Valleyfair Photo Trip Report!

Tomorrow and Tuesday I'm spending the day at Valleyfair with a 10:00 PM to Midnight 4th of July special event on Wednesday. My first night-time experiences on any coaster at Valleyfair will be exciting on that day, but that won't be the focus.

Monday: This day will be the day I bring my mom's camera. Fully equipped with digital quality photography and 45 minute capability video recording feature. I'm finding it quite frustrating that, of all video-maker trips to Valleyfair (that means you Robb ) no one has gotten a POV of Excalibur. Either it's because of the sheer terror that you feel at thought of trying to hold an electronic on that ride, or maybe just not alot of people like it. Whatever, I'm going to do whatever I can to get an on-ride of Excalibur. As well as High Roller, Steel Venom, and xTreme Swing. That is if the Ops and staff allow me to videotape the rides.

Tuesday: So, I'm going to Valleyfair the next day. I will still have my camera because I will not stop home between trips (hospitality courtesy of Ms. Kempf, best friends grandma). However I don't plan to get too in depth of getting pictures and videos of the rides on Tuesday. I may cover any things that I missed from Monday, but I'll touch up most of the park first day.



Here's the result. I had one hell of a great time. Went on everything at least 10 times, and I loved it all! One regret is overdoing Renegade. It has officially worn off on me and is off my Top 5 completely, only to let High Roller back in! I got two POVs, High Roller and Wild Thing, because they were the only rides that I was allowed to video. Once I figure out how to get them on here, I'll ask if they can get into the videos. Stephanie (Excalibur Ride-Op) told me that she'd get fired if she let me take a video of Excalibur, and I didn't want that to happen, so sorry, but no Excalibur Video until later. I do have some pictures for you though.



Corkscrew, with a hint of Power Tower




Of course, gotta get some dosage of the best ride in the park



High Roller is a very fun ride for me if I must say so. I love the air, and contrary to popular belief, you get much more air in the front row (except over the first drop, which is hardly worth waiting for the back anyway)



We passed it so why not?







I absolutely love Xtreme Swing!



I got the train in action [:)]



Corkscrew, and Justin's fists.



A fun shot that really reveals Wild Thing's masculine structure.



A nice color scheme, eh?



I thought the style of the station was kick-ass, so I took a picture. It would be a nice shot, but Justin had to get his ass in the way again...



Poor Christine. She doesn't like going frontal, but I made her sit by me because it's funny watching/listening to her scream with terror...



Beatuy



Here's the knottiness of Wild Thing at the front of the park after leaving Steel Venom in the afternoon. It wasn't a very nice day, which payed off. The park was deserted on day one.



The big curve over the parking lot. My personally least favorite part of the ride.



You see this angle alot in pictures, but I made my own twist by not wasting my Steel Venom time by waiting for the train to come.



And a blurry launch



I love the way the twisted spike looks from this angle!



...And this angle



But this shot takes the cake!



Yes, I am happy! We spent alot of the afternoon on Steel Venom. There were no lines whatsoever, so backseat and frontal riding lead to no waiting at all.



Again, no people at all...



...And this angle



Yes of course we all got wet...But Xtreme Swing wasn't made for nothing!



A cooler shot of the Corkscrew train in action. It's closer up, and Power Tower looks cooler behind in this picture...



Oooooh Ahhhhhh



I guess it's not that ugly...And besides, the adrenaline of it cancels out presentation.



What!? They're running both swings!? I knew it wouldn't last long...They stopped the far one after the tornado warnings.



I dig this shot!



And this one too!



This one's debatable...



So let's just go back the Xtreme Swing.



Wild Thing was also very deserted, which was good. I love the overdose of airtime on the back seat over the first drop...



We waited in shelter for the storm to stop. Lightning along with tornado watches means an hour and a half of sitting in High Roller's station...



...With the Sunshine children waiting with us!



Lovely!



Yes...Renegade, NO PEOPLE! The only wait worth waiting for.



This ride hurts, but I still like riding it with a lot of my friends.



The very start of the first day. I almost went picture-happy with Power Tower...



Almost...



Renegade screeches when it gets wet. Which is awesome and obnoxious!



Yeah it's another angle of Steel Venom's twisted spike...



Weeeeeeeeeeee!



We had returned to the front of the park again. I wanted more Steel Venom, and Christine wanted more Steel Venom. Justin and Sean wanted more! Alyssa and Katie wanted more! Everybody wanted more Steel Venom!



Fun fun!



Well there's my Trip Report! Hope you liked. I'll get the POVs of High Roller and Wild Thing up as soon as I get them figured out! Thanks!

I am going to be there tonight from 7PM till close. Let me know if you will be there as well. I will be making a video there for my website. (http://www.valleyfaircentral.com) PLEASE JOIN THE FORUMS! Though I am still working on template files for the forums to look nice.

DO NOT POST POV's it is very illegal and against park rules. Even if you asked permission from park staff. They are still illegal. You need permission from marketing staff and that is a pain to get permission from them. Renegade only screeches when it is not greases right. The rain helps the ride a bit and speeds it up if it is greased well.

I am sorry you picked a bad day to ride Renegade. It is the best ride in the park by far.

I take it you diden't like renagade.

No, I like Renegade. I just rode it too much and I'm no longer interested in it. It's like any roller coaster now.

Ah just like kong with me.

Nice TR along with the photos. So far it doesn't appear to me that Valleyfair! hasn't changed much in the past 9-10 years since I've been there.

[yoshifreak]

^Link doesn't work.

"File no longer exists."

Thanks to topdrag for the warning. I'm taking back the POVs. Sorry...

Gerst, it is time to be educated so write this down:

Unless you have expressed written permission (the kind that a site like ThemeParkReview.com gets) from the park before you show up ... (are ready to write this down??) ... EVERY POV TAKEN IS ILLEGAL.

If you have them recorded already, why not use them? I would say that 90% of all POVs that are in existance today were filmed illegally - hence the thrill of having them. However, should you go the route and ask permission, be prepared to hear the word "NO" often when you ask to film them.

1. You are a kid.
2. A young kid at that.
3. You have no affiliation with publicity.
4. Nothing you record will look professional enough to be good for the park.
5. Again, you are a kid.

Thus, no park is going to allow you to record anything on a ride because you are a liability -- a very severe liability and you ain't worth the risk. I am not sure who Topdrag is, but had he any knowledge, he would have told you that in advance.

One word man: Duh. I cannot believe you didn't know that. Wow. Do you really think that each POV here had permission beforehand? Come on man ... no way you could think that. If you did -- I reitterate ... wow.

I didn't see the topic in time to tell him in advance. It was simply to late. I run a Valleyfair site and I know the park would not like it. Thats what I refuse to post any and all POV's that have not been approved by marketing staff. I know a lot more than you think TConwell.

Okay woah. Topdrag you said nothing to me in advance about the POV. I'll doubt that you even knew I was taking onride videos. You did not tell me anything in advance...

I posted before you posted your full trip report to not take any POV's but then a few minutes later you posted the TR and so I had to edit my first post. It is also common knowledge by now NOT to POV unless you have park permission. No one really needs to tell you not to.

Whether or not someone told me not to I was not told not to so I did anyway even though I did know not to do it without permission, I just did not expect anything bad to happen to me because alot of people take the videos illegally. I did not know that I may get banned from the park if they caught me, which is why I panicked. Now I have two POVs. One of High Roller, one of Wild Thing. Who wants them?

No one, because we can go watch the professional versions!

And topdrag and I know that you can get banned from a park by taking an unapproved POV. It's a real thing, not some threat just to stop you.

Gerst, The only reason I am telling you not to post them is because after you posted your TR on VFC, I got an E-mail from VF saying not to let you post them. I am not willing to break a growing partnership just for a POV that might not be very good.

Jakizle, We both know Jimmy knows that first hand now after I warned him...

Who is Jimmy and when does he come into this? Does Valleyfair really keep that close of an eye on your site?

Bottom line: Gerst, do what you feel you need to do.

Now, for topdrag.

Topdrag, if you did not know I am the owner of www.coasters2k.com ... so yeah, I hear ya talking about running a site .. but each Admin has to decide for themselves what to post. I assure you though, no park in the history of our community has EVER gone after a site for any reason such as a POV. It is just beneath them to waste the time. However, someone at VF wrote you and asked you not to post? Who was it?

Take into account though, these two posts which conflict each other first:

Exhibit A:

Originally posted by topdrag

Gerst, The only reason I am telling you not to post them is because after you posted your TR on VFC, I got an E-mail from VF saying not to let you post them. I am not willing to break a growing partnership just for a POV that might not be very good.

Exhibit B:

Originally posted by topdrag

I didn't see the topic in time to tell him in advance. It was simply to late. I run a Valleyfair site and I know the park would not like it. Thats what I refuse to post any and all POV's that have not been approved by marketing staff. I know a lot more than you think TConwell.

The reason I ask is because your disclaimer on your site says: "Valleyfair Central is an unofficial site and is not affiliated in any way with Cedar Fair, L.P. or Valleyfair". So, with that statement so clearly written on your site ... WHY would anyone from VF write to you and ask you to pass onto some other user to not post a POV?

Honestly man, some of us are actually smarter and know when someone is trying to represent something that in reality, they really have NO authority to represent. Quit trying to pass yourself off as someone who has an "in" with the park. As far as you stating that you know more than I think ... well ... I think I just proved that you really don't.

Edit: To answer Gerst's question -- his site (http://www.valleyfaircentral.com/) has at least 5 broken links on it (several in the main NAV bar) ... so I think it is safe to say that no one from VF is monitoring his site, because he is no one to their staff of professionals.

[flush]

TC, I have to put the disclaimer on there like most park fan sites. The first post was BEFORE I got the E-mail since he did not post yet on my site. Once he posted on my site I got the E-mail since VF looks at my site almost everyday. Even though I am not affiliated with them. I have a good relation ship with the park and respect them. The E-mail I received was from a marketing staff person. That is all I am going to say because I do not feel I have to prove myself to you that I have a relation ship with the park. Go look at KIExtreme.com I talk to the owner all the time and he gets E-mails from the park for stuff like I do. Also, CoasterCravers.com got in big trouble over a POV.

Now please read your own title under your avatar...

GOOD DAY SIR!

@ topdrag

Where did he post at? Your forums link is broke, your gallery is toast, your contact page does not work ... etc., etc., etc.

You got owned ... just face it and move on. Geesh kid, quit trying to puff up and pose for your own pride here, you got spanked -- deal with it. Take your beating like a man and press on you prepubescent ingrate.

[flush]

I think you are the one that got owned. You know nothing about my site and you have no authority to tell me what I know. Also, The top "NAV bar" is not the main bar. I am planning on deleting it. The side bar is the main one. He posted it in the forums but I had to edit the post as well.

Yeah, you are right ... I know nothing about your site:

3 broken links off the main NAV bar:

Image Insert:

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Image Insert:

102.92 KB

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134.26 KB

And wow, talk about a powerhouse of members and info sharing:

Image Insert:

18.74 KB

So, I ask again -- where did he post this request to not put up the POV? What is his name? Hrmmmmm? Best advice I can give you: Don't mess with the bull my friend -- you'll get the horns everytime!!

[flush]

TCon has you cornered Topdrag, just leave it there. He's not the only one that doubts you about being in "close relations" with the owner of Valleyfair.

Yeah you don't know anything. I will leave you with this. If you really think you are smart and know a lot, then you wouldn't just randomly pick fights with people. Real mature there TC. I'm dropping this because you all really don''t know me and have no idea what I know and who I know. One last thing. I never said I have "close relations with with owner" I said I have close relations with the park and marketing personnel.

Sigh ... whatever kiddo. Gerst, I am sorry your TR became this, I just could not let this kid toss his weight around like he knew something -- and someone had to call "BS". If that someone had to be me, so be it.

Ahem.
Simple mistake really.
And some parks in the UK do let you take POV's if you have permission.
Yes daily.