ytterbiumanalyst

^ Oh, guess you hadn't heard. It's the new giga Aquatrax, called AquaHawk. Opens next year.

^ Wow, well good for them then. Friendly competition isn't something you see very often. I can't see Wal-Mart giving Target employees a discount.

How'd that work? Holiday World has always been independent, and in fact was directly in competition with Six Flags for a while when the latter owned Kentucky Kingdom....

Hey Floyd! I remember you. Thanks for the recommendation on car A on Air Race; it made an already crazy ride that much more intense.

Kentucky Rumbler last Sunday.

Not sure whether you mean the Magic House in Kirkwood or the City Museum downtown, but they're both fantastic. Magic House is more for the 12 and under crowd, and is more science-focused. City Museum is for everybody, and is more focused on the arts.

1. All the food I had was catered in the picnic grove, so I can't help you here. 2. HW is basically the entire town. I did notice that virtually every gas station had pizza, but there really aren't any actual restaurants in Santa Claus. Off I-64 there are a couple fast food places, but essentially you'll want to eat in the park. 3. There is nothing worthwhile anything-wise between Santa Claus and St. Louis. Just a LOT of corn. In St. Louis itself there are lots of good places. The Hill has fantastic Italian food, but can be pricey. The Delmar Loop is a great pub/gastropub scene, and I especially recommend Fitz's--they brew their own root beer in-house, and you can get a bottomless mug and try several varieties. Near Busch Stadium Mike Shannon's and J. Buck's are great. Best BBQ in town is Pappy's, near SLU. Also while in St. Louis, hit up Ted Drewe's on Chippewa St. (old 66). You will not want to miss it.

Yeah, No family coaster unless you count Prowler or Spinning Dragons. Prowler is NOT a family coaster. It has a minimum height requirement of 48". Family coasters are always less than that (usually in the 42-44" range).

After this weekend, my longest coaster is now Voyage (6,442 ft.), beating out previous #1 Mamba by over 800 feet.

On the way home, I stopped by Beech Bend. I hadn’t been there, and the Kentucky Rumbler was so close I couldn’t pass it up. It really is a great ride. It’s in great shape, and I noticed quite a few sections with new wood. There are a few other fun rides as well; nothing else I’d travel for, but worthwhile if you’re there anyway. Honestly I wouldn’t go too far out of my way for Kentucky Rumber either—and I didn’t; it was about an hour and a half detour for me, and then continuing home. I spent about 2 ½ hours in the park, really took my time and got to experience everything I wanted to. This is a spinning Wild Mouse. That's all I have to say about that. Must freefall! Moby Dick ran surprisingly fast. It's a lot like the Rush Street Flyer at SFStL, but much faster. The view's not nearly as good, though. What goes up... Zero-G is a wonderful drop tower, possibly the best I’ve been on. It doesn’t slow you down until just the last second, and the entire ride is airtime. It’s almost like you’re freefalling. This was my first opportunity to ride a Zamperla Air Race—this addition combined with the Kentucky Rumbler was what convinced me to go. It’s a lot of fun, basically a bunch of corkscrews, but it changes direction sometimes when you’re nearly at the top, which has a great fake-out effect. Vortex is really great in its location over the lake. It doesn’t spin very fast at all; kind of felt more like a Disko than other pendulum rides. Vortex THROUGH THE TREE!!! Yep, they've got one of these. These rides look so good from across the lake. This was my first time on a Flying Bobs. I loved it! The swinging cars eliminate the problem most Himalayas have with shoving the riders to one side. Behind it is the Sea Dragon they purchased from Neverland Ranch. They REALLY want you to know it used to belong to Michael Jackson. They even play his music on the PA during the ride. Beech Bend has some nice midways. Good setup. Haunted House is a great old school dark ride. All the animatronics were working, the creepy sound effects were spot on. It was totally cheesy and totally fun. They have quite a few rides for the littlest ones. SCAT II is certainly a unique ride, but it's not for me. Some more kiddie rides in this pavilion. But of course, Kentucky Rumbler is the star of the show. It was running great, as smooth as a wooden usually is. I enjoyed it most in the back seat--it really whips you over those hills.

Holiwood Nights this year was my first opportunity to visit Holiday World. I first want to say a HUGE thank you to everyone at Holiday World who helped in any way to put on this event. I know things take a long time and a lot of work to accomplish, and the event was absolutely incredible. To review the park properly, I’ll divide it into several categories: theming, food, service, waterpark, dark ride, water rides, flats, and coasters. Theming : Above average. All areas of the park have a cohesive theme that is unbroken. Thunderbird’s plaza is by far the best themed area of the park, and the entrance plaza is outstanding as well. Some queue’s were covered, but not all. Gobbler Getaway and Thunderbird had the best queues. In general, the newer theming is better than the older, so the park is definitely going in the right direction. Food: So much of it, and so good. It was like going to Grandma’s house. Need I say more? Service: They really cranked it up to 11 for us. Everyone in the park, and I really do mean everyone, was so kind and friendly, and seemed to be having fun themselves. The whole place went all-out to ensure that every minute of our time there was the most awesome it could possibly be. There are not enough superlatives to describe the service. Waterpark: The best I have ever been to, bar none. This was my first opportunity to ride a water coaster and a bowl slide, and I found all three of those very good. I think I preferred Wildebeest to Mammoth, but both are very fun. The airtime is better on Wildebeest, but going down the 45 degree drop on Mammoth backwards is great. Bakuli was a fun experience. You really get going very fast, and the final splashdown was a satisfying ending. Zinga was the best Tornado I’ve been on due to its lengthy section in the dark before the halfpipe. The best ride I had, though, was on Zoombabwe. Three adults made for a heavy raft that climbed the side at every turn. I had to hang on tight, and I felt like I would fly out several times. I went as a single rider and had no trouble being paired with a group for any of the slides that required it. Zoombabwe was the only slide where I even had an issue, and that only because I was the only person in line and just had to wait for another group to climb the stairs. Dark ride: There’s just the one, Gobbler Getaway. It was corny, ridiculous, and awesome. I don’t think I’ve ever been on a dark ride quite like it. Usually the storylines are dark or action-oriented. This ride is a comedy. I couldn’t help but smile through the whole ride, and even broke up laughing at the finale. It isn’t just over the top; it’s over the moon. I rode it six times throughout the day (helped that it was the only ride running when the storm came). Water rides: Both were underwhelming. Raging Rapids managed to miss me with every water effect on my first ride—including the waterfall. On the second, only the waterfall hit me. The ride is fast and feels like a whitewater rapids, but the failure to splash makes it a dud for me. The log flume had a big splash, but it wasn’t much otherwise. Stick to the waterpark for cooling hydration. Flats: The notables were Liberty Launch, Crow’s Nest, and Flying Eagles. Liberty Launch is an S&S Doubleshot tower, which I love. Single rider queue really gets through quickly, since there are 3 seats per side. Crow’s Nest is the best chairswing I’ve been on. It’s not as tall as the Windseekers or Starflyers, but I found it more fun. Plus, in its location, you get a great view of most of Thunderbird and a fair bit of Voyage too. Flying Eagles was my first opportunity to ride a flying scooters ride, and it was great! It took a bit to get used to how to control the ride, but once I learned, it was a blast flying low to the ground and then swinging up and out. Coasters: Let’s take them one by one. Thunderbird – The reason I went. I rode it in every row on both sides, and in some rows I rode in both seats. They are very different experiences. The left side spends more of its time low to the ground, and the final helix through the barn has some wonderful footchoppers. The zero-G roll is best on the left front row, inside seat. The right side has more airtime, and the Immelman slings you over the top. Right front row, outside seat was my overall favourite. It is everything the park needed, and it’s by far the most re-rideable coaster there. Voyage – This is my new #2 coaster, right behind Outlaw Run. It is absolutely intense from start to finish. It has big, fast hills for the first half, and hugs the terrain afterward. The tunnels at night are really dark too, and just add to the effect. No one should boo this coaster for any reason. Legend – I made the mistake of riding this for the first time on Friday night in the dark. It has so many twists that I never really knew which way it was going, and thus was slung around a lot. I came off it disoriented and sore. I gave it another shot the next morning, and once I could see where I was going, it was great! Wow, the double helix. I thought Boss’s was forceful until I rode Legend. Might be the most intense moment of any coaster I’ve been on. Raven – I do not understand how such a small coaster goes so fast. The turn over the lake is the highlight, and the coaster is better in the dark. The layout is simpler than Legend’s, so I was able to quickly learn it and anticipate the turns. Back row in the dark is something else. Brilliant little ride, and the most re-rideable of the woodies. Obligatory sign photo. This is the best tilt-a-whirl. It's not all about the coasters, you know. They have some really good shows too. Lake Rudolph from the parking lot. You can see Legend and Raven peeking out from the trees. I really enjoyed Dive. I actually watched it twice on Saturday. Yes, that is real fire. And the high dive for the grand finale. Halloween is a small area, but it's really well themed. It's the more playful version of the holiday; think trick-or-treating, not haunts. Kringle's Kafe--THROUGH THE TREES!!! Holiday World's layout is incredible. There are so many views like this one, where the park seems to invite you forward. The 4th of July section does a really great job of showing the breadth of all things America. There are a few rides in the Christmas section, all for the littlest HW fans. I really liked the entrance plaza. They have suncreen, fluffy bunny rentals, measuring station, soda fountains, all right here. Get everything you need before the park opens. They even have a show here that starts about 30 minutes before opening. Another angle of the plaza. I never saw anything going on at this theatre. Somehow I just couldn't forget to include this picture. The Games-U-Ride installation. Cute things to see from the train. Liberty Launch is an amazing ride. I did not ride Revolution, but it's pretty to watch. Deep in the bowels of 4th of July lurks Holidog's lair. So is this spot, by Thunderbird's exit and the smoking area. Shiny happy people. WHEEEEEE! Switchback exit ramps. I appreciate that they have both stairs and ramps. Thunderbird wheely is barrels of fun! *ducks* The queue for Crow's Nest is a great vantage point for Thunderbird's launch. And this is the best chairswing. Proceeding toward the back of the park now, the Voyage welcomes you as boisterously as it knows how. Happy people about to not get wet from that geyser. This geyser looks impressive, but it fails to deliver. I love how pictureque this park is. Nearly every corner has a beautiful landscape like this. Flying Eagles--THROUGH THE TREES!!! BEWARE OF HOLIDOG!!! Raging Rapids was disappointing, but this view was not. But yeah, it's mostly about the coasters. And they all are utterly fantastic. We've been on this before, and we shall be again! A rush and a push and the New World is ours. The power of these hills is unbelievable. Very good barrel roll. The hangtime here is comparable to Outlaw Run's. And off she goes into the woods. *RAAWK* Figure of 8! Figure of 8! Speaking of great vantage points, I liked this one for the loop. You could see both coasters really well from here. Twisteee! These people are very happy right now. Zero-G--THROUGH THE TREES!!! Voyage--THROUGH THE TREES!!! Brake run, you know, for those who get off on that sort of thing. The Raven's station has a striking shape to all its windows and doors. You enter through that shape, ascending to the second floor. Whene'er I see that shape now, I will think upon the Raven, and its station doors. Quoth the Raven, "Come back for more!" This is the best swinging ship. Some intense theming here; this is a games pavilion.

Next for me is a quick stop at Beech Bend on the way home from Holiwood Nights.

Yes! The hors d'oeuvres were basically a meal, and very good. And the "snack" of pizza, veggies, and fudge later. I'm intrigued to find out what a full meal looks like to them! I'll save the full report until I get to experience the rest of the park, but it's safe to say this is my #2 favourite park, right behind Silver Dollar City, and Voyage and Thunderbird are both top 10 coasters for me.

Glad you had fun! Little Amerricka is a gem. After reading all the trip reports from the Texas/Midwest tour 2013 that everyone liked it better than the Dells, I thought we must do it when we visited Chicago last year. I was seriously impressed with everything about that park. Everyone going to the Dells should get off the highway a few miles early; Marshall is where the fun is happening.

I think doom prophecies are a little premature. In the 70s, loops were the cool new thing, and it seemed no one could build a coaster unless it had a loop. Schwarzkopf made a killing selling small affordable looping coasters to small parks. Even GCI itself has a similar history. They came around at a time when hyper coasters were all the rage, and sold small but fantastic Woodie to small parks. Wood coasters aren't dead, and small parks aren't out of the game. The game has just changed, as it has so often. Thriving industries foster innovation, and the fact that there are so many innovators right now is a sign of health.

They would have to "shorten the overall length of the Boss, and take out the double Helix at the end," so it's not in the plans at this time. ... At least that's what I was told when I inquired about this very topic on Tuesday. But frankly, I'm ok with how The Boss currently rides. I haven't experienced a rough ride on the Boss in 2014, or as of yet in 2015. We even sat in the last row a few times this week, and it was a fantastic, relatively smooth ride....compared to years prior when I refused to sit in any car other that the very first one. As I've said many times on this very thread, Boss doesn't need Iron Horse. It only needed to be retracked. Now it has been (and by RMC no less), and it runs better than at any time since it's opening year. Boss is perfect now; and I'd say anyone who is still complaining about roughness hasn't ridden it this year. Sure, it throws you around a bit--always has and always will. But there's a world of difference between that and actual roughness. RMC has worked wonders on this ride, and I think it's totally being overlooked simply because they used traditional wood track and not Iron Horse.

I agree with your comments amount American Thunder. My kids and I rode it last summer and absolutely loved it. The airtime was great and it was pretty smooth for a woodie. We went to SFSTL on a weekday in June and the park wasn't very busy, so we rode AT five or six times in a row right when the park opened with no wait. We rode the Boss later in the day and although it was faster and had bigger drops, it was much rougher and not nearly as much fun. In fact, as soon as we got off the Boss, we headed back to AT for a few more rides. Now I know the Boss is like 8 years older than AT, but the ride experience is so much worse. Hopefully SFSTL continues to maintain AT because I'd hate to see such a great coaster go downhill (like what's happened with the Boss). RMC did some retracking this offseason, and the Boss is running better this year than it has at any point since its opening season. The first drop, and the drop after the MCBR, are both wonderfully smooth now. I actually rode it four times in a row last time I was there, and I don't think I've ever been able to do that. In the past, it's been a one-and-done, or else I've skipped it entirely. But to the subject at hand, I have yet to encounter a bad GCI. I have a decently high tolerance for a bit of jolting, as I just expect that from a wooden coaster. American Thunder is just that way, and I still consider it very re-rideable. I'll have to see about Kentucky Rumbler this weekend. Beech Bend is close enough to my best route to Holiday World, I plan to swing by there and check it out. Glad to hear several here are saying it still runs well.

^ Prowler has a 48" height requirement. Not too many "little ones" are that tall. My 7-year-old just reached that this spring. WoF needs another family coaster because for the 42"-48" range, there's Spinning Dragons and a wacky worm. A non-spinning family coaster would finally truly replace Zambezi Zinger. You wouldn't remember it (if your age is correct, it was moved to Colombia before you were born), but those of us who do miss it dearly. Spinning Dragons is good, but it's not the same thing. We can dream all we want about the next big thing, but honestly, a good non-spinning family coaster, maybe something like Spacely's Sprocket Rockets, would surely be a big hit for this park.

There are two issues with this idea: 1) Worlds of Fun already has a tall, non looping steel coaster 2) why would a park place two of the same coaster models within its gates...? I could see maybe one GTX, but definitely not two. The things the park really needs (coaster-wise) are a family coaster and a sit-down launcher. A complete gutting and remodel of the Europa section would be met with open arms as well. I'm skeptical of new entrance rumors, because is that honestly something the park desperately needs? I love the idea of a Carowinds-esque gate, but let's be realistic. The inside needs attention more than the front entrance. It's pretty nice for now. Yes, the park needs a new entrance. It's a hike from the parking lot all the way to the front gate. A redo of Europa and Orient both are needed. Europa hasn't had any updates basically ever; almost all the rides are original, which is pretty cool, but something new there would be nice. Orient has been encroached on so much by America that it's now literally Spinning Dragons, Bamboozler, and a Panda Express. A new entrance, especially if relocated, could provide expansion room for both these areas. You won't have room for a coaster in Europa, and Orient already has a family coaster, but both could see new flats. I'm looking at the now redundant carousel as a prime spot for a new small flat. Scandinavia hasn't ever had a coaster, but there's lots of room next to Prowler, and a good amount of space along the road to Africa over by the rotor where a station could be built. Lots of possibilities. .

Yep, it did that when we still had it. Take my advice, blow the damned thing up and build something useful in It's place- like a garden!!! I think a bumper cars would be fantastic in that location.

I'm guessing you've never driven through Kansas, or between KC and Des Moines. The reason there's nothing but county fairs and FECs in Kansas is that there aren't any people in Kansas. A "regional destination" only works when you have lots of people in the region who might be drawn to the park. Let me draw this out, because it's can be difficult for Easterners to understand just how sparse the West is. Carowinds v. Worlds of Fun: The population of the two-state metro area for Charlotte is about equal to Kansas CIty's two-state metro area, at 2.3 million each. So plenty of locals in both cases to support the parks. However, when we look regionally, we start to see differences. In total, VA, NC, SC, and GA have a combined population of 32,579,000. MO, KS, NE, and IA have a combined population of 13,836,000. Carowinds v. Valleyfair: The population of the Twin Cities metro area is 3.8 million, substantially larger than that of Charlotte. All of MN, however, has only 5.3 million--which is about a million less than MO. The four-state region of MN, WI, IA, and ND comes to 14,878,000. So you can see that outside the cities, there really just aren't that many people. There is a LOT of open space out here, large areas where you may have 5 people per square mile. That's why most parks out here can do well as a local destination but would never cut it as a regional destination--quite simply, the locals are basically the only people in the region. Souce: U.S. Census Bureau

The one from this thread: http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=69492