Opa!! Greek out!!! Beware of Greeks bearing gifts and a huge wooden coaster direct from the underworld!
Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park is located at Wisconsin Dells, in South-Central Wisconsin. The Dells is a destination tourist resort with hundreds of attractions including museums, restaurants, shops, haunted houses, water activities, and amusement parks. Mt. Olympus, the largest theme park in the area, is actually a combination of four parks. It began as Big Chief Carts and Coasters. Today, the concept is totally Greek. Statues, music, and Mediterranean influences are everywhere.
Brochure courtesy of Mt. Olympus Theme Park
The park boasts 9 separate go-kart tracks. The largest track is named after the famous Trojan Horse, designed by the artist Epeius, during the Trojan War. Go-kart riders drive inside and outside of the huge wooden horse.
Entrance to the Trojan Horse Go-Kart Track (Photo by Shredley)
Prominent at the entrance to the park is the giant Trojan Horse (Photo by Shredley)
Mt. Olympus has both an indoor and outdoor water park. New for 2006 is the Parthenon Indoor theme park featuring six new rides.
Opa is a mouse coaster built by Zamperla that began operation in March of this year. It is a steel sit-down coaster with spinning cars. It reaches speeds of over 29 miles per hour and has a maximum height of nearly 43 feet. (photo not available)
Polyphemus, son of Poseidon, was the name of the Cyclops in Homer's Odyssey. The Cyclops roller coaster is a wooden creation that was designed by Dennis McNulty and Larry Bill. The track follows the hillside terrain. The ride lasts one minute. It has a swooping 180-degree turn with a 70 foot drop. The coaster delivers speeds up to 58 miles per hour and has wild airtime.
Cyclops entrance, two guys, three eyes (Photo by Joni)
Meet me at the coaster, I'll keep an eye out for you (Photo by Shredley)
Shredley and Joni take a big drop on Cyclops (Photo by Joyce Harris)
Little Titans is a great steel sit down kiddie coaster. It was built by Miler Coaster, Inc. and has been operating since 2000. It is 15 feet high with a 14 foot drop.
Little Titans - all Greek keiki right this way! (Photo by Shredley)
Little Titans on a twisty yellow track (Photo by Shredley)
Dive To Atlantis is a single drop coaster that's also a water ride. It opened for the 2004 season and was built by Miler Coaster, Inc.
Dive to Atlantis - taking the plunge (Photo by Duane Marden www.rcdb.com)
Pegasus is a gentle family wooden roller coaster. It features a 45 foot drop and it rambles above go-kart tracks near the park's entrance. We enjoyed many rides
on this delightful attraction.
Pegasus - a magic carpet ride (Photo by Duane Marden www.rcdb.com)
Fellow ACEers Suzanne Taylor and Harley Wuollet - front seat of Pegasus (Photo by Shredley)
Zeus is an L shaped out and back woodie with plenty of high speed punch.
Zeus, grasping lightning bolts, welcomes riders (Photo by Shredley)
It features an 85 foot first drop and travels up to 60 miles per hour. The ride goes cross country through lovely woods. It was built by Custom Coasters International Inc., and has been operating since June of 1997. Guests are treated to a double circuit on this rousing airtime filled ride.
Zeus - the first drop (Photo by Shredley)
Joni and Shredley after a stimulating Zeus experience (Photo by Joyce Harris)
We were anticipating our first ride on the newest roller coaster, Hades, located next to Zeus.
Turn left - proceed to Hades (Photo by Shredley)
Hades is a hybrid roller coaster using conventional wooden track on a steel structure. It was designed by The Gravity Group and began operation in May of 2005. It has a maximum vertical angle of 65 degrees and a drop of 140 feet into an underground tunnel. It travels 750 feet in complete darkness while negotiating 90 degree banked turns. Actually, the tunnel is under Mt. Olympus' huge parking lot.
We'll describe the ride with photos. It begins with guests climbing up six flights of stairs to the boarding area. The train leaves the station and immediately drops all the way to the ground.
Hades - the first drop (Photo by Robb Alvey www.themeparkreview.com)
After the initial drop, the train twists around and ascends the lift hill. It then falls 140 feet into the underground tunnel.
Hades descending from the lift hill (Photo by Shredley)
The train rages into darkness under the parking lot.
Hades - a front seat view of the tunnel entrance (Photo by Robb Alvey www.themeparkreview.com)
The coaster emerges into daylight.
Hades - the train roars upward from the underground (Photo by Shredley)
The train re-enters the tunnel and returns to the station leaving riders with a major adrenaline rush. This scream machine redefines the wooden roller coaster.
Hades - the grand finale (Photo by Robb Alvey www.themeparkreview.com)
Mt. Olympus Theme Park offers a plethora of dramatic thrills. We enjoyed this park a great deal and heartily recommend it.
An Ouzo toast to the glory that is Greece! (Photo by Shredley)
Our July column will take us, again, to upstate New York and feature the tourist destination of Lake George and the famous hybrid coaster Comet.
Much Aloha!
-Joni and Shredley
Next Installment: Chapter XXXV: The Parks; Six Flags Great Escape, Lake George, NY
Related Links:
www.mtolympusthemepark.com
www.rcdb.com
www.themeparkreview.com
www.aceonline.org
