Fading favorite flat rides

not sure if a Bubble Bounce is still out there but the very similar Tip Top can still be found on occasion. I know Stricker's Grove has one.

Cedar Point has a Calypso, as does(did?) Lesourdsville Lake/Americana.

The closest thing to a Cuddle Up you'll find is a Crazy Dazy. I hear stories of Cuddle Ups in storage but I don't know of any that have surfaced. Twin Grove Park/Camground in PA supposedly has one that they plan to refurbish. They are also refurbishing an original Traver Circle Swing!

I rode the Calypso at CP last year. One of the best parts is trying to to high 5 a person in car going by you.

Sylvan Beach in NY has a Tip Top, a Roll-O-Plane and a Rock-O-Plane. Oh yeah, and the way-cool Laffland Pretzel darkride!

Calypso also runs at PCW, and I'm sure I saw one somewhere else...SFGAm?

Hollywood and Vine at SFEG....Breakdance? I need to pull up my pics, or take some memory-enhancers... ;)
*** Edited 2/28/2007 9:23:45 PM UTC by rollergator***

I thought Reithoffer had the only Tango. There once were two from what I read, but the other one was destroyed in an automobile accident. I think the Tango could be amazing, but I believe it's one of KMG's rides they should've gone back to the drawing board on due to the restraint system.

Let me explain myself--I rode the Tango for the first time at The Great Frederick Fair in western Maryland for the first time I think in 2001 or so. The ride program they were using wasn't too bad. There was a part where the ride actually slowed down and gave you room to breathe for a few moments.

It was kind of like the moment on the Zamperla Rotoshake where it stopped at the top and rotated forwards and backwards before changing direction.

In 03'/04', went to ride it again at The York Fair in PA. This program was much more aggressive and felt as though you were being thrown around unmercifully like a ragdoll. There were no breaks in the action either. Both me and my friend got off the ride and our collarbones hurt for hours afterwards from the vest that holds you in place.

After observing the ride a few more times, I saw the ride program from that I liked from 2001. It appearred that the operator was randomly selecting programs, or the computer was picking out the programs at random.

Catpursson, I don't worry about the Aero 360 since it has a dual-locking system. You may have heard about the fatal accident on the single Hawk at Pigeonforge Raceway, but it was determined that the owner bypassed some vital safety systems. I wouldn't worry about KW or DP (who also has one) doing that.

Arthur asked about The Calypso. SFGAM has one with fiberglass sunshades and boy is it strong! It's one of those rides that you better figure out the weight distribution thing or you'll be crushed:)

When I was a kid, I could handle all the "spinney" rides and loved the Whip and the Tilt-a-Whirl. Now, I stick to Roller Coasters, Drop Rides and anything my friends absolutely refuse to go on.

I'll go on anything, but hate getting the "pukey" feeling for hours after something as lame as tea-cups. Rocky Point (RI) had a Tempest, and I never went on it without getting sick. Now I like rides like the Soriani & Moser Top Star Tour. (I think it's called G-Force where I ride it.)

I've been told it's age that's taking away all my fun... *** Edited 2/28/2007 11:38:30 PM UTC by mailgirl***

Valleyfair might have one, Bill, by "Wild" Thing.

Intamin Fan: I definitely rode the ride with the "York PA" program!

Ilovthevu', the episode with the Gravitron happened when I was a teenager-- teens tend to sometimes take risks! I wasn't so worried about safety then. I figured that the adults responsible for the rides would make sure things were okay.

After hearing about way too many accidents happening at carnivals and other impermanent ride installations, I've gotten a lot more cautious. Some carnivals and some inspectors are not as careful about safety as they should be. Now I try to use a lot more common sense and look at a ride before I entrust my life to strangers.

*Sigh* I'm a long way from being a teenager nowadays! (Cue old codger voice: "Back in my day...")

Cat(not geriatric yet!)Purrson

Funny thing about the HP Whip-- IIRC, it has 11 cars. Not 10, not 12, 11.

What is that ride they have at Lakemont, sort of spidery-octopi-ish? I think they also have a monster, so I'm not thinking of that one.

My favorite fading flat? Twister... Williams Grove... manually operated. If that park closes for good, Pleeeeeeeease Knoebels, get that ride!

I don't think Hershey's whip is that bad. It's overly noisy though. And 11 cars is definately weird.

The worst whip I ever rode was at Lesourdsville Lake/Americana. The rumor was always that they were going to work on it so it would run faster. Obviously, that never happened.

Knoebels whip is surprisingly lame.

Lakemont has an Octopus and a Monster.

Guntown Mountain had a Twister. I wonder who bought it at the auction.

Sorry Joe, I have to disagree there. Hershey's Whip is pretty bad. It doesn't sound like a Whip and doesn't feel like a Whip- it feels like rolling around in a sheetmetal drum with casters on a warehouse floor. Surprisingly, Knoebels Whip is pretty lame too.

The absolute best Whip is the one at Rye Playland. The ones at Dorney and Kennywood are pretty good, too.

I didn't say it was good. I said it was not that bad. I rode it expecting hell on earth based on the horrible report I read. My low expectations made for a better experience!

I rank it well above Lesourdsville whip. That thing was truly pathetic. It felt like I was riding on a baggage claim carousel at the airport.

One more old flat that I haven't seen or ridden for a long time: the Moon Rocket. It was something similar to a Bayern Kurve but tilted and without the banked section. West View and Conneaut Lake had them during the early 1960s. *** Edited 3/2/2007 12:31:56 AM UTC by Arthur Bahl***

I was watching "A Time To Reflect - History of Whalom Park" DVD the other night.

The narrator said that Whalom Parks Whip was considered by ride enthusiasts to be the best in existence.

He then stated that it was sold to Twin Grove Park, the same folks with the Cuddle Up in storage.

Has anyone in this forum ridden Whalom's Whip that can compare it to other currently operating Whip's?

I'd be curious to know why it was considered the "best".

I'm not going to argue about which Whip is the best. I just appreciate having a good one in my home park.

IMO, one of the best Whips that is now gone was the one that used to be at West View Park. *** Edited 3/2/2007 12:45:28 AM UTC by Arthur Bahl***

A good whip should have more than just good lats on the wheel ends...it should have great side slams.

Rye's whip gets it right. It also is just the right length. (rarely a line too!) Some whips are too long between the end wheels, making them boring.

Dorney has a lame whip. Forceless! Knoebel's is also weak, though the bell that the operator sounds at the start and end of the ride is a nice touch.

As I (tried to ) say in a post above, Rye's Whip is, hands-down, the best Whip still around. Kennywood and Dorney have pretty good ones, too. I've never found either one of those to be forceless, but I suppose it depend on your experiences.

So, with all this being said about Rye and their awesome HISTORIC rides (Derby Racer, Mill, Whip, Zamperla Flyer (;)), etc.

Any chance of *expanding* the revised Preservation Conm to include a stop at Rye? :~P