Holiday World (HW) Discussion Thread

[ytterbiumanalyst]

^ In my experience, there is on the third down, but not on the first two. It's really crazy on that last half, and I really appreciated the breather halfway through. Without it I think the ride would have been too intense, and I don't think I would have ridden it as many times as I did. With the pause, it was one of the best coasters I've ever ridden.

[iheartHW]

For those who have been wondering about what the park might be doing for 2016, here is what the park said to someone on FB:

 

We don't have a gigantic announcement as we did last year for Thunderbird. Please follow us on our blog, newsletter and social media for updates about 2016: http://HolidayWorld.com/Connect

 

I seem to recall reading that there was a three year Thanksgiving celebration plan starting with Mayflower. The Mayflower was the first year, Thunderbird was second year. Is there still a third part of the plan for next year or have their plans been changed or possibly delayed? Since next year is Holiday World's 70th year I feel like they probably have something planned, just nothing "gigantic". Thunderbird was huge so I don't expect anything that big so soon, but I can't help looking forward to and being curious about the things they have planned for the future.

[Koasterking48]

Is there still airtime on the triple down?

Yes but to a much lesser extent. However the rest of the ride is still filled with good airtime.

[TheVoyage]

My bad peeps. My first two post on this site were very bitter and I apologize for that. I'm not this much of an ass. I was at work and wasn't thinking clearly. 1st thing to clear up is that I was talking about myself not being a roller coaster enthusiast whatsoever. 2nd thing is I still love the voyage even with the mcbr on. The rest of the things I said I can't take back, but it is what is. Any word on when The Voyage turns off the brake would be greatly appreciated. I know a lot of season ticket holders are on this site and could give me the heads up on their next trip report.

[Vonni]

^ The airtime on the triple down was my favorite part of the ride, but its good to hear that is the only difference in the whole ride.

[Koasterking48]

I know a lot of season ticket holders are on this site and could give me the heads up on their next trip report.

Every time I've been there (9 or 10 times this season) it has been on with the exception of Thunderbird's Media Day

^ The airtime on the triple down was my favorite part of the ride, but its good to hear that is the only difference in the whole ride.

Well, I did not say that the ending was not different because it is. I just said that the airtime is still there. The intensity/slamming back and forth (depending on your opinion of The Voyage) is toned down from previous years. Whether or not the change in the ride is for the better is up to personal preference. I did not mind the way it was before and I do not mind the way it is now. It's just, different.

[jonskinny12]

Any word on when The Voyage turns off the brake would be greatly appreciated. I know a lot of season ticket holders are on this site and could give me the heads up on their next trip report.

 

From what we've been told a few times by HW, it's all based on timing. When it was off for me (nobody "turned" it off, it just didn't actually slow the train at all), it was the first few rides on the first night of HWN. I'm guessing that having some time to cool off while the rest of the park emptied had something to do with the train making it to the MCBR slower, and then it didn't need to slow the train.

[ZeroGravity55]

I would love to go again, but not when the Legend is more intense than the ride I have at the #1 spot.

 

You know, I've read a lot of stupid crap on social media from people complaining to the park about certain stuff... Kinda like the one person who complained to the park about a ride op comforting their child because they were throwing a fit about not wanting to ride a certain ride because they were scared of it...Or like today when someone literally complained to the park about having too many trash cans (yes I just read that)... Now I would put this statement up there with those in stupidity. There are a million reasons to visit HW, but you don't want to visit again because The Legend is more intense than The Voyage in it's current state (which a lot of people would disagree with, except for the lateral junkies)? Okay... Hate to tell ya, if the park had the guts to keep the MCBR on during HWN when there was bound to be a bunch of self-centered coaster enthusiasts from a group that shall remain nameless, I don't think think they'll be turning it off anytime soon. The only way the brake will be turned off is

a.) if a majority of their guests tell them they don't like it, which none of them have from what I've read.

b.) The park decides to permanently "fix" The Voyage's issues (AKA RMC).

 

Also, you seem to contradict yourself a bit:

 

1st thing to clear up is that I was talking about myself not being a roller coaster enthusiast whatsoever.

but El Toro has now closed the gap..

 

So you're not a coaster enthusiast but you rate roller coasters? Okay..

 

The rest of the things I said I can't take back, but it is what is.

 

Yep. Too late now.

 

Oh boy. Is it already time for our bi-weekly Voyage roughness discussion?

 

Yep. This is all I have to say:

 

[kyleparks77]

^ let me get this straight, a ride op went out of his/her way to comfort an upset child and the parent COMPLAINED about it publicly on social media?

[robbalvey]

I know a lot of season ticket holders are on this site and could give me the heads up on their next trip report.

Every time I've been there (9 or 10 times this season) it has been on with the exception of Thunderbird's Media Day

It was on during Thunderbird's media day. I certainly felt it and was VERY happy it was there!

Edited August 11, 2015 by robbalvey

[Koasterking48]

^Sorry, I meant to word that post as it was off for me on Media Day, but I only rode twice. I was unaware that they had actually turned it on Media Day as I assumed it was off all day.

 

For those who have been wondering about what the park might be doing for 2016, here is what the park said to someone on FB:

 

We don't have a gigantic announcement as we did last year for Thunderbird. Please follow us on our blog, newsletter and social media for updates about 2016: http://HolidayWorld.com/Connect

 

I seem to recall reading that there was a three year Thanksgiving celebration plan starting with Mayflower. The Mayflower was the first year, Thunderbird was second year. Is there still a third part of the plan for next year or have their plans been changed or possibly delayed? Since next year is Holiday World's 70th year I feel like they probably have something planned, just nothing "gigantic". Thunderbird was huge so I don't expect anything that big so soon, but I can't help looking forward to and being curious about the things they have planned for the future.

I'd say a flat ride is still possible for 2016 with an announcement in September/October. Likely? No, but something has to happen to the old Sparkler pad sooner or later.

[neil009]

I think HW should just put the ride back the way it was so we never have to have this discussion again. I mean the ride was designed to run a certain way, it was legendary and the person who helped design it was also a legend, and now it's no longer running the way it was designed. It's incredibly disappointing, it just is. I agree you don't need to be a dick about it but I don't think everyone who feels this way is "entitled".

[kyleparks77]

^ good solution. Tear it down and rebuild it

[AirMBTB]

On Thunderbird media day, the brake was on at first. Then it was off for a while, still early in the day. I had 4 or 5 brakeless Voyage rides; one of the coaster cats (maintenance) was up in the station, grinning. Then he was gone, and the brake was back on.

Edited August 12, 2015 by AirMBTB

[Raven Maven]

Regarding the earlier discussion about whether a tweet or an email is preferred - since I tend to handle both of them - definitely an email. A tweet is yelling in a crowd while an email is a quiet conversation.

 

And the mid-course brake has always been there - and we even used it one season when Will was still with us.

[robbalvey]

On Thunderbird media day, the brake was on at first. Then it was off for a while, still early in the day. I had 4 or 5 brakeless Voyage rides; one of the coaster cats was up in the station, grinning. Then he was gone, and the brake was back on.

I think what amuses me about this is how coaster enthusiasts don't always understand how things work (even though they want to believe they do.)

 

Your ride op in the station probably was grinning for absolutely no other reason that because he was having a good time working. The brake was on the ENTIRE time during the media day. It was just on at varying degrees based on how heavy the train was when it hit that section. I saw many run where there were only a few people on the train, and I'm sure on some of those runs people *thought* the brake was off, but it just hit it much lighter.

 

I think Paula has explained it enough times that it's not a constant setting, it's variable. The whole idea of a "trim" is to "trim speed" meaning if when it comes off the brake, for example, the train needs to be going 50MPH and the train is going 60MPH when it hits the brake, it will trim 10MPH, same thing if you hit the brake going 55MPH, it will trim 5MPH. If you happen to be going 50MPH, you might not feel it at all.

 

But the end result AFTER the trim is, in theory, always the same.

 

I can't tell you how many enthusiasts I've heard claim "Dude, the trim wasn't on and we got SOOOOO MUCH AIRTIME during this part of the ride..." only to look at them and think to myself "Um, I was on the train, too...we got exactly the same amount as you always do."

 

I really think that so much of this is all psychological. Someone doesn't hear the trims engage or feel them as much, and in their brain they got more airtime, when in reality they didn't. I've also been on many rides where someone didn't hear or feel the trim for whatever reason and claim "TRIM WAS OFF!!! TRIM WAS OFF!!! THE RIDE WAS INSANE!!!!" and I'm all "Dude, the trim was totally on and it was exactly like it always has been...."

 

Again, maybe I've just been on more rides in my lifetime, I dunno. But I kind of find a lot of this to be slightly entertaining, if not sometimes annoying....

 

Just my thoughts on the matter....

Edited August 11, 2015 by robbalvey

[robbalvey]

I think HW should just put the ride back the way it was so we never have to have this discussion again. I mean the ride was designed to run a certain way, it was legendary and the person who helped design it was also a legend, and now it's no longer running the way it was designed. It's incredibly disappointing, it just is. I agree you don't need to be a dick about it but I don't think everyone who feels this way is "entitled".

What's ironic about this post is it comes off *EXACTLY* like a self-entitled obnoxious coaster enthusiast who thinks they know better than the park or the people who built the ride.

 

"HW should just put it back the way it was..." "It's incredibly disappointing..." *sigh*

I have to be honest, I didn't think my ride on The Voyage this year was much different than the rides I took on it in 2006. And if *I* don't notice a difference, I highly doubt that 99.9% of the people who walk through the ride's turnstiles every day notice either. Some of you are going to notice if someone farts differently on the ride, and IMO, that's just not the type of person that the park should be catering to, sorry.

Edited August 11, 2015 by robbalvey

[DirkFunk]

FWIW: I know coaster enthusiasts tend to totally overhype "brakeless" or "night rides". Actually working on a wood coaster and seeing how the times ran in daylight and night, dry vs. rain pretty much murdered all those tales for me. With that said, I've heard pretty compelling argument as to why trimming a coaster doesn't necessarily save on maintenance. Maybe in this case it does; I hope so for their sake. For my money, Voyage isn't a top tier or destination ride with the block on full. I've said my piece on it before. I'll probably spend my money at the more convenient Kentucky Kingdom with that rad RMC instead going forwards unless they build something really off the wall amazing. I'm sure they'll do just fine and so will I.

[TheVoyage]

Seriously Robb, I've been to Holiday World a lot more than you have and have ridden the Voyage way more than you could ever imagine...The Voyage is a different ride now. Period! End of story! I don't care what you call the ppl who want the ride the way it was before, but to say that the Voyage has slightly changed because of the MCBR being on is completely wrong.

[kyleparks77]

*Sigh*...Robb, you can't be speaking with reason like that

 

 

[robbalvey]

Seriously Robb, I've been to Holiday World a lot more than you have and have ridden the Voyage way more than you could ever imagine...The Voyage is a different ride now. Period! End of story! I don't care what you call the ppl who want the ride the way it was before, but to say that the Voyage has slightly changed because of the MCBR being on is completely wrong.

I love posts like this! lol

 

People who think that because the are a "die-hard" fan are better than someone who is a "casual fan." Guess what? The majority of people who go to parks fall into the "casual fan" category and that's EXACTLY the type of person the parks should be catering to. Can you just imagine what a mess parks would be if they actually did everything that enthusiasts wanted?

 

People that RUN the park are the ones that are going to be able to make the best decisions on how to run the park. Not you. Not me. Not anyone on this forum. (Ok, except for Paula.)

 

The concept that you think you know more about a ride because "I've been to Holiday World more than you" is absolutely laughable and stupid. I never said that I thought the ride wasn't different at all, I said it wasn't "much different." And I stand by that. In 2006 I remember getting thrown around on a ride that delivered not as much airtime as people hyped it up to be, and in 2015 the ride delivered EXACTLY the same as I remember it. (with a little more roughness and a midcourse brake that didn't seem to effect the ride much at all, at least not to me) You can tell me I'm "wrong" as much as you like. I stand by my thoughts.

 

Oh, and you're banned. Not for having a different opinion, but for not being able to share your opinion without being an asshole.

Edited August 11, 2015 by robbalvey

[kyleparks77]

Seriously Robb, I've been to Holiday World a lot more than you have and have ridden the Voyage way more than you could ever imagine...The Voyage is a different ride now. Period! End of story! I don't care what you call the ppl who want the ride the way it was before, but to say that the Voyage has slightly changed because of the MCBR being on is completely wrong.

This guy...

I tried to keep silent...

 

So you've ridden the Voyage a bunch of times? Cool. You think it's different this season? Cool. Why does it matter what you think?

I've ridden the Voyage a bunch of times. I don't think it's different other than a slight pause. Why does it matter what I think?

It doesn't

 

I think it's been made pretty clear that everyone has a different opinion of this coaster and any coaster for that matter. I don't understand why you continue to insist that everyone else's opinion is wrong and you're the supreme being of the coasters? You have a different opinion than others? Cool. I don't like bacon but I'm not going to bash and argue with anyone that likes bacon. So if you're going to participate in this forum, please accept the fact that others have different opinions than you and that's what makes the coaster community so great. Enjoy your bacon.

 

Edit: Sorry, Robb took away your bacon.

[Ape]

And to think a simple break has caused a season long debate.

 

I thought we only got this stir crazy during winter. oo well. I look forward to my next Voyage ride. With or without it being trimmed.

[robbalvey]

And to think a simple break has caused a season long debate.

My favorite part about these debates is that it helps us weed out the crazy people from the rational people. And then overall, that just makes the forum better for the rest of us moving forward!

 

Seriously, that guy signed on just to complain about The Voyage and when he's met with rational discussion, he freaks out. In short, he's not "one of us" and I'm totally fine with that outcome!

[ZeroGravity55]

So apparently someone drove up on HW's parking lot in this car:

 

 

http://www.holidayworld.com/holiblog/2015/08/11/the-griswolds-showed-up-early/