Horizons12
Posts: 4860
Registered: 8/16/2002
Rank: Extragalactic Invader
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 7/6/2004 2:16:00 PM
Place: Meadowlands Fair (East Rutherford, NJ)
Date: 7/5/04
Arrival Time: 2:30PM
July 5th was the last day of the Meadowlands Fair. A friend and I drove to the fair and while we were on I-78 it started to pour! Luckily by the time we got to the parking lot at the fair, the rain had let up, it was just a slight drizzle now. They had a deal going on that day; Pay $20 to get admission to the fair and unlimited rides. We did that, went in, got out hand stamped and went on in. The first thing you see as you enter the fair is the 300 foot "Springshot" and the Turbo Force rides in the "Xtreme Zone." "There's no chance in hell I'm going on that" my friend said pointing at the Turbo Force. We walked by all the venders and food stands and made our way to the main midway. There were many kiddie rides, fun houses, and spook houses, towards the back were the big rides, and in the middle were all the moderate rides.
After seeing what was there we decided to go on the first ride we see when we turn the corner, and that was the Music Express (or whatever they called it.) It was run like any other Music Express really: fast, longer backward spin time and the guy played bad techno. Next was the Fireball, one of those KMG swinging monstrosities. They gave the 3/4 loaded ride a pretty short ride, maybe only a minute or so. Then again 1 minute is probably too much for some even on this thing as it pulls some huge Gs at the bottom of the swing and some sick airtime at the top of the swing. Next we walked over to the Crazy Mouse spinning wild mouse coaster. Always a fun ride, there was constant spinning from the time we started to spin till the unload platform so it was a bit nauseating. We then walked around to the Round-Up. This was an old, beat up round-up, in other words it was your typical round-up. It made a nice creaking sound on the way up and down, fun ride overall though. Next was the Cliff Hanger, which is like a laydown Paratrooper ride. The guy gave a pretty long ride. Then we did the Fireball again.
Now we walked back to get something to eat at the overpriced food stands. Proceeded to go on a Spook house where the ride-op at the end had to catch the cars at the end (as opposed to brakes.) When we got to the loading platform the guy said to my friend "Can't you people read!? No drinks on the ride!!!" A simple "Sorry no drinks on this ride" would have worked, jeez! We walked back to the flea market, then to the bathrooms in Giants Stadium, then we hung out for a bit in the shade on one of the spiral walkways of the stadium as it was hot and humid as hell outside.
We came back to the fair, went on the Fireball again, and then went on *dun dun DUN!* the Zipper. We waited once around and then got in our little cage. The guy would turn the ride on and off to put the loading cars in position so it was pretty jerky sometimes. As we went up we noticed all kinds of fun things like the can on primer on one of the rungs going up the side of the arm that hold the ride up, the little skateboard type wheels to hold our cars frame to the track, the locking and non-locking nuts to hold the car together, and other odd things. The guy gave us about a 2 minute ride. We did so many flips that at some points we had no clue what direction we were looking. The best part was when the car stayed completely upsidedown from one turnaround to the other turnaround. Next we went over to the Bansai, one of those floorless Kamikazi type rides. The operator loaded up one ship, excluding the outter two seats and the other ship, and made us and many others wait for another time around. I'd like to see the logic in that but I guess I never will. He gave us 4 times one way, 4 times another then 3 times the first way and slowed us way down at the top. Not a bad run I'll give him credit for that. Next was the Fireball...yet again. Then the Zipper again (the highlight this time was our car flipping 5 ti
Message updated 7/6/2004 2:30:00 PM by Horizons12
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adriahna
Posts: 4692
Registered: 6/4/2003
Rank: Site Moderator
Skooter Junkie
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7/6/2004 4:53:00 PM
Horizons - you beat me to it! I was just about to post a Meadowlands Fair TR from July 3rd - and it would have been pretty similar to yours. Too bad we didn't know the other'd be there - my little crowd could have met with yours!
I have to agree that the fair just wasn't as good as last year - maybe this has to do with the fact that last year, I was lucky enough to be there on wristband day. This year, no such luck - it was pay as you go only. There's a lot to be said for paying one price - you can ride something absolutely awful, and figure, "well, it's not like I really spent money on that, anyhow" - in the case of pay as you go, it was more like, "I can't believe I actually paid three bucks to ride that pile of garbage". Oh, well. In any case, I, too, rode the Zipper, but only made it through one cycle - it was run at INSANE mode, and flipped very consistently throughout. I had planned to ride the Fireball afterwards, but I just couldn't do it - I thought to myself, "If I get on that monstrosity, the ops will have to spend an hour cleaning up after me" - it was a courtesy thing.
Overall, we had a good time, but next year we'll be sure to go on wristband day - it's just a totally different experience. Oh, and as regards the freak who yelled at you on the Haunted House ride - maybe that was the same dude I saw running the Mardi Gras funhouse (a huge ripoff), whose legs (he was wearing shorts) were covered with White Power tattoos...that's the fair for you!!!
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Horizons12
Posts: 4860
Registered: 8/16/2002
Rank: Extragalactic Invader
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7/7/2004 10:31:00 PM
Nah, this guy was just your everyday disgruntled carnie. The funny thing is like 4 years ago I saw a carnie with White Power tattoos working on a funhouse. He was like drawing and just glancing over to see if you have a handstamp or tickets. 
In regards to the Zipper, I noticed the guy running it for us would flicker the ride on and off to get cars to spin out of control.
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adriahna
Posts: 4692
Registered: 6/4/2003
Rank: Site Moderator
Skooter Junkie
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7/8/2004 9:09:00 AM
Yikes - he must have had the power switch on "strobe" mode - it was flipping out like crazy. Actually, it was hilarious - my friend and I (we forged our friendship by hanging out at PKI, and used to go on all sorts of belly-churning spin and pukes) got on and had to ride with this little kid. We're thinking, "well, if it's no big deal for him, then it shouldn't be for us". Well, I'll be hanged if we didn't spend the whole time screaming like babies, and the kid (maybe 10 years old) sat there, cool as a cucumber. Boy, did I feel like a jerk...
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Horizons12
Posts: 4860
Registered: 8/16/2002
Rank: Extragalactic Invader
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7/11/2004 12:35:00 AM
Speaking of Zippers and crazy rides, I can't wait to go to Coney Island soon! I heard they have a Top Spin now, I'm curious to see how crazy they run that! I also need to go on Spook-a-Rama and the El Dorado Auto Skooters.
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adriahna
Posts: 4692
Registered: 6/4/2003
Rank: Site Moderator
Skooter Junkie
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7/12/2004 9:48:00 AM
You'll love the Spook-a-Rama - it's very, very cool. And, honestly, it is a little scary...
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larrygator
Posts: 4654
Registered: 11/7/2002
Rank: Platinum Critic
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7/12/2004 4:47:00 PM
Quote:
Horizons12 said:
Speaking of Zippers and crazy rides, I can't wait to go to Coney Island soon! I heard they have a Top Spin now, I'm curious to see how crazy they run that! I also need to go on Spook-a-Rama and the El Dorado Auto Skooters. |
you must go on Break Dance also
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Horizons12
Posts: 4860
Registered: 8/16/2002
Rank: Extragalactic Invader
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7/12/2004 7:55:00 PM
I've been on their Break Dance. It's so insane it's almost illegal.
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