Travels and Visits: Roller Coasters

Wednesday, 27 June 2012

Big Bad Wolf Roller Coaster

Big Bad Wolf Roller Coaster: Big Bad Wolf was a suspended roller coaster in the Oktoberfest section of Busch Gardens Williamsburg. First opened in 1984, the ride operated for 25 years and the ride closed on September 7, 2009. The footings, queue line, and station were left standing and have been re-purposed for Verbolten, an attraction introduced in the 2012 season. Prior to the construction of Big Bad Wolf, Anton Schwarzkopf had designed a prototype ("Flying Coaster") for the park. Even though three-quarters of the new ride had been built, the ride was never completed, and was later completely scrapped.

Big Bad Wolf Roller Coaster

Strom Runner Roller Coaster

Strom Runner Roller Coaster: Storm Runner is an Intamin-built steel launched roller coaster at Hersheypark. It was constructed in 2004 and was the third Intamin Accelerator Coaster. It reaches a height of 150 ft (46 m) and catapults riders from 0 to 72 mph (116 km/h) in 2 seconds. It features a top hat and three inversions, a dual loading station and a magnetic braking system. It was built to interact with three other Hersheypark rides: the Dry Gulch Railroad, the Monorail, and the Trailblazer. Storm Runner is the first accelerator coaster to utilize over-the-shoulder restraints and the first to have a dual-loading station with switch tracks.

Strom Runner Roller Coaster

Fahrenheit Roller Coaster

Fahrenheit Roller Coaster: Fahrenheit is a steel roller coaster at Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States. The ride features six inversions and opened on May 24, 2008, replacing the Western Chute-Out water slide complex. The coaster's first drop is at 97 degrees, making it the second steepest in the United States behind Steel Hawg at Indiana Beach. In October, when Hersheypark is decorated in a Halloween theme (Hersheypark in the Dark), Fahrenheit is dubbed Fearenheit. Fahrenheit was announced in a Hersheypark press release on September 27, 2007.

Fahrenheit Roller Coaster

Great Bear Roller Coaster

Great Bear Roller Coaster: Great Bear is a roller coaster located at Hersheypark, Hershey, Pennsylvania. It was built by Bolliger & Mabillard during the winter of 1997 and opened for the 1998 season. Because of the coaster's unique custom design, as well as other factors including the terrain, Spring Creek, and proximity of noted attractions such as the SooperDooperLooper, the coaster was one of B&M's most difficult installations. Also, due to the lack of sand in the supports, the coaster makes a loud roaring sound like a bear.

Great Bear Roller Coaster

Tuesday, 26 June 2012

SooperDooperLooper

SooperDooperLooper: is a ride at Hersheypark, and the first looping coaster on the East Coast. It was designed as a terrain coaster by Werner Stengel, and built by Anton Schwarzkopf. The train first goes up a hill, takes a small drop of about 5 feet, turns left, climbs it again by force, not by chain, and then descends and enters a loop. It then makes a sweeping left turn that travels through the middle of the loop and enters a tunnel. The ride concludes with a series of bunny hills and helixes. The trains on the SooperDooperLooper use a single lap bar to hold riders in the seat.

SooperDooperLooper

Skyrush Roller Coaster

Skyrush Roller Coaster: Skyrush is an Intamin hyper roller coaster with winged seating at Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania. It opened to the general public on May 26th, 2012. Skyrush is Hersheypark's 12th roller coaster, and its third coaster made by Intamin. Skyrush features a 212-foot (65 m) lift (measured to the creek floor), with a cable lift that brings the train up at 17-mile-per-hour (27 km/h). Skyrush has yellow track and light blue support columns. Skyrush's trains are the first of their type in the world. Each train weighs 13 tons.

Skyrush Roller Coaster

Verbolten Roller Coaster

Verbolten Roller Coaster: Verbolten is a Zierer multi-launching steel roller coaster that officially opened on May 18, 2012 at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia after a soft opening began on Friday, May 11, 2012. Details about the ride were released on September 17, 2011 including a teaser video, ride statistics, and more. The new ride has replaced the Big Bad Wolf, an Arrow Dynamics suspended roller coaster that was retired in 2009. The original announcement of Verbolten took place in September 2010, with the park only saying the ride would be a "Multi-launching roller coaster" featuring many "firsts."