Could the New Wave Be These Gravity Group Monsters?

I still haven't been on any of the coasters getting mentioned in this thread, but someone correct me if I'm wrong, haven't most posts indicated that Voyage is more ridable in the back? I'm not saying Swoosh is wrong or whatever because I think this is all completely subjective, just curious if I'm...you know...gauging the popular consensus correctly or whatever.

Matt, when in doubt ride in the back you get more G-forces and usually more air as well (especially on the home stretch.) The only rides that I avoid the back are woodies that have a very bad reputation for being rough and arrow/verkoma loopers (exception LNM.)

Well, I was talking about Voyage specifically. Most reports I read indicated that the front of the train was actually much less comfortable than the back, and I just found it interesting that Swoosh's post seemed to indicate the opposite.

I'm 42 years old and I didn't have any trouble at all riding Voyage..It wore me out a little but it is suppose to...I saw plenty of young kids, 8 and up, getting on and after they were finished they were running back in line...Are roller coaster enthusiasts just out of shape or are we a little soft these days...???

Kids have a tremendous ability to take just about anything a coaster has to offer over and over. I'm only 22 and I can feel a huge difference in my ability to ride compared to when I was 18, and even then I could feel a difference from when I was a very young kid. I could walk off any coaster and not feel any physical effect whatsoever, I imagine its much the same for a lot of people.

I am surprised to read a negative review of The Voyage. I went to HW for the first time in May and had the time of my life. I found the Raven to be fun but too short, the Legend to be good at times but overall disappointing, and The Voyage to be the ultimate, unbeatable rollercoaster. I thought it was smooth as glass from back to front, but sure got thrown around a lot because of the nature of the ride. I didn't see many riders who *didn't* say this was their favorite coaster ever, and this was not during Holiwood nights but during a day with mostly school groups attending. I will be returning to HW from Cleveland just for the Voyage next year I'm sure, because I thought it really was that awesome. I hope GG rides catch on! *** Edited 6/14/2006 9:02:34 PM UTC by lettuce***

Voyage is too fast, too intense, too much air, too long, not enough pauses in the action. Waaaaaah. First we complain because a coaster doesn't pack enough punch, but then once someone hosts the heavy weight title fight we complain it's too much.

Sure it's not for everybody. But I've heard people complain about Iron Dragon at CP, Jaguar at Knotts, and the like. People will complain about Voyage too. But they are the exception rather than the norm. It's not like SOB, where the general consensus is it kicks the crap out of you. During my first ever trip to Holiday World, the only thing I heard about Voyage was all positive. People getting off the ride had huge smiles, young, old, male, female, of every race and all shapes and sizes. Moosh said it best. "It's a non-issue" (or something to that effect). Holiday World swung for the fences and hit a monsterous Pujols-style home run.

The only complaint I heard the whole day was from my friend, who stated he loves Voyage, but thought The Legend was too rough and didn't care for it. There you have it. Someone didn't like Legend. What was Holiday World thinking building that thing?! Taer it down! ;)

*** Edited 6/14/2006 9:18:08 PM UTC by Danimales***

^^Well, just because an opinion is in the minority doesn't mean it is any less valid.

---

Arthur Bahl said:
Kemah (near Galveston)--No coasters anywhere near Houston? This small coastal park could do something to put itself on the map.

---

I remember that someone down there expressed interest in saving the Cyclone, but to no avail obviously. Kemah is a very nice little area, not so much a park as an entertainment district. I think their problem is real estate - it never rubbed across as a potentially large park (I still dont like calling is a "park"), I think the dining/nightlife is still the prime attraction. Of course, a coaster shoe-horned in there like Cornball would be neat :)

---

matt. said:
I still haven't been on any of the coasters getting mentioned in this thread, but someone correct me if I'm wrong, haven't most posts indicated that Voyage is more ridable in the back?

---

I personally liked the front more, and I know its been a good month since I rode it (aside -- wow, time flies) , but I recall the front being good-aggressive and the back being a bit too much. I still can't imagine someone marathoning this thing!

Voyage is awesome but not AWESOME like it sounded like is was supposed to be. I think I liked it more than Swoosh but still was let down, and no, it really didnt fit the family profile of the park - Gobbler sure did though :)

---

matt. said:
^^Well, just because an opinion is in the minority doesn't mean it is any less valid.

---

I never said otherwise. A few might find The Voyage to be too intense, and that's fine (makes the line shorter! :) ). But to imply that Holiday World made an error building this ride as a minority of people around here have alluded to the last couple weeks is a bit of a stretch.

What about when they installed Raven, when all they had was a few flat rides at this "family park"; was that a questionable decision? Apparently not. Holiday World bills itself as a family park. To me, building the Voyage just enhances that image. Why? Because any family can come to this park and please every person. All Jimmy can handle is the Scrambler, while all Bobby wants to do is ride intense coasters. And Grandpa? He just enjoys sitting in the shade eating ice cream, watching his Grandkids enjoy themselves. Little Junior gets to see Santa. Everyone in the family found something they enjoy all in one park. And their wallets didn't get abused to do so, especially with the free soft drinks. Bravo, Holiday World... Bravo.

*** Edited 6/14/2006 9:44:11 PM UTC by Danimales***

What it all comes down to is exactly what makes "a good investment" and really...that's an incredibly difficult thing to define and measure. Its going to be different for every attraction and every park, and the only people who will ever really know for sure are the folks at Holiday World who can know exactly what the goals for the park was, and what the numbers truly reflect. And not even at the end of this year, but several years from now as well.

Hey, Avalanche is less than half the size of this coaster and it wore me out after about 5 rides. I still got about 30 in over the day with breaks in between. That didn't take away the KICK ASS make you feel alive and even euphoric nature of the ride.

Voyage after I quit trying to fight it was extremely rideable and only once rough in the affor mentioned area pre third 90 on all of my 18 rides at HWN. Im 40 and fat and I only seen a few other than me who thought it was too much. Most, Including me thought it was DA BOMB and just blew every other woodie down to second tier.

YMMV, as lisa said, she prefers a ride she could ride all day. I respect that. I however wan't to have my socks knocked off without being hurt and Voyage, Legend and Raven all do that and by talking to GP on HWN weekend it was about 9-1 in favor of voyage!

Chuck

There's an obviously resurgence in interest for old fashioned wooden coasters with a few new twists. Expect to see quite a few more pop up over the next few years. I disagree with Swoosh. I think GG will lead the pack because of their versitility and more importantly, *cost*.

And once again, coaster companies build what parks ask for and not the other way around. GG can just as well build a "Cornball Express" as they can a "Voyage", a "New Mexico Rattler" as well as a "Hades". These coasters thrill families and thrillseekers alike. Obviously, Holiday World wanted the ultimate, and that's what they got, something to put the final nail in Beast's coffin.

Their design skills simply amaze me. But make no mistake, I'm happy to see great WOODEN coasters, whether it be GG, GCI, Intamin, S&S, Coasterworks, and heck, even Vekoma. If I weren't an enthusiast, I wouldn't give two craps who was building these things, I'd just be enjoying the heck out of them.

Bring it on!

^ But would you give *a* crap? ;)

Hehe. I just want to add that while I am *loving* all these new wooden coasters, parks need to MAINTAIN the wooden coasters they have. Not much worse than riding a wooden coaster you rode before (and LOVED) only to find it's just no longer the same ride...

When I heard about some friends' experience with Cheetah today, just reminded me AGAIN what a really good ride it once was... meh.

QUESTION:

Has anyone else felt discomfort due to the huge shuffle of the train right before the last 90* curve?

During the off season they will completely remove the discomfort people are experiencing...They have removed some of it between the 1st and second week...

---

Swoosh said:Has anyone else felt discomfort due to the huge shuffle of the train right before the last 90* curve?

---

Discomfort? Yes. Pain? No. It was certainly nothing worse than the potholes found on dozens of other wooden coasters in the country. It strikes me as a rough spot that HW seems committed to working out when they can.

-Nate

I heard that as well. That shuffle reminds me of the wierd transition between drops 3 and 4 on Ghostrider, right before the midcourse. Many a rib has cracked because of that shuffle. LOL

I myself get a kick out of it. ;)

I noticed a bad vibration on only one ride of my 16 durring HWN. It never hurr me but it was the only moment the coaster felt rough at any time on my visit.

Chuck

Are you talking about that small, curved hop (that doesn't give any air) right before the hop up into the last 90 or actually the hop up into the last 90? I don't remember that being anything rough, but hey, I LOVE Texas Giant. Just ask Andy. ;) After the first weekend, they worked on the transition between the top of the hop and the 90. It was noticebly less severe at HWN. It actually did jar me a bit on opening day and moreso toward the front of the train than the tail. In general though, despite its intensity, Voyage is one of the more "comfortable" woodies out there, IMO.