Review: Superman Escape from Krypton

note this from the article:

"I'm looking forward to this summer when one of the cars on the twin tracks will be turned around to run forward, allowing riders to choose between the two options."

this is the first that I had heard of one car either remaining forward facing, or being swapped for the Summer. If this is true, that really sucks, because nothing has changed with the ride, except the cars with new harnesses and side panels. The ride didn't need OTS restraints for the forward facing ride, and the new restraints, and side panels, will really detract from a forward facing launch.

However, the fact that it is running at top speed is a plus that might mitigate the other changes.

I doubt it would detract enough to complain about. It's not like there are any airtime hills or turns. It's a big 'L'.

Unlike the reviewer, the impression I had when I rode it was that I actually thought the first part of the ride was way better than before. I thought it was very cool the way you couldn't see how far away you were in relation to the tower as you get shot out.

The speed down the straightaway just keeps drastically accelerating - which is especially surprising if you knew it before. I just kept thinking, "where the hell is the tower, we've been traveling for a while and it's still gaining more speed!" When you hit that curve up, the Gs are very strong and surprising. Personally, I really liked that.

Of course going up the tower, the stall and the drop is pretty impressive too, especially if you are used to what it was prior.

The reverse acceleration and climb on the Impulse coasters is one of my favorite things on coasters, especially on Wicked Twister (the twist in the back car is pretty sweet). I can see how that would make the ride better.

Jeff said:
The reverse acceleration and climb on the Impulse coasters is one of my favorite things on coasters, especially on Wicked Twister (the twist in the back car is pretty sweet). I can see how that would make the ride better.

Agreed; seeing the entire train coil underneath you as you're losing speed causes my senses to freak out with happiness

SFMM gets points for being the only park to convert not 1 but 2 coasters from lap-bar to OTSR :) I think they are going the wrong way. But I have heard good things about this ride...

How are they going the wrong way? SFMM invested some money in an older ride to make it relevant again.
I wish some other parks would do the same.

This is the type of coaster that I don't care if it has lap bars or OTSRs so much, because it doesn't have any lateral forces. I saw video of the launch. Some of you may have read my experience with Supes from 2005, where I couldn't believe that the 'launch' was really just the car rolling out of the station. It sucked. Now it actually launches out.

I'm actually looking forward to riding this thing again now.

Alexatucla said:
How are they going the wrong way?

It was kinda a pun - going backwards now with Superman and also backwards (by the opinion of a very small majority of mostly no-life but coasters, coaster geeks) by adding shoulder bars (as they did on the once very highly rated Revolution).

Superman was really a great ride when I last rode it, I'm sure it's alotta fun nowto - maybe more, shoulder bars and all :)

Almost anything would be better than the last, "special" ride I got on Superman...

There were two of us in the car, both in the front seat. The ride started, and we rolled out of the station. We continued rolling at a walking pace, all the way out to the base of the tower. We sat there for a couple of minutes, then rolled back, again at a walking pace, into the station, where we were ordered off the ride and told that the ride had gone down mechanical. What a ... umm ... surprise.

My question, though, is this:

WHY does the word "escape" have anything at all to do with this ride? If anything, it is the kind of "escape" that Han Solo was worried about having if the "old man" had not taken the tractor beam out of commission*.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

* Star Wars, Episode IV: "I just hope the old man got that tractor beam out of commission or this is gonna be a real short trip!"

Never thought of that, but you're right.

Perhaps they could change the name to Superman Escape from Krypton then Return Shortly Thereafter Because You Forgot Your Wallet.

And now with the introduction of OTSR's, they've completely eliminated any chance of the ride ever living up to its name, even accidentally. ;)

CoasterDemon said:

....(as they did on the once very highly rated Revolution).

Ah yes. Revolution could easily be in company with Mindbender and Shockwave but for those ghastly trims and OTSR's. Such a shame..

^ I doubt that. Revolution is boring and over braked. Even with lapbars the ride comes to almost a complete stop 3 seperate times. In it's current state not even close to the other two, regardless of the restraints (which make it almost unridable).

I truly hope it's in the long term plans to one day restore and re-market that ride as they have done with Superman, X, Texas Giant ect.

JK: Not to point out the obvious, but delan *did* also refer to the "ghastly trims". And that is true; Revolution has a lot in common with SooperdooperLooper, in that it is designed to be quite a good ride, with or without the loop; it's not merely a one-trick coaster; it is a good coaster that happens to include the vertical loop gimmick.

I have it on good authority that Sooperdooperlooper has just received some significant structural work on its loop, the kind of restorative surgery that is not at all uncommon for Hersheypark. I wonder if the excessive braking on Revolution is at least in part to avoid some of that kind of necessary repair, particularly considering the increased weight of the trains as a result of the modifications...

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

^ Yep, sorry delan, I missed your mention of the ghastly trims which just adds to the disfunction of that ride. I agree that the ride would probably need major restructuring work to ever run like it once did. Perhaps even a complete rebuild like Disney did with Space Mountain.

I'd absolutely LOVE to see Revolution returned to its initial glory. Doubtful that would happen, but it would merit an immediate flight to SoCal.

As far as OTSRs, I am not quite to Billy's level of hatred - I *really* don't care for them, but they only bother me when they "bother" me. And on a ride with NO turns, they're not going to bother me. Esp. with the reverse acceleration...totally understandable.

And at the other end of the spectrum there's Dave (me), who never met a shoulder restraint he ever liked...

(Tatsu without the shoulder harness? Now that could be fun!)

--Dave Althof, Jr.