Duane

Dollywood then Carowinds

According to Magic Springs facebook page the X coaster is still down and they are "working diligently on re-openng X Coaster". I have been a season pass holder for the past 7 years and I have found any day but Saturday to be a good to visit the park. Saturdays are too crowded. This year there are concerts on some Thursday nights. I would check the concert schedule on the parks web-site and avoid these Thursdays, or at least plan to be out of the park by 5:00 PM. The water park is the main attraction in the summer, expect long lines on the slides just about any day of the week. However, the Amusement rides will mostly be "walk-ons" any day but Saturday. You should be able to hit every coaster within one hour and hit all the other rides within 2 hours. On Sundays I have been able to ride Arkansas Twister up to 10 times in a row without having to get out of my seat. Be aware that Arkansas Twister is a little bit tough to locate. You get to it from an area near the front gate that leads you down a long trail in between the two water slide towers and you keep on going past the picnic pavilions and almost to the Timberwood Amphitheatre. The rest of the amusement rides are on the opposite side of the park. I used to visit the park every week, so if you have any other questions feel free to ask. I know the park like the back of my hand. (I have not been on any of the water-slides though).

Water used to shoot out of those spouts toward onlookers when the train would pass by that section of track. I saw it do this in the early 90's. I went back about 5 years ago and it wasn't working. I also remember Wild Cat having a couple of covered sections back in the 90's, but when I went back a few years ago it looked like it does now. Duane C. Little Rock, AR

Since I only live four hours away, it was a nice little weekend getaway for me every year. It was well worth the $75 to have three days at SDC with the bonus of being able to ride Wild Cat too! I actually even said to myself once "If only Wild Cat were at SDC, I wouldn't have to go to CC". Be careful what you wish for.

I think the new policy is going to cause more problems than it solves. In the last two years I have visited SFOT, SFOG, SFSTL, SFKK, Kings Island, Dollywood, Silver Dollar City and I had nothing stolen and I did not see anyone complaining about stolen items. All I left behind at the station was my park drink bottle and my cap. Yes the cubbies take a little time and that system is not perfect (things do get lost and stolen), but using the cubbies is widely accepted by the GP and the procedure runs quite smoothly most of the time. I understand that the lockers solve some problems, but I believe the inconvenience of being forced to use the lockers is not worth it. I agree with Dazz, we need to let Six Flags and others know that this policy is unacceptable. I appreciate their attempt to improve things, but this is the wrong way, please try again. BTW My last name is NOT Marden.

^ Florida Hurricane lives on as Arkansas Twister at Magic Springs and Crystal Falls in Hot Springs, Arkansas. http://www.rcdb.com/ig418.htm?picture=1

"The Florida Hurricane is a fast, fun wooden coaster." ...and thanks to Magic Springs it still is. The only problem is the Gerstlauer train we are stuck with. I would love to know how Arkansas Twister would ride with a PTC train. They appear to do a good job of mantaining the coaster, I notice new wood on parts of it every year. A word of warning: the back seat is murder. The second to last seat is tollerable though. One time on a slow day I had been riding in the second to last seat for several rounds and a couple of women who had been riding up front moved back to the very last seat. When the ride was over one of them hit me on the back of the head and said "You should of warned us about this seat!!!!!" I enjoyed looking at all the pics, esp. those of Florida Hurricane.

"How's it going Magic Springs?" Just hangin' around. Thanks for plugging the park. Just when I thought our 15 minutes of fame was over, Robb mentions little ol' Magic Springs all the way from Spain.

The one here in Arkansas does the same thing. It's not an extended version, but the first time it roars through the station it goes up the lift hill and free-falls back through the station. Then on the final trip through the station it heads back up the lift hill and the chain catches it, after a few seconds the chain lowers it slowly back to the station. As far as I know, these things don't have traditional brakes, there is a mechanism to hold it in place while in the station, but it is not used to slow the train down.

Silver Dollar City has the best food of any park I have been to. There is something for everyone there, and it's all good: skillet meals, BBQ, fried chicken etc. Not to mention all the homemade foods that are packaged to take home; like bread (all kinds), jams and jellies, apple butter etc. And then there's the homemade candy that includes fudge, divinity, taffy and any thing else you can imagine. My favorite candy at Sliver Dollar City is called "Fool's Gold" it's out of this world and the only thing better is the "Chocolate Covered Fool's Gold". If you go to Silver Dollar City you have to try one of the skillet meals: My favorite is the Smoked Sausage and Red Skin Potatoes Skillet (it has lots of other veggies in it; corn, red bell pepper, and onion to name a few.)

Oh, the picture of Big Bad John on the same page is not really Big Bad John either. BBJ has one green train and one blue one, and the front car has two rows of seats and does not have a cover. Am I being a total geek yet?

It is definitely not Plummet Summit. This is the picture they were using in commercials and their brochure before the ride was even built. Plummet Summit has blue boats and they are a different design than the one in the picture. They even have the Magic Springs logo on the front. They have done this in the past with Big Bad John, The Gauntlet and are even currently using pics and footage of Sky Wheel in Germany in their commercials. I can't blame them, it's a good way to start advertising early.

I was only 5 when I rode the roller coaster at Joyland in Wichita KS. I hated it and I almost cried. I rode it a few more times over the years and began to like it. It wasn't until age 14 that peer pressure got me on Orient Express in Kansas City. I was terrified and rounding the top of the lift hill I was freaking out shouting NO, I WANT OFF!!! When the ride was over we all got right back in line and rode it again. I have been hooked ever since. I'm 34 now and have 47 roller coaster credits with a goal of having 100 by the time I am 40.

I am planning to go to SFot in October and I noticed that they are open on Columbus Day (and that is the only Monday they are open the whole month). Can anyone tell me if this is generally a very busy day? Would I be better off going on a Friday Night? I can't go on Sat. or Sun. Last year I went on a Friday and the park was not very crowded, but it was also only open for 5 hours. Monday it is open for 8 hours, but if it is generally a very big day, then I might be better off going on a Friday.

Yeah, I'm kinda glad you didn't make it then, because I hadn't joined TPR yet and would have been kicking myself when I found out you were there and I had missed it. --Duane (the one who doesn't have a roller coaster data base) Cooper

Ooh, one more thing. If you do find yourself there on a concert day, Arkansas Twister (wooden coaster) is closed during concerts because it is right beside the amphi-theatre.

This is so cool, I can't believe my home park is getting this much attention. I'm only 45 minutes from Magic Springs. If you are planning to come check it out, please be aware of the concert shedule on their web-site. Here is this past summer's schedule. http://www.magicsprings.com/concerts.html Yes, most of those are country artists, but this is Arkansas and people come from all over for these concerts. Typically every Saturday form June through August there is a concert and the park is really not big enough to handle the crowds. Lines are way too long and the walkways are jammed. But the good news is that concert days are the only days like this. On a typical day you can ride just about anything you want to over and over again without getting out of your seat. Sundays are nice quiet days, and in July when the park is open until 9:00 P.M. most people start clearing out around 7:00 and you practically have the park to yourself for two hours. Hey Rob, if you quys are coming to ride this I want to know about it so I can meet you there and crash your party.

I might be crazy, but when I rode Flashback at Six Flags Over Texas in 1992 I think I remember it going back up the spike, all the way out of the station, but then stopping properly without going back into the boomerang. Maybe someone who frequented SFOT back then can tell me I am wrong. It's the way I remember it, and I have only rode two Vekoma Boomerangs. Last year when I rode the one at Worlds of Fun I was dissapointed when it didn't role back up the spike, to me that was the best part of the whole ride. Of course the best part of the ride at Worlds of Fun was when the OTSRs came up and I could get out.

Several months ago I read somewhere that Powder Keg would have a single rider stand by line. Can you confirm this? If so, did you notice if it was being used by a lot of people.