Canobie Coaster

Laff Trakk

Morey's really looks amazing at night. I blame the lockers at Nor'Easter for cutting off communication @boldikus.

The second op was more heavyset than the first.

If there's any chance you'd visit twice, I highly recommend the getting a season pass. I got one for $55ish.

Everyone at work hates it when they get sent to Central PA. I love it since I can stop at Knoebels on the way. I was the only one on the Flyer and once I got 3-4 snaps in a row the op slowed the ride down. From that point I tried to avoid snapping which was incredibly tough to do. But the highlight so far was seeing 3 idiots get kicked off the Skooters. After driving in reverse trying to cause head on collisions. The way they ran off like they hit a homer to win the World Series was both funny and sad at the same time. EDIT- Got a different op on the flyer when I returned. Let's just say my ride was even better.

I tried all 3 of the drop towers today. I thought they all gave different enough rides. I saw a few people working their way up to Hershey Tower so the concept seems like a victory for the park. Reese's Tower was my favorite. Both launches gave huge ejector air at the top. Kisses Tower provided the strongest pop of ejector on launch 1. However, the slowed second launch provided no air at all. Hershey's Tower had a surprisingly forceful launch and had sustained floater at the top. The drop down felt weaker than the other S&S towers I've been on. I will still take the tiny little Larson tower I rode earlier at Clementon though. Holy balls are all of those Larson towers scary and nuts.

Today is a great day to be at Hershey. Everything has been a walk-on except Laff Trakk. I'm queuing for that one now and the app lists it at 30 min. I remember everyone questioning the ride's capacity when it was announced. I think that line puts it into perspective pretty well. On the bright side, I love the fun house queue.

I rode Hydrus a few times yesterday and really liked it. The lapbars are amazing. From someone who rides a similar coaster (Untamed) with OSTRs pretty often, I was amazed how much better the ride was. The already great drop had even more pronounced air. And then it was nice not having to worry about my head hitting the restraint on the snappy transitions. I honestly liked it better than Gale Force. I had the wristband (so I didn't focus on the per ride cost as much).

The big difference is that the ride seems to be running consistently now. From someone who has missed out on it a few times, that is what I really care about.

Unless the launch ends further up the lift than before. But I would be shocked if they did that. That way the same speed could happen cresting that lift.

I got 2 flips on green. It was a quick stop but a success. I finally got my Joker credit and got several laps on El Toro since there was no one waiting in the station and they don't make you walk around like SFNE.

Gale Force was just ok. I don't know why, but the launch rattles a ton. I haven't had this on any other launched coasters. The restraints are also major ball busters. As far as positives, the first drop gives excellent air. Overall the layout is pretty good but the launch and comfort left something to be desired.

Great Nor'Easter was quite good. The ride was noticeably smoother than the other SLCs and I loved how it interacted with the flume and slides. I would still take any B&M invert over Nor'Easter but this one is a good ride now.

I'm at the park and Joker is actually running! I missed it all 3 times last year. Though watching the tests it looks like it flips less than SFNE's.

Buying a ticket for Sesame Place even if it was discounted heavily. The line on the ticket saying to have a great day with your kids further reinforced it.

And there's the TC in the app. Fingers crossed it's something minor like adding a train.

Hopefully all the work done over the past month will keep the ride running consistently.

Great update! Does Great Adventure's Justice League have a single rider line like the Great America version?

Goliath is good in the front row and I've actually gotten good rides in the back two rows as well. The only ride that absolutely beat me up was in the middle of the train. Another note on Goliath is that it won't run in the rain. Sometimes it won't run in sun either, but that's an entirely different issue. If you do want to ride Goliath, I'd head there early before the line builds and in case it breaks down later in the day.

Holiday World Holiday World is one of the most acclaimed parks in the enthusiast community. Of the parks I visited on my Memorial Day weekend trip, Holiday World was the park I was most anticipating. I'm a sucker for well-run family parks and wooden coasters, so Holiday World was right in my wheelhouse. Holiday World delivered the complete package and is now one of my favorite parks. The park has a little of everything- an outstanding coaster collection, theming, good food, and does so many little things right that distinguishes it from larger corporate parks. The only negative about my visit was the 7 pm closing since it prevented me from getting night rides. Looks like a visit to a future HoliWood Nights is in store. Voyage- If you noticed my signature, you can see I was a fan of the Voyage. I applaud Holiday World's maintenance staff since a wooden coaster this large, sprawling, and ambitious could easily be one of the most uncomfortable and painful rides in the world. Instead, the Voyage is merely one of the most aggressive but I mean that in a good way. The outward leg has colossal hills with some sustained air-time. The twister section is relentless and I felt like I was riding a bucking bronco with all the sudden air-time hills and twists. Then the return leg was particularly noteworthy. Despite being halted by the mid-course brake, the train kept getting faster and faster because of expert use of the terrain. Some of the twists and turns on the return leg were pretty bumpy on wheel seats, but I was able to look past it because of the great air that the Voyage kept providing. Ultimately, the Voyage slots in behind Boulder Dash and Phoenix on my wooden coaster list. This is definitely a 10 out of 10 ride, but it isn't quite as reridable as my top two woodies. 10 out of 10 Legend- While Voyage is an airtime buffet, the Legend is a lateral buffet. If there's a wooden coaster with stronger laterals out there, please let me know (and yes I've ridden Kennywood's Thunderbolt). The Legend is relentless and the laterals absolutely pin you to the side of the train, particularly on the double helix. While known primarily for the laterals, the Legend also had really good air-time. The first drop and final few hills were particularly noteworthy. The ride's layout is also very unique and I love how it interacts with the water park. 9 out of 10 Raven- I figured the Raven was slightly overrated going into my first ride, but I still came off disappointed. It was a good coaster, but it didn't seem like one that once claimed the spot as the world's best wooden coaster. The first drop had decent air and the legendary fifth drop had excellent ejector air, but the rest of the ride didn't give me the airtime I was expecting. However, the more I rode the Raven later in the day, the more I grew to really appreciate the ride. The ride has impeccable pacing and really builds to a crescendo with the finale. While the final hills don't have air, they have really strong laterals and the whole ride feels out-of-control. The second hill also gave some air later in the day as the ride warmed up. The Raven is the most reridable of the park's wooden coasters and each subsequent ride was better than the last. 9 out of 10 Thunderbird- The "worst" of Holiday World's major coasters is still an excellent ride. I wasn't expecting much from the launch based on the specs when the ride was released, but the launch was easily the best part of the ride. It had a lot more kick than I was expecting. The Immelmann was pretty meh, but the next three inversions were all outstanding. I particularly liked the zero-G roll and the near-miss with the barn. Thunderbird's smooth and graceful ride is a nice contrast to the wild and out-of-control rides that the park's wooden coasters provide. 9 out of 10 Howler- I fully admit to being a credit whore. I like how Holiday World themed the train to the park mascot, but that's about all the positives I can say about this coaster. 2 out of 10 Outside of the coasters, Holiday World has some other really good attractions. Frightful Falls is a nice flume that interacts with the Legend. Liberty Launch is a forceful little S&S tower that has more air-time than towers 2-3 times its size. And the Gobbler Getaway was a quirky and undeniably fun dark ride. I'd love to see the park add another thrilling flat in the near future since I think that would really round out the ride lineup along with a family coaster. The food was excellent as well. Thanks to everyone who recommended the Plymouth Rock Cafe since the turkey dinner was restaurant-quality stuff and surprisingly big for a theme park meal. I also go the Hot Diggity Dog (hot dog wrapped in bacon on a pretzel roll) and really enjoyed it despite the fact that it looked like a dried out turd wrapped in a second turd. No visit to Holiday World would be complete without a trip to their acclaimed water park. With the stormy skies, the water park was deserted (which sounds rarer than finding a unicorn based on other reports I've read) which allowed me to try all the major slides. I plan to write up a separate entry for Splashin' Safari since I feel like tacking it onto this report would be an undersell to the water park. Spoiler alert, it's the best water park I've ever been to. Onto the photos of Holiday World! What was once the world's number one wooden coaster was the worst of the park's three woodies. And that's more of a testament to how strong Holiday World's wooden coaster collection is since the Raven was still really good. The ride also has an outstanding setting. I came off my first ride a underwhelmed, but the more I rode it, the more I loved it. The ride's pacing is impeccable and the layout builds up to the legendary fifth drop and out-of-control finale. Bye Santa, I hope to be back soon. Holiday World is now one of my favorite parks and I see why the place is so hyped up. The park wouldn't be complete without a carousel. Actually Holiday World in general just has a really strange layout. I missed the wing-over drop, but the large Immelmann sure was impressive to look at. Also as an aside, what on earth is a thunderbird and how does it relate to Thanksgiving? I was expecting a dull launch, but Thunderbird's launch had some serious kick to it. Easily the best part of the ride. Rounding out Holiday World's major coasters is Thunderbird, a launched prototype coaster whose schedule isn't irregular and subject to periodic closures. Compared to the 3 woodies, Thunderbird is a nice contrast with its smooth and graceful ride. Zero-G rolls are still my favorite type of inversion. The Turkey Whirl has officially surpassed the Turtle Twirl for the best tilt-a-whirl theme. Despite having an "out and back" layout, the Voyage kept me on my toes with all the crazy twists and turns along the way. I loved the parabolic-shaped first drop, which seems uncommon on most traditional woodies. It gave great air in the back. The coaster is an air-time buffet from start to finish. Seeing a traditional wooden coaster this large is awe-inspiring. All of Holiday World's coasters have amazing settings. It's a shame the park closed at 7 since I would have loved getting night rides. But the real star was the Voyage. The 4th of July section actually makes America great again. The cute little star flyer and Thunderbird are awkwardly all by themselves in the very back of the Thanksgiving section. Firecracker was new for 2017 and looked fantastic. A little slower than the other versions I've been on, but still a fun ride. Frightful Falls has a really weird location, but it's a nice flume. The ride gives some excellent views of the Legend. Holiday World even has a cool dark ride. Even Grandma owns a gun...err turkey caller. Because that device definitely doesn't look lethal or anything. After my tour de France of Holiday World's coasters, I explored their non-coasters. After seeing 3.5 hours of corn fields, this was a sight for sore eyes. I would say I entered this area just to get that hot dog... Mmmm that looks good. Ok this may look like a dried-out turd but it actually tasted really good. But like many credit whores, I couldn't pass up the allure of a 13ft tall Zamperla. I'm glad Thunderbird ended Howler's reign as the park's best steel coaster since that statement sounds so very wrong for such an acclaimed park. The ride mixes solid air with some of the strongest laterals around. The Legend is the least talked about of Holiday World's woodies, but I enjoyed it more than the Raven. If you look up laterals in the dictionary, you'll probably see a picture of the Legend. These mini double shot towers are arguably the best drop towers for air time. Holiday World was the most anticipated park of the trip and it didn't disappoint! Saving turkeys works up quite the appetite, so I decided to eat some afterwards. Even the food was outstanding at Holiday World. Even when B&Ms are considered "forceless," I still find their vertical loops pack a punch.

I've been meaning to make a return trip to Busch Gardens and this is another great reason to head down to Virginia.

This gets me ready for my Jersey Shore adventure this weekend.

That would be especially cruel since they would have lost their better and more unique Invertigo for a cruddier, standard Boomerang. Plus Discovery Kingdom already has a boomerang and it's one of the better ones.

Hopefully the testing today and the track walking means it could reopen soon. I got really excited after Thursday's testing last week but it never reopened while I was down there. I'm still pegging that it reopens tomorrow per Murphy's Law how I left the region.

It's annoying since I always wear cargo shorts to parks, but as long as it's free I don't have an issue with it since that shows it's truly for safety. It's when parks charge money for the mandatory lockers (like another park in NJ) that bothers me.