BobFunland
Posts: 7962
Registered: 8/9/2001
Rank: Site Moderator
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 8/2/2004 9:04:39 PM
Hey guys, Im glad to be back online. The home computer is still struggling, but I got my brand new laptop for school in the mail today- all I have to do is get a wireless router and Ill have the freedom to roam my house without a connection. Anyway, I have spent this summer travelling a lot, visiting relatives all around before bearing down for college (starts 2 weeks from today ). Anyway, I visited Cedar Point and Darien Lake back in mid-June, the Myrtle Beach Pavilion in early July, and Dollywood this past weekend. I am proud to say that I enjoyed my summer, and that I added 18 more coasters to my list, including two new entries into the Top 10: Millenium Force and Thunderhead. I also have hundreds of pictures that I took with my new Canon Digital Rebel (one hell of a camera, I might add), and now Im ready to prepare for college. Ill reveiw all four parks in this thread, one at a time, and Ill start with the shortest: the Myrtle Beach Pavilion.
Rating System:
Great: 
Good: 
Average: 
Poor:
Aweful: 
Myrtle Beach Pavilion
Rides:
The ride selection at the Pavilion is small, but strong. There are plenty of great carival-style family rides, with almost every traveling faire classic. The centerpiece is of course the $5 million gem, Hurricane. This wooden coaster is a great ride and a very pretty sight. However, the lift shoudl either run parallel to or towards the beach to maximize the view, but you can tell that they had to cram it in there (a scrambler inside of the Hurricane's turns). Other that that, they have a standard Wild Mouse ride and a decent rapids ride. Not much else, and other than Hurricane, not much more than average to below-average quality.
Atmosphere:
The atmosphere of a seaside amusement park is hard to beat- the proximity to the beach, the generally nice weather (thought Hurricane is about to experience a weak version of its namesake) and the boardwalk environment. The staff was very friendly and courteous, and being able to freely walk in and take a ride or two was wonderful. With smaller crowds and short lines, it is truly reminiscent of the early 1900s (not that I was there to remember).
Food:
I didn't have any food, but some of my family did and they simply put it as so-so. The pricing was ok, so I gave it an "average" rating.
Price:
The Myrtle Beach Pavilion is wonderful and affordable family fun. Wristbands run somewhere near $20 and are neccessary if you plan to ride more than just one or two rides, as invidivual tickets are $1 a piece, and most thrill rides are 4 or 5 tickets. The wristband is worth it, since you can ride everything in the park 3 times in just a few hours, and have plenty of time to go back to the beach. The food costs were ok, and gaming was affordable. Tip: if you like to play the "guess my weight" game, go to the yound black kid, not the older white man, because the young kid was all talk (very funny), but he couldnt guess anyone's weight while I didnt see anyone stump the older guy. Overall, the park was more affordable than the $18 or so that Family Kingdom charges just to get in.
Overall:
This is a decent family park and a good place to visit- only if already in the Myrtle Beach area. I advise you not to travel just for this park. Perfect for an afternoon or evening while on vacation, as there is something for everybody.
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BobFunland
Posts: 7962
Registered: 8/9/2001
Rank: Site Moderator
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8/2/2004 9:41:00 PM
Cedar Point
Let me open the scenario for you: I drove up to the Point with three friends, camping gear and absolutly no room left in my car. We camped about a mile away from the causeway, but I cant remember the name of the campground. Anyway, this was the highlight of my summer, as I got to ride 11 coasters and a few other rides.
Rides:
Is there anything bad to say about the ride selection at Cedar Point? They have almost everything and one of the largest collections of rides on the planet, not to mention the tie with SFMM for the most coasters. They have height (four coasters over 200 feet), speed (120mph...93mph...), inversions (13), history (Corkscrew, Magnum, MF, Top Thrill...) variety... other than a floorless, what is this park missing? I have already begun to write a detailed comparison of CP and MM, now that I have visited both. The quality of rides is also very high, as four coasters were close to my top 10, though only Millenium Force made it. Anyway, this park deserves nothing short of a perfect score in this category.
Atmosphere: /
This was a nice park, but not outstanding as far as scenery go. I do have a complaint: so many people have complained about the scenery at Six Flags parks: what makes Cedar Point so much different? I still do love the atmosphere, with rides towering all around you and the beautiful setting on the shores of Lake Erie. The employees, if you could ignore the foreign accents, were very polite and cordial, but not quite like Dollywood or one of the Florida parks. Im in between a 4 and 5.
Food:
I thought that the food at Cedar Point was incredible! My favorite had to be the elephant ear that I bought back near Mean Streak. The rest of the food was good too, and very affordable. Better indredients, better products, right? The burgers at the Burger Patio just seemed better than other parks, and the popcorn chicken at the cajun place was very tasty, but that elephant ear just made my day.
Price:
The pricing here was very good, but it could have been better. I was in the park for two days, but I wish I could have bought a season pass and gotten my money's worth like Six Flags. However, we decided to go with a Starlight pass on the first day, and that was a very good value. We really did a lot on the first night (read more below), and the one-day tickets were priced fairly, especially for what's offered. I thought that the souvenirs were very cheap, cince I had to replace my X keychain with a Millenium Force one, designating my favorite coaster. However, I wish the resort was a little cheaper, since four teens travelling 900 miles cant afford well over $100 a night.
Overall:
What a great park! Worth the trip from anywhere in the US, and I cant wait to go back soon. Nothing much more to say than supurb!
Timeline:
Day 1
-Arrived at park at 5PM
-Went to Raptor first, waited 20 mins
-Headed back to Millenium Force
-Waited in line for 1.5 hours, and would have waited twice that long
-Hit Mantis in about 20 minutes
-Went over to ride Corkscrew, catch a bite to eat
-Headed towards the beach & Wicked Twister
-Rode Wicked Twister, which was also a light line
-Then headed to Disaster Transport, a walk-on
-Rode the Power Tower blast side (I dislike these rides)
-Enjoyed history: rode Corkscrew
-Back of the park for Magnum, by this time, at night
-Short line for Magnum... very enjoyable
-Headed back to camp around 10 PM
Day 2
-Hit the park around 9:30, gates had been opened early
-Walked over towards TTD, hadnt opened yet, headed to ride Mantis
-Manits had a short wait again
-Rode the Iron Dragon next door
-Got in line for and rode TTD- 1.5 hour wait and I wouldn't wait that long again for it
-Headed to the back of the park
-We rode the Mine Ride next (suprisingly good)
-Went to Mean Streak- no one liked it much
-Went to MF again (we
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*FreeBird*
Posts: 8264
Registered: 8/29/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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8/2/2004 9:55:00 PM
Nice rating system. 
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BobFunland
Posts: 7962
Registered: 8/9/2001
Rank: Site Moderator
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8/2/2004 10:13:14 PM
Thanks- I had plenty of time on my hands. Ill do the other two parks either later tonight or tomorrow.
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BobFunland
Posts: 7962
Registered: 8/9/2001
Rank: Site Moderator
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8/3/2004 9:30:18 PM
Dollywood
This past weekend, I headed up to Pigeon Forge for a little R&R, as well as a ride on Thunderhead. I stayed in a lovely log cabin just across the way from Dollywood and enjoyed the beautful and rustic scenery of the smokeys, not to mention the wonderful park. I went to Dollywood some 8 or 9 yeas ago, but couldn't remember much, but let me tell you that I was overall impressed.
Rides:
This was definatly the toughest decision to make- whether to give the park an average or poor rating. Anyway, I sided with the average side because the two coasters (plus Blazing Fury, which Im still debating) were both very good, and the water rides were phenomenal. Though the park may not have much more than that, it serves its purpose as a family park, with its best assortment of flats. I went to Dollywood to ride Thunderhead, and expected to get little else out of the park. Thunderhead was easily my favorite woodie, and I was pleasantly suprised with the rest of the park. I can't complain about the incredible short and fast-moving lines either: five minutes for either coaster. The train ride was nice, taking riders through beautiful back-country, and Daredevil Falls is one of my favorites in the park. Overall, an average selection and slightly above average overall quality.
Atmosphere:
For any southerner, this park reminds you of home. The decor of the park, the landscaping and the employees bring it back to the roots of the south. The homemade cooking was phenomenal (more below), and the pleasant and courteous staff was great. No park has better service than Dollywood. The park was well kept and clean, and the foliage provided some much-needed cover from the brutal sun in the valley's of the smokies. All together, nothing beats southern hospitality and a damn good grounds staff.
Food:
In describing the food of Dollywood, Ill use a quote that my mother used this weekend: "You can get fat in this place". To me, that was a superb way of putting it. The numerous eateries were all extraordinary, so me, my mother and step-father all shared meals so that we could experience the most food. I ate bits and pieces of BBQ pork, Fried Chicken and my favorite, the sausages. Also, the deserts from the Spotlight Bakery near the exit were huge, scrumptious and very cheap. Actually, all of the food was fairly priced and all of it came in large quantities. Overall, the best theme park food that I have ever experienced.
Price:
The pricing at this park was very good, but the admission could have been a little cheaper for the size of the park. The parking price was fair, the food was cheap, and the souvenirs were average. One perk of the park (especially for moms) was the craft shops. The numerous craft dealers were priced well and competed with the best in town, but perhaps the best deals could be found at the quilt shop near the entrance, where my mother snaged a quilt for half of what she said that she would pay back home, and it was of a superior quality. Now that's thrifty! I was also pleased to take home a mix for funnel cakes (I love funnel cakes!) and, since I dont know where else to put this, the games were priced normally, but the difference was that they were fair. I did a basketball shot near Tennessee Tornado and actually won since the rim wasnt bent- a fine Georgia Tech pillow I might add!
Overall:
This was a bit more than I expected and I would recommend anyone to visit Dollywood at least once. Bring the whole family too- Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg is a nice place to spend a weekend (dont stay too long though), and Dollywood is a nice way to spend 6 hours or so. This park is beautifully kept with close attention paid to quality. Oh, and I didn't even mention the great shows and music...
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