Donkey Kong: Mine Cart Madness (UOR) - Reviews, Photos, & Media

[Rhian]

Unfortunately, the ride has lost a bit of its defining features already: the small launch that happens on the first hill has been removed completely, losing the sensation of being launched out of the barrel and jumping to the other track. Apparently it was a major source of wear and tear for the ride vehicles.

I hope in the future the park tech crews are able to bring back the little thrill moments like this and the freefall on Ministry.

Anyone know if the one in Japan has the launch removed too?

 

[Evan]

Unfortunately, the ride has lost a bit of its defining features already: the small launch that happens on the first hill has been removed completely, losing the sensation of being launched out of the barrel and jumping to the other track. Apparently it was a major source of wear and tear for the ride vehicles.

I hope in the future the park tech crews are able to bring back the little thrill moments like this and the freefall on Ministry.

I don’t understand this… wouldn’t engineers account for this in the design process? What the.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

I don’t understand this… wouldn’t engineers account for this in the design process? What the.

Loads of factors, including changes after it was designed. You can build in a safety factor and everything and still have issues.

 

[GAcoaster]

This has a chain lift-- basically they slowed the chain down a bit to save on wear and tear.

 

[Hannah L]

Any word on if the roughness has improved ?

 

[mccgavin]

Any word on if the roughness has improved ?

As of last Tuesday, it has not. Unfortunately, I imagine it will require lengthy downtime for a proper fix, and the park cannot afford this ride being closed for an extended period right now.

 

[Hannah L]

As of last Tuesday, it has not. Unfortunately, I imagine it will require lengthy downtime for a proper fix, and the park cannot afford this ride being closed for an extended period right now.

Ah bummer to hear!

Im going with my parents (early 60s) in a couple weeks. They want to ride but I don’t want them to have any discomfort. I might do a test ride when we arrive

 

[HalfGlass]

This might help clarify why Japan is less jarring…

Universal implemented the “Boom Coaster” system here—leaving the ride vehicle’s center of gravity much higher above the track. This design makes every bump and lateral shift more pronounced, resulting in a noticeably shaky experience.

It’s like how the top of a tall building sways more in wind—here, every notch shows up in your ride.

When I asked ChatGPT, it said this could possibly be done to fix it…

• Ride dampening adjustments — Adding more shocks or springs could soften the motion.
• Control system tuning — Smoothing out acceleration and deceleration might reduce jolting.
• Seat or padding modifications — Better cushioning could help absorb lateral forces.

Once crowds die down a bit, it wouldn’t surprise me if something is done if guest satisfaction surveys are less than stellar and people complain about pain.

 

[Clive]

I'm... not sure I'm going to trust ChatGPT with anything, much less how to safely modify a complex ride system...?

 

[OrlandoGuy]

This might help clarify why Japan is less jarring…

Universal implemented the “Boom Coaster” system here—leaving the ride vehicle’s center of gravity much higher above the track. This design makes every bump and lateral shift more pronounced, resulting in a noticeably shaky experience.

It’s like how the top of a tall building sways more in wind—here, every notch shows up in your ride.

When I asked ChatGPT, it said this could possibly be done to fix it…

• Ride dampening adjustments — Adding more shocks or springs could soften the motion.
• Control system tuning — Smoothing out acceleration and deceleration might reduce jolting.
• Seat or padding modifications — Better cushioning could help absorb lateral forces.

Once crowds die down a bit, it wouldn’t surprise me if something is done if guest satisfaction surveys are less than stellar and people complain about pain.

My issue with the ride wasn’t shakiness, it was the abruptness of the transitions. It’s jerky in a way that I don’t think they’d be able to resolve without completely re-profiling the ride track.

 

[Skold]

I loved this ride! (but not the queue... at all.)

The jerkiness led to a hectic experience, which in itself lent to feel like what I'd imagine is like being in a mine cart. The track jumps were intense, and I almost jumped at the first show scene. It is awesome.

 

[Rhian]

This might help clarify why Japan is less jarring…

Universal implemented the “Boom Coaster” system here—leaving the ride vehicle’s center of gravity much higher above the track. This design makes every bump and lateral shift more pronounced, resulting in a noticeably shaky experience.

Not sure what this part of your post implies as both Japan and Orlando use the same ride system? From first-person accounts there are subtle differences between the ride experiences of each but what you write here makes it sounds like Orlando did something different from Japan.

The discussion here has focused on why there’s reports of a rougher experience on Orlando’s version but it’s not like it’s due to a different ride system.

 

[Mad Dog]

Sounds like this ride is better attuned to thrill seeking coaster fans than family coaster guests. Quite opposite probably for what it was intended. It is getting high ridership though, possibly due to its popularity as an IP, low ride capacity, and every ride, except Monsters, being crowded at Epic.

 

[Jake S]

Sounds like this ride is better attuned to thrill seeking coaster fans than family coaster guests.

I don't know about that. I quite like Velocicoaster and would like it a lot less if it was pulverizing my innards! That's what CelesTiki is for!

 

[Parkscope Joe]

When I asked ChatGPT, it said this could possibly be done to fix it…

As an engineer, please never do this again.

 

[HalfGlass]

As an engineer, please never do this again.

My bad…honestly I was just trying to find some sort of a justification as to what is going on. The fact no one up until this point has been able to explain the reasoning behind Orlando’s rough ride, or what can be done to address it was puzzling to me given the knowledge of a lot of contributors on this board.

 

[GA-MBIT]

Sometimes a ride system just doesn't work out as well as hoped. Every other coaster model used at Epic has had decades of design work and modification over the years to make the experience smoother and more reliable, with countless spinning or high-thrill coasters built globally to use as reference.

This is the second Boom Coaster ever built, and the first ride ever concieved of to utilize it. You build Stardust or Hiccups using an Arrow Corkscrew coaster from the 60s and it probably wouldn't feel too great on your back either.