Pondering about Holiday World... / thank you!

For the record, I didn't need to be reminded of GI Bleeds. Ever. Eww (By far one of the worst smells you could ever imagine).

LOL are we discussing my Beverly face? You know, 10 years now, I keep thinking that one of these times, just maybe, it won't be that bad.

It fails the taste test every time. :)

I'm determined to make it out to HWN next year. I only live about an hour away, and Holiday World is one of my favorite parks.

However, I have that fear of "not fitting in," once I get there...and I definitely have no desire to bring along one of my non-enthusiast friends.

That's why I have only been to exactly one enthusiast event, Dan. I don't want to bring my non-enthusiast friends along with me. I also don't want to be wandering the park alone during a coaster event either. I'd rather go to a park alone when there is less of a chance of people knowing who I am, for some reason.

I'm going to make it out to Holiday world sometime soon, just probably not during an enthusiast event. :p

I have the same problem actually. It's intimidating when you read so many posts here that suggest there are long time friends meeting up at the events. But still, I haven't experienced anyone at the events who has been unwilling to adopt me into their group as everyone's pretty nice. It's just that awkwardness when you get there that sucks so bad. :)

It does make me wish there could be some kind of "meet and greet" at the beginning of the events, especially when ERT falls at the end. You generally get to meet folks at the ERT, but it's not always easy to find people you "know" from the site/club until then.

You do have to be willing to walk up to people and introduce yourself. But it's also fair to remind those who are already established in the community to reach out to others who may be by themselves. :)

Don't let not knowing anyone keep you from going, and definitely don't think that you shouldn't take non-enthusiast friends!

My first event was Solace in 2005. Thankfully I'd met a few people that were going at Dollywood a few months prior, so I knew them, but I met so many more people (both thru them, and thru knowing others from different online communities were going to be there). Once you have at least a base of knowing someone from online, it's easier, I think, to go up and say "Oh! You're so-and-so".

As for this particular event, there is kind of a meet and greet atmosphere before ERT. On Friday nite, everyone goes to the picnic pavilions before the event starts. If you do end up going alone, plan to meet up with someone you know from on line that you've either met, or even never met. You may not end up hanging with them all weekend, but at least you can meet them, and meet others thru them.

This past HWN, I group hopped so much and spent a lot of time with a lot of people, and it was great. Granted, I only met a few 'new' people that I hadn't previously met in person, so most of the groups I was with I knew, but at the same time, in the last 10 years I've only been to 4 official events (not counting times a bunch of enthusiasts in my circle of friends have gotten together) and most of the people I know I met at the first major event I went to, and we kept the relationship(s) going from there.

I think that with the groups that go to the Majors (PPP, Solace, HWN, etc) it's pretty easy to meet people and see what kind of enthusiast you are and where you feel comfortable. You have the die hards that eat, sleep, and breath everything coaster (and they tend to be the complainers in my experience), and you have the casual enthusiasts that like the social aspects. Every other group is a degree in either direction. I tend to be around the casual enthusiasts more so, even if a decent amount of them are the power riding type. YMMV.

I've brought non-enthusiast friends and it worked out fine. You have a safety net, and then when you do connect with someone with similar interests and your friend needs a break, you can let them break and go off with your new found friends.

Then again, and even at HWN, there are times when being by yourself isn't bad at all. At the end of the nite on Saturday, I just wanted to go and do my own thing, so I left Voyage and went to ride Raven & Legend by myself and really enjoyed it.

One thing I will say is that the major events listed, you're going to run into a lot of people well known in the enthusiast community. Never feel awkward about going up and introducing yourself. Even if you run into some of the few that aren't what you thought they'd be from online, don't let it discourage you. Just say Nice to Meet you and go meet someone else.

Not so much now because I've been thru it and usually know a group that will be attending, but in the beginning if I was going to an event, I would get in contact with people that said they were going and just let them know I'd like to meet them in person. It always worked out, even if it was someone that I realized in person I didn't have anything in common with. Even if you don't become best of friends, that's someone that in the future you can at least go have a short conversation with that you've met, and someone that can introduce you to others, or show you the who's who at the event.

I don't do a lot of events myself for a lot of reasons. I actually like going to parks with smaller groups or even by myself. But when I do decide to go to one, it's usually one that a lot of my friends are going to, and its usually more just to hang with them than just being about the ERT. And all of that was because I broke the ice and went.

Remember everyone that's there had to break the ice and go for their first time too.

This is pretty much one of two main reasons I don't get to many events (the other one being having a disabled spouse whose condition during an event can be hard to predict when signing up in advance).

This thread is bringing up some interesting topics that I often think about. It is hard to make friends, no matter where you go. I've found it more and more difficult to find other coaster enthusiasts that I 'gel' with.

Many years ago, during ACE events (no hate, please) coaster enthusiasts seemed to be much more friendly. At HWN it was strange to see single riders in both the front and 2nd to front seats on coasters. People used to jump in with eachother, talk a bit, and maybe make a new friend. It almost felt like I was with the GP at times, with enthusiasts looking very surprised when I asked to ride with them (I welcome the jokes). It used to be a fun thing (and not expected, just DONE) to ride with others.

I think part of it has to do with the internet and cell phones/texting. It's almost like people don't know how to respond in person. I've heard it called (please forgive the un-political corectness of the term) "social retardation" (what would be a better term?).

Another thing is that coaster enthusiasts and people in general seem to be much more clicky and "in" with each other these days. Of course, there are still very friendly and outgoing people as well...

(edit - and now being a recovering addict/alcoholic - the after party's aren't the best place for me to hang. Plus, they are so late at night...)

I use to go to amusement parks all the time by myself. The rest of my family is rather obese and well can't fit in the rides. So as I was growing up being teased about being switched at birth, because oddly enough I am healthy 6'1 190lbs compared to the rest of my family that wieghs in at close to 290lbs and 5'5 for a top hieght, if I wanted to ride any rides or go to any amusement parks I had to either go with other realitves that have phobia of hieghts and/or would go to a campground, have them buy me a ticket and tell me not to get arrested again....Well actually not again. I got picked up by security at Disney cause I somehow wander from the Contempary hotel leading an older cousin to the arcade and end up at a service entrance to space mountain.

So going to parks alone, I did ride in the front and back of the coasters alone, but even back then people would hop in with me and chat. Now not that I look creepy or anything, People will avoid sitting with me if I am alone. Granted in today's society, maybe its me being overprotective, I wouldnt allow my 15 year old daughter to go to a park on her own, you never know which dateline freak will show up in the parks.

I spent the weekend at HWN with my best friend Jeff and his partner Dave, and we had a blast as usual. I was glad they were there, though- I've attended enthusiast events solo before and I agree that sometimes it's difficult to fit in. But Jeff and I met at such an event years ago, and I would encourage those that are looking for coaster pals to give it a try. Just like any club there are established circles of friends, but a group like ours is so marvelously diverse that I believe there is somebody out there for everybody, and you don't have to feel alone for long.

A shout out to my new friend Jim, also from Ohio, that I struck up a conversation with in line to register at 9A on Friday morning. (I believe my opening line was something about how the enthusiasts were on my nerves already! :) ) We ran into each other frequently through the weekend and had a great time comparing notes about the rides, getting to know each other, and taking advantage of what has to be the best smoking areas any park has to offer. (sorry, haters) But there you go - I have another friend now that I can hang out with when the time rolls around again.

I'm kind of shocked to read how many of us there were CoasterBuzzers - while I know very few of you personally, I would have thought that I would have recognized more of you from your photos here on line, as I surely would have introduced myself. (Perhaps if I were to post one of myself you all could either approach me or avoid me as you see fit!) I like the idea of a meet and greet, and while on line chat allows a certain anonymity that might be welcome, it's always fun to put faces to names. Maybe at the fall event.

We thought it was funny that HW removed the Big Ass Fans name and logo from the fan before it went up. Nary a chance of offending anyone down there!

As for the Voyage stench, OMG, pee yew! We immediately thought of the spilt corn and laughed and laughed! As for the platform stench? My vote goes to the guy who was in that same line at 9a on Friday in a pair of board shorts that he NEVER took off the whole weekend! Nope, all day Friday, Friday ERT, waterpark Saturday, then all day Saturday right up 'til the last bell rang at midnight! Same pants. We could only imagine, (thank god) , that they stayed on all night too, and probably the ride home Sunday as well. Sorry, Samepantsdude, a morning at the waterpark does not qualify as a courtesy wash and dry! Oh well- like I say, the word is diverse.

All in all another fantastic weekend at HW, always nice to visit with Will, the ever-gracious Mrs Koch, and spend side-splitting time with Paula. Thanks to all, and I can't wait for next time.

^ Thanks for the shout out! Jim here, I had a wonderful time at HWN ran into a couple friends I met at the Fall Affair last year and made about 10 new friends at this event. I go by myself and have a ton of fun. Just be yourself and have a good time you will meet others to spend time with and get to know better. I am a major power rider at Holiday World, yet still manage to meet new friends. I also noticed more single riders at the event this year and I rode with several of them, some more than others but everyone was extremely nice.

Looking forward to the Fall Affair this year. I hope to meet more new friends and spend time with my power riding ones as well. I hope to see you there.

Raven-Phle - Regarding Beverly - isn't doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results the definition of insanity. Then again I just had my second Beverly last fall, just as foul as the one I had in 2005, so what do I know?

Regarding coaster event bahavior - was it Paula or Pat Koch that once said "An empty seat is a terrible thing to waste". I can remember when if you were riding solo during an event, and couldn't pair up in the loading area, you would sit on the load side of the train, and then people would hang around on the unload side ready to 'vulture' any empty seats. During the early years of SRM people used to hang out on the unload side of Raven (and thats where the free ice water was in those pre Pepsi-Oasis days), it was rare a seat went out empty.

"A full trains a cool train"

I still like the analogy of HWN being the Coaster Enthusiasts Family Reunion.

The thing is, to get friends and family to try Beverly, you've got to pour yourself a glass and act like it's the tastiest thing known to man. You know they're not going to try it if you don't. :)

It's for science.

Apologies for backtracking the thread a bit, but I did not read my favorite Legend spiel and maybe because it is too long for anyone but a Legend rider like me to remember.

"Scream your head off and don't ask why / or the Headless Horseman might pass you by / as you race around that twisted track / whatever you do, don't look back."

Another one at Legend/Raven is "It's purple/red, it's fast. It's really a blast enjoy your ride on the Legend/Raven."