Canobie Coaster

Yes, it's one time res on the more expensive pass only. They were doing flash pass on it up through this weekend. The ride was closed yesterday, and today they are doing media day, and they have the whole underground area blocked off from guests. Thanks! It'll be interesting if it's allowed with the Diamond Elite skip-the-line passes as well.

The only flyers I've ridden that can match the ones at Knoebels are the ones at Lagoon. The ones at Holiday World are a step above the Larson ones, but they don't come close to the Knoebels ones.

Is West Coast Racers one-time only on Flash Pass? The Flash Pass site doesn't show the ride yet (assuming it's on Flash Pass).

Those trains make the ride. I'd be interested to know what you find out as the season opens up.

Hopefully you can schedule a visit to Vancouver while Coaster is open since it's truly a world-class ride.

Probably an obscure question, but were you using your mobile data or WiFi? I'm guessing data is probably safer with everyone in the park all at once.

^ Thanks again for warning me about how Coaster was down to one train and that the queue would be massive. It helped me mentally prepare. I think a lot of the questions stemmed from the fact that the other train was sitting on the transfer track. You can see it in the station shot I have below. But based on what happened on BC Day, that makes sense why it wasn't running. I'm just glad they were able to reopen Coaster. I am interested to know if Coaster got new trains if they could keep the same restraints. For the Fair, Atmosfear's queue easily looked to be 60-90 minutes, so that makes sense why it was shortened for the event.

I also know these past few weeks are some of the busiest of the year, so I'm interested to see how quickly these groups disappear during a regular day in January.

Thanks for an update how the boarding pass system is working and what times you recommend arriving.

Fantastic report! That's really nice they have the haunts running in daylight hours. So many US parks don't open the haunts until the evening, which can make it hard to do everything. That's a bummer you couldn't get the back on Flying Dinosaur for that first drop. It took me a few tries in the single rider line to get it. But that ride is fantastic in any seat.

PNE Playland One of my biggest bucket list coasters has been Coaster at PNE Playland. Not many enthusiasts make it out to Vancouver, but those who do have nothing but rave reviews for this classic coaster. Fortunately, I was in the Seattle area for work on Labor Day weekend. Unfortunately, this was the part of the year when Playland is absorbed into the PNE Fair. This means Playland gets absolutely slammed. If you plan to visit the PNE, make sure you buy a Rapid Pass in advance online like I did. I cannot emphasize this enough. When I arrived in the early afternoon, they had already sold out and all major rides had queues of 1-1.5 hours. I wish there was an unlimited option, but I was grateful for anything they had. Casually parking on a horse racetrack. Tim Hortons Stage...I'm definitely in Canada. So many people. So much fried food. Coaster was undoubtedly my first stop. Going in, I knew they were down to one train. So it wasn’t surprising to see the queue at the 1.5 hour mark all day. People kept asking why they only had one train going and the ops kept apologizing saying they weren’t allowed to run multiple. Rapid Pass had me on the train in no time for my first ride, but I probably spent a total of 7 hours in that unshaded hellhole. It was one of the more miserable queues I’ve waited in due to the sheer length and lack of shade. But I had no regrets. Coaster was that good! The trains 100% make this ride. No seat divers. No seat belts. And a single position lap bar. It’s a coaster enthusiast’s wet dream. The airtime and laterals on this thing are insane. Just look at the room between your lap and the bar. The first drop gets things started with some good airtime. That’s followed by the first turnaround which finds front seat riders hovering against the lap bar. Then comes the second drop. Back seat riders are treated to some serious ejector air. From that point forward, I couldn’t keep my hands up. Front seat riders get a taste of that terrifying ejector air on the third hill; back seat riders just get a weak pop. The second turnaround does nothing for the back, but front seat riders get some nice floater and insane laterals. From this point forward, Coaster goes nuts. The drop off the (I think) mid-course is ridiculous. Imagine the intensity of Raven’s fifth drop or GhostRider’s MCBR drop with a freaking buzz bar and no seat belts. It was physically impossible not to stand up. Even Colin Kaepernick would be forced to stand. The third turnaround then dishes out even crazier laterals. That’s followed by this twisted bunny hill. Front seat riders get a lethal combination of sustained floater and crazy laterals. Back seat riders just get another burst of ejector air. Turnaround 4 delivers the laterals of the prior turnaround, but this one is kinked entering and exiting so everyone gets strong pops of air as well. Then comes the finale. I honestly don’t know how the next two bunny hills haven’t killed anyone. The airtime is so powerful and abrupt. It’s like the Phoenix’s finale on steroids. After another lateral-heavy turnaround, there are two little dips with quick pops of air before hitting the brakes. Coaster is unbelievable. The airtime this coaster delivers with such a minimalistic restraint system is mind-blowing. And when you mix in laterals stronger than the Legend, you have one of the best and wildest coasters in the world. 10 out of 10 This drop gives good air. And it isn't even the craziest part of the ride. Not even close. This is Phoenix on some Barry Bonds level steroids. It was hard to pull myself away from Coaster, but there were other things at the park. With the crowds, even the junior coasters had sizable queues. I think I waited 20-30 minutes for both Kettle Creek Mine Ride and Bug Whirled. The wait was 100% due to crowds and not the fault of the operators. Kettle Creek Mine Ride was an enjoyable kiddie coaster. It had some whip on the drop and it had arguably had the nicest landscaping in the entire park. 3 out of 10 I really liked how this kiddie coaster fit into the park. These are about the extent of the trees on the midway. Bug Whirled was a good SBF spinner. This one had a constant spin that was particularly forceful passing through the station. I think it only gave 4 laps, but it made sense given the crowds. 4 out of 10 The SBF spinners have migrated across the border to Canada too. I was also surprised to see Corkscrew still standing. RCDB lists the infamous Final Destination coaster as removed, but it’s still there rotting in the corner of the park. I guess Playland hasn’t found a buyer yet. The star of Final Destination 3 in the flesh. With the coasters knocked out, I decided to utilize my Rapid Pass to knock out some of the park’s notable non-coasters. The top dog for me was Beast, an odd KMG frisbee. Not only is this one massive, but half the seats face inwards and half the seats face outwards. I skipped a posted 90 minute wait and grabbed an outer facing seat. I expected your usual frisbee ride focused on airtime. But on this one, only the last swing gave any real airtime. Instead, I got some downright terrifying laterals on Beast. Instead of forcing your body upwards, most max swings force you forwards into the restraint. It’s sort of unsettling because of the ride’s height and just how odd the sensation is. But I definitely enjoyed it. 8 out of 10 This is about as high as Beast goes. So instead of airtime, you get these bizarre outward laterals. Up next was Hellevator, which is one of my favorite ride names of all-time. I’m probably partial to it since Riverside (aka SFNE in a former life) also had a S&S turbo drop with the same name. This one had your average drop, but the view of Vancouver was spectacular. I knew I’d see skyscrapers, but I had no idea the city had a mountainous backdrop as well. 7 out of 10 I spy a helicopter. That view is why I was eager to ride the star flyer, Atmosfear. However, there was a problem. The cycle was pitifully short. Immediately after we reached the top of the tower, we started descending. It was a buzzkill since the view was even more impressive. With a longer cycle, this would be one of the world’s best star flyers. So I have a question for those who frequent the park. Is Atmosfear’s cycle always this short? I’m guessing it may have been modified due to the PNE’s crowds. 7 out of 10 This has one of the best views of any star flyer. I also took a lap on the Flume. I know it’s technically a custom layout, but it basically feels like the standard portable flume just stretched out a bit. And since the drops were nothing special, this flume is probably one of the poorer ones out there. 3 out of 10 I know it's technically a custom layout, but it's basically the standard portable layout. The ride lineup is bolstered for the PNE with a few traveling spinning rides, haunts, and fun houses. In the interest of time, I skipped most of these, but I did try the Stampede Fever fun house. The fun house wasn’t the best to begin with. It just had some spinning discs, rollers, and vibrating floors. But it became downright unenjoyable since the narrow pathway turned into a conga line with all the people that were admitted at once. 2 out of 10 In retrospect, this doesn't even look that great off-ride. When the sun started to set, I returned to Coaster. I was determined to get as many rides as possible before the park closed. The line never died down, but at least I wasn’t baking in the sun. With each ride, I loved Coaster more and more. I always thought Coaster was the west coast Phoenix. But I was wrong. The airtime and laterals on this thing are on another level. There’s no way this thing could exist in America. I found the park’s closing procedure interesting. 15 minutes before closing, the park closed Coaster’s queue. At that point, the park exercised a staggered close on all other rides. It seemed like every other ride was timed perfectly to finish its last cycle with Coaster. I spent way too much time in line for this. Chaser lights are my weakness. As a park, Playland was fine. It really did feel like a glorified carnival. It just happened to have a world-class coaster. For me, Coaster defines the place. It’s truly a destination coaster if you ask me. If you’re a coaster enthusiast coming from a distance, I don’t recommend visiting during the PNE Fair. Yes the fair food is great and you do have some bonus rides, but if you want to maximize your rides on Coaster (and you absolutely will since that ride is amazing), visit during another time. Here are some of the bonus fair rides. Including this creepy looking thing.

Great updates! It's exciting to see this park be reborn with such care.

It's definitely a very nice park and I have no doubt we'd hear more about it if it were closer to other parks.

^ Thanks! I'll definitely make a point to hit the train next time. I just couldn't believe how early people got there for it.

I can definitely see how Tremors may not have the best airtime on a cooler day since the middle of the layout sapped quite a bit of its speed. But by my night rides, it was flying through this section.

Thanks! I thought Tremors had plenty of airtime for me. It was a pretty hot day for me. Were you there on a cooler day since I know Timber Terror usually runs backwards for their haunt?

Most of the parks in New England are on the smaller side, but Boulder Dash, Superman, and Wicked Cyclone make the trip worth it for enthusiasts.

Thanks! If they could cut their dispatch speeds down by combining the seat belt and restraint checks, the lines would probably move fast enough that a second train isn't truly needed. Doesn't the train have a hold-up scene?

^ Oh I don't mind that sensation.

I haven't ridden it since 2015. I aim to keep that streak going. I watched him ride it and thought "maybe with the winter coat and hat it won't be so bad, maybe he'll ride it again, so let's see what he says when he gets off" and he came out of the exit path saying "Well, that sucked". Yeah, I didn't ride. Superman was fun though. I really like Green Lantern. I used to hate all B&M stand-ups, but I now make sure the top of the OSTR is pressed against my shoulders so I get no headbanging. That also keeps the bike seat nice and low.

^ I think that was TPR's experience at Six Flags Great America a few years back.

^ Sad thing is that I have the report pretty much written, but it's behind a backlog of others. Maybe I'll just post it early since it's reflective of anyone who tries to go in the near future.

^ As long as Boulder Dash doesn't lose any speed from Topper Track, I'd be all for it if it makes the ride easier to maintain. That being said, I find Boulder Dash easy to marathon but know others that find it too rough now.

Thanks! I'm a fan of CCIs, so Silverwood was always on my radar. I'm glad to have gotten the chance to visit, especially for Tremors.

Silverwood Silverwood is easily one of the most annoying parks for enthusiasts to visit. Everyone who visits it has great things to say about it, but it’s in a remote park of Idaho hundreds of miles from any other park. A work trip brought me “close” to Silverwood, so it seemed like the perfect time to visit. And when I say close, I mean that it was only a 5.5 hour drive away. I finally visited one of my big bucket list parks. Thankfully the drive was quite scenic. Silverwood feels like a classic park. It oozes charm. However, it’s only 30 years old! In fact, the parks it reminds me most of are Lake Compounce and Kennywood. That comes with both the pros and cons. Just take a look at these parallels. You park across the street and enter the park through a tunnel. You have traditional architecture. You have classic, historical attractions. You have a lineup heavy on wooden coasters. But you also have one train ops. The latter was particularly troubling since I was visiting on Labor Day weekend. While Lake Compounce and Kennywood are known for running one train even on the busiest of days, they at least have second trains. Silverwood doesn’t even own second trains. In fact, their rides don’t even have transfer tracks. But the real problem was the dispatch speed. This may be a hot take, but the dispatches at Mt. Olympus or Six Flags America are way faster. The culprit was a painstakingly slow seatbelt check done separately from the lap bar check. I feel bad saying that since the staff of Silverwood was so nice, but it has to be said. Fortunately, I have nothing else but positives to say about this amazing park. At least they're honest some lines move slowly. My most anticipated attraction was Tremors and it did not disappoint. Tremors has one of the best layouts of any coaster I’ve ridden. It has four underground tunnels and combines elements of both an out-and-back and twister. The first drop is phenomenal. Back row riders get a strong pop of air and you dive underneath the gift shop. You then fly over this bunny hill with amazing sustained floater air before diving underground yet again. Front row riders then get a powerful pop of air as you enter the ride’s helix. And that helix is something special. The laterals are comparable to Legend’s famous double helix. This is followed by a middle section that has a few more airtime hills. It does feel a bit slow though. Really that’s the only weak spot on the ride. Tremors picks it back up for the finale. You dive underground yet again. If you’re in the back, you get a great dose of laterals and airtime. That’s followed by a great bunny hill similar to the first one before you loop back into the station. Tremors is basically an improved version of Legend. You have comparable laterals, but far more airtime. And it’s extremely well taken care of (the Topper Track probably helps in that regard). 9 out of 10 Tremors registers a solid 9 on the Richter scale. You dive underground not once, not twice, not thrice, but four times! You even fly through the gift shop, which simulates an earthquake. Artsy. This layout is fantastic. It's a delightful mess of track. I was really looking forward to Timber Terror. I heard this was an airtime machine. And my anticipation only mounted when I saw the buzz bars. The outward leg was incredible. The first drop had some fantastic airtime, as did the following bunny hill and double up. And the far turn had some powerful laterals. But then the ride dies. The return leg has plenty of speed, but for whatever reason there’s no more airtime. This is true in both the front and back. The first half is a 10, but the second half is a 5. 7.5 out of 10 Also, can we take a moment to appreciate that both these wooden coasters have a height requirement of just 42”? It’s like a west coast Knoebels. A volcanic tree? That's awesome! I was bummed there wasn't a t-shirt with this logo. Timberrrrrrrrrr If only the return leg could match the airtime of the outward leg. I then looked off in the distance and had a case of deja vu. Or maybe it was PTSD? I saw a familiar green structure. However, I told myself Aftershock has the original Vekoma trains instead of the Premier trains that ruined SFNE’s Goliath. While it still had some headbanging, this tracks far better than the one at SFNE. That allowed me to appreciate the incredible drops and Gs on the inversions. 6 out of 10 I miss the OG Vekoma trains. Roller Coaster Alley is also home to Silverwood’s craziest flats. The most unique is SpinCycle. It may look like your average giant frisbee, but this ride is quite unique. For one, it inverts. But the more unique thing is that the swing is slow and controlled. This takes away all the airtime; however, you get an insane amount of hangtime. Further, you’re still spinning at a decent clip while you’re getting that hangtime. I loved SpinCycle since its sensations were so different. Honestly, it reminded me more of those old Evolution rides than your traditional frisbee. 9 out of 10 If Prince Desmond stood under SpinCycle, maybe he would've had enough cash to move the Big Dipper...but still no plan. SpinCycle was an attention whore at night. Next door is Panic Plunge, one of those amazing Larson towers. Per usual, the drop was absolutely gut-wrenching. And since Silverwood is surrounded by mountains, the view made this one extra special. 10 out of 10 Silverwood is in such a scenic location. Those people are trying to understand what just happened. I then made a lap of the remaining coasters, starting with the historical Corkscrew. This was the first modern coaster to invert and it rode accordingly. It was pretty jostly and had a vibration that was uncharacteristic for an Arrow. 3 out of 10 Corkscrew? More like Corkscrewed. Tiny Toot is one of the most embarrassing coasters you’ll find anywhere. For one, it’s powered. Two, it doesn’t really have a drop. But of course this single adult rode it all by his lonesome. 1 out of 10 Usually I have no shame. This time I had a little. I felt much less dirty riding Krazy Koaster. Maybe it was because SBF spinners are usually pretty fun or maybe it was because the park had a sprayer at the entrance. Yes you’re reading that right. You get wet boarding this ride. Now I said SBF spinners are usually fun. That assumes they spin of course. I got excited when the operator manually started spinning us before she dispatched the train, but we hardly spun the rest of the way. 2 out of 10 Krazy Koaster is so crazy that it's spelled with a k. I did want to try the park’s revered train; however, it was incredibly popular. Like the Dollywood Express, this steam engine only leaves at the top of the hour. Maybe it was just the day I visited, but you couldn’t just walk up and ride it. The train would often hit capacity and people would wait for the next one. I did take a ride on the park’s Ferris Wheel, carefully timing my ride with sunset. I figured it’d be gorgeous overlooking the mountains. The sky was beautiful, but the Ferris Wheel couldn’t quite clear the trees around it so the mountains were a bit obstructed. But the coasters were perfectly clear. The sky was quite beautiful. I just wish the wheel went a bit higher so I could get an unobstructed view of the mountains. But the coasters were even more beautiful. As darkness fell across the park, I made my way over to Tremors. I always suspected it would be an incredible night ride. This is why I chose to visit on a busy Saturday since the park was open late. And my patience was rewarded. Tremors ran like a bat-out-of-hell. Almost the entire layout was pitch black. Remember how the middle section felt slow earlier? My night rides cured that. Tremors was flat out fantastic. I contemplated trying Timber Terror at night, but I couldn’t pull myself away from Tremors. I spent the last 2 hours on Tremors, waiting about 30-40 minutes each time. This is about all the light you get on Tremors. I have a soft spot for traditional parks and wooden coasters. So of course I loved Silverwood! Tremors alone is worth the trip to Idaho, but Silverwood has so much more. It’s an incredibly warm and inviting place. Just beware of the one train ops on busier days.