47 replies to this topic

[The BeastFan]

I'm starting my annual trip thread early this year as I have a HUGE trip in the progress of planning. Along with my usual trips to Kings Island, I'll be covering tons of ground in a HUGE east coast trip in June in coordination with the site meet up at BGE which includes visits to Hershey Park, Six Flags Great Adventure, Dorney Park, and Kings Dominion. I need a bit of advice for each park I'll be embarking to. Also in July, I'll FINALLY be dragging myself to Santa Claus, IN to visit Holiday World. Cedar Point is also a possibility, though not likely. I may include trips to college football bowls/basketball tournaments as well in this thread.

Anyways, I need advice for the following parks...

1. Dorney Park
2. Six Flags Great Adventure
3. Kings Dominion
4. Busch Gardens Europe/Williamsburg

Here's the type of info I need...

1. a good park plan, things like what rides to hit at what time, where to ride certain rides, etc., also include best rides to do at night
2. best places to eat inside and/or outside the park(s)
3. any other random tips
4. I'm considering a 2nd day to KD though its still in the air, so if anyone recommends me to go an extra day, do so (I have a platinum pass FYI). Is it possible to get through everything in 1 day there?

Also, SFGAdv will be for 2 days, but that's something I already made my mind up on. I will be giving myself a day or 2 inbetween parks to account for driving and giving myself a break, especially for the time to drive from Philadelphia to Doswell/Williamsburg.

Thanks in advance to those who contribute! Also post here if you want to meet me at any of the parks I'll be at this summer!

Edited by Mike Strobel, 24 May 2012 - 09:14 PM.

[Tori Finlay]

Dorney Park

Game plan: If you intend to be there at open, go straight to the bottom of the park (read: the back). While I don't know how Stinger is going to impact this, Steel Force is ALWAYS dead for the first ten minutes at least. You will want to start back there and work your way to the top of the park, maybe even getting some of the water rides before it gets too hot. Thunder Canyon is really unique and extremely drenching, and Thunder Creek Mountain is cool both for its views of Hydra and its unique setting. Talon dies out within 30 minutes of the waterpark opening but always has a line once the gates open. If you intend to go into Wildwater Kingdom, do so as soon as it opens, and then avoid it for the rest of the day. The majority of guests will flock there within an hour of it opening and the lines will increase exponentially.
If Possessed is down, expect lines at Steel Force and vice-versa. Steel Force tends to be empty for most of the day until about 20 minutes after the waterpark closes. Talon, I told you about already. Sometimes it picks up around lunchtime, but it depends on the heat. Then it can get busy during the hour surrounding the waterpark closing, and tends to calm down significantly again after that.
I've never worked on Hydra, but I also haven't seen it have a line in years. Thunderhawk gets a line around the same time Steel Force does, it just takes longer to disperse because Thunderhawk runs one train unless its a busy weekend day. All the rides in the park should be a walk on throughout the day. Most of the school/camp trips leave at 6, giving you about two hours before the park closes to do whatever you want. Unless you go in early June, it shouldn't even be dark by that point. Keep in mind that Fridays can be just as bad as Saturdays, but the park IS open later and will be dead towards the end of the night.
Riding: If you do get an oppurtunity to ride at night, all of the major coasters are fun. Even Hydra is admittedly better at night.
Where to ride: I believe the back is the best on Hydra, but Hydra has a nice rattle going, so you might want to ride the front first to get accustomed.
Talon, either the front row seat closest to the exit, or the back row furthest from the exit. Both are completely different rides, but excellent.
Steel Force... for the longest time I was a huge proponent of the back seat, but the front offers slightly more aggressive air time, and I've had debates about the quality of the third row. Black train is fastest (not by much, but it still is), and the red train is smoothest. The blue train just kind of sucks.
Possessed is a matter of personal opinion. I love the back because I don't care for the twisting in the front and enjoy the longer freefall. It is cool seeing how close you fly to the end of the track in the front, though.
Thunderhawk: The front seat. Do not ride any other row. Just the front. And loosen your seatbelt a little 'cause it'll dig in, as well as bracing yourself. Be careful not to loosen it conspicuously on the lift hill as they watch the lift hill, if they're actually doing what they're supposed to.
Otherwise, as I said, I recommend the dryside water rides. Revolution is fun if you like being dizzy, as is Monster. Apollo, Hangtime, and Meteor are personal favorites of mine. And the Ferris Wheel is a prime photography location, just put your camera away on the way through the station.
Food: Whenever I was a guest at the park, I always ate at Burger Barn and got just a large fry until I later realized I could get Just Tacos for relatively cheap. Also, the prices have increased by at least $1 since that time period. Honestly, though, the only noteworthy food in the park is Chickie's & Pete's, which have some amazing crab fries, from what I've heard. Otherwise, there's a pizza shop in the plaza next to Dorney (not across the street, but if you go towards Allentown, away from 78, it is literally right next door). They have really good food, in my opinion, for non-inflated prices. For the life of me, I can't remember what it's called. Maybe Frank's? I recommend the pepperoni stromboli, but that's just me.

Obviously, if you let me know when you're going to the park, I would definitely love to go ride with you!


Six Flags Great Adventure

By no means am I an expert, but I can tell you one thing: This park is big and typically busy. Spending two days there was a wise choice on your part. I mean, it is definitely possible to do everything in one day, but if there is one place to avoid going to on a Saturday, it IS Great Adventure.
Game Plan: Avoid Superman until later in the day unless you're there at open and you're in the front. In that case, though, I'd go to Green Lantern first. Everybody typically runs to Kingda Ka, El Toro and probably GL now, too, so if you go to Nitro first, I think you should be safe. Keep an ear out for rumors of the lines in the popular part of the park (Ka/Toro). Nothing in Movie Town should have a line for most of the day unless they're running one train on Nitro (happened to me on Easter last year!). The park is so big, though, that you could play it by ear. I'm not sure if school kids get there for opening, because I know they don't always at Dorney. If it's flooded, again, go to Movie Town, then I'd say work your way over to Bizarro, and then up towards the front via Toro, then Ka, then S:UF & GL.
Food: I've only ever eaten at two places: There's a KFC-like place on the way to Movie Town by the Ferris Wheel which wasn't horrible, and a Spanish themed place right in front of El Toro. I can't remember whether we had the Nacho Supreme or the Taco Salad, but it was HUGE. My mom and I split it. Otherwise, there's a handful of food places on the way in that we typically stop at before making the smallish trek home.
Riding: Usual B&M Hyper seats for Nitro: Front & Back. Try to keep that clam shell loose. Toro is incredible in the back, but the front is also worth the wait. Hold on for dear life. Try not to sit in the back of the car on Ka: She's developed a pretty bad vibration that's sure to hurt. I couldn't tell you much else though. Nitro at dusk or night is fantastic, though.

Kings Dominion

I would say I know more about KD than SFGAdv, so I hope this helps.
This year was the first year that I did a solely KD trip, and I have to tell you, it gets boring if you're there for the whole day. I've gone August weekday, April & May weekend and June weekday, and until this year, I always did it in combination with SFA (which really isn't that horrible). The worst line is always Volcano. Longest I've waited is 45 minutes. Even so, it's pretty easy.
Game Plan: Everybody (EVERYBODY) either dashes off to Dominator or Volcano/Intimidator first. Usually the latter. Nobody drifting towards Dominator? Why not ride it. If you go back behind the Eiffel Tower and go to Grizzly first, you should be fine. Grizzly, Hurler, Ricochet, Rebel Yell, and Shockwave. If you see a line on Shockwave, just pass it. You can go back later, and a 4 or 5 train wait is at least a half an hour. Then, Anaconda, FoF, and Italian Job (I can't remember its generic name). Avalanche doesn't open til noon most days anymore, I think. By this point, you should be extremely, extremely anxious for the best two rides, plus the lines shouldn't be bad. Check Volcano. Is the line bad? Keep in mind that it's about 10-15 minutes if you see people poking out of the mountain upstairs. If it is, just go to Intimidator. It eats people and you can always go back to Volcano. I highly recommend KD's Crypt. El Dorado is a blast, too.
Riding: Flight of Fear is best in the front, but I'm sure you know that already. Volcano...is, like most coasters, completely different in the front and the back. The front is more than worth the wait, especially at night. Intimidator has slightly more whip in the back than in the front, but again, both are worth the wait. Otherwise, I still haven't figured out how to ride Anaconda properly and I'm convinced there is no way to ride Shockwave well. Grizzly... the front. I always rode middle and back until last fall and WOW. Spectacular in the front. Rebel Yell is fun no matter what, but compare to Racer. And Hurler...oh, Hurler. Ride the front of the car for best results, but the front is also highly recommended.
Food: I really have nothing to offer here. My friends and I usually just eat at Denny's, BK, or Seven-Eleven

[steel-Rock]

BUSCH GARDENS EUROPE

I plan to hit this park this year too. When I am in a place, I always get to the new stuff first.
That means Verbolten and Mach Tower. It seems that they are both in the German section
so that is good. This is my favorite park but the walking is not easy. Do everything in an
area before moving on to the next. Getting to Apollo's Chariot would be next for me.
The flat rides don't do much for me in that section, but the wet stuff was good before
(Escape from Pompeii and Roman Rapids). After that, I would just keep moving around
the park. Keep in mind that Griffon and Alpengeist along with AC are in my top ten so
you know where I will be for sure. Rhine River Cruise was a lot of fun. Le Scoot is one of
the better flumes. No trip there would be complete without seeing the show Celtic Fyre.
I don't know much about Europe in the Air, but it sounds good. As for food, just stop when
your body says to. I never really had anything bad at a BG/SW park.

[The BeastFan]

Yeah, BGE is a park I definitely plan to eat inside. Also, no need to give me Hershey info as I've been there enough to know the ins and outs.

I probably won't have a definite plan in place until I get more info on the end of the year at UC concerning band. I'm still ever so pondering whether to keep Hershey in there and a 2nd day at KD. While Hershey does have Skyrush, there are still some other aspects that are hindering me from adding it (mostly financial reasons). I am heavily considering adding a second day to Kings Dominion though.

Edited by Mike Strobel, 24 May 2012 - 09:14 PM.

[Tori Finlay]

Well, you could always go to the water park or just reride Volcano and I305 until your head hurts.

[Vater]

Trying to remain as neutral as possible, I'd skip a 2nd day at KD...unless you're going on an extremely busy Saturday or something. If you're aiming for weekday visits (I really hope you are, with trips this extensive), you won't have any problem whatsoever fitting in all you want to fit in.

The only other reason you might consider a 2nd day is if you're planning on spending more than a couple hours in the water park. Again, on a weekday (I don't want to even imagine the water park lines on a busy June weekend).

[The BeastFan]

This trip will be a bit spread out, probably a week and a half minimum. I do plan to add a day or two in between parks, either to relax or to give time for travel (from Philly to Doswell/Williamsburg). Remember I have a bit of a medical hinderance (see my thread in the mature section), so I'll need the time inbetween. I'll probably outright skip weekends (may go on to a park on a Sunday if I'm feeling lucky). The good thing is for the Pennsylvania leg of the trip, I'll be with family who live just outside of Philadelphia, so boredom won't be as much a problem (I might try to catch a Phillies game or just check out the city). Still figuring out how the Virginia portion will go.

@ Vater- With that synopsis of KD, I might go back to making that a single day. When I went last time (in 2003), I got there an hour after the park opened and managed to hit all the major attractions by about 6 pm or so. I plan to ride either Volcano or Grizzly at night as well. I don't plan on going to any water parks on this trip (which would also warrent a single day).

Thus, the trip will turn out like this...

1 day at Dorney
1 day at Hershey
2 days at SFGAdv
1 day at KD
1 day at BGE

Also keep in mind that Dorney and Hershey might not be all day affairs seeing they're smaller parks (which will help out with pacing myself through the trip). I will stick with 2 days at Six Flags Great Adventure though.

Edited by Mike Strobel, 24 May 2012 - 09:13 PM.

[Tori Finlay]

I'd actually stick with Hershey as an all day event. I can't remember a time when I've gone to Hershey and there wasn't lines on Fahrenheit, Storm Runner, Great Bear, and/or Comet. This is including April, May, and June (weekday) visits. Even on rainy days, I've had to wait at least 20 minutes for Great Bear.

[The BeastFan]

^Last time I went (in 08 whilst Fahrenheit was new), I was able to hit everything and be done by about dinner time. The addition of Skyrush shouldn't be much of a hinderance if I go the right day, plus I don't plan on hitting some of the smaller coasters (i.e. Wild Mouse, Trailblazer or Sidewinder). The waits I encoutnered went something like 35 for Fahrenheit (the new ride), 15 for Great Bear, 15 for Storm Runner, walk-on for the GCI's and most of the smaller steelies, and 10-15 for Comet (nice to see it's still popular in its old age, deservingly so). In addition, Hershey is the farthest park from where I'll be staying during the PA leg of the trip, so I'll want to leave in a timely manner so I'm not dead tired whilst driving back to Philly, especially with a 2 dayer at SFGAdv to take into account (which I'll be saving until last during the PA portion). Also remember I'll be sticking to weekdays for my park trips. I've never gone to a park during a non-holiday weekday aside from Cedar Point, Disney and Universal Studios that's been uber crowded during those days.

[steel-Rock]

I love Hershey so I would ride most of the big stuff two or three times and even the little things at least once. (I can understand though why you might skip a mine train or mouse.) After including a monorail, skyway, tower, Ferris wheel, and looking at chocolate, a complete day would be gone.

A second day at KD only makes sense if the lines are long for some coasters or Windseeker and you want to do Dinosaurs Alive or WaterWorks. You should be able to squeeze in all the must-see stuff otherwise.

I have been to SFGAV once on an off-season weekday. It was still busy. There was an hour wait for each ride of El Toro, Kingda Ka, Nitro, and Superman-UF. (SFGAM, SFOG, and SFOT were full but not like that.) If that is always the case here, I can see why someone might need a second day to catch up or get to the smaller rides, safari, or waterpark.

[ I am going to yours + Knoebels and SFA. I guess we will both find out how these turn out. ]

[The BeastFan]

Ok, now that I finally have the dates for the TPCC meet up at BGE, I now have dates for my east coast trip.

Saturday, June 16th- Travel to Philadelphia
Sunday, June 17th- Dorney Park
Monday, June 18th- Rest Day
Tuesday, June 19th- Hershey Park
Wednesday, June 20th- Rest Day
Thursday, June 21st and Friday, June 22nd- Six Flags Great Adventure
Saturday, June 23rd- Travel from Philly to Doswell/Williamsburg, rest day thereafter
Sunday, June 24th and Monday, June 25th- Kings Dominion
Tuesday, June 26th- Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Edited by Mike Strobel, 24 May 2012 - 09:13 PM.

[The BeastFan]

Well, I did say I would put in band trips as well, and I have one. I'll be in NYC on March 6-9 (or whenever UC loses) for the Big East Tournament. The games are held at Madison Square Gardens, and since we'll be staying close, we'll be by many of the landmarks like the Empire State Building, Times Square, Ground Zero, etc. Definitely bringing the camera and really looking forward to it. If we make it a 2nd or 3rd day, I may contemplate heading to Coney Island to at least get a glimpse of Cyclone (though the Statue of Liberty will probably take priority at that point, Cyclone will be if I have nothing better to do).

[The BeastFan]

Day 1- NYC Big East Tournament Trip

Today was spent driving from Cincinnati to New York. The journey, including stops, took roughly 13 hours. Not much inbetween other than I got a glimpse of Dorney Park on the way. My does that park look great from the highway (the sight of Steel Force, Possessed, Stinger and Talon together is just spectacular, Steel Force and Possessed alone look massive)! Definitely looking more forward to it come June. On the NYC side of things, my hotel is in prime NYC sight-seeing territory. From my hotel, I can look straight up out the window to see the Empire State Building. I'm 3 blocks from Madison Square Gardens (the BE tourney site), 8 blocks from Times Square, and about 40 blocks from Ground Zero. A group of us are going to the 9-11 Memorial tomorrow (as of this post) prior to the 2 pm tip off at MSG, where we (the UC band) will be rooting on the Bearcats against Georgetown. We plan to hit most of the nearby spots after the game. The Statue of Liberty is a potential day 2 item if we win (since we're quite far from it). I'll be updating this every night during this trip when I can.

Edited by The BeastFan, 07 March 2012 - 10:09 PM.

[The BeastFan]

Day 2 NYC

This day can be broken down into 3 sections. The first was spent going to the 9-11 Memorial. I have to admit, it was kind of strange being there. Humbling, somber, and a few others would be a good way to describe what I was feeling at the sight. Also, the sound of sirens here makes me really take a liking to the NYPD and NYFD. They get done. Wish we could replace ours in Cincy with NYC's. Also, I'd like to remark on disembarking the bus yesterday. As soon as I did, a run of the mill New Yorker, accent and all, laid onto someone with a bit of a insulting tone. It was then and there I knew I was in the right city.

The 2nd portion was the epic showdown between Cincinnati and Georgetown. After coming back from 11 down and through 2 overtimes, the Bearcats come out triumphant by a score of 72-70. Next up is #2 (1 seed) Syracuse. If we win that, I don't see why we couldn't win the entire thing (plus to pad out our resume). Being inside Madison Square Gardens, for a major performance no less, was awesome as well. The game tomorrow is at 7 pm for those interested.

The 3rd portion was more exploring of New York. First up was Chinatown and Little Italy. My group hit a spectacular Chinese restaurant close to them. Had some delectable General Tso Chicken. We walked around Little Italy and had some authentic Italian Gelato, or Italian Ice Cream. Good stuff indeed. We hovered back through the subway to Rockafeller Center and Times Square. Rockafeller Center was marvelous as it still had the ice rink set up (though not quite the grandeur with no X-mas tree). Times Square was awesome. So much advertising in one spot and so bright with all the lights, plus got to see the NYE ball still perched atop one of the buildings. After that it was a 8 block walk back to the hotel.

Next up, the Statue of Liberty and hopefully, the Empire State Building.

[The BeastFan]

Day 3 NYC

This was another filled out day of wondering. First up was the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island. To be honest, I only did the former as I wanted to hit stuff quick and early and spend the rest of the day relaxing before the game. The statue was under renovations, so i couldn't go up it. Bummer. After getting back to the hotel, I went up the Empire State Building. Its a gorgeous structure inside and out. Very deserving of its name. That elevator really hauls up the tower too, and seeing 80's on the elevator numbers was a little weird. The view: gorgeous. Got plenty of good photos from atop the building. Hung up there for about half an hour and descended to prepare for the game. Also, even as a coaster enthusiast and therefore not too bad on heights, being up 1,250 ft high still got to me.

The game....well, it was sort of unexpected. I figured we were in for a rough game vs Syracuse. However, we took that notion and flipped it on its head. The Cats absolutely dominated Syracuse in the first half, leading by as much as 17 (double their score at one point), and lead by double figures at the half. The Orange didn't go out without a fight, which they slowly dwindled our lead to 1. A few dunks by Jackson and Gates way down court and wide open helped seal the deal in knocking off the #2 team in the nation, 71-68. An absolutely spectacular game from start to finish for the Bearcats. I now can't help but think UC can hang with anyone (aside from maybe UK and UNC). I definitely have hopes of Sweet 16 or Elite 8 now. This sets up the championship for the Big East vs. Louisville in an old CUSA rivalry match up. Epic may be an understatement for how this is all turning out.

Edited by The BeastFan, 10 March 2012 - 05:04 PM.

[Thunderhead]

I suppose I'll add a few tidbits on KD/BGE.

Kings Dominion

As for park plan, just as Tori said, everyone dashes to Intimidator/Congo area. If they are running at least 2 trains on Intimidator, it will roll pretty quickly. However, I've noticed that the Dominator line is a bit large as soon as the park opens. I recommend saving it for later, it's a fun night ride as well. I don't have a set in stone game plan for Kings Dominion, as there is so much to ride I just kind of go all over the place. I typically knock everything out in the congo first then mingle around the rest of the park.

Eating wise, there is a Chick Fil A and a Subway. The pizza place near shockwave isn't half bad. I'm not sure if they still do the buy a souvenir mug and a wristband for $5.00 but that isn't the worst deal ever. I typically take my old souvenir mug but it may not be the best option for you. There is a restaurant right near the entrance to the Congo that used to be like a Bubba Gump Shrimp place... it's not too bad. There's also what used to be the Tomb Raider Grill which has burgers and those kind of those things.

Rides... Ummm. Lol. Take some tylenol, some of these things hurt. Mainly Anaconda, Hurler, and some of the other woodies. Intimidator and Volcano are must does in the front. Volcano is fun at night, as well as Intimidator and Dominator. I don't have anywhere special to ride on these. Just wherever haha.

If there was any park on your tour to do 2 days, it would be Hershey or SFGAdv. King's Dominion has almost the exact rides as Kings Island, so you'd find yourself a wee bored I believe.

Busch Gardens:

If you weren't going on a Tuesday, I would highly recommend doing the Behind The Scenes tour of the Coasters at Busch Gardens. It is phenomenal. It's $60, but well worth $120. But you're not and they only offer it on Saturdays.

I may be at the meetup, but the best way to go about Busch Gardens is to follow the coaster junkies and haul tail to Griffon. Even though a lot of people do it you can still get 2-3 rides in with 10-15 minute wait times for the front. And significantly less for the back two. Do a 2 fronts and a back, and try to get an outside seat on the front, or any combination. Do as many as you please, You have a while with <20 minute wait times. After you're satisfied, head to Alpengeist then work your way back toward the front. Typically, most people head to Italy, then go clockwise around. So after you encounter the crowd at Verbolten/Germany you won't have much crowd at Apollo's Chariot at mid-day. After you work your way around, you will encounter similar waits for AC/LNM. Then I usually just mingle the park.

Eattttsssss are amazing. I recommend the Festhaus for sure. There's an exciting little pretzel place at the bottom of Mach Tower, and the corn dogs are really tasty as well.

Rides. Griffon front on the side and in the back. Alpengeist anywhere, it'll give you a beating. I can't take it in the back. Apollo's Chariot, Front is good, and the back, 3rd seat in was undoubtedly my best ride. That's all I really have. Escape from Pompeii is unique, but you get more wet standing on the little island. Did that for about an hour on a 100 degree July day.

Shows. Go see Celtic fire or whatever show is in the Ireland theatre. It is really entertaining if you like river dancing stuff.

I think that's it. Holla if you got da questions.

[The BeastFan]

Day 4/5 NYC

This was an off day for the most part. I spent the entire day in the hotel. We actually had to switch hotels, but we got a heck of and upgrade as we ended up in the Millennium Hotel adjacent to the UN building. My group had a 6 person suite on the 34th floor.



Too bad we didn't stay the night though. We left at 1 am after the game. Speaking of which, the game was better than I thought all things considered. Though we lost, we kept Louisville to 50 points (they were lights out in scoring vs. ND and Marquette). It was obvious that our lack of depth hurt us as we looked pretty tired. I'm completely satisfied with our run though. Any time you beat the #2 team in the nation on practically their home floor is impressive enough. I'm hoping we'll return next year. I'll probably post pictures on my FB page if you want to see them.

Anyways, another trip is on the way in the form of Nashville for the NCAA tournament. The 'Cats square off with the Longhorns of Texas. The trip locations for us go as follows if we win:

Nashville
Boston
New Orleans

Edited by The BeastFan, 12 March 2012 - 06:17 PM.

[The BeastFan]

NCAA Trip- Nashville

This was another bus ride to Nashville, about half the NYC trip in length. The first day was spent with an early game vs Texas. The game started very well for UC. Texas couldn't hit the broadside of a barn, allowing UC a 19 point lead. UC then proceeds to blow said lead, but hangs on to win and advance to the round of 32. After that, the day was spent exploring Nashville. Specifically, we were 2 miles from downtown in the midst of Vanderbilt's campus. There is a lot of Greek/Roman architecture including a replica of the Parthanon in Greece. After that, Vanderbilt has a pretty nice campus, and a few bar hops later, I was kind of done with Nashville. Got a day off between games just hanging around and then came Sunday evening.

The opponent this time was FSU. This game was pretty tight all game. The lead never went above 6 for either team, and as time dwindled down, FSU showed signs of cracks with a few key turn overs, and a few clutch 3's and freethrows sealed the game. UC is now headed to its first Sweet 16 bid in 11 years against the Buckeyes, whom they've only played once since beating them in back to back championship wins in the early 60's. Now its off to Boston! GO CATS!

[The BeastFan]

NCAA Sweet 16 Trip- Boston

This trip was pretty short and sweet. With the distance being beyond 400 miles (the NCAA's cap on flights), we caught a 2 hour flight to Boston, landed just in time for dinner. I had money saved up from the previous 2 trips (the standard pay for bands is $45 a day for food) so I went big and got steak. We got to go a day early with the team as I guess the NCAA didn't want to pay for 2 separate flights (like last year to DC).

So for the day off, we went sight seeing. My group stuck to the outskirts of Boston and utilized the subway system the entire day. First stop was, since we were all of age, was the Samuel Adams brewery. The tour was free as were the souvenir glasses, and we partook in a tasting. After that, we headed back downtown. We ate lunch at a food kart and burned some time at the Boston Aquarium. I'm used to the Newport Aquarium. The design there is pretty linear. The Boston version was just this big central tank with exhibits all to the sides including outdoor exhibits. Needless to say, it was a nice choice in places to go. Next up, we went for a history trip and headed towards Bunker Hill. Prior to that, we got a glance of the USS Constitution (aka 'Old Iron-sides'). However, the actual museum and such were closed for renovations. We walked up the hill to Bunker Hill, looked around a bit and then headed up the monument. For those who haven't been, its a smaller replica of the Washington Monument in DC...except with no elevator. There are 294 stairs which we climbed all the way to the top. My knees were quite wobbly once we got back down to level land. After that, we went back to the hotel to spruce up, went back downtown for dinner, and called it a day.

The next day was mostly spent relaxing. The game was at 9:40, but we got there early and were able to watch the 'Cuse/Wisconson game, which the Orange pulled out. The next game was something a lot of Cincinnati fans wanted for a long time, mainly because OSU didn't want the home and home game plan UC wanted. Well, now they had to play us. Unfortunately, UC only showed up for all but 5 minutes of the game. The last bit, the Buckeyes went on a 17-1 run to close out UC's season. I have to say, it was a nice season all things considered, such as the possible season-ending brawl in December and the sturggles prior. I'm highly looking forward to next year, though we may not have a big guy up to Yancy Gate's abilities quite yet.

Also, as a band member, I do know of the good college bands out there. Playing opposite TBDLITL was pretty exciting. We got tons of compliments from OSU fans and the band of our own reputation as well. To be complimented by THAT band is quite an honor.

This will probably be my last band related trip until fall when football season starts back up. I know for a fact we're traveling to the game vs VTech at the Redskin's stadium, and I'm pretty sure we have a bowl bound team this year given our schedule (at least the little of it I've seen).

Now, its time to look to park season, as my next trip will finally be park related, being my first KI trip of the season in May!

[The BeastFan]

I already have a few dates set up for Kings Island. I'll be going to opening day on the 28th of April to cover the 40th anniversary changes for the site. Second up will be a trip on a Friday in May for me, myself and I to get a good ride session in (first Beast night ride of the year!!!). Finally, I'll be going May 26th to cover Soak City's unveiling.

Edited by Mike Strobel, 08 April 2012 - 10:27 PM.

[The BeastFan]

Ok, this is a question for former or current Six Flags pass holders. I've seen how they are priced, and getting one would be considerably less than getting 2 days worth of tickets for SFGAdv. Does that pass work at other SF parks as well? If so, I may be adding SFA to my trip.

EDIT: I'm willing to take the hit on parking and not add that on to the pass.

EDIT 2: Just checked with SF and SFA is now on the trip.

Here are the final dates.

Saturday, June 16th- Travel to Philadelphia
Sunday, June 17th- Dorney Park
Monday, June 18th- Rest Day
Tuesday, June 19th- Hersheypark
Wednesday, June 20th- Rest Day
Thursday, June 21st and Friday, June 22nd- Six Flag Great Adventure
Saturday, June 23rd- Travel to Virginia
Sunday, June 24th and Monday, June 25th- Kings Dominion
Tuesday, June 26th- Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Wednesday, June 27th- Rest Day
Thursday, June 28th- Six Flags America
Friday, June 29th- Travel back to Cincinnati

Again, if anyone is willing to meet up with me at these parks on the dates listed, feel free to post here to let me know. Also, if anyone is going to KI this summer, I'm open to doing meet ups there as well.

Edited by Mike Strobel, 24 May 2012 - 09:13 PM.

[Reapers Ashes]

man im missing you by a week im going to hershey the 25th.

[The BeastFan]

So, judging by the weather forecast, I probably won't be at opening day. I probably won't be getting there until May 18th.

[The BeastFan]

Ok, so I need to update this thread a bit as a lot has transpired to drastically change my summer plans.

First, due to some financial issues in the family, I am cancelling my east coast trip. I'll be reduced to a gold pass for trips to KI, and I'll still be going to Holiday World in mid-July.

Speaking of Kings Island, I'll be there this Saturday to cover Soak City's grand opening (yes I know of the soft opening last weekend). Also, due to the hectic-ness of these last few weeks of school, I'll be spending most of the time relaxing and getting my first rides of the season in. Depending on the weather, which is going to be a scorcher, I may go part of a day. I'm just going to wing it there. Its not supposed to be humid which is a plus.

[The BeastFan]

Ok, here goes my first TR of the season, pictures to follow later.

I got up to Kings Island before 10. I got my gold pass processed in record time and headed in the gate for some ERT. Diamondback and Invertigo were the only options for said ERT, so I proceeded to the B&M goodness. I started my season in the very front and, well, if you've seen my previous TR's, you'll know I absolutely adore Diamondback in the front. Great air, a nice breeze on such a hot day, butter smooth, and nice speed and height. By that time, the park opened, so I went to the best woodie in Ohio.

Beast is MUCH better this year. They re-tracked even more of it (the turn coming off the rise after the 2nd drop, both new track and a slight re profile). I rode in 1-1 and 5-2 and it performed very well. Some of the trims were also let up a bit, so it had some air on that 2nd drop in the front. It was fast as ever in the back stretch. I wish I would have stayed for a night ride.
After Beast I circled back in Coney Mall to Vortex. Rode in one of the magic seats at 6-2. I'm guessing heat has some affect on steel (at least Arrow loopers) as it was a much faster paced and intense ride today. The air on the first 2 drops was ejector in nature, the g's on the loops was REALLY intense, and the corkscrews didn't have much hang time as they usually do.

After Vortex, I decided to go to Racer before heading to Soak City (I'll speak about that at the end of this). They were only running the red side, and I slid in to the first row and I have to say, it had better air than Diamondback today. The hill between the large hill and the turn around pinned me to the lap bar, and the row of hills coming back were relentless with air time. I then went to Soak City to grab pics and check it out.

I rode the train to SC and back, which was a nice break in the action. I then proceeded to Festhaus for lunch. I only had pizza and fries, so no new food this time around. The new food did look and smell great though. There are lots of new stands and new food at each stand, whether its an addition the park already had, or just new items entirely.

I went over to Action Zone to pad out waiting for food to digest. I headed to Congo Falls in the intense heat for a cool down, one of 2 trips on it. The soaking was great in the 90+ degree heat, thus I headed to the walk on wait of Flight Deck. Boy did that help in combination with Congo Falls. I had some water still on me, so the dry spin on Flight Deck felt great. I rode the Falls a 2nd time afterwards, then proceeding to Drop Tower. At this time, the crowds started to accumulate, in addition to the fact Delirium was down. Drop Tower had a good hour wait. I think I'm getting used to drop towers now. The anticipation until it drops still scares the abstract out of me, but I'm not so shaky at the bottom in the adrenalin rush. Still an enjoyable ride none-the-less.

Congo Falls had a good line now, but I was still in need of a cool down. I avoided Invertigo (which looks GREAT in person, photos don't do it a justice, its very vibrantly colored) as I wasn't up to the high g's. So I took the liberty to cross the park and end up in White Water Canyon's queue. At this point it was blistering hot. Congo Falls wasn't enough. I needed a good soak. WWC delivered in spades. I was shelled with wave after wave of water as well as the accurate water spout operators. It was wonderful.

I was getting tired and the heat was draining, so I gave Diamondback one more go. Rode in the middle this time (car 4, outer right), and instead of a mediocre ride, I found a gem of a seat. In the middle, it has this rather intense floater air. The best way I can describe it is that it lets you float as you crest hills, then as it accelerates as it descends, it pins you more and more into the lap bar, almost like there are positive g's at work as you press against the lap bar, perhaps even negative g's. It was odd, but a nice surprise all together. Just goes to show that there isn't a single bad seat on Diamondback. I'm happy with whatever seat I end up.

Then the heat got to me, it got uber crowded (40+ minutes for Racer and Adventure Express by then), so I left.

Now, a Soak City review. I didn't do slides or anything as the water park was more crowded than the dry park. I did walk around and take in the new bits. First, the original area of slides are all repainted in very vibrant colors. They almost look like brand new slides they look so good. The new wave pool is MASSIVE. Its a tad wider and much, much deeper with much bigger waves than the 1st one. They did leave a few slides un-painted, being the mat racers and the Tornado, which is a shame as they're looking faded in spots, especially the Tornado. Most if not all the buildings got new detail work and new colors, and the new entrance looks sharp. There are also a few new food stands including a new Subway location. I also caught some clearing by the new path that circles back from the wave pools to the original section. Perhaps a place for expansion/new slides? All in all, its much improved from the Boomerang Bay days. And I will be going to Soak City later in the season as I want to compare KI's to HW's Splashin' Safari (when I go there in mid-July).