TombRaiderFTW

Speaking from quite the unique experience today, I can confirm this. Most of the west-southwest corner of the park (namely Action Zone, though also including Oktoberfest and International Street) was off and on most of this afternoon, with the International Street shops, the Festhaus, and select Action Zone rides (Flight Deck, Drop Tower, Congo Falls, Delirium) generally remaining shut down for the duration of one very busy, humid, and warm Fourth of July afternoon. It was incredibly odd to walk (momentarily) into an almost completely dark Festhaus, the lights from Panda Express being the only electrical source of illumination... Of course, when I realized the A/C was out, too, it didn't take much thought to walk right out the same entrance. (I actually had a mildly hilarious conversation with an Emporium employee about it, on a side note. When we asked him about the power problems, he responded with, "Think of the creepiest scene you can think of from a movie. Now dim the lights on it. A lot. And crank up the creepiness factor by like ten thousand. That's what the warehouse is like right now." ) I have quite a bit of sympathy for Guest Relations folk tonight... I'm sure they got quite the earful (or five, ten, fifteen...) As I understand it, the park has not been offering refunds for today. Viking Fury and even the Eiffel Tower (as well as the aforementioned AZ rides) were off and on all day on a major national holiday, and there was no really great escape from the heat since at least half of International Street, Action Zone, and Oktoberfest had ZERO power in the hottest part of the day. This lead to full queues for at least Diamondback, Vortex, and The Crypt, the last of which leads me to believe that Flight of Fear most likely had a high demand since it's also indoors and therefore also (assumed to be, anyway) air conditioned. Yes, I don't think you could pay me enough to be a poor GR soul today... EDIT: Now that I think about it, wasn't it just a season or two ago that the park was experiencing similar power issues around June/July? I clearly recall the odd situation where the power issues had Blue Racer down but weren't affecting Red Racer.

Are ya ready, kids?

I am ridiculously pleased this is happening at KI. I'm happy with just about any* coaster they choose for this, and it's a safe bet that I'll be there. *Vekoma Invertigos and wooden hypercoasters excepted.

Personally? I was rather mixed. On one hand, I found something interestingly quirky about it... but on the other, it didn't really cause any of the "surprise" forces I was expecting. It seemed more... well, like you said: like an accident made during tracking. The suddenness of the first lean was a *little* exciting... the first time. On following rides, though, it just became something to brace yourself for. But then again, it was so unique to me that I still ended up lightly appreciating it. I can definitely understand others not caring for the trick track. And I just realized that I have completely and rudely ignored the original poster's PTR, so I will say that I really enjoyed reading it. We seem to have had similar experiences at Michigan's Adventure, though I honestly didn't care too much for Thunderhawk, my first Vekoma SLC. Perhaps I will appreciate it more once I've been on Flight Deck at Canada's Wonderland later this summer. Regardless, I also really enjoyed the SUPER padded seats on Wolverine Wildcat- and the double-down airtime was INSANE for me as well in the last row. It was even more surprising, in my opinion, than Stricker's Grove's Tornado, whose "cliff" was a little more obvious than the upstop wheel-SMACKing drop on WW.

^ When was it removed? It was there when I visited earlier this month.

^^ I want to say I remember reading one of Shaggy's posts about a roll-back during a commercial shoot in the ride's inaugural season, but I can't seem to find it...

Welcome back! I've got nothing on Racer or FoF, but as far as the Togo standup issue, King Cobra was not removed because of a lack of parts. It was constructed of inferior steel that was severely flawed, unlike its cousins at Canada's Wonderland (SkyRider) and Kings Dominion (Shockwave), that most likely would have been far too costly to replace. Therefore, it was in the park's best financial interest to remove King Cobra. Trim brakes are used in order to lessen the speed of the train in order to therefore lessen the force exerted on the track. By doing so, there is less wear and tear on the ride, therefore reducing maintenance costs. Hope this helps!

I will vouch for this as well. When I first saw it, I wasn't too hot on the price. ($21.99 for an icky history book? Ew. ) I bought it anyway, though, and I'm so glad I did. It's got a ton of pictures in there from literally every stage of the park's life (including construction pictures of all 3 coasters) as well as a pretty neat background of the Koch family themselves. It's worth every last penny.

According to this Evansville Courier & Press article, Lauren is the oldest at 22, Leah is next at 19, and William is the youngest at 16. So yes, it seems Lauren would be the first up for CEO once she finishes college, followed by Leah. (Will, of course, is still in high school.)

Closed? It's much more than closed.... Well yeah I know that, they're not gonna even have the ride anymore. They're relocating it to Knott's Berry Farm. I knew that... Actually, Demon Drop- though rumored to make its way to KBF (and later Michigan's Adventure)- was sent to Dorney Park, where it is currently awaiting completion of testing.

If this were Facebook, I'd click "like". SO glad to read the Koch family will still run the park. Even more glad to read that Dan intends to keep everything on track (if you pardon the pun). Just one thing... Anyone else thinking it sounds like Dan's a placeholder until Will's children have the opportunity to take his place?

Great PTR, Jackson. I'm glad to hear you had fun. It's so enjoyable to read about your new coaster experiences. Just one thing as far as Voyage goes, though... Did you not try the back seat? I'm not a Holiday World expert by any means, but it seems to me like the closer you get to the front car (without being in it) the rougher the ride. The back seat is where it's at for me- I've had many rougher any-seat Beast rides, and the out-of-control feeling is... absolutely indescribable back there. I've honestly never tried 1-1, but my money's on you (or anyone else, for that matter) liking Voyage at least a little better when given a 6- or 7-1 experience like I've had multiple times.

...Wow. My heart is broken. I sincerely do not know how to put it in any other words but that. I had that same exact experience. I saw Will at the park several times on Memorial Day, and no matter what, he was always, always, always smiling and striking up the friendliest conversations with anyone. He was the essence of the park's friendliness. I had honestly intended to try to meet him on my next visit... It would have been incredible, as a Mechanical Engineering major, to have been able to speak casually with the Voyage designer who had helped perfect such an incredible ride from the park's viewpoint. We never met each other, but even at that I feel like I've lost a friend. My sincerely deepest sympathies go out to the Holiday World family, especially the Kochs.

My personal favorites: Magnum: 1-3. Preferably with the trims off. <3 Millennium Force: 2-1. IMO, I think this is the only row with airtime on the first two camelbacks. That's just me. Beast: 6-3, especially at night. Racer: 1-3 at night. Flight Deck: 1-1 or 1-2. Shivering Timbers: 6-2. Voyage: preferably 7-2, but since that doesn't quite seem to be an option right now, 6-2. Legend/Raven: 6-2.

^ Exactly. I've had some cold spring morning rides on Gemini before, and it was nearly crawling by the time we got to the top of that helix. I'm honestly not surprised by this incident at all.

I got to have this same exact experience earlier this month, and- unless something catastrophic happens to the park- you're going to absolutely love it. I don't have many suggestions as far as food goes since I was more in awe of the rides, atmosphere, and staff, but I suggest that, if nothing else, get back row rides on all three of the coasters. They are SO not to be missed, particularly Legend and Voyage! Legend's laterals are ridiculously wild! Compared to Raven and Voyage, Legend doesn't have much airtime, but that first drop... whoa. I've got great cold chills just remembering it. Voyage, on the other hand, is a complete psychological, airtime-filled experience in the last row that will, if you're anything like myself, completely blow your mind. There aren't even words. This isn't to say, of course, that Raven is an "average" coaster. From the parking lot, Raven looks a little dull- but DO NOT miss out on a back row ride on it, either. It's my #3 wooden coaster (beyond Beast and Blue Streak and behind only Legend and Voyage). The first drop- seemingly tame from the parking lot- has airtime in the back that caused a personal thought similar to "Oh, this is a good drop... Wait, I'm still not over it... The train's speeding up, but I'm not over it! What is this-- HOLY AIRTIME STRAIGHT INTO A TUNNEL, BATMAN!" And the rest of the ride causes similar thoughts with its less-than-Legend-but-still-amazing laterals and rightfully famous 5th drop. However, as Raven is the shortest coaster in the park and is located just to the left of the front gate, I'd suggest that you hit it up first in the day. While it seems like a bad suggestion to say so when most of the GP is going to have what I call the "Action Zone effect," where everyone runs for the closest ride inside the front gates, I felt that Raven offered the most consistent rides throughout the day. I've heard Voyage and Legend can be very temperamental with the cool morning rides, so by riding Raven first, you're giving the other two time to warm up. Next, I'd probably hit up any flat rides you might be interested in, possibly such as their flying scooters. Again, this is to allow the other rides to "warm up," though I had no experience with this myself. Better safe than sorry, I suppose! From there, I'd find myself in Legend's queue for a last-row ride. The sound effects at the top of the hill are perfectly timed with your experience in the last car, and the result, again, has got me typing this with cold chills. The ride is just that fun for me, and Holiday World embellishes their rides with "small" touches that have colossal results as well. Your next destination, of course, is to what's consistently hailed as the holy grail of coaster enthusiasts: Voyage. I can't even begin to describe a back row ride on there, so I'm not going to try. Though I'm not sure the current six-car setup delivers quite the same amount of forces, I'm sure it delivers something close enough to the total package which will be enough to make you want to re-ride. So please feel free to, though you may want to note that- at least as far as I noticed- the ride gets oddly rougher the closer you sit to the middle of the train. I really don't have anything to offer as far as Splashin' Safari goes; I've never been. Yet. It was also a little chilly on May 8, so I didn't try to get a ride on Pilgrim's Plunge, but the riders' general reactions while exiting the ride were enough to make me determined to ride next time I go! This is all a little disorganized since it's a little late and I got kind of excited for you while writing this (), but there's my general "let's start the day at Holiday World" plan. Hope it helps, and enjoy your visit! EDIT: ahaha, Terpy and I just basically contradicted each other. This is a little awkward... You might want to pay a little more attention to his since I'm sure he's been there more than the one time I have, but for what it's worth, this plan of attack generally worked for my cold early May visit.

Wow, awesome PTR! I love your attention to detail. Or, more specifically, your attention to Universal's attention to detail. Haha. Planning on hitting up anything else while you're in the area?

This is a really interesting question! For me, it would probably depend on what we get (if anything) for 2011. If it was something rather Voyage-like, then I'd visit plenty of times. As it stands, I probably wouldn't visit more than 3 times, to be honest. Single-day admission costs enough that I wouldn't be able to do it too often... plus, it seems Holiday World still offers passes in this alternate reality.

I'm a little confused on this one... What "giant planter"? My mind instantly jumped to the old Lazer Tag building spot, but that's nowhere near Skyline, is it?

^^ As of May 8th, yes. However, it wasn't as loud as the video made it seem. In fact, the Legend was worse at the top of the lift hill, and even then it wasn't that loud. EDIT: Maybe it's that "new train smell sound".

^ To be fair, I think you have to consider diseases such as diabetes, where certain nutrition is required to stay healthy. Said nutrition, combined with the disease, does not exactly make it as easy as "hitting the treadmill"... -The nephew of an aunt with diabetes, just saying.

^ My thoughts as well... including the part about adding them, though I am overall excited for the Timberliners. I've heard less-than-great stories about the effect of Millennium Flyers on Hersheypark's Wildcat in the areas of airtime, smoothness, and overall fun, but I've decided that's not going to bring me down. Timberliners are a completely different beast with their ability to steer, not to mention that the Gravity Group has basically made it clear that they want them to enhance the ride, not neuter it. TGG focuses far more on the wild, "out of control" feeling, whereas Great Coasters seems to focus more on more family-friendly rides that pack an at least respectable punch and length maintained within a tiny footprint, a goal by no means bad. Of course, I've never ridden a GCII coaster; this is just outsider speculation. But regardless, I do think they're taking into effect the nature of their rides. As such, I will remain optimistic within reason about future Voyage rides.

EDIT: Nevermind.

Disclaimer: I mean this in the most respectful way possible. First off, yes, Voyage seems to be intended to operate every day of Holiday World's calendar. Paula has made no suggestion aimed towards them closing it anytime for testing. If the park is open, it seems they intend to have Voyage running. Now hear me out, even if you disagree... I know we're all totally psyched for the Timberliners. But guys, it seems like we (meaning enthusiasts in general, not just KIC) are sitting around groaning about it unfairly. It's not as if Holiday World is intentionally making everyone wait to get a ride on their new trains. If you read through Paula's exceptionally patient and overly kind comments on the HW Facebook page, this will become evident. (I know I couldn't be as patient as she's been. Nearly every post is related to "When will we ride the new Voyage trains?") They want to get them running. If one of their main pluses is reduced maintenance/retracking on the ride because of the trains, don't you think they'd want them- and them alone; not the PTC train- running now? They're doing their absolute best to get the Indiana testing requirements out of the way while ensuring that the trains themselves will be flawless when we get our hands on them. They don't want to lunge headfirst into something and get I305-esque results. By I305-esque results, I mean not making sure everything was absolutely 100% perfect before letting the GP on. First drop trim brake rumors, anyone? YUCK. Will, Paula, and the rest of the Holiday World family are doing their best, just like they always seem to do. We should be thankful they want to be sure it's done right the first time, because, frankly, hearing things like "the boats were too long for the lift hill- oops!" just kind of irritates me. And in the meantime, why not simply revel in the fact that there's even a Voyage to ride? It's not as if they've shut it down until the Timberliners are functional. I'm convinced they withheld a train from Darien Lake and Predator for a specific reason: Voyage still remains an absolutely mindblowing ride, and they want us to have an opportunity to experience it. So let's just be glad it's running at all, because honestly, if it were me running the park and paying for Voyage's retracking fees, not running the ride till the Timberliners arrived would be very, very tempting. That being said and on a side note, it does seem like Holiday World is kind of getting screwed over on actually receiving the trains. I agree with DaveStroem to an extent- I think someone may be in for it when this is all said and done. But then again, it may be just another case of the Gravity Group wanting to make everything perfect. And as far as I'm concerned after my first Voyage rides earlier this month, good things come for those who wait. Especially if the Gravity Group is involved with it. Now don't go spending my whole $.02 in one place. Just kidding.

I. Will. Take. You. Down. Terp. You have been warned. () Anyway, nice TR! I may have to snag a churro or two (read: as many as possible) when I get up to the Point this year. But everyone knows CP's getting the world's tallest, longest, fastest, meanest, highest-inversion-count flying wooden Aquatrax for 2011!!!!!!!!11!!!1!11