Adventure World New Coaster - Abyss

[Original]

^ The way I see it though as Storm is more family friendly, Abyss aimed more at thrill seekers. Less thrilling means less airtime.

It's good to finally see what I would class as a super coaster. The only real other super coaster that I am aware of in Australia is Superman Escape. These coasters are ones, which i see are as a high of standard as the coasters in america, europe, etc. I know they are not as good as some of the ones in other countries, but for Australian standards this is high. AW have done a great job.

I'm presuming you mean world class. Without riding it, and working on the budget they had this definitely is very impressive and looks to be up there with some of the best coasters we have in Australia.

But I'm going to add Scooby to that list, it might be a standard wild mouse in the coaster section, but lift, added 'haunted' section theming, puts it up there. It may not be thrilling but perfect for families and crowd favourite (look at it lines everyday).

I'd add Jet Rescue as well, it may be short and a family coaster but TPR constantly talks about how much they love it and how solid it is.

And surely back in its hey day ToT was there, it held a 2 world records, and America built one at the same time, thats got to count for something!

Anyway, talking about Abyss at AW:

I'm really impressed to see how this turned out, pity its too far away. If I ever went over to Perth though, its definitely on my list if I ever make my way over there!

[iwerks]

Here's the link to Saturday's news announcement:

http://www.news.com.au/travel/australian-holidays/adventure-world-launches-new-spooky-attraction-the-abyss-rollercoaster/story-e6frfq89-1226751557610

The same story popped up in the West and several other news sites.

Here's Deano's description from the TPR forum page:

by deano » Sat Nov 02, 2013 9:11 am

After watching it get built for so long, it was great to finally see that OTSR click in this afternoon. The ride is very intense and although short, packs a punch. At 6'5ft. I was very comfortable in the trains, this didn't last long once the ride started but I am not complaining as it was awesome. Would love to see how much difference a lap bar restraint would make as it is not the smoothest ride once you leave the station, also after holding my arms up for the first ride, I felt like they had been sawed (pun?) from my shoulders, there is not much room for movement. Initial feedback from me is very good, the ride is up there with the best Australia has to offer. The ride ops were doing a great job, checking every time there was an empty seat for two riders or a single rider, they also kept us informed of any issues (more on this later). Review of ride (spoiler alert?)... Dark section - Very effective with no music, no lights and a small voiceover/ soundtrack before the first drop, this leads into an inline twist which takes you to the base of the lift hill. I cannot choose a favourite between the smaller dark ride drop or the main drop but the smaller one in darkness felt much more intense for me. The lift and first drop are as expected but the standout element of Abyss is the airtime hill... it is as intense as the videos suggest (as well as one of the biggest head choppers I have experienced). All went well except for some delays which led to the ride closing down in the time I was there, (it is after all only it's second night of operation and I am sure it has been fixed). On my last ride we were stopped on the MCBR for about 5 minutes (see photos) as well as a good 15 minute wait at the station once we returned, I did not see another occupied car leave the station while I was there. The ride ops were great, the ride is amazing, the theming is very detailed and from what I saw the peeps were very happy with what they rode, thank you and well done Adventure World.

Actually got a photo of him taking one of his pics..

Here are some of my thoughts on the ride:

Abyss is not a huge coaster – probably comparable in size and demographic to Lethal Weapon/Arkham Asylum.

Riders queue up according to whether they want to sit in the front or back row. Trying to get a large group of people on the same train is quite a challenge as the rear seat queue is on the inside of the stairwell and is quite a bit shorter.

There are no on-ride photos. What looks like a photo booth is a drinks stand called ‘Below Zero’. The merchandise is yet to arrive – when it does it will be sold there and at the main shop.

There’s not much in the way of a narrative. The video that you do see before you board the station seems to be more of a health and safety warning. It was difficult to hear.

The station looked the part. They were quite efficient at loading people on and off. They have a box to collect any belongings that might fall off or out of your pockets. You are supposed to wear a shirt on the ride, but obviously some people didn’t.

The show building is dark, but not totally so that you can’t see some of the ‘shed’. However, the tracks are black and you have no idea where you are going. There’s the voice of the guardian followed by the inside drop, which is quite dramatic. Even if you know it’s big, nothing will prepare you for it. The train races through the dark ride quite quickly. There’s a nice little fog effect at the end, before they brake you in front of the tower.

I had no problems with the OTSRs. I’ve been beaten and bruised by the old Lethal Weapon and Thunderbolt harnesses – these were fine.

It’s a hell of a climb. There’s a cool little moment of hesitation just before you reach the top of the tower – unnerving.

The drop is over so quickly – it’s more intimidating if you’re watching.

The rolls and inversions are genius – glorious fun. The airtime hill is crazy. The transition after the brakes section certainly catches your breath.

The wait time was about half an hour to an hour for most of the day. The park was busy, but not quite as packed as a day in early January. There’s a fast pass available at $25 and a ‘one shot’ pass for about $10.

There’s a great patch of lawn just in front of the coaster which is perfect for sitting and watching the action.

This is a great addition to the park – which everyone was talking about. It doesn’t overwhelm the Adventure World skyline and it nicely compliments its other rides. Is it worth travelling across the country for? I can’t say, but if you want the credit you’re going to have to come over here and experience it yourself.

[Tim Dasco]

is the quick pass just for the abyss or all of their rides.

[GoGoBoy]

In regard to theming (or lack of) in the dark ride section, I'm fairly sure there is a lit statue or two inside the building, isn't there? From the video I saw it looked like there was at least one just before the exit to the lift. It seems the inline twist section as you are exiting the building is some type of themed wooden tunnel too? It looks like it would give a neat disorientating effect... and the smoke is a nice touch

[iwerks]

The quick pass is for the top five rides. The access to the Abyss and Grand Prix seems to be the exits.

Unfortunately there's already some signs of vandalism - note the right hand side of the sign.

[alex_1]

Thanks, feral youths of Australia, for not letting us down.

[GoGoBoy]

Thanks, feral youths of Australia, for not letting us down.

Well said! What's wrong with this country? I was thinking it might just be a QLD & NSW thing.... clearly I was wrong

[iwerks]

Yeah the chair and height thing attracted stupid kids all day. When you sit in the chair and bring the restraint down it goes 'buzz'. On the flip side, there were lots of security and scarers in this area on Saturday. The Guardians would have to be the best costumed characters to wander a park ever. Plenty of people were getting their photo taken with them. Some guardians were pretending to blend in with the gateway. There was also an old zombie Doc Brown-like character who was really good. All the staff either had face make-up or costumes. It was a great night.

[iwerks]

Forgot to put the link to the pics on TPR:

http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=65854&sid=c4162e132c48a29ac1f0065a997b84fe&start=110

It's interesting that Adventure World seems pretty lax on checking for cameras - some nice pics there.

Just occurred to me that their upgrades on the regular tickets are very much emulating Universal's Express and Disney's Fastpass - clever. Apparently there were some people on AW's Facebook page who thought you had to pay for the upgrade to go on Abyss.

Also really enjoyed Freefall on Saturday. It's a shot and drop tower that does about four rotations on the one ride - mixing the shots and the drops so you never know what is going to happen. It gives you great views of the Perth Skyline if you are facing the right way.

More pics of the Abyss from Fright Nights:

[Tim Dasco]

the free fall is awsome i love the veiws but i hate when you are on the back and you are faceing the bush/buildings behind.

[deano79]

Hi guys, iwerks, I can't believe that picture of me while stuck on the mcbr taking the picture, what are the chances of that? Was that just a random photo because it was stuck? Great forums here, think I'll check in more often. Thanks.

[iwerks]

Actually saw you talking the pics and thinking 'is he taking selfies'?

Really enjoyed your reporting on Adventure World's graveyard from a few years ago.

[themeparkgc]

Here's a POV provided by Adventure World:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCfoMj4gdZE

[zacsta_1997]

imagin if Sea World did something like this instead of the storm

Wasn't the corkscrew (sea viper) big when it first opened

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

Wasn't the corkscrew (sea viper) big when it first opened

No, it was about the same size it is now.

[iwerks]

Congrats Deano on the official AW quote - good to see that someone knows what they're talking about. Once again we've got "Australia's best coaster" - really?

http://adventureworld.net.au/#/news-events/praise-for-abyss!/

[alex_1]

It clearly doesn't beat Superman Escape, but he probably just said that to please the park and the GP.

[iwerks]

^{No, Deano didn't say that. He actually described the ride really well, it's the WAGs and other celebrities that were waxing lyrical about it. It's a great ride - it's up there (and I love that dive loop at the end), but nothing can match Superman Escape in Australia.}

[joz]

This sort of thing comes up often. Here's the thing; 'best' is a subjective term, no one can be wrong when they say they think something is the 'best'. For that reason, it makes a good line in marketing, since no one can prove an opinion like that wrong.

Honestly though, they might have a legit claim for that title in this case. I know quite a few people who think Green Lantern is the best coaster on the Gold Coast, and they've been on every ride and not trying to come up with marketing hype. Judging from the POVs, I'd say it's probably better than Green Lantern, so IMHO, calling Abyss the "best coaster in Australia" really isn't that crazy a claim, many people will probably agree.

[iwerks]

Good point Joz.

I read up on some of his comments on the Australian Coaster Club website and whilst it doesn't publish the full review, he makes some good points - one of them being that you can ride Abyss more than once in a row and not feel too beaten up by it. He's also a pretty big unit and the OTSR were quite comfortable. Here's the Facebook page..

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Australian-Coaster-Club/324172401616?directed_target_id=0

[rac2703]

This sort of thing comes up often. Here's the thing; 'best' is a subjective term, no one can be wrong when they say they think something is the 'best'. For that reason, it makes a good line in marketing, since no one can prove an opinion like that wrong.

Honestly though, they might have a legit claim for that title in this case. I know quite a few people who think Green Lantern is the best coaster on the Gold Coast, and they've been on every ride and not trying to come up with marketing hype. Judging from the POVs, I'd say it's probably better than Green Lantern, so IMHO, calling Abyss the "best coaster in Australia" really isn't that crazy a claim, many people will probably agree.

Thats true, However I find it funny how the "Theme park capital of Australia" campaign is calling the Storm Coaster Australia's best rollercoaster, when no-one has even ridden it yet.

[iwerks]

Was back in the park this morning. Rode Abyss twice in the first hour. The first wait was 15 mins, the second 30. The ride ops are still doing a great job. There was a lot more smoke in the station as well. Apparently the ride will not be operating tomorrow due to scheduled maintenance. Some merchandise is already available from the main shop. Shirts are $20 as are USBs. Caps and keyrings/bottle openers are $8.50. They also had beach towels.

There was also another full page advert in Thursday's 'Western Australian'.

[Santa07]

^ The way I see it though as Storm is more family friendly, Abyss aimed more at thrill seekers. Less thrilling means less airtime.

I'm presuming you mean world class. Without riding it, and working on the budget they had this definitely is very impressive and looks to be up there with some of the best coasters we have in Australia.

But I'm going to add Scooby to that list, it might be a standard wild mouse in the coaster section, but lift, added 'haunted' section theming, puts it up there. It may not be thrilling but perfect for families and crowd favourite (look at it lines everyday).

I'd add Jet Rescue as well, it may be short and a family coaster but TPR constantly talks about how much they love it and how solid it is.

And surely back in its hey day ToT was there, it held a 2 world records, and America built one at the same time, thats got to count for something!

Anyway, talking about Abyss at AW:

I'm really impressed to see how this turned out, pity its too far away. If I ever went over to Perth though, its definitely on my list if I ever make my way over there!

Hmm... I'd say Arkham asylum could add to that list as well...

[iwerks]

Yeah, that's the ride I would say Abyss is on par with. I still can't believe it's at Adventure World. That park certainly has grown up in the last couple of years. Who would have predicted they would get a Eurofighter?

Gazza perhaps?

Gazza

Oct 25 2004, 04:59 PM

I reckon if AW were to get a new teen market ride they should get a Gerstlauer Eurofighter, a good little coaster that doesnt cost too much, but it has four inversions and a steeper than vertical drop.

Is that right?

http://www.parkz.com.au/forums/lofiversion/index.php?t1238.html

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

It's not the first time a long-standing member on these boards has predicted the future well in advance of when the park would have even made a decision on it - good job Gazza.