pianojohn

I always thought CP needed a not too wet ride after getting rid of the Mill Race and White Water Landing, and this is it! And for someone who rode the original Shoot the Rapids in the 70's, I think it's a cool nod to the past.

Classic!! They even got the font type down!

When it opened at 11am, they said it was 3-4 hours. I think this was just to discourage people from staning in line. I would say closer to 1-2 hours, which is still unbearable in this heat. If you can, wait 'til Sept/Oct when they get all 7 trains running and the summer crowds are gone.

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of Maverick's OTSR since they bash me about in the neck. Here's hoping they end up just using the typical Intamin lap bar. But overall it looks great! I guess a trip up north is in order for 2010.

And it shut down around 1:30pm for thunderstorms. Good luck riding it today. Try to single rider line IF it's open.

Here is a short video clip of them moving a train onto the track from the repair/storage shed area. Exciting as watching paint dry! HRRR 8-17-09 040.avi The video of a train being moved from shed onto the transfer track and onto the ride.

Just got back from Universal Studios and two rides on HRRR. My thoughts: It's NOT rough. I have been on a LOT of rough coasters (Gwazi, Mean Streak, Viper at SFGAdv) and HRRR is nowhere near these monsters. There is some bouncing but nothing that gave me a headache. I also rode the coaster in the very last row as well as the very front. The front gives a MUCH better ride. Visually you can see everything, and everytime you crest a hill, you get some airtime. I assume this would be similar to riding in row 4 which is the front row of the 2nd car. Since there is tiered seating, you can see from anywhere. The ride goes by pretty quickly, and the transitions between elements is pretty fluid. It's just a fun ride, and the music element adds to it. I chose "Pump Up the Volume" for my first ride and "Intergalactic" for my 2nd. You really can't hear any other audio when you are riding it. They were moving the line as quickly as they could, but with only 3 trains on the track, the line grew from 30-120 minutes as soon as it opened. I did the single rider line the 2nd time and lucked out with a front seat ride. The moving sidewalk is not moving, so they had to stop to load and unload the trains. Looking forward to night rides, but those will have to wait until Halloween Horror Nights. Also met a fellow TPR'er named Taylor! We got to do the front seat which was awesome! Enjoy the pics! They took a train off and put another one on. Waiting... See? Representin' This was full when I got off the ride about a half hour later The outside queue The lift hill My first ride! The entrance As soon as the line opened Testing right before they opened around noon today.

The rules are there for SAFETY. I am sure Universal and/or Mauer Schone are not intentionally barring people from their rides. They have minimum heights requirements as well as maximum. I know that most stand up coasters have a maximum height requirement. I guess I'm thankful that I'm not too tall to ride!

I find the parks to be not too crowded this time of year. Your best bet if you are thinking of doing Universal/IOA is the 7 day unlimited ticket for $99 available online here: http://www.universalorlando.com/tickets.html You have to purchase in advance but it's a steal! It also includes admission to CityWalk. Also, the Halloween events will be going when you are here. If you want to do Halloween Horror Nights, I would suggest going on Friday Sept 25th or Thurs Oct 1st or Friday Oct 2nd. Saturday nights are INSANE and way too crowded for my taste. You should be able to get discount tickets for these dates as well. They usually have discounts on Coke products. You can also get the Frequent Fear Pass for $69.99 which includes admission on September 25, 26, October 1, 4, 8, 11, 15, 18, 21, 22, 25, 28 & 29. If you plan to go twice or more, this would be your best deal. NOTE: there are blackout dates for this pass, so check your dates before you buy. Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party is also going on these dates: September: 22, 25, 29, 2009 October: 1, 2, 6, 8, 9. Hope this helps!

It looks AWESOME! Now if someone in Orlando (hint hint Aquatica) would drop some $$$ and build one to rival Crush n Gusher, we would be happy campers down here! I think a HW trip is long overdue for me next summer. Too early to start planning?

Awesome pics! This is the CP and GL that I grew up with! Need to find some of my older pics as well.

For those of us Orlando folks who remember, Test Track was scheduled to open in May 1997 but didn't officially open til March 1999. So, 4-5 months delay is not the worst we have ever had to wait for a new ride to debut.

Enjoy! This book came out in 1984 pre: Big Bad Wolf. (Sorry the pics are so big..oops! But that way you can see the detail better! Right?!)

These are pics from the 1st year that the Riverside Cyclone ran. Notice the original first drop and PTC trains! And The Black Widow

The Old Mill and 1/3 of the Wilcat (and some other buildings including the park's offices) burned in a fire caused by accident. A worker was doing welding on the Old Mill and sparks from that set off a fire which quickly spread to the other rides. From Wikipedia: "A devastating fire on April 26, 1984 destroyed the Wild Cat coaster, the Lost River ride, eleven concession stands, and the park office. Employees scrambled to save park records, but only some of the most current files were pulled to safety, while older files and historical records were lost. Investigation later determined that a welding torch's heat or sparks may have ignited leaves or roofing material on the Lost River, which stood next to the Wild Cat. Employees tried to extinguish the growing flames with hand extinguishers, but soon realized that the fire was out of control. Twelve fire companies responded to the fire, which spread quickly as winds carried it across concession stands and on to the midway. Many off-duty firefighters also responded to the call to help contain flames that spread along the Wild Cat's wooden tracks and threatened the merry-go-round, which was scorched but ultimately saved from destruction. Firefighters found themselves at a disadvantage with a lack of in-park hydrants, poor water pressure, and aged wooden rides and buildings. They finally tamed the blaze by running lines to hydrants outside the park. Final damage was estimated in millions of dollars; the replacement of the Wild Cat was estimated at $1.5 million. Intense heat melted paint in various areas of the gazebo. The south horseshoe of the Wild Cat was destroyed, but repair cost was prohibitive. Park owners acknowledged that the loss of the Wild Cat was disastrous. The Wild Cat was Idora's biggest attraction. The park operated through the summer of 1984, but with the premier ride gone, a decision was made to close permanently. Idora Park welcomed its last visitors on September 16, 1984."

Well, I guess I'll answer the question since I rode it so many times! A ride on the Wildcat started off with a left handed turn into a long, dark tunnel. Basically an S shape in the dark. As you emerged the tunnel, you connected to the chain lift. Looking backward, you could see the whole layout of the ride. A quick turn to the right was followed by the first drop. Nothing too great but a decent start. Next was the most intense part of the ride: the fan curve. You entered it and made a swooping left turn and drop. As the car dropped, you got whipped to the right side. I remember always bracing my hip against the car so I wouldn't get a bruise! It really was that intense. Another hill in the middle led to a right hand turn. As you exited the turn, the track stayed banked to the right. You dropped out of this and into the tunnel under the fan curve and then into the brake run. When I rode it in 1983 at night, you could see sparks flying off the coaster at various parts of the ride. Also, the trains had fixed lap bars. This meant you had to slide into your seat and HANG ON! I often rode it alone, and you would be tossed side to side throughout the ride. I imagine if the ride were still around today, they would have had to change the cars and add locking lap bars, head rests, and seat dividers. It was an amazing ride!

Idora was so unique. It had a small park charm but never felt cheap. I don't think there was ever a crowd when I went. I remember Labor Day 1983. We got in for $5 a car load! We ended up riding the Wildcat probably a dozen times that night. It turns out we were probably the last people to ride it. I remember they had decent food inside one of the park's restaurants. The park also was built right in a neighborhood with houses bordering the Jack Rabbit coaster. They even had a baseball field on the infield of the Jack Rabbit. I don't know if this park would have survived today. It was located many miles from the nearest interstate. They had 2 great coasters and a lot of cool flat rides, but they really didn't have the money or land to compete with Cedar Point, Geauga Lake, or Kennywood.

Part Two: Auction Day The slide. Notice the dust. I am pretty sure it had been closed for years. OK. I THINK this slide was in the fun house, but it was closed off when the park was open. I discovered it during the auction and snapped a few pics. And strange props Lots of random signs for sale Does this count? : ) The kiddie coaster. I never got this credit. : (

More pics from the past! The first batch were taken in 1983, the last summer the Wildcat ran before the fire in April of 1984. They were taken by Joe Riznar, the regional ACE rep back in the 1980's. The rest of the pics were taken on the last operating day of the park, Labor Day 1984 and during the auction in October of that same year. It was sad that the final day of the season was dark and dreary, while the auction day was bright and sunny. Midway The bumper cars The Old Mill completely burned down, but some boats survived. Trains in the station ready to go, but never given the chance. They actually nailed a 2X4 on the track in front of the train in case it got dispatched. What was left of the Wildcat after the fire The park's sign And the Back Wabbit in 1984 The Jack Rabbit in 1983 A full train of riders Wow. Lemonade was only $.75 The midway leading to the Wildcat on the left The fan curve and final tunnel The station as viewed from the lift hill The fan curve Looking backward down the lift hill Entering the 2nd tunnel The Wildcat The Back Wabbit in action on Labor Day 1984.

PART 2 The following pics are from the Canadian National Exposition (or is it Exhibition?) or the CNE! The park is gone now and I have no idea what happened to the Flyer. I also added one pic from Kings Island (circa 1985.) It shows the Bat station but no Bat. This was before they built the Vortex in 1987. I also have a few pics of Kennywood's Laser Loop. The area is now occupied by Lost Kennywood and the Phantom's Revenge. Thanks for looking! The Laser Loop from the top of the Thunderbolt's chain lift The Laser Loop Kennywood's Racer sign circa 1985 Kings Island pre: The Vortex They were also putting up a portable coaster for the CNE. It was not running when we were there. The station Who dressed me? Shorts with brown socks? Eeek! That's me in the Orange shirt We were able to get some great shots before ERT that afternoon. They even let us climb on the coaster! Lift hill The fan curve The Flyer trains

I took all of the following pictures at ACE Coaster Con VII from July 11-15, 1984. It was the only convention I ever attended, but it was a blast! I probably got about 50+ rides on the Comet and had a great time. I have more pics from the CNE coming as well! Enjoy the pics! The lift hill The Giant Coaster The Comet from the beach side. It may have been a pier I was on as well. 1984 was the 100th anniversary of the modern coaster. Hence: CAKE!! Coming into the station Loved the location right next to Lake Erie. The view down the first hill. See? Yes. The maintenance man from Crystal Beach rode up the first hill in the front seat standing. I think he got out at the top to inspect the ride, but I don't remember.

Steel Force was ok. Not amazing, just ok. Steel Dragon was VERY mediocre. Yeah....it's tall and fast, but it feels like you are riding in a HUGE subway car. Just boxy and boring. And it cost me about $150 to ride it when you figure in train fare, admission, etc. Not a cheap credit to achieve! Luckily I was living in Japan at the time. Now, I finally got on Phantom's Revenge last week. GREAT ride! I really liked it, and it never seemed to let up! The last few hills are a little too sharp and the negative G's throw you right into the lap bars, but the view and speed are great. One of my new favorite re-rideable coasters!

Amazing pictures as usual. I always look forward to your photo TR's cuz they are always so good! Best of luck with the contest!

Which, by the way, also has a single rider line upstairs from the arcade. They used to advertise it out front, but it's always been open when I have been there.

Found some more cool items to share. I used to collect napkins from theme parks. Here are a few from Cedar Point circa 1980's but one from 1976! I also put up some pics of Avalanche Run from 1985, the first year it opened. Check out the line!!