Reality15

Glad to be the first and can't wait to hear more reviews! *~* Jon "Reality" Roost

So, because I thought I'd try to make up for not going on the UK trip (more like I'm bored and there's no enthusiasts in Michigan to my knowledge), I decided to make some new forum buttons to go along with the trip. This button can only be used by John, sorry. If your name is Rich, or you have your OWN signature move, this button is for you. And finally, the button you've all been waiting for... DUUUUUUUUUDDDDDDDDDDE! Enjoy, there'll be more buttons when I think of more.

No, I didn't ride in the front or back, and I hadn't yet used my head to figure out how to avoid their little rule, so I just went with it and rode in the middle. If Indiana Beach is on the midwest trip next year and I end up going on the trip, I'll give it a second chance, but otherwise I can't say I'm headed down there until they build something REALLY good.

Total driving mileage was somewhere around 1,500 miles, from Northern Michigan (Mackinaw City) all the way around and then back to Lansing, Michigan. 3 weeks would be PLENTY for a trip like that, even two weeks would be a lot.

After reading about all of the crazy wooden coasters opening in the midwest this year (alright, maybe just Kentucky Rumbler and Voyage), I decided it was finally time to take a trip down to the Indiana/Kentucky area and see what these coasters were all about. ===DAY ONE : PARAMOUNT'S KINGS ISLAND=== After a "quick" five-hour jaunt down to Kings Island, got right in the park and headed over to my favorite suspended coaster, Top Gun. I don't know why, but this ride just amazes me, and with a walk-on for the back seat I couldn't resist. After that I decided I would give Son of Beast a courtesy credit. We all know, of course, that the ride had an accident that night, and I didn't get my ride on it (three trains from getting on). Went over and got a quick ride on Adventure Express too, where the entire time up the second lift I shouted and screamed, scaring the kid in front of me that we were "headed to our doom." He was still scared to walk down the exit. I still needed my Racer : Backwards credit, so I headed over, got on quickly (walk-on) and realized "It sucks worse than forwards!" so I decided to go over to Flight of Fear and get on, propeller hat and all. Then I had dinner at Bubba Gumps, which still amazes me that their prices aren't completely unrealistic since they're in a theme park. Took a back-seat ride on Vortex, which was the worst decision I could have made. I rode this thing in the front two years ago and had an enjoyable ride, but in the back I felt like I was in the Manhattan Express video here on TPR. And finally, missing credit #2 of the day, Italian Job Stunt Track. Not only did the ride suck, but the effects made it worse. I can't say anything good about this ride because it wasn't good itself. So, to cure that pain, I went over to the Beast and got another over-rated ride on it. Once again, a walk-on. It was getting late already, so I needed to be a credit whore and grab missing credit #3, Runaway Reptar. Believe it or not, I actually enjoyed it, AND it's a Vekoma. Go figure. On the way out I spotted Shamu and asked my grandma why she took me to Sea World. Not to mention I took pictures of everything I could see that said "Paramount's" because I feel my next trip it will all be gone. Photos from DAY ONE: http://www.cheezonastick.net/midwest2006/pki1.htm ===DAY TWO : BEECH BEND=== The drive down to Beech Bend was more boring than my usual drive to Cedar Point. Even more cornfields and nothings alongside the road. Well, other than Dinosaur World which would have been the highlight of the trip had we gone. If you've ever been to Beech Bend, you know the road to the park is a little.... rural. Having a grandma used to big roads and such with me, she was a little nervous about the park. I was getting ready for something like Knoebel's, which I really loved. Overall, the park was good. Got a ride on the Crazy Mouse, my first spinning mouse, which was being heavily trimmed, then a ride on Looping Star which I, unlike others, enjoyed. It could have been the fact that I was in the front seat, but the entire ride was fun and enjoyable. Finally, one of the coasters this trip was made for, the Kentucky Rumbler. Five rides on this coaster, two in the front, two in the back, and one in the middle. No matter where you sit, this ride is AMAZING! I don't like other GCI coasters, but this one was just "divine." Photos from DAY TWO: http://www.cheezonastick.net/midwest2006/bb1.htm ===DAY THREE : SIX FLAGS KENTUCKY KINGDOM=== We had a horrible night at the Days Inn Airport in Louisville, so we were expecting the worst at Kentucky Kingdom. Headed right over the bridge (first ones over it for another ten minutes) and got a front-seat ride on Chang, to me a combination of Mantis and Dominator. Not bad, but not a great ride. Then for another credit on T2, I don't need to say anything. It's a Vekoma hang 'n bang, and it fulfills that reputation quite well. Thunder Run was next, another front seat ride, which really surprised me. Thunder Run was a great ride, better than most wooden coasters I've ridden. Lola and Stella, the Twisted Twins were next, both of which need PTC trains on them. If I didn't need the credits, I wouldn't have ridden both, but if I had to pick, my favorite was whichever the pink train is on, because it wasn't as rough. Headed back across the bridge for my final two credits, Greezed Lightnin' and Road Runner Express. Road Runner Express wasn't as good as the other mouses like it (i.e. Hersheypark), but at least it wasn't trimmed like the Crazy Mouse was. Surprise hit of the trip was Greezed Lightnin', however. I'd never ridden a Schwarzy shuttle loop before, so for my first ride on one I had to do a front-seat ride. It was really a fun ride, much better than most steel coasters I've been on. Rode it four times. So after a quick trip on Hellavator and a trip through the gift shop, we left Kentucky Kingdom and headed for the luxuriousness of Caesar's Indiana. AWESOME hotel, but that's not part of the park trip report, so I'll stay away from talking about that place right now. Photos from DAY THREE: http://www.cheezonastick.net/midwest2006/sfkk1.htm ===DAY FOUR : HOLIDAY WORLD === The most anticipated day and park of the trip was greeted by rain and storms, all the way to the park. I went right in, headed to the 4th of July to hit the two flats I wanted to, Liberty Launch and Revolution, before I headed down to the new Thanksgiving area to ride the Voyage. Hopped right in the front seat of it, up the lift hill, and down the drop. Not only did I completely miss the airtime, but the entire ride just seemed boring and tame to me. So, hoping things would get better, I grabbed a soda and headed over to the Legend. Back-seat ride on the Legend, a ride most enthusiasts rave about, yet, once again, a boring and tame ride. I didn't know what was going on, if it was just the rain or if the rides just weren't that great, but I was beginning to think I'd lost it. Headed past Raven to go eat lunch, which was closed. Waited in the parking lot for it to open, then ran inside and got a front-seat ride. Unbelievable. Not as good as Rumbler, no, but still a great ride better than my Timbers. Even better in the back-seat, too. Skipping Legend for a second ride, I headed right down to Voyage to give it a second chance in the back seat. FINALLY I found the airtime and wild ride Holiday World told me about, and it easily jumped to #1 in my book. Had to do it again just to make sure it wasn't a fluke, and after the second ride I headed out back to the hotel. Four hours at Holiday World wasn't enough, but I promised I'd be back soon. Photos from DAY FOUR: http://www.cheezonastick.net/midwest2006/hw1.htm ===DAY FIVE : INDIANA BEACH=== The final day of the trip we headed up to Monticello, Indiana to ride the coasters on the boardwalk at Indiana Beach. Having never been there before, I didn't know what to expect, but coming in to the park across the suspension bridge, I was hoping that the rides were as good as enthusiasts talk about. First coaster was LoCoSuMo, which ended up being pretty darn pathetic. I mean, I love most other CCI rides, so it wasn't that, I just think they should have kept the dark ride and built the coaster elsewhere. So, after one ride, I was not impressed. Headed over to Tig'rr and went for a ride, once again, another masterpiece by Schwarzy. Ended up being my favorite ride at the park, but read-on for reviews of the other rides. Cornball Express was the first real woodie of the day, which disappointed me at first with their "no waiting for special seats" policy. Not only was the ride boring, but the rude employees kinda ruined the first "good" woodie at the park for me. Took a ride on Galaxi, which was just another compact coaster. Nothing amazing. Then headed over to Hoosier Hurricane and once again encountered rude and slow employees, worse than Kentucky Kingdom's were. The ride itself wasn't too bad, but it wasn't anything to write home about. So after having an unenjoyable hour at Indiana Beach I just wanted to head home, so we left and headed for home. Overall, most of the trip was pretty good, the woodies were fun and some of the steelies were pretty good too. I'd easily do most of this trip again in a heartbeat. Photos from DAY FIVE: http://www.cheezonastick.net/midwest2006/ib1.htm Next trip is to Fun Spot in Angola, Indiana early next month. I'll post a PTR the night I get back of my first Arrow launch loop coaster.

I just got my package in the mail, and did a small Photo TR to commemorate the event (my second time, I'm not a TPR virgin anymore) http://www.cheezonastick.net/updates/tprdelivery/tprdelivery1.htm I'll be posting my review a little later once I get the chance to watch the DVDs.

Your middle two days could be changed around a little bit. Do Beech Bend and SFKK in one day, then HW and IB in the other day. Trust me, I was just down there this past week, it's a lot easier to do it ^ that way than the way you have it.

Online petitions mean nothing to large businesses. What they're doing is a great idea, and I hope to see this work if Six Flags does decide to sell the park.

Guy is going to fall out of his chair when he sees this... When I was at MGM a month ago, I found it to be my favorite Disney park. Looks like you had a good time too.

The transition into the loop is where the supposed "bump" or "board" was, so whatever happened, it happened right there. I wish I would have listened better to let y'all know what happened, but I know nothing else. Sorry.

Alright, everyone, I'm here in Sharonville, Ohio tonight (today was spent at Kings Island), and I've got firsthand news on what went on. I got in line for Son of Beast shortly after I got to the park and took a ride on Top Gun. This was, I dont' know, sometime in the afternoon before dinner. I'm standing there in the station, and a train gets back and a lady doesn't get up out of the seat. She's holding her upper chest, and they called the paramedics and escorted her to the ride's exit gate (she was still there when I left the line). They send a ride op, paramedics, and a security guard out to the next train that's now waiting on the transfer track brakes, those three guys come flying back to the station yelling to "start the ride and get those people in here right away." The next train rolls in, and literaly everyone on the train is holding their chest, head, neck, stomach, you name it. That's when all sorts of employees, paramedics, security guards, and other personnel come running up the exit. It literaly looked like a scene out of Saving Private Ryan, people were EVERYWHERE on the path, just lying there. I took a walk over to ride Racer, Adventure Express and a few other rides, come back to ride Drop Zone. The Timberwolf Theatre over there is just packed to the brim with ambulances, paramedics, and all those injured. Word that I heard from several people that were near the exit path is that a board fell down and struk people as they went past. Take that with a grain of salt, though, because I'm not sure exactly what happened. So there you go, an update from the park from about 10 feet away from those injured. *~* Jon EDIT: Just saw the note about people with blood coming from their mouths: there were two small kids in the last car that both lost teeth and were therefore bleeding. Other than that, I saw no blood.

Timbers first is a wise choice, and if you're not there right at opening to get on it, wait until an hour after the waterpark opens.

Yeah, I would be willing to do it, but I face the same problem ^ does, how are we supposed to get into the park during the offseason? Trust me, I'm VERY willing to do updates, I'm the webmaster of a Cedar Point site and we already do photo updates of the Project 2007 construction, so this could easily be a joint venture between TPR and my site. Let me know if you have any more information Robb/Elissa.

No problem with that at all. I'll probably end up trying to meeting up with you guys at least at Cedar Point... maybe some other parks too.

While I don't think I'd be able to be a member of the full trip, would it be possible to meet up with you guys for just one of the days you're in the park?

The Wilderness Hotel is probably one of if not the largest indoor waterpark hotels in the Dells. Great place to stay, I spent two whole days just at the hotel before venturing out into the rest of the city. Mount Olympus of course has some of the best wooden coasters north of Santa Claus, Indiana. While I've heard the new Parthenon isn't anything spectacular, there's a great waterpark at Olympus as well. Timber Falls on the north side of town has great mini-golf, a great skyscraper ride, and a great wooden coaster (Avalanche). They also have a log flume that's worth a ride or two. Noah's Ark is a great waterpark worth a day's visit, with a great watercoaster as well. Riverview is only worth the credits. Other than that, steer clear of it. Little-a-Merrick-a is worth the trip as well. Great little family fun park. Hope that helps, Erik.

53 times on Shivering Timbers on Friday at TimbersFest. It's getting a lot rougher, too, so it was hard to keep going during nighttime ERT.

Yes, both parks have county height restrictions in place. Michigan's Adventure's is 200ft and I believe Geauga Lake's is like 150-175 feet.

Wait, is the "members only" forum for the trip is for people on the trip only, because I can't see it...

Sorry, it's supposed to be July. I'll fix that.

Saw this back on like, page four or something... but no, Timbers was built in '98, Cedar Fair took over in June 2001. They haven't honored that ride, believe me. It needs some work done still.

I hate to bring up an old topic, but I've got more to add on to my trip. Our plan is this: SUNDAY, JULY 9TH - Beech Bend Park in the evening MONDAY, JULY 10TH - Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom TUESDAY, JULY 11TH - Holiday World WEDNESDAY, JULY 12TH - Indiana Beach in the afternoon evening Because I'm not familiar with these parks and have no riding buddy, I'm looking for someone that might be interested in joining up with me at any or all of these parks on these days... so if you're interested, let me know, cause I'd love to hang out with another enthusiast for the day(s)!

Just pre-ordered mine, along with volumes 1-4 and a nice white t-shirt. I can't wait till I get to wear it at the parks in July!

Paul Ruben is the older, white haired "gentleman" you see in many coaster shows on the Discovery Channel, claiming that "this is a top ten coaster" to everything (including flat rides).

One thing I noticed from the conference call was that Kinzel mentioned that any 2007 plans the Paramount Parks have will be honored through Cedar Fair. Funny, because Kinzel said the exact same thing when they purchased Michigan's Adventure... none of those plans were honored, none. But other than that, I'm fanatical about this. It's great, because now that lovely season pass I've been getting for the past six years is now going to be good all over the place. I can't WAIT to hear more about this.