I really hope we don't lose lift hills! I think they are really important. It might just be me but launch coasters can become a bit much and too intense so I think its definitely important to have both to appeal to more people :D
I think they'll be with us pretty much forever. Years ago, the only way to get a coaster going fast was to go high via a lift hill, these days there are other options. Personally, I think that lift hills are great for pacing and building up suspense as they can be built to block your view of the upcoming track.
I do have two things to say, one is that i honestly thought the title said "Have lift hills peaked" when i first clicked the video and two is that i left a really long comment on your last video yesterday explaining my thoughts on the future of uk parks and i really don't want to type it all again, anyway, your video does raise a lot of good points and in my opinion, i think lifts might actually take over from launches again if there are more innovations with lifts, for example, a lift hill that can stop and then make riders freefall down it for a short distance as part of a show element like that one ride in heide park (i think) or lifts that speed up and slow down for show elements or audio interactions. plus i also think that if launches took over too much people would eventually get sick of them along with all of the ride models that work best with lifts like you mentioned. another concept i have actually been able to ride is the green dragon roller coaster in greenwood wales that has no lifts or launches and instead goes from the station straight to the end of the ride then as part of the queue, riders go into a lift that uses the people's weight to lift the entire train back up to the station, i think this concept is quite creative as well as eco friendly and i think this gimmick would be well recieved with both family coasters and maybe even some ground hugging terrain coasters, have you ever been on it? if not, then i highly recommend it, although the rest of the park is aimed younger. it is a pretty normal family coaster but it is a lot of fun to watch the train rising back up to the station while you travel down to lift it up. (its probably best to watch a video of it on youtube to properly understand what im talking about because it is a little hard to explain) just imagine a thrilling terrain family coaster that is eco friendly and fun to watch it rise to the top of the station, what are your thoughts? :)
Maybe I should have put the pun in the title as well ;) Ah, yeah, I just replied to it now! It will be interesting to see how Drayton's new coaster is received since that looks to launch back down the lift hill. I guess it's blurring the lines between the two, which I think is really cool! Free falling down a lift will would be absolutely terrifying, especially if it's out of view of the queue, so it comes as a surprise! I genuinely think people would have heart attacks! That Green Dragon coaster looks really cool, I just had a look at some videos. Definitely a fun gimmick, and it solves the problem of most small lift hills just being a bit boring, but I would hate to see it's capacity if it were at a bigger park!
@@coaster_shark yeah, capacity is the only issue really with the green dragon (fun fact, it was built by the same people as lego windsor's dragon coasters)
Mack Hyper lift hills should be the future. They are fast enough to not feel drawn out, and build enough anticipation as once the train finally latches onto the train it speeds up. High speed lift hills should continue, but remove all the other slow ones.
Yeah. Other modern manufacturers like Vekoma also use fast lifthills to quickly reach the top. A new Vekoma coaster like Fønix at Fårup Sommerland reaches its 130ft tall peak in only around 10 seconds.
Definitely! One time I had a blind launch on an accelerator, and it was genuinely terrifying. Somehow so much more intense than with the usual countdown and race lights
Never really thought about this but a very good point. Capacity is really important now and i feel more multi launch coasters will emerge way more frequently in the future. Enjoyed the video - thanks for sharing
Electrical engineer here. I promise you lift hills aren't going anywhere. At least concerning the electical side of things, for a lift hill you need: 1. One motor 2. Wiring 3. Relays 4. Control system 5. Repair and Maintenance routine For an LSM you need: 1. Lots of motors and huge magnets 2. Lots more wiring for each individual motor 3. More complicated and expensive control system with precision timing 4. A dedicated distribution line from your local power company's grid so they can handle the sudden, massive momentary power spikes the thing will cause, so your neighbors lights don't dim every time the ride operator presses the launch button 5. The possibility of being told by your power company that you need to shut the ride down on a hot day because they can't handle the load 6. Possibility to avoid 4 and 5: An large expensive bank of supercapacitors 7. More complicated and expensive R&M routine
You raise a lot of good points, but although a more mechanical system like the lift hill is probably simpler overall, society in general is moving towards accepting complexity in wiring and control systems as standard now. I think that's why launches are becoming more popular, but yes, we will always get lift hills too
One thing to note: Many new large coasters that use lift hills have steep (45+ degrees, for B&M) to vertical lifts, reducing the amount of support structure required to build them. In the case of Gerstlauer Euro Fighter / Infinity Coasters, this puts their lift hills on par with Intamin or Mack top hats. Also, parks have pivoted to launched coasters because almost every park that can afford a hyper or giga has already built one (with a few notable exceptions, of course). That's one reason B&M pivoted to the mini dive, filling a gap in many park lineups. So it'll be interesting to see how many parks go for Intamin or Mack coasters with a launched lift. Universal would very likely get one to replace Rip Ride Rocket, and it's likely SeaWorld San Antonio might consider one, particularly if Fiesta Texas doesn't.
Good point about the vertical lifts, the only thing I would add is that they do still need a bit more of a structure just because of the weight and forces on the lift mechanism. I agree that the number of parks that either need or can afford big lift hills is running out. Yes, I'm interested to see if we see more blurred lines between launches and lifts too!
Nothing makes my heart race like the slow rise to the top, the clicking and people slowly getting anxious around you. If traditional lift hills should slowly die out, the log flume will at least persost with its slow click conveyor ❤
One advantage of launch coasters is the usually easy way to evacuate riders in case of a shutdown. With big lift hills this often causes big efforts and special trained people to evacuate riders from a lifthill which could take hours depending on the height. With launch coasters usually just a platform is installed at the different block launch areas. If something goes wrong riders can just step out of the ride onto the platform and walk away which takes maybe 5-10 min. Also this is much better and less stress for riders with fear of heights as there is only very crazy situations which might lead to evacuation from high platform block brakes or so. With lift hills of course you have this crazy anticipation based on the height and the first drop. Good to have both
That's a really good point actually, I hadn't thought of that. As someone who's not bothered by heights, I always thought it would be pretty fun to get evacuated from a massive lift hill though ;)
@@coaster_shark silver star evacuation took 90min last time i read it. every single rider gets secured and accompanied while going down nearly whole lift hill😅
@@LocoCoasters I think Voltron has proved that this doesn’t have to be the case as the launch can function as it’s own block zone allowing you to run more trains, it has a theoretical capacity of around 1700 riders/hr
Yes, while swing launches through the station are definitely bad for capacity, those mid way through the layout like Voltron and Toutatis probably don't impact it too much
I do think lifts have reached their peak in theme parks, launches 100% reign supreme there. You can’t really say the same about amusement parks. Still today you’re seeing a good amount of coasters be added with a lift hill, even more so than launches.
The multi launch coasters have totally ruined the idea of pacing. It used to be a challenge to keep the ride exciting in the second half, and although some failed miserably, others came up with really unique solutions that really made a ride. Some of the best moments on rides like Montu, Magnum XL, Phoenix, OG Batman the ride, etc... happen towards the end of the ride. Even rides like El Toro and Steel Vengeance have intense twister sections inside the structure at the end. Now everything just adds another launch once it gets to slow to have big elements, and then go right into the break run. Having multiple launches is cool, but it can't be a crutch to use instead of creating the second half of the ride. The Incredible Hulk is a good example of that done well with a launch, but there aren't many others. And Big Thunder Mountain is the best themed lift hill I know, Everest is good too like you said, as is Space Mountain, pretty sure seven dwarves mine train does a good job too if I remember correctly
I've never thought of it that way before, but you have a good point. Sometimes its quite nice to do something different towards the end - the one that springs to my mind is Mako because the as good as the airtime hills in the first half are, I just love the low down twisty stuff at the end! I guess the Hulk is a bit of an outlier though because its only a single launch so still had to be interesting without another burst of speed. Disney do know how to do a lift hill well don't they...
7:07 "I'm just wondering what the next big innovation will be, and what will take over from launches is the next big thing" - Powered coasters more similar to the Maurer Spike? - Donkey Kong type coasters that use track mounted on its size as the running rails? - Roller coaster networks, using even more frequent launches and switches?
I'm not sure about the Spike, just because it seems fairly limited in scale and capacity, so I'm not sure how many parks could get one. Also, I don't get the whole interactive throttle thing because who isn't going to just go full throttle all the time? Also it would be really annoying if you've waited for an hour and then end up crawling along behind some kid who won't go faster than 5 mph lol. I would live to see more of those tbh, but I'm not sure if Universal owns the patent for it, so it might be pretty hard for other parks to do it unless they can come up with a different mechanism... I was thinking about that the other day tbh, I was wondering if you could have one launch track, but you go through it multiple times with switch tracks at either end. It would definitely be cool, but would be very complex to run, and expensive.
As someone who is afraid of heights and had fear of attractions, it's the only type of attractions that I avoid if it seems too daunting. An example of this: the new voltron in europapark was the most fun ride I had, but I couldn't get myself into the silver star, even though it seems not that extreme apart from the 70m drop
That's a good point, even if a launch coaster is more thrilling, its so much less daunting without that massive drop, which definitely makes it more accessible
In Europapark Mack Rides just built a new launch coaster: Voltron Nevera I must say it is the best coaster I have ever ridden, especially because of the 105° beyond vertical launch out of the station (bruh whats next??) You simply cant compare the the feeling you get while riding it and the 2s stall right after the 105° launch into the first big dive really sells it. The focus is clearly on the layout itself though, so they mastered the art of launch coasters perfectly
It does look absolutely crazy to be honest, I've been weighing up whether to go and visit Europa Park for a while now but that might just tip the scales...
Not watching the whole video. But lift hills will never die. Just like everything, rollercoasters do have trends. And if you been around long enough you should know. Example, back in the 90s the invert was invented so EVERY park needed an invert and they where popping up left and right. The late 90s saw the inversion trend, inversions where around since the mid to late 70s but the mid to late 90s saw the inversion wars, more inversions the better and every park needed one. The 2000s saw the rise of the hyper and giga coasters, more or less the hyper coaster boom and the race for the tallest and fastest coaster. In more recent years the last 10 years or so we saw two trends, the airtime was a big trend for a bit kinda still is, airtime coasters again more airtime the better, now the trend we are seeing is the launch coasters. Give it time and this trend also will fade away. Again it's all trends.
I get what you're saying, and I came to a similar conclusion towards the end of the video, maybe just not worded as well ;) I'm just excited to see what comes next...
I think another big reason is the "wow" factor launches have over lift hills. Especially on people who haven't visited many theme parks in recent years. As for me though... All these launched coasters, as fantastic and diverse as they are, do make me miss the good ol' humble lift hill. That's why Kondaa was such a breath of fresh air for me
@@coaster_shark it's the slowly building anticipation and great views up there. plus, the contrast of a gentle ascend followed by a great, great first drop is pretty hard to beat :)
I always love the birds eye view you get of the other coasters from the tallest in the park, because its a weird perspective you don't usually get to see, and it really lets you appreciate how sprawled out and twisted some of them are
I never really got why they didn't become more popular, they just seem better in pretty much every way... I reckon Intamin must have a pretty broad patent on it to stop other manufacturers doing something similar
I think small footprint launched coasters could work very well for a lot of small parks, the Vekoma Space Warp is one that really stands out and I’m not sure why we haven’t seen it cloned quite a few times
It’s interesting because I think launches are both more ‘thrilling’ and ‘accessible’. They LOOK scarier but also provide the “get over it quickly” factor for riders that are afraid.
That's a good point. I think the issue with older launches is that they were usually followed up by a massive element that was just as scary, and the double whammy put people off, but now that's less common so its easier to get over it, as you said. Lift hills on the other hand are drawn out and horrible if you're dreading the drop that's coming!
With Lms’s and high budgets I think launches will appear more often, however lift hills definitely are here to stay for a long time. Launches are expensive and don’t work on every ride. I think we will see more launches and less lift hills but honestly I’m here for it as launches are almost always better than lift hills.
I don't think they'll ever go away completely, since they're cheaper for smaller parks who can't afford fancy launches, and some coasters (such as kiddie coasters) dont really need a launch.
I wanna say there is one thing that keeps launches from being more common on taller coasters: Power demands. The power demands for the LSM launch on Red Force at Ferrari World are immense, requiring specialized capacitors to prevent the repeated launches from straining the power grid every time it's used. I imagine the power bill just to run that coaster isn't exactly small either. Compare the power draw of a traditional chain lift, or a cable lift like on Millennium Force, and it makes sense why most gigas or hypers still use traditional lift hills.
There is a technical limitation with chain lift hills - the weight of the chain. It's technically challenging building a chain lift higher than 250 feet. The chain is just too heavy. I think that's the main reason why the stratacoasters (400 ft +) are launch rather than lift hill. Also, some coasters use cable lift hills which can be made higher eg Millennium Force
I am surprised we haven't seen more manufacturers using cable lifts, but the problems with chains must be able to be overcome to some extent if B&M are using them with their Gigas
With Lightning Rod I´m still not 100% convinced that that the core of it´s issues was having a Launch on a wooden structure. I´m kinda wondering how much of the problems was rooted in RMC having a company that never build a LSM Launch System before doing that for the first time. It would be interesting to see a alternate timeline where they went with Indrivetec instead if that would have worked better. That being said, I think traditional Lift Hills are always going to have a place. I mean, coasters like Hyperion or Kondaa most like could´ve been done with a strong (Swing) Launch to get them up a Top Hat and into the same Layout´s they currently have, but doing it like that would absolutely overshadow their really good first drops. What I could see happening more often though is LSM Lifthills like on Battlestar Galactica and Maverick to get you up the Lift in a quick way without it taking away too much, if anything at all, from everything that follows.
Yeahhhh it had a lot of issues, but the wooden structure probably didn't help! I think you're right, and we might see more coasters blur the lines between lifts and launches, which would be great to see! I also agree that first drops are the one thing that's missing from launch coasters.
I feel like you missed multiple major things in this video. First, not all old launches were hydraulic. The Intamin Accelerator isn’t the only old launch coaster model. There’s the old Arrow Shuttle loops using an electric motor. Flywheel launches on some old Schwarzkopf rides. Compressed air launches on S&S rides. And most relevant LIM launches on many coasters around the turn of the millennium. Sure, the first 3 have similar issues to the hydraulic launches… But LIM launches don’t. They were used for complicated layouts (Premier Spagetti Bowls) They can do multiple launches, and I’m pretty sure act as brakes. So why didn’t the launch coasters really take off in 2000 rather than in 2020? (LIM launches are very power hungry as a possible reason) And you also need to explain why LSM launched coasters are taking over today rather than 10 or 15 years ago given they very much existed then, and the 2010s had a lot of lift hill coasters being built compared to launches.
Yeah. Heck LSMs are even still pretty old. We have 2 launch coasters in my country but the older one of the 2 uses LSMs and that was from 2008. Specifically Lynet at Fårup Sommerland which was built by Gerstlauer. And it definitely has a complete layout together with a powerful launch, but no other launch coasters have been built in the park. Their latest roller coaster, Fønix, and the country's largest is with a classic lifthill and is more or less a modern take on a classic all round looping coaster with 3 inversions and lots of airtime.
Good point about the LIMs, although they didn't really seem to gain traction outside of America (apart from in Disney and Universal parks) which is really weird. Maybe Premier and the other LIM manufacturers just didn't like working with European parks? I think the LSMs just gradually ramped up in popularity to be honest. There were still a lot being built back in the 2010's, but not many really set the industry alight like the recent ones have. I think it just took until now to perfect them, and now a lot more being built are considered world class.
Counterpoint to hydraulic & pneumatic launches "stealing the show" from the rest of the ride: You can have layouts that match the energy of the hydraulic launch, the issue is that they would have to match or exceed Maverick in intensity. I would love such a thing, but the issue is the general public typically likes smooth, flowy rides (a la Mack launches), and the gut punch launches, neck-snapping transitions, and brain-melting G's of the more intense Intamin launch coasters drives casual riders away.
I think you would need something at (or maybe even beyond) i305 to match hydraulic launch intensity! You are right that it could be done, but I agree it would be too much for the public (and probably some enthusiasts too)
Well there's also other factors one has got to consider. Namely costs. LSMs are generally more expensive both to buy and to operate as theyre highly technical and use large amounts of electricity, which can easily spike up the bill a lot. In many cases more than a park may like. Thats a real negative for smaller and midsized parks, especially those that are budget concious. So no I dont think the days of Lift hills are numbered. Parks like Universal and Disney are the exception rather than the norm after all. Like you've mentioned Scandinavian parks like Liseberg but even in Scandinavia, there are relatively few launch coasters. And while smaller park additions like Furuviks lightning might still be a launch coaster, its launch is also a marketing gimmick for the park. Over in Denmark only 2 launch coasters exist in the whole country, both of which are now over 10 years old. All newer coasters since have been with lift hills, with a single one having a tiny tiredriven launch for a prelift section in 2017. Honestly the big new thing that seems to be on the market right now, is reversible layouts, say a semi-shuttle coaster where you go through it one way at first, but a switch track appears and you go back the way you came and now take a 2nd lap backwards. Several parks and manufacturers have been building such designs and presenting their own in recent years, whether it is small family layouts, of larger ones in the same vein like Bobbejaanlands Fury.
Good point about Disney and Universal being the exception. I think the reversible layouts will come across the same issues you raised with the launches though, as the switch tracks will be complex and harder to maintain than just a normal ride too
@@coaster_shark Yeah that is fair but the way parks primarily use them seems to be extending the ridetime by going around twice, but each time in a different direction. The reduced cost in having a shorter layout offsets the extra cost in building and maintaining a switch track mechanism.
As long as RMC, woodies and B&M are still around, lift hills will stay. Also basically all junior coasters have tire lift and it would be hard to make a junior coaster with a launch as kids may find them too scary
ART engineering already opend 2 launched junior coasters: Fridolin's verrückter Zauberexpress and snoopy's racing railway. They are even multilaunch coasters The trick with making those work is a low acceleration.
With RMC and woodies it makes sense, but I worry that B&M will just get left behind if they don't fully embrace launches. I get what you're saying about the kiddie coasters too, but I feel like they will always just do their own thing away from the trends of the thrill rides
@@coaster_shark I think as long as B&M hypers and inverts and dives stay around B&M will continue the lift hill, but even those models are becoming scarce these days. Also I reckon hypercoasters in general will keep the lift hill trend up because a hyper or giga with a launch just isn’t the same
I have always been a bit confused why we haven't seen many launched inverts, especially when the Intamin Impulses and Volcano not only showed it was possible, but that it was good
Launches allow more creativity to ride layouts. With lift hills, the ride's largest element is forced to be at the start whereas with rides like Velocicoaster, the drop can be in the middle of the ride! However, lift hills give you lots of time to get a good view of the park around you, so I hope they don't go away completely
Yes! It's such a game changer for pacing where the ride doesn't just have to slow down and lose intensity after the first element. I love getting a birds eye view of other coasters from the tallest in the park though - you can really appreciate how sprawling and twisted they look from above!
I love light lsms but I hate punchy launches like stealth so im hoping we don’t just get only punchy launch coasters from now cause I will stop being an enthusiast
I don't think we'll see the end of lift hills. Also, I know this won't be popular but I'm hoping swing launches don't spread around. I think they're overrated and I find non-launched coasters more exciting. But I really do hope we see more cable lift hills or launched lift hills like Maverick, Incredible Hulk, or OG Lightning Rod.
That's fair enough. I would be more for swing launches if they were more powerful, but sometimes they just seem like a cop out to not need such a powerful launch, and that does hurt them I think.
@@coaster_shark haha, yes, I know, but most won't use it and are more traditional. As well as many people were more hesitant about those kinds of vertical lifts than the traditional ones. because in most cases, there were easier ways to evacuate if the chain failed or got stuck. Good video.
I disagree. I think heights and the fear associated with them is a massive draw to coasters, if not THE draw. Intense launches are great, but I don't think tall lifts are going away.
In my opinion I don’t think it’s the end of chain lift hills because I think we are in era with launch at this moment so I can see them going back to chain it’s just parks taking a break kinda thing
I prefer a lift hill and airtime filled drop. The launch coasters feel over engineered and overly gimmicky in many cases, especially the swing launch. Yes that's absolutely a jab at Top Thrill 2.
@@coaster_shark I finally got over to Busch Gardens tampa and that Iron Gwazi was something else. In the queue looking at that hill was terrifying 😩😩. Brilliant ride👍
@@AirtimeAxolotl I knew about Thunderbird and the one at KD. I completely forgot about pipeline and penguin trek. I've never heard of the other models though
@@coaster_shark I doubt it. You also have to look at RMC they don't do launches either and everyone loves them. B&M has built way too many world class rides for theme parks not to choose them
Yes, they're always going to be with us, we're just almost certainly past peak lift hill. One could say the same thing about wooden roller-coasters, but they still exist. They just aren't as common as they used to be.
@@SmallSpoonBrigade yeah that’s sort of what I was thinking they will be much less used and I think the use of launch and lift coasters will become increasingly more common
I like launches But I prefer a good lift hill tbh And the down time of these launch coasters is just terrible They are also more expensive cause they need much more energy
Whilst I think LSMs are more reliable now, I think another issue is that new style launch coasters often have other complex bits that can go wrong (like switch tracks), so even if the launch is more reliable, the ride as a whole isn't
both of them has some demand so neither will ever go extinct, they just kind of coexist unless something better come out, that will be another story then
all these youtubers with Park/coaster reviews about the ride "telling a story". I couldn't care less. I don't ride for them for a story, if it looks nice and runs smooth i am happy. For a story i watch movies. i prefer lift hills.
Yes, launches are fun, but there's a lot you can do with lift hills. You can angle them from barely at all to more or less vertical. You could probably even make them completely upside down if you wanted to. Plus, if you have a very long lift hill and a very sharp drop directly afterwards, it can feel like you're being dropped entirely in a way that's hard to do with a launch.
They really don't, it all depends on what angle they choose to use. Universal's Rip Ride Rockit has a more or less vertical lift hill that takes up no space. Really, they won't ever be as common as they used to be, but a good lift hill can really add a lot of suspense and tension to a ride.
Some do, and that was a point I was going to make in the video, but then I remembered all the Gerstlauers with vertical lift hills that take up no room haha
@@coaster_shark I think that we'll probably see a shift in how the lift hills are used from being near the beginning of traditional roller coasters to being more of a middle of the ride element to build suspension before dropping folks down a steep incline and into another launch. The beginning of the ride life hill will probably remain as it's still a good choice for less intense rides.
We definitely could. I always wondered why we don't see more with both lifts and launches - Takabisha / Shellraiser is an excellent ride, and both the launch and the lift hill/drop are spectacular
I really hope we don't lose lift hills! I think they are really important. It might just be me but launch coasters can become a bit much and too intense so I think its definitely important to have both to appeal to more people :D
I think they'll be with us pretty much forever. Years ago, the only way to get a coaster going fast was to go high via a lift hill, these days there are other options. Personally, I think that lift hills are great for pacing and building up suspense as they can be built to block your view of the upcoming track.
I agree that we need a mix, it would get quite boring if everything was launched!
There are family coasters with gentle launches.
@@mikeyg9958 yep I love those haha. My favourite launch is on mandril mayhem which is only 45 mph :D
RMC entered the chat...
you can say lift hills have reached their "peak" XD
HAHAHHAHA good one
Snuck it in the thumbnail ;)
I do have two things to say, one is that i honestly thought the title said "Have lift hills peaked" when i first clicked the video and two is that i left a really long comment on your last video yesterday explaining my thoughts on the future of uk parks and i really don't want to type it all again, anyway, your video does raise a lot of good points and in my opinion, i think lifts might actually take over from launches again if there are more innovations with lifts, for example, a lift hill that can stop and then make riders freefall down it for a short distance as part of a show element like that one ride in heide park (i think) or lifts that speed up and slow down for show elements or audio interactions. plus i also think that if launches took over too much people would eventually get sick of them along with all of the ride models that work best with lifts like you mentioned. another concept i have actually been able to ride is the green dragon roller coaster in greenwood wales that has no lifts or launches and instead goes from the station straight to the end of the ride then as part of the queue, riders go into a lift that uses the people's weight to lift the entire train back up to the station, i think this concept is quite creative as well as eco friendly and i think this gimmick would be well recieved with both family coasters and maybe even some ground hugging terrain coasters, have you ever been on it? if not, then i highly recommend it, although the rest of the park is aimed younger. it is a pretty normal family coaster but it is a lot of fun to watch the train rising back up to the station while you travel down to lift it up. (its probably best to watch a video of it on youtube to properly understand what im talking about because it is a little hard to explain) just imagine a thrilling terrain family coaster that is eco friendly and fun to watch it rise to the top of the station, what are your thoughts? :)
Maybe I should have put the pun in the title as well ;) Ah, yeah, I just replied to it now! It will be interesting to see how Drayton's new coaster is received since that looks to launch back down the lift hill. I guess it's blurring the lines between the two, which I think is really cool! Free falling down a lift will would be absolutely terrifying, especially if it's out of view of the queue, so it comes as a surprise! I genuinely think people would have heart attacks! That Green Dragon coaster looks really cool, I just had a look at some videos. Definitely a fun gimmick, and it solves the problem of most small lift hills just being a bit boring, but I would hate to see it's capacity if it were at a bigger park!
@@coaster_shark yeah, capacity is the only issue really with the green dragon (fun fact, it was built by the same people as lego windsor's dragon coasters)
Mack Hyper lift hills should be the future. They are fast enough to not feel drawn out, and build enough anticipation as once the train finally latches onto the train it speeds up. High speed lift hills should continue, but remove all the other slow ones.
Yeah. Other modern manufacturers like Vekoma also use fast lifthills to quickly reach the top. A new Vekoma coaster like Fønix at Fårup Sommerland reaches its 130ft tall peak in only around 10 seconds.
I'm surprised more manufacturers haven't started using cable lifts like Intamin to be honest, they're rapid
But take time to get back down again, so possible worse for capacity (eg. Millenium force) @@coaster_shark
but the sounds of a lifthill can be sooooo satisfying
It wouldn't sound like a theme park without the clack clack of the lifts in the background would it!
As much as i like the tension build of a big lift hill, an awesome launch is hard to compare to.
Definitely! One time I had a blind launch on an accelerator, and it was genuinely terrifying. Somehow so much more intense than with the usual countdown and race lights
Never really thought about this but a very good point. Capacity is really important now and i feel more multi launch coasters will emerge way more frequently in the future. Enjoyed the video - thanks for sharing
Thanks, I'm glad you liked it!
As someone who loves everything about coasters EXCEPT lift hills (fear of heights), I welcome this change.
It makes them more accessible for people who don't like heights doesn't it!
Electrical engineer here. I promise you lift hills aren't going anywhere. At least concerning the electical side of things, for a lift hill you need:
1. One motor
2. Wiring
3. Relays
4. Control system
5. Repair and Maintenance routine
For an LSM you need:
1. Lots of motors and huge magnets
2. Lots more wiring for each individual motor
3. More complicated and expensive control system with precision timing
4. A dedicated distribution line from your local power company's grid so they can handle the sudden, massive momentary power spikes the thing will cause, so your neighbors lights don't dim every time the ride operator presses the launch button
5. The possibility of being told by your power company that you need to shut the ride down on a hot day because they can't handle the load
6. Possibility to avoid 4 and 5: An large expensive bank of supercapacitors
7. More complicated and expensive R&M routine
You raise a lot of good points, but although a more mechanical system like the lift hill is probably simpler overall, society in general is moving towards accepting complexity in wiring and control systems as standard now. I think that's why launches are becoming more popular, but yes, we will always get lift hills too
@@coaster_shark The constraint of money is the bane of the engineers existence
Ohhhh indeed
I like the lift hill. It adds anticipation to the big drop.
I love the anticipation on a big lift hill!
One thing to note: Many new large coasters that use lift hills have steep (45+ degrees, for B&M) to vertical lifts, reducing the amount of support structure required to build them. In the case of Gerstlauer Euro Fighter / Infinity Coasters, this puts their lift hills on par with Intamin or Mack top hats. Also, parks have pivoted to launched coasters because almost every park that can afford a hyper or giga has already built one (with a few notable exceptions, of course). That's one reason B&M pivoted to the mini dive, filling a gap in many park lineups.
So it'll be interesting to see how many parks go for Intamin or Mack coasters with a launched lift. Universal would very likely get one to replace Rip Ride Rocket, and it's likely SeaWorld San Antonio might consider one, particularly if Fiesta Texas doesn't.
Good point about the vertical lifts, the only thing I would add is that they do still need a bit more of a structure just because of the weight and forces on the lift mechanism. I agree that the number of parks that either need or can afford big lift hills is running out.
Yes, I'm interested to see if we see more blurred lines between launches and lifts too!
Nothing makes my heart race like the slow rise to the top, the clicking and people slowly getting anxious around you.
If traditional lift hills should slowly die out, the log flume will at least persost with its slow click conveyor ❤
I swear the clacking adds to the anticipation!
No only lift hills are good. Suspense and enjoyment of looking around. Don't want to hide
There is nothing more intimidating than seing a giant lifthill from the Highway while pulling up to the Park. I love them
Oh yeah, especially when you've been able to see it for miles, and it just keeps looking bigger and bigger as you get closer...
One advantage of launch coasters is the usually easy way to evacuate riders in case of a shutdown. With big lift hills this often causes big efforts and special trained people to evacuate riders from a lifthill which could take hours depending on the height.
With launch coasters usually just a platform is installed at the different block launch areas. If something goes wrong riders can just step out of the ride onto the platform and walk away which takes maybe 5-10 min. Also this is much better and less stress for riders with fear of heights as there is only very crazy situations which might lead to evacuation from high platform block brakes or so.
With lift hills of course you have this crazy anticipation based on the height and the first drop. Good to have both
That's a really good point actually, I hadn't thought of that. As someone who's not bothered by heights, I always thought it would be pretty fun to get evacuated from a massive lift hill though ;)
@@coaster_shark silver star evacuation took 90min last time i read it. every single rider gets secured and accompanied while going down nearly whole lift hill😅
I bet the staff aren't the biggest fan of those then!
2015 coaster but lagoon features an elevator up a tower on cannibal. It's super cool and still builds that suspense that lift hills do.
But there new coaster primordial features an pound asf lift hill
@@Lanetgm I know
I think Swing Launches will reign supreme. They’re not exactly the “perfect” kind of launch but it gives a bit of everything:
-Airtime
-Speed
-Forces
They are definitely getting a lot more popular, and it's easy to see why!
-lower capacity
@@LocoCoasters I think Voltron has proved that this doesn’t have to be the case as the launch can function as it’s own block zone allowing you to run more trains, it has a theoretical capacity of around 1700 riders/hr
Yes, while swing launches through the station are definitely bad for capacity, those mid way through the layout like Voltron and Toutatis probably don't impact it too much
Short answer: No
Wouldn't have had much of a video if I just said that though ;)
thanks
I do think lifts have reached their peak in theme parks, launches 100% reign supreme there. You can’t really say the same about amusement parks. Still today you’re seeing a good amount of coasters be added with a lift hill, even more so than launches.
That's an interesting point, I guess the amusement parks don't really need to worry about the downsides of lift hills so much do they
@@coaster_shark I’d say so, at least for now. Still good job on the video and you do have a really good point.
Thanks!
That’d be awesome. Launches for life!! 🥳
Can't beat a good launch can you! Stealth's launch is probably still my single favourite element on any coaster
Lift hills are great because they build up the ride experience, but they do take up space. The lift hill also makes the ride time longer.
Good point about the ride time, a 90 min queue feels more worth it if you're on the ride for a few minutes, even if most of it is just lift hill
The multi launch coasters have totally ruined the idea of pacing. It used to be a challenge to keep the ride exciting in the second half, and although some failed miserably, others came up with really unique solutions that really made a ride. Some of the best moments on rides like Montu, Magnum XL, Phoenix, OG Batman the ride, etc... happen towards the end of the ride. Even rides like El Toro and Steel Vengeance have intense twister sections inside the structure at the end. Now everything just adds another launch once it gets to slow to have big elements, and then go right into the break run. Having multiple launches is cool, but it can't be a crutch to use instead of creating the second half of the ride. The Incredible Hulk is a good example of that done well with a launch, but there aren't many others.
And Big Thunder Mountain is the best themed lift hill I know, Everest is good too like you said, as is Space Mountain, pretty sure seven dwarves mine train does a good job too if I remember correctly
I've never thought of it that way before, but you have a good point. Sometimes its quite nice to do something different towards the end - the one that springs to my mind is Mako because the as good as the airtime hills in the first half are, I just love the low down twisty stuff at the end! I guess the Hulk is a bit of an outlier though because its only a single launch so still had to be interesting without another burst of speed. Disney do know how to do a lift hill well don't they...
7:07 "I'm just wondering what the next big innovation will be, and what will take over from launches is the next big thing"
- Powered coasters more similar to the Maurer Spike?
- Donkey Kong type coasters that use track mounted on its size as the running rails?
- Roller coaster networks, using even more frequent launches and switches?
I'm not sure about the Spike, just because it seems fairly limited in scale and capacity, so I'm not sure how many parks could get one. Also, I don't get the whole interactive throttle thing because who isn't going to just go full throttle all the time? Also it would be really annoying if you've waited for an hour and then end up crawling along behind some kid who won't go faster than 5 mph lol.
I would live to see more of those tbh, but I'm not sure if Universal owns the patent for it, so it might be pretty hard for other parks to do it unless they can come up with a different mechanism...
I was thinking about that the other day tbh, I was wondering if you could have one launch track, but you go through it multiple times with switch tracks at either end. It would definitely be cool, but would be very complex to run, and expensive.
Idk why but you give me early 2010s vibes
You know what, I'll take that! The 2010's were cool ;)
As someone who is afraid of heights and had fear of attractions, it's the only type of attractions that I avoid if it seems too daunting. An example of this: the new voltron in europapark was the most fun ride I had, but I couldn't get myself into the silver star, even though it seems not that extreme apart from the 70m drop
That's a good point, even if a launch coaster is more thrilling, its so much less daunting without that massive drop, which definitely makes it more accessible
In Europapark Mack Rides just built a new launch coaster: Voltron Nevera
I must say it is the best coaster I have ever ridden, especially because of the 105° beyond vertical launch out of the station (bruh whats next??)
You simply cant compare the the feeling you get while riding it and the 2s stall right after the 105° launch into the first big dive really sells it. The focus is clearly on the layout itself though, so they mastered the art of launch coasters perfectly
It does look absolutely crazy to be honest, I've been weighing up whether to go and visit Europa Park for a while now but that might just tip the scales...
some coasters just need a lift hill. Can't imagine Expedition GeForce without one, it's the coolest part of the ride.
Oh yeah sometimes the ride wouldn't be the same without the anticipation you get from the lift hill
Not watching the whole video. But lift hills will never die. Just like everything, rollercoasters do have trends. And if you been around long enough you should know. Example, back in the 90s the invert was invented so EVERY park needed an invert and they where popping up left and right. The late 90s saw the inversion trend, inversions where around since the mid to late 70s but the mid to late 90s saw the inversion wars, more inversions the better and every park needed one. The 2000s saw the rise of the hyper and giga coasters, more or less the hyper coaster boom and the race for the tallest and fastest coaster. In more recent years the last 10 years or so we saw two trends, the airtime was a big trend for a bit kinda still is, airtime coasters again more airtime the better, now the trend we are seeing is the launch coasters. Give it time and this trend also will fade away. Again it's all trends.
I get what you're saying, and I came to a similar conclusion towards the end of the video, maybe just not worded as well ;) I'm just excited to see what comes next...
I think another big reason is the "wow" factor launches have over lift hills. Especially on people who haven't visited many theme parks in recent years. As for me though... All these launched coasters, as fantastic and diverse as they are, do make me miss the good ol' humble lift hill. That's why Kondaa was such a breath of fresh air for me
I agree, they definitely start rides off woth a bang. I get what you're saying though, sometimes the classics are just the best!
@@coaster_shark it's the slowly building anticipation and great views up there. plus, the contrast of a gentle ascend followed by a great, great first drop is pretty hard to beat :)
I always love the birds eye view you get of the other coasters from the tallest in the park, because its a weird perspective you don't usually get to see, and it really lets you appreciate how sprawled out and twisted some of them are
I hope we see the return of cable lifts. These are really good for capacity, and they can be made more mechanically reliable in the future.
I never really got why they didn't become more popular, they just seem better in pretty much every way... I reckon Intamin must have a pretty broad patent on it to stop other manufacturers doing something similar
TMNT shellraiser/Takabisha is a perfect example of a combination coaster
Yes, and the launch on Takabisha took me completely by surprise with how forceful it is!
I think small footprint launched coasters could work very well for a lot of small parks, the Vekoma Space Warp is one that really stands out and I’m not sure why we haven’t seen it cloned quite a few times
Vekoma's launch coasters seem to be flying under the radar a bit at the moment, which is a shame because they all look pretty good!
It’s interesting because I think launches are both more ‘thrilling’ and ‘accessible’. They LOOK scarier but also provide the “get over it quickly” factor for riders that are afraid.
That's a good point. I think the issue with older launches is that they were usually followed up by a massive element that was just as scary, and the double whammy put people off, but now that's less common so its easier to get over it, as you said. Lift hills on the other hand are drawn out and horrible if you're dreading the drop that's coming!
With Lms’s and high budgets I think launches will appear more often, however lift hills definitely are here to stay for a long time. Launches are expensive and don’t work on every ride. I think we will see more launches and less lift hills but honestly I’m here for it as launches are almost always better than lift hills.
Good point, I like the 'almost' you stuck in there though ;)
All of my favorite coasters have a lift hill. Even the one LSM in my list, Maverick, has a small lift style hill to start.
I don't think they'll ever go away completely, since they're cheaper for smaller parks who can't afford fancy launches, and some coasters (such as kiddie coasters) dont really need a launch.
I wanna say there is one thing that keeps launches from being more common on taller coasters: Power demands. The power demands for the LSM launch on Red Force at Ferrari World are immense, requiring specialized capacitors to prevent the repeated launches from straining the power grid every time it's used. I imagine the power bill just to run that coaster isn't exactly small either.
Compare the power draw of a traditional chain lift, or a cable lift like on Millennium Force, and it makes sense why most gigas or hypers still use traditional lift hills.
That's very true. I work for an aerospace company, and the peak power demand on Red Force is the same as a small passenger plane at take-off!
There is a technical limitation with chain lift hills - the weight of the chain. It's technically challenging building a chain lift higher than 250 feet. The chain is just too heavy. I think that's the main reason why the stratacoasters (400 ft +) are launch rather than lift hill. Also, some coasters use cable lift hills which can be made higher eg Millennium Force
I am surprised we haven't seen more manufacturers using cable lifts, but the problems with chains must be able to be overcome to some extent if B&M are using them with their Gigas
Lift hills build anticipation but they take up alot of space and resources. A time and a place for everything I suppose!
Yeah I guess so, everything has it's pros and cons
With Lightning Rod I´m still not 100% convinced that that the core of it´s issues was having a Launch on a wooden structure. I´m kinda wondering how much of the problems was rooted in RMC having a company that never build a LSM Launch System before doing that for the first time. It would be interesting to see a alternate timeline where they went with Indrivetec instead if that would have worked better.
That being said, I think traditional Lift Hills are always going to have a place. I mean, coasters like Hyperion or Kondaa most like could´ve been done with a strong (Swing) Launch to get them up a Top Hat and into the same Layout´s they currently have, but doing it like that would absolutely overshadow their really good first drops. What I could see happening more often though is LSM Lifthills like on Battlestar Galactica and Maverick to get you up the Lift in a quick way without it taking away too much, if anything at all, from everything that follows.
Yeahhhh it had a lot of issues, but the wooden structure probably didn't help! I think you're right, and we might see more coasters blur the lines between lifts and launches, which would be great to see! I also agree that first drops are the one thing that's missing from launch coasters.
Stormrunner at Hershey park is also a launch.
And I've heard it's a good one too!
Flight of Fear is a classic launched coaster with full layout same for RockNRollercoaster
There seems to be quite a few of those clones dotted around...
That new coaster at Lagoon has a lift hill but tbh thats the weirdest coaster ive ever been on.
Hahaha yeah, its definitely an odd concept!
Plus with launches you can make the ride as long you want.
Good point!
What's next?
Lift hills --> Launches --> Teleportation
I'm glad you asked
I just can't wait for time travel after that ;)
Launches need to be powerful or be followed by an airtime moment as good as a first drop to be better than a lift hill and drop
I agree, but sometimes they can get away with not being as good as a first drop if the rest of the layout is top tier
NOTHING BETTER THAN A 300 FT LIFT HILL
Except a 400ft lift hill... (I wish)
What abt a 500 ft lift hill
Don't forget about a 600 ft lift hill...
@@Aftermath779 I prefer the 700ft lift hills
I feel like you missed multiple major things in this video.
First, not all old launches were hydraulic. The Intamin Accelerator isn’t the only old launch coaster model.
There’s the old Arrow Shuttle loops using an electric motor.
Flywheel launches on some old Schwarzkopf rides.
Compressed air launches on S&S rides.
And most relevant LIM launches on many coasters around the turn of the millennium.
Sure, the first 3 have similar issues to the hydraulic launches…
But LIM launches don’t. They were used for complicated layouts (Premier Spagetti Bowls)
They can do multiple launches, and I’m pretty sure act as brakes.
So why didn’t the launch coasters really take off in 2000 rather than in 2020?
(LIM launches are very power hungry as a possible reason)
And you also need to explain why LSM launched coasters are taking over today rather than 10 or 15 years ago given they very much existed then, and the 2010s had a lot of lift hill coasters being built compared to launches.
Yeah. Heck LSMs are even still pretty old. We have 2 launch coasters in my country but the older one of the 2 uses LSMs and that was from 2008. Specifically Lynet at Fårup Sommerland which was built by Gerstlauer. And it definitely has a complete layout together with a powerful launch, but no other launch coasters have been built in the park. Their latest roller coaster, Fønix, and the country's largest is with a classic lifthill and is more or less a modern take on a classic all round looping coaster with 3 inversions and lots of airtime.
Good point about the LIMs, although they didn't really seem to gain traction outside of America (apart from in Disney and Universal parks) which is really weird. Maybe Premier and the other LIM manufacturers just didn't like working with European parks? I think the LSMs just gradually ramped up in popularity to be honest. There were still a lot being built back in the 2010's, but not many really set the industry alight like the recent ones have. I think it just took until now to perfect them, and now a lot more being built are considered world class.
Counterpoint to hydraulic & pneumatic launches "stealing the show" from the rest of the ride: You can have layouts that match the energy of the hydraulic launch, the issue is that they would have to match or exceed Maverick in intensity. I would love such a thing, but the issue is the general public typically likes smooth, flowy rides (a la Mack launches), and the gut punch launches, neck-snapping transitions, and brain-melting G's of the more intense Intamin launch coasters drives casual riders away.
I think you would need something at (or maybe even beyond) i305 to match hydraulic launch intensity! You are right that it could be done, but I agree it would be too much for the public (and probably some enthusiasts too)
Ahh yes the question we never knew we had or never knew we needed to ask
Edit: But im all here for it!
Hahaha I'll take it ;)
Lift hills can totally get replaced by vertical launches like by Intamin''s Storm Coaster in the future.
I have been wondering why we haven't been seeing more launched lift hills to be fair, and not even specifically vertical ones
Lift hills are like landmarks i love them
Well there's also other factors one has got to consider. Namely costs. LSMs are generally more expensive both to buy and to operate as theyre highly technical and use large amounts of electricity, which can easily spike up the bill a lot. In many cases more than a park may like. Thats a real negative for smaller and midsized parks, especially those that are budget concious.
So no I dont think the days of Lift hills are numbered. Parks like Universal and Disney are the exception rather than the norm after all. Like you've mentioned Scandinavian parks like Liseberg but even in Scandinavia, there are relatively few launch coasters. And while smaller park additions like Furuviks lightning might still be a launch coaster, its launch is also a marketing gimmick for the park. Over in Denmark only 2 launch coasters exist in the whole country, both of which are now over 10 years old. All newer coasters since have been with lift hills, with a single one having a tiny tiredriven launch for a prelift section in 2017.
Honestly the big new thing that seems to be on the market right now, is reversible layouts, say a semi-shuttle coaster where you go through it one way at first, but a switch track appears and you go back the way you came and now take a 2nd lap backwards. Several parks and manufacturers have been building such designs and presenting their own in recent years, whether it is small family layouts, of larger ones in the same vein like Bobbejaanlands Fury.
Good point about Disney and Universal being the exception. I think the reversible layouts will come across the same issues you raised with the launches though, as the switch tracks will be complex and harder to maintain than just a normal ride too
@@coaster_shark Yeah that is fair but the way parks primarily use them seems to be extending the ridetime by going around twice, but each time in a different direction. The reduced cost in having a shorter layout offsets the extra cost in building and maintaining a switch track mechanism.
Good point!
What about emperor at SeaWorld San Diego? And wonder woman flight of courage at Six Flags Magic Mountain
I am genuinely hyped to see dives make a comeback to be fair, but that doesn't mean more launch coasters aren't being built than there used to be
As long as RMC, woodies and B&M are still around, lift hills will stay. Also basically all junior coasters have tire lift and it would be hard to make a junior coaster with a launch as kids may find them too scary
not so much B&M nowadays. They have started to introduce their own launches now, and it seems that they might be going the way of intamin.
ART engineering already opend 2 launched junior coasters: Fridolin's verrückter Zauberexpress and snoopy's racing railway. They are even multilaunch coasters The trick with making those work is a low acceleration.
If it's too scary why not launch slower?
With RMC and woodies it makes sense, but I worry that B&M will just get left behind if they don't fully embrace launches. I get what you're saying about the kiddie coasters too, but I feel like they will always just do their own thing away from the trends of the thrill rides
@@coaster_shark I think as long as B&M hypers and inverts and dives stay around B&M will continue the lift hill, but even those models are becoming scarce these days.
Also I reckon hypercoasters in general will keep the lift hill trend up because a hyper or giga with a launch just isn’t the same
We need a complete track launched inverted from b &m
I have always been a bit confused why we haven't seen many launched inverts, especially when the Intamin Impulses and Volcano not only showed it was possible, but that it was good
Launches allow more creativity to ride layouts. With lift hills, the ride's largest element is forced to be at the start whereas with rides like Velocicoaster, the drop can be in the middle of the ride!
However, lift hills give you lots of time to get a good view of the park around you, so I hope they don't go away completely
Yes! It's such a game changer for pacing where the ride doesn't just have to slow down and lose intensity after the first element. I love getting a birds eye view of other coasters from the tallest in the park though - you can really appreciate how sprawling and twisted they look from above!
I love launch coasters, I don’t like the anticipation of lift hills. Just launch me to the top please 🙏
Hahaha fair enough, it's a lot easier dealing with the heights if it doesn't take 5 minutes to get there!
Seen baron 1989 or de vliegende hollander both have mega themed lift hills so yeah its possible but some parks just cant theme them :D
I think a lot of parks just can't be bothered tbh
Epic universe is actually gonna have a coaster with a lift hill, the donkey Kong coaster 💀
Fair enough, I assumed it would be more of a launched lift to fit with the cannon and the jumps, but I might have been wrong
Removing lift-hills makes sense but it'll be so upsetting because we'll lose the iconic clank of the lift-hills mechanisms
It is one of the most recognisable sounds at a theme park isn't it!
Did you know Kingda Ka was in a two week(or more) maintenance outage when you published this and said they're unreliable?
Hahaha I didn't actually, but I'm not surprised
I love light lsms but I hate punchy launches like stealth so im hoping we don’t just get only punchy launch coasters from now cause I will stop being an enthusiast
Fair enough, I can't get enough of the punchy launches myself, but understand they can be too intense
Launches are easier to maintain!
That's true! No moving parts is always a bonus
I don't think we'll see the end of lift hills. Also, I know this won't be popular but I'm hoping swing launches don't spread around. I think they're overrated and I find non-launched coasters more exciting. But I really do hope we see more cable lift hills or launched lift hills like Maverick, Incredible Hulk, or OG Lightning Rod.
That's fair enough. I would be more for swing launches if they were more powerful, but sometimes they just seem like a cop out to not need such a powerful launch, and that does hurt them I think.
You missed one big point. Lift hill coasters take up more room on average to build that big hill.
Hahaha you know I did think about putting that in, but I knew someone would comment about Gerstlauer's vertical lifts, so I ended up leaving it out!
@@coaster_shark haha, yes, I know, but most won't use it and are more traditional. As well as many people were more hesitant about those kinds of vertical lifts than the traditional ones. because in most cases, there were easier ways to evacuate if the chain failed or got stuck. Good video.
I hope not there is something about that anticipation of been dragged up a hill, especially on a taller coaster.
It makes that first drop so much scarier doesn't it!
I disagree. I think heights and the fear associated with them is a massive draw to coasters, if not THE draw. Intense launches are great, but I don't think tall lifts are going away.
Because I really don't like heights I really enjoy launch coasters they don't give time to think about how high I'm going
Hahaha that's fair enough, you're up and down again before you register it!
In my opinion I don’t think it’s the end of chain lift hills because I think we are in era with launch at this moment so I can see them going back to chain it’s just parks taking a break kinda thing
I agree, there's always got to be some sort of balance between ride types over time
Like icon in Blackpool UK and stelth and Rita I love them why do they hurt my tummy very much sometimes
Oh that's annoying!
Stelf
if we all abandon lift hills and only have launches im never going on a rollercoaster ever again
Seems a bit extreme but fair enough
@@coaster_shark u know what else is extreme? being launched at like mach 100, being pushed into my seat and going up to an inversion. Hell no
hahahaha fair enough! I love starting a ride like that, but get that its not everyone's cup of tea
I prefer a lift hill and airtime filled drop. The launch coasters feel over engineered and overly gimmicky in many cases, especially the swing launch. Yes that's absolutely a jab at Top Thrill 2.
Hahahaha fair enough! I always think a single punchy launch is better than a swing launch, but a great first drop just hits different doesn't it!
@@coaster_shark Yep. Especially off a pre-drop in the back row.
There’s something about a big lift hill, makes you feel a lot more scared of what is ahead of you.
I agree, you don't often get a sense of how tall a ride actually is until you're half way up the hill!
@@coaster_shark I finally got over to Busch Gardens tampa and that Iron Gwazi was something else. In the queue looking at that hill was terrifying 😩😩. Brilliant ride👍
Oh I'm glad you enjoyed it! It was still just normal Gwazi last time I was there...
If Top Thrill 2 Isn't open. does it really count?
Hahaha good question!
i hope not! lift hills are such an important part of any theme park
Me too - there are so many iconic lift hills out there!
@@coaster_shark just hearing the distant lift hill is so iconic in any park
It’s just cheaper to build the structure without lift hills. Getting the speed from gravity = more steel = more expensive.
The higher you go the stronger your structure needs to be as well, so the issue compounds itself with really tall coasters
@@coaster_shark Yuuup
I think B&M will stay with lift hills. They've only made 2 launch coasters so far and they prefer To stay in the traditional style of coaster design
Penguin trek
Incredible Hulk
Pipeline
Mandrill mayhem
Thunderbird
Thats 5 B&M launch coasters not 2 plus the one coming to kings dominion
@@AirtimeAxolotlplus the new one at kings dominion
I'm worried that if they don't embrace launches fully then they'll just become a bit irrelevant as a manufacturer...
@@AirtimeAxolotl I knew about Thunderbird and the one at KD. I completely forgot about pipeline and penguin trek. I've never heard of the other models though
@@coaster_shark I doubt it. You also have to look at RMC they don't do launches either and everyone loves them. B&M has built way too many world class rides for theme parks not to choose them
It’s a great conversation to be raised but I can’t see it , Lift hills are popular and iconic i DONT think we will see the end of them anytime soon
Yes, they're always going to be with us, we're just almost certainly past peak lift hill. One could say the same thing about wooden roller-coasters, but they still exist. They just aren't as common as they used to be.
@@SmallSpoonBrigade yeah that’s sort of what I was thinking they will be much less used and I think the use of launch and lift coasters will become increasingly more common
Good point about the wooden coasters!
@@coaster_shark Last year I went to the local park's Halloween night and rode their wooden coaster in the dark. It was absolutely worth it.
Its surprising how much more intense coasters can feel in the dark isn't it!
I like launches
But I prefer a good lift hill tbh
And the down time of these launch coasters is just terrible
They are also more expensive cause they need much more energy
My favourite rides are ones that don't break down whilst I'm in the queue to be fair...
@@coaster_sharkyes
The amount of times I had to wait an extra 20 min because of break downs in launch coasters is ridiculously high 🥲
Whilst I think LSMs are more reliable now, I think another issue is that new style launch coasters often have other complex bits that can go wrong (like switch tracks), so even if the launch is more reliable, the ride as a whole isn't
both of them has some demand so neither will ever go extinct, they just kind of coexist unless something better come out, that will be another story then
I agree!
Lift hills are required for eurofighter coasters
Some of them do have launches, but they wouldn't be the same without the vertical lift would they!
Or create best of both worlds like Maverick lauched lift hill good drop
I am surprised we haven't seen more of that to be honest!
all these youtubers with Park/coaster reviews about the ride "telling a story". I couldn't care less. I don't ride for them for a story, if it looks nice and runs smooth i am happy. For a story i watch movies. i prefer lift hills.
Hahaha that's fair enough!
helix is fucking beautiful
It is a beautiful ride isn't it
I like the elevator style lifts
They are really cool to be fair. It's a shame we don't see them more often!
Meh..I like a classic lift hill but do like the versatility of launches. With multi launches, there's really no limit to length either
There's pros and cons to both really isn't there
Wooden coasters: 👁️👄👁️
Bring back tire lift hills??
They can work really well, but I think they struggle with wet weather sometimes...
I do love a lift hill though 😢
Yes, launches are fun, but there's a lot you can do with lift hills. You can angle them from barely at all to more or less vertical. You could probably even make them completely upside down if you wanted to. Plus, if you have a very long lift hill and a very sharp drop directly afterwards, it can feel like you're being dropped entirely in a way that's hard to do with a launch.
I always find the biggest ones feel absolutely crazy
I think that's the main advantage of the lift hills to be fair @SmallSpoonBrigade, you'll never get as good a drop off a launch
nah, lift hills should stay. not all rides need to be launched
You need some variety don't you! But try telling that to Epic Universe ;)
People who like nemisis have never been on a good b&m suspended
Ahhh I dunno... it's definitely quite different to the rest of the inverts, and nowhere near as intimidating, but I think it still has its merits
They take up too much space
They really don't, it all depends on what angle they choose to use. Universal's Rip Ride Rockit has a more or less vertical lift hill that takes up no space. Really, they won't ever be as common as they used to be, but a good lift hill can really add a lot of suspense and tension to a ride.
Some do, and that was a point I was going to make in the video, but then I remembered all the Gerstlauers with vertical lift hills that take up no room haha
@@coaster_shark I think that we'll probably see a shift in how the lift hills are used from being near the beginning of traditional roller coasters to being more of a middle of the ride element to build suspension before dropping folks down a steep incline and into another launch.
The beginning of the ride life hill will probably remain as it's still a good choice for less intense rides.
@@SmallSpoonBrigade and rip ride rocket is awful 😂
We definitely could. I always wondered why we don't see more with both lifts and launches - Takabisha / Shellraiser is an excellent ride, and both the launch and the lift hill/drop are spectacular
I like lifts (:
Me too!
The answer is… NO
Hahaha, I should have done a tl;dr at the start ;)
Launch
Fair enough
First
Legend
agreed
No because people like big drops
Good point, well presented ;)
I blame tik tok for shortening the attention span. 😂
Hahaha that's a new take
Nah they staying around
Yeah fair
Great video totally spoiled by the awful background music