Adventure Express Discussion

[XGatorHead 8904]

In most most humble opinion, I think they should either get rid of all the tunnels and lights so, at night, it's completely in the dark, or...enclose the whole thing and make it dark all the time (and air conditioned too!).

Air conditioning???? The wind in my face while I ride a coaster is good enough to cool me down on a hot day! And I like the lights on AE.

[selective]

I voted yes they should add more modern effects and "better" new scenery!

This is only because the only effect that really needs restored is the arrows moving back and forth in the first tunnel, and I feel this ride needs much more than what it had to begin with. I rode this many times the first year it opened so I remember.

I agree this is the best mine cart ride ever cause it does have tunnels! This is a plus! However, you can see the tunnels are plywood before you go into them, so I would like:

1. the tunnels to be much longer, probably enclose the whole thing into a tunnel, especially the first lift hill so it feels like you are barreling down an old mine shaft.

2. The long turn section of track with the totem pillar beam things it goes through, this should be one giant room with some huge effects in the center that you can watch as you make your way around it.

3. When going into a tunnel, the plywood should be hidden by earth. Make a pile of dirt on both sides of the tunnel entrances to hide it's plywood. Seeing it's plywood somehow ruins it for me. When the ride first opened, it left me with a feeling the ride was never completed or only half the effort was put into making it.

4. The fog is great! So are the forest sounds! Keep these at the beginning for sure!

When the ride was first made, it had a real forest feel to it, but after Flight of Fear was built and then Son of Beast, it took that feeling away from it because they are so close to it. So I think making it all enclosed would be best and make it better.

The stone guys at the end, everyone I ever rode this ride with says they love them, but I feel it could be made much scarier if replaced with something else. This would be the last thing I would change though, and it's fine either way, changed or not.

I loved the Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade music that used to play. If you can't play this music anymore, IDK. The music or sounds should be themed though, so no radio music.

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A REALLY FAR FETCHED IDEA..... for Adventure Express

I had a cool idea back when this ride opened, that there should be two or three coasters in one. !!!AND THIS WOULD BE THE FIRST COASTER TO EVER DO THIS!!! After the train leaves the station it goes into a dark tunnel and stops, the track is switched then lets the train go on one track. Then the next train leaves the station and goes into a dark tunnel and stops, the track is switched again, then the train goes down another track.

Since the ride is hidden, what better way to thrill people but to surprise them after riding it a few times that the ride changes sometimes! It would set another record as the first coaster to be two rides in one, never knowing which track the cart will take!!!

This is just a wild far fetched idea. I would very much like to see it happen, but I realize it may not be possible with Adventure Express seeing how it's already built and has limited land space.

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Ok these were my thoughts..... I hope they help

[beastrider97]

I'm split on this one. Adventure Express to me isn't a great ride. I wouldn't go out of my way just to ride. I would rather the park spend money on something else than refurbushing the ride.

[Coney Islander]

I finally had a chance to ride Adventure Express this year, and the whole ride was much improved.

The guy at the end actually poured 'lava', his eyes flashing red and blue. (I'm not certain, but it appeared drops of water were falling from the vat, as it tilted.)

The lava vat sparkled red and orange.

All the stone figures worked.

The lighting in the third tunnel was really cool looking, but not extensive enough to appear like a volcano.

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Seems like Cedar Fair stepped in and fixed a whole lot. Methinks some of the managers might have come across this topic?

[KIMonster14]

All I want to improve is make it smell less at the beginning

[Oldiesmann]

There are still a few minor issues with the tiki guys at the end (the right arm of one of the guys on the left side isn't working, and at least one of them is still squeaking), but it is a major improvement from previous seasons.

Hard to believe that ride is almost 20 years old now (it opened in 1991 according to RCDB).

[Adventure Express]

I would love to see the theming of the ride replaced to the way it was when the ride first opened. I've heard that it was so much better.

POST 100!

[Coney Islander]

A couple of weeks ago, I took notebook in hand and wrote down a list of things that could be done to bring Adventure Express to Disney quality 'Matterhorn' or 'Expedition Everest' type... The list wasn't long. Adventure Express is a great ride, already.

The notes:

1. Onboard stereo system... Give the ride a story, with an expedition team, and a number of voice characters (Base people and maybe your own expedition team) who commentate on the ride, and tell you what to do. This stereo system may also be used in making the sound effects easier to hear.

2. Pre-Show video/ area explaining exactly what kind of 'expedition' you will be trekking.

3. Expedition tools and food rations scattered throughout. Theme the station like Disney's Expedition Everest.

4. Fix the moving spears, and make the 'Volcano Eruption' scene more noticeable.

5. Light up the final tunnel a little more, and make it more temple- like... And artificial flames would be great.

[The Interpreter]

And if, just if, all that were done, how many days do you think it would be before there was a major failure of one or more elements of that theming...and it wouldn't be replaced for weeks, if ever?

[bkroz]

The only problem is that's a LOT of work for a family coaster, and an old one at that - on-board audio? You're talking about a multi-million dollar campaign to re-design the trains, not to mention to actually create an audio score to synchronize. Switching around the line to create a pre-show area? Making said pre-show? Convincing riders to sit and watch it each and every time they wish to board the little family ride?

I think that the opposition you'll be met with (from me, at least) is that there are rides more deserving and more easily fixed. If there's going to be on-board audio added to a ride, why not Flight of Fear, which already has a synchronized musical score? Premier is capable of it (whereas it might be a nightmare on an old Arrow train), and removing the last car of each train to replace it with an audio car would be quite simple in the scheme of things. If the park would ever even dream of spending time and money creating a pre-show, why not make one for The Crypt, which is already set-up with a pre-show room, equipped with speakers, a projector, customizable lighting show, and a screen? You've got to wait in that room anyway, so something might as well go on while you do (whereas on Adventure Express, you'd get families who ride it four or five times a day sitting through the same pre-show while the ride would have a station wait otherwise).

And as Interpreter said, if it were anyone else (quite literally - Merlin, Universal, Paramount, Six Flags, etc) I'd say your ideas have merit. But the fact of the matter is, Cedar Fair is not going to fix the third tunnel up like a volcanic explosion. They just won't. And if they did, it would anger a lot of us since there are rides (The Crypt, Flight of Fear, Top Gun, Son of Beast) that could use that capitol and that design work much more than a family mine train that's already better than most of its peers.

Not saying a few fog machines wouldn't help, but all of your ideas are better suited for different rides in the park that actually need help.

[The Interpreter]

Flight of Fear has already had one car removed per train...and draws long lines with the capacity it has. Why reduce it more by removing another car?

[bkroz]

Flight of Fear has already had one car removed per train...and draws long lines with the capacity it has. Why reduce it more by removing another car?

It's less far fetched than creating on-board audio for Adventure Express... How did The Italian Job: Stunt Track have on-board audio without an audio car?

[The Interpreter]

It didn't....for long.

[Guest Millennium]

The ride is too herby jerky for me to enjoy it.

[CincyMan98]

It may not be fast, but it's still too fast. According to KI's old ride list, Adventure Express has "fun-filled tunnels" with "cobras and living creatures". Either that's not true, or it's too fast for me to see.

[Coney Islander]

I dunno. Whenever I pick up a pencil, I get carried away.

On-Board stereo systems are really that complex? I'd think they'd be able to set it up like a car stereo system... I guess the most complex thing would be synchronization. Normal stereos do not have that capability.

^ Edit-

Ride it a few times in a row, and its easier to sink in all the detail. Not only theming, but the many trees and thick foliage make the area seem forbidden. Even more so, during the Son of Beast flyby.

[Cormaster]

I'll never complain about AE again after riding Cedar Creek Mine RIde. AE is a 100 times better than that piece of crap! lol

[hausty1983]

I think the old theming should be brought back. I miss the fog,I miss the different effects on this ride. It was awesome when it first opened I thought and had all the theming working.

[BeastForever]

A lot of times I'll just ride AE just to check if there doing anything with SOB. The ride gives you a great view of the SOB.

[IslandAddict]

It may not be fast, but it's still too fast. According to KI's old ride list, Adventure Express has "fun-filled tunnels" with "cobras and living creatures". Either that's not true, or it's too fast for me to see.

I agree. The turn before the first lift always causes me pain, usually involving my knee slamming into something. It just needs to slow a little. There are some other parts in the ride that are somewhat uncomfortable, too. I just don't enjoy the ride as much as I did my first ride. But, then again, my first ride on AE was my first ride on anything.