From: sysop@elan.glassboro.edu (Ken Denton (Supervisor))
Subject: Busch/Dominion/GrAdventure Trip Report
Keywords: Busch Gardens SFGAd King's Dominion Trip
Organization: Glassboro State College, Glassboro, NJ
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 19:52:52 GMT

Just returned from a coaster-filled vacation and wanted to make my first post
to this group.  Bear with me, and I apologize if you've heard it all before.

Busch Gardens, Williamsburg VA

     The park itself is beautiful.  Very clean, with pleasant European-style
     villages to walk through (and shop in).  Arrived at 9:30 on a Wednesday,
     and the line into the park was remarkably short (my frame of reference
     is SFGAd).  Once into the park, we practically ran to the first coaster,
     expecting to beat the crowds - but there weren't any.  In all, we
     never had to wait more than 15 minutes for a ride, and that was for
     Drachen Fire.  The line at the men's room at SFGAd is longer than that.
     Having separate lines for the front seat wowed us, and made for a much
     better experience than the pot luck we were used to.

  Loch Ness Monster

     It may be old, but it's still fun.  The theming on the line was very
     well done (what I could see of it as we ran through it to get on the
     ride).  The shoulder restraints seemed a bit low (scrunching me in my
     seat), but oh well.  Nice first drop over the river and into the trees.
     This was the first coaster I had been on that was integrated into the
     environment.  I'm used to a coaster basically just sitting on a paved
     parking lot, so this was a nice change.  Overall, a very cool ride.

  Drachen Fire

     BG's newest coaster, unfortunately, was not as good as I hoped it to be.
     I may have been expecting too much, especially as all the talk about DF
     when it first opened is what got me to go to VA in the first place.  No
     theming, the coaster is basically just dropped onto a level paved sur-
     face.  The line for the front seat took maybe 15 mins, about twice as
     long as for other cars in the train.  Very smooth and fast ride up the
     hill.  First drop has the inversion in it, which as someone else pointed
     out, makes for a rather slow ride after it.  It is a very twisty coaster,
     with many inversions.  Overall, I was disappointed, but it is a very
     good coaster.

  Big Bad Wolf

     This was my favorite ride in the park (and one of my all-time, as well).
     A suspended coaster, with the track above you, and the cars free to
     swing from side to side around turns.  The ride takes you through the
     forest and through a mock German village, very close to the trees and
     buildings.  You can't see much of the rest of the park from the ride,
     which I liked.  You can really immerse yourself in the illusion by not
     having to watch the parking lot.  The last drop is the big one on this
     ride, with a wicked turn over the lake at the end.  Seems good and fast,
     which is helped by the swinging from side to side.  Best ride on this
     was the front car at night, with a light rain falling - totally awesome!
     One of the trains broke while we were waiting for our last ride of the
     night - took them 30 mins to try and fix it, test it, try again, test
     again, and finally scoot it off the track and bring in another one.


King's Dominion

     Did not like the park very much, but did like the rides.  Found the
     park very confusing to get around in, especially compared to BG with
     all those nice signs posted around.  It was very hot, and most of the
     park is out in the open, no nice shady trails.  Also, there was a
     faint (and sometimes not-so-faint) garbage smell around the park.  In
     general, not as clean as BG.

  Rebel Yell

     First ride of the day.  Nice wooden coaster, one train running forwards
     and one running backwards, but nothing special.  Very little airtime
     going forwards.  Backwards seemed quite a different ride, though, and
     at times scared the bejeezus out of me.  Very short line for this one
     early in the day, but got longer as the day went on.  Bad garbage smell
     when getting off the ride.

  Anaconda

     Steel looping coaster with an underwater tunnel.  Always a short line,
     and a bad garbage smell when getting on.  Good first drop, lots of speed,
     but slows down in the middle before the corkscrew inversions.  A very
     rough spot in the middle when it twists from left to right, really jars
     your head.  Unfortunately, the slow second half really ruined it for me.

  The Grizzly

     Hard to find this gem, nestled deep in the woods in one corner of the
     park.  The line winds through the woods, nice and cool and shady, and
     almost all of the coaster is hidden from view.  Had no idea where this
     one was going to go.  Nice short line, smooth climb, but a disappointing
     first drop.  Lots of air over the second hill.  Hmmm.  Around the bend
     and down into a tunnel, with hills which give air in pitch black dark.
     Totally awesome.  Almost every hill after the first gives a lot of time
     off your seat.  Was laughing out loud upon return to the station, where
     we promptly ran to the back of the line again.  A great coaster!

  Shockwave

     Stand up looping coaster, similar to the one at SFGAd.  Longest line
     for this one.  Straddle the bicycle seat *ouch!* and up the hill.  As
     someone else said recently, the first drop is like falling off a building -
     you're just sort of hanging there (we had the 1st car), pressing against
     the restraints, and then down you go.  I had so-so memories of the stand
     up one at SFGAd, but the front seat ride here was quite fun.  Sadly, it
     is a very rough ride, enough to bruise oneself on pretty badly.


Six Flags Great Adventure

     Went on a Thursday, and the park was mobbed as usual.  Waited 1/2 hour
     to buy tickets (got there 9:30) at $29 a pop.  Was checked with the
     metal detector wand upon arrival, and had my SO's bag checked for
     what-I-don't know.  Midway through the day, the power went out for
     the whole park for about an hour.  That really sucked.  Easily the
     dirtiest of the three parks.  No theming for any of the rides, lines
     that stretch into the 2+ hour range, and those lovely silver mazes to
     stand in.  No nice shady walks in the woods here.  On the bright side,
     there are TVs on the lines, which show cartoons and such, and soda
     machines on the lines.  Also, as we were leaving the park, we got free
     passes for next season.  That was good PR in my book.

  Great American Scream Machine

     I know a lot of people find this ride underwhelming, but I like it.  A
     total of 7 inversions, and a really nice first drop followed by a very
     high-in-the-air loop.  Pretty smooth, pretty fast, lots of upside down
     time.  Do this ride first thing in the morning, when the wait is only
     30 mins or so.  Line can grow into multiple hours during the day.

  Runaway Train

     Unfortunately, power went out as we were sitting in the front seat
     waiting to leave the station.  Riders before us had to be walked down
     the track from the top of the first hill.  Oh well.

  Rolling Thunder

     Wooden figure-eight (I think, don't kill me) with a decent first drop,
     and a nice long ride time.  Easily the shortest line in the park, maybe
     10 or 15 minutes.  Funny thing about this coaster.  Went on in the
     morning, left track.  Ho hum, not terribly fast.  Went on in afternoon,
     right track, ho hum, not terribly fast.  Had time for one more ride before
     we left the park, head to Rolling Thunder about 9:15pm.  Left track.  Up
     the hill, nice view of the parking lot, down the first drop, no big deal,
     over the second hill - wow!  what happened to my seat!  slam back down,
     fly over the next hill, lots of air, up the hill to the first turn, air
     time going into the turn, down the turn, fly through the rest of the ride.
     Awesome, amazing, wicked fast!  What happened here?  We ran to the back of
     the line again, same thing.  Much, much faster than earlier in the day.
     The last turn into the station become the 'Turn of Death' the way it would
     slam you around with speed.  We got a couple more rides before they shut
     it down, and everyone of them was incredible!

  Shockwave

     Don't know - 2.5 hour line.

     ----------------
     
        So there you have it folks, my first ever report.  Had a great time
        (riding *and* posting) and am looking forward to more parks.  Anyone
        have comments on Dorney Park (Allentown, PA)?

        Stats:

        Coaster                 Rides   Front   Back
        Loch Ness Monster         5       3      1
        Drachen Fire              5       3      2
        Big Bad Wolf              6       4      1

        Rebel Yell                4
        Anaconda                  4       3
        Grizzly                   5       3      1
        Shockwave                 1       1

        Great American Scream...  1       1
        Rolling Thunder           6       4      1

        Thanks for reading!!!
Newsgroups: rec.roller-coaster