vengeance) 
 
 
2025 is more of a rest year but with big hitters like Tokyo Disneyland, Fuji Q and Nagashima Spa land, I'm hyped. 😃

If anything it's under-rated, its 3 against 1 in here. 😘

If anything it's under-rated, its 3 against 1 in here. 😘

I'll balance it out by saying I thought Ride to Happiness was an incredible ride and any park should want a model. 
 
Absolutely outstanding. 

Isn't a top spin good enough for you Josh. I'm shocked!
 
I'd throw in a pair of nebulas and an intamin gyro swing just for starters. This is Towers, they can work around the height and nebula are the greatest flat ride ever created. They can't go on like this.

Looking back at Slammer - my god it was bloody terrifying wasn't it?
For a long time it was one of the only remaining rides (apart from drop towers) that made me feel genuinely scared!
 
I don't think I will go as far as saying I miss it, because to be honest it was never really open long enough to be a major part of the park in my eyes at least, but it was definitely an iconic and very unique ride.
 
You could be stood basically anywhere at Thorpe Park, and you'd occasionally see the huge paddles soaring through the air (when it was open at least) - it certainly made itself known when it was running! It was absolutely enormous when it was spinning.
 
The ride experience was so different to anything else - I remember the very genuine screams of fear from fellow riders when the ride would first start turning, especially on that first forward swat. The restraints also really amped up the fear factor, as they were so open and free. You were very much hanging out of your seat, against those wobbly shoulder restraints!
 
Comfort levels were not a priority for Slammer were they? The rush of blood to your head throughout the entire ride, and the weird restraints were certainly interesting, and riding it in the rain was an ordeal to say the least.
The long delays between dispatches towards the end were very tedious when queueing, and I remember being stuck at the top unable to lower back down to the ground many times, either in the freezing cold or in the baking sun (the awful smell of those sun-baked shoulder harnesses is still hot on the back of my nostrils after all these years).  But none of that really mattered, because it was one of those rides that was just there to be as thrilling as possible - and it bloody was.
 
It was good having a ride like Slammer at Thorpe.  Hopefully something equally as unique will replace it one day!

It actually feels like there's more closures than there actually are. A lot of them are closed and relocated because their respective parks have closed for example.
 
Desert Race - Operational no issues
Formula Rossa - Remains closed, rumoured that its launch system is damaged. Has been down since February and the park have been very coy about what's actually going on
Furius Baco - Operational, no issues (beyond being an atrocious rollercoaster)
Kanonen - Relocated to the USA as Matugani
Kingda Ka - Rust in Pieces
Rita - Operational, no issues
Senzafito - Closed down due to the park closing completely. Now in Canada and converted to LSM launch.
Skycar - Operational no issues
Speed Monster - Operational, no issues
Stealth - Operational, no issues
Storm Runner - Operational, no issues
Superman The Escape - Operational, no issues
Top Thrill Dragster - I mean.. I'm not delivering lectures on this. 
Xcelerator - It's currently operational. It spent over a year closed and under refurbishment and opened at the end of last year. 
Zaturn - Park it was located at in Japan closed down, and the ride now sits in pieces in Russia.
 
 
I wouldn't worry about Stealth or Rita to be honest. As some of the later models, the technology is slightly perfected from the originals and I would say the reliability of both rides is far better than their American counterparts.

It actually feels like there's more closures than there actually are. A lot of them are closed and relocated because their respective parks have closed for example.
 
Desert Race - Operational no issues
Formula Rossa - Remains closed, rumoured that its launch system is damaged. Has been down since February and the park have been very coy about what's actually going on
Furius Baco - Operational, no issues (beyond being an atrocious rollercoaster)
Kanonen - Relocated to the USA as Matugani
Kingda Ka - Rust in Pieces
Rita - Operational, no issues
Senzafito - Closed down due to the park closing completely. Now in Canada and converted to LSM launch.
Skycar - Operational no issues
Speed Monster - Operational, no issues
Stealth - Operational, no issues
Storm Runner - Operational, no issues
Superman The Escape - Operational, no issues
Top Thrill Dragster - I mean.. I'm not delivering lectures on this. 
Xcelerator - It's currently operational. It spent over a year closed and under refurbishment and opened at the end of last year. 
Zaturn - Park it was located at in Japan closed down, and the ride now sits in pieces in Russia.
 
 
I wouldn't worry about Stealth or Rita to be honest. As some of the later models, the technology is slightly perfected from the originals and I would say the reliability of both rides is far better than their American counterparts.

It actually feels like there's more closures than there actually are. A lot of them are closed and relocated because their respective parks have closed for example.
 
Desert Race - Operational no issues
Formula Rossa - Remains closed, rumoured that its launch system is damaged. Has been down since February and the park have been very coy about what's actually going on
Furius Baco - Operational, no issues (beyond being an atrocious rollercoaster)
Kanonen - Relocated to the USA as Matugani
Kingda Ka - Rust in Pieces
Rita - Operational, no issues
Senzafito - Closed down due to the park closing completely. Now in Canada and converted to LSM launch.
Skycar - Operational no issues
Speed Monster - Operational, no issues
Stealth - Operational, no issues
Storm Runner - Operational, no issues
Superman The Escape - Operational, no issues
Top Thrill Dragster - I mean.. I'm not delivering lectures on this. 
Xcelerator - It's currently operational. It spent over a year closed and under refurbishment and opened at the end of last year. 
Zaturn - Park it was located at in Japan closed down, and the ride now sits in pieces in Russia.
 
 
I wouldn't worry about Stealth or Rita to be honest. As some of the later models, the technology is slightly perfected from the originals and I would say the reliability of both rides is far better than their American counterparts.

I think I'm done for the year to be honest. 
First off the new rides of 2024 list. This won't include Nemesis Reborn cos.. well it isn't all new. Coaster enthusiasm is complicated.
 
1. Voltron. An incredible ride, fully kicks your arse, full of ejector time and a sheer masterclass of ride design.
2. Taiga. A true bucket list ride and it delivered on every level. By far my favourite Intamin, this is just absolute excellence.
3. Fury 325. I really enjoyed Fury 325. I see why people call it their favourite B&M because it is an excellent ride. So so fast.
4. Afterburn. A very under-rated inverter. It's a very European style B&M with no MCBR and very intense.
5. Thunderhead. I loved this ride so much. It was honestly such a surprise to me because it's full of air-time, long and twisty and so re-ridable. I could have ridden all day
6. Hyperia. This probably wouldn't be so high if it wasn't for it being in the UK to be honest. It really lacks that final something that the very best rollercoasters have. I find it more and more frustrating the more I ride. 
7. Copperhead Strike. I was a little surprised at how much I enjoyed Copperhead to be honest. It has some bizarre pacing but it is a lot of fun. 
8. Aerieforce One. The joy of this ride is that it's very easy to ride. Literally no one visits this park so you can get a quick ten rides in an hour and then be on your way. It's a great RMC and surprisingly high on my list.
9. Goliath (Six Flags over Georgia). Fantasic B&M. Has a lot of ejector air time and a really vicious ending that I LOVED.  Its worth a visit to over Georgia for this ride alone.
10. La Fianna Force. I'd heard how great this ride was and.. it is. It's so well paced and jam packed with intensity. The restraints are so freeing and un-restricting. You'll love it like I did.
 
And finally.. the top ten of 2024. 
 
1. Steel Vengeance (first ridden 2018). Yes.. the top ride for 2023 remains my favourite. We had several rides back in July and it more then lived up to my memory. We had some incredible rides with people we met in the queue for this during our night rides. They were so much fun. American theme parks just sort of.. encourage talking. This happened a lot. 
2. Nemesis Reborn. (first ridden in 2024 or 2004 depending on your point of view). Nemesis has slipped to number two for the simple reason that Vengeance is just better. Nemesis Reborn still lives up to the original. I think it's astounding that it's just picked up where the original left off. I don't feel the roughness, I just sit there and enjoy a masterpiece of rollercoaster design. No other Inverter is so loved and respected. I saw this described as a legacy coaster. And it really is.
3. Ride to Happiness. (first ridden in 2022). This felt like Mack really giving it their all. Well it did at the time. This is a spectacular ride which rides differently every single time. I'm looking forward to going back and riding again.
4. Voltron (first ridden in 2024). I think Voltron is outstanding. It's already my top ride from the new for 2024. But it really is incredible and confirms to me that Mack are at the forefront of rollercoaster design. Any park that buys a Mack deserves to be noticed and rides like Voltron are why.
5. Taiga. (first ridden in 2024). Following up from before, I love Taiga. it's my favourite Intamin because it has an outstanding layout that constantly surprises. I love diving up and down the hillside, the ejector air time, the beautiful blue track winding around itself. Linnamaki is so easy to get to so I shall be back..
6. Toutatis (first ridden in 2023). Another excellent Intamin slipping only slightly. I find Toutatis so unbelievably rerideable and so much fun. Pack Asterix run it superbly which really helps. A must do.
7. Fury 325. (First ridden in 2024). What I really appreciated about Fury was the operations. Cedar Fair can be a hit and miss with their operations. Fury was the ride that did operations right with an engaged and efficient ride crew that went out of their way to fill every seat and keep the queue moving. 
8. Baron 1898. (First ridden in 2017). This of course isn't the best B&M dive machine ever with its chill heights and short layout. but the theme just sells to me every single time. Their dedication to still doing the train ticket loading is amazing because other parks would have ditched that years ago.  It always delivers as well, with the ride being slightlier punchier every time I go.
9. Wildcats Revenge (First ridden in 2023). A fantastic RMC that went surprisingly under the radar when it was being constructed but has sometime how opened to be a full on favourite.
10. Blue Fire (First ridden in 2010). This ride somehow still stands up. Its still smooth, its still run more efficiently then any other rollercoaster I've ever ridden. It's not as impressive to me as it once was but that's purely because Mack are at a whole different level. But without Blue Fire, we wouldn't have Voltron, Copperhead or Ride to Happiness.
 
 
See ya in 2025
 

Out of nowhere (unless you follow the various American vloggers), Kingda Ka and Green Lantern closed permanently on the 11th and have both been retired.
 
To be honest with you I'm really unhappy about the lack of send off, particularly for Ka. This wasn't just another ride, it was the worlds tallest rollercoaster for 20 years and for many, was the last coaster of the 'coaster wars'. There are many, many reasons as to why Kingda Ka's life seemed limited after looking at what happened to Top Thrill Dragster, but nonetheless, it seems incredibly short sighted to me, to not give the ride the goodbye it deserved.

When everyone has RAP, nobody has RAP. 

I think I'm done for the year to be honest. 
First off the new rides of 2024 list. This won't include Nemesis Reborn cos.. well it isn't all new. Coaster enthusiasm is complicated.
 
1. Voltron. An incredible ride, fully kicks your arse, full of ejector time and a sheer masterclass of ride design.
2. Taiga. A true bucket list ride and it delivered on every level. By far my favourite Intamin, this is just absolute excellence.
3. Fury 325. I really enjoyed Fury 325. I see why people call it their favourite B&M because it is an excellent ride. So so fast.
4. Afterburn. A very under-rated inverter. It's a very European style B&M with no MCBR and very intense.
5. Thunderhead. I loved this ride so much. It was honestly such a surprise to me because it's full of air-time, long and twisty and so re-ridable. I could have ridden all day
6. Hyperia. This probably wouldn't be so high if it wasn't for it being in the UK to be honest. It really lacks that final something that the very best rollercoasters have. I find it more and more frustrating the more I ride. 
7. Copperhead Strike. I was a little surprised at how much I enjoyed Copperhead to be honest. It has some bizarre pacing but it is a lot of fun. 
8. Aerieforce One. The joy of this ride is that it's very easy to ride. Literally no one visits this park so you can get a quick ten rides in an hour and then be on your way. It's a great RMC and surprisingly high on my list.
9. Goliath (Six Flags over Georgia). Fantasic B&M. Has a lot of ejector air time and a really vicious ending that I LOVED.  Its worth a visit to over Georgia for this ride alone.
10. La Fianna Force. I'd heard how great this ride was and.. it is. It's so well paced and jam packed with intensity. The restraints are so freeing and un-restricting. You'll love it like I did.
 
And finally.. the top ten of 2024. 
 
1. Steel Vengeance (first ridden 2018). Yes.. the top ride for 2023 remains my favourite. We had several rides back in July and it more then lived up to my memory. We had some incredible rides with people we met in the queue for this during our night rides. They were so much fun. American theme parks just sort of.. encourage talking. This happened a lot. 
2. Nemesis Reborn. (first ridden in 2024 or 2004 depending on your point of view). Nemesis has slipped to number two for the simple reason that Vengeance is just better. Nemesis Reborn still lives up to the original. I think it's astounding that it's just picked up where the original left off. I don't feel the roughness, I just sit there and enjoy a masterpiece of rollercoaster design. No other Inverter is so loved and respected. I saw this described as a legacy coaster. And it really is.
3. Ride to Happiness. (first ridden in 2022). This felt like Mack really giving it their all. Well it did at the time. This is a spectacular ride which rides differently every single time. I'm looking forward to going back and riding again.
4. Voltron (first ridden in 2024). I think Voltron is outstanding. It's already my top ride from the new for 2024. But it really is incredible and confirms to me that Mack are at the forefront of rollercoaster design. Any park that buys a Mack deserves to be noticed and rides like Voltron are why.
5. Taiga. (first ridden in 2024). Following up from before, I love Taiga. it's my favourite Intamin because it has an outstanding layout that constantly surprises. I love diving up and down the hillside, the ejector air time, the beautiful blue track winding around itself. Linnamaki is so easy to get to so I shall be back..
6. Toutatis (first ridden in 2023). Another excellent Intamin slipping only slightly. I find Toutatis so unbelievably rerideable and so much fun. Pack Asterix run it superbly which really helps. A must do.
7. Fury 325. (First ridden in 2024). What I really appreciated about Fury was the operations. Cedar Fair can be a hit and miss with their operations. Fury was the ride that did operations right with an engaged and efficient ride crew that went out of their way to fill every seat and keep the queue moving. 
8. Baron 1898. (First ridden in 2017). This of course isn't the best B&M dive machine ever with its chill heights and short layout. but the theme just sells to me every single time. Their dedication to still doing the train ticket loading is amazing because other parks would have ditched that years ago.  It always delivers as well, with the ride being slightlier punchier every time I go.
9. Wildcats Revenge (First ridden in 2023). A fantastic RMC that went surprisingly under the radar when it was being constructed but has sometime how opened to be a full on favourite.
10. Blue Fire (First ridden in 2010). This ride somehow still stands up. Its still smooth, its still run more efficiently then any other rollercoaster I've ever ridden. It's not as impressive to me as it once was but that's purely because Mack are at a whole different level. But without Blue Fire, we wouldn't have Voltron, Copperhead or Ride to Happiness.
 
 
See ya in 2025
 

This is true. Then you factor in that out of those rides only Blade and Curse of Alton Manor are open all day as Hex, Granny, Sub terra open at 11 and Battle Galleons closes at Dusk.  
 
It really stuck me on Monday how one decision can literally make your entire day. We headed to the Smiler (due to open at 10:30) and at 10:45 it was clear that it wasn't going to open. I've been stung by the Smiler before and we decided to bail. Good move too as it broke down around 1pm and we wouldn't have got our ride, we would have wasted the first three hours completely. We actually headed to Hex, as we got up there, Thirteen went down. Nothing open at all at the back of the park. It was absurd to be honest. 

I was there Monday and to be honest had a good day but the problem is, I went in fully knowing it was going to be a disaster. For thousands of others it's incredibly disappointing. I went three weeks ago and everything ran smoothly with no issues at all. The moment a bit of pressure takes place, that's it, the park struggles. With all the ride removals over the last decade, there is no buffer for when things go wrong and the whole of CBeebies land closing at 5 and no Congo River Rapids, it  just compounds the issues. 
 
 
Something not really ever mentioned at the time but, at 10am opening day, Nemesis Reborn was really the only rollercoaster open on time. Everything else aside from Wicker Man was delayed opening.
 

 
And there's no easy fix. I think all of the things Benin mentioned plus extra procedures introduced after the Smiler crash just leads to Towers unable to prevent shutdowns and a quick recovery from them.
 

I went to Chessington the other day and it was pretty good. I'm just saying this because I had heard the park has been pretty atrocious this year, but actually they were running things well and aside from Fury, everything was open at 10am. There's clearly staffing issues with platform staff having to shout at guests from afar to batch rows on Vampire and Tomb Blaster.. which for me just comes across as unprofessional.
 
But they were making the best of a bad situation which I can't really blame them for. 

End of season 'I don't give a toss anymore' settling in probably. 

End of season 'I don't give a toss anymore' settling in probably. 

I personally think a third train on Hyperia, Inferno, Colossus and The Swarm should be the next big investment.