Hydra the Revenge
Hydra the Revenge | |
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Hydra's first drop | |
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom | |
Coordinates | 40°34′52″N 75°31′57″W / 40.5810°N 75.5325°WCoordinates: 40°34′52″N 75°31′57″W / 40.5810°N 75.5325°W |
Status | Operating |
Opening date | May 7, 2005 |
Cost | $13,000,000 USD |
Replaced | Hercules |
General statistics | |
Type | Steel – Floorless Coaster |
Manufacturer | Bolliger & Mabillard |
Designer | Werner Stengel |
Model | Floorless Coaster |
Track layout | Twister |
Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
Height | 95 ft (29 m) |
Drop | 105 ft (32 m) |
Length | 3,198 ft (975 m) |
Speed | 53 mph (85 km/h) |
Inversions | 7 |
Duration | 2:35 |
Max vertical angle | 68° |
Capacity | 1,245 riders per hour |
Height restriction | 54 in (137 cm) |
Trains | 2 trains with 8 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train. |
Fast Lane available | |
Hydra the Revenge at RCDB Pictures of Hydra the Revenge at RCDB |
Hydra the Revenge (simply known as Hydra) is a steel Floorless Coaster at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania (USA). It is the only Floorless Coaster in Pennsylvania and was built where the former wooden roller coaster Hercules once stood, which was closed and demolished at the end of the park's 2003 season. Its name comes from the Greek Mythology story where Hercules battled Hydra.
History
Hercules was a wooden roller coaster that sat in the current location of Hydra the Revenge. In 2003, the coaster was closed and demolished.[1] On September 14, 2004, the $13 million Hydra the Revenge was announced.[2][3] Construction began in the spring of 2004 and continued through the winter.[4] Hydra the Revenge was topped off (highest piece the lift hill) on August 20, 2004 and the entire track layout was completed on December 4, 2004.[4] The first cars for the coaster arrived at Dorney Park on December 10, 2004 and the first ride with people on a train took place on March 24, 2005.[4] The roller coaster officially opened to the public on May 7, 2005.[5][6]
Backstory
The name of the roller coaster comes from the story of Hercules in Greek Mythology. According to the story, Hercules had to perform twelve labours. After defeating the Nemean lion for the first labour, the second was to defeat the Hydra, a nine-headed creature with eight serpentine heads that would regrow each time they were cut off, including one that was immortal. Dorney Park altered the remainder of the story- after Hercules managed to defeat the Hydra initially, he buried the immortal head stuck under a stone, with the intention of sealing it for all time. Years later however, the head slowly grew back, resurrecting the Hydra and taking its revenge on Hercules by killing him; hence why the Hydra roller coaster sits where Hercules once did.[5][6][7]
Experience
Once the floor drops and the front gate opens, the train is dispatched leading straight into the first element, a heartline roll. Upon exiting the roll, the train makes a 180 degree right turn and begins to climb the 95-foot (29 m) lift hill. Once at the top, the train drops down 105 feet (32 m) at a 68 degree angle. Then, the train makes a slight right turn into a 62-foot (19 m) inclined diving loop before going through a zero-gravity roll. Next, immediately after the roll, the train enters the first of two corkscrew's. After exiting the corkscrew, the train then goes through a cobra roll. After an upward left turn, followed by a downard right turn, the train goes over an airtime hill before entering the second corkscrew. The train then makes a banked right turn, then a left turn which leads into the brake run. Once back at the station, after the floors come back up and the front gate closes, the riders unload and the next ones load.[3][5][8]
One cycle of the ride lasts about 2 minutes and 35 seconds.[5]
Characteristics
Trains
Hydra the Revenge operates with two steel and fiberglass trains. Each train has eight cars that can seat four riders in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train.[5] Each train has two shades of green and pink on the bottom section while the seats and over-the-shoulder restraints are also pink.
Track
The steel track of Hydra the Revenge is approximately 3,198 feet (975 m) long, the height of the lift is approximately 95 feet (29 m) high, and the entire track weighs about 1,368,000 pounds (621,000 kg).[3][5] It was manufactured by Clermont Steel Fabricators located in Batavia, Ohio.[9] The track has two shades of green while the supports are turquoise.
Reception
Jeremy Thompson from Roller Coaster Philosophy said that roller was okay and wasn't sure if he liked the total ride experience, "The ride itself is okay, but I’m not sure if I really loved the whole experience." He also mentioned that the layout of Hydra the Revenge was interesting, "Still, it’s got a more interesting layout."[10] A group of roller coaster enthusiasts also came to the conclusion that the ride wasn't the best but still good, "The general consensus is that it's a good, but not quite great, ride that's perfect for family-oriented Dorney."[11]
Awards
Mitch Hawker's Best Roller Coaster Poll: Best Steel-Tracked Roller Coaster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Year | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ranking |
- ^ No Steel Roller Coaster Poll was held in 2011.
References
- ↑ Marden, Duane. "Hercules (Dorney Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- ↑ Marden, Duane. "Hydra the Revenge Press Release (Dorney Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Hydra The Revenge arrives at Dorney Park". Gettysburg Times. May 11, 2005. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Hydra the Revenge Photo Desk". Dorney Park/Cedar Fair. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Marden, Duane. "Hydra the Revenge (Dorney Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Hydra". Dorney Park. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
- ↑ "Hydra The Myth Becomes Reality at Dorney Park". Dorney Park/Cedar Fair. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
- ↑ "Hydra the Revenge Front Seat on-ride HD POV Dorney Park". wwwCOASTERFORCEcom. September 10, 2010. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- ↑ Guido, Anna (November 7, 2005). "Steel plant's business on fast track". Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on January 7, 2006. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
- ↑ "Dorney Park". Roller Coaster Philosophy. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
- ↑ 's+new+Hydra+head-+on.+The+ride+is+the+only+floorless+coaster+in+the+state.&pqatl=google "MYTHICAL PROPORTIONS ** Enthusiasts meet Dorney's new Hydra head- on. The ride is the only floorless coaster in the state.". The Morning Call. June 26, 2005. p. AA.1. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 "Best Steel Roller Coaster Poll 12 year results table". BestRollerCoasterPoll.com. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hydra the Revenge. |
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