buschap (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} buschap) wrote,@ 2007-08-20 23:04:00 |
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Vacation: Leg one
On Saturday, I picked up my rental car. They gave me an upgrade, so I got a 2008 Mazda 3. Most notably happy was having a line in jack, so my iPod is keeping me happy as I drive through radio-dead areas. I haven't played with the semi-manual much, as I've been too busy driving, but I think I'd still prefer real manual.
I was up too late on Friday, so I napped a bit after I picked up the car. Then I went to Old Navy, as I needed some more jeans. I got some other things there, too. It seems they've changed their cuts a bit since the last time I was there, as opposed to just renaming them like they did last time. But I think I may like the new cuts better. So, it's all good.
After doing laundry, I headed over to the AFI to catch Brazil and Big Trouble in Little China. I hadn't seen the latter before, but it was wonderful in that totally dorky way. I've seen Brazil several times, no surprise. I don't know if they used the US cut or Gilliam's "Final Cut" (the differences are subtle), but I think it would have been very funny if they had shown the "Love Conquers All" cut with no warning.
I then tried to stop by the office and pick up one of the digital cameras, but was thwarted for reasons that aren't OK for a public entry, and since I have a policy of not locking entries ... you can ask on IM or in person some time, if you want. It's actually decently funny. So then I came back and watched Return of the Living Dead.
So, then, Sunday was the long drive. It's about an eight-hour drive, but there was a lot of rain, including about half an hour of super-hard rain that slowed us to about 35 MPH. But it was safe and all. But then I got burned by Google's directions. Bad them for crappy directions, but badder me for not verifying them. But I got to drive through some interesting bits of semi-rural Ohio, and it's interesting how familiar it felt. It seemed a lot like the areas outside Wooster or in West Geauga. I was pretty pissed off as it went on, but it pretty much all fell away once I checked into the motel.
So, then, today. Kings Island. The hotel claimed gates opened at 9, and the rides at 10. They let us in the gates about 9:30, but you couldn't really get anywhere in the park until 10 AM. But, I managed to get on seven coasters by noon. So, onto the rides.
Adventure Express - I always start with something minor. At Cedar Point, traditionally I do the Gemini first. This, like Gemini, is a steel coaster on wooden struts. Unlike the Gemini, it's pretty crappy. No real hill, two chain lifts (one right at the end, but it was in a tunnel with mechanical guys beating drums which was kind of cute). I was the only one on it the first time. Probably the only time that will ever happen. When I got back, the announcer said, "Welcome back, how was your ride?" I tilted my hand and said, "It was OK." That amused some of the other riders.
Top Gun - This is a suspended coaster, which means you sit down, but the cars are below the track. There are not too many of these, because inverted coasters (cars below the track, but your feet dangle) took over. It's like the Iron Dragon at Cedar Point, but notably more intense. Very enjoyable.
Son of Beast - When this was made, it was the only wooden coaster over 200 feet tall, and broke a number of other records. I can't find if it's still true. It used to have a steel loop, but that was removed while the ride was closed until July 4 of this year. It's still pretty fun, but extremely rough.
Face/Off - This is the same as Two Face at Six Flags in Maryland. It's a standard Vekoma boomerang-style coaster, but has the slightly nifty thing that's it's inverted instead of sit-down. So I got to go backward, then forward, instead of the other way around.
Italian Job Stunt Track - This is the first ride I hit with anything like a line. All the other ones the only wait I had was inside the little sub-lines for each car, where it's no more than a three-train wait. It's exactly the same ride as the one at Kings Dominion. It's reasonably fun.
Vortex - The guy in the car I would have boarded threw up (poor guy), so they ran that car away with noone on it and then loaded the next one. It's an interesting coaster, but the execution didn't quite do it for me. It goes: hill, double-loop, double-corkscrew, cobra roll, helix. It's a neat course, but a little overstuffed, really.
Beast - Built in 1979, it remains the longest wooden coaster in the world. It's a terrain coaster, but I've also heard it called a "runaway train"-style. It has a couple hills, but mostly it's long slopes where the train just builds up speed and whips around turns. It's rough, but worth it. A lot of fun.
Rugrats Runaway Reptar - It's an inverted kiddie coaster. Kind of a cool combo. No inversions, and it's made by Vekoma, so you know it's going to be surprisingly rough. I'm spoiled by Bolliger & Mabillard coasters.
Fairly OddCoaster - I'm pretty sure this is the same as the Scooby-Doo Ghoster Coaster at Kings Dominion with a different theme. It's a decent wooden kiddie coaster.
I skipped Wild Bill's Giggle Coaster, as it's a standard, three-hill kiddie coaster, and I may have even been too tall for it.
Racer/recaR - Their wooden racing coaster. One cars runs backward, which is cool (like the one at Kings Dominion, but the track layout is different). They don't know how to make a racer. They don't seem to know the cars should stay close. They run alongside for the first half, but then veer off for the second half. How is it Gemini keeps the cars together the whole ride, and the operators always start the cars together? Jeez. Plus, it's rough and not very fun. It's sad, because racers are my favorite (HersheyPark and Kennywood also have good racers. What the heck?).
Flight of Fear - The same as the one at Kings Dominion. A launched spaghetti loop, dark ride coaster. A lot of fun, and has a gorgeously elegant corkscrew at the end. Someone noted that the inside area uses a mirror to make the UFO and warehouse stuff look like the full room and hide the ride itself. I hadn't noticed that last time.
Firehawk - This is X-Flight from Geauga Lake. I don't mean it's just like it. I mean, they moved it from one park to the other over the off-season. It's the only good coaster Vekoma makes. And it's awesome. I don't know how they can make this one awesome ride, and all the crappy ones. It's a flying coaster, so you are flipped over and face the ground as you go. I'm not super-wild about rides that rely on the restraint to hold you in (usually the restraint is just security, and the forces of the ride hold you in). But floating just above the ground facing it is just too damn much fun.
Avatar, the Last Airbender - This had a stupid Nickelodeon theme, and I don't know if you'd even call it a coaster, but it's on a track. It's a back-and-forth track that's sort of a smooth "W" when viewed from the side. And the long car can pivot. So, it's like a combo of a pirate ship and a teacup, with a dash of Wicked Twister thrown in.
I also did Beast and Son of Beast a second time. I pondered Delirium, which is a giant frisbee ride, but decided I didn't feel up to it, and it's not really the type of ride I actually enjoy.
Tomb Raider and Drop Zone were both closed for the day, but I've been on bigger versions of Drop Zone and smaller versions of Tomb Raider, so it was fine. I ended up leaving at 6:00, as my stomach was getting annoyed at me, and I had been on everything I really wanted to go on.
I also took a break in the middle when I did lunch and took a bunch of photos. I won't be able to post them until I get back to MD though. And I make no promises about photos from the other parks. Coasters first, photos second :)
The drive down to Cave City was uneventful.
On Saturday, I picked up my rental car. They gave me an upgrade, so I got a 2008 Mazda 3. Most notably happy was having a line in jack, so my iPod is keeping me happy as I drive through radio-dead areas. I haven't played with the semi-manual much, as I've been too busy driving, but I think I'd still prefer real manual.
I was up too late on Friday, so I napped a bit after I picked up the car. Then I went to Old Navy, as I needed some more jeans. I got some other things there, too. It seems they've changed their cuts a bit since the last time I was there, as opposed to just renaming them like they did last time. But I think I may like the new cuts better. So, it's all good.
After doing laundry, I headed over to the AFI to catch Brazil and Big Trouble in Little China. I hadn't seen the latter before, but it was wonderful in that totally dorky way. I've seen Brazil several times, no surprise. I don't know if they used the US cut or Gilliam's "Final Cut" (the differences are subtle), but I think it would have been very funny if they had shown the "Love Conquers All" cut with no warning.
I then tried to stop by the office and pick up one of the digital cameras, but was thwarted for reasons that aren't OK for a public entry, and since I have a policy of not locking entries ... you can ask on IM or in person some time, if you want. It's actually decently funny. So then I came back and watched Return of the Living Dead.
So, then, Sunday was the long drive. It's about an eight-hour drive, but there was a lot of rain, including about half an hour of super-hard rain that slowed us to about 35 MPH. But it was safe and all. But then I got burned by Google's directions. Bad them for crappy directions, but badder me for not verifying them. But I got to drive through some interesting bits of semi-rural Ohio, and it's interesting how familiar it felt. It seemed a lot like the areas outside Wooster or in West Geauga. I was pretty pissed off as it went on, but it pretty much all fell away once I checked into the motel.
So, then, today. Kings Island. The hotel claimed gates opened at 9, and the rides at 10. They let us in the gates about 9:30, but you couldn't really get anywhere in the park until 10 AM. But, I managed to get on seven coasters by noon. So, onto the rides.
Adventure Express - I always start with something minor. At Cedar Point, traditionally I do the Gemini first. This, like Gemini, is a steel coaster on wooden struts. Unlike the Gemini, it's pretty crappy. No real hill, two chain lifts (one right at the end, but it was in a tunnel with mechanical guys beating drums which was kind of cute). I was the only one on it the first time. Probably the only time that will ever happen. When I got back, the announcer said, "Welcome back, how was your ride?" I tilted my hand and said, "It was OK." That amused some of the other riders.
Top Gun - This is a suspended coaster, which means you sit down, but the cars are below the track. There are not too many of these, because inverted coasters (cars below the track, but your feet dangle) took over. It's like the Iron Dragon at Cedar Point, but notably more intense. Very enjoyable.
Son of Beast - When this was made, it was the only wooden coaster over 200 feet tall, and broke a number of other records. I can't find if it's still true. It used to have a steel loop, but that was removed while the ride was closed until July 4 of this year. It's still pretty fun, but extremely rough.
Face/Off - This is the same as Two Face at Six Flags in Maryland. It's a standard Vekoma boomerang-style coaster, but has the slightly nifty thing that's it's inverted instead of sit-down. So I got to go backward, then forward, instead of the other way around.
Italian Job Stunt Track - This is the first ride I hit with anything like a line. All the other ones the only wait I had was inside the little sub-lines for each car, where it's no more than a three-train wait. It's exactly the same ride as the one at Kings Dominion. It's reasonably fun.
Vortex - The guy in the car I would have boarded threw up (poor guy), so they ran that car away with noone on it and then loaded the next one. It's an interesting coaster, but the execution didn't quite do it for me. It goes: hill, double-loop, double-corkscrew, cobra roll, helix. It's a neat course, but a little overstuffed, really.
Beast - Built in 1979, it remains the longest wooden coaster in the world. It's a terrain coaster, but I've also heard it called a "runaway train"-style. It has a couple hills, but mostly it's long slopes where the train just builds up speed and whips around turns. It's rough, but worth it. A lot of fun.
Rugrats Runaway Reptar - It's an inverted kiddie coaster. Kind of a cool combo. No inversions, and it's made by Vekoma, so you know it's going to be surprisingly rough. I'm spoiled by Bolliger & Mabillard coasters.
Fairly OddCoaster - I'm pretty sure this is the same as the Scooby-Doo Ghoster Coaster at Kings Dominion with a different theme. It's a decent wooden kiddie coaster.
I skipped Wild Bill's Giggle Coaster, as it's a standard, three-hill kiddie coaster, and I may have even been too tall for it.
Racer/recaR - Their wooden racing coaster. One cars runs backward, which is cool (like the one at Kings Dominion, but the track layout is different). They don't know how to make a racer. They don't seem to know the cars should stay close. They run alongside for the first half, but then veer off for the second half. How is it Gemini keeps the cars together the whole ride, and the operators always start the cars together? Jeez. Plus, it's rough and not very fun. It's sad, because racers are my favorite (HersheyPark and Kennywood also have good racers. What the heck?).
Flight of Fear - The same as the one at Kings Dominion. A launched spaghetti loop, dark ride coaster. A lot of fun, and has a gorgeously elegant corkscrew at the end. Someone noted that the inside area uses a mirror to make the UFO and warehouse stuff look like the full room and hide the ride itself. I hadn't noticed that last time.
Firehawk - This is X-Flight from Geauga Lake. I don't mean it's just like it. I mean, they moved it from one park to the other over the off-season. It's the only good coaster Vekoma makes. And it's awesome. I don't know how they can make this one awesome ride, and all the crappy ones. It's a flying coaster, so you are flipped over and face the ground as you go. I'm not super-wild about rides that rely on the restraint to hold you in (usually the restraint is just security, and the forces of the ride hold you in). But floating just above the ground facing it is just too damn much fun.
Avatar, the Last Airbender - This had a stupid Nickelodeon theme, and I don't know if you'd even call it a coaster, but it's on a track. It's a back-and-forth track that's sort of a smooth "W" when viewed from the side. And the long car can pivot. So, it's like a combo of a pirate ship and a teacup, with a dash of Wicked Twister thrown in.
I also did Beast and Son of Beast a second time. I pondered Delirium, which is a giant frisbee ride, but decided I didn't feel up to it, and it's not really the type of ride I actually enjoy.
Tomb Raider and Drop Zone were both closed for the day, but I've been on bigger versions of Drop Zone and smaller versions of Tomb Raider, so it was fine. I ended up leaving at 6:00, as my stomach was getting annoyed at me, and I had been on everything I really wanted to go on.
I also took a break in the middle when I did lunch and took a bunch of photos. I won't be able to post them until I get back to MD though. And I make no promises about photos from the other parks. Coasters first, photos second :)
The drive down to Cave City was uneventful.
