TR: Indiana Beach - 7/9/06

[Cameron]

I'll keep this brief, and just give the 'news' since those of you who've been to Indiana Beach already know how awesome it is .. and those who haven't are already lost to society, so it doesn't really matter!

 

Cornball is back .. kicking bottom and everything!

 

Seriously, Cornball Express is running better than it has for years. I don't know what they did to it, or who we should send presents to .. but man it was flying. Front of the train, back of the train .. it doesn't matter (for the record, I prefer towards the front). The airtime was just crazy, almost scary in places. Smooth, with terrific laterals through the turns (particularly the helix).

 

The only 'rough' spot was the very base of the first drop .. it was a second or so of what felt like a wash-board, nothing painful though. I'm guessing it might be caused from getting doused by log-flume water every minute. Certainly it wasn't enough to lower my opinion of the ride (which is back up to solid A+).

 

Hurricane was running very well too .. This will never win awards for airtime, but it's fun, smooth and in a totally amazing location. Really special at night when you go speeding past the ferris wheel at the south end. Amusingly there is one little pothole/jolt going up the second or third hill .. its placement is such that it launches you into the air and actually improves the ride!

 

The new 'splash battle' disappointed me a bit. For some reason I was assumed you'd get to pilot your own little boats .. and cruise around squirting people. But you actually ride in little cars that are on a track, which weaves back and forth around the pool. The cars pass under some water-jets and showers.

 

Along the midway are coin operated squirt guns (a quarter activates it for a few minutes), and they fire continuously (i.e.: there's no trigger or button or anything). The guns on the cars are hand cranked by these awkward little handles. The ride was being very much enjoyed by everyone who rode it, and I do think it's a good fit for the park (especially at that end of the midway) even if it doesn't appeal to me all that much. I also think that there's still some finishing work to do, but that's ok.

 

The new water-jets were running, but looked very incomplete. There were just a handful of jets and no real play structure. I'm curious about whether or not this will be expanded for next season too.

 

The first drop on Lost Coaster has been reduced by several feet .. I was a little alarmed when I was first told, but it really doesn't negatively affect the ride at all. I didn't notice any other changes to the rest of the ride, although I imagine more work was done. I actually think it's running really well, as it genuinely feels like an out-of-control mine-train .. they've struck a pretty good balance between rough-n-tumble, and fun.

 

Other than that, I didn't notice much that has changed around the park. Double Shot, Falling Star, the swings, the pirate ship and the Paratrooper are still all run exceptionally well.

 

This is one of my favorite parks, and Sunday was a typically great visit. I was "only" there from 4pm to 11pm, however I could have easily stayed another 7 hours. I'm a total and complete Indiana Beach fan-boy, and I'm proud of it!

 

This will not be my only visit to The Beach this summer, I plan on going many more times. So if anyone is tromping out there at all and wants some company, please let me know!

 

Cameron.

 

ps: No photos, sorry. I didn't take my camera, but would have had no time for photos even if I had!

[Carnage]

I understand completely.

 

I had an awesome time at IB last year. It was definetly the surprise of the trip. I didn't really expect much out of it, but got blown away.

 

I'd love to get back this year, but I don't think it's going to happen.

[SteveC]

Yay - a great shout out for Cornball which was my No.1 for the last 4 years, until I rode Balder.

[ginzo]

I went there yesterday for the first time. I was a bit underwhelmed, but the Cornball Express is awesome. What a surprisingly great ride. That's the best airtime I've ever had, especially in the back.

 

IB itself is old and dirty, and many of the ride ops are grouchy. It's such a contrast to the friendly, immaculate Holiday World, which I visited last week. I didn't stay until dark though. I hear you really have to experience IB at night to get the full effect.

 

I think IB would be a great place to film a horror movie. It has a slighty evil ambience to it, which I kinda like.

 

The haunted house is worth the extra money, and the dark ride is fun as well.

[bigstevet07]

Its really strange to hear that IB is being rated by so many as a great park. The last time I was there was early 90's when all they had was the Galaaxy and Tigr'r coasters. They had just opened the waterpark the last time I was there. I never thought that it would get big enough to have to good woodies as it had a carnival feel to it when I was there. I am going to have to take a trip there now!

[JamminJ]

Thanks for the update Cameron, its great to hear that Cornball Express is running even better. Hopefully in a few weeks (July 31st) I'll be able to ride it another 43 times..

 

-J (IB is the BEST PARK EVER.. well right after Knoebels..)

[derwood]

Cameron,

 

Love IB. If we head up there I will send you a note.

 

 

daron

[ParkTrips]

I'm digging the love for IB and the thought that Cornball is running well. I thought it was pretty effin' nuts, glad I'm not alone.

 

It does suck that Splash Battle isn't as cool as one might think, but it looked pretty small too. Oh well, at least they got it done.

 

- Joe

[larrygator]

Cameron - what about the pinball action in the arcade? good or bad?

[Cameron]

BigSteve: I have only been going since 1999 or 2000 and the park has changed a lot since then .. I imagine that it's probably unrecognizable from the early 90s.

 

Joe: Splash Battle was popular .. just not all that appealing to me. I actually think it's a nice addition down that end of the boardwalk, even though I really miss the old tank boats.

 

Larry: Pinball action is great at The Beach! They have a long line of mid/late-90s games, mostly Williams/Bally. When I walked up there were six credits sitting on Funhouse, so we played several 3-player games, and kept winning more credits! The game was in pretty good condition .. a little dirty, but worked well.

 

Ginzo: I'll agree that Indy Beach isn't the same gleaming shineyness of a 'new' park, but I'm surprised you found it dirty (although it does have more spiders than any other park I've been to!). Also surprising is that you found the ops grouchy .. sure, they're not the annoying spring-break retards from Cedar Point, but I've always found them OK.

 

Case in point: I was with about 7 other people, and half of them had jumped in the back rows of Cornball, while myself and a few others were waiting for the first few rows. The ride-op wanted us to fill the middle rows before dispatching the train (ie: not wait) .. and went so far as to say we had to board or leave the queue. So we stepped off the loading platform onto the stairs .. Seconds later his smiling face appears over the rail to inform us that we were still inline and he wanted to see us walk all the way down. Now this was all in good fun, he really wasn't being an ass about it at all (honest!).

 

So we run down the stairs .. hear the train dispatch .. and then run back up to the station. Apparently they were planning on sending the train through again just to mess with us .. but more people showed up in the station. It would have been the funniest thing ever if they had done it, though!

 

Everyone should feel free to PM or Email me if they want company on a Beach visit!

 

Cameron.

[bigstevet07]

Yeah from everything I have heard lately, it won't be recognizable. Maybe I can talk the wife into going on an Indiana trip and we can hit IB and Holiday World.

[Carnage]

Joe: Splash Battle was popular .. just not all that appealing to me. I actually think it's a nice addition down that end of the boardwalk, even though I really miss the old tank boats.

 

They got rid of the tank boats??

 

That was probably the highlight of my day(outside of the coasters).

 

Well it'd be close between that and getting fooled by the balcony in the haunted house.

[Cameron]

^ Yup, the tank-boats are gone. I mean none of the effects really worked anymore, but it was still a lot of fun.

 

Amazingly I didn't do the Castle on this last visit .. I think it's the first time ever that I didn't get around to it. Oh well, I'll just do it twice the next time!

 

Cameron.