Kumba

I thought I was the only one that loved the little bump so much... such a great part! That and the swoop by the station followed by the drop into the tunnel are my two favorite parts of the coaster. B&M sure don't make em like that anyomre. Everything since about 1999 seems to have lost that special something.

That special something you are looking for is called originality. :)

Don't get me wrong here, I love B&M coasters, but it seems that most of them, especially newer ones, all have the same elements, in the same order.

^I remember seeing that bump in pictures before I rode Kumba - and thinking "wow - how cool for that extra whoop-dee-doo (Bill Cobb made that up)."

When I look at the picture now, I have to shake my head and wonder if that is just a transition from a direct angle, and not really something cool thrown in. Kumba is such a great ride... so many B&M rides seem dictated by strict parabolic curves, etc.

Gotta say this though - after riding Intimidator-305, most B&M's look like a work of art!

Agree 100%! B&M loopers need more little surprises like that. Inversion after inversion gets old unless it's the zero G roll / camel hill on Kumba. I would love to do ten of those in a row!

IMO what makes Kumba great is that it is the last( or atleast one of the last) classic looper and the first modern day looper at the same time. It has modern day elements, but with that old intensity that modern day loopers lack. For example, It's amazing to watch a POV of Kumba going through its cobra roll with amazing speed and then watch a ride like Bizzaro/Medusa crawl through it's cobra roll. The elements just hit you so much faster on Kumba.

Then when you combine that with the rides setting( lack of a parking lot lol) and theming it's easy to see why it's what i would consider a legend.

It was repainted a couple of years ago and then cleaned last year. It looks much better than it used to.
Kumba means Roar and it is very loud. Today I was standing at the edge of Africa over by Mear Cats and I could clearly hear it making the rounds. I have always wondered how the neighbers who live across the street live there. That is way closer than edge edge of Africa. Cheetah Hunt is almost silent.

I was looking around to see if I could find some other coasters that have little features comparable to the dip before the cobra roll, like on Kumba. I have never been on Great Bear at hershey park before, but I've watched different POV's of the ride many times. There is a sharp left bank right before the cork screw, but then the train turns sharply to the right to perform the cork screw. That to me seems like it would make the corkscrew all that much better. Looks like the train has some good speed at that point too. Any truth to this? ;)

Great Bear is well known for meandering after the first half of the ride. It is really cool and all, but for other reasons besides the lackluster end. The helix just after the lift hiss takes me by surprise every time, it has an amazing first drop, and the first two inversions are breathtaking. After that, it seems like it just wants to get back to the station.

On topic, Kumba is incredible. I love the design of the lift going through the first inversion. It seems long enough to not be so cheap, like a lot of other coasters. I'm happy to hear that it is receiving new paint*, because it deserves it.

Edit - *or cleaned.

Great Bear is very powerful up through the corkscrew. Then it just kinda gently zig-zags its way up to the brakes. The little zig-zag into the corkscrew is taken at a decent speed, but it doesn't have any real violent motion to it.

^That said, it's still one of my favorite parts of the ride.

I know I'm in the weird minority, but my favorite part of Great Bear is the stretch from after the Immelman to the end of the final corkscrew. The zero-g -> floater-hill-to-diving-left-turn -> creek skimming -> left zig/right corkscrew zag is one of my favorite progressions on any coaster anywhere.

The sweeping left/sharp-left/right-corkscrew is constant buildup of intensity, and only after that does it peter out and feel like it's just trying to make it to the brakes. Compare that to, say, Fire Dragon at IOA, which leaps from its interlocking corkscrew to a long, straight, flat section, corkscrews under duress, and then meanders up into the brakerun... that's a ride that felt like it just wanted to be back at the station to me.

Of all the coasters at BGT, I have always ridden Kumba the most. I rank it above Sheikra and Montu.

Montu's far and away my favorite at BGT. The corkscrew on Kumba makes my stomach feel all googly-boogly. Still a great ride, though.

I've heard that Cheetah Hunt is damn good, too. They've been running it for full time employees the past few days.

Yeah, I heard cheetah hunt has a similar "oh sht" airtime hill like Maverick. Heading there in two weeks to sample :-)

BBSpeed26 said:
^That said, it's still one of my favorite parts of the ride.

I know I'm in the weird minority, but my favorite part of Great Bear is the stretch from after the Immelman to the end of the final corkscrew. The zero-g -> floater-hill-to-diving-left-turn -> creek skimming -> left zig/right corkscrew zag is one of my favorite progressions on any coaster anywhere.

Mine too. I've loved Great Bear from its first season. It's vastly better than a lot of inverts IMO, because it flys around the terrain and doesn't just constantly flip up-side down like all of the other ones.

Montu is pretty great. I especially like the corkscrew over the wall towards the end. Kumba gets bonus points for aesthetics. The loop over the lift, the cobra roll around the walkway bridge. Never a boring moment.

Acoustic Viscosity said:
Then it just kinda gently zig-zags its way up to the brakes. The little zig-zag into the corkscrew is taken at a decent speed, but it doesn't have any real violent motion to it.

Probably why I like Great Bear so much! It's not inversion after inversion after intense curve... it does some different stuff. And you get to 'kick the SooperDooperLooper'!!! It and Apollo are my favorite B&Ms - most I can do without.

Am I the only one who thinks Sheikra is the best coaster at BGT? (For now. Will have to wait 'til August to try Cheetah Hunt.)

Yes. Sheikra was lame. I did not enjoy it.

Welp. There you have it. You're the only one. ;)

I got spoiled by my first few (semi-brakeless) rides on SheiKra....all other rides on it since that day have been somewhat lackluster by comparison...esp. by comparison to its bigger, badder brother up in VA...

Kumba rules...Montu can compete, and even win, when the trimming is light/off...i.e., rarely.