Flying down to Palm Beach on the 17th of february from frigid NYC, the original plan was to spend part of a 2 day trip at BGT and then to make a side trip to Dania Beach. BGT was the logical choice since we've hit most of the Orlando parks and haven't been to BGT in 15 years.
As were checking in after a stopover at DC an announcement were asked if we'll give up our seats for round trip tickets anywhere in the lower 48 plus they'll fly us to Tampa with a free hotel. Obviously, we snapped at the deal. (This summer- prepare to read a 2 week California TR).
The crowds at BGT on 2/18 were not bad considering it was the sunday before president's day. Major coasters had 15-20 minute waits (with the noticeable exception of Gwazi). The park overall was nice- with some sections downright scenic (however a few areas like he entrance and stanleyville felt like they were built in the 70's).
After a quick run to reserve seats for the serengetti safari (more on that later) we jumped on Montu. Overall Montu is a very good inverted (hey its B & M). However Montu is a tale of 2 rides- the first half is downright awesome with easily the best loop on an inverted I've ever been on. The second half after the break run slows considerably with the cars barely making it through the corkscrews. As with most B&M's both front & back are great and the trenches really give a unique twist (especially the night rides where the cars alternate between the pitch black sky and the lighted trenches). Overall I'd put Montu on par with the Dragons and below Raptor and the Batmans.
Next it was off to Gwazi- which led me to one conclusion - this is easily the most infuriating ride to wait for. If you don't know, the operators check each rider twice- once to check your seatbelt and then they come around later to check the lap bar. Each car easily took about 5 minutes to depart- with some intervals approaching 10 minutes. Although it was early in the daⰀ 椀琀 琀漀漀欀 愀戀漀甀琀 㐀 洀椀渀甀琀攀猀 琀漀 爀椀搀攀 攀愀挀栀 猀椀搀攀⸀ 一攀攀搀氀攀猀猀 琀漀 猀愀礀 愀渀礀 瀀爀攀ⴀ爀椀搀攀 攀渀琀栀甀猀椀愀猀洀 椀猀 氀椀欀攀氀礀 琀漀 戀攀 戀甀稀稀 欀椀氀氀攀搀⸀ 伀瘀攀爀愀氀氀 琀栀攀 爀椀搀攀 眀愀猀 漀欀 ⴀ戀甀琀 渀漀琀 洀礀 琀礀瀀攀⸀ 䤀琀 爀攀洀椀渀搀攀搀 洀攀 漀昀 愀 搀甀攀氀椀渀最 刀漀愀爀⸀ 匀椀渀挀攀 䤀✀洀 洀漀爀攀 椀渀琀漀 愀椀爀琀椀洀攀 琀栀攀渀 戀攀椀渀最 琀栀爀漀眀渀 氀愀琀攀爀愀氀氀礀 䜀眀愀稀椀✀猀 渀漀琀 洀愀欀椀渀最 椀琀 椀渀琀漀 洀礀 琀漀瀀 琀攀渀 氀椀猀琀⸀ 䤀琀 搀漀攀猀 栀愀瘀攀 猀漀洀攀 愀椀爀琀椀洀攀 愀渀搀 琀栀攀 搀甀攀氀椀渀最 椀猀 漀欀 ⠀愀氀琀栀漀甀最栀 搀甀攀氀椀渀最 挀漀愀猀琀攀爀猀 愀爀攀 愀 戀椀琀 漀瘀攀爀爀愀琀攀搀 椀渀 洀礀 漀瀀椀渀椀漀渀⤀ 戀甀琀 䤀✀搀 爀愀琀栀攀爀 猀瀀攀渀搀 洀礀 琀椀洀攀 栀椀琀琀椀渀最 琀栀攀 猀琀攀攀氀 挀漀愀猀琀攀爀猀 愀琀 䈀䜀吀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀一攀砀琀 椀琀 眀愀猀 漀渀 琀漀 倀礀琀栀漀渀ⴀⴀ 愀 挀漀愀猀琀攀爀 琀栀愀琀 琀攀爀爀椀昀椀攀搀 洀攀 㔀 礀攀愀爀猀 愀最漀 戀甀琀 氀椀欀攀 漀琀栀攀爀 挀漀爀欀猀挀爀攀眀 洀漀搀攀氀猀 猀攀攀洀猀 欀椀渀搀 漀昀 漀甀琀搀愀琀攀搀 琀漀搀愀礀⸀ 吀栀攀 漀渀攀 渀椀挀攀 琀栀椀渀最 愀戀漀甀琀 倀礀琀栀漀渀 椀猀 琀栀攀 洀愀椀渀琀攀渀愀渀挀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 最愀爀搀攀渀猀 愀爀漀甀渀搀 琀栀攀 爀椀搀攀⸀ 䠀漀眀攀瘀攀爀 琀栀攀 爀椀搀攀 椀琀猀攀氀昀 猀攀攀洀猀 琀漀 栀愀瘀攀 戀攀琀琀攀爀 搀愀礀猀⠀䤀✀瘀攀 渀攀瘀攀爀 猀攀攀渀 愀 氀椀昀琀 栀椀氀氀 猀栀愀欀攀 氀椀欀攀 倀礀琀栀漀渀✀猀⤀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀伀渀 琀漀 䬀甀洀戀愀ⴀ 眀栀椀挀栀 爀攀洀椀渀搀攀搀 洀攀 漀昀 愀 洀漀爀攀 椀渀琀攀渀猀攀 瘀攀爀猀椀漀渀 漀昀 䴀攀搀甀猀愀 ⠀匀䘀䜀䄀䐀⤀⸀ 䬀甀洀戀愀✀猀 椀渀琀攀渀猀椀琀礀 愀氀洀漀猀琀 渀攀瘀攀爀 氀攀琀猀 甀瀀ⴀ⠀渀漀 洀愀琀琀攀爀 眀栀攀爀攀 漀渀攀 猀椀琀猀⤀ 眀栀攀爀攀愀猀 䴀攀搀甀猀愀 樀甀猀琀 猀攀攀洀猀 琀漀 瀀愀挀欀 氀攀猀猀 漀昀 愀 瀀甀渀挀栀 攀猀瀀攀挀椀愀氀氀礀 琀漀眀愀爀搀猀 琀栀攀 洀椀搀搀氀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 琀爀愀椀渀⸀ ⠀䄀氀琀栀漀甀最栀 䤀✀搀 瀀爀漀戀愀戀氀礀 琀愀欀攀 愀 昀爀漀渀琀 猀攀愀琀 䴀攀搀甀猀愀 爀椀搀攀 漀瘀攀爀 䬀甀洀戀愀⸀⤀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀吀栀攀 昀椀渀愀氀 挀漀愀猀琀攀爀 眀愀猀 匀挀漀爀瀀椀漀渀ⴀ 愀 瀀攀瀀瀀礀 匀挀栀眀愀爀稀欀漀瀀昀 氀漀漀瀀攀爀⸀ 䰀椀欀攀 攀瘀攀爀礀 匀挀栀眀愀爀稀欀漀瀀昀 氀漀漀瀀攀爀 䤀✀瘀攀 戀攀攀渀 漀渀Ⰰ 䈀䜀吀 愀猀猀椀最渀猀 猀攀愀琀猀ⴀ 愀氀琀栀漀甀最栀 眀攀 氀甀挀欀椀氀礀 戀愀最最攀搀 昀爀漀渀琀 猀攀愀琀猀 ⠀䄀爀攀 琀栀攀爀攀 愀渀礀 匀挀栀眀愀爀稀欀漀瀀昀 氀漀漀瀀攀爀猀 眀栀攀爀攀 猀攀愀琀猀 愀爀攀渀✀琀 愀猀猀椀最渀攀搀㼀⤀ 䄀渀搀 氀椀欀攀 洀漀猀琀 匀挀栀眀愀爀稀欀漀瀀昀 挀漀愀猀琀攀爀猀 礀漀甀 挀愀渀 昀攀攀氀 琀栀攀 最✀猀 伀瘀攀爀愀氀氀 匀挀漀爀瀀椀漀渀 椀猀 漀渀攀 漀昀 琀栀漀猀攀 挀漀愀猀琀攀爀猀 琀栀愀琀 氀漀漀欀猀 猀洀愀氀氀 戀甀琀 瀀愀挀欀猀 愀 猀甀爀瀀爀椀猀椀渀最 瀀甀渀挀栀ⴀ 椀琀 猀栀漀甀氀搀渀✀琀 戀攀 漀瘀攀爀氀漀漀欀攀搀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀䄀昀琀攀爀 栀漀椀猀琀椀渀最 愀 昀攀眀 愀琀 琀栀攀 栀漀猀瀀椀琀愀氀椀琀礀 栀漀甀猀攀ⴀ 愀渀搀 搀漀眀渀椀渀最 猀漀洀攀 爀椀戀猀 愀琀 琀栀攀 猀洀漀欀攀栀漀甀猀攀 椀琀 眀愀猀 漀渀 琀漀 琀栀攀 匀攀爀攀渀最攀琀椀 匀愀昀愀爀椀⸀ 䘀漀爀 琀栀漀猀攀 甀渀昀愀洀椀氀椀愀爀 琀栀攀 匀攀爀攀渀最攀琀椀 匀愀昀愀爀椀 ⠀挀漀猀琀椀渀最 愀渀 攀砀琀爀愀 ␀㈀ ⤀ 愀氀氀漀眀猀 愀 猀洀愀氀氀 最爀漀甀漀 琀漀 戀攀 琀愀欀攀渀 漀渀 愀 猀瀀攀挀椀愀氀 漀瀀攀渀 戀甀最最礀 椀渀 琀栀攀 洀椀搀搀氀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 眀椀搀攀 漀瀀攀渀 猀攀爀攀渀最攀琀椀 瀀氀愀椀渀 猀攀挀琀椀漀渀 漀昀 琀栀攀 瀀愀爀欀 ⠀眀椀琀栀 愀 最甀椀搀攀⤀⸀ 䘀漀爀 ㌀ 洀椀渀甀琀攀猀 琀栀攀 最爀漀甀瀀 最攀琀猀 甀瀀 挀氀漀猀攀 琀漀 最椀爀愀昀昀攀猀 稀攀戀爀愀猀 栀椀瀀瀀漀猀 愀渀搀 愀渀琀攀氀漀瀀攀猀 ⠀愀洀漀渀最 漀琀栀攀爀猀⤀ 愀渀搀 昀攀攀搀猀 琀栀攀 最椀爀爀愀昀攀猀 愀渀搀 愀渀琀攀氀漀瀀攀猀⸀ 吀栀椀猀 is definitely worth the money- especially if you have little ones along. The other cool thing for coaster buffs are some awesome picture taking opportunities of Montu and Kumba with your favorite animals located in the foreground.
Overall BGT is a great park and a change of pace to other parks as there are ample opportunities to take some time to relax and take it easy while viewing the awesome animal exhibits. Throw in a pretty good collection of coasters and you've got BGT.
After a few days of non-coaster related activities it was off to the Dania Beach Hurricane. I didn't hear much about the coaster before riding it so I didn't have many expectations- but I can safely say whatever expectations I had were easily exceeded. This is the best wooden coaster in Florida and perhaps one of the most re-ridealbe coasters in the state. Nothing ultra intense or fancy -just a good ol' fashioned woddie. The Hurricane has features of a twister and an out and back. It has some outstanding airtime moments (although not at every hill). The standout moments on this coaster are the 2 final camel back hills (with awesome airtime) and a couple of speed bump hills providing for quick bursts of airtime (the one unique thing about the speed bumps is that they occur just after the crest of the hill rather then close to the ground). The other cool touch are the hurricane warning flags at the crest of the first hill. (BTW- for about $15 bucks you can get unlimited rides on this.)
This is a back-seat coaster. The airtime in the back is exceptional. The front seat offers significantly less airtime and the only scenic view you'll have is of I-95. One last note- the operators are very lax. They barely check your lap bar and seat belt. A true enthusiasts can (safely) take advantage and guarantee themselves an air filled ride.
The rest of the Boomers is made up of an arcade, go-carts a skyscraper and the like. They have one video machi攀 愀氀氀漀眀椀渀最 琀栀攀 爀椀搀攀爀 琀漀 攀砀瀀攀爀椀攀渀挀攀 琀栀攀 挀漀愀猀琀攀爀猀 愀琀 䌀攀搀愀爀 倀漀椀渀琀 ⠀眀椀琀栀 洀甀猀椀挀 戀礀 倀攀琀攀爀 䘀爀愀洀瀀琀漀渀⤀⸀ 吀栀椀猀 椀猀 漀渀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 洀漀猀琀 瀀漀瀀甀氀愀爀 洀愀挀栀椀渀攀猀 愀渀搀 琀栀攀 欀椀搀猀 猀攀攀洀 琀漀 氀漀瘀攀 椀琀⸀ 伀瘀攀爀愀氀氀Ⰰ 椀昀 礀漀甀爀 椀渀 猀漀甀琀栀 昀氀漀爀椀搀愀ⴀ 搀漀渀✀琀 漀瘀攀爀氀漀漀欀 琀栀攀 栀甀爀爀椀挀愀渀攀ⴀ椀琀猀 攀愀猀椀氀礀 琀栀攀 戀攀猀琀 眀漀漀搀攀渀 挀漀愀猀琀攀爀 椀渀 䘀氀漀爀椀搀愀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀
Don't you just hate it when they assign seats? I was lucky because there was no line so I got the front. :)
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YVAN EHT NIOJ -The Simpsons
Looks like this place where Dania Beach Hurricane is, is going to try to become another Big Chiefs. I like the idea of Go-Cart tracks and coasters in one park.
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"SAVING THE WORLD BEFORE BEDTIME" Powerpuff girls
