Photo TR: Canobie Coaster's World Adventures

[PKI Jizzman]

Sounds like a really fun day! The thought of going on a Saturday and having to wait an hour between rides detered me from going, but I do want to check out the water park, Thunderbird, and Voyage since I have such fond memories of it.

[Canobie Coaster]

I really need to get back to this park. I only visited this once and it was a cold rainy day. The day before we were at KK and it was a beautiful sunny fun day. We did not get good rides on Voyage. I kept expecting a bigger better version of Shivering Timbers but what I got was a boss like ride. It was unbearable. But the Voyage is always ranked so high and with me loving Hades 360, Ravine FlyerII and Mine Blower I really need to give it a second chance. Glad you had a great time at an empty park

 

Honestly there were shorter waits on this day than at HoliWood Nights!

 

Sounds like a really fun day! The thought of going on a Saturday and having to wait an hour between rides detered me from going, but I do want to check out the water park, Thunderbird, and Voyage since I have such fond memories of it.

 

The water park wasn't open yet when I was there, so I'm unclear how swamped that side will be this year. I do want to check out Cheetah Chase at some point!

[tuxedomask5432]

I LOVE Holiday World's Rain policy. I had the opportunity to experience this 8 years ago for my 30th birthday Wow has it been that long already? But these rides are something else when the tracks are all wet. I am in the camp that LOVES Legend, and I put it above Raven. I understand the first drop has been changed since I went, but I loved that part and especially the double helix of death. I feel like you're going to be ripped out sideways at any moment. I wasn't anticipating airtime either, but it was definitely there! And voyage, became my number one wooden coaster that day

[Canobie Coaster]

I LOVE Holiday World's Rain policy. I had the opportunity to experience this 8 years ago for my 30th birthday Wow has it been that long already? But these rides are something else when the tracks are all wet. I am in the camp that LOVES Legend, and I put it above Raven. I understand the first drop has been changed since I went, but I loved that part and especially the double helix of death. I feel like you're going to be ripped out sideways at any moment. I wasn't anticipating airtime either, but it was definitely there! And voyage, became my number one wooden coaster that day

 

Voyage was running fantastic, especially since the MCBR brake was barely on. That may have been since Voyage was cycling trains that were mostly empty.

[anonymouscactus]

Spent the last hour reading your posts from back in February to now. Not sure why I always catch this thread in giant chunks but I'm enjoying every bit of it! Thanks for all the photos, info, and reviews! If I can't visit the parks, I can at least read about them.

[Canobie Coaster]

Spent the last hour reading your posts from back in February to now. Not sure why I always catch this thread in giant chunks but I'm enjoying every bit of it! Thanks for all the photos, info, and reviews! If I can't visit the parks, I can at least read about them.

 

You're welcome!

[cfc]

I've had great rides on Voyage in the springtime--early in the season. Later in the year, though, it can get brutal. I'd like to see RMC do something with this ride, as I love the idea of a wild ride in the woods.

 

I think the two best rides at Holiday World are Mammoth and Wildebeest.

[Canobie Coaster]

^ While I know RMC would have a field day with a layout like the Voyage, I'd rather see Holiday World continue to retrack the Voyage in pieces and invest in newer attractions. Even when I've ridden Voyage in September, I've never found it rough.

[Canobie Coaster]

Indiana Beach

 

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Indiana Beach reopened in 2020 as a rare brightspot for the amusement industry in a year marred by shutdowns and delayed ride openings.

 

I had only visited Indiana Beach once in 2017 and I did not have the best experience. This was during Apex’s ownership and my visit was marred by ride closures. Half the rides never opened and those that did had countless issues. The lasting memory of that trip is 5 of the 6 roller coasters sitting closed by the end of the night.

 

But I saw the park’s potential. It has a wonderful setting on Lake Shafer and the ride collection was extremely unique. It was just clear that the park needed some TLC. And my 2020 visit showed Indiana Beach's true potential.

 

Thank you Gene Staples for saving the park (yes that's actually him on Lost Coaster)!

Indiana Beach is proof that you can never run out of space.

 

In 2017, I was only able to get two rides on Cornball Express since the ride had issues with the trains. But those two rides were enough to vault Cornball Express into my top 10. So I was excited to get double digit rides on Cornball Express.

 

Cornball has the stats of a family coaster, but the buzz bar restraints help make Cornball Express an airtime machine. Cornball was running slower than it was in 2017, but most hills still delivered strong airtime. It just didn't hold its speed well in between those airtime hills. Cornball was still my favorite coaster in the park, but it's no longer in my top 10. 8.5 out of 10

 

Cornball wraps around rides, buildings, and pathways.

One of the most underrated coaster drops out there. Great airtime and lateral combo!

So many funky supports at this park!

 

Compare that to Hoosier Hurricane. The coaster is taller and faster than Cornball Express. It also has buzz bars. So on paper it should be great. But it is not. Outside of the retracked first drop that gave a tiny bit of airtime in the back row, Hoosier Hurricane had zero airtime. And it's sort of perplexing.

 

I can't think of another out-and-back coaster that holds its speed as well as Hoosier Hurricane, yet manages to deliver no airtime. The best part of the ride by far is the abrupt kink to the right atop the second hill on the return leg that gives some strong laterals. And the best aspect of the coaster are the fantastic views it provides of the park.

 

Hoosier Hurricane was quite bumpy on the far turnaround, but outside of that, it was decently smooth. It just didn't offer the thrills I wanted. 4 out of 10

 

Such a pretty coaster.

Thankfully CCI learned how to create airtime on their later designs.

 

Yet another instance of size not mattering is Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain. This ride feels like riding a shopping cart down a cobblestone road. I know that doesn't sound flattering, but I mean that in the best way possible. Lost Coaster is so wrong that it works.

 

The ride tracks poorly. But the trains are your friend. Those claustrophobic cages are extremely well padded and you'll be thrown around the car uncontrollably. The turns are tighter than those on a wild mouse, producing violent laterals. The drops are sudden, especially if you're riding backwards.

 

And you also have some theming elements in the mountain, but really this coaster is all about the bizarre trackwork. I found myself laughing uncontrollably on most rides how this coaster that travels no faster than 20 mph was having me hold on for dear life. 8.5 out of 10

 

Does that trackwork look normal? Not even RMC would try something that crazy.

Having recently rewatched Temple of Doom, these trains definitely gave me vibes of that mine cart chase.

 

The premier steel coaster is Steel Hawg, the prototype El Loco. And this ride was very temperamental. After the ride was evacuated on the mid-course brake run in my last visit, the coaster opened late due to brake issues.

 

When it opened, I was treated to a fun, but slightly disappointing ride. That beyond-vertical first drop should be amazing, but the trim brake ruins the airtime. Instead, the strength of this coaster is the incredible hangtime on the two inversions. 6.5 out of 10

 

I also died laughing after cresting the lift. Someone had spray painted "Replace" with a giant arrow pointing to one of the bolts. Oh how I wish I could have whipped my camera out to capture that odd label.

 

Steel Hawg had performance issues.

This coaster is tucked off in the corner all by itself.

If this coaster had the lap bars like the Adventuredome version, the hangtime would have been extra freaky.

 

Speaking of odd signage, I want to point out the hypocritical Carp Feeding Station.

 

You think you could feed carp at a carp feeding exhibit.

But the sign says not to feed the carp. I'm so confused.

 

The last coaster is Tig'rr, the Schwarzkopf Jet Star. This was actually a new credit for me since this was one of the many rides closed in my 2017 visit. And it was decent. The car slowly meandered about for a majority of the ride, but the two largest drops and subsequent low-to-the-ground, high speed turns were quite intense. 6 out of 10

 

How do you pronounce this? Tiger or Tigger?

 

But Indiana Beach is so much more than just coasters. This park has a bizarre non-coaster lineup. Let's start with the Den of Lost Thieves, the park's shooting dark ride. First, it's only allowed to operate with one adult per car. That's not a social distancing requirement. That's a weight thing.

 

Second, the clearances on this ride are extremely tight. I had to duck during the initial ascent to avoid hitting my head on the ceiling. And later in the ride, I accidentally banged my gun off the ceiling. The latter may explain why it seemed near impossible to hit any targets. 2 out of 10

 

The Den of Lost Points.

 

Another bizarre attraction is the park's Double Shot. For one, it's located in the corner past the park's dated water park. Second, the launch was unlike any other S&S tower I've ridden. Usually the S&S launch towers raise slightly during the pre-lift and hold that position until you launch.

 

On Double Shot, you raise to the familiar position. But then you slowly lower all the way back down to the ground. I though the ride was broken. But all of the sudden you launch. I had always heard this tower had incredibly strong airtime, but it was about on par with the other S&S double shots. This one did have a great view of Lake Shafer though. 6 out of 10

 

I love the lack of a topper. It gives me vibes of Roller Coaster Tycoon when I used to launch people to their fiery death.

Speaking of that dated water park, check out the laziest lazy river I've ever seen.

 

One of the sleeper hits for me was the Water Swings. These may look like your ordinary Chance Yo-Yo swings, but Indiana Beach runs their version like a bat out of hell. When the ride starts tilting, you come dangerously close to smacking the other swings. It sort of gave me the frightening feeling when you get a good snap on a flyer. 9 out of 10

 

Several of Indiana Beach's flats are built over the water. I approve.

 

Another Chance flat I loved was the Falling Star. Usually this ride has a "No Single Rider" rule due to the ride's laterals. But the one at Indiana Beach allows single riders, so I had a great time sliding back and forth across my own seat. 7 out of 10

 

I had a much better experience on this one than the one at Adventureland. Let's just say I was paired with a child last year that made it a bit uncomfortable for me.

 

I also love Dr. Frankenstein's Haunted Castle. This upcharge haunt reminds me of the ones you find all across Europe. There are no live scare actors, but there are a lot of triggered animationics. But there are two effects that I want to highlight.

 

The first is the door room. You enter this circular room with roughly a dozen doors. And you need to figure out which door is the way out. Some lead to dead ends. Other circle back into the door room. It's downright evil and comical at the same time.

 

The second effect I want to point out is the final room. Let's just say few rides have ever had me screaming louder. This effect is genuinely terrifying. Look down if you dare. 9 out of 10

 

Which door do I take?

Look down if you dare. I promise it'll scare you.

 

The last thing I want to touch on are the covid-19 measures (or lack there of) that Indiana Beach has implemented for the 2020 season. My visit occurred a week after they opened.

 

My visit to Indiana Beach felt the most normal of any of my 2020 park visits thus far. Rides were loading every single row and I never saw a ride cleaned. That even included the guns on the shooting dark ride. The only enforced safety measures the park implemented were temperature screenings and reservations, although the later has since been eliminated.

 

Yes it is true that few guests wore masks. And social distance markers were supposed to be present, but the ride operator at the Ferris Wheel informed me many of them washed away in a recent rainstorm. That explained why the only visible ones were in covered queue lines. I have no clue if these markers were re-added sometime after my visit.

 

But I was able to stay spaced apart for the most part. To be socially distant, the same strategy I used in Myrtle Beach worked at Indiana Beach. If other guests saw me wearing a mask, they tended to respect my distance. That was especially helpful in the Lost Coaster queue which is just a series of tight switchbacks. To get more space, I chose to queue on the midway a few times and the other guests were completely understanding when they saw my mask.

 

Can you find a mask in this photo? I have no idea if you can.

 

I'm glad Indiana Beach was rescued from the dead so I could experience this park in full. This park has a really unique mix of coasters and non-coasters combined with a great setting and lovely boardwalk atmosphere. I really hope this park is able to grow in the future. And there already appear to be two new rides on the way!

 

I'm guessing this came from Coney Island. Just a guess.

[cfc]

I like Cornball Express, too, and grew to like Steel Hawg over two visits. Bu my favorite attraction at IB is Frankenstein's Haunted Castle--and let's not forget the surprisingly good tacos.

[Canobie Coaster]

^ I finally tried the tacos. I wouldn't call them the world's best tacos, but they're very good for theme park food and reasonably priced.

[prozach626]

Thanks for the report. I'd love to make it out there this year, but I was unconscious and having my rotator cuff screwed and sewn together at the very time you posted this, so... next year? (playing violin)

[CenturyFlyer]

I had a nice time here two days ago. There were social distance markers in all of the queues, and they were playing announcements over the PA system about their "strict cleaning practices," which is a total joke!

 

Maybe I'll start a topic that covers my trip to this park, Kings Island, and Holiday World!

[anonymouscactus]

Looks very charming and you highlighted a lot of things I was not aware of. One of these days I'll get out there.

 

Fun fact: I applied to be a ride manager back in the Morgan RV days of the park, didn't happen, but I was called and I ended up becoming a general manager at a seasonal RV park / campground in Maine owned by the same company. It sucked... upper management and operations was the worst I've seen. 10 out of 13 general managers in our region at the other parks quit mid season. The Glassdoor reviews are spot on. I quit after the summer was over. Shouldn't have waited that long.

 

On the daily conference calls you would get updates from Indiana Beach and the managers. I'm glad I didn't get into that mess.

 

Apex didn't seem all THAT much better, but that's just an outsider viewpoint for someone whose never been there other than knowing how they treated Fantasy Island (NY).

 

Hopefully the park gets taken care of and it thrives moving forward.

[tanthonyam]

They could use a couple of modern flats to make it better. The ones they have are a bit older. Maybe with new owner?

[tanthonyam]

Is that waterpark included with admission?

[Canobie Coaster]

Thanks for the report. I'd love to make it out there this year, but I was unconscious and having my rotator cuff screwed and sewn together at the very time you posted this, so... next year? (playing violin)

 

Hope surgery went well!

 

I had a nice time here two days ago. There were social distance markers in all of the queues, and they were playing announcements over the PA system about their "strict cleaning practices," which is a total joke!

 

Maybe I'll start a topic that covers my trip to this park, Kings Island, and Holiday World!

 

I'm glad they added the social distance markers back, but it still sounds like it's among the most normal parks this year.

 

Looks very charming and you highlighted a lot of things I was not aware of. One of these days I'll get out there.

 

Fun fact: I applied to be a ride manager back in the Morgan RV days of the park, didn't happen, but I was called and I ended up becoming a general manager at a seasonal RV park / campground in Maine owned by the same company. It sucked... upper management and operations was the worst I've seen. 10 out of 13 general managers in our region at the other parks quit mid season. The Glassdoor reviews are spot on. I quit after the summer was over. Shouldn't have waited that long.

 

On the daily conference calls you would get updates from Indiana Beach and the managers. I'm glad I didn't get into that mess.

 

Apex didn't seem all THAT much better, but that's just an outsider viewpoint for someone whose never been there other than knowing how they treated Fantasy Island (NY).

 

Hopefully the park gets taken care of and it thrives moving forward.

 

I heard horror stories about Morgan and thank you for again confirming them.

 

They could use a couple of modern flats to make it better. The ones they have are a bit older. Maybe with new owner?

 

They have at least 2 new flats coming. They had the one from Coney Island being installed by the Ferris Wheel and a second one by Double Shot. No parts were present, but the sign says it'll be called Growler.

 

Is that waterpark included with admission?

 

Yes it is. But I skipped it since the slides seemed on the older side.

[grsupercity]

I had one visit to this park in 2016. I loved Cornabll and Steel Hawg. My home park used to have a falling star that I would marathon so I ride one anytime I get the CHANCE lol. I stayed at the onsite camp ground and really enjoyed this park for what it is. Hopefully the new owners continue to improve the park. A little TLC and paint go a long ways! Glad your second trip was much better then the first. Oh and that outdated waterpark at this place isn't to shabby. That lazy river is the fastest and craziest one I have experienced. The few slides they have are very fast!

[bill_s]

But I was able to stay spaced apart for the most part. To be socially distant, the same strategy I used in Myrtle Beach worked at Indiana Beach. If other guests saw me wearing a mask, they tended to respect my distance.

 

"I don't think that guy's from around here"

[cfc]

^ I finally tried the tacos. I wouldn't call them the world's best tacos, but they're very good for theme park food and reasonably priced.

 

That sounds right--better-than-average amusement-park chow.

[PKI Jizzman]

I love Cornball. Same thoughts on Hoosier. It's the most tame gentle coaster, wish it had some airtime or.. something!

[CenturyFlyer]

They have at least 2 new flats coming. They had the one from Coney Island being installed by the Ferris Wheel and a second one by Double Shot. No parts were present, but the sign says it'll be called Growler.

The Growler was the Wisdom Tornado that used to be there. Who knows if something new is actually in the works for that spot.

[Canobie Coaster]

I had one visit to this park in 2016. I loved Cornabll and Steel Hawg. My home park used to have a falling star that I would marathon so I ride one anytime I get the CHANCE lol. I stayed at the onsite camp ground and really enjoyed this park for what it is. Hopefully the new owners continue to improve the park. A little TLC and paint go a long ways! Glad your second trip was much better then the first. Oh and that outdated waterpark at this place isn't to shabby. That lazy river is the fastest and craziest one I have experienced. The few slides they have are very fast!

 

I'm glad that lazy river is actually fast because it looked really boring.

 

But I was able to stay spaced apart for the most part. To be socially distant, the same strategy I used in Myrtle Beach worked at Indiana Beach. If other guests saw me wearing a mask, they tended to respect my distance.

 

"I don't think that guy's from around here"

 

Whatever works to help keep me safe!

 

^ I finally tried the tacos. I wouldn't call them the world's best tacos, but they're very good for theme park food and reasonably priced.

 

That sounds right--better-than-average amusement-park chow.

 

Exactly!

 

I love Cornball. Same thoughts on Hoosier. It's the most tame gentle coaster, wish it had some airtime or.. something!

 

My pipe dream would be for RMC to get Hoosier, but I have my strong doubts that would ever happen.

 

They have at least 2 new flats coming. They had the one from Coney Island being installed by the Ferris Wheel and a second one by Double Shot. No parts were present, but the sign says it'll be called Growler.

The Growler was the Wisdom Tornado that used to be there. Who knows if something new is actually in the works for that spot.

 

Ah ok! So maybe it isn't a new ride then.

[prozach626]

But I was able to stay spaced apart for the most part. To be socially distant, the same strategy I used in Myrtle Beach worked at Indiana Beach. If other guests saw me wearing a mask, they tended to respect my distance.

 

"I don't think that guy's from around here"

 

I'd feel complimented if someone said that about me at either one of the Indiana parks.

[Canobie Coaster]