July 19, 2018 My First Spinsanity

I was going to the park a lot this past spring, with my cousin and her two little ones. But for over a month we just couldn't make our schedules work. That finally changed yesterday, so we went for an evening visit. We were joined by my cousin's friend and her little girl. Having one more adult along meant we could work things in such a way that the adults could have a chance to get on a few of the more thrilling rides. This worked out really well for us last night.

We arrived at the park at 5PM. Evening temperatures were forecast at around 77 degrees, down from a high in the mid 80's. Air quality was excellent with very low humidity. As we walked to the gate we couldn't help but notice that a lot more people were leaving the park than entering. This bode well for our experience, promising relatively short lines.

We headed to the north end of the park for Pandemonium. Sure enough, the crowds were relatively light for the middle of July. We got on Pandemonium and made the mistake of having the two adults on the same side of the car, facing backwards going up the lift. I have never before had such an intense ride on this "family" coaster. This is why I love Pandemonium so much, just change the seating and you change the ride.

Since the kids absolutely refused Blizzard River (they got wet last time, not knowing that could happen) we headed over to Scrambler and Balloon Race. Both rides had no wait, Scrambler was a lot of fun and Balloon race is a nice "take a break" ride.

Up in Crackaxel Canyon and after a wait of maybe ten minutes, we took the kids on the Stampede Bumber Cars for their first time. I was a little concerned, most kids think bumper cars look fun but some get a little freaked when they start getting rammed by other cars. No problem , they loved it! I sat out Rockin' Rodeo but joined everyone on Houdini. The kids claimed they loved Houdini, but you wouldn't know it from their behavior during the ride. They frankly screamed bloody murder and I thought we had made a major mistake. But no, they said they loved it and we rode one more time. I noticed Tomahawk had a very sparse line, I'd find out why a bit later.

My cousin and I waited about 15 to 20 minutes for Superman. After losing a lot of weight, It was her first time on it in eight years. Quite simply....... we loved it. Almost 20 years old and it is still in my opinion, the greatest of steel coasters.

We rejoined our group for rides on Kontiki and Tea Cups. Both rides were running great, and both rides seemed faster and more intense than in the past. Tea Cups looks great in Buzz Saw's old spot, like it's more "front and center" the way it deserves to be. Kontiki broke down later which was unfortunate, we wanted even more rides on it. My cousins friend convinced me to try the Joker. My review? If it has no wait I'll ride it again, but that's about it.

Next up was the new star of the 2018 season...... Harley Quinn Spinsanity. My cousin and I got in line (15 to 20 minute wait, same as Superman and longest wait times of the night) and knew immediately why Tomahawk was being slightly ignored. Everyone in line was trying to explain Spinsanity to a friend, saying it was Tomahawk on steroids. This is taking place as the ride swings over our heads, threatening to blow the canvas roof off it's supports. Who ever designed the queue that way is a genius, it made us feel we were part of the ride even though we're simply waiting our turn. As we sat in our seats the lighting suddenly came on and you could here the crowd let out an "Ahhhhhhhh!". I took it as a good omen and it sure was. I often complain about the need for more flat rides at SFNE (which I STILL think it needs) but I enjoy the ones it has. Spinsanity was quite simply fantastic. The spinning motion is not what this ride is about, it just ensures you're in a different position for every swing of the main arm. And swinging at an angle of 120 degrees up to almost 150 feet in the air at 70 miles per hour is something else! I just hope that eventually people realize that Tomahawk and Spinsanity are two very different kinds of rides, and both deserve their place at SFNE. Otherwise I fear for the future of Tomahawk.

We ended the night over in Kidzopolis. Nice way for the kids to wind down before heading out, which we did just after 9PM. Pleasant weather, a moderate crowd, and a great new thrill ride made for an excellent summer evening at the park. Now I can't wait to go again and give Harley Quinn Spinsanity another shot!

Great report ! Glad you guys had fun !!!