Williams Grove 6/6/05

The last time I was at this park was Coaster Con 2001, where hundreds of ACEr's had the park all to ourselves. They fed us (chicken dinners with yes, LOTS of gravy....lol), let us ride the kiddy rides (including the coaster), and just basically let us nearly kill each other on the bumper cars.

Anyway, the point is it was a park that I thought I would never get back to, until yesterday.

I met up with Gator at the end of his week-long coaster trek in New England and PA. So far it was not going so well with me. I was highly nauseous and weak before we even got to the park (thinking it was the wine or lack of dinner the night before....whatever.) In any event I tried to carry on since this was Bill's first time to the park.

When we got to the park I was reminded of some of the nutso flats they had and still have, namely the Twister.

Once we got into the park we went immediately for the Wildcat. INSANE!

Dante's Inferno is a cool little dark ride.......probably a set above Camden Park in "cheese" category. :-)

Musik Express (although I didn't get to ride it this time) is one of my faves as well, and has always played the best music IMHO.

Bill then spotted the kiddy coaster and was denied. We went over to the Fun House. While Bill was taking photos of the funky decor I ran to get some water before entering the building. It is so nuts! Unfortunately the "spinning wheel" was broken. :-(

By this time I really wasn't feeling well, so Bill decided to ride the Twister by himself (I wanted to ride is SO bad!) After taking some photos we went to Cyclone. The ride op told us the third seat was "the worst" or something like that, so I sat in the first.

This is one of the scariest woodies I have been on simply for the fact that it's so rackety and literally feels like it's going to fall apart. There is one point where it literally feels like it is jumping the track. The thing is insane. Although it didn't "hurt" me, it did me in. I had to sit down while Bill took some more rides on it.

At this point we went back to the motel where I picked up my car, got out of the sun, blasted the air, and drank about 10 bottles of water before heading to Da Burgh to visit my friend, Katie.

Very enjoyable little park, just wished I was able to stay longer. :-/

Today when I drove home I stopped off for gas and noticed a huge county fair going on, and they had a Zipper! I haven't seen one of those in a while.

He has much more to tell about WG I am sure, with tons of pics............so piggy-back away Bill!

-Tina

*** Edited 8/7/2005 6:24:11 PM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

I was there on Friday 6/6/05..

The park is everything you say it is..

On the cyclone the ride op said the 3rd seat is nicknamed the"ball buster".

I should have rode that seat instead of the 1st seat because in the 1st one you can see how bad the track really is.

Its a fun ride but it scares the hell out of me looking at that track.

The only thing I couldnt figure out is the last section of track before the station,is that section "trick track"or is it in that bad of shape. :)

I think you mean Friday, 6/5. I just looked at my calendar to make sure I didn't get my dates mixed up.

The whole "visuals" thing is more than what I am into than finding which seat will potentially do the most damage to my body. Riding in the front seat of the Cyclone was like watching one of those horror movies where the train just *might* fly off the tracks for good!

I love the visuals on that thing.

-Tina

My scariest moments come via the WG Cyclone...I could not wait to read this TR because I love to see responses about this ride! :-)

Good report...

For some reason ;), the back seat of the second (rear) car on Cyclone was not useable...the third seat, which I had to ride TWICE due to the Marquis De Sade Coaster act of 1999, was rougher than ANY coaster I've ridden, Psucklone included. But it's different when it's at a small park where retracking and such are financially unfeasible.

I almost think that the section of track KW&WVW was referring to were *intended* as trick-track....too much flat track for me to believe otherwise. The inbound run UNDER the outbound leg was unbelievable - as if the ride needed anything ELSE to make it scary, LOL...;)

Alloria and Dante's....perfection. Always knew I'd *eventually* sign up with DAFE...

Twister ops: First guy, seasoned vet, professional "driver". Second guy, rank amateur....sorry if he reads that, but in comparison, there's NO question who KNEW how to *work* those cars...

The first op at Wildcat...in BARE feet.... :)

The kiddie coaster op DID deny me a ride, but we had a nice little chat about the ride/park, and both left smiling....as it should be! :)

I'll *bump* this thread when the pics are up, hopefully tomorrow (Monday)...

You're correct about the date..

I really liked Dante's also,thought it was a very good dark ride.

The Wildcat was really smooth until you hit the brake before the station,thank god I prepared myself for it.

When riding in the front seat of the cyclone,the thing I kept thinking..how do they get this thing to pass a PA. ride inspection :)

I guess the best way to describe this coaster is..its in such bad shape that its fun to ride.

The only other coaster besides this one,I ever thought I would'nt make it back in one piece was the Cascade Park Comet :)

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Kwood and WestView worker said:
The only other coaster besides this one,I ever thought I would'nt make it back in one piece was the Cascade Park Comet :)

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LOL! Or make it back at all!! That happened to a buddy of mine on the Cascade Comet in 1980. The coaster valleyed on the final drop.

http://rcdb.com/ig1882.htm?picture=1

It closed the next year.

I'll be heading out to PA in one week from today for a vacation. I figured I'd stay in Harrisburg then go to Knoebel's, Hershey, and possibly Dorney. Now I think I'll try to stop by Williams's Grove at least for a few hours. I want to see what everyone is talking about concerning the Cyclone.

It was my THIRD try at the park....

They're closed Mondays! ;)

P.S. All of the dates referenced are indeed AUGUST, not June as reported...management I'm sure regrets the error, LOL...:)

Alloria....well, it'll keep for the TR....ROFL!

I too wondered the same thing about Cyclone's "trick track" actually being trick track or what. It truly is a scary ride but super fun!

Forgot something..

I was Bs-ing with the ride op while waiting for 4 people to come(they WONT operate it unless 4 people are on it),he was telling me NOT to ride the 3rd seat(the ball buster thing)..

Anyway the 2nd ride I took was in the 2nd seat,two guys was in the 3rd seat behind me.

It was so funny,all I heard from those guys while riding was"OUCH,S.O.B.,OUCH,S.O.B.;guess the seat was living up to its name.. :)

The train ride was nice,only one problem,you have to make sure you keep your arms and legs inside the train or else you will get smacked with weeds..

The park must not own any weedwackers,they just leave the train plow through them until it can make it through! *** Edited 8/8/2005 4:59:33 AM UTC by Kwood and WestView worker***

^LOL! I noticed that too. I thought the weeds were going to devour us while riding the train.

Wabash,

Definitely worth the visit! You just may almost see your life flash before you while riding the Cyclone. ;-)

Swampfoxer,

That is one of the most disturbing coaster pics ever! I can see why they closed the Cascade Comet. That is just scary!

-Tina

One time my friend Tom and I were on that Cyclone in the third seat (voluntarily!) and the train overshot the brake in the station. The op said "Ok, sorry guys, I have to send you again..."

Tom and I just looked at each other in utter terror.

When we came back, he was bleeding -- he'd cut his knee somewhere along the ride.

And yet, we'd be sad to see it go...

Oh geez! Maybe the should of added a nurse's station to that one. ;-)

-Tina

What a co-inki-dink, I made my first trip ever to Williams Grove yesterday (the 7th). A shame considering I've gone up and down Route 15 visiting my brother for the past 25 years. Never knew there was more than a speedway there until I found this forum.

Wedged in between visits to PKD and HP, it was definitely culture shock. I wasn't even sure I was in the right place, because I came in the "back way." When I drove up and saw the old fairground and old railroad stock, my jaw dropped. This is it? But luckily I spoke with a nice older woman who directed me across the bridge into the park.

I was only planning on spending maybe an hour and a half at the park and heading to Hershey, but for a mere $15, I decided to buy the "ride and slide all day" wristband. I looked around a bit, checked out the little handdrawn map that's provided and headed over to Cyclone. I didn't know whether to laugh or groan when the op told me that park policy requires 4 passengers to run the ride. Especially when everyone else I could see was under the age of 5 or over the age of 70. But in just a few minutes, a few more people came over. I guess no one wants to be the first or only one in line.

So in another minute, we were off and, er running, with me in the front seat. This coaster is totally insane-- you really are waiting to hear the structure collapsing behind you as you go. But since there were more people milling around, I went right back into line. This time I took the 5th seat--the back was closed off all day. Defying logic, I found this seat to give the smoothest ride. Even though I swear the lap bar wasn't closed right. I figured, if I get tossed out of the train, the lap bar will be coming with me. Later on, I rode the 4th seat and thought I'd be singing soprano. That trick track at the end is downright evil. The infamous Seat 3 was closed after the first ride. I saw the op fiddling with the seat belt-- actually burning off some stray threads with a lighter.

Next I headed over to the Twister. This ride is like a Tilt-a-Whirl with front and back seats, but the cars are more wedge shaped. It actually reminds me of a ride I remember as a kid called the HeyDey. The op, who I started calling Crocodile because of the hat he was wearing, has to be the best ride op I ever met. He made sure that every car that was occupied got at least some wild spin time. He'd slow the ride and speed it up again to make sure the car was in the right place to start spinning. I started off with 24 straight spins, and ended with another 23 (yes I counted), with some "downtime" inbetween. Later on I saw him keep working the ride until two little kids got to spin. Then after about 20 spins, they were yelling at him to stop. He stopped the ride, let them off and told everyone else to stay on. Then gave them another 2-3 minute ride. You won't see that at any of the corporate parks. I rode Twister 2 more times. I figure I was spun at least 100 times in all. No wonder I had a headache the rest of the day.

Then I checked out a few other flats, Airborne (Paratrooper), Dante's Inferno (dark ride), the walk through Fun House complete with moving floors, trick mirrors (in need of Windex) and a rolling barrel. Best part was the German Oom-pah music they have playing. What a hoot!

Somehow found my way back to the Wildcat and told the kid working there he was going to have to do some work today. Fun ride and actually smoother than the rough appearance would indicate. Then I headed next door to the Disco Star where I guess again I was the first rider of the day. Poor kid working there hates the disco music they have playing. I told him he should be glad they don't make him wear a white polyester suit to work the ride. Went back for another ride on Wildcat, got stuck for a second near the top when the timer on the chain turned off. Op turned it back on again quickly though. BSed with him for awhile, he had nothing else to do.

Walked around a bit more, checked out the classic cars on display as part of a show, had a decent lunch (Knoebels range prices for food and drink), took a boat ride, rode Wildcat again, went into the gift shop and bought an "I survived the Cyclone" t-shirt for 8 bucks. Oh yeah, rode the train too. BTW, Coasterqueen and Gator, you did realize that some of those weeds along the way were Poison Ivy, didn't you? :(

One more Twister ride and a bottle of water for the road and I was on my way-- almost two hours later than I originally intended to leave. I really liked this little place. Yeah it could use a good cleaning and painting, and some repairs, etc., but at least it looks like the park is making improvements as they're able to. I definitely plan on coming back to this place again.

LOL, RGB, you definitely got the op we saw at Twister the first time....he ROCKED! :)

BTW, the "front way" into the park really was no more indicative, and we spent a few minutes driving around the speedway LOOKING for the park....even though we'd BOTH been before....ROFL! Good times!

I thought I noticed some poison ivy....lucky for me, I'm not allergic to it in the least (as has been proven many times in the forest that used to thrive in my back yard).

I did miss the gift shop though... :(

The worst part of the WHOLE place....gotta mention it.....bathrooms... :(

The woman running the front of Alloria (walk-thru funhouse) wasn't fond of the German music either...again, TR pics will be up shortly, for those who DO appreciate the German music, AND the infamous "chicken dance"...ROFL! Oscar Bitler would have had a GRAND time at the (NJ) family reunion, and he'd have LOVED the music... ;)

It (WG Cyclone) was certainly the hardest coaster for me to get on my track record (only wood counts)... ;) But it was SO worth it! :)

The barrel was rolling for you, RGB? It wasn't working when we were there...ah well, I probably woulda ended up with head trauma anyway.. ;)

Yeah, the barrel was rolling, but I bypassed it. I figured I had used up all my luck on the Cyclone. Besides, I had forgotten my medic-alert bracelet (Help, I've fallen inside a rotating barrel and can't get up!)

The gift shop was kind of small. It had mostly generic kinds of toys and tschochkes. In fact, the one rack of T-shirts was the only park related merchandise I saw there.

The Twister guy was cool. It's obvious that ride is his baby and he really gets into his job there. Maybe SF should send some of their crews up to WG-- they might learn a thing or two.

I'm looking forward to seeing your trip pics, Gator.

Coasterqueen..if you think the pics of the Cascade Comet was disturbing,riding it was more disturbing.

You would see the peoples heads in the seats in front of you bobing up and down from how bad the track was..

The lift hill was before the LAST drop,boy what a last drop it was,VERY steep,you would get tossed so hard into the lap bar that it hurt.

^OUCH!!!!

RGB,

Yes I did noticed the poison ivy while riding the train and it kind of freaked me out considering I was HIGHLY allergic to it as a kid. I am not sure I am still allergic to it (haven't had it since I was 8 or 9) but I wasn't about to find out!

I forgot about those bathrooms. The women's bathroom wasn't too clean, and I still can't get over the dude with the tip jar sitting between the men and women's bathrooms eating pizza.

Bill, did you get a pic of that? LOL!

-Tina

Tina, I *so* wanted a pic of that guy (how could ANYONE eat with that kind of filth and stench....and he wanted a TIP? ROFL!), but after trying to get a pic of the barefoot op at WildCat, I figured I'd already used up my *irritate the employee* credits for the day... ;)

Just in case anyone from WG is reading this...bathrooms need disinfectant...at least once a month... ;)