Last Sunday I went to Paramount’s Great America, here are my impressions of the rides (and how many times I rode each one):
Top Gun (x3) – An inverted coaster (rail above you, feet dangling) and probably the best ride at the park. The ride seems so fast and smooth; spiraling just above the lake was a blast!
Psycho Mouse (x2) – Mouse coasters hold a special place in my heart since Mad Mouse at Oaks Park was my first rollercoaster. This one was excellent, the hairpin turns at high heights made me cringe (and squeal) and the drops were gut wrenching.
The Demon (x3) – An older ride that hits all the stops and is made immensely better by the theme/terrain. The first drop goes straight into two loops followed by a second drop that ends in a double corkscrew. Good... but the caves!! Directly after the second loop, the coaster goes into a barely tall enough tunnel (it looks like it’s going to chop your head off!) The second tunnel starts at the end of the second drop, right when the corkscrew starts. As you emerge from the tunnel, you are sideways and there’s a waterfall RIGHT next to your head! It really freaked me out since I couldn’t see where I was going and I definitely wasn’t expecting water!
The Grizzly (x1) – Mark this down as the last wooden rollercoaster I’ll ever ride. These oldies are SERIOUS gut shakers; they’re intense because they’re painful! I almost didn’t go on this one because of my previous experience with woodies, but I thought this time might be different... nope. Pain.
Vortex (x2) – A stand-up coaster, too shaky and rough for my tastes. It wasn’t as bad as The Grizzly, but it hurt too much to be fun... The only reason I rode this one twice was because I was distracted on the first ride when my headphones popped off!
SpongeBob 3D (x1) – A 3D SpongeBob movie with motion seats; it was fun but short. The best part was the bicycle ride through downtown Bikini Bottom; I really felt like I was there!
Invertigo (x1) – This baby is intense! It’s an inverted boomerang coaster with a loop & the half turny thingy that is common on these types. The insane thing is you return through the loops going backwards! I have never felt such weird sensations; I’d think the loop was over and then my guts would get pulled in a new and weird direction! I would have ridden this one more than once, but it was broken down for most of the day...
