KC roadtrip- WoF and SFStL PHOTO TR

[coasterer]

Hey all! One of my friends from Chicago, and Karen, were going to meet up with a few friends from school in Kansas City, and of course I couldn't pass up the opportunity to hit a few parks on the way.

 

Worlds of Fun was first, and there were several things about this park that made this day kind of special. 1) the girl's house we were staying at, Caroline, had never been on a roller coaster before. Naturally we took her on the 200 foot one first. 2) I had 148 credits, and had never been to this park before. That meant credit #150, and what better ride to get it with than a brand new GCI woodie. And 3) I am not only a HUGE invert fan, but also a pretty big GCI fan as well. So the prospect of riding both Patriot and Prowler was really really exciting.

 

It was a sunday afternoon in July, and we got to the park around 4, and had nooooo trouble getting everything in. Which was nice, being used to two hour lines for everything at SFGAm on a weekday morning. So, even though it is a nice park, it's a little smaller, and at all crowded. If you do visit, go ahead and save yourself some money and get the discounted tickets after four.

 

We started on Mamba, which, like I said, was Caroline's first roller coaster ever. Leading up to it she had been excited, but once we got to the park she started having second thoughts. The line was only 15 minutes, but that still gave her plenty of thoughts to question why exactly anyone would want to be dropped 200 feet. We took her on Mamba first so that she wouldn't be afraid of anything else the rest of the day. Well, considering she liked it. But no worries. She was converted in one ride, having absolutely loved it, and was right there with me at the eigth consecutive Prowler ride of the evening, sprinting back to the front to try and beat the 10 o clock cut off for one last amazing ride.

 

Mamba was fun actually. It wasn't Great, but it wasn't painful at all where we st (a row or two out of the back) and was just like a nice relaxing little meander around a mile's worth of fairly scenic track. I enjoyed it. Not as a thrilling force monster, but as a nice pleasant journey.

 

Now onto Prowler, number 150 for me. I love the power on these GCI contraptions, and think they've really hit on something with the whole just charging around, tearing up the layout while hovering no more than 30 feet off the ground for the most part. I think Thunderhead is pure genius.

 

Prowler was everything I'd hoped for and more. It was fast, it was wild, it had power, and force, and popped over the airtime, and tore through the trees, and hopped and leapt and flew through the forest, providing such a good time everyone in our group was left wanting more. We immediately hopped in line again to reride, the line already two queues shorter. By six or seven, the park was empty to the point of only a few train wait for all the coasters. It was almost as good as Thunderhead. Almost. Not quite, but it was still a fanTAStic ride. It was better than Kentucky Rumbler for me, and as soon as I had ridden Evel Knievel the next day, it would beat that as well.

 

Spinning Dragons was really nothing to write home about. It was just like all the other spinning coasters out there like it, just a little more Oriental. The World's concept of this theme park was nice. It wasn't TOO over the top and outstanding, but it was a nice break from the six flags monotonous commerciality. The park was rather nicer than I expected.

 

Patriot was next. And honestly... it kind of disappointed. I thought it was just kind of tame. I like force and power and positive Gs and tight quick transitions and elements. Patriot just kind of meandered. There were flat spots, soft transitions, pointless places that felt like they were just there to fill up space, and all of the inversions were taken a bit too slow for my taste. It was nice though, just a little bit of a let down. From what I've ridden, I liked Alpengeist, the Batman clones, and Raptor all better.

 

Timberwolf was a nightmare, and should be taken down immediately. I don't recall a ride that painful ever lasting quite as long as that one.

 

I was able to get the kiddie ride credit by stealing a child, muahahaha, and thought that it was kind of out of place in a park that clearly valued at least a theme, if not theming. It was just a carnival ride stuck down in the middle of a neglected flat spot of land. And Boomerang was not too great, no.

 

We then rerode Mamba, took another spin on Patriot, and then rode Prowler another 9 times, waiting til it got dark, and things reeeeally started to heat up. Prowler at night is really not quite like anything I've ever ridden. After you leave the first drop, any light disappears, and you are flung out into the back woods with surprisingly little recollection of the course, considering the number of times you rode it in the light. The on ride photo blinds you for a few seconds, and in those few seconds, you completely lose your bearings. You charge down that last triple down thing, which, imo, is the best part of the ride, and fly into the brakes. It really is incredible, and worked it's way into my number 6 spot, just behind Shivering Timbers, Thunderhead, and Hades.

 

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The next day we started working our way home back up to Chicago, and stopped at SFStL for a few hours on the way. I had been there a few times, but hadn't ridden Evel Knievel yet.

 

Ok, maybe I'm just too young, but I still don't really understand why America is so behind a guy who crashed as much as he landed, and wasn't smart enough to call it quits when he had broken 435 bones in his body. But maybe that's just the practical side coming out in me.

 

Evel Knievel was great! I know it ranked really well in the Hawker polls, coming in at 15, and now I can see why. It was speedy, powerful, and those last few bunny hills were terrific. Prowler wins because of the layout for me, and because of the terrain, and because of the theme. Not gonna lie, the idea of the big black cat plunging through the rainforests of Peru, or Africa, or India, or wherever, underneath the indigo sky with the stars strewn haphazardly about, and the thick dense dark green trees clouding any sort of cognizance or sense of direction, with the starkly illuminated wood track disappearing into the woods, is kind of an unbeatable theme, in my opinion. I love everything about it.

 

And if EK ranked that highly, I can't wait to see the 2009 polls for Prowler. But regardless, EK was fantastic, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Mr Freeze was a little more uncomfortable than I remember, but Mr Boss wasn't quite as painful, which is nice, because it's quite an awesome specimen when it chooses not to rape you.

 

I still don't get Screamin Eagle. It's just rather pointless and airtimeless. Oh well.

 

But EK is where it's at. We were satisfied after our third ride on EK, and took off within three hours.

 

Overall it was a great trip, and it's amazing to me to watch my coaster count continue to grow.

 

Thanks for reading

Good bye St Louis. I'm sure I'll see you soon... as soon as you build something else

Bossy

Mr Freeze, looking good. The rest of the picture... it's debatable

It really is a monster of a ride

this is the roughest part of the ride. the rest was really enjoyable.

Hey guys, be Bossy

It looks cool, sure, I thought it was a bit of a strange ride though, all things told

Mr Freeze. It was a slightly different shade of blue last time I was here

It really was a top notch coaster. Better than Kentucky Rumbler, I thought.

And after the last turn. I was surprised as to how this one turned out

touch down turn around

Charging through the last bit. The best bit

That little pop coming off the turn around - it's attention to detail like THAT that makes GCI really stand out nowadays

that was a lovely spot on this ride

GCI excitement

Almost as good as Prowler

It was too bad, as far as integration is concerned, they kind of just plopped this one down in the middle of a flat spot.

the St Louis skyline, pretty darn different than it was last time I was here

Prowwwler

Prowler in TOTAL DARKNESS. It really doesn't get much better than this

This is a rather quality onride, if I do say so myself

hahaha Prowlerrrrr

Boomerang stank. And it also had the world's weirdest color scheme

Mamba lookin good

I opted out of the rapids, but they had a pretty good time... except for the whole wetness part

Got the credit! There are no Timberwolf pictures - simply because the world would be better off if it didn't exist

Aw this is ni... Karen?

That half tilted loop thing was kind of... pointless. IMO

I love the way inverts look. But see that flat spot out of the loop and into the barrel roll? why?

hahahahaHAHAHA HA! Oh man.

This is just wonderful though

And part of me just thinks it's theme makes it look like a cheap carnival attraction

Part of me likes the way Patriot looks.

hahahaha, Pagoda Soda

Patriot. Nice

At least it LOOKS nice. We weren't the biggest fans of the spinners

Spinning Dragons, looking lovely and nauseating, per usual

And now a tribute to ALL nations, but especially America

This back half, this triple down, was fantastic!!!

hahahaha... I didn't have pen and paper, give me a break

Prowle... what???

cresting!

It really does look fantastic, WoF did a GREAT job incorporating it into the park. Without Prowler, WoF would have been sigNIFicantly less good.

PROWLER! PROWLER! PROWLER!!!!

For her first coaster EVER, she's taking it rather well

I like how it rolls back past the queue line

OH YEAH!

I love how these Morgan and Arrow hyper supports make the rides look monstrous

the whole of the Worlds of fun skyline

Mamba was more pleasant than I was expecting

It really does look great from the highway. If you haven't heard this before, you can see the park for miles before you get there

[Looty]

OMG!...someone didn't like Timberwolf and thought Patriot was tame!...WOF fanboys attack!!!

 

Great TR though! I really enjoyed some of the expressions.

[coasterer]

Thanks for the comment.

 

Maybe I just haven't been 'up' on the WoF discussion bases. Is Timberwolf generally considered a good ride? Maybe I just caught it on an off day. A very, verrrry off day. And I don't know, Patriot was fine, just not as exciting as I was hoping. Inverts are generally my favorite, so I had high expectations, but as far as the inverts I've been on go... (Alpengeist, Raptor, Batman, and now Patriot), Patriot was by far the weakest, in my opinion. I just like a little more power in my rides. And by the way the polls and rankings go, I can't imagine I'm alone in my views.

[themeparkman25]

I am by no means a fan boy of WoF, but timberwolf isn't that bad of a ride (and I rode it in May). Yes it feels underbanked in sections and the huge helix is lame, but in the front it offered some awesome airtime and other fun moments. I would agree it is not the best coaster in the world, but at the same time it is definitely not the worst. About Patriot, I would agree it was tame but did you get some floating off the hill above the station and would you not agree it is really really smooth? I have ridden Alpey, Montu, Raptor, Silver Bullet, 3 Batmans and Patriot and have to say it wasnt my favorite but it wasn't the worst (sorry batman, you don't suck but you don't really rock). Oh well, prowler rocks and that is all the matters! Great TR, looks like you had fun.

[christianscoasters]

Did you ride Patriot in the front seat? It's the BEST. Not because of the view, but it's extremely forceful there. We sat in the first 2 cars and the last 2 cars, and the first row was much better than the rest. Very, very nice ride.

 

I too believe that I caught TW on a bad day. It was very humid, and it rained a lot. When wood is wet, it expands. Could that have happened with TW and made it a little bumpier? That, or it just plain sucked and the re-tracking didn't do jack.

 

I have yet to go to WoF this year, but there's the possibility that I could go in a few weeks, or a few months. I MUST ride Prowler.

[Guest]

And now a tribute to ALL nations, but especially America

I totally had a "Muppetvision 3D" moment there

 

[coasterer]

Patriot was smooth, sure, and certainly nice and pleasant and fun. I did not, unfortunately sit in the front, I prefer to take the back than to wait, so maybe I did miss out, I don't know. Nothing bad about it, I just thought it was not as forceful as others.

 

Timberwolf is not the world's worst coaster. That's not what I'm saying. It just didn't cater to my interests. I thought it was rough to the point of painful, had awkward pacing as in there were flat spots, like those turns, and that one part where it had to be chained up one of the hills. I thought it was too long, too meandering, and overall, nothing to take note of when there is a brand new GCI woodie just a short walk away.

 

^ And thanks, haha, I'm glad you caught that. It's wonderful to be able to say that in a place where people understand exactly what I'm talking about.

[hemmy]

Patriot was smooth, sure, and certainly nice and pleasant and fun. I did not, unfortunately sit in the front, I prefer to take the back than to wait, so maybe I did miss out, I don't know. Nothing bad about it, I just thought it was not as forceful as others.

 

Timberwolf is not the world's worst coaster. That's not what I'm saying. It just didn't cater to my interests. I thought it was rough to the point of painful, had awkward pacing as in there were flat spots, like those turns, and that one part where it had to be chained up one of the hills. I thought it was too long, too meandering, and overall, nothing to take note of when there is a brand new GCI woodie just a short walk away.

 

^ And thanks, haha, I'm glad you caught that. It's wonderful to be able to say that in a place where people understand exactly what I'm talking about.

 

Pretty much agreed on both of these points. Patriot is ok, nothing to write home about. Timberwolf is bad, but not quite god awful.