Hersheypark 04/21/2013 - Working Up Courage and Questionable Legality

I like to think the same thing on Power Tower when certain unnamed individuals such as the one with the post right above this one convince me to ride the turbo drop side under the incorrect assumption that "it'll be fun."

Not that I'm bitter or anything...

;)

Carrie and Co., the Fahrenheit lift is much better in the front car because you can see the track a little better and know what's coming. The only drawback is not so much of a whip over the top into the drop. It's a trade-off.

Are there other lift systems that resemble RRR and Fahrenheit in the US? I am familiar with the Toboggan rides, but any other major coasters that employ this design/technology?

Mystery Mine has a vertical lift hill. Maybe even two, unless I'm mis-remembering. And every time I ride Fahrenheit's lift hill, it brings back good memories of Ultra Twister at GAdv.

Daredevil dive and Canobie's euro fighter also have vertical lifts.

Forgot about Untamed..and I was on that more recently than Mystery Mine!

Or Maveri...wait, shoot, that's just the drop. ;)

Spongebob at Mall of America also has the vertical lift.

And Iron Shark.

Wow, I have been seriously out of the loop (no pun intended). Most of those are pretty new, so a trend seems to be developing. I haven't really heard anyone talk about their experience on these rides. Any fun for the jaded enthusiasts, or a big pile of "meh"?

Dare Devil Dive was a pretty fun ride. Nothing more than an obvious "filler" coaster, but definitely worth a lap on each visit if the line isn't terrible. It's not of the same caliber as Fahrenheit if you want a point of reference, but it's still good fun.

Mike Gallagher said:

Mystery Mine has a vertical lift hill. Maybe even two, unless I'm mis-remembering. And every time I ride Fahrenheit's lift hill, it brings back good memories of Ultra Twister at GAdv.

Nothing wrong with your memory; Mystery Mine does have two vertical lift hills. They didn't bother me nearly as much as the lift on Fahrenheit, probably due to the shorter distance.

bunky666 said:

Carrie and Co., the Fahrenheit lift is much better in the front car because you can see the track a little better and know what's coming. The only drawback is not so much of a whip over the top into the drop. It's a trade-off.

Are there other lift systems that resemble RRR and Fahrenheit in the US? I am familiar with the Toboggan rides, but any other major coasters that employ this design/technology?

Thanks for the tip, Bunky. I'll have to try to find some way to get into the front. When I rode Fahrenheit I got on as a result of having a disability pass and the ride ops did not allow me to choose a seat; they told me where I had to sit and this was close to the rear of the train. I suspect that fitting people who show up at the exit of a ride with a disability pass onto the train wherever they can is a common practice at parks. It all depends on the setup. Fortunately, at some parks, such as Busch Gardens Tampa, you can show a disability pass to the person at the ride entrance, get a ride time marked on the card, then return to the entrance and pick whatever seat you like.

I for one am not a fan of the vertical lift. I feel the blood rush to my head and it gives me a very uncomfortable feeling. 90 degrees is just too much, I feel that even 85 degrees would be fine, but I understand it's a marketing thing. (And a space saver) It's just too bad that I really like the rest of the coasters that are attached to said lifts. (SBSP, MM, Fahrenheit) I pray (figuratively) that I never get stuck on one.

To bring it slightly off topic, I feel the exact same way about laying on my back on the Vekoma Flyers.

Glad you had such a great time! I'm planning a trip to Hersheypark for mid-summer (RIP Roller Soaker). The only problem I had with Fahrenheit's lift was the feeling that I was sliding backwards out of the seat, but holding on for dear life :) solved that.

bunky666 said: Carrie and Co., the Fahrenheit lift is much better in the front car because you can see the track a little better and know what's coming. The only drawback is not so much of a whip over the top into the drop. It's a trade-off.

Actually, I have ridden in the front and it's the absolute worst. There is no car in front of you to focus on, so all you have is the open sky which amplifies the open weirdness I experience on the vertical lift. And really, I don't need to see track to know what's coming...it's just up and up and up for 12 seconds until I can feel myself leveling off. ;-)

Wildone, I agree that Fahrenheit offers the sensation of sliding backwards out of the seat. I don't have that feeling with Mystery Mine's seats/harnesses at all.

I loved Fahrenheit's vertical lift. I rode in the front seat, and it delivered a whole new kind of thrill to me. It brought a little fear back, which I haven't felt from a coaster in awhile.

My recall of Mystery Mine is that the first vertical lift is in the light and is followed by a relatively short drop while the second is in the dark and produces a greater drop.

Carrie J. said:

bunky666 said: Carrie and Co., the Fahrenheit lift is much better in the front car because you can see the track a little better and know what's coming. The only drawback is not so much of a whip over the top into the drop. It's a trade-off.

Actually, I have ridden in the front and it's the absolute worst. There is no car in front of you to focus on, so all you have is the open sky which amplifies the open weirdness I experience on the vertical lift. And really, I don't need to see track to know what's coming...it's just up and up and up for 12 seconds until I can feel myself leveling off. ;-)

Wildone, I agree that Fahrenheit offers the sensation of sliding backwards out of the seat.

So it is more the openness and the sliding backwards then...I can definitely see that being an issue. I found the front car to be a little better because I at least knew when we were getting to the top (I am not a fan of the vertical lift myself). My personal fear is that the system will malfunction due to all that weight and the whole coaster will fall back down a lift hill with pretty much no room for error between the lift and the station. Completely irrational? Yes. But it is always in the back of my brain.

You know, it's interesting that you mention all of that weight. I know zilch about physics and such, so pardon my ignorance. But for some reason, the vertical lift does feel to me like it's a heavier burden to get the train up and over.

I don't know if it's just because you pretty much come to a stop at the base while it latches on or because the ascent is vertical. It just feels heavy...or something. :-)

It probably IS a heavier or more challenging burden, actually, but I'm as physics impaired as you, so I could be wrong. I always think of my science teacher demonstrating "the longer the lever, the lighter the load" at Franklin Institute. They had a bag of sand there that weighed something like a ton. There were a series of three or four rope pulleys at different lengths away from the sandbag. The longest one could lift the bag with minimal participation by the student. The shortest rope pulley could be swung on by a few students all at once, and the sandbag still would not lift off the ground. Now add a steeper gradient to it, and I'd be willing to bet the load for Fahrenheit is pretty darn hefty. It would explain why the trains feel smaller than Storm Runner's...they had to reduce weight somehow. *laugh*