Trip Report: Stark Raven Mad
Holiday World
Santa Claus, IN
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Date: May 11-12, 2001
"Here comes the long and skinny about SRM"
Ah, May once again, time for the flowers to start blooming, the birds to start chipring, and Holiday World to open! It is also time for Eric H. and I to meet up and spend the weekend riding rollercoasters. For myself this would be my third annual SRM, and Eric's second.
So at about 3:30 we met at an appointed spot in Cincinnati and started the drive to Holiday World, stopping only once for a pit stop in Sparta, KY [1]. We were a bit worried because we got a late start, but we rolled into Santa Claus right at 5pm (CST). Before going to Holiday World a quick ritual known as 'checking in' was performed at Santa's Lodge, and we adjusted the A/C so our room would be nice and wintery when we returned. In the Santa's Lodge parking lot we noted a lot of other coaster crazies perorming this checking in ritual. From Santas Lodge we trook the long drive to Holiday World, I mean all of 2 minutes, I have never stayed this close to any park! Even when I stayed at WDW it took longer to get to the park than this.
So we pulled into the Holiday World parking lot where we noted the marquee proudly proclaiming that 33 states were represented at this years SRM. 33 States! Let's hear it for Holiday World! We pulled into the parking area as nice happy normal non coaster crazed guests were leaving the park, found a parking spot and made the trek to the front gate. Ah, general improvement #1: a new front gate. It looks very professional and tastefully done at the same time. We bypassed the ticket booths and went to the SRM check in window, right as the rains started. SRM check in is quick and easy, and fast. Tell them your name and they have your tickets waiting in an envelope, and the outside of the envelope tells then whether or not you get a shirt. I do admit I had preloaded my wallet so that when I flipped it open, all of my coaster club membership cards would be visible. "May I see your ACE card?" "Pick a card any card ya want!" I noted she chose the ACE card and verified the expiration date. "Whew, glad I changed it" (the card, not the date). Since the rain was coming down,we quickly proceeded to the turnstiles, then to St. Nick's General Store. After a few minuted browsing, we were directed to go to the Holiday Theatre. We procceded in the rain to the theatre and saw a line at the front door and figured they hadn't opened the house yet. Not so, whatever show was in the Holiday Word was a SELL OUT, and folks were crowded into the lobby, and on the stairs out front. I got in just in time to stand in the hot lobby and here the sad announcement that Pat Koch has breast cancer, that we won't see her as much as we have, but don't let that ruin our evening. Then she TP'ed the crowd. Literally. So we'd have something to try those tears with. Then they auctioned off the Legend lapbars to benefit the American Cancer Society. 18 lapbars were sold at $50 each. Then the heat was getting too me, the rain had stopped, so we decided to sit along that nice fountain in the square. I couldn't resist a head call to the head by the Holiday Theatre and was dissapointed to see fully plumbed facilities ;) But we decided to hang out by the fountain and then we milled around and looked at the rededication plaque, and then spotted item #1 for my comment card. I never recieved the comment card, so I'll list my suggestions here:
Comment #1: The park currently has a brochure rack standing in the middle of the entrance path, right inside the front gate filled with park maps. There is no cover over this brochure rack, or any other protection from the elements. My suggestion would be for a more permanent Park Guide Kiosk, so that the brochures can be protected from the rain. I noted several brochures being ruthlessly attacked by the storm.
Ok, back to the TR:
We passed the brochure rack and decided to run our t-shirts out to the car. Now show of hands, how many will actually be seen wearing these to other parks??? The concept is that the wearer is a psycho patient, who is DEPRAVED. A list of symptons is on th glow in the dark note 'safety pinned" to the back, with the recommendation to Exile to Santa Claus, IN. Little did I know that INSANE or INSANITY would be the word of the night. We tossed the shirts in the truck, and headed back to the park, where our stamped hands were read and we were allowed back in.
We sat around the fountain some more, till we saw the crowds start to leave the Holiday Theatre. The word was spread that ERT was extended till 1AM. Wowzers. "We're Not Worthy" Then we spotted the whole crowd headed to Kringles Kafe. Its chow time.
We opted for the line stretching outisde the cafe, that went in the other end and were to the serving line a lot faster than those who took the doors by the theater. Dinner was the SRM standard: Pizza, Pizza, Chips, Fudge, Pepsi, Pepsi. Dinner of champions. Does coaster season begin when I have Kringles Pizza, and end when I have Cesari's?
We had a wonderful dinner, realized that the fudge they give you is so rich, but I still give the edge to Stony Gables Fudge. Aftera very filling dinner we headed out into the park, and directly to the Legend. The line was still fairly short, and we jumped in a middle of the train seat. WOW if this is middle of the train, I can't wait to try the back. This ride is INSANE even moreseo than last SRM. We then headed up to Raven, and discovered that it too was also in insane mode, and givng massive amounts of airtime.
Then it was a pattern of Raven and Legend rides with occasional stops at the Pepsi Oasis for refueling. Legend seemed to be having its share of trouble. Early on in ERT Legend was sending empty trains while men worked ont he brake run. "It ain't broke, we're just checking something out" If it ain't broke, how come no ones on it" Back to Raven, a few more Raven laps, then back down to Legend, and we saw a large, and I do mean large crowd hanging out by the Pepsi Oasis, and they weren't enjoying Pepsi products. We arrived at Legend and proceeded to get in line when we saw IT. The bell hanign by its rope alongisde the station, dangling several feet above the track. Then we saw a train arrive and get e-stopped far enough back to keep everybody in the clear. We decided to go ride Raven, then we spotted Dave Althoff, and we stuck with him for a long while. We also saw Poodles, Todd Long, Jeff Johnsom, ted Ansley, and more assorted coaster enthusasts than you could shake a stick at. We did some more Raven and Legend laps. Trying to alternate. As has already been mentioned the lines were significantly longer than last year, so we had some interesting conversations in the queues.
Comment #2: I realize the roots of Holiday World are with smaller children, however since the raven and Legend appeal to much wider coaster enthusiasts, can we have wider queues? Please, Pretty please?
Shortly after the inicident Rideman was mumbling about the Stockholm awards commitee and causing a lot of dumb looks. We talked about Chace, we talked anything abd everything. we rode more and more each ride more insane than the last. Then we lined up for Raven, As we hit the front porch of Raven the storm came back for more. My waht a heavy downpour, but folks kept climbing in the trains, and the park kept sending them out. We got on the Raven train just as the rain stopped. All of the benefits without getting drenched!
By now the coasters were no longer man made roller coasters, they were otherworldy coasters offerng supernatural rides that are banned in 49 states. "Those folks just ain't right" Riding the seatbelt bcame the norm on Raven, and during SRM click one rides are allowed. Folks, I saw visions of Harry Traver, John Miller and LaMarcus Thompson up int he sky and they were smiling over what had been created at Holiday World.
Okay, some more insane coaste rides, then while waiting for Legend, we heard, and I don't beleive it, the Time Warp from Rocky Horror Picture Show. It wasn't midnight (it was 11:30) but maybe the song was right, maybe we were in a time warp to the golden age of coasters. Though I was singing along way too loud to the Time Warp, I got no interest in doing the Time Warp (Again) in line. Then again those queues were too narrow for a Jump to the Left, and then a step to the Righ-igh-igh-igh-igh-ight. One theoryis the narrower the queues the harder it is to linejump, Rideman disprooved that theory by jumping in place, while in line.
We rode more Legend, more Raven and finally we admitteded defeat around 12:45am. We were still wired, but we had ridden all we could handle. We headed back to Santa's Lodge to find candy canes on our pillows, and due to the way se set the A/C a room that would have made an eskimo proud. No worry, evening past, morning came, yada, yada, yada, After some more yada we headed to the lower level of Santas Lodge for the breakfast buffet, which we joined in with Todd Long's group... I have now experienced a meal with Todd Long and feel more complete.
We then Express Checed Out of Santa's Lodge and headed back to Holiday World, where we used our free tickets to enter. We decided to get a good wake up call. Legend it is, and it had not calmed down since last night. We took a few opening spins on Legend, then we rode Banshee and then it was already time for my favorite walk through attraction at Holiday World (though I noted the Hall of Famous Americans to be SBNO). The Exclusive Photo Time, or is it the Cool Ass Nature Trail, or is it the Nature Trail to Heaven in 3D!. Whatver it was it provided great photo ops of both Raven, Legend, and Frightfull Falls. An hour of picture taking delight. Then it was some Raven and some Legend, then we looked at an d shot video of the Raging Rapids, and some other rides, but hunger overwhelmed us.
A trip to the Alamo for some good chow. Then a trip past the gift shop, and the ice cream stand. Then it was over to Frightfull Falls where the splash of water from the ride gave us just the refreshment we were looking for. It gave us enough to go ride the flat rides. Starting with Eagles Flight, where much to my surprise I was flying quite good for this set of Fyhers. I felt a few snaps but nothing like Knoebels. I was mainly getting some weird flying pattern going. Then we took a trip past the Thuner Bumpers (Bumper boats) and while in line spotted the HW boneyard with some old antique cars and an old Dodgem car, and other ride parts. We rode the TUnheder Bumpers then spotted Todd Long and Co. in line for the new Rough Riders bumper cars. The cars look cute, like bulls and Horses, butthats where the niceties end. From there on out it's "What were they thinking with these" Todd made a challenge that the person who was bumped the most would have to go to Betsy Ross's and ask if they had anything in their size :) Nobody went, cause no-one cared after this ride.
Dave's Problems with the New Rough Riders
1) Seatbelts - These cars use extreemly small seatbelts that are waiting to choke a rider. Current state of the art in Dodgems is lapbars. Lapbars spped loading, and are in my opinion much safer on the windpipe.
2) They are too darned slow. YOu can't get any action as sloe as these things move
3) There are too darned many of them. - Sure they met their stated goal of more capacity, but they didn't enlarge the arena. This caused freuqent traffic jams and bottlenecks as too many cars tried to go one way only.
After the Dodgems we headed back for another spin on Frightfull Falls, some more video footage, some more Eagles Flight rides, a video tour of Holidogs FunTown. Funtown is also one of only two places to enjoy the WaterLess Urinals, the other is the front gate. I took a session with it, big deal.
We then got some video footage of the Rogugh Riders, then rode Paul Revere's Midnight Ride and the Lewis And Clark trail. Again the cars move WAY TO SLOW. But the antique car ride really is central to HW. :)
Then we met up wiht Althoff and Co. and had our Legend ERT. Hands up, hands donw, hands crossed, back car, front car. By the endof the day reriding was possible.
We then finished up with one last Raven ride (why walk up that hill when you can ride) Then some goft shop purhcases, some last minute video shots from outisde the park. Then it was back to Cincinnati.
Another fantabulous SRM experience.
andwe elave you with the followng sound effect:
"Bong Bong Clank Thud"