Thoughts on the voyage.

After attending hwn this past weekend and taking several rides on the voyage, I have come to the conclusion(sp) that this is the wildest most out of controle coaster that I have ever been on. The night rides were just crazy.

There are no words to describe this ride.

The only part that let me down(but not in that big of way) was the 90 deg turns. They just looked more intense than they actually were.

What are your thoughts on this ride? *** Edited 5/30/2006 3:21:50 PM UTC by crazy horse***

While I was on a plane in Maine, I became insane while my friend and I was becoming sick reading our controle panels.

I make typos all the tyme (woah!), but seriously - gravamente, por favor, lea su inscripciones antes de ponerlos aquí.

thanks.

Such the fantastic time having unlimited, night-time access to Raven, Legend and Voyage. What could be better? This weekend Holiday World made it's bid for one of the top amusement park's in the country. Pat Koch, you got my vote.

My impression was that The Voyage blew the minds of a lot of coaster enthusiasts this memorial day weekend. So many elements, that its was a little overwhelming. For me, I'm usually prepared for a coaster to start with a bang then mellow out towards the end. Voyage starts with a bang and ends with an explosion. It just gets faster and faster, shifting into higher gears until it nearly flies off the track towards the end. Nobody is prepared for this thing on their first run.

Once you begin to anticipate everything the Voyage throws at you, most coasters pale in comparison; this includes steel coasters. Folks who believe wood can never be as intense as steel haven't got a clue, and you certainly have not ridden this. Legend and Raven are two fairly amazing coasters in their own right, but after riding the Voyage they felt like family style coasters. I had to wait a couple hours after riding the Voyage before Legend and Raven started to feel like I remembered them.

For me, the Voyage is a totally unique creation that rides the edge. It has taken wood coasters to the limit (in of all places Holiday World). If another coaster tries to do more than the Voyage, it will be too much. This coaster cannot be everyone's favorite, its just too damn intense. Yet, the impact of Voyage cannot be understated. Not since the Beast's grand opening in 1979, has a woody made this big of a splash on the world of wood coasters; SOB and Shivering Timbers included.

The other day I noticed Six Flags changed their El Toro slogan from (Best wood coaster in the world), to (one of the most renoun?) My guess El Toro is expected to get over shadowed by something else this summer; but that's just my opinion.

If SFGAdv has changed any sort of wording in El Toro's marketing, I highly doubt it is due to a coaster halfway across the country that most people in SFGAdv's market have never heard of, and probably never will.

After attending HWN's this past weekend, I now have a new number one. The Voyage was absolutely beyond anything that I ever would have expected from a woodie and from a park the size of Holiday World. I never doubted they could do it, it's just that the whole "family ride" concept got blown out of the water. I'm not complaining though. This is certainly a ride that coaster lovers will come to love and appreciate. This coaster and Holiday World have set the standard for wood coasters from here on out.

Actually, this is Will Koch's continued explosion and repudiation of the "family ride myth." It was harder to see with the Voyage over the weekend with all the coaster nuts running around, but I am certain that the response to the Voyage is similar to the response to the Raven and the Legend: these are rides that the whole family actually loves to ride.

As I have said many times, the coaster enthusiasts are not the only ones who can identify a good coaster. In fact, the only real difference between the way a coaster enthusiast identifies a good coaster and the way a "normal person" identifies a good coaster is that the enthusiast can tell you *why* it is a good ride.

By now we all know that the Voyage runs 100' uphill, then drops the 60' into the turnaround. We know that the turnaround flies through the woods at high speed, through two 90-degree banked turns, one of which is preceded by a reverse-banked curve, then hits the block brake 6' in the air. We know that it's literally all downhill from there, with the elements packed closer and closer as the ride nears the station. We look at the ride and notice all of this, then we also notice the nicely cushioned PTC trains and the friendly operations. We see the way the ride surrounds the entrance to the Thanksgiving section of the park, and we say, "That may be the finest wood coaster ever built."

The non-enthusiast may not be able to articulate all these things. But it doesn't matter. Because the non enthusiast knows the ride is well beyond anything he has ever ridden before. The non-enthusiast says,"Awesome. Voyage ROCKS!".

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

In the terms of baseball many of the great wooden coasters built in the past several years in my opinion were home runs...The Voyage is winning the world series for the next ten years...I live in the middle of Ohio and I will be visiting the park for the 3rd time in the next couple of weeks...This coaster for me is almost beyond description...IN my lifetime only three things have lived up to the hype and surpassed it...The first time I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark , the first time visiting Manhattan and Maui...The Voyage has now entered that group....When I was leaving HW I called up a buddy of mine and told him I believed the Voyage have ruined me in regards to other roller coasters out there...I went to Geauga Lake on Sunday and rode Villian and Big Dipper...Even though the coasters were not in top form my comment I made to my friend my be coming true...

In regards to the 90 degree bank turns my friend whos is not a coaster enthusiasts found them to be one of many favorite things he likes about the ride...Me personally, I love them and they add character to the ride....

*** Edited 5/30/2006 2:22:29 PM UTC by tubs023*** *** Edited 5/30/2006 2:50:22 PM UTC by tubs023***

I spent a lot of time Saturday waiting in line to ride WITH the Kentuckiana natives who weren't "part of the group of nutsos". They did indeed love the ride....of course, they weren't trying to ride the silly thing over and over again after dark... ;)

I really MEANT to do lots of other stuff, just couldn't seem to get out of the Thanksgiving section to do so....thankfully some PNW friends who were *new to HW* finally showed up and I had to (got to?) show them around... :)

On Saturday afternoon, in an effort to escape the heat & humidity and do some souvenir shopping for my nephews, I spent about 30 mins in the Voyage photo & gift shop watching the GP who had just experienced the coaster. I saw people of all ages including entire families -- from kids to parents & grandparents -- happy and excited having just experienced the ride.

Well Im not going into the blow by blow description here. Im only going to post my thoughts on Voyage vs any other coaster.

OWNED!

One word describes it!

Im a junkie who craves the most intense coasters out there, The ones that toss, turn, boot and throw ya as long as they don't HURT YOU!

OMG! honestly, I was one of the ones who looked at all the pics and videos and this coaster still ate me up and spat me out!

Seriously, There's only four places to catch a breath on the coaster and even them are great in some way. The three nineties and the midcourse. The nineties are visually impressive and fun to ride IMHO

Compared to all other coasters I've ridden, and I've ridden quite a few, NOTHING COMES CLOSE and PROBABLY NEVER WILL again!

I don't think it will ever be beaten!(Unless Will Koch ever attempts it)

El Toro, while not having ridden it yet, Im sure will have some major intense airtime and be very fun and intense, but for shear length and intensity I don't see any other park building this or something comparable to this ever again, Maybe Silverwood or some other may attempt it but IMHO it's in most parks view that this coaster would be too intense for it's guest

Either way, It's gonna be tough to beat. ANY TAKERS?

The Voyage on my first several rides was too demanding for me IMHO. I don't know weather it was the heat, the fact that I was attempting to ride hands up, or that I am pretty out of shape, but It had me whipped and ready to end by the third 90* on my first several rides.

On Saturday, I rode with my hands up on the first three drops and then just rested them the rest of the ride on the lapbar, Remembered to breath at the top of each hill and midcourse and by Saturday night I was riding the whole coaster and ready for more! The ending is just totally nuts but early on it kinda thought it was a little over the top! It's not tho, Once your ready for it.

Raven= Intense-rideable to almost everyone and fun- Great and to the point!

Legend= Insane! (Expecially late at night) -great combination of fun and intensity, Ends at almost the perfect point to be able to ride again.

Voyage= OWNED- Your completely at the whim of this ride, Nothing doesn't work the way it was meant too, and you can't escape it's grasp till it says you can!

I also agree with Rideman, The GP eats these insane coasters up and really don't care why. The Beast while neutered is the most sought after ride in PKI's family park as are Drop Zone and Delerium.

HW is also a example of having ten+ year old rides that still get talked about! Raven still holds it's own and Legend while only being 6 is still impressing people. I look forward to it's next winter helix total makeover.

Chuck, who will write a full HWN review soon. *** Edited 5/30/2006 3:46:42 PM UTC by Charles Nungester***

Nice description RideMan, no one could probably have said it better. I do however find that even most of us enthusiasts, after riding the Voyage for the first time can only muster up the same words the GP uses to explain what just happened ... "Damn! That was unfreakin'believably incredible with non-stop intensity!" Or better yet, I noticed other folks didn't even know what to say once they got off the Voyage. I can concurr with all of that and more.

Here's how a few of us described The Voyage:

"It's like riding the Raven's finale--the fifth drop to the brakes--except it lasts for about three minutes." :) *** Edited 5/30/2006 3:47:54 PM UTC by Acoustic Viscosity***

The Voyage was more intense than any wood or steel coaster that I have ridden. A lot of ACEers were sitting outside the station trying to catch their breath. You have to be in good shape to ride this one as it can break you into little pieces.

The Legend and The Raven more than held their own.

Yes this is an amazing ride! Not sure if it was the heat or not but after every ride I came back to the station sweating! Felt like I had been sprinting through the woods. We will visit this park again. They deserve every golden ticket they have gotten and more. It is a wild ride that makes your head spin and love it (without getting beat up - hear that Sonny)

Yeah, except for the sheer number of people, it was kind of looking like a NAPHA ERT... :)

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Just an idea....showing up for an ERT session with few enough attendees to allow instantaneous multiple re-rides just MIGHT prove to be too much for even some hardcore lovers of INTENSE rides (such as, well, me)... ;)

Seriously, from someone who *loves* TrEmoRs and Ghostrider and TX Giant and Rampage...that is SAYING something.

Just plain WOW! :)
*** Edited 5/30/2006 5:02:13 PM UTC by rollergator***

I sure know I've never seen that many enthisuasts just kicking back and relaxing on the midway during an ERT event. Those must have been the folks still recovering from their earlier Voyage rides. ;)

Fanofwood, Rideman: Either of you guys know any parks where my AARP card can get me a discount?

It sneaks up on you. One day the those spin-and-spews become literal. You start skipping kiddy coasters because you're not sure if you can get back out of the things. And you can't take as many laps on a ride as intense as the Voyage, but you can sure enjoy them.

Now that is what coastering is all about.

Plus us grey-hairs were just being nice to you impetuous youth, allowing you more turns because we're such wonderful human beings. Yeah, that's the ticket!

Wow. That ride means business. It was "in a hurry to get back to the station"!!! I don't think the wheels could move any faster without shattering. It's the only ride that has ever made me sit down after... or have to get a cold water...

It actually made me sick, I had a double ride (ditched my bud to jump in the back with a single rider) and I almost threw up. I DO NOT throw up. I think it was the heat. I didn't have enough water in me.

I've ridden the best, even did the SCREECHIN eagle 64 times in one day. Texas Giant opening week. All that. Coney all night. Nothing comes close.

The only thing I do not like about this ride, is those awful PTC falling lap bars. This is why I still rank the classics (T-bolt, coney, etc.) higher. It's an overall experience for me.

I'm not that BIG of a guy, but wishing I could put my 'private parts' in a locker for the day... well, it was very snug when the train got back. It's not the best fun either holding your bar up or jamming your leg up against it to prevent it from falling down. And the seatbelt.. I guess it's necessary, but I think PTC could do a little more along the lines of comfort. Look at Coney Island cyclone.

I'll probably get some crap for that, but it's how I feel. It's still a top top top ride, intensity cannot be beat by anything I've ever ridden. Dunno If I could take much more! And Holiday World is world class, big time (as always). Legend is broken in and better than ever...

Insane.

That one word is really the only way to describe the Voyage. It has plenty of airtime and laterals, but what truely stands out is its epic scale. There is essentially no chance to catch your breath on the ride except the brief MCBR. By the time night rides rolled around, even that was gone.

I found myself glad there was a wait for the Voyage because I needed the chance to recover from the last ride. After riding the Kentucky Rumbler the next day, I agree with J7G3. Compared to other trains, the PTC ones are brutal. While it may not be the train's fault (more probably lies with the intense nature of the Voyage; it literally feels like the ride is ripping itself apart.), the Voyage beats you up more than other rides like the Rumbler. Granted it is no where near rides like Raging Wolf Bobs pre-retracking and the excitement makes up for the pain, Voyage is not a ride you can marathon. It simply demands respect.

Despite its intensity, the Voyage is still a very fun ride. Trusting Holiday World's maintainance, it will continue to a fun ride.

As far as the GP is concerned, the ride is a hit. Whenever I mentioned Voyage or even how good any ride was near a member of the GP who could hear me, they usually inquired if I had ridden it and proceeded to state that it was the best. Mind you, these were people varying from just tall enough to ride it to older folks.

-Rocky (who is still recovering from the lapbar bruises and late nights)