Sabrina's Brochure Spotlight: Magic Mountain 1978

It's time to shine the spotlight on another oldie-but-goodie. This week we journey back to 1978, the year before Magic Mountain became Six Flags Magic Mountain. I always find it interesting (though somewhat depressing) to look at parks as they used to be, before all of their charming little quirks and idiosyncrasies got swallowed up by the ever-expanding wave of corporate "chain" ownership (a.k.a., conformity...yawn). Magic Mountain certainly had its share.

In the interest of preserving this lovely nighttime panorama, I decided to adopt a different approach for scanning this brochure cover. The world's first modern vertical-looping coaster certainly makes for a stunning centerpiece, no? Turns out it was about to be joined by yet another "revolutionary" coaster, but more on that in a minute. As the right panel describes, the Magic Mountain of 1978 was about more than just rides. It also offered a plethora of entertainment options, including performances by various television stars and recording artists. If you were lucky enough to visit during the summer season, you could also enjoy fireworks every night.

The fine print on the left panel reveals Magic Mountain's original owners: Newhall Land and Farming Company. Boy, nothing spells theme park know-how like farming! But in all seriousness, they did a pretty darn good job by the time it was all said and done. (I'm sure the assistance they received from the folks at SeaWorld didn't hurt, either.)

"Where are the big rides? The big ones?"

Oh, come on--You were all thinking it too! 'Tis the roller coaster that the Griswold family made famous. But honestly, it didn't need them. Colossus did just fine on its own, opening as the world's largest dual-tracked wooden coaster in 1978. Unfortunately, as with many "est"s of the wooden variety, it also delivered its share of rider discomforts, which led to a number of reprofiling efforts in subsequent years. For better or worse, only those park patrons who rode this behemoth during its opening season got to experience the original Colossus.

And now for some more of those charming "independent park" idiosyncrasies. Before Bugs and the gang took over the joint, there were the trolls. That furry little critter in the upper right-hand corner (who apparently went by the name of Bloop) was one such inhabitant of Trollywood--not to be confused with that other famous place in California. According to this brochure, there was also a wizard lurking around somewhere. Something tells me he probably spent most of his time hanging out in Wizard's Village, one of two unique children's areas at the time.

For those families who wished to inject a little history lesson into their vacation, there was Spillikin Corners. Based on this description, I'd say it was Magic Mountain's version of Colonial Williamsburg. Oh, and did I mention the petting zoo? Magic Mountain had one of those too. You know, in case you got bored with their many great rides and shows. Variety is the spice of life, after all.

I always have to laugh when a California park advertises that it is X number of minutes from any other California attraction. If we all had private jets, maybe! But perhaps the gridlock of 1978 really did allow for a 25-minute commute from Hollywood. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. Sounds like it would have been worth the trip either way, though, with all of the other nearby attractions and activities listed here. Perhaps Clark Griswold should have worked some of those into his vacation plans!

Sabrina's Brochure Spotlight: Worlds of Fun 1995

The year 1995 was a turbulent one for Worlds of Fun, and I'm not just talking about their latest attraction. (More on that momentarily.) It was in June of that year that the park and its accompanying water park, Oceans of Fun, became Cedar Fair properties. But before that came to pass, this brochure was printed--which explains the distinctive lack of traditional Cedar Fair branding.

Even before Cedar Fair acquired controlling interest in these two parks, they were always on the lookout to expand their offerings. This year saw the addition of two new attractions--one at each park--but their creative team wasn't quite ready to let the cat out of the bag on the brochure cover. That would have been too easy. They're actually going to make us open it to discover what this "cyclone warning" business is all about. Horrors!! Well, if we must...

Hmm...This still doesn't explain exactly what those new attractions were, but at least now we have names: Cyclone Sam's Cloudpoofer 2000 and Captain Kidds. Allow me to unravel this mystery for you. Cyclone Sam's is an enclosed and heavily themed Chance Morgan Wipeout (you can read all about its background here), while Captain Kidds is an interactive children's water playground which takes the form of a pirate ship.

Combine those two attractions with the others pictured here (not to mention those whose names appear within the blue border) and "Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun might be too much fun for just one day!" Hey, wait a minute--"might be"? What's this "might be" stuff? Let's not get wishy-washy in our marketing, WoF! It's your job to convince me and the rest of the riding, sliding world that your fine amusement establishment IS too much fun for a single day. (Fortunately for you, I am easy to convince.)

Finally, a photo of that ever elusive kiddie pirate ship. There you have it, my friends: Captain Kidds, upper left-hand corner. When you've finished surveying all that Oceans of Fun had to offer in 1995 on the left panel, you'd better break out your microscopes for the right one. Virtually blind people such as myself do not appreciate fonts of this size! That's just cruel. Well, if nothing else, my contacts are good enough to tell you that Celebrate America, The Big Thrill, and Boo! Blast were the three big festivals featured at Worlds of Fun in 1995. As for the concerts and other fine print (pun definitely intended), you're on your own!

Sabrina's Brochure Spotlight: Pleasurewood Hills 2007

It's been quite a few months since SBS left the confines of the United States, so I decided it was high time for a little hop across the pond. This week we find ourselves on the east coast of England, in the friendly little town of Lowestoft. (I've never actually visited that part of England, but I'm going to give the locals the benefit of the doubt and assume they're friendly.)

Pleasurewood Hills is neither the largest nor the most well-known park in England, but it certainly seems to be a "big fish" in its immediate geographic area. As noted here, it was voted Best Attraction on the Sunrise Coast in 2006. And I'll tell you something else, these folks know how to market a new attraction. Can anybody guess what was new in 2007?

Time's up! Yes, it was Wwwwwwwwipeout. (Or "Wipeout", for short.) And yes, Wipeout is a Vekoma Boomerang, arguably the most tired of all one-trick pony coaster concepts. Yet Pleasurewood Hills found a way to make it look and sound like an awful lot of fun, and I get the impression that park patrons were not disappointed. Such are the benefits of being a lesser known, out-of-the-way park.

...And they're still marketing it. Seriously, this coaster really was a big deal for Pleasurewood! But as we progress through the brochure, you'll understand why. Prior to 2007, the park's biggest, baddest coaster was Enigma, a Schwarzkopf Jumbo V. (Although it was also home to a Reverchon spinning mouse for a handful of years.) You see, the "adventures" portrayed on these panels are just the right level of "thrilling" for this park.

Just as the last panel got an AC/DC song stuck in my head, this panel canceled it out with a little Donovan action. [Am I dating myself again? Oh come on, people! Everybody knows that catchy little tune known as "Mellow Yellow".] Pleasurewood's log flume actually goes by the name "Timber Falls" these days, but in 2007 it was still named after a soda...and a song which, I can assure you, was written many years before I was a twinkle in my mom's eye. Accompanying it here are photos of some of the park's other family friendly rides.

In addition to Wipeout, the Magic Circus also came to town in 2007. This spectacle featuring acrobats, magicians, and dancers provided a nice contrast to Pleasurewood's existing entertainment offerings, which appeared to be primarily of the animal variety.

Is that a cuddly park mascot I spy, keeping watch over the kiddie rides section of this brochure? As a matter of fact, it is! That's Woody Bear, and he'd like to assure you that even the smallest of patrons can have plenty of fun at Pleasurewood. Those food options don't sound too shabby, either, although I'll take a vanilla cone with rainbow sprinkles in place of that "afternoon cream tea", if ya don't mind.

Did you know that Lowestoft is the easternmost town in all of England? I didn't, until today. No wonder we don't hear about this park more often! It's a shame though, because it looks really cute. It takes parks of all shapes and sizes to make the world go 'round, and Pleasurewood Hills has a lot to offer for a park of its size.

Sabrina's Brochure Spotlight: Waldameer Park 2004

Since 2004, they've lost the "Park" portion of their name and gained a new logo. But don't let that old school look fool you. The Waldameer [Park] of 2004 was no slouch when it came to new thrills.

While the year of this brochure is not explicitly printed anywhere, I was told it was from 2004 by the person who gave it to me. And let's just say he would know! This was the "year of the dragon" in Erie, Pennsylvania. Not to be confused with its distant cousin in Japan, Waldameer's Steel Dragon arrived in the form of a Maurer Sohne spinning coaster which is featured prominently on this brochure cover.

The park's newest addition was in good company among its stellar selection of existing rides. And let's not forget about Water World. For a small, family-owned park, Waldameer has quite an impressive water park to its credit. As mentioned here, a plethora of picnic groves are also available to park patrons to complement that "good old-fashioned day at the park" vibe.

There's that Dragon, rearing its spinning head yet again. It's no hypercoaster, but it's a heck of a lot of fun and to this day it remains Waldameer's first and only major steel coaster. It truly is a great fit for the park.

Here you'll also find more details on that "quite impressive" water park. Boy, what I wouldn't give to float around that lazy river right now! Better not dwell on that wish for too long. Instead, I'll point out Waldameer's two--count 'em, TWO--classic dark rides, Pirate's Cove and Whacky Shack. Well, technically Pirate's Cove isn't a ride. It's a walk-through, and an entertaining one at that. If only there were more of these left in the world.

What makes a great park even greater? Location, location, location. And it doesn't get much better than this, folks. Waldameer is situated right along the Lake Erie shoreline, which makes for some lovely views from atop the park's taller rides. It's also conveniently located just south of the entrance to Presque Isle State Park, an added bonus which surely appeals to many patrons looking to turn their park experience into a full-blown trip.

As nice as Waldameer was in 2004, it's amazing to think about how far it has come in just six short years. Perhaps someday Steel Dragon will be joined by yet another major steel coaster.

Sabrina's Brochure Spotlight: Myrtle Beach Pavilion 1993

I just might shed a few tears while writing this week's SBS, and it has nothing to do with pregnancy hormones. (No really, I swear!!) It's just that my family spent many a summer vacation at Myrtle Beach while I was growing up, and thinking about the loss of the Pavilion still tugs at my heartstrings. But...Life goes on. Let's take a look at this historic landmark during its happier days in 1993.

"Twice the Thrill"? Why, whatever did they mean? Perhaps they were referring to the two brand new water attractions--Hydro Surge and Typhoon Plunge--which made their debut in 1993. It was twice the watery thrills and twice the thrills in general, from a wet/dry perspective. But that's not all that was new at the Pavilion in '93.

As you can see, the Pavilion Amusement Park had just undergone a major expansion. In addition to the new water rides, they had also added a race track and a second children's area. If that artwork is to scale, these additions effectively doubled the size of the park. The Pavilion I had grown up with was...well, all grown up!

Moving from the new to the improved, the park's Haunted Inn dark ride was also celebrating its grand reopening as the Haunted Hotel following a multi-year renovation effort. The retheming looked nice and all (and I'm sure the updated ride experience was equally impressive), but I'll always associate this ride with its original facade. You know, the one with those bony skeleton fingers sticking out of it!

I concur: The Myrtle Beach Pavilion Amusement Park was "family fun", even before the great expansion of 1993. Here we see its former location, in all its oceanside glory. Personally, I always felt that the Rainbow afforded the best view of the surf. But if that wasn't up your alley, there were plenty of other rides and amusements to pick from. It was nice to go back, if only for a few paragraphs!

Sabrina's Brochure Spotlight: Elitch Gardens 1990

Before there was Elitch Gardens, there was...well, Elitch Gardens! Or perhaps I should just refer to it as "Elitch's". If this more informal moniker was good enough for their 1990 brochure cover, then it's good enough for me.

The year 1990 marked a century of "fun" at Elitch's original location. According to RCDB, it also marked the opening of the Arrow launched loop coaster known as Sidewinder (a transplant from Magic Springs & Crystal Falls), which is pictured here. Despite the new coaster's prominent placement in this brochure, I'm a little confused as to why they didn't make a bigger deal out of it. I mean, where's all the "NEW FOR 1990!" verbiage and so on? Both the date of this brochure and the opening date of Sidewinder are now suspect...

Would it be appropriate to completely ignore the copy accompanying this photo and simply chuckle at the fashions and hairstyles of 1990? Probably not, but I'm going to do it anyway. Heck, they even appear to be laughing at themselves.

Here's where the "fun" part comes in--The original Elitch's had cotton candy, colorful metallic wigs, and a ball crawl! Now that's what I'm talking about. Oh, and they had some rides too. Quite a few, in fact, including a particular wooden coaster known as Twister (that's Mr. Twister to you) which was ranked as the number three coaster in the country at that time. By whom? I have no idea. But this ride's reputation has earned it a spot on my "Top 10 Defunct Coasters I Wish I Could Have Ridden" list. Check out Scott and Carol's recent Blast feature for more info on this John Allen masterpiece.

The Kiddieland Kanoe Ride is advertised as being brand new this year, which again begs the question of why there was no love shown for Sidewinder. There's got to be a date discrepancy somewhere, and you all know how those drive me bananas.

This brochure stresses that there was much more to Elitch's than the rides. Of particular note were the flower gardens, which gave the park its name. The "working clock made entirely of living plants" is actually visible in one of the photos included in the previous image.

Here you can see Elitch's original location, at West 38th Avenue and Tennyson Street. Little did all those fun-loving guests know that the park had only four years left at that location by the time this brochure was printed.

Special events in 1990 included KidStuff, July Jam, Best Fest, and the Century Celebration, which marked Elitch's 100-year milestone. Now if you've done the math, you'll realize that this makes 2010 the park's 120th anniversary. Of course, technically speaking, the Elitch Gardens of today isn't really the same park. But it grew out of the original, so I guess it counts! The folks at PARC Management certainly think so, and a section of the park's web site has even been dedicated to the event. If you happen to be in the Denver area this summer, be sure to stop by and help them celebrate!

Sabrina's Brochure Spotlight: Paramount's Kings Island 2000

This week the spotlight is on Ohio. Unfortunately, this brochure's creative design doesn't lend itself very well to a screen presentation so you'll just have to imagine how sweet it would look if you were to unfold it in your hands!

These images of happy families and cartoon characters stand in stark contrast to the menacing glare of Paramount's Kings Island's newest instrument of terror. The year was 2000, and a "Son" had been born. Some might argue that this wooden behemoth more closely resembled the spawn of Satan than that of the park's legendary Beast roller coaster, but that's a whole 'notha debate.

Son of Beast opened as the tallest, fastest, and only looping wooden roller coaster in the world. As long as we're throwing around "est"s, it was also the second longest, outdistanced only by its daddy across the park. As if the application of such adjectives to a WOODEN coaster isn't frightening enough, check out the baby carriage! Creeeeeepy.

...and it's even creepier when the full image is revealed! Personally, I'll never forget my first impression of this ride. It looked every bit as massive as it appears in this graphic. There's just something spooky about a wooden structure of this magnitude. Little did I know that the ride experience itself was to be equally feared, or at least that's how my spine felt by the time it was all said and done. This SOB was painful! [Seriously, has any other coaster ever boasted such an appropriate acronym?]

Surely I don't need to recap all the madness and mayhem that have surrounded this ride over the past decade. It seems Sonny's lack of widespread popularity, combined with his short but unfortunate history of injuries and lawsuits, have doomed him. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if "SBNO" turned into just plain gone within the next couple years. Practicality aside, it really will be a shame to see such an engineering marvel meet its maker, regardless of how questionable that engineering may have been. It really was an awesome coaster....to LOOK at.

I suppose the "whole family of fun" verbiage was intended to be a fitting follow-up to all that talk of sons, eh? Well let's embrace it and revisit those happy families and cartoon characters from the brochure cover. Obviously Son of Beast was the main attraction in 2000, but the park also had a special treat in store for the kids: The arrival of Eliza and Donnie of Wild Thornberrys fame. Eliza even treated them to a "Rainforest Insect Adventure", a walk-through attraction featuring robotic insects which ran for a little over a month that year.

Unbeknownst to me, apparently IAAPA also proclaimed 2000 to be the international year of the carousel. Consequently, Kings Island wanted to make darn sure that potential visitors were aware of their classic PTC carousel. But given the level of detail put into this brochure, I doubt that awareness of any of this park's rides or attractions was an issue for anybody who picked one up.

And now for the really fine print. When I got to the end of this brochure, it suddenly hit me that Kings Island's brand new signature (or so they thought) woodie had somehow managed to elude the corporate name game. Given the heavy saturation of Paramount theming which had overtaken the park by this time, that's pretty amazing. If nothing else, they get bonus points for originality!

Sabrina's Brochure Spotlight: Canobie Lake Park 2007

Canobie Lake Park didn't quite make it into Mike's action-packed New England trip itinerary, but I'm sure I could convince him to make the journey with me someday when I'm back in proper riding form! Let's take a peek at what the year 2007 held for this park.

It's colorful. It's thrilling. And apparently, it's too extreme for proper spelling. It's the Xtreme Frisbee, and it made its debut at Canobie Lake in 2007. This Huss crowd pleaser is capable of taking up to 40 passengers at a time on its swinging, spinning journey.

Being a classic park and all, it's only fitting that Canobie Lake went for the Polaroid effect in this brochure. Love it. I've used it myself on numerous occasions. Wait....Do you guys even know what Polaroids are? I know some of you do, but as for the rest, I guess I've really dated myself! Wow. Time to change the subject FAST.

So as I was saying, Canobie Lake Park has been around for a while--Since 1902, to be exact. Over the past 100+ years, they've really built up a nice collection of rides. While they don't have a water park per se, guests can certainly get their H2O fix at Castaway Island (pictured in the upper left-hand corner). This massive water play structure, billed as New England's largest, was added in 2005.

Here's an even closer look at Castaway Island, along with some of Canobie's other rides and attractions. The park's two "big boy" coasters--Canobie Corkscrew and Yankee Cannonball--are both in attendance, offering guests some classic thrills. Also pictured are the Skater, Boston Tea Party (a shoot the chutes style flume), and Antique Carousel. They aren't lying about the "antique" part, either. This carousel is only one year younger than the park, having opened in 1903.

See how easy it is to get to this park from just about anywhere in New England, Mike? I smell a follow-up trip! Just sayin'...

Sabrina's Brochure Spotlight: Adventureland 2008

It's not a mythical park of the '80s, nor is it located in Pennsylvania. This week we'll take a look at the real Adventureland. Or at least, one of them!

That adorable little creature on this brochure cover does not go by the name "Kokomo", although you might be inclined to think that Adventureland's new-for-2008 attraction was named after him judging from the way he's grinning (drooling?) from ear to ear. That's Bernie Bernard, Adventureland's official park mascot, and he'll show us more in a minute.

Before we move on, let's take a moment to appreciate some of Adventureland's other fine rides. Tornado, the park's veteran woodie, is a Bill Cobb design that joined Adventureland's line-up in 1978. It shares the brochure cover spotlight with Sidewinder, Raging River, and Space Shot.

This brochure is painfully light on copy, but its photos certainly give the impression that Adventureland has a little something for everyone in the family. The headliner in 2008 was Kokomo Kove, the first attraction to be added to the park's brand new Adventure Island area. This water play structure, a WhiteWater West creation, stands approximately 65 feet tall and features the usual array of jets, slides, bridges, and the like. The public's tremendous positive response to Kokomo Kove fueled the decision to turn Adventure Island into a full-fledged water park with the addition of Adventure Bay in 2010. In fact, the park posted its highest attendance figures to date in 2008.

Now we've already established that this park is not located in Pennsylvania, but had they included its actual location in this brochure, you might still be wondering! You see, "just east of Des Moines" translates into Altoona, Iowa. If memory servers, Altoona, PA is also a hot bed of amusement park goodness...

But I digress. Bernie Bernard likes his guests to enjoy a good night's sleep following their wet and wild escapades, and Adventureland Resort fits the bill perfectly. Comprised of the Adventureland Inn and Adventureland Campground, this park's official resort provides ample lodging options for its patrons. I'm sure both will be maxed out this summer with the debut of Adventure Bay!

Sabrina's Brochure Spotlight: Fantasy Island (year unknown)

The most exciting thing happened this past weekend: I set foot inside a park!! No, I haven't lost interest in the industry. (Nor have I lost my marbles, although I seem to lose more and more of those by the hour). It's just that I'm "riding for two" these days, which translates into no riding whatsoever...until this fall, anyway, if I'm lucky! So as you might imagine, I'm going through a bit of withdrawal. A stroll through Beach Haven's Fantasy Island was just what the doctor ordered, and I decided to keep that positive energy flowing right into this week's brochure feature.

This cute little park is tucked away near the south end of Long Beach Island. Although it's geared primarily toward young children (which I suppose I'll appreciate more in the coming years!), it continues to draw crowds well into the evening hours during busy summer weekends. I can't recall exactly when or where I got this particular brochure, but I'm pretty sure it was within the past few years.

"Magic, music, reptiles, and robots". (Oh my?) Neither ruby slippers nor your hard-earned cash are required to enjoy Fantasy Island's free entertainment options. You will, however, have to shell out just a little bit to enjoy this park's well-kept rides. A couple of its family-oriented offerings are pictured here, alongside some of the kiddie selections.

And by the way, they aren't kidding about the brand-name electronics in their arcade. We took a stroll through that building as well, and spied a ginormous flat screen TV just sitting around waiting for some lucky patron to earn the three bazillion tickets required to "purchase" it. (Hey, they don't promise to give the stuff away!)

In addition to games, games, and more games, Fantasy Island also features a custom designed carousel whose horses were crafted from molds that date all the way back to the 1900s.

This quaint little park may not give you an adrenaline rush, but it truly is a gem. For a much more detailed account of everything Fantasy Island has to offer, check out my trip report from last summer. (What's a "trip report" again? Perhaps someday I'll be able to write another one of those!)

Sabrina's Brochure Spotlight: Kennywood 1985

Don't be fooled--The photos you are about to see really aren't stills from Adventureland! This is what Kennywood really looked like in the '80s.

Can anybody guess what Kennywood's newest attraction was back in 1985? Alright, they made that one too easy. But in case your brain has already shut itself off in anticipation of the upcoming three-day weekend (for those of you in the States, anyway), they're going to spell it out for you...

Raging Rapids, Kennywood's rendition of the Intamin rapids ride, burst onto the Pittsburgh scene this year. It's a good thing too, because summers can be downright sweltering in Pennsylvania. Want proof? I rode Raging Rapids with a friend on one of those 100-or-so-degree days just a few short years ago, and we were both bone dry in less than two hours!

It always struck me as funny that Kennywood used to count Log Jammer as a roller coaster. They weren't shy about marketing it that way, either. When I pulled out this brochure, I found a small write-up about the park that I had stapled to it all those years ago (which I believe came from a AAA guide book). It proclaimed that Kennywood had four roller coasters and a "water coaster". Had we been living in the age of the internet back then, imagine the controversies this claim would have spawned amongst enthusiasts!

Oh yeah, and in addition to those FIVE roller coasters, the park had some other attractions too. It's unfortunate that these photos are so small, because there are quite a few classics to be seen here. Not all of these rides have survived to the present day, but the return of the Bayern Kurve in 2009 reminds us that with Kennywood, there is always hope! This park's appreciation and preservation of classic rides is virtually unparalleled in the industry today, and that's even more refreshing than a rapids ride in my book.

Looking at this map is bringing back painful memories of the horrible traffic Mike and I encountered getting into and out of Kennywood last summer. The never-ending construction in this state rivals the oppressive heat!! Too bad there's not a ride capable of fixing THAT problem. [cue foreshadowing of future post] If only I had a Sky Rocket...

Sabrina's Brochure Spotlight: Holiday World 2006

When I first saw the news about the untimely passing of Holiday World's Will Koch, I was absolutely floored. As a matter of fact, I'm still having a hard time believing it. While I never had the pleasure of meeting Will, I doubt that anyone who follows the industry does not feel some kind of connection with this man. 'Tis the Holiday World way to make all of its past, present, and potential future visitors feel like family, and Will certainly excelled at that. This week I decided to honor his legacy in my own small way by selecting a brochure that showcases one of the defining moments of his career at Holiday World: the debut of The Voyage.

Did you know that Will Koch is formally considered to be one of The Voyage's designers? Sure, he didn't engineer it. That task fell into the very capable hands of the gentlemen at The Gravity Group. But it was Will's vision that drove the project from conception until completion. No Will = no Voyage. Perish the thought!!

No one can accuse Holiday World of not supporting local businesses! Their brochures could double as lodging guides. International Applause Award-winning parks tend to attract more than just local visitors, and they're going to need somewhere to sleep.

Holiday World's new mega-woodie would open as the anchor ride for an entirely new themed area: Thanksgiving. I'll tell you right now that I was giving thanks for a LONG time after I finally had a chance to ride this coaster in 2008! Just a few of The Voyage's impressive stats are mentioned here, and you can bet your bottom dollar that Will played a critical role in selecting many of them.

But The Voyage did not stand alone. Gobbler Getaway, an interactive dark ride, also opened with this section of the park in 2006. That's one heck of a 60th anniversary celebration!

...And it ain't over yet. Splashin' Safari got its share of the anniversary pie in the form of Bahari River, billed as "an adventure river ride".

As I'm sure you've noticed, this spread is littered with Golden Ticket Awards. Holiday World just can't seem to stop winning them, so why not flaunt them? Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that the park already laid claim to the #5 (Raven) and #7 (Legend) ranked wooden coasters in the world when they unveiled The Voyage. It's truly a rarity to find that many great wooden coasters in a single park. Couple that with fantastic theming, a highly regarded water park, and the friendly, personalized service of the Koch family and you've got yourself a must-visit attraction.

If there were a Golden Ticket Award for most colorful driving map in a brochure, Holiday World would win that one every year as well. Perhaps one for most detailed visitor information, too.

Although Holiday World has suffered a tremendous loss this month, I have no doubt that it will persevere and continue to deliver the same superior guest experience that first put it on the map. Will's presence and influence will be sorely missed, but The Voyage's legions of loyal fans (myself included) will continue to silently thank him for many, many years to come.