Photo TR: Canobie Coaster's World Adventures

[Canobie CoasterWhy do I still have a donkey title???]

Great review of Lagoon. The park looks like it does a ton of things right and even checks all the boxes for Haunt stuff too. Love the little jabs like the Peterman comment

Thanks for the shout out Yeah you're not going to get better than a model toilet spinning. That's hilarious!

Edir: lmao that Cyclone dispatch line 10/10 A+

Thanks! Lagoon really was an awesome park right down to the toilets. While SFNE has really improved their dispatch speeds over the past few years (most notably Superman), they still have some brutal ones like Wicked Cyclone. They rarely have the seatbelts checked before the other train hits the brake run and then they have to do a second pass for lap bars.

Nice end of season report! I need to get back to Lake Compounce, the last time I went was like 4-5 years ago before Boulder Dash got a partial (or maybe even full) retracking and was running pretty rough. I've had smooth rides on it though, so I know it's potential!

Wicked Cyclone was running great when I went in June but I remember Superman seeming a little sluggish at the time. But sluggish Superman is still better than anything B&M has ever built, and honestly that park has one of the best two-best of their lineup than most parks do in the US.

Six Flags New England isn't immune to some of the "Six Flags"iness of the chain and there've been a number of times where I've had crappy service there at a ride or food location, but I don't think I've ever had a "bad" experience in terms of the ones I've had at other parks in the chain. I've always thought it was one of the better Six Flags parks as a whole.

But the "temporarily closed"/"extensive rehab" signs thing is hilarious. Like...how hard is it to just communicate with a simple sign what the ride's actual status is?

Thanks! I'll also admit I'm a candidate for the president of the Boulder Dash fan club, so I'm much higher on Boulder Dash than most. It's definitely bumpy if you ride in a wheel seat, but it's easy to avoid and it's pure coaster nirvana in row 1.

Superman is a breath of fresh air since that layout does stand out compared to a lot of the B&M hypers. That being said, I'll take the best two hypers (Mako & Shambhala plus Fury if you want to count it) over it mainly because of the restraints.

SFNE's operations have gotten considerably better over the years. The only area with constant issues is food service (slow and employees who flat out said they didn't know how to make a burrito at Macho Nacho). The odd thing about Goliath is that they do have a temporarily closed sign specific to Goliath, but it may explicitly call out weather.

[Canobie CoasterWhy do I still have a donkey title???]

Knott’s Merry Christmas

When returning from Japan, I decided to visit Knott’s during a layover. HangTime and my Platinum Pass provided a compelling argument, but the competition was stiff. Therefore, with some extra reward miles and a free weekend, I booked a return trip to SoCal. The focus would be on Disneyland, Six Flags Magic Mountain, and my first ever visit to Universal Hollwyood, but I had a Friday night to fill.

Much to my astonishment, a majority of the SoCal parks closed early on a Friday night. Disneyland was of course open until midnight, but the others closed early except for Knott’s and bizarrely Scandia (more on that later). My flight was scheduled to land just past 8 and Knott’s was scheduled to close at 10.

Even without any delays, I knew I’d be cutting it close. Even if LA traffic was completely non-existent, I’d also be cutting it close. I had no false delusions of touring the entire park. I am a man of simple needs. All I wanted was a single back row ride on GhostRider at night. That seemed reasonable enough.

But my wiener worked its magic on a female employee at American Airlines.

Get your mind out of the gutter; this wasn’t an X-rated porno.

Anyone who read my Tokyo Disneyland report knows that I bought a Slinky Dog Hat. It is one of the best purchases I have ever made. Along with being the sexiest hat man has ever made, it had the magical ability of getting me on an earlier flight for free.

To pack as much as humanly possible into my carry-on, I made the bold fashion statement of wearing the goofy hat through the airport, presumably to the amusement of others. I had gotten to the airport well before my flight and an earlier one was boarding. Out of curiosity, I approached the gate and asked if there was availability. The first agent said yes, but it would be a $75 fee. Meanwhile, the second agent’s eyes were fixated on my hat.

Slinky gave her the puppy dog eyes. Slinky’s jedi mind trick worked. She waived the no change fee and wished me a good time at Disneyland. I wonder what told her I was going there

I was now slated to arrive at LAX two hours earlier. Granted it would be during prime time LA rush hour traffic, but I must have a horseshoe shoved deeper up my rear end than Nick Foles last year since the drive wasn’t bad at all. But soon enough I was rolling up to Knott’s and continued the tradition of not being able to find the parking lot. Am I an idiot or is the signage just not there?

Every time I have driven to Knott’s, I confusedly lap around the park 2-3 times before stumbling into the lot. This time, I failed even more spectacularly than normal. I went into the Marketplace and saw the sign for all-day parking on the left, but then kept ending up on the main road. Eventually I ended up in the Marketplace lot, which actually worked out really well. The park was only open for two more hours and I got my mother some gifts at the Snoopy store to validate the parking.

Am I the only one who struggles to find the Knott's parking lot?

Eventually I parked in the Marketplace lot and to avoid parking fees, did some Xmas shopping.

By this point, you probably want coasters instead of reading about wiener dogs and driving struggles. With two hours, I had enough time to lap the park. I figured I should still save GhostRider for the end, assuming it would have its usual 1.5-2 hour wait. But then I told myself maybe a Christmas miracle would happen and GhostRider would be a 20 minute wait. But I got something better. I got a Festivus miracle; GhostRider was a complete and total walk-on.

My original plan only had me riding GhostRider. My revised plan almost turned into me only riding GhostRider as well. Outside of West Coast Bash, how often is GhostRider ever a walk-on? I limited myself to four, but it was so hard to pry myself away. GhostRider was absolutely hauling. I swear Knott’s turns on the low friction slider at night.

GhostRider’s first half is all about size. You have a little air on the first drop, some floater on the two camelbacks, and some solid laterals. It’s a good start, but it’s the second half that makes GhostRider elite. The legendary fifth drop lives up to its reputation and delivers copious ejector air. That’s followed by a mix of airtime hills, lateral-heavy turns, and sometimes a combination of both.

GhostRider is one of the best paced coasters out there. Even some of the best coasters have dead spots. Take Phoenix’s first turnaround or the MCBR on Steel Vengeance. GhostRider simply doesn’t let up. In many ways, the ride gets wilder and wilder as it progresses. That’s another trait that I really appreciate in a roller coaster. Saving the best for last leaves a delicious taste in my mouth. 9.5 out of 10

It's very disrespectful that abomination of a Nicholas Cage movie shares the same name as this beast.

I considered Pony Express out of spite. If you remember from my June visit, that dang ride broke down not once, not twice, but three times while I was in line. I figured the mere thought of riding Pony Express would cause the coaster to break down. Rather than test Murphy’s Law, I decided to queue up for Silver Bullet. And when I say queue up, I mean walk right onto the front row. No line at GhostRider told me I had free reign of the park.

Enthusiasts have a frosty view of Silver Bullet. The first drop rightfully deserves it, but the rest of the ride doesn’t. Silver Bullet is glass smooth and four of the six inversions are really good. I’ve yet to encounter a bad zero-G roll, the loop was hardly what I’d consider forceless, and the final two corkscrews are snappier than you’d think. Plus you have that leg-numbing helix at the end that will get your legs tingling like a Batman clone. 8 out of 10

Silver Bullet is like puberty. By the end, it grows a pair.

I missed HangTime’s lighting package in my June visit. I corrected that this time. HangTime’s lighting package is an attraction in itself. Knott’s was all decked out in Christmas (sorry holiday) lights, but I think HangTime outshined even the tree. Seeing the lights dynamically change colors with the train is what a coaster enthusiast considers art.

As awesome as the lighting package is off-ride, it did have one major drawback on-ride. One of the most thrilling aspects about HangTime’s drop is not knowing when the plunge will occur. However, the lights change to a blood red moments before you drop. Maybe other riders aren’t as eagle eyed as me, but it sort of spoiled the anticipation much like a countdown on a drop tower.

For a coaster as compact as HangTime, it offers a little of everything. You have an incredible airtime laiden drop, some (you guessed it) hangtime, and a few smaller pops of air sprinkled about. In many ways, the coaster reminds me of Fahrenheit. Except HangTime has glorious lap bars. 8.5 out of 10

HangTime really let me test out my new camera.

No way my old camera could have captured this constantly changing lighting package.

Seriously, HangTime's lighting package is better than most Christmas lights.

Dang, my camera could even stop HangTime in its tracks.

Everything to this point had been a walk-on, but it was time to truly put my luck to the test with Xcelerator. Normally Xcelerator’s line isn’t bad for most rows. The exception is the front. Without question, the money seat on most launch coasters is row one. That’s particularly true on Intamin’s hydraulic launch coasters. Because of that, it’s perfectly understandable it would have a longer wait and often I am willing to wait it. Not only Xcelerator.

Xcelerator’s front row queue is the seventh circle of Hell. I have never seen a front row queue capable of holding that many people. From experience, the front row queue always fills up and it’s no exception with Xcelerator. I shudder to think how long a full front row queue would take, but I reckon it may be faster to drive to Magic Mountain and just ride YOLOcoaster.

But on this night, Xcelerator’s station looked something like this:

No I didn't photoshop everyone out. There really was no one else in Xcelerator's front row queue.

The launch was strong, but it lacked the stomach dropping sensation it has given me on past visits. Maybe that only happens in the back? The rush of wind more than compensated, as did the wonderful airtime cresting the top hat. Xcelerator is over fast, much like Kareem Hunt’s Kansas City Chiefs career, but it’s a rush. 8 out of 10

Not even Santa's sleigh can accelerate as fast as this hot rod.

What happens when it’s 55 degrees out in SoCal? In one corner, you have a New Englander wearing shorts and a rolled up sweatshirt. In the other corner, you have all the locals wearing winter coats and hats. Needless to say, the Timber Mountain Log Ride was a walk-on. In fact, the only other people riding it were a trio of employees decked out in a get-up more appropriate for skiing.

I sure as heck wasn’t going to skip one of the park’s best rides considering I’ll ride SFNE’s river rapids ride with temps in the 40s. And this ride is far better. The theming on this ride isn’t something you’d expect from a Cedar Fair park. It’s extremely well done. For that reason, it’s sort of a bummer the drops are nothing special. 9 out of 10

Please, like 50 degree weather would stop me.

Sol Spin was very tempting, but I had a strong feeling it wouldn’t run a program anything like the top scan at Oktoberfest. Montezooma’s Revenge was also tempting. But time was of the essence and I needed to squeeze in one last coaster before a nightcap on GhostRider. What coaster would that be? Sierra Sidewinder.

I feel like it’s coaster blasphemy to pick a coaster targeted towards youngsters over a classic Schwarzkopf but that’s exactly what I did. Sierra Sidewinder is one of the best spinning coasters out there. For one, it’s extremely easy to get an out-of-control ride. Just spot car with a parent and small child and sit yourself on the same side as the parent. Then let gravity do the rest.

There is one part of the ride where the spinning ceases and it’s oddly the most intense part of the ride. That would be the low-to-the-ground turn. This turn may look innocent, but it has sustains Gs far longer than any family coaster has the right to do. I would love for something like this to make its way to Canobie. 8 out of 10

The world needs more Mack spinners.

I made my way back to GhostRider and encountered my real wait of the night. I had to wait a whopping 15 minutes for the back row. I sort of wish I could have experienced the original GhostRider opening year to compare, but the coaster really is running like a dream and does everything a wooden coaster should. I just hope Knott’s doesn’t let the ride beat itself to death again.

I love GhostRider so much.

My focus was on the rides, but it would have been impossible to miss the Christmas atmosphere fostered during Knott’s Merry Farm. It was exactly what you’d expect- lights, music, and Christmas Snoopies- but what else could you possibly want this time of year? Ok maybe fake snow since that was the focus of Universal’s marketing campaign, but I see plenty of the real stuff in New England.

Did I mention it was Christmas?

Knott's Merry Farm definitely got me in the Christmas spirit.

It was an abridged version of Knott’s. Really I would have been happy riding just GhostRider, but I wasn’t going to shoot a gift horse in the mouth and neglect the park’s steel coasters. Knott’s makes a strong case for Cedar Fair’s second best park. It has a really strong coaster lineup plus easily the best theming of the entire chain. There’s just something about the atmosphere at Knott’s.

My condensed schedule also had another casualty, the Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Restaurant. It felt criminal to omit the mouth-wateringly delicious fried chicken. Because of this, I had to explore food options outside the park. And I’ll begin the report exactly where it started…with wieners. I ended up eating at Portillo’s. That very well may have been the best hot dog I’ve ever had and one of the best logos too.

I have a problem.

Do you think I picked this place for A) positive Yelp reviews, B) convenience, or C) the wiener dog logo?

Yes! Portillo's is always the way to end a day at Knott's.

[NrthwndBAYSIDE STATION!!!]

^^ How about: D) All of the Above....?

[Canobie CoasterWhy do I still have a donkey title???]

Yes! Portillo's is always the way to end a day at Knott's.

I'll still take Mrs. Knott's Chicken over Portillo's but I can just eat twice.

^^ How about: D) All of the Above....?

True.

[prospekt88Does Jeff Johnson count this donkey as a credit?]

I've been living out in LA now for a few months but haven't really considered going to Knott's until this report. Thanks for the inspiration! The fact that Ghost Rider is riding so well is great news.

[Canobie CoasterWhy do I still have a donkey title???]

No problem! GhostRider really is one of the world's best wooden coasters. That alone would make Knott's worth a visit, but they have so much else to offer as well.

[coasterbillWhy do I still have a donkey title???]

Great report! That looks like a great event.

[Canobie CoasterWhy do I still have a donkey title???]

Thanks! I've yet to encounter a bad Christmas event. I'm a sucker for great lighting packages and holiday events basically force their hand in this area.

[Canobie CoasterWhy do I still have a donkey title???]

Universal Studios Hollywood

Universal Studios Hollywood was arguably the largest US park I had yet to visit. I was able to remedy that this past weekend. While the Japan and Orlando resorts feel like theme parks with movie tie-ins, the Hollywood park genuinely feels like a movie studio because it actually is one.

To get myself in the spirit of movies, I made a detour to visit the Hollywood Sign. Finding a suitable viewing location was challenging. The Griffith Observatory wasn’t open yet and Google Maps suggested I go back by the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A Google search turned up a better location, Lake Hollywood Park.

A word for the wise, do not try this drive at night. Also do not try it in a large vehicle or break the speed limit. It will not end well. I felt like I was navigating Lombard Street. It was a series of steep hairpin turns in a densely populated neighborhood. I saw several bikers and tipped my cap to them.

I painlessly street parked (for free no less). Maybe it was a product of an early visit, but Lake Hollywood Park seemed like a dog park. There were no weenie dogs, but there was the Hollywood Sign. It lacks the splendor of other landmarks like Niagara Falls, but it’s such an icon that I felt compelled to see it.

Count the number of dogs to people. It's a high ratio.

But the dog park gave tourists a nice treat, a perfect view of the sign.

15 minutes later, I was rolling into the labyrinth known as the Universal parking garage. Every time I grumble how annoying SFNE’s parking situation is, I need to remember what it’s like to park at Universal. Maybe the locals knew better, but I ended up in the bottom floor of the ET lot. I was the only car there at 7:30 am and the only car when I left at 12:30.

Why do I feel like I picked the worst garage?

I got my morning exercise walking the mile or so to the main entrance. Fortunately the walk is quite pleasant, as CityWalk is a sensory overload of neon signs, booming songs, and delicious smells. I made no stops in the morning, but I scouted out some lunch options for later in the day.

It wouldn't be a Universal visit without CityWalk.

This was the second most impressive tree at the resort.

The top spot went to the Whoville tree. They brought the cartoon to life with its funky shape.

By purchasing my ticket on the park’s website, I was eligible for early entry to the Wizarding World. Thankfully, few had the willpower to wake up early on a Saturday. This was the emptiest I have ever seen the Wizarding World and it allowed me to appreciate all the little details from the books I grew up with.

I was visiting during Grinchmas.

While most wanted to take their photo with the globe, I was nostalgic and focused on the retro sign.

80% of the crowds went to Forbidden Journey, 10% went to the shops, and 10% went towards Flight of the Hippogriff. The latter 10% was primarily families with young children and it also included yours truly. I wanted to knock out the lower capacity ride first.

At first sight, the coaster looks identical to the Orlando and Japan installations. And in many ways, it rode identically. Even though this was a custom Mack coaster, the layout and theming felt no different than the Vekoma roller skaters. This does everything a family coaster should. 5 out of 10

Technically this was a custom layout, but it felt identical to the one in Florida.

Up next was Forbidden Journey. Out of habit, I started trekking towards the fluffy, fluffy bunnies filled with medicine and goo only to discover they were only required for bags. It felt like a rare treat not being wanded on a thrill ride at Universal. Using my good friend the single rider line, I was able to get three wait-free rides on this dark ride.

The ride was identical to the Japanese and Orlando counterparts. And that’s a good thing. This is one of my favorite dark rides. The ride system makes this ride. It provides plenty of thrills while still offering the versatility to you to enjoy the scenes. Forbidden Journey is the perfect blend of screens and practical sets.

One minor negative is that I found the lighting a bit off during the dementor sequence. The animatronics are pretty impressive on the other two versions, but they were barely visible here. Maybe I just caught the ride on a bad day, but outside of that, it’s a darn near perfect attraction. 9.5 out of 10

It's a wonder Hogwarts could stay open considering all the near death experiences that happened there.

A rare photo in the Wizarding World without Muggles.

The park’s best attraction is undoubtedly the World Famous (yes that’s in the name) Studio Tour. Using world famous in the title is a bold move and usually something reserved for a cruddy dining establishment, but here it’s warranted. The Studio Tour is what put Universal on the map (well theme park that is).

Saying the tour is long is an understatement. I consider Splash Mountain to be a long ride at 9-10 minutes. The Studio Tour took an hour! And I enjoyed every minute of it. We had an excellent tour guide and it covered a little of everything- soundstages, practical sets, movie history.

The other thing that sets the Studio Tour apart are the show sequences. It’s essentially 6 attractions in 1. You have the Studio Tour plus a flash flood, Jaws, Earthquake, Kong 360, and Fast and Furious Supercharged.

The latter two were the best. I know Skull Island isn’t the most well received ride at Orlando, but I liked it and the sequence on the Studio Tour was no different. I also enjoyed the Fast and the Furious bit too even though I’m not a fan of the movies. The 360 degree screens did an incredible job incorporating you into the action.

It’s rare for a non-thrill ride to be my favorite attraction at a park, but the Studio Tour won the Oscar for the park’s best ride. The attraction really is an orgy for movie aficionados. It has everything you’d expect plus the bonus show scenes. This Studio Tour alone was worth the price of admission. 10 out of 10

Movie fans, grab some vaseline and a box of kleenex.

Thankfully we had a good tour guide and not this goof ball.

The tour took us through movie sets.

Is it a bad sign I recognized this set from Big Fat Liar?

And through a graveyard of Universal Orlando attractions.

This made me sad Japan's Jaws was on rehab during my visit.

Parque Espana is home to the legendary escalator ride complete with holiday quality lights and infectious music. Universal is home to an infamous escalator ride linking the Upper and Lower lots. Before my visit, I figured this would be like going from the upper and lower levels of a mall. This was anything but.

Universal is built on a hill. A large hill in fact. I don’t know what the elevation difference was, but we were towering over the show buildings. The journey between lots took 10 minutes, but it offered some impressive views of the California mountains, lower lot, and Jurassic Park construction.

The hillside location offered some spectacular views.

Taking the stairs was a mistake.

While I would have ridden it, I suspect most others would have skipped it with the weather being a (for the area) frosty 65 degrees.

I have always heard that Orlando’s Mummy is the superior coaster. After my first ride on Hollywood’s, I wasn’t so sure. The theming was familiar. There was the treasure room, the scarabs, and the fluorescent cutouts. But the ride layout was far different.

The first time I rode Orlando’s Mummy, I was caught off-guard by the launch. The same happened at Hollywood. I won’t spoil it, but I will say it’s perfectly executed. The forwards bit had 2 surprisingly good moments of airtime mixed with laterals if you rode in the back. Up front, the only bit of air occurs as you enter the switch track.

The biggest difference between Orlando and Hollywood’s Mummy is the backwards bit. In Orlando, the backwards bit is over in a flash. In Hollywood, you have a full-fledged segment. It lacks the wild pacing of the forwards bit, but it’s enjoyable. And it leads to the third act of the ride which is a complete WTF.

Like Forbidden Journey, I also used the single rider line to rack up 4 rides. Without question, my favorite row was the back since it maximizes the thrills on the first half. In the end, I think I prefer Orlando’s Mummy since it’s more consistent in every seat, but Hollywood’s is no slouch. 8 out of 10

It seems to be common opinion that Florida's is better, but I found this one right up there.

Transformers wasn’t a priority of mine, but I’d be remiss to skip it considering it was next door and a complete walk-on. Admittedly, this isn’t my favorite ride in Orlando. I even preferred the Jimmy Fallon ride to Transformers, which is a horrifying statement. However, I enjoyed it more in Hollywood.

I know the ride is the same. Maybe I liked it better since I didn’t just ride Spiderman. And for whatever reason, I was able to follow the action better. Like Fast and the Furious, Transformers isn’t my favorite IP (in fact, I find the films unwatchable). But I liked the ride, primarily for the system. 8 out of 10

Not riding Spiderman minutes before made Transformers seem quite a bit better.

After masochistically torturing myself by taking the stairs to the upper lot, I took some time to tour the park. I think the attention to detail on the Upper Lot is the best I’ve seen at a Universal Park. Harry Potter speaks for itself, but I was absolutely blown away by Springfield.

In Orlando, you have the Simpsons Ride, the creepiest Dumbo ride ever, and some shops. In Hollywood, you trade the Dumbo ride for an elaborate town complete with a mockery of the DMV, a fancy backdrop, a Slideshow Bob escaping from prison, and a nuclear meltdown sequence. I was not expecting that at all!

To those who have been to Orlando, this is a familiar sight.

However, this is not. I was very impressed.

I wanted to watch one show before leaving. While the consensus favors Waterworld, I saw it in Japan. Instead, I went with the Special Effects Show. The jokes were cheesy, but the effects were cool. The fight sequence was reminiscent an episode of Arrow and I always support the use of fire. 8 out of 10

No one was chanting "Fight, fight, fight" like in middle school.

On the way back to the car, I remembered I could use my dining pass to sample the food offerings of Magic Mountain. From the turkey sandwich I had two years ago, I knew that was a risky prospect, so I loaded up on some mini donuts. They were pricey, but oh so good.

In 4 hours, I experienced everything that I cared to see at Universal. Contrary to the radio ads, I felt no need to stay until after dark to see snow at Hogsmeade. I can look out the window and see snow in my apartment’s parking lot. I’m not sure when I’d return to Universal Hollywood simply because of the other competition in the area, but it’s a very good park for what it sets out to accomplish.