Canobie Coaster

^ I agree Playland has a nice collection of classics, but no one ride stands out like at the other parks.

New York, New York The infamous Manhattan Express was renamed the Big Apple Coaster. Adventuredome The index is missing the Circus Carousel. It's also missing the FX 4D Theater and Angry Birds the Ride. The FX 4D Theater rotates between SpongeBob SquarePants 4-D and Ice Age 4-D, but Angry Birds has its own separate theater. Miner Mike is currently missing. It's still listed on the website, so maybe it's just a rehab?

^ I actually really like Coney Island. The Cyclone is one of my favorite wooden coasters anywhere and the atmosphere is really electric around there. I prefer Coney Island to Nickelodeon Universe. That being said, Nickelodeon Universe has the better steel coasters. I'd say Shellraiser and Sandy's (when it opens) are far more than just a credit run. Rye Playland is easily the worst of the three parks. It's an ok park, but none of the attractions are true standouts in my opinion.

Great report! Being able to see Mt. Fuji and pick your seats at Fuji-Q? Sounds too good to be true.

^ No problem. At least with SkyJump I can land on my feet as opposed to ending up on my butt when I go skiing.

^ That sounds like an airline where you can buy a checked bag for less when you initially buy the ticket, but if you wait until the last minute it costs more. This would be like buying the "full self driving" option for $1,000 and then being told Tesla raised it to $1,500 and you had to pay an extra $500.

I'd love for Indiana Beach to exist as-is, but I guess we'll see what comes out of Fun Spot's visit.

Unfortunately they did not. They were playing some techno music. Viva Las Vegas would have made it so much better.

^ I used Groupon for the standard rides as well. I quickly learned that Las Vegas was much like other tourist trap towns where there are discounts everywhere.

I've never heard of any other place making people pay the difference like that on a pre-purchased ticket. So does that theoretically mean they could raise the price to $100 and if you don't pay the extra $40, you aren't refunded your original purchase? I'm sorry you had a bad time. I enjoyed myself there despite a lot of closed rides and the industrial look. I do think it looked better at night with the lights though.

And the second one at Mirabilandia apparently had a lot of downtime. I never saw a single report with it running and it was closed during my visit.

I'm really intrigued to see how this dark ride turns out. And I'm excited for the confirmation Buddy is in it...because of course I want the wiener dog present.

^ I almost wasn't able to do SkyJump since the lower level of the casino had a blackout (their nightmare on a holiday weekend). I tried to jump around sunset, but the cameras at the bottom were offline. So I ended up returning at night and there was absolutely no line.

I paid $90 with a Groupon, but the base price can be $120-$150. Return jumps are $45. The Stratosphere is the perfect example how a ride's setting can make the experience.

Stratosphere Tower Space shots, wave swingers, and junior pendulum rides aren’t the most exciting rides on the planet. However, if you place them atop a 1000 foot tower, you have officially piqued my interest. The Stratosphere Tower (or as they now like to call it, the Strat) is one of the most imposing structures in Las Vegas. It is situated at the end of the strip and towers over everything! The Strat is so tall that it stretches into the (wait for it) stratosphere. The views from atop the tower are breathtaking. Las Vegas is a gorgeous city in a picturesque location. You have the bustling lights and energy of the strip contrasted with a mountain backdrop. We got high. Really high. It's incredible you have the mesmerizing lights in one direction. And snow-capped mountains in the other. The views are even more impressive from the thrill rides. The most famous attraction is the Big Shot. And it’s probably the best. The initial launch is quite thrilling. It’s not the most forceful, but it’s impossible not to think of the Roller Coaster Tycoon scenario where you shoot over the top and fall to your fiery death on the Vegas Strip. But what steals the show is the airtime. I’m used to these S&S space shots giving a meek pop of air at the top. On Big Shot, the vehicle stalls before it reaches the top. This completely ejects riders. And then the vehicle is launched downwards, so the ejector airtime is sustained for a good 2-3 seconds. Big Shot also has a second launch that is more typical of your other S&S towers, but it’s just gravy on-top of the insane airtime of the first launch. Big Shot is easily one of my favorite drop towers anywhere. That setting makes this ride. 10 out of 10 Being launched off the top would be karma for everything I've ever done in Roller Coaster Tycoon. Big Shot only goes about 2/3 up the tower, but this stall results in some insane airtime. The scariest ride is undoubtedly X-Scream. I never thought I had a fear of heights. But then I rode X-Scream and almost crapped my pants. Whoever thought it was a good idea to have a tilt track over the side of a skyscraper is a mad genius. This turned a mundane kids ride into a bonafide thrill ride. If you don’t have a death grip on that restraint as you hurtle towards the Strip, you’ve deceiving yourself. 9 out of 10 I can't think of anyway this could end badly. I was smiling on the outside, but I really looked like the guy next to me on the inside. Insanity seemed to be the most popular ride. It was certainly freaky staring at the ground and feeling the arms dance in the breeze. And it was faster than expected. But it was sort of difficult to appreciate the view spinning at a rate that fast. 8 out of 10 I wonder how many people have been hit with vomit down below. I also returned at night to try SkyJump. Having recently gone skydiving as well, I was interested to compare the two experiences. In terms of overall thrill, skydiving was definitely more intense. It's hard to top 45-50 seconds of pure freefall that included a flip or two. With SkyJump, you only have a half second of freefall before the mechanism starts controlling your speed. But that first step is scarier than jumping out of a plane for skydiving. For tandem skydiving jumps, you're at the mercy of the instructor you're attached to. For SkyJump, you have to be the one to take that step off the edge of the platform. That "Oh crap" moment is the real thrill. And it's just icing on the cake to have the breathtaking views of Vegas as well. Would I do SkyJump again? Not for full price. The experience was almost surreal, but it was pricey. However, returning jumpers can jump for half price. And that's good until the end of time provided I show my certificate. That's me (as my girlfriend watches in fear). Of the attractions in Las Vegas, the Stratosphere was probably my favorite. Those thrill rides really give one-of-a-kind experiences and the views were simply incredible.

^ I guess theme parks aren't his strong area.

I'm glad I stopped here once in 2010 on the way home from Niagara Falls. I drove past it a few other times, but regrettably never went back.

Does anyone have a source or news article stating Sky Dragster has closed? I've seen a few coaster sites post this, but none of them have a direct source or news article.

Awesome report! I love the language lines for the Jungle River Cruise. It shows how much Disney takes into consideration the guest experience. That finale also looks like a neat twist on the usual Jungle Cruise.

^ I do enjoy Nighthawk and I would have ridden it if it were open. Unfortunately, both that and Intimidator were closed since I visited so late in the season.

^ If I remember correctly, Tempesto required riders to use a fanny pack if they didn't have a zippered pocket. So in the past, it seems like Busch (the Williamsburg one at least) was doing it with good intentions rather than trying to make some extra cash.

Speaking of Apex, I think we also need to keep an eye on Fantasy Island. Apex owned three amusement parks. Two of the three have closed this winter- Clementon and now Indiana Beach. The third is Fantasy Island. Checking the website of Apex, their list of parks has been taken down and the logo for Fantasy Island can't be found anywhere. https://apexparksgroup.com/parks

Indiana Beach was definitely a unique park and I loved Cornball Express, but it wasn't in a really good place when I visited 3 years ago. A lot of rides were closed, including 5 of the 6 coasters by the end of the night. I'd want nothing more than for someone to come in and restore this park to how it was before the new owners took over. Nantasket Beach in Hull, MA has one that opens on very rare occasions. There's a very active one still in Seaside, Oregon. Wikipedia also says there's Fascination at Sylvan Beach Park, Looff's Lite-a-Line in Long Beach, CA, and a retro arcade in Wildwood, NJ.

If I'm interpreting this correctly, then this will have the same axes of movement as Vertigo at Tivoli Gardens, which is great!

Carowinds- Just Before Winterfest Whenever I visit Dollywood, I have a big choice to make. Do I want to fly out of Atlanta and visit Six Flags Over Georgia? Or would I rather fly out of Charlotte and go to Carowinds? I know Knoxville exists, but I can't get there directly and visiting one of the two above parks is more fun anyway. Now I do really like Six Flags Over Georgia, but they aren’t home to Fury 325. I also wanted to get some rerides on Copperhead Strike now that it was running more reliably. There was just one problem- the weather. Sunny skies and 50 degrees. Aka winter down south. Carowinds actually closed early the day prior. But the park did open for its last day of non-Winterfest operations and it was a ghost town. The park was so deserted that they actually ran one train on Fury 325. This was the only ride with a line and even still, it was no more than 15-20 minutes. Compare that to my last visit when the entire queue was filled with three train operations. I also think the one train operations were for another reason. If you’ve ridden Fury, you know how fast it feels. It seems almost inconceivable it could valley. But the morning’s empty test trains barely made it into the brake run. It all made sense. They couldn’t risk an empty train. But with a full train, Fury hauled per usual. The first half showcases the speed. It felt like the cool air was trying to rip my face off. But my face was prepared for this. It was used to Nitro in the teens. And with all that speed, Fury also delivered plenty of airtime. The first drop alone gives 4-5 seconds of sustained floater, but then you also have those incredible three return hills and some surprising sideways airtime that would make RMC proud. 10 out of 10 Planes love to photobomb Carowinds. The test train hauled through the first half, but it crawled through the finale. It's like Orion with an extra 50 feet. I love how Fury interacts with the entry plaza. I think Copperhead Strike was the only coaster running multiple trains and it was warranted. It had the second longest line in the park at a whopping 5-10 minutes. It was nice being able to ride this coaster again since it was hardly open during my March visit. Copperhead Strike is a jack-of-all-trades. It has airtime (both floater and ejector pops), insane hangtime, a whippy corkscrew, quick transitions, and some nice theming. Really the only part where Copperhead Strike lets up is the little twister segment before the final bunny hill. 9 out of 10 So much hangtime. Oh so much hangtime. And also airtime for good measure. Afterburn was running particularly well. I’ve always enjoyed Afterburn, but I never remember it being this forceful. This thing was pulling some serious Gs like Montu, particularly on the batwing and final corkscrew. And it was still as smooth as a baby’s bottom despite being 20 years old. 9 out of 10 I found it hysterical they were playing the Top Gun theme in the station. More inverts need batwings. Another ride that pulled some Gs was the Carolina Cyclone. However, that ride is not as smooth as a baby’s bottom…unless that baby’s bottom is coated in rocks and dried turds. There was no headbanging (for me at least), but every transition was a bit shaky. However, the ride is worth experiencing for the pop of air on the drop and forceful vertical loops. 5 out of 10 Dolly has her Coat of Many Colors. Carowinds has its Coaster of Many Colors. I had met up with a fellow enthusiast and we decided to take a token lap on Hurler. If you know me, you know I have a very strong resistance to rough rides. So my fellow enthusiast chose a wheel seat (row 2) and I didn’t even bat an eye. While he found the ride rough, I found it pretty decent outside of the low-to-the-ground turns on the far-side of the ride. Those were quite bumpy. But the rest of the ride wasn’t rough at all and even had some weak pops of air. 5 out of 10 Do I hate Hurler? No. Would I prefer another Twisted Timbers? Yes please! One of the most underrated rides at Carowinds is the Mountain Gliders. These are one of my favorite sets of flying skooters. While they aren’t as fast as the ones at Knoebels, these ones have one key advantage. The operators don’t care if you snap. In fact, I’ve seen them encourage it on a past visit! And for that reason, I was bouncing about to the delightful and unnatural sound of steel cables snapping. 9 out of 10 When I saw the riders before me snapping like crazy, I knew I was in the clear. I also made sure to ride Electro-Spin since it was closed back in March. Since this wasn’t the German fair circuit, I boarded with tempered expectations. I expected a short cycle with minimal flips. Much to my shock, I got a long cycle in both directions with too many inversions to count. There weren’t too many fast flips, but there was plenty of drawn-out inversions loaded with hangtime. When a top scan is run correctly, it’s one of my favorite flats. 9 out of 10 But the highlight of the visit was the 1.5 hour marathon on Fury to close out the night. Remember how Fury was only running one train earlier in the day? It was fully warmed up now and running two. And not only were they running two, but the crew was firing on all cylinders. The crew set a record for the most dispatches in an hour with 36. And that was with just two trains! A+ for them! And the funny part is that I later found out this was apparently a Cedar Point crew. Some enthusiasts like to be on the last train of the season to win a pissing match. I just like to be on the last train since parks with enthusiast ride operators tend to give double rides. And that proved to be the case with Fury. It was great wrapping the night with back-to-back night rides in the front row on Fury. So this is why it's called the treble clef. I don’t think I’ll ever be at Carowinds on such a light day ever again. In fact, I think half the people in the park were enthusiasts. So it was a great day to make some new friends and get countless rerides on the park’s big three steel coasters.