Robert Niles
Editor
Robert Niles

Let's take a ride on Holiday World's The Legend - reborn

May 30, 2016, 4:51 PM · Indiana's Holiday World is celebrating the 16th anniversary of its second wooden coaster — The Legend — with several track modifications that have helped make this classic a even more thrilling ride.

Working with coaster manufacturer Great Coaster International, Holiday World replaced all eight layers of track on the ride's first drop and added a new double-down element at the end of the helix, to create more airtime. In addition, the park lowered the hill before Frightful Falls, so the trains would carry more speed, which they do into a new tunnel after the hill.

Let's take a ride, with the park's new POV video for The Legend "reborn."

Based on our readers' ratings of attractions at Holiday World, The Legend's legend had slipped in recent years, as the coaster had fallen behind its siblings The Raven, The Voyage and the new Thunderbird in popularity. Will these changes be enough to boost The Legend back into the top tier among coasters?

Replies (7)

TwoBits
TwoBits
May 30, 2016 at 5:41 PM · Rode it in 2010. Only thing that could fix that coaster was a tanker of gasoline and a match.
anonymous
71.81.150.148
May 30, 2016 at 6:14 PM · Just rode it two weeks ago and it has changed significantly - for the better. A smoother and more thrilling ride. Way to go Holiday World!
Disneyobsession
Disneyobsession
May 30, 2016 at 6:58 PM · Holiday World seems like such a cool place. Visiting it is definitely a priority for me, but I just can't see myself forking over that much money for a vacation in Indiana. Hopefully one day...
DarkrideRod
Rod Whitenack
May 31, 2016 at 8:58 AM · I haven't been to Holiday World in a few years, and I've yet to even experience their steel coaster, Thunderbird, so I'll make plans to get back there this summer and check out the improvements to The Legend. The Legend was always a bit rough, and even though bigger and twice the length of The Raven, it never was quite the equivalent to it's older, more charming sister coaster. The Voyage almost made The Legend irrelevant, but I've heard it's getting pretty rough with age now too. When it first opened, I thought it was the second best wooden roller coaster ever built, bowing down only before the mighty Beast at Kings Island.
DarkrideRod
Rod Whitenack
May 31, 2016 at 8:58 AM · I haven't been to Holiday World in a few years, and I've yet to even experience their steel coaster, Thunderbird, so I'll make plans to get back there this summer and check out the improvements to The Legend. The Legend was always a bit rough, and even though bigger and twice the length of The Raven, it never was quite the equivalent to it's older, more charming sister coaster. The Voyage almost made The Legend irrelevant, but I've heard it's getting pretty rough with age now too. When it first opened, I thought it was the second best wooden roller coaster ever built, bowing down only before the mighty Beast at Kings Island.
rcdude
Writer
AJ Hummel
May 31, 2016 at 1:31 PM · I've always thought the Legend was a better coaster than the Raven, but it definitely had issues with roughness. Glad to see the ride has received a lot of track work and hopefully it will be running much better this year. Even if GCI isn't building a ton of new coasters, it seems like they're getting plenty of business retracking old woodies for parks that want something different than an RMC treatment. Maybe Holiday World will have them redo Voyage next, as that ride is outstanding yet brutal.
anonymous
146.163.182.55
June 1, 2016 at 11:48 AM · AJ:
The Voyage also got some track work. Not a complete redo like the Legend, but enough to bring it back to one of the world's best. My personal favorite is still El Toro, but the Voyage is really close now.

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