BooBuzz 10/20 (photos inside)
Associated parks:
None
We drove up to Sandusky on Friday night and after checking in to our hotel and grabbing a bite to eat, got to the park a little before 10pm. Aside from the horror stories online there was no indication that Saturday would be the madhouse it was based on the Friday night crowd. Little wait for anything except the most popular coasters (Maverick, TTD, Millennium Force).
We hung out until the park closed and scored a couple of rides and just basked in the undefinable greatness that is Cedar Point.
Saturday:
We returned to the park the next morning around 9am. Saw all the usual suspects and made the long walk back to Maverick.
My wife and I took turns trading off rides with my daughter while the other would wait with my son. Leisurely pace, just hanging, chatting and snapping pics with rides in between.
Maverick ERT pics:
Next To The Lake
Inversion Fun
Ground Level Turn
Twisted Track
Airtime!
Satisfied Riders
After our last lap the early-entry masses descended upon Maverick and all hell broke loose. It was our first indication of how the day's crowds would be.
So we slipped over to Skyhawk to find no wait and scored a couple of cycles. It's a really cool ride. (insert standard enthusiast complaint of the cycle being too short)
From there we worked back through frontier trail to Iron Dragon. My son wasn't tall enough in May, but now was just shy of 48" so he's into Iron Dragon. After his patience with standing around during ERT it was the least we could do with him. We scored two quick laps.
Iron Dragon rips through the mist
At this point we knew it was our last ride of the day. The midways were already jammed and queues filling quickly. It might sound sucky, but with events like this, our day usually consists of hanging out for the most part and participating in event stuff. It's actually a fun, no-pressure way to do the parks.
We made our way back towards the front of the park and stopped in the arcade where the new Deal Or No Deal machine was getting a lot of love (and dollars) from the crowd. We decided to play. I went first. Scored the big prize of 200 tickets (who says you can't follow those briefcases? :) )
No one else in the family wanted to follow that so we moved on to other ticket machines where my daughter scored a 245 ticket jackpot.
We moved on to the front corner of the park to find even Disaster Transport's line spilling down the midway and were disappointed to find most of the food stands in this area by Space Spiral closed as this is where I always score my Cheese-On-A-Stick.
We slipped into the corner which is not a smoking area but should be and I spotted
a DT car sitting in the lot behind the fence
which struck me as humorous as it looked like somebody drove it there and parked.
We mulled around people watching and caught the monsters dancing in front of the arcade. At 1:30 we headed out to the car so I could grab my microphone for the 2pm recording of the podcast. At this point I realized how serious the crowd situation really was.
Waiting To Buy Tickets at 1:35pm
We headed back to the marketing office and did the podcast.
I hightailed it back to the car to drop off the mic and got back in time to catch the Monster Midway Invasion Celebration Parade.
Parade pics:
Big Purple Spider
Stone Golem Thingy
Nightmares Coming Down The Midway
Monsters
Cool Coffin Car
Snoopy
From there we did dinner with the BooBuzz group. Met some new faces and BS'd a little - always good stuff.
Then the group made their way to the costume shop tour.
Costume Shop Photos:
What did he say? ;)
Still needs glue
Work In Progress
Hard At Work
A Finished Face
Tools Of The Trade
It was now close to 6pm and the crowds were some of the biggest I'd ever seen at the park. With the day activities over and no more rides coming, the wife and kids went back to the hotel for pizza and swimming and I stuck around to take photos and check out some Halloween action.
We went back to the car where we saw Chadley & cyberdman and their families who offered some sweet cupcake action. (it's all about being in the right place at the right time :) )
I made my way back inside the park and with a little time left before it got dark, I sat and watched TTD for a bit. It's still a huge draw for the curious, gawkers and non-riders. And how could it not be? It was set up for just such observation and the launch still draws oooohs and ahhhs.
From 0-120 in 4 seconds (no, that's not photoshop trickery)
After a little while I started back towards Maverick and watched it a bit as the sun set. Before I headed into the Fright Zones, I wanted a drink. I got in the shortest line I could find at Round-Up (near Maverick). After waiting about 15 minutes and observing the line...a little quick math told me I was looking at another 20-30 minutes before I got my drink. I left the line.
I spent a couple hours just wandering the different scare zones people watching, taking video and snagging pics. There's something very relaxing and fun about that to me.
Nighttime pics:
Creepy Clown
Mistress Lurking In The Shadows
Gargoyle Guy
Animated Dragon 1
Animated Dragon 2
Man Of Prey
Barry M. Deeper
I called the family around 10pm and skipped out as the park was still packed and kicking - so much so that I felt bad for the characters as scares were hard to come by.
All-in-all a fun weekend. You really can't go wrong with the CB events. (and I'm not saying that because I have to)
Edit - fixed stupid links
(for the record, I also have video to finish that will be online in a few days - along with more pics)
*** Edited 10/24/2007 9:11:53 PM UTC by Lord Gonchar***
Clown: http://tinyurl.com/26hgp7
Smith: http://tinyurl.com/296yda *** Edited 10/24/2007 9:41:54 PM UTC by macevhicz***
Lord Gonchar said:
We hung out until the park closed and scored a couple of rides and just basked in the undefinable greatness that is Cedar Point.
"...undefinable greatness that is Cedar Point." I couldn't say it better myself.
After many times of going to the park and do the so called "power riding" try to ride every ride in one day, I have to say riding a couple rides and just enjoying the park is the best way to do it. You'll appreciate Cedar Point so much more instead of looking back and remembering the lines.
Neuski said:
I was there too!
You're one of the 'usual suspects' :)
macevhicz said:
Ha! That Creepy Clown looks like Robert Smith!
Hilarious!
timberguy said:
How were you able to capture the dragster car in motion while having the background blurred. Were you actually following the car fast enough to capture a frame while blurring the background? Or does your camera automatically compensate for this. This is a very good picture.
No, I don't have some kind of magic camera. I don't even have a really nice camera. That's standard 'follow the subject' technique. Glad you like the photo. Been wanting to get that one for a while and finally got around to it.
Rule #1: It's the photographer that makes the shot, not the camera. :)
gomez said:
I have to say riding a couple rides and just enjoying the park is the best way to do it.
Especially when the crowd is like it was this past Saturday.
Great pictures! I always like looking at your pictures. These don't seem to have that soft tone that your pictures usually have, both ways look great.
Damn, I need to figure out how to use my digital camera, reading rots your brain though.
Gonch,
http://www.lordgonchar.com/pics/hhr09.jpg
or Coffin Hotrod lady?
http://www.coasterimage.com/pictures/cedarpoint/boobuzz07/halloweekendsparade18.jpg
Timber, the way that shot was taken goes something like this... Use a slowish shutter speed (on most point and shoots, you don't have a lot of control over this, but since it's an overcast day, and possibly somewhat late, the camera will do this by itself.)
Then pan the camera so that what you want sharp is in the same place compared to the image the camera sees. So even though the shutter is open a while, it doesn't blur, but since the back ground is all moving compared to the image the camera sees, the camera records it in multiple places, creating a blur look.
It's a little tricky to do, cause it's hard to be precise with the part you want sharp.
If possible, have your flash fire, which will help freeze the subjects close enough to be lit by it.
J7G3 said:
So what do you think of Maverick Gonch?
Still love it like I did on opening weekend. :)
These don't seem to have that soft tone that your pictures usually have, both ways look great.
Hmmm. I didn't do anything differently in the workflow. I do know what you mean though. :)
matt. said:
Ok, show of hands, who drives the more ridiculous vehicle?
I hate you. :)
joe. said:
Great photos Gonch!
Thanks. :)
MikeyB said:
The Dragster photo is amazing!
Thanks. It really is a simple (and basic) technique. Like I said, something I always think of when I'm at home, but always forget to do when at the park. Been wanting to get that for a while.
macevhicz said:
Timber, the way that shot was taken goes something like this...
Yup. Exactly.
Except I didn't use a flash. (my on-camera flash wouldn't have done a thing from the Dragster bleachers :) )
Lord Gonchar said:
We went back to the car where we saw Chadley & cyberdman and their families who offered some sweet cupcake action. (it's all about being in the right place at the right time )
Ha Ha, sweet cupcake action - too funny! Man, that takes the cake! ;) All too happy to provide, I didn't want to take any of them home.
Anyway, great trip report and awesome photos as always. That Dragster one came out fantastic. Of course though, my favorites of the whole bunch are these two:
Ground Level Turn
Satisfied Riders
Why? Because my wife and I are in the back car last row. :)
cyberdman
I heard from others how insane the crowds were that day.
-Tina
Hubby and I did just what you did, simply walked around the park and enjoyed the insanity of the gazillion or so people at the park that day. Glad to be a guest and not an employee that day! BTDT! :(
Jo
Lifetime Raptor flights: 1226 :)
'00 '02 '03 '09 Raptor Crew
2018 - present Mako Crew
Intamin Fan said:
Wow, the lines of people trying to get tickets is surely the scariest thing at their Haunt
Ha ha! That's the truth! I was in a ticket line less than half as long once, and it took about 45 minutes.
btw - I like your signature. So true.
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