Lake Compounce Discussion Thread

[coasterbill]

Boulder Dash is an amazing coaster. It might be slightly overhyped but it's still excellent.

 

My #1 suggestion with Lake Compounce is to make ABSOLUTELY SURE you ride the Chairlift. It's the most unique attraction in the park. I'm not sure what time it closes each day but if you get there at 4:00 I'd actually suggest going there first. No other park has anything that compares to that ride. Knoebels has one that's kind of cool but it's much, much shorter.

[I Like Theme Parks.]

You don't need that much time if you're running through the park quickly and just doing the coasters mostly. But I'd recommend taking your time since it's a really nice park with a great classic atmosphere, the food is good (they have potato patch fries!), and the non-coaster ride collection is fantastic. The flat rides are great since they have a Bisch-Rocco Flyer, Zamperla Disk-O, S&S Turbo Drop Tower, the world's fastest Wave Swinger and an S&S SCREAMIN' SWING! They have a shooting dark ride, a log flume that seems really good, and the really cool Skyride. If you finish the park early, I'd also go to Quassy.

[BoulderDash]

BD is running pretty well but not as good as last year. The green train was running Sunday and felt like it had some work done on it. The only bad part is the middle of the triple up but I was told it should be fixed soon.

 

But yeah BD is an amazing ride. My favorite seat is the front although the airtime is awesome in 6-1. I like it slightly better than El Toro.

[Blatch]

I've been seeing ads for Phobia on my local TV stations. Of course, I live a little too far away from the park for that to matter. Of course, I also see ads for fast food restaurants that don't exist in New England, so what do I know?

 

Connecticut exists in the purgatory of "a little too far to drive to, but we wouldn't fly there", so I probably won't get a chance to visit this park any time soon... but I really want to.

[thesman]

how have crowds been recently?

[neil009]

3. Is Boulder Dash really all the hype? I love ejector airtime and if I go out of my way to visit this park I would hope this coaster has some nice ejector.

 

Like everyone else said, yes, this coaster is really all the hype. Personally it's my all-time favorite coaster I've ridden. I just wanted to add, if you're expecting El Toro-style ejector airtime you'll be disappointed. It doesn't have perfectly-shaped parabolic hills that smoothly throw you into the restraint and keep you there. It does have airtime, but it's not what I would typically think of as "ejector", it feels more like the track is dropping out from under you for a second. It's a completely different kind of experience. Try to come to it with an open mind and you shouldn't be disappointed, and MAKE SURE to ride it after dark if you can.

[I Like Theme Parks.]

^It has the old-school style of ejector airtime, where you really come out of your seat. The restraints are the normal PTC ones, which already let you have a lot of room, but for some reason the restraints on Boulder Dash are a bit looser.

[Paradox]

^It has the old-school style of ejector airtime, where you really come out of your seat. The restraints are the normal PTC ones, which already let you have a lot of room, but for some reason the restraints on Boulder Dash are a bit looser.

I love how loose the restraints are. It really amplifies the great amount of airtime that the ride already has.

 

Boulde Dash also has great laterals that El Toro can't even compete with.

[neil009]

Boulde Dash also has great laterals that El Toro can't even compete with.

 

This is one reason why it's the best to me. I don't even think of it as being in the same league as El Toro honestly, it's on a level all its own for me. It doesn't even feel like it's in an amusement park most of the time, it just feels like this crazy balls-to-the-wall race through the middle of the woods with both tons of airtime and laterals. El Toro is mostly just about extreme airtime.

[Genx24]

The first time I rode Boulder Dash, it really threatened El Toro in my rankings, and for a while I'd have them ranked as 1 and 1A on my personal lists. But when El Toro is really hauling, IMO it surpasses Boulder Dash. Both of them, however, are head and shoulders above any other wooden coaster I've been on, and probably will be for a long time.

[LiftThrill]

The first time I rode Boulder Dash, it really threatened El Toro in my rankings, and for a while I'd have them ranked as 1 and 1A on my personal lists. But when El Toro is really hauling, IMO it surpasses Boulder Dash. Both of them, however, are head and shoulders above any other wooden coaster I've been on, and probably will be for a long time.

Have you ridden Outlaw Run? BD and El Toro are both ridiculously high on my bucket list and I'm interested to see how they compare to Outlaw Run since it's currently my favorite woodie.

[Genx24]

^ No, I have not. It's very high on my bucket list, but I just don't know when I'll be able to get out to Missouri.

[LiftThrill]

To me, I think wooden coasters have this upper tier that is miles above anything else. I'd imagine El Toro, Boulder Dash, Outlaw Run, Phoenix, The Voyage, etc all fall in this tier and pretty much everyone agrees on it even though the rides are completely different from each other. I've always thought that was cool.

[I Like Theme Parks.]

^That's why it's tough for me to decide if I like wooden coasters or steel coasters better. I've been on more steel coasters, there's more types, and I prefer a lot of the major steel coasters I've been on over most of the wooden ones. But my top 3 coasters of all time are El Toro, Boulder Dash, and Phoenix.

[LiftThrill]

I think good wooden coasters and good steel coasters are comparable but I do definitely see the point of view of people who rate them separately. I've only been on 15 wooden coasters but my top 5 for those is still pretty competitive whereas steel coasters have a pretty distinct cutoff where things turn amazing.

[Paradox]

Outlaw Run is my number 3 wooden coaster, behind El Toro as number 2 and BD as number 1. Outlaw Run is a great ride, the short length is what causes it to rank below El Toro.

[Jcoaster]

^That's why it's tough for me to decide if I like wooden coasters or steel coasters better. I've been on more steel coasters, there's more types, and I prefer a lot of the major steel coasters I've been on over most of the wooden ones. But my top 3 coasters of all time are El Toro, Boulder Dash, and Phoenix.

 

Those are my top 3 wooden coasters, all of them are amazing in their own way. Number 4 on that list for me would be Comet at Great Escape. That thing is a lost treasure, always gets overlooked because it is at Great Escape lol.

[LiftThrill]

Outlaw Run is my number 3 wooden coaster, behind El Toro as number 2 and BD as number 1. Outlaw Run is a great ride, the short length is what causes it to rank below El Toro.

 

Outlaw Run's length may be its only flaw actually. That's the only thing that puts it behind NTaG for me. As for Boulder Dash, sensation of speed is up there with ejector airtime for my favorite things in coasters, and Boulder Dash's pacing looks flawless. That thing is so high on my bucket list. I need an excuse to go to the northeast, lol

[I Like Theme Parks.]

^That's why it's tough for me to decide if I like wooden coasters or steel coasters better. I've been on more steel coasters, there's more types, and I prefer a lot of the major steel coasters I've been on over most of the wooden ones. But my top 3 coasters of all time are El Toro, Boulder Dash, and Phoenix.

 

Those are my top 3 wooden coasters, all of them are amazing in their own way. Number 4 on that list for me would be Comet at Great Escape. That thing is a lost treasure, always gets overlooked because it is at Great Escape lol.

Holy crap The Great Escape Comet is my #4 wooden coaster too!

[jarmor]

How are thursdays here around this time of year? Say for an afternoon visit? Are there any local discounts? Any tips and tricks?

[thesman]

How are thursdays here around this time of year? Say for an afternoon visit? Are there any local discounts? Any tips and tricks?

Buy online and use code "DUNKINCT2016" to save a few bucks

[ejot]

^^The park wasn't busy at all this morning and early afternoon, if that's anything to go on. It was hot, so perhaps the water park was the big draw. PhobiaFear was station wait at 1:30pm. I think you'll be fine.

 

Boulder Dash always has a line because they don't seem to put a second train on too often, and dispatches have been slowww. Hit it up first because crowds keep building through the afternoon. I basically only sit front anymore. The back is definitely an experience but the triple up is just too brutal for me. Only coaster moment that I find legitimately painful in 180+ coasters. Does not change the fact that BD is an incredible ride.

 

PhobiaFear operations were AWESOME today. Boy did they get their act together here. Bravo. And I got five rides in a row without getting off in the AM. Can't decide if I like front seat or back seat better here. Fourth row is good too.

 

RIDE THE SKYRIDE. Even it you don't like skyrides, just do it. A heads up, it's nearly a half hour on-ride. But it is a magical half hour. Don't read up on it or watch POV, IMO, better going in without spoilers.

 

I'm a huge fan of Flyers yet I'd say these ones are worth a solid pass. Thunder and Lightning is a small Screamin' Swing but I like it. Nice views on the drop tower, otherwise not an exceptional tower.

 

Wildcat is much better for looking at, than riding. But it's OK if you really need to ride. Not painful or anything.

 

Water park is pretty average but fun. Best part is the "exit" from the lazy river onto a raft slide. You go down in your lazy river raft and empty back into laziness. A+.

[Paradox]

Remember not to skip the boomerang, it is actually very smooth and not painful at all.

[Jcoaster]

Remember not to skip the boomerang, it is actually very smooth and not painful at all.

 

You mean the "Zoomerang"

[tiagohummel]

Hey guys! I'm planning to go to the park for the first time this sunday (07/03), but I was checking their website and theres a warning that the Wild Cat was down today. Anyone knows if it was down before/its going to stay down a while? Im basically going for Boulder Dash but I could choose another day if I knew that a coaster wouldnt be operating! (That said, I really hope BD not to be down on sunday lol)

 

Other thing, Im going all by myself from Boston. Gonna get a bus to Hartford, another one to Bristol and then an Uber. Does this sound feasible at all? Anyone want to meet me at the park? Last time I went alone to a park I ended up meeting with a TPR folk and I had lots of fun. Thanks!