TR: Coasting the midwest final chapt. SFSTL and IB
Associated parks:
None
Thursday we arrived at SFSTL about 1pm after oversleeping in our hotel just west of STL. Sorry, All the driving and running was taking it's toll.
After entering the parking $8 we find that the park has metal detectors outside the main entrance. This is a little differnt than most parks that just do it after you enter. Oh well no problem.
We get in the park and take a hard left and first come upon MR. Freeze. The line was outside the building but really didn't take to long to get on the ride. About 20 minutes.
Mr. Freeze. We get into the station and notice the neat way they can shuttle trains back and forth from the main track, I think this is excellent and a good way to increase capacity on non full circut coasters. Anyhow they were just using one side and we were next up to board. The only thing I noticed differnt with the trains than FOF is that the sideboards seemed taller. FOF has shorter sideboards with some metal rails on top. No problems though as the new lapbar is identical to FOF's. Our ride started with what seemed like a week launch. WRONG! This thing kicks butt once your in the tunnel and then up into the top hat! Way cool and it seemed much faster than chiller. Upon exiting the tophat, I had my hands up and the G forces just flat pushed em down. The whole ride was taken backwards after this and I kinda got caught off guard by the Twist comming out of the tophat backward. I wasn't hurt but it kinda put a kink in my back. Oh well, Still a great ride IMHO.
Next stop was THE BOSS. This is a coaster like SOB that I have heard everything from it's MY #1 too It is so rough and a piece of junk they should tear it down. This was one of the coasters I was most anticipating as I like wild intense rides.
The Boss first 3 rides. We first notice that the steps and ramps to get back to the ride are super long. It seems like about a mile back to the ride! Oh well, Rob says backseat! Im kinda worried. I usually do a second to the back ride to check out a coaster before riding the tail of the whip and I was also told many, many times this coaster was rougher than hell! We go over the first drop and get some good airtime and fly down into the structure of the midcourse. WOW this is cool looking and fast! Whoa! A second quick drop followed by a slight right turn and then WOOHOO! Some sick puppy decided they were going to put a short 5-10ft bunnyhop here! The result was standup airtime that richoceted me and my brother off each other and the sides of the car! I can see this element as rough to some but me and Rob just plain loved it! I myself would like softer side padding. The mid part of the ride is kinda indescribable. Huge hills and big drops followed by a ending of latteral bunnies like Legend and a helix that was kinda lame early but was flat kicking that night. We got off boss thinking it was a very good coaster but that would change later in the day to thinking it was a great coaster. We left Boss after 3 rides, That long ramp, 90+ Temps and alot of woohooing left us parched and in need of drinks so back to the park we went.
Next stop was Screemin Eagle. John Allens last and biggest coaster. Eagle was super fast and had slight pops of airtime in the front. I liked it. I was not expecting the surprise I got later on though riding the backseat. We get in the backseat and I am in the left/back and we are taking our 4th ride on Eagle of the day. Good drop, Nice bunnies and camelbacks but not much air, We then make a left followed by some more bunnies and then a turn around. WHOA! Woohoo! I got ejector air of that turn around drop! Eagle was cool to me :).
Next up was River King Mine ride. I think its kinda lame but fun. Is this the mine ride that used to have two tracks and they made one of them a standup?
Ninja, For some reason this was my least favorite Arrow of the trip, I can't put my finger on why. I didn't dislike it but it didn't draw me to ride it again.
BTR! COol mirror image and you can see the whole layout from the back. The Q line was excellently done thru Gotham City park. BTR is a winner and this one had paint on it and wasn't completley rusted.
We next saw a patriotic show in the parks main theater. Big theater, Big enough for concerts and they do have them in there from time to time.
More Boss rides. Im liking this coaster alot and it's starting to get addicting. 5 rides this trip up the hill.
We then take time to do the other things at the park. SFSTL could use some newer rides but that is true for many parks. I did find the park clean, well landscaped and nicely shaded. It also apears there is plenty of room up on those hills for more coasters. A terrain Intamin hyper would blow me away back there :)
The park closes at 9 so me and rob head back to Boss at 7pm with waterbottles in hand. What followed were about 40 rides on THE BOSS! Man, the park closed just 1/2 hr before dark. I loved this coaster and the only thing better about it I could think off would be a night ride!
Oh, One last thing, We took one ride on Scoobies Ghost Blasters. This is a old boat ride that has been redone into a sally dark ride interactive. We flat loved it. Instead of the targets going dark after you hit them, The change to a higher point value. you might think the people in front would get more points but the differnt values make it more than even. Sit in the back and shoot em when they are yellow or Red! Chuck 36,000, Rob 37,500 Oh well. I'll get him next time.
Camped out that night at the Jellystone campground straight down from the park about 1 mile and on top of one of those mountains :)
Friday morning we got up and going about 7am. I had estimated it takeing about 4hrs to get to IB but I was way off. Try about 6+. I was just plain tired and had to stop a few times on the highway just to get a spash to the face and walk around a bit but we pulled into IB about 2:30 and decided to wait for the 4pm session and walkabout a bit. Well as LoCoSuMo was lost on media day, It was lost again today. There were workers on and around it. Seems they were having lift problems. There were also employess sitting across from it ready to run it if it was to open. 4pm comes and LoCoSuMo is testing but after asking they said it would not open tonight. MAYBE SOMEDAY! Me and Rob are beat, Coasters really arn't our thing today and IB has lots to do. We do ride Cornball and HH twice each and even take a ride on Tig'rr and the Galaxie now running two cars per train but it was clear we were just not really in a coaster mood. Many rides on IB's great dodgems, Den of Lost theives (Pirates head is replaced) and one each on the rest of the rides and me and rob decide to take one last ride on Cornball and head out about 8pm. We stop at this great restaurant in Monticello called La Fiesta. DON'T Miss it! :)
Chuck, The End!
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Charles Nungester
Lesourdsville Lake, The great American amusement park opens the season June 6th Thurs-Sun every week. Park phone is (513)539-2193
Chuck - Nice series of reports.
I love The Boss, and, like you, really was looking forward to checking it out after hearing such polar reviews.
"I can see this element as rough to some but me and Rob just plain loved it! I myself would like softer side padding."
This is one coaster that I think would definitly be improved by PTCs. I normaly could care less, but there are some moments on The Boss that really could use some padding to absorb some of the bashing your body takes. Good bashing, IMO, but bashing none the less.
Too bad you couldn't get a night ride in, as the double-down through the structure in the dark is insane, and the helix just keeps getting wilder and wilder as the day goes on. It feels as if the train has fallen right out from underneath you in that double-down when you can't see it coming.
chris - Who so loved The Boss that he almost bought the "Wanna Ride a Woodie?" t-shirt.
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"drop rides, not bombs."
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Bob Hansen
A proud CoasterBuzz Member
"So you think your'e really brave, gonna see the DEMONS cave.
You silly dude, your'e only food, for the DEMON"
Charles Nungester said: Next up was River King Mine ride. I think its kinda lame but fun. Is this the mine ride that used to have two tracks and they made one of them a standup?Yes, the Rail Blazer ran on the tracks that are there now. The painful memories still linger on. The other side went to Dollywood, I think.
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Jeff-Jeff
Wood - Raven
Steel - Millennium Force
Generic, isn't it?
*** This post was edited by Jeff Finazzo on 6/28/2002. ***
Actually the other track of River King Mine Train is now Big Bad John at Magic Springs in Arkansas. It was at Dollywood until Tennessee Tornado came along.
I love SFStL, but it could use some flat rides and a hyper.
Also how long does it really take to get to IB from SFStL?
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SWOOSH
http://www.themeparksonline.org
(In cyberspace no one can hear you scream)
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