Park Review
|
Santa Claus, Indiana May 11, 2001 (Stark Raven Mad) As I suspected, it seems like I'm the last one to post a trip report for Stark Raven Mad. I'm blaming the combination of finals and moving all my stuff home for the summer. For those who don't know, I use the Griswold rating scale (-3 to +5, with 0 being slightly favorable). THE PARK: General Impressions. +4 Josh and I arrived at Holiday World just before 4pm on Friday, and after the five-hour drive I was exhausted. Still, the excitement of the upcoming night got to both of us, and (despite my urgings) we threw the tent together and were at the gates at least a half hour before we were let in. Once inside, we were all directed to the Holiday World theatre for a welcome presentation. The "show" was interesting, but I thought it really dragged on. And though I was really impressed by the Koch family chorus, was it necessary to hear it twice? Still, I think the presentation was worth it, as it really introduced (or reintroduced) everyone to Holiday World, and really established that it's a far cry from the corporate themers. Where else can you speak with all the owners and the mechanics/carpenters every day you're there? Though I've been to Holiday World in the past, the hospitality of the Koch family was extremely impressive. The park would have gotten a +5, but (and maybe I'm just stubborn here) I feel a park has to have a good steelie to get a perfect rating (just as I feel a park must have a good woodie to get a perfect score). Let me say, though, that a +4 is the highest the park can get without a steelie, so it's next to perfect. The atmosphere at this park is unbeatable, and it's not anything I've felt anywhere else (and no, Disney does not even come close). The employees are the friendliest, most efficient I have ever seen (we clocked a loading time at 37 seconds on the Legend), the park is spotless, and everyone there (and not just the enthusiasts) were really, truly having a great time. The applause when every train entered/departed the station was, in part, because of the enthusiast crowd, but the employees and the park itself really encouraged it. Holiday World is truly a rare gem; as Josh pointed out, their commercials are the only one's I've ever seen that actually show people riding with their arms in the air (most parks discourage that). And the free drinks - beautiful. After the presentation, Josh and I skipped out on dinner to start riding (his idea). We started out on the Legend and got a really good ride. Last season, I walked away from it really unimpressed; there were laterals, but little airtime and the Gerstlauer trains killed the ride. This year, there are new lap bars (which do help, but provide nowhere near the comfort of the PTCs). The laterals are about the same, but the airtime now is abundant and, on occasion, quite violent. Josh and I then took a ride on the Raven (which, from last season, was #6 on my top ten wooden coaster list). My first ride on Raven this year was very disappointing, though I blamed that on our middle of the train seats (Raven is a back seat ride). The rest of the night was spent bouncing back and forth between Raven and Legend, and eventually we met up with Jeremy Norris and his friend Greg. Thanks, guys, I had a lot of fun. And I'm glad I finally got to meet you, Jeremy (and we didn't really even fight!). Throughout the night, the rides got progressively faster and more violent, and a short bit of rain switched the coasters into "out of control" mode. Following are my reviews of the two rides.
THE LEGEND - 2000 CCI wooden twister with Gerstlauer trains: +4.5
THE RAVEN - 1995 CCI wooden twister with PTC trains: +5 Thanks a lot to Holiday World and the Koch family for their generous hospitality. And again, it was nice to see both Jeremy and Adam at SRM (Adam, you owe me a conversation when I make it to Six Flags Saint Louis). And Josh, as always, it was nice see you again. Thanks for reading. -Nate
|