Photo TR: Credit Run in the Northeast

[Canobie Coaster]

It's cool to see this park is still around. The first time(and only) I was there was as a kid in the late 1960's. Boy has it changed. Nice report.

 

Did the park even have rides back then? Hopefully they were just as festive in the 60s as they are now.

 

Woah Woah Woah time out... they actually have a ride called the "Yule Log Flume". They'll be getting a call from my lawyers immediately. That was my idea and I was planning on licensing it to Six Flags Great Adventure for Holiday in the Park for a nominal fee of approximately 17 million dollars per year. (as soon as I find some lawyers).

 

Haha except I think the ride has been around longer than you have.

 

Cool report. Interesting to check out all these random places that are mostly off my radar. Thanks for sharing!

 

Philly isn't that far away. You should definitely try these parks sometime. Roar-o-Saurus justifies the trip to NH.

 

Thanks for sharing all of the pictures. Just getting caught up on this now. I did not know that Funtown/Splashtown had great bumper cars when I visited so I unfortunately skipped those.

 

I didn't realize Roarasaurus was as large as it is - definitely need to stop and check it out as I really enjoyed Wooden Warrior.

 

You should post a selfie so we can put a face to the screen name. It's nice to know who is talking to you

 

David

 

The fact that they give a 5 minute cycle makes it a win. But add in the speedy cars and the fact that they allow head on collisions and you have something special. Roar-o-Saurus is compact, so it's really impressive they fit the double out and back layout with as many hills as it has.

 

As for the photo, I'll keep you in mystery.

[CoasterRench]

Love the report and the pictures, I have never been up this way or even really considered it. After seeing some of the pictures, the parks look very interesting, might have to find an excuse to make my way to some of these parks. Thanks for sharing.

[prozach626]

I kind of thought this was going to be a TR full of crappy portable dragon coasters, but a lot of these parks looked pretty fun.

[Canobie Coaster]

Love the report and the pictures, I have never been up this way or even really considered it. After seeing some of the pictures, the parks look very interesting, might have to find an excuse to make my way to some of these parks. Thanks for sharing.

 

Come for Wicked Cyclone, Superman, and Boulder Dash, stay for the unique family parks.

 

I kind of thought this was going to be a TR full of crappy portable dragon coasters, but a lot of these parks looked pretty fun.

 

I haven't gotten a chance to visit Atlantic Beach Park and Ocean Beach Park yet. That's where the cruddy little dragon coasters will come from. A goal for 2017!

[cfc]

^Perhaps the "creepy elf experience" is an upcharge.

[Canobie Coaster]

^Perhaps the "creepy elf experience" is an upcharge.

 

TPR should come back and get ERT.

[Canobie Coaster]

Marshfield Fair

 

My trips didn't include just amusement parks. My next two stops were a carnival and a zoo. I don't discriminate against any establishment containing a roller coaster. This update covers the Marshfield Fair, one of the largest carnivals in Massachusetts.

 

It had been several years since I had been to the Marshfield Fair, but it was just as I remembered- a massive midway of flats, rigged carnival games, artery clogging food, farm animals, and a satisfying demolition derby.

 

Fiesta Shows provided the midway like most carnivals I've come across in Massachusetts. They have some large flats such as the Fireball (which of course they consider a coaster), Zipper, Freak Out (frisbee), Vertigo (mini star flyer), and multiple himalaya-style flats. Unfortunately, the flume didn't make an appearance this year, which would have been much appreciated on the 90 degree day.

 

As far as coasters, they had a mini Orient Express (I got that credit when I was 3 so I was all set haha) and their brand new SBF Spinning Coaster. They were having problems with the Spinning Coasters as the lift motor kept overheating, so they had to run the ride at half capacity for a chunk of the day. When it was running, it was a pretty fun ride. I just wish Fiesta had a larger coaster to round out their midway. They used to have one of those Fabbri Pole Position spinning coasters, but they had problems with it and got rid of it.

 

Onto the photos!

This was a crazy himalaya. Arctic Blast had powerful laterals, some air time, ran forwards and backwards, and had an insanely long cycle (it lasted 2 full songs = 7ish minutes).

Bacon on a stick!

Barney on a stick!

I prefer the unnatural stuff, like things that don't seem possible to deep fry.

The most popular event at the fair was the demolition derby.

Looks like a successful derby. The winning car could only move a few feet at the end, but it was more than the other cars.

The whole crowd acted like savages, cheering whenever a car flipped over or was t-boned. Me included.

Drown the (Rude) Clown is the most profitable game at the fair in my opinion. An incredibly rude clown heckles insults at people walking by and incites the crowd to pay to dunk him. No one is safe from his insults; he looks for the young, the nerdy, the fat, the old, the dumb, the young, etc.

Yes they called this a coaster...

Freak Out was the most popular ride. While everything else was a walk-on, this had a half hour wait towards the end of the day. This is still one of the most intense frisbees out there.

There's also the good ole kiddie coaster and a mechanical bull.

Marshfield Fair 2016! Fiesta Shows provided the midway.

Good luck making it to the top when the footholds disappear and the ones you do have are greased.

This ride started off tame, but the second half was fast, powerful, and nauseating.

And I'll leave you with this shot of the midway and the demolition derby arena.

The newest ride on the midway actually counts as a coaster in my book. Great fun for its size.

More spinning.

The slide was a disappointment. Usually they lube these up quite well, but this one was dry and slow.

There were also flowers and other natural stuff.

I went with Thanksgiving on a bun and felt like a turkey after.

Even more spinning.

Yes you guessed it, more spinning.

[Canobie Coaster]

Granby Zoo

 

For the longest time, I had wanted to make it to Montreal to visit one of the largest parks near me that I hadn't visited, La Ronde. On Labor Day weekend, I finally decided to make the trek across the border. On the way there I made a pit stop at a park that (as far as I can tell) has not had a trip report of it, the Granby Zoo.

 

Primarily a zoo, and a huge one at that, the park also has a water park and an amusement area themed to Johnny Test. I remember watching Johnny Test on Saturday morning cartoons back in middle school, but the series only lasted 2 or 3 seasons with little fanfare. I'm kind of shocked the series got an entire amusement area themed to it, but maybe the IP is more popular in Canada. Anyway, the area is home to some standard carnival rides (swinging ship, ferris wheel, bumper cars, kiddie rides), a train, and a solid family coaster in Python Panique. It should be noted that the coaster is an additional upcharge.

 

Python Panique is a L&T Systems compact coaster formerly known as Anaconda. As far as family coasters go, it's a pretty fun coaster. The first drop is decently fast and the ride is mostly smooth except for the final turn which jackhammered really badly. Once I knew it was coming, I could brace myself appropriately and not smash my knees. The park gave two laps per ride and the ride was a walk-on for both of my rides.

 

One other interesting attraction at the zoo was a monorail named the Orient Express that traveled through about half the zoo. It was a dream come true since I could see all the animals from above without expending any energy in the grueling heat. The park also stopped the monorail in a few spots (like above the tigers) to allow everyone better looks and time to take some photos.

 

A final note is that all employees that I came across were bilingual in both French and English. Despite my bumbling attempts at French, I ultimately had to use English for most interactions.

These water slides were the zoo's newest attraction.

What on earth is this thing?

These bumper cars were some of the fastest and hardest hitting I've come across. Only downside was the few riders.

The Granby Zoo! I could have taken a closer photo, but I prioritized getting into the park.

Unfortunately the Johnny Test amusement area opened 2 hours after the rest of the park.

Didn't get a chance to ride it, but I imagine this wheel could give decent views of the zoo-side.

Most rides were free, but the roller coaster, swinging ship, and monorail were all upcharges.

Until the amusement area opened, I took a ride on the Orient Express monorail.

More zoos should get these. This was an incredibly awesome and lazy way to see the animals.

The park gives two laps per ride.

I say relatively since the final turn for whatever reason had nonstop jackhammering. Every other part was glass smooth.

As far as family coasters go, this was a solid ride. Nice first drop and relatively smooth.

Enough with the animals, time for the main attraction, the Python Panique family coaster.

The zoo side was one of the best zoos I've visited. The animals were separated into their native lands.

My favorite exhibit was the partially above, partially underwater hippos.

I really liked how the monorail paused in this area to allow for better pictures.

The non-carnivores also had huge habitats, many of which were shared with multiple species.

The swinging ship was probably the park's most thrilling ride.

[The Great Zo]

Have really enjoyed this report so far. Good to see some parks that aren't on the normal circuit.

 

I have family in New Hampshire and spent many summer days at Santa's Village and Story Land when I was younger. My first visits to Story Land were long enough ago that Bamboo Shoots didn't yet exist, though I'd grow to love it in the mid 90s! I got wet on Dr. Geyser's, lost a hat on Rudy's Rapid Transit, earned one of my earliest coaster credits on Polar Coaster, and to this day I'm upset that Voyage to the Moon no longer exists. It's been fun to revisit a couple parks I'm less likely to venture to as an adult, though Roar-o-Saurus is tempting!

 

All the fried stuff at the fair, though, I can do without!

[Blatch]

Well, Johnny Test lasted for a lot longer than 2 seasons, but at least it got us a good-looking coaster.

[Canobie Coaster]

Have really enjoyed this report so far. Good to see some parks that aren't on the normal circuit.

 

I have family in New Hampshire and spent many summer days at Santa's Village and Story Land when I was younger. My first visits to Story Land were long enough ago that Bamboo Shoots didn't yet exist, though I'd grow to love it in the mid 90s! I got wet on Dr. Geyser's, lost a hat on Rudy's Rapid Transit, earned one of my earliest coaster credits on Polar Coaster, and to this day I'm upset that Voyage to the Moon no longer exists. It's been fun to revisit a couple parks I'm less likely to venture to as an adult, though Roar-o-Saurus is tempting!

 

All the fried stuff at the fair, though, I can do without!

 

Unfortunately Voyage to the Moon closed before I was brave enough to ride it. That massive cannon freaked 5 year old me out. Now that dome just doesn't look right without the cannon. I've seen YouTube videos of it but I still regret not riding it.

 

I love fried food but it doesn't love me back i

 

Well, Johnny Test lasted for a lot longer than 2 seasons, but at least it got us a good-looking coaster.

 

It went even longer in Canada, but it's still a weird IP to me. Is that apple core guy from the show?

[OmnipotentSeal]

Does the python panique have constant onboard whip sound effect noises? That would give it the ultimate Johny test theming!

[cfc]

I always like seeing TRs about places I know nothing about--thanks for sharing.

[TheCoasterKid211]

I'm sorry, but the eyes... oh my God....

[Canobie Coaster]

^ Wow I missed those the first time. I was too distracted by the Apple Core mascot.

 

Does the python panique have constant onboard whip sound effect noises? That would give it the ultimate Johny test theming!

 

No soundtrack. I actually can't recall any music being played in the theme park area.

[ElectricUncleSam]

Quick question, and I get so many different answers on this, so I might as well go to one of the biggest Canobie-heads on TPR- Is it pronounced can-ah-bee or ken-oh-bee.

[SFOG1991]

Quick question, and I get so many different answers on this, so I might as well go to one of the biggest Canobie-heads on TPR- Is it pronounced can-ah-bee or ken-oh-bee.

According to everyone I talked to when I visited the park, it is "can-ah-bee" ...I was calling it "ken-oh-bee" and I still can't get used to the right way.

[Canobie Coaster]

I use can-uh-bee but also hear can-oh-bee frequently.

[coasterbill]

It's fahkin Cahnabee, home of the fahkin 80 foot stahblastah, antique cahs, a classic cahtapillah, some of the most wicked pissah dawdjums you'll evah see and the most ovahrated fahkin wood coastah evah.

[michaellynn4]

It's fahkin Cahnabee, home of the fahkin 80 foot stahblastah, antique cahs, a classic cahtapillah, some of the most wicked pissah dawdjums you'll evah see and the most ovahrated fahkin wood coastah evah.

 

 

Soooooo true. All of it. This right here. Go home now, nothing else more to say.

[boldikus]

It's fahkin Cahnabee, home of the fahkin 80 foot stahblastah, antique cahs, a classic cahtapillah, some of the most wicked pissah dawdjums you'll evah see and the most ovahrated fahkin wood coastah evah.

 

[Canobie Coaster]

It's fahkin Cahnabee, home of the fahkin 80 foot stahblastah, antique cahs, a classic cahtapillah, some of the most wicked pissah dawdjums you'll evah see and the most ovahrated fahkin wood coastah evah.

 

Whoa whoa whoa how dare you talk down on the mighty Yankee Cannonball.

 

The ride holds a special place in my heart since it was my first wooden coaster, but I'll admit it's really just a 7/10 ride. The ride has always been a little tempermental in terms of the airtime. I have gotten 10/10 rides on it in the past in the very back (before the recent retracking), but I also had some rides without any air.

[Canobie Coaster]

La Ronde

 

Of all the parks on my "Credit Run", La Ronde was the park I was most looking forward to. Despite having a Six Flags season pass, I had never made the trek to Montreal for this interesting park. My day was very much a mixed bag. Goliath was excellent and the park has a great collection of flats. However, despite lacking "Six Flags" in the name, La Ronde made up for it with piss poor operations and head-scratching operations.

 

My day began with the line from hell. For those of you who follow the La Ronde thread, you may have seen my post about how I had a 90 minute wait just to enter the park. Actually back track, this was after 30 minutes sitting in traffic since the park was located on an island with one road in. So from the moment my car touched the bridge that is literally above the park, it took me 2 hours to get inside the front gate. Now I knew Labor Day weekend would be busy, but I made the poor assumption more than just 3 metal detectors would be open.

 

Despite the hellish line entering the park, the park didn't seem overly crowded. However, I bought a Gold Level Flash Pass, which was surprisingly cheap at only ~$30 US dollars, since the line to get in sucked up a decent chunk of the day. I immediately went for Goliath and absolutely loved it. The layout may be extremely basic with hill after hill, but I loved it. The ride had fantastic floater air on every single hill, especially in the back seat. I made sure to ride Goliath several times since it was easily the park's star attraction. Vampire made for a nice sidekick. I had the opportunity to experience the backwards train at Great Adventure a few years ago and was excited to experience it again. With the backwards train, it's definitely one of the most intense coasters out there.

 

I racked up the rest of the credits as best I could in a shortened day. Super Manege was actually quite fun and I didn't have any headbanging since my head was above the headrest. The Boomerang was one of the smoother ones I've been on. Dragon was a really fun family coaster and the 45 minute wait included the most realistic looking cobwebs and spider theming I've ever seen. No wait those were real... Cobra was unfortunately closed; I knew I'd hate the ride since stand-ups aren't my favorite, but I still wanted to experience an Intamin stand-up despite the lackluster reviews I've seen. Toboggan Nordique wasn't on Flash Pass and looked to have an hour wait. No thank you, I'd rather ride Goliath. And the SLC looked great, but was as painful as always.

 

Le Monstre was an impressive looking "dueling" coaster. Not sure if the ride ever dueled, but the park timed their dispatches such that the trains were no where close to each other. They also had two trains on the right side, but just one on the left side, which caused the left to move at a snail's pace since it's a long ride. Of course, the Flash Pass was only good for the left track. I managed to try both sides (came back for the right at night when the line was 15-20 min) and enjoyed the right side up front. The back was pretty bumpy in the back like any Six Flags wooden coaster not named El Toro.

 

During the day, I wanted to eat using my season dining pass. Like any other Six Flags park, I grabbed my food, waited in a 20 minute line to pay, and handed the cashier my season pass. I had blank stares. I thought it was my poor attempts at French, but nope. Unlike all the other Six Flags parks, I had to get coupons from guest relations at the front of the park to use my dining pass. That was an annoying hiccup since I had to wait in line again for the food, but at least I could make up for it by getting poutine!

 

I will definitely be back someday since the good rides definitely outweigh the spotty operations. I had to skip too many of the flats and missed some of the credits. Plus I didn't get a chance to visit Montreal at all and I've heard it's a very unique city. But for now I have a lot of photos of the endless line and some rides.

Speaking of Boomerangs, this one didn't suck.

Or the sky coaster.

The park also had an awesome flat collection. Like the crazy top-spin thing.

I mean look at this realistic theming in the line.

This was a fun family coaster.

Can't say the same for this Vekoma.

Goliath was excellent. Tons of strong floater air. Some may say the layout is boring, but I loved the endless array of hills.

After that line, I needed some Goliath to cheer up.

If I had time, the wheel likely would have given comparable views of downtown Montreal.

Gravitor sounds like a superhero villain.

La Ronde, I will definitely be back. Despite the operations, the ride selection (specifically Goliath, Vampire, and the awesome flats) is worth returning for.

I love the guy taking the selfie. Can you find him?

Obligatory park entrance shot.

But at least it was pretty to look at. By the way, the Pizza Pizza observation tower was closed all day and stuck halfway up.

For all the awesome flats La Ronde had, Manitou was inexplicably bad. This is really the max height that it swings. Thank goodness Titan is coming next year.

Any park with a monorail gets bonus points with me, but alas I had to skip it like many things due to time constraints.

Le Monstre was a beautiful ride to look at, but this "dueling" coaster didn't duel.

It was a fun ride up front, but how did this win? It's far from the best coaster in its own park!

I've never seen a train with wings before. PS- Six Flags, this is the perfect opportunity to wrap Red Bull on the train.

Note the lack of the train on the left side. The right side had 2 trains while the left side only had 1 train running, which made that side run at a snail's pace.

Or the S&S space shot with a sudden, quiet launch that pauses 2/3 of the way up, completely ejects you, and then launches the vehicle downwards. Best space shot tower I've come across.

If only this were the Knoebels Phoenix instead.

Or the Knoebels flyers.

Or the Knoebels flume.

I was expecting pain but actually enjoyed this coaster.

Better than the standard Arrow corkscrew or Boomerang.

Unfortunately I had to skip the mouse due to time. And yes I was waiting for the kiddie coaster until I saw the sign saying adults must have a child with them. I don't stoop that low.

Here's Eripmav. Wow that actually sounds French.

Something looks wrong about this photo.

Backwards Vampire is one of the most intense coasters out there.

The non Sky Screamer star flyer.

90 minutes later I would be in the park. Also note how the people in front of me change throughout these photos. Almost as if there was line jumping...

Finally at the end! And of course not all of the metal detectors were open.

Is that itty bitty flag in the distance really where the entrance is?

Yes

Six Flags uses all of their shade for a switchback to get in the park.

Or Knoebels in general since this would never happen there.

I still can't believe this was the line to get in.

I regret ever doing this to peeps in Roller Coaster Tycoon.

[coasterbill]

Wait wait wait wait wait... you had ONE DAY in Montreal (possibly the coolest city in North America) and spent it at that garbage theme park without even visiting the city? I'm so sorry. I was going to make a joke but I can't. I'm just sorry...

[Canobie Coaster]

I don't regret my decision and will go back to Montreal another time.

 

Though I think border patrol agrees I was crazy to just go to Montreal for La Ronde. When I tried crossing back to the US at night, they asked why I only spent one day in Canada and my purpose for visiting. When I said La Ronde, the officer couldn't believe I drove all that way for the park. They then proceeded to thoroughly search my entire trunk, which of course had my gym bag, work bag, travel bag, and a shovel (you can never be too prepared in New England)... That was an interesting experience and a lot more difficult coming back from Niagara Falls.