SFNE Labor day: Rainy and empty
Associated parks:
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SFNE 9/2 -Rainy
After living in Boston for 5 years, I'm moving to Princeton, NJ in a few weeks, so I felt the need to say goodbye to S:RoS.
I was planning on going to SFNE on Labor Day with my friend Rich, who likes coasters, but isn't really into them, and Mika and Steven, two folks who are really into coasters. Forecast was for rain all day, tapering off in the afternoon.
Woke up on Mon. morning (in Boston) and looked out the window. Raining pretty hard. Called up Rich (we were going to use his car) and he said, "Call up the other two." So I called up Mika and asked her if she was still good to go. She said, "I don't see why not?" Called up Steven and asked if he was up to go. He said, "I don't see why not?" Called Rich back up and he said, "I'm staying home." So we borrowed his car and the three of us headed out to SFNE. My other friend Nikki lost my season parking pass, so we had to pay the ridiculous parking fee. ($10). Parked in the main lot in front of the water park around 10:05. It was still raining lightly at this point. All three of us have season passes so we were through pretty quickly and saw the hearse and graves being set up for fright fest. Still drizzling, but our first stop was S:RoS.
Walked through the queue right up into the station. Most rows were 1 train wait. Excellent. Took a car 2, figuring the front wasn't worth the extra 20 minutes when the line was this short (expecting it to grow longer pretty quickly). S:RoS was running one train all day. Hopped on for an excellent ride. The rain had stopped so it wasn't wet. I had my jacket on and I had stuffed it with food, keys and wallet (in the front center pocket), so when the ops came to push on the bar, it wouldn't go down very far. Then once we departed I moved all the stuff up out of the way so I got lots of air room. A great ride as usual. We ran around and got a great ride in 9 (still one train wait) and then decided to ride front. About 20 minutes of wait, and the rain picked up a little bit. Steven hadn't ridden in the front row, so we rode together. (Mika rode by herself in the next train). Awesome ride as usual. Nice wind and view (that drop always looks vertical from the front) and a little stinging from the rain. Came around the line again, and still a one or two train wait. Decided to ride for the cycle (once in each car), so hit row three. Another great ride (see a theme?). Hit rows 4 and 7 as well.
We decided it was about time to do something else, having gotten 6 rides in under an hr, so we went up the hill to Thunderbolt. Steven hadn't ridden it, so we took the back. Mika wanted to ride near the front, so I think she got 2nd car or so. This ride has a surprising amount of air and we were getting tossed around. Lots of fun, but no CCI. The S&S tower (Scream) was also a walk on (when's the last time that's happened) and we were right there, so we rode it. It was running the double program (Space shot then turbo drop) which I'd never done.
The launch was nice, but I've done that side many times before. I've only done the turbo drop once, so when we got up there, I thought I knew what to expect, but I was wrong. The force going down is pretty extreme and the float is quite nice. This ride really surprised me in a good way.
I had never ridden the Great Chase, and I figured this was my last chance to get it, so we hopped on. Station was completely deserted and the ops kind of looked at us funny as we came in. We were the only three in the train. Not much to say about the ride. The last turn was little sharp with some laterals, but I don't think I'll be getting back on anytime soon. At this point, the rain had pretty much ceased completely. It was still very overcast, but not too cold.
Next up, we headed toward Flashback, as Steven (with a count around 60) has never done a boomerang somehow. Rode in front (walk-on) which I've never done (I almost always ride in back). Mika sat it out as they tend to make her nauseous. Everyone knows this ride inside and out. Steven liked it quite a bit. Coming back into the station though, they stopped the train pretty hard on the way backwards and didn't even let it climb the hill. Later in the day they let it slide through and then roll back in forwards. Anyone know why they do this? Mika says that a good way to battle the nausea of riding a boomerang is to hold your breath and exhale slowly the entire way back. She also says she squinches up into a ball. I guess I'll have to try it sometime, because I couldn't walk a straight line when I came off this thing (which is why I try to avoid them).
While we were there, we rode Cyclone near the back. A lot more air than I remember on the first two drops. I also noticed some trims that I had never seen/paid any attention to before. Didn't bother me too much.
Mika said that I had to ride Houdini (I'd never done it) so we headed over. I really liked this ride, but it made me really sick to my stomach. Mika said she'd been on physics day and figured out that the actual seats never rotate past 30 degrees, in case anyone cares.
Not feeling so well, we decided to ride the Frisbee. Mika sat out again because she said it would make her sick (I don't know how Houdini didn't). What can I say? The frisbee continues to be my favorite flat.
Went off to Batman for the front. Steven didn't get a chance to ride this either the last time he was here. Zero-g was nice, but it's still a short ride. The last corkscrew was a little jittery, but nothing I couldn't handle. Steven liked it, but since he's used to Medusa E, he thought it was way too short. The ride was a walk on, but we wanted front so we got into the nearly deserted station and walked into the front row line. A train or two later, the op who was doing the queing told us that we had to wait outside the station, behind the other people who were waiting for front (who had arrived after we had). Not a big deal, but it delayed us a train or two. B:DK was only running one train.
While we were there, we decided to ride Ear Abrader (somehow I always end up on this thing. I have to stop coming with people who haven't ridden it). I really really like the foot choppers, but I could do without the ear damage.
We headed over to the log flume, but decided to save it for a warmer, less rainy day. (incidentally there were a handful of people riding the shoot the chutes ride that day. Nobody was on the bridge though.) Back to Superman and got in rides on 5, 6. Great as always. Still a walk on. Mika started to feel not so well so we took a break and rode Poison Ivy, the only coaster left.
Her stomach didn't really appreciate that (yes, Poison Ivy) so we rode the bench for a bit. After she felt a little better, we went over to S:RoS and Steven and I went to finish the cycle while Mika sat one out. Single train wait. Great ride. Came back and Mika was asleep on the bench. She kinda looked up at us drowsily and so we told her we'd go get in another front and come back. 20 minutes and another fantastic ride later, we found Mika asleep on the bench once again. We decided it was about time to go home. It was about 3:30 at this point.
So every coaster and 10 S:RoS, 2 flats, and a drop tower in about 5 and a half hours. Not too shabby. I like rainy days.
I guess I'm going to have to learn to call Great Adventure my home park now.
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*** This post was edited by ApolloAndy on 9/5/2002. ***
Great Adventure isnt tooooo bad once you get past all the "themeing" (Ha! The park has resorted to calling graffiti themeing!! Jk of course..).
Sounds like a fabulous day. I need to get up there one day and ride Superman, it just seems like the perfect hyper.
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-Sean
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NITRO ~ The most EXPLOSIVE coaster on the planet!
Im not opinionated, im just always RIGHT!
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I'd rather have one outstanding coaster and a bunch of crap than 3 or 4 decent coasters. (Which is my opinion of Nitro, Medusa, Chiller).
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Awesome Trip Report. Was it raining hard? Did you go on Mind Eraser? I would recomend not to. It's headbanging is like Flashback times 5! SFNE is waving goodbye to a loyal park visiter.
Edit: B:DK, Cyclone, and Thunderbolt are not crap. Now Mind Eraser I'll have to think about.
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*** This post was edited by SFNE Dude on 9/7/2002. ***
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