Gold Rush officially opened to the public today (26th July) as the brand-new addition to Frontier Falls. The world first, Intamin Lift & Launch rollercoaster takes guests around a mine themed area sending them in every direction and is advertised to be a family thrill experience. We were lucky enough to be invited to the park on Wednesday to experience the ride ahead of opening alongside a host of entertainment and an opening ceremony.
Gold Rush fits perfectly in the Frontier Falls area of the park and really brings the area together. With themed flooring, a souvenir store and ice cream stand all added alongside the coaster, it feels like a finished area now. Granted, there are still areas being worked on. The station building is still having its top piece completed and the buildings to the left are still waiting for an interior. These aside, the area looks and feels like a completed product. With the construction walls down, you can get quite close to the coaster itself with a very open plaza before entering the main ride queue through a mine shaft. The shaft opens into an outdoor queue before you go up the stairs of the station. The queue line is nicely themed with various wall decorations and even a nod to the much-missed Apocalypse where the ride once stood. There is also a custom soundtrack for this ride to add to the experience.
So, onto the ride itself! There are two ride cycles to experience, and both provide different experiences. We have only experienced one cycle but from what we have heard, one is considered more thrilling than the other. The cycles use a mix of different launches including one into an outdoor gravity track and a couple of switch tracks to change the route and direction for the ride car. Don’t worry though, both ride cycles are approximately 2 minutes in length, so you won’t miss out on any ride time due to one cycle over another.
We really enjoyed the cycle we experienced. The ride was surprisingly fast with lots of twists and turns. Even after riding, I still can’t tell you where it goes on the layout (This tripped me up in a few videos on the night too – it’s an unpredictable ride!). The launches have a good force behind them – they are punchy but not harsh (like some other launch coasters I know). It really has that perfect family thrill feeling and to me it’s a lot of fun.
The “show scene” in the shed is well put together – I won’t go into detail on what this scene entails (As to not spoil your experience) however both cycles run through this area and depending on the cycle, this can be different too we believe.
Overall, we really enjoyed Gold Rush as an experience. It is a brilliant addition to the park and a very strong rollercoaster to join their existing ones. I would say that it is the next step up from Accelerator and is great for guests who want something longer & more thrilling than Accelerator but aren’t feeling ready to tackle The Wave’s inversions. This coaster provides a fun thrilling experience without inversions and with a 1M height restriction, it will be suitable for a wide audience. I believe it was the perfect piece for Frontier Falls and really makes the area feel complete and open (now the construction walls are down) Again, we would like to thank Drayton Manor for inviting us down to experience the ride and for hosting us for a lovely evening.
In short, Drayton Manor have truly struck GOLD with Gold Rush.
We hope you enjoy Gold Rush. Be sure to let us know what you think of it in the comments.
Have fun Cowboys,
Elise
