United States Massanutten Resort — Project 2026: Mountain Mayhem Coaster

[paintervision]

It's been a long time in the making, but it sounds like the coaster is ready to go at the end of October.

I'm thinking of making a run this year yet (and also to see the new Buc-ee's). Also interesting as this is the North American debut of a new manufacturer/model, MND Group Funcoaster.

 

[outhikn]

I was at Massanutten over the weekend and got a chance to checkout the progress on the new coaster.

Though they had it roped off (so I could not go into it), the station looks impressively large, built off to the side of the snow tubing hill:


It seems they're still working on the cars - where they had 3 on the track, but each with no seat bottom installed yet:




A small view of the lift hill, as it exits the station:


Looking up at the two helixes higher up on the mountain:

[Note: you can see the helixes in a wider view, if you look close at the first photo of the station, in the far left-hand side of the photo.]

As the lift hill (closer of the two tracks) climbs its way to the top, and then across the road:



And finally some other angles of the track - where it seems they're still doing some work:





Though the coaster is honestly not as a long as I'd hoped for, I'm looking forward to experiencing the 'single rail' design of this one, and comparing it to the Wiegand mountain coasters I'm used to.

 

[TPoseOnTantrum]

Though the coaster is honestly not as a long as I'd hoped for, I'm looking forward to experiencing the 'single rail' design of this one, and comparing it to the Wiegand mountain coasters I'm used to.

This is going to be interesting because it's from a manufacturer with only one other coaster to their name and has helices, something that the SunKid/Brandeur variants just don't have. It looks a little more over-engineered. Am intrigued to hear reactions on how it rides.

The usual SunKid ones can be insane. A few years ago I rode the relatively new one at Camp Fortune in Quebec, which takes you down a 360 foot elevation in around a minute's time at top speed. Most of it is a steep descent, little to no banking, and constant insane laterals. The cars are a little more barebones than the Wiegand ones and have a triple seatbelt securing your bottom only. I took three laps in quick succession and it almost killed me. A longer duration with that sustained layout might have for sure. I'm reliably informed as well that the Anakeesta one is also incredibly good. Wiegand is better at making longer, more elegant, and accessible coasters, but SunKid at their best can be up there with some of the most insane coasters out there.

 

[Le Moose]

I was at Massanutten over the weekend and got a chance to checkout the progress on the new coaster.

Though they had it roped off (so I could not go into it), the station looks impressively large, built off to the side of the snow tubing hill:
View attachment 39946

It seems they're still working on the cars - where they had 3 on the track, but each with no seat bottom installed yet:
View attachment 39947
View attachment 39948
View attachment 39949

A small view of the lift hill, as it exits the station:
View attachment 39950

Looking up at the two helixes higher up on the mountain:
View attachment 39951
[Note: you can see the helixes in a wider view, if you look close at the first photo of the station, in the far left-hand side of the photo.]

As the lift hill (closer of the two tracks) climbs its way to the top, and then across the road:
View attachment 39952
View attachment 39953

And finally some other angles of the track - where it seems they're still doing some work:
View attachment 39954
View attachment 39955
View attachment 39957
View attachment 39956

Though the coaster is honestly not as a long as I'd hoped for, I'm looking forward to experiencing the 'single rail' design of this one, and comparing it to the Wiegand mountain coasters I'm used to.

It’s been a LONG time since I’ve been to Massanutten, but are the zip lines they had next to the tubing hill still there or did this replace that?

 

[outhikn]

It’s been a LONG time since I’ve been to Massanutten, but are the zip lines they had next to the tubing hill still there or did this replace that?

Good question. In the first photo I posted, showing the new station for the coaster, look at the top of the photo and you will see the zip lines still there, coming from the top of the tubing hill. And in the fifth photo (prefixed with: "small view of the lift hill, as it exits the station"), I can see the zip line platform itself.

So I'm assuming the zip lines will remain. And as the coaster travels its own path up the hill, clearly to the side of the zip lines, I would assume they'll be able to operate both (coaster + zip lines) simultaneously.

 

[Le Moose]

Good question. In the first photo I posted, showing the new station for the coaster, look at the top of the photo and you will see the zip lines still there, coming from the top of the tubing hill. And in the fifth photo (prefixed with: "small view of the lift hill, as it exits the station"), I can see the zip line platform itself.

So I'm assuming the zip lines will remain. And as the coaster travels its own path up the hill, clearly to the side of the zip lines, I would assume they'll be able to operate both (coaster + zip lines) simultaneously.

Ah, okay. Like I said, it’s been a hot minute since I have been there haha.

I remember they had just started building the “new” ski lodge

 

[netdvn]

Has there been an update on when this coaster is supposed to open? Considering a trip up there to pick up some Christmas merch from Buc-ee's and having the mountain coaster open would give me a good reason to bite the bullet and go.

I know it was supposed to open at the end of October but I checked the resort's social media and there's been no word on the opening date.

 

[paintervision]

Has there been an update on when this coaster is supposed to open? Considering a trip up there to pick up some Christmas merch from Buc-ee's and having the mountain coaster open would give me a good reason to bite the bullet and go.

I know it was supposed to open at the end of October but I checked the resort's social media and there's been no word on the opening date.

It still says "Opening 2025" but who knows? The missed their end of October date.



It's a 3 1/2 hour drive for me, so once they open it I'm going as soon as I can confirm it.

 

[Le Moose]

So I’m guessing this is now a 2026 attraction.

 

[matt_r14]

Any update on when this will open?

 

[richmondrider]

Really strange how there has been radio silence since the fall...

 

[SixFlagsIssues]

On a Facebook post about their waterpark expansion

 

[zachclarke]

It's open!

I'd been intrigued by this, with its opening repeatedly pushed back since spring 2024, and it's always exciting when a new coaster opens nearby, so when I saw that it finally actually opened this week I wanted to go check it out. I am disappointed to report that it's awful!

The ride moves at a glacial pace throughout the entire layout even with the brake levers pushed down. Despite this, it manages to be pretty rough, with the car jerking laterally for the entire ride. Holding the brake levers down was also quite awkward, and I can see it being a challenge for people who are shorter or lack upper body strength. I noticed multiple instances of people briefly stopping on the track and wondered if this was the reason.

If any masochists want to spend their time and money to ride this piece of junk, I suggest showing up right when the park opens at 10. I arrived at 10:30, waited in a 30 minute line to buy a ticket, and my return window was still not until over an hour after that. Your mileage may vary as today was a holiday and probably busier than most days. I assume they're choosing to use return windows instead of a traditional line because of the excruciatingly slow dispatch procedure. A car was dispatched about every 2 to 3 minutes. They had more cars in states of disassembly so this may improve if more are put onto the track.

I had no intention of taking video but felt it was necessary to show just how slow this thing is. These are about the same as my ride where I held the brake bars down. The website says it reaches 25mph but I truly have a hard time believing it cracks much more than 10.


View attachment Mountain Mayhem.mp4










The ride fails at being exciting, interesting, smooth, comfortable, or efficient. I'm curious if the two year delay was worth it to the resort. It's hard for me to imagine a bigger whiff on a mountain coaster.

 

[richmondrider]

Yikes! Thank you for the detailed report. How disappointing. We all loved the mountain coasters in TN and was looking forward to giving this one a try…but not after that video.

 

[AlpenChariot]

Well this definitely makes the decision to drive from Hampton Roads a bit harder

 

[paintervision]

Rode this today. My first stop of the day was at Buc-ee's in Rockingham, but I got here around Noon. The ride itself is pretty rough and honestly, I think it comes down to the tiny guide rail section on the top of the track. I'm no engineer but it looks like this isn't sufficient for banked turns - compared to your normal Wiegand model, this rode like trash.

I may be wrong, but I don't think it will be around much longer in this form - the supports look good but the track itself looks rough, as if it wasn't shaped or profiled correctly in some spots. Maybe retracking work could save it, but it does seem like a flawed design from the jump.

In any case, this was my first new credit of 2026. So there's that.

I suggest showing up right when the park opens at 10. I arrived at 10:30, waited in a 30 minute line to buy a ticket, and my return window was still not until over an hour after that.

Going by my photo timestamps: I got through the ticket line by 12:25, and was quoted a window starting at 3:45 PM. I said I was just buying the coaster ticket for a single ride, and they let me go sooner with Manager approval. I sat down on the third car in the station at 12:39 and got of the ride by 12:54, so their time system needs work. Maybe your mileage may vary but other than the two loaded cars in front of me, I didn't see anyone else riding this.

 

[mikes]

This is disappointing, I was looking forward to having something like this close to home. I've only been on one mt coaster and that is at Wisp. I didn't think that was too bad if memory serves me right.

 

[qdeathstar]

Guess we know why it was delayed for so long for