Review: Goliath, Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, IL

Goliath's record-breaking drop

Six Flags claims its new ride Goliath is the world’s fastest wooden roller coaster and the one with the biggest drop. Assuming those facts are true, does this mean it’s the best roller coaster thrill this park has to offer? Not quite.

I took on Goliath on July 7, 2014, a few weeks after its debut. I got to the park early and was in line at 10:30 a.m., the opening bell, and it was still a 75-minute wait. (For perspective: It was a 150-minute wait when I got off the ride, and I read it was a six-hour wait to experience Diagon Alley at Harry Potter land at Universal Studio in Orlando when it debuted this month).

Here are my impressions of the ride itself:

The Drop: Although undeniably intimidating with its 180-foot drop, 85-degree angle and tunnel-into-the-ground finish, there are better drops, most notably on Raging Bull, a steel coaster on the other side of the park. Still, this one isn’t for the faint of heart.

The Speed: The ride is very fast (74 mph at top speed) and smooth. It doesn’t really feel or sound like a traditional wooden coaster. And since the oval-shaped, twisting-back-on-itself track was shoe-horned in the small footprint that Iron Wolf occupied, the ride is very short.

The Inversions: The coaster goes upside down a couple times, once in an attempt at simulating zero gravity. That effect is just as memorable as the drop that begins the ride, especially given the lap-bar and seat-belt restraints, sans shoulder-harness.

Bottom line: It was worth the wait and lived up to most of its hype, but there are better thrills to be had.

Here’s my ranking of the major coasters of this park. (Note: I’ve been going to Six Flags periodically since 1984, back when Whizzer, Demon and Eagle were it):

1. Raging Bull: Fantastic steel coaster that is very fast, long-tracked, and features the biggest and best drop in the park.

2. Goliath: Next time: front car. Notable for its steep drop and inversions, especially given its compact wooden construction.

3. X-Flight: Uniquely designed, like having passengers sitting on the wings of an airplane;  seats are on both sides of the track, not on top of it. Sit in the front to best experience the last-second twist before flying through the control tower.

4. American Eagle: A wooden classic, a giant of a drop that never fails to thrill.

5. Superman: Passengers hang from under the track; simulates flying a la the Man of Steel. Ascending for the drop is always super-spooky (you are hanging under the track!), but if you can get past that, this is a very smooth ride that is fantastic in design. Very fun.

6. Viper: The second best of four wooden coasters in the park; more modern than the Eagle with a couple moderate drops.

7. Batman: Passengers’ legs dangle on this one that is best experienced in the very front; otherwise, you can’t see a thing.

Other notable rides: Whizzer, a classic entry-level coaster; Demon, one drop, two loops and a corkscrew; Big Dipper, a small, antique wooden coaster; Vertical Velocity, a speedy, twisty, forwards-and-backwards line, like a carnival ride on steroids; The Dark Knight, an indoor track that is not worth your time.

Link to point-of-view video ride of Goliath: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_2tgfQqJXk