Trip reports

Busch Gardens Tampa Day 2

Sun, 22 Mar 2020 19:39:23 GMT

The second day we returned to Busch Gardens Tampa we came later in the day. We arrived around 2 and went straight to SheiKra. It was a great ride, but the line was quite longer than expected. After this we walked around and saw some animals. We then decided to take a ride on the Skyride. The wait was about 45 minutes if not more. It was the longest I’ve ever waited for any Skyride, but it was great to see the park and I would recommend it. Next, we ate at the smokehouse which had a very long line as well but had better food than the Bengal bistro which is where we ate the day before. After this we rode the Christmas town train which was full of singing. To end this day, we went to Kumba and I got two better rides on it than the day before making it my favorite coaster in the park. It was an awesome way to finish my day. We left afterwards after I got a Tigris shirt. I really liked this park. It was one of my favorite parks. I would recommend going at some point as it is worth the time. It has the perfect mix of animals and rides.10/10

*Please comment on your experiences at this or any park and what you think about this park. Have a great day. (:

Busch Gardens Tampa Day 1

Fri, 7 Feb 2020 23:48:13 GMT

My first day at Busch Gardens Tampa was wonderful. The first thing we did when we went into the park was ride Cobra's Curse. This is a fun family coaster with great theming. We then rode Montu. This ride had strong intensity and was a long ride. I enjoyed it a lot. This is now my favorite inverted coaster. The next ride we did was the Serengeti Express which is a train that has a portion which is in the safari section of the park. We saw many giraffes on this train ride. Overall this is a must-see train ride that I recommend. The next ride I did was Kumba. I really enjoyed this coaster but enjoyed it more the second day at the park. Still had a fun ride on it this time. After an intense B and M, we ate at the Bengal Bistro. Throughout the day we also saw many animals. We saw crocodiles, gorillas, and chimpanzees. We also saw sloths, other small mammals and reptiles at Animal Connections. For the ending ride of the day I enjoyed a skyrocket 2 with Tigris. Fun ride with a cool soundtrack and theming. It is a pretty short ride, but I do enjoy this type of roller coaster. We left at five p.m. feeling ready for a wonderful day 2.

*If you enjoyed this post please comment about your fun days at parks and your feelings about some rides at Busch Gardens Tampa. Hope you enjoyed this post:)

Six Flags Great Adventure Safari Off Road Adventure

Fri, 7 Sep 2018 11:00:41 GMT

The following is my review of the Safari Off Road Adventure at Great Adventure as experienced on Monday, September 3, 2018. This is a very rough ride experience in a diesel open truck with a canopy on top. Flash Pass is accepted on this ride for days of long lines in the queue which i wish i had bought as this line was over 100 guests long. Once i got to the head of the line, i was directed to row 5 of the truck in the station. There are lap belts for restraints on this vehicle and the safety personnel raise a wall on both sides of the vehicle and secure it with a locking pin. As far as station features at both the Great Adventure and Camp Adventura stations an exhaust system kicks in when vehicles enter the station to direct diesel fumes away from guests when in the station. The ride takes 60 minutes round trip to complete, there are over 1200 animals which include tigers, lions, bears, antelopes, bison, buffalo, giraffe, and many more wild animals. It reminds me of a trip through Jurassic Park as there are over 10 zones on the ride separated by gates and the dangerous animals are in a fenced in enclosure like the lions and tigers. They make it look exactly like an African safari with lots of open spaces for animals to roam freely. This vehicle that guests ride in is real automobile with diesel engine, driver, and they have complete control of the vehicle as it also has a steering wheel, gas and brake pedals. The vehicle does not run on a track so the driver can steer it in any direction they wish around animals in the road. This by far is the best attraction in the park because it is much safer than what it was back in the old days when private cars were allowed on this safari back when it was called Wild Safari. You can still see the entrance to the safari from the parking lot as you ride the shuttle between great adventure and hurricane harbor. It is now a truck parking area. When going to this attraction, do this first as they will close the queue line between 4 and 5 pm before other ride lines close for the day as this is very popular! You will really enjoy this ride, pictures are allowed, and this will be a ride that you will remember for many years! Dont miss it when you go to Great Adventure!

2014 In Review

Tue, 23 Dec 2014 17:49:06 GMT

I just posted my annual review on Theme Park Review.

It shows one photograph for each park we visited in 2014. This year it was 113 different parks and we picked up 161 credits, hitting both the 1100 and 1200 coaster milestones.

I hope you enjoy our report: http://bit.ly/1vf528Q

Spring Con.

Mon, 21 May 2012 03:26:28 GMT

Just returned from the Spring Con with my daughter and we could not be more impressed with ACE and its members. To the executive committee THANKS for the countless hours of work that went into this event,it really showed. As newer members to ACE the club lives up to its PREMIER coaster club status. This shows in the respect that the parks have for our club. All we can say is Thanks to EVERYONE involved Bob and Clare Mondry

Silver Dollar City, Outlaw Run

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:50:22 GMT

it was my first coaster experience for 2013, and I couldn't have asked for a better day for it, the sun was shining and the cold winter chill was replaced with an awesome 71 degrees. it was to be expected that the crowds would be in full swing at the park and I wasn't wrong on my assumption by a long shot.

we arrived down in Branson around 11 am, and upon immediately exiting the highway, there was a line of cars all with the same destination as us, an surprisingly enough it didn't take us long to park, we paid the 12 dollars and parked in the preferred parking and it was a short walk to the ticket window.

The ticket window area was a flooded mess of people, and after about 50 minutes and patiently waiting for the senior citizen working the ticket window to type the required information in, I received my season pass and entered the park.

I made a b line to the back area of the park where the Outlaw run was located at, and when I arrived I found the queue entrance and got in line. We waited for a little under 2 hours, the coaster was having some operational problems, which they did eventually get worked out and the coaster was back to being fully operational.

They were running 2 trains and unfortunately, the loading times needed a bit of work, however it is a new coaster, and new employees and a new season, so things like that are also expected. The station is themed nicely, and the outdoor sections of the queue are mulched instead of black top, which I see as a plus especially during the summers here in the Midwest.

after our approximate 2 hours of waiting, it was time to board the train. they give you the freedom to choose where you want to sit, so we sat in the middle but situated a little closer to the back. We left the station and you make a quick jog to the right and after catching the chain you are on your way up. its not a very long ride to the top at all, just a matter of seconds. The car is released at the top, you make a quick jog to the left, then up and over you go. The hop produces a nice jolt of floaty airtime that continues as you drop down the first hill..

Let me tell you about this coaster and its first drop, Once you crest that hill, gravity takes over in a big way, and this is where you become aware of exactly what the coaster can do, and what kind of power it generates. The folks over at Rocky Mountain sure as hell know what they are doing when it comes to building a coaster from the ground up, This is their first one, and this one is a sure fire winner!

This coaster twists and turns and flips and careens over the track at what seems like break neck speeds, it delivers several quick bouts of airtime and it does flips and dives unlike any other wooden coaster I have ridden. There is a banked turn that drops down a hill giving you an incredible experience before throwing you over a perfect air time hill then right into the barrel rolls. They put turns, drops and banks all with perfect placement to deliver a high charged experience.

This Coaster is beyond incredible! and the pictures really don't do the ride justice. its situated in the woods so pictures are not easy things to get of the coaster that's for sure, other than the lift and barrel roll at the end the rest of the track is down in the terrain. Unlike your traditional wood coaster, there are no cat walks or railings other than on the lift hill, and those stop right at the top of the first drop. There is but one strap on the side of the lap bar for those that aren't brave enough to go free handed with your hands and arms waving in the air like you just don't care. The cars are comfortable, and the lap bar has an extra bar that goes across your shins keeping you very snug in the train.

After we rode Outlaw run we headed right next door to the Giant Barn swing, another thrilling and exciting ride at SDC! this one goes a lot higher than the one at Dollywood and the ride time seems a little better. after the swing we headed right to the pizza parlor for a very disappointing meal, this was the first time in the history of my going to this park (since 72) I did not have a meal at "the Mine" restaurant, and it won't happen again.

after lunch we headed up to Powder Keg, and had a wait of about 25 minutes for this one, and as always it was worth it. I really do like Powder Keg, and have since it was changed to that after the demise of "Buzz saw falls". after our ride on that we headed right down the hill to Wildfire, a classic B&M twister that is most definitely a hidden gem of a coaster.

we ended our day with a front row ride on the parks classic dark ride "Fire in the hole", I hope they never change this ride, its cheesy, run down, and cheap but man it holds some awesome memories for me. after our ride on that it was sadly time to leave, we headed out of the park, and stopped in the hospitality house to do a little bit of gift shopping, and then it was down the parking lot to the car, we had a 4 hour drive back to St. Louis to get started on, and thankfully the parking lot was very thinned out, and we didn't get into any traffic leaving the park.

5 of the people in our group upgraded their tickets to season passes, nice to know I will have others to come with me when I make return visits this summer.

Six Flags TV.

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 04:32:11 GMT

Just got back from SFGA. and was surprised to see a "Comercial" for ACE on Six Flags TV. iin line for Batman the Ride It appeared to be filmed at SFNE. and 2 ACErs ( didnt catch their names) rode Bizaro with Kit Hoover resident Six Flags TV host. They gave a brief overview of ACE and invited people to join. then the website was displayed on the screen. Nice work Guys.