larrygator
Posts: 4654
Registered: 11/7/2002
Rank: Platinum Critic
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 9/8/2004 10:27:08 PM
Arrived at the park as it opened. Holiday World is a small park (only about 15 non-kiddie rides) and I contemplated riding just Legend and Raven all day. It's a same I don't do water parks because there's looks great. A couple of other tidbits about America's 1st theme park opened in 1946. I brought my empty Pepsi can to save a couple of bucks. Holiday World is smoke free for 2004. They have three spacious designated areas that are the only places where smoking is allowed (I like it!). Also, free Pepsi products all day which was definitely a money saver in 98 degree weather. I drank about 20 glasses of pink lemonade.
However, I decided to hit the flats first as they tend to have lower capacity and hopefully ride them all before noon leaving 6 hours for the coasters.
Eagle's Flight (two rides)- Eight beautifully painted Flying Skooters. There are no stoppers on the buckets so the sails have a larger range of motion than even Knoebels. However, they ran them too slow for me to snap. These things really wanted to be snapped. I was able to build a little slack in the back cable a couple of times to pull the bucket forward but nowhere near the Knoebels sensation.
Thunder Bumpers - My first bumper boats and I got a bad boat
Liberty Launch - a tower ride that got a good amount a air
Rough Riders - bumper cars that are very difficult to control
Then I decided to hit Legend before Raven. I expected Raven to be better and did not want to be disappointed riding Legend after a great ride on Raven. I rode 6 times once in each car.
Food time - the highlight of any larrygator Trip Report. I tried the chicken fajitas at The Alamo. They were actully just soft shell tacos but very tasty.
I was going to Raven and the DiveWorks diving show was starting. I decided to catch it. It a combo diving show / comedy routine. The comedy routine is better than the diving. They warn you that you will get wet in the first five rows (Heed the warning). I left the show LMAO.
Next up Raven, like Legend I never had to wait more than 5 rides to get on and again I rode in all six cars.
Went to the gift shop and bought a Holiday World Lumber Company "Wood is Good" t-shirt.
Walked to the back of the park to see the kiddie section then.
Eagle's Nest - two more flights
Back to Legend and rode 5 more times in the back row.
Time for dinner so I head to Barbeque USA. I ask the server what is better: the pulled pork or chicken. A voice from the back yelled it all tastes the same so I got the chicken. A decent sandwich for $2.95
Night is starting to fall so I head to Raven. The line is getting longer so I only get three more rides all in the back row.
Not a bad day but other than the coasters none of the rides are reride worthy (although I enjoyed Liberty Launch). I probably would enjoy Holiday World a lot more if I had gone to the water park.
I love amusement parks on Labor Day weekend, less crowded. The only drawback tends to be less workers. Both coasters ran only single train operations but the waits weren't that bad
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It's not a choice between war and peace. It's a choice between war and something much worse.
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Swimace
Posts: 5916
Registered: 8/28/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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9/8/2004 10:50:31 PM
Sounds great. Raven looks like such a cool coaster. The turn over the lake and the mysterious layout in the forest make it look really fun. Legend doesn't look that bad either. I spent my labor day weekend inside with no power/air condition without being able to leave the house, so Im sure your weekend beet mine 
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larrygator
Posts: 4654
Registered: 11/7/2002
Rank: Platinum Critic
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9/8/2004 11:13:20 PM
Quote:
Swimace said:
Sounds great. Raven looks like such a cool coaster. The turn over the lake and the mysterious layout in the forest make it look really fun. Legend doesn't look that bad either. I spent my labor day weekend inside with no power/air condition without being able to leave the house, so Im sure your weekend beet mine |
I'll get my reviews up in a couple of days, but I'll let you know that I thought Legend was far better than Raven. I expected the opposite to be true. I was actually really disappointed with Raven until the 3rd or 4th ride. I'll probably give Legend a 9 or 10 but Raven only an 8 or 9.
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Swimace
Posts: 5916
Registered: 8/28/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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9/8/2004 11:19:59 PM
The thong that makes Raven look so cool is the fact that you can't see any of the coaster. I have no idea what it does and where it goes which makes it kinda mysterious. Legend is out in the open and is visible. I think both of them look like great coasters
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larrygator
Posts: 4654
Registered: 11/7/2002
Rank: Platinum Critic
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9/8/2004 11:49:13 PM
FYI - Holiday World has the worst arcade of any amusement park I been to 
regarding Raven: like The Beast (and Boulder Dash do a degree) the hiddeness in the woods is great, making a night ride a necessity
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BobFunland
Posts: 7962
Registered: 8/9/2001
Rank: Site Moderator
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9/9/2004 9:11:14 AM
Awesome trip review- a while back I realized that Holiday World is only about 7.5 hours away, so I really need to get up there.
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Swimace
Posts: 5916
Registered: 8/28/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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9/9/2004 9:48:03 AM
oh, only 7.5 hours? what are you waiting for?
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BobFunland
Posts: 7962
Registered: 8/9/2001
Rank: Site Moderator
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9/9/2004 6:22:20 PM
money 
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Cyclonic
Posts: 2636
Registered: 7/19/2002
Rank: Experiment 626
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9/10/2004 10:23:04 PM
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Raven truely does shine at night, that 5th drop is truely heaven. I actually like Raven better then Legend, which I feel has too many dull moments where it really slows down, while Raven is non stop from lift to brake.
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larrygator
Posts: 4654
Registered: 11/7/2002
Rank: Platinum Critic
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9/10/2004 11:27:31 PM
I felt Legend to be relentless throughout. Maybe it's because I always ride woodies with my hands up. I'd be happy to have either one closer than 12 hours away.
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BobFunland
Posts: 7962
Registered: 8/9/2001
Rank: Site Moderator
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9/10/2004 11:54:37 PM
Quote:
Cyclonic said:
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 Some of us are college kids without a job
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Cyclonic
Posts: 2636
Registered: 7/19/2002
Rank: Experiment 626
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9/11/2004 12:13:43 AM
I was not laughing at your lack of funds, but rather the comment itself, which was very approprate and well timed. In other words, it made me laugh.
Larry, I don't know, I felt there were several spots where it came to the crest of a hill and seemed to creep along, not as slow as say Grizzly's first turnaround, but it let up and you could catch your breath. Some would say that is a good thing, but I prefer a coaster to not let up from start to finish.
As for riding with hands up, I did last time I rode them as well, last year. I actually don't ride with hands up as much these days. I have found it tenses the body and makes a ride a little easier on me 
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Cyclonic
Posts: 2636
Registered: 7/19/2002
Rank: Experiment 626
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9/11/2004 12:14:11 AM
Opps, double post.
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My Track Record
Peace is NOT patriotic when it comes at the expense of Liberty and Freedom!
Message updated 9/11/2004 12:14:40 AM by Cyclonic
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BobFunland
Posts: 7962
Registered: 8/9/2001
Rank: Site Moderator
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9/11/2004 12:17:09 AM
Quote:
Cyclonic said:
I was not laughing at your lack of funds, but rather the comment itself, which was very approprate and well timed. In other words, it made me laugh.
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Oh, I should've picked that up. Man, Im really dumb at times :buck:
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