edboxer

So after 28 years in NYC we finally went to Rye Playland today. It was an absolutely beautiful day – low 70s, nice breeze and the park was empty with just about everything a walk-on. Coasters Superflight: 2 rides – not quite as painful as the one in Elitsch gardens, but OK for what it is. Dragon Coaster: 4 rides. OK, I tried the front, the back, and 2 rides in the middle – there is no airtime anywhere on this coaster. Crazy Mouse: 3 rides – Incredible, not only well maintained and run, but NONE of the trim brakes were on so you were flung around those tight turns! No I didn’t ride the kiddie coasters. Other Rides: Derby Racer – One of only two remaining in existence (the other is at Cedar Point). BUT, Rye no longer uses the racing mechanism, so it ends up being just a fast Carrousel. Major dissapointment. Gondola Wheel – a Ferris wheel, but with some great views of the water, the park and some of the coasters (see pics below). Dragon Coaster - my hands in the air. Dragon Coaster from the Gondola Superflight from the Gondola Long Island Sound from the Gondola Entrance to Playland Lake Joe and I in front of the Ice Skating Rink Well, you gotta eat. Lunch at the the Tiki Bar right outside the park on LIS. Looked pricey, but incredible food. Joe had an excellent lobster roll. I had the peel and eat shrimp (there must have been two pounds of jumbo shrimp in that bucket.) Too much food, neither of us finished.

Well NASCAR and hill-billy do go together. That would suck royally. I really hate the idea of a NASCAR coaster.

Wow, this is hard, so I'm going to cop out and give a qualified response. My favorite - Cedar Point Blue Streak - but with the old trains - no seat divider and a lap bar! That ride was a blast - the new trains took away the fun of being plastered against your seat partner on the turn-around. It still has the great layout with lots of hill variation and lots of good airtime, but the original trains were so much more fun.

In addition to all the other food mentioned, don't miss the ice cream sandwiches - home made ice cream between two fresh cooked waffles.

I went to Indiana Beach last summer as well. It seems both Hoosier Hurricane and Cornball Express are getting rougher with age.

Actually, back then, the Blue Streak was a much better ride. It had the old restraints - a simple leather seat belt that fit over both riders, no seat divider and a padded bar like the Coney Island Cyclone still has. It was so much more fun to slam into each other during the ride.

So I was in Indy for Drum Corps International World Championships and decided to go to Indiana Beach for a 3-hour visit. I arrived at 10:30, bought my ride bracelet and was pleasantly surprised that you could walk around the park before the rides opened at 11:00. If they are going to let you in early, you would think they would have some of the food, game, and souvie concessions open – they are missing the chance to make some very easy money! Very nice little park on the water. Love that lots of spin and pukes are on decks over the water. Left at 1:30, so I only got 2.5 hours of ride time, but still got in a lot of rides. Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain – 2 rides: once in the back car facing front, once in the front car facing back. What drugs were the designers on when they created this thing? This ride is simply pure twisted fun with some really outrageous Gs. Love the elevator lift. My only complaint about this ride is the very strong mildew smell in parts of the “mountain”. That smell is also very evident when the train ride goes past the “mountain”. This can’t be healthy. Hoosier Hurricane – 2 rides – one front seat, one middle of the train. Well this ride has gotten extremely rough. Some decent airtime, but the slamming end brake is ridiculously harsh. Cornball Express – 2 rides – one front seat, one middle of the train. Much rougher than the hurricane, parts of it felt like riding down a set of stairs in a trash can. Tig’r – 1 ride – nice little Wild Cat type steel coaster. Really good kid running the brake very smoothly. Galaxi – 1 ride - felt like a mini Jumbo Jet. OK ride with some nice turns. Steel Hawg – 1 ride – OK for what it is but not very exciting. Train Ride – 1 ride – decent train ride that spent too much time looking at the back of buildings. Air Crow – 1 ride – very impressed that they run this almost as fast as Knoebels. I was able to crack the cables easily (much to the ride ops disapproval). Very cool to be out over the water, but will admit I kind of missed the “about to hit the tree and crash” feeling you get at Knoebels. Double Shot – 1 ride – an OK Double Shot, same as many other parks. Since I will be back in Indy next August, I do plan to return. It’s a great little park, one of the best I have been to. A lot of it reminded me of what Geauga Lake was like back in the 60s and early 70s.

Warped Woods is a modified out and back terrain coaster over 3400ft long. First drop is 100 ft. Top speed is 60mph. Comments would be greatly appreciated. Warped Woods.nltrack

We actually did this exact trip a few years ago: Several Options: Side trips North of Rt 80: Waldemeer (Erie, PA) - Ravine Flyer II (and its right off Rt 90 that goes right to Cleveland) - take 79 north from 80 Side trips between 76/78 and 80: Lakemont Park (Altoona, PA) - Leap the Dips - gotta ride it Knoebels (Eysburg, PA) - its everything they say it is and the Phoenix kicks some serious airtime Rt 78 to 76 to 80: Dorney Park (Allentown, PA) - Talon and Steel Force are both great Hershey - have to say I'm not a fan of the park, but they have the best and most beautiful racing coaster ever - Lightning Racer Idlewild (Ligonier, PA) Kennywood (Pittsburgh, PA)

OK, here's a couple of pics: Banking along the mountainside Gliding over the lake

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This is a flying coaster I am working on. It has a few surprises. Its over a mile long and hits 95 MPH. Your comments would be greatly appreciated. Fear of Flight1.nltrack Fear of Flight NL Coaster

Surprised this hasn't been mentioned (unless I missed it). Staten Island boys rescued from stuck roller coaster on N.J. shore by Staten Island Advance Tuesday July 21, 2009, 1:47 PM Four Staten Island boys were rescued from a roller coaster on the New Jersey shore after it got stuck at the top of the ride. A 12-year-old and three 8-year-olds were plucked by firefighters who extended the ladder on their aerial truck to reach them, the Asbury Park Press reported. Police shut down the ride at the Keansburg boardwalk and state inspectors were called. ------ It was the Wildcat - We rode it again just last Wednesday! I commented to the ride op that it seriously needed greased.

Excellent pics only outdone by the captions! Brilliant work. (sarcasm)As to the overdose of AF/Hollister/etc. shirts. Its a recession, if you want Ubercrappy, I mean Abercrombie, you're gonna have to settle for a t-shirt (\sarcasm).

First of all, my sincere congratulations and thanks for sharing this incredible moment in your lives. Second, did you take a honeymoon? Third, did you throw flash passes instead of bouquets? Last, on what ride did you consumate the marriage? We've been together for 27 years, and from recent events in the NY State Legislature, it looks as if we may actually be able to get married on the Coney Island Cyclone soon, which we'd always viewed as a pipe dream - it could never happen - married on the top of the lift hill overlooking the ocean, at sunset, ride lights in the background. Also wanted to say, I loved the pet names. We call each other Pita (pain in the a--)

Now, now, there is more to PA than just guns and religion - you forgot - Iron City Beer.

Surprised no one has mentioned Lakemont in this thread - while certainly not a great or even nice park, it is home to world's oldest running coaster - Leap the Dips - IMHO required riding for any enthusiast. I grew up just across the state line in Ohio (15 miles from the original poster's home of New Castle). State rivalry: We used to say that a good time in New Castle was going downtown and watching the city rust. Many, many trips to Conneaut Lake Park, also not mentioned. Hopefully the Blue Streak will reopen soon! Not that big of a fan of Hershey - have had too many overcrowded experiences there. Love Knoebels and consider Dorney my home park. (sarcasm)But I would not say that PA has a monopoly on good parks. That goes to OHIO!(/sarcasm)

Yeah, it was a great ride with no restraints whatsoever! (insert appropriate Jack-Ass disclaimer) We used to get thrown off it at least once year. When the boat was going through its trough circuit through the trees before the lift, we'd rearrange ourselves so the two people in the front seat were leaning out over the front of the boat, the two people in the middle seat moved in back of them in the front seat, and then the two in the back seat moved up to the middle seat, but held onto the back of the front seat. Very front heavy!!! When you went down the first drop of the double down, the boat would hit the water, the water would go straight up in the air, and the ride ops would have to push the boat to get it to the edge so it could go down the second half of the double down. Of course we all got soaked.

To answer several of the questions posed above: Re: Jumbo Jet - The Jumbo Jet was closed in 1978. It really wasn't that great of a ride and it had pitiful ride capacity. It took about two minutes to go up that sloooooow circular lift. And then the ride itself was less than 30 seconds and somewhat shaky and rough. Wildcat was and still is a better ride. Re: Gemini - yeah it was cool seeing it begin built and realizing how many trees had been removed to clear the land for it. It was the tallest coaster in the world when it opened, at a mere 125 feet. We rode it in 78 and the first time looking down the first drop was an incredible thrill at that time.

You forgot Cedar Creek Mine Ride (1969). Oops, thanks I corrected it!

So I was going through some old photo albums, came across these and decided to post them. The first set is from a trip to Cedar Point in July of 1977. In 1977 Cedar Point had 5 rollercoasters - the Blue Streak, the Wildcat, the Jumbo Jet, Cedar Creek Mine Ride and the Corkscrew. The second set is a trip to Geauga Lake in August 1977 - opening season of the Double Loop! FYI, all pics were taken with an original 1966 Kodak Instamatic 104 camera. It has been 30+ years, so the color has faded. A ride on the Geauga Lake Double Loop Oh, by the way - the Gemini was under construction! Going up the circular lift on the JUMBO JET (I'm in the back seat - Jeff's in the front looking back) The JUMBO JET!!! Used to be near the entrance Mary's first ride on a rollercoaster - the Blue Streak. She was thrilled!! Teresa and Carol driving the cars! Derby Downs in the background. Posing in the stockade on the Frontier Trail (I'm in the middle) - I had a head and hair in this pic!! Wearing a pair of Indian Leather Toe sandles Getting drenched on the old Frontier Town water ride that had a double down! Maverick stands there today. Going up the second chain lift on the Mine Ride. Look at all those trees!! And not another coaster in sight! Back then the only ways to get to Frontier Town were the Frontier Trail, the train or the second sky ride that used to run from right about where Iron Dragon is to the restrooms next to the Mine Ride. The walk to Gemini didn't exist! It was all trees. Into every Cedar Point day, a little rain must fall (Blue Streak in the distance) This is what happened when we asked someone to take a pic of the group. That's me in top row on the left in the blue tank top without a head The old log flume with the Blue Streak in the background. Raptor is there now. The Giant Wheel and the train Part of the group on the train The CP Train Loading the group into Mary's Station Wagon and driving from Youngstown, Ohio to Cedar Point.

Actually, there are some really funs roads in Eastern Ohio and Western PA where you can get airtime in your car going over some hills at the right speed. There is a great one in Mill Creek Park in Youngstown Ohio. I used to have a car that had a front passenger seat that would fold back flat so you could lie down. I used to hit that hill and then the lever on the passenger seat so the passenger, after the airtime, would find them selves flat on their back. Of course several (dozen) of them wanted to kill me for it.

ROFL - this is kinky on so many levels! No restraints - you're locked in a dog cage!

You people are sick - excellent! I've always thought it would be cool to have an auto coaster - you drive your auto onto a coaster car platform, its strapped/chained down and you ride in your own vehicle. You can choose whether or not to use seatbelts. But you might want to secure other loose objects (sunglasses, CDs, beverages, kids). And if its raining, just turn on your windshield wipers! Would love to see a 400-500 foot version of the Coney Island Wonder Wheel. I'd never get on it, but I'd love to see it. The slingshot parachute ride - you are thrown 500 feet up. At the top, a parachute opens and you glide back to earth And lastly, a luge coaster. You get strapped face down and fly down a trough 60mph with your face 3 inches from the floor.

I'd also add that, SFGAvd is closer to me than Dorney Park. But Dorney is the park I visit most because the ride operations are faster and smoother, and the crowds, except for Saturday's are very light. During the week, and most Sundays, the coasters are pretty much walk-ons. At Dorney I can usually get in 20 rides in around 5 hours.