If you recognize the title of this post as lyrics to a song by the group REO Speedwagon, you may have grown up listening to some of the same type of music I did. This tune is also the “in-park” song for the new roller-coaster at Knoebel’s Amusement Park that Naomi & I have already blogged about. The song plays along to a video shown on a screen at the entrance of the ride.
As we have already mentioned, 2 gentlemen from the park dropped by our house last Wednesday. One is a Park Manager and the other works in the park’s Customer Service department. We were invited to go to the park the next day when it was closed to the public. They were having a special event for the staff. The gentlemen told us they were running the Flying Turns to allow the staff an opportunity to ride the new coaster and they wanted us to come and ride as well.
Here is a close-up of the warning sign that is also in the picture above:
There is another sign exactly like this one further along in the queue.
Here is a view of the exit area, which also serves as the entrance for anyone with disabilities. Notice the lack of signage for weight limits at the disabled entrance.
When the kids and I went to the park on Thursday to ride this coaster we first went to the park office to meet up with the 2 gentlemen that I spoke with on Wednesday. They walked us over to the ride and we chatted a little. Even though our son was especially excited to ride, we all agreed that I should ride the coaster first. That way, I could see how fast it goes and how smooth the ride is. The Park Manager accompanied me and the other stayed with the kids. Our son was so excited about being there he may have nearly talked the man’s ears off while I was away from them.
At that time, they only had 2 trains on the track for the coaster, and they were only loading riders onto one train. On the other train, the staff had piled several small sand-bag type weights into the seats. At one point, I saw them adding more weights before sending the train down the track. Even though there were very few riders in line, it seemed to take a unreasonably long time to load the ride. Once the rider gets to the end of the queue, a staff member directs them to a scale in front of one of the three gates. The largest person is directed to the first scale, the next largest to the second, etc. The scales are simply a metal plate in the platform with a small video screen in front of them. I happened to be sent to the second scale, as the Manager was a little taller than I am. The rider steps on the scale and then is then directed into the gate to wait to board the ride. I took the opportunity to further discuss our accessibility concerns with the Manager while we waited to board. He seemed interested in what I was saying but stated that the accessibility to the rides really wasn’t part of his job.
The ride has a simple seatbelt to hold the rider into the seat. I think I would have felt more comfortable with a shoulder harness type restraint (which also would have fit in better with the “flying” motif, in my opinion). After riding, I felt it was not too fast for our son, and it was smooth enough for our daughter to ride as well. We walked back to where the kids were waiting and then we all entered the queue together. As we reached the loading platform, the suggestion was made that our son and I try riding in the same car. We stepped on the scale together and it did not give any message that we were over the weight limit. They told us the screen would turn red if we were over the limit. Considering our son’s size, I am shocked that we were under that limit. We certainly must have cut it very,very close. In my mind, I wondered if their scales were working properly. So then we waited for the train that they were loading the riders onto. Our daughter was in the second car, and the Customer Service staff member decide to join us in the third car. Once again the wait time seemed to be a lot longer than it should be. When our turn came up we squeezed into the car – and I do mean SQUEEZED. I got in first and our son had to sit in front of me, between my legs. It was NOT very comfortable and we had difficulty getting the seatbelt clicked because we had to put the seatbelt around both of us.. They started the train moving but then had to quickly stop it because we were not ready. We got the seatbelt secured and then we were off. Our son was happy to be in front and said to me, “Don’t worry, I’ll man the controls!”. The kids really enjoyed the ride and the staff members offered to let them ride once more. I agreed but said we needed to ride in our own cars! The staff members that were with us decided to wait at the exit, so we queued up without them this time. The kids were yelling and giggling while riding which really stood out because all the other riders were adults and surprizingly did not make a lot of noise.
When we exited the ride for the last time, we were directed over to a golf cart which was parked on the pathway in front of the ride. We were introduced to Mr. Knoebel, the owner of the park. He shook our hands and thanked us for coming by. He said that they had opened the ride without “all our protocols in place” and thanked us for helping them with our suggestions. He also asked the staff to make sure that he had our contact information.
I have to say that it is a unique roller coaster and certainly an interesting experience to ride. The staff told me there is a similar type of coaster down in Florida but the “curved” parts of the track are made of fiberglass, while Flying Turns is all wood like the original ride. From the perspective of a coaster enthusiast, which I consider myself to be (at least somewhat), it does not really stack up to larger, faster coasters. While the sensation of leaving the track to “fly” around the turns is interesting, it did not give me quite the thrill I hoped for. I was impressed that the transition back onto the tracks was smoother than I expected it to be. All in all, it is a fun ride but I think lacked the “wow factor” that the hype would have us believe it has. The slow boarding process also leaves me less interested in standing in a long queue. The accessibility issues are still a big concern and I do hope the park leadership is taking our concerns and suggestions to heart. The kids were certainly happy to have had this opportunity and they really enjoyed the ride. I wish the whole family could have experienced this together.
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