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haux

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Everything posted by haux

  1. My last coaster ridden was Raptor. It'll probably be the last coaster I ride for a while. I got the last ride on Raptor of the season. That was pretty sweet.
  2. I took a vacation in Austin, and since Fiesta Texas is only about an hour away, I had to visit. My friend Tim drove us there and paid the $12 for parking. The parking lot is pretty large, but it wasn't crowded, so I knew today would be a good day. Right away, I noticed that this was different from the other Six Flags parks I've been to. It had a fairly elaborate entrance, and a fountain had red water for Halloween. I had a coupon for $12 off each ticket. We paid and went in. I wanted to start on Superman Krypton Coaster since I hadn't ridden a floorless coaster since Scream in 2006, and I hadn't been on a good one since Batman Knight Flight in 2003. We missed the entrance since it's sort of buried next to a store. We walked under the giant bleached sign, but we noticed it after turning around. We got in line, and the line was at the bottom of the steps leading to the station. We waited a few minutes for the back seat. Superman has these odd black covers over the tops of the restraints, and I had no idea why they're there. Superman starts with a drop and turn to the left out of the station. At the top of the lift hill, it levels off, banks and turns to the right. Then begins what became my favorite floorless coaster. The first drop dives down the side of the quarry wall. It seems extremely steep, and it's great. The rocks pass by, and you soar into the enormous loop. There's some hang time at the top before it dives down again. It rises up into a helix on top of the wall, which is great. I really got a kick out of the interaction with the wall. The zero-G roll is next, and it's fun. I enjoy these on sit-down coasters. There's a bit of airtime in the beginning of it, and then it quickly flips around, so you're out of your seat the whole time. That was great. The cobra roll is pretty cool, and it's followed by a quick left then right turn into the brakes. The right turning drop out of the brakes is really quick, and I hit my head on the restraint, but it wasn't bad at all. There's a short upward straightaway and it goes into the interlocking corkscrews. It goes into a steeply banked right turn and a hop into the end brakes. There's a hint of airtime in the back, and I'm sure there's some in the front. We only rode in the back, though. We went to Poltergeist next. The previous weekend, I rode Flight of Fear at Kings Island, and I wasn't impressed with the second half of the ride because the block brake nearly stops you. Poltergeist was surprising because it has no brakes! You just soar through the entire course. I really like the layout of these rides. Tim said he kept his hands down because he felt like he'd lose them at every turn. That's a spaghetti bowl for you. Next was Tony Hawk's Big Spin. We waited about five minutes to get on. I really enjoyed this. The spinning was crazy, and the layout is pretty fun. It spins immediately off the first drop and doesn't let up until the end of the ride. There were some good surprises in the coaster, especially in the drop off the last block brake and the airtime hill after it. The side Tim and I were on was going backward, and we got airtime in those two parts. I enjoyed it because I wasn't expecting it, and we were going backward. The helix at the end is quick, and the ride slows to a stop after the magnetic brakes. The cars were stacked, and the device to stop the spinning isn't until the block right before the station. We sat in the block just before it, and we spun and spun and spun. Tim was getting dizzy and a little nauseated. I didn't mind. Tim found some flowers and picked them for his girlfriend, and I went to Johnny Rockets and got chicken fingers for $9. They were good. Next was Scooby Doo Ghostblasters, a Sally interactive dark ride. The line was about 10 minutes. I sucked at it, which I thought was weird because I didn't do well at the Scooby Doo ride at Kings Island, but I did well on Gobbler Getaway at Holiday World. We sat in the back, and the ride favored people on the right. I was on the left. Tim did so well, his total was more than mine and the two people in front of us. Combined. Eh. These are still fun rides, and it's good to get out of the sun. We decided to get Boomerang out of the way. Nobody was in line. I liked that because waiting for a Boomerang is lame. We sat in the middle. So this ride is just like any other Boomerang. Blah blah. Wait. This one was the best I've been on. No joke! I was surprised. It wasn't smooth, but it wasn't horribly rough. How odd. I bought a $4 lemonade from a cart on the midway. Mmmm. It was good and refreshing. Up next was Roadrunner Express, an Arrow mine train that interacts with the cliff wall. I liked this a lot. The drops follow the terrain well and dive through and around Rattler's structure and the cliff wall. It's not as good as Adventure Express, but it's pretty fun. I went to Rattler, and Tim decided to sit out. He rode it in 2005 and absolutely hated it. I've heard nothing but bad about this ride, so I braced myself for a terrible experience. It's really tall, but the first drop is pretty shallow. The walk of the station took longer than what I waited for the back car. The ride turns a little at the top of the lift and drops down. It shakes around a lot, but I held on tight and kept my back off the seat back. The turn after the drop is awful. The worst part of the ride immediately follows that. The track banks heavily to the left, levels out and rises up a straightaway before the triple helix. The track sways like crazy in the heavy banking at the bottom. It's so bad, I could feel it in my car, and it jolted the train around awful. The triple helix is really slow and boring, but it also happens to be rough. Ugh. This ride sucks. It enters the block brake and dives down a horrible drop to the left and into the tunnel. The tunnel is the smoothest part of the ride. It has a quick turn to the right, exits the tunnel and shakes around a lot in another helix. It slams into the brakes and comes to an abrupt stop. This ride is terrible. Ouch. Boo. It's only the third-worst wooden coaster I've been on. Son of Beast tops that list, followed by the now-defunct Hercules. We went to Superman again and rode in the seventh row. I love this coaster. It's easily the best at the park. It's a little too smooth for my liking, but that's just because it's engineered so well. I didn't hit my head in the turn out of the block brake this time. Because I'm a credit whore, I had to ride Rollschucoaster, the kiddy ride. Tim and I sat in the same seat, and he laughed at me for doing it. The train goes around the oval circuit twice. There was a show across from the coaster called "Cornelius: The Not-So-Very Scarecrow." He wasn't scary, all right. He actually was the gayest scarecrow ever. He had a real effeminate voice, which cracked us up. He also used the word "ginormous," which was just dorky. We headed toward Whistle Stop, the train. On the way, the crossing gates went down, and a guy got caught in between them. He walked out, and the train passed. We looked at some koi and then went to the station and got on. It was a nice way to relax. It goes around the park and through part of the limestone wall near Superman. We got off the train and went to Tony Hawk again, but it was down. Instead of waiting, we went to Superman. I noticed odd signage out front, which just includes pictures of Superman getting bigger and bigger and bigger. What the heck? We went to the last row for our final ride of the day. Superman is excellent. We left the park after that. Six Flags Fiesta Texas is unlike any Six Flags park I've ever been to. It's probably my favorite one too. It's got themed areas that it actually pulls off well. The roller coasters are all fun, and Superman, Poltergeist and Tony Hawk stand out. The limestone cliff that surrounds the park keeps it separated from the outside world. I had a lot of fun. Bigger! Getting bigger. To finish, the weird Superman getting bigger thing. Superman is small. Rattler is not. Poltergeist is great. FISH! Mmm. Expensive food. The flowers Tim picked. The best Boomerang I've ridden. What the? Bloody water Tony Hawk's Big Spin Cliff helix goodness. Anyone know what's up with the black things on the harnesses? Big freaking loop. Superman's bleached sign. The park's entrance is pretty cool.
  3. We spent the night in a motel after our Kings Island visit. Doug's Global Positioning system told us to get on a southbound interstate, which would eventually connect us to the northbound interstate that would take us home. As we headed south, we joked that we'd end up in Kentucky. So Doug asked me what amusement parks there were in Kentucky, and I said Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. He typed it into his GPS and saw that the park was only 100 miles from where we were. So we did the only logical thing a true coaster nut would do. We took a detour. Sweet. We'd never been to this park before. We thought about looking for a place to stop to look for a discount, but we just went to the park. Parking was $5, which surprised me for a Six Flags park. I thought it said $15 at first. No way. We got there about 1:45 p.m. The park was open until 8. Doug has a season pass to Six Flags Great America, so he could get in for free. Tracie and I had to pay admission. I asked if they had discounts for ACE members, and the woman at the admissions counter asked her supervisor. She came back and said they didn't, but she'd give me $10 off if I showed my card. She said one of their managers is an ACE member, so I got the discount anyway. How fun. We walked in the park and noticed right away how empty it was. Great. We could get our coaster credits. I've heard that this is definitely one of the worst Six Flags parks, but since no one was here, I really didn't get that image. Though I can imagine it would be pretty bad on a busy day. As we entered, we noticed a Ben & Jerry's. Doug walked inside to see if it had Stephen Colbert's ice cream. He was in there for a while, so Tracie and I walked in and noticed that he was talking to the employee. It turns out Doug used to work with this guy at Cedar Point. How crazy. After talking for a bit, we left to ride rides. We started at Roadrunner Express, the Maurer Sohne wild mouse. The line was extremely short, and we got on in a few minutes. They were running four cars. This is a fun ride with good hairpin turns. As a wild mouse should, it pulls great laterals. It's also only got a few spots where the brakes are on, but they're in locations where you'd really slam around if they weren't on. I enjoyed it. Greezed Lightnin' is right next door, so we went there. We waited one train before getting on, and we sat in the back car. The launch is terribly weak. But I'd only been on Montezooma's Revenge, so the flywheel is definitely stronger than the weight-drop launch. The G-forces are strong in the loop, as is normal with Schwarzkopf coasters. The backward trip through the loop tickled my stomach a little, which I like. It's braked in the backward trip just before the station, so you don't go as high up the back spike as you could. But the brake run before the station is short, so it's probably needed to stop it in the right location. We crossed the bridge to get to the other side of the park. This park's layout is sort of confusing. It's like a figure-eight, and the halves cross at the bridge over the road. Also, there's a water park in the middle. Weird. We went to Chang, which is a mirror of Mantis through the first half of the ride. And it's a little taller. We waited one train before we got in the last row. They were only running one train, but that's all that was needed since the park was so empty. Chang is pretty cool, and I noticed the slight differences in design over Mantis. It's smoother, for one. The drop isn't as steep, either, so it pulls less G's. I did almost black out at the bottom of the exit of the loop, though. The dive loop is fun. The turn before the block brake and the turn into it aren't head jarring, which I was bracing myself for because of Mantis. The brakes are on a bit, so there isn't airtime down the drop off the block. The first corkscrew is taken at a moderate speed, and the train rattles around in the beginning of the turn after the corkscrew. This part of the ride was cool because it hugs the ground and flips into the second corkscrew. Then it's a small turning hill and a turn into the brakes. Chang's fun. It's a pretty good ride, though I'm not too big a fan of standup coasters. Riddler's Revenge is still the best. We went to T2, which is a Vekoma SLC. People were leaving the line saying it was down, but we went up to the station anyway. We got in line for the front row, but Doug and Tracie got in line for a row that didn't line up with anything. It was open, but the ride operator told us that wasn't a row. T2 has seven cars instead of the usual 10, and some of the gates don't line up. The train was loaded, but the restraints wouldn't release. The mechanics got out the battery boxes and released them manually. The ride op told us it'd be down for a while, so we left. Tracie stopped at a weird misting station. Then we saw Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, so I took pictures of them with Tracie. We noticed that drinks in the vending machines here were fairly cheap, so Doug and I bought an energy drink each. It was only $2. Thunder Run was next. It only runs one train, but we didn't wait long. The ride op at controls was hilarious. He was making train noises each time the train would enter and exit the station. We got on and buckled our seat belts. We're not allowed to pull down the lap bars for some reason. That reminded me of Knott's, but this is the only coaster at Kentucky Kingdom that does this. Thunder Run was surprising. It and Chang are the best coasters here. I thought it would be another mediocre Dinn coaster, but it was good. The turn after the first drop is really fun, and the following hills are loaded with airtime. The hill after the big turn that was the best part of the ride. It throws you out of the seat and to the side because it turns. The ride has a couple more turns and hills and flies into the brake run. It comes in so fast and has so many hills, the upstop wheels still spin as it's stopped. I love that. We went to International Carousel next. This ride is really flashy and elaborately decorated. It's made by PTC, but there are different carousel companies painted on the panels on the top, so it's hard to figure out who made it. It's fun and has lots of animals other than horses. I rode a bear, Tracie was on a rooster, and Doug was in a spinning vehicle. Roller Skater is next to the carousel, so we decided to ride it. It's a fun kiddy coaster. The sixth row was closed, but they only tell you that when you try to get in the car. Doug and I saw in the last car, and Tracie sat in front of us. It's got a swooping drop to the right followed by a couple of helices. We headed back toward Twisted Twins. On the way, there are little things set up with people handing out candy. Kids go trick-or-treating in this area. We just walked by and saw a big spider. Only Lola was running on Twisted Twins. They said Stella had been down for a few weeks. The stations are interesting because the trains leave facing different directions. We rode in the back car. This is the most uninspired coaster I think I've ever been on. It's a CCI, so there's so much potential, but it's like they just didn't care. The layout is boring, the turns are dull, and there aren't any surprises. There was some airtime, but the Gerstlauer trains are lame. I don't like these restraints, and the airtime was a little painful in areas. The ride ends with a helix, but it's not memorable. What a shame. We went to Zeppelin, which is a spinning ride. Why? Because we can. We got in the red car, and I took a stupid picture of us in the mirror. It's a typical spinning children's ride. There's nothing important to note. As we walked back through the trick-or-treat area, we stopped and got our picture taken with someone giving out candy. She had apple-flavored candy, and Doug and I took a box each. They were good. In keeping with making this a ridiculous trip, we rode the carousel again. Then we rode Fire Chief, another children's ride. That was funny because there were no young children on the ride. We sat in the back row, and two girls who were 13 and 14 sat a few rows in front of us. The ride op laughed at us. For some weird reason, the fire truck has an Alabama license plate. Uh, we're in Kentucky. T2 had been testing since we got on Thunder Run, and we finally saw it go with people in it. We went to the back row and waited two trains to get on. SLCs suck. Ow. Ow. The pain. There was a weird fact at the end of the ride, which was sponsored by some college thing. It says you'd need to ride T2 nearly 2 million times to total the time it'd take to get a four-year degree. College is hard and sometimes painful, but I'd rather do that than ride this 2 million times. We rode Chang and Thunder Run again, the two best coasters in the park. We got all our credits in, and we decided to head to the front of the park. We saw an alligator on the roof of a building. We crossed the bridge. Then we saw Tin Lizzies, the antique car ride, so we got in line. Only one operator was there, so it took us maybe five cars before we got on. A second operator showed up, which sped things up a little. One thing we noticed was at the end of the ride, you just get out and leave. There's no platform, and the ride host doesn't even tell you to get out. Tracie drove. Doug and I sat in the back. It's a relaxing ride with cows by it. We went to Greezed Lightin' again and noticed that the Viper control panel still says that. We went to Roadrunner Express, which had a shorter wait. This ride was fun because I decided not to hold on. I slammed into Tracie with every turn. It was time to go. Doug and I rode Bench: The Ride. We stopped at a Ben & Jerry's near the entrance and talked to his friend again. Then we left. Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom is a rather small park with an odd layout. Today was a good day, but I can't imagine what it'd be like on a day with crowds. It doesn't really have much, and it's not a park you'd get a season pass to. But we had fun. Random observations: The park only plays country music, but that makes sense. It is Kentucky. Also, the Starburst ads throughout the park are funny but odd. No trip is complete without Bench: The ride. Here is an alligator Yes, we rode this. It was horribly busy. Cows on Tin Lizzies Tracie with Bugs Bunny. Here's the picture I mentioned of us in the mirror on Zeppelin. Viper? Twisted Twins was bland. Thunder Run actually was pretty good. Thunder Run's first drop Yeah. The credits. Ow. All about the credits Woo hoo wild mouse Greezed Lightnin's launch is weak. It has corkscrews. Chang's pretty fun.
  4. My friend Doug, his friend Tracy and I went to Kings Island for the first time each of us had been in years. Experiencing it as a Cedar Fair park was interesting, and it was fun seeing all the old Paramount things that remain. It was Halloween Haunt, so the park was open until 1 a.m. We got there a little after 1 p.m., so 12 hours at the park was fine. It was fairly crowded but not too bad. Doug and I got in with our MaxxPasses, which was the first time all season I'd used it at another park. Our first ride was Grand Carousel. That was fun. Up next was Italian Job: Stunt Track, which was a new coaster for me. The line wasn't long, and we got to the back car in maybe five minutes. The cars are really cool, and the theming on the ride is great. The cars are Mini Coopers, and you drive through Los Angeles dodging police cars and a helicopter. It has two launches, the first of which goes into a triple helix. There are good G's there. It's a pretty short ride, but it's really fun. It ends with a fake water splash after bursting through a sign. There are some brakes right after the water splash, but they appear to only be there because the main brake run is immediately after a turn. The Beast was next. I used to love this ride, but it's just not doing much for me anymore. The line was short enough that we nearly got up to the station before stopping. We rode in the back, which is the only place I'll ride on Beast. While climbing the lift hill, we noticed a lot of wasps at the top. It was really odd. Why would there be wasps at the top of the lift hill? This ride has been so tamed. I got a night ride in 2004, the last time I was here, but I only needed one ride this time. It uses the terrain really well, and the amount of trees surrounding it is great, but it's got far too many magnetic brakes. They take away speed quickly and powerfully, which I don't like. I'm sure the ride would really tear through the woods without them, though I did enjoy the last turn before the hill prior to the second lift hill. It hugs the ground and speeds along, so it really feels like the fastest part of the ride. The tunnels are cool too. There were more wasps at the top of the second lift hill. What is this about? The helix was great as always, but it didn't save this ride for me. Especially after finally riding Voyage this year. As we exited, I saw some rails from Vortex sitting next to it. Weird. We went to Vortex, which I really like. It's probably the best coaster at the park. I like seeing the old Bat footers. While in line for this, we saw a brake for The Beast sitting off to the side just like the Vortex rails. There are seat belts on the harnesses like on Corkscrew at Cedar Point, only they're the opposite way. The buckle is attached to the harness. There were wasps at the top of this lift hill too. We rode near the front. The first drop is fun, and there are high G-forces at the bottom of the drop. The two loops made me start to black out. I really enjoy the turn before the block brake because it's taken so quickly. The corkscrews are really high off the ground. This ride has some good terrain. The helix at the end pulls some good forces. We walked by Flight of Fear to ride Firehawk. Firehawk had the longest line of the day, about 45 minutes. The line has some shade areas in it, but I really liked that the park put plastic cups and water coolers in line. It was fairly hot out, so this is a great idea. I rode Firehawk when it was X-Flight. I think it's in a better location now. The trees surrounding it add a little bit. Only one station was running, so that's why capacity was low. I like Firehawk. It's the only flying coaster I've been on, and the G-forces are a really weird sensation because you're lying down. We rode in the fifth of six rows. Kings Island changed the way the seats raise and lower. Instead of using the bar in the middle of the car, that was removed and replaced with a mechanism in the station that controls the seat position. The loop is the best part of this ride. The twist off the first drop is pretty cool too, but the sensation of facing straight down as you exit the loop rules. I like the amount of flying time on this ride. You're only on your back for a little bit. The two twists at the end of the ride are fun, though it might be better if they were heartlined. I really enjoy the helix finale. It looks like it goes really slowly through it as you watch, but it's got some pretty high G's. We were hungry, so we went to Festhaus. I got a burger, fries and drink, which was $13. Ouch. It was good, though the bun had been sitting under a heating lamp for a while, so it was a little dry. We went to Scooby Doo and the Haunted Castle. My gun was either broken or I just sucked at shooting because I got a terrible score. I can do pretty well at these, as I did on Gobbler Getaway at Holiday World, but I sucked on this one. It's fun regardless. I like these rides, and the cars rotate so you can aim at different things a little better. It was time to ride more coasters, so we went to Fairly Odd Coaster, but it was closed. The Nickelodeon section of the park closes at 6 for Haunt. We decided to go to Face/Off, but the Eiffel Tower was on the way, so we went to that. This is a must-visit during any trip to Kings Island. The view is outstanding. We stayed up there for about 10 minutes. I took pictures of Italian Job, Racer, Firehawk and other rides. I also got one straight down. We left and headed toward Face/Off. The fountains down International Street are great, so I took a picture as the sun set. Face/Off is an OK ride. It rattles around even when it's not in the cobra roll. We decided to face each other, and we sat in the second and third cars. It has high forces exiting the loop in the second trip. There were no wasps at the top of the lift. The midways started to fill with fog for Haunt, and it looked really cool from the top of the lifts. Drop Zone was right next door, so we went to that. We only had to wait maybe four cycles before we got on. I really like it because it's tall and fast. It's so fast, you beat the wind the car makes on the way down. You hit the brakes, then you're hit with this gust of wind. Drop Zone is the best large drop ride I've been on. Doug wanted to ride Son of Beast. It's absolutely my least favorite coaster, so I decided to skip it even with the new trains. Actually, especially because of the new trains. Gerstlauers don't track well, and the restraints are a mess, so I felt better just skipping it entirely. Tracy didn't want to ride either. We waited in line with Doug, and we decided to try to wait in the cage for kids in the station. We walked through the car and went into the cage. The ride ops didn't care. That was funny. Doug sat in the shortest line, which was the third or fourth car. As his train came back to the station, I asked a ride op to take a picture of us in the cage. I am ridiculous. Doug said it was fairly smooth, but I still refused to ride. We went to Adventure Express next, which is an excellent mine train. It was completely dark now, so I knew this would be out of control. After a short wait, we got in the next to last car. The ride drops out of the station and follows the terrain for a while as it picks up speed before the first lift hill. It twists and turns and goes through tunnels. It's got great theming, and it's wild at night because you have no idea where you're going. I was taken by surprise at a few of the turns because there is no light at all in some parts of the ride. The last lift hill is cool because of the theming and big stone men pounding their fists, but it's lackluster because it just takes you to a brake run before the station. Racer was next. We decided to go backward and ride in the back car. I rode in the very back seat, which would be the front if we were facing forward. Racer's a really good coaster. The view backward up the lift hill was neat, and I could really see the amount of fog filling the midways. The first two hills on Racer are cool, but the best one is right before the turnaround. It's tiny, and you're thrown out of your seat. We raced the other side, but we were slightly ahead of them on the lift hill. The return hops into the brake run are fun. I like Racer. We only rode backward. We went to Flight of Fear next. The sign out front is of Fort Kinzel, which I got a kick out of. This ride's line is deceiving. There are a few queues outside, but inside there's an hourlong queue. I was expecting it to be full since the park was becoming crowded, but it wasn't. We walked straight into the UFO and into the station. The other queues weren't full. We waited maybe 15 minutes and got in the second car. This ride's got cameras on it. There are two devices per row, but one of them is infrared lights so you show up on the camera because it's an indoor coaster. Flight of Fear is a cool ride. I like the sidewinder element. We came to a near complete stop in the block brake, which I didn't like. I've ridden this without the trims on, and the second half is absolutely crazy. You still pick up some good speed into the corkscrew, but it's not as fast as it really can be. I do enjoy that it only has lap bars because those old restraints were terrible. We were done riding coasters, and it was time for Haunt. Every midway had fog in it, which impressed me. I thought only a few areas would be foggy. We started at The Worksite, which is themed to road construction. It was OK. People hide behind barrels and jump at you with shovels. I didn't get scared. Red Beard's Revenge was next. The line wasn't too long. It took maybe 10 minutes to get through the line. This haunted house starts with an outside section but ends up inside. People hide in boxes and inside walls and pop out and scare you. Only one guy scared me, but that was because it becomes a little predictable, and you know where people will be hiding. One guy holding a large metal spoon stood in a room and just banged it on a metal box. That was odd. There's a cool room where there are heads hanging from the ceiling. As you work your way through them, someone pops out and scares you. That was near the end. The guy who scared me was just around a corner when I thought we'd be exiting. This one was all right. We walked by Tombstone Terror-tory, which had a long line. I wanted to do that, but Doug wanted to get a night ride on Beast. Tracy and I went to the walk-through, and Doug went to Beast. We planned to meet up afterward. We waited about 20 minutes before boarding the train. I liked this one a lot. Someone tells the back story of a gold prospector who went mad and killed a bunch of people. The train stops in the middle of the woods, and it lets you off. You walk around to an area where the person tells you not to touch the actors. Tracy was so jumpy, she got scared by a guy in jeans and a T-shirt. He was just standing there waiting for someone. I really enjoyed this one. It's long, you walk through the woods, and people are everywhere. They do get a little predictable, so I didn't get scared except maybe once or twice. There are boxes all over the place, so you know people are hiding there. The best part is a small hall you walk through. It's got curtains on the side, and it's foggy, so it's hard to see. A person standing off to the side of it yells, and that scared me. There's a lot more walking to do, but it becomes the same thing: boxes, people behind boxes and some fog. There are people walking around who distract you by asking about their children or something. That's cool because someone hops out as you're paying attention to them. Doug was in line for Beast, so we decided to head to some other Haunt things. We went to The Cemetery, which was the former Paramount Story. This area was insanely foggy. The midway was hard to walk through because it was so foggy. This one was OK. There are lots of tombstones you have to walk around. One person scared me pretty well. I was walking and reading tombstones, and she came running screaming down a hill. That was good. It's a bit long and doesn't seem to have too many people in it, though. We went to Cornstalkers next. There was no line, so we walked right in. The midway is surrounded by cornstalks, and people hide in them. They wear clothes that blends in with the cornstalks, so you really have no idea where they are. I got scared a few times in this. I liked it. We went to Death Row, which is over by Flight of Fear. This was the most disorienting thing ever. It's nothing but tall fences you have to walk through, mirrors, fog and strobe lights. I got so lost and confused. People hide behind the chain-link fences and jump out at you. One guy had a teddy bear, and he said he killed his girlfriend with it or something. The actors are covered in blood and gore, and each person seems to have a backstory about why they're in jail. It was so disorienting, I got confused and started trying to follow the exit signs. But one took me the wrong way, and a guy came out and told me I was going the wrong way. Crazy. I even had a guy follow me and tell me I was going to slow. I finally found the exit. That was ridiculous. Tracy came out screaming a few minutes after I did. There were some prisoners walking around outside saying things. I really liked this one. Each prisoner has a story, and it's so insanely disorienting. Doug called. He said Beast went down, so he didn't get his night ride. He went to Vortex for his last ride of the night, so we met him there. The park was closed, so we headed to stores to buy souvenirs. The midways were still shrouded in fog, and it even made its way to the parking lot. Kings Island is a fun park, and the Halloween Haunt was amazing. I had a great time. And to end the photos, here's the picture of Tracy and me in Son of Beast's cage. This is how crazy the fog is in the park. I loved it. This takes you to Tombstone Terror-tory, which was all right. Fountains are pretty. Oooh. Ahh. I enjoy an expensive meal. Note the lemon juice. Why? No reason. Firehawk. Doop de doo Faceoff and fog Straight down The Eiffel Tower, the park's landmark. Beast brake by Vortex. Weird. Beast. Meh. Fort Dick Kinzel, president and CEO Splash Italian Job. Woo.
  5. That tiny hop after the twisting camelback looks a little insane.
  6. By the way, I have five videos of the coasters here: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=hauxandbum
  7. He was never building a wooden coaster. You're probably thinking of Jeremy Reid. It's really hard to find. We wouldn't have done it without a map and GPS. We did not offer him cash, and I doubt he'd take any. I'm going to write him a thank-you letter, though.
  8. Naw. My friend called him about a week ago, and he set up a date and time to meet. He was expecting us. I wouldn't show up unannounced. That's weird.
  9. Hmm. Not bad. But I don't really like the metal bar back there. You might bang your elbows into it.
  10. In the outskirts of a small town nestled in Indiana near the Illinois border lives a man with a passion for roller coasters. A passion so great that he built one in his backyard using scrap metal he got from work. With his welding know-how and some ingenuity, John Ivers pieced together a 20-foot-tall blue coaster in his backyard. He named it The Blue Flash. My friend Doug and I got to John's place a little before 11 a.m. We introduced ourselves and talked for a bit as he showed us his two coasters, The Blue Flash and Blue Too, which he just finished this year. He showed us how they work as got his keys and unlocked the rides. He fired up Blue Too first and sent a train around the track. He has a skid brake set up before the lift hill that catches on the back car. Well, sometimes it does, he told us. He took the tarp off Blue Flash's car, which is basically a car seat attached to wheels. We decided to do Blue Too first to work our way up to Blue Flash because, honestly, it's a bit intimidating. John test-rode Blue Flash for us. This coaster only goes about 20 mph, but it takes the loop really quickly. He said it was running a little slow, and he rode twice. Now it was time for Blue Too. Its two cars have seat belts in them for restraint. Doug rode first. Blue Too has a train of two cars, which is something John was experimenting with. He didn't let us ride together, but he let us try both seats. Doug overshot the brake by a little, but he was able to get off and hop in the back seat. He said it was pretty fun. I was next. I put my glasses strap on because I didn't know what these rides would do. I rode in the front seat first, which was cool. The ride has a drop that slightly turns to the right, then it's followed by a small turning hill and some turns. I overshot the brake and engaged the lift hill again. I got off and sat in the back seat. The back is pretty wild down the first drop. The turns are fun and are sort of like trick track. John grabbed the back car so it would stop in the brake, even though he adjusted the brake a little after Doug's ride. We signed his log book, which he keeps as a record of everyone who's ridden the ride. We were the 229th and 230th people to ride Blue Flash, and we were the third and fourth to ride Blue Too. Now we were ready for Blue Flash. Doug went first. He sat down and buckled the seat belt, which John told us is from a bulldozer. It's big and secures you in pretty well. John and I pushed the car to the lift hill. Doug climbed the lift hill and flew down the drop. It seems really fast, and you really feel the G's in the loop. Doug climbed over the hill after the loop and down the helix. The car coasted down the track before the lift hill and engaged the chain again. He went twice. It was my turn. The lift hill is really steep. John estimates it about 50 degrees. The first drop curves to the left and levels out quickly into the loop. The loop is crazy, and you have to lean into the direction it turns. It throws you around a bit, but it's over quickly. The hill afterward is taken at a decent speed, though there's no airtime. The helix has a good headchopper in it as you pass under Blue Too's lift hill. It's insane. I coasted to the lift hill and engaged the chain. I was better prepared for my second ride and leaned into the elements a bit better. Blue Flash is a crazy coaster, and Blue Too is fun. John Ivers is a man mad enough to actually go through with something so many of us dream of. He saw his vision through to the end and got some pretty good results out of it. If you're ever near Vincennes, Ind., look John up and give him a call. You may get to check out the craziest little coaster around. Thanks to John Ivers for letting us ride your creation. Keep up the dream. Me in Blue Flash's helix. Doug in Blue Flash's loop. Me going down the first drop of Blue Too. The brake on Blue Too. This is basically Blue Too's layout. Doug rides Blue Too. John in the loop. John test-rides. Blue Flash's car. John Ivers stands with Blue Too's train. Blue Too's lift hill. Blue Flash in the background and Blue Too.
  11. My friend Doug and I decided about a week prior to take a trip to Holiday World. He had never been, and my only visit was in 2002. The park now has Voyage, and I absolutely could not turn down a chance to visit. Our Global Positioning system kept going out, and we got lost on some backroads through the hills in Indiana, but we eventually made it to the park. Wow. Voyage stands out on the drive to the park. We got there about 40 minutes after it opened. Doug brought a Mountain Dew can for a discounted ticket, and I use my ACE card. We entered and immediately headed to Voyage. Like we'd go anywhere else. The line was extremely short. We walked up the stairs into the station and headed to the back seat. My first ride on Voyage had to be in the back. I wasn't allowed to bring my camera on the ride, even though it was strapped to my belt, but that was OK. The ride host put it on a shelf in the station. We were given the clear and we left the station. Yes. Finally. I'd waited too long for this. The ride climbs up the lift hill at a quick pace. The front cars started dropping, and we were flung down the drop. Mmmm. Airtime. The second hill had some airtime, and we fell into the first of seven tunnels. There's a small hill with a quick bump to the right, which I loved. We quickly dropped into another tunnel, over another hill and into a third tunnel. The drop into that third tunnel took me by surprise because it was steeper than the previous one and had a good jolt of airtime. Then came what quickly became my favorite part of the ride: the turnaround. We flew over a twisting hill, hit a small airtime dip and dropped into a huge, ground-hugging turn. The next two parts surprised me. There are two short banked hops, but they're banked the wrong way. What a sensation! Then came the first 90-degree turn, a pass under the structure, then the second 90-degree turn. I love these turns. They're amazing. Doug says the turnaround section is like a ski slalom because it's constantly moving in different directions. There's a hop of airtime, a turn to the left into a tunnel and time for a breather in the block brake. The block brake wasn't on for our first ride. We suspected it was because it was warming up, and it was chilly outside. The triple down is great, especially the third drop in it. That took me by surprise, and the airtime is awesome. Here's where the ride kicks into high gear. We flew over an airtime hill, bolted to the right over another airtime hill and came to a part of the ride that still confuses me. It banks to the left up a hill, right at the top, then left as it goes down and right as it levels out. It's taken in quick succession, and it feels really cool. I felt like we kept picking up speed. Airtime, left turn, hop, then the third 90-degree turn. Then a big drop and turn to the left is followed by an airtime-packed twisting hill over the lift hill. That's followed by a sweet drop into a tunnel by the station and another twisting hill. Come on! Then we drop into a seventh tunnel, soar over a small hop and turn, and turn to the right into the brake run. I had to take a moment. My fingers were shaking. Shaking! That certainly was the craziest layout ever. And it doesn't let up on the speed. Did I have a new No. 1 wooden coaster? Had it topped Legend? We had to find out. We were hungry, so we went to get food at Kringle's Kafe. I got a cheeseburger combo, which comes with fries (I got curly fries) and a cookie. I love that the drinks are free. That helps keep the price down. We headed up the hills to Raven first. Of course we went to the back seat. I hadn't forgotten about that awesome fifth drop, and I wanted Doug to experience it. They were only running one train, but that was fine with us. The park wasn't crowded, and we only waited about 10 minutes to get on. People in line kept stopping to watch the diving show that was going on, which was a little annoying. The first drop is fun, and I love the tunnel. There are good laterals in the turns, and the turn over the lake is just as great as I remembered it. Oh boy. One more drop before the best part of the ride. We dropped to the left and rose into the hill, then we flew over the drop. My gosh. I love this part. It's totally surprising, and the airtime is sudden. Then the ride tears through quick turns and dips, not losing speed. It's quick, but it's great. 10/10. Legend was next. Legend was my No. 1 wooden coaster, and I hadn't yet decided where Voyage was. I really missed Legend. I'm a big fan of lateral G-forces, and Legend's packed with them, which is why I love it so much. We went to the back seat (see a pattern?) and got on in about two trains. There's a speaker at the top of the lift that plays the sound of a wolf howling. I didn't remember that from five years ago, and I love it. The first drop has excellent airtime, and the tunnel is a blast. The next two hills are taken fast, and the drops are great. The third drop is where the ride really kicks into high gear. The bottom of the drop has high laterals. Then there's a double up. The first part of the double up surprised me because there's a really quick pop of big airtime. The drop into the tunnel has some air, and then it's just turns from there. The double helix might be my favorite part of Legend. It's taken extremely quickly, and the tunnels are fun. The laterals are high in it, but the end of the helix is where it's at. The laterals are extremely high, and the turn just keeps going. Then it drops and rises into the first turn in the "four corners of death." The next four turns are taken at high speeds and are packed with laterals. Legend was just as amazing as I'd remembered it. It was so great, I actually thought it might be better than Voyage. But I had to ride Voyage a few more times after it warmed up. I told Doug that I thought Legend might be No. 1, with Voyage at No. 2. A little girl sitting in front of us (we were in the brake run since two trains were running) looked back at me and asked if I was crazy. Ha! She said Voyage was way better, and I told her I'd have to try again. Doug liked Legend but not too much. He said it was a bit rough. 10/10. So we went back to Voyage. It had warmed up a bit, so it was running really well. We got off and got back in line since it was so short. We went to the front seat, which was all right. The airtime at the beginning of the hills is cool, but the back seat is really where it's at. The airtime was better, the turnaround was totally flying, and the second half of the ride was out of control. Voyage has all I want. It's got airtime, laterals, tunnels and speed. There was no doubt it's the best wooden coaster I've ever been on. Scratch that. It's the best coaster I've ever been on. Period. 10/10. Voyage went down as they took a train off and put another on. They were still running two trains, but they just switched two. So we went to Gobbler Getaway. There's a creepy old woman in the queue line who tells you how to fire the turkey call. It's a fun ride and the third interactive Sally dark ride I'd been on. We rode twice, and I had the high score for our car both times. After that, we went to a Pepsi Oasis and took advantage of the free drinks. Then we walked around the park to ride a few other things. Doug rode Revolution, and I sat out because I don't really like spinning rides. Then we went to Howler since Doug hadn't ridden it. I felt like a dork because we were two adults standing in line for the kid coaster. We stood in line and joked about being terrified and not ready to ride. I said Voyage was a warm-up for this coaster. Doug got his credit, and we went to Liberty Launch. We went to the single rider line because there was a bit of a wait. We ended up getting on the same ride, but we were on different sides. I had never ridden a Double Shot before, and I enjoyed it. The second launch is cool and has better airtime at the top. We went to Raven, which had no line. The station had a one-train wait. We went to the back seat again. That's the only place I'll ride on Raven. Then we went to Legend. Doug rode once, and I wanted to ride again. Doug sat out, so I rode by myself. I sat on the left side in the back seat. I love the laterals on this ride! The end of the helix is out of control. I got three rides on Legend today, and Doug got two. Voyage was next, and we rode a few times. Then we went back to Raven. We ended up with three rides on Raven today. The park closed at 6 p.m., so we went to finish the day at Voyage. The constant riding was getting Doug's stomach a little upset, so he left to get a snack. I stayed at Voyage. I got a ride in the back seat, which is without a doubt the best place to sit on the coaster. When Doug got back, we rode near the back and then waited at the entrance for the last train of the night. I knew they closed the ride lines before the park closed so they can get their workers out of there when the park closes. Doug said he ran into Will Koch, the president of Holiday World. He complimented him on the cleanliness of the park and a number of other aspects. We waited at the entrance while a ride host waited for the call to close the line. We talked with her for a while about the park and how much fun we were having. She told us she was closing the line, so we got in line and walked up the station. They told us to load all available rows, so we didn't get the back seat. We got the next to last seat, which was fine by me. I bought the on-ride photo of our last ride. I can't get enough of Voyage. It's really got all I want in a coaster. The airtime is amazing, it's totally out of control, and the laterals are great. It has the best turnaround I've ever experienced, the tunnels add so much to the ride, and nothing is really taken away from the ride with the block brake acting as a trim. The terrain is used perfectly. This is coaster perfection. Voyage is absolutely above and beyond what I expected. I got 12 rides on Voyage. I only wish the park was open later. I'll try to make a visit sometime when it's open until 10 p.m. I can't even imagine how a night ride is. We headed toward the front to go to a gift shop. Right before we got to it, I saw Will Koch and stopped to talk to him. I thanked him for Voyage, which he said would be really hard to top. I agreed. We talked for a while, and I told him I had a wonderful time. He really is a nice guy. I'm glad this park is run by such caring people. We went to St. Nick's Trading Company and bought some things. I got a Voyage pin, key chain and magnet for my fridge. Doug collects shot glasses, so he bought a few. Holiday World is one of my favorite parks. It's clean, has amazing rides and is run really well. This park does things right, and I'd love to live in the area so I could visit all the time. Holiday World gets a 10/10. GO AWAY! Look at the ride spin I am writing a haiku Don't like spinny rides Liberty Launch is fun. Legend's got amazing laterals. The creepy old woman in line at Gobbler Getaway. Hooray for Raven. Lunch. Airtime! Look how short Voyage's line is. Voyage from outside the park. We got lost heading to the park.
  12. AmusementSafety.org is a joke in the industry. No one really takes those guys seriously.
  13. I don't like to bump my super-nerdy thread, but I hit another little milestone yesterday. I got my 300th ride on Raptor this season, as you can see in my signature. Now I just need four rides to beat my record of 303 in a season. Oh, man, I need a girlfriend!
  14. After seeing his avatar, I realized that I know who he was. I worked at Cedar Point a for year or two when he did. We didn't know each other, but I certainly talked to him a few times and saw him often. How sad.
  15. Hi Folks, Today at Cedar Point, I got my 1,000th ride on Raptor. Also rode Blue Streak. Please reply with all of your congrats and compliments on this achievement. Thanks, haux Seriously: I ain't joking. I have 1,000 rides on Raptor now. That's flipping upside-down 6,000 times. It's more than 717 miles. It's about 1.75 days' ride time. Yes! Clicking from 999 to 1,000 was awesome.
  16. Does anyone know if the track gauge is going to be wider than the normal track? Or are the trains the same width and just have this odd seating?
  17. Obviously they're not. Come on. Look at the amount of supports and walkways on coasters. At the bare minimum, they're prepared for earthquakes. It's not like Japanese rides are death traps. Let's use that noggin.
  18. I bet it's Tomb Raider from Kings Island. I have no idea if it'll be indoors or out.
  19. The galaxy or the candy bar?
  20. The Intamin rattle is so noticeable on Maverick, you can hear it when you stand on the midway. I noticed it about a month ago. It sure didn't take long! The ride's still tons of fun. I rode it on Sunday.
  21. Is it going to mention evolution? If so, prepare for people to get up in arms! Especially since it's in Texas.
  22. I had one of the funniest rides I've ever had on Millennium Force. It was yesterday. I was with a friend of mine who works at the park, and we rarely have time off together, so we were going to have a blast. It was windy when we were climbing the lift hill, so I said to her, "It sure is windy up here. Cold too." The people behind us looked at us weird. Then from the drop through the rest of the ride, I shouted to my friend that I was planning on going to Burger King after spending the day at the park. I said I wanted to get a soda and a Hershey's Sundae Pie. I bet the riders thought we were nuts! My friend said she was going to poke my face for the photo, so right before it, I grabbed her finger and bit it. It resulted in the greatest on-ride photo I've ever had.
  23. This is from my ride on Millennium Force yesterday. I rarely buy my ride photos, but this was too good to pass up. My friend was going to poke me in the face for the photo, but I surprised her. Yes!
  24. You have to consider that CP's POV is an empty train in the morning, so it's going slower than if it were loaded and warmed up. Also, yelling on the ride helps.
  25. On Thursday, I finally rode with the smoke effects in the tunnel. It really enhances the lights in the tunnel. But that was the only time I'd ever been on it with it on. I rode yesterday, and the smoke was not on.
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