I was once the girl who chickened out in the E.T. ride queue, who had to sit next to the teacher on a museum ride and even 3D films were a big leap out of my comfort zone. Yet, for me roller coasters are definitely a liking which has heightened with age. This Summer I managed to embrace my inner braveness and conquered thrill rides I never thought I would be able to accomplish.
The rides in Florida were honestly incredible and although they may not top world rankings for the tallest or scariest, I bet few can deny feeling their pulse thud at the top of ‘SheiKra’ (Busch Gardens) or scream as you hit that first inverted loop head first on Manta (SeaWorld). Personally, I feel the most adrenaline and enjoyment from drops and high speeds rather than loops, which make me feel a little queasy. I realise that everyone has their own preferences when it comes to rides so feel free to leave a comment about your own experiences/views, hope you enjoy reading!
Best overall ride experience: ‘Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts’ at Universal Studios
As a Pothead (Harry Potter fan… not a druggie), I absolutely adored the brand new ride ‘Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts’. It is a 3D surround roller coaster so visually it is accurate and highly realistic. Admittedly, for non-HP fans it won’t be as exciting as it is for fans, but in my opinion it is still worth doing. The queue involves a (simulator) lift submerging deeper and deeper into the underground layers of Gringotts Bank, desks with the Daily Prophet where the photographs move, a screen showing silhouettes of Ron, Harry and Hermione in disguise discussing their plan to break into Bellatrix’s vault AND an exact replica of the Gringotts Bank foyer complete with goblins at work. Understandably this will mean little to non-fans yet the ride itself makes up for it. It is a roller coaster with sudden drops, fast turns, backtracking and spins as well as spectacular special effects. It does not go upside down, probably for the benefit of younger fans, but it is so fast it does slightly disorientate you in some parts (or maybe that’s just me!). Even if you know nothing about Harry Potter then I’m sure you will still feel captivated that Voldemort is chasing and casting spells at you, and for fans it is a real treat as you stare at ‘he who must not be named’ eye to eye and feel like you are starring in your own version of the film. To improve it could have been longer as I was very reluctant to get off, this was the biggest disappointment, which if anything is the best criticism a ride could get.
Most thrilling ride: ‘SheiKra’ at Busch Gardens
Imagine being 200ft high ride, your feet dangling and hearing nothing but the creaking of the mechanics edging you forward until you are tipped over the edge… and then you stop. Suspended at that height for even just a few seconds creates a huge thrill as you know what is coming next, but don’t know exactly when, the fall! Although, this ride is probably the generic choice, it was by far the clear winner. Even without considering the two suspended drops, it is a really smooth coaster that does not throw you around which allows you to take in your surroundings rather than a flash of blurred images and colours like some rides create. My big tip is to opt for the front row, it is an absolute must as you won’t feel the same thrilling effect when you are being dangled over the edge if you are at the back.
Biggest letdown: ‘Seven Dwarfs Mine Train’ at Magic Kingdom
This category was by far the easiest to deliberate, in fact it was more of a reflex answer. The hype over this ride was unbelievable, and from a marketing point of view they did a really good job so credit to the Disney team for that. But on a more negative note, it was highly disappointing. I expected it to be like a faster, more turbulent ‘Big Thunder Mountain Railroad’, but if anything it was like a glorified ‘It’s a small world’ on a track. Leaflets described how engineers had utilised new technology which allowed the carts to rock from side to side to add a more thrilling experience to the drops, twists and turns. In reality, the ride was so slow and smooth it was silent, there were not any sudden drops at all and if I’m honest I didn’t even notice the carts rocking so it must have been a very subtle feature. As it is a new ride we queued a fair amount of time for it and headed straight towards it as the park opened, and during the day waiting times peaked at about 2 hours. Clearly you would only ride it once, not only for the queue but because it simply isn’t worth it. I’m sure next year when all the hype has settled down and word gets around that it isn’t very good, wait times will dramatically decrease and perhaps Disney will feel a little embarrassed that their new expensive feature has been highly criticised. I feel very young children would like it, but not love it, it is a weakened ‘Big Thunder Mountain’. It pains me to disparage anything Disney, but they really got this one wrong; Magic Kingdom is in desperate need of another exciting coaster other than ‘Space Mountain’.
Best rollercoaster: ‘Cheetah Hunt’ at Busch Gardens
This coaster was fast, innovative and exciting! It really captured all the traits of cheetah behaviour by involving incredible momentum from start to finish, tracking your prey by bounding through a rocky gorge on a low level and it was smooth and streamlined. Combined with classic coaster features such as corkscrews, loops and drops it had the whole package and it wasn’t over in a flash, it was a long ride which is rare for roller coasters. I can’t fault the ride and although I am a little biased as it was the first big ride I went on, the whole group I was with fell in love with it too. Many holiday makers skip out Busch Gardens as it is in Tampa rather than Orlando, but honestly, the trip is worth it even if you just go on this one ride.
Most underrated ride: ‘Kraken’ at SeaWorld
This was quite a difficult category, but I have chosen ‘Kraken’ because it was fast and unpredictable. It is a long ride where whenever I thought it was over there were more drops and loops and it didn’t seem to tire out. It was between ‘Kraken’ and ‘Rip Ride Rockit’ (Universal) which I also loved but I felt it did tire out near the end, though choosing your own music as you ride is a huge USP. ‘Kraken’ is another floorless coaster and it does the fastest loops in Orlando, which I personally favoured as I’m not a big fan of the classic loop de loop so I would rather get them done quickly. The ride isn’t for the faint hearted as it is steep, and it takes a while to get to the top unlike newer roller coasters, so there is time for nerves to kick in as you hear the ticking of the tracks as you stare at the sky. Although once it gets going it is very fun and fast but without being so intense you feel nauseous, definitely one of my favourites!
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