robbalvey

I'm sorry, but that is such bull$#it... How come SFNE can take and post to the media a video of Wicked Cyclone's first test run [and it was pretty apparent by the applause after it was the FIRST], but there's some sort of super top secret PR blockade that makes SFMM or Twisted Colussus different? Seriously SFMM?..... I'm sorry but why do you think it is YOUR RIGHT to be able to see video of their first test run? If the park didn't want it released for whatever reason, they didn't release it. I'm just so sick of this awful "entitlement" attitude so many coaster enthusiasts carry. Parks aren't going to make decisions to cater to YOUR personal preferences no matter how entitled you think you are. Deal with it and stop complaining like a two year old baby. Personally, I'm at least happy they released the first drop footage and we have someone out at the park right now on a construction tour so maybe we'll get more footage.

I posted these in my report

I agree that Legend was not running well at all the last time I rode it (it had been a few years), but I was pleasantly surprised to find it running quite well last week. In fact, I actually took two rides on it! One in the front, and one in the back. I enjoyed both very much!

I'm not sure I can agree with this statement. I don't feel that a park *should* have to spend that much money on a ride that isn't even ten years old yet just to keep in running in a state that doesn't actually injure people. (or at least leave them with a splitting headache.) I would be very curious to know what guest reaction is to the ride. I have to imagine that if even we as "enthusiasts" are fairly split on the love/hate opinions we have with the ride, the general public, who aren't as used to rides must feel the same way. And if that's the case, does it make sense to operate a ride that alienates any percentage of your guest population? I've been on a *LOT* of coasters. A lot of really bad ones and a lot of really good ones. I will just simply never understand how so many people can like this coaster this much.

Really need to get to one of these parks!

And I rode it in what should have been a perfect time for the ride. Springtime, warm day, full train, and I still could only do just one ride. While this was certainly not my worst ride on Voyage, it most definitely reminded me why I prefer the woodies on the other side of the park.

^ That's a tough call. The way Happy Valley operates their parks it could take a lot longer to get through some of the rides with their staggered ride openings. That being said, we have done a Happy Valley park + another park in a day, but you just have to be really smart about how you go through Happy Valley and be prepared to cut the second park if it takes longer than expected.

I really wish they'd bring in RMC to give it the "Texas Giant" treatment. Could you imagine what the ride would be like if they re-designed in with their I-Box system? Holy cow...

^ Thank you for that super flattering picture! lol

Hey, I was helping out! That tour took place after we were done "working' and we were able to get a few rides in. I waved at you guys each time we flew by!

TPR attended the Thunderbird media day last week, which I have to say was one of the best media events we’ve been to! I’ll chat more about that a bit later in this report…. As for the ride itself, Thunderbird is smooth, rides through the course at a good speed and the launch gives you quite a kick! In short, it’s a LOT of fun! It’s probably no secret that I haven’t been the biggest fan of most recent B&M installations or wing coasters, but this one at least does it right and took me by surprise. The launch does deliver the thrill you’d expect and each inversion on the layout seems perfectly placed to give the right balance of being thrilling and enjoying flying through the woods at high speed. Thunderbird also carries a 52” height restriction which means it’s low enough to catch some younger riders and they are going to think this is the best thing they’ve ever ridden! Jaded die-hard coaster enthusiasts may not be totally blown away with the ride, but the demographic the park is aiming at is going to absolutely LOVE IT, and even those harder-to-please coaster nerds will have a smile on their face throughout the entire ride. Oh, and let’s not forget the fantastic looking station, queue, pre-launch theming, and the area around the ride really adds to the feel of the attraction. Overall, Thunderbird is a huge WIN for the park! The park also had their three woodies open for us, Raven, Legend, and Voyage. All three of which I’m sure you know about, probably most of you have ridden many, many times. I took one ride on Voyage, and…look…I get that it has a HUGE following and has won loads of awards. That’s awesome. It’s just not my kind of ride. The first three hills on Voyage are incredible and where I think the ride really shines, but after that, it just throws you around too much for my tastes. Those that love it, I’m glad it’s there for you, but you’ll find me either at Thunderbird, at the other woodies, or in their amazing water park! Raven & Legend on the other hand, holy cow! Raven was running FANTASTIC even for “day rides” and this coaster is even more insane at night! Yes it’s much much smaller compared to it’s giant Voyage cousin but I think that’s what I like about it. The ride is quick, snappy, fast-paced and never lets up! For me, I’d rather have a ride that leaves you wanting more rather than one you want to have end sooner. Legend is right in the middle of the two, and man, I had forgotten how good this ride can be! The last time I was at the park I never got to ride it, and the time before that I just don’t think it was running that well, but today, it was hauling throughout the course and was tons of fun! We came away with so much video and tons of photos that I’m having a hard time deciding what to post first! I’ll be posting series of Holiday World videos over the next couple of months so keep an eye out for them on our YouTube channel and Facebook page. I just want to take a moment to talk about the things that the park did “right” that seem to be such simple things that I would love to see other parks do as well. 1. Embargoed video! This is so important! Holiday World released the footage to us the night before so we could get our videos edited and stories together and embargoed it until the following mooring. This was a HUGE help! Usually we are running around like crazy at a media event uploading because we will not get the B-Roll until the day of the event. Having it the night before made our day so much more stress-free! 2. Allowing media to shoot on the star attraction as well as other key attractions in the park. Yes, they had mounts for us, but they also were allowing us to safely mount cameras to get specific shots we needed. Not all media requires the exact same footage. This, along with the B-Roll gave us the opportunity to have something ready the day of the event and then also a follow-up story later. 3. Event was not over-crowded. So often we see events with hundreds of riders. While on one hand that’s great to ensure you have enough riders to fill the trains for media shots (you want full trains of happy riders on TV shots and video featured on social channels) but the bigger the crowds, the more difficult it can be to allow flexibility in getting the shots you need. I felt there was the perfect amount of people at this event! 4. Backstage tour - It wasn’t a very long behind the scenes tour, but it didn’t need to be. It was just long enough to get the shots we needed that you can’t get from normal guest areas. Again, such a simple, easy to do to thing that so many parks don’t even think about doing, or will flat out say no when you ask. 5. Media Center with Wi-Fi - We see this at the “bigger parks” like Disney, Universal, etc, but not that often at smaller or regional park media days. And what an easy idea! A few tables set up in their backstage employee area and wi-fi access so those who want to upload or do a story during the event can do so. 6. Short dedication/opening speech - They spoke for less than 5 minutes and did all the necessary thank yous and opening stuff you'd expect. I've been at park media days where they talk for 20-30 minutes, sometimes more. Seriously, who's gonna watch that? Keep it sort, to the point, and get the ride open! That's what we are there for! So to wrap things up - The entire day was fantastic! Thunderbird, the media event, the staff at the park, etc, all exceeded expectations! Huge thank yous to Holiday World! —Robb Alvey First off, Thunderbird POV! Hooray! I have arrived in Indiana! Only a short drive away to Holiday World! That evening, Thunderbird waved hello to me on my way to the hotel. The next morning (and it was a VERY early morning), I picked up my credentials and was ready to ride! The sun had not even come up yet and it was cool to see the ride in that pre-sunrise light. When we got to the ride, they were doing some early-morning testing. Even got to see the test some roll backs! That was pretty cool! Taking a quick sneak peek in the station. Was really impressed with all the theming around the ride. Yay! The sun is starting to rise behind Thunderbird! Here's a few shots of the ride testing with that "morning glow" lightning! Looks awesome....I want to ride! Holiday World park president, Matt Eckert, says a few short words, thank yous, etc, and then it's launch time! There launches the first rides! They bid in an auction that went to benefit Give Kids The World! Go Team TPR! First riders doing loop-de-loop! As for the ride itself, the launch really has a kick to it! Seriously, B&M needs to launch more of their coasters! The loop was fun, had some nice positive Gs to it. Even coming out of the first inversion down what is sort of the "first drop" on the ride you felt a good amount of speed. Love this shot of Thunderbird launching through the sun! The whole ride is smooth, fast, and very well paced! Ever wondered what happens if the ride lost power? They have a back-up option! But it doesn't matter what I think of the ride...what's important is that Santa Claus gives it two huge thumbs up! If Holiday World charged money to "ride with Santa" they would make a killing! lol This video of Santa Riding Thunderbird is completely AWESOME! Here is some of the merchandise. "Orange is the new Track" may very well just be the most clever coaster phrase I've ever heard! Want more loop-de-loop? Here you go! I've always been a fan of B&M inversions, and this zero-g roll was pretty good! The ride is very graceful in it's curves and transitions into the elements. It gives you enough time to enjoy flying through the woods before you hit the next inversion. Taking a look backwards on the launch track just before you hit the first inversion. I rode in the front, middle, and back, but I think I preferred the back row. (You can see Cameron looks stunned!) Since coaster enthusiasts like to eat, we opted to skip the lunch line in favor of getting a few more photos... Hey look! I ran into Matt Eckert! Congrats on the new coaster! it's fantastic! Here's a shot of the Thunderbird plaza with nobody in it! I'll bet you won't see this too often! Once in the queue, you have to choose thy fate! Are you a left or right wing kind of person? Another look at the Thunderbird area. So well done. The "Will Power" building is what creates "launch time!" And here's a look at the whole plaza area from the ride! I don't know why, but I love this shot of the train and the windmill! Hung out with the crew from Purdue's Theme Park Engineering & Design group! These guys were awesome! Purdue's TPED having too much fun on Crow's Nest! lol And since it's a wing coaster, you gotta have some "keyholing" right? The one over the barn was pretty cool. From the ride, you can get some really funky views of Voyage! And this gives you an idea of how close to the rides are to each other. This was the only shot I got of both Thunderbird and Voyage the whole day! And yes...the ride is TWISTY! I don't think you can ever have too many shots of Thunderbird crashing through the barn! Thunderbird ice cream FTW! Cameron knows his place.... Ice cream in one hand, camera in the other! And here's the skyline of the park now as you drive in! Hello Voyage, how are you doing? Look, it's nothing personal, we just aren't going to be friends. It's not you, it's me.... But these guys LOVE it...so all is good! Voyage doing it's thing.... Actually, some of my favorite shots of Thunderbird came from The Voyage! That looks just awesome! Flying back under the station! Raven...WOW! Twenty years old this year and you'd never know it! I absolutely LOVE this ride...day or night...and night rides are simply breathtaking! This turn over Lake Rudolph is still one of my favorite coaster moments! Have a great ride, guys! The Legend was also running amazing today! From the top of the first drop, you can see Voyage and Thunderbird in the background. Ducking under and over the water park rides is one of my favorite moments on Legend! Overall, Thunderbird is a huge WIN for Holiday World! It's fast, it's smooth, it's fun...has a great kick to it, and the park guests are going to LOVE it! Huge kudos to Paula, Eric, and all the marketing team for putting together such an incredible event! THANK YOU!!!! I have to just mention this for a moment... The night before the media event, Cameron and I were looking for something "different" in the area, and we found it! This place called "Schnizelbank" is a little bit of Germany in a very unexpected place...Jasper, Indiana! Of course I'm the girl! lol Yes, this is in Indiana... We could be in Germany...but we aren't...we are in Indiana. The menu includes some legit German and Bavarian dishes. Looks good! Cameron...DIG IN! Heavy? Yes! But soooo good! With lots of different beers in stock.... ...and a totally tacky and awesome looking bar... This place was pretty awesome... ...and a recommended stop when you're going to ride Thunderbird! (and you better go ride!)

We have found that the more boards you have, the less people will frequent them all, and therefore overall fewer posts. Just look at some forums that have TONS of different boards. What do you see? Dead forums and a lack of interaction. The reason why TPR's forums thrive in a time where social media has devoured almost all other forums is because whatever it is we are doing, we are doing it right, and I'm not about to make changes now when we've had over 10 years of people being familiar with our forum. Can you even imagine? "Hey everyone, thanks for browsing over the last ten years, but now we're gonna change everything and move stuff around! Your favorite threads may not be in the same place you're used to them being in! Have fun figuring that out! Good luck!" We broke down parks in their own separate discussion threads and the index is a sticky on the main forum: http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=63853 Beyond that, we don't plan on making any more changes. --Robb

I'd say to ask your question in the Canada's Wonderland discussion thread. This is a park we've only been to a handful of times so the people posting in that thread could probably give you better advice: http://themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=38407

It's one of the few rides that will legit give me a headache for the rest of the entire day. I'm really not sure why people rate it so highly. When it first opened, and was smooth, it was outstanding. It was like that again for a short time after it re-opened as X2, but I have not taken what I would consider to be a "non-headache inducing" ride on it in a while.

Going to move this to the main forum as things are insane for us right now and I want some of our members to be able to help out.

I'll write a bigger report later, but today was a GREAT media day for Thunderbird. Holiday World did so many things right that other parks somehow miss the mark on. The ride itself was a lot of fun. It's smooth, twisty, and the launch has quite a kick! Here's a couple of photos & video from today. More coming soon!

THIS!

I would echo what Elissa said. Stay onsite. You'll get perks at some of the parks, the hotels will be nicer/cleaner, and I think it just improves the overall experience.

^ Agreed.

^ I see one that has been changed.

^ Awesome! Thanks!

For those of you who have been on Tempesto, how has the capacity been? I keep hearing that the crew was doing an awesome job with dispatches and getting people through the line, but then I keep hearing from people who I assume haven't ridden it saying it's a capacity nightmare. Are they doing better than expected or have the lines been horrible?

Hey, look at that! A Scandi trip that Elissa and I actually had fun on!

^ Unfortunately, you just have to deal with the rules the parks set up, no matter how silly they might seem to us, they do have their reasons. In the case of GoPros, hopefully enough parks will start to allow them that changes will start to be made industry wide. Still makes zero sense to me that I can wear a chest mounted go pro on Kumba, Montu, and Kraken but a few miles down the road in Orlando, I'm stripped searched and yelled at if I try to bring my wallet in a zipper or Velcro pocket on a Universal coaster.

But this is what a soft opening is all about. It's an unannounced test and adjust period so they can see how traffic patterns work and get an idea of how the ride reacts to real guests and vice versa. They open the ride for a couple of hours, see how things go, collect data, react to it if they need to, etc, etc... I think it's incredibly smart when parks do this so they don't wind up having a media day or opening day with even more surprises. Maybe we're just more used to this process here in Orlando because we see it happen all the time?