Intamin Bobsleds

Back in July, I rode the Disaster Transport Bobsled ride.

Many people slam this ride, I however thought it was a superb ride! Granted it isn't very fast and not very tall, but the whole bobsled aspect is wonderful.

Why did Intamin stop making bobsleds? Why doesn't B&M, Vekoma, Arrow or any other company make them?

They are missing a huge market. The bobsled coaster is a ride the whole family can enjoy...

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I'd imagine it's because nobody wants them anymore, just like, say, suspended coasters. They're just not what parks are looking for at the current time.

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Matt Lynch
Co-Webmaster : Kennywood Boulevard

Ive ridden two bobsleds:avalanche, and alpine bobsled at PKD and Great escape. I hated both of them.

Mack is still making them, and from all indication, does them better than Intamin.

Mack's Avalanche was tame compared to Diaster Transport which was thrilling, considering how small it is.

Well I have to vie for avalanche here, it's a fun ride while it not terribly intense or fast it is a nice smooth ride that almost anyone no matter how much of chiken they are can ride.

Disastar Transport is a great ride! I don't know why you guys bash it.
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Got a problem with RWB? you've got a problem with me! Rollercoasters are the secret of life!
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Bobsleds are fun but they simply don't compare to the larger thrills of today's coasters.

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.:| Brandon Rodriguez |:.
http://www.coasters2k.com

The only one I've ridden was Rolling Thunder @ SFGAm (now Alpine Bobsleds @ Great Escape.) I myself enjoyed it very much, but I thought the brakes were rough. My mom didn't like the ride a whole lot, because of the roughness. I was little at the time (5-8 years old) so I didn't have the problem which she had, which was banging and brusing her legs.

I wish that SFGAm would have kept the ride and found a new home for it in the park instead of sending it to Great Escape, but I guess Great America had little to do with it, because it was part of the SF ride exchange program (which must have ended soon after Rolling Thunder was moved... :()

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Hey, SFGAm management, can I buy a couple cages of Sky Whirl?

maybe a hyper bobsled with great drops and a helix would go gould at a park like knotts

 

I went to CP this year and rode Disaster Transport about 10 times. The only other thing I rode as much was Millenium Force. DT is sooo fun. I imagin it is a very large structure for such a short ride, and pretty difficult to maintain. Regarding expense.... No park is going to invest in a bobsled ride beacuase it will not DRAW people to the park. Sad but True.

Kevin Costner-"If you build it, they will come"

Only if what is built is as good as or better than the next persons new attraction.

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My other car is a Giovanola!

A hyper bobsled would fly right off the tracks!

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SFMM line cutters are the braviest in the world.

I think bobsleds are very uncomfortable and on the brakes the lap bars kill

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Todd said:
A hyper bobsled would fly right off the tracks!

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What tracks? ;)

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Kennywood Insider's Guide
http://kennywood.coaster-mania.com

I liked Disaster Trasport, I have rode it everytime that I visited the park. It used to acctually be an outside ride. Still, I feel like I am always in line with a bunch of old people, eventhough I am mature at age 33.
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www.geocities.com/urbanaindiana
Your Guide to Indiana beach

Bobsleds are good fun, but probably not a smart buisness decision for parks to invest in now.   Most often now in new rides both big and small, parks seem to be looking for impact....something to draw attention, and to draw visitors. 

I'm afraid that the good old Intamin bobsleds just can't create the buzz that they could when they were brand new.  (Do I dare call them a novelty?) 

Just like arrow suspendeds, stand up coasters, and other coasters that have seen periods of popularity, I'm afraid they have had their heyday, and we might not see many new ones, despite the fact that they are very fun.

I doubt we will see a big park with a new one soon.  CP, SFMM, SFGAd, SFGAm, SFOT, and many other parks both big and small have had them (or still do).

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- Peabody

Wabash, I'm 34 and I hope nobody at a park would ever call me mature .   Anyway, just because a bobsled was tall wouldn't mean it would fly out of the trough - all about physics.  Only bobsleds we've ridden were Avalanche Run and DT.  I rate on a sliding scale, and waiting for over an hour for what seemed like a very short ride hurt DT for me.  AR, with its virtual walk-ons, got rated higher.  Overall, I'd say the rides are comparable, and although it's VERY unlikely we'd ever see it, I'd love for somebody to get a 3,000-3,500' model with LOTS of helices, quick drops, etc. 
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rollergator - intent on improving the "guest experience" - coming soon to a park near you