Rapterra is done. The final pieces arrived early in the week. They should be installed tomorrow.
Kings Dominion Project 2025/Caldera: Rapterra (Launched B&M Wing Coaster)
- Thread starter horsesboy
- Start date
Construction site is busy today
Last one and I’m out of here
One pic of the airtime hill and raptor roll
And another I took when admiring Jungle X’s new ambiance
And another I took when admiring Jungle X’s new ambiance
Yep, there's an operator booth above the station on the dispatch-side.
I think every* B&M wing coaster has an operating booth like that—I imagine it's basically necessary with the track in the middle between each side of the train.
First off. Though all of our focus is naturally on the coaster itself. (As I haven't seen this mentioned yet) I want to give big props to the park's landscaping department:
For every pathway they've gradually opened, the surrounding beds has been fully planted - where the park could have easily put down just mulch, and called it a day. So for today's new pathway connecting back to Arachnidia:
And as I haven't seen too many night-time photos of this awesome addition to the park, here are a few...
For every pathway they've gradually opened, the surrounding beds has been fully planted - where the park could have easily put down just mulch, and called it a day. So for today's new pathway connecting back to Arachnidia:
And as I haven't seen too many night-time photos of this awesome addition to the park, here are a few...
Just got back from my first visit since 2021 and first of hopefully many after moving to VA. Rapterra looks awesome and the park has noticeably improved, even from 2021 when it was already much better than my visits as a kid in 2008-2011.
I also received some interesting intel from my girlfriend after I was turned away from Tumbili due to my height. KD (and I guess Cedar Fair) have a policy of ASKING taller riders how tall they are instead of measuring, and taking that height at face value to avoid liability should something happen. After I left, the ride op told my girlfriend that if I want to ride something, just say I'm 6'5" or 6'6". It's policy for ops not to question it.
I had said previously that I would happily sign a waiver to ride coasters im "too tall" for (especially knowing the reason for the restriction is almost NEVER due to restraints or ride envelope). This is pretty much what CF is doing. I really hope legacy Six Flags parks adopt this policy. I'd love to get back to SFNE and ride Superman.
The reason I post this here is because I expect Rapterra to have a max height limit like other wings. I don't know if anyone else on this forum is my height or cares, but I thought some may find the employee policy interesting at least. So assuming nothing changes, just say you're under the limit if you're not. They'll probably ask. They even asked me on Dominator, which as far as I know doesn't have a max.
Now we pray Busch Gardens adopts this policy too. I'll lie away to get on Pantheon/DarKoaster/Big Bad 2: Bigger and Badder. I promise I'll shut up about it if they do.
I also received some interesting intel from my girlfriend after I was turned away from Tumbili due to my height. KD (and I guess Cedar Fair) have a policy of ASKING taller riders how tall they are instead of measuring, and taking that height at face value to avoid liability should something happen. After I left, the ride op told my girlfriend that if I want to ride something, just say I'm 6'5" or 6'6". It's policy for ops not to question it.
I had said previously that I would happily sign a waiver to ride coasters im "too tall" for (especially knowing the reason for the restriction is almost NEVER due to restraints or ride envelope). This is pretty much what CF is doing. I really hope legacy Six Flags parks adopt this policy. I'd love to get back to SFNE and ride Superman.
The reason I post this here is because I expect Rapterra to have a max height limit like other wings. I don't know if anyone else on this forum is my height or cares, but I thought some may find the employee policy interesting at least. So assuming nothing changes, just say you're under the limit if you're not. They'll probably ask. They even asked me on Dominator, which as far as I know doesn't have a max.
Now we pray Busch Gardens adopts this policy too. I'll lie away to get on Pantheon/DarKoaster/Big Bad 2: Bigger and Badder. I promise I'll shut up about it if they do.
This coaster has at least 4 places where the track spine is bolted directly to the footer on the ground; before and after the dive loop and it appears before and after the air-time hill. I wonder how many times the average rider will be lifting their feet up while riding?
To add, 3 out of 4 wing coasters in the US feature the operator panel being above the direct center of the train up stairs on the dispatch side. Wild Eagle is over to the left side facing the dispatch raised up but not nearly the level of the other three wings.
Gonna be great driving to the lot and seeing this next year with trains on it
Just rode by and no new track work this week (so far)
I don't know how much more track there is left to install but maybe they're waiting on the last few pieces because there will be some sort of near miss structure they'll need to install simultaneously. Or maybe I'm just coping
Every time I see the status updates, I become more and more impressed with how much they've been able to do in such little time. We only have six pieces to go in a project literally announced around a month or two ago.
Eh, the announcement happened after ground broke and track was already present, so it's not necessarily going faster than any comparable job... Just more noticeable given it's prominent location.