Canobie Coaster

There aren't many parks I actively hate, but this is a rare exception.

How smooth was the Voyage running compared to early in the year? I got my smoothest rides ever on it during Holiwood Nights. I have ridden it towards the end of the year in the past and definitely noticed the return run was bumpier.

Just a FYI to anyone going to Holiday World, but Voyage is down for the remainder of the year. Holiday World says they want to get a jump start on maintenance so the ride is running smoother in 2020.

On the heels of an odd story last weekend where Clementon Park was closed for Guest Appreciation Day (Link), Screamscape did some digging and there's a rumor Clementon Park has closed. While there's no official word or statement from the park, the park has suddenly deleted their Facebook and Instagram accounts. This is on top of Clementon ending their season early. If this is true, I'm not too surprised. I visited on a sunny summer weekend two years ago and it was deserted. It was also ridiculously overpriced at $45 per person plus $20 to park. I did see the website (still up) having tickets priced at $20 for this year.

The Pepsi Python at the now closed Coney Island had a two car train and it had some nice air on the drops. The old Galaxi at Palace Playland had a double car, but the drops on the SDC ones aren't as steep.

Great report. Vortex looks amazing! I'm now mad my friend didn't take me there when I visited him in Atlanta.

^ The original announcement did say it's going in the DC Area. Sorry Goliath isn't leaving.

Minutes from the Agawam Town Board confirm a ride will be removed for Supergirl. It doesn't say Kryptonite Kollider, but it makes too much sense. Meeting Minutes

Hersheypark I wasn’t expecting to make a second trip to Hersheypark this year, but that’s exactly what happened when our family vacation passed through the Sweetest Place on Earth en route to Washington DC. We took advantage of the twilight ticket (I love when parks offer these) and had a very focused visit. My priorities were the three Intamins, the renovated dark ride, and the new-for-2018 water coaster. As we walked past the makeshift entrance, I could see Candymonium’s chocolate-brown brake run. I cannot wait for Hersheypark to have a proper entrance again in 2019 anchored by another hyper. Not a fan of the name, but the ride looks fantastic. But for now, there’s Skyrush. Per usual, the ride had barely any wait. Meanwhile the nearby Sooperdooperlooper, Comet, and Great Bear all had posted waits approaching an hour. No matter how many times I ride Skyrush, it always takes my breath away. Even the freaking lift hill is so fast that it pulls some Gs. But the real lunacy begins with that first drop. I’m still in awe how that thing delivers not one, but two insane pops of ejector air. The rest of the layout alternates between camelbacks with some of the most powerful sustained airtime on the planet and turns that try to flip you into the creek. I know many whine about Skyrush’s restraints, but I love how minimalistic they are. 10 out of 10 This temporary entrance showcases Skyrush quite well. Hmmm the weathermen said it was supposed to be a clear day. More on that later. Our next stop was Breakers Edge. It seemed like a smart decision considering the Boardwalk closed two hours early, but it was especially wise with what transpired next. We mentally prepared ourselves to have to wait 1-2 hours to ride Breakers Edge. Much to our shock, the queue was just at the merge point! It still took us 40 minutes from that point due to the ride’s capacity (they have rafts with 4 seats, but they only allow 2-3 riders per raft) and a breakdown. In retrospect, I suspect the ride must have broken down before we entered the queue as well. I can’t think of any reason why it would have been that empty on a 90 degree day. I love water coasters that focus on airtime. For that reason, I was really disappointed by Fiesta Texas’s Thunder Rapids. Breakers Edge looked like the perfect mix of the two. I definitely enjoyed the ride. The first drop had some nice airtime, but that was it. The rest of the ride held its speed well though. It just didn’t have as much air as expected. 7 out of 10 Six Flags calls their Larson Loops coasters. Cedar Fair calls their Diskos coasters. And Hersheypark calls their water coaster a coaster. The other reason why we were lucky to have ridden Breakers Edge when we did was the weather. After we got off, we heard an announcement that the Boardwalk was closing due to inclement weather. We were really confused since there was zero rain in the forecast. Had the weathermen missed something? The answer was a resounding yes. Not even 15 minutes later, the skies opened up and unleashed a flood upon the park. Since all outdoor rides were closed, we figured we might as well enter the queue for Reese’s Cupfusion. It’s not like we had any other options since Laff Trakk was also closed*. * This would have been especially funny if the indoor coaster was closed due to rain, but it was just having a temporary mechanical glitch. It reopened shortly after we entered the queue for Cupfusion. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. The queue for Cupfusion was miserable. We only waited an hour, which was thankfully less than the posted 2 hour wait, but it moved painstakingly slow. And it quickly became apparent why. Well this may take a while. Each train holds 8 people. The park was filling half the train with Fast Track guests. While it stunk seeing the main queue move at a snail’s pace, I have no problem with it since the Fast Track guests paid a pretty penny for those and I’ve been on the other side many times. At least I had enough time to understand the ride’s story. Basically some reject candies (who will end up in your child’s nightmares) want to steal the heart and soul of the Reese’s factory. As for the ride, Cupfusion is a major upgrade over Reese’s Xtreme Cup Challenge. The ride added a ton of screens to compliment the physical targets and it felt like a discount Toy Story Mania. The sheer amount of targets was overwhelming and the guns worked flawlessly. 8 out of 10 While I didn't hate Reese's Xtreme Cup Challenge, I certainly didn't mind seeing it upgraded. Since the storm had passed, we decided to run after it on Storm Runner. The queue was a very manageable 20 minutes and that included us waiting for the front row. Is there any other place to ride these Intamin accelerator coasters? I always forget just how strong Storm Runner’s launch is. I think it packs more of a punch than that of Dragster or Kingda Ka. And it most certainly offers a more complete ride experience. After that launch, you have an amazing top hat with a boatload of airtime, some greying out in the following valley, a decent Immelmann, a surprise pop of air into the barrel rolls, some insane hangtime on the barrel rolls, and a speedy finish into the brakes. Storm Runner is still short compared to most coasters, but it lasts an eternity compared to most accelerator coasters. And it puts the pedal to the metal until you hit the brakes. 9 out of 10 We fittingly rode Storm Runner after the storm passed. We had about an hour left. Since Fahrenheit still had a lengthy queue, we decided to return for the last ride of the night. Great Bear and Comet also had sizable queues, we decided to return to Skyrush. And I have to be honest, I’ve never seen the queue this long at the end of the night. It was two switchbacks deep! That being said, we still only had to wait 20 minutes, which is more than worth it for one of the most intense coasters in the world. Skyrush hauls anytime of the day, but it feels especially magical at night. Those airtime hills feel like they’re trying to catapult you into orbit. We also ran into a fellow coaster enthusiast in the queue line and we realized we had met each other on opening day while waiting for Storm Runner. Not surprisingly, he’s local to the park. He did warn us that Hershey occasionally will close off Fahrenheit’s queue. Skyrush sure looks sexy at night. So with some trepidation, we pried ourselves away from Skyrush and made our way towards Fahrenheit. I really wanted to get on this odd Intamin since it was closed on my opening day visit. Fortunately, the queue was still open and it wasn’t too long either. In my past visits, Fahrenheit is the king of stacking. Not on this day. I think we were on the ride in less than 10 minutes. We requested the back and it was well worth it for that drop. It’s some very strong airtime not unlike what you’d find on Maverick or a Eurofighter. And then that leads into the odd Norwegian loop that pulls some serious Gs on the bottom and a surprise pop of air exiting. Admittedly, I do find the cobra roll a rattly throwaway, but the subsequent two corkscrews are insane. They are taken faster than almost any other corkscrew I’ve experienced and they’re super disorienting. That’s followed by a snappy overbank and a powerful airtime hill fit for a hyper. 9 out of 10 I have a lot of pictures of lift hills at night. And I'm ok with that. Hersheypark is undoubtedly a full day park, but I was just thankful to get a half day there as part of a family vacation. For as many coasters as this park has, Hersheypark has an undeniable charm to it. And I know for a fact I will be back next year to ride Candymonium. It’s not like I needed another reason to go back to Hershey, but another hyper certainly helps.

I agree GhostRider is amazing. I feel like it'll be hurt in polls for a while since a lot will vote for it pre-refurb.

^ If that really did happen with Surf Coaster, that makes sense. I really liked that ride.

^ Did I miss something about Sea Paradise closing?

^ Will do. But from watching the app over the past week, it seems to have delayed openings in the morning. I'd hate to wake up early and go through all that hassle just to find it closed.

Great report! It seems like the few people who have ridden Hakugai all agree it's running way faster than the initial POVs looked. T-Express is a big bucket list coaster of mine and I'm glad it's still running well.

^ I actually really like those balloon rides since they're stupidly easy to spin. But that's understandable.

Great report! There are so many weird things at this park. I particularly like the automatic dispatching dark ride and the Cars ripoff. But I really think they should just swap this sign with the Vekoma test seats out front.

Unbelievable transparency. I know we're going to wait forever, but we're just getting in line around noon. We're not joining the masses in the morning since it always seems to have a delayed opening (unless the app lies then too) and now it could close as early as 3:30.

Since I'll be at Islands of Adventure in two weeks, I've been keeping an eye on Hagrid's queue. I think today may be a new low. It's already "At Capacity" 5 hours before closing. I know it always closes early, but that's stunning on a weekday.

This makes me a whole lot better about posting a "normal" report of a single, childless adult at Dutch Wonderland. I had no clue this park even existed so this was a nice report. Being locked in a park with all those figures is definitely an experience you won't soon forget.

Dutch Wonderland When I’m on vacation, I want to pack as much into the trip as possible. One casualty of this mentality is sleep. For me, I can catch up on sleep when I’m back home. My family has a much different mentality. After a late night at Knoebels, they wanted to sleep in. I didn’t want to wake them, so I was considerate and walked across the street to Dutch Wonderland. Since my last visit, Dutch Wonderland had added a shiny new coaster and been purchased by Parques Reunidos. I was especially nervous of the latter, but fortunately the park has still retained its charm much like Story Land. Are you ready for some fun beyond the castle walls? After the guard (not a security guard, but a knight) announced the park was open, a stampede of kids dashed towards Merlin’s Mayhem. Since I was past puberty, I totally could have beaten them there. But some things (like unwanted attention at a children’s park), just aren’t worth it. Merlin’s Mayhem dominates the center of the park. It soars over the Sky Ride, whizzes past fountains, and dives into a fog-filled tunnel. These visuals make the ride as much a joy to watch as it is to ride. The ride isn’t particularly intense. The first drop does have a bit of whip in back and one helix in the middle of the ride has some force to it. But the coaster really is about those visuals and the feeling of freedom you get thanks to the minimalistic restraints. And it’s quite smooth too. Experienced coaster enthusiasts will like Merlin’s Mayhem. Budding coaster enthusiasts will love Merlin’s Mayhem. This is the perfect marquee attraction for a park like Dutch Wonderland. 6 out of 10 Merlin's Mayhem dominates the center of the park. A pre-drop for good luck. Merlin's Mayhem is a super photogenic ride. Take the tunnel! That father looks genuinely terrified. The young boy up front is not impressed. Up next was the park’s former marquee attraction, the Kingdom Coaster. CCI’s first coaster is still going strong. It’s smooth, offers the tiniest pops of airtime imaginable, and actually has some decent laterals since most turns are unbanked. From a ride perspective, this is the perfect starter wood coaster for kids. Except there’s one problem- the 46” height requirement. So a kid too short to experience the gentle pops of air on Kingdom Coaster could very well be launched into orbit on Phoenix or Oscar’s Wacky Taxi. 5 out of 10 Kingdom Coaster runs along the perimeter of the park. Airtime? Maybe a tiny amount. I love the odd blue and purple paint scheme. With the two big coasters out of the way, I made a lap of the park hitting anything else of interest. That included the Double Splash Flume. As you may expect, it’s a log flume with two drops. Now those drops are very small. I think the drops on Pirates of the Caribbean may be larger. But it’s a well landscaped flume and it offers some nice views of the Kingdom Coaster. 5 out of 10 Two splashes = double the fun (or sadness if you're Dan). Would you believe Dutch Wonderland has a set of Lusse Bumper Cars? Surprise, surprise, they do! Just don’t go pitching a tent. Since it’s a children’s park, they’re toned way down. That being said, they still drive faster and hit harder than most bumper cars out there. They just don’t deliver the bone-jarring collisions of the ones at Knoebels. 7 out of 10 There's something special about these cars. Yes, these are actually Lusse skooters (albeit toned down). Dutch Wonderland is the transportation capital of the world. You can choose from boats, antique cars, a monorail, a sky ride, or a train. I chose to start with the Gondola Cruise in the back of the park. When I last visited Dutch Wonderland, the Gondola Cruise circled around this beautiful botanical garden with miniaturized replicas of world landmarks. I’m sad to report dinosaurs have now ravaged the area. It was a splitting image of what Parques Reunidos did to the Slipshod Safari at Story Land. They took a ride that was fine as is and forced in dinosaurs. The Gondola Cruise is still relaxing, but it was much better in its previous incarnation. 5 out of 10 Exploration Island has the Turnpike, Gondola Cruise, and dinosaurs. For those into coaster photography, the Sky Ride is a must. Since Merlin’s Mayhem was built around the pre-existing Sky Ride, you get some amazing shots. There’s only one problem- the dispatches on Merlin’s Mayhem are glacial. They almost didn’t get a train out during my ride. 7 out of 10 The Sky Ride moves at a snail's pace. Merlin's Mayhem dispatches at an even slower rate. The Monorail also offers amazing views of Merlin’s Mayhem, but it has the same Achilles heel as the Sky Ride. Fortunately, there’s so much more to look at. It provides a complete tour of Dutch Wonderland. That tour even includes the parking lot. Fun fact, this Monorail was actually an upcharge the last time I visited and it had a second station outside the park. Since the Monorail no longer stops there, they have converted it into a mini dark ride segment. 7 out of 10 The Monorail provides a full tour of the park. Here's that old station in the parking lot. It's still used as the transfer track, but the trains no longer stop here during the ride. I then returned to the sea and took a voyage on Dragon’s Lair. This is a cute boat ride that travels past some characters and through a cave. It feels more like one of those boat rides you’d find in Europe. And unlike most boat rides I’ve ridden as of late, this one is very well shaded. 6 out of 10 Can you find the dragon? Say hello to Duke. Since I’m fortunate enough to have Houdini at SFNE, I don’t appreciate just how rare mad houses are in this country. Dutch Wonderland is home to a really old version called the Wonder House. It’s a bit of an oven in there, but the compactness of the house makes it very dizzying. I’ll take the grander versions at SFNE and the European parks, but it’s still a cool, little ride. 5 out of 10 I wonder how much this house sells for on the open market. I then finished by visit with multiple voyages into space. Space Shuttle was a miniature Chance swinging ship. And as the Kingdom Coaster’s airtime is to your typical wood coaster airtime, Space Shuttle is to your typical Sea Dragon airtime. It may have some, but it’s barely noticeable. 5 out of 10 What a cute little pirate ship. VR Voyager is an explosive trip through space. Don’t ask me what the plot was on this simulator, all I know is that this thing had more explosions than a Michael Bay film. The movements were well synched at least and the video quality was better than expected for a smaller park. 5 out of 10 Explosions the Ride And then there was the Astroliner. Last time I rode one of these classic rocket simulators, I watched a bootlegged version of Dino Freaking Island (see my La Feria trip report). This one tried to take us to space. It nailed the coldness with the copious amount of air conditioning, but the video and audio quality was poor. At least the movement was so bad it was funny. The ride constantly rocked side to side rather than trying to sync itself with the film. We’ve come a long way with our simulator rides. 3 out of 10 If you like 1970's filmography, this ride is for you. Dutch Wonderland really is the kingdom for kids. As a grown adult who unleashed his inner child, I had an enjoyable morning. There were plenty of rides for adults to enjoy and Dutch Wonderland really is a beautiful park. You can tell they’ve done their homework how to appeal to their target demographic.

^ I hope they pick the Vekoma trains. They have made a huge difference on SFNE's SLC. I avoided riding it for almost a decade. Now it's a coaster I actually enjoy.

^ Good to hear about Apocalypse. I really liked that ride in 2014, but it was brutal the last time I rerode it.

Great report! It's incredible to see how much this park has grown. And from my visit last month, I'd say they're on track for that visitor mark. Everything had a full queue when I was there! This was Booster Bike's line. All switchbacks were filled and the line ran down the midway. I agree Joris was surprisingly better than Troy. I always heard Troy was the best GCI, but I found it more towards the middle of the pack (still good though).

PNE Playland Corkscrew is SBNO and doesn't seem to be reopening. I don't have any photos of it, but it looks like Hell's Gate is missing photos. I think the Sea to Sky Swinger replaced the old Wave Swinger. Here are the Balloon Explorers, Flume, and Music Express. They appear to be part of normal Playland. Balloon Explorers Flume Flume Music Express I'm not sure how you want to handle the PNE Fair rides, but the lineup was quite a bit different for me. I saw the 1001 Nachts, Tilt-a-Whirl, and Tornado. I know Inverter, Octopus, Skymaster, Spin Out, Super Shot, and Twin Flip weren't there. New rides included Alien Abduction (may just be a reskinned Starship 3000), Cuckoo House, Haunted House, Keepers Doll Factory, Scrambler, and Stampede Fever.

Great report! Leviathan may have a brake run that's easy to poke fun at, but the ride itself is fast and a ton of fun. I would maybe recommend putting a spoiler next to the surprise on Wonder Guardian. I had no clue it existed before my ride and it made that finale incredible.