TR: Wonderland Park (Amarillo, TX) 5/22

[ebl]

I posted this on Westcoaster, but since some of you don't go there, I figured I'd put it here, too.

 

It isn't often that I get out of California, but last weekend I did just that. See, my mom's mother's cousin's daughter contacted my mom a few months back about completing the family tree. She suggested that my mom should go to Texas to meet her and help fill in information. Since I did something like this for my dad's side of the family, it only made sense that I go, too.

 

So I did.

 

Originally, we were supposed to go to Fort Worth, but plans changed almost at the last minute and we found ourselves bound for Amarillo instead. Going to Fort Worth would have meant my first visit to SFoT, but that was not to be. However, Amarillo has a park, and I hoped that I'd get to visit it.

 

Before going to Wonderland, I rode all over the Texas Panhandle to visit local cemeteries looking for the graves of long lost relatives. I guess that was closure for my mom. Kind of interesting, actually, and I learned a lot about family members.

 

But, by Sunday afternoon (May 22), we'd done all the cemetery hopping that we could do, and it was on to Wonderland. Even my mom came with me, but she sat out all the rides. (She got in free, being a senior citizen.) On the downside, we were informed right off the bat that the Texas Tornado wasn't running. I was looking forward to that, being that it was O.D. Hopkins' first coaster and I've never ridden any of theirs.

 

Here is a picture of me at the entrance.

 

The Zyklon and Cyclone were both open, so I bought tickets (only $1.50 for each ride) and went to ride them. My mom was kind enough to hold my camera and drink while I rode. She even got her first experience with my digital camera and snapped pictures.

 

One thing that I found strange was in the Zyklon station. There's a chain that heads downhill into the station as the train completes the circuit. I've never seen anything like that, so I snapped this picture of it.

 

My mom also got a picture of me riding the Cyclone. This ride is just like the Tree Top Racers at Adventure City (down the street from Knott's).

 

Even though the Texas Tornado was closed, I took this picture of what has to be the most demented loops on any coaster anywhere. I'm convinced that Hopkins designed this thing on a napkin, built it, found out it didn't work too well, then made modifications in the field.

 

There weren't any other rides that I wanted to try. They have a flume and a splashdown ride, but I wasn't in the mood to get wet even though it was a typical, hot day in the Texas Panhandle. We were hungry, so we headed out to dinner and had some pretty fine Mexican food at Abuelo's. One day, I'll have to get back there and ride the Texas Tornado. Since I have family in Amarillo, I have a reason to return.

 

But at least I won't have to visit the cemeteries next time!

 

Bottom line, Wonderland is a nice little park.

 

Eric

[coaster1]

The Texas Tornado was designed on a napkin for less than $1 million .. final tag was $950,000. I think the PTC train on their cost more than the whole ride did.

 

It's a nice little ride, weird feeling tho, kinda hard to explain the feeling on it.

[ebl]

If I'm not mistaken, I think the PTC train on the Tornado is the only PTC train used on a steel coaster. Also, the original Hopkins trains were seven cars long if I recall.

 

I guess anyone who's ridden this would know.

 

Eric

[coaster1]

Yes only PTC trains for now on a steel coaster. The Hopkins trains were destroyed, well one of them, the other was donated to ACE for the museum and one car is under the ride in the small museum they have along with one of the Comet cars from the State Fair of Texas.

[pvcoasterguy]

We've got a Hopkins coaster up here in Iowa, and let me just say that its less than enjoyable. Unfortunately, we've got the Hopkins coaster with Hopkins trains and OSTR's. Not a fun ride. The loops are okay. They're pretty fun. Then you go into this twisted section at the end, with two helixes, and you bounce your head so many times that its unreal.

[Mind Eraser]

"pvcoasterguy" is right about Adventureland's Dragon. When I rode, it was horribly rough. There is no need for the shoulder restraints. I rode Desert Storm in Phoenix, which is a double looping Hopkins coaster with only lap bars, and it was really enjoyable. Plus, Hopkins coasters look and feel very cheap. I thought the Dragon's train was gonna fall apart mid-ride.

 

 

-kip-

[PhishyBrewer]

TEXAS TORNADO looks very painful

[coaster1]

It's not painful at all .. lapbars = good ... the "Traver Turn" which is after the first loop behind the shoot-the-chutes is very odd feeling however .. the loops are quite weird as well.

[robbalvey]

Awww, Eric. I'm so bummed that you didn't get to ride the Tornado. It really is one of the most bizarre coaster experiences! It's not rough at all, it's fun, but not amazing...but overall just very, very "Bizarre!"

 

Glad you had a good time though!

 

--Robb