Zand

Not being able to stuff 5 strangers into every log must be killing Lake Compounce this year

Finally got a full day in yesterday for the first time in four years. I spent two hours there two years ago, but it happened to be mere days after the 2018 flood (which is marked on the signs) on a day where the park flooded again but was still open because Knoebels. The park was definitely on the busy side yesterday, and with quite a few rides closed and most others operating at reduced capacity it made for longer lines than I'd ever encountered there before. Even still, there were plenty of rides with no lines and it was still a great day. It allowed me to ride stuff I hadn't before as well. I only managed two rides on Phoenix and one on Twister aa both were only running one (socially distanced) train making for lines around 30 minutes. The lines still moved faster than most Six Flags roller coasters running multiple trains but I've become used to walking up to empty rows at Knoebels so having actual lines to stand in was strange for sure! Some flats also,had longer lines than I've seen before, such as waiting 3-4 cycles for the Flyers, Paratroopers, Kosmotron, and Bumper Cars. Rode both trains for the first time which was a nice change of pace. Also finally got that long awaited Kosmos Kurves credit. Not as good as the old kiddie coaster but still had some great pops of air. Also rode the Flume for the first time in a while. Reminds me of Canobie's flume with two drops, a tunnel, and fast sections at ground level. And, of course, lunch consisted of Pierogies and a mashed potato bowl at Oasis. Long ride home (I-84 is my least favorite stretch of pavement in the country as the PA and NY sections are entirely dark and boring and then it immediately becomes a clusterf*ck through most of CT) made me wish Quassy was open 24 hours to ride Wooden Warrior on the way through at midnight. But it was great to actually get some coaster riding in during that weird ass summer of 2020.

I'm glad my answer to this is now Phoenix and not Whirlwind at Castaway Cove.

Back from another nice day at the park today...nice weather and very manageable crowds. Another pretty leisurely day but plenty of time for a full lap around the park. Started off at Fahrenheit before lines built up and got in back. Great first drop, forceful elements, fun airtime hill, nice and smooth, what else is there to say? Basically like a half Maverick and if you combined Storm Runner it'd be a full Maverick. Made my way to the other side of Boardwalk and hit almost everything. Rode Wildcat in back, always enjoyed that coaster and I still don't understand what the bitching is all about. Sure it's aggressive and throws you around, but not to the point where it becomes uncomfortable. It's the way a wooden coaster should be. If it got a retracking it would be one of the better wooden coasters from pre-RMC. Hopped on the Mouse as it had no wait and it was pretty insane as most of the brakes were off. Also enjoyed a ride on the classic Whip and the Ferris Wheel. Skipped the Acid Trip Spinning Mouse as the line was 45 mins apparently but you can't see it so who knows. Lightning Racer actually had a small line as they only had 1 train on each side but not too long. This has always been kind of disappointing to me...great first half but then it just kind of wanders around. Sure the dueling is fun but you could sleep soundly on that second half. Made our way back towards the center of the park with a quick spin on the Claw. Continued on and hit Mediocre Bear. Had almost no line but someone threw up which caused them to have to send about 4 empties in a row plus clean it up. Anyways, rode in back and it's like Lightning Racer to me...great first half but just such an anticlimactic ending. Noticed from the exit that Coal Cracker was totally dead so hit that on the way to the Hollow. Skyrush was only running one train but the line was pretty short and got in the back left kill seat. Insane as always, even when holding on it feels like you're about to be ripped in half at multiple points. Part of me wishes it was longer, but honestly if it were any longer your torso would end up falling onto the Comet while your legs ride back to the station. After a quick ride on the rather fast spinning and picturesque Wave Swinger, we finished the day up right with a front row ride on Candemonium. The first half of the ride is so great...i actually like that part better than Nitro. But that 2nd trim hits so hard that it threw me out of my seat way more than the following hill, and that's not an exaggeration. Anyways it's a home run for a park full of terrific coasters and great way to finish the day. Even with Storm Runner and SDL closed it's a fantastic lineup of coasters at what has always been one of my favorite parks. Went to Troegs for dinner and I can't recommend it enough. The brisket sandwich was to die for and the flight of beers I got didn't have a single dud in it. This brief Covid summer getaway ends tomorrow at Knoebels.

Visited the park this afternoon. Only made it for the final three hours and made it a rather leisurely day as I will be there all day tomorrow. First thing first...the new entrance. I know the old one was kind of cramped but I always thought it was one of the nicest there is (felt just like BGW). The new one is...bland, at best. I'll give them a couple years to let it fill in with greenery and add whatever is left but it feels like walking into Dorney now. And the Carrousel plopped on a giant concrete slab is rather ugly. IMO, the purpose is also defeated when you join into the "old" entrance and the intersection by the Skyride is just as cramped. Started right off at Candemonium and was on after a quick 10 minute wait. Nothing more to add to what has already been said...it's a solid ride, maybe a bit short. Great first drop, great first hill and better hammerhead than Nitro. Then you get into the trimmed sections and they definitely kill the ride more than they need to. The stengel dive-esque element is really cool. Add in the fact that it takes riders away from the much better yellow coaster behind it and it's an absolute home run. Sadly it's only the 3rd B&M hyper I've ridden (Nitro, Apollos) and its 3rd out of 3 but still a great ride. I need to ride more B&M hypers lol. Hit Comet, Skyrush, and Coal Cracker with minimal waits. Nothing notable about any of them. Skyrush never ceases to amaze me...i always tell myself I'm gonna make it through the whole ride with my hands up and I can never do it because it feels like it's going to rip my body in half. I still remember the first time I rode it...i hadn't read much about it beforehand and I had no idea what the f*ck was happening the entire time but my shirt almost got pulled off me at some point. I can't believe they built something so insane. Rode Trailblazer for the first time in like 15 years and I forgot that it's probably one of the worst mine trains around. It's similar to most of GADVs Mine Train with some bumpy as hell helixes and a bunch of wandering around. Then it ends. Unlike Great Adventure where the finale involves the ride trying to launch you into Switlik Lake from that bunny hop. After a Crabfries stop and shedding a tear for the closed Storm Runner (in all seriousness, it's pretty telling how insane the park's coaster line up is when Storm Runner being closed is almost an afterthought), it was already pushing closing time so hit Candymonium on the way out. Longer wait this time, closer to 40 mins. It'll definitely be one of those Raptor type deals where you need to ride it midday for the shortest lines. I hate to end the report like this but I have a major gripe with the new exit during an ongoing pandemic. They have a Dollywood style exit now where you are forced to exit through the gift shop. I hate the idea during normal times, but I think it's irresponsible and dangerous during these times. I get that there's an inherent risk just from going to the park and waiting in lines near other people. But hoarding thousands of people through a gift shop (with the doors closed so everyone has to touch them) with no way to go around during a pandemic is plain wrong. The 7 pm closing only exacerbates the size of the closing hoard. I don't know if it's greed or a bad oversight but they need to let people go through the outside gates at closing time, simply put. With all of the precautions they take and closures in place due to Covid, the idea that they have this exit setup right now is asinine. Sorry to rant but that irritated me to no end. But otherwise it was a great day and looking forward to hitting the other half of the park tomorrow and getting some more Skyrush and Candemonium laps in.

Aside from that whole "banning" 2/3rds of the country from visiting, including neighboring states. Oh we've one upped that one too. Starting Saturday, anyone traveling to MA from outside the state (except from the other New England states, NY, NJ, and HI) that doesn't sign up on the state web site AND quarantine for two weeks will be subject to a $500 fine per day, including MA residents. This comes just weeks after the governor stated two weeks ago that doing anything of the sort is unconstitutional and wouldn't happen here. I'd bet a large sum of money that the bark will be louder than the bite and virtually no one will actually be fined (nor will this even be enforced) but as far as I know, no constitutional amendments have been made in the last two weeks so not sure why the sudden change of tune. Meanwhile, MA is in a pissing contest with Maine because Maine is allowing residents of many other states (including ones on the MA mandatory list like PA and OH) to visit without quarantine but residents of MA and RI aren't allowed. Vermont is doing the same thing except they're breaking it down by county. Honestly just tired of all the political BS. I've been doing my best to safely support anyone who shows they have a good enough cleaning/distancing program. All of the people you see online or on TV are always in two camps: bitching that mask rules and gradually opening things is stupid because COVID is a hoax, or we've opened way too much and everyone should sit inside for a year and a half until there's a vaccine. Luckily in the real world (unless you're in Florida or Texas apparently) it seems like most people that are out and about are respectful of each other and their space. As much as it sucks not having SFNE this year, at least Canobie and Lake Compounce aren't much further for me and then NJ and PA are about 4-5 hours, close enough.

The weirdest part about going to NJ and back is that down there, indoor dining is still banned but amusement parks are open, arcade are open, AND you can sit at a bar. In MA? Our restaurants have been open inside for over a month now and STRIP CLUBS are open, but god forbid you go to a nice outdoor amusement park or sit at a bar (which is somehow different than a waitress coming to your table). You can go bowling, play pool, and play slot machines but no pinball because you'll drop dead next week. Bias towards amusement parks aside, I still think New Jersey is on the right side of this one.

Almost like a sign from the heavens, I get an email from Knoebels saying "our wristband prices including Phoenix and Twister are reduced to $40!" after getting one from Hershey earlier reminding me to purchase $75 two-day tickets before the end of the month. I wish I bought wristbands over the winter since I knew I'd be coming here. Hindsight is 20/20.

When I was planning out ticket prices on Saturday it was $125 for 150 tickets. Steep, but was gonna do it. Just went over to buy them and now they're $175 for 150 tickets. Incredible ripoff, no piers for us on this trip. Shouldn't cost $12 to ride a flat ride or a Vekoma. Went over to PigDog for dinner (which was great) and there were maybe 15 people riding rides on Mariners. Will gladly drive up to Ocean City for the evening. I understand why Moreys isn't selling wristbands, but jacking up ticket prices by 40% on an uncrowded week day is uncalled for in my opinion.

I mean...it is. But in comparison to Moreys and Seaside where the rides cost 2-4 more tickets each and then you have to buy way more tickets to start getting a "discount", it doesn't hit quite as hard. In fairness to Seaside they have (expensive) wristbands every day so if you're planning on riding a lot you have that option. At Moreys if you didnt buy a wristband preseason you're screwed, although their wristbands are pretty expensive anyway. Guess you can't go to the shore expecting Knoebels type prices lol. That said, I did nothing for 4 months and it's way too damn hot to go to Great Adventure and stand in long lines so I don't mind paying more for a more fun beach side experience with less crowds.

On the ride down to Wildwood I stopped here today and I have one question...why haven't I heard more about this place?!? The ride lineup is a total home run...honestly I'd argue the variety of what they have makes them real close to rivaling Moreys for best shore park. The way they fit so much into a small area is insane. Gale Force...wow. I've never really seen it in top steel coaster lists but it's definitely now in mine. Launch isn't much to write home about (compared to a regular park...for a tiny place behind an arcade, it sure is) but then you go right into crazytown on that top hat. The ejector air at the top is crazy enough and then going beyond vertical on the drop gives the entire hill a good 3-4 seconds of ejector air. The 2nd hill gives some Steel Vengeance-esq ejector by outwardly banking the turn into the drop. The ride shakes quite a bit near the end but not terribly bad. The 2nd lap was just the cherry on top. After El Toro and Nitro, it's the 3rd best coaster in New Jersey. Sometimes hitting the star attraction makes the rest of a park feel dull, but not here. Wild Waves puts up a fight against the old High Speed Thrill Coaster at Knoebels for best kiddie coaster. Fun amount of air pops along the course. Whirlwind was like the roller coaster version of a Tilt A Whirl but didn't spin all that much. The flat selection here is just as amazing and they have every square inch filled up. Squadron 33 felt like the modern day answer to the Skydiver. Not quite as easy to control the spins but you can go across the bottom,upside down and pull some crazy negative Gs. High Seas was similar to a regular portable log flume but slightly different. Nothing special but fun. Ferris Wheel looks unassuming until they start running the Pirate Ship next door and it looks like it's going to plow into you. My first time on an Air Race and it's a good time. The bouncy ride (forget the name) was much more intense than a typical Kangaroo ride, almost nauseous coming off it. Double Shot tower was great as usual and getting two rides for one was nice. Best part about this place is that it doesn't break the bank. Got all those rides on $45 with a few to spare at the end. Most of the rides are 4-5 tickets instead of 8-10 like Seaside and Moreys. This will absolutely be a must do stop everytime I go to Wildwood, just can't believe I haven't really heard much about it. On the way down I also stopped at Seaside for the first time. Had a good time although not nearly as good as Ocean City. Skyride was closed unfortunately. Hydrus, Pirate's Hideaway, Shore Shot, and the Ferris Wheel once each ran me $35. Passed on the indoor Scrambler (8 tickets...WTF?). Hydrus fits nicely on that pier and is a fun ride but short. The Pirate Coaster was very boring but not as terrible as my low expectations expected. If you have time then it's worth stopping for an hour...but if not then go right to Ocean City, without passing go and collecting $200.

Miracle is answered...Zoom Phloom is open today! Now to try to avoid going broke buying tickets due to no wristbands.

Slightly off topic, but does anyone know the status of Casino Pier and Castaway Cove? Looking to get on Hydrus and the Worlds Greatest Pirate Coaster and then Gale Force and Wild Waves. I know Castaway Cove is only open 6-11 (which is fine) because their employees were "passing out from wearing masks in the heat." If the coasters aren't all open I'll probably just skip both but Ive always wanted to stop at those places. Also any other places I should know about on the shore? Not looking for kiddie coasters or looping Pinfaris but anything else good?

Thanks, didn't see that when i was clicking around earlier. We'll miss the flume for sure (unless by some miracle it opens in the next week) but more time for It is a good thing.

Going down next weekend. I know Adventure Pier won't be open, but what's still closed on the other two? Sounds like they've gotten a lot open since the beginning of the month so hoping most of the usual favorites are back up. Also, there's no way to get a wristband, correct? I'm fully expecting to have to buy tickets but didn't know if there's a way to get a wristband that isn't listed on the site.

The governor announced today that phase 4 (including amusement parks) will not begin until there is either a vaccine or a proven medial treatment. Stick a fork in this season.

Lol I never even considered the reduced capacity. If it was running half the train empty it would probably have a comparable capacity to a Skycoaster! Honestly at this point I'm hardly even bummed about it. I'm just excited about the idea of riding ANY coaster in the next couple of weeks.

Now I'm officially jonesing. It's been over a month since the last post about it, but dare I ask if theres been any updates on Jersey Devil? Assuming theres a 0% chance it opens with the park but have they caught up enough to maybe have it ready this operating season?

Yeah the state could always give them a special date in Phase 3 especially with reservation systems and all. Hopefully this "waiting for the next holiday thing" doesn't mean phase 4 starts on September 8th.

MA just announced phase 3 is pushed back one week to July 6th, so the earliest phase 4 can begin and SFNE can open is July 27th.

In the reopening guidelines, the restriction is if you've been on public transportation outside of NH, VT, or ME. So it looks like Massachusetts residents can go if they aren't using the MBTA to get to work. The place I read it removed the "public transportation" part (probably intentionally) but this is still a significant portion of their clientele. Not that anyone would admit to using public transportation if asked anyway.

It's in the amusement park reopening guidelines from Sununu that were sent out yesterday. That and rides have to be deep cleaned every two hours and riders have to sit 6 feet apart, so that means Cannonball will probably have like 6-10 riders per train lol.

No one who traveled outside of NH/VT/ME in the past 14 days will be admitted. Guess the state two miles to their south is out of luck.

Both of those are virtually non existant. Not like 2 months ago when they had cops at the state lines asking where you went. Been down a few times for food, shopping, and Foxwoods and no one bats an eye.

Massachusetts put amusement parks in Phase 4 which will start no earlier than July 20th. Of course they could change the "phase" for amusement parks or make a totally different set of rules for SFNE but thats the only thing to go on right now.