SFoT TR- Long-
Associated parks:
None
I woke up at 5:30 and left at 6:00 heading to Arlington, TX, and more importantly, SFoT. I had never been, and my first time was great.
I arrived at the park at 9:30 and used my SF season pass to glide on through. ("Can't wait to ride Titan!!") I got to admire the entrance to the park. It really is beautiful. The carousel and the garden provides a lovely photo moment. At 9:45 the workers let us in the park and a huge crowd rushed to the left way (Titan way) and stopped. 10 minutes later, they let us into the Spain entrance area. They delayed letting the crowd pass for 10 more minutes, then all heck broke loose. I've never seen a crowd more "in" to riding a coaster like this! We got to the entrance of Titan. Closed. For THREE HOURS! (at least that's what they said) We waited for another thirty minutes to see if they would open earlier, but none. So we decided to snag a ride on the Texas Giant.
Texas Giant is huge. I loved looking at it; the trains soaring through the shakey wood track. I waited only ten minutes for a front row ride. We crank up the lift hill and I look to my left and what?- I see Titan testing! YES! So, back to the Giant. The first drop is fast and quick, and the turn is huge and bumpy. We dive back down and do a twisting turn up into the side of the first turn for a brake run. Then, as everything is quiet, we twist down an unseeable drop, enveloped by track. We do some turnarounds close to the lift, and the ride slows down. But then the trains shift into gear for the end. The trains suddenly pick up tremendous speed, soaring over drops taken at breathless speeds and plenty of airtime at the edge surrounded by track, and we pull into the brake run. MAN! What a ride! I've ridden CI Cyclone and KBF Ghostrider, and this one tops 'em all. A (9 out of 10) rating! My new #1 wooden roller coaster!!!
So now I'm back to earth at the entrance of Titan, and they say another hour, but I stick around, and 15 minutes later, they say they're opening in 5 minutes. Whew! They open the gate and I run all through the queue until I get to the station. Man! Perfect timing, and no wait! I of course got the back seat, and was sure not to pull the lab bar too far down. We go up the lift, which is pretty quick. Then we soar down the first drop- my heart is in my throat and my butt is off my seat- we race into a tunnel looking fut for just a mouse and up to the turnaround. WOW! Then down the next drop and into the camel hop. AIRTIME, BABY!!! Then the (un-Goliath) helix before the brake run- intensity abound! After the brakes we dip into a corkscrew and into the most powerful helixes I've ever seen-zoom, zoom, zoom and into the final brakes! WOWSERS! My #2 roller coaster with a (9.8) rating under my #1, Millenium Force.
So now what? I run over to the coaster-in-the-dark, "Runaway Mountain." I just wanted to cool off with what seemed like a harmless family coaster. Boy, was I wrong. This intense little thang has helixes almost as powerful as Titan! I was constantly surprised at the drops and I loved the cold air. An (8 out of 10) rating. Pretty good little coaster! (Wait: 10 min.)
I figured I should ride Shockwave, so I rode it ight quick. The Gs in the loops are pretty good, and the airtime is great. A (7.5 out of 10) rating. (Wait: walk on)
I try to ride all the mine trains in every park, and SFoT's was one of the first, so I rode it in the front. It was a nice, pleasant "cool off" coaster with great head choppers and a surprising final drop into the tunnel. Then I rode in the back. This thing gets pretty intense back there, especially with the last drop! It measures up to Shockwave. A (7.5 out of 10)rating. (Wait: 5 min)
I headed over to the Gotham City section. I had ridden the clones of B:TR and Freeze so I knew what to expect. 25 minute wait on both. Batman gets a usual (9 out of 10) rating and Freeze gets an (8.5 out of 10) rating. I also like the theming on each of them. Kept me looking!
I didn't want to ride another boomerang, so I wnt to the park's other woodie, Judge Roy Scream. There was no wait, and I loved its airtime. A (7.5 out of 10) rating.
(I did not ride the bobsled or the two kiddie coasters).
Overall, I'd give the park a (9 out of 10) rating. The collection is pretty good, though they could use some more flat rides. Worth the drive, and it's now my #5 park in the nation. (Under #1 CP, #2 SFMM, #3 IOA, and #4 BGW)
I recommend it to anyone!
I arrived at the park at 9:30 and used my SF season pass to glide on through. ("Can't wait to ride Titan!!") I got to admire the entrance to the park. It really is beautiful. The carousel and the garden provides a lovely photo moment. At 9:45 the workers let us in the park and a huge crowd rushed to the left way (Titan way) and stopped. 10 minutes later, they let us into the Spain entrance area. They delayed letting the crowd pass for 10 more minutes, then all heck broke loose. I've never seen a crowd more "in" to riding a coaster like this! We got to the entrance of Titan. Closed. For THREE HOURS! (at least that's what they said) We waited for another thirty minutes to see if they would open earlier, but none. So we decided to snag a ride on the Texas Giant.
Texas Giant is huge. I loved looking at it; the trains soaring through the shakey wood track. I waited only ten minutes for a front row ride. We crank up the lift hill and I look to my left and what?- I see Titan testing! YES! So, back to the Giant. The first drop is fast and quick, and the turn is huge and bumpy. We dive back down and do a twisting turn up into the side of the first turn for a brake run. Then, as everything is quiet, we twist down an unseeable drop, enveloped by track. We do some turnarounds close to the lift, and the ride slows down. But then the trains shift into gear for the end. The trains suddenly pick up tremendous speed, soaring over drops taken at breathless speeds and plenty of airtime at the edge surrounded by track, and we pull into the brake run. MAN! What a ride! I've ridden CI Cyclone and KBF Ghostrider, and this one tops 'em all. A (9 out of 10) rating! My new #1 wooden roller coaster!!!
So now I'm back to earth at the entrance of Titan, and they say another hour, but I stick around, and 15 minutes later, they say they're opening in 5 minutes. Whew! They open the gate and I run all through the queue until I get to the station. Man! Perfect timing, and no wait! I of course got the back seat, and was sure not to pull the lab bar too far down. We go up the lift, which is pretty quick. Then we soar down the first drop- my heart is in my throat and my butt is off my seat- we race into a tunnel looking fut for just a mouse and up to the turnaround. WOW! Then down the next drop and into the camel hop. AIRTIME, BABY!!! Then the (un-Goliath) helix before the brake run- intensity abound! After the brakes we dip into a corkscrew and into the most powerful helixes I've ever seen-zoom, zoom, zoom and into the final brakes! WOWSERS! My #2 roller coaster with a (9.8) rating under my #1, Millenium Force.
So now what? I run over to the coaster-in-the-dark, "Runaway Mountain." I just wanted to cool off with what seemed like a harmless family coaster. Boy, was I wrong. This intense little thang has helixes almost as powerful as Titan! I was constantly surprised at the drops and I loved the cold air. An (8 out of 10) rating. Pretty good little coaster! (Wait: 10 min.)
I figured I should ride Shockwave, so I rode it ight quick. The Gs in the loops are pretty good, and the airtime is great. A (7.5 out of 10) rating. (Wait: walk on)
I try to ride all the mine trains in every park, and SFoT's was one of the first, so I rode it in the front. It was a nice, pleasant "cool off" coaster with great head choppers and a surprising final drop into the tunnel. Then I rode in the back. This thing gets pretty intense back there, especially with the last drop! It measures up to Shockwave. A (7.5 out of 10)rating. (Wait: 5 min)
I headed over to the Gotham City section. I had ridden the clones of B:TR and Freeze so I knew what to expect. 25 minute wait on both. Batman gets a usual (9 out of 10) rating and Freeze gets an (8.5 out of 10) rating. I also like the theming on each of them. Kept me looking!
I didn't want to ride another boomerang, so I wnt to the park's other woodie, Judge Roy Scream. There was no wait, and I loved its airtime. A (7.5 out of 10) rating.
(I did not ride the bobsled or the two kiddie coasters).
Overall, I'd give the park a (9 out of 10) rating. The collection is pretty good, though they could use some more flat rides. Worth the drive, and it's now my #5 park in the nation. (Under #1 CP, #2 SFMM, #3 IOA, and #4 BGW)
I recommend it to anyone!
I don't know why everybody like the Giant so much. When I rode it, I thought it was extremely rough, and it wasn't a enjoyable experience.
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Don't fight it, Ride it, Raging Bull!
Webmaster:SFGAm 2001
http://www.angelfire.com/extreme/Coasterz
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Don't fight it, Ride it, Raging Bull!
Webmaster:SFGAm 2001
http://www.angelfire.com/extreme/Coasterz
Soggy- I thought it was just as wonderful as Ghostrider, but it is a COMPLETELY different ride experience. It is fairly rough (a good kind of rough, which for me adds to the experience- NOT psyclone rough). I understand very clearly why there are wildly different opinions about it (i.e. my sister and I both love Ghostrider but she hated Texas Giant). If you are looking for the smooth drops filled with airtime like many of the ones on ghostrider, I don't know if you will like it as much as I do. There is a good amount of airtime, but this ride is more about laterals and plain insanity. I'm sure you'll enjoy it, but I don't know if it will be your new #1 or even in your top ten. It all depends upon what you're looking for in a wooden coaster.
*** This post was edited by saviourmachine on 5/27/2001. ***
The Giant is a MAN'S ride, wimps need not apply. If your looking for a silky smooth ride then avoid the Giant at all costs. If, on the other hand, your looking for real mean woodie that packs a whollop with great air and a dynamite finish, then the Giant might just be your new favorite woodie.
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TITAN RULES!
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TITAN RULES!
Are you all on crack? Or am I? Wow, what a COMPLETE reversal of opinions! I rode Texas Giant May 25th, 2001. It was, without a doubt, the all-time biggest disappointment of my coastering career. We rode in the front first, back second. Trim brakes were littered everywhere, and the ride was just plain BORING! I hate to be such a downer, but my goodness, if you saw my face after my first ride...you'd be in stitches. It was pathetic with a capital P. There was just basically nothing to it. It was glass smooth, I had NO problems with roughness, it just didn't DO *ANYTHING*! Even in the back, the only saving grace was the block drop. I didn't even count it on my track record the first time I rode it because I didn't think it could have been that bad.
Even the SFoT locals were shaking their heads in disgust at the pathetic state of the ride. What all could have changed in two weeks?
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"No listenin', you hear me?"
Even the SFoT locals were shaking their heads in disgust at the pathetic state of the ride. What all could have changed in two weeks?
-------------
"No listenin', you hear me?"
I totally agree with you Legendary. I took my first ride on the Giant last September. I was so excited. When I got off of the ride I just looked at my friend that was riding with me and said "was that it?". It was the most disappointing coaster I have ever ridden. I went back on the 26th of May and found the Giant to be in pretty much the same shape. I bet the ride would be killer if they would get rid of all those damn trim brakes. The ride is so slow you feel like you can get out of the car and run faster than the train is going. The back seat was nothing special. Very boring coaster. Not even a top 20 ride.
I was there in July and The Giant was fine! I have always enjoyed this woody! The woody is moody in this Texas heat but I have really never had a bad ride on it- and I love the back seat, it makes my stomach go to my throat!!:):)
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TITAN FANATIC!!
Please Remember 3!!
Remember the legend 1951-2001!!
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