Troy is a Great Coasters International creation at Toverland in the Netherlands. This hulking
wood coaster has a commanding presence and it is typically considered one of the best
GCIs in the world. Until my most recent rides, I always thought the coaster was a bit overrated.
But now I see why people rave about this coaster so much; however, I also rode
the coaster in the most ideal conditions possible. Let me explain in this review.
Troy opened back in 2007 as the tallest, fastest, and longest wood coaster in the Netherlands
and it still holds these records to this day. It also was the tallest, fastest, and longest coaster
GCI had produced to that point. It was a bold investment for Toverland, which was just starting
its transition from an indoor family entertainment center to a full-fledged theme park.
It’s impossible to miss this ride as you pull into the parking lot. It has a dense
wood structure and the train screams as it zips through the layout. And it looks just
as imposing as you make your way through the queue line that runs alongside the coaster.
The main layout doesn’t have any theming, but the area is lightly
themed. You have a large Trojan Horse by the main entrance and the station looks good too,
especially at set points in the day when they have a show up there with lots and lots of fire.
But my favorite part about the presentation is the soundtrack. You can hear this towards the
end of the queue line and while in the station. I long heard Toverland was a park that had minimal
waits, but I encountered heavy crowds in my first two visits to Toverland. I had to wait 45-60
minutes each time for this coaster, which limited to me to just two rides in each of those visits.
And this was with the coaster running two trains with speedy
dispatches. The park was just really busy. My 2022 visits were a different story. I
visited in the evening on two separate days and every single ride was a complete walk-on,
including Troy. I was able to marathon this coaster without getting off, which allowed me
to better appreciate just how strong its pacing and intensity are compared to the other GCIs.
I also need to note that my recent rides were in prime conditions.
It was nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit outside. This may have contributed to why Toverland was
so empty, but it led to Troy running like a bat out of hell. It was absolutely flying
even with half empty trains. My previous rides took place in much cooler weather and I don’t
recall Troy having nearly as much power, especially towards the back of the train.
The coaster will run two trains on busy days, but don’t be surprised to see one on quiet days
as I did in 2022. Each train can seat up to 24 riders across 12 rows. The ride runs the
older generation Millennium Flyer trains with the softer cushioning. And I really like these
trains since they better absorb roughness. Then you’re secured by a seatbelt and t-bar.
Once the latter is checked, I would recommend holding onto that bar since it will otherwise
lower continuously throughout the coaster, making it harder to experience the airtime.
My favorite seat on Troy is the front. This is by far my favorite seat when the
ride isn’t warmed up. Once Troy is warm, I only prefer the front slightly to the back.
Once dispatched, you rumble out of the station and navigate a few turns before engaging the lift.
You then climb 105 feet or 32 meters into the air. You get a great view of Toverland to the left,
the parking lot to your right, and a campground straight ahead.
Then you crest the twisting first drop. While you won’t get any airtime, you do get some good
laterals. They’re particularly strong and sustained in the back cars as you’re pulled
down the drop. This drop reminds me of the first one on Kings Island’s Mystic Timbers.
You then zoom over this banked speed hill. This is another element devoid of airtime,
but it offers a quick lateral jolt instead. Next is the first of a few turnarounds.
Those up front get a decent pop of airtime into the element.
Then the banked drop that follows offers some more laterals.
You then careen over a speed hill. The front always gets some really nice sustained floater.
Those towards the back need the ride to be warmed up to get that type of airtime. While this hill
starts straight, the descent banks to the right giving another burst of laterals. And you can’t
see this transition coming since it’s blocked by a great headchopper with some supports.
Then comes turnaround number 2. This one gives another surge of airtime going into it up front.
But the descent is profiled interestingly. It starts by swooping downwards to give
some laterals. Then it levels off before diving downwards. This dip gives a little pop of airtime
up front and a good pop of airtime in back. Next is another speed hill. It’s not as drawn
out as the prior one, but it still gives good sustained floater airtime. This hill is more
consistent across the train regardless of the time of day and weather. And there’s another
turn after this hill that throws you sideways. Next is the moment of truth- a large camelback.
I’ve always heard this hill is the gauge how fast Troy is running. In 2019 and 2021,
this element had barely any airtime for me in the front and nothing further back in the train.
2022 was different. Troy was running fast! I got very sustained albeit weak floater
airtime up front and decent floater towards the back. It was a stark contrast to past years.
The third turnaround is another that pops front row riders out of their seat. You then
twist downwards- getting some more laterals- and go into the station for a fly by. This is
more exciting off-ride since it gets you hyped for your experience seeing the train zip by.
After this element, you quickly dip down. In past years, I can’t recall this giving
airtime. But in 2022, I got a nice pop of airtime towards the back and some weak lift up front.
Next is this wild s-hill. You twist upwards, level off and turn sideways, and then twist downwards.
Going up, those in front get a good burst of airtime while those in back
get a pinch of airtime. The inverse happens on the way down. Then the turn in between
gives a quick burst of laterals. This all happens in rapid-fire succession.
Then comes the final turnaround. Yet again, the entry gives a good pop of airtime up
front and a really small burst in back. The opposite happens on the subsequent descent.
Next is a helix. You get some solid laterals here and there’s a dip midway through it that
offers a nice headchopper and when the ride is running fast,
it’ll also give a nice pop of airtime for those in back. You then hop into the final brakes.
This will give everyone laterals and on warm days, it can give a hint of airtime up front.
You then have a long journey back to the station as you pass through the transfer shed on the way.
This ends the 3534 foot or 1077 meter long coaster.
GCIs usually excel at pacing, but Troy is particularly proficient in this area. This
ride hauls through the layout. The blend of speed and laterals is always there, but extra airtime I
got in 2022 made the ride feel even wilder. Now what about the tracking or smoothness.
I’ve heard some critiques that Troy is running rougher than usual in 2022.
While the ride had a noticeable rattle, the cushioned seats made it a non-issue for me. I was
able to ride this several times in a row without any issues. I hope the ride gets some trackwork in
the near future so this doesn’t worsen though. So what would I rate Troy? I would give this
GCI an 8.5 out of 10. My 2022 rides may have come close to a 9, but my prior rides were
closer to an 8 so I’ll split the difference. I now see why this is an above average GCI.
This ride is intense between the pacing and combination of airtime pops and laterals.
GCI knows how to design a ride that carries its speed start to finish and Troy exemplifies this.
You may need to ride this coaster on a super hot day for it to reach its full potential,
but as I discovered in 2022, it’s worth it. Troy moved up my rankings significantly after
these rides. In past years, I was torn if I preferred Fenix or Troy, but these rides
cemented Troy as the clear number one coaster at the park. I couldn’t get enough of it this year.
So those are my thoughts on Troy at Toverland. What do you think about
this GCI? Do you agree it’s one of GCI’s better coasters? Let me know down in the
comments. If you enjoyed this review, I’d appreciate it if you gave this video
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coaster and amusement park videos here at Canobie Coaster. Thanks for watching!