Canobie Coaster

The only time I've found Platinum needed was if the brand new ride was only on that level. The wait time between rides is usually 5-15 minutes on gold, so if you reserve your next ride after the merge point, it'll be ready by the time you get off the ride.

^ For a family that goes once per year without season passes, I could see that price point working if it includes some in park benefits.

Is Mystic Manor the one where Disney chose to not use ghosts? The Medusa looks quite cool.

^ I used to hate Green Lantern, but I found a way to enjoy it (as well as any B&M stand-up). Bend your knees and pull the OSTR down so it is firmly on the top of your shoulders. The goal is to get your head above the OSTR so you don't get headbanging. Plus the bike seat should be well below your crotch in this position.

^ I've always been nervous I'll make that mistake someday so I always double check at the confirmation screen. Best of luck!

Glad you got a ton of rides in. Sounds like my Hurler rides in 2016. This reaffirms my decision to skip it earlier this year for more rides on Fury.

Yeah I'm surprised Lightning Rod isn't on ERT both nights, but then again this is the first time the coaster isn't closed for the event so they probably didn't want to mess with fire. While Wildwood Grove is mostly a family area, I've heard it looks nice at night and Dragonflier is fun for everyone.

Thanks! I didn't feel endangered in any way. He knows the ins and outs of the ride and checks it frequently. Plus he's willing to ride it which says something. I felt way safer on Blue Flash than on some of the carnival coasters I've ridden. That AT&T just ok carnival commercial is spot on.

^ Thanks I figured it was to have a merge point. Do you know if they considered routing the Flash Pass and ADA passes through the exit?

Thanks and you're welcome! All I knew going in was that the Blue Flash was intense, so I'm happy to share my experience so others know if it's worth scheduling a visit.

^ I agree 100% about the layout being weird. But I'm sort of used to it from Great Escape. You literally have to go through the water park to reach their star attraction.

The Best Western across the street is good too, but I think the convenience of not having to drive makes the Comfort Inn the top choice. That walk across the street is not safe as there's no crosswalk.

^ Thanks! Every few years a trip report surfaces of Blue Flash. To be honest, I wasn't even sure if he still gave public rides. But I sure am glad that he does.

John Ivers Backyard / Blue Flash I’m sure we’ve all dreamed of having a coaster in our backyard. Practically, that isn’t an option for most of us due to cost or land. However, John Ivers made it a reality. He has made not one, but two backyard coasters. Most backyard coasters are junior coasters at best. But the Blue Flash is a bonafide thrill ride. In fact, that aggressive first drop and ridiculously compact loop made Blue Flash one of the most imposing coasters I’ve ever seen. You'd be hard pressed to spot this from the highway. I think this goes without saying, but it needs to be said, DO NOT JUST SHOW UP AT HIS HOUSE! Believe it or not, this has been a problem for John. Every so often an enthusiast will show up unannounced or even creepier, they’ll come by to take photos in the middle of the night. Seriously WTF?!? And as a safety measure John locks the rides out when he’s not there. Blue Flash has a padlock literally fastened to the rail that prevents the car from moving. Blue Too is a little fancier with a traditional control panel requiring a key. The process to ride the Blue Flash began months (yes months) in advance. After booking my Holiwood Nights tickets, I started looking into riding the Blue Flash. The biggest question was how to contact him. Not surprisingly, John’s phone number and email address are unlisted. So I had to think outside the box. More specifically, I had to think retro. I went with a letter. I think it was the first letter I had mailed in years. And about a week later, John got back to me! It must be awesome having a road named after you. Flash forward to the Friday before Holiwood Nights. John Ivers lives about 1.5 hours north of Holiday World literally right off a highway. Add in the fact that the coaster is tucked beneath trees, and I’m sure many enthusiasts have unknowingly blown right past it. As I pulled into their long driveway, Ms. Ivers greeted me from their porch swing. Moments later, the engineer himself came out of the house and introduced himself. Both John and his wife couldn’t have been nicer. You’d think they worked at Holiday World. John's cat also came by to say hello. I felt like I had a VIP tour. John gave an overview how both the Blue Flash and Blue Too came to be. Even though Blue Flash is the far more ambitious coaster, you can see all John’s learnings applied to Blue Too. As an engineer, it was fascinating to see how these rides ticked. And then it was time to ride the Blue Flash. The car looks like a wagon with a car seat slapped on top of it. John tightly secured the (former bullbozer) seatbelt and fired up his creation. There was no turning back now. I can't say I've ever seen a coaster car quite like this. And then it was time to ride John's famous coaster. The first drop is wicked. It may only be 20-25 feet tall, but it packed a serious punch. It felt like a mirrored, more compact version of the first drop on Phantom’s Revenge. And the visual of the car clearing the shed is a sight to behold on its own. Then came the pullout, which is arguably the most intense part of the ride. Whereas Phantom’s Revenge is refined and graceful on the pullout, Blue Flash is raw and untamed. As the Blue Flash uncorked, I was whipped to the side. Had I not been holding on, who knows where my upper body would have gone. That’s followed by the signature loop. This has to be the smallest vertical loop in existence. Not only does it pack on the Gs, but it feels undeniably weird. It felt like I was performing a backflip. I’m pretty sure your head stays at the same place during the inversion and your body rotates around it. Keep in mind the sequence I described is about 3 seconds in length. And it’s arguably three of the most intense seconds of any coaster. Blue Flash then felt like it was going to stall out on the helix finale, but I barely completed it each time. John gave me three consecutive rides. Unlike most coasters which have a legit brake run, John “brakes” the ride by simply turning off the lift hill. There are bigger, taller, and longer coasters out there, but there’s just something special about Blue Flash. Make no mistake, this is undoubtedly one of the most intense coasters out there. 8 out of 10 What's in the shed? A loop without an OSTR? John was a trendsetter. And like any good credit whore, I snatched a ride on Blue Too as well. Unlike Blue Flash, Blue Too is unquestionably a junior coaster. But in some regards, it’s a bit fancier than the Blue Flash. For one, it has a two car train closer to what you’d find at a traditional amusement park. In addition, this coaster has an actual braking system. There’s a skid brake in the station that engages the back car. Most of the course was an uneventful loop, but the first drop had some very surprising yank to it. There wasn’t any airtime, but I definitely was whipped forwards. 4 out of 10 It has a logo and everything. Few parks let you get this close to a coaster unless they're at Mt. Olympus. Geek shot of the skid brakes. So my visit was over in (if you will) a flash, but it was absolutely priceless to ride two of the most unique coasters out there and pick the brain of the designer and builder. I am very thankful for John and his wife to take time out of their day to grant the wish of a crazy coaster enthusiast. Riding the Blue Flash (and Blue Too) is something I never thought I’d do. I may never get my own backyard coaster, but at least I can now said I’ve ridden one two. I never thought I'd be here one day. Some other logistical notes. The Blue Flash currently has a weight limit of 180 lbs. John was very open about that from the moment I reached out to him. There is no waiver, although John did say his home insurance went up once they learned of the coaster (go figure ). There is no fee; however, John accepts donations. Considering many of us won’t even bat an eye as we hand over $10 for a stupid wacky worm, please be generous and support the man’s painting and maintenance fund. Riding these coasters is a priceless experience.

Step 3 is the key step for me. If you do this and get your head above the restraints, you get a forceful and headbanging free ride.

I know the old Joker's Wildcard had an issue with AC when it was inside that same building, but it felt cool yesterday and it was quite hot out.

I can't wait for Tron to come to Orlando.

I too expected a nightmare when they opened it to the masses, but it looks very reasonable so far.

1) Cedar Point 2) Carowinds (mostly because of Fury) 3) Canada's Wonderland 4) Knott's Berry Farm 5) Kings Island 6) Kings Dominion 7) California's Great America 8) Dorney Park 9) Worlds of Fun 10) Michigan's Adventure I haven't been to Gilroy Gardens of Valleyfair.

^ Plus Carowinds doesn't seem to open their lot until 10 minutes prior to opening. If you walk from that Comfort Inn, you'll be at the front of the rope drop crowd.

Do not go to Pat and Geno's. That's the only advice I can give. My friend from Philadelphia took offense when I said my local pizza places were better. Come to find out, Pat and Geno's are the only two places he has ever gotten cheesesteaks from. I feel so sorry for him.

^ Thanks. It'll be interesting to see if that's up by the time I visit next month. If not, no big deal since I've ridden the same clone elsewhere. I'm more closely following the retro Herschell mouse going up at Arnolds Park. I haven't been on one of those mice in years and am itching to get back on one before they go extinct.

I thought Viper ran 3 trains during my 2010 visit, but I could be mistaken. However, I think 3 is wildly unnecessary. A second would be helpful from what I saw last month though.

^ Most coasters were assigning rows. Depending on the op, I was able to request the front and back rows on the coasters except for Goudurix. With the unlimited Rapidus, I rode OzIris and Zeus 12-14 times each and all other coasters at least twice.

Speaking of bets, Six Flags New England made good on their hockey bet with Six Flags St. Louis and renamed Thunderbolt the Thunder Blues.