Arrow coasters are notorious for their roughness. I mean, how many times have you gone through one of their corkscrews and had your head thrown around like a rag doll? Simply put, these things generally don’t age well. And why do I say generally? Somehow, The Great Escape’s very own corkscrew coaster manages to be devoid of the typical Arrow head-banging found on various other installations of this very coaster.
Located in Ghost Town, the Steamin’ Demon instantly captures park-goers eyes thanks to its location at the front of the park which overlooks the park’s massive parking lot. Not only does the attraction have a good location, but it has a bright, vibrant orange paint job that really stands out, even against Ghost Town’s dreary atmosphere. And the train looks amazing as well. While it has a simple black paint job, it looks incredible on the orange track and is one of the best color combinations I’ve come across in my travels.
Lines for this Arrow classic typically are non-existent. So much in fact that the longest wait I encountered was a five-minute wait, but for the most part it was a walk-on. In fact, I got 15 consecutive rides at one point without any line at all. Now typically this wouldn’t occur due to two factors- a one train operation and Arrow’s aforementioned standard head-banging- but neither issue manages to plague this coaster.
Now of all the seats, I personally enjoyed the back the best simply because of the fuller, more thrilling drop, but the other seats pretty much give identical rides. Well that drop gives a nice, abrupt pop of air towards the back, but unlike Canobie’s Corkscrew, this one follows up with a decent vertical loop. Honestly, I don’t really remember experiencing any forces during it, but it was glass-smooth and enjoyable. Following that comes a quick turn and the two amazingly smooth corkscrews which are very disorienting and enjoyable since no migraine was produced.
The Steamin’ Demon is a rare breed, an Arrow devoid of any head-banging or roughness. That being said, I may have caught this coaster on a rare good day since most of the reviews here mention some pain caused from the corkscrews. But hey, I got a smooth ride; however, the attraction still is merely average compared to other coasters due to its incredibly short length and lack of any real originality. Nonetheless, give the Steamin’ Demon a shot while at the park to experience one of the best Arrow corkscrews found anywhere.
|