Twister Review, Knoebels Wooden Roller Coaster | Sequel to Mr. Twister at Elitch Gardens
Вставка
- Опубліковано 11 вер 2024
- Twister was built in-house by Knoebels and this wooden roller coaster is the spiritual successor to the defunct Mr. Twister at Elitch Gardens. This coaster has a compact layout with some large drops, a picturesque double helix, and a dark tunnel. And it compliments Phoenix quite nicely!
Video Credits
Elitch Gardens Aerial (xStrokerAcex)- • Elitch Gardens Flight
Background Music
Song: Jarico - Summer Time (Vlog No Copyright Music)
Music promoted by Vlog No Copyright Music.
Video Link: • Video
Criminally underrated coaster. I've found she runs best right after a rain storm.
A lot of coasters do with the slick tracks.
Yeah for sure! The only time I went, a week ago now, and it was in the cold rain. This thing was ripping thru that layout! Those unbanked turns damn near reminded me of a wild mouse. Very underrated!
Mister Twister was my first adult coaster when I was finally tall enough to ride it. It was a sad day when they closed the old Elitch's down. The new park has zero character. It went from a gorgeous Elitch Garden's full of beautiful trees and flowers to a giant parking lot amusement park. Nothing but asphalt everywhere. And the new Twister II sucks. Thank you for this video. It was emotional watching it and remembering so many of those turns and bumps. Might have to go ride Twister for old times sake.
It's funny a park in Pennsylvania has a better sequel to Mister Twister than Elitch.
@@CanobieCoaster I think looking back the family might admit that was a big mistake. By not moving the original coaster the park was not the same. Mister Twister WAS Elitch's. Just saw a review of Twister II with video and was rather shocked to see how much it wobbles. Kind of scary. It wasbuilt by a local construction company, not by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters. As a native, we realized the first year the park opened it wasn't the same. Word got around pretty quick how disappointing the park was. They've never really recovered. And it's not nearly as big as the giant amusement parks other cities have so all the transplants aren't that impressed with it either. Anyway, dedicated enough of today to my past childhood. Maybe when they move the park again in the next couple of years they'll bring back the old design and do it right. By the way, The Wildcat was the first coaster at Elitch's. Although smaller and shorter it was in some ways a more fun ride.
I'm so thankful we are still able to experience the original Mr. Twister in some form!
Agreed! I'm glad Knoebels was faithful to the original plans.
I lived in Denver for many years, even worked at the original Elitch Gardens in the summer of 89. Mister Twister was....for a long time...rated 3rd best Wooden Coaster in the Nation. It was a great coaster and the drops definitely made your stomach feel like you were free falling. It was awesome! I miss it to this day!
I'm glad it lives on in spirit.
Growing up going to Knoebels, I can remember 1999 when Twister opened. I was 7 years old and it looked pretty intimidating when I first saw it! This coaster has gotten better with age too as they've really smoothed out a few of the originally harder transitions it had. It's been running as well as it ever has the last two years to the point where I think it's running better than the Phoenix! That coaster has a couple of spots that could use some attention but Twister is running amazing! Just an awesome coaster, I wish it got more attention.
I agree Twister is running smoother than ever, but I still much prefer Phoenix since I prefer airtime to twisters.
@@CanobieCoaster Those are the only two wooden coasers I know of that get smoother and smoother every year, the family takes a lot of pride in the park in general and goes to great expense to make it nice
@@TheMrLebaron I agree. It amazes me how proactive they are retracking Phoenix since that ride has never been rough.
@@CanobieCoaster The only other woodies Ive ridden that smooth are Blue Streak and Cedar Point and Zippin Pippin at Bay Beach, but yeah your right they do an awesome job.
Word on the Street is Hoosier hurricane will finish its retracking this winter, along with Cornball. If they were half as smooth as the Phoenix that would be a god coaster.
Kennywood retracked a ton of Thunderbolt and Jack Rabbit as well, as I live like half an hour from the park I'm gonna try to get out there and see how they're running
@@TheMrLebaron I'm surprised to hear you say that about Blue Streak. I love that ride up front, but it's brutal in pretty much any other seat.
Elitch Gardens is my home park. Not that I'm proud of it...lol, in its current form that is. But the original Elitches or Elitch Gardens was a pretty spectacular place growing up. I hope this new move they are apparently making will help this park grow in a better direction and become a better park for those in the West/Midwest to visit. I'll always remember the original Twister!
I still need to visit Elitch Gardens.
@@CanobieCoaster Ehh, a huge part of me wants to say yes! Come! But it's honestly worth it just to get the credits if you need/want them and leave or maybe even skip them to begin with..lol. 🤔 No, it's really not THAT bad but it's awfully close after six flags came and left without improvement and its not in the greatest spot to further develop which is probably part of the reason to move it again. But yea, if you ever decide to swing thru and grab the credits and need a place or ride or anything, just lmk. Be happy to help. That's about the one thing you will or should find when you come is kindness I hope. Hope all is well! Stay safe and healthy!
The real reason they couldn't physically relocate the original Mr Twister was the condition of the wood. I don't know that for a fact but they did say Phoenix was a special case, where the structural wood is scraps from WW2 battleships. Because of where the wood came from, it's as tough as steel and has the same fire rating as concrete (because for battleships with a wooden skelaton they'll choose wood that's that tough). They also told me most of the structural wood was there in 1947 (of course the track has been replaced numerous times, as a wood more bendable is needed for the track). This information came directly from John Fetterman's speach during Coaster Con so I'd take it as accurate.
Thanks for sharing!
John Fetterman had a stoke. he now here's voices like the teachers in peanuts.
@@catiehart2820 Different John Fetterman. I'm talking about the engineer from Knobles.
I was able to get a crazy amount of credits on this coaster the year it opened because they had to do multiple runs for 2-3 hours before opening to get it good and worn in. (I used to work at the park). This ride was re-profiled at some point by GCI, when you ascended to the entry of the outer helix it was not banked, it was so out of control it literally would feel like the train would derail. After an absence from Knoebels for 13 yrs due to living in the DC region I finally made my way back in 2014, the year they re-tracked the bottom of the first major drop. That is when i discovered the re-profiling of the HELIX entry and it disappointed me because the super out of control laterals had been tamed.
I use to consider Twister a top 10 coaster, but due to the use of Southern Yellow Pine the coaster gets rough very easily. Phoenix was originally built with Cedar which is why it maintained its awesome ride for so many years but due to high cost of Cedar the remodeling that goes on every year is done with SYP and phoenix gets rougher if they don't do Track work every 2-3 years.
Twister is still a great coaster, but it is not how I remember it. It does need extensive re-tracking as it is just becoming to rough for a 20yr old coaster. I know Knoebels dumps most of its money in Phoenix because that is what Knoebels is known for, but twister needs a Ghost RIde rebuild, have GCI do the work and throw on some MF trains and then lets take it for another spin.
I highly recommend searching out a video from the mid summer of 99 or early 2000, before the re-profiling.
I'll have to check out how the helix used to ride. I thought Twister was running really well in 2020. I got some rougher rides 5-10 years ago though. I've never once gotten anything close to a rough ride on Phoenix because of how diligent they are about maintaining that ride even though it's already really smooth.
This is a bucket-list ride for me, maybe more than Phoenix, because Mr. Twister was the first big coaster I ever rode--the second coaster of any kind after the Trailblazer at Hersheypark. I remember that first ride as utterly terrifying--particularly the high turnaround off the mini-drop from the lift hill, leading into the first main drop. The ride just had a buzz bar (like Twister, apparently--that's rare these days!) and the laterals really felt like they were going to pitch you over the edge into the void. And then, the drop.
Several years later I came back and rode it again (along with the Elitch's Wildcat) and was able to appreciate it more. And now it's gone, but this ride lives.
I wish I could've ridden the original.
The turnaround off the mini-drop from the lift hill! Best and most terrifying start to any coaster Ive ever been ON!
Twister is my favorite coaster at Knoebels and it is also my one of my favorite wooden coasters of all time. I also like Twister because of its unique design and it has one of the best night rides in the park.
I agree it's a great night ride.
Killer Review/ Mini. Documentary.
By far the best online. 🤠👍
Personally, I like the bit of dead time, makes that last run of thrashing all the stronger and unexpected.
Thanks!
This might be a strange comparison but parts of this ride remind me of Boardwalk Bullet. The hill exiting the tunnel on this ride in the front row pinned me up out of my seat because of the laterals right after its amazing.
I can see it.
Great review! I love the flow of this coaster.
Thanks! The pacing is a strength.
Mr Twister was an awesome ride. Wildcat was also awesome and is my favorite roller coaster of all time. A gem of a park was lost forever when Elitch's moved. Their new site is so bad, they're going to move again. Twister 2 has lame shallow angle big drops so it can't even compare to the original. Never been to Knoebels because I had temporarily "outgrown" amusement parks when I lived nearby. I am kicking myself forever for that.
Wish I could have visited that park before it closed.
It was awesome, but I bet Knoebels and Kennywood are just as good if not better. But it really was a treasure for Denver. Lakeside is still there and I hope they can bring back the Cyclone, but old Elitch's was definitely better than Lakeside.
This really does look like Legend.
It rides like a more compact version.
I can't believe I didn't know the relation between this and the one at the original Elitch Gardens. I got to ride Twister at Knoebels a couple weeks ago, and I agree that it is very underrated. It was riding very smooth. I would've loved more rides, but the park was crazy busy on that Wednesday, so I settled to do pay-per-ride, knowing I could come back another year to do unlimited.
You're the second person I've heard recently that went on a busy weekday. I had very minimal crowds for my Tuesday visit a few weeks ago.
Yeah, the line for Phoenix was over 45 minutes and growing by the time I left. I waited about 35 with a full queue, but it was then spilling out far beyond the queue entrance. I'm very glad that I got assigned front row for that ride.
@@OklahomaCoasterFan Any chance it was August 5? That was the day my friend went and had a similar experience. He said it rained hard the day before and he thinks that was why it may have been busy.
@@CanobieCoaster Yes, that was the day. I was at Cedar Point and Waldameer the day before. We got a 5-minute shower at Waldameer, but I heard that it was a total washout in eastern Pennsylvania that day. I also suspected that was reason it was busy.
I agree the ride is running better than ever this year.
Glad I'm not the only one!
Went to knoebels this past week and twister blew me away. Pheonix is great but I preferred this ride. Also its running great this year!
Good to hear!
I rode this thing as an 8-year-old, and I still have anxiety from it. I almost passed out on it. I still can't forgive my oldest brother for forcing me on it. Great video though.
Thanks!
The original was terrifying at night!
Makes sense with a structure that dense.
Mr. Twister was the longest, fastest and had the biggest drop of any coaster on earth when it was improved in 1966 and was still the world's longest, fastest and had the biggest drop of any coaster on the planet when I was born in early 1970. If I'm wrong: please put corrections in the comment section.
Montana Russ at La Feria opened in 1964 and was taller (110 ft) and longer (4000 ft). But they appear to have an equal drop. Either way, Mr. Twister was near those records!
@@CanobieCoaster Thanks! The drop is much more of an important stat to me than the height. The length of Montana Russ looks impressive but I'd need to see the layout of the ride. Still: Thanks for correcting me. It's impossible to get record breaking stats for every decade, let alone every year for coasters from 1909 to 1989! Thanks again!
I agree. To me the drop is more important than the height in most cases.
After more research I've discovered that the Mr. twister in 1965 at Illich gardens was made bigger than it was the year before. That also made it bigger than Twister at Knoebles (as Twister wasn't the same; it was merely influenced by Mr. Twister) and also bigger than the racing coaster in Mexico (longer, taller faster, bigger drop). that it's official: Mr. Twister from 1965, which was indeed the longest, fastest coaster with the biggest drop until the at least the mid 70s, if not later.)
Rode this first time in over 10 years this weekend. The retracked helix is such an improvement. Overall this coaster is so violent and out of control I love it.
Unfortunately being over 6’ this and Phoenix left my thighs and knees bruised up.
It does feel very out-of-control.
Rarely hear much on this ride, but I'm glad it's good.
I think that's the Phoenix effect, causing this ride to be overshadowed.
The first time i got on the twister i was terrified, but i enjoyed even though i was still shaking walking out.
It's a fun ride!
This coaster looks too good! I never hear much about Twister 😕 Legend is in my top 15 so I’m sure I’d love this!
Since you love Legend, you'll probably enjoy Twister!
Even though I do prefer Phoenix, Twister is on a whole other level when it comes to night rides, dont even bother going over to Phoenix for night rides 🥱
I agree Twister improves more with night rides, but I still find myself at Phoenix at the end of the night.
@@CanobieCoaster I closed the day on Phoenix and the operator gave double rides for the last ride of the day. Actually, on the 2nd of the double rides, he didn't stop the train in time and it got part part way out the station. Then he said something like "sorry about that y'all, you're going to have to go again" so actually... triple rides.
My mom rode Mister Twister when pregnant with me, so I get a semi credit on the extinct legend?
Also, come on Canobie, come to Denver. Elitches Coaster lineup and operations suck, but the park is pretty and our dark ride is an actual art exhibit. Also, Lakeside is an Art Deco style 50s park with an 80 year old woody that's pretty cool for what it is. Go at night. Also, you like dark rides and water parks but have never been to Waterworld!? You will love Voyage to the Center of the Earth and Mile High Flyer
I was supposed to get to Denver in 2020 for a wedding. Then covid happened. I'll go this year as long as all the parks are open. Lakeside is the question mark.
@@CanobieCoaster Lakeside is...kinda what you expect. Your best luck is the height of the summer. But a nightride on Cyclone is pretty fun. It's more scenic than forceful but you appreciate its age and the lights of the park and city.
I do think you'll thoroughly enjoy Waterworld, though. It's a full fledged Water theme park that few others can boast.
Really enjoying your channel, keep up the great content!
Thanks! I have ever intention of hitting Elitch, Lakeside, Waterworld, Glenwood, Cavern of the Winds, North Pole, and some mountain coasters.
I went on Mr. Twister back in 1988 and once in 1992 and I all I can say is that Mr. Twister was one of the best wooden coasters I have ever ridden in my life. Twister 2 and now Twister 3 don't even compare to the original.
I've heard Twister II isn't nearly as good.
@@CanobieCoaster It's not. Twister 3 is better than Twister 2 but Mr. Twister is the best. However, Twister 3 is almost as good as Mr. Twister almost but not like Mr. Twister thought.
I wish I could have tried the original Mr. Twister. When Twister II is running well, it somehow manages to have no airtime, no positive forces, and no laterals; it's the pinnacle of mediocrity. I like to refer to "Twister II" as the sequel and "Twister" as the remake. Knoebels' Twister absolutely crushes Twister II! I love the shots from behind the coaster, that's an angle that you don't get to see all too often.
It's a shame Twister II is so mediocre. Yeah, the campground shots were cool and Knoebels has no issue with you going back there.
Hey! So my dad went to college with the current owners of the park. Their parents were the owners. I think you should add that mister twister was also not in the best shape. When I met the owners they said that another reason is because they didn’t think people would ride it when twister 2 came out. (Goes they haven’t rode twister 2 it’s not as good like you said lol) so yeah thought I would tell you this!
I can't add additional info to a pre-existing video, but that's cool to know.
@@CanobieCoaster i know just wanted to let you know! Great video though
sweet
Yes
I think the worst part of the 2nd Elitch eventually closing is that they now have no incentive to RMC Twister II. I rode the original Mr. Twister as a kid, but I don't really remember it.
Lucky you rode the old one!
If they do things correctly, they will build an exact copy of Mr Twister that interlocks with an exact copy of Wildcat. RMC can come build something new and original in a later season.
Knoebles needs to open a new wooden coaster. What would be awsome is if they salvaged what they could from the williams grive cyclone and rebuild it. They could reuse the lift mechanisms, dismantle the station, and salvage any wood or track they can so it can claim to be the same coaster. Or they should try to relocate mega zeph from jazz land.
I'd like another steel coaster to compliment what they have.
The split lift is straight out of Roller Coaster Tycoon. Be honest, we’ve all built a coaster that pulled a Knoebels Twister
Yes we have.
I wonder if this coaster would get more attention if it wasn't in the same park as Phoenix.
It very well could, but it compliments Phoenix nicely.
They're so Dissimilar, that I doubt it. Very Different, yet complimentary experiences.
Maybe if Twister would, if was the Only choice at a park, then it would Have to.
Me and my grandson live 45 minutes away from Knoblels, and we go there almost every weekend. My grandson insists on going on Mr. Twister and he always comes back and asks for more tickets so he can ride again. He loves this ride!
It's a great one.
i rode this on Friday i love laterals i think this is better then phoenix but those two drops are great
I prefer Phoenix, but I like both.
Canobie Coaster would say:
But those who rode two versions said it's no context, the original Mr. Twister was far superior. Twister II was often criticized as one of the...
A) slowest
B) fastest
and...
A) smoothest
B) roughest
wooden roller coasters out there.
A and B
I think Canobie Coaster would say:
Most people liked Mr. Twister and Twister, but not Twister II. Why did most people much prefer the original and Knoebels versions to the II version? What do you think?
It's much better paced.
Elitch gardens and twister II: Built wilder the second time around! Knoebels and twister: *no sir*
That's what Knoebles says.
I rode this my first time in 2017 I also went to Kennywood in 2017
It's amazing having Kennywood and Knoebels, two classic parks nearby.
This coaster looks rly underrated cuz it looks to have good pacing, nice laterals and decently airtime, but how in the world did it get the same score as dododonpa
I actually prefer it to Do-dodonpa to be honest. Twister is a more complete ride. In a way, I think this shows how awesome Do-dodonpa is. Do-dodonpa's launch is so amazing that it rivals a complete ride experience on a great wooden coaster.
@@CanobieCoaster yeah pretty sure everyone prefers dododonpa but like i said u gave them the same rating, i think dododonpa is just hard to rate high cuz its a 1 trick pony and its missing a lot
@@MillenniumForceMan And I totally see why others rate Do-dodonpa higher. Heck some have it as their number one because of that launch.
@@CanobieCoaster for me it looks top 10 in the world
Great review, but I have to disagree with it hitting a dead spot in the middle. The hill after the helix provides a decent pop of floater airtime, especially in the front, and the right turn that follows pulls some strong positive G's. Everything else is spot on, though.
That turn has grown on me, but I still haven't gotten airtime rising out of the helix though.
Interesting fact, the family that owns and runs the park has also owned a Lumber Company, so their are super experienced in working with wood and mechanical things like that. Its how they can do so much building and maintence in house
I actually pulled into that lumber yard by accident the first time I tried going to Knoebels.
@@CanobieCoaster I ALMOST did, until I realized in my GPS it mentioned lumber yard at the end of the name
I believe that they still own the lumber yard.
@@OldsVistaCruiser They do, they actually own a whole construction company as well. The Lumber Store does the work. You can buy Lumber, Wood Working Tools, and they'll even build you a new kitchen
@@TheMrLebaron Build me a new kitchen? If I'm shopping the lumbar yard owned by Knoebels, I'm asking if they will build me a coaster! I'm pretty sure a Phoenix copy would fit on my property. 😁
We really must have been unlucky when we rode phoenix in 2001, as twister gave a much better ride. In the very back seat (it has to be the very last car), we got better airtime in twister than phoenix, better pacing and obviously better laterals. It was just a more fun out of control ride. With phoenix we both looked at each other after a 45 minute wait and went "what's so good about that"? But apparently this can happen and we were just very unlucky, and we didn't want to go through the wait again for the front seat. Wooden coasters can be temperamental beasts! The irony is that I really don't like twister coasters, I just want as much up and down hills and airtime as possible, and looking at phoenix, we thought it was going to be heaven but it just didn't happen. We had the same experience on Steel Force the next day.
Phoenix must have been running really poorly if Twister gave better airtime.
Phoenix gave no air time? Even on that last stretch of track before the breaks that has all those bunny hills in quick succession? (I call that the spanker stretch because that's what it did to me.)
@@gregorymoore2877 sadly if anything, very little. I do remember it was a humid, overcast and hot day in the last week of May, a Saturday, it was quite busy - this is 2001 and I haven't been back to Knoebels since. I mean the Vekoma corskcrew coaster and high speed thrill coaster were still there, that's how long ago it was. I think cause we waited 45 minutes and it was hot didn't help our mood but we did have a very last row ride and were completely underwhelmed. A week prior that we went on Apollo's Chariot over 30 times in one visit and all but one front row ride were back seat rides and we LOVED it. She even sent us around 3 times at the end of the day and the riders were cheering, was so cool. But my point is that a lot of people find that coaster average, but we were out of our seat on every drop. Michael, my then best friend, is very thin and he has this big arch in his back and was able to fool the op (much harder to do now) that the lap bar was down far enough, and he relaxed the arch on the lift hill and I saw what looked like a foot between the bar and his legs. Down the first drop, he screamed at the top of his lungs, "Eddie"! (my nickname) and I turned to see him practically standing. I was worried for him and surprised he made it safely but the fact that he did made it the funniest coaster experience I have ever had. In the On Ride Photo you see everyone's face clearly and you see me then he is next to me and you only see him neck down. It was absolutely hysterical. My point is, that the circumstances, the weather, the crowd, the ride op, just the day you are having. can really make or break an experience, and we had so much fun that day that Apollo's was our favourite coaster of the entire 8 week trip where we did at least half the US by car. We then went on to Nitro which was BRAND NEW and we didn't think much, and so on. We loved HULK and Dueling Dragons at Universal Florida, we adored Ghost rider (was smooth as anything back then) especially at night, in fact that became my favourite woodie of the trip. I also really enjoyed wild one, a lot, but he didn't like it as much. It was an amazing trip and I have been back 8 times since then but Mikey never did, but I've never been back to Knoebels. If Biden ever drops vaccination entry requirements, I would love to visit the US and Knoebels again, but for next year it will have to be Europe, all over!
Rather than relocating the old Mr. Twister, Elitch Gardens had John Pierce designed an all new twister for the new Elitch Gardens, called Twister II. The ride was advertised being built wilder the second time, but those enthusiasts who rode both versions said and considered...
A) The original Mr. Twister was far superior
B) The new Twister II was far superior
A
What did most enthusiasts prefer, slow wooden coasters or wooden coasters at their full potential? What do you think?
Full potential
Maybe you should do a review of Twister 2 at Elitch Gardens next in response to this.
Unfortunately I have never been to Elitch Gardens.
It's a travesty the old Mister Twister was replaced by that POS in Elitch.
Agreed!
Do you like or love the laterals on Twister at Knoebels?
I like them.
is this coaster safe with the restraints and not falling out.
Very safe.
@@CanobieCoaster thanks im going friday and im riding every coaster and the stratosphere im just usually nervous just cuz of the safety or fear of falling out
Those first few elements seem similar to the Boss
Except it doesn't quite lose as much speed on the turnarounds.
The Ghost Rider Form Knotts Barry Farm is much scarier and much better then twister 2 in Elitch gardens because it’s more faster longer has alot of turns etc
I do prefer GhostRider as well.
Have any wooden coaster ever made you grey out before? Just curious.
El Toro, Lightning Rod, and Outlaw Run do. Among the traditional woodies, I can't think of one of the top of my head that routinely does.
@@CanobieCoaster cool! has Steel Vengeance made you grey out before?
Not that I recall.
Twister do be better do
It was rough when I rode it.
It can be on a wheel seat, but this year it is running excellent.
this or regina?
This
Did you go to the original elitch gardens
I unfortunately have not been to any iteration of Elitch Gardens.
@@CanobieCoaster Actually that's pretty fortunate considering the quality of Elitch Gardens
I've heard that park isn't great, but that Meow Wolf ride intrigues me. And I also want to get on one of the US Arrow shuttle loops since I heard they're better than the one at Blackpool.
What do you think of Hydra
It's ok. Nice drop, nice floaty inversions, but the rest isn't that great.
Canobie Coaster I would love to hear your full opinion
I'll have a review for it eventually, but it's not one of my immediate ones.
Jesus is the only way into Heaven. Ask Him into your life, cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Make Him your Lord & your Savior. One day YOU will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Amen
And again, amen.