I was looking forward to this weekend for some time. All of the hype around Son of Beast was sucking me in, and I was so ready to ride. Unfortunately, I spent a lot of time muttering "SOB" with its original meaning.
I guess I had high expectations after having such a good time at Kennywood two weeks ago. The day got ugly early on when passing through Columbus at 9 a.m., where they closed two lanes of I-71 for no identifiable reason. Once I arrived after the three hour drive from Cleveland (Brunswick, actually), I was a little surprised at the $7 parking fee. Ouch.
Next stop, the season pass center, where I picked up passes for my fiancee and I. We planned to visit once in the fall after Cedar Point closed, and plan to also visit PKD, so the $80 price tag is a bargain. I've only got CP and SFO to compare to, but what an incredible system they have of banging out season passes. It's incredibly fast! Fill out the form, give it to the cashier, pay, then get in a long line to get your photo. That long line moved quickly because they have an army of 16 people taking photos. By the time you get out your pass is ready at the door. I was seriously impressed!
Off to the Beast... still good fun after all these years! The helix felt faster and smoother than usual. The line moved fairly quickly, with the exception of a brief stop so the vomit control technicians could handle a little accident.
I never had to wait long enough to see what was going on in the Outer Limits queue, but I have to admit that the attempt at theme isn't that bad. The story behind the ride is a little cheesey, but I like how they work the guests in. I still contend that the ride is smooth and a lot of fun, you just need to know how to ride it. If those stupid restraints didn't swallow your head, it would not cause any head trauma. The quick transitions in the first three inversions whip you around, but tilting your head out of the harness helps.
We also hit Top䜀甀渀 愀渀搀 䄀搀瘀攀渀琀甀爀攀 䔀砀瀀爀攀猀猀⸀ 䤀 挀愀渀✀琀 戀攀氀椀攀瘀攀 栀漀眀 洀甀挀栀 䤀 氀椀欀攀 吀漀瀀 䜀甀渀⸀ 圀栀椀氀攀 愀 氀椀琀琀氀攀 猀栀漀爀琀Ⰰ 琀栀椀猀 挀漀渀琀椀渀甀攀猀 琀漀 戀攀 漀渀攀 漀昀 洀礀 昀愀瘀漀爀椀琀攀猀 愀琀 琀栀攀 瀀愀爀欀⸀㰀戀爀㸀㰀戀爀㸀吀栀愀琀✀猀 愀氀氀 䤀 爀攀愀氀氀礀 栀愀瘀攀 琀漀 猀愀礀 琀栀愀琀✀猀 瀀漀猀椀琀椀瘀攀 愀琀 琀栀椀猀 瀀漀椀渀琀Ⰰ 戀攀挀愀甀猀攀 琀栀椀渀最猀 眀攀渀琀 搀漀眀渀 栀椀氀氀 昀爀漀洀 琀栀攀爀攀⸀ 䤀琀 眀愀猀 昀愀椀爀氀礀 挀爀漀眀搀攀搀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 琀栀攀 眀攀愀琀栀攀爀 眀愀猀 瀀攀爀昀攀挀琀⸀ 吀栀愀琀✀猀 渀漀琀 愀 瀀爀漀戀氀攀洀Ⰰ 戀攀挀愀甀猀攀 䤀 搀漀渀✀琀 洀椀渀搀 眀愀椀琀椀渀最 椀渀 氀椀渀攀Ⰰ 攀猀瀀攀挀椀愀氀氀礀 眀椀琀栀 琀栀攀 挀漀漀氀 戀爀攀攀稀攀⸀ 圀栀愀琀 䤀 搀漀 洀椀渀搀 椀猀 琀栀攀 琀礀瀀椀挀愀氀 椀渀搀椀昀昀攀爀攀渀挀攀 琀漀 挀愀瀀愀挀椀琀礀 琀栀椀猀 瀀愀爀欀 猀栀漀眀猀 攀瘀攀爀礀 琀椀洀攀 䤀 最漀⸀ 吀漀瀀 䜀甀渀 眀愀猀 猀琀愀挀欀椀渀最 琀爀愀椀渀猀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 䘀愀挀攀⼀伀昀昀 眀愀猀 栀愀瘀椀渀最 搀椀猀瀀愀琀挀栀 椀渀琀攀爀瘀愀氀猀 愀猀 氀漀渀最 愀猀 昀椀瘀攀 洀椀渀甀琀攀猀⸀ 吀栀愀琀✀猀 甀渀愀挀挀攀瀀琀愀戀氀攀 漀渀 愀 戀甀猀礀 搀愀礀Ⰰ 瀀愀爀琀椀挀甀氀愀爀氀礀 眀椀琀栀 漀琀栀攀爀 洀愀樀漀爀 愀琀琀爀愀挀琀椀漀渀猀 挀氀漀猀椀渀最⸀㰀戀爀㸀㰀戀爀㸀䄀渀搀 琀栀愀琀✀猀 琀栀攀 欀攀礀 瀀爀漀戀氀攀洀⸀ 䴀愀渀礀 漀昀 琀栀攀 爀椀搀攀猀 眀攀爀攀 甀瀀 愀渀搀 搀漀眀渀 愀氀氀 搀愀礀Ⰰ 椀渀挀氀甀搀椀渀最 䐀爀漀瀀 娀漀渀攀⸀ 匀漀渀 漀昀 䈀攀愀猀琀 眀愀猀 漀瀀攀渀 愀琀 戀攀猀琀 昀漀爀 琀眀漀 栀漀甀爀猀 琀栀攀 攀渀琀椀爀攀 搀愀礀 戀攀昀漀爀攀 椀琀 眀愀猀 挀氀漀猀攀搀 昀漀爀 ∀愀搀樀甀猀琀洀攀渀琀猀⸀∀ 䤀 愀猀欀攀搀 眀栀愀琀 欀椀渀搀 漀昀 愀搀樀甀猀琀洀攀渀琀猀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 琀栀攀 欀椀搀 猀愀椀搀 ∀琀攀挀栀渀椀挀愀氀 愀搀樀甀猀琀洀攀渀琀猀⸀∀㰀戀爀㸀㰀戀爀㸀一攀砀琀 琀椀洀攀 䤀 瀀愀猀猀攀搀 琀栀攀 爀椀搀攀 琀栀攀 甀氀琀椀洀愀琀攀 椀渀猀甀氀琀㨀 䄀 猀椀最渀 琀栀愀琀 爀攀愀搀 ∀匀漀渀 漀昀 䈀攀愀猀琀 渀漀琀 漀瀀攀渀 琀漀搀愀礀⸀∀ 䤀 栀愀搀 琀栀愀琀 猀椀渀欀椀渀最 昀攀攀氀椀渀最 琀栀愀琀 䤀 眀愀猀琀攀搀 㐀 洀椀氀攀猀 漀昀 搀爀椀瘀椀渀最⸀ 一漀眀 䤀 栀愀瘀攀 琀漀 洀愀欀攀 愀 爀攀琀甀爀渀 琀爀椀瀀 琀栀攀 氀愀猀琀 眀攀攀欀 漀昀 䴀愀礀 眀栀椀氀攀 琀栀攀 欀椀搀搀椀攀猀 愀爀攀 猀琀椀氀氀 椀渀 猀挀栀漀漀氀 猀漀 䤀 挀愀渀 爀椀搀攀 琀栀椀猀 猀椀洀瀀氀礀 愀眀攀猀漀洀攀 椀渀挀爀攀搀椀戀氀攀 氀漀漀欀椀渀最 爀椀搀攀⸀㰀戀爀㸀㰀戀爀㸀䄀昀琀攀爀 猀椀砀 栀漀甀爀猀 愀渀搀 漀渀氀礀 昀漀甀爀 爀椀搀攀猀Ⰰ 匀琀攀瀀栀 愀渀搀 䤀 爀攀琀爀攀愀琀攀搀 琀漀 琀栀攀 䘀攀猀琀栀愀甀猀 昀漀爀 猀漀洀攀 攀愀琀猀⸀ 倀䬀䤀 栀愀猀 琀栀攀 愀戀猀漀氀甀琀攀 眀漀爀猀琀 瀀爀椀挀攀ⴀ琀漀ⴀ焀甀愀氀椀琀礀 爀愀琀椀漀 漀昀 愀渀礀 瀀愀爀欀 䤀✀瘀攀 攀瘀攀爀 猀攀攀渀⸀ 䐀愀爀攀 䤀 猀愀礀 琀栀攀 昀漀漀搀 漀甀琀爀椀最栀琀 猀甀挀欀猀⸀ 䄀最愀椀渀Ⰰ 栀愀瘀椀渀最 樀甀猀琀 戀攀攀渀 琀漀 䬀攀渀渀礀眀漀漀搀 ⠀琀栀攀 猀椀渀最氀攀 戀攀猀琀 瘀愀氀甀攀 椀渀 愀洀甀猀攀洀攀渀琀 瀀愀爀欀猀 愀渀礀眀栀攀爀攀 琀栀愀琀 䤀✀瘀攀 猀攀攀渀⤀Ⰰ 䤀 眀愀猀 搀椀猀最甀猀琀攀搀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 琀栀椀猀 樀甀猀琀 洀愀搀攀 洀礀 搀愀礀 眀漀爀猀攀⸀㰀戀爀㸀㰀戀爀㸀䈀甀琀 眀栀愀琀✀猀 琀栀椀猀㼀 䈀攀攀爀㼀 䄀琀 琀栀椀猀 瀀漀椀渀琀 琀栀攀 ␀㔀 昀漀爀 ㈀㈀ 漀甀渀挀攀猀 漀昀 戀爀攀眀 眀愀猀 椀渀挀漀渀猀攀焀甀攀渀琀椀愀氀⸀ 䤀 漀爀搀攀爀攀搀 漀渀攀⸀ 䔀瘀攀渀 昀漀爀 䈀甀搀 䰀椀最栀琀Ⰰ 椀琀 眀愀猀 猀洀漀漀琀栀Ⰰ 椀琀 眀愀猀 挀漀氀搀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 椀琀 眀愀猀 最漀漀搀⸀ 䤀琀 搀椀搀渀✀琀 洀愀欀攀 甀瀀 昀漀爀 琀栀攀 搀攀昀攀愀琀 䤀 椀渀挀甀爀爀攀搀 攀氀猀攀眀栀攀爀攀 椀渀 琀栀攀 瀀愀爀欀Ⰰ 戀甀琀 椀琀 洀愀搀攀 洀攀 昀攀攀氀 愀 氀椀琀琀氀攀 戀攀琀琀攀爀⸀㰀戀爀㸀㰀戀爀㸀圀攀 眀攀爀攀渀✀琀 栀愀瘀椀渀最 洀甀挀栀 昀甀渀 愀琀 琀栀椀猀 瀀漀椀渀琀Ⰰ 猀漀 椀琀 眀愀猀 漀昀昀 琀漀 琀栀攀 挀愀爀 愀琀 㔀 p.m.
I try very hard to excuse the closure of Sonny, because it is a new ride and has only been running for about a week. I try really, really hard. However, with all of the hype and noise surrounding this ride, both in enthusiast circles and the media, my expectations to ride were very high, and I was terribly disappointed.
To make matters worse, the indifference to capacity and periodic closures of other rides seemed unacceptable on this, the third weekend they were open. Rides have problems, I understand that. But if I were a once-a-year visitor, I would have left feeling ripped off.
One positive note, Stephanie did like the things we were able to ride. She's not quite an enthusiast (we're not married yet! ;)), but she does know a fair amount about the rides. She liked the Beast because of its history and attention to preservation (she's got an MS in Biology). Surprisingly, she like Outer Limits better than Beast. It's always refreshing to get opinions from the "GP."
I hope they get their act together before my next visit! Next stop: SFO Friday and CP Saturday!
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Jeff
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