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 Review of El Toro @ Six Flags Great Adventure
6 Rating Posted by: Timberman on 10/27/2006 1:24:00 AM
Heres what Ill always remember about El Toro: standing in the queue while consumer goods exploded from the train as it rocketed over the apex of the first speed hill after the initial drop. Two examples, in particular, stand out in my mind. The first was a crumpled ball cap, that, as it was lofted skyward, caught the wind and then drifted lazily to the pond behind the ride. There it briefly clung to the surface until the water saturated its fibers and pulled it into a liquid embrace, never more to grace the head of its stunned owner. This collision of innocence and brute power reminded me of that devastating scene in James Whales 1931 production of "Frankenstein," where the monster fails to differentiate between the buoyancy of little girls and flower petals. My other favorite moment in line occurred when a cell phone, the one item that seemed most to characterize and unite the diverse crowd in ETs queue, was launched from the ride with the velocity of a motar, before detonating into shrapnel upon impact with the ground. The portents were unmistakable: the forces generated by the speed and profiling of this ride would be seismic.

I have to say, however, that given ETs nearly universal acclaim, my first ride, in the very back seat seat, was somewhat of a letdown. Letdown, of course, is a relative term here, as that ride was still better than almost any Ive experienced among the enormous stable of Six Flags roller coasters. It did not, however, leave me instinctively grasping for any solid handhold I could find on the car nor alter my view of the time-space continuum, as did my first ride in the back seat of the Coney Island Cyclone. It was solid but not transformative.

Happily, I devoted another three hours to securing a ride in the very front seat, and suddenly, the source of the hype came more sharply into focus. The opening one-two punch of the first drop and speed hill helped me achieve a life-long dream of understanding what the Road Runner feels like blazing along the undulating byways of the Looney Tunes desert landscape. Then I got to dive past Rolling Thunder like an Imperial Storm Trooper careening through the Endor moons thick forest on a speeder bike. Things got even crazier in the final twister section; keeping my hands in the air suddenly required the conscious application of mind over matter. The experience began to approach the blissful plain of the coaster enthusiasts nerd-vana.

Yet I must admit, when all was said and done, I had not quite achieved this transcendent state in my all-too-brief encounter with El Toro. I thought about this for quite some time and wondered what I could possible ask from a ride that ET did not deliver. The answer, for me, was that last measure of insanity that Ive found in a handful of life-altering roller coasters. The sort of insanity Im talking about occurs in the first drop and last quarter of the Cyclone, the tunnel of Hades, the section of Voyage that follows the break run, the descent into the trench on Cyclops, and the portion of Phantoms Revenge that begins with the dive into the valley. I attribute this primarily to the design of ETs rolling stock and restraints. Theyre simply too restrictive to impart the ultimate roller coater experience. Ive previously commented that the wood in El Toro is like the chicken in McNuggets, and when you start to mess with Mother Nature to that extent, youre eventually going to run into problems. Victor Frankenstein created a monster that was more human than human, and the creature thus lost all trace of humanity. Likewise, the uber-chickeness of McNuggets requires chicken flavoring to be added back to what was once, but is no more, recognizable as chicken meat. El Toro takes the essence of the classic wooden roller coaster experience -- steep drops, sharp turns, ferocious speed, big air -- and punches it up so far beyond anything that weve come to know and love that Intamin had no c
 

Review Comments

Hercules on 10/27/2006 2:12:08 AM said:
Pretty much exactly what I was expecting from you Timberman. A little too deep for me I guess though. However, I have to say that I disagree with you a little bit on the airtime. I do agree with all of your points about it, but I feel the air is noticable. When I relax on the ride, I get a good sensation, one where my shoes are no longer touching the floor of the car. Sure I am stapled, but there is a true feeling of weightlessness that is untouchable.
BobFunland on 10/27/2006 10:31:53 AM said:
Yea, I figured a 9 would be tops from Timbers. However I thought that the ride DID have a moment like Hades tunnel or Voyages finale - that being the Rolling Thunder hill. Of course, if youre looking for the "moment" of the ride to really be several moments, then I can see where El Toro fails. Good review :thumbsup:
hrrytraver on 10/27/2006 2:27:23 PM said:
ok, so the glass is quantized into 10 divisions. both you and i decided that the glass had 9 of the 10 volume divisions occupied regarding el T. however my review argued el T from the "glass is nine tenths full" perspective" and your review argued the "glass is one tenths empty" perspective. i understand if you didnt "feel" something, an ineffable "something" that defines a great ride. its best to be true to yourself about what you perceive a great ride to be. but if i may, id say that this review reads a bit curmudgeonly - it seems like an ax to grind. how can you fault a coaster for trying to toss you 8 feet out of the train? what other coasters can do that? perhaps balder, but that one is smaller and not nearly as fast, thus a somewhat different experience. personally, feeling my brains threaten to pop out of the top of my skull while wailing 60+mph over those el T hills is something i havent felt elsewhere. i dont need the actual "air" in this case, because the sensations one gets cresting those huge hills is completely notable, outrageous feeling in the way a top spin feels outrageous and really fing fun to boot. the overall "feel" of the ride is quite unique too. compared to nitro, it feels "softer" - the fact that it is wood and not steel really makes for a better ride than a steel hyper, IMO. i may love smacking the buzz bars sans seatbelt on phoenix, but its an apple and orange comparison to el toro. different rides, different expectations, different outcomes. for the record i treasure the small indy park/phoenix experience far more than the corporate park/el toro experience, but that said i think el toro is the most interesting and suggestive new coaster built in the last few years, though perhaps not the best.
Animan1 on 10/27/2006 4:04:43 PM said:
Exquisite review, Timberman. The linguistic experience provided by the above was indeed transformative, and provided the reader with enough clarity so as to believe that they were in fact a part of the scene. Simply amazing.
Timberman on 10/27/2006 10:11:18 PM said:
As always, thanks for the comments, folks. But, geez, ht, "curmudgeonly"? As in, according to dictionary.com, "a bad-tempered, difficult, cantankerous person"? An "ill-tempered person full of resentment and stubborn notions"? This is my favorite: A "crusty irascible cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas." Synonyms: "grouch, crank, bear, sourpuss, crosspatch." Crosspatch? I think once I finish shaking my cane at Sheikra, Im going to be obligated to challenge you to a duel, sir. Shall it be sabres or flintlocks? Sheesh.

But moving on, I approached this review from the perspective that El Toro is among a handful of recent coasters that are pointing the way to the future. At milestones like these, I think reflecting on where weve been and where we seem to be headed is appropriate. I dont think I cling to my stubborn old notions to the exclusion of being able to enjoy and appreciate whats new. A true curmudgeon, seems to me, doesnt like anything. I acually like most of whats going on in the world of roller coasters, but I still prefer some things more than others. Since I seem to hold the minority view in certain cases, I perhaps have to advocate for those tastes a little more strongly, but Im willing to give any ride its due, and I think I did so adequately in this review.
Timberman on 10/27/2006 10:24:15 PM said:
MamaT here - Timberman is indeed a curmudgeon, albeit a cute one.
Hercules on 10/27/2006 10:31:28 PM said:
Awwwwww..... a cute one.
RCGenius on 10/28/2006 5:41:29 AM said:
This is an astounding review Timberman. Considering that many people on here have given El Toro a 10, it took a strong man to actually rate such a highly-rated coaster a 9 while at the same time explain to us in a very descriptive way why he felt that it wasnt a complete coaster like everyone else thought it was. Ive always loved your reviews since you first became a member here. You always describe your coaster experiences as if were actually riding the coaster right now as we speak.
hrrytraver on 10/28/2006 9:37:29 AM said:
ah, timbermaam confirmed it. nice defense, but we got the inside scoop...an adorable crosspatch it shall be, as decreed from the timber-rib. also, i cant think of any better venue to throw down the gauntlet then the superman:ultimate flight queue. let me know...
CoastrGlxy on 11/2/2006 12:56:21 PM said:
Another great review. I can only hope to aspire to be half the proponent for steel greatness the same way some of you are for your beloved wooden creations. My respect for woodies reached an all-time high this year after Voyage and Hades, but El Toro took it to another level for me. To me it was transcendental (hence my rating). There was a certain excitement in the air, not just b/c it was the newest coaster. But b/c of the uncharacteristically smooth and fun experience it offered. While its the 3rd of its kind, ET is a landmark coaster. The drop into the twisted section was unreal. Ive never felt such forceful "uplift". For me it was more consistently thrilling than Voyages triple down in the dark which gave me mixed rides. And I love the mcnugget analogy. Although I try to stay away from processed meats, Ill be looking forward to the next prefab coaster. Great review.
larrygator on 12/17/2006 12:00:51 PM said:
interesting points and that is the reason so many wood enthusiasts are not big fans of the Corporate Parks. I think Shivering Timbers and El Toro are the only two of my Top 10 woodies that reside in US Corporate Parks.
sowinski on 12/17/2006 4:20:39 PM said:
Wonderful review! I dont think Ive ever read such a well written review on this website. Your use of English vocabulary was music to my ears. A little rough on some of us peasants, who had to pull out a dictionary for a word or 2 to completely get full value from your review. It reminded me of my university days reading academic journals to write papers. Now onto the review. Looking at your review and reviewing your top 10 coasters list, I realize that I am inadequately educated to fully evaluate this coaster review. Ive ridden El Toro, however I have not ridden most of the coasters that you rate as better than this coaster. I share your opinion that Phantoms Revenge and Phoenix are 2 great coasters. I plan on heading to the midwest this coming summer to ride the majority of the top rated US wood coasters in your list and perhaps Ill have to revise my Phoenix and El Toro rides to 9s from 10s, after that. Of the wooden coasters that Ive ridden, I agree that Phoenix is better than El Toro, but only slightly, even though the ride styles are quite different. My only ride on El Toro was a night ride, which I whole heartedly endorse. I look forward to reading your future reviews.
Timberman on 12/17/2006 8:43:35 PM said:
Well, Anon, I hear where youre coming from with respect to the big corporate parks, and you make a valid point. Coasters like El Toro may well be the future of wood for the mega parks like Six Flags, and Im okay with that. Id rather Great Adventure build a profitable, popular thriller like El T. that will have some staying power then build another Riverside Cyclone, a legend for a couple of seasons which is then left to rot. Ill also gladly take El T. over the Mavericks, the Griffons, and the next Intamin Rocket to break the world height/speed record by 16 feet and 7 mph. But even if El T. is the handwriting on the wall for the big chains, that doesnt mean rides like Voyage, Avalanche, and Hades wont continue to spring up and hopefully thrive a little further off the beaten trail. My own park-going habits have evolved with my preference in rides. I used to buy the Six Flags season pass and try to hit one of their parks every place I happened to go for whatever reason. In the last few years, however, Ive been taking dedicated road trips of a few days where I try to hit several smaller parks within driving distance of each other. I also think Im more tolerant than most of rough rides that still kick butt. Ill gladly take a beating from the Wildcat, Boulder Dash, or Zeus, even though theyre harsher than in their salad days, because the intensity of the experience remains. Of course, then you have the SOB phenomenon in which a once great ride -- and yes, I perhaps alone in the world believe SOB had moments of greatness -- finally becomes unbearable.

Sowinski, I dont know know how Avalanche is holding up, but Ive heard some say Hades has improved in its sophomore year. Voyage, as of May, absolutely blew me away. It will, however, require a major commitment from Holiday World to keep running in top form. Still, if anyone is up to the challenge, they are. I cant wait to get back to the Heartland, especially since I never did get to ride the Raven during my last trip. The stretch of America extending from Wisconsin Dells down to Beech Bend park is, in my humble opinion, the wood coaster devotees promise land (apart from Coney Island, which I fear will soon be unrecognizable). Thanks also for the props, guys. I was an English major, and Im still a big fan of dictionary.com and thesaurus.com.
ginzo on 2/25/2007 10:16:10 AM said:
(I was Mr. Anon. Too lazy to login that day.)

"Ill also gladly take El T. over the Mavericks, the Griffons, and the next Intamin Rocket to break the world height/speed record by 16 feet and 7 mph."

Dude, lumping Maverick in with other steel coasters isnt fair. Cedar Fair, in all their wooden coaster incompetence, has to be given credit with that ride. Theyre abandoning, at least temporarily, their obsession with installing record breaking coasters for "the roller coaster capital of the world" in favor of actually designing an interesting ride. Theyve rediscovered the virtues of that little thing called "airtime". Its an exciting move if you ask me. It shows theyre willing to try something a little bit different than build large but dull rides.

"In the last few years, however, Ive been taking dedicated road trips of a few days where I try to hit several smaller parks within driving distance of each other."

Sure, but not every trip is going to be long distance. You still have those single day excursions to your nearest corporate park, just to get your ride fix on. I think getting more Intamin woodies would be just about the greatest thing that could happen to the corporate parks. Theyve proven to be competely and utterly incapable of maintaining traditional woodies. I mean look at the number of awful corporate park woodies that are well under a decade old. This is the natural product of this day of running companies for very short term bottom-line gains. "Pay later," they say. "Why should we retrack that wooden thing-a-ma-bobber every few years? The public thinks wooden coasters are supposed to be like that!"

"dont know know how Avalanche is holding up"

Quite well as of last August. It actually opened late on that day I rode it, because they were doing some minor track work. Since that coaster is their only baby, they seem to take pretty good care of it.

"Voyage, as of May, absolutely blew me away. It will, however, require a major commitment from Holiday World to keep running in top form. Still, if anyone is up to the challenge, they are. I cant wait to get back to the Heartland, especially since I never did get to ride the Raven during my last trip."

I went to HW three times in 2006. I think the Voyage got progressively worse in the season, but not by a lot. My best rides were in May. The good news is that HW is committed to keeping that ride up. They replaced something like 1,100 feet of track last year after closing the park. You drove all the way out there and didnt ride the Raven? WTF! You missed out on probably the second best ride there. Its still in great shape, amazingly great shape.

Timberman on 2/25/2007 1:18:14 PM said:
Ginzo, the Raven was closed for maintenance both days I was in Santa Claus. That was a major, major bummer, but it just gives me one more reason to go back.
ginzo on 2/25/2007 1:32:59 PM said:
"Ginzo, the Raven was closed for maintenance both days I was in Santa Claus. That was a major, major bummer, but it just gives me one more reason to go back."

That really sucks. I personally think the Raven runs much better than the Legend does. The Legend slows down a bit in places, especially at the main turn around by the water slides. The Raven flew like a peregrine falcon on all three trips I made to HW last year. Its not my favorite ride, but I admire its consistent intensity. I think its a testament to HWs excellent maintenance practices that the Raven runs so much better than countless newer woodies (Ghostrider, Gwazi, SOB, etc).

You should try emailing or calling Paula in public relations before you go this year, just to make sure there are no rides down for maintenance. This isnt a guarantee, but it increases your chances of being able to ride everything.
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