Playland's Castaway Cove Discussion Thread

[Canobie Coaster]

I don't know whether to laugh at or feel sorry for this park.

 

I feel bad, but I'm not above laughing.

 

At least they got go karts and mini golf open.

[willh51]

Anyone ridden the newly rebuilt Gale Force?

[coneyislandchris]

^ To be honest I hadn't even realized it had reopened yet. I'll probably hit it the next time I'm coming back from Wildwood, but who knows when that will be.

[boldikus]

Anyone ridden the newly rebuilt Gale Force?

 

A friend (who is on this board but rarely posts) did the other day and took to FB to post about it. I don't believe he had ridden it prior to its retracking(?) but he did say something like he wasn't sure what just happened but he liked it.

[boldikus]

Gale Force is absolutely demented and everything I could have hoped for and then some. People seriously

think this is a bad coaster? We freaking loved it. Also that Miler they built around it is far far better than it has any right to be. Full report forthcoming.

[DBru]

^Looking forward to your report! I’ve been fascinated by Gale Force since it’s conception. It looks totally bonkers in the best way. So much more interesting to me that the Sky Rocket II models.

[coasterbill]

^^^ Yeah, again... trip report on the way but Brit and I rode with Boldikus and felt the same way.

 

Gale Force is awesome. It’s very smooth, the transitions are ridiculously wonky and awesome and overall the ride is nuts. I had no idea what to expect going in and it blew all of our expectations away.

 

And yeah, Wild Waves is great. It’s a Miller and reasonable expectations are key but for what it is it’s a total blast. We actually got some super fun pops of air and riding in what feels like a kiddy coaster train down full size coaster drops is just way too much fun.

 

Oh, and that “Tropical Storm” ride.... WHAT CRACK ADDICT DESIGNED THAT AND THOUGHT HUMANS SHOULD RIDE IT??? That ride is sick. I love it.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Haha, glad you guys liked Gale Force. I thought it was really fun myself, definitely one of the better ones on the Jersey Shore.

[Canobie Coaster]

^^ That describes Tropical Storm perfectly! I didn't realize a ride could spin so fast that it caused you to start lifting out of your seat, but Tropical Storm did that.

 

Glad Gale Force is riding well after they retracked the whole thing. Finally sounds like Playland has what they paid for at long last.

[larrygator]

Unfortunately, rumors are that Tropical Storm will be removed over the winter, but the rumor also says that it will be replaced by another first Technical Park ride in a US park - Aerobat. Hopefully, we hear at IAAPA in less than a month

[HeyItsKrabs]

That sucks if it does end up being true. Aerobat seems like a mix of Kong at Morey's and Air Race in the same park, so to lose this completely original flat to that kinda stinks.

[Canobie Coaster]

I'm hoping someone else buys Tropical Storm. Are there any others like it out there?

[larrygator]

If you want to pay half price for Gale Force (and other rides) next summer, you have to buy your tickets now during Playland Castaway Cove's Flash Sale. Tickets never expire , so you beat the price of inflation if the cost per ticket increases.

[boldikus]

 

Test Dummies Fall Off Roller Coaster at Jersey Shore Theme Park, Crash Into Hotel Roof

 

The vice president of a Jersey Shore amusement park insists that a roller coaster is safe more than a week after two test dummies fell out of it and crashed into the roof of a nearby hotel.

 

The incident occurred back on April 20 at Playland’s Castaway Cove in Ocean City, New Jersey. The GaleForce roller coaster was undergoing a routine safety check when two water-filled dummies fell off the ride and plummeted into the Ebb Tide Suites next door, damaging shingles and plywood.

 

No one was hurt during the incident. A roofer responded to the scene within an hour to make repairs and the test dummies were trashed, according to Brian Hartley, the Vice President of the theme park.

 

“It’s an unfortunate situation,” Hartley told NBC10. Hartley said the dummies had leaks that went undetected and they lost their mass and shape, causing them to fall.

 

“Obviously it’s not something that would ever happen with a person in it,” Hartley said. “You know you don’t lose rigidity in a person. The lap bar comes down. You’re secured in there.”

 

Hartley told NBC10 the ride is one hundred percent safe, despite the mishap. “The lap bar did not fail,” he said. “Nothing failed on the ride at all.”

 

The GaleForce undergoes about two hours of testing every day that it's in operation and has been open since the incident, according to Hartley.

 

“Safety is our top priority,” he said. “It’s something we do every single day. We’re checking the rides in and out. We’re going to have to do a better job at checking those tubes and making sure there’s no leaks obviously, before we send them out.”

[Canobie Coaster]

I guess there's no debate here, this ride has legit ejector airtime.

[DirkFunk]

The vice president of a Jersey Shore amusement park insists that a roller coaster is safe more than a week after two test dummies fell out of it and crashed into the roof of a nearby hotel.

 

I'm really excited right now for that new for 2024 attraction at Kennywood, Steel Curtain.

[Canobie Coaster]

I'm reading online that Gale Force is now offering 2 laps this year!

[I Like Theme Parks.]

I got a chance to ride Squadron 33 today. I think it’s a worthy replacement for Tropical Storm. When you get it flipping (which is pretty easy), it feels like a Power Surge on crack. When you’re not flipping it feels like a drunk enterprise. Since the whole ride tilts, it’s a ton of fun either way.

 

I also got a ride on Gale Force, and it was running way better than it did two years ago. It was giving El Toro/Skyrush-strength airtime, and it WENT AROUND TWICE!

 

I also got two rides on Wild Waves, and it had strong pops of airtime in the front, and milder, more sustained air in the back.

[Zand]

On the ride down to Wildwood I stopped here today and I have one question...why haven't I heard more about this place?!? The ride lineup is a total home run...honestly I'd argue the variety of what they have makes them real close to rivaling Moreys for best shore park. The way they fit so much into a small area is insane.

 

Gale Force...wow. I've never really seen it in top steel coaster lists but it's definitely now in mine. Launch isn't much to write home about (compared to a regular park...for a tiny place behind an arcade, it sure is) but then you go right into crazytown on that top hat. The ejector air at the top is crazy enough and then going beyond vertical on the drop gives the entire hill a good 3-4 seconds of ejector air. The 2nd hill gives some Steel Vengeance-esq ejector by outwardly banking the turn into the drop. The ride shakes quite a bit near the end but not terribly bad. The 2nd lap was just the cherry on top. After El Toro and Nitro, it's the 3rd best coaster in New Jersey.

 

Sometimes hitting the star attraction makes the rest of a park feel dull, but not here. Wild Waves puts up a fight against the old High Speed Thrill Coaster at Knoebels for best kiddie coaster. Fun amount of air pops along the course. Whirlwind was like the roller coaster version of a Tilt A Whirl but didn't spin all that much.

 

The flat selection here is just as amazing and they have every square inch filled up. Squadron 33 felt like the modern day answer to the Skydiver. Not quite as easy to control the spins but you can go across the bottom,upside down and pull some crazy negative Gs. High Seas was similar to a regular portable log flume but slightly different. Nothing special but fun. Ferris Wheel looks unassuming until they start running the Pirate Ship next door and it looks like it's going to plow into you. My first time on an Air Race and it's a good time. The bouncy ride (forget the name) was much more intense than a typical Kangaroo ride, almost nauseous coming off it. Double Shot tower was great as usual and getting two rides for one was nice.

 

Best part about this place is that it doesn't break the bank. Got all those rides on $45 with a few to spare at the end. Most of the rides are 4-5 tickets instead of 8-10 like Seaside and Moreys. This will absolutely be a must do stop everytime I go to Wildwood, just can't believe I haven't really heard much about it.

 

On the way down I also stopped at Seaside for the first time. Had a good time although not nearly as good as Ocean City. Skyride was closed unfortunately. Hydrus, Pirate's Hideaway, Shore Shot, and the Ferris Wheel once each ran me $35. Passed on the indoor Scrambler (8 tickets...WTF?). Hydrus fits nicely on that pier and is a fun ride but short. The Pirate Coaster was very boring but not as terrible as my low expectations expected.

 

If you have time then it's worth stopping for an hour...but if not then go right to Ocean City, without passing go and collecting $200.

Edited July 27, 2020 by Zand

[Canobie Coaster]

^ I agree Playland's Castaway Cove has a very underrated and unique lineup.

[coasterbill]

Agreed on most points... except the part about it not being hilariously expensive.

[Zand]

Agreed on most points... except the part about it not being hilariously expensive.

 

I mean...it is. But in comparison to Moreys and Seaside where the rides cost 2-4 more tickets each and then you have to buy way more tickets to start getting a "discount", it doesn't hit quite as hard. In fairness to Seaside they have (expensive) wristbands every day so if you're planning on riding a lot you have that option. At Moreys if you didnt buy a wristband preseason you're screwed, although their wristbands are pretty expensive anyway. Guess you can't go to the shore expecting Knoebels type prices lol.

 

That said, I did nothing for 4 months and it's way too damn hot to go to Great Adventure and stand in long lines so I don't mind paying more for a more fun beach side experience with less crowds.

[bill_s]

I agree also this place is amazing. However most of the flats look too intense/dizzying for me so it wouldn't keep me occupied real long. That was fine for swinging by at night on my way home from GrAdv but also there is a beach and lots else to do around there. I came into town around 8:30 and was actually chilly at first with my sunburn. Parking at a meter with some time left on it was $2.50 (card). I got the 50 tickets for $38 which got me 2 rides on the 2 larger coasters, Whirlwind and the Fun House. Lines for the big coasters were a bit long at what was probably the peak of the whole day, but got better by 10:00.

 

Gale Force is one of the most insane coasters I've ridden. I don't think it technically has any inversions. It concentrates on the beyond vertical into ejector air twists like the the beginning of a Skyrocket 2 in front row, except more intense and in several variations. The back row was borderline painful but just right as my last ride. The vest restraints are essential and look just like the 4D's but although the car looks awkward from the ground you feel like in a sports car sitting almost on the floor. The launches are interesting, the first 2 are very measured but the 3rd is full out to send you over, and then coming back through another of those sends you around again.

 

Wild Waves answers if you took the kiddy coaster track and took it to its limits. The cars are roomy though, 6 riders total per train. I hear front row is good, back row was, but middle was merely OK. It alternates with Gale Force as it wraps around it, you hear Gale launch as soon as you hit the brake run.

 

A negative compared to Morey's is I wan't really aware of being next to ocean while riding, with being behind a building and the boardwalk, a large illumination differential, plus the large elements on Gale all turning you around, in contrast to the GNE facing all its inversions oceanwards.

 

The Fun House was repetitive, but interesting, all about trying to make you fall down with the railings the only thing preventing skinned knees.

[boldikus]

Ruh roh

https://6abc.com/4-alarm-fire-erupts-at-ocean-city-boardwalk/10154162/

OCEAN CITY, New Jersey (WPVI) -- A large 4-alarm fire has erupted in Ocean City, New Jersey.

The Action Cam showed firefighters battling the flames on the Boardwalk at 10th Street

Viewer video showed heavy flames and black smoke rising over the boardwalk. Firefighters could be seen dousing the flames on top of building near Steel's Fudge and Preps Pizzeria & Dairy Bar.

Fire crews could be heard yelling at passersby, "Folks, you got to stay back!"

Action News is working to gather more information as this story develops.

 

 

[Zand]

Is that the same building as the entrance arcade?