robertleax

I've been paying for my membership since it came out.  I have not been to the park last year or this year yet.

On 1/13/2018 at 3:38 PM, robertleax said:

My daughter is at Busch Gardens Tampa today.  She hit all 8 coasters in 3 1/2 hours.  She is at 176 and i'm at 181 coasters.  She is going to SeaWorld on Monday to ride 5 more and then she will be tied with me on the Coaster Count!!!  

Well she only got 4 in at Seaworld... Journey to Atlantis was down.  She is at 180 now... one behind me.

My daughter is at Busch Gardens Tampa today.  She hit all 8 coasters in 3 1/2 hours.  She is at 176 and i'm at 181 coasters.  She is going to SeaWorld on Monday to ride 5 more and then she will be tied with me on the Coaster Count!!!  

I was one of the few rides my wife would go on.  We will miss it

I'm at 181 after this summer... my daughter is at 169

Linda Carter (her show was on when I was 12-13... so...)

Favorite Batman actor?

Has anyone been up to Knoebels the last weekend in October?  Thinking about going up Saturday  evening and staying Sunday and leaving Monday...

I miss the one at Great Adventure.  Always wanted my kids to try it.

Might have to go this Sunday.  But I will be going by myself since my daughter is in college.  Wife wont want to go so I can just ride coasters all day.  Have not ridden Fahrenheit, skyrush or Laff Trakk yet.

My daughter and I rode the front row last month and it was a lot smoother than i remembered. 

I have not even been to the park this year.  Not just we have been busy... (My wife had a stroke in April and my son passed away suddenly later that month and then my daughter went back to college in August) but even when we decided to go, we ended up going to the beach another park.  I do want to try Justice League but with everything else the same and with no shows we just decided not to.

I have a membership for the family and I have gotten a good rate for the past few years, so I don't want to cancel them (since we do make a trip to SFNE or SFA from time to time), but now it just seem feasible now.

I would love a new coaster for 2019, but I prefer more shows and a sit down sports bar restaurant.

Did you stay in the campground right across the street? Was your site relatively close to the front, or further on back? Last time we stayed there in a popup camper towards the front, but the sites were fairly small and on top of each other. And because it was packed, there were several neighbors who were up to all hours of the night drinking and very loud by the campfire. I still loved the convenience to the park. My neighbor here in NJ goes to Knoebels every year for a week in his huge travel trailer with his kids and grandkids and they have a blast. I have not been back there since I bought a travel trailer about 10 years ago, but would like to do it again. Unfortunately they close in early September and as far as I know, don't have any type of Frightfest or HITP..

when we used to go we always reserved a site with a platform for the tent right behind Twister. But this year it was a last minute decision and only had one site left for those 2 days. I was right near the pool and the registration office. Site was big enough for us but still crowded.

I prefer a platform for the tent but that's when we had a 9x9. Might be getting a 12x9 tent now. The 14x14 tent was too big for just the 3 of us.

Took my wife and daughter to Knoebels on Thursday Aug 17th and 18th and decided to camp there. We have not been to the park in 10 years and now regretted it.

Arrived at the park at 11am, went to the campground and since our spot was available we decided to set up 1st.

Hit the park at 12:15pm, stopped by Twister on the way to the office and walked one the 1st row. Much better ride than I remembered.

Next went to the office to get my $20 of free coupons because I am a disabled Vet. Then they suggested I could get an access pass so I did. That was well worth it. Basically you go up the exit side and they let you right on, You can even ride 2 times in a row.

To make things, I will list the rides that we rode (my wife only did Haunted Mansion, the Train and Black Diamond)

Impulse

Power Surge

Pioneer Train

Kosmo's Kurves

Haunted Mansion

Black Diamond

Flying Turns

Phoenix (twice)

All coasters we rode were in front row except for Phoenix which we rode in the front and back

By now it was only 2:45 and went back to the camp site to rest and eat.

Went back to the park around 7pm and basically did the entire cycle again adding a trip on the Scenic Skyway and Log Flume.

It was a great day and relaxing at the same time.

Got back to the campground by 10pm, started the campfire but my wife and daughter ending up going to bed by 11pm.

I knew it was going to rain so I put everything I could in the truck and covered the tent (which is 14x14) with a tarp

And it rained!!! a lot!!!

By the morning it stopped but everything was wet. We heard the weather report was going to be on and off rain so we decided to pack up and leave the truck at the campground while we went back to the park. We paid for the second night but since my daughter and I were going to Virginia on Saturday we thought it would be better to leave the park on Friday.

Arrived at the park at 10:30 to eat breakfast and after that my daughter and I decided to hit all the coasters again

Flying Turns

Impulse

Haunted Mansion

Black Diamond

Phoenix

Log Flume.

By now its only 12:15pm and it started to rain so we decided just to go home (2 1/2 hour drive).

I love this park. Food was great and inexpensive. The park was more crowded than I would have guessed being it was Thursday but we were lucky with the access pass. Lines were long. I could do it every year but while my daughter and I love to camp my wife hates it.

Might even to try to get back this October since it was so fun.

Next up... Carowinds and the Solar Eclipse...

Possible clue on twitter???... "This week we saw the eclipse, next we'll be seeing red. 8.31.17". I've been away for a week so did I miss something?

Nighthawk looks more like a clone of Batwing at SFA than SUF at Gadv. Hard to tell though.

Probably wont hit the water park... So trying to hit all 13 coasters (and any other flats that might be worth it) before trying to get home.

Now the weather in Knoebels is 100% rain on Friday, so we might hit that park on Thursday and come back Friday in the am.

Planning to visit my dad who lives near Lake Gaston in Virginia this weekend so my daughter and I are planning a trip to Carowinds on Monday the 21st. Its about a 4 hour trip from my dad's house so we leave around 6am.

We have never been to the park so we are trying get some advise.

What to hit first?

Are kids in school by then?

Is it worth getting a Fast Lane Plus?

Best place to eat in the park?

The other reason we are going on that day is because of the solar eclipse. Its not total but 98.2%...

Going to be a busy week since we are going to Knoebels on Thursday and Friday this week, leaving there on Saturday am, dropping off the camping stuff at the house and then driving to Virginia right afterwards.

We will be adding 4 coasters from Knoebels and 13 from Carowinds to our coaster count though.

Neither of those parks has Kingda Ka. That requires $5 million in yearly maintenance. You want shows, you loose Ka. Unfortunately that's a decision that's not so easy to undue since it is a marquis attraction (people actually come to the park for it, like it or not).

 

The current park is unfortunately saddled with the decision of the past management as well as the present, so it always comes down to what decision will make more money than the cost (RoI). If they spent the $5 million on shows and shut down Ka, attendance would go down. Yes, a few people would come back because "now there are shows!" but they'd lose more people because the signature coaster was closed.

 

And, I absolutely agree, a well rounded park needs shows as well as rides, but that ship has sailed (for now) unless there's a sudden change in management priorities or finances.

Not to argue (really i'm not) but Cedar Point has Dragster... and shows. I do know they have higher revenues such as on-site hotels and higher season pass prices. And I would pay more for my passes if they had shows.

I am 50 and my wife is 46 with my daughter who is 19. For several years we have been going to the park but recently we bother not to go and end up just going to Asbury Beach for the day instead. My wife only went once last year (for my birthday) and has not been back since. Even Hurricane Harbor is too crowded to go to and we only went once last year.

We have not even been to the park this year and my membership pass is not being worth it now except we have gone to SFNE and SFA for the past few years.

The lack of shows is our main reason. We need something else to do beside riding coasters. Since the loss of the Dolphin show there is nothing we we are interested in (show wise).

Dorney has shows... SFA even has shows... Why don't we???

When we had the combo pass we were able to and did it for several years. I just read the details on the web site and it even though the wording is a little confusing it says you can use "2 days at both parks on the same day". So I guess you cannot.

Our package including staying in the resort so I don't know if that made a difference.

The times I went with my friends with a 2 day pass, we spent the 1st day at the park, the 2nd day started off in the park, then went to the water park early afternoon for a few hours and then back to the park for the rest of the night.

Took my daughter last year to SFNE on a Saturday in September and we loved it. Waiting for food took forever like you said but we did love the mix of rides and was able to ride every coaster except for the one kiddie coaster.

Would definitely go again this September when my daughter goes back to college. St Johns University in Staten Island is along the way to SFNE.

But ironically, I don't think GA's yearly attendance has changed much from the 1970's when it was new, but much smaller with very few coasters.

But back then they had a lot more shows.

I wander why?... probably will not even be able to try it.

My daughter and I really enjoyed Soaring Eagle. The 2nd time i rode it I felt I was going to fall out.

Thunderbolt was my daughter's 150th coaster

Scream Machine