Who rides the kiddie coasters?
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www.coasterimage.com
Dorney Park visits in 2002: 14
I was just at Waldameer a few weeks ago and they require adults to have a child with them for Ravine Flyer II, their kiddie Miler which has a VERY cool layout entirely over water!
Anyway, I noticed a few kids getting on and asked their Mom is she minded if I rode. She gave me the OK and I walked up and asked who wanted a ride partner. One little kid looked up and said, "You can ride with me!"
I got in and we were off. Those little kids were holding up their hands and laughing and screaming and having a total blast and I'll tell you, it was infectious. I found myself laughing with them - and at them - as we rode. I even tried to splash them but couldn't quite reach the water. Their Mom and my friends were enjoying the show. After we were done I gave the kid a Hi-5 and left, but they stayed on for more rides.
Kids are so easily entertained and pleased. Its a shame us adults get so jaded and picky.
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"There's nothing sweeter than a bowling ball with a liquid center" - Homer Simpson
*** This post was edited by Mamoosh on 7/12/2002. ***
Yeah, Canyon Blaster is a great ride. In fact, I will be hitting it in a few days. My sister in law's are coming to visit from Japan, and they aren't coaster buffs (yet), so I am going to start them out right. Then straight to Goliath!! :):):)
Mamoosh, are you coming out here for the ACE day at the PNE? That, and I really would like to meet you when I hit SFMM and/or KBF. What say you? I will be there at the end of the month.
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Tripowered for maximum results
*** This post was edited by nasai on 7/12/2002. ***
Do tiny Miler coasters (like Python Pit at Jeepers!) with only a helix and a few hops count on a track record? How about Dragon Wagons at traveling carnivals (I don't think so...) or unlisted parks with a small dragon-wagon type coaster? A reply would be greatly appreciated!
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http://www.thegrooveplace.com
Now with Theme Park Chat!
Dragon Wagons rule! I love those things. They haul butt too, but they aren't really coasting....;)
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www.tripowered.com ~ just add water
We're always tempted to include rodent rides as junior or family coasters. If this is valid, we like the Mouse at Idlewild, Wildcat at CP, Ricochet at Carowinds and Exterminator at KW.
Mamoosh said:
I got in and we were off. Those little kids were holding up their hands and laughing and screaming and having a total blast and I'll tell you, it was infectious. I found myself laughing with them - and at them - as we rode.
Ahh, you've discovered one of the great joys in life. I've honestly had more fun on kiddie coasters with my daughter than I have on some "world class" rides.
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www.coasterimage.com
Dorney Park visits in 2002: 14
I thoroughly enjoy riding 'kiddie' coasters with CBaby and Da 'Midget....especially when those coasters were their only options. There are some true gems among them....like Pterandon Flyers, Beastie and PKI's Ghoster Coaster. Steal a kid for these if you have to.
The only one I didn't like was CP's downright insulting Junior Gemini.
Have I ever been on a kiddie coaster without them? Have I ever 'done it for the count?' Well.....you'll just have to read the CPlaya 100 TRs.
-'Playa
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The CPlaya 100--6 days, 9 parks, 47 coasters, 2037 miles and a winner.....LoCoSuMo.
It all depends on what you classify as a Kiddie Coaster.
There are three terms that seem to merge... Junior, Family and Kiddie coaster.
To me, a true kiddie coaster would be those little oval ones like the Brain Teaster at SF Darien Lake and all those found at various Jeepers. Waldameer's Ravine Flyer 3 I consider sort of a kiddie coaster. Dutch Wonderland's Joust is listed as a Family coaster on the RCDB, but if a person would want to call it a Kiddie, I would give them no argument.
Like someone said above, coasters like Waldameer's Comet, PKI's Beastie and its sister Scooby Doo's Ghost Coaster at PKD (from the pics I've seen) and even Idlewild's Rollo Coaster I would call Junior Coasters.
On another board, I remember a "debate" over Dutch Wonderland's Sky Princess. To me, this is a smaller wooden coaster (just a wee bit too large to be called a Jr), but one person insisted that it was actually a "kiddie" coaster.
I think the RCDB hits it well... they consider a kiddie to be a coaster designed for only children, perhaps with cars that can only fit children, or with a rule that say Children only (or adults only if with a child). Juniors / Family coasters are those that are designed with kids in mind but that every one can ride.
All that being said... I do not go out of my way to ride Kiddie coasters. I guess the only true kiddie coaster I have ridden (at least since I was in fact a kiddie myself) was Ravne Flyer 3. It has an "adults only with a child rule", but it was a slow day at Waldameer, we had time to kill, so my wife "dared" me to ride it. The op didn't push the rule, so I hopped a back seat ride.
The only other coaster close to a Kiddie that I have ridden was Joust at Dutch Wonderland. (Actually listed as a "family" coaster by many accounts).
Also, both of these "kiddie" coasters I found to be kind of rough and bumpy (especially Joust). I guess it is because the cars are built for small people and parts of me were hitting parts of the coaster that little people would not mind.
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Face it, call ourselves what we want, but to the parks we are all "GP".
*** This post was edited by SLFAKE on 7/15/2002. ***
I've been on a few coasters that fall into the pure kiddie category, mostly at small parks. Do I have any shame, NO. I agree you do get a few odd looks, but so what.
What's strange is that for my size 6', 265lb.s I fit into some of these kiddie coasters easier than I do some big major coasters! In recent years I have done kiddie coasters from Herchell, Miler, Zamperla, Zierrer, Vekoma, Chance, Schiff, Caripro, and Wisdom. (Not to mention those by Stricker and John Allen).
My last kiddie coaster was at Biloxi Beach Amusement Park (Schiff I beleive), and I even had my own personal ride-operator! (10 laps around for $2.00) Thats the end of shame "Is the kiddie coaster open? Yes. May I ride it? Yes" (user climbs aboard kiddie coaster)
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David Bowers
Mayor, Coasterville
No shame in my game. If the ride-op lets me on, I will squeeze my 6ft 2in. frame in the train.
I dont know why people get embarassed riding these things. Look at the way some of us act when we are riding the larger ones.
We are all kids at heart. ;)
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""To be the man, WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!, You got to beat the man""!!!
I don't ride them, myself. However, the only *junior* coaster I've ridden is Zach Zoomer. It was fun. Some little pop ups of negative g's. Then again, it is a CCI.
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Dayuum, Your HOT!
Ya know, although we call them kiddie coasters, I can name a coulple models of kiddie ovals that are quite violent for their size, moreso even than some big major coasters.
Remember, you must always have the cambelback hills that are taken so fast they feel like a bucking bronco, followed by the unbanked turnaround taken way too fast. These can be thrilling enough as an adult, imagine what they feel like to the coasters intended audience.
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David Bowers
Mayor, Coasterville
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Top 5: 1)MF, 2)Goliath, 3)Magnum XL 200, 4)Medusa(West), 5)Raptor
I got about a half-dozen spins on Canyon Blaster by myself during the Con. Some of the best airtime in SoCal is on those bunnies.....I really am reminded of HSTC....kiddie coaster my arse. But really, having the op look at you quizzically and ask "Do you really want to go again", that was the BEST. I just mentioned to him what a great story it would make around the *water* cooler.....this ACE maniac just KEPT riding again and again....
Aside: I myself was surprised at the number of folks who RAN to Goliath Jr. when they mentioned it was open during ERT.....when they got back, they were all like "why announce it without mentioning that it's kids ONLY". Of course, I knew that already.....we had begged the night before to no avail...
*** This post was edited by rollergator on 7/15/2002. ***
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