Park Review: Geauga Lake : Theme Park Trip Reports

Here is the second of my 5 park reviews from this summer. After working at Cedar Point for 3 weeks, I was able to spend my day off to take an hour road trip to CP's new sister park, Geauga Lake. This is the premise that this review is based on.

I will be using the "Eric Griswold" rating system, which rates parks and rides from -3 to +5 as follows:

+5 - The Ultimate
+4 - Top 10 material
+3 - Excellent
+2 - Above Average
+1 - Okay
0 - Slightly Favorable
-1 - Lousy
-2 - Miserable
-3 - Tear it Down and Try Again

Each ride will be rated in 3 categories: "Technical" (banking transitions, rider comfort, overall look of the ride), "Pacing" (how well the ride keeps the adrenaline flowing. (This area will have the most effect on the final rating)), and "Originality" (or lack thereof). All three scores will be weighted differently, depending on how much they affect the overall ride experience, and compiled for an overall rating.

GEAUGA LAKE - AURORA, OH

The Park: low +2

Geauga Lake has undergone alot of revolutions since Six Flags vacated. The prices are much more reasonable now, and the park is quite a bit cleaner and nicer than before. However, despite the improvements, some old problems still linger, such as the inattentive employees, terrible crowd control, uninteresting new coaster names, non-impressive maitenance record, and lines that absolutely crawl. Still, the variety of coasters and classic feel of the park make for a great day of fun, and even one of my new top 10 roller coasters. This statistic is nothing compared to Cedar Point, but just a couple more unique coasters and a few more touch-ups would make this park one of the Midwest's best.

THE COASTERS:

BIG DIPPER - low +3

This coaster may be a classic, but it is not as wild and reckless as others. Although the station still has the hand-brake sticks on the platform, the operating systems are now all automatic. The ride itself is full of dips, fast turns, hills, and a constant feeling that you are going to fall out due to the very loose lap bars and minimal wood construction. Good old classic stuff, rough in a good way, and of course a coaster classic.

Technical: +3
Pacing: low +3
Originality: +3

X-FLIGHT - +3

Technical: +3
The flying position on this coaster is good, but not quite as good as a B&M flier. It feels more like staring at the ground rather than sticking your arms and head out and soaring. The layout itself is decently smooth, and the harnesses are quite comfortable for Vekoma, but they make it hard for large-chested people like me to breathe normally. You are really strapped in. The g-forces in the loop are wonderful.

Pacing: high +3
The coaster is nice and quick, but not very fast, has a wonderful and intense loop, a good intense double helix, and 2 wicked final corkscrews. A nice sequence, but it just feels a bit too programmed to get a really high score here.

Originality: low +2
Now that the novelty of being in a flying position has worn off in the coaster world somewhat, this coaster is now just 3rd in line on a list of other coasters with basically the same layout. The paint scheme is very nice, though, so it is definitely the best looking Vekoma flier in my books. Overall, it is a nice thrill that will leave you smiling and ready to conquer more coasters.

HEAD SPIN - low -1

Even as far as boomerand coasters go, this one is more painful than most. I had a headache after this ride from the whiplash and the headbanging in the cobra roll. The speed is sub-decent, and the layout is so cliche it rivals Vekoma SLC's and dwarfs Batman: The Ride in the form of total lack of originality, and is more painful than even an Arrow corkscrew. This was first roller coaster that I ever regretted going on. Unless you need it for the numbers, skip it for sure.

Technical: -1
Pacing: 0
Originality: -3

STEEL VENOM - low +4 (Superman: Ultimate Escape was a cooler name [;)])

Technical: low +4
This is a very comfortable ride. The restraints are well with Intamin's standards, and the ride itself is amazingly intimidating and fun to watch.

Pacing: +4
This coaster is shorter and not quite as fast as Wicked Twister, but it is the straight back tower that really makes you feel out of control. Nothing beats being 185 ft in the air, looking straight at the ground, and being held at a dead stop, feeling like you are going to fall clean off the ride. Fun stuff.

Originality: +4
Being the prototype coaster of this type, Steel Venom naturally gains some points in this category. The true star point on this ride is the dead stop on the back tower. It is totally bizarre, and gives you a true kamikaze feel. A brilliant ride.

DOMINATOR - high +3

This was a really good coaster technically. The floorless aspect is good, and the ride is so smooth that it feels like soaring. It is actually TOO smooth... and severely over-engineered to the point that there are no lateral g's at all, and the vertical g's are only about 3. Throw in the fact that the first drop is curved, not straight like Kraken, and another point is taken off. Overall, this track just seems to be way too programmed, and doesn't give you the originality of a tunnel or theming, and is not enough of a gut-wrenching thrill. It is fun, however, and exciting enough to thrill most guests.

Technical: +5
Pacing: high +2
Originality: +3

THUNDERHAWK - 0

Oh, wow, another Vekoma SLC. Despite a total lack of originality and the traditional uncomfortable harnesses and headbanging, there is halfway decent pacing. Overall, I didn't particularly enjoy this ride, but it was nowhere as bad as Head Spin and Raging Wolf Bobs, so it gets the neutral "slightly favorable" rating.

Technical: high -1
Pacing: low +1
Originality: -3

BEAVER LAND MINE RIDE - low +1

The only reason I rode this ride was for numbers, but the worst part is that I actually enjoyed it. Just seeing this ride makes it look ridiculous, with trains that are 20 CARS LONG! Sitting in the very back, you get some good lateral g's coming down the first drop and again near the end of the ride. Still, besides that it is just a kiddie coaster located as a good family ride or a warm-up for the most insane ride in the park, The Villain.

THE VILLAIN - high +4

Technical: high +4
What an amazing ride! The massive structure is stunning, and the airtime is executed nearly perfectly. The only thing this coaster loses points on in the technical category is the trains. The lap bars are solid metaql rather than the soft padded PTC trains. With the metal bars, you get a few briuses from the force of the trains. Not a big deal, but not a +5 for sure. Also, the ride line crawls. The 2-train operation and exceptionally long ride time means that the line gets quite boring. Rule #1... long lines equals bored guests. Bored guests equals vandalism. The entire ride line is littered with carvings and writing from local punks.

Pacing: +5
AMAZING! This ride had everything. The speed, the airtime, the turns, it is just a totally insane and twisted rush. The hangtime on the first drop gives terrifying anticipation. The real standout feature of this ride is the wicked combination of lateral g's and airtime. You are thrown out of your seat, in your seat, to the right, to the left, just every which way you can be thrown. It is a truely satisfying and invigorating adrenaline rush that will leave you begging for another ride. (then you remember the long line, and change your mind...)

Originality: high +4
The most original feature of this ride is the completely unexpected trick track after the second drop. The layout of the track itself is a very well executed wood out-and-back twister hybrid, and is very original. However, the only 3 wooden roller coasters that deserve +5's in this category in my books are Shivering Timbers, The Beast, and The Legend. Since there are other more original coasters, I cannot give the highest possible rating to this coaster. Still, it ranks in #4 on my all-time list of favorite wooden roller coasters. If you have to ride only one ride in the whole park, ride this one. It is truly amazing.

DOUBLE LOOP - 0

I will rate this coaster compared to my wonderful experience on another Arrow coaster with 2 loops, The Loch Ness Monster, which I gave a high +3. Number one, this ride is very uncomfortable. Number two, the speed on this ride is nothing compared to other arrow loopers. The ride is nowhere as original as Corkscrew or the Loch Ness Monster, and just seems to lag. Therefore, this coaster gets the same rate as Thunderhawk for exactly the same reasons: uncomfortable seating with half-decent pacing.

RAGING WOLF BOBS - -2

This is, pure and simply, the worst roller coaster I have ever been on. The single train on this ride is actually the third train from The Villain. The first drop is weak, the entire ride lags to a degree that I was ready to fall asleep. The few lateral g's there were were extremely painful, and the whole ride felt like being caught in earthquake while sitting on a bed of nails. There was no airtime, and I honestly think this coaster should be torn down and rebuilt. It is a huge stinker.

Technical: -3
Pacing: low -2
Originality: high -1

of course, after the sheer dissapointment of this ride, I had to run back and ride The Villain again to end the day on a very good note. It was even better the second time.

And so ends another coaster outing for me. Overall, I was satisfied with the progress this park is making. I will be waiting for their next coaster, and hope to come back and ride my new #4 woodie, The Villain, as many times as possible. Overall, a well-spent day at an up and coming park. Look for it to flourish within the next couple of years.

Next Park Review: MICHIGAN'S ADVENTURE

Till next time, see ya, foo's. [;)]

-review posted by CJD