Attraction Phoenix

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Honestly, I enjoyed Phoenix, and don't want to rain on it's parade....but am I wrong in saying that as the #1 wooden coaster it's a little overrated? I still rank it in my top 3, but 1? Humph. I'll just leave it at that.
 
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warfelg said:
Honestly, I enjoyed Phoenix, and don't want to rain on it's parade....but am I wrong in saying that as the #1 wooden coaster it's a little overrated? I still rank it in my top 3, but 1? Humph. I'll just leave it at that.
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There's a really poorly designated subclass of woodies in my head that I'd consider it the best in—"classic" wooden coasters or something like that. That bucket includes things like SCBB's Giant Dipper, Kennywood's Jack Rabbit and Thunderbolt, SFA's Wild One, etc.

That said, in the wider field of wooden coasters, I do think it is a bit difficult to imagine Phoenix being deserving of the #1 spot unless these rankings are suddenly taking into account accessibility, charm, etc—aspects that have never seemed to matter in steel coaster rankings.

Disclaimer: My number one wooden coaster fluctuates between Lighting Rod and The Voyage.
 
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I personally enjoy Phoenix to the point of ranking it near my top in coasters simply because it's honest-to-god fun. There's really not many coasters, enough to where I can count on one hand, that I would go out of my way to just ride over and over again on a given visit. It's not the best at anything in particular, but it's damn good at providing air time and isn't forceful enough to the point where you get a headache after a few rides.
 
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Zachary said:
There's a really poorly designated subclass of woodies in my head that I'd consider it the best in—"classic" wooden coasters or something like that. That bucket includes things like SCBB's Giant Dipper, Kennywood's Jack Rabbit and Thunderbolt, SFA's Wild One, etc.

That said, in the wider field of wooden coasters, I do think it is a bit difficult to imagine Phoenix being deserving of the #1 spot unless these rankings are suddenly taking into account accessibility, charm, etc—aspects that have never seemed to matter in steel coaster rankings.

Disclaimer: My number one wooden coaster fluctuates between Lighting Rod and The Voyage.
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Oh I very much do the same thing. Comet (HP), Wildcat (LC), Phoenix (Kn), Thunderbolt (Ken), Racer (KD) are my winners in the classic era woodies. They do need to be treated as their own “subclass” IMO. I tell friends that going just Woodie or Steel for designation doesn’t work anymore.
 
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Totally agree with @Zachary and @warfelg. I would argue that there is a similar “subclass” for steel coasters too, populated by rides like Loch Ness Monster and other older coasters (mostly Arrows).
 
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Coasterguy95 said:
after riding this last Friday, this is worthy of the golden ticket for worlds best wooden coaster. Truly a insane experience. New no4 for me, barely edging out the Coney Island cyclone. Genuine insanity.
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I love the Phoenix so much. Such a great coaster.
 
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I don't think I have ridden another coaster with a higher ratio of out-of-the-seat time to in-the-seat time than Phoenix. Great fun.
 
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halfabee said:
I don't think I have ridden another coaster with a higher ratio of out-of-the-seat time to in-the-seat time than Phoenix. Great fun.
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For you airtime junkies – If you love Phoenix you must make a trip to Playland in Vancouver, BC to ride the wood coaster there. The airtime on that is beyond insanity. I thought I was gonna be tossed out of the train and into Vancouver Harbor.

Back to Phoenix – Here's a pic I took of the lift near sunset from their Phoenix Phall Phunfest event back in the late 2000s.

Knoebles-Phx-Dusk.jpg
 
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I wouldn't call Phoenix's airtime aggressive, which is maybe what you are saying about Playland's woodie (I think?), which is part of its appeal. It's voluminous but extremely re-rideable.
 
Crunchewy said:
I wouldn't call Phoenix's airtime aggressive, which is maybe what you are saying about Playland's woodie (I think?), which is part of its appeal. It's voluminous but extremely re-rideable.
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If you have riden a coaster with a buzz bar type restraint before it feels more aggressive on airtime just because you have more room to move then with the individual ratcheting ones most of us see these days.
 
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horsesboy said:
If you have riden a coaster with a buzz bar type restraint before it feels more aggressive on airtime just because you have more room to move then with the individual ratcheting ones most of us see these days.
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Yeah, that is definitely true. But by aggressive, I mean compare to an RMC. RMC's are violent, but yes I prefer Phoenix... by a lot and it is definitely way more re-rideable for me which also helps. RMCs are one or two and done for me on each visit. I could ride Phoenix all day.

RMCs are violent to make up for that fact that they have ratcheting lap bars. An attempt to increase the thrills, but for me not a terribly great way to achieve that.
 
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Crunchewy said:
Yeah, that is definitely true. But by aggressive, I mean compare to an RMC. RMC's are violent, but yes I prefer Phoenix... by a lot and it is definitely way more re-rideable for me which also helps. RMCs are one or two and done for me on each visit. I could ride Phoenix all day.

RMCs are violent to make up for that fact that they have ratcheting lap bars. An attempt to increase the thrills, but for me not a terribly great way to achieve that.
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RMCs increase thrills with sustained actual negative Gs, inversions, previously impossible maneuvers, and being crammed full as possible (maybe my one complaint). The restraint is so you don't die. Since you probably wouldn't on Phoenix, the minimal restraint does help increase the thrills (although having just been to Camden Park, buzz bars aren't necessarily loose feeling). Also most RMCs are not as non-stop violent as Twisted Timbers. AF1 is only at the end (and doesn't need it), Wildcat's is more about that laterals, etc.

Phoenix seems to me a perfect-as-it-gets classic style coaster, considerably less than 100', which isn't that common and is special. Better than Grizzly, etc. yes, maybe even better than Twister in its own park. Better than The Voyage, The Legend, or even The Raven? P-lease. I'm trying to decide if even Mystic Timbers can compare.
 
Crunchewy said:
that they have ratcheting lap bars
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They have ratcheting lapbars? The only one I’ve done that has ratcheting lapbars is Fire in the Hole, and that’s because it doesn’t need hydraulics like every other RMC.
 
All 3 woodies at HW beat me up last year so I definitely think Phoenix is better than all 3. Phoenix is a lot more re-rideable.

1 train ops at Legend really ruined my experience with that ride. It had the longest line in the park. All 3 woodies at HW have fantastic layouts, but you can tell Voyage requires way too much maintenance for a park that size because all 3 run rougher than half the wooden coasters in America. For a park that's allegedly famous for maintaining their woodies, I think most parks on the East Coast have smoother wooden coasters than HW does. Also what's the deal with closing the ride lines off 5-10 mins early? Phoenix let me ride again and again 10 minutes after park close. I am glad to see Raven and Voyage get the love those coasters deserve. Can't wait to see Legend get the same treatment.

There's definitely something truly timeless about Phoenix that makes it such a great coaster. While it doesn't melt your face off or kick your ass like the latest RMC or Intamin, its such a comfortable ride that you can hit over and over again with minimal waits. Its an accessible ride for just about every age group. The height restriction is low enough that even small children can fly. The setting in the mountains is truly magical. There's a feeling of danger from the low hanging beams to airtime so strong, you feel like you're about to be catapulted into the stratosphere. And to top it off, buzz bars are some of the best restraints in the industry.

Most modern coasters have a shelf life and will probably be gone in 20 years or so. Phoenix will be around for decades to come. I love that a ride that turns 80 years old next year still holds a candle to the big boys.
 
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netdvn said:
Phoenix will be around for decades to come.
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Well....we could apply the Ship of Theseus thought experiment to any and all wooden coasters of if there a time that you replace so much of the coaster that nothing original is still remaining.
 
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