Hydra the Revenge
Encyclopedia
Hydra the Revenge is a steel
floorless
roller coaster
at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
in South Whitehall Township
, Pennsylvania
(USA
). It was built where the wooden roller coaster
Hercules
stood, which was closed for demolition at the end of the park's 2003 season. Its name is actually in honor of the coaster that stood in Hydra's spot: Hercules battled the Hydra in Greek Mythology
Hydra is the second roller coaster in the United States with an inversion before the lift hill
, after Red Devil at Ghost Town in the Sky
. This inversion is a heartline roll, and is popularly known as the "Jojo roll".
Hydra is also noted as being one of the first Bolliger & Mabillard
coasters (along with Nitro
) to not feature a pre-drop after the lift hill, a small drop before the main hill to help relieve tension on the chain in the lift hill
. Rather, the train goes immediately into the main drop.
Hydra is also the first roller coaster to take an on-ride photo while its passengers are upside down. Riders are photographed while upside down in an inversion during the jojo roll. Riders are photographed a second time (not upside down) immediately before entering the cobra roll. Both pictures are available for purchase for one price.
Like Talon
, Hydra the Revenge's track and supports were filled with sand, making the ride very quiet; for other coasters, earlier B&M coasters often make a very loud roaring sound.
Steel roller coaster
A steel roller coaster is a roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel. Steel coasters have earned immense popularity in the past 50 years throughout the world...
floorless
Floorless roller coaster
A floorless roller coaster is a roller coaster with trains that ride above the track and allow the passenger's legs to dangle. It is a fairly new concept in roller coaster design brought forth by manufacturers Bolliger & Mabillard. The first ever floorless coaster debuted in 1999 at Six Flags Great...
roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom is an American amusement and water park located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The park features nine roller coasters, other adult and children's rides, and a waterpark, Wildwater Kingdom....
in South Whitehall Township
South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania
South Whitehall Township is a township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley area of the state. The population of South Whitehall Township was 18,028 at the 2000 census...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
(USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
). It was built where the wooden roller coaster
Wooden roller coaster
A wooden roller coaster is most often classified as a roller coaster with laminated steel running rails overlaid upon a wooden track. Occasionally, the structure may be made out of a steel lattice or truss, but the ride remains classified as a wooden roller coaster due to the track design...
Hercules
Hercules (roller coaster)
Hercules was the name of a former wooden roller coaster at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, Pennsylvania.At the time of construction, it was the tallest wooden roller coaster in the world, but due to its poor design the ride only had a short life, operating from 1989 to 2003...
stood, which was closed for demolition at the end of the park's 2003 season. Its name is actually in honor of the coaster that stood in Hydra's spot: Hercules battled the Hydra in Greek Mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
Hydra is the second roller coaster in the United States with an inversion before the lift hill
Lift hill
A lift hill, or chain hill, is often the initial upward-sloping section of track on a typical roller coaster that initially transports the roller coaster train to an elevated point or peak in the roller coaster ride...
, after Red Devil at Ghost Town in the Sky
Ghost Town in the Sky
Ghost Town in the Sky was a Wild West-themed amusement park in Maggie Valley, North Carolina, USA. An unusual aspect of this park is that it is located atop a mountain which can only be accessed by visitors via a chair lift or an inclined funicular railway...
. This inversion is a heartline roll, and is popularly known as the "Jojo roll".
Hydra is also noted as being one of the first Bolliger & Mabillard
Bolliger & Mabillard
Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard, with Bolliger acting as president and Mabillard as vice-president...
coasters (along with Nitro
Nitro (roller coaster)
Nitro is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey. It was opened in the spring of 2001 and at the time was the fastest roller coaster in New Jersey and the tallest on the East Coast of the United States.-The ride:...
) to not feature a pre-drop after the lift hill, a small drop before the main hill to help relieve tension on the chain in the lift hill
Lift hill
A lift hill, or chain hill, is often the initial upward-sloping section of track on a typical roller coaster that initially transports the roller coaster train to an elevated point or peak in the roller coaster ride...
. Rather, the train goes immediately into the main drop.
Hydra is also the first roller coaster to take an on-ride photo while its passengers are upside down. Riders are photographed while upside down in an inversion during the jojo roll. Riders are photographed a second time (not upside down) immediately before entering the cobra roll. Both pictures are available for purchase for one price.
Like Talon
Talon (roller coaster)
Talon is a steel inverted roller coaster at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It was known to be one of the longest inverted roller coaster in the Northeast....
, Hydra the Revenge's track and supports were filled with sand, making the ride very quiet; for other coasters, earlier B&M coasters often make a very loud roaring sound.
The ride
The ride starts out by going through a "JoJo" roll providing a lot of hangtime. While in the "JoJo" roll, riders' pictures are taken via the world's first and only on-ride camera placed to photograph riders while upside down. The train makes a right turn and then begin ascending the 95 feet (29 m) lift hill. It then rapidly speeds down the 105 feet (32 m) drop and into the inclined dive loop. Then, it speeds into the zero-g roll providing a weightless feeling. After that is an oversized corkscrew leading into the second on-ride camera then into an oddly shaped cobra roll. Then there is an "S" shaped airtime hill followed by another airtime hill and into the final corkscrew. The train then enters a helix then a turn into the brakes and goes slowly and cautiously back into the station.Features
- Heartline "Jojo" roll lift hill drop Inclined Dive Loop
- Zero-G Roll
- Corkscrew
- Cobra Roll
- Corkscrew
- Two onride photos sections (One for the "Jojo Roll" and one before the Cobra Roll)