| Marineland and Martin's Fantasy Island 6/20- One big ripoff and one big steal
I couldn't find too many trip reports on these two parks, especially Marineland. All I ever known about these parks is from ACE magazines and videos. It was quite a risk spending $30 on parks I was still unsure of, but I have a motto that goes..."Give every park and coaster a chance." Well that and "Come on everybody and wang chung tonight!"
Going from SFDL to Marineland is not a very pretty one. Several tolls will stand in your way, as long as confusing directions. At on point, after you cross over the river parallel to Niagara Falls, you have to do a descend helix back under the bridge and then it gets complicated. After several wrong turns, one way roads, racial slurs, and hit n' runs, we made it to Marineland. The park started off good, hey FREE PARKING! We arrived about a little before 3 so we were in the back of the parking lot. After a long walk, I managed to make it to the entrance. I paid my $25 and I was in. Now I had no idea where Dragon Mountain was so I started walking in one direction, and then decided, it is mandatory that you get a park map. I always felt it was not right to use a map if you consider yourself a true enthusiast, but desperate calls called for desperate measures.
"O MOTHER ........., this thing is all the way in the back!"
Little did I know how far back the back really is. Now I'm a fairly athletic person and I've walked parks for day without sitting down with the exception of coasters, but this park is huge. Somebody please give me a Go-Kart. To pass the time, I pointed out all the empty fields of grass where a coaster should be built. This park has more potential that Michigan's Adventure. I passed by the 450ft S&S tower being built and thought...
"WOW, THAT's ONE BIG A$$ HILL"
The hill itself must be 125ftish. Well at-least the view would be good.
Finally I made it to Dragon Mountain. You'll notice a dragon head at the entrance of the queue that was well crafted and worthy of Universal. Now I went on a very hot, bright sunny day, so my pupils were small walking into the queue, which gave the illusion of a cavern that is pitch black. Fake Stalactites or mites, which ever one is on the bottom, jet out and outcrop from the side, so don't wander off from the middle of the path or you'll knee a very solid material. Finally I get to the station and get in line for the front. Now here's the thing. Sunlight shines through the tunnels and gives out an imperfect balance of light in the room. Why is that bad? Your pupils will shrink and enlarge with every turn of your head until your eyes feel like puking and your head feels like a Six Flags park. The line was almost a walk-on, but they were only running one train so it took a lot longer than expected because this is a long coaster. Eventually it's my turn and although I think the big cat or whatever on the front of the train looks cool, it blocks all hope of the view one seeks when going in the front. We roll out and hit the lift chain and begin to ascend. The whole climb your only about 8 feet from the ground until the drop. It has two lift chains, but where you go from one chain to another, there are some funny fumes that leak out and kinda give you another headache. First hill is cool and has some good speed. The first loop is highly intense, but the second loop is, well how can I put this, "Ultra-Extreme" Have you ever had blurred vision, tunnel vision, and blackout all at once. Only the Blue Flash was more insane than this loop, but maybe it was just because I already had a headache. Next is a turn but it's slow, though it did have some good head choppers with the plants on the side. The slow turn goes into the slow helix which is hardly banked and a family helix compared to the previously ridden helix of S:ROS. Eventually the helix ends through a tunnel and you come out going through a lot of straight track that winds through pointless structure like it was from an inexperience RCT player trying to boost his excitement rating. The mid-course brakes bring the coaster not quite to a stop, but a yield. Then comes the longest tunnel in the world, which was not as intense or long as I thought it would be. Bowtie time and while this element looks very kind, it feels similar to a SLC sea serpent. And well that's it. I came off with a headache beyond Mean Streak. Once again, I hate Arrow Loopers. I was so messed up after that coaster, I wasn't able to ride the kiddy coaster that was impossible to ride at DL. I took a 2 hour nap and advil to get ride of the pain and prepare myself for a much better Martin's Fantasy Island.
Time to cross the Canada/NY border again, but this time, we did not pass so easily.
"Citizenship?" American
IDs, please- Here ya go
Where you guys headed?- Martin's Fantasy Island
Where you coming from?- Ohh we were just at Marineland because were coaster enthusiasts and were traveling to all the park in the area.
Where you headed after MFI?- Were going home, back to Detroit
Let me get this straight, you boys drove all the way here to go to these theme parks and your going to drive home all in one day- yes, sir
What's in the cooler?- We can't afford food at theme parks so we just brought our own
Any alcohol or weapons?- No, sir
That's it, pull into that garage over there-yes sir
Right about here we start to panic and we miss the garage so we have to turn around on the one way street, but eventually we mad it in there.
"Into the interrogation office, gentlemen."
We watched as they checked the glove-box, cooler, trunk, but not too scared because we didn't have anything to hide. The only thing that may of been a problem was if they gave me a drug test, but luckily they didn't. The guy thanked us for our cooperation and said we handle the situation very well, compared to some other teenagers our age who smart mouthed. The truth is, we just wanted to get to MFI in time, so we got through this ASAP, which is probably the reason we didn't make the situation a lot worse.
After getting lost a couple times and having to pay the toll twice, we get to the MFI entrance and pass right by it. Why? Because there's this big tree that blocks the sign so it's takes a couple of passes to see that this is the place to go.
Orient Express- Powered kiddy coaster with some whip in the back on the first hill but that's about it. I did like how it throws your body forward on the hills. 3/10
Wildcat- This was a VERY unique wildcat. It had a couple of helices and some nice drops. But although it is unique, I still prefer the one at CP. 4/10
Flats- Big Slide is cool but you might get stuck on the flat sections if you don't have enough speed. Chaos-this thing hurts your legs because of padding that is shaped like a triangle. Bumper Cars- not bad, I got some good hits in and much better than the one way bumper cars, but not as good as MAz.
Silver Comet
This coaster has got nothing but good reviews and I was shocked to see not only a walk-on, but the ability to Marathon the ride. There was almost always a row you could sit in and keep riding and riding the coaster. This coaster resembles a little bit of all the good coasters out there. The first hill is unique and from the back gives out some major airtime. Next is some wicked airtime hills very similar to the hills on Thunder Run. They launch you out of your seat, which you get the full effect since the ride ops let you go with 3 clicks. Plus the steel beams offer a wicked head chopper. Next is an airtime turn that feels like a mirror image of Raven's famous lake turn. Another airtime drop and now you feel laterals very similar to the Legend, intense and fast. In the front car, you really feel the punch, but it's not choppy like a big Dinn, but more a smooth, sharp turn. At the end is turns that go back to Raven's final turns, smooth but intense. A speed bump at the end for a little airtime and back to the station. Your back into the station and you look for the next open row and ride until close. I got the last train of the day in the back row and it made the whole trip worth while. For $7, the cheapest ride was also the best. This is definitely a top 5 on my wood list. I'd highly recommend this coaster for all those wood coaster lovers out there. This was a good end to a coaster trip that could of been a lot worse. 9/10
Overall- Marineland 2/10 because I paid $25 for 3 rides on one coaster I did not like
MFI 8/10 because I paid $7 for 25 rides on a world class coaster.
Look for my Eastern Coaster Mega Trip Report in July when I go to SFGAv, SFA, SFNE, Hershey, Dorney, Compounce, and Astroland.
__________________
'08, '07 Area Supervisor Merchandise, Cedar Point, "18/20 Go"
'08 Area Supervisor Merchandise, Six Flags Over Texas, "366 Go",
'06 Batman:TR Ride Op, SFGAm '05 Front Desk, Disney's BoardWalk Hotel,
'06,'05 TL, '04 Merchandise, CP, Coaster Count: 258
Last edited by Marcus; 06-24-2003 at 05:41 PM..
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It's an amazing ride, doesn't look like much, but gives an outstanding ride. That's CCI for ya.
Linear Mode
