I know this is a pretty delayed posting, but I wanted to get this PTR done and I figured it's better late than never. I have a lot to express about SFMM after a trip I took this past January, and I have a few decent pictures. This park has everything in excess, even with some major rides closed; Green Lantern, Revolution and Superman. We didn't miss a moment though, because there was still so much to do. The final ride count from the two days is as follows:
X2- 16
Lex Luthor- 7
Twisted Colossus- 4
Tatsu- 3
Full Throttle- 4
Goliath- 3
Riddler's Revenge- 2
Ninja- 2
Viper- 1
Gold Rusher- 1
Batman- 1
Apocalypse- 1
Scream- 1
[Superman was undergoing annual maintenance; Green Lantern was broken down both days like a bitch; Revolution was closed for the upgrade]
Apocalypse
Apocalypse's entrance plaza
Empty station, just like most of the park
Apocalypse: Another possibly good GCI lost to lack of maintenance. It wasn't re-rideable but I imagine at one point it was. The same thing happened to Gwazi. I know GCI's aren't the most forceful woodies but why do they always seem rough? Gwazi, Apocalypse, and Renegade all seem excessively rough. It's weird because Voyage is pretty smooth and so much more intense and a lot bigger. Anyway, Apocalypse has a pretty impressive queue line too. The queue almost seemed Universal Studios level quality. It's a shame the ride isn't better; it's the only woodie in the park right now (and for the foreseeable future) and the layout has promise. It needs to be smoother though. Because of this, there isn't much re-ride value.
Full Throttle
Full Throttle: Before riding Full Throttle, I remember a lot of people were claiming the hard braking down the final pull-up of the tophat made the airtime feel even more intense and fun, and I thought they were crazy. I would never buy that braking could add to the quality of a roller coaster if I hadn't ridden it myself. It just proves that you really cannot judge anything about a roller coaster until you have been on it. Full Throttle is a unique species. The back row of Full Throttle, which we had he privilege of riding twice in a row without getting off for our first times, is stupid awesome. The loop provides a really unique lasting upside down panoramic view of the north end of the park. The low-ground maneuvers and the dive roll are also fantastic. But the "top-hat" is all of the fun. Front row is trippy and provides another great view over the top. And the back row during the top-hat is not really describable unless you've been on it. The culmination of ejector airtime with negative deceleration at such impeccable timing right at the final brakes is an aggressive and hilarious experience. The re-ride value is maximum for this ride.
Gold Rusher
Gold Rusher: I'm always the first to advocate a classic Arrow mine train, despite their roughness. I appreciate their character and they are usually pretty fun. But not for Gold Rusher. Gold Rusher has no re-ride value whatsoever. During the entire ride, I was trying to brace myself for the creased lead-ins and underbanked elements. I think it may have something to do with the lap bar settings that apply to all 6 seats per car. Those bars were like fence poles and not comfortable at all. It needs the Excalibur trains and it might be a decently fun ride. #smallminetrainsmatter
Goliath
Goliath diving straight into the ground literally
Goliath: We were both very excited for Goliath because we were huge fans of Titan. We were disappointed though. Titan was a huge upgrade. The first reason is that Titan's pre-MCBR helix is legendary stuff. Goliath does not have this helix. Also, Goliath's MCBR holds the train at a complete stop for like 10 seconds. When we rode in the front car, the car hangs at about 50 degrees directly after the MCBR. It's bizarre [in a bad way] to lean at such a severe banking at like 1 m.p.h. Titan's MCBR, while aggressive, does not ruin the second half like that. Titan is remarkable, Goliath is passable. It's strange how that can happen with roller coasters that are so similar. Re-ride value isn't great.
Lex Luthor Drop of Doom
Amazing sight to behold
Lex Luther Drop of Doom: I'm including this in the report because it won my heart. I was deathly afraid of it because I get a little shaky with heights that high, in fact I actually started crying the first time we rode it But I quickly realized the ride was miraculous. We rode it 7 times in the two days there, and I kept wanting to go back to it. There was never any line, and the sensation of immense fear and endless airtime is something I could not get enough of. I'm going to SFGAdv next month so I'll get to ride Zumanjaro. That's something I look forward to, since Zumanjaro is even taller
Ninja
Ninja's weird curved station, empty
Ninja: Ninja was actually closed the first day for technical reasons, and I'm very happy that it was opened on the second day. It ended up being a big surprise. We rode in the front row and the back car, and the back is nothing compared to the front. The front row is a freaking adventure. Visibility is a big factor, but the forces in the front are a lot better than the back too. That low ground turn over the pond pulls amazing g's. It's also amazing to see the coaster against the hillside in real life. Videos don't do that factor justice. Ninja is nestled beautifully against that steep hill, which also justifies the split lift/curved station system a lot more. Ninja's track makes so many unusual accommodations for the terrain, and for a good reason. This roller coaster is an amazing suspended- definitely a lot better than Iron Dragon or Bat. Re-ride value is high with this one.
Riddler's Revenge
Yes very exciting, Riddler was my 100th.
He has some beautiful little theme objects and surroundings!
This quick whip after the cork is pretty fun
And this air hill provides some fun standing floater!
Riddler's Revenge: This stand-up is better than a lot of the sitting down multi-loopers I've been on. It is a ton of fun, it has a great layout, and even a few low-g moments which prove to be really unique on a stand-up. It's much better than Mantis or Iron Wolf, almost in a league of its own. We were eager to ride it a second time. Probably the best stand-up out there.
Scream
Scream: I'll just be honest. Scream was peak hangover time for me and it was by the hands of an angel that I didn't throw up into the hedges after riding it front row. So it might have impacted my view on the ride. But I'll be going on Bizarro at SFGAdv next month so I can confirm that the layout is mediocre at best. But B&M multi loopers are all kind of blurring together at this point in my life. With Scream I was like... meh. We get it. Generic. For a few moments I was pretty sure I would be throwing up in public haha. Hangovers and B&M multi-loopers do not combine well. While multi-loopers are fun in a generic sense, they don't constitute "top ten" material these days. Thankfully B&M flyers and megas save the day.
Tatsu
Classic entrance area view.
She is a beaut
Dat line
Tatsu: Between Superman, Manta, and Tatsu, this one takes first by a long margin for me. It's a pretty hefty walk up to this station, but so worth it. Tatsu had no line while we were there. Every element is purposeful and graceful and the lift is a LOT higher off the ground than it seems from pictures and videos. The corkscrew is gigantic and awe-inspiring, and the cork/zero g is even better. Perfect hammerhead placement. Then the pretzel loop comes, which is debilitatingly strong. The final roll and helix make an awesome final combo. Tatsu is one of the best B&Ms of any type in my opinion.
Twisted Colossus
Twisted Colossus: This ride has so much variation in force, with force changes happening in the blink of an eye. TC is relentless when it comes to airtime and lats. The zero g stall is magnificent. It's hard to express the craziness of TC, but "falling down stairs" comes to mind. I highly recommend it to everyone. We went back for it a few times, but it is a lot to handle lol. It's not really worth describing any further because I find that a lot of people that haven't ridden it are quick to dismiss its intensity. I advise against doing that
Viper
Viper: I remember being afraid of Viper because of my experience on Vortex and other smaller Arrow corkscrews. I was prepared for a really rough and unpleasant ride. Because of this, we rode in the middle car. I was greeted with an astoundingly smooth first half, and your typically sad Arrow second half. But truly, the fact that Viper's first half is that smooth and comfortable is worth commending. The first drop and first loop are exquisite. We made the joke that Viper would be an outstanding ride if riders could opt to exit the train at the MCBR haha. Regardless, I was surprised by how great the first half is.
X2
The pathway to X2 on the second morning. We were really thankful that we didn't have to deal with excessive crowds. Especially when it came to X2.
X2 has some epic supportage.
Looking at the inside of the station again makes me miss it so much...
... and so does looking at this
X2: How do I even begin to describe X2? Everything about X2 is perfection, excluding the last couple of elements (which get a little rough). The height, the on board music, the rotation, the restraint system. Facing downward during that vertical drop... I can't dramatize it enough. It's incredible, and so is the first giant raven turn. The floating sensation at the top of the first raven turn while the train brings you face down is an unparalleled sensation. The next camelback that contains the floating backwards flip is awesome, to say the least. And the remaining elements each have their own charm/pain. All of this with such a unique restraint system (for those who are curious: a seat with a gigantic thigh separator and two contoured bars that create a vest at the height and tightness of your own choosing.) It took me two or three rides to find a good custom fit lol. We rode 16 times in two days, but we only left the station 4 times. We were able to bounce around the station thanks to lines hardly accumulating during our visit. Bottom line is that X2 is unique, exhilarating, and the re-ride value is maximum. And the on-board soundtrack really adds points to the experience. Calves may take a beating but you suck it up for X2. I can't speak highly enough of this roller coaster. It wins the SFMM trip.