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Thrill Ride - 9-volt velvet
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Our 50th Anniversary ...... Stuff.
On "The Day," we see Cirque du Soleil's ALEGRIA. It was awesome!- 4 replies
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The BREAD Thread!
Make it, bake it, share it, love it!- 14 replies
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I may go to KI and BGW this weekend. I was trying to figure out which order to do the parks, looking at opening times, driving distance, etc. When I looked up Quick Queue for BGW, all I see are single use passes for seven attractions. Three of which I care nothing about. Are they serious with this? Even at half price for a platinum passholder, this still seems ridiculous. Am I misreading the way this works? Monday through Thursday it is $14.99, $89.99 on Fridays, $149 on Saturdays, and $69.99 on Sundays. I have decided to do BGW on Sunday because they open at 10 a.m. vs KI's 12 p.m. and it's a 3.5 hour drive back home. Still not sure I want to pay $35 to skip the line on four coaster rides. I wouldn't buy in advance anyway. The real impetus for this trip is Pantheon and maximizing my platinum pass. So I'll be happy to be there at rope drop and get what I get. -
^ Primeval Whirl sat rotting for a while. . right in the middle of Dinoland. -
By prozach626 · Posted
I can see that. That, and people not really paying attention to the traffic directors feverishly waving people through who leave a ten car gap in between their car and the one in front of them. "This guy in the florescent traffic vest and cone is waving at me to go through a single lane. I don't know what to do!" For anyone who has never directed traffic, consider yourself lucky. A quarter of the driver's don't listen to you when you wave them through to go faster. A quarter of the driver's don't listen to you when you tell them to stop or change directions. The ones who don't change directions hold the line up by stopping, rolling down their windows, and saying, "Can I go through here?" It's not difficult by any means, but you just have to try to your best to turn your 'give a fucks' off and realize people are just going to do whatever they want to do, no matter what, until they cause an accident. It's frustrating. -
By prozach626 · Posted
Thanks for the TR. I always walked away from Holiday World feeling indifferent. The wooden coasters are unpleasantly rough, which is probably the perfect way to put it. I'm disappointed to hear about Gobber's Getaway being neglected. It was always one of my favorite dark rides, having a more unique themeing. I can't understand why parks have such a difficult time maintaining Sally rides, since they seem so analogue, especially the animatronics. Although some enthusiasts love HW, I think others leave feeling underwhelmed or indifferent, because it's geared more toward families. It's an affordable weekend getaway. It's a perfect park for families with pre-teens, in an area where there's not much else to do. -
By prozach626 · Posted
Ah. Well, that explains the large crowds. Good to know we can expect SFSTL's to be down for eight years. The worst part about it being down was probably the limited offerings for other guests. You wouldn't think Disney would have tolerated an eyesore near other abandoned construction sights and halfway demolished rides. Who would have thought? -
It is a 2022 perk. So yes this year. It is not a 2023 perk as far as we know. -
By BitterOldHag · Posted
Agreed 100%. I live 90 minutes away from CP and 4 hours from KI. I honestly feel now that KI is the better park. It's beautifully maintained, the employees have been very polite, FL+ works brilliantly here by depositing you in the station more often than not, Mystic Timbers is my current #1 overall and is an amazing ride, and for some reason, I'll take Diamondback and Orion over Magnum and MF any day (even though MF is a fantastic ride). Hoping to get down there for Haunt soon... Thanks for the TR! -
By BitterOldHag · Posted
^ When I went on September 16th, they were charging the FL price for FL+ if you were a Platinum Pass holder... not sure if that has changed as on my visit last week I didn't need it and I didn't notice anyone in the Point Plaza gift shop purchasing it (the main FL booth at the front gate was closed on both of my Thursday visits). I'd go and ask just to be sure. Worst they can say is no! -
By Skysthelimit · Posted
We had a great time at both Carowinds during the day and Scarowinds in the evening on Saturday 10/1! It was our first time at their campground with our RV and we were both wildly impressed. The transportation was quick and easy. The shuttle bus allowed us to come and go as we pleased to the park (well, during the day at least.) Here are a few pictures and thoughts to share: - We rode Copperhead Strike opening year and I thought it was a solid B+. Not sure if it’s running any different or if it took a few extra rides to process, but we just loved it! It was a walk on during the day and probably a 30-40 minute wait with 2 trains running (3rd in the transfer bay). The launch felt like it had a bit more kick than usual for Mack and any animated theming elements seems to have held up. - Iron Gwazi and Steel Vengeance still trump Fury for me, as they have a bit more bite to them, but the blistering speed, length, and all the things people love about Fury still hold up years later. I was impressed they were running 3 trains on both this and intimidator even though during daytime hours there had to have been less than 1500 people in the park. I will say that after experiencing Orion, that coaster has significantly more kinetic energy and atmosphere with the Imascore soundtrack (I’m a sucker for those) and the general area theming. Still a testament to how perfect of a ride Fury is. - Intimidator has always been a middle of the road hyper for me. It was running really smooth and I never quite appreciated the first turnaround the way I did this trip. Super cool sensation that’s different than Mako down the road from us. The layout is a little bland and the theming a tad difficult for me to get excited about, but a great coaster that also dominates the skyline. - I rode Top Gun in 1999 and it was fantastic and the ride really hasn’t changed much since then. The station and queue seems abit haggard, but the ride itself looks and feels perfectly maintained. For a compact layout, I really prefer this to the Batman clones. The trench dive gives a respectable nod to Montu which is appreciated. - We quit drinking 9 months ago which has freed up extra money during our park visits so decided to splurge on a VIP bungalow after having a great experience at KI. This was even better, as it was private and even had a TV. In my advanced years it’s been good to take a breather between rides and we really enjoyed it. Definitely worth the $79. - I always enjoy riding our old favorites like Goldrush , Carolina Cyclone, and even Hurler. We had a zen ride (is it called that if it’s just two of you? Might be a stretch…) where I took someone’s recent advice to ride front middle. It was AWESOME - I worked Mantis briefly during college and this really didn’t feel any more uncomfortable. I’ve had some brutal rides in the past. We came back and did it again and had another great ride. - For Scarowinds, we enjoyed ourself because we budgeted in Fast and Frightlane (worth every penny, as always), but frankly the event felt very low budget and light on decor. Thankfully it was included in our platinum pass. The park was packed but not as busy as I expected for a Saturday. Paranormal Inc. was the standout house with a really cool pre show. My second favorite was Depths of Darkness, with the premise that you are in the mind of a serial killer. I’m a sucker for well done fogging, lighting and sound and I thought this was great - just skimping on the actors. Very likely because we walked in shortly before close. Overall, Carowinds was a wonderful time as always and the park is just so comfortable and easy to navigate. There were some IROC certified trainers at the coasters that seemed to be smothering and terrifying their trainees and slowed dispatches to a crawl, but who am I to judge. As much as I love to visit parks that are inherently more charming than Carowinds, such as Kennywood, Waldameer, Hershey Canobie and Lake Compounce, I love knowing that I can go to most CF parks and the rides are running at or near capacity. I know CP can be a crapshoot these days, but my visits to Carowinds and KI rarely is there ride downtime and I don’t think I’ve ever seen single train ops. Taking a weekend to fly to Pittsburgh to get a credit only to show up knowing there is a 50/50 shot of Steel Curtain running one train, with that similar foolishness going on over at Phantom/Thunderbolt too, I’ve found myself avoiding those parks because we just don’t have the patience. Just a personal preference and not trying to be b*tchy. As a huge Afterburn fans, we’re really looking forward to Aeronautica Landing livening up that section of the park. The area is already fenced on off so hopefully they can get a good head start. On Monday, we did make a stop at Lake Shawnee Amusement Park for a tour, which was fantastic. I think most on this forum have heard of it, but the site has been featured on Travel Channel/Ghost Hunter shows. I have never had a paranormal experience in my life, but we actually experienced some activity on the swing ride where a small bag was spinning/swaying fairly violently as our three dogs approached. It was not windy and the other items hanging from the swings weren’t moving - spooky. The guide said the little girl who passed away when the ride was hit by a delivery truck during operations was likely excited by the dogs. The guide seemed relatively unphases and continued his spiel. I can’t say we felt the same level of ease/calm, but super cool. I don’t have a video but my mom is my witness as she saw it on FaceTime. Anyways, here’s a few pictures to share! Next stop, Dollywood today and tomorrow. Quick photo op before opening! Empty station at Vortex. I’ve always had a soft spot for this one. It’s still got that whip, especially row 8 right side. Fury as it’s about to start it’s morning tests Money well spent! Enjoyed hanging out here and the ambiance of a Boomerang really made the experience 🤣 Obligatory PSL post. I don’t have a great picture of the swings, but here is the Ferris Wheel at Lake Shawnee located in close proximity. After our tour, we were allowed to walk through their haunted attraction which was pretty cool. Highly recommend if you are off the beaten path! Quick last shot on the outskirts of the campground. -
Universal Orlando Resort has announced their holiday offerings for 2022! https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/things-to-do/events/holidays-at-universal Universal Orlando Resort guests can take the merriment of the destination’s Holidays celebration to the next level with additional festive experiences select dates from November 12 through January 1, 2023 – including embarking on an exclusive guided tour of this year’s event during Universal’s Holiday Tour and encountering the mean, green one himself, the Grinch, while enjoying a delicious breakfast during the popular The Grinch & Friends Character Breakfast. Plus, guests can enjoy a spectacular slate of holiday festivities that include special dining, décor and entertainment across all eight Universal Orlando hotels. See below for details about the one-of-a-kind experiences guests can add to their holiday getaway at Universal Orlando: Universal’s Holiday Tour On select dates, guests can enjoy a guided tour filled with unique experiences and special access to the beloved holiday entertainment taking place across Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure, such as: Meeting the maven of mischief, the Grinch, and his faithful dog, Max, while enjoying a delicious hot cocoa bar with small bites and desserts at Circus McGurkus Café Stoo-pendous in Universal’s Islands of Adventure Access to reserved seating at the “Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular” – a live retelling of Dr. Seuss’s holiday classic, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” in Universal’s Islands of Adventure Enjoying a meet-and-greet and photo opp with Santa Claus in Universal Studios Florida (includes one digital download photo) Capping off the night in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade at Universal’s Islands of Adventure with an exclusive, after-hours showing of “The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle” – a stunning projection of holiday spirit and Christmas moments inspired by the beloved “Harry Potter” stories brought to life on the majestic Hogwarts castle Universal’s Holiday Tour is available on select dates beginning November 13 through January 1, 2023 and can be booked by visiting www.universalorlando.com/holidays. Pricing starts at $79.99 (plus tax) and separate theme park admission with a 2-Park 1-Day Park-to-Park ticket is required. Annual and Seasonal Passholders receive a $10 discount per ticket per passholder with a valid Annual or Seasonal Pass. Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-866-346-9350 between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. EDT daily or by visiting the UOAP Lounge in Universal Studios Florida. Regular Seasonal and Power Pass blockout dates apply. The Grinch & Friends Character Breakfast at Universal’s Islands of Adventure The popular dining experience, The Grinch & Friends Character Breakfast, is back this year for Universal Orlando’s Holidays celebration – allowing guests to start their day with a delicious breakfast and appearances by some of their favorite Dr. Seuss characters, including the Grinch. Guests also receive access to one digital download photo as a keepsake from their encounter with the Grinch during this special opportunity. The Grinch & Friends Character Breakfast takes place in Circus McGurkus Café Stoo-pendous in Universal’s Islands of Adventure on select dates from November 12 through December 29, 2022 and can be booked by visiting www.universalorlando.com/holidays. Pricing for this experience is $41.99 (plus tax) for adults and $26.99 (plus tax) for children and separate theme park admission is required. Annual and Seasonal Passholders can take advantage of a 20% discount on the dining experience’s ticketed price when purchased in person at the front gate or a Guest Services location with a valid Annual or Seasonal Pass. Regular Seasonal and Power Pass blockout dates apply. The Holiday Festivities Continue at Universal’s Hotels The awesomest celebration of the season continues at all eight Universal Orlando Resort hotels, complete with festive décor that perfectly complements each hotel’s individual theme, holiday feasts and special activities filled with holiday cheer for the whole family. Universal hotel guests can enjoy special menus for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s holidays, menorah lighting ceremonies, holiday crafts for kids and more. Plus, select hotels offer additional holiday entertainment that includes Christmas tree lightings, strolling carolers and more. Universal Orlando’s Holidays celebration kicks off Saturday, November 12 and runs daily through Sunday, January 1, 2023, and features an amazing collection of festivities that range from traditional merriments to irreverent twists on holiday classics – including Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Grinchmas, Universal’s Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s and live concerts by Mannheim Steamroller (on select nights). Guests can now take advantage of incredible offers to experience all the fun, including getting four days of theme park thrills for the price of a two-day ticket with the “Buy 2 Days, Get 2 Days Free” offer or saving 30% on a special vacation package that includes five-night accommodations at Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort or Universal’s Aventura Hotel, five days of access to Universal Orlando’s theme parks and exclusive hotel benefits. For more information about the Holidays at Universal Orlando Resort, visit www.universalorlando.com/holidays. -
Kings Island 10-2-2022 After a great day at Cedar Point, I was at KI for rope drop. I hustled to get in two rides on Mystic Timbers and Diamondback. Then I made it over to The Bat, definitely the best of the Arrow suspended coasters I have ridden. After a ride on my 2nd favorite B&M invert, it was on to a new coaster for me, Orion! What a great ride! While it lacks the intensity of other gigas, it was a terrific ride. The airtime allowed by the ride ops not stapling was wonderful. After re-rides on Orion, Diamondback, and Mystic Timbers, I faced The Beast. It rode a lot better than I remember from 3 years ago. Life in the fast lane... What a great park. Arguably a better lineup than CP, IMO. Superior invert, superior mine train, superior woodies, best B&M hyper. I love this park!
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Disney has announced all of the 2022 Holiday offerings for the Walt Disney World resort! We'll keep the update contained here within the Magic Kingdom thread. It's a lot of info, here we go! https://wdwnews.com/releases/walt-disney-world-resort-offers-magical-holiday-experiences-for-the-entire-family/?fbclid=IwAR26lo6HFhb0OQSQcWiDy_tGAHDYO9J0kNgDf3SfAr2Mc8ap0NMnN3-GXGY It’s (almost) the most wonderful time of the year, and holiday cheer is already in the air at Walt Disney World Resort. This yuletide season, guests can celebrate in the merriest way with festive sights and experiences, and jolly new flavors, plus the return of fan-favorite events. Here is an overview of all that is merry and bright this holiday season across Walt Disney World: Holiday Festivities Come Ringing in with Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Holiday cheer will fill Magic Kingdom Park as Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party returns on 24 select nights Nov. 8-Dec. 22, 2022. The separately ticketed event will invite guests to an evening of unforgettable merriment. Mickey Mouse and his pals appear on Cinderella Castle stage for a Christmas extravaganza – “Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration.” The show features singers, dancers and surprises all choreographed to nostalgic and modern medleys of holiday music. Minnie Mouse orchestrates a sparkling nighttime spectacular with dazzling fireworks, castle projections and seasonal songs in “Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks.” Santa Claus joins Mickey Mouse and friends in the must-see “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade.” Partygoers can indulge in complimentary cookies and hot cocoa at locations throughout Magic Kingdom. Select Magic Kingdom attractions get a jolly holiday overlay with Jungle Cruise transforming into Jingle Cruise, and special holiday makeovers of Space Mountain, Tomorrowland Speedway, Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor and Mad Tea Party. Guests can join Buzz Lightyear, Mike Wazowski, and Stitch for the out-of-this-world holiday stage show, “A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas,” on the Rockettower Plaza Stage. New to this year’s party, attendees have three jolly new Disney PhotoPass opportunities and they will receive a special 50th Anniversary commemorative keepsake themed to the holidays. New sweet treats this year include Texas-sized Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Meringue and Candied Pecans found at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Café to go along with returning favorites like the Mickey-shaped Cinnamon Roll with White Icing and Holiday Sprinkles at Main Street Bakery. Tickets for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party are limited and can be purchased on the Walt Disney World website with prices ranging from $149 – $199 per person. Event dates are: November: 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 22, 27, 29 December: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22 Joyous Holiday Traditions Return to EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays Presented by AdventHealth Wondrous sights, sounds and flavors of the holiday season are in store when the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays presented by AdventHealth returns Nov. 25 through Dec. 30, 2022. To the delight of guests, EPCOT will welcome back “Candlelight Processional,” a Disney Parks tradition. This heartwarming production takes place nightly at America Gardens Theatre and features celebrity narrators retelling the Christmas story accompanied by the Voices of Liberty a cappella ensemble, a 50-piece live orchestra with herald trumpets, and glorious massed choirs comprised of Disney cast members and Central Florida community groups. This year’s lineup of award-winning actors, singers and TV personalities features several new celebrity narrators making their debut, including Gloria Estefan, Josh Gad, Simu Liu, Daymond John, Mariska Hargitay and Raúl Esparza, to name a few. They will join returning fan-favorite celebrity narrators, such as Neil Patrick Harris, Whoopi Goldberg, Marie Osmond, Angela Bassett and Edward James Olmos. Other exciting festival offerings: “JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season,” a stirring and uplifting performance of music in celebration of Christmas and Kwanzaa, returns with multiple performances daily. Storytellers, musical acts and other performers will bring holiday traditions of the world to life around World Showcase. Holiday Kitchens will cook up treasured recipes and festive drinks from around the globe, as well as an eye-popping selection of treats to satisfy nearly any sweet tooth. New savory offerings include an Impossible™ Chorizo Tamale, a Plant-based Cotija Cheese and Spicy Red Chile Sauce found at Nochebuena Cocina Holiday Kitchen. Returning guest-favorites include the Maple Bûche de Noël found at Holiday Hearth Holiday Kitchen. This sweet treat features Maple Mousse and Cranberry rolled in Gingerbread Chiffon Cake. The Holiday Cookie Stroll offers guests the opportunity to embark on a sweet scavenger hunt and visit different booths and purchase an array of cookies. Those who complete the scavenger hunt are rewarded with a completer cookie. Delightful Holiday Decor Abounds Almost everywhere guests look they will be immersed in festive holiday decor at “The Most Magical Place on Earth.” Theme parks, resorts and the Disney Springs dining, entertainment and retail district are transformed into all that is merry and bright. Decor highlights include: Jolly trimmings and theming throughout Main Street, U.S.A. in Magic Kingdom Park. Holiday glamour on Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and festive touches in Toy Story Land. Animal-inspired décor, luminaries on Discovery Island and holiday cheer that expats from Earth have brought to Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Dazzling international decor around World Showcase at EPCOT. Nightly snow flurries and Disney-themed Christmas trees at Disney Springs. Iconic Gingerbread displays and embellishments at Disney Resort Hotels. And Christmas trees seemingly everywhere – more than 1300 at last count, some towering 65 feet. Experience Enchanting Entertainment This Holiday Season As the Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary celebration continues, select theme park icons will continue to transform into Beacons of Magic in between showings of glittering holiday-themed displays. Disney elves have gone above and beyond to bring guests a variety of yuletide entertainment experiences this holiday season. Disney’s Animal Kingdom A Merry Menagerie of life-sized, artisan-sculpted puppets of winter animals bring Discovery Island to life as they interact with guests alongside serenading musicians. After dark, watch the Tree of Life awaken as a series of wintry tales emerge from within, complemented by holiday-inspired music. EPCOT From Nov. 25 through Dec. 30, 2022, guests will find holiday magic throughout the entire park. Santa will be greeting with guests inside the Odyssey Pavilion as he gets ready for the big day. Heartwarming performances around World Showcase include Canadian Holiday Voyageurs, Las Posadas with Mariachi Cobre, the Chinese Lion Dance and holiday storytellers. Disney’s Hollywood Studios Sunset Seasons Greetings brings holiday magic each evening as the iconic Hollywood Tower Hotel transforms into myriad scenes including a “Toy Story” toy hotel, a snowy corner of Arendelle and more. The Santa Claus Merry Motorcade features jolly St. Nick himself cruising down Hollywood Blvd. in his candy-apple red convertible stuffed full of presents. Olaf stars in a festive finale to “For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration” that delights guests with performances of celebratory songs of the holiday season. Magic Kingdom Park On nights when Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is not held, Cinderella Castle transforms to take on a magical holiday look complete with special projection effects, festive colors and a rotating series of designs including a whimsical Christmas sweater, a jeweled castle look and more. Holiday Magic Awaits Guests at Disney Springs Guests can discover glad tidings at Disney Springs through specialty food & beverage options, decorations and entertainment to ring in the holiday season. A collection of elaborately decorated Disney trees is on display as part of the Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll presented by AdventHealth. Located throughout Disney Springs, these festively decorated trees are sure to spruce up the holiday atmosphere. Guests can even go on a scavenger hunt to find all the trees. Once completed, they can bring it to a redemption location for a special surprise. Guests can walk in a winter wonderland, strolling through Town Center and the West Side as angelic flurries of snow add a touch of magic to holiday shopping. Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar transforms into a Holiday Bar complete with jolly decorations to ring in the merry season. Guests can indulge in limited-time holiday-themed sips and snacks to get into the spirit of the season. Guests will find Santa at Once Upon a Toy where they can take photos and share holiday wishes with him. Enjoy new and returning festive food items throughout Disney Springs like the Olaf Hot Cocoa Surprise from The Ganachery. Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly-day Merchandise Shopping for gifts doesn’t get any better than at Walt Disney World Resort. Anticipate arctic attire and festive keepsakes for the home, all of which are perfect for gifting to loved ones (or for yourself!) this holiday season. The cheerful Mickey’s Vintage Christmas collection features hues of red and green, snowfall and peppermint to celebrate the holiday season. Guests can also sport the cozy, plaid Homestead collection and a specially themed line to celebrate Hanukkah.
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By thepoint4life23 · Posted
Sorry to jump off topic from TTD but I have a quick question. I think i read that they no longer do the fast lane + for the fast lane price for pass holders. Can someone confirm this for me or is this going away as of the 2023 Season. -
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Hi Everyone! Wow...uhhh...sorry but I got way distracted with some work stuff, and my whole plan of putting out all my trip reports from this year's "Coaster Desert Escape" totally went out the window. So let's just pickup where we left off at...Holiday World! Now, I'll be honest. Holiday World was a park that I had heard a lot of people talk about, but it wasn't high on my list of park to visit. I don't know I just never felt a huge urge to visit it. But when during the trip planning process we decided to go from St. Louis (where we watched a baseball game which was AWESOME!) to Kings Island...I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to visit another park. Especially when that park has Voyage...I mean no matter your opinion of the thing, every coaster enthusiast has to do it at lease once right? So after enjoying the free parking (yay!), and having a rather strange opening experience where they forgot to have someone come and drop the rope at opening time (Is that normal?), we headed to the far back of the park for Thunderbird! Now while enjoyed Thunderbird (best steel coaster in the park you know...) and I thought the launch was fun, I was actually a little underwhelmed. I thought the layout and inversions would do for me, but it just...didn't. I actually prefer Wild Eagle at Dollywood, because outside of the T-Bird's launch (which is better than WE's lift hill in my opinion) Eagle's layout was much more intense and unique than Thunderbird's. So after that interesting start, we headed to the star of the show at Holiday World which is of course... ...Voyage! Now, having heard a LOT of different things about the ride, mostly praise but some criticism, I was curious to see what I thought. And first off I want to say, yes voyage is ROUGH. I don't care if its a "good season" or a "bad season" for the ride, I thought it was rougher than it should have been. Yes, I get it, it's a big old honken ride, in a park with two other wooden coasters. And no, it wasn't grossly rough (like cough cough Timber Wolf cough cough), but definitely unpleasantly rough. I do have a high roughness tolerance, so it didn't bother me too much, but I was disappointed by it. Maybe I was under the false impression that HW was on parr with Knoebels when it came to wooden coaster maintenance, I don't know I guess I expected it to be smoother all around. The roughness also made it definitely a front row ride, as not only could I then enjoy a smoother ride, I could also form an appropriate opinion about it's famous layout. And that is: the first two ills are all right, but not all that great, the spaghetti bowl didn't do anything for me, and only when we get the the last third or so did I really see why people rate this ride so highly. Someone is probably gonna now say "But trim-less night rides at HolliWood Nights!", and to that I say (A) I didn't think the trims dampened it all that much, and (B) having the trims off wouldn't solve any of the problems with the first half of the ride. All in all, I thought the Voyage WAS the best in the park, but definitely not my favorite wooden coaster, with it currently sitting at number 4 just beating out Legend. Speaking of Legend... ...that was our next stop! I had originally thought I would actually like this more than Voyage, which I know is a bit of a a strange notion. But you see, I have always been fascinated with this coasters layout. On multiple occasions I have heard Tremors at my homepark be called "An improved version of Legend", and to that I say NO! Legend does pretty much everything that Tremors does, except the tunnels, better. Better first drop, better laterals, better speed, about the same on airtime and theming. However, I will say that despite all of the things going for it, there are a couple things holding the ride back. First is it's rough, definitely rougher than Voyage. Again, not grossly rough, but rough enough to take away from the ride experience. Secondly, the elements just don't seem to "pop" as much as they should. Hill that you'd think would have lots of airtime, have are mild, and turns you'd think would slam you around fall flat. I know a lot of people want to see Legend RMC'ed, but I personally would really want it to get the "Ghostrider treatment" from GCI. I know GCI has already done some work on the ride, but if they took the whole "let's retrack and reprofile most of the ride to make it more intense and ride smoother, plus through on some sweet Millennium Flyer's" than I think the ride would really benefit, and that's also what I most want looking to the future of Holiday World. After riding one of the world's most pointless log flumes (and I thought my home park's was bad), we rounded out the coaster collection with the original reason people went to Holiday World, Raven. I don't think there's a whole lot that needs to be said about Raven at this point, short but sweet, a little rough, and the fifth drop is great but the rest of the ride is showing it's age. I do really like the queue for the ride in the old house, but other than that I walked away from Raven exactly as I expected too, it was good but also just kinda "there". Aside from the coasters (and Frightful Falls, "can't forget that one..."), didn't ride a whole lot at Holiday World as we had to drive to Cincinnati that night and we didn't want to do it late at night. We did manage to ride Gobbler's Getaway, which I thought was a nice shooting dark ride although a lot of the effects seemed to be broken which was disappointing. We didn't do Splahin' Safari due to lack of time and interest, but from what I could see it definitely looked like one of the best outdoor water parks that I have seen. Definitey on the list for next time I get to Holiday World. Some other thoughts on Holiday World: - While the park was clean (as advertised), it was really only super clean in the parts that most people are, but if you look in some areas...it's not clean. Looking at all those Pepsi cups under Legend's station as an example. - Loved the free soda and thought it was a cool idea. More parks should do that. - The park as a whole was nice looking, but it kinda looked like they scrubbed all the detials off everything. Aside fromt the Christmas entrance area, pretty much all of the other buildings in the park just felt kinda "plain". Not that that's a bad thing I just thought it was an interesting phenomena. To finish out my thoughts on Holiday World I want to do something kinda different. Over the years I have heard a lot of comparisons between my homepark (Silverwood) and Holiday World. You don't hear it a much anymore, especially since Voyage and Aftershock opened, but there are still a lot of similarities and some interesting differences. So since I've been visiting SW for a very long time, let's compare the too! - The first one is pretty easy, and that is Holiday World definitely has the better water park, no contest. There's just no way Boulder Beach can compete with Splashin' Safari's 3 water coasters and all it's tube slides. There's just no way. - I think Silverwood has the more rounded coaster collection (2 woodies and 3 steel, vs. 3 woodies and 1 steel), while Holiday World has stronger rides overall. I like Voyage and Legend better than Timber Terror and Tremors, with Aftershock and Tremors coming ahead of Raven and Thunderbird, and of course Stunt Pilot beats them all in my book. - Both parks have nice landscaping, but Silverwood is for sure the prettier of the the two. SW not only has the cleanliness of Holiday World, but also a huge chunk more of landscaping and detail. Overall, I think I prefer my homepark a bit better (although I'm probably REALLY biased...), but Holiday World is still a good park, and a fun place to visit. I'd be curious to see where the Koch family goes from here, as they seem more willing than most independent park's to swing big when it comes to additions. Thank you to @jarmor and @mikeykaise for the help and advice on visiting, I really appreciated it! Whew! Finally got this one done! Hopefully should be able to get the last one done from this trip, plus the ones from a last minute trip I did in September, and an update from my homepark done real soon! See you then!
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