Leviathan Review, Sea World Gravity Group Wood Coaster | This Ride has a BIG Flaw

Leviathan is the new-for-2022 wood coaster at Sea World in Gold Coast, Australia. This ride opened as the anchor attraction in the New Atlantis area. This ride was designed by the Gravity Group and it feels like an updated version of Boardwalk Bullet with the twisted layout and abundance of crossovers. And that's not all! This coaster also features a special backwards row and some truly impressive theming before you board. But this ride has a big flaw that needs to be fixed! Find out what it is in this review.
Video Credits
Leviathan Commercial (Sea World via Theme Park Ogre)- • Leviathan Roller Coast...
Leviathan Construction (Theme Park Ogre)- • Sea World Gold Coast -...
Leviathan Off-Ride 1 (Martin & Vleminckx)- • Leviathan Sea World Au...
Leviathan Off-Ride 2 (Theme Park Ogre)- • Leviathan Roller Coast...
Leviathan POV, Backwards (Theme Park Worldwide)- • Leviathan BACKWARDS On...
Leviathan POV, Forwards (Theme Park Worldwide)- • Leviathan On Ride POV ...
Leviathan Station (Theme Park Ogre)- • Best Roller Coaster Th...
Trident POV (Theme Park Worldwide)- • Trident On Ride POV - ...
Background Music
Island by Jarico
• No Copyright Chill Tro...
Presented by edmrf.net - Music For Content Creators
Licensed under Creative Common License

[@rollercoaster_nick3448]

Literally looks like a modern Boardwalk Bullet with a backwards seat!!!! Great vid! ❤

[@CanobieCoaster]

It definitely reminds me of that coaster.

[@turnfan98]

Amazing video as always. Thanks for mentioning the abysmal loading procedure, it's always frustrating when a good ride has a very slow moving line. Coaster studios seemed to get plenty of rides during his visit though, didn't know there was an unlimited fast pass option available.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Thanks! There isn't an unlimited Fast Track available for sale. I was able to get on it 6 times by using all my virtual queue slots for this ride and riding backwards a few times.

[@TheKurtsPlaceChannel]

Very nicely put together video and very entertaining as well. Thanks for posting this.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@CancelHappiness]

This ride is absolutely incredible. Pacing, theming, presentation, the whole thing, absolutely fantastic. Solid 9 easily.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Sure is.

[@CancelHappiness]

@@CanobieCoaster great review like usual! Most solid content in the coaster game

[@marcbasil]

The hype is legit. This was one of the most anticipated woodies in years. No one commissions Gravity Group for large/semi-large sized woodies anymore, they’ll almost always go with GCI. It’s a pretty spectacular coaster

[@marcbasil]

Also, must be lovely for these silver spoon trust fund kids a la this dude & Tyler DiIdo & the OG Fatt Alvey to trot the globe riding roller coasters eh? 🤦🏻😆

[@ThemeParkOgre]

Great review! You're completely right about the station operations - hope they can fix it someday.

[@CanobieCoaster]

I hope so too.

[@dubcheck2943]

ah makes sense now about only letting a trains worth of people into the station, over there. I thought all these Australians parks were walk-on, from watching recent vlogs.

[@CanobieCoaster]

All the parks I visited had some crowds, but they weren't swamped.

[@jackalcrackle]

I have to say this ride is amazing, has the best theming of any woody period, pacing is consistent and relentless, loading times is definitely a flaw here though, although when I went it was much more efficient. I had the pleasure of going when it was very quiet at the end of the day and went about 7 times in the last 40 minutes. My last ride (and the last of the day) was when it started heavily raining and I was in the front, it felt like the train went twice as fast, it was absolutely brutal and the forces were wild.

[@CanobieCoaster]

That sounds awesome!

[@ILV_Coasters]

Theming wise what about Wickerman at Alton Towers

[@Aerolandaircraft]

I rode this at Coaster Studios' recommendation last week. While the airtime is a bit underwhelming, Leviathan is such a well paced ride you feel the "thundering exhilaration" (the promotions don't lie) the whole way through. Definitely the best theming of any roller coaster with a lift hill. It has a bite to it, and while I can't handle rough rides, I can make an exception for this. The station is a bit of a mess however, and we did get in a bit of a mess because of it, and we ended up getting told off by two rude attendants. But great coaster!

[@CanobieCoaster]

I didn't find it rough. I just hope the park keeps up with maintenance on it.

[@Aerolandaircraft]

@@CanobieCoaster I probably am just used to the silky smooth DC Rivals! I should get on more woodies.

[@coasterblocks3420]

Yeah, it’s weird that with Leviathan, DC Rivals & Steel Taipan the upcharge back seat is priced so high it’s almost always empty. Surely it would make more sense to reduce the price to the point where the rear special seats are filled on almost every train.

[@CanobieCoaster]

I know DC Rivals rapidly rose the price from its opening year.

[@coasterblocks3420]

@@CanobieCoaster it’s almost like they either don’t want anyone to ride it or they’re simply doubling down “it’s not our fault, it’s yours”. Anyway, I personally think the spinning seat would work better on DC Rivals and the backwards seat on Steel Taipan. Haven’t tried the backwards seat on Leviathan yet.

[@alantrotter2077]

I think the comparison to Boardwalk Bullet makes a lot of sense. Similar type coasters. I don’t have Boardwalk Bullet in my top 10 wood coasters but it is a good ride. Leviathan has the edge on theming and I never thought I would say this next part but Boardwalk Bullet has the edge on operations. BB normally has slow operations. Nice review!

[@CanobieCoaster]

A few locals commented that it sounds like they reverted to the slower boarding process during my visit. Apparently they have a faster way, but I never saw it.

[@keithstransitexperiences9749]

When I go to Australia, because of an itinerary change of my boat back to Geelong on the night of August 10 that was originally supposed to sail the night before, I will leave to Australia on July 24 and for my extra day in Tasmania, I will go to Hobart. I will go to this park on July 28, the day before this coaster closes for refurbishment, but I will miss out on Green Lantern Coaster at Warner Bros Movie World and Storm Coaster due to maintenance. I will still come back home on August 15.

[@CanobieCoaster]

At least the big ones are open.

[@tonytunzat]

First time seeing the station for Leviathan, and if you take away the aqua colors, it reminds me a ton of 7 dwarves mine train station.

[@CanobieCoaster]

And the screens.

[@redwolfcorprevamped8266]

A shame too, Looks super similar to Boardwalk Bullet on paper but BB is sooooo much easier to plan for given it's park and location. Maybe this park needs TWO Leviathans...

[@CanobieCoaster]

At least this ride opens regularly.

[@maxhagenauer24]

That back seat backwards car really makes this unique, I wonder what backwards airtime feels like in this. I absolutely love Gravity Groups, way more than GCIs as they have better forces and are more intense and this looks no different. Something Sea World absolutely neededvin their line up.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Backwards ejector is the craziest type of airtime. You can get that on DC Rivals. The backwards element helps most by making this ride feel out of control since you cannot see what's coming.

[@micoasters]

This looks amazing, like a modern boardwalk bullet.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Pretty much.

[@radbricks8298]

I went on a dead day and got 11 rides on it! with no skip the line pass. I couldn't buy the backwards seat that day however as the app was down. really hope they make it so you can buy backwards in person

[@CanobieCoaster]

They really need an in-person alternative.

[@teddym2808]

Also, just to add a quickie for those who don't want to read my long post, about Leviathan only. Rating, 9/10. Possibly best coaster in OZ but Rivals was closed so couldn't compare fresh back to back. Smooth but still feels like a real woodie with that rough 'n' tumble out of control feeling but not actually rough on your back at all if that makes sense. Reverse row not worth it and not that smooth. Backmost forwards facing row is the best. Non stop floater the entire way, first drop 10/10, so happy it's a rolling drop and not straight off lift, gives it real power in the back. Rating takes small height into consideration. Australian operations were always bad, but Leviathan has the worst operations of any of the near 600 coasters I have ridden. EVER. My world favourite traditional woodies (i.e. not pre fab or RMC topper, and I've ridden a lot of them) in no particular order: Ghost Rider/Boulder Dash/Shivering Timbers/Voyage/Leviathan. Cheers!

[@CanobieCoaster]

It really stinks the operations are so poor for a new, signature ride. I can't imagine what queue times would be like on an actual busy day. But the ride is amazing.

[@altronproductions2179]

Has the ride broke down during your visit? I only got 2 rides from my visit in early January 2023 because of the teething issues with the restraints. The last time I rode on the backward row, the restraints jammed causing me to be stuck on my seat for 10-20 minutes.

[@CanobieCoaster]

It went down midday due to a nearby lightning strike and then it took a little longer to reopen since they bumped it down to one train.

[@360coasters]

By the way, in Australia, we actually had lockdowns in 2021 as well which is why Leviathan was delayed yet again before opening in 2022.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Ah ok, that would explain some of the issues. Didn't realize there were still lockdowns after 2020.

[@360coasters]

Yeah. It was unfortunate.

[@OklahomaCoasterFan]

With how much I love Boardwalk Bullet, I've been looking forward to hearing more about Leviathan. That's too bad about the slow procedures for boarding.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Anyone who loves Boardwalk Bullet will love this ride, and vice versa.

[@thekangaroo1880]

Going backwards used to be paid physically and getting a wristband, this was how it went with the DC Rivals Hypercoaster in movie world at first. Now it's switched to an online system for Rivals and original for the Leviathan. Both themeparks and Wet'n'Wild are all run by the same company which is why the procedure is the same. This also removed the ability to hold physical park maps to promote the use of their app more. DreamWorld and White Water World are both their own pair of parks and DreamWorld's rotating rear seats are physically paid for and use the wristband system.

[@CanobieCoaster]

I'm not surprised Village Roadshow standardized things across their parks. I just wish they had wifi for people with weak to little cell service.

[@SnowghostFilms]

Critical question. How does Leviathan compare to Leviathan?

[@CanobieCoaster]

Prefer this one.

[@ianmortimer5325]

So do you prefer this Leviathan to the one in Canada's Wonderland?

[@CanobieCoaster]

I think this one is better.

[@jackalcrackle]

I am very interested now for your review of Tail Whip on Steel Taipan

[@CanobieCoaster]

Should be out next week.

[@moekitsune]

As someone who wears glasses it kinda sucks that Australian parks are so strict on loose articles. I would wear contacts but I just don't like the idea

[@CanobieCoaster]

Australia and Japan are the two strictest countries I've visited with regards to glasses.

[@moekitsune]

​@@CanobieCoaster Didn't know Japan had such policies. Kinda sucks as I would love to visit parks over there and in Australia, but I think that riding without visual aids would ruin the experience.

[@donkeyentertain]

@@moekitsuneAt least at Tokyo Disney Resort I was able to bring my (partially full) 25 liter backpack and hat on all the rides I went on (though some rides I took my hat off). It felt pretty similar to how the Disney parks over here work. I didn’t make it to any other parks over there unfortunately.

[@teddym2808]

They'll never find a way to boost capacity. They're doing Superman at Movie World just as slow now as they did in 2006 for example. It's just Village Roadshow's way and I truly lament Australian theme park ride operations, particularly coasters. It's funny you have ridden this before I have LOL but it's something to look forwards to. I was going to first week in May but Rivals will be closed and I am not going to go on a 20 hr drive to Queensland and not be able to do Rivals again, so I have to wait till end of June. Oh well.

[@CanobieCoaster]

I don't fault the employees working the rides. It's just the policy they're being told to follow.

[@teddym2808]

@@CanobieCoaster Of course it's not a fault of the employees nor did I insinuate that. It's park policies that are the problem.

[@Marty_NZ]

Ok so this is why you think DC Rivals is the best coaster in Australia. Talked about the ride's lack of capacity for 12 minutes in a 17 minute review lol! I think I even mentioned in some comment somewhere that you will probably complain about it and I'd agree with all the points you raised, however you need to look past that. I took a day from park open to close (10am to 5pm) and spent all day riding Leviathan. I only managed to get 15 rides in, so roughly 30 minute waits all day, however it was probably the most fun i've had on a coaster. The fact you mention floater pops and no ejector tells me this thing must have been running slow on the day you visited. I had stronger airtime on those double downs than on Lightning Rod's quad down. For my dedication riding it all day, the ride ops gave me a free backwards facing ride at the end of the day and it was wild. Still prefer it going forwards as a more enjoyable experience though. It's my favourite coaster in Australia now and DC Rivals is not even close matching the experience.

[@CanobieCoaster]

My final score covers just the ride and ignores capacity. I really liked the coaster. My one ride criticism is the airtime being just floater. It's possible the ride was running slow, but that would be strange on an 80 degree day.

[@Marty_NZ]

@@CanobieCoaster how many rides did you get on it in the end? The quality of the airtime is honestly the last thing I'd criticize. It was excellent. Going back there in a few weeks for more rides, so i'll see if it runs slower than my previous visit start of February.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Lots of airtime, just all floater. Amazing ride, but that's what holds it back from the woodies I give 9.5/10s to. I got 6 rides. 2 backwards, 3 virtual queue, and 1 standby.

[@360coasters]

@@Marty_NZ Would they give me a free backwards ride if I ride it all day like you did?

[@Marty_NZ]

@@360coasters It's possible. The ride ops are really nice working Leviathan. Just be kind to them during the day and they'll return the favour. They asked me around mid day if I've tried the back row yet and I said no I'm too cheap to pay for that. They kept seeing me slaving away riding and getting back in line waiting. Around 4:30pm they started giving me signals to stay on for a special treat, but don't ask or expect anything. Really made my day, even though it's chaotic and better facing forwards.

[@George_bonnaire]

That might be the best station I’ve seen on a coaster

[@CanobieCoaster]

It's certainly one of the best.

[@Jason_Maier]

GCI (Millennium Flyer trains) vs Gravity Group (Timberliner trains): Which would you rather have?

[@CanobieCoaster]

Millennium Flyers, but I like both.

[@AG7-MTM]

I wish this ride's theming was applied to my Leviathan as well.

[@CanobieCoaster]

I wish.

[@robynmills3934]

Loved every minute of it but crowd too large to go again. However awesome considering my limited experience on coasters

[@CanobieCoaster]

I wish it had a higher throughput.

[@CalebKam]

They used to have wristbands on Leviathan for the backwards seat. Not sure why they don’t use it anymore.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Interesting, probably cost?

[@CalebKam]

@@CanobieCoaster probably, and I suppose they can better control if they gone fully digital. Either that or they ran out of physical bands for the bit. Given your reviews lately it seems you have came the week before school holiday starts which probs explains part of that too. I shall keep you updated when I next visit. I hope they will bring back wrist bands.

[@WCfanboy]

looks like a gravity group gold striker

[@CanobieCoaster]

Has some similarities.

[@iceblade019]

This is the level of theming CW’s Leviathan should’ve had :o

[@CanobieCoaster]

I wish.

[@ThrillsofColdplay]

I wish more woodies had a backwards seat or backwards train that would be awesome I would love that on something like Lightning Racer or even El Toro I think that would be a bit much Mine Blower would be wild with a backwards seat or train

[@CanobieCoaster]

I would be scared to get one on Mine Blower in its current state, but hopefully the retrack fixes it.

[@ThrillsofColdplay]

@@CanobieCoaster yeah

[@mateoalvira7826]

Do you like smooth coasters and rough coasters in the world?

[@CanobieCoaster]

Prefer smooth

[@JoshB333]

Yaasss

[@CanobieCoaster]

Enjoy!

[@mateoalvira7826]

Which flaw does leviathan have?

[@CanobieCoaster]

Awful capacity

[@keithstransitexperiences9749]

I just rode this backwards today.

[@CanobieCoaster]

Hope you liked it!

[@bradymartin9055]

dispatches normally take 3mins, they could’ve been training staff the day you visited normally it isn’t too long

[@CanobieCoaster]

Like I said, the restraint check process was fast. Everything leading up to it is what took time. I hope I just caught it on a bad day.

[@bradymartin9055]

@@CanobieCoaster im guessing you did cause you normally don’t spend any longer then 3-4mins in the station, a groups let in as a train dispatches so they’re behind gates for when the next train parks, as those guests are exiting the train the loose article policy is explained then let in as they’re leaving the station

[@CanobieCoaster]

@@bradymartin9055 The next group wasn't let into the station until the Leviathan scream went off before the drop. Again, I only had one day there so my experience reflects what I saw.

[@bradymartin9055]

@@CanobieCoaster yeah by the sound of it the day you went they were going by the old procedures which i guess is done when there’s only one train on, however when there’s two it’s the way i mentioned :)

[@CanobieCoaster]

The ride started with 2 the day I visited. The timing still seemed off since the station was clear by the time I got to the end of the tunnel. The ride went down to one for most of the day after it closed for a thunder warning.

[@bigjoe1695]

heads up for your Steel Taipan review, "pan" is pronounced like the pan in Peter Pan, not "pon"

[@CanobieCoaster]

Thanks for the heads up.

[@RomanSecundus]

I actually got stapled every ride I took on leviathan, so I got no airtime at all

[@CanobieCoaster]

Oh no! Even with a tight restraint, I still could get the airtime.

[@Thebusridesme]

This seems like a harsh review.

[@CanobieCoaster]

The ride itself is great. I just think the load process needs to be sped up so more people can experience it.

[@ThemeParkOgre]

9/10 doesn't seem harsh to me. As a local I agree with his thoughts.