Jarrett
Most Obnoxious Member 2016
Last season on a warm Midwestern summer night, Holiday World livestreamed a major announcement from Indiana. Enthusiasts from all over the country watched as they unveiled an addition that 66 days and 22 million dollars had lead up to. This park, known for being of amazing quality despite being family run and taking the approach that wooden coasters can deliver awesome rides despite their engineering limitations, was about to turn that identity almost upside-down with Thunderbird. Thunderbird was to be a B&M wing coaster themed to the mythological Native American creature ravaging the farms and forests of southern Indiana. While Thunderbird contained numerous awesome elements including a near miss with a barn and a fantastic location overlooking the rolling countryside and soaring through the forest, that wasn't the big draw for this coaster. The big draw was that B&M, the manufacturer, would be doing something for the first time ever on Thunderbird; a launch. Long rumored but not done until now, this served as the end of an era and opened many new doors for one of the greatest manufacturers to ever contribute to the industry. Upon seeing this, I didn't think it would be better than GateKeeper or Wild Eagle, but my friend Connor, his friend Steve and I were both interested in it. So we decided to go get the most of it and go during the most important night of the year for Holiday World; Holiwood Nights.
Since Holiwood Nights didn't start until 4:30 Central time (5:30 our time) we decided we could kill some time that day. The plan was to bank on a T3 soft opening and go to Kentucky Kingdom for the day on the way and just whore Lightning and Thunder Run. This didn't work out so well, however. Kentucky Kingdom, despite having a bunch of enthusiasts in the area, was closed to the public for a school event that they chose to throw. So no Kentucky Kingdom for us, but Beech Bend was still in the appropriate timeframe!
I woke up early that morning and left to get through Dayton before it got ugly. After getting to Cincinnati, I got Connor after getting lost and we headed for Beech Bend! After driving through Cincinnati and dodging the crazy drivers and frantically changing lanes, we were treated to entertainment in the form of "the most ghetto think I've seen Kentucky do" as Connor put their shoddy construction jobs, laying down sidewalk concrete slabs to make the shoulder wider. :lol: On the way to Beech Bend we had to get on Waterson Parkway in Louisville, giving us a glimpse of Kentucky Kingdom being closed to everyone not a snotty schoolkid and a very hideous monochromatic T3. After driving into Bowling Green, we were following the signs when we noticed civilization withering. By the time we were at the park, we drove under the sign to see a cornfield on the right and cows on the left. I really wouldn't believe that there was a GCI behind that hill we drove over until I saw it.
Here we go!
Walking up to Kentucky Rumbler, I noticed how overgrown it had been. Shoddy maintenance would end up being a theme for this coaster later.
Kentucky Rumbler was awesome! It's really stood the test of time in the first nine years of its life and upon dispatch I could already tell it would be a good ride. So you get to the top and that first turn provides a good view of the Kentucky countryside. And then the fun starts. You get thrown over that drop at a decent speed before a really twisty layout filled with fun little pops of floater. It's really comparable to Thunderhead but unlike Thunderhead (where you spend more time out of your seat than in it) it's just sprinkled with little pops of airtime. You won't feel like it's trying to throw you from the train but it's still fun.
Kentucky Rumbler selfie!
After that we hit up the Zamperla Air Race just to try it out. I hate Zamperla's vile creations just as much as the next guy, but this is the best flat ever, I'm sorry.
Dragon Coaster was a crappy +1.
Still got a selfie!
We then tried out their haunted house, expecting something nice and classic. Well that's what we got! This seems to be more the primitive concept of having animatronics and props flash at you and startle you than a dark ride with themed rooms. However, I didn't like how they had to put the chicken wire protecting the props so close to the car and it didn't take long for me to get a little claustrophobic over it. Fun ride, though! Don't miss it if you come to this park.
We then rode this stupid thing. Any respect I had gained for Zamperla on that air race was quickly lost, this is vile! Mack wild mice are at least fun, this was way rougher and taking those laterals at an angle really hurts. We got the orange car as the ride op at Rumbler suggested (said it spun the most ) but it hardly even spins. Didn't like it, Mack's version of both the wild mouse product and spinner product are way better.
We then made our way back over to Rumbler for some quality time and tried Vortex on the way. And I actually enjoyed it, it's cool how it swings out over the pond like that.
Now if you'll excuse us, there are coasters to be marathoned.
Walking around I found this track bolt sitting on the side of the queue line under the rail. I took it to the station and did the right thing telling the ride crew I had found it. And then they let me keep it and I now own a piece of Kentucky Rumbler. =D>
Wheee!!!
ACE nerd shot!
We noticed that some of the metal bars running around the backs of some of the Millennium Flyers were gone. Then we saw why. Beech Bend doesn't fix them when they come loose, they just take them off. This is their ride tech just taking a loose one off to take it somewhere.
After nine rides, a very awkward situation, a removed rail from a train, me purchasing a new goon hat, and plenty of airtimey goodness, we decided to go grab lunch.
Just want to mention that the same thing at Six Flags Magic Mountain is $15 and not nearly as good.
Final thoughts: Beech Bend is fun, definitely go there for the creds and maybe hit the air race and haunted house while you're there, Rumbler is my fifth favorite woodie behind Voyage, Thunderhead, Beast, and Raven, and my second favorite GCI below Thunderhead and above Apocalypse and Gwazi. However, don't stay there more than you have to. If you're on a coaster trip, run in and run out unless that's your final stop or something. You really can't spend that much time there unless you really want to whore Rumbler which we only did because there wasn't anything better to do.
After that we left for Holiday World on the longest, most boring drive ever. Aside from nearly getting us killed turning left and going full engineer when we passed a nuclear power plant, we got there!
Bring on Holiwood Nights!
After Connor and I got registered, they put these bright orange wristbands on our arms and this was our life for the next day and a half!
Once we were in, we made a mad dash to Thunderbird!
And it blew my expectations away! The restraints have unlocked vests akin to Banshee and GateKeeper, so that's a good thing to start the ride knowing. After we were all strapped in, they dispatched us. The train rolls into a showroom littered with farming equipment to start the ride off. Some thunder is heard as lights flash in a room with a focal point of two windows and a loft. Then, a loud bassey "BOOOM!!!!" rolls through the station (which can be heard wherever you are in the area and if you're in line, the lanterns flash whenever this is heard) as a bright strobe light flashes and some fog is sprayed onto the train. And then comes what I found to be a really aggressive launch for a manufacturer's first, a little more intense than a Flight of Fear clone. From there, there are some good forces entering that immelman and on the right, a good pop of air when it flips out of it. From there is a loop a bit less intense than Banshee's but with some good forces before and after. The two overbanks are a lot of fun and provide some nice visuals of the forest and Voyage. And then comes the best zero-g ever, it's the closest I think you'll get to classic B&M snap on a wing coaster. After that there's another slightly snappy s-curve into the barn. You get a good miss on the bottom of the barn, the carousel is decent although a bit rattly, and the near miss doesn't even exist on the right (it's terrifying on the left though). But falling into your vest on the inline is awesome, way better than Banshee's. Overall, I really liked it. For a wing coaster it has some serious balls and it's my new favorite one.
After a spin on Voyage they sent us to the picnic grove while they kicked the GP out for our ERT. But it wasn't boring. The park's upper level team made a speech and I got a selfie with Tim Holleran (as in, Coaster Crew president Tim Holleran) with my selfie stick!
After that started the ERT in Splashin' Safari for those of us who enjoy waterparks and didn't include Connor or I. So for us...free food galore! And it was awesome, those wings and the nachos were to die for!
I'm not even going to caption this photo because I don't think there's anything you can even say...
Once that was done...bring on ERT! First ride was Legend and we managed to stay on it once more. I still think it's the least awesome major coaster in the park but I enjoyed it a lot more than last season. They got the second train back into commission, I didn't see it go down once, and it was way smoother.
And then came the most aggressive junior wooden coaster ever...Raven! As short as this coaster is, it packs a punch! I loved riding it at night, and that second really big drop back in the woods is awesome when you plunge into the trees and can't see the ground. <3
We then took sixteen rides on Thunderbird and HOLY CRAP it's awesome at night! You're in the woods, you can't see where you are, and the flash in the barn really stuns you on the left so when you regain your vision you're about to crash through it! And the show building is awesome when the only lights on are the lightning lights. And if the sun hasn't gone down quite yet, that countryside the ride overlooks is gorgeous at sunset.
Our final ride of the day was Voyage...10 times at night! Beast at night is one of the best experiences you can get anywhere, but this blows that out of the water! Beast is fun by day and awesome because of its location, but a coaster that's always awesome in a similar location is OMG AWESOME at night! You can't tell where the ground is, can't tell where the tunnels end, and the spaghetti bowl is amazing! The return trip, however, is where the night ride is awesome. You speed around, not able to tell exactly where you're going to be jostled next, airtime holding you out of your seat as you pass the lit station and dive into it, it's incredible! Shame these night rides are so rare because that's the best ride I've ever gotten!
After that we dragged ourselves to the hotel and checked in. Both of us were out like lights, needless to say.
COMING UP NEXT: Introducing Steve, An in-depth look at Thunderbird, Voyage/Thunderbird walkback, and my creepy Raven experience!
Since Holiwood Nights didn't start until 4:30 Central time (5:30 our time) we decided we could kill some time that day. The plan was to bank on a T3 soft opening and go to Kentucky Kingdom for the day on the way and just whore Lightning and Thunder Run. This didn't work out so well, however. Kentucky Kingdom, despite having a bunch of enthusiasts in the area, was closed to the public for a school event that they chose to throw. So no Kentucky Kingdom for us, but Beech Bend was still in the appropriate timeframe!
I woke up early that morning and left to get through Dayton before it got ugly. After getting to Cincinnati, I got Connor after getting lost and we headed for Beech Bend! After driving through Cincinnati and dodging the crazy drivers and frantically changing lanes, we were treated to entertainment in the form of "the most ghetto think I've seen Kentucky do" as Connor put their shoddy construction jobs, laying down sidewalk concrete slabs to make the shoulder wider. :lol: On the way to Beech Bend we had to get on Waterson Parkway in Louisville, giving us a glimpse of Kentucky Kingdom being closed to everyone not a snotty schoolkid and a very hideous monochromatic T3. After driving into Bowling Green, we were following the signs when we noticed civilization withering. By the time we were at the park, we drove under the sign to see a cornfield on the right and cows on the left. I really wouldn't believe that there was a GCI behind that hill we drove over until I saw it.
Here we go!
Walking up to Kentucky Rumbler, I noticed how overgrown it had been. Shoddy maintenance would end up being a theme for this coaster later.
Kentucky Rumbler was awesome! It's really stood the test of time in the first nine years of its life and upon dispatch I could already tell it would be a good ride. So you get to the top and that first turn provides a good view of the Kentucky countryside. And then the fun starts. You get thrown over that drop at a decent speed before a really twisty layout filled with fun little pops of floater. It's really comparable to Thunderhead but unlike Thunderhead (where you spend more time out of your seat than in it) it's just sprinkled with little pops of airtime. You won't feel like it's trying to throw you from the train but it's still fun.
Kentucky Rumbler selfie!
After that we hit up the Zamperla Air Race just to try it out. I hate Zamperla's vile creations just as much as the next guy, but this is the best flat ever, I'm sorry.
Dragon Coaster was a crappy +1.
Still got a selfie!
We then tried out their haunted house, expecting something nice and classic. Well that's what we got! This seems to be more the primitive concept of having animatronics and props flash at you and startle you than a dark ride with themed rooms. However, I didn't like how they had to put the chicken wire protecting the props so close to the car and it didn't take long for me to get a little claustrophobic over it. Fun ride, though! Don't miss it if you come to this park.
We then rode this stupid thing. Any respect I had gained for Zamperla on that air race was quickly lost, this is vile! Mack wild mice are at least fun, this was way rougher and taking those laterals at an angle really hurts. We got the orange car as the ride op at Rumbler suggested (said it spun the most ) but it hardly even spins. Didn't like it, Mack's version of both the wild mouse product and spinner product are way better.
We then made our way back over to Rumbler for some quality time and tried Vortex on the way. And I actually enjoyed it, it's cool how it swings out over the pond like that.
Now if you'll excuse us, there are coasters to be marathoned.
Walking around I found this track bolt sitting on the side of the queue line under the rail. I took it to the station and did the right thing telling the ride crew I had found it. And then they let me keep it and I now own a piece of Kentucky Rumbler. =D>
Wheee!!!
ACE nerd shot!
We noticed that some of the metal bars running around the backs of some of the Millennium Flyers were gone. Then we saw why. Beech Bend doesn't fix them when they come loose, they just take them off. This is their ride tech just taking a loose one off to take it somewhere.
After nine rides, a very awkward situation, a removed rail from a train, me purchasing a new goon hat, and plenty of airtimey goodness, we decided to go grab lunch.
Just want to mention that the same thing at Six Flags Magic Mountain is $15 and not nearly as good.
Final thoughts: Beech Bend is fun, definitely go there for the creds and maybe hit the air race and haunted house while you're there, Rumbler is my fifth favorite woodie behind Voyage, Thunderhead, Beast, and Raven, and my second favorite GCI below Thunderhead and above Apocalypse and Gwazi. However, don't stay there more than you have to. If you're on a coaster trip, run in and run out unless that's your final stop or something. You really can't spend that much time there unless you really want to whore Rumbler which we only did because there wasn't anything better to do.
After that we left for Holiday World on the longest, most boring drive ever. Aside from nearly getting us killed turning left and going full engineer when we passed a nuclear power plant, we got there!
Bring on Holiwood Nights!
After Connor and I got registered, they put these bright orange wristbands on our arms and this was our life for the next day and a half!
Once we were in, we made a mad dash to Thunderbird!
And it blew my expectations away! The restraints have unlocked vests akin to Banshee and GateKeeper, so that's a good thing to start the ride knowing. After we were all strapped in, they dispatched us. The train rolls into a showroom littered with farming equipment to start the ride off. Some thunder is heard as lights flash in a room with a focal point of two windows and a loft. Then, a loud bassey "BOOOM!!!!" rolls through the station (which can be heard wherever you are in the area and if you're in line, the lanterns flash whenever this is heard) as a bright strobe light flashes and some fog is sprayed onto the train. And then comes what I found to be a really aggressive launch for a manufacturer's first, a little more intense than a Flight of Fear clone. From there, there are some good forces entering that immelman and on the right, a good pop of air when it flips out of it. From there is a loop a bit less intense than Banshee's but with some good forces before and after. The two overbanks are a lot of fun and provide some nice visuals of the forest and Voyage. And then comes the best zero-g ever, it's the closest I think you'll get to classic B&M snap on a wing coaster. After that there's another slightly snappy s-curve into the barn. You get a good miss on the bottom of the barn, the carousel is decent although a bit rattly, and the near miss doesn't even exist on the right (it's terrifying on the left though). But falling into your vest on the inline is awesome, way better than Banshee's. Overall, I really liked it. For a wing coaster it has some serious balls and it's my new favorite one.
After a spin on Voyage they sent us to the picnic grove while they kicked the GP out for our ERT. But it wasn't boring. The park's upper level team made a speech and I got a selfie with Tim Holleran (as in, Coaster Crew president Tim Holleran) with my selfie stick!
After that started the ERT in Splashin' Safari for those of us who enjoy waterparks and didn't include Connor or I. So for us...free food galore! And it was awesome, those wings and the nachos were to die for!
I'm not even going to caption this photo because I don't think there's anything you can even say...
Once that was done...bring on ERT! First ride was Legend and we managed to stay on it once more. I still think it's the least awesome major coaster in the park but I enjoyed it a lot more than last season. They got the second train back into commission, I didn't see it go down once, and it was way smoother.
And then came the most aggressive junior wooden coaster ever...Raven! As short as this coaster is, it packs a punch! I loved riding it at night, and that second really big drop back in the woods is awesome when you plunge into the trees and can't see the ground. <3
We then took sixteen rides on Thunderbird and HOLY CRAP it's awesome at night! You're in the woods, you can't see where you are, and the flash in the barn really stuns you on the left so when you regain your vision you're about to crash through it! And the show building is awesome when the only lights on are the lightning lights. And if the sun hasn't gone down quite yet, that countryside the ride overlooks is gorgeous at sunset.
Our final ride of the day was Voyage...10 times at night! Beast at night is one of the best experiences you can get anywhere, but this blows that out of the water! Beast is fun by day and awesome because of its location, but a coaster that's always awesome in a similar location is OMG AWESOME at night! You can't tell where the ground is, can't tell where the tunnels end, and the spaghetti bowl is amazing! The return trip, however, is where the night ride is awesome. You speed around, not able to tell exactly where you're going to be jostled next, airtime holding you out of your seat as you pass the lit station and dive into it, it's incredible! Shame these night rides are so rare because that's the best ride I've ever gotten!
After that we dragged ourselves to the hotel and checked in. Both of us were out like lights, needless to say.
COMING UP NEXT: Introducing Steve, An in-depth look at Thunderbird, Voyage/Thunderbird walkback, and my creepy Raven experience!
