|
The Floorless genre has been somewhat of a frustration for me. My first encounter with this coaster-type was Hydra: The Revenge, which came across as fantastic upon my initial series of rides in July 2005, but seemed pretty average after re-riding it this season. My second swing at the Floorless-type was Medusa at Six Flags Great Adventure, which also was somewhat of a disappointment. It definitely lacked the unique layout of Hydra but was packed with great forces that Dorneys new B&M simply cannot deliver. Just under one week after taking on Medusa, I had a chance to try yet another B&M Floorless, only this time B&M found that sweet spot between a unique layout and powerful forces. Dominator, despite its uninspired title, is an epic experience. The initial 148 foot plunge offers some nice floater air both in the front and back seats as well as some breathtaking vistas of the bubbling, algae-encrusted swamp that sits stagnant beneath the rides mammoth structure. The enormous vertical loop seems somewhat mundane, but still adds to the ride experience. The train really crawls through the top of this meanuever, creating some nice hangtime for the riders. The train then plunges through what I believe to be the highlight of the entire coaster: the low-to-ground highspeed overbanked curve. This element (which is virtually unheard of among coaster layouts, unfortunately) is maneuvered smoothly yet sustains some extremely powerful g-forces. Following this overbanked turn is another very nice overbank that crosses over the station and twists back into the Cobra Roll inversion which also provides some very nice forces. Exiting the Cobra Roll, Dominator then scorches over a wide banked curve that slams into the MCBR. The drop out of these brakes is phenomenal in the back row, but be warned: the rides ending can be awfully rough in this back seat. I for one think the uncanny headbanging through the flatspins is worth the precious floater air on this MCBR drop. Otherwise, for the smoothest ride, sit right up front and enjoy pure-floorless-goodness through the final interlocking flatspins and ensuing ground-hugging helix. Overall, Dominator met my expectations and strengthened the Floorless image for me personally.
|