Philrad's '09 theme/amusement park visits

[Philrad71]

Michael and I decided to have a "staycation" for the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Normally, we go road trippin' but being that we are heading to Virginia in a couple of weeks, we decided to stay local this year.

 

I had read in here that CLP was open to the public again, so yesterday we decided to head down and check it out. The place was very busy - which was nice to see after the downright depressing visit I had last year.

 

Overall, the place looked good. Still a lot of areas that need a little TLC, but I was very impressed at how quickly they were able to resurrect most of the rides to working condition! I am sure that most of you will be anxiously awaiting the return of the Blue Streak next year.

 

 

Now...on to the pics!

No caption needed.

 

Waldameer coming soon.

Bye Skydiver - see ya soon!

I see what the big draw is here at the beach!

The Beach House and beach were really crowded!

No phones = no escape! HAHAHA!!!

ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY.

All work and no play

makes Jack a

dull boy.

All work and no play

makes Jack

a dull

boy.

Lobby of the Hotel Conneaut.

My first car was a Malibu this same color, but without the black racing stripes. I guess the frame busted in half about a month after I sold it.

They had a nice varierty of really kick-ass cars!

Oh, I see...it is a motorcycle enthusiast round-up! Those clever lil' devils at CLP!

Hey, where's the Round-Up?

There was a Doo-Wop 50's show with an antique car show by the hotel. The Chance Toboggan wasn't seeing any action today.

Old school Bumper Cars...no full car-style seat belts here!

And a Roll-O-Plane!!!

Hey Mom look...we now have a Trabant in our back yard!

Turtle - another classic ride for the kids.

Antique cars.

Not quite as creepy as the clowns, but close!

CREDIIIIIT! Get your ice cold whorish credit here!!!

But 'Tot Gun' was open and was a big hit! Take note Cedar Fair - who needs to come up a new, original name? Just add in a different consonant or vowel and hope the lawyers don't come knockin'!

Crayola - The Ride was closed today. Something to do with copyright infringement, I guess. They changed it to Crayolas Crayons in hopes of getting out of the lawsuit, but it's still tied up in court.

If you think Connie's hot, you otter see 'er sister!

I will not cry, I will not cry! Mommy?

Kiddieland entrance - creeping people out since 1918!

Now...with more eye of newt!

And who doesn't love them some Witch's Stew?

Devil's Den was getting lot's of lovin'. It looked like they may have scraped off the gum wall in hopes of starting a new one!

Vulgar giraffe seems to be taunting all the CLP non-believers.

It was still sad to see Blue Streak looking so decrepid. Next year, I will (hopefully) ride you! Minds out of the gutter, please...

CLP will never fail again as long as they have cheese on a stick!

Midway's back in action with food & games of chance.

Gotta give some love to the Tumble Bug!

Even the mini-golf looked to have new astro-turf!

As were the paratroopers!

Flying Scooters is back in action - YAY!

Hmmm...mature and experienced riders - I like it! Bahhh on the single rider's only though. Michael thought this thing looked like evil death, so we passed on it.

New for '09 - Skydiver!!!

We most certainly will pardon!

Welcome to Conneaut Lake Park! Yeah, I suppose they could use a new sign.

Grand Finale...thx for reading!

Just after our kick-ass night time ride on the front seat of RF2, the fireworks started...great timing!

Some lovin' for the dark ride enthusiasts out there.

Didn't have time for the Tilt-A-Whirl - next time for sure as this is one of my favorite old school flats!

But first we have to get a ride on Steel Dragon. This is my favorite mouse-type coaster. Very disorienting with little pops of air!

Night is falling...gotta get back over to the back of the park for my night-time ride on RF2!

They had some very nice landscaping and bronze statues of kids playing.

I don't care what anyone says, these are just plain fun!

New for '09 - Mega Vortex!

Hmmm...what is this I spy at the turnaround of the SkyRide?

Scrambler - classic flat in case no one has ever seen one from this angle.

Paratrooper - Not only can you kick the sky on this thing, you could probably kick a tree if you tried hard enough.

They are currently building a clone of Europa Park's Euro-Mir...Erie-Mir! New for 2010!

Ali Baba and the 40 thieves! Ali Baba and the 40 thieves!

SkyRide over Kiddieland.

Nice view of Presque Isle.

Twisted 90 degree goodness below!

Overview of the park.

Got some pics of and on the ferris wheel.

Sea Dragon from RF2 queue.

Finally got my night-time ride! All I can say is that this is now my #2 wooden coaster.

It was running insanely fast on this evening.

#1 reason we are here...

Yep...still has the wristband and the massive splooge of a hand stamp!

[Kennyweird]

Great Photo TR. I was planning on visiting the park next summer, assuming Blue Streak will be open.

[Pirouettes907]

"Have your next affair here" ?!?!?

That is prime material for those dozens of coffee table books featuring such ironic signs. I love it.

 

Interesting TR--I really hope to make it there someday and it's really great to see the place crowded after it seemed like it might go down the tubes. Thanks for sharing!

[slicknixon]

Excellent report! The park is looking good as ever (sans Blue Streak)

I can't believe they scraped off the gum wall in Devil's Den!!

[kidcoaster 2]

Great TR thanks.

 

Glad to see you had a good time and hope to see others from here at the park this summer!

[astroworldfan1]

It's really nice seeing this park survive. Unlike Chippewa Lake Park, Idora, and others. I would love to visit this park. Thanks for the nice photos!

 

-Tatum

[Philrad71]

I can't believe they scraped off the gum wall in Devil's Den!!

 

Yeah, I am not absolutely positive that they scraped all the gum as I did not ride it to get the extreme close-up, but from far away it certainly looked a lot "cleaner" than it did last year. I would imagine that it won't be long before it is all gummed up again!

 

Thanks for the nice comments so far...glad you all liked the report! It was fun to go down there and check things out and spend some money to help support the park and the area. Judging from the amount of people there, other's certainly felt the same way...it's good to have it open again!

[BeemerBoy]

ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY.

All work and no play

makes Jack a

dull boy.

All work and no play

makes Jack

a dull

boy.

 

LOL!

 

Great report.

[Philrad71]

Thanks...I wondered if anyone would get 'The Shining' reference!

[Movieguy]

Nice TR. Conneaut has some sentimental value for me, being the sight of my very first wooden coaster, back when I was 6.

 

I haven't been back there in years, but it's nice to see that for all it's ups and downs, they're still attracting some people there.

[Philrad71]

^ I just wonder how the park will do during the regular season months. With a big classic car show and it also being Memorial Day weekend when we were there, I anticipated it being quite crowded - and luckily, it was.

 

I think that if Conneaut can continue to have events like this (concerts, flea markets, car shows, motorcycle rallies, etc) I would think that it would draw even more revenue for the park. Hopefully, enough to get Blue Streak refurbished and opened next season!

[Philrad71]

The last two weeks have been a whirlwind tour of the East. With the weakend economy and me being on a one month voluntary layoff, Michael and I decided to stimulate the amusement industry and hit up some parks in addition to seeing several relatives in Maryland, DC, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

 

Overall, the visits were great, although we were considered fortunate enough to alter our tour of DC by one day. If we would have kept our original itinerary, it would have put us at the Holocaust museum on the same day as the terrible shooting tragedy. Strange how things work out sometimes.

 

First, I will start out with Idlewild. Our original intent was to hit Knoebel's and camp overnight before heading to my sisters in Allentown. The weather forecast was for heavy rain in Eastern Pennsylvania, so we headed South and camped near this little park instead.

 

Idlewild is a great little family park with a lot of nostalgia. As some of you may already know, it is home to the most kick-ass family ride EVER - Mister Roger's Neighborhood of Make-Believe. I have a video of most of the ride, including the ride-op/narrator that was unbelievably the perfect guide for the ride! Unfortunately, the video is too large to put in here, but I may convert it and ask if I can post it on Coastertube or something - it is too crazy to miss!

 

For a small park, this place has lot's of old-school flats, some really crazy surprises, and a very friendly staff - I would say it is a must for any amusement park enthusiast!

 

Now...on to the photos!

One last shot of Rollo Coaster - thanks for reading!

Soak Zone looked fun, but it was closed due to the failing weather. Is that a wooden water slide in the middle?

My first and only crooked wall chair! Seriously, this is one messed up attraction! I thought that I was drunk walking up the ramp to this room!

Being the only two visitors, guess who got to be the volunteer!

Even though we were the only people in there, our tour guide was awesome!!!!

After having our minds altered forever in Mister Roger's Neighborhood, we headed for Confusion Hill

Come along, come along to the castle hug-n-song!!!!

Words simply cannot explain this ride - you have to experience it in person. Go to Idlewild and do Mister Roger's now!

We decided to head over to see if Mister Roger's Neighborhood was still awake.

Rollo Coaster was still running trains so we took a spin in the front seat - a fun little coaster. Much better than the Comet at Waldameer.

Which meant we were denied a ride on the Wild Mouse with the crooked lift hill. They closed it as soon as we got in line, even though it was only a slight mist. Being an older ride though, I can see why they wouldn't take any chances on safety.

It was actually quite fun and the cover was a nice addition as it was just starting to rain when we boarded.

Caterpillar - another rare flat featuring the canvas cover!

So we figured we better get one!

The place has tons of historical signs telling us of the Ligonier Valley and the trains that would bring visitors from Pittsburgh. They even had signs for funnel cake!

Booooo....hissssss!!!! Still a great ride on the Flyers though...

Scrambler...

Tilt-A-Whirl! Still one of the best flats out there. Despite the fact that I thought my foot was going to go through the rusted walk-way, the ride gave a lot of good spins.

Round-Up....man, I forgot how dizzy this ride can make me!

Took a spin on the Spider...

Lot's of classic flats...

This area is thickly settled so not too much to see from atop the wheel.

Ahhhh...an old fashioned ferris wheel. Let's take a spin and just chill for a few!

Dreams and perhaps strange fantasies or nightmares for some...

The Little Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe offered some solace and reassurance from the madness that was Story Book Forest.

Topped off with a Jill upskirt shot! Close those legs you tarty lad...there are young kids here!

Mistress Mary? Anyone feel there is a slight twinge of perversion to this place yet?

It looks like Old King Cole really likes his "very" young fiddlers three...

An old family classic - Pussy in the Well with a cage over it so it can't escape. They just don't make 'em like this anymore, folks!

Michael decided that he must see the Pussy in the Well before we leave Story Book Forest.

I decided to hop on my magic carpet to escape the dreaded Death Clown.

Jack Be Nimble might have needed a fire lit under his butt to escape Death Clown, but not me!

Aaaaarrrhhhhh....get me outta here!

Getting creepier...

Not nearly as creepy as the Kiddyland clown at CLP!

This pirate was commanding the Good Ship Lollipop through the swamps of Pennsylvania.

I would love to turn my back garage into something like this...

Little Miss Muffet saw the scary Australian spider in the tree and decided to skip the curds and whey and simply crap herself instead!

Of course, the first thing he did was banish me to the corner with the dunce!

Michael felt right at home as he used to be a Latin teacher before his retirement.

Upon our entrance, we decided to check out Story Book Forest as it was about twenty minutes before they closed the area.

Welcome to Idlewild and Soak Zone! Actually, we stayed on the amusement park side as it was raining off and on and was about 65 degrees.

[rckrazy06]

Looks good. I go to idlewild once every few years. Too bad you didn't get on the Wild Mouse though, it is by far the best mouse I have been on. And I don't know were the 2 speed slides disapeared to, but no, they aren't wooden water slides!

[printersdevil78]

Great to see Storybook Forest getting some love! I made my fourth trip to Idlewild two days ago and will have my own TR coming up shortly with my Midwest adventures.

 

It really is an amazing little park. And the Mr. Rogers ride is trippy! I still remember Robb trying to explain the show to the non-Americans (who had never seen it) on the Behemoth-Flyer trip: "It's like 'Sesame Street' for kids on acid."

[Philrad71]

^^ I was very disappointed on not getting on the Wild Mouse - it looked like a lot of fun with an original layout.

 

^ Yes, I agree - Sesame Street on acid seems like a good comparison for MRN, but so does Yo Gabba Gabba!

[Philrad71]

On Sunday 6/14, we got a Starlite pass to Dorney Park. Hearing that the park wasn't very big, we figured that we could do everything we wanted to do in a few hours.

 

Overall, the park was very nice. They have some formidable coasters with Talon, Possessed and Hydra. I simply wasn't impressed with Steel Force though. Very rough in the back with little airtime. Front seat was okay. Guess I just expected a little more from this one.

 

Thunderhawk was the biggest surprise for me. Hearing that it was rough, lame, etc...I wasn't expecting much more than a Hurler clone. While it was a little rough, I was amazed at the amount of ejector air I got in the front seat at the top of the hills - holy crap! Only El Toro and Big Dipper at GL (RIP) have hurled me around like that!!

 

The staff was friendlier than I expected, the park was clean, and I was very impressed with the number of nice flats the park had to offer.

 

My nephew has a season pass, so him and his friend accompanied us on our journey. Dorney was a lot of fun and a nice little park!

Bye-bye mini Cedar Point! You are a great little park!

Interesting shirt - no caption needed.

Freakin' insane ejector air at this spot in the front.

What's this... a Corn Popper? Again, this park rocks with the flats!

Hmmmm...wonder what they will do with this area? Sure wished I could have ridden Lazer, but one season too late.

Sam Adams Pub & Grill? Okay, it's official now...this park kicks ass!

Oooooh...a Claw! I love's me some Claw! This one was much more forceful than the one at Hershey. I swear we were almost upside down at one point! A good cycle!

Scrambler...

I was impressed with their collection of flats. They probably have three times as many as SFGA!

Geese, goslings and fish...I like fish.

Way more air on Thunderhawk than I ever imagined!

Steal Force. Coulda, shoulda been better.

Possessed's twisty goodness. This was our first impulse with the catch. Pretty crazy in the back seat!

Fly away on my Zephyr...we're gonna live foreverrrrrr!!!

Dominator=Power Tower Jr. I liked it though as it is not intimidating as some of the higher drop towers.

Was there an original Hydra...like Phantom at Kennywood? Not sure I understand the "revenge" part.

Looked like an exact replica of Snake River Falls at CP.

First up - Talon! I like the signage going up the lift. A great invert with a nice airtime surprise before the camera.

I always wondered what CP did with the carousel in Frontier Town! I think it houses one of the Halloween haunts now.

Welcome to Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom!

[Franc]

It was built where the Wooden roller coaster Hercules stood, which was closed for demolition at the end of the park's 2003 season. Its name is actually in honor of the coaster that stood in Hydra's spot: Hercules battled the Hydra in Greek Mythology

 

Taken from the amazing Wikipedia.

[Philrad71]

^ I did do a little digging and found this on Dorney's website:

 

"HYDRA The Revenge is named after the nine-headed monster of Greek mythology. In the myth, Hydra battles the hero Hercules, who succeeds in cutting off all of Hydra's heads. However, one head is immortal and Hercules buries it under a huge boulder by a lake. In Dorney Park mythology, Hydra has risen from Dorney Park Lake and has taken its "revenge" on Hercules, the wooden roller coaster the park retired after the 2003 season. Hydra The Revenge is located in the same spot bordering Dorney Park Lake where Hercules once stood."

 

I guess I need to do a little more research before I ask such silly coaster questions!!

[Philrad71]

Next up was a three day stop in DC (stayed with his brother in Winchester and took the Metro in) before heading South to Richmond, Williamsburg and Busch Gardens. We were fortunate enough to juggle our original itinerary to meet Michael's son on Tuesday for lunch in downtown DC (he was in for training). Had we not done this at the last minute, chances are good that we could have been at or near the Holocaust museum area the day of the tragic shootings.

 

DC and the surrounding area was great and we really crammed a lot into the four days we were there. We managed to get into the Capitol, see the White House, Library of Congress, Museum of Natural and American History (Smithsonian), Federal Reserve, Arlington, Mount Vernon and the National Gallery. We also hit up the estates of Monticello (Jefferson) and Montpelier (Madison) on the way to Richmond - so all in all, a crapload of walking!

 

As far as Busch Gardens, I'll let the photos below do the talking...

Random turn over Grey Goose creek - thanks for taking the time to view my picture show.

Bet there's fish down there.

These riders are quickly entering Nessie's twisted world.

Nessie goes inside herself on two seperate occasions.

She is old and she likes it rough...but don't be shy about dropping your inhibitions for a ride on her!

And of course if you succumb to her grip, you're gonna be forced to....TAKE THE TUNNEL!

Who is ready to slip into the hot, sexy coils of Loch Ness Monster?

This coaster sprays fountains of love.

90 degreeeeeeees!

People really are starting to dig this 90 degree thing, aren't they?

Then we get to this lil' ditty...

Loop here, loop there, loops are friggin' everywhere!

 

Dr. Seuss.

I guess this is a cobra roll...

Alpengeist flipping over Le Scoot. Please post reasons why you think Le Scoot isn't the coolest name for a log flume!

Next up - some rarely photgraphed inverted coaster by the name of Alpengeist.

I can't wait to do the real you in September!

Whatcha got? I have four ganders with a joker kicker.

Gotta give some love to the BBW every now and again! I'll probably never get to ride Eagle Fortess, so this will have to settle as my #1 suspended.

Track, Bavarian village and trees.

After getting our bellies full of beer, we headed over to Big Bad Wolf. Here is the first lift.

It's cool how the stage elevates so the band plays on top and the dancers/entertainers are below! Ziggy Zoggy, Ziggy Zoggy...Oy, Oy, Oy!!!

The inside is apparently themed to the beer tents of Oktoberfest in Munich. We will know for sure when we visit this September!

Of course we settled for the assorted weiners/sausages and....non German beer!

Look at the selection of fruits and desserts!

After being holed up in a small arcade with seventy screaming kids for an hour, the rain finally let up so we could walk to Festhaus for lunch.

'Cept as soon as the train pulled in, they shut it down because it started to do this...

Hooray! Our train to Germany is here! Oktoberfest, here we come!

When you get your fill of hun whacking, you can get barfed on by Hadrian.

Yup...no lie - they really do have a Whack-A-Hun!

Pompeii - while not the biggest or wettest, it is still one of the best Shoot-the-Chutes ride! Why? Because it's themed with falling marble columns and fire!

St. Elmo's Spire (Tower in Motion) for all of the John Parr fans out there...

New for '09 - Michael's grand-kids loved this place!

I wonder if he'll go for two?

After you are searched and fingerprinted, jolly old London town greets you through the main gates.

They are not afraid to boast, are they?

From our parking spot, this coaster says, "Come on in, I promise I won't goose you!"

[Wood Dragon 1988]

Great TR.

 

I can't believe you thought Steel Force was rough. I've heard everything from forceless, to good, to nice floater air, to smoothest coaster in the world, but never "rough." It's funny how everyone can ride the same coaster and have a completely different opinion of it.

[Philrad71]

^ Thanks for the comments!

 

Yeah, I thought it crazy myself for thinking it was rough but it certainly seemed to be that way in the back! Not Son of Beast rough mind you, so I would definitely try another re-ride if I get back to the park.

 

Even crazier, I thought that Thunderhawk was great with the nutty air in the front seat where-as most people think it sucks!

 

Definitely strange how we all accept coaster rides differently. Of course, being 37 years old one tends to notice a rough ride more than a teenager would.

[Philrad71]

After leaving the warmth of Virginia, we decided to head North through the Chesapeake Bay Tunnel and then into Delaware and Maryland.

 

Unfortunately, the temps plummeted and being that there was also rain and cold temps forecasted, we skipped the campground and ended up on the boardwalk in Ocean City.

 

This was our first visit and overall, it was a fun place brimming with nostalgia. Being on a beach, I would have rather had temperatures about twenty degrees warmer, but we managed to have a good time despite the fact.

 

Now...on the photos.

This place was right across the street from our hotel. We opted to not enter the bearded clam.

Did I mention it was frickin' cold? Thanks for reading...

Cuz it can't always be about just "the loop".

This one's for the Pinfari lovers - all three of you!

Come ride me and my stoned 40 thiefs NOW!

Contrary to the other HH, I hear this one isn't quite so loaded with awesomeness.

Bear Affair. Who comes up with these names? Bear Affair and Fairy Whip? Too awesome! Why can't they work for Cedar Fair and name some of their rides? Drop Tower could be called Air Spank or something like that...

Crazy Dance - one of the flats on the Jolly Roger Pier.

Next day - our hotel from the beach.

Balcony shot - if you look closely you can see a credit.

Nightfall has arrived at the OC.

Epic pain.

I see you Looping Death Star!

Great views from the balcony!

Complete with a slightly different (and larger) version of Aladin - Ali Baba and the 40 Thiefs'.

Jolly Roger's Pier was right outside our hotel.

It was firemans week and they had a very nice memorial, including this steel girder section from the WTC towers - very moving.

Of course, no stop would be complete without a Maryland crab cake sandwich and some fries w/vinegar which were simply awesome!

That's me owning the shooting gallery.

I heart fish.

We took a quick walk through the boardwalks historical museum where they featured some of the local oceanic creatures.

I REALLY wish that I would have done this one. How could you not love 'Aladin - Ali Baba and the 40 Thiefs'!

Zipper - still one of the most disorienting flats out there.

Yay Claw!

The outdoor section featured rides that you could just jump from one to another - almost like swinging from tree to tree!

I have heard that this is called the Fairy Whip - nice.

Indoor bumper action. Only a few wanted to bump today.

Trimper's Rides has both an indoor amusement center and outdoor park.

I heard that this HH is pretty good, but I did not ride.

I have definitely seen my share of creepy old school clowns this year!

Is SharkTums no longer swimming in the ocean? Has land wrath been unleashed upon all mankind?

[Philrad71]

On the last leg of our journey, we visited SFGA. This was more of a last minute way to spend a couple more days camping, hit up Philadelphia, and then drive through New Hope on the way home.

 

The plan was to hit SFGA for an evening pass and then maybe return in two days. Being that the park closed at 8:00 and it was 5:30 when we got there, we opted for the six day pass that cost the same as a regular one day admission (appx: $60). We'll probably go back one more time this season so I can get my Dad on El Toro for the 1st time.

 

Loved the park for El Toro/Nitro and a couple other good coasters, but my feelings about the locker policy adopted by the SF chain in '09 are not warm and fuzzy. My camera is too large to put in my cargo shorts and I am not thrilled about paying the $1 per ride for a locker to store it in. Thus, the second day we visited, I opted to leave the camera in the car.

 

But...rather than just come in here and whine about it, I wrote SF and told them what I thought of this new locker policy. While I can certainly understand not bringing loose articles on a ride (a woman at Busch Gardens was kicked off Loch Ness Monster for trying to ride with a FULL souvenir cup of cola!), I am not impressed by this Six Sigma approach at maximizing the chance at emptying the paying customers pockets. I think that CF has a great free system with the bins and sliding doors, but hey...that's just my opinion. I will now get off my soapbox!

 

Now...onto my (meager) selection of photos...

#1 - that is all from SFGA.

Kingda Fail - I am now 0-3 with this coaster. I just kinda expect it will be broke down every time I visit. But the theming with the tigers is great, so who cares if the coaster is down?

#1 woodie till I die unless I get on T- Express or Balder.

Scream Machine made me do just that...scream (in pain). Why does this seem so much rougher than Viper? I did like Superman, even though I have been spoiled by Tatsu.

[Philrad71]

First off, let me apologize if this shows up on Page three and causes endless picture downloads. People...you need to leave more comments so the reports end up on different pages!!

 

All kidding aside, I was going to do a TR of Six Flags New England (which we visited on August 4th), but my selection of pictures is meager at best.

 

Reason being that as you may know, I am not a big fan of their lock'rrr policy and our camera is too large to fit into cargo pockets - thus until I either get a smaller camera or SF changes this policy, I will leave the SF reports to other TPR members. I will say that SFNE is a nice little park and my only wishes are that we would have gotten a Flash Pass and had more than a half hour at the water park.

 

And yes, I have sent Six Flags a gentle E-mail (over six weeks ago) voicing my displeasure of this new policy and also one to Cedar Fair for their excellent system of item storeage. I never received a response from Six Flags, but did receive an immediate response from Cedar Fair. Go figure...

 

Anywho, I have opted to do a TR of Martin's Fantasy Island. Being that the summer in Western New York has completely sucked, it was too wet to do any yard work. So why not take a little journey North to this magical place on Grand Island?

I leave you with one last shot of our special Pepsi. Thanks Fantasy Island for an awesome afternoon...you are indeed one great little park!

One last ride on Silver Comet before the park closes. Follow the yellow septic tubes to true orgasmic bliss!

We rode Crazy Mouse with two little girls who told us where all the scary parts were - they were precious!

Ahhh...remember when times were this good and gas was this cheap? No? Neither do I!

I think I may have rattled Michael a bit when I hollered in his ear, "take the frickin' tunnel!!!!"

Sssshhh! Don't you dare tell the attendant that I am driving after drinking a quart of beer!

Michael wanted to drive the antique cars - here, our chariot awaits.

I see you Marineland SkyScreamer!

This would be the mist from Niagara Falls and the Canadian skyline.

Yep, they have a ferris wheel.

Michael thought he might not get as wet in the front!

Holy crap - it's true! I am a firm believer now and will never doubt any TPR members again! My shorts were still wet when we got home at 11:00 PM!

Okay, so I remember from Behemoth Bash that people were saying you get really wet on this lil' log flume. Is it really true? Michael and I decided to investigate!

Mr. Full Tilt wanted me to tell everyone at TPR that he is single and available, but only for a serious relationship.

See? Any caveman can do it.

They had this awesome show that was half Mister Roger's from Idlewild and half Geico commercial.

Okay, now that I'm buzzed...I might be able to ride this very evil contraption. While it isn't anywhere near the heighth of the one's in Europe, it was puuuhlenty high enough for me. No way I am getting on one of these at Oktoberfest - these things just ain't right! If you have never ridden one, hop on someone's kiddy swing-set and dream that you are 200 feet in the air. Same chains - same seat!

I will admit that after drinking a quart of beer, Phil was indeed...feeling quite fat!

Seriously...the only reason we are doing this is to prep for Oktoberfest in Munich next month. Otherwise, we would have opted for Slush Puppies! PROST!!!!

Hooray for jumbo beer! I mean, minors - please scroll down a couple of pictures. Do not try this at home...drinking veddy, veddy bad for you!

Now I know this is a kid friendly site and I shouldn't do this but...holy frickin' crap! THIS is the jumbo? 32 ounces of Labatts for $6.50? Yes, folks that's right one whole quart of beer to get intimate with!

After our most kick-ass ride on Silver Comet, we notice this place...what? Fantasy Island sells beer? Okay, maybe I do like you more than Waldameer now! Yeah, sure, I'll have the jumbo!

What you all have been waiting for...the technical data! Oooohhh....ahhhhhh!

Seriously, this is one awesome coaster! I can't figure out why some old woodies are so great while others are not? Wait, did that sound a little perverted? Sure did!

Two great tastes that go great together - Silver Comet & I Got It!

Yay, the Silver Comet!

These Seneca Indians are hoping to build a new casino in Buffalo, but for now they'll hang out at Fantasy Island till that becomes a reality.

That was it for the water park, now back to your regularly scheduled amusement park review. Here we have the new ride for '09: Disk-O. These are great flats and I now have two of these within 80 miles of where I live...woo-hoo!

Cannonbowl - I love these things!

Obligatory Lazy River shot.

Raging Rapids, Roaring Rapids...something like that. It is one of the old school water slides where you use the mat.

Let us check out the water park, shall we? Here is a tiny wave pool that was quite crowded. When you only get three 80 degree days a year in Western New York, this is bound to happen!

Purdy fountain.

Canoe rentals - free with admission.

Park map...courtesy of Wal-Mart.

But does your Western town have a hobo that makes cracks about OJ's prison term? Didn't think so...

Good ole' Western themed town. Every amusement park should have these. Oh wait, don't they?

The Liberty Bell now resides here in Western New York...at Martin's Fantasy Island.

Merry-Go-Round? Check!

"Fun...WOW!!!!" I remember the commercials from the 80's where different kids would yell this at the camera....good stuff!

Screw it, let's go to Fantasy Island!

You know you're in Western New York when...

[Team Thriller]

Great Pictures!

 

You will be flat ride spoiled at the Oktoberfest! They have the craziest rides on Earth without a doubt.

 

--James