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Rollercoasters and amusement park rides are fun. They can also be very unfun. There's a huge variety of coasters these days using some pretty impressive engineering such as pneumatic launch systems, and there's a huge glut of POV footage on youtube. Post your favourite (and least favourite) roller coasters and amusement park rides here. In Australia there's only a handful of theme parks so our coaster selection is pretty lacking, however what we do have is pretty drat fun. To get us started: Superman Escape at Warner Bros MovieWorld is the only proper launched coaster here at the moment, and while it's nothing compared to beasts like Kingda Ka, it's run on a pretty tight track and has loads of airtime. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siKw60INs0Y The Giant Drop at Dreamworld held the record for tallest drop tower for over a decade. The wait at the top is tense as gently caress. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvyEGRUHrf0 Wipeout also at Dreamworld is pretty fun and (almost) unique. There's only two of these in the world. It's similar to a Top Spin however instead of just rotating in the same direction, both arms can rotate independently. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwNZlwYDBFo
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Jul 9, 2015 00:22
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I'm going to go with Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwMCKiUzU-s with one qualification: it MUST be experienced from the back seat, eyes closed, without holding on the entire ride. It seriously feels like you are flying without an airplane. I have spent half a day riding it OVER and OVER this exact way. It's amazing.
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Jul 9, 2015 00:26
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Massive Disney World fan (join us in the thread) so I'm going with Expedition Everest. Beautifully themed top to bottom and super fun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhPTWZ3pJ5c
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Jul 9, 2015 00:37
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I cannot possibly pick one, but I can pick one per park I regularly go to/went to growing up. Six Flags over Georgia used to have a ride called Deja Vu that was loving great. Inverted boomerang, the safety sensors were so sensitive the constant heat and humidity basically guaranteed it never worked right and it was sent over to 6F Magic Mountain, where it also had a pretty short life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVl7e1BFUyk Unfortunate, because it is probably one of my top 5 coasters of all time. Now I'd have to saw best at 6F Georgia is probably Goliath but Superman Ultimate Flight is cool af too https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syTUkpPmTYg HaB posted:I'm going to go with Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia If you like Goliath, you need to head on up to King's Dominion and check out Intimidator 305 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WpNSImh6Z8 ...which isn't my favorite ride at KD, that title goes to The Flight of Fear https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agJEN5c4tC0. Spaghetti bowl coaster, it's hard to get a good video because it's basically black the whole time, like Space Mountain for grown ups.* It's a little rough on the neck if you don't keep your head back, but just uh...keep your head back. Busch Gardens Williamsburg (which is apparently less well regarded than Tampa though god knows why) has a couple good ones but Griffon in the French section is best https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VLbBNoDMQ0 You "hang" over the edge of the first hill and the whole ride is seriously smooth. (*Euro Disney Space Mountain is basically just like Flight of Fear)
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Jul 9, 2015 01:01
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When was the last time you were at Kings Dominion?
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Jul 9, 2015 01:42
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JEEVES420 posted:When was the last time you were at Kings Dominion? Last season?
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Jul 9, 2015 02:03
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what did you think of all the new Digital screens?
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Jul 9, 2015 02:22
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Whatever the gently caress you call this thing. So much goddamn fun.
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Jul 9, 2015 02:40
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The Beast at King's Island comes to mind. The only coaster that hasn't left me wanting more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dC6uJDNf64 Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia would be my non-neck-injury choice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meya1jkYmHc
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Jul 9, 2015 03:43
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I like Sheikra at Busch Gardens because at the top the car leans forward just a little then stops for a few seconds just before the big drop. Gives you all the time in the world to reflect on your life choices up to that moment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9n0QQ2gxFM That said, there are better rides, but nothing appeals to my inner child quite like the Jurassic Park ride at Universal Studios: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO31qha0gLQ
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Jul 9, 2015 04:34
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DarklyDreaming posted:That said, there are better rides, but nothing appeals to my inner child quite like the Jurassic Park ride at Universal Studios: The new King Kong ride at Universal Studios is pretty drat good too, and the Jaws! ride is still cool like 40 years later
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Jul 9, 2015 04:57
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The thing about wooden coasters is they're so loving rough. When you get off you feel like you've been in a fight. Here's a good one from my local place, The Raven at Holiday World: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agYJ9mT8l-o Peanut President has a new favorite as of 08:42 on Jul 9, 2015 |
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Jul 9, 2015 08:38
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It's old now (opened 1994) but I'll always have a soft spot for Nemesis at Alton Towers, UK. It's a hanging/inverted coaster where your feet are dangling free, the first of it's kind in the UK and only a couple of years behind the first in the world https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54uNP0E466w Alton towers has the unusual planning requirement of all it's rides being forced to be below the level of the treeline. This means Nemesis is physically quite low for a thrill ride, only 13m tall. But the designers have used this apparent restriction to their advantage. Nemesis is basically dug into the side of a hill so the track runs through and above artificial canyons with flowing waterfalls and little lakes. Your feet are often just a couple of metres above the bed of the diggings, making a relatively modest 50mph top speed feel incredibly fast and intense. There are some fantasticly tight loops (where you're on the outside) and barrelrolls (ditto). The themeing is also really cool, the embarkation hall is inside the body of a giant spider-monster and the track and girders of the ride represent the hardware being used to pin it in place and stop it escaping after it was uncovered on an ill fated archeological dig. Even at 21 years old and starting to get a bit rough around the edges it's a ride I always make an effort to get on at least a couple of times per visit.
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Jul 9, 2015 09:54
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13Pandora13 posted:I cannot possibly pick one, but I can pick one per park I regularly go to/went to growing up. I grew up in NoVA, but haven't been to King's Dominion in probably 20 years. From the video, I can't tell where that Intimidator is built. It almost looks like it's where Rebel Yell used to sit. Is it still there? Rebel Yell was a fun coaster. Grizzly also had the "keep your head back" rule. I remember when Grizzly opened. It was actually fairly smooth for about the first 2 seasons, then it got to the point where it would rattle your teeth out. Edit: Flight of Fear looks fun as hell. HaB has a new favorite as of 12:08 on Jul 9, 2015 |
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Jul 9, 2015 12:05
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HaB posted:I grew up in NoVA, but haven't been to King's Dominion in probably 20 years. From the video, I can't tell where that Intimidator is built. It almost looks like it's where Rebel Yell used to sit. Is it still there? Rebel Yell was a fun coaster. Grizzly also had the "keep your head back" rule. I remember when Grizzly opened. It was actually fairly smooth for about the first 2 seasons, then it got to the point where it would rattle your teeth out. Rebel Yell and Grizzly are still there. As are Anaconda and Shockwave. I can't recall what was in Intimidator's place - prior to last year the last time I'd been there was like 1994ish (right when Flight of Fear opened as Outer Limits Flight of Fear) so my memory is a little fuzzy. JEEVES420 posted:what did you think of all the new Digital screens? I don't know what you're referring to.
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Jul 9, 2015 13:03
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13Pandora13 posted:I don't know what you're referring to. The TV screens in the ride queues. If you have been to Kings Island (also owned by Cedar Fair) it would also include the way finding/social media screens, entry gate screens, Menu boards in Harmony Hall, etc. I work for the company that installed and manages the digital network so was curious if it improved your experience like they should be doing.
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Jul 9, 2015 17:22
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The worst one is Mantis at Cedar Point because I was slightly too tall for it and I couldn't believe my knees didn't shatter into a thousand pieces.
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Jul 9, 2015 18:36
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HaB posted:I'm going to go with Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia Your way is acceptable, but Goliath hit's its peak at night. I did that during the Halloween season at Six Flags the year Goliath opened and it was absolutely phenomenal.
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Jul 9, 2015 18:52
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I've always liked the Boomerang, which is at a bunch of parks and not really anything special. One of my favorites, though, is the Exterminator. The video is dark and impossible to see anything, but it's an indoor roller coaster where the cars themselves can spin. It's pretty fun and I've never been on another ride like it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axGqFGPakSE
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Jul 9, 2015 19:53
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Nothing beats Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. It's very similar to Millenium Force at Cedar Point, but I grew up riding AC probably like 10 times every time I went to Busch Gardens, which was like 5 or 10 times every summer as a kid. Sweet memories  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erP_Qn2fyno
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Jul 9, 2015 21:50
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Hades 360 at Mt. Olympus in the Wisconsin Dells is a personal favorite. The ride was fun before they added the loop in a couple of years back, but loops on wooden coasters always add more fun so I'm not complaining. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRcyyzlaAD8
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Jul 9, 2015 22:01
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Cheetah Hunt at Busch Gardens Tampa is probably my favorite. It's fast and smooth, and it sucks trying to get on because the line is always >1 hour long. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDma8WzHT2o Second has to be The Hulk at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. It fakes you out with what appears to be a typical chain lift but becomes a launcher, and the first time it happened it scared the crap out of me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsjdYQJc748 Everything at Islands of Adventure is fantastic and if you get the chance to go you should definitely take it.
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Jul 9, 2015 22:07
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JEEVES420 posted:The TV screens in the ride queues. If you have been to Kings Island (also owned by Cedar Fair) it would also include the way finding/social media screens, entry gate screens, Menu boards in Harmony Hall, etc. Oh like the TVs playing music videos and stuff? They're nice. I wish they played better music but that's not a reflection of your work in any way. 13Pandora13 posted:Rebel Yell and Grizzly are still there. As are Anaconda and Shockwave. I can't recall what was in Intimidator's place - prior to last year the last time I'd been there was like 1994ish (right when Flight of Fear opened as Outer Limits Flight of Fear) so my memory is a little fuzzy. ...or not. http://www.nbc12.com/story/29510259/kings-dominion-to-retire-shockwave-roller-coaster-this-summer
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Jul 9, 2015 22:50
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Ice To Meet You posted:The worst one is Mantis at Cedar Point because I was slightly too tall for it and I couldn't believe my knees didn't shatter into a thousand pieces. Well lucky for you they changed Mantis to floor-less cars!
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Jul 9, 2015 22:53
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I'm "fortunate" enough to live so that King's Island and Cedar Point are both doable day trips so I've had the chance to ride both their stuff a lot. King's Island has a bunch of awesome rides, and the Diamondback might be my favorite there. Awesome first drop then minutes of falls and curves. Super smooth going on six years. Here's a POV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eiw0q1XI8F8 They also made Banshee last summer and that thing rules. Super long and smooth too, great inverted coaster. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tvgClnOD6k Both Cedar Point's biggest attractions are loving fantastic, that is Millenium Force and Top Thrill Dragster. God drat are they great. TTD takes off around 120 mph and has bleachers to watch the faces of the people getting launched. Just the best. MF: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbXPhOFRxTc TTD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAOQBlDDC7M
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Jul 9, 2015 23:57
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No mention of the Batwing? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFD-fe5wrVY I love this ride. The setup laying down is fantastic, then the flip over just brings this incredible sense of flight. Awesome stuff.
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Jul 10, 2015 02:55
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GPmIW629e4 Fairly certain I'm the only one liked this thing. Or at least I feel like it. Look at this beautiful bowl: 
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Jul 10, 2015 04:26
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Whoolighams posted:King's Island has a bunch of awesome rides, and the Diamondback might be my favorite there. Awesome first drop then minutes of falls and curves. Super smooth going on six years. Here's a POV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eiw0q1XI8F8 Went to KI two weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised by DBack. Super smooth and lots of wicked airtime (plus bonus water action if you sit at the rear).
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Jul 11, 2015 21:41
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JEEVES420 posted:The TV screens in the ride queues. If you have been to Kings Island (also owned by Cedar Fair) it would also include the way finding/social media screens, entry gate screens, Menu boards in Harmony Hall, etc. They're nice and people definitely react to them when they see coasters from other parks they haven't seen before. A nice distraction while waiting in line. Also Mantis was indeed horrible and I'm glad it's been converted. Diamondback is really really great and I can't wait to get back to KI.
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Jul 12, 2015 05:02
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Whoolighams posted:I'm "fortunate" enough to live so that King's Island and Cedar Point are both doable day trips so I've had the chance to ride both their stuff a lot. Interestingly, Banshee is what they were originally going to call the Mantis but I guess some people found the name offensive so Cedar Fair changed it. Personally my favorite is Magnum XL at Cedar Point. I remember when it came out and I remember having to wait for years to be tall enough to ride. It pretty much represents the early 90s to me and it's still a blast to ride. Hardly ever any wait, too.
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Jul 12, 2015 05:23
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What about Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey? An insane Dark Ride through Hogwarts castle that had to be toned down because it made people too sick. Even more amazing when you realize your tiny four person "magic bench" is actually a giant robot arm:  PS. Escape from Gringotts sucks.
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Jul 12, 2015 05:37
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Tim Whatley posted:Massive Disney World fan (join us in the thread) so I'm going with Expedition Everest. Beautifully themed top to bottom and super fun: That is awesome!!
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Jul 13, 2015 02:05
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Endymion FRS MK1 posted:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GPmIW629e4 The original trains were the most absolutely uncomfortable things if you were any wider than the designed size, hence the hate. I imagine if the trains hadn't been so terrible, it would have been better. Also, the thing was apparently a maintenance nightmare and turned into a PR nightmare right as Cedar Fair was taking over, hence the scrubbing of it from park literature and all. Definitely cool in theory, but it didn't really give me that wooden coaster feel, though I didn't get to ride on the second set of trains they used at all. It also kind of wrecked the park appearance from the highway and street at the time, and I can't imagine having this giant wooden monstrosity being the most noticeable feature from the road appeals to the "family" demographic that was being pushed at the time.
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Jul 13, 2015 06:51
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Jul 17, 2015 05:16
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Zero One posted:What about Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey? An insane Dark Ride through Hogwarts castle that had to be toned down because it made people too sick. Oh man I rode this like three times when I went and I was never able to keep my eyes open through the whole thing. All that poo poo popping out at you is way too intense for me. I loved it. Expedition Everest is also a very good coaster, and I say this as a giant wimp who never goes on rollercoasters. It's worth it just for the level of detail in the waiting areas. For a more gentle ride I've always enjoyed Disney's Soarin'. The view is so relaxing! And for local rides, at Six Flags Over Texas (Dallas) there's Runaway Mountain which is completely in the dark. Probably why I like it, I can't see what's happening so I don't get all worked up, like I said I'm really super wimpy about coasters.
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Jul 17, 2015 06:02
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Drachen Fire was not a good coaster by any means. If you ever had a hankering for mass infant death, it would be the ride for you. Or the ride for them, rather. But it was very close to closing when we went to Williamsburg back in the day and it had absolutely no lines so once we finished with one ride we went right back to the start of the line and did it again and again. Felt like Richie Rich or something.
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Jul 17, 2015 06:35
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Number 1 Sexy Dad posted:The Beast at King's Island comes to mind. The only coaster that hasn't left me wanting more. Welp, this is what I was gonna post so I guess I can just fawn over it a little bit. This is my all-time favorite roller coaster. It's still going strong ever since it opened in 1979 as the tallest, fastest, and longest wooden roller coaster in the world. Although it's not the tallest or fastest wooden coaster anymore, it's still the longest, clocking in at about a 4 and a half minute ride. But in my opinion, what really makes it great is that it's built back in the woods, such that if you're not familiar with the coaster, you can't really see what you're getting into either from an outside perspective or on the ride itself as a lot of it is obscured by trees and tunnels. It also features two pretty wild major hills. This is a roller coaster that inspired RL Stine to write a pair of books revolving around it (maybe that's not too impressive, but 10 year old me was impressed).  Ride this coaster if you ever get the chance, especially if you can ride it at night which is the best time to experience the Beast in my opinion.
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Jul 17, 2015 07:08
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Plenty of Cedar Point love in here but nobody's mentioned the Raptor yet. Despite being one of the first inverted coasters it's still one of the smoothest and best laid out, and its location looking out over the midway makes for a really pretty night ride.
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Jul 17, 2015 13:35
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SgtScruffy posted:Nothing beats Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. It's very similar to Millenium Force at Cedar Point, but I grew up riding AC probably like 10 times every time I went to Busch Gardens, which was like 5 or 10 times every summer as a kid. Sweet memories Same. Spent many a summer at BGW. Also love AC for having the honor of smashing a goose into Fabio's face on the inaugural ride.
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Jul 17, 2015 16:46
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For unique rides, definitely Astrosphere in Funtown in Maine, there is nothing like it. It is a glow-in-the-dark Scrambler inside an air supported dome. As the ride starts, ELO's 'Fire on High' starts playing loudly while smoke and lasers and strobes fill the room. They used to have creepy pictures on there when I was a kid (30 years ago, yikes) but the effects and ride is still amazing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OC7uST2CUQ0 For thrills though, the new Fury 325 in Carowinds, SC, is amazing. Largest gigacoaster in the world (and I think 4th largest overall) hitting 95mph. It's like Goliath here in Georgia except on steroids. Absolutely amazing and was lucky enough to ride 7 times in a row over my son's spring break. Elwood P Dowd has a new favorite as of 19:55 on Jul 22, 2015 |
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Jul 17, 2015 17:33
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