BobFunland
Posts: 7962
Registered: 8/9/2001
Rank: Site Moderator
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 5/26/2005 5:13:03 PM
Mid-Atlantic Adventure 2005
Cast of Characters (names may be interchanged):
Christina - girlfriend
Jay - Hercules
Nathan - Cyclonic
Larry - larrygator
Day 1: Six Flags Great Adventure
May 19, 2005
We arrived at the park around 11, picked up passes for the passholder-preview for Kingda Ka, and decided to head to the Boardwalk area first, hoping to catch Superman with a small line early in the day. We were wrong, and Superman's line stretched out of the queue. We headed over to the Scream Machine instead, and after a 20 minute wait we took a ride. I didn't think it would be all too rough, but I was wrong big time (at least it produced one of the funniest on-ride photos in memory, with two faces that tell of the agony). We did catch a couple of early launches for Ka, and were just happy to get a chance to ride later in the day. Next, we went around the corner and checked out the Golden Kingdom and I as impressed with what Six Flags put together back there. The animals were a great touch, though I can see where problems may arise with the turtles (the short fence was easy for a kid to hop over and lay down next to one of the giant turtles to take a photo, which undoubtedly scared the hell out of the reptile).
Next, we headed back to the Frontier area, and hopped in line for Medusa, which was also about 20 mins for the front row. Medusa was a solid ride, and the setting was great. We then went over and rode the mine train, which we were able to walk up to the station for, but the ride ops were too busy trying to emuate the Gestapo and taking far too much time. They managed to take a two-ride wait and turn it into 10 minutes. The ride was ok, it got a bit rough on my big legs, but the real detractor was the operations, at least to me. We then decided to eat, stopping at Ted's Cheesecakes. The food was pretty good but the pricing was probably the highest we saw all trip. Over to the other side of the park we went.
My girlfriend, a sucker for animals, saw the dolphin show and wanted to watch. I agreed to it, but with a bit of time to kill we hit Skull Mountain, which was a walk-on, and a fun little ride. Back to the dolphin show, which we both enjoyed but I don't think it's quite on the level of Sea World yet (still good for SF). It was now 2:50, and we went over and rode Batman in the back row after a 15 min wait. Same old same old, though I did like the new paint scheme more in person. By that time, our date with 128mph had drawn near. We entered around 3:30, which was our ticketed time, and waited about 30 mins for a back row launch. Though it lacks the originality of Dragster, I still think the great themeing redeemed it plenty. Also like Dragster, they had lockers at the entrance, though I wonder if those are enough for a 3+ hour queue. The line is incredbily long too, it's probably longer than Dueling Dragons, which is a big feat. Coming off, we ran into Herc who we missed earlier. He went and rode, though it would be a while before we caught back up.
We then went over and rode Rolling Thunder. The ride was another short wait, but 1-train operations hindered the experience. The ride was not as bad as depicted, though Nathan assures me that it was running better than usual. Speaking of, coming off of the ride, he called me and just so happened to be near the exit. We met up, and talked our way to the gate. Christina and I had intended on going to the Wild Safari part of the park, but it closed before we could get a chance. Nathan then went and rode Medusa with some friends, while we went to eat dinner. We ate at Mama Flora's near the Chiller and ordered a Calzone. While it was very good, it was a bit small (not big enough for two to share), especially for the price.
Nitro and those B&M Mega trains called my name, and off we went, and 20 mins we waited. It was a solid ride, and after getting off my girlfriend needed a sweatshirt. We went to the car (a reoccuring theme). Herc called and was looking for u
Message updated 5/26/2005 5:13:30 PM by BobFunland
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adriahna
Posts: 4692
Registered: 6/4/2003
Rank: Site Moderator
Skooter Junkie
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 5/26/2005 5:59:39 PM
Great TR, Bob - your talk of Knoebels has me all riled up for Saturday. Glad you had such a good time!
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Hercules
Posts: 4037
Registered: 10/13/2004
Rank: Platinum Critic
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5/26/2005 6:07:09 PM
Good job without the notes there B. Fun. There were a bunch of inaccuracies, but I'll leave most of them alone 
Sorry that the day at Dorney wasn't that great and sorry that I wasn't a better host  There were so many things and stories that I had, but I was embarassed by the service at the Gameday so I just got into a funky mood after that.
Let's see... at Dorney after we split up, I got my coveted Center Stage fries and scarfed them done (normally I savor them but I was just too hungry) and then I walked onto the front of Hydra. It wasn't as good as the first time that I rode on the front. Then I left. I should have stayed until 10, but I just didn't feel like it. I was tired from getting up at 4AM.
At Knoebels, after we parted ways, Nathan, Larry and I went over and hit up the Skooters a couple more times after making a stop in for some chocolate covered cashews and a couple other things. Larry offered us some cashews while in line and said that "He was going to wait to open them when he got to his car." Well, he got into his Skooter, I peered over my shoulder and there he was sneaking a few. I guess he meant he was going to wait until he got into his bumper car We got a couple awesome rides on the Skooters and Larry left leaving Nathan and I. And now there were 2. Nathan and I parted ways as he went over to hit up the arcade and left the park when I went to the back and put a butt whooping on the Flyers and caught a couple rides on Phoenix, which were two of the absolute best that I had on that ride. That back seat was amazing, and the first car second seat was quite good. I then went over and was hoping for some pizza, but they were closing up. I talked to the lady there.
Lady: "Sorry, we only have Chicken Parm and BBQ Chicken pizza left, which are both very good."
Me: "Nah thats ok, I'm vegetarian."
Lady: "Oh, me too. (awkward pause) So, you must be wondering why I said that the chicken pizzas are good. Wellll... I came up with the recipes and everyone says that they are very good. Sorry that we don't have anymore."
Me: "Ok. Not a problem. Have a great night."
And as I was walking away I hear her go to the rest of the crew "Now that I made a complete ass out of myself..." That was pretty classic.
I also injoyed the parts of the day that the crew and ride ops had like no regard for safety, like when the woman was walking under the swings as they were operating. 
Anyway, they were definately great days. I had a good time on Kingda Ka and can't wait to hit it up tomorrow morning for season pass holder ERT. You were very different from what I had imagined (not saying that is a bad thing ) and it was definately great to meet all of you. I truely had a great time at the parks that I was at.
And yeah, Christina was really quiet. I kept trying to get her to talk, and she would for a little bit, but then would stop. I do know that she liked the pillows that she got a Dorney a lot though, and when I was telling her that I was so sorry for drilling her so badly on the Skooters "but she was just so wide open that I couldn't resist", that she smiled and laughed and said she had a great time. I figured she was intimidated and thought I was a psycho or something. I hope she knows I'm not a bad guy now and will talk a little more next time. She's cute B. Fun, I'm sure you guys have a great time together 
Hopefully I'll be out and about, and Nathan and Larry and I can get out to a couple of places. Nathan is definately a lot less intimidating then what I thought he would be, with the persona that he projects on here. And, I was flattered by the "So this is the imfamous Hercules." I would hardly call myself imfamous, but it was flattering for sure. And you certainly blew me away with your knowledge. I didn't get that much time to talk to Larry, but, I did see that he was pretty good on the Flyers and did bash him up a lot on the Skooters for sur
Message updated 5/26/2005 6:07:52 PM by Hercules
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larrygator
Posts: 4654
Registered: 11/7/2002
Rank: Platinum Critic
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5/26/2005 9:25:15 PM
Well I can only comment on Knoebels, I don't have all this vacation time like everybody else
Before BFL and Christina showed up Cyclonic and I took a couple of walk-on rides on the Phoenix, which progressively got better as the day moved on. We met up with BFL and Christina and were told that Hercules was running late as has car raqn out of gas. Something about a 5-6 mile walk to a gas station.
Then everything pretty much went down as said but every time we rode Phoenix, Twister, Skooters or Flyers there were multiple walk-on rides
We definitely put away some food, I exactly had both pierogies and a taco for early lunch while Cyclonic had both pierogies and a BBQ rib sandwich. I went back later in the day for a BBQ rib sandwich. Cyclonic has a habit of always stopping in the same arcade and playing a game and getting the high score in order to rack up prize tickets. I think he said he has a shed in his backyard just filled with Knoebels tickets.
BFL - was almost exactly like I visualized him, he definitely looked to engineering/studious type and BFL your girlfirend is very sweet and cute.
Hercules - for some reason I expected you to be more rough and tumble (probably due to the love of your namesake)
Cyclonic - well I met him before but a definitely expected a more gruff on that first encounter.
myself - as far as myself, I'm just on the quiet side, sorry I didn't say much
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BobFunland
Posts: 7962
Registered: 8/9/2001
Rank: Site Moderator
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5/27/2005 12:35:55 AM
Quote:
Hercules said:
Good job without the notes there B. Fun. There were a bunch of inaccuracies, but I'll leave most of them alone |
Thanks pal 
Quote:
Sorry that the day at Dorney wasn't that great and sorry that I wasn't a better host There were so many things and stories that I had, but I was embarassed by the service at the Gameday so I just got into a funky mood after that. |
I thought you were a great host, and dont worry about the service, after all, I felt bad because we didnt have change for a tip
Quote:
And yeah, Christina was really quiet. I kept trying to get her to talk, and she would for a little bit, but then would stop. I do know that she liked the pillows that she got a Dorney a lot though, and when I was telling her that I was so sorry for drilling her so badly on the Skooters "but she was just so wide open that I couldn't resist", that she smiled and laughed and said she had a great time. I figured she was intimidated and thought I was a psycho or something. I hope she knows I'm not a bad guy now and will talk a little more next time. She's cute B. Fun, I'm sure you guys have a great time together |
She's usually not that quiet, it was kinda strange. She was in an unfamiliar situation with unfamiliar people, thats probably why... she thought you were a cool guy, and she loved the Skooters more than anything at Knoebels.
Quote:
LArry said:
BFL - was almost exactly like I visualized him, he definitely looked to engineering/studious type and BFL your girlfirend is very sweet and cute. |
I guess I didnt know what to expect with you because I had seen you earlier in the day (before we met) and didnt think to ask who you were
Larry was a fun riding partner, even if he is almost as old as me and Herc combined
I agree with Herc about Nathan, he was cool too. Funny, sarcastic, and yet informative. Shoulda known... 
Fun times... so, when's TPC Con II? I wonder if we got more people to show up than CB did for their Dorney thing
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Cyclonic
Posts: 2636
Registered: 7/19/2002
Rank: Experiment 626
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5/27/2005 2:55:44 PM
Excellent reports all the way around. I don't think there are any gaps for me to fill in, besides maybe the one food place i GAdv is Ted's Cheesestakes, not Ted's Cheesecakes
At Knoebels I stayed for just a few mre minutes and hit the arcade again, and then saw a local who shall remain nameless (but had a hand in building the trains for my favorite coaster) on the Skooters, so I rode once again just to get him good, which I did.
I had a great time, it was reat to meet you all. My perception was pretty much dead on about everyone. And I guess I am not as mean as people think
--------------------
My Track Record
Penncoasters.com
Coaster Events Page Updated 4/18/05
Nobody sees the Wizard! Not noway! Not nohow!
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*FreeBird*
Posts: 8264
Registered: 8/29/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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5/27/2005 3:59:50 PM
Great reviews everyone. Man, I'm just DYING to go to knoebels, hopefully soon after school ends (which is in two weeks!  ). I have a question about the Fandango, how were the restraints? I was on the Coasterbuzz site and some people were saying that the restraints were too short, but I don't know if it's true because maybe they are just too darn fat. 
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Hercules
Posts: 4037
Registered: 10/13/2004
Rank: Platinum Critic
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5/28/2005 9:27:31 PM
I'm not a fat dude, but those restraints kept getting tighter and tighter. However, that didn't kill the ride quality. That was a pretty good ride
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BobFunland
Posts: 7962
Registered: 8/9/2001
Rank: Site Moderator
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6/1/2005 2:03:52 AM
Six Flags Great Adventure
To refresh your memory:
Great:
Good:
Average: 
Poor:
Aweful: 
Attractions: /
I thought the park had a solid line-up of rides (over 70 in total) and the varitety alone makes the park good. It also has a lot of quality to it as well, whereas I enjoyed all but one of the coasters I went on, even Rolling Thunder (well, I was mixed on the mine train too). The flats looked pretty good, and though I had heard stories of a lot of closings, few rides were closed. The operations were pretty good across the park as well, with only a few exceptions that I encountered. Overall, G-Adv has a very good collection of coasters, with only a real good woodie missing, and the flats were numerous as well. Hey, the park has a Schwarzkopf Enteprise, that alone pulls some power.
Ratings:]
The Chiller - Robin: 9
Batman the Ride: 7
Great American Scream Machine: 4
Medusa: 9
Nitro: 10
Rolling Thunder: 6
Runaway Mine Train: 4
Skull Mountain: 7
Spinmeister: 8
Superman UF: 7
Atmosphere:
Great Adventure had a very good atmosphere. The themeing was clean and good throughout the park, with the new Golden Kingdom being the shining star. As good as it looks in photos, it's Busch-esque in real life too. It really adds to the park, and makes Kingda Ka even better (not to mention it makes the biblical trek that is the queue more enjoyable). The park was also very clean, even on a fairly busy day, and the place was under the control of a good groundskeeping staff, with flowers in adundance. Everything looked good (Viper withheld), thanks in large part to a few offseason paint jobs and general upkeep. The staff, though not of Dollywood quality in any sense, was very good and they had personalities unlike the bots at Dorney. Everything about the park came together, and it is really underrated in that aspect.
Food:
We ate two meals, lunch and dinner, at the park. The Cheesesteak from Ted's was very good -- it was cooked to order and the meat was pretty yummy. Maybe it's just due to the proximity to Philly. For dinner, we split a calzone from Mama Flora's and it was even better tasting than the Cheesesteak. There were a couple of drawbacks though. You could only get a plain cheese one or a cheese and ham calzone, but I prefer sausage to ham. Also, for ~$7.50, it was pretty small, a bit bigger than a Hot Pocket (but better nonetheless). It was good, but a bit of a rip-off.
Price:
Again, very fair. Parking was $10, which is around average, and certainly do-able. Admission was free, so that doesn't enter my equation much, but still it's not bad at all. The pricing for the food was a bit steep for the amount you recieved, but at least you paid a lot and got good food rather than paying a lot for garbage. The park had a good souvenir selection, including some cool stuffed animals in the GK, and the pricing was good there as well. Overall, the park was pretty good for pricing, I can't complain much.
Overall:
In conclusion, Great Adventure can be summed up in one word for me: suprise. I was suprised how clean the park was, how good operations were on a whole, and that the hellhole that so many had portrayed it as was so much like my homepark that I call it a draw between the two for my favorite SF park to date.
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BobFunland
Posts: 7962
Registered: 8/9/2001
Rank: Site Moderator
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7/22/2005 3:01:49 AM
OK, here's a treat, at least to the few people who might actually read this.
I've posted a couple of TR's to my new website, which isn't finished but these will give you a taste of the level of quality that I'm going after. Enjoy, and please comment on likes/dislikes and any errors or whatnot. Also, tell me if the server moves slow, I'm already pondering a host move. Here we go...
Dorney Park
Knoebels
Hershey still to come.
Thanks for reading, and please get back to me. Any feedback is good feedback right now
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larrygator
Posts: 4654
Registered: 11/7/2002
Rank: Platinum Critic
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7/22/2005 9:53:28 AM
Joe - I looked at the Knoebels one and it looks great. The only noticeable ommissions is the Sky Ride. I know that you (like I) have never ridden it but it does seem popular amongst many. There is also the pool but I don't think your goal is to include the water parks elsewhere either.
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Hercules
Posts: 4037
Registered: 10/13/2004
Rank: Platinum Critic
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7/22/2005 2:53:30 PM
That looks pretty good. It's not overwhelming in terms of a lot of things to look at. Simple is a good thing. There was a lot of information in a small space and it is an easy reader. I like where you are going with this
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coaster05
Posts: 6207
Registered: 2/29/2004
Rank: Platinum Critic
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7/22/2005 6:38:51 PM
Nice! I would never be able to give the type of time for that. The only thing I disagree with is souvenir quality. I always have to trim off things teher so I don't spend too much. Compared to the chains where I have a really hard time finding anything especially Cedar Fair.
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Timberman
Posts: 845
Registered: 9/21/2004
Rank: Gold Critic
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7/25/2005 10:41:20 PM
Nathan? Jay? Larry? (Okay, that one wasn't too much of a surprise). JOE? This whole thread is really trippy. It's like "Creatures of the Night," when KISS took off their make-up.
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larrygator
Posts: 4654
Registered: 11/7/2002
Rank: Platinum Critic
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7/25/2005 10:45:24 PM
my name is Francis, but don't call me Francis. If you call me Francis, I kill you!
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Timberman
Posts: 845
Registered: 9/21/2004
Rank: Gold Critic
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7/25/2005 10:56:34 PM
Quote:
larrygator said:
my name is Francis, but don't call me Francis. If you call me Francis, I kill you! |
That's one of the best things I've read on this site.
"Lighten up, Francis."
"YOU JUST MADE THE LIST."
Message updated 7/25/2005 10:58:44 PM by Timberman
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larrygator
Posts: 4654
Registered: 11/7/2002
Rank: Platinum Critic
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7/25/2005 10:58:18 PM
I'm not very good at quoting movie lines!
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Timberman
Posts: 845
Registered: 9/21/2004
Rank: Gold Critic
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7/25/2005 11:00:55 PM
I think you got that one dead on.
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