So this is airtime. The hype for this ride is extreme; needless to say I had high expectations. After a four hour car ride turned into 5:30 hours due to me forgetting my Cedar Fair Pass, I was certainly ready for this world class coaster-or so I thought. The ride truly delivered everything I was hoping, and really even more.
Phoenix begins with a long, pitch-black, tunnel-turnaround before the lift, which I had probably read about somewhere before, but I wasnt expecting it. This is a perfect way to build anticipation before the ride. After a modest lift hill, the first drop is pretty good, and leads to some nice airtime going up the second hill. The first two turn-arounds provide good lateral Gs without a hint of roughness in my opinion. But really, the ride is all about the seemingly never ending small bunny hops that produce some outstanding ejector airtime. To illustrate, my thighs were no where near the buzz bar, however, on just about every bunny-hill, they ended up pressed up against the bar! I was literally flying out of my seat, and the airtime is sustained, not just quick pops. The ride is also tremendously paced for a smallish, 78 foot tall coaster, as the airtime and speed just seem to keep picking up steam toward the end of the ride! On my first ride I was literally laughing and smiling the whole time, as well as holding on for dear life-really what riding coasters should be all about. The third seat is known as the "ejector seat" for a good reason, as it was even better than the back for me. Phoenix is just outstanding, clearly my top ride. It is simply hard to fathom that a coaster of this quality is nestled away in an 80-plus-year-old park in the middle of the mountains.
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