Dragon Coaster at Playland in Rye

I really don't know anything about this coaster. How is it?

Eh.

I only got one ride on it, and personally wasn't that impressed. But it could have been because I had just suffered a terrible ride on their Hurricane steelie.... eeeeeeouch!

The ride is unique for it's historical feel, however I believe it has Morgan trains that do not ride very well.

Never-the-less, I was just keen on the fact it was the coaster Tom Hanks rode in "Big." Of course I was a bit dissapointed by Rye in that it was absent the Zoltar machine ;-)

Ahhhh, but that Derby and Carousel! Those made the visit worthwhile!

Shaggy

------------------
Shaggy

Proud A-lister!

---

Shaggy said:

Morgan trains that do not ride very well.

Of course I was a bit dissapointed by Rye in that it was absent the Zoltar machine ;-)

---

"Morgan trains that do not ride very well"....sounds redundant, Shaggy...;)

Should we take *guesses* at what you'd have asked of Zoltar...probably not...:)

Its tame. VERY tame. For a big coaster, it is quite uneventful, with "rampy" drops and slow, unbanked curves. It was clearly Rye's family coaster while the Aeroplane was offering hardcore thrills on the other side of the midway. In its defense, the coaster is smooth, is relatively long, has a tunnel, and appears well-maintained.

The Morgan trains definitely do not help (they are too light- much lighter than the original P&C trains were), but even if this thing still ran the original rolling stock, this would a family ride. Not to say that's a bad thing, though, as Playland and the Dragon are worth a visit. If the park finally gets that Crazy Mouse, I'll be there more than once this summer!

------------------
-Rob

This is a pretty neat rollercoaster. I actuallly liked the unbanked turns especially on the second turnaround. It may not have the intensity of Ghostrider, but I remember as a youngster I thought htis was the best thing since sliced bread. I also liked the way it lit up at night. This was my first rollercoaster so it holds a special space in the heart.......that and its in the Bronx.....well westchester county....but its only 6 miles away from my house :)

------------------
Welcome to Planet Nupe!

Its a nice ride and definately a family ride, I think that considering the other coasters sporting morgans that this one actually rides better. I wouldn't know what the other trains are like, since I rode it the first time after the morgans were installed. It's a nice ride, nothing thrilling, and I recall several other times it was used in a video production, Glenn Close rode it in Fatal Attraction, and Sweet Mariah Carey sang fantasy while riding it

------------------
never met a coaster I didn't ride (except Junior Geminii) :(
*** This post was edited by Sam A. Marks 3/3/2003 3:20:47 PM ***

I went one it twice when I was there. One ride in the back and one in the front. You cannnot decide where you site but you can go in front of people when everyone is getting a seat. The front is definitely the place to be. There is a little airtime but I liked it. Rye also has lots of nice flats, haunted houses and a double shot.
------------------
Sean Newman

Being a Westchester resident, the Dragon is the closest thing I have to a home park. It is a nice relaxing quiet ride but it does offer the best hand choppers I've seen (as compared to the same parks Hurricane where you can accidently touch the structure at way too many places!)

Yeah I'm waiting for Rye to get a decent coaster (read Aeroplane recreation) but they have a knack for announcing rides and building them a few years later if not at all (Crazy Mouse, Playland Plunge, Wildwind)

As for the park, it is beautiful. I just recently pulled an article from a 1928 Architect's Journal while using amusement parks for my research (again) and god I wish I could of been there back in the day.
------------------
Keith
Koaster Count: 92
The Amusement Park rises bold and stark, kids are huddled on the beach in a mist

Dragon Coaster was not designed to be a thriller. It is the last remaining scenic railway coaster in the US and by design features shallow drops that do not necessarily produce moments of airtime.

It is intended to be a family coaster and it fulfills its purpose extremely well. Anyone riding it looking for extreme thrills hasn't done their homework.

Moosh- loves Dragon Coaster!

------------------
"Outside of a dog, a man's best friend is a book. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx

I must've ridden that coaster 100 times by now. I live about 30 minutes from Playland, and with the pay per ride policy, nothing beats it for a quick coaster fix.

I really like the Dragon Coaster, despite it's "tame" reputation. It's not a thriller, but it's not supposed to be, and it serves its purpose excellently. I'll put my money where my mouth is when I say that it's about as 'right on' as a coaster can get. Where as most coasters intended to be thrillers fall short, Dragon's intented to be a "fun" ride, and it's as "fun" as they come. On top of it all, even with the morgan trains, it's a classic Church design. Even if you can't stand it, it's worth having on your record for that alone.

As for the handchoppers... sometimes they can be a little too close for comfort. On a ride two summers ago, right after the last turn as we were heading back towards the station, I had my hand raised and a tad to the side, holding my hat. My hand slammed into a piece of structure, and needless to say, I dropped my hat and bruised my hand. I was shocked at first, but looking back on it I think it was a good experience ;) .

------------------
Steve Guilmette
Mechanical Engineering
UNC Charlotte
*** This post was edited by SteveGuilmette 3/5/2003 12:42:03 AM ***