SFWoA Fright Fest: Coffin Measuring 101
Associated parks:
None
Date: Saturday 27, 2003
Weather: Daytime- Rain Turning to Clouds 60’ Nighttime- Clear and COLD 50’
Hello Coaster Fans Who Are Now Plotting Their Last Coaster Road Trips Of The Year,
There are two Halloween events that I have been looking forward to all year, just from what park employees have been telling me. One is PKI’s FearFest, and the other is SFWoA Fright Fest. On the unfortunate side, this past weekend they have called for rain almost all weekend. It was raining on Saturday morning so we held off going until around 5pm. Shawna, Robert (a guy who has never even been to SFWoA period, but not a big fan of roller coasters), and myself all were ready for a great night at SFWoA. Shawna and I were layered (from past experience), but Robert wasn’t and didn’t understand the temp. drop thing here in Ohio at night. We arrived while the sun was getting ready to go down. For all those that don’t know yet, they have now closed off the road that you have to cross to get into the Wild Rides gate. NO MORE CROSSING GUARD!! The X-Flight road is now a turnaround (soon to be made into a nice turnaround). The new road is now open and fully functional. The area between the turnaround road and X-Flight has been torn up and there is a little bit of construction going on.
Today was Bring A Friend Free with coupon day. SFWoA had a great day that I have yet to see any other park do with the same promotion. They had a Greeter standing right at the old road and you could just give her your coupon for a free ticket. Total transaction 2 seconds (BIG help.) They also have A LOT more places to buy haunted house wristbands, including outside the park. We entered the park. WOW!! Bigger and better than last year!! The graveyard this year is filled with LOT and LOTS of zombie actors in full makeup. At a look at some of the main gate stuff we headed over to X-Flight. I noticed they have replaced the Scream and Jason characters on the Hat Shop with a HUGE spider that actually crawls up and down the building…cool. On the way over to X-Flight we noticed that every shop, game, stalls, etc. was ALL decked out for Fright Fest. This is what I like to see at a park during Halloween…Kennywood also did a good job with this. X-Flight had two-train operation and we waited about 20min for a back seat ride. Had a chat with Villainman and he gave me some more inside scoops on Fright Fest. Next up was 2 rides on S:UE front seat and back. Robert liked the front seat by far he said because when the brake hits on the back you fall forward with nothing in front of you. All these impulses are starting to worry me though with their long term maintenance and care. On over to the Big Dipper or Fright Fest style…The Ripper. We each grabbed our own seat in the front train and had a great airtime filled, smooth as glass, ride! We tried to head down and cross the floating boardwalk over to the other side. On Fridays it’s closed, but on Sat. and Sun. it closes at 7pm. By now it was starting to get dark.
Shawna and Robert were hungry so we at the Road Kill Grill (American Grill.) I liked the themeing for this place!! Fake Limbs, with chef knives over them. Fake rats gnawing at the parts. The menu was also pretty creative: Cheese Possemburger Splatter, Fresh Swamp Water, Coke Flavored Diesel Fuel…I had body parts smothered fries. We sat next to the lake. At this time an announcement came over the park speakers saying there were going to be fireworks (which were not on the show schedule.) Next thing we knew the fireworks were going off right next to us and behind Serial Thrillers lift. Robert by now was getting REALLY cold we had to go by him a nice sweatshirt which SFWoA discounted all their sweatshirts this year during Fright Fest (very nice.) We used our season pass discount and got it even cheaper. KISS Army band was playing in the Palace Theater...This placed was packed with cops not letting any more people in; these guys do a pretty darn good impression of KISS. We headed over to BKF dodging ghosts following us everywhere, and we saw some people getting measured for coffins. I couldn’t pass up Texas Twister, which was running in full Twister modes. I talked Robert and Shawna on to it. Shawna hasn’t ridden this thing since 6th grade!! I grabbed a front row end seat. The cycle didn’t do one flip!! I started yelling, “I want to flip!! I want to flip!”
The operator then yelled back over the speakers, “One more time?” The full carriage yelled back to her and we were off! This time we had the cycle with slow motion blood rush to the head mode!! After the ride stopped I was cheering and the ride operator said, “This one is for the guy on the end! You know who you are Sir. CLEAR!” Next thing I know we are flipping end over end, over end, over end…3 rides in one, it was AWESOME!! People stumbled off, Shawna hit me a few times, and I thanked the operator. These ladies were the best in the park tonight; they gave the X-Flight crew a run for their money.
BKF ended up stopping for the rest of the night. It looked to be something mechanical since a train was stuck on the lift. We fought pass the now MASSIVE forming lines for the haunted houses and hit Villain. What’s this? Lift hill lights? WOW!! We then noticed that SFWoA has put lift hill lights on ALL their coasters!! It adds a REALLY cool look to them now! Villain was running one train, some people were saying it’s to get people to go to the haunted houses, but the operators said it was because of the rain the last two days. This was the first day all year that I have seen one train operation on it. We grabbed a back seat ride. This thing was FLYING!! WOW!! Each Hill flew you out of your seat and down into a smoke filled valley! What a great ride it was! Robert said he was blown away by this one (he’s only use to Mean Streak.)
The whole Double Loop’s course is ALL in smoke, thanks to Scary Oldies. Scary Oldies is SFWoA new and improved antique cars called Sherlock Holmes’ Scary Oldies Murder Mystery Ride. This year the WHOLE course is haunted and people jump out everywhere from every angle to scare you…HUGE line for this. Haybaler is improved again this year. This time is all in the dark with black lights and some type of fast disco colored light thing while riding.
The Journey on Lost Lake is also improved this year. A lot of people really liked this with the new story line and just riding the boat in the dark and all the scary stuff that happens! Raging Wolf Bobs IS open this year for Fright Fest unlike years in the past…at least for now it is. I didn’t have time to go do the pay haunted houses ($10 for a unlimited trip wristband.) SFWoA has given me quite a few of these free wristbands, and I’m sure I will be back to check them out. I CAN tell you that I talked to quite a few people about them. A LOT of people say they are much better than last year and worth the $10. For those that don’t want to spend the $ the above stuff I already talked about is free along with the Trail of Terror.
I have to give a special note to those that came up with all the ideas for SFWoA this year. Every ride has a scary name or just things placed along the midways to give it that extra look. One neat thing is the Ice “S”cream truck over by Mr. Hydes. The truck is playing this REALLY out of tune ice cream music, it looks like it wrecked, and there is a mangled bike on the front, blood all over it. As you approach it there is smoke coming from underneath it and then this Ice Cream man comes flying out of it with an ice cream scoop!! It was very cool how it pulled the people in then sent them running. There are also many small “freak” shows along the midways this year.
This park is DEFINETLY worth coming to this year!! The park looks UNBLIEVABLE!! SFWoA spared nothing with the decorations this year! The atmosphere is so cool and feels like Halloween. There are a lot of coupons out there to take friends or just go your self. Overall I rank this over Kennywood in overall park experience due to all the decorations SFWoA has put up this year. It was around 11pm and we had to head home for Roberts X-Box party. In all, get to Ohio for Halloween!!
For all the pictures of the stuff mentioned above and more SFWOA Fright Fest Pictures click the link below.
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"The Future of Roller Coasters"
-RollerCoasterGod
Haunted Ohio Parks...you've been warned!!
*** This post was edited by RollerCoasterGod 9/30/2003 1:15:49 PM ***
It's funny though how the people you talked to liked the Haunted Houses and thought they were good for the $10 price. Everyone I talked too HATED them and thought they were NOT worth the $10. I rode the antique cars and the "Lost Lake" and I didn't think they were anything special. That's just me though. I'm really glad you had a wonderful time. I'll probably be back Nov. 1, so I hope I can have a great of time that you did.
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What I do when I'm not riding roller coasters!
IMO there isn't a park yet that has had a REALLY good haunted house attraction (PKI is suppose to be up there this year.) The ONLY time I have been to a good one is 1) The haunted house Geauga Lake did the year before Allice Cooper's Brutal Planet. 2) Dover Lake Water Park's. Both were VERY cool and both are gone now. :(
As for my thoughts so far on Parks Haunted Houses:
Kennywood- Some good scares, but not very many effects or Horror. Long haunted houses.
Cedar Point- Good effects but NO scares or Horror...this park I was expecting a LOT more this year but it's just feels like black mazes with a few ghosts. I would expect CP to set the standard.
SFWoA- (things I have done). Short stuff, but the effects are good and some good scares...mild horror.
In my trip reports I mainly base haunted houses according to the theme park standard (which I don't think is very high.) I like haunted houses that last more than 2 minutes. Which I have heard Fearanoia and House on Haunted Hell Street are pretty short.
As for the $ of the wristband. I don't think many I talked to complained about the price because most of them got into the park for free to begin with so it was a give and take for them.
Personally, I think they should make one REALLY REALLY big haunted house back on the Wild LIFE side up there in all those pavillions behind the stadium. It's up in dark forest area, they can easily be combined, etc. It's all about staffing for now though.
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"The Future of Roller Coasters"
-RollerCoasterGod
Haunted Ohio Parks...you've been warned!!
*** This post was edited by RollerCoasterGod 9/30/2003 1:30:15 PM ***
the lines on sunday were next to nothing. we didnt wait more than 1 train for batman, mind eraser, serial thriller, big dipper or superman. villain was the longest wait and yeah, it was flying all day sunday too. im loving that ride more and more. the only slow part is the second turn around, you kind of coast up and around it.
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http://www.eightdotthree.net
RollerCoasterGod said:
Along the haunted house stuff:...I would expect CP to set the standard.
Sorry, that's IoA....;)
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We're whalers on the moon, we carry a harpoon, but there ain't no whales so we tell tall tales and sing a whaling tune...
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