Episode 3: Florida Redux (Velocicoaster and Iron Gwazi)

With the pandemic on the decline, many anticipated new rides finally opened in Florida, and I needed to escape the daily grind and ride some new roller coasters.  I made a trip to Orlando in fall 2021 to visit SeaWorld for the first time, and also returned to Universal to ride Velocicoaster and Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.   I also went back to Busch Gardens Tampa in spring of 2022, and finally rode Iron Gwazi. 

In this episode, I give you my in-depth reactions to all these new rides, and lay out my plan for the road trip I would undertake in the summer.

Velocicoaster sound effect credit: Central Florida Thrills - YouTube
Hagrid's sound effect credit: COASTER CRAZY - YouTube
Iron Gwazi sound effect credit: ElToroRyan - YouTube

 

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Transcript

Welcome to Episode 3 of Coaster Redux.  My name is Erik and I am a life-long roller coaster enthusiast, but up until lately, I’ve been kind of a lazy one.  Through high school and college in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, I was a full on coaster nerd, then I graduated from college, entered the working world, and I went on a lengthy hiatus, only visiting parks every few years.  I did get to a few new parks between 2014 and 2018, and though those visits were years apart, I did start to slowly rekindle my coaster riding flame.   Now, after the pandemic, and getting back into following the amusement industry more closely through podcasts and social media, I am getting ready to head out on my first week-long road trip to visit four of the best parks in the country, and knock several top tier coasters off my bucket list.  I’ve never done anything like this before, but it’s time to get back out there.

This is the story of my revived roller coaster fandom, and if you haven’t already done so, please go back and listen to the first two episodes, since I’ll be picking up this episode from where I left off.

I know as a roller coaster fan that one of my favorite parts of the hobby is getting the reaction of somebody coming off of a ride they’ve never ridden before.  That’s what I want to share with you.

And with that, let’s launch into the third episode of Coaster Redux.

So in fall of 2021, with new coasters open in Florida as the pandemic started to wane, I was starting to get that itch to get back on some new roller coasters, and I couldn’t put off scratching it any more.  Universal had just opened Jurassic World Velocicoaster, and being an Intamin fan, that ride alone was enough to get me back up to Orlando.  I also still needed to ride Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, another Intamin lauched coaster, albeit more on the family friendly side.  I also had never been to SeaWorld Orlando, and since I had not been on a single roller coaster ride since 2018, I figured why not add their three B&M’s to my count?  

This would be my first time travelling since the start of the pandemic, and I needed the escape, so I packed up my car, got on Florida’s Turnpike, and headed north.  

Approaching SeaWorld, Mako was the first ride that was visible.  Its beautiful purple airtime hills and towering lift contrasted against the blue Florida sky.  The front entrance to the park features a lagoon with a wave making machine to make it look like a hidden ocean cove.  Manta is right there when you walk in, but I bypassed the flyer and headed further back.  I wanted to ride Kraken first.  I figured Mako would be my favorite coaster in the park, so I didn’t want to start with that.  This was a perfect day to visit since the park was practically empty.  Kinda like Kings Dominion, it was almost too empty.  Kraken was running one train, and even still, it was a walk-on.  I opted for the back row, and lowered the familiar B&M over the shoulder restraint.  Time for my first coaster in about three years!

Kraken was fun and forceful.  The straight drop was something different on a B&M looper.  The inversions were powerful and relatively smooth.  There was good snap through the zero-G roll, and I liked the second vertical loop in a trench.  Kinda reminded me of Montu.  

Next stop, Mako.  This coaster was also only running one train, yet I think I only waited one or two cycles before boarding.  I chose the back row first.  I had pretty low expectations for this ride going in.  The last two B&M hypers I had ridden were mediocre at best.  Light floater airtime, nothing overly impressive.  The hologram sharks projected overhead chased the train out of the station, and I was off up the 200’ lift hill, with nothing but that minimalist clamshell lap bar holding me into the comfy easy chair seat.  

The train quickly ascended the 200 foot lift hill, and then there was that drop.  Yeah, it was my first big drop in three years, and it was such an incredible feeling to be yanked downhill in the back row.  I started laughing hysterically.  Three years of stress left my body before I was flung up into a sharp overbank to the left.  It was whippy, and there was some floater there.  Then came the airtime.  I guess B&M did their homework over the last few years, because the airtime on Mako is sublime!   It’s not as powerful as Intamin’s, but it is strong floater, some YouTubers call it flojector, and it’s  sustained throughout the entire hill.  The hammerhead turnaround is strong, then there is a slightly trimmed airtime hill that is still fun, followed by a right hand banked turn leading into a speed hill, which is not as tall as the others but more elongated to give a sustained airtime moment, and it did not disappoint.  You then hit the mid-course brakes, followed by a graceful whippy twisting finale over the lagoon.

What a great ride!  Mako absolutely delivered what my previous B&M hyper experiences did not.  I rode this thing over and over that day.  I liked the back for the pull over the first drop, but I think the airtime is a little stronger in the front on the rest of the elements.  Mako is piece of purple parabolic perfection.  

Then there was Manta.  These flyers are just ok in my book.  I think this one had a better layout than Superman at Great Adventure. The strongest moment for sure is the pretzel loop with those strong positive G’s on your back.  The theming is way better than Superman though.  This ride flies around rockwork, water features, and tunnels.  

I left SeaWorld satisfied, and looking forward to the next day at Universal.  I couldn’t wait for Velocicoaster.  I stayed at the Doubletree right across the street from the entrance to Universal, which I would highly recommend if you’re visiting the area.

It was a bit of a hike the next morning, but I opted to walk to Islands of Adventure from the hotel.  The park was decently crowded.  Hulk was showing a 15 minute wait, so I jumped in line for that as the first ride of the day.  This was the first time I had ridden it since the track was replaced, and it’s running pretty well.  It’s not as smooth as some other B&M’s but that launch into the zero-G roll is still a great element.  The rest is typical B&M goodness, and this would be my only ride on this for the day.

I left Marvel SuperHero Island and entered Toon Lagoon on the way back to ride Velocicoaster.  Both Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge Rat Barges, and Dudley Doo-Right’s Ripsaw Falls are awesome water rides, but I found myself wondering how long this island will keep its current theme.  How many younger kids are familiar with the classic characters who call this island home?  

Universal does an incredible job with the transitions between lands in this park, and there is no mistake upon entering Jurassic Park.  I passed through the Discovery Center which is a dead ringer for the building from the first movie, except here, it’s jam-packed with visitors.

Exiting the Discovery Center, there is a clear visual transition as you leave Jurassic Park and enter Jurassic World.  The colors change from the reds, greens, and tans of the original franchise to the more neutral tones of new one.  The entry plaza for Velocicoaster is amazing.  You can essentially walk under the entire second half of the coaster.  The top-hat is right there, then the zero-G stall holds riders upside down for a hot second right over the midway.  There’s a double helix with a wave turn and a weird outer bank transition akin to the one on Twisted Timbers.  When the train barrels through the mosasaurus roll and then into the double up into the brakes, it looks almost cartoonishly fast. 

The hype for Velocicoaster from the enthusiast community was over the top.  So many people were raving about this new ride being the complete package, and a contender for best coaster in the world. I mean, it features immersive theming combined with a unique ride experience filled with airtime, two great launches, and the mosasaurus roll, the heartline roll taken low above the water.  The hype factor couldn’t have been higher.  Would Velicicoaster live up?  Only one way to find out.

I entered the single rider line for my first ride.  The queue is brilliant with Mr. DNA and Dr. Henry Wu giving you an orientation to Jurassic World, and the ride’s locker system.  It definitely sets the tone for the ride.  I really appreciated how they worked the double sided lockers into the attraction so you could have your phone through most of the line.  It is really easy to use, and I hope more parks invest in this type of system going forward.

For my second ride, the single rider line was closed, so I got to go through the entire queue, which was worth it in and of itself.  The raptor animatronics were outstanding with details like moving eyes and compressed air being blown through the nostrils.  And the projection on the windows of the raptors chasing the train as it launches is amazing.

The show room with Claire Dearing and Owen Grady right before boarding is very well done.  Classic Jurassic franchise.  Let’s build a park with dinosaurs.  Let’s put a roller coaster in the raptor paddock.  What could go wrong?  Before you know it, you’re approaching the load platform.  I was assigned row 10.  Close to the back, that’s good.  Here we go!

The trains are amazing.  The seats are comfortable, and the lapbars are about as unobtrusive as you can get.  You sit high off the floor, and everything feels really open and free.  A shout out to operations.  Universal is crushing it.  These trains are loaded, checked and dispatched as quickly as possible.  My overall wait for that first ride was about 45 minutes.  Not too shabby.  We’re rolling forward now.  Here it comes.  You turn into the launch track and the train pauses, then backs up a few feet, and pauses again.  Any second now.  Hope it lives up to the hype.

4,700 feet of track, four inversions, and two minutes later I slammed into the brakes like a T-Rex being chomped by a mosasaurus.  Breathless.  Speechless.  The first half was a blur.  Twisting through the rockwork with one ejector pop after another was spectacular.  There was airtime in those first two inversions like I had never experienced.  Then there’s that second launch.  The pitch up into the top hat is right there, yet we’re still accelerating.  It feels like you’re almost going too fast, and then Velocicoaster goes ballistic, rising vertically and then cresting the tophat, before whipping the back of the train towards the ground.

You hang for what seems like an eternity in the zero-G stall, then enter that twisting section reminiscent of Intimidator 305.  Snappy transitions, solid airtime, even some sideways airtime in the mini wave turn.  Then it’s a quick speed hill, and into the mosasaurus roll.  No amount of YouTube hype can prepare you for this element.  How did they do that?  It’s not hangtime, it’s ejector airtime, and it lasts forever.  When you see this element from off the ride, it’s taken at such speed that you would think if you blink you would miss it.  Let me tell you, you won’t blink, and you can’t miss it.  This is without a doubt the best inversion on any roller coaster I have ever ridden, and what makes Velocicoaster so special, is that it starts off super strong, and then every element seems to continues to build.  Every moment is more powerful than the last. It’s like a symphony building to the final crescendo.  I have never ridden a ride that accomplished that.  I never thought Velocicoaster would utterly smash my already high expectations.  This roller coaster delivered in every possible way, and on that day, I had my new #1.

Well now what?  Guess it’s time to ride Hagrid’s, the family coaster that had opened two years prior and wasn’t enough by itself to get me to come up to ride.  The wait is posted at 120 minutes.  That can’t be worth it.  I took the Hogwarts Express over to Universal Studios, and got a ride in on Rip Ride Rockit.  Wow, that got really rough since I last rode it.  One and done. Then Revenge of the Mummy was a walk on, so I grabbed two rapid fire rides on that.  I always love this ride.  It has solid launches and airtime, and the overall theme is great.  Lastly, I took a ride on Gringott’s which is still really fun.  That was all I needed on the Studios side for the day.  The line for the Hogwart’s Express then ballooned to over an hour, so I walked back to Islands of Adventure.  

It was a nice little interlude, and I was prepared to wait in whatever line there was for Hagrid’s.  The single rider line was closed, and the posted wait was down to 75 minutes.  It’s still mid day, so whatever, let’s do this.  The long air conditioned queue was a welcome reprieve from the Florida heat, and the details are great.  The line moved along quickly enough, and the theme kept me entertained.  Before long, it was time to board one of those magical motorbikes for a trip into the Forbidden Forest, with Hagrid doing his best to guide you through the experience.

Out of the station, the ride hits the throttle.  The onboard audio is top notch with the motorcycle sounds and Hagrid’s narration.  After narrowly missing being blasted by a skrewt, the ride charges ahead and around a high banked turn and you kinda duel with the train that launched behind you, in about the same location as Dueling Dragons’ opposing vertical loops.  This is a great tribute to the ride that first occupied this location.  Then Hagrid’s kicks into high gear, and after passing Fluffy, the real fun begins.  I had completely forgotten about the backwards section, and the drop track in the Devil’s Snare.  Both are performed flawlessly, and are so much fun!  You then fly out of the drop track with another strong launch, twist through a few more turns, and then end the ride passing a pair of unicorns.  

Suffice it to say, for the second time this day, my expectations were beyond exceeded.  Hagrid’s is an outstanding experience.  The story and the execution are nothing short of perfection.  This was Verbolten to the tenth power.  It’s not super intense, but it is absolutely pure fun.  I loved this ride, and left with a huge smile on my face.  

I would get one more ride each on Velocicoaster and Hagrid’s that day.  Those two rides complement each other so well.  Dueling Dragons was great, but I think the highly themed experience of Hagrid’s, plus the all-out rush of Velocicoaster leave Islands of Adventure in a better place than if the Dragons had remained.  I left the park that day with my coaster enthusiast flame no longer smoldering, but fully re-ignited.  This trip was an accelerant, and there was one more roller coaster in Florida that would ultimately pour gasoline on the blaze and lead me to put that big road trip I’ve been talking about together.

After being delayed twice, Busch Gardens finally announced that Iron Gwazi would open in March of 2022.  The first week in April, my family planned to meet up in Lakeland, Florida for the Sun N Fun Air Show.  My brother is a pilot, and I have always loved aviation, so any chance I get to see him and watch the Air Force Thunderbirds is a treat well worth the drive.  I planned a visit to Busch Gardens Tampa before going to the air show.  I would have loved for my brother to join me to ride Iron Gwazi for the first time, but he was working the air show that day.

I arrived at Busch Gardens to moderate crowds.  This was still the height of spring break in Florida when pretty much everything is busy.  Iron Gwazi’s wait time was posted at 90 minutes.  I had just driven almost four hours because of traffic, and I just wanted to get on a ride to start off the day, so I headed to Tigris, the new for 2019 Premier launched coaster, just like Tempesto in Williamsburg.  That wait was 45 minutes, so I hightailed it to the back of the park, and walked onto Kumba for two rides.  One in front, and one in the back.  The nostalgia of this ride is special.  Every time I ride, I can’t help but go back to when I first experienced this layout, and that perfect zero-G roll.  The ride was running two trains, despite having no line, and being freshly painted, it looks and rides great.  

I headed back towards the middle of the park.  ShieKra had a 45 minute wait, and I decided to skip that since I had marathoned it so many times over the last years.  Tigris was down to a 20 minute wait, and I took a spin on her, and enjoyed the ride as much as Tempesto.  These are fun little rides with solid launches, airtime, and hangtime.  

With a couple of rides under my belt for the day, it was time to wait as long as necessary to finally get on Iron Gwazi.  The posted wait time was down to 45 minutes.  I had been waiting three years to ride this, so what’s a few more minutes?  

While the original Gwazi station was preserved, the queue was completely revamped.  Theming is minimal at best.  The original Gwazi was themed to a lion and a tiger, and Iron Gwazi would be themed to a crocodile, and there are some cool facts about the reptiles posted throughout.  Everything looks clean and fresh.  While in line, I waited along with a young man who was in town for a wedding.  He told me his friend is one of those crazy roller coaster people.  The type that knows everything about every ride, and who told him that he couldn’t visit Tampa without riding Iron Gwazi, potentially the best coaster in the world.  I replied that I was one of those people too, and it was fun passing the time explaining the whole story of Gwazi, and RMC to him.

Similar to when Velocicoaster opened, YouTube was buzzing about this ride.  Fans were already talking about whether this was better than Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point.  Iron Gwazi would clock in at 1700 feet shorter, with a ride time forty seconds less than Steel Vengeance, yet it took the hybrid coaster record for height by one foot, speed by 2 mph. and steepness by one degree.  That’s marketing for ya.  The other hot topic was whether Iron Gwazi or Velocicoaster was the better ride in Florida, and which has the best signature element, the mosasaurus roll or the death roll, Iron Gwazi’s barrel roll down drop that is basically the same as Twisted Timbers’ first drop, but taken at high speed.  It mimics the motion of a crocodile inverting its prey after it first catches it in its jaws, and it looks absolutely bonkers.  

We finally reached the load station, and while they were assigning seats, I politely requested the back, which was granted.  My new friend and I boarded the last row, and then, something was up.  We were asked to get out of the train and step back onto the platform.  There was a technical issue.  Really?  My first ride on Iron Gwazi would be delayed AGAIN?  Fortunately, they only had to send both trains around the track empty one time.  I guess this was common at the time of ride opening.  We sat down in the back row again, and lowered the lap bar.  RMC loves to throw a couple of little hits at riders between the station and lift, and in the back on Iron Gwazi, you actually get a little pull off that little hump.  Then, it’s into another obnoxiously loud lift hill.  The views of the surrounding park are amazing.  You can even see Tampa Bay off in the distance.  The lift hill slows, and the front of the train starts to fall.

1:40 and 4700 feet, a death roll, zero-G stall, and two wave turns later, Iron Gwazi careened into the brakes.  Oh wow!  The first drop may be the best on any roller coaster I have ridden, especially with the head chopper going through the supports.  The outerbank second hill packs a wallop of sustained ejector airtime.  Then there’s the death roll.  Are you sure that wasn’t two inversions?  Or maybe 3?  It happened so quickly!  While the death roll was cool, the ride’s best element by far is the wave turn over the station.  I had never experienced sideways airtime like that before.  That moment alone was magical.  The second half was pure fun.  Ejector airtime on snappy transitions, and that final larger than expected hill launches you out of your seat before the ride banks hard left into the brakes.

Impossibly high expectations met.  Iron Gwazi is now my strong #2 roller coaster after Velocicoaster.  To say that my expectations were met is a phenomenal compliment for this ride, because after three years, they were so high.  It absolutely delivers.  What I really appreciated, too, is that unlike the ending of Twisted Timbers, there were none of those almost annoying jerky little twisted airtime pops that just throw you up and down into the restraint without really doing much.  Everything on Iron Gwazi was smooth, forceful, and sustained.  Every element was flawlessly executed.  Nothing was just “there.”  This was 100% intensity from start to finish.  Compared to Twisted Timbers, this was a more grown up RMC.  It did not need to throw all that silly little stuff at you.  The ride was big, the elements were all strong, and it was so much fun!          

I would go on to ride Montu and Cheetah Hunt before getting back for a second ride on Iron Gwazi.  I have to say, now that Busch Gardens has an all-out airtime machine, I enjoyed the rest of the park so much more because I wasn’t looking for that sensation on other rides.  I liked Cheetah Hunt more than ever before, because I enjoyed it for what it is, rather than wishing it was more intense.  I left Busch Gardens that day with a feeling similar to when I left Lake Compounce in back in 2002, when I was relishing in New England’s phenomenal one-two punch of Superman: Ride of Steel and Boulder Dash. 

My new home state of Florida, always known for theme parks and attractions, is now home to two of the best roller coasters in the world in Velocicoaster and Iron Gwazi.  We also have Mako, and Hagrid’s, and Cheetah Hunt, and the rest of the solid B&M’s to round out our line-up.

So, where do I go from here?  It was rapidly coming time to plan my first vacation since the pandemic.  If you know me, you know that I joke about never leaving my bubble, the area close to home that has everything I need within a short drive.  From a roller coaster standpoint, I really wanted to get out of the bubble. Broaden my horizons.  Get on some more rides that just might give my new top 2 a run for their money.  It was time to plan that epic road trip I’ve been talking about since I started this podcast.

So, heading into the road trip, here’s my list of top ten roller coasters.  I want to document this now, because I’m sure it’s going to change, a lot!  This was kinda tough to put together because I haven’t ridden many of these rides in years, but I’m just doing the best I can based off my memories of them. My track record currently sits at 93, and these are my top rides:

Number 10 is ShieKra.  Sure it’s a one trick pony, but it does that one trick really well!  And who doesn’t love a vertical drop?  Plus, when riding in the back row left, you get some great whip through the Immelman. 

Number 9 is Montu.  This is my favorite B&M invert.  It is forceful and whippy, especially in the back.  To this day, it is still butter smooth.  The first drop is strong, and the forces in the batwing are outstanding.

Number 8 is Boulder Dash at Lake Compounce.  This wooden roller coaster has the most unbelievable setting on the mountainside, and its layout is filled with strong laterals and floater airtime.  

Number 7 is Twisted Timbers at Kings Dominion.  My first RMC, I loved the first half of this ride.  It has great airtime, and introduced me to what RMC is capable of.  I didn’t care for the choppy airtime moments in its finale, but it broke so many rules for me, how could I not love it?

Number 6 is Mako at SeaWorld Orlando.  This ride renewed my faith in B&M hypers after disappointing rides on Nitro and, to a lesser degree Apollo’s Chariot.  The airtime is strong, and it has some great whippy transitions.

Number 5 is Superman: Ride of Steel at Six Flags New England.  Notice I do not call it Bizzaro or Superman: The Ride.  That’s because I have not ridden this coaster since 2005.  I haven’t been on it since they replaced the trains and added the new restraints.  I’m just going off what I remember from my initial rides on this roller coaster.  I hope to get back up to New England and ride it again soon.

Number 4 is Intimidator 305 at Kings Dominion.  This powerhouse giga coaster is so intense.  The first drop is amazing, and the crazy transitions are like nothing I have experienced.  It’s got some airtime, but that’s not really the point.  This coaster is all about intense turns and positive G’s, and it’s a complete rush every time.

Number 3 is El Toro at Six Flags Great Adventure.  This exquisite Intamin pre-fab wood coaster has some of the most powerful and sustained airtime I have ever experienced.  It is so smooth, and such a beautiful ride to look at.  It absolutely took my breath away.  

Then of course, Iron Gwazi is my number 2, and Velocicoaster is my number one.  This was a tough choice.  It may change.  Velocicoaster really has it all for me.  It has launches, big drops, and airtime in every possible way, shape and form.  I think it’s the way the ride keeps getting better with each element that has me so high on it, plus the immersive theme, and location next to the water that gives it just that little edge.         

So I sat down with some ideas for what would be the perfect road trip, opened an Excel spreadsheet, and mapped out an itinerary that I could do in a week.  I would be putting in some windshield time for sure, but I would get to visit four parks with some of the best roller coasters in the Eastern United States.  I hoped to add over thirty new coasters to my track record, and I was beyond psyched to embark on this journey.

My first stop would be Carowinds.  Obviously the big draw here is Fury 325.  Now I had an opportunity to visit this park back in 2018 with my brother, and we chose Kings Dominion instead.  Well, now having ridden Mako, a B&M hyper that actually delivered, I really wanted to see what all the hype was about concerning Fury.  Plus, Copperhead Strike looks fun.  I’ve never done a Mach ride like that, and then there are Intimidator, and Afterburn.  Not a shabby main line-up.

Next would be my return to Cedar Point.  Sure, I had been in 1999, but I had missed Millennium Force by a year.  Not to mention their other additions of Maverick, Gatekeeper, Valravn, and of course Steel Vengeance.  Those were too many major roller coasters to have missed.  Unfortunately, I would end up completely missing out on Wicked Twister, which was removed, and Top Thrill Dragster would be closed for the 2022 season.  Still, getting back to America’s Roller Coast was an absolute must for me.

And of course, I couldn’t visit Ohio without stopping a few hours down the road at Kings Island.  They have the newly opened Orion giga, of course the legendary Beast, and its new next door neighbor, Mystic Timbers.  Add the Banshee B&M invert, the Diamondback hyper, and the park’s 50th anniversary celebration, and there are more than enough reasons to visit. 

Then last, and definitely not least, I would head to the Smokey Mountains to visit Dollywood.  This park looks stunningly beautiful, and they have a very unique collection of roller coasters.  First and foremost is Lightning Rod, the only launched RMC, and a ride I really wanted to experience.  Then there’s Wild Eagle, the B&M wing coaster set atop a mountain, GCI’s Thunderhead wood twister, the highly themed Mystery Mine and Firechaser Express, and the last Arrow looper ever built, Tennessee Tornado.

After this trip, I will be able to say I have ridden all four giga coasters in the US, and I would add two more of the best RMC’s, two great GCI’s, and so many other unique rides to my record. 

So I bought a Cedar Fair Platinum pass, my one day Dollywood ticket, and made all my hotel reservations.   Oil changed in my car, bags packed, Google Maps on standby, and a ton of podcasts in my queue, I set out on a 2700 mile journey across beautiful country to start to tackle my roller coaster bucket list.  Join me, as I give you my first time, in depth reactions to the best rides in all these incredible parks, beginning with Carowinds.  Next time on Coaster Redux.