Canobie Coaster

And Star Wars is a much bigger IP than Cars was. I expect this to be flooded like the Harry Potter areas at Universal were when they originally opened.

As you should have. The back seat separated the men from the boys. Those drops packed some real punch, for in terms of airtime and the kidney punch that would follow. I don't regret the addition of Wicked Cyclone though. I'd pick Roar at Discovery Kingdom. Like the Cyclone, I'm sure Joker is a superior ride but I really did enjoy Roar's layout and didn't find it rough. Locally I miss the Monster Mouse at Quassy and Canobie's old Matterhorn that was run much faster than any other park.

I have some photos of the La Ronde rides you were missing in Phoenix and Gravitor. Unfortunately I just have the ride for Gravitor and not the sign.

Coney Island All good things must come to an end and New York City marked the final leg of the trip. I ended with a bang (not that kind, get your mind out of the gutter) at Coney Island. I had been there twice. My first visit was when I visited an old girlfriend four years ago and I was only able to ride the Cyclone and Wonder Wheel. I returned last spring for a job interview in NYC. Unfortunately all of the rides were closed, but I was able to get some great photos since the entire area was deserted. For my third visit to Coney Island, I was there with coaster nerds so I could get all of the credits. The Cyclone always has been and always will be the star of Coney Island. Everything about the ride matches Coney Island, rough around the edges but incredibly fun and unique. I got two rides in the back and that really is the place to ride this classic. Every single drop gives incredible ejector air and it's augmented by the lap bar only trains. The first drop is particularly insane thanks to the suddenness and the whip from the long, heavy train. The ride is mostly smooth. The last two turnarounds get pretty bumpy, but the train has plenty of padding to absorb the shock. I was also able to get my first ride on the Thunderbolt. I've seen much hate towards this ride, but I absolutely loved it as did the other two guys I rode with. The other guys on the tour who rode the following day absolutely hated it, so maybe it depends on how the restraints fit since they are weird (think of a panini press). I found them a bit uncomfortable, but I didn't notice it while the ride was in motion. The trains also have 3 across seating which is just odd to see. As for the ride, I found it perfectly smooth with the exception of a really bad shuffle at the top of the vertical loop. The rest of the ride had some outstanding ejector air. The return hops particularly stand out and are among the most powerful airtime I've experienced. I'd love to see more of these built and the ride could only improve with better restraints. I also grabbed the rest of the credits on Coney Island. I already had the Tickler from my last trip, but added the Soarin' Eagle volare (which I really enjoyed and found smooth, another unpopular opinion), the Steeplechase, and the kiddie coasters at Luna and Deno's. I can't believe the Deno's one had an on-ride photo and I considered buying it to immortalize my dirty dirty face riding it. I also rode two other classics in the Wonder Wheel and Spook-a-rama. The Wonder Wheel was as scary as ever and also provides great views of Coney Island. I really have to applaud Zamperla for the job they did breathing life back into the area. Then Spook-a-rama was a very well done haunted house with some genuinely scary gags. I also tried the Air Race and would love to see one of those crazy flats at a park in New England like Canobie or Funtown. I was tempted, but unfortunately they were closed by the time I got all of the coasters. These may have been a contributing factor. Not this time. I tried Nathan's a few years ago and thought they were just ok. I don't know how Chestnut can eat 50 of these greasy wieners in one sitting. So Coney Island. Every subway needs art like this. Deno's and the legendary Wonder Wheel are wedged between Zamperla Land. What a simple but effective haunted house. Some of the gags really made me jump. Say your final prayers... I never got to experience Astroland, but I have to say Zamperla did an amazing job and Coney Island was absolutely buzzing at 10-11 pm. The Cyclone is still a top 5 wooden coaster for me. The drops give insane ejector air in the back and the ride is smooth until the final turns. A true classic. The ride, the myth, the legend, the Coney Island Cyclone! The trains are so cushiony. I also liked this flying contraption so I may just have a high pain tolerance... I still wish I could have experienced the old Steeplechase, but this is a decent consolation. The new kid on the block was a lot of fun too! I didn't find the ride painful and those returning bunny hills have some of the top airtime anywhere.

Superman: Ride of Steel would like to have a word with you If that ride replaced the straight sections with two more airtime hills, I really think it would be talked about more.

^ It definitely was the most memorable ERT experience that I've ever had. There's nothing like riding a classic wooden coaster while wielding a lightsaber.

La Ronde Of all the parks on my "Credit Run", La Ronde was the park I was most looking forward to. Despite having a Six Flags season pass, I had never made the trek to Montreal for this interesting park. My day was very much a mixed bag. Goliath was excellent and the park has a great collection of flats. However, despite lacking "Six Flags" in the name, La Ronde made up for it with piss poor operations and head-scratching operations. My day began with the line from hell. For those of you who follow the La Ronde thread, you may have seen my post about how I had a 90 minute wait just to enter the park. Actually back track, this was after 30 minutes sitting in traffic since the park was located on an island with one road in. So from the moment my car touched the bridge that is literally above the park, it took me 2 hours to get inside the front gate. Now I knew Labor Day weekend would be busy, but I made the poor assumption more than just 3 metal detectors would be open. Despite the hellish line entering the park, the park didn't seem overly crowded. However, I bought a Gold Level Flash Pass, which was surprisingly cheap at only ~$30 US dollars, since the line to get in sucked up a decent chunk of the day. I immediately went for Goliath and absolutely loved it. The layout may be extremely basic with hill after hill, but I loved it. The ride had fantastic floater air on every single hill, especially in the back seat. I made sure to ride Goliath several times since it was easily the park's star attraction. Vampire made for a nice sidekick. I had the opportunity to experience the backwards train at Great Adventure a few years ago and was excited to experience it again. With the backwards train, it's definitely one of the most intense coasters out there. I racked up the rest of the credits as best I could in a shortened day. Super Manege was actually quite fun and I didn't have any headbanging since my head was above the headrest. The Boomerang was one of the smoother ones I've been on. Dragon was a really fun family coaster and the 45 minute wait included the most realistic looking cobwebs and spider theming I've ever seen. No wait those were real... Cobra was unfortunately closed; I knew I'd hate the ride since stand-ups aren't my favorite, but I still wanted to experience an Intamin stand-up despite the lackluster reviews I've seen. Toboggan Nordique wasn't on Flash Pass and looked to have an hour wait. No thank you, I'd rather ride Goliath. And the SLC looked great, but was as painful as always. Le Monstre was an impressive looking "dueling" coaster. Not sure if the ride ever dueled, but the park timed their dispatches such that the trains were no where close to each other. They also had two trains on the right side, but just one on the left side, which caused the left to move at a snail's pace since it's a long ride. Of course, the Flash Pass was only good for the left track. I managed to try both sides (came back for the right at night when the line was 15-20 min) and enjoyed the right side up front. The back was pretty bumpy in the back like any Six Flags wooden coaster not named El Toro. During the day, I wanted to eat using my season dining pass. Like any other Six Flags park, I grabbed my food, waited in a 20 minute line to pay, and handed the cashier my season pass. I had blank stares. I thought it was my poor attempts at French, but nope. Unlike all the other Six Flags parks, I had to get coupons from guest relations at the front of the park to use my dining pass. That was an annoying hiccup since I had to wait in line again for the food, but at least I could make up for it by getting poutine! I will definitely be back someday since the good rides definitely outweigh the spotty operations. I had to skip too many of the flats and missed some of the credits. Plus I didn't get a chance to visit Montreal at all and I've heard it's a very unique city. But for now I have a lot of photos of the endless line and some rides. Speaking of Boomerangs, this one didn't suck. Or the sky coaster. The park also had an awesome flat collection. Like the crazy top-spin thing. I mean look at this realistic theming in the line. This was a fun family coaster. Can't say the same for this Vekoma. Goliath was excellent. Tons of strong floater air. Some may say the layout is boring, but I loved the endless array of hills. After that line, I needed some Goliath to cheer up. If I had time, the wheel likely would have given comparable views of downtown Montreal. Gravitor sounds like a superhero villain. La Ronde, I will definitely be back. Despite the operations, the ride selection (specifically Goliath, Vampire, and the awesome flats) is worth returning for. I love the guy taking the selfie. Can you find him? Obligatory park entrance shot. But at least it was pretty to look at. By the way, the Pizza Pizza observation tower was closed all day and stuck halfway up. For all the awesome flats La Ronde had, Manitou was inexplicably bad. This is really the max height that it swings. Thank goodness Titan is coming next year. Any park with a monorail gets bonus points with me, but alas I had to skip it like many things due to time constraints. Le Monstre was a beautiful ride to look at, but this "dueling" coaster didn't duel. It was a fun ride up front, but how did this win? It's far from the best coaster in its own park! I've never seen a train with wings before. PS- Six Flags, this is the perfect opportunity to wrap Red Bull on the train. Note the lack of the train on the left side. The right side had 2 trains while the left side only had 1 train running, which made that side run at a snail's pace. Or the S&S space shot with a sudden, quiet launch that pauses 2/3 of the way up, completely ejects you, and then launches the vehicle downwards. Best space shot tower I've come across. If only this were the Knoebels Phoenix instead. Or the Knoebels flyers. Or the Knoebels flume. I was expecting pain but actually enjoyed this coaster. Better than the standard Arrow corkscrew or Boomerang. Unfortunately I had to skip the mouse due to time. And yes I was waiting for the kiddie coaster until I saw the sign saying adults must have a child with them. I don't stoop that low. Here's Eripmav. Wow that actually sounds French. Something looks wrong about this photo. Backwards Vampire is one of the most intense coasters out there. The non Sky Screamer star flyer. 90 minutes later I would be in the park. Also note how the people in front of me change throughout these photos. Almost as if there was line jumping... Finally at the end! And of course not all of the metal detectors were open. Is that itty bitty flag in the distance really where the entrance is? Yes Six Flags uses all of their shade for a switchback to get in the park. Or Knoebels in general since this would never happen there. I still can't believe this was the line to get in. I regret ever doing this to peeps in Roller Coaster Tycoon.

Without a season pass for them, I typically only go once per year. Their Halloween event and the rare opportunity to get pitch black Boulder Dash rides results in my annual trip being around Halloween. Maybe the retracking will change this opinion, but right now I'll pick the Haunted Graveyard walkthrough over a ride on Wildcat.

I honestly can't remember the last time I rode Wildcat since it seems to always be closed during the Haunted Graveyard. Hopefully it's open next year so I can try out the new trains.

Due to crazy long lines I almost missed Nightmare at Great Escape. It had the slowest moving line I've ever seen, all for a portable coaster that could only seat 2 riders at once and run one train due to braking issues. By the time I returned to the park, it was SBNO or removed. I almost didn't make it to Bowcraft for their 2 coasters before they closed this year. I saw the post on here that they were closing and made sure to stop by after visiting Adventureland.

I've ridden Excalibur at Funtown over 100 times, so for coasters that's number one. Of all rides, I probably have the most laps on Palace Playland's flume. We used to go there 2 times a year and I would ride the flume for 2-3 hours in a row without getting out.

Whoa whoa whoa how dare you talk down on the mighty Yankee Cannonball. The ride holds a special place in my heart since it was my first wooden coaster, but I'll admit it's really just a 7/10 ride. The ride has always been a little tempermental in terms of the airtime. I have gotten 10/10 rides on it in the past in the very back (before the recent retracking), but I also had some rides without any air.

I use can-uh-bee but also hear can-oh-bee frequently.

I thought your first sentence was true, but I was actually charged 25 cents at Funtown USA to get a cup of water.

^ Wow I missed those the first time. I was too distracted by the Apple Core mascot. No soundtrack. I actually can't recall any music being played in the theme park area.

Unfortunately Voyage to the Moon closed before I was brave enough to ride it. That massive cannon freaked 5 year old me out. Now that dome just doesn't look right without the cannon. I've seen YouTube videos of it but I still regret not riding it. I love fried food but it doesn't love me back i It went even longer in Canada, but it's still a weird IP to me. Is that apple core guy from the show?

I'll lose the helix for lapbar trains any day of the week.

I was referring to how Santa's Village's crowds are made up of almost 100% families while Six Flags is split with families, teenagers, adults, etc. I can see how Santa's Village caters to out of towners especially since the area the park is located in has a low population density. It would be interesting to see if Six Flags markets it as a family style attraction or the same thrill park. If they can operate every major coaster minus Goliath, I could see that as something the other Xmas attractions in the area can't.

Granby Zoo For the longest time, I had wanted to make it to Montreal to visit one of the largest parks near me that I hadn't visited, La Ronde. On Labor Day weekend, I finally decided to make the trek across the border. On the way there I made a pit stop at a park that (as far as I can tell) has not had a trip report of it, the Granby Zoo. Primarily a zoo, and a huge one at that, the park also has a water park and an amusement area themed to Johnny Test. I remember watching Johnny Test on Saturday morning cartoons back in middle school, but the series only lasted 2 or 3 seasons with little fanfare. I'm kind of shocked the series got an entire amusement area themed to it, but maybe the IP is more popular in Canada. Anyway, the area is home to some standard carnival rides (swinging ship, ferris wheel, bumper cars, kiddie rides), a train, and a solid family coaster in Python Panique. It should be noted that the coaster is an additional upcharge. Python Panique is a L&T Systems compact coaster formerly known as Anaconda. As far as family coasters go, it's a pretty fun coaster. The first drop is decently fast and the ride is mostly smooth except for the final turn which jackhammered really badly. Once I knew it was coming, I could brace myself appropriately and not smash my knees. The park gave two laps per ride and the ride was a walk-on for both of my rides. One other interesting attraction at the zoo was a monorail named the Orient Express that traveled through about half the zoo. It was a dream come true since I could see all the animals from above without expending any energy in the grueling heat. The park also stopped the monorail in a few spots (like above the tigers) to allow everyone better looks and time to take some photos. A final note is that all employees that I came across were bilingual in both French and English. Despite my bumbling attempts at French, I ultimately had to use English for most interactions. These water slides were the zoo's newest attraction. What on earth is this thing? These bumper cars were some of the fastest and hardest hitting I've come across. Only downside was the few riders. The Granby Zoo! I could have taken a closer photo, but I prioritized getting into the park. Unfortunately the Johnny Test amusement area opened 2 hours after the rest of the park. Didn't get a chance to ride it, but I imagine this wheel could give decent views of the zoo-side. Most rides were free, but the roller coaster, swinging ship, and monorail were all upcharges. Until the amusement area opened, I took a ride on the Orient Express monorail. More zoos should get these. This was an incredibly awesome and lazy way to see the animals. The park gives two laps per ride. I say relatively since the final turn for whatever reason had nonstop jackhammering. Every other part was glass smooth. As far as family coasters go, this was a solid ride. Nice first drop and relatively smooth. Enough with the animals, time for the main attraction, the Python Panique family coaster. The zoo side was one of the best zoos I've visited. The animals were separated into their native lands. My favorite exhibit was the partially above, partially underwater hippos. I really liked how the monorail paused in this area to allow for better pictures. The non-carnivores also had huge habitats, many of which were shared with multiple species. The swinging ship was probably the park's most thrilling ride.

The layout reminds me a lot of SFNE's Superman with a shorter spaghetti bowl portion. If the airtime on this is anything like Skyrush, it will be an amazing ride.

Plus you have Santa's Village in upper NH that has done well despite arguably worse weather than Agawam. Santa's Village attracts an entirely different demographoc though but Six Flags could market that they have cell service and they'd have something new to offer. I would love to see Holiday in the Park someday.

The layout looks like a compacted version of Untamed, which is fine by me. Only complaint with Untamed is the headbanging but the lapbars will fix that here.

I'm hoping for Timberliners myself, but any train that helps reduce stress on Boulder Dash and keeps it smooth is an upgrade with me. My only gripe with Millennium Flyers is that the lap bars are heavy and always pushing down. However, they are incredibly comfortable. I've been on two coasters that used to have PTC trains that switched to flyers- Wildcat (Hershey) and GhostRider. From posts on the Knott's forum, it seems the airtime isn't as intense as before. I only rode it after the flyers were added but found the ride smooth and fast with some solid floater air. Hershey's Wildcat went from a rough, ejector-air filled coaster to a reasonably smooth ride with some pops of air when switching to flyers. With the flyers, it felt slower. Having said that, Boulder Dash maintains its speed so well that I can't see anyother train slowing it down enough to remove the air.

I really like these Zamperla balloon rides. The balloons are incredibly easy to spin and are funner than the average tea cup ride. Quassy has been doing well with additions in the past few years.

Roar was enjoyable, but as good as it was I'm betting Joker is better. Sad to see a coaster go in order to get the RMC but ultimately it's an upgrade. I actually preferred the old Cyclone in the back to get the intensity of the first four drops. I never found it unbearably rough. The ride was more slow and jerky.