The Unknown Miller: Libertyland's Zippin' Pippin
Ignoring the fact that it's widely publicized as Elvis Presley's favorite coaster (makes sense as the park is in Memphis), no one seems to talk about this coaster. It has the stuff that classics are made of: John Miller design, airtime-friendly out-and-back layout, PTC three-benchers... why doesn't anyone talk about it? Is it a ho-hum ride or just out of the way for most?
I'm not planning on being in town but I didn't plan on going much of anywhere in '04 and that certainly changed as the year progressed (my credit cards are still smokin'). It definitely seems like a nice park to get to since most don't seem to know anything about it... just my kind of place!
On last years Coaster Zombies trip we got an hour of ride time on it. It's a fun ride. It's not an extreme air machine but it's good.
It looks like it would be a good ride, landing somewhere between the "fun but tame" Seabreeze Jack Rabbit and the wild GL Big Dipper that we're talking about in another thread.
It has more then the Jack Rabbit at Seabreeze. I'd say along the lines of GL Big Dipper and CP's Blue Streak would be pretty close.
I'm not sure if it's still this way (I haven't ridden it in something like 15 years or more), but it used to have one of my fav drops on a coaster diving under limbs from that tree it was built around. Good coaster...not quite the masterpiece that Miller's Big Dipper is in my opinion.
I survived a Japanese typhoon and the Togo flat ride of death!!!!!!
It starts off with a bang, but is a bit more friendly after the final turn-around. Overall a very good coaster, just take caution with the neighborhood it's located in! *** Edited 11/2/2004 7:46:42 AM UTC by GoliathKills***
Yeah, Sun Studios AND Graceland.....just for the tourist thing alone. ;-)
Pippin is one of the most underrated coasters out there, and I would take it over MOST more well-known woodies ANYTIME. The airtime is just nuts.
A lot of the times the least-talked about coasters are the best. ;-)
I can see why Elvis liked it, but he was a thrill seeker anyway. We even had a discussion about what Elvis' "coaster count" was as he was known to rent out several amusement parks across the country for his friends when he was on tour, not just Libertyland.
There were also reports that he and his friends would unbuckle their seat belts and get out of the coaster at the top of the lift hill just to drive the ride ops crazy.
:-D
-Tina
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