FOFreak

I still lurk around these parts. Glad to see some things never change. I just want to place my bet on a rather large wood coaster project. I'd be genuinely shocked if those plans weren't legit. The City of Mason and Cedar Fair aren't going to collude in order to get a couple hundred enthusiasts' panties in a bunch. Also, on engineering drawings like that, it's common to use one big AutoCad file for a project. In order to make different sheets (or pages), you simply turn on and off layers to provide the view you want. So the argument saying that the overall layout sheet doesn't tell us anything is hoopla. If the blueprints are to be believed, the track looked in incredible amount like wooden track to me. So my money is on a GCI, RMC, or even a GG coaster (if they are still around). Even though its extraneous info, GG is out of Cincinatti if I recall correctly. Also, if it is a wooden coaster, I can't imagine a mid-sized one going in. How would that sell season passes? No. I see them wanting something sexy. I'm thinking tall and fast. Maybe an inversion or two. The overall layout looks fairly straight and long for a slow-paced, medium-sized woodie. Now if you excuse me.. *FOFreak, backing into the shadows*

^Does the ID have to be a local school? I go to college in Indiana, but I'll be at the park tonight. I was going to buy my ticket online later today for $29.99, but if there is an additional service fee, I'd be better off to get it at the gate!

We were looking at Saturday, October 17th. Are Saturdays really that awful during the Haunt?

I am planning on making my first Haunt trip with some friends in a few weeks. I have no idea what to expect in terms of what lines tend to fill up the most. When I visited in June, by the end of the day, I was extremely disappointed in myself for not shelling out the money for the Fast Pass. We travel a decent ways to come to the park and want to get the most out of our trip. Yet, as broke college kids, we need to watch what we spend. We were hoping to hit all of the mazes and all of the coasters at least once in the night, and probably try to get a handful of rides in both Banshee and Diamondback. What I would like to know is, what is the better value in hopes to avoid as much waiting in lines as possible, the Fast Lane pass or the Fright Lane pass? Additionally, if anyone has any Haunt tips to give me, that would be greatly appreciated!!

Paula wrote on TRP: "About the legend? You know we made it up, right? (Although researching history is always a good thing, so don't stop looking on my account.) I enjoyed the heck out of researching the Pilgrims' experience on board Mayflower. It was harrowing and Thanksgiving will never, ever mean the same to me. The challenge of the Thanksgiving holiday is that architecture of the time is just not pretty, interesting, or exciting. So we didn't stay in 1620. If you remember back on May 15, we hosted a free day for coaster enthusiasts. During our Voyage walkback, a little boy noticed an old wooden box poking out of the dirt near an access road. We dug it out, opened it, and found an old diary. That diary was the journal kept by our 66 Days at Sea mother back in 1620. It was preserved for generations by her descendants, one of whom eventually settled in southern Indiana, circa 1820. The farmer reaped the rewards of bountiful crops some seasons but also suffered the results of extreme weather, including lightning strikes to his barn and outbuildings and strong winds knocking over corn, wheat and other grain crops, rendering them nothing more than cattle feed. This farmer knew well his family's stories of a shadowy creature of the skies. Although skeptical at first, he sensed this moody creature was somehow connected with his ancestor's journal and in his old age buried it in the earth to protect future generations from the unbridled energy of this Thunderbird. When we opened that wooden box on May 15, Thunderbird's powers were again unleashed. Those photos posted on Day 65 and Day 66? They were taken by different staff members this summer. Thunderbird is back."

Hyena Falls is super super out of place now. I wonder if it will be there come May.

Love the KIC quotes in the announcement, especially mine I'm famous. Lol. But for real, extremely pleased with the announcement. I was expecting the launch, but not the wing coaster. Just wow. Definitely a great sign of things to come here in Santa Claus!

My guess was a B&M Launcher. But I'm not so sure anymore. Very very excited for tonight. I still believe the name with be The Storm.

Weather dog says its going to be a great day to visit the park tomorrow.

I would definitely be thrown for a loop if it was anything other than a B&M Launcher at this point. Could you imagine how awesome it would be to Blitz around Voyage and take full use of the terrain back there? Especially once some inversions are thrown in the mix. I can hear it now: "Coming to Holiday World in 2015, The Storm!! The Storm will be the first B&M coaster in the world to be designed to feature launch. But that's not all! The Storm will feature not one, but two launches!"

So let's try to catch up to speed a little bit. Construction is moving very very fast here in Spencer County. As ware aware, we have those almond shape cutouts on all of the footers, just like we have seen with recent B&M's like Banshee. Some of these footers are huge. And very very close to Voyage. Maybe 5 ft in some places. Next to Hyena Falls, there are two rows of footers that look to be an ideal place for a launch. What is even more convenient is that they are erecting what looks to be a large shed, right next to the rows of footers. My speculation: I don't believe that Pilgrims Plunge's station has anything to do with this 2015 project anymore. This project has probably been in the works for years. PP's demolition was a relatively recent decision I would imagine. I think the station is sitting there currently simply for storage and/or they just didn't have time to get around to it before opening this season. I fully expect it to be a concrete pad come next year. The water park walkways vs drypark walkways are very awkward. I'll draw a picture later, but its just very, very awkward. Technically, the construction site is in the waterpark and not even in the Thanksgiving area. Does anyone else see the problem here? I believe we will see B&M's very first launcher. Maybe even with multiple launches. This last one may be a bit of a stretch, but I'm thinking tall. Just by looking at the size of these footers near Voyage in person, I have a feeling this may shock us all and be close to the 200 ft mark. I just can't think of any other reason for those footers to be that big.

^Lol, stand up.

The speculation on TPR has been very in depth. I had to start reading there because what little speculation we get keeps getting.. well, diverted.

Are there any feasable way to make a combination coaster where Pilgrims Plunge once stood? Visited the park today, and I would be shocked if they do not reuse the PP building in some way. The splash pool is still filled, and that station is just way too nice and new to rip down. And if they were going to rip it down, I think they would have done it by now.

Did anyone on here go to Holiwood Nights? I mean, surely one of us did. I have heard absolutely nothing from anyone aI would have thought if they wanted to build hype for a new coaster, they would have at least hinted at the new construction or even a tour or something idk. What's most shocking to me is that seemingly no one on here has talked about it in a TR or an update or anything of the sort.

If I can find the owner, I would return it. If not, I keep it. At least I tried. And if I would try to turn it in to a cashier or something, who's to say it wouldn't just go home with them regardless. Not very many honest people nowadays. Those days are gone unfortunately. FOFreak, who wishes he were born a few decades earlier.

Here's the best advice your going to get when it comes to getting the most out of your day at HW. Get to the park at opening, don't waste any time and get down the hill to the Thanksgiving section, ride all the rides in that section before Splashin' Safari opens (if you have time). Then hurry and go to SS and get your locker and swimwear and stuff ready before they open up the slides. As soon as they drop the rope, walk very briskly towards Mammoth and ride it. It's the best ride in the water park and also has the longest lines. After Mammoth, I recommend Wildebeest. And then just cycle around the water park. Since most people will be wanting to hit Mammoth first, the lines for other slides should be short. Then I would hit all the other slides you wish to ride. When your done at the water park, it should be the hotter portion of the day. This means that most of the GP will be wanting to go to the water park to cool off. Thus, dry side should be fairly short as far as lines go. So in a nutshell, Thanksgiving has short lines early. Mammoth is great, but long lines make it necessary to beat the crowds. So hit water park when it opens. And dry side has short lines around the middle of the day. I really hope that made sense. But that is how I beat the crowds during the busiest of days and it is nearly fool proof if the weather is nice.

Lol some would think that the outrage over soda to be ridiculous. But truly, it could be a big inconvenience to the unsuspecting park guest who pays $4 or something, for what they expect to be Fanta. Its definitely an issue that needs addressing. Of course, one can think of more Paramount issues for the park. But this one could probably be easily fixed. Coca-Cola would be none too happy about this discovery though.

http://blog.coasterradio.com/2014/05/this-post-is-not-about-kentucky-kingdom.html?m=1 There's a photo in the link that looks an awful lot like footers for a steel coaster. It could also be a red herring. Paula tends to enjoy a good herring every now and again.

^Ah okay, this makes sense. Probably more sense than the construction of a hotel itself. Upon further though, I don't know if a hotel would be wise at this point. The park just doesn't have enough draw yet. Also, what would there be for people to do after park hours? Nothing. Because the park is kind of in the middle of nowhere. If HW were in a suburb or a large city, as Mason is to Cincinnati, things would be different. Location, location, location.

Yes, I stand corrected. My legal vocabulary isn't quite as extensive as many on here. In fact, Terpy has explained this to me before (probably more than once), I just can't memorize the term for it. Would it be a service mark? But yeah, I've posted about that *trademark (*yes, its not technically a trademark) for a hotel before. And no one has really said much about it. I can see it as a real possibility considering that the closest hotel of reasonable size is in Ferdinand (like 10 minutes away.) Also, I believe that Koch Development Co. owns a significant amount of land that across the highway that runs parallel to Voyage. Its currently just a large open field. This would be a prime location for a hotel IMO. Or somewhere connecting to their gigantic parking lot. Does someone know anything about *trademark extensions? Is there a point in extending it if there are no plans to use it?

Just to throw some fuel on this fire, Holiday World owns a trademark for "Holiday World Hotel."

Its 12:15 am CDT. No update I may be the most impatient person ever. EDIT: 12:29 am CDT.. growing tired. But I haven't read my bedtime paragraph yet. EDIT EDIT: 1:36 am EST (my time).. closed my eyes and almost couldn't raise them back up. Yet, still determined.

The website seems to be set up like a diary. The first post was very anticlimactic. Although, the mobile site is very slick and easy to use. So props on that.

Very good PTR. Descriptive, in-depth, and full of wonderful pictures. As a mechanical engineering major, I found the Voyage train pictures very intriging. Thank you. I wish I would have went. As for the 66daysatsea site, I personally loved the post by Leah. Great to hear from Will's kids. I have a feeling that its safe to say a formal announcement will be 66 days from Monday. And until then, we will be tickled with 66 days of speculation and subtle (or not so subtle..) hints. Paula always seems to have a knack for finding ways to keep us enthusiasts on edge for weeks at a time when promoting a new addition.