GateKeeper vs. Other Wingriders

Alright, I'm out looking for opinions from other coaster enthusiasts out of curiosity.

Anybody who has been on GateKeeper as well as any other wingriders have a preference for one or the other?

My two cents: I, having been on GateKeeper three times and X-Flight four or five times, have to say that I much prefer X-Flight, without question. The forces throughout are stronger (including the awesome helix at the end), it is paced better, and there is nothing that beats the inline twist which GateKeeper sorely lacks.

Thoughts? Any opinions based on layout and POVs from those whom have not been on it?

I love X-Flight. But I definitely hesitate about GateKeeper's assessment, even though it looks sooooo good for the most part. I think it would have been possible to throw in an inline twist after the MCBR. And would have been very fun. But it looks alright.

I might end up liking X-Flight better too, but I'll have to ride GK first.

[gouldy]

I have only ridden Swarm, but in all honesty, my favourite looking Wingrider is still the original one, Raptor. It's the only one, for me, that makes the most of what the ride type is good for, near misses. It stays low to the ground on turns and rolls. The others seem to be more like standard coasters with one really good theming piece.

[mkingy]

Raptor does look awesome indeed, I was plotting a visit to lake garda for some sailing at some point and this certainly popped up as something I'd like ride!

Gate keeper is fantastic, although I do agree with most that it could have done something more interesting towards the end after the MCBR. Still a wonderful ride. Great first drop, great near misses in several areas, and a great overall layout. Certainly worth it.

Yeah I mean as a coaster community I think we can come to a general consensus that GateKeeper's second half isn't any good. Whether you've just watched it or have been on it. I've already redesigned it in NL wherein the second half has an inline twist. I speculate that they didn't include it for speed reasons, as well as already having two "rolls" they didn't feel the need for a third.

I've only been on Wild Eagle, but I think they all suck.

Originally posted by Jakizle

I've only been on Wild Eagle, but I think they all suck.

I feel like this will be my case as well.

X-Flight is awesome and does not suck. It's insanely forceful.

My guess is that Wild Eagle sucks because it, too, does not have an inline twist. Or an inverting drop, for that matter.

Yeah Wild Eagle looks whack as f**k (except the loop which would actually be bossy). The inline twist makes the entire ride.

I think these are certainly better than the standups, but raptor does seem the best out of the group, not only is it loaded with theming and near misses it also seems to keep its pace better than the others.

[Coasterkidmwm]

Originally posted by GerstlCrazy

Yeah Wild Eagle looks whack as f**k (except the loop which would actually be bossy). The inline twist makes the entire ride.

For the umpteenth time you're not black.....

I've heard Wild Eagle is basically just a really slow floorless and doesn't really try and do anything interesting with the train.

CK, the layout certainly seems to be that way. It's not unique to a wingrider, really. Missing both of the key elements.

TMV, delete your comment, it's not necessary and does not pertain to this thread at all.

[Coasterkidmwm]

It's not really that it's missing key elements, it just looks like it was supposed to be a floorless coaster and they decided wingrider trains would be cooler or something.

I honestly forgot the thing existed until it was brought up in this thread, and I know of all of the others lol.

Having ridden none of them I don't really think that the layout's look exceptional, I think WE looks pretty meh except for the view. Gatekeeper also looks pretty meh. Raptor's layout looks crappy but it is the only one to really take advantage of the scenery interaction these can achieve, probably the best. X-Flight, best layout not much else. Swarm, crappy layout, decent themeing, shouldn't have turned the last two rows backwards.
Overall they all look mediocre with the theming being the only good part.

Chiming in for the first time in a while here.

I rode Eagle in September, GK on Media Day and Opening Weekend and was just on X-Flight last weekend, and I don't think there is much debate among the vast majority of folks that GK is the best of the three US wing coasters.

Wild Eagle does nothing to take advantage of the train. I said a long time ago that the wing concept can work if it is used to create a unique experience. Wild Eagle does not do that. X-Flight does. Gatekeeper does as well, but I found it to be more intense and have a better mix of floating and intensity.

GK was very much similar force wise on left and right, and had more variation between front and back. X-Flight's variation comes from the left-right debate. The right side is intense and the left side is more floaty.

I liked X-Flight's keyhole more because they seemed closer (maybe because the tower is wider?), but Gatekeeper has the return pass which is awesome on the left wing.

At the end of it, I really wish X-Flight was longer because it has the potential to be every bit as good as Gatekeeper, but Gatekeeper's length, spots of traditional airtime, and slightly higher intensity overall pushes it to the top for me.

Originally posted by GerstlCrazy

X-Flight is awesome and does not suck. It's insanely forceful.

If you think its forceful than You haven't ridden an older b&m like Kumba or Chang/Green Lantern. Those were when b&m made forceful loopers.

^Kumba, I have been on. Kraken, a much more forceful experience than Kumba, is on my top 5, so I do have this experience. Have you been on X-Flight? The helix is more powerful than anything on Kumba, which is mainly where my forceful claim comes from. Of course the majority of X-Flight's maneuvers cannot be executed like Kumba's, for obvious reasons...

[Coasterkidmwm]

Originally posted by GerstlCrazy

Have you been on X-Flight? The helix is more powerful than anything on Kumba, which is mainly where my forceful claim comes from.

Aren't you supposed to be an engineer or something?

dmillz, I didn't find GateKeeper to have that much intensity at all. It's so slow. Mind you, I haven't ridden it in the front yet, and it excites me a lot that you say the experience varies more from front/back instead of left/right, so next visit I will surely try all four to compare. I still stand by my comment that it sorely lacks an inline twist. It has less airtime than I expected; like, they built a classic camelback into the layout, and even that was weak. Not nearly as strong as their megacoaster airtime hills. It's almost as if the lift should be ten feet higher with its current layout.

Originally posted by Coasterkidmwm

Originally posted by GerstlCrazy

Have you been on X-Flight? The helix is more powerful than anything on Kumba, which is mainly where my forceful claim comes from.

Aren't you supposed to be an engineer or something?

Haha that statement was a wee bit of an exaggeration, but not too much, honestly. Aside from the cobra roll, and maybe the corks, that helix on X-Flight really pulls an insane amount of positives.

Originally posted by GerstlCrazy

Originally posted by Coasterkidmwm

Originally posted by GerstlCrazy

Have you been on X-Flight? The helix is more powerful than anything on Kumba, which is mainly where my forceful claim comes from.

Aren't you supposed to be an engineer or something?

Haha that statement was a wee bit of an exaggeration, but not too much, honestly. Aside from the cobra roll, and maybe the corks, that helix on X-Flight really pulls an insane amount of positives.

IF you want a B&m with a black out inducing helix, Nitro is where you need to be. X Flights helix isn't that intense.



Goliath's helix at Six Flags Over Georgia is supposed to be pretty good as well.

[Coasterkidmwm]

Originally posted by blackhand1001
Goliath's helix at Six Flags Over Georgia is supposed to be pretty good as well.

I'm really struggling to understand his logic since all wingrider style rides are always going to be "weaker" than others because of the force vectors doing horrible things to the train since the riders aren't on top of the track.