Robb & Elissa in the USA - 2017!

Trip Updates:

Day 1 - Carowinds
Day 2 - Dollywood
Day 3 - Pigeon Forge & Gatlingurg
Day 4 - Kings Island
Day 5 - Holiday World!
Day 6 - Six Flags St. Louis!
Day 7 - St. Louis City Museum!

Our 2017 USA tour has begun! With only a small group of 20 people we will travel from Charlotte, NC to Kansas City, MO hitting along the way: Carowinds, Dollywood, Kings Island, Holiday World, Six Flags St. Louis, City Museum, Silver Dollar City, and Worlds of Fun! Of course there will be some other random stops and fun along the way!

Today the trip kicked off at Carowinds! It had been a few years since we were last year but the B&M collection has gotten bigger at this park... MUCH bigger! In fact Fury 325 is at the moment the tallest "traditional" coaster in the USA (meaning a full ride that is more than just a one-trick pony) and that ride delivers some incredible speed and force! Our night ERT on it was just incredible and a perfect way to start off the trip!

But enough of this text business, let's move on to some photos & videos!


We have officially kicked off our USA trip this year! On our way to Carowinds for some Fury Fun!


Who wishes they could be here with us riding Fury 325?


This is how we roll at parks! Love the Fast Lane passes!


North Carolina or South Carolina? Choose one!


Just took our first ride on Fury 325! That is one FAST roller coaster!


Some people see two loops on a roller coaster, we see a HUGE smile... which is what we do when we are at Carowinds!


What do we think? Will Vortex eventually become a "floorless" coaster? Yes/No?


Quite possibly the best thing Cedar Fair parks has ever done... switching to Coke!




Who wants to be riding roller coasters over whatever you're doing right now?



OMG! AfterBurn is as old as Dragon Challenge! Quick! Tell Carowinds to replace this world class coaster with a "family ride!"



I'm a sucker for old-school fast punchy B&M inverts. As much as I liked Fury, the back seat on Afterburn is still my favorite park "moment" at Carowinds!


Because three grown adults on a kids wood coaster is totally normal right? RIGHT???

Sure! Of course we will take a ride on the Wild Mouse!

Time to be zombies and go shoot some plants!


Just took a "dusk" ride on Fury 325! Damn that ride hauls A$$!


Do you think we were having a good time on Fury 325?


And I think we are having a bit of fun on Intimidator also!




We've ran into so many TPR fans today at Carowinds! You guys are all awesome!!!




Night time ERT has begun on Fury 325! OMG! This ride is NUTS at night!




Taking turns doing solo night rides on Fury 325 because we can! When you only have 20 people, an hour ERT on the coaster, and they are running two trains, you can have a bit of fun!


Let's hear it for the ladies on Fury 325!

Kristen from @OceanSprayInc shows Jack how to harvest cranberries! @WaltDisneyWorld #EpcotFoodFestival @WDWToday pic.twitter.com/UMnKfUdzS5

— Theme Park Review (@ThemeParkReview) September 26, 2015

Who wishes they could be filling a seat on this train?

Kristen from @OceanSprayInc shows Jack how to harvest cranberries! @WaltDisneyWorld #EpcotFoodFestival @WDWToday pic.twitter.com/UMnKfUdzS5

— Theme Park Review (@ThemeParkReview) September 26, 2015

I think it would appear that we all liked Fury325!


The crew at Fury 325 were... AWESOME! We them so much!!!


Our visit to Carowinds today is complete! We had an AMAZING time! Fury 325 was fantastic! Thank you!!!


Jared bought seven shirts today at Carowinds that he used as a blanket when he fell asleep on the bus! lol He had a GREAT day!


The next morning we were the first people to arrive at Carowinds!


Shawn is here and he will give us a backstage tour of Fury325!


Yay! We are here at Fury325 with Shawn & Laresa for an AWESOME backstage tour of this incredible roller coaster!




Our backstage tour has taken us to the maintenance area with an explanation on how Carowinds does work on Fury325!





This computer room is the nerve center for Fury325! It controls every electronic aspect of the coaster!


What can we say? We loved Fury325!

Kristen from @OceanSprayInc shows Jack how to harvest cranberries! @WaltDisneyWorld #EpcotFoodFestival @WDWToday pic.twitter.com/UMnKfUdzS5

— Theme Park Review (@ThemeParkReview) September 26, 2015

Now please POST YOUR COMMETS! After all, we took the time to write the report, thru very least you can do is say something about it!

[KBrylczykI'd like to buy a vowel!]

Those Fury headrests remind me of something...

Oh yeah! This!

I'm a sucker for old-school fast punchy B&M inverts. As much as I liked Fury, the back seat on Afterburn is still my favorite park "moment" at Carowinds!

My thoughts exactly. After waiting 13 years to ride Afterburn again, it still rode exactly like I remembered it. Smoother than newer B&M's, the wing over at the end is nuts, and the little things like the turn and dip before the immelman make it one memorable coaster!

Thanks for the live updates and posting the full reports here! I just got a timehop to the Texas trip and it's awesome to see a TPR USA tour ticking off this week

[RAWKIN_coaster38Why do I still have a donkey title???]

I finally got to visit this park recently and LOVED Fury as well! Afterburn was definitely the surprise of my trip, those back row rides are super intense and amazing!

Looks like your trip is kicking off with a ton of fun and great coasters. Love the updates!

[theredskull84What would donkeys be like on the moon?]

Loving it so far, Robb! Eagerly awaiting more...

[coneyislandchrisChallenge me at Donkey Kong...I dare ya!]

Who wants to be riding roller coasters over whatever you're doing right now?

Carowinds has been my favorite park I've visited so far this year, and I hope to get back there more frequently! Super jealous of that ERT Fury session too.

[chickenbowlNothing beats Cali coasters]

Glad to hear you liked Fury, Robb! I'd love to hear some retrospective opinions regarding recent B&Ms, etc.

Do you think this is your favorite hyper-style B&M? I know you really enjoy Nitro and a few others
Is this among your favorite post-2000 B&M?
Anything you didn't "like" about it?
Does Fury and Flying Dino give you hope for the future of forceful B&Ms? (I know it does for me!)

Thanks for the updates!

PS - Sending good vibes to your crew to get on Lightning Rod in the coming days. I REALLY want to hear your opinion on my favorite coaster!

[prospekt88Full Fledged Donkey Enthusiast!]

Seems like a perfect start to what looks to be an awesome trip!

I'm assuming you guys will be in Kansas City well before August 21? Would've been a cool end to the trip to be right in path of the total solar eclipse.

[jarmortoken black guy]

Next year I'm there!

Glad to hear you liked Fury, Robb! I'd love to hear some retrospective opinions regarding recent B&Ms, etc.

Some interesting questions. I'll try to answer as best I can.

Do you think this is your favorite hyper-style B&M? I know you really enjoy Nitro and a few others

I think it's very different than Nitro. If anything Fury reminded me more of a bigger Raging Bull before they neutered Raging Bull. But I'm honestly not sure which I prefer if I had to choose. I loved Fury, but there were things about it that kept it from being a "top ten" ride for me.

Is this among your favorite post-2000 B&M?

Yes most certainly.

Anything you didn't "like" about it?

The trims. I felt like every time it wanted to give me ejector airtime, it would hit a trim and deliver "nice" airtime. Rides like Mako do the same thing. You have this lead-in moment where you're going "holycrap holycrap holycrap!!!" anticipating what is about to come, then you hit the trim and go "awwww..."

Does Fury and Flying Dino give you hope for the future of forceful B&Ms? (I know it does for me!)

More forceful than they have been in recent years yes, but not as forceful as B&Ms early years. That night ride I took on Ice Dragon the other day and even the first section of AfterBurn felt more forceful than anything on Fury IMO.