Associated parks:
None
TR: Holiday World
2006 HoliDay - Day Two - Monday July 31 2006
"Well, this place looks familiar!"
Okay, day two. After waking up at 9:30 AM Central Time, eating, getting ready and all that, we went over to St. Meinrads for a few minutes to take photos, then arrived at the park at about 2PM.
I proceeded through the front gate and went straight to Raven, where I took a ride near the back of the train. So far so good with the crowds, Raven is running one train and it's a walk on.
It is, however, EXTREMELY HOT! The hotel was playing a dangerous heat advisory over the radio in the lobby. Knowing this, I came prepared, wearing light colored clothes, and bringing a bottle of water in with me, which I downed in one big gulp in the Raven station.
Exiting Raven, I walked on down to Legend and entered the queue, which was also a walk on with both trains running. I'll say this about Holiday World coaster stations, they are very very HOT!
I got a good ride near the back of the train. I'm starting to gain a little more love for Legend now, so I might make it a tie with Raven. Maybe. It's longer and does more, but I think I'll wait until the end of the day to think about final rankings.
Exiting Legend, I made my first stop at Pepsi Oasis, which I would be doing A LOT today because of the heat. Drinking my Pepsi, I hiked to Thanksgiving.
Arriving in Thanksgiving, I got yet another Pepsi before getting in line for Voyage. This time it takes until i get to the lower level to catch up with the line, so in about ten minutes I'm boarding Voyage in the middle of the train.
This time, I was able to pay closer attention to the elements of the ride. It's probably the wildest wood coaster design I've ever seen. And while it does last a long time, and is very intense and aggressive, I have absolutely no complaints about it. Some people have said it is too intense to be re-rideable, but I disagree. It's not uncomfortable at all, it's just wildly intense and out of control, and is one of the few rides I've been on that made be grab for the bar at some points during the ride.
Getting off Voyage, I filled a cup with ice water and walked over to Gobbler Getaway. I hadn't gotten a chance to do it yesterday, and I needed a break from the heat.
I noted that the Singles entrance was blocked off, so I stepped into the lovely air conditioning of the main queue, drinking my ice water and chilling in the A/C while waiting. It didn't take very long at all, and about ten or fifteen minutes after entering the queue, I was boarding one of the cars and picking up the "Turkey Caller."
Begin Rant:
Okay, these "Turkey Callers" are the worse target guns I have ever seen. It took forever to get used to them to be able to aim properly, and they were just overall clunky and hard to handle. Oh yeah, they're guns, not turkey callers.
End Rant. Sorry about that.
Okay, aside from hating the guns, Gobbler Getaway is a decent dark ride. It's really corny, but it's a decent ride and a good air-conditioned escape from the blazing heat. I probably won't ride it again until my next visit though, it's not really my thing.
Wanting to get some more photos and actually ride some non-coaster stuff today, I walked up into 4th of July toward Liberty Launch. I noted that the Single Riders entrance was blocked off, but then I saw that the main entrance was too, and an employee was hosing down the train. "Liberty Launch is 97 Bio!"
Passing Liberty Launch, I spotted the station for Freedom Train and hopped in, drinking another Pepsi from the 4th of July Pepsi Oasis. After a not-so-long wait, I wedged myself into the last available seat, this being the back seat of the last car, which unfortunately isn't really a seat, it's just a little bench about two inches off the floor above the rear wheels. Great.
Oh well, the ride served the purpose I needed it to, and that was to get me on the other side of Howler to get a couple photos of it. It's a slow, relaxing ride, albeit cramped, and provided a little shade.
Disembarking Freedom Train, I walked back over to Liberty Launch, where it was reopened. I jumped into the single riders line, and two cycles later I was boarding.
Liberty Launch, while not a truly horrible ride, isn't quite as thrilling as I had hoped. I got one decent pop of airtime, but that was it. Adding insult to injury, I almost caused myself severe pain when I tried to scoot off my seat when the ride was over and had an unpleasant run-in with the seat horn. This thing needs a little step up for loading and unloading so it's a little less tricky.
I knew I wouldn't last very long outside of the coasters so I returned to Thanksgiving, taking Voyage for another spin. It's getting even wilder as the day continues, and while I wanted to just camp out in Thanksgiving for the rest of the day, I wanted to get some other rides in too.
My phone rang, so it was time to meet up with my parents for a late lunch. I started hiking uphill toward Christmas, but got distracted by Raven, so I jumped in and climbed the stairs into the station, passing an odd amount of people bailing out.
At the time, I thought it was strange that people were bailing when the line wasn't even making it to the steps, But then I walked onto the platform and found it nearly empty, just a few people in the lines, and several maintenance people having some choice words with the control panel. I glanced over and there was maintenance in the transfer shed as well.
The trains at the point were in the station with the bars locked and belts tied, and stuck at the bottom of the lift hill. A few minutes later, the lift hill starts up and the train stuck there goes for a test ride. When the lift cleared, and shortly after the other train hit the brakes, the train in the station did the oddest thing I've ever seen a coaster train do!
They dispatched the train to start a test ride, and it started out fine, then the brakes slammed shut. Brakes open, train goes about six inches, and it slams to a stop again. This behavior continues for about a full minute, with the train getting at most a foot or two out of the station between brake slams. It finally got out, and at this point I figured it would be a while, so I bailed out and headed for Kringles.
Met my parents near Kringles and we went in. Ahh, air conditioning! It's continuing to get hotter out, and fortunately for ride lines most of the people in the park are at Splashin' Safari. I was going to go over there to take some photos, but from the bridge into Thanksgiving I could see how JAMMED it was, so I figured that wasn't such a hot idea.
At Kringles I got a slice of cheese pizza and yet another Pepsi, and made them disappear really fast. After lounging in the air conditioning for a few more minutes, we headed out into the sauna once more.
After going down the hill from 4th of July toward Thanksgiving, we took a breather halfway down and I went over to take a literal spin on Revolution.
Holy cow.
I've ridden Round-Ups before, but this puts them to shame. The only thing I have against this ride is the safety spiel that lasts longer than the ride cycle itself!
it's a decent cycle length though, and a very good ride. Round-Ups don't get to me at all much, but I could definitely feel the forces of Revolution starting to get to my stomach by the time it started to wind down.
Staggering off of Revolution, I continued on down and looked at Eagles Flight.
Anyways, the line was too long, so I walked over up the path next to it and got some photos and video of it running, and then returned over to where my parents were waiting near the Alamo. We continued on down the hill and into Thanksgiving.
My mom and I entered the queue for Gobbler Getaway because it's just too damn hot, while my dad waited inside Voyage Gifts. But it was a lot longer than before so we bailed and returned to the gift shop. With them waiting there, I got in line for Voyage, which extended back to the steps toward the lower level this time.
This time, I opted for the front car once I got to the station. The lines were too long though, so I got in line for 2.1, which had a much more reasonable wait. I had the operator get a photo of me in the train with my camera, and then we were off!
I thought Voyage was nuts in the middle, and even more nuts in the back seat. But holy crap, the front is even MORE insane, if that's even possible! What was strong floater air over most of the hills toward the back is intense ejector air in the front. After this ride, I wished I didn't have to leave soon, and just stay on Voyage until close. But I have to get up early the next morning to be out of the hotel by 11AM, so I had to cut my riding short. But this Voyage ride in 2.1 more than made up for that.
I got off and headed into Voyage Gifts where I bought my on-ride photo, as I had forgotten or hadn't been happy with the outcome of the photo on my earlier rides, and I didn't want to carry it around all day.
Hiking out of Thanksgiving, I snapped some final photos of The Voyage, and then headed for Halloween to finish off the day.
I hopped into Legend's line which was nicely short despite the waterpark having just closed a short time ago, so I rode in the front of the back car, and it was soooooo much better than the middle areas of the train. The airtime on the first drop is great, but not as great as Voyage. Legend is still a good performer, and upon getting off I bought my on-ride photo, and continued on up to take a final spin on Raven.
Unfortunately, my plans for a final Raven ride died as soon as I saw the line all the way down to the cross under the track with only one train running. Thinking quickly, I ran back to Legend and took another ride near the back, buying another on-ride photo, this time a keychain, and the cashier spotted my Kings Island shirt so we had a brief conversation about the park and the current happenings of Son of Beast, which we both agreed sucked.
Departing Legend, I headed back up the hill into Christmas and made a restroom stop at Kringles, then went to the fountain and grabbed a Pepsi, then we headed over to St. Nicks General Store.
I bought a bunch of stuff, including a couple shirts, a hat, and the rest of the HoliPins and HoliPatches. I glanced at the book, but decided not to buy it, so I checked out, grabbed a handful of park maps, and we headed out to the car, where we headed back to Ferdinand and picked up spaghetti dinners at Homestead Pizza, then returned to the hotel to eat.
Now that I've completed the Holiday World leg of the trip, I can stop to reflect. It's probably the cleanest and friendliest park I've ever seen. And now that I've finished riding here for this trip, I think I am officially ranking Raven above Legend, so my top three wood remains the same: Voyage, Raven, Legend.
I will definitely be coming back here, hopefully next year for HoliWood Nights if it takes place in 2007. If not for the event, then if at all possible I'll be back next season some time. But I'd like to make it an annual visit.
If I win the lottery, I am SO building a Voyage...
Ride List:
Raven
Legend
Voyage
Gobbler Getaway
Freedom Train
Liberty Launch
Voyage
Revolution
Voyage
Legend
Legend
Photo Link: http://donald.extremepki.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=59
*** Edited 8/14/2006 10:35:59 PM UTC by pkidelirium***
pkidelirium said:
It's probably the wildest wood coaster design I've ever seen. And while it does last a long time, and is very intense and aggressive, I have absolutely no complaints about it. Some people have said it is too intense to be re-rideable, but I disagree. It's not uncomfortable at all, it's just wildly intense and out of control...
Well said. People who claim they are "out of breath" or it goes on too long... I just don't get it. Relax (well, the best you can), let out a whoop and enjoy the ride.
Honestly I think it's a non-issue. There are a handful of folks that won't like it, that's a given. But when I was there, I saw nothing but giddy passengers returning to the station. The last few rides of the night (they let a bunch of us reride until 9, as there was only a few people on the loading platform), it was a healthy mix of kids barely 10 years old to adults in their 50s. I rode that sucker 3 times, only getting up to try different seats. Front, back, middle. They were all fantastic! Talk about a high exiting the park!
*** Edited 8/14/2006 10:55:55 PM UTC by Danimales***
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