Sidewinder at Adventureland

I did not miss that. I know they have nothing to compare it to, but that does not mean that a better coaster will not make a better impression on them. I have seen kids marathon Cornball and say it was way better than Hoosier Hurricane. I have seen complete strangers get off Volcano and high five each other and say it was the greatest thing ever. I have seen the reactions of regular people getting off Raven. These people have to come back. They are going to tell their friends. It is totally different than the reactions you see on most rides. These are the kinds of rides that can turn you into an enthusiast.

Rather than startintg another Adventureland thread for my TR, I will post here. :)

I just got back from spending a couple of hours at the park and gave the new Sidewinder a try. One time is enough for me. After about 15 seconds, I felt sick and couldn't wait for it to be over with. I just can't handle those spin & puke rides anymore. That said, I must say it looks really nice and is a great addition for the park. The paint scheme is really cool. They painted the steel supports to look like logs with wood grain. It's a nice touch.

Also new this year, Tornado is sporting seat belts; yikes!! Thankfully, they don't detract from the ride, but just slow down the loading time a bit. Not too big of a deal, but it still bothers me to see them. Tornado wasn't quite up to speed this afternoon, but still fun. I'm looking forward to later this summer when I can ride it from 9pm to 10pm and get some nice air-time.

I even gave Dragon a ride. The journey to the lift hill was bone-jarring as usual, but the rest of the ride was fairly smooth. Why they opted for OTSR's, I will never understand.

I was very happy to see some new track on Outlaw. It really smoothes out the bottom of the double-down, which has been a bit jarring over the years. Although it was only 3:30 when I rode, the back seat was giving a wild, thrilling ride as usual.

I ended up with two rides on Outlaw, two on Tornado, and one on Underground, Dragon, Sidewinder and Sky Seats. I also got an ICEE, but didn't feel up to one of those fantastic funnel cakes.

Although the wrath of Sidewinder cut my day short, I didn't intend to stay too long anyway. I just wanted to get my season pass and spend a couple of hours at the park. I plan to visit once a week the rest of the summer. It's so nice thet the seaosn passes include parking now.

Ohh yeah, until someone mentioned the friendliness of the staff earlier in this thread, I hadn't really thought about it before. I gues I just took it for granted, but I really noticed today. Everyone was extremely friendly and enthusiastic about being there.

Unfortunately, my dream of Der Flitzer returning didn't come true, but I'll keep hoping for the future. I think this was my shortest park visit ever, but that's ok. It was a fun, care-free afternoon. The weather was perfect and the park was full of happy people, but short lines with the exception of the water rides. Overall a great visit.

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RavenTTD said:
I have seen the reactions of regular people getting off Raven. These people have to come back. They are going to tell their friends.

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I've seen the same reactions you've described for lost of coasters, many of which I consider to be quite boring and/or crappy. People get off rides I consider quite tame (Wild Thing or Steel Force, for instance) with big grins and looks that convey they feel they accomplished something. I've seen people chattering excitedly while deboarding nearly every coaster I've ridden, including Outlaw. With nothing to compare the Outlaw to, it most certainly is one hell of an experience, and is most certainly something they feel is special. Stop thinking like an enthusiast and start thinking like the majority of people who visit parks like Adventureland. People don't get off Outlaw and say, "That was okay, but it was a bit too family oriented." They think it's the greatest thing in the world, and in their world (which only consists of Adventureland) they're right.

-Nate

Wild Thing and Steel Force are hypers. I can't believe someone actually thinks a park would do as well with mediocre rides. I guess you think HW is making bad business decisions by putting so much effort into making their great coasters run as well as possible. I am sure only enthusiasts appreciate that and they are just throwing away good money. Whatever dude. You are just not going to get it so I am done arguing with you.

No, I don't think Holiday World is making bad decisions, but I do think it's somewhat unnecessary. It does not matter how "good" a coaster is to you or any other enthusiast who visits any given park. It matters what the GP thinks of it, and the GP will NOT recognize that the Outlaw, for instance, is a "bad" coaster. This is just like all the arguments over parks building clones. Enthusiasts think clones are terrible, the GP eats them up. From a business standpoint, what's wrong with installing a clone? Absolutely nothing, and you'll save money while you're at it. Would Holiday World ever install a clone (aside from their kiddie coaster)? Probably not, but that doesn't mean that's the best possible business solution.

You're the only one here who doesn't get it; thankfully you're not involved in the industry.

-Nate *** Edited 5/9/2004 3:02:30 AM UTC by coasterdude318***

This argument has gotten way silly. First off, Outlaw is a great coaster, one person's opinion does nt make the Outlaw or Tornado a lousy ride. Outlaw and Tornado are both great coasters, that carteintly can't be considered family coasters. If you don't like it, that is fine, I'm sure there are people who hate the Raven, or some other "popular" coaster.

Adventureland is an awesome park, some may not like it, it obviously isn't for everyone, but neither is Disneyworld or Six Flags Magic Mountain, based on what your tastes in parks is.

Great TR, Matt, I hear Sidewidner is pretty bad for the stomach. I hate spin and puke rides too, me and the Silly Silo don't get along, but I just have to experience this ride at least once, much like you did.

Seems to be the quiet story of the year, woodies adding seatbelts. Screamin Eagle in St. Louis got them too, and I know people have mentioned others as well. Now hopefully they can get Tornado up to speed, but with the crazy weather we have had lately, it will take a little longer to get there.

I'll be maknig a trip up there in a couple weeks, can't wait! How is the Underground, have they changed or improved anythnig on it this year? For a ride so cheesy and hated by many (I love how ghetto Disney it is myself), I'm suprised it hasn't been filled with dirt by now.

Dan McD said: I'm suprised it hasn't been filled with dirt by now.

Then when they do that, they can rebuid Der Flitzer right?

We can dream can't we?

I enjoy the Underground, but wish it was more like LoCoSuMo--I love that ride. I didn't notice any changes on it (no seatnelts added or anything like that. One thing I didn't mentioin above was about Dragon's train being shortened. I can't remember if I noticed this last year or if it's always been this way and I forgot, but there is no car for the last pair of queues in the station. Anyone know when this happened. I've ridden the ride only about 10 times since it opened in 1990, so I haven't paid much attention to it.

As for Tornado, I didn't get a front seat or back seat ride. I had the front, but gave it up to a couple of nice little kids who had never ridden in the front. I've got about a 100 front seat rides logged on Tornado, so no biggy. Plus, I can't stand rude little kids, so I wanted to show them I appreciated how friendly and polite they were. Yeah, I'm a softy. Anyway, I'm guessing it might have been up to speed later in the evening, but probably not by 7pm when the park was to close (I left around 4:30). Afterall, yesterday was only it's fifth day this year and I'm guessing they rotate the trains every day or so, but have never been there on two, let alone three consecutive days to varify that. By the way, Red was in use yesterday while Blue sat in the shed. I prefer Red myself, but I'm a sucker for any shiny red 3-bench PTC with buzzbars. :) Although I've ridden Tornado well over 200 times, I've never really "tested it" to see which train is better since they virtually never run two trains (haven't seen it happen myself since about 1986) and have never gone to the park more than about three times in a season, but that should change now that I have a season pass.

By the way, Silly Silo was not operating while i was there. I used to love that ride back when I didn't understand why my parents couldn't handle the spinning rides, but now I'm just like them. The G's on Sidewinder are really strong at the bottom of each swing. I haven't ridden Delerium, but the Fireball at Celebration City is a simmilar ride except the seats face inward, and it didn't bother me nearly as much as Sidewinder did. Still, it is a nice addition for the park even though I can never ride it again. I felt sick for about 12 hours after that one ride. Because of that, I wasn't up to a scrumptious funnel cake.

Ohh another thing, the circus tent wasn't around, but the spot where it's been the past several years was vacant. I wonder if it's not coming back this year.

To add to the discussion above, I witnessed countless people begging the ride ops to stay on Outlaw and Tornado and even Dragon. The GP love those rides. I personally love the woodies, but could care less about Dragon. The funny thing is that just about everybody seems to think the Underground is lame. It's the only "coaster" I've ever come off hearing non-enthusiasts say it sucked. Heh.

I am one of those that like to stay on the Tornado time after time, I think my record is 20 in a row without having to wait or get off, I just changed seats. It was a very slow day that day so the ride ops just kept it going. I love that about Adventureland, if the lines are slow, they will just run the trains threw, they do that on Outlaw too, I think I have done that like 15 in a row.

Coasterdude318 Said: The Quad Cities, for instance, are just about half way between Adventureland and SFGAm - which park do you think most people go to?

I live in the Quad-Cities, and it seems like it's pretty split between Adventure Land and Six Flags Great America. They do say that they like Six Flags coasters, but they say they still like it at Adventure Land too.

Matt, The Dragon train has been shortened for a couple years now, I think.

Hey coasterwhiz, I live in the QC too, Davenport to be more precise. Nice to see someone from my hometown!

I agree with ya, it is pretty equal which park people go to in this area. I think a lot of people rotate year to year which park they go to, but Adventureland tends to be the most popular from people I know. I know I've only been to Adventureland about 20 times, but I've only been to SFGAm twice, because my family likes Adventureland more then any other park. But I have parents who can't handle any thrill rides minus a couple mild ones, so Adventureland is usually the more obvious choice since they are loaded with non-coaster rides.

That is good news if the circus left town, I'd rather see a good ride built there then a circus I can see everywhere else. I miss the Chinese acrobats who played in the theater, but the circus I am hoping goes away for good. That will be weird though being back there and seeing an even larger empty space by Outlaw. It furthers my suspicion that the owners have big plans for that area, as they have avoided building near it, and now the Big Top might be on its way out.

crazyforcoasters, my Mom is still upset they took out the water show and replaced it with the Underground, which is too creepy for her, of course. She's still bitter about that! Underground is pretty entertaining, but you have to get the cheesyness of it. I'd rather see them take out al lthe effects, and rebuild the track and convert it into an underground mine train coaster, but that is wishful thinking too.

That would be cool Dan, hmm the circus maybe gone, they were there for like 8 years in a row, maybe they are planning something, maybe the Der Flitzer is coming back, hehe

Speaking of Der Flitzer, I checked on the relocation info of it on rcdb.com and at its current location, they are running it without any of the scenery and it's painted a completely different color. It just looks lame to me without the mountain scenery. My family always referred to it as the Mountain Ride.

Adventureland needs to move the Inverter to a smaller location and get Der Flitzer back in Super Screamer's lot (where Inverter is now). As it is, Inverter being there and that far off the midway is a waste of space.

If they add another coaster back by the Outlaw, theat section of the park is going to start to look like Cedar Point and Great America with all the different coaster tracks next to eachother. I really they can add some "texture" to the front of the park with a coaster along the bordering river someday---Intamin Jr. Hyper, Shivering Timbers out & backer or shuttle loop. Any shuttles for sale? That would be a great ride for the park. I can't imagine they cost too much. I still can't believe they've gone this long without getting a boomerang!

The idea of a coaster by the river would be neat. I also know if they ever felt like taking out or moving the picnic areas for corporate and group outings, there is plenty of space in that section as well to build something large.

I agree, that Inverter seems like a waste of space where it was put. I don't know if Super Screamer jsut got too much to maintain, but they must have been happy with the amount it sold for, as Pharoah's Kingdom now holds that classic coaster.

Speaking of the Flitzer, if you search for it at rcdb.com, there are a lot of Flitzers around the world, with all kinds of different themes. Very cool ride, sad it is not around anymore.

Reguarding the Tornado trains they generally switch them about once a month while we are operating on weekends only. Once we go to daily operation they generally switch them about every 2-3 weeks. They try to run them both about the same amount. As far as running 2 trains they generally do that a couple of times a year usually it is when we have crowds of around 11-12,000.

As far as the circus goes it will be back this year again. I was back there this weekend and they have the tent supports there as well as the seats. The circus won't start untill the 29th I believe so that is why the tent is not set up yet.

Darn it John, way to spoil our dreams, hehe, just teasing you, yeah Matt, I also called it the Mountain Ride, man that was a fun ride as a kid, I also agree about the Inverter being moved, that is a bad location.

WE (WOF) have a Boomerang that you can have for cheap. ;) We don't want it anymore.

-DHo

The Boomerang at WOF is just not the same as the Der Flitzer Swoosh, still a fun ride though.

Yes I am well aware of that - as Adventureland is one of my homeparks. I was referring to Matt Scott's post.

-SS

Thanks John for the info, I hate that circus, I know the older folks love it as it is a nice break from walknig aroudn the park, but I'd much rather see a ride take its place.

You sound like you are an employee John? What area of the park do you work in? I'll be heading to the park soon, (buying a new tent to stay in the campground for cheap!), I'll have to stop by you and say hi!