Great Adventure, 4/20/13

Gonch, I've heard from many people they feel like they're "going to die" or they are absolutely exhausted after riding Voyage. Why? Just the sheer length and speed? Is it that rough? I want to ride Voyage very much, but I'm also scared to death of it because of what seems like a common wearying/painful/intensity complaint.

Tyler Boes said:
I305 Ka have the same restraints. They both need MF restraints.

No, they don't have the same restraints. They had the same restraints. Actually, the restraints currently on Ka used to be on I305, but apparently were purchased by GADv when I305 when to the soft padded restraints they have now.

I think they're equally great, but in totally different ways. The main difference I've found is that El Toro is infinitely more rerideable. I don't feel like I'm going to die after a couple of laps on El Toro. The same intensity that makes Voyage so special is also it's one weakness.

I actually agree with you. Voyage ranks a hair lower than Toro for me (And this is after the epic night rides last year after the track work, when it was butter smooth and not running too intense for me). The reason I rank El Toro higher is the type of airtime it has (Red Headed Stepchild Ejector Air), as opposed to Voyage's. Both are great, I just prefer Toro's.

Lord Gonchar said: Popular rides are popular because people like them.

I said the same thing about Phoenix a couple days ago :)

Lord Gonchar said: The same intensity that makes Voyage so special is also it's one weakness.

That is one of the best descriptions of Voyage I've heard. Even if I lost the 30 lbs (that I need to lose anyway) and was in better shape, I doubt I would want more than one or two rides on Voyage in one sitting. I need some free pop in between rides.

bunky666 said:

Gonch, I've heard from many people they feel like they're "going to die" or they are absolutely exhausted after riding Voyage. Why?

It is incredibly intense (not rough) and it's relentless start to finish. It kicks your ass nonstop for two minutes. I've never ridden another coaster that does that.

Okay, NOW I've got it!

I gotta ride Voyage. I need a good two minute ass kicking.

^^I agree but I would add that the first 3 drops are kinda the "easy part." They are huge and awesome drops, but easy compared to the rest. After drop #3, you get the curved speed hill (with a tunnel before AND after), then hill #5 THEN all hell breaks loose when you jet out of the tunnel into the spaghetti bowl.

^It's a LOT bunky! The part that gets me is after the weaving in and out during the last third of the ride. It's knock-you-silly aggressive. During the 3rd overbank, sometimes I'm all "ok that's about enough." Then it's either 1-hold tight and try not to hurl, or 2-laugh cuz I'm gettin my butt kicked seriously. If I'm feeling 1, then I need to sit with some free pop and/or go do something else. If I'm feeling 2, then I can re-ride (usually during ERT at Holiwood nights; there are always die hard fans that never get off. I dunno how they do it.)

Two is usually my limit. In 2010, near the end of Saturday nite, I found a tolerance and got 8 rides in non-stop.

Last June, though, and I think this was a combination of cool weather, low humidity, and the overal environmental atmosphere, mixed in with the work that had just been done to the ride, and I could marathon on Friday nite. It was amazing. I think I rode for an hour straight before taking a real break.

When I went to Holiday World a few years back, I had a continuos cycle:

1. Get free pop right across from Voyage
2. Drink pop in line for Voyage
3. Ride Voyage
4. Go to the bathroom right across from Voyage
5. Goto step one

Can't believe I almost let this slip by...

GayCoasterGuy said:

I need some free pop in between rides.

Included pop. You paid for it at the gate when you bought a ticket.

Free or included, even Toro doesn't COMPEL me to take a break....I could ride Toro 10x running if I were at an event. I simply cannot ride Voyage more than 3-4x continuously without getting a "pop" (or soda for those who speak English, hehe).

I love Toro to pieces, it is an AMAZING ride. Voyage is an other-worldly workout....it tests your physical endurance.

I have ridden Toro 9 times in a row, only stopping to get back around the q-bot line (if I can't one cheek sneak).

Hmmm...I am doing a lot of interval training, boxing, and pole dancing (the real kind like Cirque du Soleil, perverts), so perhaps I will add some trips to Holiday World and see if I'm REALLY in shape. *laugh*

Gator, I keep getting confused by "pop" too. I was thinking to myself, "a free pop of what? Cocaine?"

don't forget about their award winning water park, their friendly staff, their Gobler Ggetaway ride, and Raven. Raven also requires a workout.

I would love to go to Holiday World in general, and for as much as I hate water parks, I actually want to go to theirs. However, when I think of HW, I think of Voyage first. It is iconic for them.

Raven is another top ten wooden coaster. Legend is a top 15 wooden coaster.

GayCoasterGuy said:

^^I agree but I would add that the first 3 drops are kinda the "easy part." They are huge and awesome drops, but easy compared to the rest.

This is so true. Generally after I get to the bottom of the third drop, I mentally tell myself it's time to batten down the hatches!

The Voyage has RIDICULOUSLY fast pacing throughout the ride. I wonder if they should remove the mid course brake run. Then it'd be even better!

bunky666 said:

Carrie, I have had a whole lotta bad luck then in the summer. I rarely go on weekends because of crowds, but it seems to me to get absolutely insane with crowds by late June at the latest. If you have a weekday recommendation in particular for GAdv, I'd love to hear it because I'm broke and really don't wanna buy FP if not needed. Yoshi, if you have thoughts on this as well, it is much appreciated.

They used to go to daily operations the 2nd week of May and it was great, no lines and a few school groups but nothing too bad. They stopped that in 2011. Friday May 10th or 17th might be good since the park is open until 8 and the schools should leave by 4 or 5 and even then it isn't that many schools. Thursday May 9th might be good too. It was student council day last year and the park wasn't crowded at all but I read years ago that day can be bad so I don't know if it was just lucky the park was empty that day last year or not.

Weekdays in June seem to vary. I used to always encounter low crowds but last year I went on a Tuesday when NYC and Philadelphia schools were still in session and it was crowded. Nitro was 45 minutes as an example.

I stop going to the park at the end of June and usually don't go back until September since that has always been low crowds but that seems like it will be a thing of the past with Fright Fest starting September 13th this year.

Maybe you guys can only take so much of The Voyage because you're drinking so much freaking "POP" pop! :)

Thank you very much, Carrie! This will give me time to gather some people together (for some reason, I will go by myself to most parks, but I really prefer to do Great Adventure with at least one other person).

I feel like posting some thoughts about Great Adventure here. If this was the first park I ever visited in my life, it'd probably be amazing to me, with me thinking much more highly of their coaster collection.

But, the problem I had was that especially after Hershey and Knoebel's within a 5-day trip, Great Adventure seemed a little generic to me. I think I'm going to blame its corporate feel mixed with the 5 B&M's. I think too many B&M's in a park is a bad thing...at least for someone who has already ridden most of the breeds. They all started to blend together in my mind.

What I found most memorable about Great Adventure was of course El Toro, which was awesome. Oddly, Houdini's Great Escape was probably the next most memorable ride, as it was a new and unique experience for me. The dark coasters were fun too. I think GA needed a Mavericky Intamin, a quirky or classic steel coaster, and another manufacturer mixed in for more variety.

I almost want to go back to ride Kingda Ka again and figure out all these roughness complaints though. I've seen almost everyone claim it was shaky and rough, yet that thought never crossed my mind. It felt very similar to TTD with the crappy Maverick restraints to me. After a 12+ hour day, it was my last ride though. Was I just tired, or is there really that much of a difference?