Overhyped Rides

[Jonesta6]

I'm surprised Space Mountain hasn't been completely gutted and a new ride system installed from a modern manufacturer - yeah it's a headline ride and the toboggan style trains aren't as common if not fully custom, but they could figure something out to give the same capacity?

I think the nostalgia of old Arrows are generally a lot better than their current day experiences, but there's something about Nessie's first drop that still gets me better than any other ride

 

[I64 Trekker]

I'm surprised Space Mountain hasn't been completely gutted and a new ride system installed from a modern manufacturer - yeah it's a headline ride and the toboggan style trains aren't as common if not fully custom, but they could figure something out to give the same capacity?

I think the nostalgia of old Arrows are generally a lot better than their current day experiences, but there's something about Nessie's first drop that still gets me better than any other ride

Agreed on nostalgia for Arrows. I still ride Demon every time I visit Marriott's Six Flags Great America, but boy is it rough now compared to how I remembered it in the late 70's / early 80's. One ride now and I am done.

 

[DrunkenCronuts]

Wait...people like InvadR?! Thought it was just me.

 

[Zachary]

Tbh, anything [...] that is defunct.

I think this is very frequently true for sure. One of the only defunct credits I have that I'd consider actively underrated is Carowinds' Thunder Road. After its massive renovations shortly before its demolition, I got some excellent rides on that thing. These days I never hear anything about it at all.

 

[EdK]

BBW.

It was fun and swingy, but I never felt it deserved the adulation it got or the reverence it still receives. It was a good starter coaster, but it wasn’t, in my opinion, anything earth shattering.

When BBW opened in 1984 it was their second major coaster and it was very innovative. I think it more than lived up to the hype when it first opened and that's why I always considered it a top notch coaster even though near the end of it's life I hardly rode it anymore. I loved the first part with the Bavarian village, the drop to the river was fun and that it was a terrain coaster in the woods gave it a certain thrill. Given all the rides on it and how much I loved it as a teenager, not to mention it was one of my wife's first coasters and she loved it, I feel somewhat compelled to offer a different perspective. But I definitely see your point that it was more a family coaster that wasn't as exciting as some coasters but at least it had some good theming.

 

[Icer]

it was very innovative

 

[rswashdc]

Wait...people like InvadR?! Thought it was just me.

I cannot possibly understand how this ride is overhyped to its target audience of growing kids. There are very few rides anywhere that are as good as Invadr that a 46" kid can ride on - Expedition Everest is about the only other one I can even think of.

 

[DrunkenCronuts]

I cannot possibly understand how this ride is overhyped to its target audience of growing kids. There are very few rides anywhere that are as good as Invadr that a 46" kid can ride on - Expedition Everest is about the only other one I can even think of.

All I ever hear about is how it's a mid-to-low tier GCI or "good for what it is as a small family coaster." And I'm like "it's upper mid GCI for me at minimum." I think it's VA's best woodie. I also understand that amongst the thoosies I talk to - that's a hot take and a slap in the face of Grizzly.

 

[rswashdc]

All I ever hear about is how it's a mid-to-low tier GCI or "good for what it is as a small family coaster." And I'm like "it's upper mid GCI for me at minimum." I think it's VA's best woodie. I also understand that amongst the thoosies I talk to - that's a hot take and a slap in the face of Grizzly.

Considering the ride is targeted at the elementary school demographic, I'm not sure why what a bunch of adult enthusiasts think matters. It matters as much as their opinion on Grovers or Woodstock matters, which is basically little to none. If the kids like Invadr, which they largely do, it's a good ride.

 

[Jonesta6]

I think it's VA's best woodie.

Since the supports are steel or some other kind of metal, it's a hybrid- a good little family hybrid for sure, but not a woody no matter how BGW's marketing team wants to spin it.

Though I'd think if they were creative enough, they could find a way to market it as a family hybrid.

Come to think of it, older Arrow mine rides are also hybrids with wooden supports but tubular steel tracks, assuming that there isn't some weird requirement to have a metal spine for the rails for it to be considered a hybrid... Which I'd assume not since I haven't seen an RMC hybrid have a metal spine either.

 

[Crunchewy]

Oh man. I love, love, love El Toro! It is not overrated at all. Super reridable and hella fun. Back row all day every day. And I really liked BBW, but I'm sure that is mostly nostalgia. But, hey, different strokes and all that. Can't wait to ride El Toro again this season. I hope they haven't nerfed it.

 

[DrunkenCronuts]

I appreciate your argument on the matter. I don't really use hybrid in any form, as I personally view that as a marketing thing, but I understand and respect that a lot of people do.

If the track is steel - I consider it steel (a la pretty much any i-box RMC). If the track is wood - I consider it wood. Hence my unpopular declaration that InvadR is VA's best woodie (kids, adults, otherwise). My opinions are my own.

 

[Crunchewy]

I appreciate your argument on the matter. I don't really use hybrid in any form, as I personally view that as a marketing thing, but I understand and respect that a lot of people do.

If the track is steel - I consider it steel (a la pretty much any i-box RMC). If the track is wood - I consider it wood. Hence my unpopular declaration that InvadR is VA's best woodie (kids, adults, otherwise). My opinions are my own.

RMC i-box is absolutely steel, not wood and not really hybrid either. And they've started, it seems, not to even fake it any more. At least some ground-up i-box are getting steel supports now, right? I hope all future i-box will have steel supports. I'd rather they were honest. If it's a so-called "conversion", just tear the whole thing down and build it 100% steel. Be honest about what they are doing.

 

[Jonesta6]

Just going by the existing components, if it's a mix of wood and metal for main components it's a hybrid of the two hence the term - that doesn't include woodies with metal strips on their tracks (I believe most of them have this to some extent) as the rail itself is made of wood.

But that being said, are there really any truly overhyped hybrids?

I saw TT mentioned, but I disagree - it's a fun ride and a bright spot in KD's coaster lineup. Obviously not everyone is physically the same meaning two people may have different experiences, the camel humps and airtime is enjoyable to me and definitely rerideable.

I can't exactly say the same about Magnum XL-200, with my lap get pulverized on those low triangle hills near the end, but even then if I remember to brace for it the airtime itself is amazing through that section.

I'd say Anaconda gets a lot of somewhat deserved hatred, for lack of better words, but even it is not totally bad with that ridiculous figure 8 section as long as you know to brace yourself it's actually somewhat enjoyable.

 

[Crunchewy]

Just going by the existing components, if it's a mix of wood and metal for main components it's a hybrid of the two hence the term - that doesn't include woodies with metal strips on their tracks (I believe most of them have this to some extent) as the rail itself is made of wood.

I get that it qualifies technically, but the ride is 100% a steel coaster. The wood supports are just theming, if you will.

 

[halfabee]

Just going by the existing components, if it's a mix of wood and metal for main components it's a hybrid of the two hence the term - that doesn't include woodies with metal strips on their tracks (I believe most of them have this to some extent) as the rail itself is made of wood.

But that being said, are there really any truly overhyped hybrids?

Yes, by that definition: the Coney Island Cyclone.

And that's why I largely judge the "type" of roller coaster by its track composition, not by its supports.

Otherwise, most of (e.g.) The Ultimate is a hybrid construction of steel and ... dirt.

 

[Jonesta6]

I get that it qualifies technically, but the ride is 100% a steel coaster. The wood supports are just theming, if you will.

Wood by it's nature is far more dynamic than steel - they may have added extra bracing to make it more rigid, but I'll bet over time the regular woody support sway would become more noticeable assuming the given park isn't as meticulous at firming it up as they would be with a wooden track (daily screwing/nailing things back together, etc).

Based on picture/video evidence, I'd put the Ultimate in as a mine ride, so per my earlier post it's also a hybrid.

It seems this is one of those points where we can all disagree, but it's really the difference between marketing vs reality.

 

[warfelg]

The steel structure over wood is more about the cost of upkeep. I personally find no difference in ride experience.

 

[CoasterTalkBob]

I cannot possibly understand how this ride is overhyped to its target audience of growing kids. There are very few rides anywhere that are as good as Invadr that a 46" kid can ride on - Expedition Everest is about the only other one I can even think of.

It's fault, I think, is that 46" is a bit too high -- not saying that there isn't a reason for that, just that it would be even more awesome as a 42" coaster.

 

[CoasterTalkBob]

And that's why I largely judge the "type" of roller coaster by its track composition, not by its supports.

White Lightning and Lightning Rod are the only (or very nearly the only) coasters that would quality as an actual hybird coaster. What is generally regarded as a hybrid coaster (the RMC conversions, Gemini, Voyage, CIC, etc) is really nothing more than marketing or a very broad description.