Believe it or not, twenty years ago on May 1, 1999, Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America opened to the public as the first B&M hyper twister coaster. To honor this milestone, I thought in this thread we could share our thoughts, reviews, and greatest memories that this coaster has provided. If you have any opening year stories that would be extra awesome!
RBullFan97 wrote:Believe it or not, twenty years ago on May 1, 1999, Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America opened to the public as the first B&M hyper twister coaster. To honor this milestone, I thought in this thread we could share our thoughts, reviews, and greatest memories that this coaster has provided. If you have any opening year stories that would be extra awesome!
Happy 20th Bull!
My favorite coaster. Smooth. Nice initial rush. Long ride.
My memory is that after twenty years the theming still isn’t finished! It would have been so much better if those barns were done for the end of the ride like originally planned. But all joking aside one of my favorites in the park. Back Row All The Time!
I was a Rides Lead on Raging Bull for two seasons and just loved working this coaster. Watching people be scared to death all day long is just awesome. Also having to ride this coaster three separate times with no guests in the park every morning was an amazing time.
I have to say that the back row on Bull coming off the first drop is still one of favorite things about this coaster. Yes it is great because it's the longest coaster in the park but that first drop makes me fall in love with the coaster again and again every time I ride it.
Happy Birthday Raging Bull! I hope you keep thrilling the guests in our park for many more years to come.
I remember watching the media day stuff on some morning tv show. It's still my favorite coaster in the park, even though I think Batman The Ride *might* be the better overall ride. First drop last row is far and away the best thing SFGAm has to offer. I wish they had kept that awesome original ride entrance sign.
Happy 20th Birthday Raging Bull! I remember seeing it for the first time, I was too terrified to ride it. So I started at Shockwave for my first “big boy coaster” which btw I bawled my eyes out on in the station & when it hit the brakes, my obsession kicked in. So onto Raging Bull it was & It felt like flying it was so smooth. I thought (& still do) the colors were incredible. I think it still delivers to this day & I hate How much hate it gets to be honest. It’s a fantastic coaster. What I love most about it is how long it is. Clearly, rides aren’t made like that much anymore.
I agree the color scheme, placement, landscaping, theming are just excellent. Second last row outside seat is my favorite. For a fun, well-paced, exciting ride I think it's the best, people still break out in applause hitting the brake run. HBRB!
Last edited by ernstwhere on May 1st, 2019, 6:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I first went on Bull in 2000 with my two cousins from Belgium...I was terrified of the drop (I get nervous with heights and dropping like that also is terrifying). Shockwave, as mentioned prior, was my first "big" coaster as well and I couldn't believe how tall that was; at least the drop being sideways helped defray the terror for me.
In 2017 I took my now 13 year old daughter on that for the first time. Her favorite coaster in the park.
Last Sunday, I took my 9 year old son for his first ride on it (he is finally tall enough . His new favorite coaster in the park...now that he's over 54" he is experiencing a plethora of new rides.
But back to Bull...I've never ridden in the back; only near and at the front. I'll have to do that as well given the glowing reviews of it. The coaster is very unique like the Eagle in that they aren't made that 'long' anymore at SF given various constraints. It has so many drops, turns, twists...and is truly great in that it is so smooth. Feels like you are gliding in many directions. Love love love this coaster and it is and was such a great addition to the park.
So many people like to hate on Bull for apparently not having as much airtime as other B&M hypers. I don't agree. What people don't really realize is that this was their second hyper and they were experimenting with the twister type layout. I think the ride has great floater in any row I usually sit in. My favorite at the park because it's just so much fun! I love Raging Bull and it still runs amazing at 20 years old!
SFGAM_Hog wrote:So many people like to hate on Bull for apparently not having as much airtime as other B&M hypers. I don't agree. What people don't really realize is that this was their second hyper and they were experimenting with the twister type layout. I think the ride has great floater in any row I usually sit in. My favorite at the park because it's just so much fun! I love Raging Bull and it still runs amazing at 20 years old!
I completely agree. I was living in NYC when Nitro debuted 2 years later and it's not an apples to apples comparison. Nitro is an incredible coaster with insane forces but what Bull does in a more compact layout is completely different.
Back in the 2000s, Raging Bull was THE coaster to do at Great America. It was undisputed. When I talked with other kids at my school about Great America, this was the coaster that all the big boys had to go on. Starting around 2007 or so I was finally starting to go on some of the larger coasters. I did Eagle, then Demon, then Superman, Iron Wolf, and it was all building up I knew to Raging Bull. In the summer of 2009, interestingly enough during the tenth anniversary season, I finally got the nerve to go on it. I must confess I was a little terrified climbing that lift hill. But once I hit that first drop I was hooked. I think I went on it two more times that day and it instantly became by favorite ride in the park and still is to this day.
Over a hundred rides on it later, I still love Raging Bull and it's become a tradition of mine to end every season with a night ride on Bull. It's honestly hard to imagine the park without it, and here's to many more years. Happy 20th Raging Bull!
To all of you who have SOMEHOW never been in row 9, do it your next visit!! It’ll change your entire perspective on the ride, guaranteed.
My go to on any coaster is the back before any other seat/row. There are very few coasters I find the front to be better but RagingBull is def a back seat coaster.
I remember first going on this ride in 1999 or 2000. I looked at it and to be honest was a little intimidated by its height and first drop. (I was not as much into coasters as I am now) After riding it in back row I instantly fell in love with this coaster!
X-Flight and Raging Bull are my 2 faves at our park! I love the first drop and all the other subsequent drops (even the camel back hill with the trimbrake). As the train pulls into the station, I almost always think or say aloud the same thing: Still a Great Ride!
I really love the long, relaxing climb to top of the lift hill. It's probably my fave lift hill of all the rides for that reason.
I only ride in the last couple of rows. I took my 8 yo on this last year and she was intimidated by it, and was worried she wouldn't make the height check. But she loved it and we went again! I also took my nephews (11 yo and 8 yo) on this ride during their FIRST ever trip to ANY amusement park! One really loved it and the other said it wasn't too bad.
Last edited by CoasterRiderSC on June 10th, 2019, 3:07 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Single Day Ride Count Record
50 rides 8/17/2018 (Without Flash Pass - Coasters After Dark)
When I was younger, Raging Bull was the one coaster that really intimidated me. I had been on all of the other B&M's in the park but couldn't muster the courage to take on the Bull. Finally, in 2011, I took my first spin ALONE (my buddy at the time was too afraid to ride). That first drop was the coolest thing I had ever experienced on a coaster, so much adrenaline.
The park was empty when I first rode and I later encouraged all of my friends to conquer their fears with me. We lapped Bull around 16 times that day without leaving our seats (crazy right!?!).
At the end of the day even with the trims pissing me off to oblivion, I will always have a soft spot for Bull. If it weren't for that first ride I wouldn't have become an enthusiast in the first place! Looking forward to it thrilling riders for many years to come.
Favorite Coasters I've Ridden: Steel:1.Maverick2.Steel Vengeance3.X24.StormChaser5.TwistedColossus Wood:1.The Voyage2.Renegade3.MysticTimbers4.TheLegend5.The Beast Great America:1.Maxx Force2.Goliath3.Raging Bull4.Batman: The Ride5.X-Flight
I've had some great memories on riding Raging Bull.
I actually rode Superman Ride of Steel at Darien Lake before I rode Raging Bull (both opened in 99). Even at 9 years old, I remember telling my parents how Raging Bull was a let down because it wasn't as crazy as Superman.
Like most people have said, the back row on the first drop is great. My favorite part of the ride has always been the upward helix around the first drop into that quick pop of airtime. I used to like to run to get first dispatch in the front row to experience a trimless ride (at least that used to be the case 10 years ago).
I will say...the first bunny hill into the pointless high turn over the station is one of B&Ms most worthless sections of layout on any coaster
This was the first roller coaster I ever rode at Six Flags Great America. I am glad to have lost my "coaster virginity" to Bull. I am surprised to see that it never got it's scenery finished. I still love this ride many years later and it will probably be my favorite ride at the park forever. It still is.