Playland/PNE (Vancouver) Discussion Thread

[Nrthwnd]

PNE's BLOG just posted a neat video from a guy who checks out at all the things in and around Vancouver.

And this posting, he went to Playland to see the new family rides there, and of course to check

out Coaster....

 

 

And Playland Opens TOMORROW at 10am!

[ArgoZ]

^ And during Fright Nights too, lights are all on the rides that are opened during the event.

 

I'm sad too, that they never really close later in the evening during the regular season.

I wish that they could maybe do "Special Light Nights" and keep the park open later on

a say, Saturday evening? Even staying open till 9 (instead of the usual 6 or 7pm) would

allow a bit of time for the lights to come on.

 

^^ Forgot to mention! Make some time for, and pay for, The Haunted Mansion walk-through.

Yes, it's an upcharge (for the actors inside), but it's on par with some of the best Haunt Houses I've been

through, around the world on TPR Tours. Worth the extra $. I hope you enjoy it, if you do "visit."

 

AND - the Mini Golf Adventure is included with your Park Pass, this season! Worth a try, I'd say.

 

My wife will not be going in any haunted house, she barely makes it into The Haunted Mansion, LOL. The threat of scare actors in Universal's King King almost kept her from riding! Thanks for the tips though, we are visiting the Capilano suspension bridge that you recommended.

[Nrthwnd]

^ Well she could wait for you on a bench opposite it, and you go in...solo.

It takes less than five minutes to walk through. And there's always an actor in

front of the House, trying to get people to come in. She could chat with "it" while

you're wandering through.

 

And GREAT you're going to visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge! It really is something

to walk on. And the park itself that it's in, has some great forest trails for you to wander

through, but not get lost, lol.

 

 

P.S. Playland Opened TODAY!

There's a new family ride (1 of 3) down there, somewhere.

[KingOfNynex2003]

^ Well she could wait for you on a bench opposite it, and you go in...solo.

It takes less than five minutes to walk through. And there's always an actor in

front of the House, trying to get people to come in. She could chat with "it" while

you're wandering through.

 

And GREAT you're going to visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge! It really is something

to walk on. And the park itself that it's in, has some great forest trails for you to wander

through, but not get lost, lol.

 

 

P.S. Playland Opened TODAY!

 

 

I see it there my friends got to the park around noonish, we went through the mini golf course and won some stuff while going through from the Z95.3 people there including a popcorn tub, free mini donuts, and a notebook that I can use while Geocaching, I'll be getting a Season Pass soon so you'll see me there more often this year, that family coaster is a lot of fun, did you try out that Flutterbye ride? it's a lot of fun.

[Nrthwnd]

^ I enjoyed the Flutterbye, although I thought that it would be much larger than it turned out to be.

No matter. It's definitely a workout for the legs, lol! And the Bug Whirled coaster was silly fun.

I didn't spin too much, when you and I were on it, so I will have to check each seat, for the best "spin".

 

As for Dizzy Drop, I was disappointed. Firstly, I don't think it ever actually went up to the top of it's tower. It

stopped well before the stop, followed by small sudden bumps up, and then drops. I thought it was rough,

even for adults on it, let alone what kids felt. But all the kids I saw riding it, did enjoy it. So who am I

to judge a ride made for families to ride together?

 

Great you're getting a Season pass. And SCORE on the swag from the radio booth! It was very busy at the

Mini-Golf, which was great considering when it was an up charge before, hardly anyone was there, playing.

And since I could go any time I wanted to play, I was going to wait for another time.

 

P.S. Heading back there today, after noon, to check out the arcade and what food spots are open.

The arcade (usually) doesn't open until after noon, same goes for some of the places to grab a bite.

 

And I definitely want to try that ....um....toilet game..."Bombs Away"? "It's Flushing Fun!"

[KingOfNynex2003]

yeah the games didn't really change much in the arcade but that bombs away game is the exact same as that wicker basket one so don't spend too much money on it because the chances of winning are next to none, especially with them switching out the balls, as for the Bug Whirled ride as long as the person in the seat is heavier than the people behind you you'll get a good spin on it, it doesn't matter which seat you sit in, oh except you'll want to sit on the seat closest to the station.

[Nrthwnd]

^ I nearly won that Bombs Away! I got one ball in, and then flubbed the second throw.

Oh well. Amnother try, for me, heh. In the mean time, here's what I got on Opening Weekend...

 

Opening Day ~ Saturday, May 6

 

My main purpose for Opening Day, was to get my Season pass, check everything out, including the three new Family Rides they debuted.

Ride a few rides, including of course one spin on Coaster. I didn't buy any food or drink there, as I wanted to check out what was available,

etc.

Three things I happily found out:

 

This would be my last year as a Season Pass Holder. When I turned 65 next March, the staff told me, all I had to do, was show ID with

proof-of-age (driver's license would be fine I was told), and I'm in! And every year after that! WOO HOO!

 

Secondly, my popcorn bucket AND my drink container, bought back in 2015 when The Beast debuted, were still good for $1 refills!

I was very impressed my that. Very few parks I know, that let you reuse such things in future seasons. Awesome!

 

Finally, I hesitantly sat in the "test seat" for The Beast. The last two seasons, my gut has not let me ride without it being very uncomfortable

under the harness. I hated it. All the pressure on my stomach was really hard to take, on this intense ride. But now.... I got a GREEN LIGHT every time in the test seat!

 

Now I just have to convince myself that riding it again, "is a good thing." Hmmm. Here's the photos I took, yesterday....

Front Gate - only gate they got for Playland.

Yes, yes, I've read about these.

Staff and Ride Ops on a Coaster check run.

My Pass. The Final One. But hey - Free Entry, next year and For - E - Ver! (o:

Park Map.

What's this? What's Tjis?

Pretty scary looking, for a family ride sign. I love it!

Tsis is Flutterbye. Smaller than I expected (longer arms? nope). And a real workout on your legs!

Go uppy down, go uppy down.

Great sign for Bug Whirled. And not the only sign to see, too!

Two more signs to see! And there are plans to extend the green tarp up, covering the

back of Hells Gate. I hope they come through, and do it.

Station stop.

Plain old Dizzy Drop Sign w/Sfatey GUide.

Larry! I found a flat ride sign! And it's new, too!

The West Coast Wheel.

Bug Whirled doin' it's Figure 8. And Dizzy Drop in the back, in action.

1 of 3 new Family Rides is down there, somewhere.

Closer look. See it now?

New eating spot! Great! I will check this out on a later visit...

[KingOfNynex2003]

great photos, can't wait to go back with my Furry friends later this month, one of them said he'd help me out and we'll try to get more people next time, maybe possibly get an entire train filled with people on both Coaster and Bug Whirled

[Nrthwnd]

^ Every furry on Bug Whirled would be quite fun...and funny, too.

[KingOfNynex2003]

now to figure out a way to convince Playland to allow all the Furries to come in their Fursuits and ride the rides will take a long time and a ton of paperwork to convince them to allow us to do that though be great publicity though for the park.

[Nrthwnd]

^ Hmmm. Nothing like scaring children half to death with Furry heads flying off Bug Whirled!

[KingOfNynex2003]

yeah I don't think there'd be that much force to do that but you never know, and a lot of the Fursuits that I've seen have zippers on the head so they're pretty tight against their heads.

[larrygator]

now to figure out a way to convince Playland to allow all the Furries to come in their Fursuits and ride the rides will take a long time and a ton of paperwork to convince them to allow us to do that though be great publicity though for the park.

 

NOOOOOOOOOOOO! It would not be great publicity for the park.

[KingOfNynex2003]

let me guess, you're under the impression that Furries are like the people from that CSI Episode?

[Nrthwnd]

I call this, the "Closed Up Spots" section, at the park....for this weekend, anyway.

 

I'm sure they'll get everything opened....eventually. The Awesome flip side of this:

 

All of the rides Were OPEN! First time I can remember, especially during Opening Weekend!

I was shocked when I realized this. No ride was closed. It was great!

On either side of the Climbing Wall.....nothin' open.

Including Coaster Dogs! I want my Corn Dog, puhleeeze?

Turns out the end of the Arcade was not quite open, as well as a few food stands.

And if you wanted ice cream today...forget it.

No lemonade??? Awwwwww. (Turns out another OPEN place exists...)

And Colossal Cones was not dishing it up this weekend, either.

This however stays entirely closed until the PNE opens in August.

And there's the Coaster BAR behind two of those 'doors' there, too. (o:

[bert425]

wait. .no pics of you ON a ride?

 

what the heck??

 

[Nrthwnd]

^ Ohhh, right! Thanks for reminding me, buddy!

Front of the pic holder. On-ride photo taken on my first Coaster ride of The Season, yesterday.

Me. Damn, I look demented.

[larrygator]

let me guess, you're under the impression that Furries are like the people from that CSI Episode?

 

I have never watched CSI. My opinion is based on my first person encounters.

[KingOfNynex2003]

let me guess, you're under the impression that Furries are like the people from that CSI Episode?

 

I have never watched CSI. My opinion is based on my first person encounters.

 

fair enough, but it's never a good idea to judge an entire group of people based on a small amount of people, I've always had a pleasant time hanging out with my fellow Furry friends, where'd you encounter them? was it in your hometown or somewhere else?

[bert425]

^ Ohhh, right! Thanks for reminding me, buddy!

 

HA!

 

that's awesome!

[Nrthwnd]

^ yeah, well.....

 

I do hope I 'look' better... on what we see on our on-ride pix at Cedar Point, in June.

Once again, the popcorn and drinks are $1 each refill!

[ArgoZ]

The Beast looks awesome and very high! Does it swing further than 90 degrees?

[Nrthwnd]

^ Oh yes it does!

 

And it's still, to the best of my knowledge, the only XXL, to feature both inside

AND outside facing seats! It's the only one of it's kind in North America!

How about this high? (o; So that's THREE great things we got here, now: Coaster, The Beast and Bug Whirled!

(Actually, our Starflyer, AtmosFEAR is pretty awesome, too. Especially when it's windy >>> OMG!)

[Nrthwnd]

"What A Difference a Day Makes!" ~ Opening Weekend ~ Sunday

 

First of all, the last thing I expected from this park was All Attractions OPEN & RUNNING! I can't remember the last

time this actually happened. Even during the PNE Itself, there was always one or two rides "down for maintenance."

On Sunday it was perfect. Everything was open and available. The only two attractions not operating that much were

the two up-charges: Revolution and Drop Zone.

 

So I got some good shots from the West Coast Wheel (with signs all over it, now!), and checked out the other eating

and snack spots open for the season. There were some closed (see top of this page), but that was okay. I figure they'll

eventually open, during the season. I hope.

My trusty old backpack, and $1 refill containers ready.

Entrance from a different angle.

I see stuff open!

Looks like the Arcade is open and running!

And there's a crowd over at the Mini-Golf!

And why not? It's FREE with admission this year!

So #s 24, 28 and 32 are the newbies on the map.

Mini Donuts is Open!

Looking good down there.

Pizza-Pizza a long time (overpriced) regular is back in business.

BOMBS AWAY! I tried it. Came close to a "Full Flush" LOL.

My Capsule Machine Find, for this season!

Here's my Globster!

Haunted Mansion open, with a rather demented young woman as the "barker" for today.

I think "What The Fudge" is a perfect sign, heh.

New! Fish and chips, Fish Tacos & Wild Salmon Salads! Will definitely try this place, on a future visit.

(And the Beaver Tails. (o: )

Dizzy Drop bumping up, then dropping down. The kids love it!

Note: The "Hourly Special" never goes away. It's always $25 for the two of them.

Revelation in mid-swing.

Another look at Bug Whirled. It is a great little coaster!

Ooooo shiny new spinny cars!

Playland's Carousel is a nice "relaxing ride" for me. Then, I noticed something about the light poles.

Each one is a different colour! Cool!

And good old Cheese Please is back for business, too. They make great sandwiches!

Kind of freaky looking, but I like it. (To be continued...)

[Nrthwnd]

Opening Day: Sunday, cont....

 

After checking everything out, including all the food spots, I decided to go on a few rides, before

ending my visit with a ride on Coaster.

 

Hellevator was The Shock of the Day! Instead of the regular upsurge cycle of it, it did a bit of a bounce up,

and then climbed up the tower! Which is not what it usually does. Then, it now acted like a regular

Drop Tower, and we waited, and waited, ...and....POW! Down we went, everybody screaming,

including myself. That was fantastic. And I asked the ride op about, he said they're planning to

"possibly" alternate the two cycles, so people won't know. Holy Tower of Terror, Batman! Cool.

 

I also noticed they'd built new control booths for both the Pirate and the WCW. Looked good.

I got a lift on the West Coast Wheel and took a few shots from it. Then, got my dollar refills

of popcorn and soda (yay Barq's!) and headed home.

 

It was a great Opening Weekend!

Kettle Creek Mine coaster, in action.

Balloon Explorers with You-Know-Who, behind.

Good old reliable Scrambler.

The Hellevator going up.

The Hellevator staying at the top. And....

The Hellevator coming doooownnn.

That's Two Mini-Donuts stands, open!

Lemonade is sold here. And nowhere else in the Park. I think.

Here's the (already existing) control booth for AtmosFEAR.

And now, the West Coast Wheel has one, too!

And Larry, is this enough ride signs for you? (o;

The Pirate being "MOONED" by Crazy Beach Party.

Arrrrr a Pirate's Booth for me, sez I!

For once the CBP "maintenance" sign is NOT being used.

Now, for a few overhead shots of the park.

There are never too many shots of The Beast in action.

Dizzy Drop...dropping. And for "The Future of Playland": the white building behind Dizzy Drop is where a

DARK RIDE is supposed to be installed, in the expansion plans. Awesome! (I hope they do it.)

The Gladiator... that should be REnamed Swampboats. It needs pampas grass growing all around it,

and big old alligators in the middle on top, and everywhere else! It would work! I know it would! (o:

Mountains shot. When the sky is clear, this is a really panoramic moment to see from the Wheel.

Enterprise "on edge." As usual.

Wheee!

And now, to finish the day off...

Someone left this in the station. I didn't touch it. At. All.

Happy riders arriving back. And my ride was excellent, as always. (o:

Heading home with my Dollar Goods!

Edited May 12, 2017 by Nrthwnd