Colombus Zoo adding a log flume

That's more flats (adult and kiddie) than SFMM!

Given this week's SFMM news that's an even sadder commentary ;)

Early reports about the zoo plans mentioned a large ferris wheel. I wonder what happened.

Other than that (and maybe a major wood coaster), it's a pretty good lineup.

I rode the Larson scooters are Camden and they were pretty darn good. I haven't tried the Premier version.

^^^Just out of curiosity, Dave.... ;)

Did Idlewild allow snapping on the Premier Flying Scooters? Not that I didn't *already* love the place... :)

A very large sign on the entrance gate and another on the doghouse proclaimed, 'Please, NO "SNAPPING"'. The sign was one of those el-cheap-o corrugated plastic things (unlike the other signs on the ride) so I don't know whether that's normal decoration for the Flying Ace, or if that was there specifically for the Western PA ACE event that just happened to be going on at the park that day.

The big difference between the Idlewild Flying Scooter and the Indiana Beach Flying Scooter is that at Idlewild, you actually *could* get the darned things to snap if you tried. Me, I didn't press my luck. But the thing flew beautifully. Were it not for the sign, I could have put on an air show.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Oh, trust me, you COULD get IB's to snap...more than hypothetically. The Larsons

The best I got this year outside of the obvious PKI/PCar set and KG's....Lagoon's. Wow! :)

"No Snapping" even on Premiers, huh? Guess I'll need more trips to KG next year...

What happened to the old Wyandot Lake ferris wheel? I remember trying to ride it with my cousin and the operator told us we couldn't sit together because he had to balance the weight.

The only way I can keep from snapping the IB Larson scooters is to not hold on to the fin. They are possibly even easier for me to snap than Knoebels'. :)

^^Trying to ride the Wyandot ferris wheel was a real challenge. They would never run it without balancing the weight, but without seeing it run, nobody knew it was open. And so it would just sit, with a bored operator leaning against it.

Bill: I snapped the scooters at Idlewild ONCE and the ride op did not say anything...I did not want to press my luck.

I got into flyers after KI removed theirs, so I never rode them. Going to be near Carowinds this week for Thanksgiving but darn it they aren't open. 8-( *** Edited 11/20/2007 6:19:54 PM UTC by phantomrider3000***

Back to the flume for a second- I spoke to a rep from Hafema at IAAPA last week. Although he couldn't recall exact details, he said the ride is gonna be good, and they were really happy to be involved. Well, of course he did. But anyway, it sounded encouraging.

I drive by the new zoo area frequently, and I don't know... they really cleared everything out (like, zero trees left), and so far the place shows no sign of being scenic. The slides are built on a mud pit, are the standard bright colors on erector set supports, and there's no indication of that tired-assed safari theme they chose. (ok, I realize it's a zoo and all...) If they were thinking, they at least would have chosen a different color combo for the Tornado slide. (because, you know, we don't do maize and blue here in Columbus Ohio!) Maybe they'll call it That Team Up North Tornado.

I guess I'll just have to have faith and wait. Our zoo really is great and, like other zoos, has taken a theme park approach with various world regions represented. Most of the new and re-designed areas look fantastic. Not Busch, by any means, but pretty darned good. So here's hoping it doesn't look like they built the thing on a parking lot. (which they did) I just keep having horrible visions of plastic palm trees and fake tropicals everywhere.

As of Friday 11/23, the new Zoombezi Bay website is up and running.

The URL is www.zoombezibay.com

The website only lists information for the water park, but if I remember correctly, the dry rides are actually considered to be a part of the new "Jungle Jack's Landing."