Showing posts with label A-Z Challenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A-Z Challenge. Show all posts

Friday, May 9, 2014

A-Z Blogging - Adventure parks - Z is for Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom

Well, only nine days later and we're finally here!  I tell ya, the A-Z Blogger's Challenge is always tough and this year's was no exception.  I hope you've enjoyed this month's A-Z posts on stuff that I find interesting in the amusement world and in roller coasters especially.  I've linked the rest of the posts from this month's pieces at the bottom of the page in case you missed any and would like to check them out, or even if you'd like to catch a video again of a favorite ride.  In the meantime, here is my final "Z" post:


Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom is the newest thrill ride at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey. No, it's not a roller coaster, but it is a fierce looking ride in the form of a drop tower.  I say fierce because this one's a record breaker that's built right into the structure of the King of all Coasters, Kingda Ka.   Imagine being lifted vertically to an altitude of 415 feet and then free falling at a speed of 90 miles per hour back to the ground.  Sounds scary?  Well, I'm not a big fan of drop rides and I may not ever ride this one...too much for me.

  

Zumanjaro is set to open soon, so be on the lookout.  In the meantime, check out the promo teaser...


"Z" Coaster of the Day - Mt. Olympus Theme Park - 
Wisconsin Dells, WI




For our final Coaster of the Day, we return to Mt. Olympus, home of Hades 360, which this one dives under.  With a lift hill of 90 feet and speeds of up to 60 miles per hour, this one is not tame, that's for sure. Take a ride... 


Well, that's all she wrote for John's World and the April 2014 A-Z Blogger's Challenge.  Once again, I hope you've enjoyed reading these posts about roller coasters, amusement parks and other such fun stuff and I hope you'll continue to tune in to this blog for more.  In the meantime, check out all of my posts from the challenge below...
























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Thursday, May 8, 2014

A-Z Blogging - Adventure Parks - Y is for Yankee Cannonball

Wow, I thought the letter "X" was bad, but "Y" is even worse.  I am finally almost at the end of this Blogger's Challenge, and about 8 days late.  But, as the saying goes, "better late than never," right?  Anyway, I could not think of much, if anything to do with amusements and the letter "Y," and so I went to one of my reference sites, Ultimate Roller Coaster, to see what I would see.  They've got an A-Z listing of roller coasters around the world and lo and behold, there was only one coaster that began with the letter "Y."


"Y" Coaster of the Day - Yankee Cannonball
Canobie Lake Park, Salem,, New Hampshire

The Yankee Cannonball is actually an historic roller coaster, first built in 1930 at Lakewood Park in Waterbury, Connecticut and moved six years later to Canobie Lake Park in Salem, New Hampshire, where it still operates today.  The wooden ride was originally dubbed simply Roller Coaster, but it was renamed upon its move up north as a commemoration of the American Civil War.

Though not absolutely sure, this is said to be 
the original Roller Coaster at Lakewood Park

The ride is an out and back design, and it was built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company.  The ride is pretty tepid by today's standards, but like many other coaster enthusiasts, I'd definitely take a side trip to ride it if I was ever in the vicinity.





These are pretty cool pictures of a pretty picturesque classic roller coaster, right?  Can't wait to ride...


Ah, such fun!  Okay, so there's just one more A-Z post to write.  Stay tuned!

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A-Z Blogging - Adventure Parks - X is for Xcelerator


Ah, the letter "X!"  Another seemingly impossible letter.  There's not too much under the letter "X" in the world of amusement, but there is a coaster at Knott's Berry Farm, in Buena Park, California that'll do just fine.  Check out Xcelerator, both our "X" post and our "X" Coaster of the Day...


Cool!
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A-Z Blogging - Adventure Parks - W is for Walley World


What do you think of when you hear the words "Walley World?"  The top definition for the term on Urban Dictionary says it's a nickname that "overzealous shoppers" have given to Wal-Mart, their favorite store. Others might think of a campground called Wally World Resort located in Loudenville, Ohio.  As for me, and probably most of you who were around in 1983, you think of the fictional Disney-type destination in the classic film, National Lampoon's Vacation.


File:Vacation1983.jpg

Vacation is one of my all-time favorite movies, with tons and tons of great quotes that I still use today.  For those of you who aren't in the know, the film follows Chicagoan food additives scientist and family man Clark W. Griswold (played by Chevy Chase) as he sets out on a quest for a cross country vacation to America's favorite family fun park, Walley World, home of Marty Moose, one of the world's most beloved characters.

Who's the moosiest moose we know
Marty Moose
Who's the star of our favorite show
Marty Moose


Right from the get-go, hilarity ensues as the Griswolds, take off in the family truckster for Walley World, presumably somewhere in southern California.  They meet with many a hilarious mishap along the way, including a visit with lovable, yet white-trashy Kansas cousin Eddie, the death of Aunt Edna (and her dog!), being at the wrong place at the wrong time in St. Louis, and getting lost near the Grand Canyon.  And to top it all off, after all that they'd gone through to get to their destination, Walley World is closed.

  
the family truckster
greatplainsvoices

By this time, Clark has been through enough and loses his mind just a lil as he takes matters into his own hands, holding up security guard john Candy with a toy gun and forcing him to take the family on the deserted rides.  It all ends up okay, though, but I won't give away the end if you haven't seen it, and if you haven't seen National Lampoon's Vacation then you need to, especially if you love to laugh.  Classic!


"W" Coaster of the Day -  Wildcat - 
Hersheypark - Hershey, Pennsylvania


Wildcat is one of the wildest rides at Hersheypark, flying through wild twists and turns at speeds of more than 50 miles per hour.  Check it out...

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Sunday, May 4, 2014

A-Z Blogging - Adventure Parks - V is for Valleyfair Amusement Park


Valleyfair is an amusement park in Shakopee, Minnesota and therefore one which I can't envision myself ever visiting because I don't ever envision myself going to Minnesota.  But, hey, you never know, and if I ever did I'd be sure to visit this Midwest mecca for coaster-riding.

sciencebuzz

Valleyfir Amusement Park is a Cedar Fair property, so you know there are plenty of spills, thrills and fun to go around.  The park has over 75 attractions and eight roller coasters.  Let's check out a couple of them...

High Roller

negative-g

The High Roller is Valleyfair's oldest operating roller coaster, opening during the park's debut season.  The wooden coaster is not a giant, modern thriller like today's rides, with a first drop of 56 feet and a top speed of about 50 mph, but it sure looks like fun!  Take a ride...

Renegade

usatoday

Renegade is one mean-looking ride, almost as mean looking as Mean Streak at Cedar Point.  The coaster opened in 2007 and was one of the first ones designed and built by Great Coasters International, a company that is well-known around amusement circles.  The ride is a combination out and back and twister design and looks frightfully good.  Check it out...


Steel Venom


Steel Venom is one wicked, wicked ride, and I can tell you that for sure because this one, or ones very similar to it, also appears at Cedar Point (Wicked Twister) and Dorney Park (Possessed), and also at Six Flags Great America (V2).  This one you've got to see to believe....and I tell ya, it is scary!  Talk about anticipation!


Wild Thing

File:Wild Thing Roller Coaster 2007.JPG

Finally we come to the big one...Wild Thing.  This hypercoaster is the biggest thing at Valleyfair, coming in at a height of 20 feet.  The ride opened in 2005 and with over 1 mile of track I soooo want to ride!  Check it out...


"V" Coaster of the day - Verbolten - 
Busch Gardens, Williamsburg


Our "V" coaster for the day is Busch Gardens' Verbolten.  I've written about this one a few times, and it's one of my favorite fun rides to ride.  Check it out...


Be sure to check out my other A-Z Adventure Parks posts below, and stay tuned for the rest coming soon!



















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A-Z Blogging - Adventure Parks - U is for Ultra Twister


Ultra Twister was known as a "heartline" roller coaster.  The ride originally opened in 1986 at Six Flags Great Adventure and was moved to Astroworld in 1991 where it stayed until that park closed in 2005, never to be ridden again.  I remember when the ride first opened, it's design was unlike anything I'd ever seen before or since.  Like the name states, this thing is an ultra twister, spinning riders in, around, up and down in a myriad of ways.  The ride is sort of an out and back design, but not quite like any other coaster out there.


The track for Ultra Twister was enclosed, and well, kind of indescribable with words.  Check out the ride below.  You can probably imagine how slow moving this line was from how it could only send out one train at a time and this is why it probably met its ultimate demise.  Too bad it was never picked up anywhere else.



"U" Coaster of the Day - Ultra Twister - 
Nagashima Spa Land - Mie Prefecture, Japan
japanryan

Just when I said there hasn't been a ride like Ultra Twister since, I found this one with the same name operating in Nagashimi Spa Land in Japan.  This one is very similar to the original, only the lift hill is a staggering 90 degrees straight up!  Oh I'd so love to ride this!  Check it out...


Check out the rest of my A-Z Adventure Parks posts:


















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