Visionland 09/19

It was a beautiful sunny afternoon in Alabama and I decided to enjoy the day by going to my home park Visionland. I arrived around 2:00 in the afternoon to find the parking lot about a quarter full. Today was the last day that the waterpark was open for the season. The amusement park side was not very busy. I was able to get 5 rides on the Rampage with out having to leave the backseat. WOW! The Rampage was running out of control. I was being thrown around like a rag doll and I am 6 ft 3 195 pounds. It seems that the coaster gets faster each time that I visit the park. Airtime and laterals galore. It is still one of my favorite woodies. I asked the ride attendant if the rumor of a new coaster for 2005 was true. He confirmed that the park is getting a new steel coaster and it would be located between Rampage and the Spaceshot. He also mentioned that the log ride would be back in operation for next year too. Visionland could turn into a very nice destination spot if Southland keeps the improvements coming. I ended the afternoon by riding Spaceshot two times. I inquired at the guest relations window if I could purchase my 2005 season pass. Unfortunately the passes will not be on sale until next spring. I am looking forward to Visionland's next season.

Rampage rules! So glad to see the park continue to do well.

According to Screamscape they are getting a used Boomerang from Wonderland in Sydney. Not the new "headline" attraction they need but it will help the park grow. Besides, they can advertise it as the only backwards looping coaster in Alabama or something like that.

Now that the Arrow corkscrew is gone from the Birmingham fairgrounds, VL's boomerang will be the ONLY looping coaster in Alabama. I'm not a big fan of boomers, but I think it's a step in the right direction to help the park grow very gradually. You have to remember a lot of the local GP have never been to SFOG, and probably never will, so it's something they'll enjoy.

I think that Boomerangs are a great addition to most small parks, just like wild mice and other small steel coasters. They are a proven design and they take people upside-down- a major selling point to parks that lack a big-thrills steel coaster. I hope its not the last steel coaster for Visionland but until they get to the point when they need another one, a Boomerang will do just fine.

On the subject of Boomerangs:

The other day my my wife decided to poke around our computer a little and loaded RCT2 and started playing (I have been acutally having a hard time to get her to stop). She showed me the one park she was working on. She said that the ony coaster there is one that "looks like Hersheypark's Sidewinder". The reason why she said she put it in her park was "It was already designed, it didn't take up much space, and it was cheap." She then commented on how her guests seemed to love it.

That about sums up the real boomerang coasters...

Cheaper because they are a production model, they don't take up much room, and the guests seem to like them. (even cheaper if you get one second hand).

Who says RCT isn't accurate? ;)