Philrad71

Speaking of which...I guess that it HAS been a while... Maybe Six Flags will refurbish 'Cuda Falls and rebuild Batman: The Escape?

MF, Maverick and TTD will still have waits in a queue that could be as long as 45 minutes given where the FL+ line is incorporated into the regular line. It's still better than the regular lines that those coasters will undoubtedly have on a summer weekend. Then of course you also have to consider any down time as Maverick and TTD are well known for suffering occasional down time during the course of a day. Valravn dumps you into the station and I hear that SV does as well, so I wouldn't anticipate long waits unless you just happen to hit the FL+ line at the same time as a lot of other FL+ folks. Our wait time on Valravn with FL+ when it was new ranged from a complete walk-on to a 15-20 minute wait behind several other FL+ folks. Not too shabby considering the regular wait time posted was 1.5-2 hours just about every time we went to ride it. I wouldn't think that wait times with FL+ on any of the other coaster or flats should be an issue for you, but as mentioned, it all depends on if you hit a line at the same time as a bunch of other people with FL+, or if the ride is suffering any down time.

Wow - that's really great to see that many people at the park! I also hope that more people go so that they can boost some profits and maybe do some rehab to the rides and walkways.

The only time that I rode it, they had to clean puke out of the car from the person riding before me, if that's any indication. It's kind of like a Tilt-A-Whirl on steroids. One other thing to note and I am not sure if this was just on the day that we visited, but due to low crowds, they were running super long ride cycles. I swear that I was on Witches Stew and their Wipe-Out ride for a good 10 minutes and at least 15 minutes on the Paratrooper. It was to the point where I thought that the ride op was going to just walk away and leave us there all day...and he was also operating the flyers right next to it and giving that a long cycle.

Let's not forget about Witches Stew...a very rare and unique flat.

^ That and Leinenkugel are my go-to "light" or "beach" beers for when it's over 80 degrees. I had a Corona and lime yesterday while mowing my lawn, but that was the last one in my beer fridge. So in typing this, I guess that I may need to make a trip to the store if I am going to go do my trimming and some more yard work later once the temp dips below 90.

^ This weather is crazy - they are saying that we could see near a 100 degree heat index here, which apparently hasn't happened in like 145 years. I guess one positive would be that theme parks would likely not be crowded, but I would avoid water parks like the plague in the next week. Bet those are going to be a real cluster-f%ck. Hope your buddy is doing much better. I always try to follow the 2-3 bottles of water rule in between beers so that I stay plenty hydrated when at parks in the heat.

Great to hear that Fuji-Q may have finally turned a corner in a good way. I always thought that the park looked like tons of fun, but in almost every trip report that I would read, nope...still crappy operations with horrible waits (or unopened attractions).

^ The lantern fest that we saw at Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa was very similar to this (although no shark - booo!) and it was a touring show as well. Great report, Boldy - keep 'em coming!

That Magical Powder ride looks amazing...and I would totally love trying the wasabi pretzels!

Glad that we could help you out there! I may have even saw you as I was walking on Presque Isle the day that the trucker hit the power lines and the park closed. I love that place and just wish that it was closer to home for me. Best of luck on your next trip to Erie...Waldameer is an awesome little park and definitely worth the trip from Cleveland!

Sorry for the double post...it posted my original post twice from the mobile site for some reason.

Drove by the park yesterday and noticed that none of the rides were running. I thought that seemed strange...now I know why. http://www.yourerie.com/news/waldameer-forced-to-close-most-rides-after-big-rig-takes-down-power-lines/

Great reports, Michael...keep 'em coming!

^^ I agree wholeheartedly, Andrew...loving this report! I have to say that your post made me think of Stephan from SNL - and that's never a bad thing.

Great photos and report, Andy! I remember going by Frontier City as well as Six Flags Mid America and Adventureland when I was traveling with my folks out to Vegas when I was young. I made it to SFStL this year, so perhaps I will eventually make it to this park and Adventureland one day as well.

^ I agree! Not a lot of comments with Boldy's post, but I think that this is a really AWESOME idea...I would so do this!

^ You're welcome...and I agree with you about Southern Tier - my local hometown "hero"!

I have really liked being able to access the mobile forum while visiting Michael in the hospital. The internet is a little in and out there, so sometimes the pages may or may not load, but that's not your problem. Great job so far...and THANK YOU!

So glad that you guys had a great time, along with great weather...which is usually iffy around here during this time of year!

Thanks for sharing...an awesome Japan trip report coming at a great time for me!

Being that Michael is in a hospital in Erie with a blood infection (where he is currently in serious, but stable condition) I ventured over to Presque Isle around the Waldameer area during the past couple of days when Michael was resting to have a couple of comfort food hot dogs. I would then go for a power walk on the PI walking/biking trail to de-stress and walk off the food before heading back to the hospital. These are both two good places to eat if you don't want to eat in the park! This is a foot long chili dog from Sara's with just about everything imaginable for toppings on it. The curly fries had Buffalo Chicken mayo on them as well as some type of seasoning that escapes me now...maybe garlic ranch? They have TONS of seasonings and toppings that you can add to your meal in a self-serve area at no extra cost, which is cool. They also have a few Coke Free-Style machines if you're into that sort of thing. With that said, they have great food and their prices are reasonable - but they can get very busy, so avoid weekends and the dinner rush if you can. The drive-thru intertwines through the parking lot, which can get easily congested and crazy when they are busy! Yesterday I tried Schickalay's On The Bay, which is right across the street from Waldameer's parking lot. They don't seat indoors, so I grabbed a table outside and tried to endure the 30+ MPH wind gusts! For all you Sheetz fans...yes, that is what you see across the street and to the right. lol Beer list. No liquor, but they have Southern Tier 2X IPA, so there is no need for liquor. This is apparently one of Erie's claim to fame - The Greek Dog. Basically seasoned ground beef with cheese sauce and onions. And of course, the obligatory fries. Things got messy in a hurry, but it was really good! Holy sh%t! I can't eat at McDonalds that cheap...and get a high ABV beer to boot? I will be going back soon to try one of their Greek Gyros, which I hear are also really good! This place is recommended if you want to leave the park for a bit, tip a couple of beers and enjoy some of Erie's "ethnic" food choices! Of note - both places use Smith's hot dogs which are 100% beef and locally made. They are the only hot dogs that I will buy at Wegmans anymore because they are soooo good!

For those interested, I am going to add my recent food reports from Sara's and Schickalay's On The Bay near Waldameer in the 'Good Eating Outside of Theme Parks' thread.

I was just at Sara's the other day on a weekday (needed a break from sitting in a hospital room) around 3:00 and it was packed. So if you go, be ready for big crowds if it's a nice day - especially if you go on a Saturday. As others have mentioned, it's extremely popular with the beach/Waldameer crowd as well as locals. I have heard that the small place across from the park has good food (and beer). Can't recall the name of it, but I am thinking of trying it within the next day or two, so I'll grab some pics. My Dad said that they have great gyros and they have what locals call "Greek hot dogs" which are like chili dogs, but with just meat sauce on them. Never had them, but may try one to see if it's better than Sara's chili dog. And as others have mentioned, Waldameer isn't really known for it's stellar park food. They have the basics, but none that I have had really stood out as delicious or must-haves. Edit - the place across the street is called Schickalay's On The Bay. FB page