Formula is arguably the most important roller coaster for Vekoma. Located at Energylandia,
this LSM launch coaster ushered in the next-generation of Vekoma thrill coasters.
This ride showcased what new Vekoma could do. It is smooth, fast-paced,
and features a bevy of elements. So In this video, I will be reviewing Formula.
For years, Vekoma had a reputation. They were known for building reliable, off-the-shelf clones,
but many such as their SLCs were notoriously rough. But every once and a while, Vekoma
was capable of building a smooth ride. Just look at their Disney coasters for example.
Over time, Vekoma improved their track manufacturing capabilities and hired a more
innovative designer in Benjamin Bloemendaal. And this came to a crescendo in 2016 with Formula at
Energylandia. This was the first Space Warp model. The coaster combined a launch with 3 inversions
and some airtime hills. And it was smooth. Vekoma’s future layouts would combine these
same elements, which is why coaster enthusiasts- who previously mocked Vekoma- are now dreaming of
these dynamic coasters coming to their park. Formula was also important for Energylandia.
Their first two years of operation saw them add 3 common SBF Visa clones and 3 common Vekoma clones.
Formula was a coaster that ushered in a new age for Energylandia.
This Polish park is now considered by many to be the coaster capital of Europe, as they will have
an astounding 19 roller coasters as of 2022. Formula opened in 2016, but it had a lengthier
name. It was known as Rollercoaster Formula 1 for its opening year before being shortened
to just Formula. The coaster is part of a small racing section of the park.
I love this coaster’s bright red paint scheme and the checkered trains look good too,
but I’m not a fan of the temporary looking tarp tunnels on the launch track and far turn. They
look sort of cheap in my opinion, but they do have a positive impact on the overall ride experience.
Formula had one of the longest lines in my three summer days at Energylandia. This coaster’s
wait usually hovered around the 40-50 minute mark. The line moved at a steady pace thanks
to lightning fast dispatches. Energylandia does not believe in stacking and they almost always
had the next train ready to go once the prior one hit the brake run. And that’s particularly
impressive given this coaster’s short length. Formula’s line circles around the perimeter of
the coaster, but there are four notable things you should know before getting in line.
First, Formula has a very wide queue line. Being from America, I’m used to forming a single file
line. But if you do this, people are going to walk right past you. People would fill all available
space and move forwards as one giant mass. Second, you may get wet waiting in line.
The mid-point of Formula’s queue borders the Viking Ride splash battle. While you have a
wooden fence to your left, guests on the splash battle can fire their guns directly at you.
Third, there are mandatory lockers towards the end of the queue line for anything that
cannot fit in your pocket. This is a similar system to most major coasters at Energylandia.
Fourth, Formula has a turnstile load system. Each train on Formula holds 16 riders and every cycle,
the turnstile will admit exactly 16 riders. No more, no less. This means seating is first-come,
first-served and if you are one of the last groups through, there’s a chance you will be split up.
If there’s a specific seat you want, your best bet is to wait at the turnstile for the next cycle
so you have first pick. I had a slight preference for the front for the rush of
wind during the launch and unobstructed view, but most seats were similar from a force perspective.
Formula has vest restraints. While I wish this coater had simpler lap bars, the vest restraints
were comfortable and the straps had some give so you could experience this coaster’s airtime.
Once dispatched, you roll forwards into the launch tunnel. You come to a stop and see some static pit
crew figures on both sides. Smoke then fills the tunnel and after a blaring siren goes off,
you launch from 0 to 49 mph or 79 kph in just 2 seconds. It’s a decently forceful
launch and the sense of speed is amplified by the aforementioned fog and tunnel’s tight clearance.
That’s followed by the ride’s largest element, the 81 foot or 25 meter tall sidewinder,
which is basically an Immelmann that twists to the side on the descent. You get some good positive Gs
into the element and then if you’re seated in the back, you’ll get a pinch of hangtime at the apex.
This sidewinder is followed by a tight and intense low-to-the-ground turn.
You are whipped around this turn. This turn pulls some very strong positive Gs
and I started to greyout on each ride.
You then zoom over a bunny hill over the launch tunnel, giving everyone some great
sustained floater airtime. It’s easily the best airtime moment on the ride.
Formula then rips through a fairly snappy corkscrew. Because of how much speed you have,
you won’t get any hangtime like the corkscrews on Abyssus. Instead, you’ll get some laterals here.
You then fly around another low-to-the-ground turn. This one is housed in a tunnel and
like the first one, it also caused me to start greying out. It didn’t feel quite as forceful,
but it still pulled some pretty good Gs. Formula then hops over this off-axis hill.
It’s not nearly as aggressive as the off-axis hills you find on RMCs.
The element has a pinch of floater airtime in the front,
but it’s a dud towards the back of the train. You won’t get any sensations back there.
You then charge through your second corkscrew. This one is a little less snappy than the first,
which allows it to offer a pinch of hangtime paired with some weak laterals.
You then go around this gentle overbank around the ride’s entrance before going
over a small bunny hill. This one offers decent floater airtime towards the back and a little
stronger airtime towards the front. You then jump into the brake run, giving those up front a pinch
of floater airtime before hitting the brakes. For as many elements as Formula contains, it
only has 1837 feet or 560 meters of track. Formula stays close to the ground and has strong pacing.
So what would I rate Formula? I would give this Vekoma coaster an 8 out of 10.
This is a fun, intense, and well-rounded attraction. Formula does a little of everything
from the solid launch to three inversions to some forceful turns and some airtime hills.
And it’s glass smooth too. Really the ride’s only fault is its short length.
This is the fourth best coaster at Energylandia and more importantly, it was a significant coaster
for both Vekoma and Energylandia. It showed the entire industry what new Vekoma coasters were
capable of and Energylandia showed Europe it would be a major player in the amusement park scene.
So those are my thoughts on Formula, the Vekoma Space Warp at Energylandia.
What are your thoughts on this LSM launch coaster? Do you enjoy this coaster?
I would love to hear your thoughts down in the comments. If you enjoyed this review, I’d
appreciate it if you gave this video a like and you considered subscribing since there will be a
lot more roller coaster and amusement park videos here at Canobie Coaster. Thanks for watching!