ytterbiumanalyst

Day 3 Continued: Three Guys, Two Girls, and a Pizza Place I got into Wildwood about 3 and checked into my hotel, the Hojo at the north end of the boardwalk. It’s actually really nice, plus they offer free parking and free breakfast, the former of which will save you a stack of cash, and the latter of which is very much appreciated after a day of drinking and riding. All right, finally at Morey's! Boardwalk #3 is the best! Lots of go karts here. There "it" is! And this place has a Chickie's and Pete's too! The legendary Curley's fries. We did not go there. The equally legendary Sam's Pizza. We also did not go there. I met up with everyone at the bar (come on, you didn’t seriously expect them to be anywhere else, did you?) and we then went to get our wristbands. Morey’s is the third most expensive one-day ticket I’ve ever bought, behind Universal and Disney. It’s honestly overpriced for what is there, but it’s also a much better value for the money than any other Jersey Shore boardwalk. I paid it, and so did many other people, so they’re clearly doing it right. Am I with these people, or are they fleeing from me? You decide. First up was Great Nor’Easter. This is a fantastic ride. I’ve always thought that the Vekoma SLCs had a killer layout, they just also try to kill you. Great Nor’Easter is not only content to let you live, it actually shows you a good time too. I love it, and I love any place willing to put this much effort into making a terrible ride really great. T3, you can still die in a fire. Next was AtmosFEAR. I did not expect the onboard audio, but it made the ride so much better than it already was, and if you’ve ridden a Larson drop tower, you know it’s already awesome. I’m a sucker for any ride with a storyline, especially a cheesy one, so this was absolutely among the best drop towers I’ve ever been on. Where are Bill & Brit going? Where else? We could not put off the log flume any longer. I got to ride with Bill and Brit (so if you’re following along, I rode both a skyride and a log flume with the world’s biggest fan of these rides, which was a highlight of the trip). The flume is spectacular, and certainly one of the best I’ve ever been on. It’s right up there with Timber Mountain and Splash Mountain in California. Both drops are quite large, which makes it seem like you’re riding two log flumes in a row without getting up, plus the “Under the Boardwalk” scene is pretty great. Yes, they do play the Drifters song if you’re wondering. We had to do “it” next. We were thinking about “it,” and walked over to “it,” and then we got in line for “it.” We watched “it” until it was our turn to ride “it.” Then we put our stuff in the cubbies next to “it” and got in “its” seats. Could we handle “it”? Loved Zoom Phloom, and I loved the tram car seating. These tram cars don't yell at you. Dante's Dungeon had some great animatronics. We didn't end up doing the Musik Express. Finally going to ride "it"! Nope, “it” couldn’t handle us. We broke “it”! About halfway through the cycle “it” had to be e-stopped and we were escorted off “it.” We were so devastated, there was only one thing to do: Hit the bar. We went to Joe’s on Surfside Pier, which was really great. I tried out some of the Cape May Brewing Co. offerings, both of which were very good. Random Donkey Kong cabinet in the gift shop. All liquored up and ready to go! Sort of. Boldikus had to run back to his parents’ house to do some dogsitting because he’s lame like that, so Bill, Brit, and I rode the other coasters on this pier. Doowopper was just okay, not a bad ride but nothing special either. Flitzer was pretty fun though, much better than you’d expect just by looking. I'm thinking Bill enjoyed the Flitzer. Probably. That was all we wanted to do on that pier, so we headed south. This was my first experience with WATCH THE TRAM CAR PLEASE WATCH THE TRAM CAR PLEASE WATCH THE TRAM CAR PLEASE WATCH THE TRAM CAR PLEASE WATCH THE TRAM CAR PLEASE WATCH THE TRAM CAR PLEASE WATCH THE TRAM CAR PLEASE. Wow, it must suck to be a tram driver, having to hear that godawful noise hundreds of times per day. Now on to Mariner's Pier. Boardwalk was starting to fill up a bit. This lighting would look awesome after sunset, too. Whatever a Lime Ricky is, this is its world. The boardwalk had all the classic amusement park stuff, like this costumed photo place. They had some really great arcades too, some of which had actual real-gambling slot machines. Time for more fun! Okay, down on Mariner’s Pier now, and it’s early evening, so the crowds are starting to pick up. We headed straight to Rollie’s Coaster, which is a hilariously mild coaster to have OTSRs. WTF, Moreys? Not a bad ride, just not great. I guess Sea Serpent wasn't really any worse than all the other Boomerangs. They're all terrible. My daughter loves these giant snakes, so I had to get a picture for her. Okay, now for the most absurd use of OTSRs ever! Next up was Sea Serpent. Yeah, I got roped into this one. Hey, this is the place that made an SLC good, maybe their boomerang doesn’t suck? Nope, it totally sucks snake balls. Only bad coaster here, honestly. Still no Boldikus, so the three of us decided to ride the monorail swan boats. Oh man, does this ride suck swan balls. Do swans have balls? No idea, but if they do, then this ride would suck ‘em. It’s like trying to ride a bicycle if that bicycle were made out of concrete. It would be a good workout, except that it’s not fun in any way at all. Gotta love a really big Ferris wheel. If this entrance were a snake, it would have bit me. Only photo I could get from Ghost Ship. Finally Boldikus decided to show up again, so it was time for the Ghost Ship! We had ideas of waiting until after dark, but decided just to do it right then. I’m not that big into haunted houses, but it really is one of the best walk-through attractions I’ve ever been in, complete with a pre-show! One of the actors cornered me with a surgical scalpel, and it was legitimately frightening, even though I knew they weren’t really going to harm me. On to Pirates of Wildwoods, the park’s 3D dark ride. I have no idea what this is about, but I do know that it requires two riders, no more, no fewer. Since we were a group of 5, this posed a logistical problem, as apparently this park hadn’t considered that odd numbered groups might possibly want to ride together. Their solution? Bill would parent swap for me and Brit. Yep, you read that right. So I rode this adventure probably conceived by people on LSD, then Bill just sat there on the car from the exit platform to the loading platform, then Brit got on and rode with him while the other 3 of us waited at the exit. I mean, I love parent swap, and it really helps with kids who aren’t tall enough or are too afraid to ride, but this is definitely the only time I’ve ever experienced a parent swap with a group of adults. Well, we’re sort of adults. We resemble adults sometimes. This is the most bizarre ride I've been on, bar none. Where are we going now? Pretty busy now, but it was a Saturday evening in August. There were a number of good looking water parks here. Adventure Pier! Loved the atmosphere. They had a very decent cover band, especially considering how young they were. All of them were teenagers, and they had some talent. Great White is a really good coaster, and I was totally sold on it being the best coaster here. I had no idea that it wasn’t running at its full capabilities (ominous foreshadowing). Next up was the Screamin’ Swing. We got our tkts at the shipping container, then boarded. The swing is really great, as they all are. This was my first ride on the smaller model, the one that’s usually an upcharge, and it definitely has a bit more open feeling. They run a long cycle too. Now to have some adventures! Art and radio Here's where you get tkts. The teenage cover band More go karts They have a Skycoaster. I don't do these. Here's what we're here for! Beautiful view across the beach from Great White's station. It was time for some pizza, and we of course went to Mack’s. Quite possibly the best pizza I’ve ever had. We have a pizza place in Springfield owned by a guy from New Jersey, and it tastes a lot like this. Ah, here's where we're going. Hopping joint. Very good pizza. Now back to Surfside for another attempt to ride “it.” I would not go home having only had half a ride on “it.” This time “it” could handle us. Super long cycle, ridiculously awesome, and weird sideways/upside-down airtime—all with lap bars! This is the absolute best ride of this type, and it’s a type I love. Now, for those of you who are about to bring up the Ohio accident, I remind you that I survived the Badlands just two days earlier. I am invincible. We also had to do Dante’s Dungeon while we were over here. I liked this one a lot better than the other dark ride. Very old school and very well done. Love this. The piers come alive at night. The Mister Softee was playing the jingle. Time for more phloomin' We then went over to ride Zoom Phloom again, only this time, they thought it was a great idea to pair me with a boy about 10 years old. Bill and Brit were in the section behind me…so…yeah. Awkward. Super awkward. All right, we haven’t done enough walking today, so we headed back to Mariner’s Pier to ride the Wave Swinger, then back to Adventure Pier for one last ride on Great White. Now THIS is what this ride can do! Wow, this thing is just awesome. Best ride at Morey’s by a long shot, and the second best that I had ridden that day. We found a novelty candy shop with many, many things like this. Ooh, foreshadowing. Always love a good wave swinger. Great White all lit up A few people enjoying the Battle Balls on the beach. Thanks for hanging out, everybody! It was around midnight, the piers were closing, and everyone had had a long, boozy day. I had a great time at the boardwalk hanging out with some enthusiasts who don’t at all act like enthusiasts. We were just there to have fun and ride rides like everybody else. The boardwalk itself is fantastic, but I don’t think I would have had nearly as much fun alone. Morey’s is the sort of place where the people you’re with are more important than the things you’re doing. So a big thanks to Coasterbill and Boldikus for being dumb enough to agree to meet a total stranger they met on the Internet and to trust that I wouldn’t be horrible to hang out with.

No, nothing like that. Luckily though, I got a picture of it before a bag was put over my head.

I'm loving this trip report. Dollywood really is a special place, and you have some great photos. It's cool to see some of the places in that area that I didn't go to, as well. There's a lot to do in the Smokies, and I already know I'll be back at some point.

And a meme is born.

That Kolumbus Jolle looks awesome, but there's no chance WoF is doing that. I expect it will pretty much look exactly like this one:

Wow, Nigloland looks fantastic! Glad you had a good time there, and I'm especially glad you shared it with us. I didn't know much about Nigloland previously, but it definitely looks like the sort of place I would really love. Thanks!

The funny thing is that while you're joking you're still overestimating the wait times by a full 2 trains. I've been going to Dorney since I was a kid (mostly on weekends) and have never seen a 2 train wait for Hydra in my life. When I was there (and this was on a Thursday), I actually waited in a 2-train wait for Hydra. The line was down the stairs and into the first switchback just like the photo a couple of pages ago.

I love Ka in row 9. It's a metal building. I can hear freeway sounds and seagulls.

Up to 32 now: Alabama Arkansas California Colorado Delaware Florida Georgia Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri (home state) Montana Nebraska New Jersey New Mexico North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Dakota Tennessee Texas Virginia Wisconsin

Very cool, thanks for finding that! They have me sold on Santa Cruz, even if most of that stuff isn't there anymore.

Yeah, I was really only interested in those two rides. This wasn't the leisurely stop to enjoy those two parks, which I normally will do even with a small park. Today was all about Morey's, so Hydrus and Gale Force were really just a bonus. If I ever get back out that way, I may explore the shore a bit more, but I couldn't keep two drunk assh*les waiting any longer.

Thanks everybody! Day 3: My Brief, Exhilarating Career as a Coaster Escort Saturday was a busy, very long day for me. I planned to do the credit whore thing and go to 4 different parks in one day. I was really only interested in a couple of coasters, though, so these would be quick in and out trips. So since I was credit whoring only the best coasters, it’s a bit classier. Classier credit whoring deserves a classier title: Credit escorting. My day as a credit escort began back at Six Flags Great Adventure, where I again got the hour of ERT. Today was El Toro, Bizarro, Mine Train, and Safari Adventure, so I of course spent the whole hour on El Toro, and left right as the park was opening for general guests. This was one of the best ERT experiences I’ve ever had—we could just stay on forever, as there never was enough to fill an entire train, let alone get any line. Who's ready for ERT on El Diablo? This one's not as loopy, but it's absolutely amazing. You know, I just might. Probably not too soon, but Great Adventure is a really great park. Next I headed down to the famous Jersey Shore. First up was Casino Pier. The website had advertised that they would open at 11AM, but, er, they didn’t. So I took advantage of this time to get my first slice of good pizza. I got it from that restaurant where the carousel is. Can’t even remember the name of it. Really good! It’s probably not actually good, I just come from the land where if it ain’t fried, you prolly shouldn’t et it. On to Seaside Heights! I'm definitely on the Jersey Shore! Woohoo! My first boardwalk! It's pretty, but there aren't too many people yet. I didn't go onto this beach. Besides the lack of time, I'm not paying the mafia for a beach tag. Uh...yeah. Website said 11, and then they change their game here. Well, not much else to do until noon, I guess. They have a carousel in the middle of this restaurant/arcade. Holy crap, seriously? No way. I have it on good authority that everything is legal in New Jersey. New Jersey pizza credit! Guess I'll walk along the boardwalk a bit now. Oooh, shiny. Shore shot. The puns are strong with this one. Finally the rides got started and I ran in to plunk down my $10 (yeah…these boardwalks are super expensive) for Hydrus. It’s a really great ride, basically a shorter version of SpongeBob. I could totally re-ride this again and again if it weren’t $10 a pop. Woohoo! Pier is open! And straight to Hydrus. Hydrus is fantastic! And with that I ran back to the car to head out toward the parkway. Glad I got here right at opening, as the traffic headed toward the shore was now insane. It was bad enough when I arrived, but wow. People apparently love them some Jersey Shore action. Two hours down the parkway, I came to my next stop in Ocean City, for Gale Force! This is a brilliant little coaster, totally unlike anything I’ve ever been on. Again I would re-ride this again and again if it weren’t $10 a pop. Lucked out in Ocean City with a meter that still had some time left. Beautiful. Boardwalk #2 And through the arcade to the rides. There are a lot of rides in a very small area. Some of them looked pretty fun, but there are better versions at Moreys, and unlimited rides too! In and out and on to Wildwood! Again, I went back into my car immediately. I’d say I spent a grand total of like 15 minutes at the park, something I just never do. But that’s coaster escorting! Overall, this was worth it. I rode three fantastic rides in a row, and I really wasn’t actually interested in any other rides at Casino Pier or Playland’s Castaway Cove, especially at those prices. Plus, I had a wristband for Morey’s and was really wanting to spend the majority of my day there. And so I drove southward down the Garden State Parkway toward the legendary Wildwoods to meet up with the legendary Coasterbill, Boldikus, and their fiancées.

After my PA/NJ trip, I think I'd rank them this way: 1. Skyrush 2. Magnum XL-200 3. Diamondback 4. Nitro 5. Goliath (SFMM) 6. Mamba 7. Wild Thing 8. Raging Bull 9. Steel Force

Thanks so much, Chadster and Sdcfan88 for going to the event and getting some great photos. I'm still a bit nervous about the spinning, but optimistic with the controls set in place.

While I didn't really care for them personally, Super Loops actually are good rides. Ten inversions in a row was just a bit too much for me. This should be a really great addition to that section of the park, which seemed to me to be a bit lighter on traffic than the rest of the park. It'll be a great sight right as guests enter the parking lot and hopefully pulls a lot of them into that section that they might otherwise have skipped. While I would certainly have hoped for waterpark additions, until Valleyfair is ready to do that, this is a very good addition in the meantime.

That really sucks. Hope the injection works though, amd in a couple of days you're feeling much better.

I actually really enjoyed Thunderbird quite a lot. The launch is great and I like some of the elements on the ride. I would actually put it above most (if not maybe all) of the other B&M wing coasters.

Talon at Dorney about a week ago.

Yes, but none of that has anything to do with SDC's opening day, which is always during Springfield's spring break. They of course are still open that next week, and the week after, and in fact all the weeks through the end of the calendar year.

It will be. SDC always opens for Springfield's spring break, which this school year is March 12-16, 2018. Analogous dates for next school year would be March 11-15, 2019. Springfield R-12 is the largest school district in the state, so it's as good as guaranteed that they'll be open at that time. Keep in mind though that during the spring they have some staffing issues and so are open 8 hours a day for 5 days of the week. There's not a good way to predict which two weekdays the park will be closed until the calendar is officially released, and closing times of 5:30 or 6:00 are typical too.

Looks great! I'm not normally a fan of spinning coasters, but I thought Sierra Sidewinder was fun. With controlled spinning, this should be manageable. My son will absolutely love it, so even if I think it's awful, I'm going to be riding this a bunch next year.

Great report, and I agree with the vast majority of what you wrote. Skyrush is ridiculous and amazing.

I'm certain those railings are temporary. I wouldn't rule out a spinning car, though; it would just mean that the cars would be forced into an in-line configuration on the brake run, which is common in spinning coasters and easy to do.

This has been a great report! Loved the pictures of Mystic Timbers in the recent post, and overall the photography is high quality. I appreciate the semi-realtime posts too. Glad you had a good time!