I recently received a copy of Theme Park Review’s Coaster Expedition 10 DVD and thoroughly enjoyed it. This DVD features many parks in the Mid-Western region of the United States, and the majority of the footage was taken during last years Theme Park Review Midwest trip. Some of the highlight parks include Cedar Point, Kings Island, Holiday World and Kennywood. With POV footage of Maverick, Renegade, The Voyage, and much, much more.   

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Review contributed by Jake Garbelotti

Everyone knows that S:RoS is ranked as the number one coaster on our planet. But do you all know why? I’ll make it my job to let you know. The red and blue giant of a coaster is located fittingly in the back of SFNE in the DC Comics area of the park along the Connecticut River. Luckily the crowds were very low on my visit, so my experience in the queue line wasn’t long. It is a very nice one though, with canopies, foliage, and a Superman logo shaped line. I skipped all of the line mentioned though, including line covered by the station roof, and made my way up to the loading platform stairs. There an op asks you to wait until the train in-station loads with passengers. While all rows for the ride had no line except for the very front, SROS must be ridden in that very spot for the most extreme ride experience. I waited the extra 15 minutes to board the front of the comfy Intamin train, and to everyone that ever goes to SFNE, let me tell you, it is worth every second you stand there. By sitting in the front, I was able to sit and stare up at the 200 foot plus lift hill and adjacent airtime hill as the ops checked the restraints of this trains’ riders. A few buttons and clicks later I was on my way up the gigantic lift hill.

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Back in 1989, Dorney Park added the world’s tallest wooden roller coaster and the name “Hercules” had never been more appropriate. This gigantic woodie gave the park worldwide attention and set the tone for future thrill rides at Dorney Park. That same year, Cedar Point (Cedar Fair’s flagship park and Dorney’s sister park) added the world’s tallest and fastest steel roller coaster, Magnum XL-200. This “hypercoaster,” as industry experts and enthusiasts referred to it, was the first roller coaster in the world to stand over 200-feet tall. Magnum XL-200 was undoubtedly the greatest thing to hit the amusement industry since the carousel. Everybody knew that these 200-footers would someday be the future wave of coasters, and they were right.
It wasn’t until the mid-1990’s that more parks began adopting the “hypercoaster.” Finally, in 1997, it was Dorney Park’s turn to do something huge. Standing 200-feet tall, featuring an amazing 205-foot drop at a 60-degree angle and reaching scorching speeds of nearly 75 miles per hour, Steel Force would reign as the tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster on the East Coast.

During the month of July in 1997, I took the 2-hour drive up to Allentown, Pennsylvania with my family and another family. Although I thought I could conquer anything at the time, the sheer sight of Steel Force terrified me. The ride seemed endless as my eyes wandered all the way up the red structure, all the way down the enormous drop, and all the way to the end of the giant 5,600-foot long course.

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Review contributed by Jake Garbelotti

Steel Eel is the long lost Morgan Hyper Coaster that is rarely talked about among enthusiasts. Luckily for me, it can be found in my home town of San Antonio. Steel Eel is located in the back corner of Sea World Texas and while only 150 feet tall, it towers over the park’s midway and travels in and out of the park’s main area. After walking through the lush landscaping, riders find themselves at a beautiful open air station where they will board the coaster. Due to the long trains, it’s not long before your journey on the Eel begins. The ride begins with a small dip out of the station and a turnaround to the intimidating lift hill. The chain grabs a hold of the cars and up you go.

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As you walk into the queue house for this 80-year giant and walk up the curving ramp to the station you notice the television screens above your head. All of them playing a movie that informs you in great detail about the history of this seventy feet tall wooden coaster. You also pass newspaper clippings that have been framed on the wall heralding milestones of this great coaster.

As you enter the station you notice something uncharacteristic of most coasters, a curved station. You are than greeted by an attendant who assigns you a seat, and if you know anything about this classic woodie, you know that the back is where it’s at.

After boarding the train your restraints are quickly checked by a horde of friendly operators and you are on your way out of the station and into a pitch-black fifty-foot long tunnel. And than your being hauled up the 70-foot lift hill and thrown down over the airtime filled drop.

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