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 Review of El Toro @ Six Flags Great Adventure
4 Rating Posted by: Cyclonic on 6/16/2006 1:18:00 PM
El Toro brings Six Flags Great Adventure something it has sorely needed, a phenomenal wooden coaster. I don't really rank my coasters, but if I did, this one would be up there pretty high. The fun starts right on the lift hill, which is considerably faster then any other lift out there. You fly up it and around the turn around, and then down the first drop, and what a drop it is. I don't really know how to best describe the first drop, it leaves you speechless. You are flung from your seat and don't land back into it until you reach the bottom. As you bottom out you plunge into the woodwork, with head choppers that are sure to make you put your hands down. The next two hills are simply amazing, some of the best airtime hills on any coaster, anywhere. At the turn around you get thrown into a steep banked turn and dive down and around to the other side of the outbound track. Next is one of the weak spots on the coaster, a few speed humps that give up some airtime, but not much, before a long left turn that leads to the twister section, with a great head chopper right in the middle of the turn. Next comes the surprise element, the one that will WOW everyone that rides because it is hidden and unexpected. After crossing over Rolling Thunder, you dive into the twister section on this steep, abrupt hill that tosses you from your seat and then quickly flies through a right, left, right turn sequence that is lightning fast and stunningly close to the ground. However, this is followed up by the weakest part of the ride, two little bunny hills that the train almost meanders over, giving little airtime. To the coasters credit, as the day wears on this section does speed up, but never really lives up to what the rest of the ride is. And the rest of the ride is fantastic. Some people will not like how glass smooth it is, it feels like a steel coaster, but the general public reaction has been fantastic, and those are the opinions that really matter. Externally, I love the rides location, you get great views of it, yet at the same time part of it is hidden and a surprise to riders. I love how the ride seems to wrap around the new Plaza Del Carnival section. The trains are relatively comfortable, I think mostly because of the smooth ride, since there is little padding, and what there is of it is the harder foam. They do staple you in, and larger people will not be able to ride as the sensors on the train are very finicky. Operations were a little slow, but I think they will pick up are they get procedures down. Overall, El Toro is a must ride, it is simply awesome and unlike any coaster out there. UPDATE - Ive now ridden the coaster at night, and boy does it pick up speed. There is air on every hill, and the train just flies through the course. It is still not enough for me to bump it to a ten because it is not consistent, but it is close. EDIT - Corrected some spelling mistakes.
 

Review Comments

Timberman on 6/16/2006 6:58:14 PM said:
Excellent review, Cyclonic. Just out of curiosity, what, if anything, would have pushed this ride up to a 10 for you? Did you feel it was missing something technically, or did it just not hit you exactly right? Im not trying to suggest that this, or any, ride deserves a 10, Im just wondering if you felt it lacked something specific.
Animan1 on 6/17/2006 8:24:52 AM said:
I was wondering the same thing, actually. But excellent review regardless, Cyclonic, and I am glad to here that this coaster, like Voyage, was well worth the wait.
Hercules on 6/19/2006 12:29:00 PM said:
Ill kind of answer the question for Cyco just a little, and then maybe he can elaborate when he gets the chance. In the review he said that there were a couple of sections that let up and I can see where that can be. After the turnaround and before the transition into the twister section inside Rolling Thunder, it kind of dies down a little bit and then after the twister section the track is just there just to get the train back to the station with nothing spectacular to close the ride. Those are probably the areas that dont make this a 10 in Cycos book.
Cyclonic on 6/19/2006 12:54:04 PM said:
Hercules pretty much hit it on the mark. I have now had some night rides on the coaster, and it is much faster through these sections at night, but that is not enough in my book to give the ride a 10, as I think for a 10 it would need to consistantly ride well, and it does not.


I suppose I should also add that anymore I hesitate giving anything a 10. In my view, a ride must be perfect in every aspect of what it is supposed to do to get a 10. Many rides are overrated, remember, a 5 is not a low rating, it is average, so a 10 must be spectacular in every way.

Scott on 7/9/2006 9:12:22 PM said:
Great review... I hate to bring this up, but it is "Phenomenal" Edit- Its also "speechless"... again, my apologies.
Cyclonic on 7/23/2006 10:20:32 AM said:
Ewwww...I cant believe I wrote speakless, that is horrible. Thanks for pointing that out
Nitro1118 on 7/24/2006 5:21:35 PM said:
Wait, so you say it lets up, yet have S:RoS in your top 10? You dont think S:RoS lets up in that flat section after the overbank, or the first non-inverted corkscrew (the hill that dives into first helix)? In back row, the ONLY spot that it lets up is the last turn. The hill after turnaround gives lots of airtime in back row, the small hill after that gives good speed and headchopper, and first hill after twister gives airtime as well.
Hercules on 7/24/2006 6:14:08 PM said:
It kind of lets up in the middle of the ride after the turnaround. I wouldnt say that it really lets up, it just isnt comparable to the rest of the ride. It still delivers speed and air better than most, but in comparison to the first half of the ride, it doesnt even come close.
Nitro1118 on 7/24/2006 6:57:34 PM said:
Yeah, it doesnt have that kind of blwo away power, but no ride in the world keeps up that kind of intensity throughout whole ride, with possible exception being Balder.
BobFunland on 7/24/2006 9:52:05 PM said:
Just a short list here.. Id say that Boulder Dash, Thunderhead, Voyage, Tsunami, Silver Comet and Rampage all finish stronger than El Toro, and thats just of the wood coasters. Kumba, Batman the Ride and several other steel coasters also beat out El Toro in terms of their ending. That doesnt make it a bad ride in my mind, however, and having such a killer first half really does make the second half seem just "above average"
larrygator on 7/24/2006 10:44:26 PM said:
dont forget Avalanche on that list, non-stop insanity from lift hill to end
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