We arrived at 10:00AM on the dot. Rode 11 rides, had a funnel cake, and left at 1:05PM. Below are the rides we rode and what I thought of each. From the worst to the best. If you have any opinions, let me know, I'd like to know if you all agree. Enjoy....
11. Adventure Express
We all know that this ride is pretty much a kiddy ride. It's sort of enjoyable because of the atmosphere it has, but it doesn't really have any excitement. It's slow, it's short and the worst part is how it just ends abruptly after the statues are pounding their fists saying "You'll pay." Well statues, I most certainly didn't pay, and I didn't have fun on the ride. Worst ride I rode today.
10. Racer
Up, down, up, down, turn, up, down, finish. We all know the story. The thing is, it's a classic, it's a good ride, but it is more rocky then I remember. When you aren't scared, or feeling great about the ride, the last thing you want to feel is beat up from the ride. Still like the ride, just wasn't better than the others the park has to offer. Every time I ride it I remember the time my hat flew off and someone went under the ride to go get it. I honestly don't remember who went and got it, I just know I didn't and they told us we couldn't get it. Mad props to the friend that rescued the Buzz hat. I love you. Ha.
9. Firehawk
This ride is very interesting. A whole different concept that I have never seen before. When you are sitting there ready to go, they lay your seat down. So here you are lying on your back on the ride. When you go around the track, at times you are basically lying on your foot holds and your shins are on it the whole ride, suspended facing the ground. This is probably the worst concept I've ever seen. I mean, I can understand why people would like it, but I didn't. In fact, this ride officially goes in the "Never again" category. My wife says she really liked it, but she likes to just disagree with me, so she probably didn't like. Maybe you'll like it, but I'm never riding it again. Worst fast roller coaster there if you ask me.
8. Flight Deck
This ride was once called Top Gun. Apparently Paramount sold this park and they aren't allowed to use the movie titles anymore. I like this ride but it is too short and doesn't really go that fast. Look, I know you aren't going to hit any poles or tunnels or anything like that. But on this ride, I swear you are going to hit a pole when you are swinging in your seat. Because of that I like the ride since it is suspenseful. So, good ride, just doesn't provide that much excitement. Much more exciting when they use to pump songs from the Top Gun soundtrack while you are walking up. Not anymore, lame.
7. Invertigo
This is the ride that use to be called Faceoff. Your feet dangle and you face other people riding the ride. We went on the end so we were facing no one but the sky. We went up and fell backwards and went through all the loops and turns backwards facing nothing but the gray Ohio horizon. Well, again, I could see how people would enjoy this, but for a guy that gets motion sick, this was brutal. Sometimes I don't feel great after the ride, but this one was pretty bad. Not knowing at all where you are turning just doesn't do it for me. I don't think I would ride this one again unless I was somewhere in the middle and knew where I was going. Ya, I'm a pussy, but hey, it's my blog and I didn't like the ride, ok? Moving on...
6. Backlot Stunt Coaster
This was another one of those rides that wasn't super fast. But boy does it catch you off guard. You take off really fast and then go up and down some sharp turns. A tunnel or two and at one point you are going right at a walkway and then go under it. Probably not the best ride, but it was way better than I expected, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. We got off the ride thinking, "Damn, that was pretty sweet."
5. Diamondback
I haven't been on this ride before. I've heard some good things about it. We walked by it and I thought, ya, let's definitely ride that one. When I sat down on my seat I was really surprised that the only thing holding you in was a snake looking thing on your lap. Ok, not a big deal I thought. All you do on the ride is go up and down, suppose to be like I snake I was figurin'. Well, again, a ride I could see why people enjoy, but, and this one is a big but, I felt super unsafe. Every time we were on our way down a hill my body was off the seat and I was being held down only by this little lap thing. I kept thinking, please end this ride, please, where is the finish? I'm still surprised I didn't end up catapulting into a lake somewhere. I don't want to ride this ride again. Top five though with it's potential and little enjoyment it provided. Oh, and Haley disagrees with me on this one again. Figures right.?
4. Drop Tower
Classic ride. Not a coaster, but definitely a must ride. Going slowly up in the air made me feel a little queasy but overall I love this ride. I like the fact that you don't know when you are going to drop. When you finally do, you feel your stomach not only go up in your throat, it feels like it flies out of your mouth. At the end my ears locked up and I felt like I was going to explode. For some reason, I thought it was pretty sweet. This ride left everyone laughing, and wide-eye surprised. Just one of those rides that everyone loves no matter who they are. Could have been top three, but it had to be outside the top three because it wasn't a coaster. Played some good music while waiting too.
3. Vortex
Use to be my favorite ride there. The thing I always hated about this ride is the shoulder protectors. They don't go wide enough around your shoulders, they kind of just sit there so every bump and turn you feel it. But, the journey makes up for it. Upside down, fast turns, big drop, swirly type moves, love it. If you didn't feel like you just got done with a prized fight afterwards, it would be the best ride in the park.
2. The Beast
We all know the story. Biggest wooden roller coaster ever made. It's a little slower than I remember at the beginning and on the initial drop, but it makes up for it at the end. A lot rockier then I remember though. Still one of the longer rides, which is a plus. This ride just brings back memories. I feel like I've ridden this ride a million times, and every time I enjoy it. Funny how they haven't upgraded it at all, just a few little speakers that make roaring noises when you are going up the hill, ha. Petty and cheap, but it adds to the aura.
1. Outer Limits - Flight of Fear
Best ride in the park, I can say that with full certainty. You go from 0-60 in what seems like a blink of an eye. The whole ride is indoors so it's dark and all you can see is the building and the coaster. It looks like it might be cheap since it is like that but for some reason it adds to the mystique of it all. You feel like you are going to hit other parts of the track but you just keep turning and twisting and flying. For a guy like me that gets a little motion sickness I love the fact that it's dark in there, I can't focus on anything. I would ride this ride over and over but it always has the longest line which makes it impossible on normal days. The clincher for me on the rating of this ride was seeing a lady afterwards next to the trash can with the lid open. Let's just say her head wasn't in there because she was looking for something on the bottom, ha.
Haven't been there since Summer of 2003. Loved it, will definitely be back next year.
Til next time....
Curt
