[gabed]

The 2016 Trip: http://carowindsconnection.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4596

The 2017 Trip: http://carowindsconnection.com/viewtopi ... d5271808ac

…

Day 1 - Part 1

It’s more or less tradition at this point for me to embark on a massive trip across the United States (or outside of it in this year’s case) and ride as many roller coasters as I possibly can over the course of 7-10 days. It was at dinner in Branson during the last night of the 2017 road trip that “Canada” became a reoccuring suggestion for 2018’s big trip. Over a year later, now three instead of the usual four, here we are. Through a year of planning, revising, stressing, and waiting, the final plan turned into the following:

Tuesday, June 26 - Niagara Falls + MarineLand
Wednesday, June 27 - Canada’s Wonderland
Thursday, June 28 - Canada’s Wonderland + Toronto
Friday, June 29 - Darien Lake + SeaBreeze
Saturday, June 30 - Knoebels
Sunday, July 1 - Kennywood
Monday, July 2 - Cedar Point
Tuesday, July 3 - Cedar Point
Wednesday, July 4 - Kings Island
Thursday, July 5 - Fly Home

Just when we swore we wouldn’t go bigger than 2017’s mammoth adventure, we put together a trip that was both two days longer and two parks larger. Some of these parks are new for me while others are a much-anticipated return.

The day got off to a rocky start, no thanks to the joke that is Delta Airlines. We decided to fly this year instead of driving twelve straight hours to Niagara and being miserable by the time we got there. After waking up at four in the morning and nearly breaking the sound barrier on I-485 to make our loading time, we found that our flight had been delayed indefinitely. Three hours after we were supposed to take off, we finally made it into the air with Buffalo, New York, being the first destination.

IMG_0733.JPG (523.95 KiB) Viewed 31900 times

However I cannot say that we stayed very long. After picking up our Enterprise rental and stopping for a quick Baconator, we had made it across the Canadian border. All my life I had never left the country until a little over a week ago when I spent a week in the Dominican Republic on a mission trip. Just two days after returning, here I was in yet another country. Upon crossing the Rainbow Bridge and getting through the most relaxed customs on the planet, you are immediately faced with the challenge of swerving through the endless stream of tourists crawling all over each other to get the best view of the falls. After finally finding a parking spot and seeing the falls for myself, I can’t say that I blame them.

IMG_0750.JPG (477.58 KiB) Viewed 31900 times

From the constant spray of mist from below to the rushing waters flowing down, the magnitude of Niagara Falls isn’t something that can be done justice with a simple picture. I was absolutely blown away and found it near impossible to fit the entirety of Horseshoe Falls into one shot. After half an hour of admiring the waterfall, it was time to briefly hit the road and waste a few hours before checking into our hotel in Vaughan. And that leads us to…

IMG_0758.JPG (825.4 KiB) Viewed 31900 times

This is a park I never in a million years thought I would make it out to, and really by pure circumstance was I able to go on this trip. MarineLand is a very interesting case, I have never heard a harsh review of the park, but I’ve also never heard a glowing one. It seems most people are amazed by the sheer weirdness of the park and it isn’t hard to see why. The park is absolutely massive land wise, yet there is next to nothing to actually fill in this land. The park has only two coasters, one of which is a kids coaster, and a handful of family flat rides with a random S&S Triple Shot thrown in.

Joining me in this strange place is my little sister Maddie, the only person who I would say is an even bigger idiot than myself.

IMG_E0760.JPG (677.9 KiB) Viewed 31900 times

While she’s by no means an enthusiast, she was definitely curious about the place after I had talked about how strange it allegedly was. As you can imagine, this place lived up to the hype and then some. Yes it’s true that the park has random walkways which seem to stretch forever with nothing around them, yes it’s true the care for animals here is mediocre at best, and yes it’s true that simply being in this park feels like a fever dream. At times it really feels like a lot of effort was put into the theming and construction of the park, and at others it seems like they simply could not have cared any less about the park. The landscaping is abysmal at best, weeds often times growing through the cracked concrete pads of the flat rides, as seen here;

rsz_img_0787.jpg (898.96 KiB) Viewed 31900 times

And sometimes just sprawling right through the walkways.

rsz_img_0798.jpg (1 MiB) Viewed 31900 times

Seriously guys, just buy a can of RoundUp and go to town, this is not hard.

Okay, complaints and ramblings out of the way, let’s get to the rides.

[gabed]

Day 1 - Part 2

So the day began on Viking Adventure, the park’s Disk’O which really had no outstanding qualities (a reoccuring theme in this park).

rsz_img_0765.jpg (1.12 MiB) Viewed 31899 times

After a few rounds on the other family-friendly flat rides, it was time to achieve my first new credit since the NC State Fair last October.

rsz_img_0775.jpg (1.14 MiB) Viewed 31899 times

I will give it to the crew for not pitching a fit at me for wanting to ride it once, they honestly could not have cared any less. On top of that, the ride itself was not bad at all, the layout was quite short but the ride goes through four cycles before bringing you back to a full stop so don’t worry, you will have plenty of time to feel ashamed of being the credit whore you are while riding.

Speaking of credits, the next ride of the day would be Dragon Mountain, the park’s custom-looping Arrow coaster and really one of two things worth riding in the entire park.

rsz_img_0807.jpg (1.23 MiB) Viewed 31899 times

This thing is just bizarre, it’s layout feels like it was made by a bored 12-year-old in Planet Coaster who got really excited in the beginning but rushed the ride about halfway through just to finish it and start making money off of it. The coaster is apparently the “World’s Largest Roller Coaster”, which more or less means it takes up more space than any other roller coaster on Earth. Certainly a lot smoother than most Arrows I’ve ridden, I might honestly say it is one of my favorite Arrow coasters based solely on how weird it is. But to give credit where credit is due, the station on this thing is awesome.

rsz_img_0809.jpg (1.1 MiB) Viewed 31899 times

IMG_0810.JPG (587.39 KiB) Viewed 31899 times

Last ride of the day was this beast:

rsz_img_0803.jpg (766.6 KiB) Viewed 31899 times

I nearly skimped out on it but am glad I decided to give it a whirl in the end. I got on the side facing Niagara Falls and the views from the top were breathtaking. I did find it interesting how the ride worked as both a Shot and Drop Tower in the same cycle.

All in all MarineLand is a gigantic pile of “meh” that is just barely worth going for the memes.

Until tomorrow!

[gabed]

Day 2 - Part 1


I have been an enthusiast for nearly a decade by this point and during all that time the Cedar Point of Canada has been on my bucket list. As more new parks came and went, the closer to the top that Canada’s Wonderland got. After 9 years of waiting, my chance finally came this morning. Not even the gloomy skies and even gloomier weather forecasts could make me any less excited as we pulled up to the drop off lot. Setting out into the park and moving in, I was immediately stunned.

rsz_img_0820.jpg (888.89 KiB) Viewed 31850 times

The entrance plaza is massive, and the mountain even more so. It’s also incredibly beautiful, even more so than the plazas at Kings Dominion and Kings Island. You can see the influence both of those parks had on the construction of Wonderland’s plaza as there are many similarities, you know, minus the giant mountain that acts as the centerpiece of it all.

Wasting no time, I hurried myself to the two worst coasters of the park to get them out of the way and get those sweet credits.

IMG_0825.JPG (587.2 KiB) Viewed 31850 times

Not awful. I mean for a SLC, I’ve seen and ridden worse. I doubt any SLC will be worse than T3, and if such a coaster exists it legally should not be allowed to operate in my own humble opinion. I rode in the middle of the train and just tried to ignore the pain, so that’s really all I’ve got to say about it.

Now a SLC is one thing, but Volares, oh no. That is an entirely different beast.

rsz_img_0827.jpg (792.46 KiB) Viewed 31850 times

After now 204 coasters, Soarin’ Eagle, the Volare at Coney Island is by far the worst coaster I have ever had the displeasure of riding. A true genocide of a roller coaster if you will. PTSD from that coaster coming back to me, I was feeling genuinely nervous as I walked through the queue. After riding; not anywhere NEAR as bad, but still simply terrible. Worst coaster in the park, which is saying a lot.

By this point the worst coasters were out of the way and the chances of rain were growing slimmer and slimmer. I figured after torturing myself I deserved a nice flat ride break, and boy did I get what I was looking for.

IMG_0829.JPG (600.43 KiB) Viewed 31850 times

I still stand firm to my belief that Mondial frisbees are much better than their Huss cousins. More forceful, more speed, more fun. Since Carowinds reads Carowinds Connection, imma just hint around how nice one of these would look where Pier 73 currently stands.

rsz_img_0831.jpg (750.35 KiB) Viewed 31850 times

Sadly this guy was down for the day, crossing my fingers for better luck tomorrow.

Back to sleeping around with the credits, next coaster to put under my belt was the true star of the park...

rsz_img_0836.jpg (812.56 KiB) Viewed 31850 times

Okay but in all seriousness these are fun rides. Great? Pfft no. Decent family rides that look cool? Sure. None of the effects were working but that’s cool with me since it got me through the course faster. Now ladies and gentleman, it’s time for the big guns.

[gabed]

Day 2 - Part 2


You’re probably wondering by this point why Leviathan wasn’t my go to ride. I’ll get to that in a second, but for now, let’s talk about the park’s smaller beemer.

rsz_img_0833.jpg (631.45 KiB) Viewed 31849 times

Heading up into the station (which surprisingly is identical to Intimidator’s station) I saw that the crowds were really piling up.

rsz_img_0837.jpg (875.41 KiB) Viewed 31849 times

Or lack of thereof I guess. Even with the chances of rain getting pushed back further and further into the afternoon the crowds stayed minimal at most, but hey, I’m not complaining. Ok ok, now for Behemoth I promise.

Behemoth is fantastic, easily a contender for my 2nd favorite hyper coaster because let’s face it, nothing will beat Mako. Behemoth’s layout is pretty straight forward, but I think that’s what really helps it stand out. There’s no messing around, just sustained airtime, camelback after camelback. The helixes following the MCBR were a tad bit disappointing, was hoping for something similar to Goliath’s (SFOG) helix. That aside, it’s a solid hyper that still rides great after a decade of operation.

Following Behemoth is the Mighty Canadian Nutbuster.

rsz_img_0838.jpg (900.81 KiB) Viewed 31849 times

Contrary to the name, the ride is surprisingly smooth. For extra measure, it even teases you with a little airtime for a brief second. Not a bad woodie, quite fun if I’m being perfectly honest which is a lot more than can be said about Wonderland’s other woodie.

So if you get tired of me saying “credit whoring this” “credit whoring that”, keep in mind that Canada’s Wonderland is a place with 16 roller coasters and only 2 good ones. That said, it’s time for me to credit whore all the way over to Wonder Mountain.

rsz_img_0840.jpg (803.19 KiB) Viewed 31849 times

This little guy ended up being pretty fun. You can’t tell from POVs, but the ride section inside the mountain is rather exciting with a couple statues and animatronics adding to the experience. Even though the butts of myself and the stranger next to me could barely fit into the car, it didn’t take away from the ride for me.

Aimlessly wandering the park afterwards, I found myself in Planet Snoopy. After being turned away from Taxi Jam, I hopped on the parks junior suspended coaster, Silver Streak.

rsz_1img_0843.jpg (787.96 KiB) Viewed 31849 times

Definitely true smoothest one that I have ridden. The restraints were very unique, like vest restraints minus the actual vest. Zero head banging which made for a pretty decent family coaster. Too bad the coaster’s crew was a complete joke. But do you know whose crew wasn’t a complete joke? That’s right, Ghoster Coaster! Not even Fury’s stellar crew can check restraints that quickly. I made a point to compliment them on their work afterwards, very impressed.

“Gabe, where is Leviathan?” I’m getting there chill.

After getting lost... twice, I finally found a way out of Planet Snoopy and to my next roller coaster of the day.

IMG_0850.JPG (500.16 KiB) Viewed 31849 times

Out of the 15 coasters I rode, this was easily the biggest surprise. Head banging? Neva heard of it. Seriously, where is the praise for this ride? Awesome time, easily my new favorite Arrow, a title I assumed Gemini would always hold. The new train decals look good, but unless the ride is getting rethemed next year it looks really out of place on the ride. Nothing says “Vortex” like swinging miner cars.

[gabed]

Day 2 - Part 3

Time for another flat ride break.

rsz_img_0851.jpg (851.86 KiB) Viewed 31848 times

I’m just as much of a flat ride enthusiast as I am a coaster enthusiast. If you’ve got a one of a kind flat then riding it is just as important to me as riding all of your coasters. That said, Soaring Timbers was high up on my to-do list for Canada’s Wonderland. Visually, the ride itself is quite impressive, not even to mention the light but lovely landscaping the park did around it. The ride itself if a bit underwhelming sadly. If such a thing as a family-friendly Top Scan existed, this would be it. I’d take one at Carowinds, but not before I’d take half a dozen other flat rides first.

Back to credits, The Fly would be next.

rsz_img_0854.jpg (742.94 KiB) Viewed 31848 times

It’s a Wild Mouse, you know what it does.

Ok ok ok, it’s time. So let me explain myself. Upon getting into Canada’s Wonderland, my coaster count stood at 189. Since the park has 16 coasters, you can already see which one I chose to make my 200th.

rsz_img_0860.jpg (745.8 KiB) Viewed 31848 times

For 9 years I’ve been in this community and today, 9 years later, I would finally ride my 200th coaster. Sprinting up the stairs to the station and jumping into the front row of the next train, I waited for dispatch. Wow. To call this the best coaster in the park would be an obvious understatement. It is absolutely phenomenal. From the light bunny hop to the intense turnaround, it’s an impressive ride from start to finish. So is it better than Fury 325? No, not even close. Leviathan feels like an oversized hyper coaster where Fury feels like something out of this world. But that’s not to knock down Levi over here. In its own right it is a fantastic coaster and really fits in well to the park, now all they need is for 2019 to get here so the trilogy of B&Ms will be complete.

After a ride on Dragon Fire and a delicious plate of pasta at the Backlot Cafe, I was off to my next coaster.

rsz_img_0862.jpg (757.44 KiB) Viewed 31848 times

Yes, I counted it, it is a coaster. If Harley Quinn at Discovery Kingdom is a coaster then so is this. As a coaster it sucks, but as a dark ride, Wonder Mountain’s Guardian is downright phenomenal. It’s a real shame Cedar Fair stopped working with Triotech because this thing was outstanding. All the guns worked properly, the effects were great, and there was even a drop track element a the end which I had no clue existed. 7/10 dark ride, 2/10 coaster.

Did sommmmmeeeeboooodddy say flat rides? Good. Because I have some more to talk about.

IMG_0864.JPG (620.39 KiB) Viewed 31848 times

Like Soaring Timbers, Skyhawk here was very high up in importance on my to-do list. Probably the weirdest flat I’ve ever ridden, but a great one no less. I only managed to get two flips but had a blast failing to flip so many times. Also, at long last, I have finally ridden all six of the Windseekers. They are great rides and you suck if you don’t agree. Since everybody here has ridden at least one Windseeker, I won’t bother describing it in detail.

[gabed]

Day 2 - Part 4

By this point the end of the credits was in sight, with only two left to ride. Too bad they were both utter garbage.

rsz_img_0869.jpg (732.82 KiB) Viewed 31847 times

rsz_img_0871.jpg (720.13 KiB) Viewed 31847 times

I recall a lot of people saying this was “the smooth Boomerang”. Those people are full of garbage as this thing sucked just as bad as every other Boomerang coaster I’ve ever ridden.

rsz_img_0870.jpg (1.03 MiB) Viewed 31847 times

rsz_img_0872.jpg (719.56 KiB) Viewed 31847 times

Equally as terrible is this abomination right here. Pain from beginning to end. If Shilke and the rest of his crew show up to rape every inch of this ride I will be there to applaud them when they are done. It’s a terrible ride. RMC it now and let Nutbuster serve as the park’s true (and good) wooden coaster.

...

As far as being a regional amusement park goes, Canada’s Wonderland is near perfect. Everything from the food, to the flats, to the landscaping, to the kids areas are a 10/10 for me, it’s just the coaster lineup that needs a lot of work. They’re making baby steps to solving that issue and I’m sure 2019’s Dive Coaster will be an awesome fit for the park. Now onto Toronto!

[gabed]

Day 2 - Part 5


Toronto is a very neat place. Very clean, lots to do and even more to see. Since I’m the whitest guy on the planet I made sure the first stop was at the town’s local record shop.

rsz_img_0876.jpg (521.66 KiB) Viewed 31844 times

rsz_1img_0878.jpg (603.48 KiB) Viewed 31844 times

Sonic Boom Records was phenomenal, easily the best store I’ve ever been to. Lunchbox Records in Charlotte has always held a special place in my heart, but this place’s selection and atmosphere is just incredible. Friendly staff, amazing music diversity, and a great stop of any vinyl enthusiast.

IMG_E0914.JPG (756.2 KiB) Viewed 31844 times

If you went to Toronto and didn’t go to the CN Tower then you didn’t really go to Toronto. Even with the overcast skies, the views from the top were breathtaking.

rsz_img_0895.jpg (737.43 KiB) Viewed 31844 times

The cityscape of Toronto is beautiful and every inch of it (well not quite every inch in my case given the weather) can be seen.

Finishing off the night was a stop at Ripley’s Aquarium and dinner at a pub off the street.

rsz_img_0910.jpg (662.62 KiB) Viewed 31844 times

That’s all for now, I’ll be back tomorrow with more pics from Canada’s Wonderland. Thanks for reading.

[gabed]

Day 3

Not much new occurred today except for better weather and bigger crowds. I did manage to snap a few good pics and snag a ride on quite a few of the flats I missed yesterday, so here we go!

Upon entering the park this morning I spent a good half hour marathoning Behemoth in various different seats to get a good feel for the ride. The more I think about it, the more average it starts to seem to me. Do not get me wrong, it's a great airtime machine and a fun coaster start to finish, but if you've been on Intimidator or Diamondback, you've been on Behemoth.

After taking enough spins on Behemoth, I decided to try and beat my dissappointing score of two flips on Skyhawk.

rsz_img_0922.jpg (515.63 KiB) Viewed 31819 times

I've come to the conclusion that these interactive flat rides just are not for me. I suck at snapping on flyers, or even getting off the ground for that matter. Here on Skyhawk I did not even manage one flip while riding. Oh well.

After marathoning Leviathan for half an hour with my handy dandy Fast Lane, it was time to hit a couple more flats.

IMG_E0950.JPG (609.25 KiB) Viewed 31819 times

Pretty average for a drop tower, though unlike most of the taller ones I have been on this one provided a lengthy amount of airtime on the way down. Seems to me that the taller a drop tower is, the less thrilling it really is. Probably why I love ours and the Larson ones so much.

Moving towards the park's new for 2018 flat rides, I made a pit stop at Shockwave, my second Top Scan.

rsz_img_0930.jpg (861.42 KiB) Viewed 31819 times

It may seem like and look like Electro Spin, but to my surprise it was quite different. On top of moving much faster, the ride's programming was very different from what I've bcome accustomed to on Electro Spin. Rather than moving counter-clockwise for a minute and moving clockwise for another minute, Shockwave instead moves in each direction twice for thirty seconds, giving three changes in direction throughout the ride's cycle. Pretty nifty.

Now for Wonderland's star attraction of the 2018 season.

rsz_img_0924.jpg (1.22 MiB) Viewed 31819 times

I really have to give the Canada's Wonderland team a hand for this one, the landscaping and themeing for what is really a standard flat ride is outstanding. It's placement nestled in the trees is beautiful and really adds to the experice while you're riding. Speaking of riding, I had a great time on the ride. Out of Larson Loops, Looping Starships, and these things, these things are my personal favorite. They don't make you too dizzy and don't leave you hanging for so long that the blood starts welling up in your head.

As for the park's family-friendly addition for the 2018 season, my excitement is less present.

rsz_img_0944.jpg (1.1 MiB) Viewed 31819 times

I'm guessing they blew their landscaping budget on Lumberjack because this thing just felt radomly plopped down on the path. The ride itself is nothing to get excitied about. If you've ridden Dumbo or any of it's million variants, then you've been on Flying Canoes. The kids really seemed to love it so I suppose that's still a big win for the park.

At the end of it all, Canada's Wonderland is a great park that just needs some good coasters to round out the lineup. I know it sounds ridiculous to tell a park with sixteen coasters to round out its lineup. However, with only three good/great coasters in the park, it is easy to forget just how many there are. At Cedar Point I have a hard time debating which coaster I want to ride next, but here I found myself wishing I had more options. The dive machine will be a great addition to the park, but much like Fury with Carowinds, it will take a lot more to make the coaster lineup something to drool over.

rsz_img_0941.jpg (1.12 MiB) Viewed 31818 times

That's all for Canada, tomorrow I'll be writing on Darien Lake and Seabreeze.

See you then!

[gabed]

Day 4 - Part 1

After spending three days in Canada, it was time to return to the good ole U S of A. With six parks still left of the trip, we were up bright and early to reach our next destination; Darien Lake.

DD8BF230-E906-4730-B77F-9DCD76A86DC0.jpeg (732.7 KiB) Viewed 31799 times

To say this park is in the middle of nowhere would be an understatement. I honestly was not sure if we were lost or not (which wouldn’t be a shock since we were using Apple Maps) until I saw Ride of Steel’s lift hill appear seemingly from thin air. Getting into the park wasn’t an issue and since I didn’t grab a park map, I more or less wandered around until I found a coaster. Eventually I found what I was looking for.

8FB46703-F50C-469A-B2C8-269066A0AD05.jpeg (819.57 KiB) Viewed 31799 times

E187497C-8C37-4BB1-A49F-64FADFBED712.jpeg (956.53 KiB) Viewed 31799 times

In theory this looks like a Grade A Pain Machine, but in practice it’s a fun little wooden coaster. It has that classic wooden rattle, but not to a point where your bleeding brain is begging for mercy by the time you hit the brake run. Little pops of floater airtime are scattered all throughout the ride and while it’s by no means a world-class woodie, it’s good for what it is.

Superman, oops, I mean Ride of Steel, was next on the list. I had already ridden the clone at Six Flags America which was fine, nothing special about it if I’m being honest. Darien Lake’s Ride of Steel however is a different story. While no top 10 coaster, it’s latter half is nothing but ejector hill after ejector hill. Well, wherever you can find an ejector hill that is.

C3BBBA76-ABE2-415E-B0C5-7CA350600818.jpeg (844.01 KiB) Viewed 31799 times

A581EB2B-A02D-481D-A09A-DEC704B4F9E7.jpeg (1.02 MiB) Viewed 31799 times

As you can see below, lines were almost nonexistent, but due to the park’s awesome 1-Train Operation on every coaster in the park, what should have been a 5 minute wait turned into 15.

DB52DF3C-1B34-4426-AC32-D6C24783A524.jpeg (867.79 KiB) Viewed 31799 times

[gabed]

Day 4 - Part 2

By this point it was time to begin Darien Lake’s holy trinity of awfulness. I’m going to go out of order of how my day really went to gloss over the glorious trio. First...

The Father:

36A97AAA-D182-4B41-8739-BF9CFC673827.jpeg (742.47 KiB) Viewed 31799 times

909FC795-3180-492F-B092-0B876BF60E1A.jpeg (582.84 KiB) Viewed 31799 times

Easily the second worst SLC I’ve ridden, hopefully nothing tops T3. On the bright side I was able to get on as soon as I entered the station despite 1 train operations.

The Son:

942BD024-0D0A-4F18-A47A-5AB197E18EA8.jpeg (730.31 KiB) Viewed 31799 times

6C69B11C-40B4-427B-A6E0-61725C7AB27E.jpeg (633.02 KiB) Viewed 31799 times

The only coaster in the trinity that isn’t a clone, Viper may not be as rough as it’s father but still offers enough pain and suffering to make you wonder why you got into this hobby in the first place. The ride’s layout was kinda cool, reminded me of a shorter rendition of Kings Island’s Vortex. The coaster’s tunnel/helix was easily the best part but only because it was at the end of the ride.

The Holy Spirit:

29941A2B-A917-4EED-9003-F088993A4BD5.jpeg (717.41 KiB) Viewed 31799 times

There was not a single memorable thing about this coaster. That’s all.

It probably sounds like I hate Darien Lake by this point but allow me to say that is not entirely true. The park is definitely bland and lacks in the flat rides department, but hey, at least it has one of these...

458CFD67-FF90-4609-A8E7-AB2D03538C35.jpeg (754.56 KiB) Viewed 31799 times

Probably the only Zamperla coaster model that I like. I rode Steeplechase at Luna Park way back in 2016 and really enjoyed it. Given this is a clone, the story here is no different. To be as little as it is it packs a great punch. The powerful launch and tight twists make it an awesome family coaster.

[gabed]

Day 4 - Part 3

Since the kiddie coaster is off limits to anyone over 50 inches because why not, and because I had already been through six coasters, I was worn out and ready for a quick break. Stopped at a Subway and was ready to go. With all credits out of the way except for the newest one, Tantrum is where I made my way. Unfortunately for me, Gerstlauer decided to pull a fast one on me and keep Tantrum down. Fortunately mechanics were on the case to fix whatever issue there was. In the meantime I checked out the park’s S&S single shot.

2AB5C273-8A80-44B5-AB4F-D946C586797E.jpeg (1009.84 KiB) Viewed 31798 times

Fun little thing, but by the time I had gotten off and wandered for awhile, Tantrum was up and running.

7AB1FF7A-952E-4142-95F5-3022A606B8CA.jpeg (748.53 KiB) Viewed 31798 times

The queue gets you up close and personal with the ride, like so.

98C59B7C-846A-4C6A-A46C-27D87098A90C.jpeg (803.53 KiB) Viewed 31798 times

Before long I was in the station, preparing to dispatch. I would like to note just how small this station is, only wide enough for a single eurofighter car.

4DB2D594-BA6B-4945-9793-15B70DBA007F.jpeg (887.71 KiB) Viewed 31798 times

Once getting off the ride, I have to say that I loved it. Probably my favorite in the park, not that it really has stiff competition or anything. It’s a fantastic fit for Darien Lake and a blast from start to finish. Overall Darien Lake is an okay park, which means it will fit right into the Six Flags family next year.

[gabed]

Day 4 - Part 4

By 3:30 I was finished with Darien Lake and moving onto Seabreeze, a small park about an hour east in Rochester, NY. After some time spent on the interstate, we found ourselves at our last stop of the day.

9E6BE52A-4E70-436B-831F-FC01AC67E668.jpeg (767.07 KiB) Viewed 31798 times

The park is very, very small, with the dry side of the park being about the same walking distance as Intimidator to Panda Express. With four roller coasters and a handful of smaller flat rides, it was a quick stop for me as I had finished everything I came for within ninety minutes.

Since I was refused the kiddie credit (third time so far on the trip), my first coaster was Jack Rabbit.

0A2A64F7-2BD8-438C-BF17-86CADBDF2095.jpeg (894.11 KiB) Viewed 31798 times

The ride’s station radiates that old-timey charm that I love about smaller parks like this. The handbrake operation adds to this as well once you enter the station from the inside. The coaster itself was a blast. Very smooth for its age and floater airtime was abundant all throughout. While nowhere near as good, it’s smoothness and local feel gave me Phoenix vibes. To say it’s nowhere near as good isn’t to knock it down, it’s a great woodie, Phoenix is just on a whole different level.

8B7DD6EF-1CAA-402A-99D8-B5B5073B50E6.jpeg (849.85 KiB) Viewed 31798 times

BA26A2FC-4C12-4454-AB4D-5849CFB4CC74.jpeg (760 KiB) Viewed 31798 times

Believe it or not before this I had never ridden a tilt-a-whirl before, a fact that even surprises me. It was a lot of fun, very forceful at times, it’s not hard to see why these have stood the test of time.

29F5F1BC-E3E5-4ACB-A82B-5199D757B08E.jpeg (793.76 KiB) Viewed 31798 times

Next coaster was the Bobsleds, a one of a kind coaster that ended up being much better than I had anticipated. Had a blast on these as I had the whole car to myself. In many ways it is like a wild mouse, but the homemade feel of the coaster adds a little extra magic to it.

C3FD7102-0142-4CBB-A2BE-37CA7D0FDD38.jpeg (812.15 KiB) Viewed 31798 times

Lastly was whirlwind, the park’s spinning roller coaster. Ton of fun, to be honest I think I prefer these over the Gerstaluer models since these are so much more intense.

That’s all for today. Tomorrow I’m off to one of my favorite parks. Until then, thanks for reading!

[gabed]

Day 5 - Part 1

New York is pretty and all, but you know what’s prettier? Pennsylvania. (Not being sarcastic, Pennsylvania is seriously a beautiful state). I was just in the state back in 2016 visiting three parks on the 5 Park Vacation of Righteousness, and today I would be returning to my favorite of the three, Knoebels.

Knoebels is a really special place, like a park from the golden age of amusement that’s been frozen in time. The family-friendly atmosphere of the park simply can’t be beaten, and the park’s overall weirdness adds to the charm of the park. Ever since my 2016 visit it has resided cozily in the rankings of my top five favorite parks. While today was much hotter and much busier than my first visit, I still think Knoebels can count on being one of my favorite parks to visit.

Pulling into the slammed parking lot, I made my way into the park and over to my first ride of the day.

298048E2-FC9D-4B0B-BCE8-056B16B24A02.jpeg (757.35 KiB) Viewed 31747 times

8DC7DA86-073A-455E-8A8F-0C59A0AE5A48.jpeg (811.28 KiB) Viewed 31747 times

I believe I referred to this coaster in 2016 as “a poor man’s eurofighter”. Don’t know where my head was at the time, because really Impulse is right on par with the best of eurofighters. Now I know that might sound like another diss at the ride, but bear in mind I love eurofighters so I do mean that lovingly. Impulse is still running great after four years of operation. Butter smooth, comfortable restraints and a great little shot of adrenaline. The locals seem to love it as well, with this being one of the more popular rides in the park.

You can’t go to Knoebels and not take a ride on the chairlift, which is exactly where my sister and I headed to next.

945CB6C5-063F-4A25-A12A-3B075EA46F2D.jpeg (1.24 MiB) Viewed 31747 times

The heat wave in the area hit us hard while on the ride as there was no breeze to be found in the park, but it still didn’t take away from the great views of the ride.

A quick lunch at the Alamo Restaurant followed and then we were off to the main reason I wanted to come back to Knoebels.

D96B75BA-792B-43C2-9A35-73474506BE1A.jpeg (621.58 KiB) Viewed 31747 times

Still one of the greatest wooden roller coasters ever built. The lap bar gives a good six inches between it and your waste and the lack of seatbelts come together to maximize the airtime. Like in 2016, I don’t think my butt touched the seat once the train created the lift hill. The ride was also just as smooth as could be. Maybe it’s because my body was levitating in mid air for the entire ride, but I never felt slight rattle, which is an incredible feat for a wooden coaster.

It’s hard to follow an act like Phoenix, but a Larson ARM Tower is a worthy successor.

A7673D7E-256B-4E64-90D2-505DA1EC2CAF.jpeg (1.11 MiB) Viewed 31747 times

FB9B17D0-43D3-40EA-B801-DEA74DDBFA76.jpeg (683.48 KiB) Viewed 31747 times

These are hands down the best drop towers and if you disagree then your opinion sucks. The way these things give you no warning as to when the drop will occur only adds to the anticipation. Then there’s the drop itself which is just outstanding. Airtime all the way to the bottom.

[gabed]

Day 5 - Part 2

Since we were close by, we headed over to Flying Turns for our next ride.

AB34B7A5-0114-4189-AAE1-14B9833A80F5.jpeg (797.2 KiB) Viewed 31747 times

I love how proud the park is of this ride, and really I don’t blame them. The fact that they were able to revive this type of coaster is a true feat of engineering. Sure it took them nearly a decade to do it, but the fact that they stuck with the project until the end says a lot about their dedication.

D16BC952-7C5C-4D24-A00B-CEEF07A518D2.jpeg (894.24 KiB) Viewed 31747 times

FAAC36A6-2A78-4D16-885D-F44E9A08C57B.jpeg (963.97 KiB) Viewed 31747 times

The ride itself is a lot of fun, but a lot shorter than I remembered. Seems like as soon as you finish the first drop you’re pulling into the brake run.

After Flying Turns the next ride ended up being Black Diamond. Like Impulse, I wasn’t terribly impressed with this ride two years ago. However, much like Impulse this go around, I found that the ride was much better than I had remembered. It’s no world-class attraction, but it’s a perfect fit for a park like Knoebels. I loved it and now see it as more than “just a credit”.

The heat wave that was hitting Pennsylvania was starting to get to us as well, so we decided to head back to our hotel for a short break.

Once we (or really just I) returned to the park, I headed straight for Twister.

66CA8BF8-9AF2-43B8-A333-96408D4FFC00.jpeg (1.23 MiB) Viewed 31747 times

B23886B1-7A20-470D-B811-5C557A5380EE.jpeg (965.87 KiB) Viewed 31747 times

Props to Knoebels to how well they maintain their wooden coasters. Just like Phoenix, Twister was as smooth as could be. Not as good as Phoenix, but a fantastic woodie nonetheless. A very unique ride that you really can’t find anywhere else.

24E91654-3838-4856-9C06-9CE1EE0BB773.jpeg (1.03 MiB) Viewed 31747 times

Still have no idea what this thing is called but it was closed last time I came here so I made sure to snag a ride this time. Pretty fun, nowhere near as good as Gr8 Sk8 (Rest in Peace) but provided plenty of good views of the glorious park that is Knoebels.

The rest of the night consisted mainly of rerides in Phoenix and Impulse. Knoebels is still an amazing place and I hope to come for a third time someday. Tomorrow I’m off to Kennywood and until then, thanks for reading!

[carowinds.captured]

i enjoyed reading....thanks for posting