Cheapthusiast | We Were Inverted

Dorney Park – A Few Hours of Some Much Needed Fun

Patrick Wagner — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 22:19:24 +0000

I was sitting around the house a few days ago thinking I should put my Cedar Fair Platinum Pass to use. I had only used it only once this whole year, that being my birthday visit to Kings Dominion. So yeah, I needed some more visits not only to get my monies worth, but because I needed to get on some rides!

As much as I would have loved to toss some clothes in the car and head out to Cedar Point or Kings Island, that wasn’t in the cards on such short notice. A return trip to Kings Dominion would have been nice, but I decided to give Dorney Park a visit instead. Until Sunday, I hadn’t been to the park at all in 2022. And maybe, just maybe, Josh, the Cheapthusiast, and Aaron would be able to come and hang out for a bit.

Long story short, Josh and Aaron were able to join me for a few hours. We managed a few rides and I used the rest of my time to take photos and scour gift shops for magnets. I trade park merch with Steven from Thill Maxx. He finds me pins on his journeys and I find him magnets. It’s a fun little thing we have going.

On this visit I found two magnets for Steven – one showing all of the park’s coasters and one for Steel Force. I’ll be getting them out to him soon. And speaking of soon, any day now an Outlaw Run pin from one of his Silver Dollar City visits should be arriving in the mail. I’ll be sure to add it to my Pin Collection when that happens.

Fun with a Side of Photos

Since I arrived at the park about 30 minutes prior to Josh and Aaron, I only managed to get in one ride before meeting up with them. I was in no rush and specifically went to the park not looking to ride non-stop all day. I did want some rides on my favorites, but I was using this visit to add to the Dorney Park Photo Gallery too. The photos below are now on that park’s gallery along with those from prior visits throughout the years. Be sure to check out that page as well as the galleries from some of your other favorite parks.

Possessed

Possessed is the one coaster at Dorney I haven’t ridden much the last few years. It was sitting, but not operating (SBNO) for all of 2020. Talk of its demise was rampant, but honestly, I’m glad that never came true. While I would welcome a new coaster at Dorney Park, I’d like to see them add something without losing yet another. It lost Stinger not too long ago too, so I’d rather see something come before something else goes.

My first ride on Possessed came before Josh and Aaron arrived. I walked over to take some photos and saw it was a walk-on. I couldn’t pass up the chance to ride it while I was over there. I rode in Row 11 and man, the backward spike was just so much fun. I honestly wish the United States had one of the Impulse variants with no twisted spikes. That sensation of weightlessness and then dropping immediately after is great.

Once Josh and Aaron arrived, we made our way to the coaster to ride it together. It was still a walk-on and I nabbed a ride in the front. I know the coaster never comes close to the top of the twisted spike, but I swear it looked like we got pretty close – much closer than I ever recall seeing. Probably just in my head, but even Aaron said the same thing.

Steel Force

Steel Force is a must ride whenever I visit the park, but I am not one who ranks it as Dorney’s top coaster. I place both Talon and Hydra over it due to its hit or miss airtime. And for a coaster built mainly for airtime moments, that knocks it down a peg or two. By no means am I calling it a bad coaster, though.

Sitting in the back for our only ride, we did get some moments of airtime. Trying to describe those moments is where I struggle, however. I didn’t get a floaty feeling and I wasn’t launched out of my seat either. The only reason I know there was airtime moments was due to my backside slamming down into the seat several times. I can’t, for the life of me, describe how the airtime was preceding those moments. Weird, right?

Talon

Talon was the only coaster with any type of wait Sunday. We waited between 20-30 minutes, although some of that was due to slow operations, people taking forever to get situated, and then people line jumping. I didn’t let it bother me though. I wanted at least one ride on my favorite coaster at the park. I knew the wait would be worth it.

I was glad when Josh and Aaron made their way to the back row. I love the extra pull felt in the back of the train on inverts going over vertical loops. I never understand people who claim vertical loops are a “boring inversion.” Maybe it’s just because they’re a classic element, and are so prevalent. When done right though, the sensations are amazing. As for the rest of the ride, it was as smooth and graceful as I’ve come to expect. Such an underrated invert.

Final Ride Counts

Hydra: The Revenge (1)
Possessed (2: Patrick, 1: Josh, Aaron)
Steel Force (1)
Talon (1)
Thunderhawk (1: Josh, Patrick)
White Water Landing (1)
Zephyr (1)

I Might Go Back Again in 2022

In 2020, Halloween events at amusement parks were severely gimped due to the pandemic. In 2021 I visited some parks during haunt activities, but focused on rides instead. This year I want to visit a few parks and check out their Halloween offerings. It’s been too long since I got to partake in that fun. I’ve done Dorney’s ages ago and had a blast. Why not head back up and do it again? Maybe I’ll do both Dorney’s and Kings Dominion’s to give that pass a few more uses. Hope to see some of you there when I go.

Dorney Park Photo Gallery - August 28, 2022

If you would like to use any of the images in the gallery above for your commercial and/or non-commercial projects, feel free to do so. I ask that you credit We Were Inverted whenever they’re used. I also ask that you do not alter the image or remove the watermarks. If you need any images/video resized or without the watermarks, please contact me directly.

CREW MANIFEST

The following flight crew members attended this park, & earned the respective credits below:

Patrick

CAG

New Credit(s): n/a

Aaron

Ensign

New Credit(s): n/a

Josh

Ensign

New Credit(s): n/a

The post Dorney Park – A Few Hours of Some Much Needed Fun first appeared on We Were Inverted.

Hersheypark – Wildcat’s Final Day of Operations

Patrick Wagner — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 04:21:21 +0000

During the 2020 and 2021 seasons I visited Hersheypark close to 30 times. It was my home away from home. I made use of my King-Sized Season Pass every chance I could get. Here in 2022, however, I no longer have a pass and up until Sunday, July 31, I hadn’t visited the park the entire season. That finally changed as I spent a memorable day with the flight crew and friends on the Wildcat’s final day of operations. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to make it, but am I ever glad I did.

Sunday was jam-packed full of rides and felt like it took place in three shifts. Let me explain. At park opening, the crew consisted of Greg, Kaylee, and myself. About an hour and a half later, Aaron and Josh, the Cheapthusiast, joined us. They stayed for a few hours and left once the rain had closed numerous rides. At that time we were joined by Charles and his father, Stan, who we rode with until the park closed. So yeah, the Final Ride Counts box is going to be complicated, but I think I tallied everything correctly. Now, onto the day!

Glad to Be Back Again

It should go without saying that I have missed my regular visits to Hersheypark. I’m sure I would have visited a time or two already had my pass renewed earlier this year when I “thought” I took care of it. For some reason the process never completed and I didn’t notice it until months later when Renee and I thought about going. When I finally noticed, the renewal discount offer and the ability to pay over time was no longer an option. As I am currently looking for full-time work and gas prices being so high, I had to make the hard choice to go without one.

All that being said, Sunday turned out to be the perfect return to the park. We rode most of the park’s coasters, got in some first rides on Jolly Rancher Remix, and our last on Wildcat. Here are some highlights, but I’ll be focusing on Wildcat separately.

Skyrush

Oh how I’ve missed thee! I’ve been longing for a ride on this ejector airtime-filled coaster for months. I’ve also been looking forward to checking out how clean the ride is now. Naturally, we made our way along the scenic path alongside the river so I could gaze upon the coaster and take a few photos of the ride minus all that soot from years past.

Was it everything I’ve been missing? It sure was. Greg, Kaylee, and I jumped in the back row to kick things off, That yank over the top and airtime that followed was just what I needed. I’m glad we rode this first thing too since it did go down briefly when Josh and Aaron arrived. It then went down, along with Candymonium, for hours after the rain moved in. Thankfully, Greg and I were able to squeeze in a night ride on both Skyrush and Candymonium in the final half hour of operations.

Jolly Rancher Remix

I was excited to get my first rides on the Sidewinder retheme, Jolly Rancher Remix. Would it be my new favorite Vekoma Boomerang behind Sea Serpent at Morey’s Piers? I was finally going to get the chance to see after months of waiting.

Let me first say that Hersheypark nailed this retheme! Walking up to the ride, the entire area around the coaster was alive with the bright colors and energetic music. It felt like the place to be, and for the first time in a long time, people wanted to be there. The line was longer than any time I can remember in recent memory. And surprisingly, people weren’t just standing there watching Storm Runner launch. People were watching Jolly Rancher Remix go in and out of the tunnel. It looks like this retheme passes the visual and audible test.

When it comes to the ride, it is now truly an experience. The flashing lights, the random flavor selection, funky sound effects, scented tunnel, and mist all make this ride feel totally new. If you haven’t gotten a chance to ride this rethemed coaster, I say do it. Even if you’re not the biggest fan of Boomerangs, it might surprise you.

As for whether or not Jolly Rancher Remix surpasses Sea Serpent as my favorite Boomerang, it’s hard for me to say. I want more rides to really think about it. I have sentimental attachment to Sea Serpent from all my childhood trips to Wildwood. Add in the awesome beach setting, light package, and sea monster theming and it’s a difficult choice.

Comet

My first “big” coaster is one I was looking forward to riding with Greg for the first time. He had only ridden this classic woodie once up until Sunday. I told him that was going to change and I probably spent minutes on end telling him the stories of riding it for the first time with my Aunt Cheryl. I’m certainly I’ve told him that story a few times too, but he entertainment my memories nonetheless.

Our first ride on Comet came immediately following Skyrush, before Josh and Aaron arrived. Greg, Kaylee, and I rode toward the back and I got some decent airtime. Oddly, later in the evening I had a ton of airtime in the front row riding with Greg, Kaylee, and Josh. It was glass smooth with the track soaking wet.

3 Rides on Wildcat

Truth be told, I’ve never been the biggest fan of Wildcat. There have been days where it was tolerable and then days where I came off wishing it would be Rocky Mountain Construction’s (RMC) newest conversion. Well, with the announcement weeks ago that it would be closing on Sunday, July 31, 2022, it looks like I might be getting my wish. Still, I’m glad I got to visit on it’s final day to get in one final ride. Well, three final rides. Did they hurt? A little bit, but I’ve certainly had worse. I’ve certainly had better too.

Lots of people came out for their final rides as well. After my first ride with Greg, Kaylee, Aaron, and Josh, I thought I’d be done riding it for the day, especially after seeing the line spilling out into the walkway between Wildcat’s and Wild Mouse’s entrances. I figured it would stay that way for the rest of the day. Be sure to check out Josh’s vlog above for some umm, ehh… Wildcat love?

Hours later, after Aaron and Josh left, we spent the rest of the evening riding with Charles and his dad, Stan. Stan is 71 years old and Wildcat was his favorite roller coaster. It was awesome seeing him out riding this coaster that so many of us call rough. He loved every minute of it and I hope that I’m still getting out and riding coaster at that age and beyond.

I have no idea how long the line got for Wildcat after that third ride. I can imagine that there were people trying hard to be on the final train, but we were clear on the other side of the park at 9 p.m. It was raining again when we made our way out into the parking lot and I couldn’t tell if the coaster was still running. If you were there at close, please let me know how long it took to get everyone their last rides.

Final Ride Counts

Candymonium (1: Ch, Gr, Ka, Pa, St)
Coal Cracker (1: Gr, Pa, Ka)
Comet (2: Gr, Ka, Pa, 1: Jo)
Great Bear (2: Gr, Ka, Pa, 1: Aa, Jo)
Jolly Rancher Remix (1: Aa, Gr, Jo, Ka, Pa)
Laff Trakk (1: Aa, Gr, Jo, Ka, Pa)
Lightning Racer: Lightning (1: Gr, St, Pa)
Lightning Racer: Thunder (2: Ka, 1: Aa, Jo, Gr, Pa)
Skyrush (2: Gr, Pa, 1: Ka)
SooperDooperLooper (3: Ka, 2: Ch, St, 1: Gr, Pa)
Storm Runner (1: Aa, Jo, Ka, Pa)
Wildcat (3: Gr, Ka, Pa, 2: Ch, St, 1: Aa, Jo)

Crew: Aa – Aaron, Ch – Charles, Gr – Greg, Jo – Josh, Ka – Kaylee, Pa – Patrick, St – Stan

Hopefully Going Again Soon

A few days ago Renee asked me if I wanted to go to Hersheypark with her. I invited her to go with us on Sunday, but she was already scheduled to work. I told her I’d love to go with her another day if she has something open. She offered me one of her free ticket perks on her pass so it doesn’t go to waste. How could I pass up another chance to go to Hershey with yet another awesome friend?

Renee and I aren’t sure when we will be headed to the park yet. I’m hoping we might be lucky enough to see some early stages of Wildcat’s demolition/restructuring. If we do, I’ll be sure to share some footage of what we see with all of you. Can’t wait to see what the park does with Wildcat!

Hersheypark Photo Gallery - July 31, 2022

CREW MANIFEST

The following flight crew members attended this park, & earned the respective credits below:

Patrick

CAG

New Credit(s): n/a

Greg

Admiral

New Credit(s): n/a

Kaylee

Captain

New Credit(s): n/a

Aaron

Ensign

New Credit(s): n/a

Josh

Ensign

New Credit(s): n/a

The post Hersheypark – Wildcat’s Final Day of Operations first appeared on We Were Inverted.

Six Flags America – ‘Chasing’ Down Chance the Cheapthusiast

Patrick Wagner — Mon, 25 Apr 2022 21:29:22 +0000

To say that Chance the Cheapthusiast has been itching to ride roller coasters for months on end would be an understatement. It’s not my place to explain why, but now that he is cleared, he’s looking to make up for lost time. His recent visit to Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW) saw him earn that coveted Pantheon credit he clamored for, just like so many fellow enthusiasts. That one visit, however, wasn’t going to fill the void left by months of missing out on airtime, inversions, launches, and all the other awesome elements there are to experience.

Thankfully, for the last few weeks, Chance and I have tossed around a few ideas to meet up. About a week ago we settled on hiting Six Flags America (SFA) on Sunday. Sunday being yesterday. We had some good weather and thankfully the park wasn’t crowded. We did all but two of the coasters and even managed to get Chance on a flat ride in Harley Quinn Spinsanity. Not sure if he’s going to be wanting to do one of those again.

'Minding' My Own Business

Chance told me Saturday night that he wouldn’t get to the park until around noon. With the park opening at 11 a.m., I decided to arrive at park opening and film some off-ride content. I made my way over to Mind Eraser, hence the “Minding My Own Business” heading above. I shot so many videos and stills of SFA’s inverted coaster, and from every which angle I could imagine. My hope is to use this footage in a ride review once I figure out what kind of microphone I should buy. I have a headset, but the more I read about mics, the more I doubt which kind would work the best. Obviously I’m not looking to do Hollywood voice over quality stuff, but I don’t want whatever I record to sound horrible either.

If anyone reading this has any advice on a decent microphone to do voice over work, please reach out to me. It would be greatly appreciated.

Mind Eraser

After shooting more than a dozen clips of Mind Eraser, I worked my way underneath the ride’s lift hill. Chance was still about 30 minutes away so I decided to go ahead and get in a quick ride. Filming all that content had me wanting to jump on. For the most part, none of the trains ever dispatched more than half-full during filming. Why not take advantage of the short lines? I put my phone into my zippered pocket and boarded the back row. I mention my phone here because phones will come up again later in this trip report.

The back row had some good pull through the inversions. While SFA’s Mind Eraser does shake back and forth throughout the ride, I still don’t get head banging like so many other experience. All in all, it was a good ride. After exiting, I stood on the exit ramp and began filming again.

Eventually Chance arrived and he caught up with me just after finishing some footage of the ride’s brake run area. We walked into the station and decided to go for the front row. It was only a one train wait, so why not?

Aside from Chance getting some grease dripping on his pants from the overhead train components and motors climbing the lift hill, the ride wasn’t too much different in the front than it was in the back. There was a little less whip, but the visual of the track so close overhead, the numerous supports flying by, and constant turns made it feel so much faster.

Chance wasn’t the only person to be hit by grease in the front seat either. One of Chance’s friends, who rode after us in the front row, also experienced the same. Sadly, this is something many of us enthusiasts have heard of and some have experienced. Keep that in mind when riding any amusement park attraction. Perhaps it’s best that you don’t wear your favorite clothes.

Roar

Next up on the day was Roar. Chance’s friends had already rode prior to running into us at Mind Eraser. They had positive things to say about the ride experience with its off season re-tracking, which you can see in the photo above. I envisioned a majority of the ride having re-tracking work done, but that is not the case at all. We were hoping for the best just like we have every year the ride has been patched up with new track. And just as soon as we prepared to ride, the coaster went down. A blessing in disguise? Time would tell.

Not wanting to take any chances, we rode in the front row. Chance’s friends took rode in the front prior to meeting up with us and this time they took the back. By time our ride was over, Chance and I agreed that it’s better, but it’s still kind of blah! Chance’s friends, however, recounted their earlier praise from their front seat ride saying the back was not good at all.

Moral of the story, RMC this coaster. SFA can use it and Roar is severely outclassed by Wild One. An RMC of Roar would give the park a much needed new coaster and something that vastly different than every other coaster in the park.

Wild One

After splitting up with Chance’s friends, Chance and I grabbed a ride on Batwing and then made our way to the historic, Wild One. I’ve sung the praises of this coaster since I launched We Were Inverted. It was featured in my Influential Coasters of My Childhood series. There isn’t a visit to SFA when I don’t ride this coaster. Yesterday was no exception.

With so many rides on Wild One I could have easily left it out of this blog and talked about one of the other rides. I probably would have if it hadn’t of been for the ass hat in Row 3. Our train was stopped about three quarters up the lift hill. We didn’t know why, but when Chance saw an employ walking up the ramp, he figured that someone had pulled out a phone. Sure enough, that was the case.

Once the phone was confiscated and the staff member made it back to the station, our ride continued. We sat up there for a good 5-10 minutes, but it was good to finally get going. Well, until we stopped again. When our train pulled into the brake run following the helix finale, we were stuck again for about 10 minutes. What I gathered was the ride went into a funk due to the initial stop on the lift hill. We could see the staff tell everyone in the station and already on the next train that the ride would be going down. When we finally did make it back into the station, it was empty and the entrance ramp blocked.

All this for a dude pulling his phone out to film some crap-tastic footage on TikTok, Instagram, or whatever other social media platform he uses. I swear if someone’s phone ever ends up in my lap on a ride, I’m either tossing it over the side, or acting like I know nothing and tossing it in a trash can.

Great Chase

After seeing the long line for Ragin’ Cajun and both of us being severely hungry, we decided to call it a day and head to a restaurant. That’s when I remembered Chance earlier saying that he never rode the Great Chase. Me being me, I detoured us into the kids section of the park. The line was short, so we jumped on. Now Chance has completed the park. I made sure to tell the ride op how much he was looking forward to the ride as we took our seats in the back too. Why does Chance like me? I don’t know.

Final Ride Counts

Batwing (1)
Great Chase (1)
Harley Quinn Spinsanity (1)
Joker’s Jinx (1)
Mind Eraser (2: Patrick, 1: Chance)
Roar (1)
Superman Ride of Steel (1)
Wild One (1)

A Sappy Conclusion

Chance, I’m glad you’re feeling better my friend. It was great catching up again. Thanks for being my wingman on all the coasters yesterday and being my dinner date afterward. The coaster hobby and running this site have allowed me to meet a bunch of great people like you and Aaron. And although Aaron’s lame butt didn’t tag along yesterday, I just want to know it’s always a good time getting out with the both of you. I can’t wait to do it again and I know Sam, Greg, Chris, and Kaylee can’t either.

Six Flags America Photo Gallery - April 24, 2022

CREW MANIFEST

The following flight crew members attended this park, & earned the respective credits below:

Patrick

CAG

New Credit(s): n/a

Josh

Ensign

New Credit(s): Great Chase

The post Six Flags America – ‘Chasing’ Down Chance the Cheapthusiast first appeared on We Were Inverted.

Hersheypark – Catching Up for a Few Hours of Fun

Patrick Wagner — Sun, 12 Sep 2021 23:17:55 +0000

A few weeks ago Chance, the Cheapthusiast, asked me if I wanted to come up to Hersheypark with him during the weekend of September 11-12. I told him I was open on the 12th, but did have some plans on the 11th. As the weekend drew near, Chance told me that they decided to visit on the 11th. It looked like we’d have to get together another time. Or would we?

When Saturday rolled around, I wrapped up my plans early and I looked at the time. I knew I could make it up to Hersheypark around 3 p.m. if didn’t waste any time. I touched base with Chance and found out that they weren’t even at the park yet. I jumped in the car and make my way up to Hershey.

Arriving After Candymonium, but During Chocolatier

When I was about half an hour away from the park, I caught a bit of traffic and texted Chance to let him know I’d be later than I thought. He said not to worry because they were on the waiting list for a table at the Chocolatier. That worked out perfectly.

When I finally arrived, Chance, Aaron, and their friend, Mike, were just finishing up their meals. I sat down and talked with them as they paid their checks. It looked like the only ride they had done so far was Candymonium. I didn’t miss much.

Storm Runner

The first thing on our agenda was getting to Storm Runner. When I visited the park with Chance, Aaron, Matt, and Madison earlier this year, the coaster had not yet opened. Now that it has, Chance was eager to ride it again. He guessed that his last rides on this Intamin Accelerator came way back in 2014. He was overdue!

For the first time since the ride has opened, during my visits, the park was only utilizing one side of the loading station. That made the line longer that I have seen in quite some time. I’m puzzled though. Can both trains run using just one side of the station? With the launch track, loading area, and brake run coming into the station, I feel like it would be possible to hold a train on the brake while the other is sent out onto the launch. Maybe I’m totally wrong here and the ride system don’t allow it. Just seems like it should be a possibility.

We ended up riding in the last two rows. This ride has very little difference from the front to the back other than some extra yank over the top hat. Most of my rides this year have been in the front, however, so it was nice being toward the back for a change of pace.

Fahrenheit

I was glad that the group wanted to ride Fahrenheit. This ride can get some long, slow-moving lines, so sometimes I end up skipping it to ride other coasters. That really sucks too because I really enjoy this ride. Thankfully, we didn’t skip it yesterday.

I’ve always said that Fahrenheit was my first-ever vertical lift coaster. In reality though, that is not the case. My first “true” vertical lifts were a couple Chance Toboggan installments that I always forget about when talking vertical lifts. So to clarify, I guess you can say that Fahrenheit was my first large scale vertical lift coaster. It is my favorite one as well, even though I have gone on to ride several others afterward, including (S&S Free Spin models excluded):

Impulse: Knoebels
Mystery Mine: Dollywood
Hydrus: Casino Pier
Tantrum: Six Flags Darien Lake (SFDL)
Thunderbolt: Luna Park
Dare Devil Dive: Six Flags Over Georgia (SFOG)
TMNT Shellraiser: Nickelodeon Universe at American Dream (NUAD)

Lightning Racer

As is tradition, we had to see if Aaron’s streak of winning every side of a racing coaster would stay intact during yesterday’s visit. Guess what? It did, but with a caveat. Aaron and Mike went to the Thunder side while Chance and I rode Lightning. Thunder was winning every single race and it wasn’t even close. That’s been the case during a few of my visits to Hershey this year. Something is create lopsided victories and usually in Thunder’s favor. I’m putting an asterixis next to this win for Aaron.

As for the ride, Chance and I rode the back row and dare I say, it was one of the better rides I’ve had on Lightning Racer in a while. I noticed my butt leaving the seat a few times. No, it wasn’t any amazing ejector airtime, or sustained floater, but instead, a bunch if subtle pops all throughout the course. While I certainly wish they were a little more forceful, I’ll take whatever I can get.

Final Ride Counts

Candymonium (1: Aaron, Chance, Mike)
Comet (1: Patrick)
Fahrenheit (1)
Lightning Racer: Lightning (1: Chance, Patrick)
Lightning Racer: Thunder (1: Aaron, Mike)
Storm Runner (1)

An Hour to Myself

After our ride on Lightning Racer, Chance told me that they would have to leave around 6 p.m. We said our goodbyes as we walked toward the front of the park. I stayed, taking a few photos and catching a ride on Comet. The line wasn’t long at all so I waited three extra trains for a front row ride.

While waiting to be dispatched up the lift, I heard the woman behind me talking to her daughter. Apparently this was going to be her first ride on Comet, and from what it sounded like, her first big coaster. I turned around and told her she’s going to love it and that it was my first big coaster too. Her mom said it was hers as well. With that, we were on our way.

It truly seems like a lot of people in this region rode Comet as their first adult sized coaster. I’ve heard that same story so many times. How about you? What was your first large size coaster?

With about 35 minutes left before the park closed I decided to try my luck with a ride on Candymonium. The wait read 45 minutes, but that queue line was packed. From my conversations with the crew earlier in Chocolatier, the operations were quite slow when they rode. I decided to skip it and head to the shop. While there, I managed to find a pin for the Chocolatier – the last one having grabbed the Sweeterie, Milton’s Ice Cream Parlor, and Chocolatetown ones in prior visits.

Thanks for the invite yesterday, Chance. I’m glad my plans allowed me to catch up with you after all. It’s always a good time whenever we manage to get out to a park together. Can’t wait for next time.

Hersheypark Photo Gallery - September 11, 2021

CREW MANIFEST

The following flight crew members attended this park, & earned the respective credits below:

Patrick

CAG

New Credit(s): n/a

The post Hersheypark – Catching Up for a Few Hours of Fun first appeared on We Were Inverted.

Kennywood – An Enthusiast 6-Pack

Patrick Wagner — Sat, 05 Jun 2021 21:48:43 +0000

Last month Sam and I visited Kennywood on Opening Day. We had been invited out to attend a pre-opening ceremony and some exclusive ride time (ERT) on Jack Rabbit since I was one of the 100 winners of the Jack Rabbit: 100 Years, 100 Memories Contest. Be sure to check out the blog, “Kennywood – 100 Years of Jack Rabbit,” for a rundown on that day’s events. As amazing as that day was, however, there was one major drawback – one with nine inversions. Steel Curtain.

We were far from the only enthusiasts to visit since the ride’s debut in 2019 to find it closed. With the temperatures between the mid-40’s and low-50’s that day, it never opened. We would have to wait, but that wait ended up being less than a month.

On Thursday, June 3, Sam and I made our way back to the park, this time with Greg and Kaylee. We were slated to meet up with Chance, the Cheapthusiast, and Aaron – hence the 6 pack in the title. And yes Aaron, I’m talking about your abs, not the fact that there were six of us.

An Early Start... A Way Early Start!

Coming from Baltimore and wanting to be at the park at exactly 10:30 a.m., I ended up getting up at 4:45 a.m. At 5:30 a.m. I was picking up Sam, and by 6 a.m., we were at Greg’s to pick up both him and Kaylee. After a Dunkin Donuts stop, we were on the road and made wonderful time. We were out in front of the gates before 10:30 and just waiting for Chance and Aaron to arrive.

If you care to know why it was so important for us to be at the park by 10:30 instead of 11 a.m. when the rides begin, we wanted to be one of the first ones in line for Steel Curtain. The forecast was calling for rain and possible storms throughout the day. If Steel Curtain was going to run, which it had been in the days prior, we wanted to make sure we got in the credit. I didn’t want to risk it closing mid-day due to weather. Luckily for us, things worked out even better than we could have hoped, even though we did experience some rain.

Rides and Re-Rides... Lots of Them!

Not only did we luck out, getting on the Steel Curtain first thing, we rode every single coaster in the park and most of them, numerous times. We also squeezed in a few flat/dark rides and ate at a few of the different locations throughout the park. Talk about a complete day. Heck, Greg even dropped $10 on a game trying to win a huge avacado toast stuffed animal. He wasn’t successful. But let’s talk about the rides, especially the one I’m sure everyone wants to know about. It’s up first.

Steel Curtain

We managed to be the first train of the day for Steel Curtain. Chance joined us, arriving a few minutes after the gates opened. Aaron was on a work call, so it was just the five us to kick things off. We took our seats and while the ride ops were checking the restraints, the skies began to let loose. The rain was coming down hard. I was so worried they were going to have us get up and get back in line until it passed. All I could think was that the ride was going to close and I was going to be denied the credit! Everyone began looking at each other and wondering if we’d be allow to go. Then they sent us!

Everyone on that first train got totally drenched. Sam and I were in the back row and by time that slow lift hill had finished, we were soaked. The funny thing is, when we pulled back into the station, the rain literally stopped. The same thing happened to us on Racer, which was our second ride of the day too. It rained leaving the station and stopped when we returned. Strange, but at least we got the highly sought after credit.

We managed to get in several more rides before the park closed for the day. Greg, Kaylee, and myself were able to run up before the gate was roped off and ended up being the last train of the day. Talk about a way to bookend the day. First and last!

Lil Phantom

I was going to place the photo I have of Chance riding Lil Phantom front and center in this trip report. Since he was so pouty during his ride, however, I left it in the gallery instead. You see, Chance has been clowning on my all week, Photoshopping me eating pizza and drinking a Pepsi into different roller coaster trains. He even got me banned from Facebook for 24 hours on my birthday too. Facebook didn’t like me telling another Coaster Appreciation Society (CAS) member to playfully kick his ass for saying that Twister at Knoebels is trashy. Context Facebook bots, context!

Anyhow, Lil Phantom almost ended up evading us and I’m sure Chance wishes it had. During our first two passes through Kiddieland, Lil Phantom was down. On our third pass, however, Kaylee noticed it was open. We ran over to get the credit, but Chance tried to skip out. He sat on the bench, refusing to ride, until he finally got tired of hearing us call him out for being a grump. He gave into the peer pressure and got in line. Funny thing was, the train only has five carts. He had to wait and ride the next one without us. Had you only got in line sooner my friend.

Phantom's Revenge

Of course one of the star attractions of the day ended up being Phantom’s Revenge. We had three rides on this Morgan hyper and all three of them were walk-ons. Most of the rides came in the back few rows, so the airtime was insane. Just like Tuesday’s visit to Knoebels when Phoenix was hitting strong, so was Phantom’s Revenge on Thursday. Sam noticed it how much stronger it was compared to last month. Chance also asked me if I felt the ejector going over the second hill. I did and I wasn’t feeling that on May 8.

Phantom’s Revenge has always been a ride that I really liked, but never loved like other enthusiasts. Maybe their rides have been like Thursday’s this whole time. I tell you what, if it’s running like that again the next time I go, it will probably be moving up my list of favorites without a doubt.

Final Ride Counts

Aero 360 (1: Patrick, Greg, Kaylee)
Exterminator (1)
Ghostwood Estate (1: Patrick, Sam, Greg, Kaylee, Chance)
Jack Rabbit (2: Patrick, Sam, Greg, Kaylee, Chance, 1: Aaron)
Lil Phantom (1)
Old Mill (1)
Phantom’s Revenge (3)
Racer (3: Patrick, Sam, Greg, Kaylee, 2: Chance, 1: Aaron)
Sky Rocket (3: Patrick, Sam, Greg, Kaylee, 2: Chance, Aaron)
Steel Curtain (4: Patrick, Greg, Kaylee, 3: Sam, Chance, 2: Aaron)
Thunderbolt (2)

Good Times with Great Friends

Greg… Kaylee… Chance… Aaron… I knew none of you at this time last year. Then there is Sam, who had yet to visit an amusement park with me in attempts to overcome her fear of coasters. What a difference a year makes. Thursday was one of the most memorable days I’ve had at a park with friends I would have never met if it hadn’t been for this hobby. If Thursday’s trip to Kennywood was any indication of things to come, then we have plenty of fun times on the horizon. I’m glad I have all of you in my life. Thanks for coming out, even with all the memes and old man jokes tossed my way.

Kennywood Photo Gallery - June 3, 2021

If you would like to use any of the images in the gallery above for your non-commercial projects, feel free to do so. I ask that you credit We Were Inverted whenever they’re used. I also ask that you do not alter the image or remove the watermarks. If you need any images/video resized or without the watermarks, please contact me directly.

CREW MANIFEST

The following flight crew members attended this park, & earned the respective credits below:

Patrick

CAG

New Credit(s): Steel Curtain

Sam

Captain

New Credit(s): Lil Phantom, Steel Curtain

Greg

Commander

New Credit(s): Jack Rabbit, Lil Phantom, Phantom's Revenge, Racer, Sky Rocket, Steel Curtain, Thunderbolt

Kaylee

Ensign

New Credit(s): Jack Rabbit, Lil Phantom, Phantom's Revenge, Racer, Sky Rocket, Steel Curtain, Thunderbolt

The post Kennywood – An Enthusiast 6-Pack first appeared on We Were Inverted.

CAG Report – May 2021 Recap

Patrick Wagner — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 23:36:00 +0000

May 2021 was a good month for coaster industry. We saw Jersey Devil at Six Flags Great Adventure (SFGAdv) begin testing, Velocicoaster at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure (USIoA) do a soft opening, and Fantasy Island possibly being saved by none other than Gene Staples. It has only served to get the crew and I excited for the rest of 2021. During May, we too started getting things moving in the right direction. Here is a recap of the last month here on We Were Inverted.

Parks Begin to Change Mask Policies

Without getting political, I just want to say that it was nice to see updates and changes being implemented all across the United States. We, ourselves, visited a couple parks at the end of the month that lifted the mask mandate for those who are fully vaccinated.

I know not everyone will not agree with the timing, how things are being carried out, or if they even should. I’m not getting into that debate because we all know they always turn into arguments. I respect people’s desire to lose the masks, keep wearing them, or still wait a while before returning to the park. I also respect any park who might require them to still be worn too. It’s just nice to see things begin to move in the right direction.

Just 5 More Pins Needed for 500

Between a visit to Kennywood and some eBay purchases last month, my pin collection kept growing and growing. April saw a ton of additions, most of which came from a large lot of 59 pins. I guess you could say I was more reserved this month?

I did buy more than what has been added to the site thus far, but I’m still waiting for them to arrive. Our post office has been majorly slow getting packages out these last couple of months. I’m currently waiting on 4 pins I’ve purchased to arrive. When they arrive, it’ll leave me just one pin shy of the 500 mark. I’m already thinking up a blog topic to cover the milestone.

A Change of Place (Not a Typo)

Since We Were Inverted launched amid the Covid-19 pandemic in June 2020, the crew and I mostly visited the same few parks over and over last year for our coaster fix. Parks such as Six Flags America (SFA), SFGAdv, Hersheypark, Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW), and Knoebels were our go-to destinations. Well, in May 2021, the crew of We Were Inverted made their way out to Kennywood and Kings Dominion for the first times since the site’s launch. Here are some recaps of those trips, along with three Hersheypark trips. You know we go there all the time by now.

Hersheypark (3)

Just like last month, the crew and I got in three visits to nearby Hersheypark. The first time I made my way up alone, but met up with Chance, the Cheapthusiast and his crew of Aaron, Matt, and Madison. A couple of weeks later, Renee and I visited the park with her brother, Brady, and our mutual friends, Amber and Jason. And the last visit was the memorable Mission 32 in 9 where Sam and I rode Skyrush in each and every seat on the coaster in a single day. No skip the line passes either. We did have an hour of Sweet Start though.

05.02.2021 – Hersheypark – Walking the Walk with the Cheapthusiast
05.16.2021 – Hersheypark – Brady’s Amazing Day
05.27.2021 – Hersheypark – Skyrush: Mission 32 in 9 Accomplished

Kennywood (1)

It was a long time in the making, but I finally was able to pick up the season pass I won from Kennywood during their Jack Rabbit: 100 Years, 100 Memories contest in 2020. Due to Covid, they decided to delay the passes until 2021 so people could fully make use of them. They also kept their promise in bringing all the winners out, plus one guest each, for a pre-opening ceremony and exclusive ride time (ERT) on Jack Rabbit. It was an amazing day, even though Sam and I were bummed about Steel Curtain being closed. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that we’ll have that credit very soon, however.

05.08.2021 – Kennywood – 100 Years of Jack Rabbit

Wisp Mountain Coaster (1)

Last year Sam and I made our way out to Wisp Resort to ride their mountain coaster. Ever since, Greg has been wanting to make a trip out that way and add the credit to his own list. Well, one week ago he found himself in Western Maryland, not too far away from Wisp Resort. He decided to take a few minutes and go get that credit, his second mountain coaster. He was also able to secure a ride photo, which made him even happier.

Kings Dominion (1)

Finally! Kings Dominion finally re-opened and Sam and I were able to head down on Memorial Day to get in some rides. Not only did we visit the park, but we picked up Platinum Cedar Fair passes in the process. I’m sure we’re going to head back down to this park a time or two to re-ride Twisted Timbers, Intimidator 305, and Dominator a bunch more times. We also want to find time to meet up with Chris and Carrie one day. I’ve been meaning to get Mindy and Mailyn down there too at some point. That pass will easily pay for itself, along with a visit to Dorney Park and hopefully, Carowinds. Sam wants to use hers when she visits a friend who lives within reasonable driving distance to Kings Island. That’s a park she’s long had on her bucket list.

05.31.2021 – (Trip report not published in time for this CAG Report due to being out of town)

Birthday Bonanzas!

The first week in June is kicking off in a big way. You already know that Sam and I made our way down to Kings Dominion on Monday, May 31. Well, Tuesday, June 1 sees Sam, Kaylee, and I at Knoebels for the first time of 2021. On Thursday, June 3, Sam, Kaylee, Greg, and I are heading back up to Kennywood. It will be the first-ever visits for Greg and Kaylee and Sam and I are praying that Steel Curtain is open this time. Well, Greg and Kaylee are too, of course. While we’re up that way, we’re going to give Fun Fore All a call to see if they’ll be running their outdoor rides for a bonus credit too.

All these trips were originally planned to be part of my birthday celebration, which is, Wednesday, June 2. In hindsight, however, both Greg and Kaylee celebrated their birthdays recently and Sam’s falls later in June. So, I have decided that these trips are to celebrate all of our birthdays, not just mine. Now… who buys the cake?

The post CAG Report – May 2021 Recap first appeared on We Were Inverted.

Hersheypark – Walking the Walk with the Cheapthusiast

Patrick Wagner — Mon, 03 May 2021 16:14:06 +0000

Back in March I met up with Chance, the Cheapthusiast, along with Aaron and Matt for the first time at Six Flags America (SFA). That meet up was a year in the making as our original plans to meet at Six Flags Great Adventure (SFGAdv) in 2020 was nixed because of rain. I guess it’s kind of fitting that our first meet up together at Hersheypark was also nixed a few weeks ago for the same reason. Thankfully, we were able to reschedule quickly. It turned out to be a great day too – 83 degrees with a slight breeze. And this time along, Matt’s girlfriend, Madison joined us.

Skyrush Walkway Re-Opened

Even with all the amazing coasters at Hersheypark, there was something else I was looking forward to for this visit, especially with the beautiful weather. Just one day after the Season Pass Holder Preview Night, the park re-opened the walkway running alongside Skyrush for the first time. It had been closed since the Chocolatetown and Candymonium construction began. I was looking forward to spending some time in this area and getting in some photos of my favorite coaster at the park.

Chance and his crew arrived at the park about 15 minutes before I did. I told him to go ahead in and I’d catch up with them. When I parked he said they were getting in line for Skyrush. That was perfect. I entered and made my way right to the walkway. I shot a few pictures of Skyrush and even managed to grab a few photos of Comet.

I didn’t spend a bunch of time along the walkway though and ended up timing things just right. As I made my way over to the exit area of Skyrush, Chance, Aaron, Matt, and Madison all made their way down the steps. Chance introduced Madison and I to one another since this was our first time meeting. When then took a minute to figure out just where we wanted to go to try to get in every coaster before the end of the day. Our conclusion, head back toward Laff Trakk and do that end of the park first and work our way back up.

Riding Almost All the Coasters

One of our goals for the day was to try to get in as many of the coasters as possible for Matt. Aaron and Madison also needed a coaster or two to complete the park, and Chance oddly enough, needed Wild Mouse. We came close to our goal, with a couple of exceptions. Storm Runner is still down and Fahrenheit closed around lunchtime, never re-opening for the rest of the day – according to the park app. That didn’t stop us from banging out the rest of the coaster, minus Cocoa Cruiser. I did suggest getting Matt on it, however.

Here is a look at a few of the more memorable rides from the day:

Lightning Racer - Thunder

Lightning Racer was not operating during my first two visits of 2021. It very well could have been running during the Pass Holder Night, but since the park was so crowded, and we only had two hours once making our way through the logjam at the entrance, we never ventured back that far. I have been looking forward to getting rides on Lightning Racer again. And yesterday, we got in a ride on the Thunder side.

While in line, I did notice that Lightning Racer was running one train on both sides. While this is normal, I also noticed that Lightning’s second train was not in the service bay. Thunder’s second train was, so maybe it’s being serviced elsewhere?

Also while we were in line, Chance and Aaron talked about how Aaron has never been on a losing train on Lightning Racer. I teased that this ride would be the day. And guess what? We won! He’s still undefeated. All the man does is win!

Comet

A few days prior to our trip, Hersheypark made a few posts on their social media accounts about Comet celebrating its 75th anniversary. As many of you know, this coaster was my first “big coaster” and is one for I have a ton of nostalgia. I’m glad to see it still running and that Hersheypark gives it a ton of attention with upkeep. There are a bunch of places where you can see some recent re-tracking. Those spots are so smooth, but the rest of the ride runs really well without it. This ride is a true gem and one I hope to ride on it’s 100th anniversary too.

Last year I was able to get in a bunch of rides on Comet, but there were visits where we didn’t ride it at all – usually due to long lines. So far this year, I’ve been making an effort to try to ride it at least once per visit, if not twice. Oh, and the park is back to seating every row on the woodies again. It makes the lines move so much quicker.

Candymonium

Candymonium, when I arrived, was not running. I’m not sure why, but all the trains were stacked on the final brake run. I wouldn’t have suggested riding it first anyhow since everyone runs straight to it when the park gates open. I’ve seen the line stretch all the way back to the bridge leading to the ride early in the day. Pro tip: Wait. We waited to ride Candymonium until 5 p.m. and we got two back to back rides, both with 15 minute or less waits.

Madison had yet to ride Candymonium and was looking forward to riding it all day. She’s from the area, but had yet to visit the park since the coaster was added. When I told her about how floaty the ride was, she so was eager to give it a ride. On our second ride, we nabbed the back seat, and got that extra yank over the hills. I really wish this ride had an eighth row, or even a ninth, like Nitro.

For our back row ride, Matt took my advice and sat on first seat upon entering the loading area. I told him it would put him closest to the hand chopper element. All I can say is I heard him shout, “Woah!” when Candymonium made that abrupt tilt to the support pole, all while Madison was emoting on every single airtime moment. It was a great ride and the first trim brake wasn’t even hitting much for a change either.

Final Ride Counts

Candymonium (2)
Comet (1)
Great Bear (1)
Laff Trakk (1)
Lightning Racer – Thunder (1)
Sidewinder (1)
Skyrush (1)
SooperDooperLooper (1)
Trailblazer (1)
Wild Mouse (1)
Wildcat (1)

* Chance, Aaron, Matt, & Madison also rode Skyrush & Coal Cracker while I was taking photos.

Ice Cream, Shopping, & Saying Goodbye

After our second ride on Candymonium, it was time to go to Milton’s Ice Cream Parlor. I had told the group about the different offerings and pulled up some photos on my phone. They were all sold on giving it a try and that’s what we were all going to do. Well, until I got out of line and went to the Sweeterie instead. Those colorful Laff Trakk cakes were still calling my name from the last visit to the park and I just had to have one. It was really good and I can’t wait to try some of the other offerings on display at the Sweeterie. As for everyone else, they loved the ice cream. These two additions to the park sure lived up to the promise.

With our bellies full of sweets, Chance grabbed himself a new magnet. You may recall, Chance was featured in the first installment of my Coaster Collectibles series – Coaster Collectibles – Chance Knight: Magnets. He found a few he liked and I honestly can’t even remember which one he picked up.

I also picked up a brand new 75th anniversary Comet shirt. If they had made a 75th anniversary pin, I would have been in heaven. There’s still hope! Please Hersheypark… Please?

From there, it was time to head home after a great day at the park. I’m glad Chance invited me to come along and spend time with him and his friends. It’s a great group of people and I hope to hit up a few more parks with them at some point.

Be sure to visit Chance, the Cheapthusiast at the following:

Hersheypark Photo Gallery - May 2, 2021

CREW MANIFEST

The following flight crew members attended this park, & earned the respective credits below:

Patrick

CAG

New Credit(s): n/a

The post Hersheypark – Walking the Walk with the Cheapthusiast first appeared on We Were Inverted.

Six Flags America – Coasters with the Cheapthusiast

Patrick Wagner — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 00:40:24 +0000

It’s been three months since I last rode a roller coaster. Those three months have felt like six. I’m sure other enthusiasts feel my pain. Thankfully, however, the wait ended with a trip to Six Flags America (SFA) yesterday. This trip marks my first meet up with Chance, from the YouTube channel, Cheapthusiast. You may remember Chance from the first installment of the Coaster Collectibles series, “Coaster Collectibles – Chance Knight: Magnets.”

Our meet up has been months in the making. Originally, we planned to meet up at Six Flags Great Adventure (SFGAdv) last summer. The forecast that day, however, was calling for heavy rain. I didn’t want to chance, no pun intended, losing money on the gas and tolls if the park closed early. I told them I’d catch up with them another day and that day finally came.

Fast forward back to present day. I met up with Chance, Aaron, and Matt around noon yesterday. We introduced ourselves to one another out in the parking lot before making our way into the park. And guess what Chance suggested we do first?

Mind Eraser - Mind You, Not the Worst Ride of the Day

1 Ride

The day before our trip, I made a post on Coaster Appreciation Society (CAS) challenging Chance to a Mind Eraser Marathon. I wasn’t being serious, but had he wanted to go for it, I was ready! If we were going to do it though, I figured it would come later in the day so we could ride everything else first. Chance, however, decided to head to Mind Eraser first. Aaron gave him that look like, “Really?” Matt, who was visiting the park for the first time, was game for anything.

Did we do the marathon? No. We rode it once and moved on. Still, it wasn’t our worst ride of the day. I don’t think Mind Eraser is as bad as its reputation. Chance agreed. Would I still love to see the new trains put on the ride? You bet!

Roar - Not so Sore on this Day

1 Ride

Okay, Roar has become the butt of my jokes the last few years. I now call it “Sore,” instead of Roar. I wish it wasn’t the case, but sadly it just is. The last time I rode Roar and didn’t feel rattled beyond belief was back in 2019 with Elaina. Since then, I’m one and done, if I even do the one, each visit.

I offered a couple suggestions in my blog, “Six Flags America Wish List – One Local Enthusiast’s Hopes,” about what I would like to see done to this ride. I still stand by them. Chance, who said the ride felt better than last year, still wants to see Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) come out and revamp the ride. He said as much in his July 2020 video, “Six Flags America and EVERYTHING is Running.“

Joker's Jinx - Sam's Certainly Jealous

2 Rides

Poor Sam. This was the ride she missed out on during the second Summer of Sam blog last year. Her fear got the best of her and she ended up getting off the ride before the ride ops came around to secure her. Of course, once she began to overcome those fears, Joker’s Jinx was down for all of her following 2020 visits. Sam has been wanting to ride this so bad too. I made sure to send her a photo after our first ride yesterday. Yeah, I was rubbing it in, but I was also getting her excited to visit the park again this year. It’s her last remaining needed credit at the park.

We rode Joker’s Jinx twice, with the second being my favorite. It was our last ride of the day and we jumped in the last two rows. You could certainly feel the extra whip being pulled through that spaghetti bowl of track. I’ve always enjoyed this ride and know Sam will too. I’m going to suggest she try it in the back too.

Superman Ride of Steel - Faster Throughout the Day

5 Rides

Early in the day, Chance mentioned wanting to ride Superman Ride of Steel at least five times. I said I was game and figured it would be easy for us to do. All the lines were short when we arrived. Superman, like Mind Eraser, Roar, and Joker’s Jinx, were all walk ons. As Greg would say, “I love to see it.”

Throughout the day, we rode Superman exactly five times, getting the blue train on four of the five rides. The blue train looked to have a fresh coat of paint and brand new seat belts. It also felt like it was running slow. The airtime wasn’t as intense, even in the back row.

Later in the day, we’d get our first ride on the red train, on ride number four. This train didn’t have the new seat belts or look to have fresh paint. It did, however, feel like it was hauling. We figured it was running faster than the blue one, but then changed our minds when we did our fifth and final ride. We got the blue train yet again, but It felt every bit as fast as the ride we had just experienced. I guess they just had to warm up? It wasn’t until the fourth and fifth rides that the ride felt like it normally does.

Wild One - First Wait of the Day

1 Ride

After experiencing walk ons all day, Wild One gave us our first line. It was no more than 10-15 minutes, though. Before we knew it, we were in line, waiting for the last two rows. I jumped in the back seat with Matt. Chance and Aaron got the non-wheel seat in front of us. It’s been a while since I had a non-wheel seat on Wild One. Last year they had them all closed for social distancing.

While waiting in line, we noticed some new wood on Wild One, just like we did with Roar. The portion of track prior to the helix finale looked to have been re-tracked. That section was very bumpy over the last couple of years. Sadly, that re-tracking doesn’t feel like changed a thing. It was still overly bumpy, at least in the back row.

Ragin' Cajun - Almost the Longest Wait of the Day

1 Ride

Okay, the Wild One line was nothing compared to Ragin’ Cajun – or as Chance calls it, Mardi Gras. It’s an inside joke, you’ll have to ask him. Anyhow, we waited about 40 minutes for this ride. It’s obviously a slow moving, family-sized coaster that attracts a lot of people. We also ended up waiting through a cleaning cycle.

When it came time to board, we were told the ride only allows for three adults per car. All four of us could not ride together, which we were really hoping to do. I rode with Matt and we spun so much during the last half of the ride. I think Matt was shocked by just how much we experienced. I always tell people, be ready for some wild spinning when getting on Ragin’ Cajun.

Firebird - Rather Ride Mind Eraser

1 Ride

As Chris D. has said many times, Firebird is one pretty coaster to photograph and look at. Other than that, it’s quickly becoming my least favorite coaster in the park. Yes, even worse than Roar. I experience much less head banging on Mind Eraser. When I told that to a ride op on Mind Eraser earlier in the day, he agreed. He told me he thinks Firebird is indeed rougher and said Mind Eraser is the better ride. As of late, I tend to agree.

Chance and I spent a good amount of time filming this ride. Maybe we were both trying to avoid the pending doom that awaited us up those stairs. Eventually, we had to make the walk though. We had to get our heads rattled – and in the front row no less.

One good thing did come from this ride, well, two actually. First, Chance was able to get himself a new magnet, a sliding one that is identical to pin I have in my Pin Collection. The second, you’ll have to visit the We Were Inverted Instagram account (@WeWereInverted_IG) and read the post about Firebird’s re-tracking. That’s all I’m saying. Moving on.

Batwing - The Longest Wait of the Day... We Did it for Matt

1 Ride

After trying earlier in the day, following our first two rides on Superman, we decided to give Batman a try. It was running. Then it wasn’t. You know, just another day that ends with “Y” at SFA for Batwing. A park employee herded us, along with other people, back to the Superman gift shop before roping off that looooooooong walkway. We had made it half way down, so it wasn’t as bad as the other 257 walks I’ve done all the way to the station just to find it closed.

Later on, we went back to ride and were met with a line that was just over an hour long. Well, it was over an hour long to get to the chain at the ride station. When we got to the chain, the ride broke again. We waited another 20-30 minutes once there, getting a group of girls to take the photo above of our dismay. It certainly does look like an album cover, doesn’t it?

If you’re wonder why we waited, it’s because we did it for Matt! He was looking forward to riding Batwing all day. I joked that it will be his favorite ride at the park. Chance and Aaron laughed and said, “No way.”

Guess what? The ride finally opened and it’s Matt’s favorite ride at SFA.

Meeting Up Again - April 11 at Hersheypark

A few weeks ago, Sam asked me if I was interested in going to Hersheypark on Sunday, April 11. I said sure and told her I was going to invite Chance. Long story short, it looks like we’re going to have another We Were Inverted and Cheapthusiast meet up. This time I’ll have Sam and Renee with me too. If you’re free and will be in the Hershey area on that day, hit us up and ride some coasters with us.

You can be my wingman anytime! (Top Gun, 1986)
Patrick

CREW MANIFEST

The following flight crew members attended this park, & earned the respective credits below:

Patrick

CAG

New Credit(s): n/a

The post Six Flags America – Coasters with the Cheapthusiast first appeared on We Were Inverted.