Cedar Point is... half open.

Cedar Point is open for the season, but is it really?

Cedar point is officially open for what is left of the Summer 2020 season, but the parks has opened missing almost a dozen rides.

Famous for roller coasters and thrill seeking, Cedar Point has currently closed five of their seventeen coasters.
Blue Streak, Gemini, Top Thrill Dragster, Wicked Twister and Rougaou are not operating and likely won't for the rest of the summer season.

Surprisingly, this closed coaster list includes the famous 'Top Thrill Dragster' or as many refer to it  'The Lawn Ornament'.  A coaster notorious for downtime and closing due to weather (winds) but also a huge crowd favorite since opening in 2003.

Cedar Point is blaming capacity and the limited season for the closures. However, Cedar Points  sister park Kings Island has everything up are running, including at least two rides Cedar Point has closed. Rumor has it that it's the utter lack of foreign staffing that's harming the park, not capacity limits. Cedar Point is also famous for bringing in overseas help for the busy summer season, to staff the park. With the US boarder (along with most of the world) closed right now, the park simply can't get enough staff to keep their ride collection operating.

It's not only the roller coasters which are suffering from lack of staffing- Flat rides have been gutted including the famous 'Antique Cars' and "Cedar Downs Racing Derby'.  Also on this list of closed flat-rides are Frontier Fling, Joe Cools Dodgem School, Monster, ALL of Planet Snoopy, SlingShot, Super Huimalaya, Waver Swinger and WindSeeker.

So if your planning to go to Cedar Point this short season, please make sure you check to see what rides are currently operating.

Fourth of July Weekend Plans

Good evening readers!!!


Just wanted to give all you lovelies a bit of good news in this pretty boring and lackluster summer.

The ISI crew is going to King's Island this holiday weekend for Passholder Preview!!!  So expect our review of King's Island and how they handle the new guidelines and, of course, our review of Orion!!!

And don't worry because we will, for sure, be riding all our favorites!!
(Banshee, The Beast, Diamondback, Mystic Timbers....SERIOUSLY I can't choose)

We can't wait to share this weekend with everyone!!

ISI crew - Carrie, Alex, and Michael

 

Kings Island- Orion, New coaster for 2020.

Kings Island building a new giga coaster, Orion for 2020. 

In August, Kings Island shocked the coaster world with the announcement they would be building a new giga-coaster for the 2020 season.



 The first giga to be built in five years, this comes as big news as the park hasn't built a new coaster since Mystic Timbers in 2017. Cedar Fair parks often run in cycles, each park gets new attractions or additions each year but coasters tend to only come on the building block every 3-5. It's impressive Kings Island is getting something new so quickly over their sister park, Cedar Point, who has been added a new coaster every two years lately.

Let's get into the real details of this new beautiful creature coming to Kings Island.

Manufacturer: Bollinger and Mabillard
Type: Steal, Giga Coaster
Ride Time: 3 minutes.
Trains: 2 trains of 8 car each, 4 riders in a single row for 32 riders per train.
Track Length: 5,321 feet
First Drop Height: 300 feet
Length of First Drop: 447 feet
Top Speed: 91 MPH
Total Hills: 8


Set to open in Spring of 2020, Orion boasts some impressive stats. It's 70 feet taller than Diamond Back, the current tallest coaster in the park. Built by the same coaster company, Kings Island boasts a collection of the finest things B&M has to offer.

Orion is themed to a new area of the park, Area 72. Themed around a group of scientists in a race to develop travel though a coming meteor storm and investigating a new planet in the Orion constellation. Naturally, we riders will be the 'volunteers' to help with testing out this transport system.

The new themed area will be going into the park which currently houses Flight of Fear, beyond the Racer. Ground clearing for this new coaster has been in progress since 2018 when Firehawk was demolished. During this time when additional land clearing began, fans began to get suspicious- why would they need that much land cleared out suddenly?

A coaster, was the obvious answer and Orion doesn't disappoint.

Orion is taking over a portion of the space Firehawk once occupied and a good bit more, stretching itself into the back part of the park towards the wooden area Beast plays in and that once housed the 'Dinosaurs Alive' attraction.

 In September, Kings Island showed us this lovely gem. The beginnings of the lift hill base and starting on vertical progress.

More recently, Wild Gravity Travels showed us this amazing little gem from earlier in November. The lift hill has been completed and downward progress is nearly to the bottom of the first drop.  While it's difficult to tell, we can guess that outward progress from the lift hill has begun in the form of supports and footers. Although how the cold weather will slow construction is difficult to say.

If we get the chance, we'll have to get out to Winterfest and take a look for ourselves.

Image from Attractions Magazine 

New today we have these lovely, sweet looking new trains which where just released at the IAAPA expo in Orlando, Florida.  B&M displayed the lead car for the new coaster at the expo, giving fans a another hint of what to expect in the spring of next year.

Easy to say, we're excited. We look forward to watching the progress of this coaster more so than we already are.  So stay tuned, space travelers? Space Travelers, we're going with it.. we'll have more to come soon!

Mom suing Dorney Park....because her daughter got scared???

Good morning readers!!!!

So this article is basically me venting about the stupidity of park visitors.  Now obviously everyone has done some stupid things in their lives; it's part of making us better and smarter and blah blah blah.  So try to imagine my surprise/head shaking when I read a recent article that came out of Dorney Park.

The short version is that some teenage girl was visiting during Halloween 2017 and she didn't want to be scared so she told the park cast to leave her alone and they didn't.  So when they went to scare her again she fell and got hurt.  Here's one article about the whole situation if you want to read it.

NOW I'm not saying that getting hurt it the stupid part; honestly I'm an accident waiting to happen everyday.  I'm my own portrayal of Murphy's Law in life-you name it then I've probably gotten hurt from it: I seriously twisted my ankle falling UP STAIRS once.  So I would never make fun of someone getting hurt.

Now the reason I am writing this article instead of Carrie is because that crazy ass women LOVES to be scared while I don't.  I will do everything in my power to avoid being scared; I don't go to haunted houses or Halloween events or even watch scary movies.  Being scared is so far from my favorite thing that I will generally fight tooth and nail to avoid being put in the situation.

So to address the article then.  The mother states that Dorney Park did not make it obvious for her daughter to know that there were "No Boo" badges available for her to purchase.  This is just plain being a non observant visitor because on the website I found the No Boo badges explanation immediately and it states that a patron can be a badge at any merchandise location in the park meaning that there would be posted signs in the park.

The article also mentions that the girl asked the workers to leave her alone, but most people know that that is an open invitation for them to really come after you.  So honestly how ridiculous can someone be????!!!  This is like one of those rules that you don't know where you learned it from but you learned it somewhere to never tell anyone to leave you alone in a haunt.

If you haven't figured out by now I find this whole situation BEYOND ridiculous!!! Dorney Park made it quite clear the options to go through the haunt whether you want to be scared or not.  At a certain point the patron has to take some semblance of responsibility for their visit; you don't want to be scared either don't flipping go to A HAUNTED HOUSE type event or look up options that work for your visit.

No matter your own thoughts on the whole thing the bottom line is that at some point you, as an amusement park visitor, have to be responsible for your own safety and well being when visiting. 

Cedar Point- The Valravn Mystery

Image from Redeit

 When Cedar Point hinted they where keeping a secret about Valravn, the internet responded in shock.

 A local news story hinted the the park still have a few secrets about their newest roller coaster which hadn't yet been made public. Users online quickly checked the webcam and it appears the new ride will come with some kind of tunnel or trench, a themed element to the ride which wasn't hinted at in the original designs.  Cedar Point is keeping this new element a close secret but it's obviously under construction as you read this!

 So? What can it be?

 The quick, easy answer is that it's likely a pass-though building themed to the element of the ride. The truth? We're honestly not sure yet but this is a common design element with roller coasters, which often feature tunnels or trenches to give an added thrill to the attraction!

 However, if your read This Piece from Michigan Live, you'll catch a quick clue- Cedar Point has said these is a part of the queue line, something which 'Cedar Point has never done before'. Which leads me to believe that the queue line may pass right thought or beside this structure.  By doing such, it would let guests get an additional, up close peek at the ride as the coaster train passes though.

 All speculation is abound! Until official word comes from the park, I'm going with this general idea!

Keansburg Amusement Park to Re-Open 'Spook House' in 2016

 Keansburg Amusement Park to Re-Open 'Spook House' in 2016!

We've got good news for all you fans of Dark Rides and Haunted Houses!

Keansburg Amusement Park in New Jersey has announced today that they plan to finally re-open their classic dark-ride attraction 'The Spook House' for their 112th season.


Not only is Keansburg Amusement Park the oldest operating Amusement Park in New Jersey, it's been working since 2012 to rebuild ever since Super Storm Hurricane Sandy tried to wipe the park from the map. The ride had previously been an attraction at the park since the 1930's and is considered an iconic dark ride attraction.

The park opens this Saturday in time for their Traditional Easter Egg Hunt. While the ride is listed as 'coming soon' on the website, we don't have an exact date on when the ride will open outside of 'Summer 2016'.

Either way, it's wonderful to see a classic dark ride rise up and entertain once again!

Please Visit their Website for more information on Keansburg Amusement Park!


(All pictures are from Asbury Park Press- APP.com)

Coney Island's Cyclone Stuck on Opening Day

Image from HuffPost News

Coney Island's 'Cyclone' Evacuated on Opening Day.

It seems Luna Park at Coney Island isn't off to an excellent start for the 2015 season.

On Saturday, the parks opening day, the first public riders on Cyclone had to be evacuated and walked from the ride by employees when the coaster had a cable within the lift hill motor snap. This stalled the roller coaster's train on the lift-hill making it impossible to continue on it's journey. While riders were in no danger, thanks for the roller coasters anti-rollback system, it was a long walk down.

All riders were safely escorted from the ride and the staff of Coney Island have stated this is a simple fix for their classic roller coaster. They expect to have Cyclone up and running for next Saturday, April 4th, the parks second weekend of operation.

Impulse POV Released as Testing Begins at Knoebels!

The wait is coming to a close, as Knoebels newest, and first all steel coaster, has begun testing! Yesterday, via the park's Facebook page, they announced that the testing phase for Impulse has begun and only a few hours later, video was posted up as well.

It should be noted, that the footage they provided was from a camera mounted on a test car, but they have promised additional footage from the actual trains at a later point. Once they have that up, we'll be sure to share it with you right here. For now? Here's a ride on the newest coaster at Knoebels!

Post by Knoebels Amusement Resort.

Really curious to see what the lift is like, since that's not featured in this video but the rest of the ride looks great and definitely should be a blast to ride. Not much longer until that date comes, either and with the looks of things around the ride, they should make their opening date without an issue at all.

Stay tuned for more info on Impulse at Knoebels and everywhere else that's building for 2015 right here and be sure to follow along with us on Twitter, Google+, Tumblr and Facebook for all the latest!

First Fury 325 On Ride POV Released!

Okay, it seems like just a couple of hours ago we were talking about the first test run from Fury 325 at Carowinds, but here we go again!

This time, the folks at Carowinds have unveiled the video from that first ever run and luckily for all of us, they had a camera onboard to record the insanity of it all. So, I'm not gonna talk long on this one, as you can just click on the Fury 325 logo on the left of the page for the updates.

Let's get on with the video!


Holy crap that looks incredible! One thing you'll notice is that there isn't a single brake section throughout the entire course of the ride. This thing is going to be insane to experience and riding at night? Oh, I can only imagine.

Yep, it's official. We have Fury Fever here at ISI! Stay tuned here or follow us on Twitter, Google+, Tumblr and Facebook for all the latest out of Carowinds and their newest, world record breaking coaster, Fury 325!

First Test Run of Fury 325 at Carowinds a Success!

It's rare we have back to back posts about the same subject, but this one's a little special. Just a short bit ago, Carowinds announced that they had completed the first test run of their world record breaking coaster, Fury 325. It's been a long road since the leaks, the official announcement and completion of construction, but here we are. Only a couple of weeks until Fury 325 will be open to the public and daring riders to face it's monstrous 320ft drop to reach speeds of 95mph.

We've had a blast covering this one, and while we're not quite done yet on that front, it's getting closer and closer to media and we'll be sure to bring you all the latest from that event. But we're not there yet and still lots more to share.

So, let's get on with the reason ya came, the pictures! Here's some shots from earlier today via Carowinds and their construction camera of the first test run!

Knoebels Moving at Light Speed with Impulse Construction

Well, it hasn't been too long since our last look at what was going on up at Knoebels Grove but in just the past couple of weeks a lot has changed since our last update. Construction has been flying on this one and I really don't know how they're doing it. We thought that Thunderbird at Holiday World went up quick, but holy crap.

As of earlier today Knoebels has managed to finish off the coaster's helix, loop, and cobra roll. That's not all though, the highest point of the track has also gone in, finishing the 90degree drop. It's mind boggling how they've managed to get this done so quickly with all the weather. There's still a lot to do but they're definitely well on their way.

So, enough of me yammering on. Let's get to the latest pictures!

February 11th: Fury 325 update

Hello peoples!!!!

I've got you next update on Fury325 here.  Now that the track is finished they seem to be moving right along in finishing everything else.  I've got two pictures for yinz this evening to enjoy.

Pulled from Facebook

This is a photograph of the hill from the operator booth or what will be the booth, lol. It's such an awesome hill and I can't wait to ride this beauty!!

Pulled from Facebook

Here are the queue lines on the ride platform. The hive design is really cool and I can only hope that the rest of the platform will be just as neat. I say go with a whole hive thing: turn the platform into a hive all around!

Pulled from Twitter

This is a picture of the tunnel design that runs underground on the coaster. You can see the track is all wrapped up while they're working on the tunnel frame. The worker also adds perspective so yinz can see how big the tunnel actually is.

As always: If you're nice to us than we'll be nice to you. You can find us in the usual places, just go to the "Where to Follow" tab on the home page and follow!!!

Impulse Construction at Knoebels Goes Vertical

Well, the folks at Holiday World aren't the only ones to be getting their first all steel coaster this year. Knoebels Family Resort have been working on their latest addition to the park this winter and things are finally getting interesting. This past week they've been sharing a ton of photos of the construction progress and it looks like, despite the weather, things are moving forward a pretty good pace!

Impluse, in spite of it's name, will not be a launch coaster as they've opted for a traditional chain lift to build the anticipation as riders are pulled up the 90 degree lift hill before the first 90degree drop. An interesting move, in name and practice, but should be a fun experience regardless. For more info on the ride, check out our coverage of the announcement last February. 

As of January 27th, the park had recieved 20 of 51 containers, and here's all of that steel laid out in the snow covered parking lot. Looks like some kind of insane model kit for giants when it's all spread out like this. At least they don't have to deal with the plastic tabs and things holding the pieces in, right?

Next up, work on the supports for Impulse being done and at least it's not snowing or raining so they can get some work done!

January 29th: Fury 325 update

Hello Peoples!!!

So this is going to be a small yet important update because Carowinds just posted up a photo of the track and there is one piece of track left to go!!!

Waiting for the final piece!! (pulled from Facebook)

According to Carowinds the final piece will be installed tomorrow sometime but I wanted to show everyone this lovely photo. Isn't the sunset pretty too?

As always: If you're nice to us than we'll be nice to you. You can find us in the usual places, just go to the "Where to Follow" tab on the home page and follow!!!

January 19th: Fury325 update

Hello peoples!!!!

I hope that everyone is having a good evening or a good day depending on where you live.  So this evening I've got two new photos for your enjoyment.

So here is just a random photo of some of the Fury325 steel being fabricated at the factory:

Found this on Carowinds's Twitter

Yes, I made this photo bigger but I think it's neat to see the track being worked on.

Now on to the awesome picture...THE TRAINS HAVE ARRIVED!!! or at least one of them, lol

This was taken from Carowinds's Facebook page

So I'm still not a fan of the lime green, but I do like the pattern on the car. Obviously they're following their own pattern with the three stripes that make up the wings and the stinger down the center. To be honest I feel like the front is too dull, they make the track and color scheme bright and shiny but the car is just gray/silver.

But that is just my thoughts on things, what does everyone else think?

As always: If you're nice to us than we'll be nice to you. You can find us in the usual places, just go to the "Where to Follow" tab on the home page and follow!!!

January 8th: Fury325 update

Hello peoples!!!!

I know it's been a bit since I've done an update but I wanted to wait until there were a bunch of pictures to share with everyone to make this enjoyable for all.

So to skip with the pleasantries and onto the fun!!!

Travel Channel reporters walking on the hill for a special that air's next summer

Another photo of the Travel Channel film crew

First Track Pieces Arrive at Knoebels' for their Newest Coaster: Impulse

Adding to the mayhem of coaster construction, Pennsylvania's very own Knoebels! Last year, Knoebels announced their first all steel coaster in quite a while, Impulse, that will be debuting in just a few months.

While there has been plenty of site preparation and other work going on at the small Central Pennsylvania park, today marked the arrival of the first sections of coaster track! Now the real fun begins.

Built by Zieir, the newest coaster to the Knoebels landscape will feature a vertical lift hill and a 90 degree vertical drop down the other side and reach speeds of more than 55mph. For more on all the details, check out our coverage of the announcement.

Now, let's get down to the pictures that were sent on Twitter by the park. Not only do we have a couple from the grand unboxing of Knoebels' newest toy, but also a few other shots of the site being prepped as well!

Wicked Cyclone Construction at Six Flags New England Plowing Through Winter

Cold weather be damned, the Rocky Mountain Construction team that's up at Six Flags New England has been trucking along. Even with the bitterly cold temps and the recent snow, though it wasn't that much, things look to be fairly on schedule so far.

No matter how some folks feel about this recent trend with Six Flags as a whole, it's definitely interesting to watch them take what was once a beloved wooden coaster and transform it into something all together insane and alien, gotta say that.

So, anyway, let's get on with the pictures of the current status of things as posted up yesterday by some of the crew on site!

Fury 325 Update: December 12

Hello peoples!!!

So here I am with another Fury 325 update!  It's so awesome to see them finally moving on getting this coaster built; it probably wasn't going fast before due to the Halloween season, but now there's nothing stopping them!!  WOOT WOOT!

Just a week after putting the finishing touches on the lift hill Carowinds has announced that they have finished a second hill on this insane ride.

This hill seem like it's going to throw riders upside down, it's hard to tell from this photo which way the train will be traveling.

So this is the only photo that Carowinds has posted regarding the new hill, but do not fret my readers I'll be on the look out for the more photos and updates as they come.

As always: If you're nice to us than we'll be nice to you. You can find us in the usual places, just go to the "Where to Follow" tab on the home page and follow!!!

Nov. 22: Fury 325 update

Hello peoples!!!

On this freezing cold Pittsburgh Saturday morning (seriously it's 28*F with freezing rain!) Carowinds has given us nine new construction pictures.

These pictures show us the color scheme, the bright blue and green, and there is a station picture included as well.

The photos also show the first drop of the ride as it begins to take shape. Plus apparently there is a 140 tons of counterweight on the back of the largest crane used to build the lift hill; I thought that  was some cool information that I pulled off of their Facebook page.

So onward to the photo binge!!!