rollin_n_coastin

Wow, looks awesome. I really miss the same one that we had here at our CNE for years.

Chuck, another great update, thank you! The park was definitely another of the nicest that we visited. Also, the overall enthusiasm for having us there was contagious. They are obviously proud of what they have and especially of what's coming in the future. I do wish that Orchy made an appearance though. lol. That obstacle course was somewhat insane as well and I think one of the two best that we came across. *Personal side-note* I have to say thanks to whoever kept up the cheering as I really thought I wasn't going to make it past that last obstacle with the stirrups on ropes. Always happens on the last one I guess where the steam was just about worn out lol The only bummer was that the interesting looking bell ride wasn't working. I think it's made by the Starflyer folks. Looking forward to the rest Chuck. Cheers, J

Wow, just an awesome trip report! It's obvious how much you enjoyed doing this. Thanks for sharing! I've had similar experiences with people I've gone with and that urge to pee at all times lol Grazie e tantissimi auguri!

Just an amazing place. Definitely a really cool vacation resort done right for its location. There literally is a bit of everything that may not seem to fit together conceptually but just works so well in reality. Way in the hinterlands yes, but wow, it sure was beautiful up there and the 24 hour sun was something to experience. That was one of the fastest train rides I've ever taken lol The karts and track were incredible, especially for overly cautious wannabe race car pilots like me.

^hahah don't I know it! I actually really like the Starflyers assuming that I Just look up or straight ahead. Now, if they just decided to suddenly drop a few feet at a time, then we'd have a problem. Hey, not a bad idea though?

^wow, sounds like a drop tower to me lol I can definitely understand what you mean though. Just a bit of difference in how you arrive at that free fall makes all the difference.

haha you had to be sitting on the left side of the car (at least that day) and whoever was in there got different parts of everyone. I got what felt like an upper leg massage (major creepy). ^Divv, good luck. I have no idea if and when I'll start one. It'll happen eventually though, it's always cool going through old pics.

^Oh sure Steve, way to spoil it If it means anything, I made a strange noise louder than whatever Bill did lol

Hey Big Mike, have a good one at Coney! Say hi to Insectavora for me if she's still around

Oh, I forgot to add....SCAD jumps and Skycoasters. Of the two, I've only tried a Skycoaster once and likely won't again lol.

Since the park backs on to a residential area, the biggest opposition to the expansion, as expected, is coming from the residents. That could potentially delay things a bit but they seemed very confident that they can work through any issues. As an example, the drop tower has only 3 gondolas that do not face the residential apartments to help deal with noise. From the presentation we did find out that everyone else (such as city officials) are on board. Like Robb said, it could still be as far as 5 or more years out. The artwork was great! All that was said about the artwork is that it was meant to show that a major roller coaster is in the plan, so no confirmation of what type of coaster or who will be designing it. Should be amazing when it's all done! I'm having a bit of trouble picturing a Starflyer that is planned to be taller than that at Tivoli simply because of how much more terrifying that would be lol.

Hey Brent, so far so good! Missing the trip and slowly coming across everyone's TRs. I haven't even started organizing for one yet. Had to bump up Bon Bon and Copenhagen for sure, they were truly a cool way to start the trip. ^Jason, it was amazing, speaking as someone who was somewhat reluctant about it.

All the parks were very unique and fun in their own respect and it should be said that they all treated us very, very well. There are always stand outs like Grona Lund and Liseberg, which went above and beyond with their hospitality in combination with all that they had to offer. But really, it was hard not to feel like a VIP at each park that we visited. Tivoli, Bakken, Hansa, Djurs and Power Park also stood out from memory. Even for the other parks to run ERT for us in the rain was really appreciated and made from some memorable, if wet, moments.

Great thread! Not sure how I missed this before but glad I found it along with Big Mike's stuff of course. The marketing guy at KD said that the loop was the star attraction and therefore to make it stand it, they gave it a different color. Did they do the same type of thing on a portion of Diamondback? Anyways, great reading through and look forward to the rest. Oh, and if you made it to Busch, hope Hummel Boy didn't violate you both lol Cheers, Jason

All drop towers all the time....that was easy. Oh yah, not knowing where, when and how you're going to drop on Insane is right up there.

Chuck great update. I think I'm going to pick a geranium or two next time I go ride a coaster Is Bakken the oldest amusement park in the world? I'm getting the histories of all the old parks a bit crossed lol.

This is that park where you see the pics on this thread and the memories of how amazing the entire trip was flood back. From Skara to Grona Lund, Mattias, Johan and their families can teach a lot of people about what true hospitality is. I can’t thank them enough for making us feel like VIPs over two days, especially at such an amazing park like Grona Lund. What more can be said other than echoing the above? Insane was honestly one of the most frightening experiences, yet you couldn’t help but go back for more. Most frightening was definitely that massive observation-turned-drop tower. I'm still in awe of that funhouse! I wish they existed around here. The place had charm to spare and the waterside setting was just incredible. Oh, did anyone else ride the Top Scan on the special longer program the ride operator said they were only using for us? Wherever we went, we were literally treated like stars. The history behind the park is also quite substantial (a fantastic presentation) and you really could feel it all around. Robb, awesome update! Beats Ikea hands down

What else is there at SFNE? It’s a great looking park compared to SFGA in a very nice area. Not to mention, it actually has flat rides that operate and a great water park. It’s also very close to Compounce, which not only has an amazing coaster but other great attractions as well. Toro is awesome and still a top 5 favorite but for an overall experience, I preferred SFNE and Compounce. At the end of the day, it’s really tough to choose. If you haven’t been to either, SFGA definitely has the ‘wow factor’ coasters. Plus, the wild safari is cool if you’re into that. ^You got that right, Balder sure is sweet!

Hey Robin, great trip report and so nice to see Lynet in the sunlight! Very nice meeting you and thanks for putting up some great pics! Cheers, Jason

^Most definitely. Grona Lund's was amazing. Are there any attractions like that at all in US still?

^^^Couldn't agree more! Those were the best bumper cars of the trip I think? It is quite amazing, I think even some of us got some air time on those cars after being hit....err...'bumped'. ^^I almost forgot about all the potential points for injury in that fun house. In addition to the slide, remember the turning disk on top that we piled onto? Once we look past the painful events, we'll come to realize how fun it was lol. It was actually one of the better play areas I think.

haha the Dragon Flic Flac was crazy! It must have been the fore bearer of that other insane ride, Kieppi, at Linnanmaki. I just remember they knew we were from TPR and gave us an extra special ride. Whether that was a good or bad thing depends on how much you enjoy being shaken, stirred and flipped beyond the point of comfort lol. Tivoli was definitely a beautiful and fun place. Great pics Chuck. Cheers, J

Insane Hollywood Rocket

Hanno, just awesome! So many memories flooding back already. Love seeing the Bon Bon Land pics, this was the day that I forgot my camera….brain fart moment for sure.

Hope the event and party went really well! What a cool way to bridge two trips together! Cheers, J