Someone better call maintenance!

Dear coaster friends,

Spring is about to be here and I just can't help but think about this year's coaster season too. I plan to hit the ground as soon as I can with a trip to our local amusement park, Adventureland. My family has been going there on opening day every year we can. I have a preschool aged daughter, and she has even been chomping at the bit this year to go on the rides.

Adventureland is a fun local place, but my wife and I have a saying that we always use when planning a trip. We always say we are going “weather permitting”. Often times, since we do have a child, we rely on babysitting so we can have a few days a year enjoying the parks together. So once we lock down a time when my daughter can have a sleepover with my parents, the “when” tends to be more important than the “where”. So we often change plans and go where the climate suits my clothes based on the forecast. This year I am trying to break out of that cycle, and go to some of the new for 2019 rides. So the new mantra has become we will be there to ride “maintenance permitting”.

Last year, I did get a taste of breakdown disappointment at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. It ended up working out in the end, but I waited three times for InvadR before I finally got a single lap on it. I also had a similar situation with Superman at Magic Mountain. It kept going up and down all day, so we ultimately decided it wasn't our day to ride it and spent our time doing other rides. New rides are sometimes temperamental, and ride crews need experience to get into a good routine.

So what's the plan? First stop, Carowinds: I plan on being there this month to get on Copperhead Strike, maintenance permitting. This will be my first time at Carowinds, so obviously there is a lot to look forward to. Up next will hopefully be Steel Curtain at Kennywood. I say hopefully because I don't have a set time, but I am hopeful I will be able to get out there right as it opens. I am assuming that will be this season, maintenance permitting. In July, I will be flying to Chicago for Maxx Force, at Six Flags Great America. Of course, maintenance permitting. I love hydraulic launch coasters, so I am very interested in seeing how a pneumatic launched coaster will compare. The final new for 2019 stop is Dorney! Just kidding; they don't build roller coasters. Prove me wrong Dorney. The last stop is actually a full park. That is the American Dream Mall, and their indoor Nickelodeon Universe. Since there is no opening day just yet, I will have to wait to plan that out, but weather won't be an issue for sure, so again maintenance permitting.

I do plan on going to a few other close to home parks this season, but I will decide those based on weather. However there is another new for 2019 experience and that is taking my daughter to some place new for her. She has only been to Adventureland, so we want to bring her someplace else that feels like she gets a road trip too. I realize that I have left something off my list: Canada's Wonderland. Yukon Striker looks like the safest bet against maintenance for the season, and the layout and ride look amazing. I wish it was on my itinerary, but I don't think it is a place I can drive to this year. But trust me I'll check it out eventually, weather permitting.

Author

Jeff Goodman