Storm Runner- Coaster Review

Next coaster centered in the middle of Pennsylvania is Storm Runner, a launched roller coaster that is very popular in Hershey Park. Although its not a lengthy ride, its packed full with excitement unlike any other in the park. Think about a mixture of a Kingda Ka launch with inversions, now thats what I call a ride. On this Intamin Accelerator Coaster, riders are launched from 0 to 72 mph in 2 seconds. The launch has a great viewing area where onlookers can wave at their friends and families aboard the ride.The first is a large looping maneuver known as an Immelmann.

I like these inversions on B&M coasters, but this one was just so-so. Storm Runner really redeems itself with the next few elements. After the Immelmann the train climbs back up to about 100′ in the air where you perform an awesome zero-g roll. Aside from a brief feeling of weightlessness, you can see how high you are as the ground is far below. The roll is followed immediately by Storm Runner’s coup de grace. A unique inversion Intamin has dubbed the flying snake dive. It’s tough to describe and the feeling it gives is pretty disorienting. In a good way. It’s easily the highlight of the ride. After it, you fly over a stream, go through a funky banked section and then hit the station brakes. So you’ve got a coaster with an exciting if not spectacular launch, a great drop, so-so inversion, great barrel roll, and a sick new inversion. I know Hershey is strapped for space, but at least a nice long helix or some bunny hills towards then end would really help balance out the ride. Lastly, it’s a great coaster for photo ops and has a unique layout. It’s not a bad ride by any means. One to experience for yourself and to be the judge of. Still this coaster is exciting and a great ride for a nice little stream of rush to fill your body. Visit www.hersheypark.com for more details about this ride.

Fahrenheit- Coaster Review

Hershey Park is home to a ground breaking coaster known as Fahrenheit. With its 90 degree vertical lift and world breaking 97 degree first drop, its a hard ride to miss for those intense thrill seekers.


Out of the station you take a right hand turn and go into the pre-lift straightaway. The two “pushers” on the chain hit the back of the train and once both of them have hit, the lift will startup. When I was riding there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I’ve been on a vertical lift before with Mystery Mine, but you really have no idea when you are going to be reaching the top unless you are in the front of the train.


After that menacing plunge, it’s off to the races. Fahrenheit may be compact, but Intamin must have felt a need to add as many elements as possible into the tiny footprint they were allowed, and that’s not something to complain about! First, an almost trick track element, which quickly inverts atop a hill, I believe the Intamin term for this one was “Norwegian Loop”, this element provided a wonderful pop of very unexpected airtime. Next up, a vertical climb that inverts again to right the train, to be perfectly honest, youtube.com will help with this one. That inversion lids into a valley, and then my favorite “cobra roll” of all time. Not only is it pretty, no head banging whatsoever, just pure double inversion goodness.

An excellent ride unlike any other that will make you crave for more. Go check it out, better keep your hands up!

Lego Land Florida Update

For those of you who grew up enjoying putting those little plastic pieces together to create a masterpiece would be excited to know that a Lego themed amusement park. Legoland originally opened in California several years ago, but with the growing popularity for the park, a second park constructed in Orlando was considered necessary.

On April 3rd 2012, we are close to the opening of the new park and its exciting to see how far it has come in such a short period of time. In two months the park will be opened for guests to enjoy with several rides and attractions that attract families worldwide. The park even includes a water park to cool down from the raging Florida sun and just yesterday more than half a million gallons of water were pumped into the pools by the fire department.

The water park will include a wave pool that has gentle waves to suit a young crowd, an 1000 foot lazy river to relax and cool off, twin chaser slides where you can race a friend down a slide to the finish, a joker soaker that is a water playground that splashes a 300 gallon bucket.

It is very exciting to see the growth of the park after just a few months. The new water park opens on May 26, 2012. Single-day Legoland Florida guests may upgrade to a water park attraction ticket for an additional $12 per person. Admission to the water park is included with an all-new Legoland Premium Pass, which offers 12 months admission to Legoland Florida and seasonal access to the Legoland Water Park for just $179 for adults and $149 for child/senior.

The History of the Carousel

The carousel is also popularly known as a merry-go-round and is a popular gentle ride located in any amusement park. It consist of a rotating circular platform that contains wooden animals, mostly horses, that can be mounted while gears make them move as though they were galloping. Occasionally there are chairs that will be attached to the carousel for riders to just sit on and enjoy.

The word carousel originates from the Italian garosello and Spanish carosella ("little battle"), used by crusaders to describe a combat preparation exercise and game played by Turkish and Arabian horsemen in the 12th century and can be dated back in the Byzantine empire in 500AD with just rotating chairs. Can you believe that it would also be used as a training device for warriors back in the day? The carousel eventual replaced jousting in the mid 16th century as a non combat form of entertainment.

By the early 19th century carousels were being built and operated at various fairs and gatherings in central Europe and England. Animals and mechanisms would be crafted during the winter months and the family and workers would go touring in their wagon train through the region, operating their large menagerie carousel at various venues.

Early carousels had no platforms: the animals would hang on poles or chains and fly out from the centrifugal force of the spinning mechanism; these are called "flying horses" carousels. They were often powered by animals walking in a circle or people pulling a rope or cranking. By the mid-19th century the platform carousel was developed where the animals and chariots would travel around in a circle sitting on a suspended circular floor which was hanging from the centre pole. The first known recorded Steam powered carousel was created by Thomas Hurst and shown at Bolton New Year Fair in 1861.

The first carousel to be seen in the United States was created in Hessville, Ohio during the 1840s by Franz Wiesenhoffer. The first carousel patent was granted on July 25, 1871, to Willhelm Schneider of Davenport, IA. Several centers and styles for the construction of carousels emerged in the United States, Philadelphia style, with Dentzel and the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, Coney Island style with Charles L.D. Looff, Charles Carmel, Marcus Charles Illions, Soloman Stein and Harry Goldstein and Mangels, Country Fair style with Allan Herschell and Edward Spillman of western New York, and Charles W. Parker of Kansas.

Today the carousel is one of the most popular rides for those who enjoy gentle rides. Its fun for all ages and families come together to experience it. It has been around for many many years and seems to still be popular even to this day.

Mickey Mouse Ice Cream Bars

Everyone knows the iconic Mickey Mouse from Walt Disney Co. but who knew he would be the number one theme park food seller nationwide? Found only in Disneyworld Theme Parks around the world, the Mickey Mouse ice cream bars are a huge favorite amongst all ages.

This iconic trend started out in the 80's in the first Disney Land amusement park in California. It ended up becoming so popular that the high demand caused it to be sold in all Disney Parks that opened all around the world.

The ice cream bar couldnt be any simpler. It is a vanilla ice cream with a hard chocolate shell on a stick. Simple as that. but the shape of it is what made it popular in the parks. Especially on a hot summers day in California or Florida, what can be better than a nice ice cream bar to cool you down?

The ice cream bar used to be sold in all kinds of stores nationwide but unfortunately can only be found now in the parks. I guess its a way to bring more guests in each day. The bar's popularity continues to boom and even became replicated throughout amusement park history. For example, head a couple miles down Disney in Orlando and you can find a similar ice cream bar shaped as the iconic orca whale Shamu from Sea World.

All though there are many like it out there, no one could ever beat the flavor, trademark shape, and the history behind this best selling treat. Head down to Disney and get your hands (and mouth) on this tastey delight!

Webslingers Rave About Improved Spider Man Ride

Orlando Florida you will find one of the most famous amusement parks known to man filled with award winning rides that will have riders in awe. One of these rides opened in 1999 and still ranking as an award winning theme park ride is the Amazing Adventures of Spider Man 3D experience. For those of you who think that this is an experience where you just sit down in an auditorium in front of a screen then you are wrong.

In this ride, you will sit in a "car" that takes you around the city. You go from room to room with huge projection screens all with a new scene of the action. There are physical sets and special effects that make the experience "4D" such as water spritzing, pyrotechnics, fog, and electricity that makes the entire ride feel extremely realistic. The car spins and makes sharp turns to continue to keep riders part of the whole experience.

The storyline consists of Spiderman facing his enemies such as, Doctor Octopus, Scream, Electro, Hydro-Man, and the Hobgoblin who all try to attack you as well. They are trying to capture and destroy New Yorks landmark, The Statue of Liberty, while you and Spiderman face them and try to stop them. The entire plot is very exciting for all ages.

The Spiderman attraction released news in 2011 that there will be major improvements in the special effects and digital technology used. It is now March 2012 and the new and improved ride is now complete for guests to experience. Improvements consisted of better 3D technology, more realistic artwork used with each character and set, and improvements to the special effects as well. Keep an out out because within the 3D film, you can find Spiderman creator Stan Lee making an appearance several times throughout the ride.

This is a ride that cannot be missed and will definitely have you jumping back on line. After exiting, you can easily forget that the entire experience was just a ride. Beware of Hobgoblins bombs being thrown at you!

Coaster Review: El Toro

Born in Jackson, New Jersey, Six Flags Great Adventure opened up El Toro a few years ago for thrill seekers to conquer. Being a the second steepest wooden roller coaster in the world towering 181 feet in the sky and dropping at a crazy 76 degree angle. The train speeds up to seventy miles per hour and travels up zero g hills that have riders feel as though the world is falling from beneath them. The ride was made completely in a factory by lasers as opposed to being built fully from hand which causes the track to be extremely percise and snaps together perfectly upon constructing. Going onto this extreme ride will make you notice the difference this wooden monster is compared to others out there. The ride throughout is completely smooth and some ride operators even remarked that the ride goes five miles per hour faster than its supposed to at times. Depending on where you sit, the experience will be very different. Sitting int the front lets riders see the track and lets them hang over the edge of the first steep drop while the back of the train cannot see what is coming next and gets dragged over the edge causing riders to have moments of air time. This ride isnt only considered a thrill ride because of its intense speed and angle of descending, but also because it causes a "head chop" sensation. Throughout the ride, wooden crossbars that support the track make riders feel as though they are close enough to come in contact with them. Dont worry though this is only a mere illusion but still causes riders to put their hands back down when a support appears to be too close. The ride straps riders in two by two with handlebars that keep riders extremely secure. This could be a problem for older and heavier riders but this ensures that the rider is safely strapped in during seat lifting moments during the ride. El Toro translates to the bull, a perfect name because after riding this animal, you will forget your not actually on a bull.