My Favorite Parks

For this last look into things about the amusement park industry that I like, I'd like to bring up parks that I've been to which left a good impression on me.  This list may throw out some surprises as I look at several things when judging parks.  I also look to how they cater to my specific tastes as well as from an operations standpoint.  I'll just let the list speak for itself.  Some of this list may be dictated for the time I did visit these parks as some I haven't visited in quite a while.

9. Six Flags Great Adventure- Last visit- 2000

This was my first Six Flags park, which turned out to be everything I expected from a Six Flags park at the time, lots of Warner Brothers theming and a fair selection of rides.  A lot of their rides at the time, such as Rolling Thunder and the defunct Viper didn't leave a good impression, but Medusa and Batman The Ride made up for that.  The upkeep was pretty good, though the single train operations and staff left a lot to be desired.  I would love to get back here to ride a lot of their additions since I last went, like Nitro, Kingda Ka and El Toro.

8. Kings Dominion- Last visit- 2002

I kind of had a good idea of what Kings Dominion was all about with the many visits to my home park, Kings Island.  Kings Dominion is set up a lot like its Ohio sister park, though then, it didn't play up the Paramount themes as well as Kings Island.  A lot of their rides didn't have the best line throughput so it had quite a few lengthy lines, such as on Volcano and Hypersonic.  The park has a good selection of rides and the familiarity of a fellow Paramount Park was welcoming.

7. Hersheypark- Last Visit- 2008

The Sweetest Place on Earth is a park very reminiscent of the early age of amusement parks of the early 1900's.  Started in 1907, its one of the oldest parks in the United States.  A lot of their classic rides like their Carousel and the wooden Comet are in great shape and, I imagine, run like they did when they debuted.  And they REALLY play up the Hershey products through the park, from ride names to categories of height requirements based on their candies.  All of their rides are pretty fun with a few standouts such as Storm Runner, Great Bear, the Kissing Tower, and Lightning Racer.  They could use some better flats though with only a few worth noting such as The Claw.  Still, its simple, old school nature combined with modern attractions makes for quite an intriguing park.

6. Kings Island- Last visit- Home Park

Yes, my home park only comes up as 6th, with a lot of things that Kings Dominion suffers from in a lot of rides with under performing capacities for a park of its size and stature.  This has a bit better of a ride selection, water park, and food than Kings Dominion and, being Paramount's most favored park, got a lot with theming and rides that played to that.  There are many problems that occured under Paramount, which is for another discussion, but what they did do well, it shined the most at Kings Island.  It also helps that my favorite wood and steel coaster are at Kings Island as well.  The shows are also pretty good.

5. Walt Disney World EPCOT Center- Last visit- 1998

I'm probably not the best person to get into judging Disney parks, especially EPCOT since I haven't been there in a very long time, but I'll try to give some insight.  Along with Disney's excellent job in running parks, EPCOT is something a bit out of the ordinary with some neat areas such as the World Showcase.  Their presentations of different countries and cultures was great in how they brought some of those areas to life.  I probably would have liked it better had I been around for attractions such as Mission: Mars and Test Track.

4. Cedar Point- Last Visit- 2011

America's Roller Coast and the former Coaster Capital of the World does a heap of great things.  Boasting the best collection of coasters, flat rides, shows and food of the traditional parks I've been to, Cedar Point has a lot for everyone.  It is hard to argue with 16 roller coasters and other rides like MaXair, Skyhawk, Power Tower, Cedar Downs, and their railroad, which still keeps its animatronics in working order, something you don't see much at parks anymore.  Still, it does lack some theming and for a park of its stature, its water park is really lack luster.  

3. Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom- Last Visit- 1998

I think this requires little introduction.  Magic Kingdom was all it's built up to be and then blows you away.  Everything from the grandeur of Main Street, to Cinderella Castle's royal presence, the theming of the different areas, and all the things Walter Elias Disney envisioned when he created his parks is truly a masterpiece of theme parks anywhere.  Things like attention to detail and really immersing guests in the films and themes is just unparalleled almost anywhere else, which leads me to #2.

2. Universal Studios Florida- Last Visit- 1998

This has a lot of the same qualities of Disney, but the movies and themes they have to choose from are a bit more varied which equates to more practical methods of throwing you in the action of your favorite movies, which is a plus for me as Disney themes can get a bit tedious for the more grown up bunch.  With my last visit in 1998, I did get to ride a lot of the old school rides like Back to the Future, King Kong, Jaws, and Earthquake, all of which were fantastic.  It was also when Nickelodeon had a home there, which, being a kid and visiting them at the height of their popularity was a real treat.  

I'm probably going to get a lot of flak for my favorite park, especially with it above the likes of Universal Studios, Disney and Cedar Point, but there is a lot that goes into why its that way plus remember, this is based on my opinion, so without further ado...

1. Dollywood- Last Visit- 2009

Dollywood, a country themed park in the middle of Pigeon Forge with the affirmation of Dolly Parton's image scattered everywhere is quite the unique park.  It has a lot for everybody, and I mean everybody.  It caters to thrill riders with a few great rides like Thunderhead, Daredevil Falls, and Mystery Mine.  It has rides for the younger set with its Country Fair section.  It has scenic rides such as the Dollywood Express, which ventures on a 5 mile loop with great views of the Smoky Mountains with a real steam locomotive at the helm.  The food is out of this world with great country dinners, bbq and grilled food.  The shows are spectacular with a lot of productions and music created by Dolly herself.  Arts and crafts let people walk around and relax.  It all comes together so well, and the theming, I would say, is on par with the likes of Disney, but much more affordable.  The staff in particular are my favorite out of any park I've been to with a real down to Earth approach.  Truly an underrated gem of a park.  

What Music Means to Me

I hope this particular post serves as context to how I view music and how it's affected me through my life, particularly in reference to recent happenings in my life.

Since I was introduced to the intricacies of music in grade school, I've always had a fascination with music.  I liked being able to pick out certain instruments and how they sounded in many of the facets music is heard, whether on the radio, on TV, etc.  Though that, the saxophone stood out the most as having the most unique sound and used in a lot of music I liked to listen to, so in 5th grade, I decided to pick it up.

Band for me was a bit tedious for me at first.  For a lot of that time, band just felt like a way to get out of the usual classes for a while.  I didn't take to making what I saw on the page translate to how it sounded as my music reading skills were sub-par.  Heck in 8th grade, I couldn't play a full chromatic scale and had little in terms of range.   I seemingly went into high school band with a slightly negative view of my future with playing an instrument.

That all changed during my first high school band camp.  Sure I had a big learning curve, but with the way the     'band family' concept worked out and with things just being plain fun, I got myself to learn how to read music better.  Heck, I had to learn my high school fight song by ear my first year, something I never dreamed I'd ever be able to do.  By the end of that year, I'd played a ton of songs a lot of people wished they could play along as being able to hit the full range of my saxophone.  One thing I learned to do, which is a concept I still hold in how I play, is to perform at a level the likes of which make you emotionally tired.  I really caught on to that concept and every time I get behind my instrument in front of an audience, I just let my emotions flow out through the sound of my sax.  I also find this is a great way to calm bits of anger and frustration.  Music had turned from a point of frustration to a way to get rid of it, and I kept at it.   The best bits are getting to those huge musical moments and just drowning yourself in the sound you're creating with the rest of the ensemble.  As much as musicians push to be better and better, I also find times to tell myself, "yep, I just made some awesome music".

I kept a lot of those notions going in to college, which takes on a life of its own, especially when those same concepts are put with higher performance demands as well as being part of a NCAA D-1 athletic program.  I love every moment of it, and while it can be pushy at times with how time frames and rehearsals work out, the result on the performance end makes every bit of that worth it.  The feeling of being part of things like American social events as big as March Madness is without equal.

However, during college for me, I had another reason to keep a firm grasp onto music.  During that time, I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and had 3 major surgeries culminating in around 100 days in the hospital, 68 of those days in one go.  I had little hopes of making it at all, let along picking up my sax again.  The moment of being told I would be able to continue to that, down to facets like marching and even UC's infamous charge down the stadium stairs was a notion I hold onto firmly and my friends in the UC band welcomed me back with open arms.  Heck, I would have understood completely if they didn't let me back in  with all the problems that could go on, but that didn't happen.  Heck, even after working through that summer to come back, I still had second thoughts for marching band.

The initial plan was just to come around for the stationary bands.  Staying in marching band was a big leap for me.  The members who welcomed me back sure didn't let me keep dwelling on that though.  Even to this day, the amount of support I get to keep at marching band is incredible.  Heck, I even have support from an entire national support group for Crohn's and colitis behind me.  As of this writing, I've finished my 7th year in the UC Bearcat Bands and am looking to go for a milestone 9 years, all that with a million reasons to not do it but sticking with those few reasons that make it worth staying despite all of that.

My favorite non-coaster rides

While I do love to ride coasters when I go to amusement parks, there are other rides that compliment them that are also deserving of attention.  There are a vast number of different types of rides found at amusement parks, such as flat spinning rides, drop rides, water rides, and more.   A lot of these bring a unique flavor to each park which their coasters alone can't bring out.  Here are some of the non-coaster rides I've come across and would gladly jump in line for when given the chance.

Daredevil Falls- Dollywood- This is my favorite water ride I've done thus far.  Dollywood has a lot of great theming throughout the park as well as lots of great shows and arts and crafts for a little bit of everything for a wide demographic.  Most of the theming has to do with industries and happenings that go on in a mountain town such as Pigeon Forge, and Daredevil Falls brings that aspect out being themed to a riverside saw mill gone wrong.  Unlike Disney's Splash Mountain, Daredevil Falls doesn't throw Disney in your face through the entire ride.  Instead, it starts out drifting through a cave, but overall, a relaxing float through the woods.  Then the lift takes hold and the build up to the 66 ft drop is done very well.  The lift even overlooks the maw of wood that riders seem to plunge into with mists all around giving the ride a mysterious look.  

Dollywood Express- This isn't like most usual park trains you'll find.  First off, the engines used are legitimate steam engines that used to be in service at the beginning of the 20th century.  Most other parks have those smaller propane powered engines, but with Dollywood's, you get all the noise and soot off of a real steam locomotive.   Secondly, its perhaps one of the most scenic of any park train ride you'll find, with track winding up around the surrounding mountain sides with great views all around.  Did I mention the ride was a 5 mile loop?  So if you're at Dollywood and want a break from the action, the Dollywood Express is the place to go.

Huss Giant Frisbees- This ride is found at a lot of parks, but my experiences have been with Kings Island's Delirium and Cedar Point's MaXair.  The hugeness factor really make it a bit more graceful than what you'd expect from a ride that does what it does, the swinging coupled with the spinning motions.  And big is an understatement when you see this thing in action, swinging up to 137 ft at 67 mph.  The huge 50 person gondola spins at just the right speed where it isn't too dizzying.  Overall, a pretty neat experience.

Drop Towers- This is a pretty simple yet terrifying ride.  Hoist a bunch of guests to absurd heights and let gravity do the rest.  Drop Tower at Kings Island plays it out in that way, but with the added bonus of spinning the gondola for an extended view whilst being lifted to 300+ ft.  Cedar Point's Power Tower comes in two flavors for the drop fanatic.  Two of the towers have that typical drop, but with the added boost of air compressors which force it down faster than gravity.  The other pair do something a bit different.  Instead of dropping from the top, they take those same air compressors and launch riders from 0 to 50 in the blink of an eye straight up.  Overall, I tend to have a love/hate relationship with towers.  I hate the lift going up and the agonizing few seconds they like to hold you up there, but the adrenalin rush afterwards is a great payoff.  

Huss Top Spins- These are another set of thrilling spinning rides.  However, you better be ready to go upside down quite a lot as these steel arms all have different programs, some which have flips in rapid succession while others like to hold you upside down for a while.  The unpredictable nature of these rides help make them more thrilling as well.  One in particular, Kings Island's Crypt, better known as Tomb Raider The Ride, was perhaps the best of them during its prime.  I say that as when Cedar Fair acquired the park, they left it as a shell of its former self.  During they days as Tomb Raider, the ride was filled with the ancient theming that was on par with something you'd find at Universal Studios.  The program coupled with the visuals as well as a great soundtrack made it a pretty awe inspiring ride.  

ProSlide Tornados- I've been to a few water parks, but none of the other slides came up to snuff with what this funnel slide delivers.  The way the ride hashes out is pretty awesome as well.  You start on 4 person rafts which meander through a pitch black enclosed slide.  After a few twist and turns, a very steep drop breaks out into daylight as you rocket around the HUGE funnel, pitching nearly vertical at times with great air time as well.  

A look into my taste in coasters

I am a roller coaster enthusiast who likes to rate and rank the rides I've done.  As of this post, I've rode 63 roller coasters across 7 parks.   I also rank them separating wood from steel.  The reason is simple, wood coasters are different than steel coasters.   There are certain things you can only do with wood coasters, and things you can only do with steel coasters.  The materials also affect things differently, with wood being a more natural material susceptible to things like weather which can produce a different ride if you ride the same coaster twice.  That's also why I tend to like wood coasters over steel coasters.

First, here are my top 10 steel coasters out of the 45 I've done.

1. Diamondback- Kings Island
2. Millennium Force- Cedar Point
3. Maverick- Cedar Point
4. Magnum XL-200-  Cedar Point
5. Storm Runner- Hersheypark
6. Medusa- Six Flags Great Adventure
7. Raptor- Cedar Point
8. Firehawk- Kings Island
9. Volcano: The Blast Coaster- Kings Dominion
10. Top Thrill Dragster- Cedar Point

I'll start from the bottom up.

 10. Top Thrill Dragster, while possessing awesome stats- 420 ft tall with a 0-120 mph hydraulic launch in 4 seconds, is a rather short ride.  Most consider it a one trick pony (2 tricks in this case), but it still does a heck of a trick.

9.Volcano at Kings Dominion is a launch coaster as well, but its an inverted coaster with riders below the tracks.  It has a great build up to the launches, where there are 2.  However, it doesn't just haul ass right out of the station, it slowly glides around a corner and then hits the gas, getting up to 70 mph before tossing you out Kings Dominion's makeshift Volcano at 151 ft high, while turning upside down.   Definitely one of the best coaster moments I've experienced.  However the layout after is lackluster, only with a few barrel rolls before an 80 ft drop into the brakes.

8. Then there is Firehawk.  I really like the flying coaster concept.  I've only ridden the Vekoma model as opposed to the Bolliger and Mabillard model (Tatsu at Six Flags Magic Mountain and Manta at Sea World Orlando are good examples of those), but its still a great thrilling ride.  The prone position is certainly a unique way to ride a coaster, and the vertical loop is one of the weirdest loops I've ever done before.  The 2nd half really picks up in a variety of forces and pacing with great positive g's in the final helix.  It's also a must ride in the front seat.

7. Inverted coasters are also among my favorite designs, but for sheer length and number of elements, Raptor takes the cake for me.  Among the necessities is the fact its smooth as glass and does a lot of things- a 137 ft drop taking riders up to 62 mph, 6 inversions- a vertical loop, a 0g roll (a barrel roll on top a hill), a cobra roll (a double inverting element which takes you opposite in which you entered the element), and 2 corkscrews, or 'flat spins' as designer Bolliger and Mabillard calls them.  This also shares a trait with Firehawk in that it has great positive G force throughout, especially the loop and the helix at the end.  It's also  pretty aesthetically pleasing in that striking green and teal color scheme right at the entrance of Cedar Point.

6. Before I get comments on this, let me clarify something.  I rode this when it was called and themed as Medusa before it got re-themed and overhauled with sound and visual affects as Bizzaro, so that's my reference in how I view the ride.  If and when I go back, I'll put in the current name.  Anyways, Medusa- a floorless coaster.  For those who are uninitiated as to what a floorless coaster is, its as its name suggests, a ride positioned above the tracks like a standard sit down coaster, but with nothing between your feet and the track.  Whereas the inverted coaster has nothing but air there, floorless coasters give the illusion of your feet about to be ground into hamburger while flying along at Medusa's 65 mph top speed.  The monster she-demon whips through 7 inversions (similar inversions as Raptor but with a dive loop thrown in the mix), including a 114 vertical loop with awesome hang time.   The lateral movements really enhance the floorless design including my favorite 0g roll on a coaster.

5. Some of my friends not so acquainted with coasters may ask me "Mike, Storm Runner is less than half the speed and height of TTD, why is it higher ranked?"  My enthusiast friends will probably agree with me here, Storm Runner has a better layout and does more than a simple launch and really tall vertical hill.  The launch is far more explosive, a 0-72 mph launch in only 2 seconds.  The forces on this thing are incredible.  Some know the term 'air time'.  Well, to enthusiasts, there are 2 main types, floater air which is more graceful and you say up for a bit, and then there is ejector air where you are pretty much pinned to the restraint.  Storm Runner has this in spades when flying over that first hill, and due to the terrain, the drop is longer than the ascent which adds 3 mph from the initial launch.  The 3 inversions have nice, tight transistions which make for great pacing.  The high banked double up at the end really makes for a great ending as well.

4. Magnum XL-200 is pretty much the epitome of the classic steel coaster.  This holds a lot of leeway for me as well for nostalgia  as it was my first coaster above the 200 ft mark (my first hyper coaster).  I remember riding everything else at Cedar Point with relative ease, but something about 200 ft scared me a lot.  I saved the steel monster for last on that first Cedar Point trip, which I now make it a ritual to ride it at night every time I'm at Cedar Point.  What can I say about this ride?  Hyper coasters are air time speed machines and Magnum delivers the air very well.  Towering at 205 ft and racing like a white blur at 72 mph, Magnum really pours on the fun with hill after hill with great air time.  The location by the beach is great as well, especially on a clear day.  The turn around at the far end is weird at times, designed by Arrow Dynamic's main designer Ron Toomer, which, for those unaware, designed coasters with help of a coat hanger...seriously.  The 3 tunnels are pretty great at night as well, being totally pitch black.  While the first drop is all kinds of  awesome, that 2nd swooping drop is also a pretty neat part of the ride as well.

3. Maverick being this high is a tell tale sign that size isn't everything.  This is probably the most relentless steel coaster I've ever ridden.  There is hardly a point to catch your breath and its extremely forceful, from the quick pitches as it changes from one banked curve to another, to the air on the 2 main drops that completely pins your shoulders to the top of the restraints, its one wild coaster indeed!  The 2nd launch to 70 mph is raw power, but that point of the ride is also why its only 3rd, its an abrupt lax in the pacing and makes the ride feel like 2 distinctly different parts.  If it were more of a fluent transition, I'd definitely give it more kudos, but as it stands, its something I lean not to like about it.

2. This was a pretty inevitable coaster to get up this high.  Millennium Force is great at what it does, with my favorite first drop on a coaster at 300 ft at an 80 degree angle, getting those sweet looking Intamin trains up to 93 mph.  Its more of a speed coaster, where it seems like it always doing at least 45-70 mph through the entire course, even at the crests of hills and over-banked curves.  The 4 hills it does have are alright in the air time department, more of a floater type air.  The low banked curves also have nice sustained positive g's, but not enough for black outs.  The finale of flying past the queue line and making that high banked curve into the brakes is icing on the cake.

1.  Diamondback is very deserving of the number 1 spot for me.  While it does have some great height and speed on par with Millennium Force, Diamondback, in my opinion, outright steals the show in having a better variety of forces than Millennium Force.  It has better air and it transitions from that into the positive g's in the valleys very well.   Some of the other entities on it are pretty unique for a coaster of it's type as well- the v-style seating which make the outside seats awesome with more openness, the snake decals on the trains, and of course, that picture perfect splash at the end.

I will keep my wooden explanations down to my top 6 (of 14, really 15 as I count SOB as 2 credits with both loop and no loop), in all honesty, anything lower than 6th on my wood list are ones I couldn't go on as they're all pretty similar and not that worth noting.

1. Beast- Kings Island
2. Thunderhead- Dollywood
3. Lightning Racer- Hersheypark
4. Racer- Kings Island
5. Comet- Hersheypark
6. Mean Streak- Cedar Point

6. While it can be a bit rough, Mean Streak doesn't come off as unbearable rough to me, not after I've ridden the likes of Son of Beast at Kings Island or Kings Dominion's Hurler.  Cedar Point has done track work to it over the last few years which helped it immensely.  The first half is alright and that first drop is just massive.  However, the area this ride truly shines is the 2nd half.  The lower elements are smoother and have some great lateral forces as it rounds out the layout before coming to a rest at the final brakes.  The wood flying all around with head chopper affects everywhere is a pretty great aspect of the ride as well.  A few tunnels here or there could help it.

5. I have to admit, I'm a complete sucker for classic wooden coasters such as Hersheypark's Comet.  They represent a simpler time in amusement park history and the ones that are taken care of well still provide the same great thrills they did when they were first enleashed to unsuspecting guests.   Comet is no exception, and for a coaster going on 70 years old, it still packs quite a punch with quick turn arounds and great jumps of airtime.  Its a treat at night with the string lights laid about the ride and how it flies past the midways as it goes through its finishing maneuvers.  It's also one of the best looking coasters as well IMO.

4. Ah, the coaster that re-started the current coaster building spree.  This has all the great aspects of Comet but with the added bonus of being a racing coaster.  Racer's low speed hops between the big hills are spectacular in the air time department and its always fun with another train to share in the fun.  I for one wish Kings Island would put the south side backwards again and repaint it back to its original patriotic colors, but none-the-less, its a fun classic coaster with a great history to boot.

3. Another racing coaster, but that's where the similarities between this and Racer end.  Lightning Racer takes all that racing action and twists and turns the layout as much as possible creating the world's first racing and dueling coaster.  A dueling coaster is where the two tracks curve around each other creating crossovers and head on passes for more interaction between the two tracks, making for a MUCH more exciting ride than the out and back layout of Racer (and Kings Dominion's Rebel Yell, which I've also ridden).

The trains are that of Great Coasters Inc's Millennium Flyer trains.  They differ than most other trains in that each seat is it's own car, making for an articulated train which handles corners and banking better than most other wooden coaster trains, making for a much smoother ride and impressive visuals, a trend quickly catching on with new wooden coaster designs.

2.  Dollywood's star wooden coaster takes number 2 on my list, the mighty Thunderhead.  Another GCI coaster with the same Millennium Flyer trains as Lightning Racer, this was made about 6 years later when GCI started to really dabble in making their coasters as twisted as possible, which make Thunderhead a pure airtime and lateral machine.  Even a drawn out curve may have several changes in banking and drops in between, and while main drops have great air, there are little pops throughout the entire ride, which make the  2 minute 30 second ride a completely relentless and intense experience.

1.  And now, my #1 wood coaster and my favorite coaster of all time despite how it might be ranked, The Beast.  The world's longest wooden coaster (3rd overall in length) has one of the most unique layouts of any coaster out there.  All you can see are the 2 lifts which feed into a course which uses the terrain extremely well, with drops and curves to accentuate the rolling hills near the back end of the Kings Island property.  The woods provide adequate hiding as turn after turn after drop leave the element of surprise.  The helix is probably the best finale to a ride ever, with that slow 18 degree drop into the upward tilted covered helix, which makes it feel faster than the 55 mph speed which you are going (the ride makes it up to 64.8 mph in the main course).  Of course, The Beast can't be mentioned without its defining feature, creating one of the best night ride experiences of any coaster ever.  Definitely catch a front seat ride at night and you will NOT be disappointed!

Obviously this list is subject to change as I add more coasters to this list, but overall, this is what I got.  

An Introduction

Hello and welcome to my blog!  As per the description, this is kind of a weird combination of topics.  Alas, they are all who I am.   They are all things that have either defined me or are things that I've taken vast interest in.

Now for a little contest in how I'll cover these topics.

In my interests in music, I will be covering things that go on as a member of the University of Cincinnati Bearcat Bands until the time I leave.  I play alto and tenor saxophone in the band and, as of this particular post, am heading into my 8th year.   Things to be covered are things like band camp, certain music we happen to be playing, info on upcoming performances, and trip reports to the various things like bowls and basketball tournament trips.  I'll likely throw in some college happenings as well.

I am also a bit of a roller coaster and amusement park enthusiast.  With that, I will be going over topics like information on new rides, parks making headlines, innovations, and overall opinions on certain things.  I'll also throw in some ratings and reviews relevant to my tastes in parks and rides. 

Finally,  in an effort to spread awareness of the issue, I will be posting on my dealings with the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America and my efforts to work around how ulcerative colitis has affected me.    

Overall, I hope you find what you want to get out of this blog and I hope to see you reading here soon!