It's no secret that Florida is home to some of the world's best theme parks, so there's always a new roller coaster to look forward to. The most recent to open was Pipeline: The Surf Coaster at SeaWorld Orlando, a re-imagined stand-up from B&M. While this new attraction was far from my most anticipated for 2023, I was curious to try it out. Meanwhile, I still hadn't ridden Ice Breaker at SeaWorld, and had only gotten two rides on Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa thus far, so I headed up to Central Florida to ride some new roller coasters, and some old favorites.
If you enjoyed this episode, please help me out by rating, sharing, and subscribing. You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @coasterredux.
It's no secret that Florida is home to some of the world's best theme parks, so there's always a new roller coaster to look forward to. The most recent to open was Pipeline: The Surf Coaster at SeaWorld Orlando, a re-imagined stand-up from B&M. While this new attraction was far from my most anticipated for 2023, I was curious to try it out. Meanwhile, I still hadn't ridden Ice Breaker at SeaWorld, and had only gotten two rides on Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa thus far, so I headed up to Central Florida to ride some new roller coasters, and some old favorites.
If you enjoyed this episode, please help me out by rating, sharing, and subscribing. You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @coasterredux.
Welcome to Episode 10 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. I was a full-on coaster nerd in high school and college, then life got in the way and theme parks took a backseat to other interests. During the pandemic, I was inspired to rekindle my coaster obsession through podcasts and social media. Last year, in 2022, I embarked on a week-long road trip to visit four bucket list parks and ride some of the most elite attractions in America today. I want 2023 to be even better, so I’m planning another road trip this coming summer, and several other weekend romps throughout the year.
This is the story of my revived roller coaster fandom, and I’m now on a mission to ride as many new coasters as I can. I’m so fortunate to live in Florida, where we always have a new roller coaster debut on the horizon. The most recent was Pipeline: The Surf Coaster at SeaWorld Orlando, a re-imagined stand-up ride courtesy of B&M. I last visited this park back in 2021 before Ice Breaker, their Premier swing launch coaster opened, so I actually had two new rides to experience. I also really wanted to get back to Busch Gardens for more rides on Iron Gwazi. I only rode twice last spring, and the coaster was closed when I returned in the fall. I had a Monday and Tuesday window while Pipeline was still in Passholder Preview, so I headed north to revisit a pair of the best parks in the SEAS chain.
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, join me for a quick weekend in Central Florida to ride some new roller coasters, and some old favorites, as we jump right into this episode of Coaster Redux.
When SeaWorld announced Pipeline: The Surf Coaster, it ranked a quarter step above snooze for me on the hype meter. Stand-up coasters are a dying breed. Many parks have replaced their original trains on these models with new floorless sit-down cars, and none have become stand-outs with this modification. SeaWorld’s new addition would feature an LSM launch, a height of 110 feet, and a mere 2,950 feet of track. Pretty uninspiring statistics. The promo video showed a series of sweeping hills and turns, and a single corkscrew inversion with guests riding a surfboard-style train where the stand-up seats could bounce. The tag line was to feel the power of the ocean. OK, so we’re gonna stand on a surfboard and bounce over some floaty B&M turns. It sounds like another gimmick that the GP will probably love, but as an enthusiast, I was lukewarm on the concept.
Still, that didn’t mean I wasn’t curious. It’s a brand new ride type from B&M, the first new model they’ve introduced since the wing coaster in 2011, so why not check it out? As media day for Pipeline came and went, my feeds were filled with reviews of the new ride, and like ArieForce One, I decided not to watch any of them. As I was planning my trip, I saw that Mako was down for a much needed re-paint and regular maintenance. Man, it sure would be a shame to drive all the way to Orlando and not get to ride one of my favorite hypercoasters. I heard that Mako would re-open on May 27, the same day Pipeline would open to the general public, so I had to make a choice. Ride Pipeline during passholder preview with Mako closed, or wait and brave the crowds to ride both coasters. I opted for the former since I had yet to experience a new coaster during pre-opening.
Meanwhile, I happened upon a review of Pipeline on my favorite Facebook group. The gist of it was that this was nothing like any stand-up coaster that came before. It was a completely different experience, and she recommended jumping up over the hills to get airtime. What?! Airtime on a stand-up? I was instantly more intrigued. Mere hours after booking my hotel in Orlando, I saw on Facebook that Baynum Solutions had finished painting Mako and that it would re-open the next day. Turns out I’ll get to have my cake and eat it too.
I opted to sleep in a bit on Monday morning since I had been working nights all week, and I wanted to miss morning rush hour. I was going to Busch Gardens Tampa that day, and the primary mission was to get some more rides on Iron Gwazi, and also check out the newly opened Serengeti Flyer, S&S Screamin’ Swing. I was blown away by its sister Tidal Surge at SeaWorld San Antonio and looked forward to another of these sinister swings.
I got on the road at 10:30 am, and opted to take the scenic route through the central part of the state over the rather boring I-75. I took the Turnpike north to Yeehaw Junction then picked up Route 60 for a cruise across Florida’s interior. Living on the coast, it’s easy to forget how much farmland the state has. I passed through a handful of torrential downpours and had to slow down to be able to see. I made a food stop at the busiest Chick-Fil-A I’ve ever seen with three lanes worth of drive-through backed up around the building. Once I got in line, I couldn’t escape, and my chicken sandwich cost me 30 minutes. I arrived at Busch Gardens at 3:00 pm with the park closing at 6. Three hours should be enough time to get some rides in, right?
I walked into the park and headed straight for Iron Gwazi, only to find that it was down for a mechanical problem. Really? This was almost becoming comical. This was my third visit to the park since the coaster opened, and I’d only ridden it twice. I had better luck with the elusive Lightning Rod, getting five rides on that in my one day at Dollywood. I continued around the park to Stanleyville and hopped in line for ShieKra. The whole area was filled with school groups sporting matching T-shirts. After about 20 minutes, I boarded the back row right wing seat, and this roller coaster always delivers for me. The first drop is an undeniable rush, there’s wonderful whip through the Immelman, and the layout is smooth as can be. It’s still my favorite dive coaster, and I don’t see that changing any time soon.
Kumba was down for scheduled maintenance, so I hung a right into Pantopia to cut across to Serengeti Flyer. The Falcon’s Fury Intamin drop tower was testing as I passed though it was listed as closed on the website. It’s been down for at least a year, but the park claims it is going to reopen soon. I hope it does, because it’s one of the best drop towers I’ve ridden with the seats tilting forward right before falling.
I left Pantopia and bore left onto the path leading to Serengeti Flyer. This pathway had been unused since the closure of Rhino Rally, a really cool safari ride featuring actual Land Rovers that took guests through the animal preserve and onto a water component with the vehicle stranded on a piece of a broken bridge that travels down a raging river. The ride was closed to make way for Cheetah Hunt, and this newly reopened pathway gives some awesome visuals of the roller coaster. The midway leading to the Flyer is long and wide, and the ride is definitely in its own secluded corner of the park. The area looks great, and I imagine it will become home to more attractions in the coming years.
I stepped in line for the Serengeti Flyer and waited a few minutes. I had not seen the ride running since I approached, and the gates leading out to the boarding area were covered so I couldn’t see the ride itself. Seems like something’s up. Then the recorded announcement came over the PA. The ride is experiencing a temporary delay. I’m batting 1000 today. I pulled up the app, and Iron Gwazi appeared to be open, so I continued around the main loop to the front of the park.
Guests were onboard the crocodilian trains as I returned to the park’s star coaster. The wait was posted at 30 minutes, yet I looked up into the station and it looked empty. I made my way through the queue, and walked right into the station with only one switchback full. After a few cycles, I was face to face with the grouper who was assigning rows. Of course, I requested the back, and I took my place with only one group of riders ahead of me.
The crews seemed a bit sluggish, but they appeared to be training new employees. I was psyched to be buckling the seatbelt and lowering the lap bar on my favorite RMC. It’s been over a year since my first rides on Iron Gwazi, and during that time, I’ve ridden five more IBOX coasters, most recently the incredible ArieForce One at FunSpot Atlanta. I’ve since come to appreciate all the little details that make RMC’s so great.
I was riding the left side of the train this time, when both my previous rides were on the right. The operators only pulled up when checking the lap bars, so I left myself a bit of floater space. The train headed up the lift, and near the top, there was a swarm of intimidating insects. They looked like some kind of wasp maybe. They were hovering around the handrail for the catwalk on the right side of the lift hill and the train was moving fast enough that they didn’t seem interested in getting closer to us. Then the lift slowed before the first drop and everybody got a little nervous. This isn’t the kind of animal encounter we signed up for.
Fortunately, gravity took over and we left the swarm with a freefall down Iron Gwazi’s sublime 91-degree first drop. I hadn’t noticed the lateral kink at the bottom on my first rides, but that combined with the pass beneath the zero-G stall make this my favorite RMC drop. This is why I found Steel Vengeance’s first drop to be less impressive when I rode it two months later. Next up is the first massive outerbank with outrageous ejector. The transition back up into the death roll has three near miss visuals, and I was surprised by how the train snaps into the barrel roll down drop and keeps that rate of rotation throughout the element while plummeting downward. That snap reminded me of the entry into ArieForce One’s raven truss dive. It really set the element up perfectly.
Next is a forgettable overbanked turn that sets up that epic wave turn over the station. The airtime on this element feels eternal, but what I hadn’t noticed when taking it all in on my first rides was that the profile feels like it trends downward ending with a great hand chopper while you dive under the lift hill on your side. It’s such a Geronimo moment, and the visuals only make it better.
You rise up out of the wave turn and level out. Is this also a chili dip like ArieForce? Then there’s another snappy wave turn, and you transition into the stall. It’s a good moment, but it’s got nothing on ArieForce or Velocicoaster’s stalls. I did try the technique I learned at Fun Spot and lifted my feet above the floor and I could barely feel the lap bar. Zero-G accomplished, but it’s really short.
Iron Gwazi then enters its finale which is my favorite among the IBOX coasters I’ve ridden. It’s got four strong turning ejector pops, but they’re not choppy or repetitive. The variety of elements on this roller coaster feel fluid and natural. They’re carefully blended together creating an intricately choreographed G-force waltz. It’s the perfect RMC. For now.
With six of these IBOX coaster under my belt, I’m impressed by how this style of ride keeps evolving. Iron Rattler is an outstanding roller coaster, but the difference between that early 2013 example and the newer ones is night and day. By 2018, the likes of Twisted Timbers and Steel Vengeance brought more intensity to the type, and I feel like Iron Gwazi and ArieForce One refine the details even better. I can’t wait to see what the Rocky Mountain team dreams up in years to come.
I went around again for a second lap on Gwazi, then took a spin on Montu in the magic seat, back row right. Every time I ride this coaster, I’m impressed by its intensity and smoothness. There’s not one head bang on it, nor is there a rattle. What did they do differently in 1996 when it was built, or throughout this coaster’s life that it continues to be this smooth while other much newer B&M’s suffer from such uncomfortable ride experiences? I’m looking at you Banshee.
With time running short, I headed back to Serengeti Flyer, and it was open. I got my screamin’ swing on, and this ride is awesome. Tidal Surge has better placement because it swings over the central lagoon at SeaWorld San Antonio, but these are undeniably my favorite flat ride. This time around, I willed myself to free float, and not let my heels dig into the seat to steady myself. It was unnerving, but exhilarating. The unnatural undulations on these rides create some of the most powerful and unique airtime I’ve ever experienced. If you haven’t done one, I can’t recommend it enough.
With 15 minutes to park close, I got one more ride on Iron Gwazi before making my way to my car. I had an hour to drive to my hotel so I would be able to rope drop SeaWorld in the morning. I left Busch Gardens late enough that I-4 traffic was minimal, and I pulled into the parking lot of the Aloft Hotel at about 7:30. I could see Mako’s first overbank from the parking lot as I walked into the lobby. Aloft is a Marriott brand aimed at a younger demographic. I’d never stayed in one of these before so I figured I’d try it out for one night. The modern minimalist style was fresh, but not my personal taste. My room featured an L-shaped dinette with a small table which was nice, but I would much prefer the full sofas typically found in Marriott’s SpringHill, Courtyard, and TownePlace properties.
Anyway, it was dinner time, and there was this awesome Indian restaurant right across the street from the Doubletree I stayed in near Universal the last time I visited the area. I actually ate there both nights during that trip. I pulled up Doordash, and ordered butter chicken and garlic naan bread from Tabla. It was delicious, and I would highly recommend them if you’re in the area and enjoy quality Indian cuisine. With that, it was time to retire looking forward to some exciting new experiences in the morning.
I woke up, cleaned up, packed up, and checked out. SeaWorld opened at 10 am and I wanted to be there for rope drop since I had just over three hours to drive home before an early start at work on Wednesday morning. I pulled into my preferred parking spot and the sky blue track of Pipeline: The Surf Coaster stood proud by the park entrance. As I passed through security, a train launched and there was a lone employee riding, his legs spread in front of him off the floor as the train rose over the first hill. What was that? It looks insane!
Passholder preview didn’t start until noon, so I hightailed it to the back corner to start my day on Mako. As I walked through the park, I was taken aback by how pretty the place looked. My last visit to SeaWorld Orlando was in November 2021. It was that kinda awkward time when the parks were emerging from the pandemic funk, and so was I. Maybe I missed just how beautiful this park is, or maybe they were in the process of bringing everything back. The buildings have either a Mediterranean or a Keys vibe, and the pathways are lined with lush tropical greenery and gorgeous rockwork. I approached Mako only to find the Shark Encounter area was overrun by more school groups with matching T-shirts. I hoped starting my day in the very back of the park would be a good strategic move, but I was skeptical. I put my belongings in a locker, and headed into the queue.
Mako was fresh off a repaint, and everything in the queue looked brand new, as did the ride’s track. I walked through the switchbacks, and only encountered a line at the top of the stairs leading into the station.
As I entered the line for the back row, I lamented that only one train was operating. I’d only waited about ten minutes thus far, and I would be onboard in two more cycles, but the park felt busy enough that I was surprised by this decision. I took my place in the center left seat next to an enthusiast from Texas. He shared my initial concern about missing Mako on because of the refurb and we were pleased to be onboard for the first ride of the day.
The shark projection on the station ceiling was not working, but the grand soundtrack still played as the train rolled out to the quiet lift hill. The climb to the top is short, and there are great views of Kraken off to the left. This coaster now sports a bright green paint scheme similar to the Incredible Hulk. It’s an odd choice considering how the original seafoam green looked great in the park’s skyline. Still, the view of Kraken’s loops and Mako’s hills is stunning next to the lake below.
The front car disappeared down the 200 foot first drop and we soon followed with outstanding whip. You pull out sharply onto a straight track where the photo is taken. Then it’s upward into a sharp overbank before diving down and into the ride’s first parabola. There’s floater from the beginning which transitions into much stronger airtime on the descent. There’s whip through the turnaround before the trim on the second airtime hill hits hard. The next hill starts like a regular camelback, but it banks hard right at the top and provides a great head chopper with a support. This airtime moment is wild in the back with a great lateral burst while you’re still out of your seat. The shark rockets over the speed hill for another strong airtime moment before entering the midcourse, and it too hits hard. You then drop down with a slight left turn before a small bunny hill, and then enter Mako’s twisting finale. Those two banked turns before the low pass over the water provide a little taste of that Fury 325 magic sensation before a hop back up onto the final brakes.
I hopped back onboard for a second ride, and my morning rides on Mako were excellent, but it didn’t feel quite as fast as I remember. Maybe it just needs to warm up more. Regardless, Mako remains my favorite B&M hyper. It’s butter smooth with no rattle, and the airtime is significantly stronger and more sustained that the likes of Diamondback, Intimidator, and Goliath. The addition of a speed hill, and the more whippy turns make this layout superior to the others I’ve been on. It’s kinda like a mini Orion. It’s a coaster I could re-ride all day, and I love having this reliable repeatable airtime machine in Orlando.
With two rides on Mako to get warmed up, I headed across the central lagoon to try Ice Breaker. This Premier swing launch coaster was complete when I visited in 2021, but it would not open until the next spring. This left the plaza around this ride a completely dead spot in the park. It now feels alive and filled with visitors, which unfortunately led to Ice Breaker having the longest wait of the day.
When this roller coaster was announced, it was billed as more of a family thrill coaster with a 48 inch height requirement. While it doesn’t go upside down, it does feature a 93 degree spike, and a tophat with a near vertical drop, elements that may be a bit much for younger riders. The day after it opened, the height requirement was raised to 54 inches, the same as the park’s big B&M’s, and the park seemed to drop the notion of this being a family coaster.
Enthusiasts gave the ride high praise for its airtime during the swing launch and over the tophat. I’ve ridden the pair of Premier Sky Rocket II models at both Busch Gardens parks, and they’re great shuttle coasters, so I was excited what Premier could do with a longer custom ride of this type. Adding to my hype level, the park removed the comfort collar vest restraints a few weeks before my visit, meaning Ice Breaker would only have a lap bar going forward. Interestingly, removing the comfort collars also allowed the ride to return to its original 48 inch height requirement.
Ice Breaker features bright orange track with blue green supports. I love the color scheme, but I struggle to understand how this ties into the arctic theme. The queue is also bare bones as has become the norm in SeaWorld’s more recent installations. Only a few switchbacks are full, but I waited about 25 minutes for my first ride. A grouper was assigning rows, and I ended up in row 7, the front row of the third car.
Even without the comfort collars, these trains are not the easiest to board. The lap bars extend outward close to the bottoms of the seats leaving little room to wiggle across the car. Once seated, I buckled the newly added seatbelt, then waited for the ride attendant to check it before being cleared to lower the lap bar. Maybe I was always so preoccupied by managing the cumbersome comfort collars on other Sky Rockets, but on this one, I really noticed how dumb the seat and lap bar design is. The back of the seat has this bump out that feels like you added too much lumbar support in a car seat, and it makes you arch your back awkwardly. Then the lap bar doesn’t lower down to your upper thighs, but rests right at your lower abdomen. I don’t get it. Intamin, Mach Rides, and even RMC do the lap bar only thing way better. Anyway, the train rolls out of the station, and it’s time to break the ice.
The train stops on a straight section of track once it’s clear of the station. This is a transfer track that moves the train sideways to the launch track, and locks into place. You launch backwards first, and you’re just barely getting moving. At each end of the launch track, there’s a small hump leading into a flat section before the tophat and spike. Then you launch forwards and the front makes it most of the way up the top hat. You fall backwards, and catch some air over the two flattops before climbing to the top of the spike. On this fourth pass over the launch, you get a final boost, and an ejector pop over the bump up, and clear the tophat with still more airtime.
The tophat is only 80 feet tall, but as you twist out over the top, there’s a wonderful lateral and airtime combo before the train is whipped back to the ground. It’s a stellar moment. You bank at ground level, then hit two small bunny hops that throw you out of your seat, and swoop upward in an overbanked turnaround with solid whip. Next is a mini wave turn, and you snap back left, passing the tophat before two quick hops into the brakes.
My word to describe Ice Breaker is “punchy.” You get these quick bursts of powerful ejector airtime, and rapid changes of direction. It’s an intense little coaster that is much more aggressive than it looks from off the ride. That being said, I don’t get it for this park. It’s too intense for a family thrill coaster with its strong airtime and intimidating vertical elements. It’s also too small to make much marketing sense compared to the other big B&M’s in the park. While it’s short, its capacity is not great, so it had the longest line in the park all day. Something like this would be an excellent first steel coaster at a smaller park, like say, a Fun Spot. It would be impressive if it was right next to a highway to draw a crowd, and it’s intense enough to please us thrillseekers. It’s a great ride, I just think it’s an odd choice for this park.
I left Ice Breaker and had about 30 minutes before Pipeline opened, and I was hungry. I figured I’d grab an early lunch and then head over for passholder preview. I headed to Voyager’s Smokehouse right by where that wooden boardwalk connects to the main midway near the entrance. I splurged on their barbeque sampler platter, and it was one of the best theme park meals I’ve had in a long time. My brisket, ribs, and chicken were all tender, juicy, and flavorful, and the combo included some nicely seasoned crispy fries. For park fare, this was a 10 out of 10.
After lunch, I walked back towards the lagoon and hung a right without crossing the bridge to enter the Pipeline midway. The area looks straight out of one of those Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville restaurants with Keys pastels, Royal palms, and even white beach sand beside the pathways. The color scheme for the coaster is perfect as its turquoise track with white supports represent breaking waves, and the bright yellow surfboard trains pop with contrast. You can walk around the entire ride, passing beneath much of the layout for endless photo ops.
Trains full of enthusiastic guests hurled overhead, and I scanned my pass to be permitted into the queue. There was only a station wait, and I was assigned row 8 for my first ride. Two trains were running, and it was only minutes before I’d stand up on the board for the first time. Upon entering, the seats are raised to their full upright position. I pushed down on mine as I walked up, and it easily lowered so I could put the bicycle seat between my legs, and lower the vest restraint. The entire situation is very comfortable, and you can bounce up and down just like they showed on that original promo video. With that, it was time to slowly paddle out and see what the surf has in store for us………………………….
We paused for a second once the train cleared the station, then it was time to hang ten.
That launch has way more kick than I expected. Then there’s a ripple of a hill, and WHAT?! My feet came off the floor. I didn’t jump. With no time to process that, the 110 foot overbanked turn rises in front of us, and we make a quick about face and catch the wave. We’re surfin’ now, and we’re rising up into a second hill with a snappy direction change at the top. Once again, it happens. Stand-up airtime. What is this?
Next up is that one elongated corkscrew inversion. Was it a wipe out?! Maybe not. You pop up for the ride’s strongest airtime moment before two sharp banking turns as if you’re carving turns up and down that massive wave just like those surf videos. The positives come on strong here, and this coaster is intense! You pop up over another turning airtime hill, and twist twice more before reaching the beach and hitting the brakes, and I gotta do that again!
I immediately rushed around for a second ride. Again, I was placed somewhere in the middle, and this time I started playing. I jumped as the train crested the overbank, and my feet remained aloft until we reached the bottom. Over the second hill, I popped up just a bit from my tiptoes and as I came up, I let my feet fly out from under me with my legs spread to the side. I didn’t do anything in the inversion, and I still floated up off the board just a bit through some unprecedented standing hang time. Through the rest of the layout, I became a joyful idiot, jumping with limbs flailing over every hill. Wow.
Pipeline: The Surf Coaster is the first ride since Velocicoaster that utterly smashed my expectations. The layout looked boring. The stats pedestrian. B&M’s as of late have been floaty and forgettable, and stand-ups have long since fallen out of favor. It’s a roller coaster nobody asked for, but it turned out to be something we didn’t even know we wanted. Like so many, I wrote this off as just a gimmick to be another world’s first. How wrong I was. This roller coaster gives you the ability to choose your own adventure. You can jump a lot, jump a little, or not jump at all, and your experience can be what you make it. I never expected this to be an airtime driven coaster. Not for a second. But here it is. Stand-up airtime is now a thing, and I can’t wait to see what B&M does with future models of this type. I’m sure it will be a success.
After a third ride on Pipeline, I decided to make another loop around the park. I hopped on Manta next, and everything about it was better than I remember from two years ago. The queue is dark, and blissfully air conditioned. There are several tanks where you can get up close and personal with the ride’s namesake rays. It was only a station wait, and before long I was in the back row ready to fly. Of course that pretzel loop had the memorable crushing G’s, but I really liked the rest of the ride too. It’s got excellent rock work and near miss visuals, and the inversions are smooth with some whippy transitions. I’m glad I stopped for that one ride because it was great!
I skipped Kraken because its line was up to 45 minutes and it was my least favorite coaster in the park. While most of the posted wait times were higher than reality for most of the day, I was sure this was accurate because of the throngs of school children hovering around the entrance. I opted instead to continue back to Mako for three more rides.
They’d added a second train since this morning, and good on them for it. The park wasn’t full by any means, but it was far too busy for single train ops. Again, Mako was a station wait, and I rode once in the back, once in the middle, and once in the front. They’re all good. The back is my favorite for the first drop, but I think the first overbanked turn is way better in front. You really feel how steep and tall that element is, and I think the airtime hills are slightly better up there. The middle row provides a bit of both, while not being outstanding in any way. Regardless of the seat selection, Mako had definitely sped up since the morning. It’s just such a darn good hypercoaster that delivers exactly what it advertises: big drop, smooth ride, great outta your seat moments in comfortable trains. It’s a winner every time I ride it, and it’s the only one of its type in the state. I’d love to see more. Given the SEAS parks have been working a lot with Intamin lately, I think a 250 foot Intamin hyper like Hyperion at Poland’s Energylandia would be a phenomenal addition to Busch Gardens Tampa. They wouldn’t have to go full giga to claim the marketing power of Florida’s tallest coaster, and stake a claim for yet another of the best roller coasters in the world. Imagine having that in the same park as Iron Gwazi.
I rode Ice Breaker one more time, then ended my day with two more rides on Pipeline. These latest two additions bring a new energy to the front of the park. With this area now fully realized, the loop around the park’s lagoon is complete, and it all looks great. Flooded with visitors and fresh new attractions, SeaWorld Orlando redeemed itself after my lackluster post-COVID first impressions. It’s a gorgeous park with a varied, and continually growing coaster line up. Rumor has it there’ll be another new roller coaster opening next year, so you can bet I’ll be back.
I settled in for the three hour drive home, and thought about the diverse roller coasters I’d experienced over the last two days. Pre-pandemic, I always lamented the lack of airtime in Florida, but look at us now. We’ve got sideways ejector airtime on Iron Gwazi, vertical airtime on ShieKra, flojector airtime on Mako, punchy ejector on Ice Breaker, and now the world’s first stand-up airtime on Pipeline. It’s like an airtime sampler platter, and I didn’t even do upside down airtime on Velocicoaster this trip. It sure is a fine time to be a coaster enthusiast in Florida. With the SEAS parks opening new coasters at a prolific rate, and Universal Epic Universe opening in just two years, there’s a lot to look forward to.
As I look to the future, I’ve still got that road trip on the horizon. While I’d strongly prefer to do the trip in mid-June like last year, I’m starting a new job this week, and I need time to get my feet wet. This means my road trip will have to wait until the latter part of August, but I’ve got the itinerary mostly ironed out, so here’s my tentative plan.
This year’s trip will be two full weeks, and I’m really looking forward to a longer escape. I’m going to road trip up to Boston to spend some time with family and friends while stopping at parks on both the northbound and southbound legs. Y’all know I’m an Intamin fanboy, and this trip will feature a great concentration of roller coasters from the Swiss masters.
My first stop will be Busch Gardens Williamsburg. I last visited in 2018, and the beauty and charm of this park is world class. My main reason to stop here is Pantheon, the new Intamin swing launched coaster. With Velicicoaster currently holding my number one spot, I can’t wait to ride another similar ride. Plus, there’s a second new Intamin at the park, the DarKoaster indoor straddle coaster to try out.
Then I’ll make a quick stop a few hours up the road at Six Flags America. I’m particularly interested in two rides here. First is Superman: Ride of Steel. New England’s version of this coaster rocketed to my number one position when it opened in 2000, and while this one has a less interesting layout, it still sports those original trains, and I always love me some Intamin airtime with those little T-bars. Second is Wild One. This classic wood coaster originally opened at the now defunct Paragon Park on Nantasket Beach in Massachusetts, only a few miles from where I grew up. The park closed before I was old enough to visit, so this is a sentimental selection.
I’ll continue northward to Six Flags Great Adventure. 2014 was my last visit here. I was blown away by El Toro on that day, and I hope this Intamin pre-fab wood coaster is back open following a lengthy closure after an accident last season. I also still need to ride Kingda Ka, the world’s tallest roller coaster, which was closed during my last visit. I never got to ride Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point, and I really want to experience one of these Intamin hydraulic stratacoasters while I still can. Then of course, I can’t wait to check out the Jersey Devil Coaster, the larger version of RMC’s raptor track single rail after loving Wonder Woman at Fiesta Texas over the winter.
After catching my breath in Boston for a few days, I’ll begin the return trip with a stop at my former home park which I haven’t visited since 2005, Six Flags New England. I’ll get my first rides on Wicked Cyclone, RMC’s conversion of the old Riverside Cyclone which was an absolute beast of a coaster, and of course ride my old favorite, Superman: The Bizzarro Ride of Steel. The last time I rode it, the original Intamin trains were still there, and its airtime was otherworldly. I’ve heard the new trains with oversized lap bars have murdered this elite ride, so I gotta find out for myself.
Then I’ll then slow things down a bit on my first visit to Pennsylvania’s Knoebels. It’s the epitome of a classic family-owned amusement park featuring a pair of highly rated wood coasters, Phoenix and Twister.
Finally, I’ll head to the place that’s currently at the top of my Intamin fan must-visit list: Hersheypark. They’ve got three wicked looking rides from Intamin in Storm Runner, Fahrenheit, and Skyrush. Then there’s the new Candymonium B&M hyper, the Lightning Racer GCI dueling coaster and of course brand new for 2023, Wildcat’s Revenge, RMC’s conversion of GCI’s first wood twister.
If all goes well, I’ll ride seven new Intamins on this trip, and re-ride two of my favorites. And I’ll add three new RMC’s to my count, for a possible 31 new roller coasters. I can’t wait for this adventure, but it’s still months away.
In the meantime, I’m going to change things up a bit for the next episode. My brother has been my longtime partner in crime when it comes to coaster riding, and he recently had a chance to visit a park that ranks among the top of my international bucket list. He’s a pilot and he had a layover in Cologne, Germany back in April. With time to kill, he spent a day riding Black Mamba, Taron and F.L.Y. Join me for the next episode, when my brother comes on the show to tell us all about his visit to Phantasialand. That’s next time on Coaster Redux.