FLIPDUDE's Midwest PTR

[jackskellington101]

Well, from the picture, it looks like one of the top secret things is that alien skull the lady's holding and probably bought from thinkgeek.com.

 

Top Secret picture!

[DenDen]

It's because these are not permanant stuctures, they're portable rides designed for traveling carnivals.

 

Actually, you'd be surprised at how many coasters are built that way. Take Laser at Dorney Park for example. I have no idea why they are built that way, but there must be some reason behind it. Great Photo TR, by the way!

[FLIPDUDE]

^^Weird that they'd put so much money and effort into the outside of the building and so little into the inside.

[Godwyn]

Some of us on the MidWest trip decided to go in since we thought it would be similar. It was pointless.

 

It was a good thing we had enough people to get a group rate so it would be cheaper. But for what it was, even at the group rate, I still think it was overpriced.

[gnewton34]

For real. I was like ummmmm...is this it? But I personally loved the tour guide, I wanted to give her a hug because I know it can't be easy to keep up her energy level the way she did. Other "top secret" stuff includes, presidents made from robots, aliens, rock monsters and dinosaurs. Here are some pictures from the experience...

 

Hairy Spiders

 

Robotic Presidents

 

Rock Monster

 

Upside Down Rooms

 

The place blows up at the end and we have to run for safety through a fog machine, I'm not joking, that's totally the story

[FLIPDUDE]

...Wow, that looks... Horrible.

 

 

I am actually glad my time was better spent over at Mt. O.

[FLIPDUDE]

Timber Falls & Adventure Golf!

 

So we get to the park after a long, 60 second drive.

 

Reminder: Avalanche, the park's main, and one of only 4 attractions was hit by lightning the night before and therefore didnt work. And so when we got to the park, it still wasnt sure if we were gonna get ot ride it or not.

 

 

 

Anyhow, the second we got off the bus everyone went straight for Avalanche.

 

Timber Falls is a gorgeous park. Despite the fact that what you see in this picture - is pretty much the entire park. This wasn't taken from the center of the park, this was taken from the opposite corner of it.

 

 

The park through the queue's iron grid fence.

 

I doubt we had ERT on the enitre park, but for some odd reason we were the ONLY PEOPLE THERE the entire time. I guess because the mechanics were too busy trying to get Avalanche to work for us, and therefore the log flume wasn't working.

It was too bad the flume wasn't operating, it looked really awsome as far as log flumes go, but I'd take Avalanche over the flume any day.

 

Kinda looks like everyone in this photo didn't want to get photographed, except Robb. Unless he's gesturing me to "shut that thing off."

 

Well, we were all allowed to go in the station and they started loading the first train. The mechanics were still hard at work trying to get the ride up and running for us. We were all looking on with anticip... ation.(movie refference, anyone?)

 

Everyone on the train is cheering for the girl-on-girl action on the ride op's behalf.

 

After 10 minutes that seemed to last like 40 they finally decided "Hey, you know what? We can't fix the ride's sensors, which basically keeps trains from crashing into each other, but we're only operating one train anyway, so we'll let you ride!"

 

 

DISPATCH!

 

(I love this picture. It wouldn't of turned out half as good if I took it with a digital camera. Digital cameras almost always take decent pictures, and while disposables screw up %95 of all pictures the remaining %5 just comes out kickass)

 

 

Anyhow, that's how we all got to ride a broken coaster!

 

 

The first trian climbed up the hill as everyone int he station cheered that the coaster was working, and zoomed around the track.

 

"Hey Frank... Should we tell them a couple of screws are loose on the wheel assembley?"

-"Nah, they'll figure it out soon enough."

 

 

But all jokes aside, magor thanks to the awsome technicians for getting the ride up and running for us. We gave them a huge applause when they did.

 

 

The tiny train zoomed around the course and came by for a nice flyby.

 

"Hey everyone, how'd you like it?"

 

Avalanche appeared to be a hit.

 

Then it was my turn to go. I got in the front row(natuurally.) and the train went on it's way. What I love about this coaster is that it never lost how exciting it was to ride. I would get just as excited getting ready to ride it for the 5th time as I did the 1st time around.

 

 

Anyhow the way it works is, it gently glides out of the station and turns. Everything is so compact at that point of hte track it looks kind of surreal.

You climb up the lift, and when you get to the top you have an awsome view in front of you, which I didnt get a picture of because I didnt know if this is a camera allowed park, and Robb told us to not even ask.

 

Then you dive down and into a wild turn. You fly somewhere between the log flume, the "lake", and a large billboard threatning to chop your hands off if you raise them too high, all this wile experiencing WILD airtime.

The train really didn't look like it was going "fast forward" to me like Robb always says but it gets so much CRAZY ejector airtime, it might as well be! In fact it had so much airtime it actually had hairtime, seeing as the hair of pretty much everyone would fly upwards ont he hills.(check out the front row)

 

 

You circle the park as the train wildly shakes rattles and rolls(without being uncomfortable, though!) all while wearing out those poor upstop wheels so you dont fly off on one of those insane hills.

 

The train goes in for a flyby, and then does another round aroudn the park.

 

 

Then comes THIS turn...

 

When the train reaches this turn, it seems like the train is shaking independantly from you and the track. It seriously feels like at any second now, the trian will fall apart and peices of it would fly in every direction. but instead of doing that it comes to a halt on the brakes.

 

The ride was fantastic. S&S did an amazing job on this one.

 

I rode it another time, but then I couldnt help but noticing something peeking at me from behind the coaster...

 

 

I figured I'd head on over to it while everyone is still riding Avalanche. No line.

 

The ride was outside of the circle formed by Avalanche, which surrounds the entire park. It was on concrete, and a bit removed to the park, so at first I found myself SERIOUSLY wondering "Does this belong to Timber Falls, or that Taco place over there?"

Now, it may sound like a rediculous thought to someone who's never been to the Dells, but like I said, in the Dells, every building is either wacky, upside down, crooked, or has its own amusement/waterpark. And that Taco place looked suspiciously normal.

 

 

A little intro first: A couple of years ago I was at SFGADv and they also had this kind of ride. I bought a ticket to go on it but the ride looked and felt so unsafe and out-in-the-open as opposed to having enclosed cars and a massive structure that I chickened out(the people who went on before us ende dup being stuck at the top for a while...) so this time it was all about conquering my fear.

 

I gotta say - ominous storm clouds appearing out of nowhere for enhanced dramatic effect - not a big help.

 

I bought a ticket. $10. And got on the platform. Sadly nobody was around to ride with me or watch as I conquer my fear.

The ride op directed me to the seat. I stared at it a little worried.

Instead of the modern, safer looking, 4-seat canopy with OSTRs, this ride had a flimsy looking 2 seat canopy with even flimsier X shaped seatbelts across the rider's chest.

 

I sat in as the ride op put the seatbelts on me and then the platform was removed from under my feet. No turning back now.

 

The giant rotating arm started spinning and before I knew it I was flipping around at scary altitudes with nothing holding me in my seat but those seatbelts.

 

It was alot of fun! It was nohing like a rollercoaster. It was amazing to see the Dells' woods upside down and above you, while the sky was beneath your feet, as opposed to looking at track flying by. The fact that the ride used seatbelts and not OSTRs was also great because it felt more free and didn't obstruct the view one bit. Every so often it would look like I'm about to crash into some power lines. Once again, this all seemed very surreal.

 

After a relatively long amount of time(to be said in the park's favour, seeing as most parks would probably have a very short run on such rides) it finally came to a halt. I noticed other TPRers had come by now wanting to ride it, possibly drawn to the ride from my screams that could be heard around the Dells. I got off, everyone asked me how was it and I said it was great and totlaly worth it. I didn't ride again, but if it was cheaper I definately would have.

 

 

Then other people rode it and I took some pictures.

 

 

Like I said, this ride totally looked like it could be owned by the Taco Place.

 

Other people seemed to enjoy it alot too.

 

Then it was time to return to the park. I got a couple more rides in on Avalanche, during which I got to sit behind Freddie. For those of you who don't know, Freddie has really long hair. And every hill it would fly upwards and narrowly avoid my face. It was hillarious to see airtime in full blown action.

 

Then everyone decided to grab a little something to eat/drink or just rest so we all went to the picnic tables. It's then that Terrance decided to pick on Bryan(Remember? Today was all about him!) and Bryan mentioned that it wasn't him who posted on the forums thatonly the same 10 people are always in the TR, but that it was his mom.

Terrance didn't beleive him and quickly snatched his phone to call Bryan's mom. Everyone listened carefully to Terrance's conversation. Apparantly Bryan was telling the truth, but that didn't stop everyone from keeping today all about Bryan.

 

Then it was time to play mini golf. I teamed up with Sean, who enjoyed Minigolf as much as I did, so we played it at almsot every park during the trip(and I guess that by doing so I inadvertedly did a huge favor for everyone who was annoyed by him. Thats okay, you can thank me later) and we played through the course. We were followed by Elissa and her group of 18.5 fanboys who for some reason were constantly on our tail and even waited for us to finish ac ouple of holes. I have no idea how come they finished that much faster than we did, seeing how we were two people, and there was like 87 of them(they multiplied).

 

The golf course was fantastic, seriously one of the best designed golf courses I've ever seen(there seemed to be an ever better one at Adventure golf next door but that wasn't part of the park and we didnt have time for it, so it leaves me with something to look forward to next time I'm in the Dells) not to mention it was beautiful and had great views of everything in the park.

It had huge downhill slopes, bridges, jumps, even a couple of caves and staircases.

 

eventually when we got to the final hole who had totem poles(which kept squirting water, or fire or I dont remmeber what, and speaking incoherently) which sucked our golf balls into oblivion.

 

I then bought a souvenier ball at the shop and it was time to go back to Mt. O.

 

I'll upload pics in a sec its just my comptuers acting weird.

[FLIPDUDE]

The pictures I tried to upload:

 

 

 

And finally, the pic I think best describes Timber Falls:

 

What I like about this picture is that to me it looks for some reason that I can't point out... Surreal.

[coaster05]

I'm curious about 2 things, first isn't Avalanche at Timber Falls, where you say Riverview is a gorgeous park?

 

Second how can anything be hit by thunder?

[Fry]

We were all looking on with anticip... ation.(movie refference, anyone?)

 

That's only the BEST FILM EVER!

 

Loving your PTR, keep up the good work!

[FLIPDUDE]

^Thanks Fry! I appreciate the feedback!

[thecoasterkid]

Nice! More Mid-West updates! Great stuff Tomi, keep it up.

 

2 things..."European Dude" you referred to earlier is Thomas from Holland. I wasn't even on your bus but I remember him talking about those beans. Also, thanks for distracting TRP Shawn...still of all the people on the trip that I could've shared my name with, it had to be him.

[krazekiddd]

Hey Tomi,

 

I hope Terrance posts the video of you on the Scad Tower. That was the best scream I ever heard!

[Godwyn]

Actually that was me that has that video. (unless Terrance got it too.)

[ginzo]

I noticed something.

This is the longest queue the Avalanche has ever had.

[Hand 0f Time]

That is rare seeing a waterslide with wooden supports, but so what.

[krazekiddd]

Actually that was me that has that video. (unless Terrance got it too.)

 

Dear god, please post that!

[Godwyn]

Ask and you shall receive.

Flipdude Screaming01.wmv

SCAD Tower

[krazekiddd]

Haha! I freaking love you for that! I am no better with me flapping my arms trying to fly!

 

Edit: HAHA, I realized the loudest laugh was from Jenn!

[Godwyn]

I still laugh every time I see that video of you. You looked like a chicken trying to fly.

[FLIPDUDE]

Thank you for finding that! I was looking for my copy of it to post later but I don't remember what the CD looked like.

 

I really hit that high note, didn't I?

 

 

Also, what was funniest about you flapping your "wings" was that you didn't even realize you were doing that untill you saw the video!

[FLIPDUDE]

SCAD TOWER

(I didn't take my camera to extreme world so bear with me, also, please excuse me if I get a name wrong, I'm not good with names)

 

 

This entire TR segment is about the experience of riding a SCAD tower for the first time, if you're not really into detailed descriptions of experiences skip this now

 

Right, so after our day all around the Dells, and upon returning to Mt. O me and Max decided to head over to the SCAD tower at the adventure park across the street. I was dying to try it out, and yet scared out of my mind.

 

Here is a pciture of the SCAD tower stolen from a TR by Token Yankee Guy

Taken from http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=38201&sid=563f92044ef5b4bd7bc1537932f7d8db

 

On the way there(even though it was just across the street) we noticed a residental house that had a kcikass front yard with a little carousel and other bizzare playground thingies. Like I said, no building in the Dells is normal. So after goofing off for a while we headed over to the adventure park.

 

I bought a ticket and ended up meeting Terrance, Scott, and a couple of other people there.(I think Homer was there, too, but it's been 7 months since the trip, easy to forget(which is also why I've been updating so much lately). Amazing how time flies by, no?)

 

I was still very scared, well, eventually me, Scott Maxs and someone elsewent to ride the scary metallic beast.

 

The ride op lady assigned us turns to go on the ride. I was last.

"Are you freakin' KIDDING me?!" I thought. I was paralyzed with fear of the dang thing, I wanted to get this over with, not stand around and see other people plummet from a contraption taller than my apartment building knowing I'm next!

We all put on our special plummeting-to-our-potential-demise-suits.

 

Well the first two people, among which was Scott got on the ride's platform, which soone nough was lifted in the air. I had to look on with sheer horror.

 

After an agonizing amount of time the platform's bottom was opened and someone was lowered out from the hole, dangling in mid-air. Then, snap! A quick(and frightning) freefall, they were caught by the net.

 

Next was Scott's turn. He was lowered out from under the platform too, and then released. He(naturally) screamed his ass off, but he also did a movement with his arms that resembled a chicken trying to fly. This made everybody watching crack up laughing. But the funny thing is, after he got out we realized he wasn't even aware he was doing that. When he saw the video of himself(please someone upload it!) he laughed too.

 

Then it was me and Max's turn. We got on the platform. He was first.

As the platform started lifting off the ground I was clutching on to the railing for dear life, trying not to shiver too much.

 

Soon enough we were at the top, overlooking the dells. I was scared shitless and was considering not doing this at all.

 

The younger of the two lady ride ops who were with us, a young blonde, was strapping Max in. The older one was telling her "Now hook that there... No, not there... Like this." and "Now you do such and such."

"You have GOT to be #@$%^ing kidding me" I thought. "SHE'S A TRAINEE?!?!"

 

The floor then opened, I tried not to make it too bovious that my arm was now welded into the railing and that my feet were stapled as far as possible from the gaping hole.

I had been skydiving before but when you're skydiving there's always enough time for plan B, the safety chute. Plus it's harder to grasp how far up you are because everything looks like a miniature model. This was not the case here. Here I was on a structure that's a 5 second drop off the ground, if something bad happened, I would go splat.

 

Max was lowered down and then- SNAP! he freefell and was no logner in sight.

 

 

My turn.

 

 

In my mind was a raging battle. I did not want to do this. I wanted to get down and leave. I was never on a ride in which I was not strapped in by at least 2 fiberglass walls and a lap bar untill earlier that day, and even those were on a set track, and weather I was leaning forward correctly or not had no impact on the result of the ride and my skull.

But on the other hand... Everyone was down there waiting for me. Scott, , Terrance, Max, and a whole bunch of people I didn't know. If I chickened out I would look like the biggest pansy on the trip plus I would be out ten bucks.

So peer pressure set in and I released my death grip on the railing.

 

The traineed ride op strapped me in. "Now put that there" the older ride op instructed her while I was thinking of various swearwords.

 

"Count me down first, okay?" I asked wussily.

-"Alright."

 

The floor beneath me opened, I couldn't look down if I wanted to, but I knew how far up I was hanging by a flimsy rope.

 

 

I was lowered under the platform and all of a sudden I see before me the Dells' woods from way up above, and I could see exactly how high up I am. I was freaking out. No OSTRs, no seats, no lap bars, just a flimsy rope and hook, which, in a second, are going to be detached.

 

 

"3...2...1..."

 

 

The hook was released and Is tarted plummeting. Took a second for my brain to process it all. And I screamed. I screamed as loud and as high pitched as I last could when I was 13. This was not a fun scream, mind you, this was an "Oh my god I am going to die" scream.

 

 

Then I realized I have been falling for a while. The net should've caught me by now! "Where's the net?! IS SOMETHING WRONG?! WHERE'S THE NET?!?!?"

 

And then - I landed in the net. After the initial shock faded off I could hear everyone laughing their asses off. I knew very well that it was because of my scream. I was still lying motionless in the net with a gigantic tired smile splashed across my face, because pansy or not, I conquered a ride that scared me half to death.

 

 

Only as the net finally touchedthe ground I let myself move and get up. I stepped out and took off the suit, everyone was still cracking up, Terrance's laughter could be heard for miles.

 

I stepped over to everyone.

After he stopped laughing Terrance blurted out: "You gave Mariah Carey a run for her money".

 

 

But then it was my turn to get revenge. It would seem as though Terrance was too scared to go on the ride to begin with, we all tried to convince him, and when we offered to pay for his ticket he considered it but it never went through.

 

 

Anyhow I went to get my DVD of my ride on it. Terrance wanted a copy for himself too. I didn't really want him to have one seeing as I was embarassed but I wasn't going to be uptight and ruin his fun.

 

Luckily the DVD machine broke for jsut long enough to make Terrance not bother to wait it out and for me to get my copy(which, by the way, I have no idea where it is now. If you want to see Scott's video of my high pitched plunge look up 4 posts before this one)

 

 

Everyone had already left and so I amde my way over to Mt. O, it was finally time to hit the waterpark.

 

 

To be continued.

[Godwyn]

If you want to see Scott's video of my high pitched plunge look up 4 posts before this one

 

 

I'm not Scott.

[FLIPDUDE]

^Blah, sorry. Like I said at hte beginning I'm terrible with names.

[krazekiddd]

^FYI, i was the first to do it and then Jenn. Best experience ever! Even though I had a new trainee!!

 

There is a video of it on my Myspace, I'll post it later.