Photo TR: Jahan's Awesome TPR-Midwest Trip Report!

[DegoRed]

Jahan, this TR is amazing. It takes me back to this wonderful trip. I don't know why but it seems everytime I end up on a picture or video I look like a goofball. That explains why you guys don't see me in my videos That first day at the Dells was amazing. I remember sitting in the hotel room looking out the window at all the lightning and how after each strike the power would dim in the room. Then the power cut out to the parking lot and all I could see was darkness and then the bolts of lightning, it was pretty unsettling but cool at the same time

 

on another note about that insane wave pool, i still have a very light mark on my back left from when the wave threw Homer at me and he clawed me...thanks again Homer

[Zen Coaster]

I remember a bunch of us sitting in one of the go-kart garages waiting to go out then just as the guy was giving us the signal, the heavens opened. We were part of the mad dash back towards the hotel but like Jahan ended up in the indoor park and gained our Opa credit. Pretty much no sooner than we'd got off than the lightning hit & one car of people found themselves stuck on the lift hill. We tried to find some plastic bags and I remember a couple of people raided the toilets for garbage bags. A mass exodus back to the hotel for a Grindhouse double-feature in AJ's room then fortunately better weather the next day.

 

That was a great part of the trip. It's just a shame we missed out on Hades ERT. Oh well... a future trip perhaps...

[RCFreak]

This is amazing so far Yohan, Awesome job and I really can't wait for the end. i takes me back to the awesome time I had on Spain (also doing a really late TR of it lol)

[hifalling]

The Dells Experience...I think it's one of the highlights of the trip. All the time we got to spend just hangin' out.

 

I wish the photo of the lightning bolt, Chuck, and me wasn't so blury!

 

I, for one, am glad that the lightening picture was not blurry...because everyone would see the possible pee running down my leg! That was an INTENSE lightening storm...I remember seeing that Lightening bolt, and thinking..."OH MY LAUNDRY! That is REALLY close!" Two brushes with death in Winconsin Dells, PINK SLIDE OF DEATH, and Lightening storm! It was an amazing night though.

 

chuck "I loved the wave pool!" garcia

[Wes]

Yohan

 

[hifalling]

^Is there a story?!

 

chuck "Can't Wait to hear! Tell it to me Kanye!" garcia

[Wes]

Someone at WCB thought Jahan's name was pronounced Yohan. So we all started calling him that.

[hifalling]

Someone at WCB thought Jahan's name was pronounced Yohan. So we all started calling him that.

 

I figured as much! It's just funnier when you tell the story Wes!

 

chuck " " garcia

[Wes]

There's video of me getting the group to shout "Thanks Yohan!" as we were finishing up the tours.

[hifalling]

I can't wait to see that!!! WHERE IS IT!!!?

 

 

ALSO...

 

Yohan...keep up the good work on the Midwest Updates!

 

chuck "Living vicariously through other's WCB experiences!" garcia

[robbalvey]

Here are other people also named Yohan:

 

 

 

 

 

I think that Jahan is in very good company!

 

--Robb

[socalMAN123]

HAHA! That was hilarious. I remember everyone screaming "Thanks Yohan!" Good stuff.

---Brent

[arrowfanman]

Day Six: Mount Olympus, Riverview, and Timber Falls

 

 

Hey everybody!

 

 

 

Ok, so for those unfamiliar with Wisconsin Dells and who are lame and haven’t been reading this PTR, the town is a collection of roadside attractions strewn together, which has grown into a tourism hot-spot. Here one could find shows, extreme sports, themed experiences, and of course, amusement parks. Though Mount Olympus is the most talked-about destination, there are also a few smaller stops in town with credits—Riverview and Timber Falls.

 

This day, the tour was spent whoring around to all three parks. As a result, a lot was going on! Best of luck trying to follow me on this one!

 

In the morning, we awoke to much better weather and were on our feet by 9am for ERT on Hades and Zeus.

 

The group journeying from the hotel entrance to the opposite side of the park, where the coasters were.

 

I think it’s safe to say that Hades puts all other “parking lot coasters” to shame!

 

Ok—so we arrived at Hades and they dispatched the first train (and on par with all of Mount Olympus’s coasters, the only train). When it returned to the final brake run, behind the station, the ride broke down with a train full of TPR members. How did we know? Because we’re freakin’ coaster enthusiasts and we can figure out that when a train stops half way through a brake zone and doesn’t keep moving—it’s down. Did we get any of this information from the ride operators? NO!

 

Upon seeing the ride break down, the ride operators called the ride in to maintenance and then simply turned around so that they wouldn’t have to deal with us! I recall them instead shouting to the operators in the Zeus station.

 

They may be hot and Greek, but they’re not necessarily the most polished ride operators!

 

 

After a few minutes, a maintenance dude was there and reset the ride. We were back in operation and I finally got my ride on Hades. The ride was intense! Those tunnels are pretty wicked! That being said, there was a certain “roughness” to the ride in the morning. As they day went on and the ride warmed up, it was much better! But there was definitely a level of discomfort for me. I don’t know if I’m just a wimp or what but after two or three rides, I was done.

 

Hades gets people excited.

 

Elissa totally appreciates getting to ride with Chuck on Hades!

 

 

After Hades, we rode Zeus, which was a lackluster out-and-back woodie.

 

That’s the Zeus station in the front, with the MUCH more impressive Hades in the back.

 

A lot of the group rode Zeus the day before and said it wasn’t anything to write home about. As a result, I sort of wanted to like it! Be the minority or whatever, but I just couldn’t bring myself to! It was really sort of lame.

 

When our one needed ride on Zeus was up, we decided that we would take a break from credit whoring to ride some Go Karts! After all, for those who don’t know, Mount Olympus is just as renowned for their go karts as they are for their wood.

 

In typical Jahan-fashion, I picked one of the slowest kart, and despite my expert driving skills, was left in the dust.

 

I was really digging the “dual-loading stations” for the Go Karts. Definitely the only impressive thing about Mount Olympus’s operations.

 

The track we were on wasn’t anything exciting. I forget the name, but it was one of the ones that never left the ground or did anything “gimmicky”. So with a crappy kart, I left feeling all and all rather “meh”. With that, it was time to head back to the credits. Mind you, I still needed to get the ever-hyped Cyclops!

 

Chuck seems to still be gathering himself after that ejector airtime!

 

 

Cyclops is the woodie with the infamous “You must be 18 or older to ride in the back car” sign. The ride sort of meanders about shortly before EJECTING you down a drop in one of the most dramatic ride transitions I have ever been on! Literally, I have never felt airtime like this before! It wasn’t so much “negative g-forces” as much as it was “positive g-forces in the opposite direction”, if you can get that!

 

The infamous airtime-inducing hill. Mind you, that’s not the top of the lift, but half way through the ride, so you hit that drop with some speed already!

 

Despite the ever-intense airtime, I didn’t really buy into the Cyclops-hype all to much. Just as the one-eyed mythological giant for whom the ride was named, the ride seemed to have ONE trick. It was really fun! Don't get me wrong! You just literally meandered about for a few seconds before bracing yourself for airtime so intense, it almost is too intense. Only to turn around a bit and return to the station. Wasn’t really what I would call a well-balanced ride, by any means.

 

Hades still took the crown at the park. Could the final wooden coaster break that?

 

LOL at getting Casey and Robb on the junior woodie, Pegasus.

 

Pegasus was a “cute” coaster. It wasn’t nearly as small as the Meteor, but rather actually quite expanse for what it was! That being said, I would still consider the ride to be a “kiddie coaster”. Just one of the best I have been on.

 

It just wasn’t much beyond that. So Hades wins. Because we couldn’t con the ride op to let us onto Little Titans and Dive isn’t a credit.

 

 

With all of the credits under our belt, we were able to breath a sigh of relief and simply enjoy the park for what it was. Like I said, the park was actually very beautiful and had some beautiful people running it.

 

 

We tried our luck on the indoor Disc-O, but the ride broke down on us before our cycle could even begin! Lame!

 

After a bit more time at the park, it was time to depart for the other two stops at the Dells—Riverview and Timber Falls!

 

This is a shot of everyone’s butts as they scurry to the busses.

 

Now, the plan concerning these two small stops was that one bus would go to Timber Falls while the other bus would go to Riverview. After some time at each park, the two busses would “switch parks”. This was to ensure short waits for relatively low-capacity parks. But there was a problem—

 

Remember the storm from the previous night? (If not, go back and read my last installment!) Well, just as it would happen, a lightning bolt from that very storm struck the Avalanche coaster, the steel-supported wooden coaster at Timber Falls, completely FRYING the rides electrical operation systems!

 

 

I know!

 

Robb and Elissa had been in contact with the park all day as a team of 4-6 electricians hurried to get the electric system repaired and have the ride open for us, as they had been since the wee hours of the morning! By the time the busses departed for the first park-stops, the ride still had not reopened, so both busses ended up going to Riverview, where there was something like three credits.

 

Riverview was really sort of a “meh” park to me. It really just seemed like a permanent fair and the ride collection was weak.

 

At least Little A-Merick-A had a certain charm. This place had only Dragon Spinners.

 

That being said, TPR always finds a way to milk enjoyment out of a park!

 

…I was so busy getting photos of the stupid Dragon Wagon, that everyone rode without me! In order for me to get my credit, I had to look sad and pathetic and ride all by myself!

 

Ryan being Ryan. LOL at that bag making his ass look huge.

 

(In all fairness, I told him to pose like that.)

 

After rounding up the credits, our time ran out at Riverview, it was time for Timber Falls. Unfortunately, Avalanche still was not running, but we were told that they were almost done, so we gave the park a chance!

 

Timber Falls was a much more charming park than Riverview. The park was literally a small, square plot of land with a small woodie circling around the perimeter of the grounds. Inside the woodie was a well landscaped and well themed log flume and mini-golf course. That’s about it! But it was still a charming little place.

 

Unfortunately, we wouldn’t get to ride the log flume as parts were gutted from it for installation onto Avalanche, to ensure at least that was up and running for us.

 

When we entered the park, we headed straight to Avalanche. Despite it still being down, the park had it “fixed” within minutes! Talk about GREAT timing!

 

It was my understanding that the park essentially bypassed the electrical system traditionally in place for the ride and essentially ran the ride primitively in a manual fashion so that we could ride it!

 

The train would literally cycle, and then come to a dead stop on the ride’s brake run. A maintenance personnel would then go manually open the brakes and advance the train into station, where the process would restart. But it was totally worth it. Avalanche was a totally insane little pocket-coaster!

 

(Yes, I just said “pocket-coaster”.)

 

Avalanche doing what it does best! Look how small it is!

 

Despite its size, it still totally packed a punch with loads of airtime! Proves you don’t have to be large to be amazing. Not unlike Disneyland’s castle, might I add.

 

One more shot, only because you know you love them!

 

What was funny about the ride was that it was amazing only so as long as you were traveling straight. As soon as the ride rounded a curve, it was totally brutal! But once you were heading straight again, it would be great! Listening to a train full of riders, you literally heard:

 

“Yaaaaaaaaaaaay!....

 

Oww, oww, oww, oww!…

 

Yaaaaaaaaaaay! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaa!....

 

Oww, oww, oww, oww!…”

 

 

After a good amount of rides on Avalanche (once the initial crowd cycled through, the ride was a walk-on), we decided to take our best shot at a game of Montezuma’s Revenge mini-golf. As I recall, we had about ten people in our group…and it was CRAZY!

 

Robb, giggling like a school girl, upon something stupid happening. I don’t remember what, as many stupid things happened!

 

Finally, the peak of an already amazing stay at Timber Falls was when Bryan began talking to him mom on his cell phone. You see, Bryan’s mom posted as Bryan the night before, saying that Robb needed to post more photos of people other than the “same ten people”! If I remember correctly, after having a little chat with Robb (or perhaps it was through Bryan), Terrance grabbed the phone and began informing Bryan’s mom that today, it would be all-about-Bryan.

 

“I want you to say, ‘It’s all about my son.’”

 

 

At that moment, Terrance pretty much proved himself as the most amazing person ever. I’m pretty sure most people would agree.

 

 

With that, our stay at Timber Falls had concluded. Most of us returned to the busses (some opted to walk back to Mount Olympus, seeing exactly how short of a distance it was—pretty much the walk Wes and I did the day before). In no time, we were back at Mount Olympus. With all the credits under our belt, the day was pretty much spent relaxing. We re-rode the coasters. Drove lots of Go Karts (my favorite being the one that “went underwater”). Paid TEN freaking bucks to ride the giant Screamin’ Swing. Oh!

 

And the best part was our dinner experience! We got gyros—some of the best damn gyros I have ever tasted! AND, to top it all of, we were served by a crew of gorgeous Greek beauties.

 

Hot Chicks + Fried Meats = Heaven

 

 

It’s a simple formula.

 

 

 

 

It’s Greek to me!

 

 

 

At the end of our stay, I have to say that I found Mount Olympus to be somewhat overrated. If Holiday World was “painted plywood” to me, Mount Olympus would be “fantastic façades”—and that’s it. The park was very beautiful, but had a cheap feeling behind a lot of that beauty (such as the amazing rockwork in front of the “indoor park”, only for the inside to just be a giant tent). Or much to infinitethrill’s dismay, the park didn’t have “open gates” due to there just flat out being no fences! I remember walking and seeing two buildings, not connected. In-between them was just nothing—just open dirt leading tens of yards into the backstage area.

 

The ride selections were weak. I mean, once you've been on one go kart attraction, you've been on them all. I'm no go kart enthusiast, so perhaps my opinion is skewed. But still. And of the three woodies, Hades was great, Cyclops was good, and the rest were just "Yeah, whatever".

 

And to top it all off, the park had some of the worst operations I have ever seen at a park as nice as this. Despite being very beautiful, these young men and women just didn’t seem all that enthusiastic to be doing what they were doing. I’m sure they much rather be back at their dorms partying or something.

 

I don’t know if I’m just being picky or not. And I don’t want to come off as if I didn’t enjoy the park! I very much did! All I know is that the park was a very “meh” park to me when I was expecting so much more. Perhaps if I ever make it back, I’ll feel differently.

 

 

 

Anyway, we left before sunset to make our way south, for the next stop on our trip—Six Flags Great America. It would be a long drive, but most of us were beaten up and exhausted, so we didn’t mind the drive for a little nap.

 

OMG! Elissa’s mom fell asleep and now she’s headless!

 

 

 

 

 

Well, that’s about it for this installment! I hope you enjoyed it and that you’ll come back for our next installment!

 

Thanks again!

 

 

 

 

-Jahan

[FLIPDUDE]

Great TR Jahan! I am having alot of fun reading these, keep it going!

 

I didn't realizze most people didn't like Zeus. I liked it. On one hand it was a bit boring at first because all the airtime was floater airtime, and we were all treated to better things during hte trip, but on the other hand, it's that exact same issue that made the last dip's crazy ejector airtime so fun and surprising.

 

 

I think "Pocket coaster" is an insanely good name for what Avalanche is.

 

And... What are gyros?

[lond]

Avalanche@Timber Falls

 

 

Just to remember how wonderful the Avalanche is

 

//lond

[TexTitan01]

At that moment, Terrance pretty much proved himself as the most amazing person ever. I’m pretty sure most people would agree

 

Umm...he proved that awhile ago with all the statue photos

 

I have to say, I kind of agree with what you said about Mt. O. It is a great park, yes, but besides the 4 woodies, go-karts (on which some dumb chick t-boned me, I was winning too....), the waterpark, and the hott Greek chicks serving gyros...thats it! I think it needs to have a more completed repertoir in order to legitimately recieve the hype it does

 

That being said, I still had a GREAT time! I love thunderstorms, and that one was sick nasty awesome! except for the whole zappin' Avalanche...

 

again, great TR Jahan!

[Reon]

Zues used to be more fun before they built that parking lot. It used to be one of those buried in the woods rides...Either way, atleast its not a cut and paste ride. That double-down double-up is kind of fun.

 

Also, glad you enjoyed Cyclops. I don't know why I'm the only one who gets a SECOND legendary pop of air going down the first drop, but its still a great ride. Filled with air, constant direction change, and...the last drop

[coaster05]

Mt. Olympus is currently in my bottom 10 park experiences and has the worst operations of any place I have ever been. I spent less then 2 hours there are my visit. I am planning a small trip through that area again, but I will only be stopping at timberfalls.

[mcjaco]

Jahan, your impressions of Mount O are about where mine are. I loved Hades, except for the jackhammering at the end, Cyclops bored me until the extreme "pop," and nothing else really did anything for me.

 

I loved Avalanche, and any "park" that has New Glarus Spotted Cow on tap, is alright by my book!

[cfc]

Proves you don’t have to be large to be amazing. Not unlike Disneyland’s castle, might I add.

 

Good boy--you can have a cookie.

[coastercrazy216]

I am loving this TR. Good work!

[RIP Psyclone]

And... What are gyros?

 

Sliced rotisserie meat in a pita. There are pictures of Jahan and Chris F. eating them in the official Midwest thread, but I won't post those pics here. Just one that looks good:

[thecoasterkid]

Much like everyone else I walked away with the same impressions of Mt. Olympus. Horrible operations all around, Hades was awesome except for that last turn, and way over hyped. Considering the entire Dells area was one of the portions of the trip that I was looking forward to the most I ended up walking away from Mt. O with a fairly bitter taste in my mouth.

 

The best part of the dells was the SCAD tower across the street from our hotel, and Timber Falls for their amazing maintenance crew, cool looking mini-golf I didn't get to try, and the Skyscraper that was lots of fun.

 

I love the commentary in your TR's Jahan, you really let everyone know what it's like to experience a day in the park.

[TexTitan01]

...so? how's it coming?

[Director_Guy]

You're spot on about Mt. Olympus. It has potential to be so much more than it is. The problem is, in a town like Wisconsin Dells where all they get are tourists, they won't be changing they're ways any time soon. They would rather build something new than fix they're current problems.