Tubulence at Adventureland at East Farmingdale, New York is the best roller coaster in all
of Long Island.
This Mack spinning coaster has a super compact layout and very modest stats, but it packs
a bigger punch than you may suspect.
So in this video, I will review Turbulence.
Adventureland is an extremely small amusement park.
The park is wedged on a narrow plot of land between a Target and a business park.
As a result, the park often has to remove something in order to add something.
And that has always been the case with the plot of land housing Turbulence.
This is where the park’s largest roller coasters have always been positioned.
Adventureland’s first major coaster was a SDC Galaxi added in 1973.
This coaster operated until 1990.
The following season, it was replaced by another roller coaster from Italian manufacturer SDC.
This one being a Hurricane.
This was a clear improvement over Galaxi.
It was taller and faster paced, but it was starting to show its age after 2 decades of
operation.
So after the 2014 season, Hurricane was retired.
But what would replace it?
Adventureland wanted something that was accessible to families, but also appealing to thrill-seekers.
They wanted something unique to the region.
They set their sights on Long Island’s first spinning coaster.
Since the nearby Luna Park already had a Zamperla spinner in the Tickler, Adventureland wanted
something custom built that would provide a unique ride experience.
Most spinners at this time were being built by Zamperla, Gerstlauer, Maurer, or Mack.
After park officials rode Sierra Sidewinder at Knott’s Berry Farm, they realized the
Mack spinner is what they wanted.
And then in May 2015, Turbulence opened at Adventureland and it has been the park’s
signature attraction ever since.
This was only the second Mack spinner built in the United States after the aforementioned
Sierra Sidewinder.
Since then, only two more have been built.
And it really is a shame there aren’t more.
They are my favorite spinning coaster manufacturer.
Mack provides an extremely smooth product with good layouts and strong spinning.
Plus, they are priced comparably to the Gerstlauer and Maurer products.
Turbulence cost Adventureland $5 million.
The coaster stands 55 feet or 17 meters tall and has 1253 feet or 382 meters of twisted
track.
So in terms of size, it has a similar visual impact to the old Hurricane.
However, Turbulence is much more eye-catching thanks to its electric green track and bright
yellow supports.
This coaster’s appearance really pops.
Turbulence’s queue line wraps its way around the perimeter of the coaster, offering some
great views of the ride.
You also pass some ride signs that pay tribute to the park’s former coasters that once
resided in Turbulence’s spot.
Adventureland is a park that is very proud of its history.
I’ve always visited Adventureland on a weekend and I’ve never had to wait long for Turbulence.
Typically, it’s no more than a 10-15 minute wait.
The park has two trains on this coaster and they will run both if crowds warrant it.
And that’s much appreciated considering each train only seats 12 riders.
Because of how short the trains are, it doesn’t make a major difference where you sit.
What does matter is how the trains are loaded.
If you can get an off-balance car on Turbulence, this ride can become one of the most disorienting
coasters on the planet.
Off-balance cars are the key to maximizing the thrills on any spinning coaster, but the
ferocity of the spinning on Turbulence is matched by very few spinners.
The Mack spinners have riders sitting back-to-back.
You have a seat-belt and lap bar combo, which is quite comfortable.
I will say the trains could be a bit cramped for larger guests though because of how the
seat molds are.
I have to scoot forward a bit in order to ride and I’m only 5’9.
But the seats do accommodate guests as short as 44 inches, which is great.
Once dispatched, you round a turn and head up the lift hill.
As I mentioned earlier, Adventureland is a family park, which is why I find the music
choice on the lift quite funny.
Turbulence’s name was chosen by a guest in a contest before the ride opened and the
park has no theming around the attraction.
But they did choose to blast Steve Aoki and Laidback Luke’s Turbulence on the lift.
It’s so out-of-place that it always gets a chuckle out of me.
Once you crest the lift…
Turbulence begins with a slow turn to the left that starts the spinning.
And that’s followed by the ride’s largest drop, a twisting drop to the left.
The drop itself doesn’t have any force or airtime, but without fail, you will get at
least one rotation on this drop.
If you have a balanced car, the remainder of the first half consists of a slow rotation.
If you have an off-balanced car, you will spin like a top for the first third of the
ride.
The initial plunge is followed by a horseshoe turn.
If you’re in the front car, you get a tiny bit of lateral hangtime when you stall atop
the element.
The back doesn’t quite get the same sensation.
That’s followed by a speed hill that gives some weak floater airtime if you’re in the
front row.
And that airtime is extra sweet if you’re still spinning, but the spinning does slow
down at this point.
You then zoom around a turnaround that pulls some good Gs.
If you’re off-balanced, you’ll continue to rotate through this element, but not quite
at the same rate you did at the start.
You then fly over another speed hill.
This one offers weak floater airtime for those in the back of the train.
Turbulence then zips around another turnaround and then the spinning resumes in full force.
Regardless of how your vehicle is loaded, you are going to spin a lot in the second
half.
You then roar through a tight, downwards helix and this is the best part of the ride.
This helix is doubly dizzying between the constant spinning and compactness, but it
also pulls some serious Gs.
This element is quite surprising for a family ride, but I love it.
Turbulence then navigates one last low-to-the-ground turn and hops into the brake run, maintaining
the spin until you come to a stop.
If you had an off-balanced car, this is your first chance to catch your breath.
As I hinted earlier, Turbulence is an extremely smooth coaster.
And if you have an off-balanced car, you don’t really have any dead spots.
If you have a balanced car, Turbulence is considerably tamer in the first half, but
the second half is just as disorienting and wild.
So what would I rate Turbulence?
I would give this Mack spinner a 7.5 out of 10.
I think an off-balanced ride warrants an 8 and a balanced ride warrants a 7, so I split
the difference.
This coaster has a delightfully twisted layout that will completely throw off all sense of
direction.
It’s one of the best paced spinning coasters in the world, which is why it’s one of my
favorite of the genre.
Plus this coaster is a perfect fit for Adventureland, as it’s an attraction that isn’t scary
enough to scare younger guests but the spinning offers enough thrills to satisfy older guests.
I know not a lot of enthusiasts make it out to Adventureland and Long Island traffic is
headache inducing, but Turbulence alone is worth the drive if you’re a fan of spinning
coasters.
So those are my thoughts on Turbulence, the Mack Rides spinning coaster at Adventureland
in Long Island.
Are you a fan of this spinner?
How do you think it compares to the other spinning coasters out there?
I would love to hear your thoughts about Turbulence down in the comments.
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