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Next up was the American Eagle. (Ironically, my t-shirt had a picture of an eagle on the front.) The red/forward train was first up and I waited 15 minutes to ride it, taking a back seat. The blue/backwards train was next. It was practically a walk-on - even as I got off the red train, the loading platform for the blue had several empty rows. It only took about 7-8 minutes and I had the last seat (actually, the last one to go over the top of the lift hill) on this train also. In fact, I would have the last seat (or, at the very least, a seat in the last car) on all but two complete circuit coasters - Iron Wolf and Superman.
Next was Iron Wolf. Wait time was about 20 minutes and I spent much of it telling several people about this coaster's history, that it was the first B & M coaster. (One person waiting in line responded that it also had a cameo in the movie, "Richie Rich." I'll have to remember that.)
Batman: the Ride, which I finally saw with the yellow track for the first time, was next on my "To Do" list. (I may seem a little crazy, but my "To Do" list had the names of all of the park's coasters, plus the Giant Drop.) Wait time was 35 minutes. Again, I had a back seat.
Then it was all the way around to the other end of the park to Viper. I had a right-hand seat because I wanted to experience those major laterals on those left-hand turns. I also discovered for the first time that Viper has an on-ride camera. Wait time: 20 minutes.
Raging Bull was next, and for it I used my first "Fast Lane." I sat in what many people consider the best seat: back (where else?) and far right.
Next up: Giant Drop. Wait time: 15 minutes. I've ridden this ride countless times and it still brings goosebumps to my goosebumps!
Demon was next. For some reason I had forgotten that its entrance was across the midway from that of Deja Vu! I had been completely wrong-turned! Guess where I sat? Yup, back seat. Wait time: 15 minutes.
Then it was Vertical Velocity, for which I used my second "Fast Lane" pass, thereby waiting only 15 minutes.
Superman: Ultimate Flight was next and I used "Fast Lane" for it also. Wait time was 25 minutes, because I didn't realize until I got to the loading platform that I would have a front seat. (So it shouldn't be a total loss - as it turned out, I had the best seat.) Claude Mabillard wasn't kidding about how intense the pretzel loop was - my brain felt like the blood wasn't getting to it. So far, I was lucky I still had a brain for blood to get to! :)
It was now a little after 5 PM and I took a break outside for dinner - a Subway sandwich and a Pepsi. Ten minutes later, I returned to the park.
Once back inside, it was on to Ragin' Cajun. This coaster had no "Fast Lane," so its wait time was around 90 minutes. Its spinning cars had my head spinning - I had no idea which way I was going...
I recovered from my dizzy spell to go from a "New for 2004" coaster all the way to the other end of the park to an oldie but goodie...Whizzer. Wait time was 25 minutes. Now I see why so many people wanted a coaster that was at the park from Day 1 spared - the breeze through the trees (no, the rhyme wasn't intentional!) brings back a bit of nostalgia.
My "To Do" list complete, and with more than an hour-and-a-half (it was now 7:20 and closing time was at nine) to find coasters to ride again, I went back to Viper. Again, I had a right-hand seat, this time in the very last row. Wait time the second time around was 15 minutes.
Raging Bull was next, and for it I used my final "Fast Lane." Wait time was 10 minutes. Again I had (you guessed it!) a back seat, this time on the far left side.
Next up: my second go-around on Iron Wolf. Wait time now down to about 15 minutes.
Finally, Batman: the Ride the second time around. Wait time now down to about 25 minutes.
Now it was 8:50 PM and I was beat, if not beat-up from so much coaster riding - I couldn't have been more knocked out if Mike Tyson had hit me with an uppercut. My voice is still shot as I'm writing this. (At least I took on the "Coaster Challenge" and not only won, but had leftover time to enjoy several coasters a second time!) Only now have I regained the strength to post this trip report - one of what may very well be my best day at SFGAm ever :) *** Edited 9/5/2004 6:49:55 AM UTC by MrHaroldG***
One added bonus though was that it was my first time on Ragin Cajun although I was just not that impressed after riding Spinning Dragons just a few weeks back. The top half was just a very typical wild mouse, while the second half was all spin and puke. Spinning Dragons incorporates it all together throughtout the ride (without the dizziness), and great little drops. How can you go wrong though after waiting for only three cars (seeing that we skipped the running of the bulls and S:UF).
I'm glad you had a great day at SFGAm. I always find it rare to have a good day at this park, although today with light rains and lighter crowds it made for a very nice time, and easy to get on a lot of rides in a short period of time. I highly recommend this park in the rain!
ltlbat said:
I always find it rare to have a good day at this park, although today with light rains and lighter crowds it made for a very nice time, and easy to get on a lot of rides in a short period of time.
For me, what was especially rare was riding every coaster in the park. (The last time I did that in one SFGAm trip was in 1998 - and on consecutive days, no less. For good measure, on the second day, I even threw in the water rides.) I even set a personal record for most coasters ridden more than once in the same park trip - four (the last four mentioned in my trip report). If I had arrived an hour earlier, I would definitely have added more (both American Eagle trains, Demon, and possibly even Whizzer) to that list.
ltlbat said:I highly recommend this park in the rain!
Several years ago, I went there on a rainy day. With shorter lines, I had the park all to myself for much of the day.
Also, on several past trips I went back to the park the very next day. Physically, if I had that luxury this year, I could have withstood going through the "Coaster Mill," if you will all over again. As I'm posting this, however, I still have a bit of a cracked voice. Well...all in the name of good fun :)
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