PKD 05.27.03

This is my first trip report so please bare with me. I set out for supposedly a wash out day to PKD around 830 a.m. for the 1and a half hour drive south. After cruising down I-95 @ 85, I made amazing time. The weather was behaving quite nicely and I was beginning to make my own weather assumptions despite Bob Ryan’s analysis. I arrived at the gate to notice the $41.99 single adult admission. For a poor college student, I felt bad for anyone who had to pay this. I was smart and bought my first PKD pass this year to save lots of money. I give the wonderful lady at the entrance gate my ID and she smiles and says you love your hat don’t you (I consistently take my park pictures with my hat on backwards). After passing through the metal detectors, I noticed just how professional KD is with this. Well that was the first part of the day; next, here is a breakdown of ride and my response to them. (Each rating is on a scale from 1 to 5) Volcano: Despite its short length, it is a technological masterpiece. Intamin created something great and if we were lucky to see another, I would go to great lengths to experience it. I also enjoy the theming that PKD used. The supposed African woman’s voice that speaks makes me chuckle each time (having a grandmother who was African it was a good laugh). I am however disappointed to notice that the ride pictures are gone, but I am not going to cry a river. I did notice a difference however. The ride seats are different from when they first opened. Does anyone know the reason behind the switch? I preferred the yellow restraints; I think they were a little softer. After six wonderful impressive rides, I rated this a five. Flight of Fear: I waited three and a half hours on June 20 1996 to ride this ride when it first debuted. It was the roughest most exciting coaster I had ever been on. Now with the lap-bar retrofit, it is a joy to experience. The way PKD themed this ride is incredible. Six Flags Jokers jinx which is 25 minutes from my house and I just think that six flags pieced it together. I enjoyed screaming my lungs off cause I had no idea when the launch was going to come. With the retrofit I must rate, my four rides on this coaster a five. Anaconda: Up until recently I was not willing to ride this monster. I have been on the Great American Scream Machine at Six Flags Great Adventure and arrow mega loopers make me squeamish. Anaconda’s color scheme is crazy but it’s a nice addition. I have noticed the ride is rather smooth from the station to the mid course brakes, and from the corkscrews to the station. The butterfly in-between stuff is just a transitional nightmare. I wish there was some way for arrow to redesign the rolling stock so that the wheels were like B&M (meaning the fully rotational axis of the wheels allowing each wheel to take the bumps rather than the car). This is one of the underrated arrow loopers however. I rated this selection a three because of the terrible butterfly section. Avalanche: A ride that is tucked away behind Volcano. I lost my hat on this ride and it was my favorite (Terps Hat). The ride is smooth and one cant help but enjoy the fast helixes. Rate this a four just for loosing my hat. Drop Zone: This is a beautifully designed station. I think that the dots rather eliminate some of the confusion that would come along with all those seats. The drop itself is deep and takes a lot out of you. . I rate this a five. Shockwave: Being a short guy it took me a long time to ride this. When I did I enjoyed it. This time however, I thought I was going pass out from the G’s. My legs felt numb afterwards and my chin slammed hard in to the hard restraint after the hill going in to the helix. Ride Ops were fast with loading and unloading. I rate this a 2.5 for the nice drop and first loop but the rest of the ride is just too painful. Hypersonic XLC: This was my second time on hypersonic and I figured I should ride in the front. The acceleration in incredible and I really enjoyed the view shooting straight up. However, I found the ejector air on the top of the hill to be painful. The brakes were so strong I thought I was going to be thrown out. The direction changes after the Hyper-curve were terrible and very jerky. I rate this ride a three for the excellent front seat view but it was just too rough for my liking. Hurler: Extremely rough but shouldn’t a wooden coaster be? I rated this a 3.5 for the great first banked turn. Rebell Yell: The Rebell Yell needs something new. I thought it was the one of the roughest wooden coaster rides I have ever had. I do not know if it should be new rolling stock or re-tracking. I did enjoy getting the crap shook out of me. I rate both sides a four. Grizzly: The backwoods Gem? No no, more like the back wood dagger. This bad boy still packs a mad punch coming out of that tunnel. I wish that it were still surrounded by trees. Therefore, I could get a fantastic night right out of it as I used to. I rated this classic a five for its excellent elements. PKD was extremely clean and the people were very friendly and responsive. I rate the park on that day a 4.5 for rides being open and great crowd control. It was a great day @ the amusement park. I did notice in the Diamond falls place the TOMB RAIDER: The Cradle of life opens July 25th. I wanted to know if anyone knows anything about this. I wasn’t aware that KD was planning to open another ride this season. Overall, it was an amazing day and I can’t wait to go back and get my moneys worth with my seasons pass.

Could you seperate your TR into paragraphs? It's alot easier on the eyes then. :)

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"If we knew how safe roller coasters were, we'd lose their thrill" - Daniel Keller

heh. tomb raider: cradle of life is a MOVIE.

Finally, someone agrees with me about grizzly!!! I was on Grizzly the last 15 minusts, and was reriding in the front seat, so you might have seen me. It was running at about 60% power, so I was hoping for more.

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I hate it when "cooaster enthusiasts" put down coasters. Why can't we just have fun on all of them?

Grizzly is my favorite ride at the park after riding it at night with Nighride.

It must've not been too crowded if you got to ride all of that in the day. Volcano must've been short, but then again you were there when it opened.

PKD is opening its Tomb Raider's ride this year. The movie comes on July 25th.

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Free Falls on Drop Zone: 5!
Batwing Flights: 7!
Superman: Ride of Steel Airtime-age: 10!

The Tomb raider ride is an 04 attraction,the movie that it's based upon is probably due in theater's july 25th.

About Grizzly,you guys are both right to say that thing still packs a mean punch & is clearly the best of PKD's wooden coaster crop,of course the ride would be so much better with the trees making for the perfect night ride experience but still it beats the crap out of Hurler anytime.

Well, I think Grizzly beats the poop out of any coaster within a 200 mile radius. But when you get into pennsylvania, its a different story...

Oh, and I will be at PKD today from 5-8, so say hi if you see a red haired dude in a Beast shirt. RCTfan will be there too.

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I hate it when "cooaster enthusiasts" put down coasters. Why can't we just have fun on all of them?