Philrad71

* Big Dipper @ Geauga Lake - Crazy airtime in the front seat for a fairly tame looking wooden coaster. * Gemini @ Cedar Point - Another under-rated coaster, but this one has gotten pretty rough in the last season or two. Especially the death helix at the end...ouch! Used to be my #1 coaster many years ago. * Nitro @ SFGA - I wouldn't say this coaster is totally under-rated, but with Kingda Ka and El Toro getting all the attention at this park, people tend to forget that this B&M would be a #1 coaster at just about any other theme park (think Canada's Wonderland). This is currently my favorite B & M coaster (no, I have not ridden Behemoth) with good pops of air, a great first drop, and an overall extremely fun ride. * Ride of Steel @ Darien Lake - Everyone knows (or thinks) that S:ROS is the best steelie, but this version is not a bad coaster. I have only ridden this a couple of times, but the first drop was awesome and the speed sections used to be extremely powerful. * The old 'Lightning Loops' launched Arrow loopers (as well as the Schwarzkopf shuttles)- I had more fun as a kid riding these things with my father at SFGA and Boardwalk and Baseball! Technology has excelled past these coasters in the last fifteen years, but I will always remember the feeling that first time that I was launched...simply awesome!

I agree! I rode Blue Streak at CP last September and it was just awful...what happened to this classic?? Ever since the original lab bars, restraints and the design layout changed, it has been pretty bad. I used to love this coaster and still keep riding it during most visits, trying different seats in hope that I can find a good one. But so far, nadda...nothing like the crazy ejector air you used to get back in the day. Mean Streak is not as bad everyone makes it out to be. I'm sorry, but I rode this thing a ton of times when it first opened and that thing would just scream and whip your ass around the turns and throw you all around in the seat! And what about the supports/turns swaying from the initial settling every time a coaster flew through the structure? It definitely added more thrill while you watched from the queue line! Anyone remember this during it's inaugural season?? After they trimmed it, it was just not the same coaster, but if you ride it in the front (esp at night), it is not that bad at all. Not the most thrilling anymore, but a nice long, enjoyable ride and I was definitely not groaning in pain afterwards. I agree that Villain was the worst wood coaster I have ever ridden. That thing had no thrills at all and felt like it was on a gravel track. I wish that I would have ridden it in the front seat...maybe it might not have been as bad? But from what I have read, multiple rides in different seats didn't help...kinda like the current Blue Streak.

I enjoyed this coaster when it was at GL..glad to see it has a new home! A good coaster fit for Kings Dominion, who desperately needed a new one. Still wish someone would purchase the Big Dipper from GL. That was a great little coaster which really needs to be adopted and loved!

Max Air was actually running a cycle?? Didn't look to be any people on it, but the fact they were testing is a good thing. Nice reports! I am looking forward to going to KI either this year or next. Most likely will wait for the new coaster next year though...

Do what I did at Buffalo Bill's in Primm on Desperado...wear a hockey jersey and make sure it covers the cast and then sneak on and don't put your arms up during the photo op!!

Yeah, I agree...but unfortunately, I am just as guilty as most people of supporting the bigger/faster corporate parks in wanting to ride all of the latest and greatest thrill rides. I had forgotten mostly about this little park until I read about the Ballroom fire in February on this very site. Even though I might never get to ride Blue Streak, I have done a bit better to try and support the smaller parks. I usually hit up Waldameer at least once or twice a year and plan to get to Martin's Fantasy Island, Darien Lake, and hopefully Sea Breeze in Rochester this summer.

^^ Yes, they had all flat rides but King Kahuna open when we were there, including Pittsburg Plunge. Not sure about the Log Jammer as we did not walk over by the entrance. Ghostwood Estates was a neat little dark ride. Nothing outrageously awesome, but a nice little dark ride/family attraction. Better than the Reeses Cup Challenge at Hershey, if that would be comparable. Great little park...hope to return someday!

To be honest, I did look for any 'No Trespassing' or 'Keep out' signs from the offset and did not see any "out of bounds areas." If there were, someone opened the gates/barricades, or took them out. I could easily see how vandals could plague this area because I was shocked that they did not really have anything to keep people away from the amusement areas and rides. There was a fence around a lot of the Blue Streak (which I did not cross) and the very few people and cars that I saw certainly did not seem to mind seeing an amusement park enthusiast (geek) walking around with a camera snapping photographs. In fact, one of the car drivers even waved to me as I was walking down the road! There were two small barricades going down the road by the Bumper Cars and Devil's Den, but that was only to keep the automobiles out. Other than that, there really was nothing to prevent curious visitors or vandals. I would really hope that vandals would not do anything to further destroy the park. Nor do I hope that no one would be foolish enough to do anything to get themselves hurt (IE: Trying to climb up the coaster or something dumb like that) The park has already been through too many rough times!!!!

Seligman is worthy of a stop if you are touring on Route 66. They have all of the touristy Rt. 66 retro stuff there and is a nice place to do lunch. I would also recommend Valley of Fire, Mt. Charleston, or Red Rock Canyon (just outside of Vegas) if you are into scenery and nature. There is no shortage of things to do in downtown Vegas and the Strip. You already know about the rides, so my only suggestion would be to just take it all in and enjoy!

Ahhh yes, you are correct! They are in two different episodes. I remember both now, but it has been a really long time since I have seen either of them. I do remember Itchy and Scratchy Land and the carny one being in two different episodes. But wasn't there a Duff Gardens episode too, or am I dreaming this?? Thanks for the clarifications and DVD disc numbers, guys! I will just have to start borrowing the DVD's from my father...I think that he has just about all of them now!

Ahhh...The good ole Tooth Chipper @ Duff Gardens! I remember that episode...one of my all-time favorites! Lisa drinking the water on the "It's a Small World" spinoff ride and she starts tripping to Jefferson Airplane!! It has been a while since I have seen this one, but isn't this also the one where the whole family ends up in the park jail?? Anyone happen to know what season DVD this is on??

Thanks for the comments! You are more than welcome to use the pix on your website as you wish. Also, thanks to those that explained where the jailhouse was located, as I was not positive if it was in the office, or not. I was sure that some of the more experienced park visitors would know and tell me. I also checked out your Myspace and watched the video of 'Witches Stew'. Now all of a sudden, the Cosmic Chaos at Kennywood looks tame compared to this thing...holy disorientation! It really was sad to see an amusement park in this condition. Granted, it is still early in the season, but things just didn't look good for this little park. Even though, I was joking around and poking fun at some of the stuff in the report, it really is a unique experience to see a park in this bad of shape. When you think about all the good times that kids and families spent here for well over one hundred years, it about brings tears to my eyes. I wish that someone with a lot of money and a taste for the past would buy places like this and do their best to restore them. I hate to see this place torn down and turned into condos...that would be a shame. I checked out a bunch of websites and looked at lots of pictures of this park back in it's hey-day. It is just so unusual to see a park located literally in the middle of a community like that! Really cool!

On Saturday - 5/17/08, Michael and I stopped and visited Conneaut Lake Park for a little break after we cut our Pittsburgh trip short because of the rain. At first, I did not think that the weather was going to allow it, but the weather cleared just enough for a quick stop. However, after getting some good shots of the Blue Streak and other rides, the thunder started to rumble and the rain came once again. It was very sad to see the state of this little park. While I only have memories of being to the park once when I was very young, one never likes to see a demise of a traditional amusement park. I still remember the old Hell Hole, ghetto wild mouse, and the Devil's Den. I was too young to ride any of them, but remember thinking how anyone would have ever dared riding Hell Hole...that thing just plain looked freaky! The park has been hurting now for years and as some other TPR members can attest, the recent February fire to the ballroom and the roof collapse of the old bowling alley just may have been the final nail in the coffin. While it would be nice to see the place restored, many feel that it may never re-open. Truly sad... The park itself was not gated as there are still people living in the community. It was very creepy once the thunderheads started rolling in and the rain poured down. Other than two people smoking near the Bumper Cars and some kids playing and riding their bikes, the place was mostly a ghost town. I wish that I could see the park live for at least another season, as I never got to ride the Blue Streak. The coaster itself looks like perhaps the scariest looking, rickety coaster on the planet! Throw in the depressing atmosphere along with the weather and it was the perfect backdrop for a bleak, albeit somewhat disturbing trip report. I leave you with one of the creatures of the old Fairyland Forest - Jonah the Whale. Thanks for viewing! The sign for the park and parking lot. In the background, you can see the windmill and housing of the old 'Fairyland Forest' that used to be across the street. Now it is a campground. Whew! The storm has blown over! Hail, wind and rain greeted us. The Chance Toboggan beckoned us to dare to come back and ride someday! The front lawn of the hotel had a nice Chance Toboggan in it. Quite charming, if you ask me! Then the hail came down around this point - I think that we had overstepped our boundaries at this place! The Hotel Conneaut. Word has it that this place is haunted - go figure. Loop-O-Plane still remains. I used to love these things...they kick almost as much arse as the Rock-O-Plane! The roof was not made of cement or bricks. They had actually built the "newer" buildings with brick and cement because so many had caught on fire. I think this is the old bowling alley and used to house an indoor scrambler called, 'The Ultimate Trip'. Catch the video on Google video - I am now convinced the park was either built on an ancient Indian burial ground or owned by Satanists! This is where the ballroom stood until February 2008 when it was torched by an arson. Feed him to the witches, I say! I think that this used to be the park office, complete with a jail cell for kiddies that acted up while at the park. OMG! WTF is that???? (Cue Blair Witch Project) I started running down the street because it started pouring and I did not want the camera to get soaked. Also, I felt like spirits of witches were chasing me away! Witches Stew - I have no idea what the hell this ride does, but just the name alone is awesome! I think that the Hell Hole used to be around here somewhere. Didn't there also be a dark ride called 'Pit of Death'? I think that todays theme parks are way too vanilla! Bring back cool sh%t like this! But I want to see the wall 'o' gum!!!! There were bats, skeletons and more thunder...warning me to stay away! Devil's Den - the classic gravity pretzel ride. The witch in the window looks extremely creepy! This is when the thunder started rolling - I was starting to get a little freaked out at this point! Bumper Cars - One of two places that I encountered human life form. Two kids smoking and just staring at me. The other was a little girl riding her bike stopped and asked if I had seen any dogs? She said that she didn't like dogs. I told her that I read at the admission gate that pets were not allowed in the park. Music Express - think it goes backwards? One of the two original Tumble Bugs - ref other post (Turtle Bug) in my previous report from Kennywood. I didn't get to ride either of them. While it might not be 17 and 18 at the TPC, Tiger and Sergio may still have a problem two-putting on these greens! Plenty of hazards could intimidate the lowest of handicappers! Mini-golf course by the Blue Streak. Michael - waitin' on a train. It might be a while! Train tracks to nowhere? I asked Michael if he would pull me around the circuit, but he declined! Inside the train house. Train house. Probably would be the scariest coaster on the planet if it ever were to re-open in it's current state. Picnic pavilions and coaster turn-around. Blue Streak or Brown Streak? You decide! Coaster hills in the forest. I would imagine that this would have given quite the air time back in the day! Under the lift hill. First drop. Leaving the station. The Blue Streak's loading station. Lift hill of the ACE endorsed, Blue Streak. Karaoke venue - No cussin' or booze allowed on stage!!! Empty lazy river complete with historical remnant - one lone inner tube. Waterslides - I think they were called Cliffhanger Falls Paratrooper. Flying scooters. Park map. Main gate to the community. Quite a few cars going in and out, but the park was pretty quiet and kinda creepy. I think this might have been where they used to affix wristbands for company picnics and such? Ummm...wait a sec. Something doesn't look right here. Yay! No rides closed today! The front entrance complete with Christmas theming. Nice, colorful entrances on both sides of the main gate. Welcome to Conneaut Lake Park - opened in 1892!

I wanted to take Michael somewhere nice for his 65th b-day, so I thought that Pittsburgh and Kennywood would be a refreshing weekend getaway. Even though the forecast was calling for rain the entire weekend, we headed out anyway. It was wet, but we were dressed for the occasion. Besides, we weren't going to Cedar Point, so we assumed that most of the rides at Kennywood would be open...and they were! King Kahuna was the only ride that was not open, but that was no big deal as TopSpin's are not one of my favorite things to ride anyway. Despite the fact that we were pelted with stinging rain on the back seat of Phantom and there were tons of high school kids there on bus trips, we had a great time! The rain did manage to let up later in the afternoon, say 6:00 PM. One impressive thing that I saw was a ride op and attendant both yell at unruly kids and line-jumpers on the Phantom's Revenge! These ladies were not to be fu$%ed with!!! Although, most of the kids were well behaved considering there were so many in the park. Despite only running one train on Phantom and Thunderbolt, dispatching wasn't all that bad and we were able to ride everything we wanted. We left at 8:30 and had seen and done just about all the rides. First time rides for me were the (new style) Intamin drop tower (Pittfall). I loved it a lot more than the S & S Towers at CP. Another surprise was Cosmic Chaos (my first mega disk-o)...more dis-orienting than it looks! I also experienced my first indoor spinning mouse coaster (Exterminator) which was the longest wait of the day (about one hour), but still fun. True to the reviews that I have read on this site, Kennywood is a charming little park with a great assortment of rides, coasters and games. I don't really have anything negative to say about the park overall. While not the most thrilling, or highest and fastest coasters, there is plenty of history and appeal for kids of all ages. Great fun! Part Two - "Conneaut Lake TR: End of an era?" Coming soon! Michael was threatening to cry, so I pleaded with the boat op to let him drive the boat in the water to avoid a complete meltdown! Yay! Duck Tours! Spectac views from the top of the Pixburgh skyline. Next day: Duquesne Incline Railway. Credit? Sure if you were born in 1877! Yes! Beer bottle opener in the bathrooms! Did I tell you that PA rocks??? Now I can never be far away from my al-kee-hall!!!! Our home for the evening - Comfort Inn on a hill. Which is better, Michael? Potato Patch fries with garlic salt and cheese sauce, or cheese sauce with bacon?? Both cooked in peanut oil to promote a healthier heart! We all scream - Cosmic Chaos rules! My first Disk-O...I loved it! Nice long program and very dis-orienting! Jack Rabbit with nice camel-back drop with a pop of air. They were playing a rare Beck B-side (Deadweight) on the park PA system...how cool is that??? Racer! Love the train switch to come back into the opposite station! Cool novelty! Litter Gitter! This park approved by Larry- The cable guy! It's my aeroplane! Pleasure spiked with pain. That mf-er's always spiked with pain." Red Hot Chili Peppers The new lumberjack show. Kinda cheesy, but fun. This guy won the ax-throwing competition - bulls eye! Turtle Bug. Didn't ride, but love to see the classics restored and still in operation. I will show you the other Tumble Bug in my sad Conneaut Lake trip report...coming soon! While I wasn't Wang Chung-ing it, I was certainly dressed for the elements! Michael said, "I think I'll pass on Pittsburgh Plunge today, thank you very much!" Pittsburgh Plunge was open...and people were actually riding it! It was 55 with rain most of the day! Everybody Wang Chung tonight! I never knew KW was so gay friendly! But with Wang Chung, Eurythmics, and Abba blasting on the flat screens, I felt a little under-dressed by not wearing my Pride shirt! Next time, baby! Hit T-bolt in the front seat, then headed for the rather ominous looking Ghostwood Estates with skies darkening. Phantom helix with T-bolt sneaking through. First up - back seat on Phantom! Smooth, fun coaster...but damn that pelting rain! Welcome to Kennywood - thumbprints not required! Rainy arrival at the park around noon. Parked in the upper lot by the ski-lift to nowhere. Kicked off the weekend with a Bob Evans breakfast in Erie...oh, those biscuits and gravy!

You are quite right. Couple that with the fact that the weather is so iffy in this general area at this time of the year and it could lead up to one big disappointment. I have been rained out of CP three times in May and eventually stopped going, waiting till later in the summer to make the 3.5 hour trek. That is why I booked reservations at a hotel near Kennywood. I wanted to do something fun and I am having coaster withdrawl, so I went ahead and booked a room thinking that we could find other fun things to do in the city if the weather fails. I have such bad luck with theme parks at this time of the year, and the forecast for the weekend in Steel City?? Showers every day with highs in the upper fifties. low sixties! Hey, maybe the park will be less crowded, if it's open!!! NO DOWNPOURS OR LIGHTNING, PLEAAAAASE!!!!!

Whew! I originally was going to make plans to go to Canada's Wonderland and Toronto this weekend and then decided against it being a holiday weekend in Canada (crowds). I would think that it would not take a very long time for them to order and replace a drive gear and chain, unless this is some custom made special part? But being B & M, I would imagine that they would have spares manufactured specifically for the ride that they could just over-night ship from anywhere in the world...or better yet, fly professional mechanics there to do the job. If this is indeed the problem, I could imagine it only being down for a few days max. My job is dealing with customer complaints and defects for heavy duty diesel engines. I have to ship replacement parts all over the world on a daily basis (including gears). If you pay the premium ship freight, you can pretty much guarantee a shipment across the globe within a couple of days, if not next day air. All the same, I am sooo glad that I decided to go to Kennywood and Pittsburgh this weekend instead...I just hope that Ghostwood Estates doesn't break down!!!

Construction in Soak City is for a new upcharge attraction - Skyscraper. It was listed in the park Getaway Guide that I received in the mail last week. While I didn't see a price listed, it describes it as such: "The new skyscraper features a giant propeller that spins guests in a full circle, up to 160 feet in the air!" Basically a clone of the ride that they have just about everywhere. *Pic provided by Idexter, courtesy of Google.

Yeah, they used to have a couple of waterfalls near the beginning of the ride, as well as the canyon falls on both sides near the end. Used to pretty much guarantee a soaking for everyone. For some reason, they turned the early waterfalls off as well as most of the water cannons. The ride isn't as good as it used to be!

That is funny...yet so true! We have so many of them in Western NY now that my golf course that I am a member of has turned into quite the haven for these geese each year and they make a real mess of the greens! Perhaps, they do not have the proper ID or a passport to cross the border now, so the US won't let them back into the country? It now appears that they have taken up residency here in Western NY - not too far from the Canadian border! Anyway...the golf course owner actually called in a couple of guys that reminded me of 'Cletus - The Slack-Jawed Yocal' on the scene to ummm...properly dispose of some of the geese that were running rampant on the course. Some friends and I had been golfing and it was just starting to turn dusk and all of a sudden we look two holes over and here are these people just randomly shooting at geese in the middle of the fairway! Needless to say, we didn't get shot, but we met the same guys in the parking lot when our round was finished and they were all yukking it up about "how many geese they nailed!" It was kinda freaky! Yes, there are quite a few Mennonites around where I live and they are quite the friendly bunch! Me and my BF ate with an older Mennonite couple that we were paired up with at a Japanese steakhouse in Erie. They were quite pleasant and were very curious about our "normal" life and we were curious about their lifestyle, as well. We really enjoyed their conversation!!!

^ That sounds about right for Memorial Day weekend. My family and I used to go there on Memorial Day and Labor Day and the crowds were never ridiculous - considering it was a holiday weekend. The ride waits for the newer, bigger coasters was usually about a 1-2 hour wait and the rest of the rides and coasters were never more than a half hour. DEFINITELY watch the weather and dress accordingly. I quit making plans to go to CP in May because there were at least three times that I (along with some friends) ventured out there to beat the summer crowds and we were rained out the entire weekend. The forecast was for a 40% chance of rain but we never got a break and ended up driving home disappointed. As far as school bus trips, you can pretty much figure that there is always going to be at least one on any given day during that time of the year. I recall going in early June once during a weekday thinking that it would be dead and it was packed with tons of high school kids. I would always prepare for large groups of teenagers. They will most likely be there during the early season...even if schools are still in session! It might sound strange, but I have had unusually good luck going on Friday's. Some of the emptiest times that I have seen at the park! Also, July 3rd it was completely dead being the day before the holiday.

Sounds really cool...thanks for the tips! I am hoping that the weather will be nice next weekend!

Is it just me, or does the station kinda look like TTD at CP with all the flags?

Cool, thanks for the response! My partner and I enjoy a lot of the historical displays and had heard years ago that the incline and trolley museum were quite interesting. I also forgot about the Warhol museum and bet that would be worth a few hours, or more. All I can hope for is that the weather will be nice in two weeks so we can get everything in over a long weekend. I know how iffy the weather can be in Western PA, Western NY and Ohio in May! The main reason I want to go is to visit Kennywood. I have heard only good things about this park through this site, but have never visited. Plus, we will have a brand new 8MP camera to get lots of good photos of the park for a TR!

This looks great! I am definitely putting this park on my itinerary this year and may even check out Pittsburgh in the next couple of weeks. Anyone have any suggestions on where to ride the classic woodies and Phantoms Revenge? Front, back, non-wheel cars??? Any other really cool places to check out while I am in the Steel City?

Ummm...we live in Western NY, we experience that like five months out of the year! As far as the ghetto-ness of the American side, it really is not that bad and there are some nice things to visit. The thing that is upsetting is the downtown area and the fact that it is just in a very oppressed situation. I don't think that I would be scared to walk around at night on the American side, but the only thing US NF really has is the casino and the clientle does not seem to be there to soak money into the economy. The "shopping district" was a complete ghost town two weeks ago and while "Little Italy" was a nice idea to try and stimulate the downtown area, it has failed miserably. I do realize that it is off-season, but there are a lot of visitors that come for business trips that always want to go to the Falls. I entertained two business associates from Korea last week that were headed to the Falls on Saturday. I mentioned Goat Island, Three Sisters Island, and Lewiston/Whirlpool State Park as places to visit on the American side. I told them that I did not recommend the "downtown" area.