Hey Louis, and everyone else

[justafan]

I just saw that you have ridden 125 coasters, which was your favorite?

I like Orient Express at Worlds of Fun in Kansas city, but my experience isn't that vast(I think I have ridden on 8 or so).

Also what is the best Park to go to, and why?

Everyone chime in.

[Tybris]

I couldn't tell you..i've only been to Six flags in Houston and Dallas and Disney something in Florida.

[Foxy11]

I've only been to about 5 parks with roller coasters, I'd say my favorite was The Volcano at Kings Dominion in Richmond VA.

[PsychoMan]

The only park that I can remember going to is "Canada's Wonderland" just north of Toronto. (Though after being purchased by a certain huge American firm, it is now known as "Paramount Canada's Wonderland" :rolleyes:)

In fact, I was just there a couple of weeks ago... I find it interesting that even though they have all the newest rides like "Top Gun" and "Tomb Raider", my favourite coaster is still an old wooden one called "Wild Beast". Though, it could be that the jerky movements in many new roller coasters give me a headache.

Two of the new non-coaster rides were good. "Sledgehammer" (which is a HUSS Jump2) and "Psyclone" (which is a Mondial prototype). In this case Psyclone is better to ride, but Sledgehammer is so much fun to watch... it is a HUGE machine.

One of these days I will have to check out some of the big US parks.

[dreamrib]

wow, you guys have been to a lot of parks.

Lol, I've only been to a few others in different states.

You really liked the Volcano Foxy? I guess its cool, I live like 20minutes from it so after years of going I'm jaded.

Bush Gardens, Williamsburg has some great rides.

My winner is Six Flags, MD Superman. You seriously feel like your flying, remember to tuck your shirt in, and you'll LOVE this ride!!

Also they ahve Batwing, which you ride on your back and flipped over like a bat. Some love it, it scares the HELL out of me when I can look down and see how far up am I held in my gel restraints & lockbar.....

I want to go to the one in Ohio with the worlds tallest coaster.

[Foxy11]

Originally posted by dreamrib@Jul 20 2004, 09:03 AM
wow, you guys have been to a lot of parks.

Lol, I've only been to a few others in different states.

You really liked the Volcano Foxy? I guess its cool, I live like 20minutes from it so after years of going I'm jaded.

Bush Gardens, Williamsburg has some great rides.

My winner is Six Flags, MD Superman. You seriously feel like your flying, remember to tuck your shirt in, and you'll LOVE this ride!!

Also they ahve Batwing, which you ride on your back and flipped over like a bat. Some love it, it scares the HELL out of me when I can look down and see how far up am I held in my gel restraints & lockbar.....

I want to go to the one in Ohio with the worlds tallest coaster.
Hey DR,
I'm originally from Newport News Va so I'm pretty familiar with Busch Gardens and Kings Dominion. I really love the volcano, I don't even make it to the parks every year so I haven't gotten tired of them. I havent even ridden the Hypersonic yet at KD, I hear that's pretty cool too even though it's less than 30secs :shock:

[Louis85]

Well, I'm glad you ask me that my man! *pulls out soap box and podium* Sorry, I am just getting around to answer you dawg, but I was at Kings Island the last two days, riding ONE of my favorite woodies, The Beast (still an awesome coaster).

To answer your original question, which coaster is my favorite. In true coaster geek...er...enthusiasts form, I will respond first by saying that Wooden Coaster (woodies) and Steel coasters are two extremely different rides and can NOT be lump together for comparison. So my two answers are this: My favorite steel coaster is Millennium Force at Cedar Point, and my favorite wooden coaster is The Legend at Holiday World, in Santa Claus, IN (yes, they actually have Santa Claus statues in the town, but that's off the subject). Most coaster geeks like "air time", some of them, that's ALL they judge. I like air time, smooth ride, longer ride time, creative layouts, etc., etc. Force is 300 ft with a speed of 93 mph--speed baby, what's not to love. Legend is absolutely flawless when it runs at night. Not a bump on the entire track layout, runs through tunnels and helixes, mad change of direction, pure coaster sweetness! :rock:

My favorite park for overall rides and best collection of rides (out of the 22 parks I've been to), without a doubt in my mind is Cedar Point. It has 4 coasters over 200 ft tall, including the tallest and fastest in the world, half way decent food, very clean for a park it's size (probably the biggest of the 22 I've visited). There are alot of smaller parks that do a GREAT job that I could mention. Indiana's two parks: Indiana Beach in Monticello, IN and Holiday World (free drinks everyday at this park) are excellent small parks. Kennywood in Pittsburgh, Pa (a hometown favorite) and Knoebel's in Elysburg, PA are great largely due to the excellent FOOD you can get at these two parks! All four of these smaller parks have nationally ranked coasters in them. So sometimes bigger is not necessary better. There's a lot to be said for small park charm.

The hardest thing to do for me is to visit a Six Flags park. I've been to EIGHT of them and some of them are hard to love. Six Flags runs a shitty park as a rule, but some of their parks do well in spite of that fact, like Great America in Gurnie, IL (I think Chief's been to this park). Here are my top ten of both types of coaster (shortened to 10), in case anyone's interested.

My wood coaster top ten

1.Legend, Holiday World, Santa Claus, IN
2.Beast, Paramount's Kings Island, Kings Mills, OH
3.Raven, Holiday World, Santa Claus, IN
4.Shivering Timbers, Michigan's Adventure, Muskegon, MI
5.Villian, Six Flags Worlds Of Adventure, Aurora, OH
6.Phoenix, Knoebel's, Elysburg, PA
7.Lightning Racer, Hersheypark, Hershey, PA
8.Thunderbolt, Kennywood, West Mifflin, PA
9.Twister, Knoebel's, Elysburg, PA
10.Hoosier Hurricane, Indiana Beach, Monticello, IN

My steel coaster top ten

1.Millennium Force, Cedar Point, Sandusky, OH
2.Superman - ROS, Six Flags DL & America, Darien Center, NY
3.Nitro, Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, NJ
4.Phantom's Revenge, Kennywood Park, West Mifflin, PA
5.Raging Bull, Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Ill
6.Steel Force, Dorney Park, Allentown, PA
7.Magnum XL-200, Cedar Point, Sandusky, OH
8.Wicked Twister, Cedar Point, Sandusky, OH
9.Volcano: Blast Coaster, P. Kings Dominion, Doswell, VA ( I like it too Foxy!)
10.Superman Ult. Escape, S. F. Worlds of Adventure, Aurora, OH

Foxy, Dreamerib, and Psycho all of your choices are excellent! Beast has always been a favorite (rode it 5 times yesterday), Superman in MD (a clone of the one my list, rode them both) is sweet. I loved Hyersonic, but like Top Thrill Dragster (the 400ft, 120-mph monster at Cedar Point, tallest and fastest) it is over way too fast to really enjoy. Note: Dragster had a "little" accident and MAY be down for the rest of the season, some people were cut by the shards of the cable that broke on it. Tough break for a very unique ride experience. I'm glad I got my ride in early this year on it.

If anyone is interested, I have more info on my homepage, PM me and I'll give you the link. Sorry, to ramble, but I love talking coasters and welcome any comment. later all.

Louis

[LumtheMad]

I looooooove Cedar Point! I've been a seasons pass member there for the last 4 years at least and have been going there all my life.(it's 45 minutes away from me) Have to echo Louis sentiment about how damn great Millenium Force is. I went on it this last Friday. I had forgotten how awsome of a coaster it really is! I took my niece on it for the first time as well. She's twelve and she was a bit nervous. After riding it she said.."This is NOW my favorite coaster!"

The only other parks i've been to were the old Geagua Lake (raging wolf bobs were fun way back when) and also DisneyLand. I am sure i will go to Geagua Lake next year but for right now i just stick to the Point. I love that place to death. Hopefully i'll be able to go there the weekend after next.

I HAVE to make it a priority to get my lazy butt down to Kings Island and get on the Beast. I've heard great things about it. I'm a big fan of Wooden Coasters and i'm hopeful Cedar Point builds another one soon.

I also believe they need to dismantle the No Thrill Scrapyard. I have been to the park 11 times within the last two years and that coaster hasn't been running honestly half of those times! Cedar Point screwed the pooch on that one!

[Louis85]

Originally posted by LumtheMad@Jul 20 2004, 09:38 PM
The only other parks i've been to were the old Geagua Lake (raging wolf bobs were fun way back when) and also DisneyLand. I am sure i will go to Geagua Lake next year but for right now i just stick to the Point. I love that place to death. Hopefully i'll be able to go there the weekend after next.

I HAVE to make it a priority to get my lazy butt down to Kings Island and get on the Beast. I've heard great things about it. I'm a big fan of Wooden Coasters and i'm hopeful Cedar Point builds another one soon.

I also believe they need to dismantle the No Thrill Scrapyard. I have been to the park 11 times within the last two years and that coaster hasn't been running honestly half of those times! Cedar Point screwed the pooch on that one!
Geagua Lake is going to become a lot better now that Six Flags sold it. Cedar Fair (the company that owns Cedar Pt.) will do a much better job with it. They are planning a 200ft. coaster for next year there, so I will wait next year too, Lum.

If you make it to Kings Island, you will LOVE the Beast. It is still the longest wooden coaster (I think). The ride is almost 4 minutes long (as compared to 2 mins for most coasters). I love it to death. Now "Son of Beast", the only wooden coaster with a vertical loop, really sucks. I have taken my last ride on that lifetime. NEVER AGAIN!!!

Top Thrill Dragster is fixed and is back up and running--thank goodness for them. There's a lot of technology in that ride. Hopefully they can keep it running for more than a minute. I might visit the Pt in September, or wait 'til the indoor waterpark opens in November.

Louis

[LumtheMad]

Son-O-Beast stinks up the joint, eh? Damn scrappy kid should be more like his old man!!
Yeah with Cedar Fair owning the park i'm expecting bigger things from it. I wondered if they were going to try and theme it more as a family park or something? It's cool to hear they plan on tossing in a cool coaster there tho....

Top Thrill has been a major let down for them. I think they'll get it together. Locally they've pulled the advertisements mentioning that ride as the reason to come out.(because people WOULD come out and it would be down down down)

I joked with my wife that it's going to light on fire and tip over and fall into Lake Erie.
The new water park does look pretty damn hip....i'm interested in that as well. Should be cool!

[Louis85]

I like Top Thrill for it's uniqueness, and the fact that it is so technologically advanced. It takes a lot of waiting to ride the sucker though. Rumor has it that Six Flags New Jersey is planning something really big next year to rival Top Thrill. I guess we'll have to wait to see what that is.

[byrdie]

Here's a question about coasters: how do you keep from getting nauseated on them? I've been on a ferris wheel and rather liked the rush of being up quite so high (and even freaking out when my carriage stopped and swung at the top for a few minutes). I've also enjoyed The Galleon (http://www.americanaamusementpark.com/galleon.htm), the pirate ship ride that swings in an ever-increasing arc -- though I wish the thing had more than just the lap bar to keep riders from falling into the machinery below. yoiks.

The only thing I can think of is to try Dramamine, try a coaster on as empty a stomach as possible and hope a lot. Any other advice, short of avoiding them or risking being sick in public?

[ChrisLDog]

I just went to Six Flags Magic Mountain (CA) and their newest coaster called X is freaking ridiculous. The seats rotate independently of the track, giving you the feeling that you don't know where the hell you're going to or coming from.

Best coaster I've ever been on. Here's some info on it. http://www.gettheloop.com/ena/magic-x.html

And Byrdie, I have no idea how to get over the motion sickness. Some people just get sick and some people sop up the adrenaline...

[Louis85]

Well if you're like me, the only coasters that give me any trouble are the ones that turn upside down. The older I get, the less my body likes being turned upside down on loops and twists etc. I have never tried the Dramamine route, and probably never will. Just try going on hypercoasters and leave the looping coasters alone, or ride them sparingly. I have to do that myself. I hope that was helpful.

Louis

:cool:

P.s. for Chris: Yeah Dude, X is a crazy ride! Probably the last great ride that Aerodynamics will create, since they declared bankruptcy. It looks insane and I would only ride it ONCE (hopefully early next year).