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TombRaiderFTW

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Posts posted by TombRaiderFTW

    What is the worst park you have ever been to? EVER!

    in KI Polls

    Posted

    I'm with giga on this... I can't just declare one park that was hands-down the worst. Every park I've been to so far has had its own redeeming qualities, so I'm going to divide it up like she did. I've been to Kings Island, Cedar Point, Stricker's Grove, Coney Island Cincy, Michigan's Adventure, Indiana Beach, Kings Dominion, Holiday World, and Nick Universe at the Mall of America.

    Dirtiest park: Indiana Beach. I don't think I ever saw a not-full trashcan there.

    Rudest employees: Michigan's Adventure and Indiana Beach. Both had a couple people who really liked their jobs (I'm looking at you, Wolverine Wildcat and Steel Hawg), but most just had an attitude of, "Oh, crap... More people want to ride. Wouldn't you rather just, like, go eat a taco or get a snow cone or do anything else ever besides ride this ride?!"

    Worst food: Michigan's Adventure. Wasn't really thinking Cedar Fair heat lamps could be turned down, but then I got a $9 basket of greasy chicken and fries so cold they were shivering in their wax paper at their Coasters diner. Eww.

    Worst layout: Either Indiana Beach or Holiday World. The bridge end of IB was pretty good, but the opposite end, namely surrounding Steel Hawg, was sort of confusing in the sense that you're not sure where the park ends and the housing begins. I honestly have to wonder if security ever finds confused guests late at night wandering around those buildings. Holiday World, on the other hand... I love HW dearly, but there is no straight line to anything, save for (maybe) the Thanksgiving section. It's all walking left and right and left and right down and up hills if you want to go anywhere besides Christmas, making it a little frustrating on my first couple visits to try to get from point A to point B just about anywhere in the park. I've basically got it down-pat 5 visits later, but still.

    Worst capacity: Either Indiana Beach (who's getting razzed a lot in this post despite actually being a pretty decent park) or Nick Universe. Like I said before, IB's employees really weren't excited about life when I visited this summer. This included their energy in checking and sending trains. The park was positively empty the day I was there (walked on Steel Hawg 4 or 5 times), but when you take literally 4 or 5 minutes to check restraints on Cornball Express, there will be lines. Not to mention that the most communication the staff ever had with anyone was an angry glare. I honestly found myself wondering at times if the ride was down, only to unexpectedly- and wordlessly- be sent out of the station. It almost felt more appropriate to tell them, "I'm sorry. I really am. I just wanted to try this coaster because people said it's good and stuff..."

    On the other end of the spectrum, Nick U's staff wasn't too bad- it was the rides. They were fun, but nothing in that building, by my uneducated guesstimate, got more than ~600 pph. It was tempting to exclaim when the lines would actually move. Seems like, being located in a travel destination, you'd want something that can push people through. Maybe that's just me.

    2012

    in Coming Attractions

    Posted

    And how appropriate, since at one time the plan was to remove the Antique Cars and install....Hurler.

    Gonna be honest here... That probably would sit really well with me, minus the "remove the Antique Cars" bit. I'm just saying.

    FTW, who reserves the dot-dot-dot treatment for... Vekoma Inverts. Or at least the ones he's been on.

    SFMM adding 3 new coasters for 2011

    in Other Amusement Parks & Industry News

    Posted

    Judging by the videos I'm watching of Dreamworld's Tower of Terror (which was recently turned backwards), it doesn't seem like the launch on Superman will be too bad.

    The video really makes the point, but I'll back it up with speculation. These Intamin "coasters" don't really launch you in the "traditional" sense*. Every movement of the car on the track is controlled by the LSMs (and the computers thereof). I absolutely know no facts, but it seems to me that the cars' accelerations are much less intense than we're expecting* because the LSMs can lessen the acceleration and spread it out over more of the course, even theoretically while the car is vertical. Watch a decent POV, even- I think the reason there's so much floater airtime at the top is because the LSMs (visibly) extends the amount of time the car spends slowing and then re-accelerating at the peak.

    *By a "traditional" or "expected" launch, I mean to point out that we're used to forceful launches that only comprise a portion of the ride, such as Top Thrill Dragster or Flight of Fear. Based off of the video, this is clearly not the same sort of launch.

    Rate the Haunts

    in Kings Island

    Posted

    From favorite to least favorite, as of this year:

    1. Slaughterhouse

    So intense! The scareactors make frighteningly skillful use of their environments and their co-actors to deliver scares literally around every corner, not to mention that the decorations are plentiful and very realistic. The designers of and actors in this thing really know what they're doing. Super gory- as to be expected from something themed to a cannibal's meat shop- but personally distractingly scary enough to keep it from being overly morbid. I have a tendency to look everywhere at all times to avoid getting unexpectedly scared, and that did not help me in Slaughterhouse. The scares are good, and the scareactors even better. The ending's a real blast, too.

    2. Massacre Manor, Trail of Terror

    Both equally intense in their own rights. Neither are Slaughterhouse, but they'll have you freaking out if you slack on your guard. Not a whole lot of interaction with the environments, but there was quite a bit of double-teaming the scares, with great results. They give you some room to cautiously breathe at points, where Slaughterhouse is just scare after scare after scare after scare. These two were also the haunts last night where the actors... well... get to know you personally. wink.gif Quoth "Momma": "Mmm, Alex! You gon' be first in mah stew!" Be jealous, because that's going to be one darn tasty stew. biggrin.gif

    4. Club Blood

    I'm always iffy on this one. The scares are always top-notch, but the actors' behaviors for the second half usually are borderline offensive. All the scares from the start to leaving the "club" scene were expertly done- I even saw one guy wearing these really cool white contacts that glowed in the blacklights. TOO COOL! The second half, though... I don't want to give anything away, as per the OP, but it never fails to be a little too sexual for my tastes year after year.

    5. Cemetary Drive

    Surprisingly good! I can't really describe this one since its thrill lies in its actors, but this is a really, really good haunt this year. If you want to dip a friend's or your toe into a good taste of the Haunt experience, this is where I would start. Intense and suspenseful, but not too overwhelmingly so.

    6. Corn Stalkers

    Gah, Cornstalkers. Hands-down either my top or second-favorite haunt in '08 and '09; hands-down uninspired this year. I don't like to tear down Haunts without some constructive criticism added in, but I really don't know what would have helped this one. You knew what was real and what wasn't, even though the actors really were doing their jobs well. My biggest joy with Cornstalkers this year was just watching the group of 12 year-old girls in front of us obliviously wander through, getting scared out of their wits. Maybe I'm just growing up and getting used to scares, but something just wasn't the same this time.

    7. Cutthroat Cove

    On one hand, Cutthroat Cove was a lot better than it was last year. On the other hand, Cutthroat Cove is still... Cutthroat Cove. You can see the actors, most of which just scream shrilly at you and then meander back to where they came from. Ho hum. Awkward "booty" jokes, ahoy!

    8. Wolf Pack

    I don't really deserve to give this one a fair review since I can't, but you can read my feelings on it here. WARNING: There will be spoilers!

    9. Tombstone Terror-tory

    I was sorely let down by TTt, frankly. What was one of my favorite haunts last year was nothing more than a cool set-up to a bunch of below-average scares. You could see the actors coming a mile away, and they would only either shriek or growl mildly. What a bummer.

    Haven't gotten to Urgent Scare or Carnevil yet, and with any luck, I won't have to go through Death Row ever again.

    Wolf Pack

    in Trip Reports

    Posted

    I don't even like the idea of werewolves scaring you. It's different when there's a guy with a cut up face chasing after you with a chainsaw.....then, a werewolf, just going "rawr" seems a little stupid. Even before you guys rated it, I still didn't like the idea.

    See, I kind of see your point... except, aren't other various mystical creatures and cannibals going "rawr" basically all that's in the other haunts? There aren't that many chainsaws, Trail of Terror aside, now that The Worksite is gone... Sniff. :(

    Wolf Pack

    in Trip Reports

    Posted

    I honestly wasn't wowed by Wolf Pack. Maybe I was spoiled by how ridiculously scary Slaughterhouse's first impression was last year, but Wolf Pack just kind of seemed like a stroll through fingerpainted sets with boy scouts and various guys with taped-on chest hair and sideburns jumping out and roaring at me from obvious hiding spots. The actual physical props and decorations, sans the walls, were very nice and gave the whole thing a very nice forest-y feeling, but in the end it felt a lot like a toned-down Club Blood with boy scouts and body hair instead of fangs.

    That being said, I do have some disclaimers. First off and most importantly, mine was one of the first groups of the night. Because of that, it was still relatively bright outside, so a lot of potentially good hiding spots were really obvious. Second, on top of that, I don't think many of the scareactors had much hands-on (or maybe hands-off, since KI's a Cedar Fair park) experience in scaring. Finally, Wolf Pack's doing a 2009 Urgent Scare by trying to sell you your own picture... except without the cool effect (which I won't divulge lest they're doing it this year- are they?). You get your picture taken in front of a cutesy fall setting with absolutely no purpose whatsoever than to get a spontaneous picture. That was kind of a turn-off for me, because I'm there to get scared. If you're going to take my picture, make it something memorable for a scare-filled event in October. Not a "oh, here's what you looked like in line" sort of thing.

    I want (and will) give this Haunt a second try, as I feel it's got a lot of really cool potential going for it. The whole thing's a progression of the werewolf transformation from initial nibble on a boy scout to full transformation (culminating in that giant werewolf statue at the end.) Sounds awesome, right? (I wanted to give it a second try last night, in fact, but we just didn't get around to doing it. The coolest part was that it actually was something awfully close to a full moon, which the actors DID use to their benefit. ("WATCH OUT! IT'S A FULL MOON! RUN!")

    In the pitch-black night with actors who know their stuff, this Haunt could potentially rank up there with what I consider to be the best Haunts: Slaughterhouse, Club Blood, Massacre Manor, and Trail of Terror. I'll be keeping my hopes afloat for this one... I didn't think Slaughterhouse could get scarier, but boy, was I wrong last night.

    EDIT: On a side note, did anyone notice how epically pretty the moon was last night over Haunt? It was very much something out of a good horror movie.

    WHO'S READY TO SEE A MIDGET BLEED?

    in Kings Island

    Posted

    ^ I love humor in passionately serious threads. (No, really. That was probably one of the funniest things I've ever heard on KIC.)

    I'm going to be very honest, and I hope my opinion can at least be respected. This event doesn't get under my skin nearly as much as the dead celebrities did last year. That's not to say that it couldn't be perceived as offensive; it really comes down to how KI handles it. And honestly, I'll be at Haunt this Friday.

    First off, this is not something that is disrespectful to the families of the actors (which, realistically, is what the wrestlers are). This is their job. This is something they enjoy. If it wasn't, why would they do it professionally? There aren't "midget hunters" lurking about, trying to capture anyone under 4'6" so they can throw them in the ring until they fight to the death. They do this voluntarily, and if someone like Kings Island wants to hire them to do what they like, that's the wrestlers' own business.

    The celebrity displays, on the contrary? Why didn't we see or hear of Greg Scheid or Dick Kinzel talking with Steve McNair's family to gain their permission for the display? Because it was offensive on a personal level to these people, and even trying to do so might have earned Cedar Fair a lawsuit. And because it was so personal, I was utterly disgusted and floored. To quote myself on KIE:

    Without launching into a spiel, I'm leaving it at this:

    KI has crossed a personal line that shouldn't be crossed.

    My pass renewal now lies in question.

    And I wondered to myself then: Where are the people who loved Cedar Fair because they're bringing the park back to the pre-Paramount, "classic" days? No one answered that call, because no one could justify that that was what Taft or KECO would do. Because Taft or KECO wouldn't have done it.

    The "blood" will not be real; it will be just as much of a prop as every last office supply or other weapon they use. They will come out the other end of a show just fine. I do not buy this "they actually cut themselves" business, because you can't sincerely try to tell me that there's a legal business anywhere here in the good ol' health-precautioning US of A where it's required for the employees to do themselves physical harm. Come on.

    Furthermore, I cannot comprehend why this activity is suddenly sending off the health alerts... Those worried about the sweat getting flung around best try taking a look at the crowd in the Festhaus on days like the humid, blazing 4th of July, 2010, when the Festhaus was packed and had absolutely no air conditioning. Or on the average day in Coney Mall, when too many rides on the Scrambler paints Coney Mall's asphault the colors of a five million dollar LaRosa's pizza. Or on any ride ever with OTSRs, where many times during the summer months I've gotten the fantastically piercing stink of sweat or B.O. You will not be in any more risk of getting sweat in your Sprite while wrestling midgets do their thing on a stage at least ten feet away from you than you will any other day at the park. The health "risk" will not be a risk in the least, because why would ยขedar Fair expose themselves to further lawsuits like that? SBNOSOB '09 and '10, anyone?

    Now please understand this: I do not like the idea of this being at the park. Any wrestling at all is beyond uninteresting in my opinion, and adding midgets to it is just generally tasteless. (That's "tasteless," not "an attack at the personal level". At that, it does not have a strong effect on my attendance this year... but continue.) But like I said before, it really comes down to how KI handles it if they're going to add it. If this wrestling actually brings in rowdy "white trash" as the multitudes of you who haven't been to a single one of these events claim, then it's up to KI to ensure that these guests don't cause issues. What gets me is how much widespread doubt there is that KI will be able to handle these allegedly rowdy crowds. And I'm not going to condemn those of you who think so, because I honestly agree. I don't think they've perceived just how much of an issue this might be (at least, according to the people who've never experienced it firsthand).

    And now I ask again: Where are the people who love how Cedar Fair is bringing the park back to its "classic" feel? Anyone?

    Cedar Fair management does not and will not do things like the old times. Management-wide Blackberries aren't tools, they're toys to be disposed of. New rides aren't supposed to be small and have theme; just give it something that can have an adjective ending in "-est" for the advertisements. New Haunt attractions are to bring controversy. For all of this, Cedar Fair wants nickels in return.

    And because of that, I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt, for one key point: they want nickels. If what I've read in this thread is understood correctly, Haunt attendance has hardly wavered in spite of the controversial additions it's had basically every year since at least '06. Because these controversies aren't dangerous... unlike so-called "drunken," "white trash" mobs ready to cause a fight at a second's notice. If KI doesn't control the fights, word will get out, just like it did with the dead celebrity displays. And if a sincere safety risk won't keep people away from KI, then I guess I've misunderstood a lot in my lifetime. If these guest fights are real, then how they're handled will be key to Haunt's survival. But none of us know the truth, and until someone can vouch for having been to one of these events (whether inside or outside KI) I'm still going to be there Friday.

    Kings Island's Halloween Haunt: All you fear is here. Where else?

    • Like 1

    Holiday World 2011

    in Other Amusement Parks & Industry News

    Posted

    I say replacing The Howler to make a kids coaster that doesn't make your head fly off on the first turn. :lol:

    It's funny how people think I'm joking when I say the last row of Howler down the first drop has laterals to compete with Legend. That ride is serious business.

    Personally, I'm hoping for a replacement for Paul Revere's Midnight Ride with more capacity. I absolutely adore that ride, but it always has a line thanks to its slow loading procedures. Maybe something not too different from our own Monster? I'd also be pretty pleased with a more snappable set of flyers, but that's just the greedy Stricker's Grove fan inside me talking now. ;)

    I'll be pleased with whatever Holiday World does. Heck, I'd be pleased if they didn't do anything at all. That park is fantastic.

    GAd Fright Fest Details!

    in Other Amusement Parks & Industry News

    Posted

    I LOVE the idea of the "Ghoul Repellant" whistle for pre-teens who want to experience Fright Fest, but are "iffy" about the barrage of monsters. It's a good idea for park visitors, makes some extra income for the park, and the constant whistling and screaming and shuffling feet probably make for a very cool atmosphere...

    This.

    I'd love a KI version of this. I've seen too many scared kids- literally kids, not pre-teens- at KI's Haunt. The first night of Haunt especially comes to mind, namely while waiting in the pass line prior to opening and getting charged by a giant cloud of monsters. SO MANY young kids ended up crying, and parents were, to put it lightly, boldly telling the monsters to leave their kids alone.

    Alex, who might be a little more impressed with some things were off limits...

    Kings Dominion: the TR.

    in Trip Reports

    Posted

    ^ Thanks! Seriously, Berzerker's probably one of the trippiest/most life-threatening flat rides I've ever been on. I'd sincerely be hesitant to bring an asthmatic friend onto the ride. Dominator and The Crypt are fantastic, and Shockwave is... quite a ride. Haha. And thanks for the DT info! Like I said, I seriously was wondering... the plummet took FOREVER. Again, thanks for the compliments! :)

    Intimidator 305:

    It's Millennium Force-- It's Maverick-- No! It's Intimidator 305!

    Okay, that was the cheesiest introduction/Superman spoof ever. Admit it. But it's true: Intimidator 305, our next stop, gets a lot of comparisons to those two rides. And it's for that reason that I was honestly rather skeptical of it when we got in line. I absolutely love Millennium Force, but when it comes to Maverick, I've got a bit of Interpreter inside me: the ride is absolutely fantastic... in the first row. The other rows attack my neck through those tight turns like Twilight fans on Robert Pattinson, so the idea of going through them at ~90 miles per hour... didn't exactly have me drooling. I read the TRs/PTRs on here, but I just couldn't get into the idea of riding I305. But regardless, I was going to ride it. It couldn't be too bad, right...?

    In case you haven't noticed, this TR, Crypt aside, has had two common themes: walking onto rides and having my preconceived notions, where applicable, overturned. Well, we walked onto (I think) the 5th-to-last row... and got our notions of the ride completely shattered.

    Airtime! Laterals! Grey-outs! More airtime! Quick but comfortable turns! Non-painful restraints! Airtime in turn transitions! Only two words can describe my feelings for this ride: true love. Whereas Maverick can be a neck-chopping wincefest for me in other rows, I305, both times ridden towards the back, was pure bliss. Glass smooth and forceful without being violent, I absolutely adored this ride and made absolutely sure to buy a shirt on the way out. Intimidator 305 was hands-down the best steel coaster I've ever been on. (Sorry, Magnum!) I can't even imagine riding it without trims, because it was simply unbelievable. It just barely didn't quite take down Voyage as my #1 overall, but geez, if it didn't give it a run for its money!

    If you like the idea of Millennium Force having much more airtime, the front row of Maverick, unbelievable airtime, quick turns, and hugging the ground, aim for the big red thing behind Anaconda PLZ. If you don't like greying out, extreme heights, not having much time to prepare yourself on a lift hill, or barely noticeable trim brakes, I sincerely hate to say it, but you might have a couple issues with I305. I'd personally suggest giving it a go anyway, but it really just comes down to how much of a problem you have with those negatives. Of all the coasters with trims I've ridden, almost all of them have a seriously negative experience impact when we hit the trims. For I305, the effect was almost nonexistent. 10/10, and my new #1 steel. "Gentlemen, start your engines" indeed- just the thought of re-riding gets me pumped for my next visit to KD.

    Anaconda:

    Think Vortex, but located on a lake. That's the best description I have for Anaconda, Kings Dominion's Arrow looper. The ride's setting in the Congo area is fantastically gorgeous, though I imagine it probably looked even more so without a giant gigacoaster looming behind the lift. But anyway, as we- you guessed it- walked onto the "Toomer row" (5-1), I was quickly reminded as I looked over the lake that the first drop goes straight into and underwater tunnel, with timed water blasts at each end to boot. "This will be fun!" I told myself despite my temperamental indifference towards Vortex.

    I'll bet you guessed my ride experience, too. As with Shockwave, the first 3/4 of the ride were a blast. The first drop into the tunnel, the loop, the sidewinder, and the drop from the MCBR were a real scream. (I'll be here all week, folks.) Following those, though, came a section of track I honestly have trouble describing. Viewable from 1:04 to 1:13 in

    , the ride lumbers about playfully in a, in theory, very good impression of a snake slithering. The problem? The low transition from the first "swoop" to the second. I don't know if the ride just aged that poorly or if it's the Arrow goodness making its way out in the ride. It was like Anaconda, instead of spreading headbanging out across the whole cycle, condensed it all in the second it took to maneuver that transition. OW. It didn't ruin the ride for me, but my goodness. I can't really swear off ever riding it again, but I would pretty much have to be in the right sort of mood to want to jump on on a return visit. I think our grass is greener on this one, guys.

    If you like wonky Arrow coasters or classic-feeling loopers, you'll want a spin on the smaller of the red Congo coasters. If you've a low pain tolerance... choose your row wisely, or else choose a nice park bench. 6/10, because the ride really has a lot going for it, if only not for that darn jolt.

    Backlot Stunt Coaster:

    Sound familiar? It should... a little. If you ever read GoodYellowKoRn182's comparisons of the clones, you know that many of our working effects don't work on KD's, and vice versa. I'm here to let you know he's spot-on, but I'll add something else: the queue for their BLSC is much more streamlined and direct. (If you ever watched the computer animation for IJST, KD's queue resembles that video much more than ours.) But besides that, there wasn't much else different, so we walked onto the middle car.

    The coaster itself was nothing new. The theming, however, was, bluntly, odd. How, you ask? It was odd in the sense that cruising down between cop cars was silent, in that flames didn't roar and crackle, in that the helicopter was stationary. When that's all you're used to on a backlot-themed stunt coaster, it feels very... off. But when you factor in the fact that their tunnel has tiny holes in it where sunlight peeks through as you rush through it and that their splashdown is functional, the ride experience is something similar to an unfamiliar deja vu. The tunnel somehow seems faster, and the finale seems more complete than on ours. (Without the splash, ours personally feels like it says, "...Aaaaand now it's over. Get off now. kthxbye.") But without the fire, the helicopter, or the cop cars, it feels something like paying for a movie ticket only to see the words "the end" on the screen when you walk in: unfulfilling, and you want to say, "Good one. Now, seriously..."

    If you like our BLSC, ride theirs, I guess. If you dislike our BLSC, you might as well skip it, then. With the care the park takes with just about everything else on their other rides, it's hard to hate on this... but it's hard to love it, too. 4/10.

    Avalanche:

    It's easy to forget this little bobsled coaster in its little corner by Volcano. Most easily compared to Disaster Transport at Cedar Point, this Mack ride's train travels freely through what basically looks like a giant PVC pipe. While I consider Disaster Transport to be somewhat of a hidden CP gem, it's by far not one of the most intense rides I've ever ridden. I refused to stereotype Avalanche, though- goodness knows I'd messed up enough stereotypes on rides that day. What really got me with this ride, though, were its restraints. Similar to Olympic luge, you and your riding partner ride with one person sitting between the legs of another. The simple metal restraint sort of sits lightly on your Ride Warrior sammich legs and lap, locking you in for a few minutes' awkwardness. Blushing and laughing meekly at how close our friendship had suddenly become, we rolled out of the station.

    The ride was surprisingly intense, with some light greying out to be had amidst very weak floater and very quick transitions. Seeing as how this was one of the quickest walk-ons of the day, I'd like to imagine it's also a hidden gem. I honestly don't really have a whole lot to rave about with this ride, but it's definitely worth a try and definitely works as a great family coaster.

    If you enjoy relatively mild coasters such as Adventure Express and/or are looking for a unique coaster experience, you'll enjoy Avalanche. If you're not a fan of (or have trouble finding the comedy in) having to wrap your legs around your friend's posterior for a good minute or two, you might want to "accidentally" overlook its missable entrance by The Crypt and keep walking towards Volcano's entrance. 6/10.

    Ghoster Coaster:

    I have a confession: we didn't actually ride Ghoster Coaster at this point. I actually forgot at which point we rode this ride... so it's going here. Don't like it? Fine. Skooch on down the page, then. See if I care. :P

    Ghoster Coaster is quite simply a very similar coaster to our own Fairly Odd Beastie Doo Express. The funny part? It was probably our longest wait of the day. The even funnier part? Walking onto the last row, I buckled in...

    And got mild ejector air. Multiple times. On a kiddie woodie. I'm not lying. The ride gently-but-definitely chucked me out of my seat on nearly every drop, with an especially surprising pop on the hill before the brake run. Wow.

    That wasn't I305 or anything, but wow. If you like kiddie woodies and surprise airtime, get yo'self in the last row of this thing. If you don't like kiddie woodies, do it anyway for the sake of having done it. 5/10, and an honor as my favorite kiddie woodie. Sorry, Zach's Zoomer.

    Sorry to keep breaking this report up into multiple parts, but I take a while to write. I hope to finish this thing up by tomorrow. In the meantime, tell me, like GYK, what you think: how well do I write TRs? Any input is completely appreciated.

    Kings Dominion: the TR.

    in Trip Reports

    Posted

    Thanks, Terp and Stephatron! TR writing gets a little easier with comments like yours. :) Sorry for the wait, by the way. Yesterday was unexpectedly eventful, so by the time I could write, I was too pooped to try. Haha. Anyhoo...

    After riding BBoBH about 3 times, we took a break to get some water since the weather was suffocating between the high humidity and mid-90's temperature. But there was more riding to do, so we made our way to...

    Shockwave:

    If you can recall a time when Kings Island had a TOGO stand-up coaster, you're allegedly not too far off-base from Shockwave. If you're like me and never got a chance to ride King Cobra, then this ride will seem like an incredibly exciting credit to snatch up. Shockwave has a great location along the length of what's essentially KD's Coney Mall with a semi-disturbing rattling sound that can be heard throughout the area. Regardless, though, I found it to be visually enticing, so we walked onto the third row, wedged ourselves in the ridiculously awkward restraints, and were off.

    Now, I don't know what riding King Cobra was like... but based off of the reviews, I think I'll imagine it was more pleasant than Shockwave. Don't get me wrong: from the top of the lift, through the loop and double helix, and up till after the airtime hill by the station, I was fairly positive this would clobber Mantis as my favorite stand-up (even though Mantis was the only one I'd been on). The ride wasn't obscenely rough, and my head wasn't necessarily getting chucked around like Mantis tends to at and after the MCBR. The experience thus far had a very "classic" feel to it, and I was loving every minute.

    Then came the last turn before the brakes. I watched the front car take this huge, awkward leap into this turn, and I tried to brace myself. I failed. My whole body thunked from one side to the other both entering and exiting the turn. One painful bunny hop and leap into the brakes later, I prayed the brain damage wasn't permanent. The non-Crypt ride that had the most preconceived potential to impress really let me down, to be frank.

    If you like awkwardly wedging yourself inside multiple pieces of foam, bracing yourself for pain a la Son of Beast (totally getting flamed for that one), stand-up coasters, and long loading times, I present to thee Shockwave. If you're like me and aren't a fan of having a brace position that has to be applied at a second's notice, then let's skip this one. 4/10 just because I like stand-up airtime (as long as I keep my legs straight!)

    TR writing to be continued later this afternoon.

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