DC Rivals HyperCoaster

DC Rivals HyperCoaster is a steel hypercoaster at Warner Bros. Movie World on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Manufactured by Mack Rides, it officially opened on 22 September 2017, being promoted as the longest, fastest, and tallest hypercoaster in the Southern Hemisphere.[2][3] It is the first new attraction added to Warner Bros. Movie World since Doomsday Destroyer in 2016 and the first new roller coaster added since Green Lantern Coaster opened in 2011.[4] The roller coaster reaches a height of 61.6 metres (202 ft) with a maximum speed of 115.1 kilometres per hour (71.5 mph) and has a total track length of 1,400 metres (4,593.2 ft).

DC Rivals HyperCoaster
Warner Bros. Movie World
Location	Warner Bros. Movie World
Coordinates	27.908°S 153.314°E / -27.908; 153.314
Status	Operating
Soft opening date	16 September 2017 (2017-09-16)
Opening date	22 September 2017
Cost	AU$30 million ($30 million in 2018 dollars[1])
General statistics
Type	Steel – Hypercoaster
Manufacturer	Mack Rides
Model	Hyper Coaster
Lift/launch system	Chain
Height	202.1 ft (61.6 m)
Length	4,593.2 ft (1,400.0 m)
Speed	71.5 mph (115.1 km/h)
Inversions	0
Capacity	960 riders per hour
G-force	4.3
Height restriction	130 cm (4 ft 3 in)
Trains	2 trains with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 24 riders per train.
Theme	DC Universe
Website	Official website
Fast Track available
Single rider line available
DC Rivals HyperCoaster at RCDB Pictures of DC Rivals HyperCoaster at RCDB

History

In September 2016, crates from Mack Rides began to appear on groundwork that was ongoing in the park.[5] In March 2017, construction blueprints were published about the roller coasters layout and station,[6] and construction began in April.[7] In late-May 2017, the park sent out email teasers to its guests indicating a new ride was going to be announced with varying quotes alongside a 3D rendered track.[8] In the forthcoming weeks on 4 June 2017, the park formally announced the roller coaster as "DC Rivals HyperCoaster" which was initially scheduled to be opened in October 2017 and would be themed to the DC Universe.[9][10]

In July 2017, it was reported that the ride cost the park $30 million dollars to build.[11] On 4 August 2017, the final piece of track was put into place,[12] with testing beginning later on 19 August.[13][14] On 11 September 2017, Warner Bros. Movie World launched advertisements for the ride, one in the form of an online website about the ride's statistics and another in the form of a television ad centered around the DC Universes characters.[15][16] Around this time, it was initially detailed by the Gold Coast Bulletin that the official ride opening would be launched after 21 September 2017 during a VIP event.[16] On 16 September 2017, the ride soft-opened to the public for technical rehearsals,[17][18] while the ride officially opened on the 22 September 2017.[19][20]

Shortly thereafter, in October 2017 Warner Bros. Movie World reported that the ride had made 6.9 million impressions through media coverage and 9.3 million impressions through social media.[21][22] In addition, the opening day brought in 11,500 visitors to the park as a whole.[21][22] During annual maintenance of the roller coaster in August 2018, track was replaced on the camel back element to make the ride smoother.[23]

Ride experience

Queue

DC Rivals HyperCoaster has two main queues: One is a general admission queue for guests who do not own a pass and a Fast Track queue for those who have purchased to bypass queues for the major attractions at the park.[24] Upon entering the station riders, depending on their rider status, can choose from either four queues: general admission, backwards, Fast Track, or single riders.[25]

Layout

DC Rivals HyperCoaster's non-inverting loop

After the train dispatches from the station, it takes a right turn into the 61.6-metre (202 ft) lift hill.[25][26] After reaching its maximum height, riders take a twist down the 59.4-metre (195 ft) 85-degree-drop. At the bottom, the ride reaches its maximum speed of 115.1 kilometres per hour (71.5 mph).[26] Then, the train ascends the ride's tallest camel back hill before descending left to follow into the 40-metre (130 ft) non-inverting loop.[15][26] Next, the train goes through a Stengel dive to the right before entering its left bank turning the train's direction back towards the station and then entering a series of twisted camel back hills.[15] Following, the train enters a 480-degree-helix, then exits into a series of S-bend curves.[15] Subsequently, the train rises and dips into two bunny hops before descending left towards a third bunny hill and into the final brake run leading riders back into the station after a right hand turn.[15][27]

Characteristics

Trains

Each train has six cars with riders arranged in two across in a two rows.[26] The last car of the train has one row facing backwards with two across in a single row, therefore each train seats 22 passengers.[26] Each of the ride's two trains are themed to the Batmobile.[19]

Reception

DC Rivals HyperCoaster was acclaimed for its long, forceful layout and smooth ride experience. Finder.com.au's Chris Stead cited the coaster as Warner Bros. Movie World's highlight attraction.[28] OurWorlds' Ben Roache noted the ride had abundant air time and that its non-inverting loop was comfortable and well-paced; he called DC Rivals HyperCoaster Australia's best coaster and said that the forceful layout borrowed and improved on elements from some of the world's best coasters.[29] ReviewTyme's Dominic Lacey called DC Rivals HyperCoaster "one the greatest coasters I've ever ridden" and praised its first drop, smooth ride experience and open, unrestrictive restraints.[30] It placed ninth on Coaster Bot's 2019 list of the world's top 100 coasters (ranked by over 900 participants).[31]

See also

• 2017 in amusement parks

References

1. Australian Consumer Price Inflation figures follow the Long Term Linked Series provided in Australian Bureau of Statistics (2011) 6461.0 – Consumer Price Index: Concepts, Sources and Methods, 2011 as explained at §§3.10–3.11; this series comprises "from 1901 to 1914, the A Series Retail Price Index; from 1914 to 1946–47, the C Series Retail Price Index; from 1946–47 to 1948–49, a combination of the C Series Index, excluding rent, and the housing group of the CPI; and from 1948–49 onwards, the CPI." (3.10). Retrieved May 4, 2015
2. Ralph, Owen (5 June 2017). "DC Rivals hyper coaster to open at Australia's Warner Bros Movie World". blooloop. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
3. McElroy, Nicholas (4 June 2017). "Movie World's new 'HyperCoaster'". Gold Coast Bulletin. News Corp Australia. Archived from the original on 18 August 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
4. Wilson, Richard (6 June 2017). "DC Rivals HyperCoaster: what you need to know about Movie World's new coaster". Parkz. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
5. Wilson, Richard (2 September 2016). "Groundwork underway on Movie World's 2017 roller coaster". Parkz. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
6. Wilson, Richard (14 March 2017). "Tender documents reveal Movie World's hypercoaster station". Parkz. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
7. Wilson, Richard (19 April 2017). "Movie World's hypercoaster commences vertical construction". Parkz. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
8. Wilson, Richard (26 May 2017). "Movie World drops first official hints for forthcoming hypercoaster". Parkz. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
9. Roache, Ben (4 June 2017). "Australia's best roller-coaster is coming to Movie World - DC Rivals Hypercoaster". Our Worlds. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
10. Lennox, Adrian (9 June 2017). "Movie World developing DC Rivals HyperCoaster". InterPark. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
11. Skene, Kathleen (27 July 2017). "Movie World's DC Rivals pegged as $30 million catalyst for Gold Coast theme park turnaround". Gold Coast Bulletin. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
12. Wilson, Richard (4 August 2017). "DC Rivals HyperCoaster tops out at Movie World". Parkz. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
13. "Gold Coast Movie World's newest rollercoaster takes first test run". Gold Coast Bulletin. News Corp Australia. 20 August 2017. Archived from the original on 22 August 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
14. Wilson, Richard (19 August 2017). "DC Rivals HyperCoaster commences testing". Parkz. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
15. Wilson, Richard (11 September 2017). "Movie World's DC Rivals HyperCoaster mini-site answers all the big questions". Parkz. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
16. Skene, Kathleen; Potts, Andrew (11 September 2017). "Movie World release ad ahead of DC Rivals Hypercoaster launch next week on Gold Coast". Gold Coast Bulletin. News Corp Australia. Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
17. Robbemond, Amanda (17 September 2017). "You could try out the Gold Coast DC Rivals Hypercoaster before it officially opens". Gold Coast Bulletin. News Corp Australia. Archived from the original on 20 September 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
18. Wilson, Richard (18 September 2017). "The Parkz Update: DC Rivals HyperCoaster is now open for preview rides". Parkz. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
19. Stolz, Greg (21 September 2017). "New HyperCoaster rivals the world's best". The Courier Mail. Queensland Newspapers. Archived from the original on 25 September 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
20. Nelmes, Amy (21 September 2017). "The Gold Coast's Movie World opens a new rollercoaster". Nine.com.au. Mi9. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
21. Skene, Kathleen (3 October 2017). "DC Rivals HyperCoaster already delivering for Movie World — less than a fortnight after launch". Gold Coast Bulletin. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
22. Wilson, Richard (3 October 2017). "Movie World breaks a September record with DC Rivals HyperCoaster launch". Parkz. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
23. Wilson, Richard (24 August 2018). "Track comes down from DC Rivals HyperCoaster during annual maintenance". Parkz. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
24. "Fast Track". Warner Bros. Movie World. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
25. "DC Rivals Hypercoaster Official Opening - Off Ride POV - Movie World 16/09/17". Gold Coast Theme Parks. 16 September 2017. Retrieved 19 September 2017 – via YouTube.
26. "DC Rivals HyperCoaster - Warner Bros. Movie World (Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
27. "DC Rivals HyperCoaster POV - Virtual Point of View - OurWorlds". Our Worlds. 8 August 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
28. Stead, Chris (2 March 2020). "Warner Bros. Movie World Gold Coast review: Travelling with kids". finder. Archived from the original on 10 May 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
29. Roache, Ben (September 2017). ""Holy S**t!" - Riding DC Rivals HyperCoaster". OurWorlds. Archived from the original on 8 March 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
30. Lacey, Dominic (19 April 2018). "Warner Brothers Movie World Overview & Review". ReviewTyme. Archived from the original on 10 May 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
31. "The World's Top 100 Roller Coasters - Golden Cog Awards 2019". Coaster Bot. 17 November 2019. Archived from the original on 19 May 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.