Hey! Hello there, how are ya? Did you know that Famvia now has a section dedicated to ride reviews? Yep, we will be reviewing every ride from Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World in the coming months, from fan favorites like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind to not-so-fan-favorites like The Fast & the Furious Supercharged. This time, we are taking a look at one of the best roller coaster in the world. Enjoy!
Who knew that raptors could be this much fun?
This is one of the best roller coasters in the world. 10/10. Ride it.
There. That’s the review, I don’t need to say much more. Thanks and until next time!
…okay! Well, let’s just say that this is an amazing ride for those that love roller coasters without tons of loops and sharp turns, and prefer something that is all about speed and great moments of air time when it feels like you are walking on the moon. Walking on a moon, all from the plush comfort of a velvet-covered chair, by the way. Yeah, the VelociCoaster is that comfortable. I want one of those seats to replace my office chair back home, honestly.
This is a “Top 5 best Roller Coaster in the World” according to the Golden Ticket Awards and multiple YouTubers. The VelociCoaster gets packed rather easily, which is usually the case with good rides and popular rollercoasters, so it’s normal to see waiting times ranging from 60min all the way to 120min. The good news is that Universal’s FastPass service – called the Express Pass – works for the VelociCoaster, which is a huge bonus.
There’s not much to say about the queue itself, even if it features a few realistic animatronics like our friend above. Yeah, he doesn't look happy, but the poor guy is trapped and all he wants to do is to also ride this amazing coaster. Oh well. The cool part happens a few minutes before entering your vehicle, as you will come face to face with a big tv screen featuring everyone’s favorite actor, Chris Pratt! Funny enough, Chris Pratt also appears in another amazing ride, which is the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Disney’s EPCOT. That guy is on a roll!
The VelociCoaster is fast but, more importantly, the seat is extremely comfortable. This ride is all about speed, going up, going down and screaming… yep, prepare your lungs and scream as loud as you can. The starting section is fun and actually quite immersive, as you are launched forward to simulate your vehicle running against raptors in a race. You can even hear them making... raptor sounds, or whatever that is. Then its time to go up for some air time and enjoy a few sharp turns that never feel like you are being aggressively shoved to the sides like a test dummy.
The best part for me happens a bit after the initial launch, when you are catapulted forward once more to climb a steep hill, giving you the chance to enjoy a full second or two of air time before a huge drop. It’s amazing, and it feels like this small moment gets frozen in time. Some people prefer the final section, with a few corkscrews near ground level, which are also pretty nice, but my heart belongs to the air time and awesome drops.
It's important to note that the VelociCoaster has a strict policy against bringing anything with you on the ride. I mean anything, be it your cellphone, a lucky charm, a T-Rex tooth or a loose coin inside your pocket. They have X-rays before you board the vehicle and park operators will know if you’re trying to ride with your new iPhone hidden somewhere. They aren’t afraid to set out a live velociraptor after you if there is a suspicion you are trying to be sneaky.
The good news is that the VelociCoaster also has metal lockers right as you go past the main entrance. The lockers aren’t very big, but there is enough space for a single backpack, so make sure to store all your belongings inside.
This is my favorite kind of roller coaster. Enjoyable, fast, not bumpy at all. It's awesome to see recent roller coasters making changes to make seats more comfortable and going for speed instead of having dozens of loops over and over and over again. I don’t even think there is a traditional loop here, although there’s at least one barrel roll near the end. As I said, those pesky raptors are all about going fast, so expect to find this here.
Plus, you'll walk away headache-free once the ride concludes. Hooray! It's time to hop back on for another round. And another. And another.
Rating: 10/10
