“With a Rebel Yell, you’ll cry more, more, more!” The Billy Idol song says it all. The Rebel Yell is a great wooden coaster that has been a recognized staple of King’s Dominion since it opened in 1975, the same year as the park. To many however, its age isn’t what makes it so special. It’s the fact that you can fly up and over 12 hills going backwards if you want! The Rebel Yell is a twin-racing coaster, with one train traveling forwards and the other traveling backwards. The builder of this classic out-and-back woodie is Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters. Featuring an 85-foot lift hill with an angle of descent of 50-degrees, this coaster hits speeds of up to 56 miles per hour in around 3,400 feet of track.

The backwards side was more of an experiment during their time. It started in 1993 and lasted fourteen seasons until, in 2008, it was switched around again for a safer ride and to fit into the Philadelphia Toboggan Coaster’s specifications.

Rebel Yell’s name comes from a battle cry used by the Confederates during the Civil War. It was used, like most battle cries, to intimidate their opponent and to boost their own morale during a battle. When entering the final tunnel of the coaster, it reverberates with the sound that sounds like screaming.

When you make your way up to the start of the Rebel Yell’s queue line, you have to make a choice; forwards or backwards? After this decision, you make your way up through the long, winding path that takes you up to the station. Once in the station, the riders board the train and the ride begins! The train makes a short drop out of the station and does a 180-degree turn. The trains make their way along a short section of track, make a small S-curve in, and hit the bottom of the lift hill. As the trains make their way up the hill, the riders can look at the faces of the riders on the opposite train, waiting for the inevitable drop. Once the trains reach the top of the 85-foot lift hill, the race begins! The trains fly down the first hill reaching speeds of around 55 miles per hour. The riders then roll up and over the first part of the 12 hills that the Rebel Yell offers. As the riders reach the turn-arounds, they get a very short break to enjoy the view, until the train plummets down the next hill and sends the riders flying up and down in their seats. As the riders make their return run toward the station, they roll through the last set of hills, through the tunnel, and into the brakes, completing this great ride.

If you haven’t already, get to King’s Dominion and ride the Rebel Yell. You may get off singing along with Billy Idol!