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I remember riding XLR-8 many years ago during my first trip to Astroworld and thinking it was one of the weakest coasters I had ever ridden. This is an Arrow suspended coaster, and almost certainly the poorest example of one (and it would be hard to classify any of these as great coasters). It takes up a huge portion of land in one corner of the park, and the setting is actually quite nice (very tall, marsh-like vegetation). The problem is that it really doesnt do that much. It is not very fast at all, the decline is so gradual its almost unnoticeable, it doesnt swing that much, and riders are subjected to two incredibly slow lift hills. On my recent trip to Astroworld, I had to give it another try. First off, it had received a nice new coat of paint, so at least it looked pretty. Secondly, and this was the saving grace, half of the cars on the train were turned around to face backwards. I guess originally begun for Fright Fest and continued because it proved popular, I think this was a definite necessity for a ride like this. I did enjoy the experience backwards, though it was still incredibly tame. Nonetheless, riding backwards did salvage XLR-8. It made it unique so that at least it was worth riding. Dont ride in the forward cars or youll be sorely disappointed.
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