[cwgator]

Normally I wouldn't be excited for the opening/re-opening of an SLC. However this one has the new restraints. Will this cause me to go out of my way to go to KK? No. However if they did this to the one at Wild Adventures I would make the 2 hour trip north to go to that park again. While I'm sure even with these new trains/restraints there will be some roughness, the absence of the old head-banging harnesses should provide less headaches....lol

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T3 Opens at Kentucky Kingdom

The latest incarnation of Kentucky Kingdom's gut-wrenching suspension roller coaster, T3, is set to open just in time for the holiday weekend.

With more than $2 million in renovations to the trains and the track of the old T2, the new T3 is an entirely different coaster, allowing the rider to comfortably experience every twist and turn of the 2,260 foot steel track. The T3 was designed to be as smooth as possible for riders as they fly through the five inversions and loops.

"You're sitting comfortably, your hanging loose, but still secure — it's really just an exhilarating ride from start to finish," said John Mulcahy, communications and marketing director for Kentucky Kingdom.

Mulcahy credits the replacement of restrictive overhead bars with offering a more comfortable experience for riders as they are suspended over the bright red track.

The new roller coaster begins with a 110-foot climb to the top of the lift hill before dropping riders into a flurry of loops, spins and quick turns. T3 reaches speeds in excess of 50 miles per hour and has a run time of about two minutes.

The T3 roller coaster, dubbed "The Next Generation of Terror," replaces the T2 suspension coaster first built in 1995. It is the eighth new attraction Kentucky Kingdom has unveiled in 2015.

Mulcahy said the new attractions and improvements have breathed new life into the park that first opened in Louisville in 1987.

Kentucky Kingdom has seen growth in the number of out of town visitors deciding to purchase two-day passes for the park, he said. For locals, the theme park is hoping the new attractions will be one more reason to make Kentucky Kingdom a hometown favorite.

"All of this is part of an effort to bring back some of the attractions that made us one of the most thrilling parks in the country," Mulcahy said. "People are seeing that you don't need to travel far to go to a great park anymore."

T3: The Next Generation of Fear, has recently been nominated as one of the Ten Best New Amusement Park Attractions in a USA Today Reader Poll.

You can vote for your top pick once per day until voting ends on July 6 at noon.

[tarheel1231]

Eh, not that excited. I watched the Arkham Asylum POV and there seems to be a lot of back-of-the-head headbanging. It's the reason I'm not a fan of Carolina Cobra. I've also heard that the lap part of the restraint crushes your thighs.

[Firechaser]

I don't know if I'm just lucky or what but I really like Cobra and Nighthawk though I look at the line before I ride them. I have never experienced headbanging on Flying Ace before either, it was my favorite ride when I was younger.

[cwgator]

^This would make a MASSIVE improvement to Flying Ace (and other Jr. Suspended), I didn't even bother riding it when I was there last month as I have an issue with the headbanging on that one (weirdly I didn't with Swamp Thing @ Wild Adventures).

(Freedom Flyer @ Fun Spot America Orlando)

The Carolina Cobra restraints help that ride compared to the other boomerang I've been on, but it's not overwhelming. Just tear Nighthawk down now as it's gotten horrible since 2008 (last ride before this year). I used to love that thing. Maybe it's age....the coaster's...not mine....lol

[FamousAmos]

the only way I can avoid headbanging on most coasters (particularly Carolina Cobra) is I just keep my head back as much as possible. Never come off with a headache. but I do, however, get dizzy.

[tarheel1231]

Here's a ridercam POV of Arkham Asylum: Shock Therapy in Australia. It actually looks smoother than I remember it looking. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GBbxNL0AAow

[arby]

I'll be at KK on Saturday. I'll let you know if it's any good.

[arby]

Double post since it's been 8 days since I posted the previous reply.

In my opinion, T3 = Torture^3. The ride is still awful. The new restraints are like Sky Rush in that they continue to tighten down on your legs during the ride although it's worse than Sky Rush in that the shoulder 'seat belts' clamp down on your shoulders, too. By the brake run your legs are numb and your shoulders hurt. It also kept breaking down and one girl on the train before us got stuck in her seat and it took them a few minutes to get her out. She could barely walk after they got her out.

One cool thing is that Ed Hart showed up at the ride after the breakdown and came over and shook my son's hand while we were waiting for the torture to begin....I mean the train to dispatch.

[gabed]

Ugh, that's a shame. I guess that just further proves the point that Carolina Cobra made in 2009 being that you can put as many new trains on a Vekoma as you want and it will still be awful. I'm sure RMC Twisted Twins will make up for this.

[Jonathan]

It sounds like the restraints they retrofitted on Great Nor'easter are a lot better than the T3 ones. They do not tighten down like that. The ride still has the violent shuffling back and forth, though.

In the end it's all

[arby]

Here are a couple of shots that I took of T3. The one isn't great but it's the best shot I got of the new restraints.

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IMG_3593.JPG (155.16KiB)Viewed 5410 times

[RollerBee]

Someone must like red....
Like red lipstick!