Valravn Dives into Cedar Point

The world's tallest and longest dive coaster, Valravn, premiered at Cedar Point last weekend and I got to check it out before it opened to the general public. It's a fun ride and the view at the top of the 220 foot tall hill is incredible. The first drop is one of the best around but the rest is forgettable.

Off ride footage of Valravn: Valravn opening ceremony for LeBron James Foundation.
Valravn in slow motion:
Have you been on it? Do you think Valravn is the best dive coaster?

Early contender for best new ride of 2016 is...

The early contender for best new ride of 2016 is Storm Chaser at Kentucky Kingdom, Rocky Mountain Construction’s first all-steel roller coaster. The ride has not been talked about much because it is overshadowed by larger RMC projects like Dollywood's Lightning Rod (still not open). Storm Chaser may not be very tall but it sure does pack a big punch.

In fact, Storm Chaser couldn't be any taller even if they wanted to because the lift hill is nearly aligned to be pointed right in the direction of the flight path of landing airplanes at the Louisville airport. How close do the airplanes get to the roller coaster? See here:



If you know of an airport close to a theme park then this, please let me know!

The camelback hill following the first drop might be one of the best hills on any roller coaster ever. The extreme airtime took me by surprise every time. I think I literally yelled “holy crap!” (or some form of that) all six times we rode it.

Check out our multi-angle off-ride video of Storm Chaser below and be on the look out for extreme “hairtime”:

Read a detailed Storm Chaser review here.

Top 50 Legendary Roller Coasters - Corkscrew

If you could resurrect any deceased roller coaster which one would it be? I'm starting a new series examining what I believe to be the top 50 legendary roller coasters that no longer exist. We start with number 50:

50. CORKSCREW

Known for: First double-inverting roller coaster in Europe

Location: Alton Towers, England

Type/Category: Steel, Sitdown Looping

Opened: 1980 / Closed: 2008 / Dismantled: 2008

Age when closed: 28

Replaced by: Thirteen

Designer/Manufacturer: Arrow Dynamics/Vekoma

Height: 75ft (22.86m) / Drop: 68ft (20.73m)

Speed: 44mph (13.41kph)

Length: 2,400ft (731.52m)

Inversions: 2

Alton Towers, located in Staffordshire, England, is an amusement park with a unique history. It started out as a nobleman’s estate, and then became a garden and tourist attraction. Throughout the 1970’s, the park was built up into a modern theme park, and in 1980, Alton Towers got its first rollercoaster—the Corkscrew. The Corkscrew was exactly what Alton Towers needed to complete the transformation from quiet country estate to thrilling amusement park. A steel rollercoaster, featuring one of the first double-loop inversions in Europe, the Corkscrew reached speeds of 44 mph. There was nothing else like the Corkscrew anywhere in the UK, and it was an instant success. On its opening weekend, guests at the park waited up to nine hours for the chance to ride the Corkscrew, and months later park-goers were still waiting in line for hours to ride this new rollercoaster. Park attendance doubled from 1979 to 1980.

However, as the years passed, the Corkscrew’s appeal faded. While its inversions had once been new, now there were other rollercoasters with similar, or more extreme, elements. And while 44 mph had once seemed incredibly fast, compared to newer rollercoasters, it was tame. By 2008, the Corkscrew was an old rollercoaster with a rough, bumpy ride. Still, on the ride’s last day in November 2008, thousands turned out for one last ride on the Corkscrew. The ride was torn down, but parts of the track were saved and are now on display at the entrance to Alton Towers, reminding guests of the rollercoaster that launched the park into the successful theme park it is today.

50 Legendary Roller Coasters That No Longer Exist is the latest book by Nick Weisenberger and you can download the Kindle version for free between 4/21/16 - 4/25/16.

Wonder Mountain’s Guardian Review

Knott’s Berry Farm recently announced the addition of a new dark ride, Voyage to the Iron Reef, and I couldn’t be more excited because last month I got to experience its predecessor, Wonder Mountain’s Guardian at Canada's Wonderland. I got to ride Guardian twice, once with the standard version and once with the zombie overlay - pretty cool how they can instantly change the media. The roller coaster portion is pretty weak, the vehicles don’t track well at all, lots of side to side vibration, but that's not the reason for riding, the game is. The shooting part is much better than your average Sally shooter. It’s like a video game in that if you kill all the bad guys in a scene it automatically generates more of them for you to shoot at. You load the vehicles sitting forwards or backwards. The frontwards side is way better because once you enter the dark portion the seats rotate to face either side of the track but on one side the screens are continuous (though there’s no shooting during the curved screens). The cars are propelled by drive tires down the straighaways and gravity in the curves.

Overall, I am really impressed by Guardian but I hope they improve upon it in future iterations. In one of the articles about Knott’s ride they said “The ride vehicles will rotate, change speed and even briefly pause as they move between video screens separated by three-dimensional themed sets.” The 3 dimensional sets part has me intrigued because Guardian has none, it's all screens. Two other improvements: the clarity of the images and the ride length (though I think the limiting factor on the ride time is battery capacity for the guns).

Anyone else rode Guardian? What did you think?

Dollywood Cabins Review and Tips 2014

A fun alternative to staying in a motel or hotel in Pigeon Forge is to stay in a luxury cabin or chalet. If you’re planning on spending a day or more at Dollywood I highly recommend staying in the Dollywood Cabins. They’re a bit pricey and you need to book well in advance but it is totally worth it. Very good value and one of the best places I’ve ever stayed. Perks include being able to go to Dollywood everyday you have the cabin reserved for the price of a single day ticket. Dollywood cabin guests also get free parking in one of the closest lots to the park entrance as well as other discounts.

Staying in a cabin could really take your vacation to the next level and make it a truly memorable experience. They’re especially great for honeymoons or when traveling with friends or family.  The mountain views are incredible, especially at sunset while soaking in the private hot tubs on the cabin’s decks. Don't try to cram in too much each day. The whole point of renting a cabin is being able to lounge in your pajamas on the deck, watch a spectacular sunset, and cozy up by the fire. You may not want to leave the cabin at all - and that's perfectly fine

The cost per night might be prohibitively expensive for some families on their own but a group of four or more can rent a nicer cabin with more amenities for a lower price per couple. Save money by brining your own food instead of eating out every night. If you’re staying with friends it could be fun to have each couple plan and cook one nightly meal.

If you’re thinking about staying in a cabin and are looking at prices, be aware of the potential “hidden” fees. If the cabin has a hot tub (and most do) there could be an additional hot tub fee that is not considered as part of the nightly rate. During the busy summer season nearly every cabin will require your stay duration to be at least two nights and may charge a reservation fee. Then there are state and Sevier County taxes to potentially pay as well. So just be warned when you see that totally awesome Groupon deal that looks too good to be true, be sure to read all the fine print so you aren’t caught by any unexpected fees.

Tip: Sometimes you can take advantage of the fact the cabins require guests to stay more than one night. For example, let’s say you’ve booked Thursday through Saturday night, checking out Sunday morning and another couple booked the same cabin beginning Monday evening. This means Sunday night is unfilled but another guest can’t book it because it’s only available one night. The cabin company would rather have the cabin filled than sitting empty a night so you now have the opportunity to extend your stay by a night or two for a steep discount, at least 50% off if not more!

Learn more tips like these by reading Things to Do in the Smokies with Kids.

Port Orleans Riverside Map and Review

My wife and I visited the Walt Disney World resort for a long weekend.  Although I’d been to the Magic Kingdom many times, this was only my second time staying overnight on Disney property. Disney ranks their hotel resorts by different categories from cheapest to most expensive: value, moderate, deluxe, deluxe villas. The first time we stayed at one of the All-Star hotels, a value resort not directly connected to anything. This time we opted for a moderate resort, Port Orleans Riverside, connected to Downtown Disney via a half hour boat ride down a winding river (relaxing but feels like it takes forever).

I thought the moderate hotel was a huge step up from the value resort. The interior of the room was wonderfully themed. The pool and lobby areas were also well done. I recommend staying in a Disney resort, especially if you have kids, for all the little things they do that you don’t expect that add up to make your stay more memorable, such as arranging the towels in the shapes of Mickey or other animals, giving you pins to wear that say “Happy Birthday” or “Happy Anniversary”, and so on.

The biggest complaint about staying on property is the buses. It’s really hit or miss - sometimes you get right on and go and other times you may wait up to a half an hour only to have to stand the entire trip next to some sweaty, over-weight tourist who keeps bumping into you. I guess it does beat having to drive a car around yourself though. Oh, and they should have more or larger hot tubs!

Next time I think I would much prefer to stay at the Yacht or Beach Club resort, not because it is a deluxe resort, but mostly because of its superb location: Epcot is walking distance, you can take a short boat ride to the Studios, a monorail ride to the Magic Kingdom, and you’ve got Boardwalk and Fantasia golf in walking distance for nighttime entertainment (meaning you only would have to take a bus to get to Animal Kingdom or Downtown Disney).

We also did the dining plan for the first time. Price wise it was probably a wash but it was really awesome not to have to take out my credit card once during the trip (everything was paid for before we left) we just used our hotel room keys to use the meal plan. You also get a refillable mug to get unlimited free drinks in the food court at the hotel.

Pictured below is the Port Orleans Riverside map.

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Hershey Chocolate Factory Tour Review

The Wonderful World of Chocolate and the Sweetest Place on Earth

After riding Skyrush at HersheyPark and visiting ZooAmerica, the other highlight of our visit to Hershey world was creating our very own candy bars at Hershey’s Chocolate World. There are several different attractions inside Chocolate World and the first one we did was the Hershey make your own candy bar experience. 

When you purchase your ticket they enter your name into the computer. At each station you scan your ticket and it displays your name so you know where your candy bar is at all times. We donned the white hair nets and aprons we were given and proceeded inside to the candy bar design studio. Using touch screens, I selected my base to be white chocolate and added butterscotch and milk chocolate chips and opted for no sprinkles. Scan our tickets at the start of the assembly line and pull the lever to begin. A suction cup contraption picks up the chocolate base you picked out and sets it gently onto the assembly line conveyor belt. The bar slowly moves down the line stopping at each respective station to receive its proper fillings. A layer of chocolate is applied on top (the same for everybody regardless your base flavor) and your fledgling bar is whisked away into the inferno of the oven. While it cools you get to design your packaging.

Next up, we did the free Hershey chocolate tour. Please note, this ride is a replacement for the original Hershey factory tour, as the original Hershey chocolate factory tour was so popular, and drawing so many guests it was impossible to please them all without disrupting operations of the chocolate factory. So an omni-mover type ride systems was created to move thousands of people a day through the sets of animatronics and video screens, a sort of virtual Hershey plant tour explaining how chocolate is made. Fun fact: Milton Hershey chose the location in Pennsylvania due to the abundance of nearby cows for his milk chocolate (I guess it’s cheaper to transport cocoa versus milk). At the end of the ride you are given a free chocolate bar before being dumped out in a giant Hersheys store.

I can’t wait to visit Hershey park Hershey park again! Pictured below is the 2012 Chocolate World map of attractions. Click here for the Chocolate World hours of operation.

Knoebels Flying Turns Update and Trip Report

On Sunday, May 27^th 2012 I visited Knoebels amusement park in Elysburg, PA. Knoebels grove is an old fashioned amusement park with a very relaxed atmosphere and some of the most classic rides around. This was the second stop on out tour of Pennsylvania after riding Skyrush at HersheyPark. Some of Knoebels rides and park favorites include the carousel where you can collect rings (one of only a few left in the country). 

 

Knoebels Haunted House is also a must ride on your visit. The Haunted House is consistently ranked as one of the best of its type in the world. As with all the Knoebels attractions, it’s a classic, old school ride full of great gags that made me jump despite riding it before. Warning: it is a very loud ride.

The million dollar question all theme park fans are dying to know the answer to is what’s the status on Knoebels Flying Turns? Construction started in 2006 and the ride has never opened to the general public (anyone know if park officials have ever taken a quick ride down the chute?). It appears they are waiting on a new car chassis to arrive to continue testing. The brake run and transfer track has actually been completely removed. Lift hill number has been modified too. I hope the Flying Turns Knoebels opens in my life time.

 I also had a chance to ride Knoebels Black Diamond, a new/old ride relocated from New Jersey (then called the Golden Nugget I believe) and given an updated control system. Black Diamond is technically a roller coaster as it relies solely on gravity after being pulled to the top of the third floor by multiple chain lifts. I have to admit I was very surprised at the number and quality of the show scenes inside the building. Bravo Knoebels – a job well done!

Pictured below is the 2012 Knoebels park map.

Dollywood Vacations "Ladybug" Cabin Review

I enjoyed a short weekend vacation by heading to Tennessee to check out America’s first wing coaster, Wild Eagle, at Dollywood. My full review of the new ride, with photo and video, will be posted on 101. Friday and Saturday night we stayed in one of Dollywood Vacation Cabins. Last year we stayed in One More Night which is in the Star Resort area. This time we were in Ladybug, a two story cabin with a nice view but a pain in the butt to get to.

Pictured below is a scan of the Dollywood Vacations resort map. The cabins Dollywood operates are mixed in with other cabins own by other resorts or individuals. The map is pretty deceiving because a lot of smaller roads are missing. Dollywood’s cabins look closer on the map then they actually are.

If you’re looking for cabins in the Gatlinburg vicinity, I highly recommend Dollywood Vacations. Cabin prices range from affordable to luxuriously expensive – but oh so worth it. Ladybug goes from $99 to $399 depending on the time of year. The Dollywood vacation package can include length of stay tickets to the theme park, including free parking in Lot B! Guests can take home free lanyards and plastic souvenir cups. Easily one of the best Pigeon Forge attractions!

One of my favorite features of the cabins, which you can see in the pictures and video I've added, is the hot tub on the back deck. This cabin also happened to have a Jacuzzi inside on the second story along with a pool table! Ladybug has two full baths and can sleep up to 6 people. We watched a thunderstorm roll in Friday night from the comfort of the hot tub.

Where is Dollywood you ask? Dollywood’s location is in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, land of the blue smoke, and the cabins for rent are located on the mountains behind the park. The main road to get to the park and the cabins is the second to last stoplight from the Smoky Mountain parkway leading to nearby Gatlinburg (a beautiful road to drive on). Once again, I highly recommend staying in these cabins, though I much prefer staying in the cabins closer to the park and the main roads. But trust me, you'll be able to hear the train whistle from any cabin in the area - it's loud!


FYI The address of the Dollywood Vacations Cabin "Ladybug" is: 2321 Foxberry Way.

Vintage Park Pictures: Universal Studios Hollywood 1985

Time for a new series of posts titled "Vintage Theme Park Pictures." I discovered a treasure trove of pictures in some of my parents old photo albums. First up is a set of photos taken at Universal Studios Hollywood taken in 1985. The first picture is actually of the house used in Leave it to Beaver and Marcas Welby. These were all taken from the studios tram tour. I'll be bring many more of these vintage pictures to you soon so be sure to follow me on Twitter and subscribe to my YouTube for the latest updates.

 

Dollywood Slideshow

I visited Dollywood back in May and had a great time. We stayed in one of the Dollywood Vacations cabins and I think it just might be better than any other place I've stayed (including onsite at Disney and Universal). Way to go Dollywood!

Enjoy the slideshow (which also includes pictures from the national park and Gatlinburg area). Song is Thunderhead (acoustic) by the Elms.

Why Disney's Customer Service is Better than Universal

On our recent vacation at Universal Orlando Resort, we waited over an hour in line for Rip Ride Rocket and they closed the ride right before we were about to get on. At that point, the park was closed and we didn't get to do anything else and had essentially wasted the last hour or two of our time in the park. There was no compensation for us or any others waiting in line. We left the park very disappointed and frustrated, along with countless other guests- not a good lasting impression for first time visitors. I understand there are mechanical problems, no big deal, especially if they are early in the day. My issue is that it was the end of the day and there was no attempt at correcting the feeling that our time and money had just been wasted- the two most important issues for me as a park guest. At Disney, they give you fast passes good at any park for x number of days. Thus their customer service will always be better in my eyes.