Hydra the Revenge

History

Hercules was a wooden roller coaster that sat in the current location of Hydra the Revenge. In 2003, the coaster was closed and demolished. On September 14, 2004, the $13 million Hydra the Revenge was announced. Construction began in the spring of 2004 and continued through the winter. Hydra the Revenge was topped off (highest piece of the lift hill) on August 20, 2004 and the entire track layout was completed on December 4, 2004. The first cars for the coaster arrived at Dorney Park on December 10, 2004 and the first ride with people on a train took place on March 24, 2005. The roller coaster officially opened to the public on May 7, 2005.

Backstory

The name of the roller coaster comes from the story of Hercules in Greek Mythology. According to the story, Hercules had to perform twelve labours. After defeating the Nemean lion for the first labour, the second was to defeat the Hydra, a nine-headed creature with eight serpentine heads that would regrow each time they were cut off, including one that was immortal. Dorney Park altered the remainder of the story- after Hercules managed to defeat the Hydra initially, he buried the immortal head stuck under a stone, with the intention of sealing it for all time. Years later however, the head slowly grew back, resurrecting the Hydra and taking its revenge on Hercules by killing him; hence why the Hydra roller coaster sits where Hercules once did.

Experience

Once the floor drops and the front gate opens, the train is dispatched leading straight into the first inversion; a heartline roll, nicknamed the "Jojo Roll". Upon exiting the roll, the train makes a 180 degree right turn and begins to climb the 95-foot (29 m) lift hill. Once at the top, the train drops down 105 feet (32 m) at a 68 degree angle. Then, the train makes a slight right turn into a 62-foot (19 m) inclined diving loop before going through a zero-gravity roll. Next, immediately after the roll, the train enters the first of two corkscrews. After exiting the corkscrew, the train then goes through a cobra roll. After an upward left turn, followed by a downard right turn, the train goes over an airtime hill before entering the second corkscrew. The train then makes a banked right turn, then a banked 90-degree left turn which leads into the brake run. Once back at the station, after the floors come back up and the front gate closes, the riders unload and the next ones load.

One cycle of the ride lasts about 2 minutes and 35 seconds.

Trains

Hydra the Revenge operates with two steel and fiberglass trains. Each train has eight cars that can seat four riders in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train. Each train has two shades of green and pink on the bottom section while the seats and over-the-shoulder restraints are also pink. Each seat has an over-the-shoulder harness with an interlocking seatbelt. The trains have no floor as the riders' legs can dangle throughout the ride.

Track

The steel track of Hydra the Revenge is approximately 3,198 feet (975 m) long, the height of the lift is approximately 95 feet (29 m) high, and the entire track weighs about 1,368,000 pounds (621,000 kg). It was manufactured by Clermont Steel Fabricators located in Batavia, Ohio. The track has two shades of green while the supports are turquoise.

Reception

Jeremy Thompson from Roller Coaster Philosophy said that "the ride itself is okay, but I’m not sure if I really loved the whole experience.", but that "still, it’s got a more interesting layout." A group of roller coaster enthusiasts also came to the conclusion that the ride wasn't the best but still good, "The general consensus is that it's a good, but not quite great, ride that's perfect for family-oriented Dorney."