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Photo TR: Our 2017 Extravaganza!


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I guess it's time I get around to responding to a few comments before the next segment of the TR! So here it goes:

 

So with your opinions of Drop Towers, I take it Falcon's Fury is out of the question?

 

Well, now that I have a new found love for Drop Towers, Falcon's Fury is a *MUST* ride!!! Like really, I have come to love drop towers so much, if I were Whitney Houston, Drop Towers would be my crack.

 

Thanks for the report. New Texas Giant blew me away a few years back, and Mr. Freeze isn't too shabby, either.

 

New Texas Giant is AMAZING! With as great of a coaster as it is, it really makes me wonder how much more amazing New Mean Streak will be!

 

 

Excellent report! Great Adventure looks like a very fun place. You went to a few of the places I'll be going to in a month, so I'm excited to see how this turned out for you.

 

What ever you do, make sure you ride Zumanjaro!! You wont regret it! ... Well if you are like me you will regret it in the middle of the ride, but afterwords you will be very glad you rode it, and then you won't be able to get enough of it!

 

Nice update! Glad you tackled Zumanjaro, looking forward to hearing more. Like everyone here, I love reading reviews of the ol' home park. It's far from perfect but we're spoiled with some amazing rides. Nitro and Batman are amazing and that power duo is what gets us through the off season.

 

I'm very jealous that you have this as your home park. Is it a perfect park? No. But what park is? . . . The AMAZING rides at this park make up for some areas that the park is lacking. I think this park has replaced KD for me on our annual DC trip.

 

Bummer to hear about your bad experience on Joker. I kinda hated my first lap because I got thrown around so much but my second time I made sure the restraint was super tight to avoid so much jostling, and I have fallen in love with that ride (I sometimes ask the op to make it super dooper tight). Loved the one in SFNE too. The thing with them is you have to just prepare yourself to be totally disoriented for 30 seconds. No two rides are alike, and even if we don't get much flipping I still have a blast.

 

Maybe not having the restraint tight enough was my problem. I'll be riding the one at SFOT later this year so my partner can experience it. . . So I'm going to try the restraint trick and hope it helps. It's sad because I really wanted to enjoy the ride, but damn! That beating just wasn't worth it.

 

On my birthday @ HITP last year we basically got drunk @ Skybar and re-rode a walk-on Joker all day. Even my fiancee, who isn't a big thrill seeker, loved it and rode it all day with us.

 

For me, Drinkin + Joker = Protein Spill waiting to happen!

 

"My car key that is safely locked away in the fluffy, fluffy bunny filled with medicine and goo is somehow going to fall out of my pocket"

 

I laughed so hard at this. Fantastic report so far!

 

That describes how much I was freaking out on this ride. The most unrealistic fears kept coming to mind! It was crazy, but omg. . . The ride was beyond amazing!

 

Haha nice recap. Loved it.

 

Thanks! More to come!

 

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I'm working on resizing all the photos from around the DC area, as well as from SFA so I should have 2 more Photo TR's done by the end of the day, or tomorrow evening! But they will be here soon!

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Oh yeah, Zumanjaro is a must ride. I loved its cousin Lex Luthor last year, so it's definitely happening. Drop towers are one of my favourite flats. Fun to read of your transformation. Sometimes what it takes to overcome fear is just to do it.

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...Sometimes what it takes to overcome fear is just to do it.

 

Hallelujah and pass the nachos!

 

Congrats on overcoming your fears of a truly great kind of flat ride. Have never done this one, but I

did ride LL Drop of Doom at SFMM last Sept., and it - was - amazing! Great view, too.

 

Looking forward to more of where you visited, rode, ate, drank(?).... and survived.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Time for another update! Sorry, it's been so long... But lort, life be busy. . . The last thing I have time to do is sit down and resize photos, and order them, and write a trip report. So, that being said... On with this trip report:

 

Trip 2 - Part 3: Six Flags America

 

Soooo, Last year when we did this trip I did Kings Dominion instead of Six Flags America. This year, I was able to squeeze Six Flags America in to an afternoon that I had free, where Kings Dominion wouldn't have worked. So, that being said... New park... New Credits... New Experience! I'm going to do my best to recall the day perfectly, but it's been a minute since I was there, so work with me if a few details don't line up 100%!

 

After spending the morning with my partner at the National Mall, and Smithsonian museums... I snuck away to visit a park I had never been to!

 

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Six Flags Murica'! A park that I had heard little about, but never really heard anything that makes it really stand out... So I went in with really low expectations. . . I scanned my pass at the entrance, and this nice park employee said "Six Flags Over Texas??" I said "Yeah, I got lost." She laughed, and said "I've had like 4 people from Over Texas today!" . . . Interesting! After a quick chat with the nice lady, I headed into the park!

 

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WHOA!! WTF just happened?? It's like I stepped into a little baby Magic Kingdom!

 

I headed over to Apocoalypse: The Last Stand for my first ride of the day.

 

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Boy, what a mistake that was. Holy sh!t... How can a park possibly take 10-20 minutes to dispatch a train?? All I kept hearing the ride operators say over, and over, and over, and over, and OVER, and OVER, and OVER, AND OVER, and FU**INIG OVER... Was "Please stand all the way up, this is Apocoalypse The Last Stand not The Last Sit." -- "STANT UP... STOP SITTIN DOWN!" -- "I DONE SAIT STANT UP!" -- "AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FO YOU TO SAT." -- I quickly realized that I when I got out of my car I stepped right out of Beverly Hills, and right into the Ghetto!!

 

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"This is Apocoalypse The Last Stand not The Last Sit." (Seriously, I heard this phrase at least 300-400 times during my 15-20 minute wait... Mind you this was all of like a 3 train wait.

 

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Resistance?? It's like Six Flags new a long time ago what the results would be of the 2016 election.

 

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At least there was theming.

 

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I'll take some beat up metal thrown on the ground as "theming" over no theming any day!

 

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There were some decent views from Apocoalypse line.

 

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This is the "Don't mind me... I'm just going to dangle you upside down so all your change falls out of your pocket so Six Flags can pay for their next new attraction." Part of Bourbon Street Fireball.

 

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How many attractions can you count running in this photo?? They giving Cedar Point a run for their money when it comes to operations!!! Clearly kidding.

 

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I'll be riding that wood later!

 

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It looks so pretty!!

 

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That support drives me crazy!!!

 

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Just like my ex, it looks pretty... But the ride is awful!!

 

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The only thing missing from this photo is a train...

 

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Would you look at that, a train!! ... Ask and ye shall receive.

 

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So basically this is all there is to the coaster...

 

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It does this little pre-drop thingy...

 

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Then the "big drop."

 

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Then through a loop, around some turns, and into the fake MCBR... OMG!!! #FAKECOASTERPARTS

 

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Oh, and it has this corkscrew thing. Overall it's not a "bad ride." But omg, it sure slams your head around. . . This thing give's Vekoma a run for it's money with head bangage...

 

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I must be hungry, because I still can't find that big woodie I was wanting to ride...

 

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I guess this will have to do.

 

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It actually was not nearly as bad as I was expecting... I really enjoyed the ride, and wouldn't mind riding it again!

 

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It had a nice twisted layout, and nice pops of air here and there...

 

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It also has some nice lateral g's!

 

All in all, it was a decent ride. Like I said, I really enjoyed it, and it was not nearly as rough as I was expecting!

 

Next up was Voodoo Drop! Given I had just rode Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom the day before, I figured this drop tower would be a walk in the park!

 

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Awww, look at that little baby tower! It's so cute!!

 

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Some of these buttons make you go up... Some of these buttons make you go down.

 

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Awww, look at it being all cute like "Look at me mommy, I just want to be a big drop tower!"

 

Next up?

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Hahahahahahahahaha Joker Hahahahahahahaha

 

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Well, I'm still missing the Flight Of Fear credit at Kings Dominion. But once I snag that one, I will have all of these clone credits in the US!

 

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Like a typical bowl of spaghetti, it's all a twisted mess, but some how still good.

 

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Some how it all happens so quickly, and you have no idea which way was up.

 

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Some how this twisted mess, is still really pretty!

 

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Operations on this were horrible as well, so this is the only time I managed to get a photo of the train in action. . .

 

Anywho, moving on with our lives... Time to take a look around the park.

 

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WTF happened to this ride?? It's like "Hey, let's take this ride down.. but not all of it. Lets leave this little bit sticking out to make coaster enthusiast cringe."

 

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Awww, look at that little baby Skycoaster. It's so cute.

 

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Holy Tata's!! . . . Maybe if I stand right here I will get a nice up-skirt shot!!

 

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Well that's the most disappointing up-skirt shot I've ever seen. . .

 

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Next up?? Another woodie!!! Oh how I love me a good woodie!!

 

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1...2...3...4...5...6... Hey look! Six Flags finally got it right... There is actually six flags!!!

 

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It's an oldie, but goodie...

 

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Take the... tunnel??

 

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Some nice woodie airtime.

 

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This is when I learned what it feels like when I forget to bank my turns in No Limits...

 

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Off to Gotham City!!

 

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Na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na... BATWING!!!

 

Sadly, I didn't get to ride Batwing, so instead I headed over to Superman... Lord knows I like Superman more than Batman anyway... Superman is such a hottie!

 

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Time to ride some steel!!

 

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I guess Superman doesn't believe in recycling... Because he just leaving his rubber ever where.

 

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For all of you who wanted to see Superman's Naughty Bits... (Sorry, I had to censor this photo with a light post.)

 

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Not going to lie... I really loved Superman in the back!! He gave such a great ride!!!

 

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This was my first Intamin "megacoaster" or "hypercoaster" or whatever kind of coaster it is... And HOLY SHIT!!! I LOVED IT!!! Move over B&M, there is a better hyper in town!!

 

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GIRLLL YOU BETTER HOLD ON TO THAT WEAVE!!!

 

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Hmmmm, what's this??

 

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That's a big spool!!

 

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All those pretty tower pieces just laying around...

 

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WOW!! That's a big ball!

 

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Check out that #WeaveTime!

 

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I think this is about the point where I ate some random woman's weave. (True Story) I was laughing, and BAM! Next thing I know there was part of a weave in my mouth, and it tasted like coconut. . . That being said, when we were sitting on the brake run the lady whose weave I ate was actually really nice, and we all had a good laugh about it.

 

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Superman trying to eject people into oblivion.

 

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The only thing better than going up twice, is going down twice!!

 

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Hmmm, there is something missing from this photo...

 

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Ahhh, much better!

 

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Superman does look really good with the sun going down behind him!

 

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These riders don't know what they are in for...

 

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Next to Maverick, I think this might be my favorite airtime hill on any roller coaster... Yeah, it was that good.

 

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Had enough Superman photos yet??

 

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Fine... I'll change it up... Look, Batwing.

 

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See?? I wasn't lying... There's Batwing!!

 

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Sorry, Superman got jealous of all the Batwing photos, and as punishment he really did launch all the riders out into oblivion.

 

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What. A. Great. Coaster. This. Is!

 

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All in all, I really did enjoy my day at SFA. I went in with really REALLY low expectations, and I really enjoyed myself. Is this a world class amusement park?? My god no. But it really was enjoyable. I even enjoyed myself enough to forgive the, at times, terrible operations. Next year I will probably hit up Kings Dominion again instead of SFA. . . RMC Huller will be calling my name!

 

Apocoalypse: The Last Stand: Was a pretty painful ride, with a forgettable layout. But I still go the credit!! 5/10

 

Roar: Was a surprisingly fun coaster. I thought it was going to beat the hell out of me, and it didn't... And I ended up enjoying it!! 7/10

 

Voodoo Drop: Sorry, but after having ridden Zumanjaro the day before, this felt like a frog hopper. 4/10

 

Wild One: Holy crap! This thing was a lot of fun. Loved the double up, and the double down!! And the weird "OMG!! We forgot to bank the turn" last turn was a lot of fun! 7/10

 

Jokers Jinx: I mean, once you've been on one, you have kind of been on all of them... 6/10

 

Superman: Ride Of Steel: By far my favorite ride in the park!! That thing is insane!!! The first drop is great, the airtime on this coaster is insane!!! And the positive g's are amazing!!! To date this is still the only roller coaster I've ever been on that forced a woman's weave into my mouth!! 10/10

 

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Hope you enjoyed!! Busch Gardens Willamsburg coming soon!!

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Great report! I had an ok visit to Six Flags America since there were no lines so the terrible operations (such as 10 minute Batwing dispatches) weren't a major issue. The park let me down by having Superman down for the day but I had ridden Darien's mirror image the year before. It's a good hyper, but of the Intamin megas I've been on, it's at the bottom which is a testament how good their rides are.

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The last picture you took is gorgeous!! Superman is a really fun coaster. The brake run placement kind of sucks but that's a minor gripe on an otherwise great ride. "Yay we're flying!!! Airtime, airtime, airti--Unnghhh" (into the restraint). I'm not surprised you ate someone's weave on it but that's still hilarious!!

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  • 1 month later...

Time for another update! Again, sorry, it's been so long... Life has been super busy. Anyway, on with this trip report:

 

Trip 2 - Part 4: Busch Gardens Williamsburg

 

Busch Gardens Williamsburg still remains my favorite theme park of all time! There is just something about this park. . . It's so beautiful. It has a great collection of attractions. The staff is amazing. The food is great. . . I really do just love the park! As many of you know, last year my visit to the park was... Unique to say the least. There were all of maybe 500 people in the park, and that's stretching it. 99% of the time I was in the park I never saw another guest. I'm pretty positive there were more employees in the park than there were guest. Needless to say with the park that empty, it made for a really great visit despite the pouring rain. . . Which to my surprise they still kept the rides up and running even with heavy rain! Front row on Apollos Chariots in the pouring rain hurts so good!! With that being said this year the forecast called for clear skies, and nice warm weather. So in the back of my mind I was afraid I might not enjoy the park as much given it was likely going to be packed, and it would make for a polar opposite visit from last year. So... How did it go? Read on to find out!

 

I timed everything so that I got to the park about 30 minutes prior to opening, and I was greeted by this nice small cluster of cars around me:

 

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I thought to myself "Well, this isn't that bad. Maybe it will be a slower day at the park after all!"

 

A short period of time later the gates opened, and into the parking lot we went! One of the perks to getting to the park early is that you get a really good parking spot! So after parking, I got out and decided to walk to the park because it was close, and I didn't feel like waiting for a tram! As I was walking I noticed this:

 

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DAMN!! It's going to be a busy day.

 

But as busy as it may become, I had these two beauties to look forward to getting to ride:

 

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La Pasta Coaster really is a great addition to the park. It's placement might be a bit weird, but it's such a fun ride experience. The only thing I wish the park would have done differently with it, would be having dual loading stations to help with capacity a little. That being said, these clones are REALLY underrated. I'd love to see more of them pop up at US parks.

 

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Let the beauty of this park begin!

 

Into the park we go:

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Yes, fun really does begin here!

 

I really love that the park is broken up into heavily themed areas. When you are walking through the park it really does feel like you have been transported to a different place!

 

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Still better than Six Flags.

 

Of course, I knew what the first ride of the day needed to be. Given that it was the new hotness for this year, and it was shaping up to be a really busy day at the park, I wanted to make sure I got this out of the way early on so I wasn't stuck waiting in a decade long line later on!

 

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This whole area is so well themed, and this massive entrance is awesome!!

 

It's pretty hard to get any photos of this coaster.

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Off they go:

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For my first ride I took to the back row:

 

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I love the attention to detail on EVERYTHING for this coaster. BGW gives Disney a run for their money when it comes to theming.

 

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Sooo... What did I think of InvadR? Well, honestly... It was okay. It wasn't anything "AMAZING!" I didn't get off of it thinking "OMFG. I MUST RIDE THAT AGAIN AND AGAIN!!!" But it wasn't bad. Not by any means. It was a fun ride, and a GREAT addition to the park. Families seemed to be loving it! Obviously not every ride in the park needs to be a "rip your face off, 3,000ft tall, 200mph extreme coaster." So it's nice that the park has built this coaster. It's a great stepping stone for kids wanting to move on to the "bigger coasters" but don't want to take on something like Griffion or Apollos Chariots. That being said, the ride was pretty forgettable. I'd ride it again, but it's nothing I would care to wait more than probably 20 minutes for.

 

Next up?

 

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No thanks... I actually skipped it this visit. I wasn't wanting to get moist that early in the day.

 

After leaving the InvadR area, I was headed to Alpengeist when I walked past this:

 

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Which is were I was informed that BGW would be building a 315 ft tall Giga coaster for 2019. Who knows, we shall see.

 

Alpengeist is such a great coaster... But it's only a "once per visit" coaster. This thing is a BEAST!!

 

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It's crazy fast, and amazingly forceful! To the point it makes my legs go numb... Which is weird.

 

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Such a great coaster, with a nice mix of elements! But dear god that cobra roll is deadly.

 

Continuing on our journey, the next coaster of the day?

 

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While I didn't get 23 rides on it this visit like I did last year, I still managed 12 rides!

 

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I LOVE the thrill of hanging over that drop in one of the front edge seats. You are out over nothing, and so far away from the track. Such a great experience.

 

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Going down!

 

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Such a MASSIVE inversion!

 

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Please don't vomit... Please don't vomit...

 

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Those trains are HUGE!

 

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Griffon likes to wet himself.

 

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Okay, fine. Last Griffon photo for this trip report.

 

Continuing around the park:

 

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Such a nice area in the park!

 

What is this I see??

 

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*cough*

 

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*cough*

 

Okay, call me crazy... But I really do LOVE this ride:

 

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It's a decently long ride, and it has some really great effects.

 

What is this I see?

 

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Will this be another missed drop tower credit this year,?? Read on to find out! (Last year it was closed my entire visit)

 

Next to Griffon I think this is my second favorite coaster in the park:

 

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It provides such a fun ride.

 

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It has such great theming!

 

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This launches are powerful, and fun. The show building is a nice twisted mess of awesomeness. The drop track is amazing. The final drop out over the river is beautiful, and provides some nice air in the back! All around it's a great coaster. It's not overly intense which makes it very re-rideable.

 

Next up?

 

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Such an amazing coaster!! Like, butt say goodbye to the seat! Hello airtime!! And this coaster is so much more enjoyable when you are NOT riding it during a downpour!!

 

Time to take a few laps on Apollos neighbor.

 

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La Pasta Coaster is such a great ride! The backwards launch is surprisingly powerful. The airtime you get at the going into the top of the tower is amazing. The SLOOOOOOOOOOW roll at the top is awesome, and a real "restraint don't fail me now" moment! I know a lot of people don't care for this ride. But I really do enjoy it.

 

Hmmm, is the train traveling forwards, or backwards??

 

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The world may never know.

 

Lunch time!

 

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Mmmmmm sausage!!

 

Lunch... and a show??

 

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The show was pretty cheesy, but it was still entertaining, and fun to watch. It was nice to get to sit down, and eat... and relax for a while.

 

Back outside, let's take a journey around the park before hitting up any more rides!

 

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#FlowerPower

 

*gasp* What's this?!?!

 

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#PridePlate

 

I think this bird is like important or something...

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(Obviously I was kidding) I know that the significance of these birds, and its interesting to get to hear the story behind these birds, and what BGW has done to help rehabilitate them.

 

Anyways, moving on... What's this??

 

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That's actually a pretty setting!

 

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Going down...

 

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Hey, that's not that bad! It looks like you only get a little moist! Maybe I will give this a go!

 

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OH DEAR GOD!! NO!!! That is an unacceptable amount of moisture!!

 

Hmmm, what's next??

 

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What a beautiful setting for a coaster!

 

Two trains, one shot??

 

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That's not that hard at this park!

 

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#Fountain

 

No. No. No. NO! NO!

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You have already beat my brains ones for the day. I won't let you do it again!! #SorryNotSorry

 

WHOA!!! What is this?!

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Are those actually people?! ... Turns out, yes it was!! I finally got the Mach Tower credit, and it did NOT disappoint. The views from this ride a probably some of the best of any drop tower in the world! The drop itself is great! It seems much longer than I was expecting. I forget exactly how many rides I got on Mach Tower that day, but I know it was in the high 20's! Such a great ride!!

 

Well, that's all for Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Over all, I had another GREAT visit to the park, and I can't wait to be back next season!

 

Goodbye DC!

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Next part?? Dollywood... Coming soon(ish)!

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Great photos! I've heard such great things about Busch Gardens, and your report is highly encouraging me to go.... I have a vague plan for a Carowinds/Kings Dominion/Busch Gardens trip with stops at Monticello, Mt. Vernon, and Jamestown. This will happen one day, but not soon.

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Great photos! I've heard such great things about Busch Gardens, and your report is highly encouraging me to go.... I have a vague plan for a Carowinds/Kings Dominion/Busch Gardens trip with stops at Monticello, Mt. Vernon, and Jamestown. This will happen one day, but not soon.

 

That would be a Coasters and Culture trip!!

 

If I had unlimited funds and time, I would do a Coasters and Culture trip through Europe one summer

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  • 2 weeks later...

Edit: Holy crap, I didn't realize how long this post would end up being!! Hopefully, since I took the time to write it, you all will take some time to read it all!

 

Now, before I get started, let me just say that there will be no photos with this report. I had taken a few hundred pictures at DW, and I've been putting off uploading them to my computer. . . Well a few days ago, my phone flipped sh!t and restored itself to factory default. Which is slightly frustrating because I lost all my contacts!! . . . and all my photos! I know, I know... I should have backed them up. But oh well, we live and we learn. Anywho's on with the TR:

 

Trip 3: Part 1- Dollywood

 

Given that SDC is our home park... We have always wanted to go to Dollywood to see how the two compare. The theming at SDC is enough to give Disney and Universal a run for their money, so I was really curious to see how DW compared. Not to mention that SDC's staff is always so friendly and amazing!! So how would DW live up to our expectations?? Read on to find out!

 

Day 1

 

So day one we wen't to the park in the afternoon for a few hours. Nothing major since we were going to have a very LONG day at the park the next day. So we get to the park, and the first thing we did was headed to LR since it was up and running! We ended up waiting about 20 minutes. Took a lap on it, (which left us highly disappointed) and moved on to the next ride. We continued down the path and hit up Blazin' Fury, then over to Tennessee Tornado, and the Fire Chaser Express. So I'm not sure what was with that day, but we both had killer headaches, and my partner ended up getting super motion sick on Tennessee Tornado. Fire Chaser Express about killed him, so we decided to call it a day so he could try to recover before the next day at the park. At some point this day we did get to ride Mountain Slidewinder. I think it was as we were leaving, and he thought he could handle it. (Which he could, but I didn't want to push anything else.)

 

Day 2

 

So day two started off bright and early in the morning. Right at park opening. And of course, yet again the first thing we did was hit up LR. We grabbed a front row ride, and HOLY FU**ING SH!T!!! I don't know how we could have possibly been disappointed by the coaster the day before. It seriously was like we stepped onto a completely different ride. I think the day before we were so miserable with a headache, and feeling terrible that it prevented us from truly enjoying the ride. But OMG!! That coaster is INSANE!!! (Full review later on. But OMG!) After LR we again hit up Blazin' Fury, and skipped Tennessee Tornado this time, just to be on the safe side. I didn't want to ruin the day for us again like yesterday. So we went over to Wild Eagle, then Fire Chaser Express, Thunderhead, Drop Line, eventually Mystery Mine, Dare Devil Falls, Smoky Mountain River Rampage, and who knows what else. But we did get on everything in the park we wanted to get on... Several times. I think the highlight of the trip for me was getting to do a tour of the Mystery Mine maintenance area. My partner is an engineer, (and a bit of a nerd) so for him to get to see all the "Behind the scenes) and all of the "how this works" and "what this part does" was amazing for him. I found it all very interesting, but to him... he was like a kid in a candy store. I think we spent a good hour, to an hour and a half down there, and he enjoyed every second of it. It was so nice to get to stand back and just watch him truly enjoying something. I knew we would get to do this a few days before the trip, but I kept it a secret from him because I wanted it to be a little surprise for him... and I am so glad that it worked out the way it did. I knew he would enjoy it, but I had no idea he would enjoy it as much as he did. It made the entire trip worth it just to see him that happy!

 

Anywho, on with the reviews:

 

Barnstormer: Since SDC is our home park, and we have ridden their Giant Barn Swing thousands of times... We weren't overly "excited" for this ride, as much as we just wanted to ride it to see how they compare. They are pretty similar rides, and I'm sure it is just my imigination but it seems like Barnstormer swung up to "maximum height" more times than SDC's does. Either way, it's a great ride, and the theming is awesome! 2 rides - 6/10

 

Blazing Fury: Again, with Fire-In-The-Hole at our home park, I was curious to see how Blazing Fury would compare. . . Yep, as expected the two rides are pretty much the same. I did learn a fun fact though! So there is "Molly" who is one of the charters in the ride she is in the first "real" ride scene where she is trying to escape the burning hotel by jumping off the second floor into the firemen's net below. And this is the conversation that takes place...

Molly: "Luther John, hold that net still 'cause I gotta jump."

 

Luther "John: Now, now, Molly you be careful 'cause I got a weak back."

 

Molly: "Weak back or not Luther John, here I come!"

 

Turns out Molly is actually Dolly!! The first time we rode it I didn't notice it, but once it was pointed out to us that it was Dolly's voice, all the times we rode it after that it was VERY clear!! (I'm sure that's a fact that everyone already knew, but we didn't so thought I would share!) Anyway, 6 rides - 7/10 (Just because it's so relaxing yet still enjoyable, and it's a nice long ride)

 

Chasing Rainbows: At one point during the day we wanted to take a break and we went through the Chasing Rainbows museum. It was really interesting to see how Dolly has changed over time. One thing I never knew was how short she really is!! (Not that it matters any, it was just an interesting thing to learn) Anyways, She has always been a super beautiful lady, and it seems like she has never aged!! (I guess that's what plastic can do for you!) And OMG what a colorful array of clothes she has/had! It was a nice break, and fun to get to see all of the artifacts. 7/10.

 

Daredevil Falls: We love us a good log flume, and this was no different!! This log flume was a decently long log flume, with some awesome theming, and the drop at the end was awesome!! 1 ride - 7/10.

 

Dolly's Home-on-Wheels: So this was something I was actually really excited to get to see!! And yes, it lived up to the expectations!! What was even more interesting was all the awesome facts we learned about it from the super knowledgeable lady that was there. For example: I never knew that Dolly was claustrophobic. Her claustrophobia was so bad she had mirrors installed in the ceiling of the bus to make it feel bigger! It was awesome to get to see how she lived when on the road, and to get to hear some awesome stories!! 7/10.

 

Dollywood Express: Now, I'm usually not much for park trains, But I thought I'd give this one a go. It was a very informative train ride, but dear god I must have sat in the wrong seat. I kept getting "embers" or "ash" from the engine in my eyes... Holy crap that made for a miserable experience. That being said, I do wish they had a mid loop "show" kind of like SDC has. That really felt like the only thing missing from the train ride. That being said, it was still enjoyable... embers and all! 7/10.

 

Drop Line: I was pretty pumped for Drop Line (now that I have gotten over my fear of Drop Towers) I was hoping this would provide so amazing views, and boy did it ever!! The views from Drop Line were seriously amazing!! I loved getting to sit at the top and do a few slow rotations before rising the rest of the way up to drop! The drop was great too!! Some where between 13 and 18 rides. - 9/10.

 

FireChaser Express: So I really wasn't expecting much out of this coaster. I figured it would just be a glorified kiddie coaster. And while, yes that may be what it is... It was still a LOT of fun!! The first launch was nice with a decent kick to it... There was some NICE airtime throughout the ride, and the backwards launch was great!! I loved the theming, and the coaster was SUPER smooth!! 8 rides - 8/10.

 

Lightning Rod: So as many of you know, the first day we rode it... We got off VERY underwhelmed. (Also, never post something like that on TPR in the DW thread... It's kind of the end of the world.) That being said, the second day that coaster BLEW US AWAY!! Holy f**k!! The launch is nice and powerful, yet not neck snapping forceful. The Dolly humps at the top provide some nice air. The drop provides some GREAT air in the front, and some "JESUS F**K RESTRAINT DON'T FAIL ME NOW" airtime in the back. The rest of the elements are a fast, crazy blur.. and then comes that quad down!! Oh. Dear God. It is probably the most amazing element I have ever experienced on any coaster... EVER!! Like, A$$ say goodbye to the seat. Seriously it's like they are actively trying to eject you from the ride!! Lightning Rod was so amazing, it stole my #1 wooden coaster spot which Outlaw Run held for so long!! 20(ish) rides - 10/10!!

 

Mountain Slidewinder: So, I never had the chance to experience this attractions sister at SDC, so I was really excited to get on this ride!! I really didn't know much about it going in, so I didn't know what to expect. But HOLY CRAP!! That thing is crazy!! (Even though I know it wouldn't happen) there were several points I thought the raft was going to flip over. We were so high up in those turns!! OMG!! What a great ride. I have no idea why SDC took theirs out, yet DW manages to keep running theirs... But now I really wish SDC still had theirs. That ride was so much fun!! 1 ride - 9/10.

 

Mystery Mine: So aside from the super awesome maintenance tour of this ride... How does the actual ride rate?? Well, sadly the ride was down probably 90% of our visit. . . So I didn't get to get in nearly as many rides as I wish I could have... but this thing was actually a LOT of fun!! The theming was AMAZING!!! The slow outward banked turn was fun, the drops were great!! I actually loved the abrupt drop off the outdoor MCBR, into that weird, painful, car wreck feeling turn... The second lift was awesome!! I loved the screen at the top projecting a little "show" as your climbing up, and the FIRE!!! OMG!!! FIRE!! Followed by that awesome dive, the back outdoors into some crazy inversions, with AMAZING hangtime, then into a ball crushing brake run. Yep, that about sums it up. I had NO idea the ride would be as rough as it was. Holy crap. It seriously felt like I was being tossed around inside of a car during a car wreck. That being said, once I learned a little better how to "brace for impact" during the ride... I really REALLY liked it!!! It ended up being my favorite ride in the park!! Not saying that it is better than LR, because LR is amazing. I just personally preferred Mystery Mine. It's a nice longer ride, with some awesome theming, and great elements!! Idk... Maybe LR and MM are tied for my favorite ride in the park... It's so hard to pick. Anyway... 4 rides - 10/10.

 

Smoky Mountain River Rampage: There really isn't all that much to say about this ride. It was a pretty mediocre rapids ride. . . It was fun, and we were left slightly moist... Just like my typical Friday night. 1 ride - 6/10.

 

Tennessee Tornado: Everyone always says "Oh Tennessee Tornado is the best Arrow Dynamic coaster there is." So I go into it thinking "The best Arrow Dynamic coaster?? Great. So I'm thinking this is going to be like buying the "best worst prostitute" you could find. Maybe the ride will be good, but am I going to be left with regret, and remorse?? --- Turns out that wasn't the case at all!! Holy Crap!! That drop goes on for days!!! To the point I got lightheaded during the drop. (Not sure why, but it happened every time we rode it.) That loop is MASSIVE!! I was legit getting hangtime at the top of that thing!! The rest of the elements were nicely placed, and the pacing was great. The ride sure seemed to end really abruptly thought. It had so much momentum left, and then BAM brakes!! Like, did they forget to build the rest of the ride or what?? Well, as short as it may have been it was still a lot of fun, and didn't make my partner sick the second day! 6 rides - 8/10.

 

Thunderhead: WTF happened to this ride?! It's like the step-child that Dollywood forgot about. I'm sure this ride use to be a great ride... But holy shit. Someone give this thing some TLC!!! I about broke a rib during the ride. The best parts of the ride were the lift hill, and brake run. Mainly because they were straight, and smooth. . . Oh how I love me a straight and smooth... Wait, what are we talking about??? Oh, yeah... Thunderhead... That's right. I was kind of excited for this "station fly through" thing. Yeah, It was a much better idea than it was in practice. When off ride it just makes the station ungoldy loud when a train comes flying by... and on ride, it happens so fast I hardly noticed it. Anyway, yeah... Thunderhead needs some TLC. 1 ride - 4/10.

 

Wild Eagle: What can be said about Wild Eagle??? It's a B&M Wing Coaster... It's blue... It has super awesomely themed trains... Ummm... Yeah, that's about it. Wild Eagle is by no means a *bad* ride... It's just kind of forgettable. It was super smooth, and pretty forceful, with a nice mix of elements... But nothing that makes it "OMG AMAZING!!" We rode it several times, and enjoyed it. . . But that's about all there is to it. 8 rides - 6/10.

 

All in all how did Dollywood compare to SDC?? Well, as I said in the DW thread... After spending so many years at SDC, walking into Dollywood was like one of those weird theme park dreams, where you know that you are suppose to be at SDC, but nothing is lining up the way it actually would if you were there... Yeah, that's about how it compared. The park was beautiful!! Amazing theming throughout!! A great mix of attractions. There was seriously something for everyone!! From the tiny little kidos, to the seasoned coaster enthusiast! It's a beautiful park, with great landscaping, and a beautiful location. The staff was good, but not quite as good as SDC. Now maybe I am just biased because I have spent more time at SDC... But I still prefer SDC to Dollywood. Both are great parks, and awesome in their own ways... But SDC is still my favorite of the two.

 

(Part 2: Splash Country coming soon!)

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Awesome! Like you, I had wanted to go to Dollywood for years but put it off because it's so similar to SDC. I actually think it edges out SDC, just because it's bigger. It's the same, just more of it, so I liked it better. But SDC's theming is more consistent and it does much better at spreading out rides for all ages, putting high thrill rides next to rides for younger guests. Whichever you prefer, they're both really great.

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Whichever you prefer, they're both really great.

 

Agreed. They are both great parks. Very worthy of the great awards they win!!

 

How'd you get to do the Mystery Mine maintenance tour? VIP tour? Or was it just something they were doing?

 

It was something our tour guide asked us if we would be interested in doing, and of course I jumped on it. I knew my partner would enjoy it... But I had no idea he would enjoy it as much as he did. And HOLY CRAP!!! Mystery Mine's brakes are insanely heavy!!

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