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4 Rating Posted by: Hercules on 6/2/2005 9:43:00 PM

So here it is, what everyone in New Jersey/Pennsylvania/New York have been waiting for. Cedar Point eat your heart out. We all know that you were all "I cant believe we lost the record AGAIN." Better luck next time. Yes, it is Kingda Ka, "The King of Coasters". After watching the construction throughout the winter and watching it progress in the early parts of the season, I was very much anticipating this one. It was basically the whole reason I bought the Six Flags season pass. The first time I saw it, I was in total awe. I took pictures like crazy. That was back in April and it was not yet finished. Throughout the season, I was just waiting to get a glimpse of it testing. Visit after visit, I was disappointed. Then one visit, it happened... 1 hour after I left the park. How typical. Then one day it happened as I was driving up to the ticket booths. There it was just 20 feet away from me, or at least what seemed like it. It was a launch. Wow. And then it was over. That is what I was waiting for and it was over. I had a feeling that would is how the ride itself would be, but the anticipation was still there. Delay after delay after delay and then the day came. I got the email around 11AM. It was Media Day. Season Pass holders would be one of the first to ride just like the park said. I got to the park and got my ticket for the ride. I hung around for my time. I got through the gate. The site of the ride was tremendous. It is absolutely colossal. I walked up to the station was incredible just like the rest of the Golden Kingdom. I made the long, long, long, long journey through the queue. I then walked right up to on of the open gates, I believe it was the next to back. I was ready to board, and then it happened: "We are sorry but we are experiencing minor technical difficulties." I cant imagine what real technical difficulties are but the minor ones last about 40 minutes. Then finally, I got in the train. We moved up to the launch platform. I watched the first train launch and go over the massive structure. Then it was my turn. This is what I have been waiting for. My heart was racing. I took a deep breath, and we were off. The first ride was a blur. I have gotten other rides since then. Believe me, this is a tremendous ride. The height. The speed. A few forces here and there. It is absolutely amazing. It is such a thrill. My heart races everytime that I get up there to it and that normally doesnt happen with anyother ride. However, that is all it was: A huge thrill. It is lacking in overall ride quality. You go fast, go really high up, go down really fast and go over a hill. That is the ride. Believe me, it is great, but I cant give it much more of a higher rating than what I did. It is amazing and it is great and chest bousting to say that I have been on the Worlds Tallest and Fastest Roller Coaster, but it is basically what I expected it to be. I cant say it was truely disappointment #2 for the year, but it was close. It is a great thrill and is really going to do something for the park and hopefully really get Six Flags going, but it was just a thrill. I wont be waiting 6-8 hours for it unless there is someone with me, but I will definately utilize the season pass that I bought just for this ride. This my be the reigning king of the jungle, park and coaster world, but Nitro is the best RIDE in the park for sure. However, I fully expect very high ratings for this, as it should definately get.

if u expect a high rating for this ride, why didnt u give it a 9 or 10, u said it yourself that it was a "tremendous" ride. yes nitro is an awesome ride and it also deserves high ratings

IMO an 8 is high and a very good rating. People rate differently than others, I think he was saying that others would rate it high collectively though.

I dont really mean that the ride itself is "tremendous". It is certainly a sight to look at and is a major rush and is amazing, but the ride is so short and all it offers is a gigantic tophat. That is why I cant give it higher than what I gave it. It was and is amazing, but just a quick thrill and rush. It should get a high rating because I know that people like Dragster and it is definately a crowd pleaser and is just plain huge. That is all Im saying about that. An 8 is not that high, but it is what I personally feel it deserves. It is a major thrill and not much of a "ride" in terms of ride quality. Im not talking down on it at all. It is amazingly themed and all that good stuff and the anticipation for the ride and while being pulled out to the launch platform is very nerve racking. However, that anticipation is over in no time.

Nice review, Hercules. An 8 seems to me a solid rating, and you clearly articulated your reasons for it. No one is obligated to adjust their ratings for the rides dimensions, the parks publicity campaign, or popular opinion.

Thank you very nice Timberman... nice to see you back. Now, this was a shocker - it might be the first time that I have actually seen people on this site (a few anyway) actually know what they are talking about and not acting like total fanboys (keeping in mind that about half of them actually liked Viper!)
http://www.gadv.com/forums/index.php?s=239108acb015b8a03ea214c587797855&act=ST&f=3&t=5707&st=0
Im not saying that they are all right, Im just saying that it is refreshing to know that there are people out there on these kinds of sites that dont act like total fanboys like *cough* dorneyonline *cough*

awww arent u guys just the best of friends!

but u do make a good point hercules, i agree, it doesnt seem that it has all the demensions of a perfect coaster, but i still have not yet to ride it. when i do go, is 3 hours worth the wait to go on the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world?

To say that you went on it probably. I wouldnt wait that long for it, but of course I have the season pass so I can go on a Friday and not worry about the wait, but if I didnt and I was just a member of the public, I guess I would stick it out for one ride on it just because of the hype. It is pretty nuts to wait 3-8 hours for it though. For the first ride and to say that you went on it though, sure wait your little heart out.

season pass is the only way to go

It cracks me up when people hit on Cedar Point, they might not have the tallest in the world, but they still have the records for breaking barriers. And they are one park that spawned a small corporation unlike six flags. Six flags is the Wal-Mart of theme parks, they get what everyone else has and if they come up with something original they put it in every park. It looks fun, but its only 30 feet higher than cedar points, and was the camel back REALLY fun? Does it provide the ejector air it looks like it will?

Here you go again with your stupid comments... is Cedar Point the only place that pushes the envelope? You need to stop making ignorant statements and do some research. Yeah, it is only 30 feet higher but it beat the record. To answer your questions... the break on the back end of the camel back really kills things but it is obviously necessary... I have not experienced an amazing amount of air on the ride. To tell you the truth, I am looking forward to riding Dragster for some sort of comparison. I like I might like Dragster a little better in the long run, but I have to ride it first obviously. Im sure the launch will be more intense and I might like the lap bars a little more than the OSTRs. I might even like the straight shot into the station instead of the hill. I will have to see though. And who was "hitting" on Cedar Point in the first place Mr. Fanboy?

I am getting sick of Cedar Point. Sure its a good park and all but the comments are getting old. Cedar Point is a thrill park like Six Flags and they both copied and came up with their own stuff. Just like Busch, Universal, Disney, and all the others. Everyone at some point copies or creates their own stuff. Without copies then rides will never get better. Some idiot said that Universal and Disney should combine. I was like what the heck, if they combine then they will not compete and get better.

Well, it is not that they are copying. They dont build the rides and the concepts. They get the rides from companies. Parks are going to have rides of the same concept, it is just a matter of them going in and working with the company on a custom model of the concept to set it apart from other places. I wouldnt call it copying.

Ok so #1 Mr. Hercules your just ignorant. I mean who is fanboy? And an you speak English understandably? And why do I need to do my research? About what? Ive been to many six flags, and cedar point, everything in my comment was true. And that was my first comment on your post, so how is it "here we go again with your stupid comments"?

You had a stupid comment saying that Six Flags is the Walmart of the amusement park industry in a thread in the forums. And not everything you say is truth. It is all opinion. I realize that. But, you dont. Since it is opinion, I will lay off a little because I should respect opinions, but I dont respect you because you think what you think is the truth and it is not. Oh, and sorry for a couple of errors in my last post. Geeze. Its not like Im mrceagle or something. On top of things (I wasnt going to be a dick or anything, but I will be) I find it interesting how diverse your top ten... well... isnt. If you have been to soooooo many parks, I find it interesting how your rides dont seem to be more spread out over many parks, especially your Godly Cedar Point. I see you have posted a lot of reviews though so I guess I should check them out before I start being skeptical.

Now your putting words in my mouth. I respect opinions, I just think your an @$$ hole. Did I say I had been to many parks? No I have a very busy life outside of riding rides and pestering people with lengthy boring reviews on rides so excuse me for not dropping my life to go ride a roller coaster.

Stop with the insults, and dont worry Herc, this is one of the better reviews out there, and certainly not boring by any stretch of the imagination.

TaterC - Based on this quote from you "Ive been to many six flags, and cedar point, everything in my comment was true." I would have to say the answer is Yes to your question. You asked, "Did I say I had been to many parks?"

larrygator, I agree with your assessment, and no matter what anyone says, Herc is NOT ignorant, nor is he an @$$hole. He provides very informative reviews with good research to back them up. This attack is totally unwarranted. In addition, Herc was never deriding Cedar Point. His entire review had a theme of slight disaapointment with Kingda Ka due to its lack of innovation. His initial comments about Cedar Point losing records were obviously (at least to me) delivered tongue-in-cheek. Keep up the good work, Herc!

Hey now most of us know me and Hercules lately have been arguing. Even though I think Kingda Ka deserves a ten, he backed it up good enough where its a good post. The fanboys I cant tolerate are the ones that give it like a 3 and just say It sucks or something stupid. Sure Six Flags is my home park and all but if I could choose to be a season pass holder any where else I would put 15 or so over this park. Cedar Points good. Six Flags is good. Disney is good. Busch Gardens is good. Universal is good. They all have ups and downs. So if Hercules believes this deserves and eight maybe he does. If I believe this deserves a ten then maybe I do. As long as you explain why in good detail for a popular ride like this then a bad rating shouldnt matter. And thats what Hercules did.

Its not the number of your rating that counts. Its how much work you put into your detail of the ride. Some people have different opinions then others. The only opinion you should have the right to criticize is your own. By the way im not stating this at TaterC or anyone in perticular. Just general people. Once I saw a Universal post that gave spidey a two which said " Tower of Terror should be higher." What the heck does that have to do with Spiderman.

Yeah, Im with you in rating this ride an 8. I think were the only two that went so low. All the same, an 8 is not a bad rating. In fact, its a darn good rating and each of us give good reasons for giving it an 8.

Im with you, this ride is a BLAST but lacks the overall elements of a true coaster. This ride is quite simply raw gut level push. I really dig it and think its probably anomalous in amusement park history. Still, theres a side of me that doesnt even know if it should be called a coaster. I mean, it rolls and coasts, but is that all that composes a roller coaster? Hmmm....

Even though I havent rated or reviewed Nitro, I definitely agree with you that its a better coaster. Honestly, it reminded me of Millenium Force in its icy smoothness and beautifully fluid cuts and turns. I had a blast on Nitro, but shes not quite in the same league as Millenium Force. I see them as distinct riding experiences and dont want to get into the rabble too often triggered by direct comparison. Still, Im pretty wordy so I only write reviews for the rides that really stand out for me personally.

Oh yeah, Ive gotta say that I really had fun on the Houdini ride. Ive been to a fair number of parks and have never seen a ride like this one. I dig unique rides as much as adrenalin-laden rides, maybe even more. The Houdini was cool. Maybe Ill have to look that one up on this site.

I made it out to the park on Saturday and it was a very good and fun day. We waited to ride Kingda Ka until the night and the line was only about an hour long. I had only gone on the ride during the media day festivities and the second time was during a Friday season pass holder ERT back in May. That visit in May was the last time that I had been to the park since Saturday. I had seen the flood of people coming in on that day in May, but did not experience the actual buzz of the ride within the line. I was able to see that on Saturday night. The line and station were buzzing. The overall experience of it all was amazing. Standing in line and seeing the train get launched over and over again and go over the tophat was great. Having experienced this with all of the excitement that the crowd had, I can say that this is truly "The King of Coasters." However, it is still nothing more than an 8.... barely.

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