Holiday World (HW) Discussion Thread

[kyleparks77]

This was my first visit to Holiday World...

 

The Voyage blew me away. I rode it 27 times over 2 days and it delivered every time in every seat.

Well there's a perspective for everyone asking about how rideable Voyage is this season.

[neil009]

I'm a little bit foggy still from sleepiness and having been assaulted by wooden coaster epicness for the past five hours, but... I seriously had the most amazing time. Holiday World did a spectacular job. The Legend is one of the most criminally underrated coasters I've ever ridden.

[HolidayWorldFTW]

This was my first visit to Holiday World...

 

The Voyage blew me away. I rode it 27 times over 2 days and it delivered every time in every seat.

Well there's a perspective for everyone asking about how rideable Voyage is this season.

 

Agreed, also shows that the MCBR really isn't detracting from the ride at all.

[cal1br3tto]

And Raven in the back at night is something everybody needs to experience.

I'm a total Voyage fanperson; it's my favorite in the park by far. But I think this is the real reason I need to make it to one of these events. It's almost shocking the way Raven comes alive at night.

 

Glad everyone had an amazing time!

[Woodie Warrior]

I feel the need to elaborate more on how awesome Thunderbird is.

 

I've been waiting since the announcement for this ride. Even before the ride had opened, I owned a Thunderbird blueprint, a Thunderbird shirt, and a Thunderbird sports bottle. Even with all my excitement, I was simply hoping for a fun ride, slightly better than GateKeeper, but still not an OMFG amazing ride.

 

And, at least for me, it turned out to be an OMFG amazing ride. It's everything the park needed: smooth, steel, full of inversions, and extremely forceful.

 

I really don't get the dislike for B&M these days. Thunderbird's launch, loop, and various other elements have plenty of positive Gs, and the two rolls have plenty of hangtime (not to mention the airtime on the top of the Immelmann and S curve for the right side). The loop is one of the most intense out there. I was expecting the ride to be in my top 10, but I have to say it is a top 5 ride for me.

 

Also, the woodies are all running awesome this year. At the end of the day, Voyage is still my favorite coaster in the park, but Thunderbird is pretty damn close.

[neil009]

I was very pleasantly surprised by Thunderbird. The two swooping turns are a bit of a waste (one I could see, but do you really need two?) but you HAUL through everything else. It actually convinced me of the potential for wing coasters. The zero g roll in the back outer left seat has some awesome bizarre laterals going on that you wouldn't get from any other ride type. And at night... man oh man! The whole course (save those two turns) has a great sense of sustained speed which is a theme among the coasters at HW. A very worthy addition to their line-up. Again, very pleasantly surprised.

 

I can't comment on the change to the Voyage since this was my first time. I loved it, as I did all the coasters, but I will say that it was not as intense as I expected given all the hype. For "most intense coaster", I would actually have to give that to the Legend this weekend. The Voyage may have the "running a marathon" sensation, but the Legend was producing sustained laterals much more intense than any I've ever felt before. There were two or three moments of forcefulness that the Voyage never even came close to.

 

Ultimately though, when you're dealing with three separate rides all equally nonstop crazy and intense, distinctions like these hardly matter at all.

[Philrad71]

This event sounds like a lot of fun (other than the whiners).

 

While I would be a bit hesitant about riding Voyage again, I think that I would more than likely give it a shot in the front seat to see how it compares to the Beast at night. I would probably make it the last ride of the evening in case it kicks my arse, although I certainly wouldn't be booing it like the other people.

 

Can anyone comment on their front seat rides on Voyage? Fairly smooth? As rough as the other seats? I have ridden a lot of coasters that people thought were very rough in the front seat and actually found them to be quite tolerable (Beast, Mean Streak, Blue Streak @ CLP to name a few).

 

Front seat Voyage is the only way to go for me. I've never had a problem with the roughness up front. Night rides are incredible.

 

 

Thank you for the comment...looks like I will wait out the line for the front seat the next time I go. I doubt the partner will even think about going on this one again, so I will most likely be riding alone or with another single rider.

[jonskinny12]

This was my first visit to Holiday World...

 

The Voyage blew me away. I rode it 27 times over 2 days and it delivered every time in every seat.

Well there's a perspective for everyone asking about how rideable Voyage is this season.

 

Agreed, also shows that the MCBR really isn't detracting from the ride at all.

 

I should mention I can take a beating from a wooden coaster better than a lot of people in their early 30s. I only rode Thunderbird 7 times. It's a great ride and I loved it, but the roll at the end was disorienting and made me pretty dizzy. Tatsu's pretzel loop does the same thing to me. So we're all different.

 

As for the MCBR, this was my first trip to Holiday World so I can't compare to years past. However, at the beginning of the first night of ERT I did 7 straight rides on The Voyage without leaving the station, and the first 4 didn't have the MCBR on at all. I can tell you it does make a difference but it's still a blast with it on, which is why I rode it 23 time with it stopping in the middle of the ride. I actually don't know if I could have done 27 with it off. I'm glad I got to experience the ride both ways, and I'm glad it's usually on.

[Koasterking48]

The only part of the ride affected by the MCBR being turned on is the airtime in the triple down. Other than that, the rest of the ride doesn't feel much different from what it was in years past. For those who had not ridden it before this weekend, you aren't missing out on much. I'm disappointed to hear how some enthusiasts responded to this change, but at the same time am glad for those who had a great time at the event.

[jonskinny12]

To me the rest of the ride felt more out of control without the MCBR. But it didn't affect the overall experience much at all. It's still probably my new #1 regardless of that. I heard some people complaining about it, but everyone seemed to be having a great time. I know I did.

[JJLehto]

I know it has only made a small difference, but I still am hoping at least once I get a ride on it where the MCBR isn't on full stop at the least just to experience the unrestrained ride, as it has been for all of its life. And I have often heard the second half was the wildest, best part of the ride so yeah, hope I get 1 unrestrained! Still I am excited to finally get out to this park and ride Voyage, it's now the #1 on my coaster bucket list so finally crossing it off. Also I've always wanted to visit this park

 

Also I'll be riding Gatekeeper this year, my first wingrider so I can compare it to Thunderbird

[pixelated85]

IMO the MCB had a pretty big impact on what followed. That triple down and the following three hills were for sure lacking the air- it did pick up after that though. I guess I was sad because that set of hills has always been my favorite part of the ride BECAUSE of how much air there was. Hope it gets to run without it in the future. That being said, I felt the first half of the ride was running so much better than it has in the past. It's extremely evident how much work has been done to the ride to smooth it out. The double down into the spaghetti bowl was incredibly intense and I don't remember it ever going through the two 90 degree curves that fast before. We did a front seat ride last night and giggled like geese.

 

I also thought Thunderbird was infinitely better than I originally thought it would be. I've never ridden a B&M wing-whatever and after hearing so many "blah" opinions about them, I really didn't expect much. I was genuinely impressed with how much fun it is. It probably has the smoothest launch of any ride I've been on, and the force of it was crazy. The pre-launch also looks really impressive from the plaza around the ride- the simple lightning effects on the Thunderbird logo along with the fog and rumbling thunder are fantastic. The rest of the ride kept up quite a bit of intensity, especially the two back-to-back turns after the loop. Overall, high fives to the park for adding such a great coaster.

[DirkFunk]

The biggest issues with the MCBR being on are the pacing is shot to hell and the return run doesn't feel as out of control (airtime w/direction changes) as previously. If this is the first time you've gone and you loved it, that's great - it is still a good ride - but for those who had been on it before and who liked what it was, yeah, it is definitely noticeable. My opinion on the ride has it diminished from my #1 of any sort anywhere to somewhere in the morass of good but flawed with Timbers and Boardwalk Bullet. I'd also say that if you *didn't* like it before, you won't now either. If you go to a restaurant and order a pizza and it comes out and you dislike everything about it, being served the same pizza with a slight change ("we're using filtered water!" "we've changed our source of pepperoni!") is highly unlikely to make you suddenly flip on something you didn't like at all before, but could easily be a turnoff for those who favored it in the past.

 

Raven and Legend were running very well however and I spent most of my time with them. I'll echo the sentiments of everyone who thinks Thunderbird is the best wingrider in the states. I would be seriously surprised if it wasn't the best currently in operation anywhere either based on what I've seen and heard. Really outstanding ride and shows the current management can do more for theming than just hit up Pier 1 Imports website.

[Woodie Warrior]

The triple down was my favorite element of the ride and, even with the first two "downs" not having airtime anymore, the Voyage is still my #2 wooden coaster. The rest of the second half after the triple down is just as insane and the first half is much improved.

 

Yes, I like the ride better with the MCBR off. But I'm not the one paying millions each year for track work to be done, so I'm completely fine with HW's decision to leave it on this year.

[DirkFunk]

The triple down was my favorite element of the ride and, even with the first two "downs" not having airtime anymore, the Voyage is still my #2 wooden coaster. The rest of the second half after the triple down is just as insane and the first half is much improved.

 

Yes, I like the ride better with the MCBR off. But I'm not the one paying millions each year for track work to be done, so I'm completely fine with HW's decision to leave it on this year.

 

I don't think anyone is confused as to why it is now permanently on. They can save money and I can rank it lower. It isn't the end of the world. It's a roller coaster.

[nannerdw]

Wildebeest is definitely my new favorite water slide.

That airtime in the back seat

[ZeroGravity55]

^^ Exactly, it's not like The Voyage has been #1 in any major poll for awhile now. The park no longer needs it to be the marque attraction either.

[HolidayWorldFTW]

Wildebeest is definitely my new favorite water slide.

That airtime in the back seat

I like the more out of control feeling of the Mammoth but the Wildebeest itself it's absolutely amazing. I completely get why they built a 2nd water coaster.

[Woodie Warrior]

The triple down was my favorite element of the ride and, even with the first two "downs" not having airtime anymore, the Voyage is still my #2 wooden coaster. The rest of the second half after the triple down is just as insane and the first half is much improved.

 

Yes, I like the ride better with the MCBR off. But I'm not the one paying millions each year for track work to be done, so I'm completely fine with HW's decision to leave it on this year.

 

I don't think anyone is confused as to why it is now permanently on. They can save money and I can rank it lower. It isn't the end of the world. It's a roller coaster.

Um... yeah, that was the entire point of my post: "It isn't the end of the world."

 

My post wasn't even a direct response to yours....

[DirkFunk]

Um... yeah, that was the entire point of my post: "It isn't the end of the world."

 

My post wasn't even a direct response to yours....

 

Personally, I thought what you wrote came across as pedantic. Everyone that's not hot about the change knows they did it to cut down on maintenance costs. They said that publicly what, 30 times, give or take a couple pronouncements? I don't care if it is "good for business" or not. It isn't as good a ride now. Sorry if hearing that bothers you?

[neil009]

The biggest issues with the MCBR being on are the pacing is shot to hell and the return run doesn't feel as out of control (airtime w/direction changes) as previously. If this is the first time you've gone and you loved it, that's great - it is still a good ride - but for those who had been on it before and who liked what it was, yeah, it is definitely noticeable. My opinion on the ride has it diminished from my #1 of any sort anywhere to somewhere in the morass of good but flawed with Timbers and Boardwalk Bullet. I'd also say that if you *didn't* like it before, you won't now either. If you go to a restaurant and order a pizza and it comes out and you dislike everything about it, being served the same pizza with a slight change ("we're using filtered water!" "we've changed our source of pepperoni!") is highly unlikely to make you suddenly flip on something you didn't like at all before, but could easily be a turnoff for those who favored it in the past.

 

There were a few who seemed to think it was an improvement, making the ride more comfortable/rerideable. But everyone seemed to agree, it was different. It's frustrating to me because I really wanted the full experience, I had my expectations extremely high. I still liked it, and I'm not even sure I would've liked it more unbraked, but I may never find out. The disappointment is pretty sharp. But everything else about the trip was so great it basically made up for it.

[Woodie Warrior]

Um... yeah, that was the entire point of my post: "It isn't the end of the world."

 

My post wasn't even a direct response to yours....

 

Personally, I thought what you wrote came across as pedantic. Everyone that's not hot about the change knows they did it to cut down on maintenance costs. They said that publicly what, 30 times, give or take a couple pronouncements? I don't care if it is "good for business" or not. It isn't as good a ride now. Sorry if hearing that bothers you?

Okay, once again: I wasn't responding to you.

 

I was simply saying that I do think that it's a slightly better ride with the MCBR off, but that I'm fine with them leaving it off. That's my opinion, I never once said anything about your original post. And I never once said that anybody was "confused" by HW's decision.

 

Anyways.....

I really hope they do something with Pilgrim's Plunge spot in 2016. I doubt they'd go with another Shoot-the-Chutes attraction, but it would be a nice addition.

[nannerdw]

I really hope they do something with Pilgrim's Plunge spot in 2016. I doubt they'd go with another Shoot-the-Chutes attraction, but it would be a nice addition.

I'm guessing they'll expand the water park into that area (I'm hoping for a trapdoor speed slide complex), and hopefully add some (non-fluffy) "locking storage receptacles" that are closer to Thanksgiving and Kima Bay (unless there are some over there already that I didn't know about).

[HolidayWorldFTW]

I really hope they do something with Pilgrim's Plunge spot in 2016. I doubt they'd go with another Shoot-the-Chutes attraction, but it would be a nice addition.

I'm guessing they'll expand the water park into that area (I'm hoping for a trapdoor speed slide complex), and hopefully add some (non-fluffy) "locking storage receptacles" that are closer to Thanksgiving and Kima Bay (unless there are some over there already that I didn't know about).

 

Funny you mention this but I have an older brother who thinks the water park will expand out in that direction also. He even thinks maybe almost like a 2nd water park.... (duplicate rides for some things). He mentioned this to Matt at the media preview and Matt's response was "You never know!" lol

[Stu K]

OK Guys I promised a review/trip report.

 

I will Start with WOW great little park with free Coasters! Yes free*! (* Six Flags Great America Parking $25 2 x sodas $10 Holiday World booked on line $34.99) So with the free parking and sodas the rides were free.

 

We sort of did the park front to back as we found the rides starting with all front seat rides. Raven was a great fun ride that really made me smile had read lots of great reports and it delivered. As did the voyage so much speed and cannot imagine what it was like before the brakes (maybe i Don't want to Lol) . The sleeper of the trip was Legend this took me by surprise all the praise I have seen was for the other 2 woodies so much fun with the pops of air time and wicked laterals think I rode this the most.

 

Did Thunderbird front both sides good ride and I think in any other park I would have been amazed but after the 3 Woodies it was just good. I had a ride in the back and think in my opinion only the back was best. That said it was a real crowd pleaser ( young school crowd the day i was there). They were impressed with the loops.

 

A park is nothing with out its staff and boy they are good loading the trains fast and efficiently.

 

The Bad the weather was pretty cold so did not brave the water park. ( I have to go back some time any excuse.)

 

The turkey shooter I have forgotten the name but is it supposed to be that hard to score ? Or were we just bad.

 

Still a bit jet lagged but thought i would type something whilst I remembered.

 

Stu K