Photo TR: The Johnson's TPR Midwest Trip

[Erik Johnson]

Kennywood Part 2

Looks like Spidey found a friend.

I am so happy that I finally got to visit this park.

Awwww....nobody wanted to eat with Spiderman.

They want your passport back Cameron.

Tex seemed to like them.

These were pretty good.

Carrying the dead stuffed animals away.

Give me your fries you fool!

Wes hanging out with the Aliens.

Hanging over at the rocks with the TPR crew.

Mutant Turtles?

OMG! It is a Fraggle.

This was our early lunch......Yum!

We had cheese and bacon, as well as garlic.

[Erik Johnson]

While we did do Stricker's Grove in the middle of our King's Island visit, I will use this space to feature the video from this park.

 

[Erik Johnson]

Ok onto King's Island!

And the new/moved/repainted one, Firehawk.

Vortex of Death.

Italian Job.

I heard that they are adding a loop to this coaster next year.

So this is what jail is like 300 feet above the ground.

Just like the one at KD.

Might as well go to the top.

There were a lot of good deals in KI's stores.

The Pirate boat has a nice location.

Just like the one at KD, this one made my ears pop.

This is the real Maverick train.

Top Gun was much better than Iron Dragon.

Even I discovered that I had manboobs while riding this coaster.

You guessed correctly.

Can you guess what coaster this is?

The Brady Bunch coaster.

But it does take a nice picture.

This coaster hurt me.

Weeeeeee!

Our second IJ credit.

Leanne decided to represent Carowinds today.

Good morning KI.

[Erik Johnson]

KI Part 2.

 

Last of the Photo Updates. Park opinions/coasters coming soon.

I wave you all good night!

KI at night!

I liked Beast, especially our rides at night.

No indoor Top Spin ride today.

We got filled up with food.

So far this one is my favorite Scooby shooting Dark Ride.

When we got back to KI, Leanne and I did a quick kiddie coaster credit tour.

Teddy Bear!

We did use these to drive to Stricker's for a short visit.

There is never enough pictures of Intamin Gyro Drop Towers.

Lots of Fountains!

[krazekiddd]

Great photos Eric and I had a great time meeting you and your wife. Only problem is I keep getting depressed everytime I see these pics. I miss my peeps!

[Erik Johnson]

^^ Yeah, this week has been really tough, especially with all the drama this week at work and home (excluding Leanne).

[Erik Johnson]

Ok onto coaster opinions:

 

1. Voyage: This was my most anticipated coaster on the trip, so it was cool that it was our first coaster on the trip. While it is an amazing coaster, I simply did not love it. Maybe I am a bit of a wimp, but I just found it to be too long and aggressive for my tastes. I could not handle back-to-back rides on it without falling over in exhaustion. I do wish that I had the chance to ride it at night, which I understand is an amazing experience.

 

2. Legend: Great theming with the coaster station and the covered bridges along the track. Someone must have had a little knowledge of the Sleepy Hollow Legend. While it did have a few good moments, I simply prefer airtime hills over laterals.

 

3. Raven: I found this to be the best coaster in the park. It certainly has made it into my top 10 woodie list. It had overall good pacing, great tunnels, and awesome drops. The night rides were especially good.

 

4. Howler: It is a kiddie credit, nothing too special.

 

I liked Holiday World quite a bit. Even though we stayed there the entire day, we always could find something to do. The employees were nice, and the lines moved well. It really is a perfect park for families, as there are attractions for people of all ages.

 

5. Greezed Lightnin': I simply love Schwarzkopf shuttle loops. While good, it was a little too braked on it's return trip through the station.

 

6. Chang: One of the better B&M standup coasters. It has quite a few forceful moments.

 

7. T2: Its an SLC, enough said.

 

8. Twisted Twins: Blue Side: It was Ok, nothing too special.

 

9. Roller Skater: A Vekoma Roller Skater.

 

10. Road Runner Express: One of the better NON-spinning mouse coasters with very light trims.

 

While it does not have the very best collection of coasters, SFKK does have a pretty good selection of flats and an AWESOME water park. Deluge was simply amazing. I also was very impressed with the park staff and management. They were very helpful and friendly and made us feel welcome.

 

11. Wild Mouse: An above average spinning mouse.

 

12. Dragon: This one hurt a little, I did not care much for it.

 

13. Looping Star: A big OW! for tall people.

 

14. Kentucky Rumbler: My favorite wooden coaster on the trip. It is also my new favorite GCI coaster. This one had it all with its crazy speed, airtime, and just overall fun. Nothing beats these coasters trains.

 

Beech Bend is a really unusual park in that it is more like a county fair instead of a full fledge park. It is now on the "themepark" map because of the new GCI coaster, Kentucky Rumbler. It will be interesting to see what they park will be like 5-10 years from now.

[Erik Johnson]

15. Tig'rr Coaster: Pretty good Schwarzy. I had never ridden one of those before.

 

16. Cornball Express: Another really great wooden coaster on the trip. Make sure you do a night ride in the last car sometime.

 

17. Hoosier Hurricane: It was pretty good as it has a great view of the park while you are riding. As for the ride itself, it really was nothing too special.

 

18. Galaxi: These coasters are always fun, especially in the back car.

 

19. Lost Coaster: Very unusual and unique. I really liked the entire experience, even though it did not make a lot of sense.

 

MMMMmmmmm....Indiana Beach. I really liked this park. Both the coasters and flat rides are really good.

 

20. Meteor: Fun Junior Wooden Coaster. It is very very smooth.

 

21. Mad Mouse: Kinda scary, but it still was fun. The coaster cars needs a bit more padding.

 

22. Little Dipper: Ouch! Even though it is a kiddie coaster, some padding would be nice.

 

23. Wild & Wooly Toboggan: I remember seeing these coasters at the local county fair when I was a lot younger. It was really cool to finally ride one, especially when we found out that that exact one is the prototype.

 

Little A-Merrick-A. It actually was a nice little park. It is perfect for the community. If we had kids and lived in the area, we would certainly visit this park for special occasions.

 

I already had all the credits from Mt Olympus and Timber Falls. Cyclops, Hades and Avalanche are still really great.

 

24. Orient Express: Another Dragon Wagon type credit.

 

25. Mouse Coaster: It is really a wacky worm, it was also my 200th credit.

 

26. Galaxi: Again, these coasters are fun.

 

Riverview was pretty good, even though it is on the small side. Not a bad way to spend a couple of hours.

 

I already had all the credits from Six Flags Great America. Viper.....Mmmmmmmmm

 

27. Corkscrew: Another historic Arrow coaster. That is all.

 

28. Cedar Creek Mine Ride: Arrow Mine Train. Goldrusher is better.

 

29. Millennium Force: Yes it has very little airtime, but I still found the coaster to be a lot of fun. It is probably the smoothest steel coaster I have ridden.

 

30. Mantis: While it did not bang my head too much, I still found this standup coaster to be lackluster.

 

31. Wildcat: Schwarzy goodness. Yes, one of the better coasters in the park.

 

32. Iron Dragon: The worst Arrow Suspended coaster I have ridden. It is very very slow.

 

33. Top Thrill Dragster: Much better than Kingda Ka in everyway. Short but sweet.

 

34. Mean Streak: It was just OK. I am glad they had trims on this ride, otherwise it really would have hurt.

 

35. Maverick: Much better than expected, and I had high expectations. These trains/dispatches are really fast. Our first ride was in the last row late at night. Some of the overbanks are really insane, especially when you were not expecting them.

 

36. Raptor: An above average B&M invert.

 

37. Blue Streak: Nothing too special, though it did have a few pops of airtime.

 

38. Wicked Twister: My 2nd Intamin Impulse coaster, it is also my favorite.

 

39. Disaster Transport: While I did not understand the theme very much, the coaster has a few fun parts.

 

40. Magnum XL-200: I am still not much of a fan of these Arrow hyper coasters, but this one was pretty fun. We had a lot of airtime, even though it kind of hurt, on our ride.

 

41.Woodstock Express: A custom themed Vekoma Roller Skater

 

42. Gemini: While fun, it really hurts if you sit in the very last row.

 

I liked Cedar Point quite a bit. They certainly have a few world class coasters. I really enjoyed the Giant Huss Frisbee. While operations were really good on our 2nd day, I think they are too cautious in that they close rides as soon as the skies get dark.

[Erik Johnson]

43. Racer: A fun dueling wooden coaster.

 

44. Thunderbolt: It has a very unique layout in that they last drop of the ride is its tallest. We found it to be a lot of fun.

 

45. Exterminator: Best spinning mouse I have ridden. The theming was also really great.

 

46. Phantom's Revenge: A really great steel coaster with a few insane pops of airtime near the end.

 

47. Jack Rabbit: Two words: Double Down!

 

48. Lil Phantom: The smallest coaster we ridden on this trip.

 

Kennywood was really great, I was happy that we decided to visit this park.

 

49. Flight of Fear: I finally got to ride one of these. Fun stuff.

 

50. Italian Job: We have ridden the one at KD. While the ride is the same, not all the theming was working.

 

51. Vortex: I hurt my knee on this one.

 

52. Racer: Pretty standard out-and-back dueling woodie.

 

53. Adventure Express: The ending was a serious let down. It is a pretty standard Arrow train.

 

54. Son of Beast: While it does jackhammer quite a bit, I am sure its better now that it used to be.

 

55. Top Gun: A fun Arrow suspended coaster, though I like Ninja (SFMM) and Big Bad Wolf (BGW/BGE) better.

 

56. Teddy Bear (Stricker's): Fun Junior Woodie, it does not go very fast.

 

57. Tornado: It was pretty good as it has a few moments of insane airtime.

 

58. Fairly Odd Coaster: I think it is the same coaster that Carowinds and KD's has. They are fun for families.

 

59 Rugrat's Runaway Reptar: Kiddie SLC

 

60. Beast: I found it to be very fun. It really felt like I was on a bullet train while riding in the night.

 

61. Firehawk: Our final credit on the trip, it was also our 3rd and final Vekoma flying coaster. I think that this one was the best one.

 

While we did have a good visit to KI, I think that the Beast and Flight of Fear are the only coasters I really liked.

[crazydaveh]

I agree with you on several CP coasters. Iron Dragon was a HUGE letdown for me... I wanted Big Bad Wolf type of stuff but got something that Wild Adventures might throw at you. It just doesn't compete with other coasters there.

 

Mean Streak was also a huge letdown. I love woodies like Gwazi and SFoG's Scream Machine, but Mean Streak was pretty lame. I enjoyed the older woodie at CP much better.

 

Great reading about the trip through your pics!

 

GO DAWGS

[bulldogmom]

I really had fun reading this TR. It looks like a really great trip- wish I could have gone. I can't believe this was your first time to CP- I'm glad you liked it. I didn't realize how many coasters were featured on this trip!

[CoasterFanatic]

10. Road Runner Express: One of the better spinning mouse coasters with very light trims.

 

I hate to point out the obvious, but I think ....

 

As for the bugs at Cedar Point, they are horrible this time of the year. it seems that it is always that way in August and the rain probably didn't help much.

[Erik Johnson]

^^ I have to be honest that my memory of this coaster is not very clear. I could be mixing it up with one of the other half-dozen spinning mice we rode on this trip.

[snorkymn]

Erik, I think for me many of the coasters blended together.. we had 3 or 4 spinning mice, many woodies that just don't stand out, many kiddies, etc..

 

Since I didn't take pics or keep a journal, very few coasters stood out. I'd say Rumbler stood out the most/best, and probably how painful Voyage, Legend, Son of Beast, and the back part of Hades was. (Those were in a bad way of standing out!) And I'll never forget the 8+ hour line for Maverick.

 

When you do 90 coasters in 10 days, the average ones just tend to blend together.

[hemmy]

I agree with you on several CP coasters. Iron Dragon was a HUGE letdown for me... I wanted Big Bad Wolf type of stuff but got something that Wild Adventures might throw at you. It just doesn't compete with other coasters there.

 

Mean Streak was also a huge letdown. I love woodies like Gwazi and SFoG's Scream Machine, but Mean Streak was pretty lame. I enjoyed the older woodie at CP much better.

 

Great reading about the trip through your pics!

 

GO DAWGS

 

Did you look at the pictures of Iron Dragon...how could you expect it to be anything like BBW?

 

Mean Streak is the worst ride at Cedar Point, rough, and trimmed. I don't know how anyone can love Gwazi though, that is just sick and twisted.

[mr_teisco_delrey]

I agree with you about Vortex being a coaster that hurts you. I think it stopped giving good rides about 9 years ago. When it was new, it was a great ride. Glad you liked Rumbler. It is my favorite GCI.

[snorkymn]

I must be one of the few that liked Vortex and actually went back for a re-ride. The back was pretty fun, and didn't beat me up much, if at all.

 

I didn't think Mean Strike was violent at all.. it was way too slow and trimmed to have anything but mild bewilderment when riding it, wondering why they cut off it's nuts.

[cfc]

Another excellent TR, Erik. I was very happy that I decided to meet up with the group at Kennywood--what an awesome park. The Phantom's Revenge surprised me, too. At first glance, it looks like an Arrow torture device, but it's actually pretty smooth with plenty of surprises.

 

Now if Morgan would reprofile, say, Anaconda at Kings Dominion . . .

[Airtime&Gravity]

Great tr Erik, and the opinions seem pretty accurate for the coasters. Although their were a few surprises(Meteor), they seem pretty standard for a non-fanboy.. The photos were great, and the captions were also good.

[gotdane]

Great TR Erik! I enjoyed it!

 

 

*I miss the TPR crazies!*

[Erik Johnson]

^^ I have to be honest that my memory of this coaster is not very clear. I could be mixing it up with one of the other half-dozen spinning mice we rode on this trip.

 

LOL, after reivewing my video footage, this coaster is NOT a spinning mouse. Damn my memory!

[enjen]

erik... awesome! thanks for this!

 

It's fun for me to hear other people's opinions about the coasters we all rode. I love the different opinions.

 

For me....

VOYAGE=SEX

 

-jenn-

[hyperlink27]

Great TR! Awesome pictures. I cannot wait to go on one of these trips. I loved the Teddy Bear Picnic video...very nice!

[bgwfreak]

Awesome PTR Erik as always!

 

Carowinds representz!!!

 

I did Kennywood quickly cause I was dead tired from my other parks back in June, and unfortunatly it was packed that day, so no Jr Phantom for me! It would have made Phantom #150 for me. Griffon got that spot instead.

 

I just encounter around 5000 bugs. One of them was eaten.

 

I swallowed one on Raptor the night of Coastermania! I kept my mouth shut on the coasters after that.

[Zen Coaster]

Nice summary of the trip with your photos.

 

I definitely agree that the number of coasters made the average ones blend together ... still wouldn't have lowered the count though