samisthabomb Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 (edited) Sam's 2011 Coaster Season: 1) Texas Giant Bash - May 14, 2011 - See Below 2) Sandy Lake Amusement Park - May 15, 2011 - Pages 1 & 2 3) Six Flags Fiesta Texas - July 20, 2011 - HERE 4) Sea World San Antonio - July 21, 2011 5) East Texas State Fair - September 2011 6) Deep South Bash! - September 17, 2011 7) Six Flags Over Texas - October 2011 8) Red, White, and Blue Festival - November 2011 9) Canton Christmas Tree Farm - December 2011 -------------------------------------------------------------------- TEXAS GIANT BASH - MAY 14,2011 Wow, what a weekend! I'd like to start by thanking Robb for putting together such an awesome event. Everything from ERT to TPR Trivia was wonderful. And for anyone who hasn't gone to a TPR event before, GO NOW! I've never had so much fun in my life! The SFOT TR is going to be mainly text, but I do have a few pictures that I'll post at the end. Well, let's get started! From the minute I arrived at the park, I knew it was going to be a great day. We couldn't have asked for better weather. I started out the day with a few rides on the New Texas Giant, which was AMAZING by the way! After a few rides on that, we headed over to Titan for some more ERT goodness. At 10, we picked up our Flash Passes. Sadly, the line for Flash Passes had already developed into a human centipede, so we wound up missing Q&A On the bright side, the rest of the day was awesome! And guess what - FLUME 1 WAS OPEN!!! For those of you who don't know, this is a VERY rare occurrence. Anyways, TPR trivia was awesome, and night ERT was even better than morning ERT! Despite Shockwave breaking down, it was still an amazing night considering Texas Giant ERT was AMAZING. No lines whatsoever! Now for a few less general ride reviews: Titan: Oh my god, this ride was awesome! The 25-story first drop didn't disappoint, and the ride had a decent amount of air throughout its layout. The G's on the upward helix were insane! I couldn't get enough of this coaster. Mine Train: This family coaster packs quite a punch, especially for being one of the first steel coasters. The surprise drop got me every time, and the tunnels definitely upped the thrill level! Mini Mine Train: A smaller version of Mine Train. Pretty good for a classic kiddie coaster. Big Spin (Pandemonium): Pretty good coaster. The drops/helix can really take you by surprise, especially if you're facing backwards! And it actually spun Overall a great ride. Judge Roy Scream: The Judge is now the only wooden coaster at SFOT, and it sure is good! While it's nothing crazy (just an out-and-back coaster), it wasn't too rough and I even caught some air on a few of the hills! I feel like this classic coaster will be around for years to come. Batman: The Ride: To my surprise, Batman was running a lot rougher than it was last year. The first time I've ever gotten my head thrown around that much on a B&M. It wasn't bad, it was just more "meh" than I remember. Mr. Freeze: Freeze is AWESOME! The speedy launch is amazing. The top hat immediately following the launch was my favorite part of the ride. I loved the overbanked turn. After all of this was over, we got to do it all again - BACKWARDS! Premier really made a winner with this one! La Vibora: One of the three Intamin bobsleds in existence. La Vibora was actually running a lot smoother this season. While the brake runs hurt like hell in previous seasons, they were barely noticeable this weekend! Awesome ride. Flashback: Okay. I'm a Texas local, and I visit the park at least two times a year. I've actually avoided this ride for years because of the horrid reviews I read about it. Actually, this boomerang was pretty decent, but I won't be riding Flashback again anytime soon. Runaway Mountain: Since a few lights were actually on during my ride, I can back up the statement that Runaway Mountain is inspired by the Windstorm coasters. While it is a fairly short ride, it was pretty good. The helix was very forceful and the drop really catches you by surprise! Shockwave: Two words can sum up this ride: FREAKING AMAZING! For those of you who don't know, Shockwave still runs with lap bars only! There was plenty of airtime to be had on the hills, and the consecutive loops were packed with G's. Anton really did an awesome job on this coaster! New Texas Giant: Oh. My. God. NTAG was AWESOME!!! When Robb said that there were 14 moments of air on the ride, he sure as hell wasn't lying! It doesn't really matter where you sit. The first drop was one of the most intense drops I've ever experienced. The hill followed by the vertically-banked turn proved to be one of the most forceful parts of the ride! Another drop and vertical turn immediately followed. After this came the overbanked turn complete with head choppers, which was awesome! It almost felt as if you were going upside down. The hill right before the non-functional brake run was the most intense part of the ride. You seriously caught some amazing air! After the brakes came another drop and an airtime hill. Next was what I like to call the "surprise drop", since the airtime really surprised me! The remainder of the ride consisted of tunneled airtime hills, which were great. NTAG was definitely a re-ride! Definitely in my top 5. Now on to the pics! Welcome to Six Flags Over Texas! Judge Roy Scream is still a great coaster! The Judge turnaround... through the trees! First Drop of insane wooden awesomeness! Some lift hill porn for you guys. A view of the Judge's layout The Oil Derrick Observation Tower opened later in the day. SFOT from afar The Parachutes were open!!! Best day ever! Noted! One word - ouch! Heh. Happy 50th! Six Flags is officially "over the hill"! Shockwave lift Instant orgasm right there! Porn Titan was awesome! Judge at night! What a great day! Thanks to all who helped put it together. Sandy Lake up next! Edited August 14, 2011 by samisthabomb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sportsdude360 Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 So, I gather you liked NTAG then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skycoastin Steve Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 ^He liked it so much that it made it into every picture! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texcoaster Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 Glad to see that Judge wasn't "too rough." You must've ridden near the front. Two weeks ago I rode the back seat and experienced a ride awful enough to end my SFOT day early. Jackhammering almost as bad as SOB on every single drop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen G Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 Judge has taken over the job of "Paint Shaker The Ride" from Texas Gaint quite well, If you look you can see were they have started retracking, so far it only gose from the station up to the lift and in a few other spots. Im gald to hear every one got a ride on, Paper Clip the Ride "Mr Freeze". I wasent able to make it out to sandy lake but being another park I have grown up with I cant wait to see the photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samisthabomb Posted May 16, 2011 Author Share Posted May 16, 2011 Thanks for posting, everyone! So, I gather you liked NTAG then? Heck yes, it was great! I'll definitely be up there again soon to ride it Glad to see that Judge wasn't "too rough." You must've ridden near the front. Two weeks ago I rode the back seat and experienced a ride awful enough to end my SFOT day early. Jackhammering almost as bad as SOB on every single drop. I've ridden in the back before, and I agree that it really hurts. I did ride towards the front this time, and it was a decent ride. It all depends on where you sit. Judge has taken over the job of "Paint Shaker The Ride" from Texas Gaint quite well, If you look you can see were they have started retracking, so far it only gose from the station up to the lift and in a few other spots. Im gald to hear every one got a ride on, Paper Clip the Ride "Mr Freeze". I wasent able to make it out to sandy lake but being another park I have grown up with I cant wait to see the photos. I'm going to try and upload the pics this afternoon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the ghost Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 ^He liked it so much that it made it into every picture! HA! That took me a sec, but you're right... lol. : Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 ^He liked it so much that it made it into every picture! Dude, stop giving the kid crap...he's got PLENTY of photos of New Texas Giant in his report! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace Of Spades Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 ^I noticed that too, sharp eyes>obvious joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samisthabomb Posted May 16, 2011 Author Share Posted May 16, 2011 ^He liked it so much that it made it into every picture! Dude, stop giving the kid crap...he's got PLENTY of photos of New Texas Giant in his report! Sandy Lake![/u] We arrived at the park at about 11 Sunday morning. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by Sandy Lake's lineup and quality. While it is mainly a picnic grove and kiddie park, Sandy Lake has a few thrill rides, an awesome old dark ride, and a good little kiddie coaster! Ticket and refreshment prices were very reasonable. On to the pics! Welcome to Sandy Lake! Yay for random Statue of Liberty! This is one of the most messed up mini golf courses I have ever seen! Another view of the seriously messed up mini golf course The pool. It was really big! Sadly, it wasn't open yet. This was seriously the coolest arcade ever! Skee-ball Merlin's Mirror was one of the many unique games in the arcade. It was basically a coin operated funhouse mirror! Ziggy the Clown... creeping kids out for years! Galaga! The awesome antique love tester game! Now this was really cool! It was an old fashioned "Bowler Roller" game! Too bad I sucked at it. Jon failing at another awesome shooter game. Noted! The prize counter was definitely KidTums friendly! The arcade refreshment stand. Arcade refreshment stand exterior. Let's see what our furry friends are up to down at the Sandy Lake Barnyard! Birds being awesome. Gobble. Aawwww... They're just playing leap-frog, kids! The train conductor said this baby goat was only two weeks old. If it isn't obvious already, Sandy Lake has lots of land and a ton of things to do! We're almost to the rides area! Like I said, a lot of people have picnics at the park. I saw Jon come out of the bathroom looking like this. Obviously, I had to investigate! These were all over the wall! You gotta love open air restrooms. Getting closer... Part 2 (Rides Area) Coming Soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrandonR Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 A kid almost drowned under me at that Sandy Lake pool when I was a kid. The pool used to have these cinder block retaining walls separating the deep section from the shallow sections. The walls had square cutouts and apparently some kid stuck his arm through a hole while under water and couldn't get it out again. A lifeguard had to go down and basically break his arm to get him out. After some CPR I vaguely remember him coming back, but I don't remember ever going back there to swim! Sandy Lake is a very basic family park, so don't believe that you missed anything if you weren't able to make it there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samisthabomb Posted May 17, 2011 Author Share Posted May 17, 2011 Sandy Lake Part 2! These were the most intense bumper cars I have ever ridden! It was like "slick track bumper cars"! It's whoring time! Jon could barely fit. The Train. The conductor was very friendly and gave us a narrative tour of the park's history and some little fun facts about nature. Train Sign Rock-O-Plane Death Machine! I love it! You can do some really messed up things on this ride. The only ticket booth in the park! Prices While many parks got rid of these decades ago, Sandy Lake has kept their pony rides around. The kids seemed to love them! Rock-N-Roll The park's Merry-Go-Round Scrambler Kiddie Boat Ride Midge-O-Racer Bulgy the Whale Star Fighter The Tilt-A-Whirl, one of my favorite carnival rides! Spider Space Shuttle, a pretty unique swinging ship style ride. Paratrooper Zumur, the most intense swing ride I have ever ridden! I swear, I had more trouble keeping my hands up on this than I did on Titan's upward helix! The Little Dipper was a great little kiddie coaster! On the railroad tracks! The refreshments were very reasonably priced. Just in case you forgot where you were! Thur's a train a' comin'! Chugga chugga chugga chugga... CHOO FREAKIN' CHOO! And she's gone... People on the paddle boats. The Pretzel dark ride was really neat. I had a very long conversation with Jeff, the operator. He said he was 81 and has worked at the park for 17 years. We talked about everything from the weather to technical stats. I found out the ride was relocated from Tulsa, OK, and that there are still 2 original tricks on the ride! He gave us a lights-on tour of the ride, which was awesome! Creepin' Sign Train Close-Up! While the ride still had a few original tricks, the park did a good job of incorporating new props to keep the thrill level up! Also, Jeff had a wolf mask he used to scare the kids who came out thinking the ride wasn't scary! I'm pretty sure this is licensed! Overall, I had a wonderful weekend! More trip reports coming this summer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samisthabomb Posted May 17, 2011 Author Share Posted May 17, 2011 A kid almost drowned under me at that Sandy Lake pool when I was a kid. The pool used to have these cinder block retaining walls separating the deep section from the shallow sections. The walls had square cutouts and apparently some kid stuck his arm through a hole while under water and couldn't get it out again. A lifeguard had to go down and basically break his arm to get him out. After some CPR I vaguely remember him coming back, but I don't remember ever going back there to swim! Sandy Lake is a very basic family park, so don't believe that you missed anything if you weren't able to make it there. Actually, I'd say the dark ride is very unique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrandonR Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 A kid almost drowned under me at that Sandy Lake pool when I was a kid. The pool used to have these cinder block retaining walls separating the deep section from the shallow sections. The walls had square cutouts and apparently some kid stuck his arm through a hole while under water and couldn't get it out again. A lifeguard had to go down and basically break his arm to get him out. After some CPR I vaguely remember him coming back, but I don't remember ever going back there to swim! Sandy Lake is a very basic family park, so don't believe that you missed anything if you weren't able to make it there. Actually, I'd say the dark ride is very unique. If by unique you mean old. I think I had the same operator on it though when I was at the park about a month ago. He wore the wolf mask and nearly gave me a heart attack at the end of the ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samisthabomb Posted May 17, 2011 Author Share Posted May 17, 2011 ^That must have been Jeff! He told me that he never wears it anymore, though. The last time he wore it he got kicked in the face, so he just puts it over his hand now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrandonR Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 Yes he put it on his hand and stuck it in my face as soon as the ride's last doors opened. Easily the most scared I've been on any dark ride, especially because when you see the last set of doors with sunlight peeking through you tend to completely let your guard down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jojo19799 Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 Awesome pics Sam! This park reminds me of Little Amerricka. I truly wish I was able to go that day, but oh well. I'll be making a trip back to Texas in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samisthabomb Posted May 17, 2011 Author Share Posted May 17, 2011 ^You totally should! NTAG is worth a trip in itself. Tell me when so we can meet up or something! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cal1br3tto Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 I agree with most of your SFOT reviews, although I love their Batman and I also kinda like Flashback. I clearly missed a lot of Sandy Lake! But I did get to experience the legendary wolf mask, which was quite the fright! I'd love to return for a more complete visit at some point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joco07 Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Batman: The Ride: To my surprise, Batman was running a lot rougher than it was last year. The first time I've ever gotten my head thrown around that much on a B&M. It wasn't bad, it was just more "meh" than I remember. Batman was running really bad I would say worst B&M I have ever been on. I don't know what happened but it was running way better in 2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joco07 Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Also Mini Mine Train was running Astroworld's old Serpent train Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samisthabomb Posted May 19, 2011 Author Share Posted May 19, 2011 Batman: The Ride: To my surprise, Batman was running a lot rougher than it was last year. The first time I've ever gotten my head thrown around that much on a B&M. It wasn't bad, it was just more "meh" than I remember. Batman was running really bad I would say worst B&M I have ever been on. I don't know what happened but it was running way better in 2010 It wasn't the worst IMO, but it was definitely running rougher than 2010.It wasn't the worst IMO, but it was definitely running rougher than 2010. Also Mini Mine Train was running Astroworld's old Serpent train That was awesome! I agree with most of your SFOT reviews, although I love their Batman and I also kinda like Flashback. I clearly missed a lot of Sandy Lake! But I did get to experience the legendary wolf mask, which was quite the fright! I'd love to return for a more complete visit at some point. Be sure and wear a TPR shirt! I had 2 really great conversations with park employees just because of my shirt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenA07 Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 You know I've driven by Sandy Lake tons of times and always wondered if there was actually anything there. This thread has answered my question! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samisthabomb Posted July 17, 2011 Author Share Posted July 17, 2011 Hey guys! I've been away for some time now, and I'm finally going to some more parks! Those two parks will be SFFT and SeaWorld San Antonio. I'll be visiting them this week. But before I go, I have one quick question. I haven't been to SFFT since I was very young, so I'm not sure how to correctly sequence the rides in order to avoid terribly long lines. In other words, what should I do first? I'm thinking Superman at the moment, as I've heard the line can get pretty long for that. I'm going on a Tuesday, so crowds should be fairly light. So, what should I do right when the park opens? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jps294 Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 When I go to the park I head straight to Poltergiest, then Scream, since Rockville is dead in the opening of the park and Boardwalk is closed until noon. Next head to the Superman Area and then Rattler like the post above. But you should be fine since Texas is HOT everyday and most of the people are at water park any way, so during a weekday dont expect a lot of people unless there is an event! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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