Had another family vacation to the Dells this year, and this year I was more then a little excited because I knew I would get to go to Mt. Olmpus again and this year Hades was there.
Refused to get out of bed so we didn't get there until about 11. Went directly to Hades and a no wait. Sat 2nd row, one cool thing is that it drops directly out of the station and theres a few dips and turns until you finally start going up the hill and the chain catches you after you go up about 10 feet with the momentum gained, you don't see that to much on roller coasters, this is only the 2nd one I have been on like this and the other one I think was on a hill.
Going up the hill you get a good view of most of the Wisconsin Dells skyline, at the top of the hill you look down and you see the tunnel and its really wierd because it is not something that you usually see while riding a coaster. The tunnel itself is pitch black once you get about half way into it, it is the wierdest feeling ever it is pitch black and you are on your side pretty much when it goes on that wierd crazy angle then you fly out on the other side of the parking lot and do a little loop and then go back down undgerground back towards the park, the ride in the tunnel is very fast to, then when you are done with the tunneling and get back there is still more to be had there is some good hills with some airtime to be had and the ride isn't short like some may think. This ride is pretty long easily the longest at Mt. Olympus. After the various small hills and winds you end up in the brake run wondering how you survived the trip to Hades and back.
Hades is easily the best wooden coaster I have been on and I have been on some pretty good ones(Georgia Cyclone, Viper). Hades was fast, disorienting, and didn't fail to disapoint. Hades probally even cracks my top 10 overall coasters. I give it a 10/10. I only rode it 4 times sadly, I had hoped to come back for some night rides but that plan didn't pan out.
In the past I had already been on all the other coasters and go cart tracks, I rode most again the 2nd best coaster is Zeus then Cyclops which has some mad air time I litterally flew out of my seat in the back those seat belts really are needed. Pegasus is barely even worth riding but I did.
Now that Family Land is part of Mt. Olympus you can go to the water park as well. There is a Disk-O that is new and is near where the old entrance and parking lot used to be, I hadn't been on one and it was a decent ride for a carnival ride. I went on a few slides in the Bay Of Dreams the indoor water park, disappointing. I went to the back of the outdoor water park and rode Dragon's Tail and then my dad litterlly forced me to go on Demon's Drop. I was probally more scared to go on Demon's Drop then I was to go on any other type of thrill ride in my whole life. For those who aren't familar Demon's Drop is one of those speed slides that drop straight down. I had never been on one obviously and screamed the whole way down, it was pretty good I guess scary though, needless to say I didn't go on again.
We left after this because it was around 3 and we were hungry having not eaten any lunch. If you go to Wisconsin Dells, make sure to go to Mt. Olympus, Hades alone is worth it and not to mention you get that other coasters, go carts and a huge water park for $32 you can't go wrong.
During our 4 day stay in the Dells we stayed at the Wilderness. I have been there in the past but not in I think 3 years and boy did they add on since then. They now have 2 huge indoor water parks, 1 has a complex consisting of 4 body slides, a family raft slide, a tube slide, and a bowl type tube ride, the other consisting of 2 tube slides, 2 body slides, and a proslide tornado. They also have an indoor wave pool, an outdoor wave pool, 2 lazy rivers one inside one outside, tons of kiddie areas and hot tubs.
In all they have I think 5 seperate water parks, this place is massive now it takes quite a while to walk the whole place, to put it in perspective they have shuttles that are there just to take people to other places on the resorts property.
I have to say that I would much rather go here then go to Hurricane Harrbor, first when it is 90 and sunny there are still minimal lines, not to mention they have just as much to offer if not more. Their wave pool is much better then Hurricane Harrbors the waves are actually big and have a force and it goes to 6 feet deep as opposed to HH's 5. Also all of their indoor tube slides are the type that are in the pitch black which adds to the experience because you don't know whats comming up.
The Hurricane as they call it is a Proslide Tornado. This ride is easily the best water slide I have ridden. This one actually have a tunnel that is pitch black and takes you for a few turns and then you plunge I think it was 58 feet almost straight down into the the pipe or whatever you want to call it and you go up the wall about 3 times and theres alot of water splashing around and you hit like surges of water that sometimes almost throw you from the tube then unlike most of the Tornados, instead of going straight into the splash pool you get swept around this curve going from side to side and then go to the splash pool. That might not sound like much but the end is pretty forceful.
If you want to add to the experience try not holding onto the handle on the drop you will feel youself start to lift up its pretty crazy. I almost fell out while in the pipe part when I hit one of the huge swells, you most likely won't fall out even if you don't hold on the handles unless you try to or wieght very little.
I hope this Tornado rumor is true because they are very fun, but I doubt the one we get if we get one will be as good as the one at the Wilderness, because I have seen videos of others and none look as good as the one at the Wilderness. If you ever go to the Dells, stay at the Wilderness no other hotel's water park compares to it, except maybe the Kalahari's but I have walked through that one and it isn't anything to special.