Canobie Coaster

Wow this is a surprise. After all the issues with Schlitterbahn, I decided against visiting the Texas location. Now that Cedar Fair owns them, I think I'll visit them someday. It'll be interesting to see if they keep the name or not for the Texas parks.

I think the only debate would be if it were Busch Gardens or Kings Dominion. I far prefer Busch Gardens, but both are great parks and since they have a Platinum Pass, I think Kings Dominion is the no-brainer.

Unless it has changed from 2017, Waldameer stayed open and ran all rides in a torrential downpour. They did close 2 hours early, but I was one of like 10 people in the park so I don't blame them one bit. Conneaut seems quick to close in rain so I'd keep an eye on them.

Great review! It definitely sounds like a fun ride, but it's going to be hard riding this and not thinking of the awesome ride that once stood in its place. That's a bummer the theming elements are so brief since the animatronics looked awesome in the updates prior to its opening. You think the park would want to show them off.

^ Being visually impaired has its advantages since I always have my glasses on. And I have my only slightly nerdy Walmart brand glasses strap.

I've never had an issue with the food at Macho Nacho. I've just had an employee who couldn't fold a burrito and asked if I knew how.

Thanks! Macho Nacho?

Niagara Falls Being a roller coaster enthusiast is a great excuse to travel. While the focus of my trips is often theme parks, I also like to take in some culture. I know this comes at the expense of a few extra SBF spinners and wacky worms, but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make. I’m sure some on this site have only seen Niagara Falls from atop Marineland’s drop tower. My condolences if that’s the case because that means you went to Marineland. And I’m sure others have sped on over the Rainbow Bridge en route to Canada’s Wonderland. But I personally could not visit Ontario without stopping at Niagara Falls. Everyone recommends that you do either the Maid of the Mist or the Hornblower boat cruise. For us, the decision was simple- Hornblower. We wanted every excuse possible not to go on the US side. Even though we’ve been to Niagara a few times, we embarrassingly have never done one of these boat cruises. The experience began with a steep (and apparently brand new) inclined railway that offered some of the best shots of both the American and Horseshoe Falls together. What a great start! On the Canadian side, you get this awesome railway down to the boats. Meanwhile on the American side... Then came the boat cruise. The falls are impressive from the bridge, but they’re downright awe-inspiring from sea level. The sheer scale and volume of Niagara Falls needs to be seen to be appreciated. The light and constant roar of the water is both peaceful and intimidating. The Hornblower is 100% worth it for the views. I'd say we got a bit wet. We also saw the falls from above as well. I know a lot of people enjoy the Niagara Skywheel, especially since it’s included in a lot of packages. But the far superior option is the Skylon Tower. It’s taller, closer to the falls, and there is no time restriction. The Skylon Tower is an awesome place to see the fireworks. We also visited on a weekend with fireworks. While most crowded the streets, we figured they’d be extra special from atop the Skylon Tower. And unfortunately we weren’t the only ones with that idea. We cut it dang close, but we made it to the top just in time. The views were spectacular. The fireworks display was only 5 minutes in length, but it was magical seeing them shot over the falls. Now the fireworks themselves were in no way comparable to those of Disney, but the overall setting sure was. The falls served as quite the backdrop. Now for the bad. People suck. There was the usual pushing and shoving, but we witnessed several people freaking scale the cage enclosure like monkeys. I wish I was making the last part up, but people actually did this so we got an unobstructed view of some dude’s plumber’s crack. The Skylon Tower gave awesome views of the fireworks! That is until a bunch of morons decided to climb up the cage and hang from the ceiling like monkeys. Once the fireworks ended, it was a free-for-all for the elevator. Emily and I instead took our sweet time admiring the views. The Canadian side was bustling with energy, but the US side was depressing. I really think Canada should trade Marineland for Fantasy Island. The US side deserves Marineland. American Falls with the US colors. "Look Simba, everything the light touches is ours." "But what about that shadowy place?" "That's Marineland. You must never go there Simba." But we almost missed the fireworks entirely. You see, over the past year coasterbill and I would always seem to miss each other in our park travels. And we just missed each other again at Canada’s Wonderland. But fittingly I ran into Bill at a brewery with a flight of beers in front of him. When we realized we were both in town, we decided to meet up at the Niagara Brewing Co. Or as Bill described, the place with “some shitty kids flat ride on the roof for no apparent reason.” I knew exactly where that was as I’ve long mocked that perpetually closed Pink Panther Balloon Ride. Emily and I both enjoyed meeting Bill and Brit. We did not enjoy the venue though. To say the service was bad was an understatement. After a half hour, the waitress finally came by. We said we’d start with water, and we got those waters, but the waitress never returned. We learned the next day we inadvertently crossed a picket line as the employees of the brewery (as well as a few other places) were on strike. Whoops! Maybe that’s why the service was so poor, but I don’t think we’ll be going back. Of course I'd find coasterbill at the bar. Unfortunately we accidentally crossed a picket line. To our defense, these guys weren't there the night before. We had far better experiences at Antica and Smoke’s Poutinerie. Antica was a delicious wood-fired pizza place. And then Smoke’s is the only place I’ll order poutine. I’m not usually the biggest fan of poutine, but if you mix in chicken and bacon, I’m sold. A+ pizza I don't usually like poutine, but I do when you throw in chicken, bacon, and all sorts of other stuff. Lol Anyone who has been to Niagara Falls knows it’s a glorious tourist trap lined with haunted houses, arcades, chain restaurants, etc. So like any good tourist, we spent some time there. Bill and Brit invited us out to Margaritaville, but we know better than to drink and drive. New for this visit was the Niagara Speedway. Over the past year or so, I’ve had several people share this attraction on my Facebook wall. I’m not sure why a go kart track similar to the ones at Fun Spot came across the news feed of Bostonians, but that’s exactly what happened. The track itself looked like a Fun Spot course. You had multiple levels, helices, and drops more fit for a roller coaster. But I can tell Niagara Speedway has different lawyers than Fun Spot. The cars were noticeably slower and they required everyone to wear a helmet. If you’ve never done a multilevel go kart track, I’d say go for it. But the ones at Fun Spot or Pigeon Forge are cheaper and more out-of-control. This was like a Fun Spot course, except they made you wear helmets and the cars went at a more reasonable speed. Last time we went to the Louis Tussaud wax museum, so this time we decided to take a chance on the Movieland Wax Museum. Objectively, Tussaud’s was better. All of the wax figures there were extremely well done and lifelike. The ones at Movieland were a mixed bag. Some were incredible. The ones for Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, and the Rock in particular were top-notch. Others like Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus were bad. But they were so bad that they were enjoyable. Some figures looked great! Others weren't so great. I was not pleased to meet Darth Jar Jar. Michael Jackson is going to give kids nightmares. Anytime Canada’s Wonderland adds a big new coaster, you can bet I’ll be crossing the Rainbow Bridge and along the way, I’m definitely spending a day in Niagara Falls.

Thanks! I think their flat ride collection probably helped compensate for their shortcomings in the coaster department, but I'm glad Cedar Fair invested in the park. With their attendance, the big B&Ms were absolutely warranted and gave them the signature rides that they needed. Thanks! The queue was split into a row 1 and a row 2+3 staircase, but the grouper wasn't taking requests for us to wait in the row 1 staircase. It was a bummer since I would have loved to gotten at least one ride up front, but at least I got the end a few times. I was wondering if the switchbacks may not have been full on Guardian, but I couldn't see a way to tell with how that queue line is configured. Conneaut was definitely a funny experience.

Glad you enjoyed Dollywood! Blazing Fury is cute, but it's not a must ride. I actually think it has been a few years since I've ridden it to be honest.

^ I've visited during limited hours early in the season and had the water rides, some flats, and several food stands closed. Since they no longer have a flume, I know the last part doesn't bother you anymore. The good thing is that I've never seen them close a coaster. Just keep in mind Kennywood will move their closing time (sometimes with little notice) and they close queues early. Also you should pray it's packed so they run the sky ride from the top parking lot to the main entrance.

^ It's way better. Trust me.

Great reports of Phantasialand and Europa. I love the theming ag those two parks so much and they're both headlined by some great launch coasters.

Great report! I'd love to see SFNE try an event like this. I'm glad they took the theming elements from SFFT's Batman queue and the ride looks like a perfect fit for the park.

SeaWorld has a lot of great photo ops. Like the dolphins who love selfies.

So basically they're closed because Parques Reunidos is being cheap again because they're a terrible company. Got it. Amen to that. Lake Compounce still has that family park feel, but it has the annoying policies/hiccups of a poorly run corporate park due to that company.

^ I wonder if Sky Rocket's closure at Kennywood could be related to that as well (assuming they already took care of what went wrong last year). I fully expect their water park to get some new additions since they have that large clearing along the lake, but it's still a bummer to see their best slide close.

For those without season passes, Haunted Graveyard is the de facto time to visit. For one that haunt is awesome and two you can ride Boulder Dash at night. Plus I think the admission is $30-35 for Graveyard, which is very fair. I've found Boulder Dash to be running faster than usual this early in the season, but it's no rougher/smoother than it has been the past few years.

^ I strongly recommend it. It's one of the nicer Cedar Fair parks. Yukon Striker was quite a bit better than Valravn. The drop presentation is way better, the ride holds its speed better, and the vests seemed a bit looser than Valravn to allow for more airtime.

^ I don't blame you since it has been a rough few years for the park, but I'm addicted to Boulder Dash. As long as they don't screw that up (and they tried with the transfer track crash), I'll keep coming.

Lake Compounce's Phobia is also down and hasn't run all year. Could be unrelated, but they are owned by the same park so it's hard for me not to notice.

It all works out since Goliath, Kryptonite Kollider, and Tomahawk are often closed.

As others have said, start with Cheetah Hunt. That one will have a long wait all day. I'd then hit Cobra's Curse afterwards. Also get the pretzel bacon fury at the pretzel place near Falcon's Fury. It's incredible.

I haven't been since Infinity Falls opened, but I've never had to wait more than 20 minutes for anything at SeaWorld. Usually the coasters are walk-ons as long as you don't look to ride Manta immediately after the park opens due to its location. I strongly recommend the penguin tour. It was about a half hour if I remember correctly and the trainers were super knowledgeable. And you can get photos like this. I also recommend either Dine with Shamu or Shark's Underwater Grill. Dine with Shamu has an all you can eat and drink (beer included) buffet with solid food plus you get a private show with Shamu and the trainers. Shark's is a more upscale location, but the ambiance and food is incredible.

I always seem to forget to ride Cedar Downs since I always take the path by Blue Streak. That coaster in the front row is my guilty pleasure at Cedar Point.