We next headed along some back roads to the Osceola County Fair. The Osceola County Fair would be my first expericne with Strates Shows, and we had heard that their midway would be noteworthy, and to sweeten the deal, they were having a pay one price ride session from noon to 5pm for $15.
we had expected to spend more time at Magical Midway but we just weren't that impressed with that place, and besides we were now planning on taking back roads to the Osceola Connty Fair. We arrived at the fair ahead of schedule, as you might expect. The Osceola County fairgrounds are on 192 just east of Kissimmee. As we were approaching the fair, our first sign that we were in the right area was spotting the giant wheel. We note that 192 runs right alongside the ride midway. I note that its a nice large midway, but at first I don't see anything that interesting. Wait, what is that, is that a Chance Rok N Rol!!??!! Now, I'm not exactly new at the fair going hobby, and I had just found my first operating sample of a Rok N Rol this week, what are the odds of going from having never seen one, to seeing two in a week.
We pull into the parking lot behind a stretch hummer limo. I note that parking is free, and further note that due to our early arrival we get to park quite close to the fair admission gates. We arrived early enough that we rested a while in the car, and also noted the wind hadn't died down. Somone sat a cup of coffee on a pickup truck, and we were guessing whether the cup would be blown off into the bed or onto the ground. Unfortunately the coffee cup was removed before we found out. The adverts said the grounds didn't open till noon, so we sat in the car till about 11:50, then headed up to the entrance gate. The gate was a rather simple affair, with just being a gate in the fence, with a man stationed at a card table under a canvas canopy taking tickets, and two potable tickt boxes sitting outside. I was a bit surpised to learn they were using a computerized ticket machine to custom print tickets on purchase. Grounds admission was $5.
It does not take long to get oriented to the grounds, the midway is to our left, and the livestock area and then the expo hall is to the right. We continue walking down the main path, passing by the double deck carousel, then a lot of game joints and smaller attractions. This site must be the kiddie zone. We hit the other end of the midway, and turn left by the show office to get a closer look. It looks like the midway contains:
* Giant Wheel
* Musik Express
* Go Gator
* Wave Swinger (Zierer)
* Starship 2000
* Scrambler
* Larson Fireball
* Monkey Maze
* Wacky Worn
* a sideshow
* a kiddie pool with kiddie boats
* a couple inflatables that were never inflated
* Tivoli ReMix
* KMG Fireball
* Dartron Cliff Hanger
* Chance Zipper
* Chance Rok N Rol
* Chance Thunderbolt
Kids rides inckluded a mini himalaya, Dizzy Dragons, Crazy Bus and more,.
We take a walk around the midway and decide its worth it to stay. Oh yeah, Jerry and I really just looked at the Rok N Roll and we said "Game is On!"
We went into the Expo Hall to use their facilites, and noted that the main hall had not opened yet, but the important facilites were open, along with some 4H displays and the officialfair souvenir stand.
Right at twelve the expo hall doors open and we head some opening remarks. WE head back outside and take a secod tour of the midway. It seems like the midway is coming to life so we go buy our $15 wristbands. We overhear the jointees already griping about how this day has BLANK written all over it.
We take our new wristbands directly to the Rok N Rol for the first of several Rok N Rol ride sessions. After getting a couple disorientation rides on the Rok N Rol, Jerry and I decide to get an official ruling on our Zipper ride eligibility. We walk up to the Zipper, are shown to a tub (old style tubs) and the door slams shut without any trouble. We proceed to get a totally unremarkable Zipper ride. Could it be the strong winds, or too much weight in the tub, I don't know, but we were not impressed with the ride.
Next, Paul and I ride the KMG FIreball. I needed some help from the operator, but he pushed the bar locked and away we went. The program on their Fireball is one that the ride has a nice intense climax, but man it takes a long time to work its way up to the big climax. All in all we deemed it to be a good program.
From the Fireball,we note that the ReMix is closed, that no one is even working on the Remix, that it looks like the Remix will not be operating anytime soon, and in fact the ReMix never did operate while we were there.
We head to the Starship 2000 and arrive just as the ride is going down for awhile. We instead stepnext door to the Musik Express and get a nie ride on the Musik Express. I clock the ride at 12RPM.
From the Musik Express we head to the Scrambler, and are delighted that they were actually runnng their Scrambler at a nice peppy speed. After our Scrambler ride we have a nice chat with its operator, Overall we found the Strates workers to be friendly and helpful.
After chatting for some time, we head back to the Starship 2000 just in time to see the door close in front of us. We'll try back later. We note that this show has a dunk tank, but the dunk tank is closed due to frigid weather. Hmm, dunk tanks and side shows, two aspects of the midway that are almost extinct up in Ohio wher eI come from.
We head back to the Rok N Rol for another Rok N Rol multi ride session. After tiring of the Rok N Rol, Jerry and Paul go to ride the KMG Fireball, and I go to round up a nice hot cup of coffe. Coffee was a deal with the stand near the ReMix selling coffee at only 75 cents a cup.
We head from one Fireball to the other, and we take rides on the Larson Fireball. Larson Fireball was running a typical Fireball ride experience, including holding you upside down for 10 seconds straight, I like how ever other row faces backwards, so each passenger compartment seats 4 people 2 facing each way. Fireball has the more open cages than the Ring of Fire, and uses shoulder bars instead of a cage and lap bar.
After the Fireball ride I spot a Cover the Spot joint. Talk about midway nostalgia that I hadn't seen for quite some time. No I declined my chance to try this classic midway brain teaser. I also note the dozers are running tokens.
We take a break and walk through the Expo Hall, it doesn't take long as there arent rows of booths, ots more like booths lining the outwe walls of the hall, and another ring of booths in the cneter. A lot of political oriented booths, and such, Not much of interest to us, but we do note that this Fair is more like a still date that just happens to have a few minor animal exhibts and a meager expo hall attached.
We head towards the kiddie rides are with the intention of making the Dizzy Dragons very very dizzy. We even get in line, but note the kiddies on the cycle in front of us aen't even turning their dragons. We decide not to try to traumatize the kiddies and instead opt to take the aerial view atop the Giant Wheel. According to the signs their Giant Wheel is 125' tall. We get a better idea about how small the fair is, how empty the parking lot is, and how cold it is at 125'up.
After our carousel ride, we do finally get our Starship 2000 ride. We received a Starship 2000 ride that in normal circumstances I would call a regular fun ride. However, we had just been on the Starship 3000 at the sate fair two days ago. That Starship had a kicking sound sytem, awesome light show, and ran so smooth you could not tell you were spinning. This Starship was a lot plainer, and offered a rough ride in comparison.
After the Starship, we headed back to, you guessed it, the Rok N Rol for another ride session. We figure out that unlike the Rok N Rol at the state fair, this one has kicker tires and a mechanism wheeby the operator can force the tubs to fliop over. We also figure out that in this case it may be counterproductive to try to rok the tubs ourselves. But then the operator started playing with us, and after we stopped trying to spin the tubs ourselves, he kept playng with the switch that controlled the auto tub flipper so that we never quite new weather or not to expect a flip. Then there was the bring the ride to a stop, then restart it gag. We rode a few more times. Yes we more than got our POP worth at the Rok N Rol alone,
After the Rok N Rol, Jerry and I give the Zipper another chance. We got a few flips but it was still a pretty dull ride as Zipper rides go, and it was not for lack of effort on the part of the ride operator, We could feel him trying to gie us a flip fest, but with the wind and all the ride would just not cooperate.
After The Zipper we head to the Chance Thunderbolt. I had been on the HErschell and Mack versions of the Matterhorn type rides, but never the Chance. I can now say I have the Chance in my collection of rides ridden. As a bonus the tubs were swining high which means the ride was running nice and fast. The ride also made a nod to Europe by not having any type of gate, chain or barrier at the ride entrance.
We exited the Thnderbolt and Paul and I attempted to ride the KMG Fireball again. Recall that I was able to ride it earlier today, and I had no snack stops between rides. This time the operator tries two seats before rejecting me. Paul notes that he say the OK light for my seat come on, but the ride operator is the final arbiter. Bummer.
We next head to the Cliff Hanger for our mid day nap. We all head to, and the crew lets us all ride in one 'kite' (each kite accomodates three) . It was as expected a nice relaxing ride.
After the CLiff Hanger, we have another Rok N Rol rise session until we just can't take it anymore. Besides POP was due to end soon.
On our way off of the lot, I stop by a grab for Cajun Style Fried Alligator on a Stick. The stands gets bonus points for cooking the gator to order, having the recepts showing the fresh gator purchase on prominent display, for having very friendly workers, offering a hand sanitizer, and giving nice large portions. ($6). we note they won a blue ribbon for best food stand at the 2005 edition of the fair.
With that we head out, and note the parking lot never did fill up. Overall I am impressed with Strates shows, they put on a nice large friendly show with a nice assortment of machinery.