The Voyage

Yah, Voyage really hauls around that track. That first hill looks to be great for air and running as fast a The Voyage goes during the night would be awesome.

This looks amazing, I can't wait to ride it, even if it is a few years away.

I just watched the videos again, and what caught my eye was the almost "trick tracK" like combo the ride featured on the return section. It looked like the track moved and banked slightly to the left, banked right over the top, then banked left on the way down just to bank right again on the exit that leads to the other side of the main hill structure.

And there's that double outerward banked hill and double 90 degree turn combo, which looked insane.

This summer, were driving from RI to San Antonio. How far out of the way is HW?

not too too far. it'd probly mean an extra 5-10 hours driving

Originally posted by SMer

not too too far. it'd probly mean an extra 5-10 hours driving

Here are my calculations. They are the milages from Rhode Island to San Antonio, considering if we stop in Maryland (most likely) or not.

Rhode Island to Maryland to Holiday World to San Antonio:
2164 miles

Rhode Island to San Antonio via Holiday World (no Maryland stop):
2095 miles

Rhode Island to Maryland to San Antonio (What is planned by parents, not including HW):
2034 miles

Were talking a 130 and 61 mile difference there, which is only 2 hours and one hour driving time. Now I just have to influence the parents.

Official Review: http://www.thrillnetwork.com/stories_view.php/1532

I would think the term "ripped from seat" would constitute as more than Floater airtime. Also, he says to ignore the POV since its front seat and that back seat is just that much more insane (as I figured with LONGGG trains)

And its only in its earliest stages. Wait till the end of summer after a long break in period and at night...

*Drool* haha, that review just makes me more jealous of everyone that gets to ride this.

?????????What just happened?????????? was my first thought, and ?????????Wow!????????? was my second. If that blow-by-blow description of The Voyage confused you, it should. I don't think anybody who rode for their first time had a true idea of what just happened.

This was exactly what I was thinking hitting the brakes my first time on Hades. Sounds like Voyage is no different.

Damn car repair! If it weren't for my crappy car and the stupid IRS, I'd be headed to Indiana right now. I can't wait another month... I must ride!!! this is the stuff dreams are made of...

SFGav have made the worst decision in opening ElToro in the same year.
It just doesnt compete, i suppose there is the first 3 hills but really, thats simply it, the return trip is pretty drole.
SfGav seem to think 'the bigger the better' after building Kingda Ka and now, ElToro.
Unfotunately thats not the case, TTD being better than KK, and Voyage being 50 times better than ElToro.
As from now, Holiday World would be top contender for parks i must visit, fo-sho[:)].

[hyyyper]

IMO Toro ain't that bad, in my case there wouldn't be much woodie between them on my chart.

And i do not believe that SFGADV made a mistake in building Toro this year. building a coaster takes many years, from planning and designing to actually welding the bolts, when they figured out HW was going to build the best evah, stopping construction for a year wouldn't be an option

Toro is still going to get all of the New Yorkers to come down, so I really don't think it's a wasted effort. Most of the GP has never even heard of The Voyage. Whenever I ask guests about Holiday World, their responce is just "Yeah, I heard about that place on the Discovery Channel." None of them had been there, and none of them had any idea about why they should go.

[hyyyper]

true, to us SF may be not have all the best coasters, before i got into coaster, i thought SixFlags was the american translation of themepark, just because i didn't know there were any other

I don't think that El Toro is a wasted effort either. Both woodies will give a kick in the face experience. If El Toro is anything like its cousins overseas then it should have airtime equal to or greater than Voyage, just not as many seconds worth.

Both are very decent rides, but both will also have a very unique ride experience so comparing the two is pretty worthless in my opinion. Just ride them and have fun, thats what its all about isn't it, having fun?

I didn't say Toro was a wasted effort, just a bad idea. I put my opinion forward, and you put yours.
Maybe yours has come out on-top. But what the heck!
And yes Canadmos. thats what its all about, having fun[:)]. You're correct in that respect. But in general which is the better coaster?

[hyyyper]

duh, why bother asking...

but why do you think Toro is a bad idea?

After watching 'Building the Biggest' on the Discovery channel the other week. The one showing the race to build the best Woody in the world. It featured the 3 coasters Kentucky Rumbler, ElToro and obviously, Voyage.
The programme gave the impression that the Voyage was absolutely unbeatable. Throughout the whole hour Gravity Group themselves were putting ElToro down in such a way that i agreed with them to a high extent.
The programm also said that it was a race, from start to finish, the winner being the coaster that was built first.
That's were i got the idea of SFGAV unvailing ElToro at exactly the same time as Voyage.
It may just be my extreme love for the Voyage that is throwing me off the facts. Or maybe im right, and you're wrong[:)].

[hyyyper]

Well, as i said, SFGADV couldn't have known about HW and BB intentions to build a coaster the exact same season when they started the project a few years ago. The coinsidence occured and there is indeed a race, but there's always a race for the best woodie...or any coaster at all

I wont even waste the time to give the 2-4 letter words to describe it, those fall completely flat.

Mythical this ride is. No other word I could think of, other than epic, describes this ride.


I counted 22 moments of airtime of floater or above. Its excluding 2-3 moments that could be airtime but might be something else - what I dont know. 22 moments!!! The first day really had me in disbelief. Its the type of coaster that you design in No Limits. You throw in EVERY possible cool thing you can think of. Straight floater/ejector hills. Underground Tunnels. Double/Triple downs. Lateral airtime. Strong Lats. Sustained airtime. Strong pops of airtime. Twister sections. Station fly byes (x3). The list goes on.

But whenever one of us tries it in NL it ends up coming out...not so buttery. Some things gel well, others, not so much. It ends up being a showcase of elements and not a ride. The Voyage is itself the showcase. Somehow, all of those things I mentioned are bottled into one unbelievable package that flows from one thing to the next as if it ALL belonged.


Time and time again Jeff, Kevin and myself kept saying "there is literally nothing, NOTHING to pick at." You could try, but the things you may end up saying are "Its a little too intense." or "Its a bit too long." As nitpicky as I could be I couldnt find a fault that could also be justified. Sure, its not perfect as maybe someday I will find something to say "maybe that should be different" but in the scale of what is out there vs what I envisioned as the dream ride - this is it. It has arrived.

It made landfall.


A play by play? Ill do that later. Ill sum things "element":

First drop - front seat is a great view, little air. Back seat is STRAIGHT sustained ejector.

Second drop - front is super sustained floater. Back is typical - ejector on the way over.

Third drop - same as second but with more speed and more intensity + banking with slight lats

Fourth hill - This is a low hill taken out of a tunnel and into a tunnel and taken with a turn in the middle. What does this give you in all seats? Sustained LATERAL floater. Bliss.

Fifth hill - This is the hill that Will called "weak" which, in relation to the other 428 hills it may be weak but in front seat its half floater and the back is floater too. What gives?

Twister turn around - Pyscho. 5 moments of strong air untill MCB. 8 changes in direction. Insane pacing.

MCB - NOT FLAT. HAHAHA. Yea, it may be straight but it curves. HaHa to that myth.

Triple down - front seat gets air on last 2 hills. Back seat gets floater over first 2 then awesome sustained ejector (pressed into bar hard) over what is actually a pretty large hill.

Coming home - Theres 2 more straight hills with great floater, a twisting airtime hill which in the front gives strong lats with airtime. Theres another crossing over lateral airtime hill and then the last 90 which isnt as good as the first 2 but its still very sweet in any seat.

(EDIT) I forgot to mention. The twisting hill before the last 90 degree turn is crazy because as you start down it (remember, youve been going downhill the entire way) you get this burst of speed that feels almost like a lim. Its where the terrain really drops off and the ride accelerates from around 40 to probably 55 mph. It is absolutly hauling and it was a complete shock. I cant think of many rides that as you got near the station actually accelerated (not counting powered/launched rides). Its ridiculous.

Station work - The first cross over in front of the station that crosses over the lift is INSANE. Maybe the strongest lats of the ride as it enters very unbanked and then banks hard right like a GCI and dives under the station providing airtime. The cross over behind the station over the brake run is equally as insane.
The final figure eight has a strong pop of airtime and just insane left right helix combos.



Ill expand later on the turnaround and station area as well as key elements because each one is so unique it deserves its own explanation.


The Voyage I really think will stand for quite some time. There are key factors that go into making this mythical andI cant off hand think of a park in the right setting with the right owner who would pour his heart and soul into the ride to make a ride that attempts to be the greatest ever built - and succeeds. Kevin made mention that even as long as hes been riding he cant remember seeing a design that was a full blown attempt at creating the greatest ride ever - till this.


This ride delivers. If you can find a way there, the ride alone is worth the price. We were there for 2 straight days and rode Raven and Legend each ONCE. Not because they suck, but The Voyage is so captivating you have to ride it over and over. However, it will kick your butt after awhile. I was ok after Day 1 but shortly after the start to today my thighs hurt. Not from walkign. But from being destroyed by the airtime that pounded me into the lap bar.



Best. Ride. Ever.

This is an El Toro killer. El Toro WILL have more intense (per G) airtime but it will not have as much and it wont be as varied. So yes, for extreme ejector El Toro will win but the type of ejector for an Intamin train is not the same as ejector for a PTC train. PTC's give you room, Intamins do not. There is a difference when I talk of ejector on a PTC than an Intamin. However, when I do say ejector Im saying that for a PTC train - its ejector.

The term is relative. The airtime will be completely different. But theres too much riding with The Voyage. Ill go more indepth to give the people who may not get the chance to ride it an idea of all of those things.

Great Review Real. I must ask, How were the voyage lines?

5-10 minutes Opening day
Walk on Sunday.

With 2 train operation.

^Nice! Very detailed review as well, sounds like you had a sweet time. Should we expect any pictures?

Yes, but weather wasnt out friends. Clouds made alot of the pictures come out with nice white backgrounds which I hate. There was some blue sky but unfortunatly I havent fully learned how to manipulate my Polarizing filter so some came out too dark and too light.


Im planning at LEAST 2 more trips with 1 for sure. The second though I really thought about after riding Voyage.

Nothing but good reviews for that ride, I really need to get down there this year.

We all need to get down there and ride this!!!

Off the POV, the small drop into the tunnel right before the MCBR looks like some awesome surprise ejector air to me, maybe the strongest of the whole ride (well I can't tell for the enclosed sections). What about that?

BTW great review, Real.