Vekoma Tilt Coaster

We all know that there's a Vekoma Tilt Coaster called Gravity Max in Taiwan. But does anyone know if there is any other themepark planning on adding a Tilt Coaster in their park?

Doubt it.

Why is that? Are they expensive?

I asked the same question of a Vekoma engineer at a European Coaster Club event a few years ago.

He felt that we wouldn't see another installation.

It's a real shame - Gravity Max is a fantastic ride. A one trick pony to be sure, but what a trick it is.

And the vertical drop is a thrill element most of us have experienced in one way or another, just without the excruciating fear of what would happen if the thing cut loose even half a second too early. Gravity Max has to get the award for the scariest anticipation moment of all time.

I believe it was Kings Island, back in the Paramount days, that put a concept for a tilt coaster out there on a survey. I can't remember the theme offhand, seems to me it was some kind of space thing. And IIRC, it was a Vekoma ride. Anyway, I think that's the closest we've come to actually seeing one here in the U.S.

Yeah, I'm not so sure I would be comfortable on a tilt coaster. Just the thought of something letting go would cause me a great deal of anxiety.

^Seems like that's the only real "thrill" in the ride...

I tend to think it might work better if it were more like the Stratosphere X-Scream, where you tilted back and forth a few times without knowing when the actual "release" would come...

rollergator said:

I tend to think it might work better if it were more like the Stratosphere X-Scream, where you tilted back and forth a few times without knowing when the actual "release" would come...

Nice idea, but just imagine what that'd do to the throughput...

I can not imagine i9t being any scarier than that contraption on top of the Stratosphere in Ls$ Vega$. I hope we get one here.

Vekoma Infusion said:

But does anyone know if there is any other themepark planning on adding a Tilt Coaster in their park?

no, that would have made news here.

Vekoma removed it from their product offering last time they refreshed their website. Shame.

I'm not surprised. One would think the maintenance and safety concerns would be a logistical nightmare.

Considering my post above, I have to say that I'm fairly surprised no one felt the need to make an off-color joke.

Or, to quote Frank Costanza at Festivus - "I'm very disappointed in you people." ;~)

bunky666 said:

I'm not surprised. One would think the maintenance and safety concerns would be a logistical nightmare.

My understanding is that there are multiple failsafes in the design. From riding it myself I can tell you that there are multiple locking mechanisms on the tilting track segment.

The park in Taiwan has managed to operate it for over a decade without an accident.

rollergator said:

Considering my post above, I have to say that I'm fairly surprised no one felt the need to make an off-color joke.

Or, to quote Frank Costanza at Festivus - "I'm very disappointed in you people." ;~)

I thought about it, but it woulda been like shooting fish in a barrel.

Richard, this is true. And if you look at Vekoma's boomerang inverts, the failsafes actually have resulted in people getting stuck on the lift hills for hours, which is a good thing compared to something going wrong.

How bad would THAT suck if you were already mid-tilt and a failsafe kicked in and the coaster was just dangling there? *laugh* I think that would probably be the point where I'd be done riding coasters for awhile.