Pirouettes907

What I'm most excited about is that this is something completely new. I never rode the original Texas Giant, and I hate to chalk it up as another credit I'll miss, so I was disappointed to hear that this coaster would not be reincarnated to retain its wooden status. However, I think this new track technology is at least worth a shot to see if it improves the ride experience, which I'm betting it will do. Being nostalgic for a coaster just because it's made of wood is not enough reason to keep it if it's a truly awful ride. Sure, one could just tear it down and call in Great Coasters or the Gravity Group to build something new, but then we'd lose the opportunity to experiment with this technology. Better to try it on a ride that desperately needs a rehab than one that doesn't. If the Texas Giant was really as legendary as some have claimed it to be when it originally opened, then I'm highly anticipating what a second lease on life could do to it, even if it will change the track layout a little and re-classify it as a steel tracked ride. It's all part of the excitement of building a prototype. ~Megan

^ Well, whatever they want to call them, they look delicious!

So what exactly is a ribbon fry? They look more like potato chips than fries.

Happy Birthday KidTums!!!

^ Happy Birthday! I'm sipping on unsweetened iced tea from my favorite little coffee shop around here; sweet tea's got nothing on this! ~Megan

I went to Hersheypark last year during Springtime in the Park, and I didn't encounter excessive waits. Granted, I went on Sunday, but that day I think I remember about 10-15 minute waits for Great Bear, a 20 minute wait for the Comet and Sooperdooperlooper and Trailblazer were walk-ons. The longest wait I had was about 45 minutes for Reese's Xtreme Cup Challenge. However, I heard that on Saturday of that weekend the park opened Wildcat and Lightning Racer, so I'm guessing the crowds were large enough to warrant that act. I do know that Storm Runner and Fahrenheit were both closed. Looking at the website, though, it seems like both of these coasters are on the list of rides scheduled to potentially operate this year (weather permitting): http://www.springtimeinhershey.com/ride_list.php Maybe with more things open, waits won't be so bad. I haven't been to the other three parks you listed during the spring, so I can't help you there, but I would recommend Hershey; I had a pretty good time there last year. ~Megan

12/20 Loved the answer to the last one, too. ~Megan

It is 6:11 p.m. and it's still sorta kinda light out!

Well my goodness, talk about an exciting day--I've made an official appearance on the one and only Big Mike Roadshow thread! I feel famous (and flattered!). It was great meeting you at Eastcoaster and hopefully I can meet up with the Roadshow at a park sometime soon! I loved your Bon Bon Land report--very detailed as usual and further convincing me I need to visit this place in my lifetime so that one day my soul may rest in peace knowing it's been farted on by Henry the dog. That's everyone's life goal...right? ~Megan "Mrs. Big Mike" MacCausland

The state fish of Wyoming and Idaho is the cutthroat trout, so named because of the red coloration on its lower jaw. Frankly, I was hoping for a cooler and more sinister origin behind the name, but there's my factoid of the day. ~Megan

I'm procrastinating on calling Southwest to re-re-schedule my flight back to St. Louis that was supposed to leave Philadelphia Wednesday, and then Thursday, and now...who knows. Knowing that I'll have to hold at least 45 mins. to an hour does not exactly have me in a jolly mood, even though it's not the airline's fault in the slightest. I guess the good part about this is that they at least admit how long the waiting times are. Bah humbug to the snow, I say! ~Megan

Loved this TR! I guess it's because it's a sight I don't see often, but roller coasters in the snow are beautiful and make for some great pictures. The one time I saw HP in the snow was when they were building Lightning Racer, and my dad pulled into a nearby Turkey Hill store and we watched some of the construction. It was awesome, and so are your pictures! ~Megan

I don't hear much about this park but it looks like they have a decent collection of coasters and you have some pretty good shots of them, especially the shots of Thunderhawk. And an SLC that's smooth, even in the back seat? My goodness, such a thing exists? I also think that Demon Drop should have gone there, as Dorney already has Dominator and MA could use a drop ride for some flat ride variety. Thanks for posting! ~Megan

^ That may be, but I hope they wait to take it out until after I've ridden it (which will be hopefully this year; crossing my fingers)! I know I'm asking for a beating, but I've always wanted to ride it since it's B&M's first (I think? Am I right on this?) and I'd be curious to see how much better they built their rides compared to this. I like seeing old photos of now defunct rides (and I have to agree with you, Screamin_Eagle, that I love Shockwave's logo too!). The track layout of Arrow coasters like Shockwave always seems redundant with the three vertical loops in a row, but they are definitely a marker of the way things used to be, when bending a track into all sorts of crazy inversions was the hot new thing. They're all coasters I never had the chance to ride, and I wish I could have, especially Zambezi Zinger. But what is this about a derailment on Orient Express? Don't think I've ever heard about it. Can someone enlighten me? ~Megan

Time Machine may seem weak to the coaster enthusiast crowd, but I'm sure there are plenty of other people out there who would enjoy it. Granted, I've never ridden it, but in terms of delivering an overall fun ride, every B&M I've encountered delivers consistently. It's just a matter of getting it to the right park. Like others have mentioned, I too like the idea of a smaller place getting it. I find it hard to believe that a B&M ride would just sit there rusting away. Still, it does seem as though things are over for this place, although things never really took off for it to begin with. It's a shame, since it was based on a neat concept. ~Megan

I, too, thought things like this might be afoot once Chang was removed. To take away a flagship roller coaster like that is fishy. They seemed to be promoting the water park heavily, so if anything, I thought at least that would stay. To hear the whole thing is going--especially so suddenly--is upsetting. I think it's the suddenness of this that gets me the most. Of course there were signs it was coming, but not so seemingly out of the blue like this. Darn. I was planning on visiting this summer. Now I'm bummed that I'll have more credits to add to the "Missed List." ~Megan

That makes sense, but how nice it would be to beat off the winter blues by running down the road to Six Flags to take a spin on Batman or something! You're right. It is lame!

Jason, I love your trip reports! You're a great writer and add in a good, flowing mix of storyline and personal opinion from photo to photo, which makes your reports fun and always entertaining to follow. I was also most impressed with the story you told Lauryn about visiting the potato sculpture in Idaho--for one thing, she looked happy enough to think she was going there (pretty impressive for a five-year-old), but what a great surprise that must have been for her, once she finally believed you! Looking forward to more! ~Megan

I don't know if I'd ever heard of this place before, but it looks like fun! I thought hungover turtle-themed chairswings were unique to Bon Bon Land, but I guess not--do you happen to know whose came first? I'm also impressed they're open year-round. I thought 40 degrees F. was the magic number for operating coasters. Judging from this TR and Robb and Elissa's riding coasters in the snow in Japan, I'm beginning to think otherwise. And of course no such thing exists as too much fudge Thanks for sharing this; you're lucky to be able to ride coasters during the winter! ~Megan

Awesome, just awesome. That was really nice of the Gravity Group to offer you guys a tour and that they trust that everyone won't spill the beans on whatever projects they're cooking up. I wish I had a chance to do a tour like that! I'm hoping to make it to Holiwood Nights to ride the Voyage with those new Timberliner trains this year, and your photo TR just made me that much more excited about it! Thanks for sharing what you could. ~Megan

Attic is cleared out? What excuse will I then have To pass time online? No more vintage maps? No more photos and brochures? Say it isn't so!

I see that I was looking for the location on the wrong side of Oakland, so thank you for the info, coaster-crazy (how silly of me to not think of rcdb) and MisterP! ~Megan

Wow, this is awesome! I keep thinking of all the what-ifs and how Forest Park Highlands and the Comet might be if they somehow made it to today since Forest Park is only about a 20 minute walk from my front door. I've been wanting to dig up some information on this place, and I wanted to ask if you know whereabouts along Oakland the park was located. In the overview shots of the Comet, it looks like there's another road to the left of the coaster's first turnaround running perpendicular to Oakland, and I'm thinking of a few possibilities (Skinker? Tamm? Hampton?) and searching Google maps to try and figure out where this place was. I'd love to hear any additional information you may have. Thanks for sharing all this! ~Megan

^ I'm pretty sure at the end of the footage the year 1986 was listed, which would be right if Shockwave had just opened, so in that case you'd be right. But anyway, I love stuff like this. Not only is it funny to laugh at what the hosts are wearing and what their hair looks like, it's also great to get a perspective of what people thought about the big, new rides of the day. It makes me wonder how we'll think of such notable rides as Balder or Bizarro 20 years from now. And the early Coney Island stuff is fantastic footage too, especially with those people falling into the water at the end of one of the water rides. Think of the legal consequences if that were to happen today! This was a great find and thanks for posting it! ~Megan

I'm 23 and my first coaster was Hersheypark's Comet when I was 6. I hated it and all I remember is looking down at my Little Mermaid shoes wishing the ride would end. But coasters continued to fascinate me, and soon enough that fear disappeared and I became the nerd that I am today . ~Megan