coasterbill

Thanks guys. When I took these pictures I had no intention of doing a trip report so I wish I had a few more, most of them were just me screwing around or taking pictures for Facebook but it turns out I took some halfway decent ones. lol Plenty more to come from Fun Spot, Magic Kingdom and Sea World

Conversely cameras 1 and 2 are very depressing today. High winds = No fun police Edit: and as I post that here comes a red bucket. Nevermind, everything is sunshine and rainbows at Cedar Point.

I owe your friend a beer if I ever meet him. Unlike most enthusiasts he understands that riding Mean Streak is way more fun than endlessly bitching about it.

It's hit or miss. Sometimes they run everything, sometimes they close every single ride in the park except the Seadragon for absolutely no god damn reason. Maybe they think because it looks like a boat it can run in the rain. Last time we went in a light drizzle that was literally the only thing open, including the water rides.

Here you go... Anti-rollback Chain dog If you need any further assistance just let me know. In all seriousness I've had no luck finding a wood coaster image, but here's a good shot of an anti-rollback on a steel coaster.

In any case it seems like the key to finding crowds at Dorney is to go on a Friday early in the season when there are school groups there. Now we know. I always went on Saturdays (which in most parks means huge crowds) and found a grand total of 11 other people in the park.

It depends. If the switchbacks are closed (likely) then 15 minutes. If they're open then the apocalypse is upon us.

I wouldn't compare Sea World to Disney because they're so different, but if you're a big-time animal lover I don't think it's unreasonable at all to prefer Sea World. I love Sea World for the laid back atmosphere compared to the other Orlando parks, the great animal exhibits and shows and because Manta is probably Orlando's best coaster. I should have phrased it this way... For me personally, and my tastes, I'll take Sea World over Disney anyday! However, that's because of their awesome roller coasters, including my beloved Kraken, and not really because of the animals, which I usually skip. However, I look forward to having a more well rounded experience at Sea World in the future, taking my kids, because I think they will enjoy it, and I always enjoy anything I'm doing with my kids! Have you been there for Bands, Brews and BBQ? For me there's absolutely nothing better than sitting in the sun near the lake, having a few drinks, eating some great BBQ and listening to live music (sometimes from some really impressive names). Personally I'll take a Bands, Brews and BBQ day over a Magic Kingdom day 100% of the time. Especially when you mix in some rides and animal shows but they are VERY different parks.

Manta at SWO

I wouldn't compare Sea World to Disney because they're so different, but if you're a big-time animal lover I don't think it's unreasonable at all to prefer Sea World. I love Sea World for the laid back atmosphere compared to the other Orlando parks, the great animal exhibits and shows and because Manta is probably Orlando's best coaster.

2016 TR 1: Busch Gardens Tampa 2016 (below) TR 2: I Drive Shenanigans, Fun Spot and a Terrible Tourist Trap TR 3: Magic Kingdom (Disney Fanboys, Please Avoid) TR 4: SHAMU!!!!!!!! TR 5: The Desolate Sh*thole known as "La Ronde" TR 6: LA Ronde Part 2... Where The Hell Did the Staff Go?!?!?!?! TR 7: We finally escaped La Ronde! TR 8: Poutine, Beer, Bobsleds, Arrows, Jesus and Comets! TR 9: Jersey-Shore-Credit-Whore-Tour-2016-Ft.-Boldikus,-Alcohol-and-The-World's-Greatest-Log-Flume-Watch-The-F**King-Tram-Car-Please-You-Drunk-A**hole Trip Report ® Part 1 (Featuring Six Flags Great Adventure) TR 10: Jersey-Shore-Credit-Whore-Tour-2016-Ft.-Boldikus,-Alcohol-and-The-World's-Greatest-Log-Flume-Watch-The-F**King-Tram-Car-Please-You-Drunk-A**hole Trip Report ® Part 2 (ZOOMIN AND FLOOMIN) TR 11: Jersey-Shore-Credit-Whore-Tour-2016-Ft.-Boldikus,-Alcohol-and-The-World's-Greatest-Log-Flume-Watch-The-F**King-Tram-Car-Please-You-Drunk-A**hole Trip Report ® Part 3 (Featuring Great White!) TR 12: Wildwood and Seaside (Part 4) - If she doesn't get the Jersey Shore references in this report, SHE'S TOO YOUNG FOR YOU BRO 2016 Reports I was too lazy to write: Kings Dominion / Busch Gardens and the Center of the Universe from last October - By Boldikus Hersheypark with Boldikus and the gang from last October - By Boldikus Holiday in the Park with Boldikus from last December - By Boldikus 2017 TR 13: Dollywood Opening Day (different thread) TR 14: Mystical Midwest Road Trip 2017 Part 1: Kings Island TR 15: Mystical Midwest Road Trip 2017 Part 2: Kentucky's Dick Rock Kingdom! TR 16: Mystical Midwest Road Trip 2017 Part 3: Holiday World and Some Bill Paxton Level Sh*t TR 17: Mystical Midwest Road Trip 2017 Part 4: Coney Island! (No, the clean one) TR 18: Mystical Midwest Road Trip 2017 Part 5: Cedar Point Day 1 TR 19: Mystical Midwest Road Trip 2017 Part 6: Cedar Point Day 2 TR 20: Coasterbill's Klassy Florida Adventure 2017 - Universal Orlando Part 1 and the World's sh*ttiest airline! TR 21: Coasterbill's Klassy Florida Adventure 2017 - Universal Orlando Part 2! TR 22: Coasterbill's Klassy Florida Adventure 2017 - Sea World and Fun Spot TR 23: Coasterbill's Klassy Florida Adventure 2017 - Busch Gardens Tampa! TR 24: Six Flags Great Adventure and the Hotel Directly Responsible for Snooki TR 25: Boozin' in Wildwood 2017 TR 26: Hydrus, Crazy Mice, An Awful Pinfari and Margaritaville! TR 27: Adventureland (No... not that one... or that one... keep going... yeah, that's the one) TR 28: A Michigan Adventure to Michigan's Adventure TR 29: Six Flags Great America Part One! TR 30: Six Flags Great America Part Two! TR 31: Chicago and Some Nasy A** Pizza Soup! TR 32: Cedar Point and Some F*cking Alpacas (no literally) TR 33: Whales, Dolphins, Sea Lions and over 400 Horses! TR 34: Busch Gardens Tampa and Howl O Scream! TR 35: Four parks in one day! (And our first ride on Mine Blower!) TR 36: Phuckin Phoenix Phall Phunfest 2017 Day One TR 37: Phuckin Phoenix Phall Phunfest 2017 Day Two TR 38: Invad(R?)ing Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens Williamsburg! TR 41: Kings Dominion and a Shenandoah Soaking! TR 42: Dorney Park's Haunt: Just in time for f*cking Christmas! lol TR 43: Bill and Brit fly another sh*tty a** plane to Vegas (Route 66, Grand Canyon) TR 44: Bill and Brit fly another sh*tty a** plane to Vegas (Glen Canyon, Hoover Dam) TR 45: Las Vegas Part 1: Is this REALLY the worst coaster in America? TR 47: A Chaotic Adventuredome Adventure! TR 39: which is totally out of order: Holiday in the Park Opening Weekend 2017 at Six Flags Great Adventure! (different thread). TR 40: which is totally out of order: Holiday in the Park 2017 at Six Flags America! (different thread) TR 46: A frigid closing day of Holiday in the Park at Six Flags Great Adventure (different thread) TR 47: Viva Loss Vegas (Get it? Because we lost). TR 48: Holiday in the Park at Six Flags New England 2017 Reports I was too lazy to write: Great Adventure Opening Day 2017 - By Boldikus Six Flags New England and Lake Compounce - By Boldikus Wildwood Weekend - By ytterbiumanalyst. His report is probably better than mine since he was sober and remembers sh*t. lol Six Flags Great Adventure (Fright Fest) - By Boldikus Six Flags Great Adventure (Holiday in the Park) - By Boldikus 2018 TR 49: Fun Spot and Epcot (hey, that rhymes!) TR 50: Magical Animal Kingdoms! TR 51: Animal Kingdom Day Two TR 52: Magic Kingdom and Flight of Passage TR 53: SeaWorld Orlando Wild Arctic Tour! TR 54: Busch Gardens Tampa! TR 55: Northern California Part 1: California's Great America TR 56: Northern California Part 2: Crackhead SeaWorld! TR 57: Northern California Part 3: Trees, Sea Lions and Coasters. Snapple Fact: One of these three things is a lie... TR 58: Our first ever ride on Steel Vengeance! TR 59: We're sh*tty enthusiasts and I don't care TR 60: One more Steel Vengeance Ride, then we got lost on the way home TR 61: Mini-Minneapolis Trip Part 1 (Valleyfair) TR 62: Mini-Minneapolis Trip Part 2 (Riding the best ride in Minnesota!) TR 63: Como Como Como Como Como chameleon (well... okay, there's no chameleon but there's a polar bear). TR 64 (which is totally out of order): A Holiday in the Park miracle at SFNE: Mind Eraser is actually good! (Different Thread) TR 65 (which is totally out of order): A Sooper Time at Hershey's Christmas Candylane! TR 66: Minnesota Zoo and pictures of titis TR 67:Six Flags over Texas Part 1 TR 68: Six Flags over Texas Part 2 and Globe Life Park TR 69: Kemah Boardwalk, Galveston Pleasure Pier and the Sh*ttiest Bar in America TR 70: Busch Gardens San Antonio Part 1 TR 71: Busch Gardens San Antonio Part 2 2018 Reports I was too lazy to write Kings Dominion Opening Day (with Twisted Timbers) - By Boldikus Busch Gardens Williamsburg - By Boldikus Craft Beer and Food Trucks at Six Flags Great Adventure - By Boldikus 2019 TR 72: Six Flags Great Adventure Fright Fest 2019 (Different Thread) TR 73: Copperhead Strike! (Different Thread) TR 74: Universal (Different Thread) 2020 TR 75: Is this the end times? The American Dream Mall is Open! (Different Thread) ================================================================ TR 1: Busch Gardens Tampa 2016 Hey everyone! Last weekend we were down in Florida for our cousin's wedding and because I have nothing better to do today I figured I'd do something I almost never do and grace everyone with my piss poor attempt at a photo trip report. I might be a little light on photos as I never intended to make this trip report but it's a slow day at the office so why not? The wedding was on Saturday in Tampa so we decided to take Friday and Monday off from work and stay in Orlando (jumping around to different hotels seems like way more trouble than it's worth). Normal people would have spent their three theme park days at Universal and Disney but given my unhealthy love affair with a certain roaring B&M with a zero g roll from hell in Tampa and my girlfriend's love affair with a certain fun-loving group of orca whales in Orlando we did things a little differently. We also just enjoy supporting SeaWorld because it annoys our idiot Blackfish-watching friends. Day one was spent at Busch Gardens Tampa, a park we usually visit at least once a year and absolutely love. At the airport on Thursday night we had heard that SheiKra had suffered a "terrifying" breakdown where it stopped on top of the lift and based on the way it was being reported killed approximately 3,000 people so naturally we were bombarded with warnings from our concerned loved ones trying to save us from almost certain death by visiting Busch Gardens, all of which we ignored because we're awesome and brave like that. Line's were pretty short all day but we opted for Quick Queue unlimited due to the hot weather so we could ride Stanley Falls whenever we damn well pleased and so we could skip the line on Cheetah Hunt (both rides had about a 30 minute+ wait all day). The park opened at 10:00 but all that really meant was that Cheetah Hunt was open and we were welcome to line up for all the other closed rides that weren't going to open for at least 30 minutes. Once things started to open up we sort of bounced around so rather than trying to go in chronological order I'll just give my thoughts on the major rides and then go through a few other noteworthy things. Scorpion: This was our first ride of the day. We rode it in the back row and then got to re-ride in the front since nobody was in the station yet. Is there anything not to love about Scorpion? It's smooth, the loop is amazing and it's a fun-filled ride that seems to appeal to everyone. Praise be to Anton. (3x) Sheikra and Falcon's Fury: Neither of these rides moved once the entire day. Maintenance was actively working on Sheikra but Falcon's Fury was a ghost town. While I love both rides, it's no big loss. I always assume Falcon's Fury will be closed so when it's actually open it's a pleasant surprise and given the events of the previous day I expected that we might miss out on Sheikra. Kumba This ride honestly just pisses me off. With Fury being the lone exception, how is it that while other companies keep getting better and better with time B&M has taken a huge step backwards. Kumba is complete perfection. Every element on this ride is taken at such a ludicrous speed that it puts all other B&M's to shame. This ride probably features my favorite dive loop on any coaster, the best cobra roll on any coaster, some of the best corkscrews on any coaster and a zero-g-roll that's so good it should be illegal in all 50 states. Riding this thing in the back row on the far side of the train is complete bliss. I don't smoke but I usually feel like I need a cigarette after riding it. (5x) Cheetah Hunt After our first few rides on Kumba we rode the flume and then von rolled our way to the front of the park to ride Cheetah Hunt. God I love this thing... it's not quite up to the level of Montu and Kumba but it's a tremendous coaster. The low to the ground portion of the ride over the water never gets old and it features a few really nice pops of airtime. (3x) Stanley Falls This ride had a pretty healthy line all day and was the main reason we bought Quick Queue. It's just what the doctor ordered on a hot day. A nice splash without soaking you, some nice sections where it meanders around, a few fun drops and a few fast turns also. Thumbs up from me! (4x) Congo Rapids By this point you've all heard about my love affair with log flumes and my disdain for every other water ride in existence not named Journey to Atlantis or Escape from Pompeii but since it was pushing 100 degrees and we could skip the hour long line we thought it would be a good idea to try out Congo rapids. We thought wrong. As usual everything below the waist including socks and shoes (which must be worn) got soaked and the other half of you (the part you want to get wet which is why log flumes are great) stayed dry. Thanks for that Congo Rapids. That was my semi-annual ride on a water ride that's not a log flume to remind myself why I stick to log flumes. Thanks to quick queue we did skip a 60 minute line though. (1x) Montu I wonder if people who live near this park fully appreciate how rare it is to have a B&M duo like this (well, really trio because Sheikra is very good in it's own right). Normally we ride inverts in the front but this is absolutely a back seat ride. The raw power of this ride is flat out ridiculous. It pulls insane G forces throughout the entire ride all while being perfectly smooth. Snapping into that pretzel in the back row might be the most forceful element on any coaster I've ever ridden. How did we go from this to Banshee? I swear as you're snapping through that element if you listen closely you can almost hear the ride yelling "Hey Banshee, f**k out of here with that s**t". (3x) In addition to those rides we also spent a lot of time looking at the animal exhibits and took a ride on the train and multiple rides on the Sky Ride (I know you're all shocked... if "Von Rolling" was an olympic sport I'd win a gold medal. Sky Rides are life, sky rides are love). A few other things of note; - I love Cheetah Run. Cheetahs are seriously some of the most beautiful animals on earth and seeing them run is flat out stunning. If you go to Busch Gardens Tampa and don't stop to watch the Cheetah presentation then you're doing something wrong. - On the subject of shows... Iceploration... kill it with fire. What a waste of time. And who the hell thought it would be a good idea to sit in an air conditioned theater watching a terrible show after suffering through Congo Rapids? Oh... right. My bad. By the way we skipped "Opening Night Critters" because we saw it last time but that's a great show and I highly recommend it. I don't recommend Iceploration though. What a pile of crap. - Guest service is top notch at this place. Every employee we came in contact with was outstanding. They give Disney a run for their money, especially the animal staff. As always we had a great day at BGT. They easily have one of the best coaster collections in the country and when paired with rides like Falcon's Fury, the water rides, the great flume, the awesome animal exhibits and the great food this place is really a gem. And now a few pictures... This ride is complete greatness. The pacing, the excellent location. Everything about it is wonderful. Oh and Cheetah Hunt is cool too. This is why we're here. B&M should close down the factory for a few days and go on a field trip to ride Kumba so they can remember how not to suck. o̶n̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶e̶s̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶s̶ The only good thing about Congo Rapids is that it offers some great views of Kumba An image of happier times... before we rode Congo Rapids. Look how optimistic and stupid we were back then. Noteworthy: We have Cheetahs on our heads. The train from Nairobi to Congo is awesome. Not only does it offer great views of Cobra's Curse but you get really close to the animals. And speaking of Cobra's curse. This thing looks great. Here's a view of it from the train. We got to see it testing a few times and can't wait to come back and ride it. This park is gorgeous. Williamsburg gets all of the attention but this place really goes toe to toe with them. Gorilla's can't talk. But if they could I imagine given his expression that he would inform me that if I posted another Sky Ride picture he would eat my face off. This ride really looks awesome. I think I may be more excited for this than I am for Mako. Thankfully that Gorilla was behind glass so he can f**k off. And I leave you with one last picture of Cheetahs... because Cheetahs. Thanks for a great day Busch Gardens!!! More to come! On the way to Florida I was informed that watching "Why Planes Crash" on the plane is frowned upon.

Quite interesting, but I guess it must make sense somewhere along the line. Regardless, still loved the ride and can't wait to get back on. Just glad I wasn't on Zumanjaro when that was stuck. Considering that was mid-day I am guessing there is more of an issue with that one. Zumanjaro has been getting stuck constantly mid-ride this season. They either sit there for awhile and eventually drop them or just lower them slowly. I wish they'd just shut it down until they figure out the problem because every time it happens Kingda Ka has to go down too until they lower the cars and close the flaps. On both of our visits this year it's happened multiple times just when we happened to be looking at it.

My condolences.

This is extraordinarily normal and was probably done deliberately. They always seem to stop the second to last train of the night on the way up the lift. There has to be a reason for it, and the only person here who knows (Ryan) probably can't tell you what that is. Usually at the end of the night (probably because of the ride's valleying problems) they roll a train out of the station, stop it before it leaves the drive tires, roll the last train in, reverse the train in the station into the transfer track once it unloads and then reverse the train that's sticking out of the station back into the station. I don't know why they would need to (seemingly) block stop a train on top of the lift before they do that but I assume the 2 things are somehow related.

The "Ask Alvey" section is always a real treasure trove of excellent threads. I feel like I'm getting a real "Youtube comments section" experience without ever leaving TPR.

I enjoyed that image way more than I should have.

You're welcome internet...

I agree. But at the same time is Cedar Fair willing to go that route? Surely they could but its rare to see that particular chain do something like that. I would expect the more conservative "remove things and fit the new ride in that footprint" approach to them since they're already clearing a pretty specific space.

To each his own but I think Magic Mountain still completely punishes them in the coaster department. It's not even close. It would help their coaster lineup though which would help solidify Knotts' standing as a more well rounded park than Magic Mountain.

Or SeaWorld.

That's surprising. I think Rougarou is outstanding. I loved everything about it and actually think it's the most forceful floorless coaster there is (though that's not saying much).

I don't see where a hyper would go unless it went outside the park. The plot of land you're describing is only about the size of Pony Express. I have a thought, what about a dive coaster? It could be 200 feet, the holding brake makes it totally unique to the entire western half of the United States and it could probably fit in that spot and be very compact. Plus Cedar Fair just bought one at Cedar Point.

Then don't ride anywhere but front row. I hear people say the same thing about Kingda Ka and I never understood it. If it sucks in every other seat then stop riding it there. In all seriouness I never said it was a great ride, just that the complaining is over-the-top because of the high profile park that it's in and the amount of room it takes up. And at this point I love watching people bitch about it. In the meantime I'll be in the front row having fun.

See, this sort of proves my point. In my opinion, the worst coaster on Cedar Point property (thanks to 3 shiny new floorless trains) is now Corkscrew. Here you have an Arrow looper with a f**king bunny hop that delivers ejector airtime directly into an Arrow over the shoulder restraint in a bucket seat where anyone over 6 feet tall has to slouch anyway that immediately follows the first drop. That's literally one of the worst ideas in roller coaster history, but nobody cares. Nobody complains about Corkscrew or acknowledges it's existence. Why? Because it doesn't take up any room and it looks pretty. That's it... and as I said before, the only reason nobody complains about corkscrew and everyone complains about Mean Streak is because it's ruining your RMC wet dream. That's a bigger problem than the coaster itself. And I get it. I hate Corkscrew and I hope it runs forever because it looks amazing. But I'm just pointing out that it's all about irrational hopes and dreams for Mean Streak's location when it'll probably just get replaced with a B&M that everyone complains about the rattle on anyway. And when that day comes I'll be laughing my ass off.

Boomerang would probably be a major hit at Michigan's Adventure. If they do anything other than send it there I'll actually be a little disappointed.