Fire & Ice

[jt04]

IoAs dueling coasters rumored to be replaced by expanding Potter theming. Those coaster would look nice at Sea World.

Really a no-brainer for Uni to take these out. Once the queue was lost there really was no long term reason to keep them. The Sinbad show should go too for the same expansion IMO. If it even still exists.

Make it happen Uni.

 

[Jrn14]

Just curious as to your source? I wouldn't mind them being removed if a more immersive experience was added but they are my favorite outdoor coaster on uni property. Truly a great coaster but the theme isn't quite there. Lost some of it's luster when they stopped dueling. Plus the que/locker location isn't great logistic wise.

 

[Tom Morrow]

If they're taken out then I hope its for a better, more immersive coaster. I didn't mind the butchered queue but without the dueling element both tracks kind of stand out as being shorter and having a weird flow compared to a typical coaster.

It better not be replaced with another screen ride.

 

[jt04]

Just curious as to your source? I wouldn't mind them being removed if a more immersive experience was added but they are my favorite outdoor coaster on uni property. Truly a great coaster but the theme isn't quite there. Lost some of it's luster when they stopped dueling. Plus the que/locker location isn't great logistic wise.

Screamscape. Although this rumor has been around a very long time.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

If they're taken out then I hope its for a better, more immersive coaster. I didn't mind the butchered queue but without the dueling element both tracks kind of stand out as being shorter and having a weird flow compared to a typical coaster.

It better not be replaced with another screen ride.

What about both?

 

[danpam1024]

Good place to add some Fantastic Beasts

 

[Tom Morrow]

What about both?

I'd prefer a new, more heavily themed coaster and something else other than another screen ride.

 

[Bairstow]

I hope this isn't true because I'm really going to miss these things. I never got to see them before the Potter overlay, but even then I thought the queue and themeing were excellent. You haven't really ridden these things unless you've done the front of Fire at night, during a rainstorm. The full quidditch experience. I never understood all the hate for the exposed track, either, but then I just enjoy looking at coasters period.

If they do take them out, I wouldn't bet on the track being bought and used wholesale by another park. If the Hulk rebuild is any indication, these things are probably near the end of their service life.

 

[lazyboy97o]

If they do take them out, I wouldn't bet on the track being bought and used wholesale by another park. If the Hulk rebuild is any indication, these things are probably near the end of their service life.

I think The Incredible Hulk is more an anomaly. Quickly looking at RCDB, every other B&M that opened between 1990 -1999 is still operating.

 

[Bairstow]

I think The Incredible Hulk is more an anomaly. Quickly looking at RCDB, every other B&M that opened between 1990 -1999 is still operating.

That's what surprised me about Hulk, as I think we've discussed before I wonder if maybe the operative question isn't age, but overall lifetime train cycles.
A park as popular as Islands, which runs year-round and keeps fairly long hours, is going to put a lot more mileage on their Inverts than say, Six Flags with their Batmen, or even Montu.

 

[Tom Morrow]

I still don't entirely buy that all of Hulk needed to be replaced, I could understand sections and footers, but I still think the decision to replace all of it had to do with wanting quieter track. That said, Hulk does push out more cycles than any other B&M, most of the time the trains are leaving the station every 60~ seconds.

The exposed track complaints stem from the early days of IOA when Disney fanboys were looking to bash it in any way possible. "Disney would never build a coaster with exposed track!" Although to be fair, while Hulk is photogenic and iconic, Dragons, being two tracks with abnormal layouts, does look like an ugly mess of steel.

 

[lazyboy97o]

That's what surprised me about Hulk, as I think we've discussed before I wonder if maybe the operative question isn't age, but overall lifetime train cycles.
A park as popular as Islands, which runs year-round and keeps fairly long hours, is going to put a lot more mileage on their Inverts than say, Six Flags with their Batmen, or even Montu.

Six Flags may not get as many cycles but they also deal with more extreme weather. Even Kumba has about six years on The Incredible Hulk and is still going.

I still don't entirely buy that all of Hulk needed to be replaced, I could understand sections and footers, but I still think the decision to replace all of it had to do with wanting quieter track.

The track was dampened to hear the audio and Disney demonstrated why adding audio to existing track can be a bad idea.

 

[Bairstow]

Six Flags may not get as many cycles but they also deal with more extreme weather. Even Kumba has about six years on The Incredible Hulk and is still going.

Sure, but so many of those weekdays at Busch Gardens are going to be single-train operation.
Dragons was always running with at least 2, often 3. That's got to add up over the years in terms of overall metal fatigue.

 

[BrerJon]

You haven't really ridden these things unless you've done the front of Fire at night, during a rainstorm. .

Riding Dragons in heavy rain is one of the best coaster experiences there is. The sheer craziness of it raining from the ground upwards, or sideways, or any ways as you roll around... it's great fun, and usually a walk-on too, as everyone else is too worried about being struck by lightning to board such a beast in those conditions.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

I think The Incredible Hulk is more an anomaly. Quickly looking at RCDB, every other B&M that opened between 1990 -1999 is still operating.

Yeah, our Batman the ride at Six Flags Great America open in 1992 and is the first inverted coasters ever built and it's still running great..