Coaster Community

Thursday: We drove in from Louisville and the time change made it so the trip took about 5 minutes.  This gave us the opportunity to sleep in yet again.  We also got to the park just as it was opening.

We stopped at Raven as we were walking in and found just a 10 minute wait for the 3rd row.  We've heard several good things about Holiday World's coaster collection over the years and were excited to finally be riding them.  Raven didn't disappoint.  It's a quick ride and didn't pack an intensity punch but it did provide us with a fun filled ride.

The Legend was next in line and also had a 10 minute wait.  This time we rode near the back and found the intensity to be a couple of notches above Raven.  The fun factor was also turned up a bit as well.  We found the helix near the end to be one of the best out there.

We were on a roll (literally) and The Voyage was the next logical choice.  The wait was about 20 minutes for the 2nd row.  This was one of the most exhilarating rides we have ever experienced.  Janessa and I were actually out of breath by the end of the ride.  The speed, turns, tunnels, and drops equal awesomeness.  We loved it so much we actually bought shirts at the exit and we never buy shirts.  We also hopped right back in line and this time waited 15 minutes for a back row, which was also super intense but not as fun as the front.

Our longest wait of the entire trip was at the Frightful Falls.  It took 45 minutes and afterwards was considered a waste of time.  It's an average flume ride at best.

It was time for a snack and we had spotted a place of interest back near Voyage.  The Plymouth Rock Cafe was an extraordinary deal.  Two meals, each with 3 sides and a dessert ran us just over $20.

Since we were over there we took a quick ride on Gobbler Getaway.  There wasn't a wait.  It beats most of the other indoor shooter rides that we've been on recently just because the shooters were accurate.  We also liked the theming of the ride. 

Offered in the Coaster Con deal was yet another walk back tour.  This time we got an up close look at Raven and The Legend.  It's always cool being able to score shots that you just can't get from the main paths.  After the tour we drove down the block and checked into Santa's Lodge.  The room was spacious and comfortable and was probably a notch above a Holiday Inn Express.  We quickly changed and into the swim gear and then made our way to the Splashin' Safari.  We only had about 2 hours before the water park closed so we were in a hurry.

We started at the Bamboo Chutes and only had to wait 5 minutes for each side.  These are tubes slides and are average.

We then made out way over to OtoRonGo and rode one of the twisty slides.  It was also a 5 minute wait.

Next we hit the Jungle Racers and after a 5 minute wait we were off.  I pretty much killed everyone because I have mad sliding skills.  I'm heavy yet streamlined.  This was also our favorite ride in the water park.  Both of us got airtime off of the hills and that's comparable to turning it up to 11, which is louder than 10.

Zinga was a 30 minute wait but we didn't let it stop us.  We had not experienced a tornado yet and I wasn't going to let another slip through my fingers.  The descent into the funnel was pretty good and the initial half-pipe action was OK but overall the ride was a let down.  I would certainly ride it again but I don't see myself waiting more than 15 minutes to do so.

Baluki was the park’s latest addition and also had a 30 minute wait.  Again the journey to the bowl was the best part, it had a wicked drop.  Once in the bowl the excitement level drops a bit.  Exiting the bowl had another nice little dip.  I would certainly rank this higher than Zinga.

Zoombabwe was the only large slide left and it definitely looked interesting.  By this time the line had died down to 10 minutes.  It's a nice long slide but was lacking any real intensity.  It's a step up from a family slide but not much.

We still had some time to blow and made our way back over to OtoRonGo.  This time we took the middle (Go) slide.  The drop was awesome and we skipped across the catch pool to the far wall.  Even though it's tiny it's still one of the best rides in the park.  Since the remaining twisty slide was a walk on we decided to do it.  It was comparable to the first one and considered a bust when you compare it to the Go slide.

The only slide left was Watubee.  It was a walk on and is a family raft slide.

It was time for another break so we headed back to the room, cleaned up and then laid around waiting for the night ERT session.  We got back to the park around 8:30 and waited for security to clear the park.  Once they did they opened Kringle's Cafe and treated us to an all you can eat pizza buffet.  We also got some of the park’s famous fudge.  I later realized that pizza and ERT on Voyage don't mix.

Now that we were full we hit Raven.  This ride was completely different than the one that we had early in the day.  It was 10 times more fun in the dark.  The intensity was way up.  After 3 rides we figured out that we prefer the front.

The Legend also got 3 rides and this was another one that delivered a totally different ride experience.  The intensity was unreal and again the front was best.

I was now time to finish the night at The Voyage.  Since the other two coasters had been crazy in the dark I figured that we were in for wild ride.  Janessa could only handle one lap and I was left to find a new partner for the rest of the evening.  Lucky for me our friends from Wisconsin were in attendance.  Shane and I took another 4 laps before the curse of the pizza buffet caused me to throw in the towel.  Each ride was insane and the darkness makes it impossible to anticipate the turns.  The triple down just after the mid-course brakes is one of the best elements ever put on a roller coaster.  It's not often that a coaster breaks our top 10 and the Voyage immediately jumped to number 6.  It's also the first wood coaster to break the top 10.

Friday: We slept in again (this is the way to do it) and then checked out of the hotel.  We got to the park around 11:30 and we learned that the lines are even shorter once the water park opens.  In the past we've always thought that getting to the park right when it opens is the thing to do.  That might not be the case at Holiday World.  Once we took a quick spin on all of the coasters again we stopped at ate lunch at Goblin Burgers.  This meal was even cheaper than the last.  Once 3pm hit we gathered with the group for the walk back tour on Voyage.  I was really looking forward to this one since it had already become a favorite.  We were pressed for time though because our flight left Louisville at 6:35.  We hurried through the tour and then hauled ass back to the airport.

We're huge fans of the park and will definitely be visiting again in the near future.  The park staff was as nice as they come, the food was tasty and cheap, and the rides were great.