Thunderbolt Review, Six Flags New England Wooden Coaster | Experience the Ejector Death Hill 2.0
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- Опубликовано: 5 сен 2024
- Thunderbolt is the classic wooden roller at Six Flags New England. Originally opening in Flushing Meadows for the 1939 New York World's Fair as the Cyclone, this coaster was relocated to the then Riverside Park for the 1941 season where it has run ever since. Thunderbolt features a figure 8 layout and a surprise bunny hill towards the end that will try and launch you into orbit.
Video Credits
Thunderbolt POV (Six Flags New England)- • Thunderbolt POV
Background Music
Upbeat Fashion Funk by Infraction [No Copyright Music] / Dancing Time- • Upbeat Fashion Funk by...
no one NO ONE talks about this ride. great review!!!
Maybe because it's hard to get footage and specific seats? But I've ridden it so many times over the years.
I’m late but I had the opportunity to operate this for Fright Fest and HIP in 2019 and I loved every second of it. It’s the only coaster not operated on a computer system so that’s another reason why we were only allowed to run one train. We had 3 levers for the brakes. One for the brake run, one for the transfer, and one for the station, we had to park the train using this little yellow marker on the platform that was a few inches wide and if it went passed by an inch or two, we had to resend the train as it was considered hazardous to unload the the front car. Luckily I only missed the mark once. Overall fun ride and if you were there during that time, you mightev seen me interacting with the guest in line and on the ride! Boowoop!
I'm sure that lucky train enjoyed the extra lap though!
My first coaster. It felt so fast and intense! Now it's just leisurely lol. Love this gem 💜
It's a classic.
I agree. It's not a thrill seeker's coaster, but it's good for all levels. I took a friend on it who's not a big coaster fan, and he thought it was "almost fun." That was high praise!
It's an approachable coaster.
Was looking forward to this review! Thunderbolt is an underappreciated classic, and a very good transition coaster. That ejector bunny hill always terrified me when I rode as a kid. I'm glad you could spotlight this rarely discussed ride.
It's one of the park's few custom coasters, but the steel ones definitely overshadow it.
Same here! It was my home park growing up.
@@CanobieCoaster It's actually not quite a custom coaster. There were actually two "Cyclone" coasters built in 1939. One went to the World's Fair in New York (later becoming Thunderbolt). And then a copy was built at the Golden Gate Int'l Expo in San Francisco.
My first "adult" coaster when I was a kid! Me and my dad rode this together all the time, and I had such great memories from it! I got so excited when I rode it many years later!
Nice!
I remember riding this as a kid and my mom rode it with me (my dad was too chicken). Our reaction to the airtime hills at the end were priceless! They should have an on-ride photo on those hills hahaha
I agree.
I love this coaster so much and anytime I go to six flags I will always ride this. The air time is insane.
That bunny hill on the backside is wonderful.
Glad to see a review of this ride as nobody talks about it. It's an ok ride but mainly great because of its history.
I agree.
Glad to see the love for this, also my first adult coaster. They actually had 2 train operation at one point. Remember there was a loud bell in the station to indicate when they could dispatch the next train, it was around when the other train hit the final bunny hops. Cyclone had two trains crash in the station in it's first or second season and pretty sure after that is when they went to one train only. Thunderbolt also ran backwards in the late 80s or early 90s for a season.
I wish they went back to 2 train operations.
Yes, ridden this and loved it. Glad you reviewed this!
Nice!
Finally a fair review of Thunderbolt, which is one of the most underrated coasters by enthusiasts. I never got it when enthusiasts don’t like it. Wouldn’t car enthusiasts like a 1941 well-maintained classic Chevy? Anyway, that surprise ejector airtime in the back is true. Nobody else talks about it. The design is classic, and it’s smooth for an old coaster.
That final hill comes out of nowhere.
@@CanobieCoaster I didn’t feel it when I rode it in the front. It’s sort of how the train pulls you over the mini-hill, it just drags you in the back row. The floor of the cars also do this quirky up and down roll that I can’t explain. It’s a unique experience all around.
My first roller coaster!
Still adore it.
I think the amount of air time is unique.
This ride sucks it hurt my back last weekend. Beware.
I finally rode this yesterday. That bunny hill does deliver. You know, I enjoyed this ride a lot. It's a little rattly in one or two of the valleys but not unreasonably rough, and it does give you some forces though it's not super intense for the most part.
The ride ops that were running it were laying down THE LAW. You do not get to pick your row on this ride and they will make that clear in no uncertain terms.
That's how it usually is. And the annoying part for those in standby is that Flash Pass exclusively gets the back.
@@CanobieCoaster I didn't understand at the time why they were specifically ordering people out of the back row, even when it was otherwise empty; now I do.
When I rode Stampida a few months ago, the PortAventura ride ops specifically motioned me INTO the back row. I was, come to think of it, using their overpowered counterpart of Flash Pass. Maybe that was the reason.
This ride sucks it hurt my back last weekend. Beware.
It’s a nice little coaster 😌
Indeed
The high five attempt at 3:00 is glorious.
Yes
Prob my fav wooden coaster aside from Bolder Dash.
I much prefer Boulder Dash.
I just Rolfe Boulder Dash for the first time today! Loved it.
I feel the same.
This is a great first "big" coaster to introduce to your kids once they're tall enough for real roller coasters.
It is.
I just discovered an interesting thing about the provenance of this coaster:
There were TWO copies of this layout named the Cyclone built for expositions in 1939-40. One was for the New York World's Fair in Flushing/Corona Park. The other was for San Francisco's Golden Gate Exposition on Treasure Island. And, as far as I can tell from staring at file photos, they were mirror images of one another.
And while the Thunderbolt was (at least initially) using the actual trains from the New York coaster, and possibly its track (sources differ), its handedness is that of the San Francisco Cyclone, not the New York one. So in a sense, it might be more accurate to call it a replica of the Golden Gate Exposition's coaster.
(A previous version of this comment was apparently auto-deleted as spam because I put in too many outside links to evidence, so you just get the discussion this time.)
Interesting and thanks for sharing!
I actually consider this one of the better coasters at the park because of the airtime. Only coasters I'd really rank ahead of it are ofc Wicked Cyclone and Superman, as well as Joker, Pandemonium when you can get some good spinning going, and maybe Riddler Revenge too.
It's in the top half for sure.
Because of the slow 1-train ops you mentioned, I only rode this once on my 2+ days there. Not being able to pick our row is always a buzzkill, but I did luck into the back row. It was a bit bouncy, but not too bad. I don't remember the ejector hill you talked about. Maybe I just didn't notice it, or maybe it was riding slow for me. I do remember getting a few decent moments of airtime. One ride isn't enough to get a proper feel for a coaster, so I will certainly defer to you. I would've ridden it again, but it had a bit of a line, while I was getting rerides on Wicked Cyclone & Superman.
This ride has always been consistent for me in the front and back cars, but it can deliver lackluster rides towards the middle.
I haven’t been since the early 2000’s but growing up, they ALWAYS let us wait for the front. Sad that they stopped! 😩
I remember when it was Riverside Park
I visited it once as Riverside.
I remember being so excited when we heard it was going to change to Six Flags, bc we wanted more coasters/better rides. Had no idea I’d actually end up wishing it never did. It became too commercial and looks super jam packed, but maybe it’s just my age 😩😆 Best thing to come of Premier Parks buy out was Mind Eraser and of course Superman! Glad I got to experience that one.
I thought it was a fun ride! I definitely do prefer other bigger coasters in the park but this one was fun! You can never go wrong with a classic woodie!
As long as it's smooth, true!
@@CanobieCoaster Absolutely!
Rode this coaster this summer and this fall during Fright Fest. I sure hope they don't RMC This one. That would ruin a nice well rounded family coaster.
I doubt it'll be RMCed.
Thanks for the history of this coaster . I think there was a wood coaster on Treasure Island in the San Francisco Bay . What happened to that one ?
I'm not too sure, sorry.
👍1:36 yes it does ooze history, but I would put the Lakeside Cyclone marquee and facade well above it . Another idea for a video. Top 10 coaster signs.
I still need to get on that Cyclone.
4:00 if you’re into the front row on this coaster, I strongly recommend to arrive to the park super early,make your your a season gold pass and be first rider in line,
If you want the back row
it can be luck
That's fair to get the front. I prefer the back myself.
Nice review. I don’t remember any airtime on this coaster.
And I HATE when flash pass users are fed up a coaster’s exit. And I hate it whether I’m the one with the pass or not.
At least this one is factored into the assigned seats. The worst is when you directly take someone's seat they are queuing for.
@@CanobieCoaster Exactly. That’s a horrible set-up. Not only is the flash passer snubbing someone just as they think they’re going to get on, but the flash passer might also be breaking up a carefully arranged group.
Last time I rode up front, and I honestly didn't get much out of that hill. I do like this coaster, but perhaps I caught it on a bad day
It's possible, but I've gotten that effect on both hot and cold days.
Rode in the back row. Didn’t get any ejector tho. It was also the end of the day so it was warmed up
That's odd. The bunny hill towards the end always delivers for me.
This ride sucks it hurt my back last weekend. Beware.
@@VENOM-_-15 Womp Womp lil fella
You think 2009, and some would say:
Wish I could have experienced it before 2009.
I was happy I tried it with buzz bars.
If I were a sfne employee I would keep it until it goes down like Goliath or somethin, then convert to RMC like cyclone did
I think this will be preserved as wood.
Do you know the year the ride received individual lap bar restraints?
I thimk 2009.
this might just be me, but my first ever time riding I never got airtime. now I get it on basically every hill. I must just be lucky
Did you try different seats?
@@CanobieCoaster did middle front and back. back was the airiest, front was the fastest, middle was the tamest. but all had pretty good air
why would they call several coasters cyclone if they are not the same layout
It's a fine name so I get why it was reused.
Thunderbolt is the 2nd oldest coaster in New England right? I think only The Yankee Cannonball is older.
Wildcat is older than both of them.
Lake Compounce's Wildcat is the oldest, *if* you consider Wildcat to be the same coaster it was originally (it was rebuilt with entirely new wood in the 80s).
Thunderbolt has notoriously slow operations, but the ride experience seems to be improving every year.
I'm surprised it still has manual unloading.
@@CanobieCoaster I hope that they can upgrade it to computer systems to speed up operations.
I hear this ride is such a classic. I think they should keep it as long as they can. Serving as the only wooden coaster in the park currently. I never knew about that ejector hill so maybe it is part thrill. It's kinda a short ride but it's for the family to enjoy and thrillsekers for that 1 moment.
It's good for families and there's no reason it can't stick around. I just wish they could update the ride system for automatic unlocking and two train operation.
I used to hate thunderbolt, but in October I had two insanely great rides on this, with the main ejector hill giving me some of the best airtime I've ever experienced. Also, could the park reconfigure the break run to make it possible for Thunderbolt to run with two trains?
They'd have to update the braking system, much like Canobie would with Yankee Cannonball.
Operations are god awful and the line moves at a snail pace. It’s is a fun ride and if you haven’t ridden it you should. But if the line extends out of the station and into the switch backs prepare to wait. They need to figure out a way to speed up station ops or Atleast figure out how to run 2 trains.
I wish they'd upgrade the brakes for 2 train operations and have automatic unloading.
@@CanobieCoaster agreed although even just adding a second train would help so they can load one while another makes its circuits.
I haven’t ridden this coaster in a long time so I don’t remember much of this coaster
It's decent.
I don’t think Six Flags New England can use Holiday In The Park
It doesn't get much attendance.
This ride sucks it hurt my back last weekend. Beware.
Oh no! I've never found it that rough.