Home > Pennsylvania > Waldameer Park > Ravine Flyer II > Review Comments


 Review of Ravine Flyer II @ Waldameer Park
1 Rating Posted by: bumprnugit on 9/6/2008 1:49:00 AM
I wanted to give this ride a 10. Oh, how I wanted RVII to get a 10. But is was not meant to be. At least not during this visit. This was my first trip to Waldameer, heading back to NY from 2 days at CP. I immediately fell in love with this park. It has the charm and warmth of regional and trolley parks that used to dot this country but are now few and far between. The fact that RVII was so long in the making made my anticipation of my ride all the greater. And it did not disappoint. For the most part. First off, this is a back seat ride ONLY. The one ride I took in the front seat set me straight on this fact as I disliked the hang over the first sweeping drop. That blissful moment of suspense only works for me on straight-on drops, as banked or swooping drops immediately lose that illusion of steepness. That same drop in the back seat, however, was a yank-me-down, WTF OMG experience. After the first drop, this coaster ran fast and wild. A glorious romp of lateral and negative Gs and a course very difficult to memorize. But there are 3 sections that cause me a certain amount of concern (but not dread.) 1) The high turn around across the highway. On several rides I was seated in the back left, and the lateral force (for as much as I crave them) with arms raised high, was so violent I have concerns with aging this could become a real rib-cracker of a turn. And I think we seasoned vets all know what that can mean for a ride. 2) The 90 degree bank. Does this really add thrill to the ride? It was so brief, it is almost ineffectual. Yeah, I noticed it, but lateral force would have been more memorable (sans rib-cracking.) 3) The final run home. Climbing out of the ravine for the final time, I think I would have been more satisfied had the ride ended there ( à la Kennywood Thunderbolt.) Bunny-hops lacking significant air belong at the beginning of a ride, not during the finale. So how can I rank this a 9 while certain steel coasters fall in my pantheon of rides? Only because I attempt to rate a ride against it&#39..s peers. After getting off RVII my first time, I had an achy grin I typically experience getting off of a Herb Schmeck masterpiece. But unlike some of those classics, the muscle spasms in my cheeks were not as well maintained on my subsequent rides, although they were still noticeably there. I look forward to my next visit to Waldameer, for I know I will return. Even if RVII does not move higher, or even drops a notch in my ratings, this is an outstanding ride for a park well deserving of its presence. Bravo Waldameer for your perseverance on building RVII and may you continue to thrill generations to come.
 
Post Review Comment
You must login or create an account to post a review comment.

 
Clicky Web Analytics