HoliWood Nights: Rookie advice needed

My "non-coaster fan" wife is being a good sport and will accompany me to HoliWood nights this year. She does not go out of her way to ride coasters, and will not even cosider any coaster that is inverted (or flying, 4D, etc) or hyper-ish tall. She does tolerate and even enjoy woodies like the PKI Racer, and she enjoyed daytime spins on Raven and Legend in 2000 and 2005.
Myself on the other hand, I am up for anything. I had a blast at SRM 2002, though a late night back-seat ride on Legend really shocked the heck out of me.

OK, enough background...my questions for you experts of Holiday World's three woodies:
1. What seats are "tamest"?
2. What seats are most likely to give my wife a panic attack? Floater airtime is fine, but I'd like to "ease into" ejector and lateral insanity as much as possible.

We will arrive around 8:00 on Friday night so I suspect the coasters will already be running in insane mode. And the early reports on Voyage have really raised my eyebrows. I would rather not push my wife too soon (ruining the trip for both of us).

Another question:
3.Where is the nearest movie theater to Holiday World?

(If we get coaster burnout, or if the weather is bad on that Saturday, I'd like to have some options to pass the time before dinner and ERT#2.)

Thanks for your advice!

-Buckeye Brad

The Tamest Seats are usually the Middle Seats, where the Back Seats usualy produce the best "Airtime" (Front seats also produce some Airtime, but are best for Views)

The nearest Movie Theatre is probably in Tell City, Indiana, but why do something you can do at Home? If there's Inclemant Weather There are Eight Caves you can visit within two hours of HW. They Are:

Marengo Cave (Two Tours Available, Dripstone and Crystal Palace)

Wyandotte Cave State Park (Two Tours Available, Wyandotte Cave and Sybert Cave)

Blue Spring Cave

Squire Boone Caverns

Spring Mill State Park in Mitchell, Indiana also has Two Caves you can Visit (Twin Caves and Donaldson Cave) as well as an EXCELLANT Museum dedicated to Astronaut Virgil Grissom that features his "Molly Brown" Gemini Space Capsule!

If you like some "Wet Fun" Rent a Kayak and paddle the Blue River (There's a Livery in Marengo, Indiana and the run features some Class 2 Whitewater!)

Remember, Have Fun! :)

---

buckeye brad said:

1. What seats are "tamest"?

---

I see where you're going with this, but really, there is no such thing as a tame seat on Raven or Legend, and I'm suspecting the same case with Voyage. Then again, if she can handle day time rides on Raven and Legend, I don't see why the wife couldn't tolerate at least a couple of night time spins. Frankly if she can handle a night ride on The Raven I'd argue she could ride just about any coaster on the planet just fine but that's something that might be hard to convince her of. ;)

There are ESPECIALLY no tame seats on Voyage. The middle is almost as crazy as the back and front. :)

^^^ it takes some substantial planning to go caving in those caves. Several of them have lots of water/mud, and narrow passages. You need some non-cotton clothing (synthetic long underwear), several light sources, and definately a helmet.

As far as Legend and Raven, just sit as close to the middle as possible for a tamer ride.

I take cave tours...and Marengo was one of the better ones. Always beautiful in caves. Underground (Digital or otherwise) is good! :)

1. What seats are "tamest"?

Second or third car on Raven, Middle of train on Legend, Im guessing Voyage would be middle of train also but its gonna be insane anywhere.

If she enjoyed Raven daytime, The out of control and darkness may either enhance or hurt that view. Legend can be downright brutal in a good way and Voyage is gonna be a breathtaker, Day or night in any seat.

2. What seats are most likely to give my wife a panic attack? Floater airtime is fine, but I'd like to "ease into" ejector and lateral insanity as much as possible.

On Raven, Id gradually ease back a car each time. If she finds the second to the last car as too much, Don't pass go, Move back forward. (2003 Raven was giving better air in the second to back car than the back car gave in 2002 so fair warning is given for extreme airtime in the back cars.

Legend, I don't know, The front can provide a exciting and aitime filled ride, However the push into the four corners of death is very latteral slam heavy. The back is just as insane if it's running in top form, The middle Well hell, It delivers latterals everywhere!

Voyage's most extreme rides are gonna be front or back car, Most people don't know the second row of the first car gives better air than the front seat in most cases due to the pivot between cars. The back will always be pull over aitime where the train is dropping out from under you. The front, More pop and float, Id say only go for the back if she can handle Raven in the rear! (Did I say that?)

Why are you arriving so late? The festivities and such start early. You don't wanna miss Paula, Pat and Will sing and dance for us now do you?

Chuck, who thinks you'll find more rides than you can handle and insane coasters along with a great atmosphere and fellow coaster lovers.

All the Caves I've mentioned except Donaldson Came are what they call "Commercial Caves" which mean you don't have to worry about Going Through Muddy Passages. These Caves are Lighted and feature Paved Passages. "Wild Caves" are a whole other story, here's where you need the Special equipment that Shivtim Mentions. Donaldson Cave at Spring Hill St. Park is such a Cave, but I encountered no Muddy stretches in the section I explored, Just a lot of Boulders which needed to be scrambled over. (Bring A Flashlight) There was a "Crawlspace" but I didn't attempt to go through it, being I was by Myself (Not Recommended) There was a neat Flowstone Formation there! I looked at it for a couple of Minutes before scrambling over the Boulders back to the Cave Entrance.

In case of Coaster burnout, you can visit Lincoln's Boyhood Home a couple of miles from the park. If memory serves, the Koch family was instrumental in having it made a National Memorial.

Coaster burnout - isn't that like "too much closet space", a concept that can be put into words but doesn't exist in reality?

---

rollergator said:
Underground (Digital or otherwise) is good!

---

The Humpty Dance is a trance, after all. ;)

^ I was beginning to fear that me and Shock-G were the only ones in on that joke...thanks! :)

Thanks for the advice everybody. We'd like to arrive earlier on Friday, but my wife is a teacher. School districts are poor sports about taking off around holiday weekends.

I'm sure we'll both have a good time. Its great that Holiday World woodies have simultaneously have so much enthusiast and GP appeal (how many things in life can do that?) We're also looking forward to meeting and making new friends.

(Puts on nerd cap)
I hooked up my laptop to a 50" TV last night to take in the Voyage POV. The quality was not exacty HD but certainly watchable. Anyway, if you need a fix to get you thru till the 26, and if you have access to a big TV, do it! I can't keep myself unspoiled like some of you, but my first real ride will probably make me forget all the "spoilers" anyway.

Thanks again,
Buckeye Brad

Brad...the caves are great as is Lincoln State Park, but if you really crave movies, go to Evansville (about 45 minutes away) and go to the IMAX. Tell City is closer...but the extra time will pay off.

Also, you can visit the LST 325...used in WW2 and now a permanent fixture to E-ville and their small, but nice museum...and if you feel lucky the Casino Aztar boat is just a 1/2 mile down the road.

Anyway...once you start riding the coasters..this will all be a mood point!!

Bruce

I toured this LST when it was on Display in Mobile, Al on the way back from a Trip from Florida to new orleans (The Primary Purpose was to visit Jazzland because I had a Free Pass to the Park :) ) I also Visited Biloxi beach and Broke Even trying my luck at their "Adult Penny Arcades" (That's Casinos for those of you in Rio Linda!) I glad I visited those Parks since Katrina Trashed them last year :(

You guys are too funny. ;-) Legend and Raven are both the best in the front, but then again I am biased to visuals.

The back seats are not too shabby either. I have no clue about Voyage......yet. ;-)

Brad, I am sure the back seat on Raven will freak your wife out the most, but then again when she is screaming it will probably not be out of fear. ;-)

-Tina

*** Edited 5/13/2006 4:47:16 PM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

Brad,
I will warn you that the Voyage at night, even if you ride in the middle, will be one of the most intense rides your wife has ever experienced. It's a GOOD and SMOOTH kind of intense, but still intense!! I've only been on a little over 100 coasters but I would say 80% of them would feel like a mid afternoon nap compared to the voyage rides I had in the early afternoon. There is a noticeable difference between how it runs at 10 AM and 3 PM, I can only imagine what will happen during those 11 PM rides after 3 more weeks of breaking in. Just get on it as soon as you get there, sit in the middle, and tell her to brace herself lol. You guys can always power ride the Gobbler Getaway with me if I need to take a break from the coasters. 15 rides on the Voyage on opening saturday gave me quite the bruise on my legs from the lapbars and negative G's. I'm considering bringing a care bear or something to wedge between me and the bar for HoliWood nights haha. Doubt they'd allow that tho :(

The Marengo Caves are less than an hour away. I passed the exit for them about 25 minutes from the park when I came down for the tour.

BTW there is a Drive In theater in Reo, Indiana. Probably about 20 minutes away from HW. I pass it on my way there. *** Edited 5/16/2006 6:51:32 PM UTC by gamester990***

As I mentioned in another thread, I'm no expert on coasters as most of you are, although I'm getting there....just consider me an avid fan at this point. Anyway I recently went to Holiday World and experienced the Voyage(trust me it definatly is an experience), and of course the Raven and Legend as well.

As far as the Voyage goes, I don't thing the word "tame" belongs in any same sentence with the Voyage. I'm one of those people who will ride just about ANY coaster...woodie or steel. But upon first look, I myself got a nervous feeling in my stomache about riding. Of course I did ride though, and I picked the back seat since all early reviews led me to believe I'd get the most air-time and best thrills there. It is definatly the BEST coaster I have ever been on(wood or otherwise). And I will say the ride is MUCH MUCH MUCH smoother than the Legend or the Raven. So if that is an issue at all with your wife she won't have to worry about that. The back seat ride is definatly an intense one and I'm not sure it would be the seat I'd pick with an unsure wife as it was ALMOST too much for me. There were times during the return run where I started to ALMOST wanted it to end. Later in the day we picked the middle seat and I couldn't get enough of the ride. It was just as intense, but in a different way. I still felt some great air time, but I didn't feel at all as if it was too intense and I was able to enjoy every secound of the ride. I will also say that that first drop is a doosey, and it comes VERY VERY quickly. I didn't even fully realize I was at the top before I could see the bottom, and that site alone gives off a pretty intense feeling.
Overall, this coaster packs much more of a punch than the Raven or the Legend does. I'd start off with one of those with your wife first to work your way up. The best way I can explain it is that it JUST ABOUT takes you to the point where you can't handle any more, but doesn't go quite as far as TOO MUCH for the average rider.

As for night time rides on the Raven or the Legend.. Since I don't belong to any clubs or groups I haven't had many opportunities except for when riding before the park closes, and that opportunity is short since the park closes earlier at the beginning and end of the season. But I have rode at night, and although it does bring much more excitement to the rides, if you can handle it during the day, the night time should be fine.

Anyway, I hope I've helped a bit. The best advice I could give you to ease any issues your wife may have about The Voyage is that if she has EVER enjoyed a wooden roller coaster, she will want to ride this. If she doesn't, she will be missing out on something great and later will want to slap herself silly when she eventually does ride it and realizes what she had been missing.

Good luck and have fun!

Thanks again for all the advice everybody. I think my wife will end up having a great time. (I know I will!)

I still remember (quite vividly) SRM'02 with my twin brother. We'd both ridden Raven and Legend several times (in insane mode) but not yet in the back seat. When we finally did try Legend in the back it really took us by surprise. Actually it nearly maxed us both out for the night. The helix and 4 corner return were just so aggressive we both literally staggered off the platform, seeing stars. I did muster up one more back seat spin (I wasn't going to let a coaster get the best of me!). The second time I white knuckled for dear life and tried to anticipate the turns by watching the train. That helped a lot. Either way, I gained a new respect for the Legend.
Later that night, Raven in the back seat seemed just as intense, but I felt like I could ride it all night.

HoliJohn,
Welcome. I'm a newish member here myself, and I hope your experience is like mine: meeting lots of great, passionate people.

-Buckeye Brad