Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
The Single Ride Line Episode 7: Snoopy's Menace
28 Plays1 year ago
On this week of The Single Rider Line, Lunarus talks about Fury, Camp Snoopy, and the new Iron Menace
Recommended
Transcript
Thrilling Coaster Experiences
00:00:04
Speaker
Sunday! Sunday! Are you ready for the highest and fastest poster in the world? Are you ready for a real thing? This island dares you to come face to face with the beast. The beast. 7,000 feet. You can't hear my voice. The Loch Ness Monster lives. This man can't handle it.
00:00:40
Speaker
Oh, no. Mr. Pop.
Podcast Introduction & Seasonal Work Insights
00:01:08
Speaker
All riders waiting and on top build Rapture, we are currently experiencing a mechanical issue and we do not know the length of the delay. Once again, we are experiencing a mechanical issue. That's like two episodes in a row now. No, like, I don't know. That's two episodes now where I've started by like doing my own rendition of the Millennium Force theme. I'll be there later today, so that'll be, that'll be nice. Welcome back.
00:01:37
Speaker
It is 143 on a Saturday afternoon, August 12th, 2023, the date of recording. My name is Lunaris. How are you doing? How are you? Hopefully you're doing good. I'm, uh, I'm doing not too shabby myself. Pretty short on hours at work though, cause we're getting into our slow season.
00:02:03
Speaker
Um, I'm not going to get into, uh, what exactly I do, but, uh, it's a, it's seasonal dependent. So we're really busy during the summer and really busy during the winter. But, uh, as we get into like fall and August, fall and August. Yeah, that makes sense. As we get into, um, the later parts of those seasons that we start to really slow down. So. Here we are. We're in the ending part of August and I'm, uh,
00:02:32
Speaker
I'm here. Short on hours at work. I got bills to pay, man. But hopefully you guys aren't in that same situation.
Kings Island Work Memories
00:02:41
Speaker
So welcome back to the single writer line. Single writer line podcast. We are on episode seven, I believe. I'm not keeping track, man. I'm just recording. I keep track of coaster news that comes through. I
00:02:58
Speaker
You know. I do that. Make sure you guys stay up to date on everything and. Go from there. I didn't want to talk this week about working at Kings Island. That was such a good time. If you ever get the chance to work at a park, do so. It doesn't necessarily pay the best. I'll say that right now, but. Being able to.
00:03:29
Speaker
Do what you do, what you love as a job is incredibly, incredibly, incredibly fun.
Theme Park Guest Interactions
00:03:40
Speaker
Everybody I talked to about this before I. Before I started working there was like, oh, you're not going to like it, you know, you don't get to ride, you know, I was like, yeah, duh, no shit. Of course you don't get to ride. The whole point is that you're operating coasters.
00:03:58
Speaker
or rides in my case. But. I was a my home ride was Extreme Sky Flyer at Kings Island. That is their sky coaster there. Beforehand, I had never rode Extreme Sky Flyer before I had worked there, which is. A little weird, I mean, is it up charge to
00:04:30
Speaker
to ride that in the first place, but. I totally lost my train of thought. Where was I going with this? As my brain decides to load, it's like the fucking. God damn it, the dial up sound effect, yeah, that's what's going through my head right now. Yeah, OK, so yeah, I had never rode SkyFlyer up until that point. Amazing, amazing ride, by the way, if you get there early,
00:05:00
Speaker
And you only get charged like $10, $15 compared to like the $25 it could cost you later in the night. But definitely, definitely would recommend. And it gives you a better insight into park procedure as well. And it really kind of makes you feel for some of the employees that get shit from other park guests like
00:05:26
Speaker
There's just nothing that they can typically do because the part guests will be bad because their daughter can't ride when she's too short or I'm too large to ride and I'm pissed. There's nothing we can do about that. I'm sorry, but that's just how the circumstances are. People just don't really comprehend that, unfortunately.
00:05:54
Speaker
And working at Kings Island, I'm not super close with anybody I worked with there, but I'm still good friends with them. You know, I'll see them at the park still working because some of them came back for the next season. And it's so nice just to be able to have people there that you know and you can relate to because you work with them for days upon days upon days.
Friendships & Late-night Adventures
00:06:21
Speaker
And they're just they're just really good people. Shout outs to Alec and Jamie. You two are. Incredible people to work with and just just really nice in general. Malik as well. Malik, good to it was good working with you, man, and go into Waffle House after work. That was fun, too. We would get off work because it's.
00:06:50
Speaker
We were working dark hot, so we'd get out of there at 12, 1 a.m. whenever the park closed. And we're all hungry. Nothing is open. So we're like, hey, let's go to Waffle House. And that was always a wonderful, wonderful decision. I spent way too much money on food there. But hey, who really cares? Who really cares?
00:07:19
Speaker
Wish I could work there again. Unfortunately, I am not going to be able to for the foreseeable future because I have bills to pay and. You know, not having, you know, maybe I could go work there. Tell them, hey, I'm free for the next two weeks. Sign me up. I need the extra money. We have like nothing going on at work. Send help. I wish I could do that. That'd be really, really nice. Unfortunately, I don't think that's going to happen.
00:07:48
Speaker
Maybe in the future, but yeah, I need a stable job that's going to pay well. And unfortunately, Kings Island is not a stable job because it's seasonal and it doesn't pay well enough.
Carowinds Fury 325 Update
00:08:01
Speaker
It's a good second job, you know, if you're willing to work two jobs, then I would highly recommend it or just whatever park is closest to you. I was working two jobs last season. I was working my current job and also at Kings Island. That was
00:08:19
Speaker
excruciating. I was working seven days a week, roughly 90 hours between both jobs. It was, uh, it was rough man. It was extremely, extremely rough. I would get off work and I'd be working like 50 hours at my normal job. And then Friday I would get up, go to the park, work from like seven to close.
00:08:47
Speaker
Saturday, I would work from typically open until like four or noon till close. And then Sunday rinse and repeat. Same thing. It was the paychecks were nice. I'll say that. But. You know, I did not have a single day to rest. It was not exactly not exactly fun.
00:09:13
Speaker
I could talk more about that, and I'm sure I will in the future, along with like stories and experiences. But I'm going to go ahead and move on for now because we got some more news to cover. We're announcement season, baby. We are in announcement season. It's really, really nice and also kind of sad, but also really nice because we're getting to see what's coming next year and being able to
00:09:42
Speaker
You know, see what's coming in the future. We got stuff to look forward to. As far as announcements go, Carowinds has reopened Fury three to five. Good to see you like to see it. I was expecting Fury to be down for the foreseeable future into next season, but no.
00:10:07
Speaker
They are on top of it over there at Carowinds. They put out a statement on August 10th, so Thursday. This past Thursday as of recording. Carowinds today announced that Fury 325 has reopened following the completion of the repair and testing process and a final inspection by the North Carolina Department of Labor
00:10:33
Speaker
the North Carolina Department of Labors, Elevator, and Amusement Device Bureau. The return to operation marks the end of a comprehensive plan dedicated to ensuring the safety and operational readiness of the coaster. Over the past several weeks, crews installed a new steel column fabricated by Bulger and Mabelard, B&M. The ride manufacturer,
00:11:04
Speaker
by Balger Maviard, the ride manufacturer ensuring precise alignment and faceting of the track column connection. That was such a weirdly worded sentence. Working closely with B&M and our consultants, the team initiated a series of detailed tests to ensure the coaster's safety and integrity. These included a accelerometer test that used sensors to measure any variation in the ride experience.
00:11:32
Speaker
After that, we operated the ride for 500 plus test cycles, performing tests and inspections to ensure the ride's integrity throughout that period. BAM and a third party testing firm then conducted a final inspection to ensure the rides are passed. All required specifications. Earlier today, August 10th, the bureau conducted a final inspection and formally approved the ride for, and formally approved reopening of the ride.
00:11:57
Speaker
We extend our sincerest thanks to all those who worked tirelessly over the past few weeks to prepare Fury 325 for reopening. We're excited to welcome back our guests to one of Carowind's most popular rides. Round of applause again to Carowinds. Good to hear. They have been giving us updates all throughout this thing. They gave one on July 6th whenever it initially happened. They gave one on July 12th.
00:12:25
Speaker
on July 27th and now August 10th, they have been communicating throughout this entire process.
Dorney Park's 2024 Dive Coaster
00:12:31
Speaker
I don't know what else, what more you could ask for as far as carolins and communication goes, but I can tell you right now, I will happily book my ass back down to carolins to get a ride in on fury because that is my favorite B&M period.
00:12:50
Speaker
Speaking of B&M, Doherty Park announces Iron Menace Dive Coaster for 2024. El Toro Ryan was right in his predictions. Coming in 2024, I'm just going to go ahead and read this news press article from Coaster 101. Coming in 2024, brave guests at Doherty Park will be able to ride the Northeast's first dive coaster, Iron Menace. The seven across three
00:13:18
Speaker
Oh, it's only seven across this time. It's not eight across. Yeah, and they have even smaller trains. The seven across three road, three deep trains will be hauled up 160 feet where you'll be held for three seconds over 150 to 95 degree vertical drop. So they're doing what Dr. Diabolical did and going beyond vertical B&M stepping outside of their comfort zone on this one. Uh.
00:13:47
Speaker
Well, hey, this one's a bit closer to me, so I will be able to actually get out to this one because getting out to Dr. Diabolical is going to take me a while considering it's out in Texas. It's going to be the parks third B&M joining a talent and Hydra. It'll be the coasters eighth. It'll be the parks eighth coaster, the seventh B&M dive coaster, the 17th B&M dive coaster in the world, the sixth in the US.
00:14:15
Speaker
And the second feature seven across seating and beyond vertical drop. Okay. So, oh, so, uh, Dr. Diabolical did have seven across seating. Okay. Okay. Makes sense. Uh, it'll also be tight with Yukon Striker for the most inversions on a dive coaster with four inch arresting. Uh, so it's going to hold you at the drop for three seconds, go into a 95 degree drop, but it's going to go into an element because that's how all dive coasters are. Uh,
00:14:43
Speaker
going to go into a barrel roll over the station. That's neat. It's going to go into a tilted. Let's get a what they call a tilted loop or an inclined loop. That's the first one on a dive coaster, if I'm not wrong. It's going to go into a corkscrew, dive back down to the ground, pop back up and into the brake run. This thing is going to have two trains. It's two thousand one hundred and sixty nine feet long. It's going to have a top speed of sixty four.
00:15:13
Speaker
miles an hour. I am pretty happy with this. I mean, it's it's Iron Menace, you know, I'm happy for the park. I'm glad they're finally getting something after. How long? A long ass time. I don't know how long. I'm not a Dorney Park regular. I have never I've never been there, actually. But yeah, I'm happy that they're finally getting something.
00:15:42
Speaker
It looks like a solid edition. Nothing around breaking obviously, nothing we haven't seen before. But you know, 95 degree dive coaster, second one in the world. I'm happy with it. I think if you had your expectations super high, then you know. You're kind of biting yourself in the ass right now, but hey. What I mean, this is what I keep saying about expectations. Everybody expectations gets.
00:16:12
Speaker
way too fucking high and then they finally announce it and they're like, Oh, what was it this? What was it that? Well, your expectations were too high in the first place. So. You know. You're kind of you're kind of asking for it. I do like the theme of this coaster. It's very or not theme, but just the aesthetic. It's very like steel like like it's part of like the steel mill type thing. It's called Iron Man. I mean, it's called Iron Man is for Pete's sake.
00:16:41
Speaker
Um, and all the promotional art, they have like a bunch of like factories in the background, putting out a bunch of smog into our atmosphere because that's what we need more of. Um, it's got like a orange color to the tracks. That's another orange B&M dive. Um, are all the Cedar fair dive coasters orange?
00:17:04
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, they are. They are. Because Yukon and Val are even on the same color right now. Iron Menace is the same color. Nice. The supports are a dark gray. Not complaining there. It's more of a lighter gray the more I look at it. And then the station is. Like a steel mill shed type thing. Hashtag what's in the shed.
00:17:34
Speaker
But it looks it looks interesting and it should be. Should be a good time. We'll definitely be getting out there next year to give this a ride. Speaking of more announcements, my home park.
Kings Island's New Camp Snoopy
00:17:49
Speaker
As I itch my nose, Kings Island. Announcing a new area and a new coaster for 2024. I was not expecting this. I can tell you that right now.
00:18:05
Speaker
I wasn't expecting a anything major. But we did get something. Well, to be fair, it's nothing major. I wasn't expecting. God damn it. I can't talk today. I wasn't expecting a new coaster. There we go. I was expecting maybe a few, you know, flat rides like Snoopy flat rides. Or something over in Soak City because they just took out
00:18:33
Speaker
Uh, a little thing over in soak city earlier this year, but they announced a new camp Snoopy area. Um, to the park. So I don't know if they're just renaming all of planet Snoopy to camp Snoopy, but, uh, this new area is going to include, uh, the first ever Cedar fair and Vekoma or new age Vekoma project. It is going to be a family boomerang coaster. So that'll be fun.
00:19:03
Speaker
Um, 672 feet long. Um, I'm just reading. I'm just trying to find the rest of the stats. It's not going to show the stats, is it? That's unfortunate. But yeah, it looks really nice. It looks like a like a new area. It's not going to be just the coaster either. It's going to be just a I mean, they're going to have some new stuff for kids as well. Some new like play areas. They're going to have this like water. Kayak ride thing, it looks like.
00:19:33
Speaker
Along with some more play areas. Flying Ace Aerial Chase is getting a new repaint to look like leaves and like trees. The supports are going to be like a wood brown and the track is going to be painted like a deep green. The new coaster is going to be called Snoopy's Soapbox Racers coming in 2024.
00:20:01
Speaker
I am really happy with this. I think the fact that Kings Island has spent two years adding kids rides or one kids ride last year and one more thrill ride. And then this year they're doing a full blown. You know, plant Snoopy expansion. It looks good. It looks really damn good. They're keeping the trees and stuff is going to be lots of plants from the concept art that they're showing.
00:20:28
Speaker
And it'll be two family. Oh, yeah, it's two Vekoma family coasters right next to each other because flying ace is also a Vekoma hanging bang. Sweet. That'll be that'll be neat to see. I'm excited for this, not going to lie. It's again, it's not a major coaster, but I think it looks I think it looks fun. The family boomerangs have yet to have yet to be on one, but that'll be that'll be that'll be a lot of fun.
00:20:59
Speaker
Those lines are going to be awful, though, because it's only 20 people per train. And, you know, with kids, that's going to take forever to. That's going to take forever to load. And, you know, it's a boomerang, so it's one train only. So. Hey, you know what? I'm not complaining, though. I will gladly, gladly take a new coaster. That'll be what, 17, 16 coasters now at the park.
00:21:28
Speaker
I don't let me let me think about this. So we got. In Vertigo Bat Banshee. Orion flight of fear. Beast. Mystic timbers diamond back. Backlot stunt coaster.
00:21:58
Speaker
Woodstock Express, that's 10. Flying Ace, Aerial Chase, that's 11. The Great Pumpkin Coaster, that's 12. So this will be their 13th coaster, if I'm not wrong. Don't quote me on that, but I believe this is their 13th coaster. So, good to see. I like it. I like it. We're getting consistent additions to Kings Island and they're putting good money into the park.
00:22:27
Speaker
will not complain whatsoever.
Episode Conclusion & Future Plans
00:22:31
Speaker
Bit of a short episode this week. But I'm going to go ahead and wrap things up here. Go ahead. I'm going to start plugging my I'm going to start plugging my social media. You know what? I'm going to start doing that so that you guys can go and drop me a follow. I'll keep you posted on when new episodes are up.
00:22:55
Speaker
Uh, go ahead and follow my Twitter at Lunaris IRL, uh, L-U-N-A-R-U-S-I-R-L on Twitter. Um, you will see all of my posts there. I am quite active on Twitter. Oh wait, sorry, sorry, it's not Twitter anymore. It's X now.
00:23:15
Speaker
Yeah. Go follow me on X. I hate how that sounds. You can do the same thing on Instagram as well. This is Lunaris is my name on there. This underscore is underscore Lunaris.
00:23:30
Speaker
You'll be able to see all of my roller coaster trips and such. So I appreciate that if you did go ahead and drop me a follow. I'm going to go ahead and head out. I'm headed to Cedar Point tonight. So I will see you guys next time in a single writer line.