Well, it's finally open after nearly 3 years of waiting.

This looks like one of B&M's greatest creations! I mean, the obviously prove that bigger is not always better. i mean, come on! 68 degree drop, 7 inversions,airtime, taking 5 seconds to g through a barrel roll, all with a max drop of 105 feet and 3,198 feet of track! The only downside this will probably have is low ride capacity, which is estimated at 1,275 riders per hour, so expect very long lines.


JoJo Roll+floorless+airtime+steep drop=totally awesome

Well, I will cast the first stone.
Airtime? What airtime? It's slow, and this becomes painfully obvious while you are standing in line to ride Hydra. The Jojo roll really isn't that cool; while it does lend credence to the idea that the lift is part of the ride, it's really not much fun.
Plus side: Very short wait times today (opening day). See my TR for more.
Note: I don't think this ride is horrible. It's just "average", which is very hard to deal with after years of anticipation and everyone saying how amazing this ride will be.

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I give this thing credit for daring to be a looping adventure without a conventional traditional loop. That should be done every once in a while. I like how the layout is varied as well with a huge corkscrew between the cobra roll and G-roll. Big props to that. I don't think the ride is too photogenic but I haven't seen it in person. I didn't expect the ride to be very fast with a small hill but very loopy layout.

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Thrillnetwork Moderator - Sophomore Original sn: CHILLERLC1
The 2010 TN Coaster Draft: Now Underway Round Three
My first park of 2010: SFGADV 3/27/10

I loved this ride. Going to the park on opening day and riding all the coasters made me realize that Talon is better than Volcano, and Hydra is as great as Talon. Both B&Ms in Dorney Park really are some great, amazing rides, and they are my two favorites.

hey, the hill in the simulation movie at dorneypark.com looked like it had airtime.

Regardless of the small downsides to this coaster, Hydra: The Revenge still looks like an awesome coaster and something B&M did very well. I hope to ride Hydra this summer and head over to New Jersey to ride Kingda Ka as well.

Now all we have to do is wait for Sheikra and then B&M's masterpiece of coasters this year will be done and ready to be riden!

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I really want to know how Hydra compares to the other floorless coasters out there.

I wouldn't go as far as to say it loks awesome. At least after the lift (hmmm.. anyone notice that coincidence?)

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"I was a librarian that spent 12 hours a day in the library. Yet somehow I met George."
-Laura Bush

I still think that Sheikra takes the 2005 cake.

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I crapped on my balls once, it was fun.

^Hades anyone?

Back on topic..

[QUOTE=Thunderhawk]Well, I will cast the first stone.
Airtime? What airtime? It's slow, and this becomes painfully obvious while you are standing in line to ride Hydra. The Jojo roll really isn't that cool; while it does lend credence to the idea that the lift is part of the ride, it's really not much fun.
Plus side: Very short wait times today (opening day). See my TR for more.
Note: I don't think this ride is horrible. It's just "average", which is very hard to deal with after years of anticipation and everyone saying how amazing this ride will be.[/QUOTE]

It's good to see a review that said the coaster is 'average' I'm sure all the fanboys will be quick to point out how wrong you are though. Care telling us what other floorlesses you have ridden (if any?) and how they compare?

Hades is 2nd in my book...heres the list.

Sheikra
Hades
Tie-Hydra-Powderkeg
Italian Job.
Kingda ****...I mean ka

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I crapped on my balls once, it was fun.

Let's stay away from the projections for favorites list. Let's just talk this coaster. For a near 100 ft height on this ride, it's even longer and has more inversions than B:TR. It probably has one of the smallest inverted dive loops out there. For the smaller height no wonder that dive looks like it does it sideways. Is anyone already donning Hydra gear?

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Thrillnetwork Moderator - Sophomore Original sn: CHILLERLC1
The 2010 TN Coaster Draft: Now Underway Round Three
My first park of 2010: SFGADV 3/27/10

Oh yeah your right...stick to teh topic.

Cobra Roll still looks awesome.....

Well what would you say has THE smallest inverted dive loop? OOOOH...toughy.

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I crapped on my balls once, it was fun.

While watching Family Guy, I saw that Philadelphia's FOX 29 Good Morning Philadelphia will feature a report on Hydra tomorrow 5/9. The reporter on the commercial talked while riding the coaster. He apparently has a ride cam focused on him.

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Thrillnetwork Moderator - Sophomore Original sn: CHILLERLC1
The 2010 TN Coaster Draft: Now Underway Round Three
My first park of 2010: SFGADV 3/27/10

Yeah, during media day they had a camera mount on one train that would allow a camera to take POV or view the row behind it.

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Americoaster.com - Rollercoasters and Theme Parks of the United States

I've ridden Kraken and Medusa at SFGADV. Obviously I know this doesn't make me an expert on floorless coasters. I think it's funny, though; I'm not a fan boy of any park, but I do love Dorney. Either way, I'm expecting to get ripped to shreds for my hydra review, especially the one in my TR. I just feel that Hydra lacked that "out of control feeling" that I look for in a coaster. I hope that, as the season goes on, the ride becomes a bit faster. I think that would add to the ride.
One of the main reasons I don't think this ride is amazing is the landscaping. You can literally see whichever half of the coaster you are facing when riding. None of it is hidden at all; for some reason I feel this affects the quality of the ride. I can think of very few coasters where you can see most of the coaster while riding it. Even on steel force, you can't see most of it due to it's immense length.

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Well, Dorney is my home park....here is my review.

Hydra is a good coaster. Maybe that is the problem.

Is it fun? Yes
Did I enjoy it? Yes
Do I think it is a good choice for the park? Yeah

But it doesn't really have a WOW factor. It does everything to a good degree, but has nothing that makes it stick out.

Shouldn't you guys have seen this slowness issue it seems to have coming? I mean look at how messed up the cobra roll is. It's shaped so weird because the ride is small and therefore not too fast. Smae with the overbank/inclined immelman or whatever it is. It's like that because the whole thing is squashed from being so small.

From what I hear, it turns into a completely different ride at night. Talon has the same effect, so I'm going to really hold off on judgment until I get some night rides in.

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Americoaster.com - Rollercoasters and Theme Parks of the United States

Matt, yeah, I've noticed before you mentioned it; I remember thinking this at the end of last season. I wasn't impressed last season either, and riding it this season just confirmed my low expectations, unfortunately. I cannot tell you how much I'd love to ride this ride at night and find out it's amazing; I'm not holding my breath, though.

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I think Matt's comment reflects most strongly on the inclined dive loop. It's tilted like nothing I've ever seen because it had to be scaled down to such a smaller height.

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Thrillnetwork Moderator - Sophomore Original sn: CHILLERLC1
The 2010 TN Coaster Draft: Now Underway Round Three
My first park of 2010: SFGADV 3/27/10

When I came to Dorney in October, I looked at this ride and said, "meh, it's small, probably nothing great." After riding it, it really exceeded my expectations. Unlike the smaller floorlesses, this one still got 7 inversions, and they're really cool. Sure, they're a bit twisted, but it's like better than having "aligned" elements. The cobra roll is definately better then Robin, Alpengeist, any boomerang I've been on, Silver Bullet, and Medusa, all because it's small, twisted, and very snappy at the tops of it. This ride is as good as Talon, I loved them both, and I think they're better than any other coaster I've been on.

Edit: wow, what a great way to make a 3000th post, by telling how great this coaster was!!

<<Yep, this is my 3000th post

I think you're fanboying it up with the Dorney homies and pimpin.

I think the cobra roll on medusa is far better than the one on Hydra.

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I happen to think the cobra roll on Alpengeist is one of the best around. I guess it depends on what you are looking for. (it's especially good when the trim brake on the first drop is not on)

I haven't rode Hydra yet, but I intend to this weekend. Looking at the Hydra Cam: the landscaping does seem to suck a bit. I guess they aren't finished yet?? I do know one thing-it has to better than Hercules.

The landscaping is consistant with the rest of the park. Just like Talon, it is nicely mulched all over, and the below grade areas are covered in large rocks, giving a canyon effect. The area after the last flat spin and helix is a bit baron, but that is pretty far away from the rest of the park, and is also the home of Steel Force's helix.

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Americoaster.com - Rollercoasters and Theme Parks of the United States

The cam has always been a bit fuzzy. I guess I'll see when I get there. But from your description, it does sound like it matches the rest of the area.

Idk how you cannot love hydra. I am confused.

I love how around the end you are on the hill and it feels so high with the hillside and lake below you.

Is there a POV video of it anywhere yet?

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Q

It sounds more like Hydra was possibly overhyped by enthusiasts and maybe expected almost too much. I think that's more likely than it just being an average coaster. It looks like a fun ride but I wouldn't go into riding it expecting all sorts of wow factor for it. It looks to simply be a fun ride and I don't see anything wrong with that. I don't know why people would expect so much out of it. It obviously wasn't going to have the amzing speeds of a larger coaster and so far, the floorless coasters haven't matched the intensity of the inverted coasters. So judging from the reviews, it's about what I would expect of it.

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YOUR HATRED AMUSES ME