Out of the remains of a long dormant volcano, a majestic bird of prey rises onto the Virginia coaster landscape. Today, Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia debuted Rapterra, a launched wing coaster from Bolliger and Mabillard. The new coaster features an LSM launch that propels up to 20 riders from 0 to 65 MPH in 4 seconds into a 145-foot high stall, and then into a twisting, looping course that traverses 3,086 feet. That top speed is a record for fastest launched wing coaster in the United States, while the height and length are world records for launching wing coasters. To be fair, there aren't many launched wing coasters in the world (Thunderbird at Holiday World is the only other one in the US, while Mandrill Mayhem at Chessington World of Adventures and Furious Baco at Port Aventura are the only others in the world), so take those record breaking claims with a grain of salt.
As part of the coaster's Media Day, I was invited to represent Theme Park Insider to try out the new coaster that has been installed on the same site where Volcano: The Blast Coaster once stood. The Intamin suspended launching coaster was closed in 2018, and ever since the park announced the change in theming of the surrounding area to Jungle X, rumors swirled as to what would replace one of the most unique roller coasters in the world. It took six years, but Kings Dominion announced the addition of Rapterra to the Jungle X lineup last year, and thanks to a construction timeline that started halfway through last summer, the new coaster is ready to make its debut for the park's opening weekend.
The first thing guests will see as they approach Rapterra is the eye-catching 145-tall stalling wingover element.
The maneuver is like a top hat, though the train is tipped on its side, meaning that the left and right side of the train get very different experiences. The next element is a large, swooping dive loop that is graceful and forceful at the same time, building speed for a series of turns that brings the train back towards the Jungle X midway. As with other wing coasters, the turns feel like they're occurring in slow motion even though the coaster is moving at highway speeds, but help to accentuate the feeling of a massive bird soaring through the air.
After the "wing slide" turn near the Jungle X midway, the next element is a flat spin corkscrew that slowly inverts riders setting them up for an airtime hill. Rapterra finishes with what the park is billing as a "360-degree Raptor Roll," which is a slow inline twist with plenty of hangtime, followed by a tightly banked turn into the station.
Overall, Rapterra is a solid coaster that compliments Kings Dominion's already strong lineup of world class thrill rides. Also, despite having just 5 rows, there is a big difference in the experience and sensations from different seats on the train, particularly between the left and right side of the train. That's something I wasn't expecting from Rapterra since there are no keyhole or other near miss features, which are common on B&M wing coasters. These can create vastly different visual experiences depending upon which side of the train you're on. Also, the overall theming of the coaster is quite good, and maintains the bar set by the addition of Tumbili and retheming of older attractions in the Jungle X area. The most recent of these rethemed attractions is Pantherian (formerly Project 305 and Intimidator 305), which was not accessible during the media event. It could be seen from the nearby Flight of Fear plaza- the enclosed coaster also received a new coat of exterior paint to better match the Jungle X theme. The new orange and black color scheme of Pantherian is striking on the park's skyline. Rapterra's station takes its cues from an ancient temple that is undergoing an archeological excavation. There are various statues and carvings that suggest that whoever created this temple idolized massive birds of prey, and the coaster is the manifestation of that fascination with flying deities.
At the entrance to the ride, Kings Dominion has reutilized the old Volcano (and formerly Haunted River) queue house structure as Rapterra's entrance and exit, which includes the obligatory gift shop.
The structure is mostly unchanged, but emphasizes the Whey Foundation storyline that extends across all of Jungle X. There are a number of artifacts containing easter eggs for long-time Kings Dominion fans among these displays.
However, the biggest wink and nod to Kings Dominion's past is a large caldera in the queue just before guests reach the main temple entrance. A close look, and you'll even see that at one time, lava flowed across the path, as it changes from brown to dark grey as you walk past the caldera. Also, hard core Kings Dominion fans will recognize that Rapterra's launch track is placed in almost the exact same spot as Volcano's, though launching in the opposite direction.
It's clear Kings Dominion wants to acknowledge their history as they've been doing throughout the conversion of the area to Jungle X, particularly in a year where the park is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
While Rapterra is a good addition to Kings Dominion, it will likely leave many coaster fans wanting more from a coaster touting world records. While there is a good differential in the experience among different seats to make the coaster very reridable, I think it was strange to design a wing coaster without any sort of keyhole or other near-miss elements. All of the elements are good, but they could have been significantly improved with some type of structure or other prop to create that head/foot-chopper sensation. There are block walls along the launch track in an attempt to create a tunnel-like effect, but the coaster doesn't reach top speed until it is well beyond these, so they're not really effective in creating any sort of near-miss sensation for riders.
Another issue along the launch track is that the rails are not perfectly straight, which causes the train to wobble up and down slightly as it gains speed. I'm not sure if this was by design or a result of imperfections in the manufacturing process, but it is a bit strange when on board as you can clearly feel the train bouncing up and down while accelerating. Also, because of the size and weight of the wing coaster trains, there are a number of spots along the course where there is some detectible bouncing in the outside seats, and a bit more pronounced in the back. The coaster is by no means rough, but it's not as smooth as the other wing coasters I've ridden (including X-Flight, Wild Eagle, Gatekeeper, Thunderbird, and Swarm).
The other issue I foresee with Rapterra is that while the theming in the queue is done well and pays homage to the park's history, it is currently uncovered with dark brown concrete pathways. In the hot and humid Virginia summer, waiting in line for Rapterra could be not only a test of patience with just two 20-person trains (and no single rider line that I could see), but a test of endurance with no reprieve from the sun and dark-colored walkways reflecting heat on queueing guests. It's possible that Kings Dominion will eventually install covers or tarps over the queue, but during the media event, the entire area was unshaded.
Despite the drawbacks, Rapterra is a good addition to Kings Dominion. It might not be the destination coaster some were hoping for, but it helps to further diversify the park's already well-rounded attraction lineup. The coaster also helps to further the Jungle X theming and demonstrate the park's commitment to providing backstory for its attractions. Guests should definitely appreciate the nods and references to the park's history, and the hope would be that Six Flags would continue the recent trend of well-themed attractions moving forward. As Kings Dominion celebrates its 50th season, Rapterra stands as both a tribute to what came before and a commitment to a standard for future attractions.
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Rapterra stats: 3,086 feet long and 145 feet tall. Top speed is 65 mph. Theoretical capacity is 1,140 guests per hour. Three inversions. Dispatch to final stop is 89 seconds.
Looks to me like a well themed enough ride. I'm a fan, even if the " World records " are suspect. If I run fast enough, I'm the fastest accelerating blonde male in my hometown. Get me a media event.
I remember first riding Volcano back in 2011. My child brain was in awe at the fact that a coaster could launch from out of a volcano. I was so sad to see them slowly kill it over the years and then officially close it. It looks like Rapterra will be fun but I’ll always miss that big volcano.
I didn’t anticipate Rapterra to have high rerideability so I’ll make sure to get both sides when I eventually ride it. Thanks for the review!
Russell - How does Rapterra compare to Thunderbird? As a fan of Thunderbird, it sure appears that Rapterra was engineered to "just" eclipse the stats for Thunderbird in order to gain a series of "records." However, from the review, it appears that despite the "records," Thunderbird may remain a superior ride experience. Thoughts??
@MLB - It's been a while since I've ridden Thunderbird (2015), but I recall really enjoying Holiday World's coaster, especially since it was the only steel creation in a park with 3 iconic woodies (and the very first B&M in the world fitted with a LSM launch). I distinctly remember the keyhole sequence through the barn, which provides visual impact for both sides of the train. Those pieces of visual eye candy are missing here on Rapterra, and while I think the overall layout is better tuned to the wing coaster design with large, swooping movements, the overall experience doesn't fully maximize the design. For that, Swarm at Thorpe Park makes the most advantage of the wing coaster design, though I would probably still rank Gatekeeper a tad above because of the sheer size and scope of Cedar Point's coaster - X-Flight would probably be #3, followed by Thunderbird, then Wild Eagle, and then Rapterra.
Thanks Russell - FWIW, I agree with you on Gatekeeper, but X-Flight is a one and done at SFGA. It's our "home" park, and the restraints make X-Flight nearly un-rideable. The restraints on Gatekeeper and Thunderbird are far more forgiving. Our children have to badger my wife to ride. She always hated the restraints, but there is something about being stuck for 45 minutes baking in the August sun while unable to breathe due to the restraints that gives her pause to ever set foot on that loading platform again.
@Russell - You mentioned that you noticed some wobbling on the launch, which coincides with the early speculation about that one particular photo/video of the train bouncing during testing. I'm a little surprised as plenty of people also at the media event stated that they hardly noticed anything like that, again referring to that photo/video. I do hope that if anything it is something very slight and unnoticeable. I'll make the jump next weekend. Thanks for the review.
Never thought i'd see the day where most everyone agrees new Vekoma's are smoother than new B&Ms, but here we are.
Anyway people keep touting this Jungle Xpedition area as awesome, the best Six Flags area, etc. However i've got to say other than Rapterra which is an average looking wing coaster with decent theming (and really bad capacity btw) I don't get what all this hype is about. This area started with Tumbili which is an absolutely terrible addition. If there's one thing I can't stand its when big popular parks get coasters that belong in Fun Spot, and not only that but they got a shortened/budget version of a coaster that belongs at a Fun Spot. Sorry but who cares if a ride has theming if its a really bad ride? Then there is "Pantherion" which is giving lipstick on pig vibes. Also the names of the rides are so bad. "Reptilian," ok not a terrible name, but "Pantherion"...you already have a coaster called Reptilian why would you name another coaster Pantherion? And also who names their biggest and most iconic coaster "Pantherion," its just such a bad name. The names of the rides in this land are sooooo lame.
/rant
Well, I thought it was a cool name. Maybe just because it sounds like pantheon.
When Rapterra was announced, I thought it looked like one of the better coasters opening this year, so it's a bit disappointing to hear the ride is possibly the weakest of the US wing coasters. The consensus still seems to be that it's around #4 in the park despite the ride's flaws, but as a replacement for Volcano I hoped it would have been a little better received.
i mean can the internet be pleased with anything? There are so many unique rides at this park. A keyhole can be added later. If you're taking suggestions make it a waterfall that turns off. I hope im never cursed to be in a queue or on a ride with the lot of you. Debbier downers.
for someone complaining about negative people, you are highly negative
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how long is the ride, and what are the stats?