ZeroGravity55

I wonder if Matt has ridden it yet too? I'm sure being President of the park has it's perks

Full-time employees got to ride Thunderbird today. From HW's Twitter: I wonder if that catwalk (for the lack of a better term) has that slope as part of theming? To make it seem like a old barn, perhaps?

Same here. I can't believe how much the park has grown, and knowing that it's only going to keep getting bigger makes it even more unbelievable. I had a chance to catch a couple of launches with the fog. It's really cool to see the fog in front of the train and then see it all come 'flying' out of the station when the train launches out.

It's almost 11 p.m. central time and they're still testing. They're giving Thunderbird a workout, that's for sure. I know it stormed in the HW area earlier today, which probably delayed testing. I wonder if they have certain amount of test runs they have to get in each day?

Pretty sure they're just clear. Edit: Make that two rows now. The lights on the first row on one of the trains is not working.

Finally got that shot I wanted a few pages back. Looks like they might be testing into the night.

A couple of new things to share today about Thunderbird. First, a short clip of the zero-G roll and S-Curve from HW's Facebook [fbvideo] [/fbvideo] Next... A webcam photo of Thunderbird testing at night! From The Speed Demon's Twitter:

Actually, after the passing of Philip Koch, who had owned Lake Rudolph, his family sold everything to a company out of Michigan last June. http://www.spencercountyjournal.com/content/lake-rudolph-campground-sold-michigan-company

^ If you're talking about parking at HW.....it's free. A new Holiblog with a shout out to TPR! http://www.holidayworld.com/holiblog/2015/04/04/family-tradition-2/ Also new footage of Thunderbird. Make sure you watch to the very end:

i believe the past week or so they have been laying a ton of concrete for the paths. I imagine at this point they are working on landscaping, but I doubt we will see the full fruits of the landscaping until next season.... Of course I could be wrong, I'd love to see some pictures as well. While there are no pictures of Thunderbird plaza right now, I was able to take a screen shot of the POV footage video (that I'm assuming was taped this past week) in wonderful 720p60fps (the highest setting the video can be watched at) of the train going through the Immelmann. I then rotated this screen shot 90 degrees and was able to a really good overview of the plaza as it stood just a few days ago or so I assume.

A new Holiblog post: http://www.holidayworld.com/holiblog/2015/04/02/thunderbird-takes-will-power/ Also a new video with the original B&M invert design and more POV footage that is updated. Congrats to everyone at HW. Will would be so proud!

I was really hoping they would launch a train so I could get a screen shot of it going through the Immelmann in this setting, but I guess this will have to do.

^ That's right before school starts back in Indiana, so it'll be packed. I would suggest Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Sunday's aren't as bad as Saturdays (busiest day of the week), but they're pretty close. Either way you go, it's going to be hot, the park is going to be packed, and there will be semi-long to very long waits depending on what attractions you're riding and what time of day you ride them. Be sure to take advantage of the free drinks and stay hydrated. Make sure you check the park calender though. I'm pretty sure they're open the first full week of August and then the next week, they end daily operation on a Wednesday.

^ I should probably also add that I'm pretty sure they've already invited all the people their going to invite. I remember seeing a tweet from TPR about receiving a package from HW about making launch plans about a month ago.

April 23rd. They're only holding a first rider auction right now for that day. Paula plugged it a couple of pages back.

Nailed it. If I want to think about politics I turn on talk radio or the news. When I want to talk/think about roller coasters, it's because I want to take a break from all of that crap. Now... back to Thunderbird. Any more videos? And I agree as well. I only brought it up because it became such a hot topic on the Holiwood Nights Facebook page. Now back to the park. No new videos of TB that can be shared on here (not a TPR supported website). The video was also illegal (IMO), as they drove onto Holiday World property (the employee parking lot) to film the ride. I think it would be neat if they added fog, lightning effects and maybe the sound of thunder to the fly-through barn at the end of the ride. Now this isn't TB related, but I did find a photo of both Legend trains. For those of you who don't remember, The Legend operated the majority of season last year with one train after something happened to the second one. It's nice to see it reappear finally. The Legend really needs that second train in the morning, as it and The Raven are usually the first two rides that get hit with major lines when the ropes are dropped (there is a tip for you first time visitors). Another tip, get to The Voyage first thing in the morning and you won't have that long of a wait. Of course, that's probably all wrong now, as everyone will be running to the woods (and right by The Voyage) to ride TB. From PTC's FB:

You're really starting to become the unofficial Paula of SFStL on here and that is a compliment. Given your screen name, I hope you get what I mean. Every Six Flags could use more employee's like you (not to say there isn't any) who care about their job and care about the customers. Thanks for keeping us updated on all that is going on with the park. I wish you and everyone at SFStL the best of luck this season. Hopefully, one day, all of your guys hard work will be rewarded with a state of the art steel coaster (not to say JL isn't a state of the art ride, but honestly, no new ride matches a brand new roller coaster) and you won't have to get on here and read all of our comments complaining about it.

Oh, the humanity It's a mix of old and new, which is best showcased here. The airtime hill is the original structure being re-used, while the top gun stall is a completely new structure built on top of the old one. Now if you're still not sure if it's all old or new, let me just point out this picture in the report showcasing the old Colossus track left in place under the lift hill:

I'm not sure this is the place for this to be addressed, but I do feel the need to post something to inform enthusiasts (and the occasional GP that visits this sight) who have either canceled their trip to HW or are considering canceling their to HW. In light of the Indiana Religious Freedom Bill that was recently signed into law, it seems as though HW (like most businesses in Indiana) has come under fire with people proclaiming that they will not be visiting the park or spending their money in Indiana because of this bill. While I personally, do not agree with the bill and can understand why people are upset, I think it is important to know that a bill similar to this one exists in at least 20 different states. It exists where I live, in Illinois. I never knew it did until yesterday and I've never heard of any business in the state using it to deny it's potential customers. So my point is, please don't just single out HW and Indiana. If you're not going to visit HW and Indiana because of this, then please make sure you look up the 20 other states that have this law and don't visit their state and theme/amusement parks. It's not fair to single out one, but not acknowledge the others. The park posted this blog today sharing their values. HW has always followed these values and will continue to do so. I would highly expect that all the businesses (like Hotels, Restaurants, and Gas Stations) in Santa Claus and towns that surround HW will choose to follow these values as well, as most of them wouldn't even exist if it wasn't for HW. http://www.holidayworld.com/holiblog/2015/03/27/values-much-free-soft-drinks/

^ And there is only drive wheels in TB's station, so it isn't that. So being a bit of a snoop, I came across this video on Twitter.

^ How about the first park with "free" unlimited soft drinks to have a B&M? A new view has been added to the webcam:

It's amazing how much more Alan Schilke was able to do with less height, less speed, and less length. It's also amazing how the ride (from the video's I've seen) never loses the crazy pacing up until the breaks. This makes me much more excited for WC and TC! One day I will get to Mexico to ride Medusa. 95% of wooden roller coasters need some Rocky Mountain treatment!

This video? [fbvideo] [/fbvideo]

A Vine from Tony Clark of CP: [vine]https://vine.co/v/OYtEVVHhZmO[/vine]

^ A deceased member of the Koch family of Holiday World. He used to be the president of the park, before he handed the control to his son Will, who tragically died in 2010, then his other son, Dan, took control of the park. Without getting into everything that went down and to make a long story short, His son, Dan, now is the owner and President of Alabama Splash Adventure and his grand children (Will's children) now own HW and hold prominent roles within the park. His wife is Pat Koch, who for years greeted guests at the gate at HW, and could be found throughout the park sweeping and cleaning. She is now with Dan at ASA doing the exact same thing. Wow, I really showed my inner HW fanboy there, but the Koch family is kind of famous throughout the amusement industry and among enthusiasts.