After a relatively quiet year last year and no major trips, my buddy Brandon and I decided this summer we needed to resume our travels once again and hit up some parks. It was a refreshing change to get out of the theme park mecca known as Orlando and hit some smaller parks for a change. So we found round trip airfare to Springfield, MO for less than $100 on Allegiant Air. It was settled. Rent a car and hit some Missouri parks.

Day 1:

We left Orlando at 7AM and arrived in Springfield by 9AM CST. After picking up the rental car, which was a Prius that we absolutely fell in love with, we hit the highway bound for Six Flags St. Louis. When we first arrived at the Park, everything was shut down due to some inclement weather that we had just driven through. I picked up my 2009 Season Pass and we went on our way to explore the Park. I hadn't been to the Park in several years and my typical visits there are very brief. This was the first day that I was truly able to explore all aspects of the Park. The Park is really a gem the way that its nestled on the hillside and in the trees. It really does have a lot of personality and charm, not unlike SFoG and SFoT. While we were waiting on the weather to clear, we took a few spins on the Park's Scooby-Doo dark ride. I've said it before and I'll say it again, HANDS DOWN the best version of this ride out there. The targets are far easier to hit and the guns are far more sensitive than the KI version. After hitting the target, it will re-light as a different color. Depending on the color of the target, points will vary. What i like most about this version is how immersive it really is. Hitting each target almost always triggers something to pop out or sound off at you. Too bad KI got the shaft and such a crummy version :-(

Within about an hour, the weather cleared out and the fun began. Crowds were very light due to the weather, however the rides ran at capacity allowing us the opportunity for MANY MANY rides. As we made our way through the Park, even from the moment we walked through security, the employees were incredibly polite and friendly. We also noticed a big emphasis on efficiency at all the rides, in particular the Evil Knievel crew were absolutely outstanding and incredibly quick. Park was incredibly clean. Also, despite what some may say about food prices (hello, have you taken a look at the menu's at KI?) Very reasonable deals are to be found for food. The Park offers a lot of after 4PM specials for dinner. For example, we ate at Johnny Rockets. For $9, we got the chicken strip basket which included fries, onion rings AND the drink! So dinner was very reasonable and we noted these specials at most of the other restaurants throughout the Park. Anyway on to the rides...

Evil Knievel - Heard many good things prior to arriving, holy cow did this baby deliver. It will most likely crack my top ten wood, just haven't figured out where. Upon seeing it for the first time, the ride is very small....standing at just 80 feet. In typical GCI fashion though, the layout is chocked full of hidden twists, mini bunny hops, and more. While the first drop and first turn were fun, the real fun begins with the second drop as the ride performs a sort of double down as it rips its way to the other end of the site. From there, the turns are fast and furious. All get progressively quicker and tighter as you wind your way down to the ground. Its got some great airtime, for sure, but the ride's crowning moment are the last 30 seconds of the ride. We ended up with 18 rides and I'm still wanting more!

Boss - I've always loved the Boss. Some complain that its rough, but I dont' find this to be the case at all. Intense? Yes. VERY intense. Those trains always make me nervous my first ride as you never know what kind of ride you are going to get. I'm happy to say Boss is kicking serious ass these days. I am incredibly impressed with the upkeep the Park has performed on the ride, its very noticeable the attention that they have paid to it and they seem to have keeping it smooth down to a science now. The first drop is, perhaps, one of the craziest moments on any wooden coaster that I've been on......the only other moment more intense that I can think of is the former one-two punch combo that was delivered by the Six Flags New England Cyclone. Serious ejector air in the back seat on all the drops, great laterals in the ending helix. Still in my top 5 wood coasters. I also enjoy the fact that the ride offers an incredibly long ride time as well. Two trains running, minimal wait, rode 11 times.

Tony Hawk's Big Spin - I had ridden the one at Fiesta Texas, plus versions at WoF, Mall of America and SFNE. Glass smooth, freakishly smooth actually. Great placement in the Park, with parts of the ride being placed in a dug out section of hillside. They were running all cars, which is a far contrast from the TWO cars running on WoF's version the next day..

Mr. Freeze - Love. This. Ride. Forgot how intense it is. They were only running one side, but the line was only about 10 minutes. Crew was very speedy and quick and getting the trains loaded and dispatched. Still engrossed in watching the transfer track move back and forth, such a clever design. The ride is non-stop and really can leave a person breathless. Its spectacular at night.

Ninja - Wrecking ball, please. Got the crap beat out of us, I will never ride again (though I recall saying that LAST time too :-)).

Mine Train - Meh, not the best of the genre but still has that fun ending.

Batman - Another beauty. Aside from the obnoxiously long queue that offers NO shortcuts (actually, long queues seem to be the theme as Boss, Knievel and Freeze all have terribly long queues and NO shortcuts. Like all the other BTR's, ride is nothing short of amazing and is a reminder of what B&M are truly capable of producing in a ride.

Screamin' Eagle - Had my best rides I've ever had on it. Still nothing to write home about, but very fun and you just can't beat the setting.

Superman Tower of Power - had ridden at Astroworld during the Dungeon Drop days, took at spin for the heck of it. GREAT placement in the Park, right on top of the hill. View from 230 feet is absolutely gorgeous. Perfect addition to the Park.

Also took a spin on Xcablibur, formerly known as Evolution from SFGadv. Never again. Interesting design, yes, but not the msot comfortable for myself and it actually made me pretty sick. We also took the time to ride their Ferris Wheel which offers some great views and the train even. I was only able to catch the end of the Glow-In-The-Park parade, but I gotta say from what little I was able to catch I'm quite impressed!

Overall, we spent 12 hours in the Park and honestly could have spent 12 hours more. Had we known of the miserable experience we were to have at WoF the following day, we probably would have stayed. We were both very impressed with the level of service found at SFSt. Louis. While I know times are tough at Flags right now, I have faith in them. The changes that have happened at the Parks over the last several years have mostly been positive and I do think they know what they need to do. I'll probably get around to posting some pictures soon enough. Day 2 coming shortly.

- Todd,

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Excalibur. Then again, you knew that already. The ride took quite the evolution after it left Great Adventure. Sounds like you had a great time...I've got to get out there again...I so miss riding Mr. Freeze, Boss and now have Evel Knievel to look forward to as well. I also miss riding bass ackards Batman...well it is reversed from all the others...a mirror image! It just feels so....wrong!

Did you have a candy apple? (I love the caramel apples in that park!)

Thanks for the great report!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Excalibur. Then again, you knew that already. The ride took quite the evolution after it left Great Adventure. Sounds like you had a great time...I've got to get out there again...I so miss riding Mr. Freeze, Boss and now have Evel Knievel to look forward to as well. I also miss riding bass ackards Batman...well it is reversed from all the others...a mirror image! It just feels so....wrong!

Did you have a candy apple? (I love the caramel apples in that park!)

Thanks for the great report!

Its not that I hated Excalibur, in fact, it was a pretty intense ride....it just made me a bit dizzy and feeling sick. It looks fantastic though, certainly better than its dormant days at SFGAdventure as you will most certainly recall. I missed the Candy Apples :-( You definitely have a lot to look forward again, I'm still in shock over how great Evil Knievel was.

- Todd