Photo TR- Playland in Vancouver

[DCody]

I'm in Vancouver shooting a horror movie called Jennifer's Body (plug!) and we drive past Playland on the way to the production office every day. Naturally, this prompts me to gaze longingly out the window, occasionally licking the glass and/or whimpering like a Chihuahua in gastric distress. FINALLY, at long last, I convinced one of the producers to go with me to Playland today. The bus ride through Cracktown was totally worth it!

 

First, we headed directly to "Coaster." (Playland rivals that Vietnamese theme park for creativity in naming rides.) This picturesque sucker is an ACE Coaster Classic.

 

 

Pimpin' ain't easy! (Note the sweeping mountain vista behind me.)

 

 

Here's a nice geek-baiting sign in the queue. I may have to argue with that claim that Carl Phare is "the world's foremost" designer of wooden coaster. ORLY?

 

 

Brake lever porn for those of us who like that sort of thing. (cough)

 

I had been told that this ride was good, but HOLY CRAP, the ejector airtime in the back seat was unreal! Like, I was literally thrust into a standing position a couple of times. My friend-- a big dude-- was yelling "FAT MAN OVERBOARD!" and gripping the lap bar for dear life. We could not believe how much air we got. I haven't been spanked like that since Phoenix. Also, it's a surprisingly smooth ride. Having been assaulted by Ghostrider a few weeks ago, I'd forgotten how pleasurable a wooden coaster can be.

 

Next, we had to get the Final Destination 3 credit : Corkscrew.

 

 

As we approached the rusted, peeling, acid-rain red coil of track, my friend mentioned that the coaster looked pretty neglected. Yup. The ride was very smooth for its type, but the drop sucked, the OTSRs were predictably annoying, and our sluggish, mild trip through the inversions made me long for a Schwartzkopf. (Mmm, faint-y!)

 

I like a nice '70s classic though, and I always bitch when Corkscrews get removed from parks (Python, Whirlwind, I hardly knew ye.) So I'll quit complaining.

 

 

This sign amused us.

 

For our final coaster credit (well, I was the only one whoring) we went on the Wild Mouse. This is not your typical gleaming, adorable family coaster with a cute licensed character on each car. Oh no. This is an old-skool, scary as hell, rusty, screeching double-dog-dare of a machine. I'm not big on technical specs but I do know that a.) the wheels on this thing were all kinds of messed up b.) there shouldn't be loose sandbags IN THE CAR, under your feet.

 

 

 

As we ascended, my producer remarked, "You do realize that they're going to dedicate the movie to us?" Meaning: we're dead.

 

This Wild Mouse was without a doubt the scariest ride in the park. Possibly the scariest thing I've ridden ever. No exaggeration. A Mouse is supposed to provide you with a feeling of controlled mayhem on the turns. This was a whole 'nother enchilada. I have not closed my eyes on a ride since I was 11. Today, I did.

 

With our lives intact, we went and had ice cream sundaes, then hit the Coaster a second time. I had to have the back seat again, and the experience was just as ass-liftingly sublime as it was during the first go-round. Yay!

 

Overall, Playland is a quirky, pretty little park that somehow juxtaposes clean family charm with a carnival deathtrap vibe. Points for the mountain views and friendly staff. No points for the ghetto Corkscrew-- come on guys, let's get in there with a coat of paint!

[Meteornotes]

The Playland coaster is one of those rides that I have never heard a bad thing about. I really need to visit that park some day. Thanks for the pics!

 

dt

[cfc]

there shouldn't be loose sandbags IN THE CAR, under your feet.

 

I remembered how shocked I was when I saw sandbags in the cars on Megablitz at Coney Beach in Wales a couple of years ago. ('Blitz was one of those Pinfari death machines.)

 

And "House of the Dead/Demons of the Dark"? Make up your freakin' minds, people! How about "House of the Dead Demons of the Dark"? "Dead Demons of the Dark in the House"?

 

Thanks for the look at Playland. I haven't been to Vancouver since high school, and somehow missed the park back then.

[Splash_Mountain]

That corkscrew was SO stupid, I loved the woodie though.

[TheRapidsNerd]

Cool report and great captions! Got more than a few laughs there.

 

Never heard of this park, so you taught me something new today.

 

Hey, good to see you back too. Good luck with all the project work and will keep good thoughts.

[Nrthwnd]

Glad you had a good time there.

 

We do have three (out of four) really interesting coasters, at Playland.

 

And the mouse could use some work, and the corkscrew could use... a bit of paint, lol.

 

[OldJJman]

My friend-- a big dude-- was yelling "FAT MAN OVERBOARD!" and gripping the lap bar for dear life.

 

What a classic line, and oh so true too!!

 

I love "Coaster" very much, as it still resides in my top 10 (#9) after all these years.

 

 

Glad you managed to convince someone to get you out there!

 

To anyone else, if you're in the area, do not miss Coaster!!

 

You won't regret it!

 

 

JJ

[downunder]

Looks like the grim reaper had the day off, you got lucky.

 

Nice TR, I love having look at some of these little parks like this and Big Mike's TR's.

 

I know the feeling of driving by parks and in my case worse still, not having the freedom to check out the park. I was in tour group and even admitting any kind of coaster interest could result in ridicule and worse still, instant disinterest from previously interested members of the opposite sex. God bless TPR tours, even though I do miss the 3 to 1 girl guy ratio.

 

^OLDJJMAN, how does the airtime compare on Coaster to the Dell's Cyclops drop of death where it morphs into a stand up coaster.

[Erik Johnson]

Coaster was also featured in the film adaptation of Stephen King's, "Riding the Bullet." That mouse coaster does look really scary.

[Calaway Park]

I really want to visit there! I would love it! I've only really been to 2 parks! Galaxyland is my favourite park so far. Out of.. all 2. Have you been?

 

Anyway, great TR!! Coaster looks like fun!

 

-Sean

[socalMAN123]

This looks like an awesome park! Coaster looks intense, and from the way you make it sound, it looks awesome too! Cool Photo TR.

---Brent

[OldJJman]

^OLDJJMAN, how does the airtime compare on Coaster to the Dell's Cyclops drop of death where it morphs into a stand up coaster.

 

Not too many wood coasters have a drop like the 2 trick pony, Cyclops. (The first drop can catch you pretty good as well.) But, that is all that Cyclops really has to offer. Well, that and seats that aren't always attached to the train!

 

Ghostrider's drop, during the first couple of years was comparable. As is the ejector section of flat track (yes, you read that right) of the Williams Grove Cyclone. Nothing else comes to mind right now.

 

That being said, "Coaster" just kicks A$$ all over Cyclops. The 2 seater articulated trains also kick A$$ all over the PTC's! The airtime is as extreme as the laterals, and sitting solo getting thrown side to side on those sofa seats is a lot of fun.

 

I just dug up my TR on rec.roller-coaster written 9/16/2002:

Even from the lift hill, this ride didn’t look like much. Seventy feet

tall, back and forth a few times, brake run. Yeah, right. This free form

twister is one mean bitch! Not much in the way of floater air, but all

ejector! (Well, except for the hill where your picture is taken, you

float all the way to standing!) The laterals are sick! Slamming up left,

right, up & down! Riding solo was of little comfort, as I was just

tossed further to the sides and had a hard time sitting up straight. How

does such a “little” coaster pack such a wallop?? Well, for everything

it was in the back, I thought I had to try the front---just to check it

out. Yeah, whatever. The front seat was twice as deadly as the back!!

The ejector air and insane laterals were just awesome! .......

 

In the 70 ft. category, “Coaster” kicks ass over all the competitors, by

a wide, wide margin! Like others have said before, I will reiterate: Go

ride Coaster, before it’s too late! ..... This ride is simply awesome!

 

If you want to read the whole TR, you can find it here.

 

The "too late" reference was to the possibility that Playland would lose it's lease and "Coaster" would be torn down.

 

When I was talking about "the 70 ft. catagory", I was referring to "Phoenix", a top ride for a lot of people. This may also come as a surprise to some people, but I rank Phoenix a lot lower than most. I'm NOT saying it's a bad ride, because it's not. Phoenix is a really good ride. It's just that my personal preference is for airtime with good/great laterals.

 

For Mitch's poll I had them ranked:

 

#9 Coaster

 

#19 Phoenix

 

#23 Cyclops

 

 

JJ

[robbalvey]

I really, REALLY miss Playland. The PNE was my first ever "coaster event" in 1996. I keep threatening to bring Elissa there at some point since she still needs the credits.

 

Great report. Loved the captions. You should consider writing as a career!

 

--Robb

[Splash_Mountain]

Robb, so do it.

 

Frick, I wasn't as into coasters/theme parks when I went to Playland, but man, I think about it and Playland was amazing (well, come on... I've only been to Disney/Silverwood/Playland/Galaxyland/and Calaway)

 

The Corkscrew is crap though, seriously when I found out it was the FD3 coaster, I laughed so hard.

[downunder]

^^^Thanks for the info, Jeff, Cyclops certainly was an experience on the Midwest trip last year so I am keen on any coaster may possibly have airtime like that drop riding in the back.

 

I went to Vancouver years ago, if I ever go again, Playland will definitely be on the itinerary.

[ebl]

The old Long Beach Pike had a wooden mouse that looked similar to the one in Diablo's report. I can just kick myself because it was operating the day I stopped by there (in the early '70s), but for some reason I didn't bother getting on!

 

Now that I have a nephew in Vancouver, I have a reason to get up there and ride all of those coasters.

 

Eric

[cfc]

^I never rode the mouse at the Pike--too scary looking. The old (defunct) wooden Wild Mouse at Sana Cruz was one sick ride, too (much scarier than the Giant Dipper). The cars leaned way over on the curves, and that double dip made it feel like you were going to be hurled over the beach and into the Pacific, where, no doubt, hungry sharks lay in wait.

[BeemerBoy]

I like a nice '70s classic though, and I always bitch when Corkscrews get removed from parks (Python).

This made me happy. It's the only corkscrew I ever enjoyed.

 

Pimpin' ain't easy

You're telling me!

 

 

Cool report. I'm amazed at how little I knew about this park. I can add one more reason why I'd love to visit the Pacific NW.

[the ghost]

awesome tr, I loved the first picture as well as referring to the corkscrew as final destination,and congrats on your oscar, you totally deserved it. Also cant wait for your show on showtime

[Carnage]

Nice TR!

 

I've always wanted to go to Playland. But unforunatly being on the opposite end of the country doesn't help me.

[RaptorBoyASU]

Damn, I really need to get to this park. I have drooled over Coaster since I first read about the ride it delivers almost 10 years ago.

 

Very nice PTR

[Coaster Palooza]

That was a great Trip Report. Thanks for posting. I thought the Wild Mouse ride at Idelwild looked scary, but that one really looks run-down. I don't know if I would have gotten on it.

[Olsor]

What, no Megan Fox pictures?

 

Great TR, DCody!

[DBJ]

So that's where that FD3 coaster is! Even though it was an absurd coaster accident in the movie, cool to see the real thing. That mouse though, wow, pretty intimidating. Thanks for the pics, always wondered what the park looked like in real life.

 

Looks like it could be a cool retro kind of park to visit.

[gnewton34]

"FAT MAN OVERBOARD!"

 

Classic! I'm going to adopt this as my new mantra.