The Voyage (roller coaster)

The Voyage
Location	Holiday World & Splashin' Safari
Park section	Thanksgiving
Coordinates	38.1213°N 86.9115°W / 38.1213; -86.9115
Status	Operating
Opened	May 6, 2006 (2006-05-06)
Cost	US$6,500,000
Type	Wood
Manufacturer	The Gravity Group
Designer	Mike Graham, Korey Kiepert, Larry Bill, Chad Miller, Will Koch
Track layout	Out and Back
Lift/launch system	Chain Lift Hill
Height	163 ft (50 m)
Drop	154 ft (47 m)
Length	6,442 ft (1,964 m)
Max speed	67.4 mph (108.5 km/h)
Inversions	0
Duration	2:45
Max vertical angle	66°
Capacity	1200 riders per hour
Height restriction	4 ft 0 in (122 cm)
Trains	2 trains with 7 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 28 riders per train.
Must transfer from wheelchair
The Voyage at RCDB
Pictures of The Voyage at RCDB
Amusement Parks Portal

The Voyage is a wooden roller coaster at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana, USA. It was designed and built beginning in 2005 by The Gravity Group, with the help of designers Mike Graham, Korey Kiepert, Larry Bill, Chad Miller, and former park President Will Koch; it opened on May 6, 2006. The Voyage is themed after the voyage the Pilgrims made to America in 1620. The Voyage holds several records, including most air-time of any wooden roller coaster at 24.2 seconds, among others. In 2006, The Voyage was voted the world's "Best New Ride" at the Golden Ticket Awards, which are presented annually by Amusement Today magazine. As of the 2011 awards, The Voyage has won the Golden Ticket Award for "Best Wooden Roller Coaster" every year since 2007.

History

Development

The Voyage roller coaster
Photo Courtesy: Holiday World & Splashin' Safari

To celebrate Holiday World's sixtieth anniversary, park President Will Koch made plans for a new holiday that was to be added to the park. The new holiday, Thanksgiving, would also feature a new wooden roller coaster, The Voyage. Koch contacted The Gravity Group (Custom Coasters International, the designers of The Raven and The Legend, went bankrupt in 2002. Larry Bill, one of the designers, went on to help form The Gravity Group) and began to form plans for the new roller coaster. As with the development of The Legend, Koch wanted the input of roller coaster enthusiasts from around the world. The Gravity Group, through Will Koch, used this enthusiast input to design the one-of-a-kind roller coaster. Park President Will Koch provided so much input, he was actually listed as one of the designers of the ride. During the construction of The Voyage, producers from the National Geographic Channel's "SuperCoasters" and the Discovery Channel's "Building the Biggest: Coasters" visited the park to document the progress.

The Voyage opened on May 6, 2006. When the roller coaster opened, it operated with three 28-passenger trains made by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company; trains made by this company are predominantly called "PTC" trains. The twenty-eight seats on the ceremonial first train were auctioned off on eBay. The proceeds from the auctions were donated to Riley Children's Foundation, which supports the Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, Indiana.

2010 Changes

For the 2010 season, Holiday World had initially planned on replacing their trains made by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company in favor of two new trains, called Timberliners, made by Gravitykraft, a sister company of The Gravity Group. In order to make room for the new trains, Holiday World sold two six-car trains out of its three seven-car trains to Darien Lake for use on The Predator roller coaster. However, when the new Timberliner trains finally arrived, there was not enough time to test them and get the trains operational before the season began. Left with only one seven-car train on The Voyage, the park decided to take one of the six-car trains from The Raven and modify it for use on The Voyage. Due to the differences in length, 2,800 feet (850 m) on The Raven versus 6,442 feet (1,964 m) on The Voyage, the park determined that The Voyage needed the second train much more than The Raven did. For the remainder of the season, The Voyage operated with both a red, six-car PTC train and a blue, six-car PTC train. In turn, The Raven operated the rest of the 2010 season with only one train. The park pushed its plans to introduce the Timberliner trains back until the 2011 season.

2011 Changes

For the 2011 season, Holiday World opted to continue to use PTC trains on The Voyage while other parks used the initial Timberliner model that was tested at the park during the 2010 season. In order to return capacity on The Raven to its normal level, Holiday World purchased an additional five PTC cars for use on The Voyage so The Raven's train could be returned. Darien Lake had bought only twelve of the fourteen cars for sale, leaving The Voyage with a full seven-car train plus two additional cars. This would allow the park to run two seven-car trains on The Voyage and two six-car trains on The Raven. Holiday World plans on introducing the most up-to-date model of the Timberliner trains for use on The Voyage for the start of the 2012 season.

Characteristics

Station

The Voyage's station, maintenance area, and transfer track (rightmost building), gift shop (building to the left of the station), and brake runs (behind the station), as seen from the roller coaster's lift hill.
Photo Courtesy: Holiday World & Splashin' Safari

The Voyage's station is themed as a 17th century ship, with the basement being the cargo hold, the second level being the deck, and the ride operator's controls being the "Captain's Quarters". The station has three levels: a ground floor, a second floor, and a basement. Before entering the station, guests may be redirected to several outdoor queue switchbacks. Once the switchbacks have been navigated, guests enter the ground floor of the station. The ground floor includes two staircases to the basement; however, most of it is composed of maintenance areas. Depending on the size of the line, the park may or may not open the basement. If the basement is open, guests will walk down the stairs immediately after entering the ground floor of the station. The basement is filled with nothing but queue switchbacks. Once these switchbacks have been navigated, guests will walk up the stairs to the ground floor before continuing up the stairs to the second floor. The second floor of the station holds the roller coaster's loading and unloading areas, as well as the two transfer tracks and maintenance bays. On the loading side of the station there are fourteen air-powered queue gates, one for each row of the train. On the unloading side of the station there are free shelves and lockers that riders may use to hold their belongings for the duration of the ride. The unloading side is also home to the ride operator's controls and two exit gates: a sliding gate near the front of the train and a swinging gate near the rear of the train. Beyond the unloading side of the station is an area that holds two maintenance bays. These allow unused trains to be stored during normal operation and also provides an additional area for maintenance crews to inspect the roller coaster trains.

Trains

The Voyage uses two blue, 28-passenger trains made by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. Each train is made up of seven cars that hold four riders each. Each car has two rows holding two riders each. Each row has a seat divider that separates the two riders in that row and ensures each rider remains in a position allowing their restraints to work effectively. The Voyage's safety restraints include an individual ratcheting lap bar and an individual, two-point lap belt.

Track

The wooden track on The Voyage is made out of numerous layers of Southern Yellow Pine, topped with a single layer of steel along the top, sides, and underside of the track where the train's wheels make contact. The supports for the track itself are made out of an estimated 750 short tons (680 t) of steel. The total length of the track is 6,442 feet (1,964 m) and includes 154 feet (47 m), 107 feet (33 m), and 100 feet (30 m) drops in addition to five underground tunnels. The track features a chain lift hill and five block sections, which theoretically allows a maximum of four trains at a time to run; however, this is impractical when considering the time it takes to dispatch 28-passenger trains. The most trains The Voyage has operated at one time is three. The Voyage uses fin brakes throughout the ride to allow the train to be stopped in the final (primary) brake run, the secondary brake run, the mid-course brake run, the station, and the transfer track.

Gift Shop

Unlike Holiday World's other two wooden roller coasters, The Voyage has a gift shop which is located near its exit. This gift shop offers various merchandise featuring The Voyage and Holiday World & Splashin' Safari. Guests can also visit this gift shop to view and purchase their photo that was taken by The Voyage's on-ride camera. The on-ride camera for The Voyage is located right before the train crosses over the base of the lift hill on the return to the station; it is on the left side of the track.

Experience

An overview of the first three drops of The Voyage

The total ride experience on The Voyage lasts approximately two minutes and forty-five seconds.

Dispatch to Third Drop

The ride begins with riders in the station facing Plymouth Rock Café. After dispatch, the train immediately passes the transfer track, which is to the left of the main track, and dips down while crossing under part of the ride's track before latching onto the lift hill chain. The train then travels up the 163 feet (50 m) tall lift hill. At the top of the lift hill the train immediately plunges down the ride's initial 154 feet (47 m) drop at over 65 miles per hour (105 km/h). At the bottom of the drop the train immediately starts back uphill. While cresting the hill, riders experience air-time before diving back down the ride's second 107 feet (33 m) drop. At the bottom of the drop the train once again returns back uphill. Riders also experience air-time as the train crests the third hill and down the 100 feet (30 m) drop.

Third Drop to Mid-Course Brake Run

Immediately at the bottom of the third drop the train enters the first of five underground tunnels and the first of eight underground moments. After exiting the first tunnel, the train goes over a small hill before entering the second underground tunnel of the ride. After exiting the second tunnel, the train goes over yet another hill before diving down into the ride's third underground tunnel. Upon exiting the third tunnel the train enters what is commonly referred to as the "spaghetti bowl" portion of the ride, where the train turns around and begins its return towards the station. The train first navigates a banked "S" curve to the left and then the right before making a full 180° turn to the left. The train then takes a 90° banked turn to the left before crossing under its own track and then making another 90° banked turn to the right. At the completion of the turn, the train makes a small turn to the left and into another underground tunnel. After exiting the tunnel the train goes uphill and enters the mid-course brake run, where the ride can stop the train in case of an emergency or to prevent block violation.

Mid-Course Brake Run to End

One of The Voyage's three 90° banked turns
Photo Courtesy: Holiday World & Splashin' Safari

Once the train has safely exited the mid-course brake run the train goes downhill into an underground tunnel. This underground tunnel houses the ride's "triple down", where the train goes down three separate hills in complete darkness, picking up considerable speed in the process. After exiting the tunnel, the train races toward the station while staying to the left of the track on the outbound hills. This portion goes under the supporting steel for the first three hills, creating multiple headchopper effects. The train then takes a right turn, crossing under the outbound track, before making a left turn and crossing under the outbound track again. At this point the train goes sideways again in the final 90° banked to the right. Once the train exits the banked turn it passes under the lift hill and takes a turn to the left. The ride's on-ride camera is located on the left side of the track near this turn. After the train passes the on-ride camera it goes uphill and over the base of the lift hill before making a diving right turn into an underground tunnel. This underground tunnel goes under the entrance and exit walkways to the ride; it is also located right next to the basement queues, where there is a viewing window where waiting guests can watch the train fly by. After exiting the tunnel the train makes a climbing right turn before quickly shifting to a diving left turn that takes riders into an underground tunnel under the Thanksgiving midway. Then, after exiting the tunnel, the train makes a climbing, sweeping turn to the right. Once the train exits the turn, it immediately enters the brake run to end the ride. If there is a train occupying the secondary brake run the train will wait in the primary brake run until it is clear. If it is clear, the train will continue on to the secondary brake run. If there are two trains operating, the train will wait in the secondary brake run until the second train has left the station. If not, the train will continue directly into the station at which point riders will unload.

Operation

The Voyage operates in high altitudes and in heavily-wooded areas. Due to these factors, The Voyage closes when there is lightning or high wind in Holiday World's immediate area.

In addition to weather conditions, some riders may be prohibited from boarding. Although there is no age limit, riders must be at least 48 inches (120 cm) tall to ride The Voyage. Riders must also be able to fasten both the lap bar and seat belt to ride; due to this restriction, larger riders may not be permitted to ride. All riders must abide by Holiday World's dress code, which includes wearing a shirt, shorts, and shoes, in order to ride. In addition, riders must leave all loose items in the station; riders who refuse to leave their loose items in the station will not be permitted to ride.

Each year, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, in coordination with the Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center of Southwestern Indiana, publishes an accessibility guide for guests with disabilities. It is recommended, though not necessarily required, that all guests with the following conditions refrain from riding The Voyage:

• Back, Neck, or Bone Injury
• Heart Trouble
• High Blood Pressure
• Pregnancy
• Recent Surgery or Illness

Records

Records Held by The Voyage
Ranking	Statistic	Category
1	24.2 seconds	Air-time (wooden roller coasters)
1	5	Underground Tunnels (wooden roller coasters)
2	67.4 mph (108.5 km/h)	Speed (wooden roller coasters)
2	6,442 feet (1,964 m)	Length (wooden roller coasters)
4	154 feet (47 m)	Drop (wooden roller coasters)
4	66°	Angle of Descent (wooden roller coasters)
5	163 feet (50 m)	Height (wooden roller coasters)

Awards

In addition to other awards, The Voyage was voted the world's "Best New Ride" at the 2006 Golden Ticket Awards.

Golden Ticket Awards: Best Wooden Roller Coaster
Year	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
Ranking	2	1	1	1	1	1

Mitch Hawker's Best Roller Coaster Poll: Best Wooden-Tracked Roller Coaster
Year	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
Ranking	1	1	3	1	6	4

NAPHA Survey: Favorite Wood Roller Coaster
Year	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
Ranking	2	1(t)	1	1	1	1

External links

• Official website for The Voyage at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari
• Official YouTube video of The Voyage (point-of-view) posted by Holiday World & Splashin' Safari
• Official YouTube video of The Voyage (off-ride) posted by Holiday World & Splashin' Safari