A Quick Trip to Valleyfair

This is from a trip that took place in August of 2019. I am writing a recap about it now

This post starts just like the last one….I had to travel to Minneapolis for business with a coworker. We were to be in town August 6^th through the 8^th. Now, as a Cedar Fair Platinum Pass Holder (and Unit Holder, but we’ll save that for a later post), I had every intention on trying to find time to get over to Valleyfair in nearby Shakopee (and my coworker also loves coasters). However, due to storms that had been pounding the Twin Cities area, our flight was delayed leaving. Once we finally did get airborne, we had to take the long way around to get to MSP, flying south and looping up around the storms, making our way over Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and even South Dakota before landing in Minneapolis. A flight which usually takes one hour ended up taking close to three.

We ended up landing just before 9 PM CDT at MSP, way too late for Valleyfair. As we made our way to the hotel shuttle area, we had discussed running over to the Mall of America for dinner and maybe a drink at our favorite Western themed bar there, but decided to pass. We were just extremely tired and we knew the hotel (which we stay at almost every time we are in Minneapolis on business) had a nice bar & grill (and the company covered the tab). We opted to just eat at the hotel after check-in. Now, we always end up staying at the Crowne Plaza AiRE in Bloomington, which is right next to the airport and just a few blocks from the Mall of America. This hotel is one of my favorites. They are terrific hosts and all of our classes (where we do not need to be at the airport) are held in the rooms right there. I also, obviously, love the aviation theme of the hotel. This was also my first visit to the hotel since they renovated the restaurant and renamed it the “AiRECraft Bar & Grill” (I was in town two weeks prior for business as well, but ended up staying over in Eagan). This new restaurant had a terrific atmosphere and great service. Now, full disclosure here…I do not remember what I had for dinner that night, but it was a very good burger (I do recall that, just not what type of burger). Also, I, believe it or not, did not have a beer with dinner. I drank mostly water…and two double whiskey sours (I had to…was a long day). We were ready to call it a night after that.

The next day was dedicated to work for most of the day. We had a quick breakfast at AiRECraft and then were stuck in classes for the rest of the day before a quick lunch provided by the hotel. After that, we had to head to the airport for more hands-on instruction. Once we returned to the hotel, we ran to the business center super quick. We had to get my coworkers ticket printed out. As a Platinum Pass Holder, I can get “Bring-a-Friend” ticket deals. So we purchased one for him and printed it out as I called an Uber to take us over to Shakopee. We got picked up at the hotel around 5 PM and around 5:40 PM, we were walking through the park entrance (thank you Uber driver Bashir for getting us there safely and rather quickly, navigating rush hour traffic). We had 4 hours to get stuff done as the park closed at 9 PM.

Now, first impressions…you can definitely tell you’re at a Cedar Fair park as you arrive (the logo, Snoopy, PEANUTS etc….). The park skyline is really interesting, filled with the tower rides and coasters. The front entrance is very homey and doesn’t have a super corporate feel to it. Beyond that, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had seen some videos on the park and read a few trip reports, but I was just hell bent on enjoying the the evening, no matter what.

We entered through the front gate and passed over a lot of the big rides to head to the back of the park. We wanted to get back there to ride one ride in particular. Seeing as it is generally back by itself, I had heard it sometimes ends up closing early (it is tucked back behind the water park). This coaster, of course, is Excalibur. Excalibur has been rumored to be on the chopping block for quite some time, even being mentioned in planning documents with the City of Shakopee. The plan (which was filed two years ago and has not been put in place) would call for the removal of Excalibur to be able to add a second parking lot back there for the waterpark and to also be able to expand the waterpark. The waterpark here is Soak City (much like the former name of the now Cedar Point Shores, another Cedar Fair park). While we didn’t visit Soak City today (it is, however, included with park admission), the waterpark has a nice selection of slides and attractions. However, it is quite a small waterpark…probably among the smallest in the chain with most everything crammed together. Still a good waterpark, but an expansion would be good for it here. At any rate, we found the entrance for this Arrow classic and gave it a whirl.

Excalibur (Arrow Dynamics Steel Special Coaster Systems Hybrid Coaster): The coaster was a walk-on, so we decided to take a front seat ride. This coaster was built by Arrow Dynamics and it opened in 1989. It was the last of the three Special Coaster Systems the company ever built (with the first being the first modern steel coaster, Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland, and the other being the famous Gemini at Cedar Point). With that said, much like Gemini, this is a hybrid coaster with wooden supports but steel track, much like their Mine Train coasters (but this is not a mine train). Once strapped in to the train (which is a lot like Gemini with an individual seat belt, individual lap bars and then a padded bar to hold on to), we dropped out of the station on a shallow drop and began our right turn towards the lift hill. We climbed up 100 feet and then dropped 105 feet (slight elevation change) at a 60 degree angle, reaching a top speed of 54.5 miles per hour. The first drop delivers some pretty good air time, surprisingly, and the trim brake at the top does not ruin it at all. The first banked turn does provide a bit of good laterals, but also feels a bit rough (despite also having a pop of air). From there, the coaster follows the rest of the figure eight pattern, filled with low to the ground banks (featuring some good laterals) and some drawn out airtime hills that provide some decent floater air (and at one point, some decent ejector air). You can definitely tell that this was designed before the age of computers, when everything was drawn and bent by hand and not machine (though, I will say that this is a very unique Ron Toomer/Arrow design). Overall, I love this coaster. While it may not live up to a lot of modern coasters, it is an above average coaster that I will sorely miss if its removed soon. (7.0/10.0)

We walked by Thunder Canyon (while I love these Intamin Rapids rides, we just didn’t have the time to do it) and continued on down the path until we hit what I believe is the best coaster at Valleyfair…..RENEGADE! (Scott agrees too!)

Renegade (Great Coasters International Wooden Out-and-Back Twister Coaster): Renegade had a bit of a line, but it was ok…it gave me a chance to admire the amazing structure of this coaster (and the fun western theme, which it shares with the other Cedar Fair coaster that opened in 2007…Maverick). In addition, that station fly by always provided some nice noise and action whenever a train flew by. It really helped us get pumped up for the ride. Renegade was one of the first GCI coasters to feature the new Millennium Flyer trains, which do really help give this coaster a smooth-ish ride (you don’t want super smooth though, its a woodie…we need a bit of a rough ride). I also like the overall appearance of the trains, especially with RENEGADE spelled out largely on the front. At any rate, we strapped in to the Millennium Flyers (a seatbelt and a usual millennium flyer type lap bar), seated near the front of the train, and the ride began. The ride begins with a left turn out of the station where the speed picks up a bit before a nice little drop prior to the lift, which provides a brief moment of minimal air plus slight laterals. We climbed the 97.5 foot tall lift hill and were faced with the upcoming 91.4 foot drop. Now, if you didn’t know, this coaster has a rather unique first drop, which is probably my favorite element on the coaster honestly (and it was the first coaster to feature such a drop). You begin the drop by turning to the right, but then the track twists to the left about halfway down, sending the train on its upcoming course as it reaches its top speed of 51.3 miles per hour. The drop starts off with some pretty good airtime but then becomes an extreme lateral fest, its truly a unique experience. You turn out of the drop and enter an airtime hill that provides some good floater air before entering an overbanked turn, where you face some good ejector air as you exit the turn with a subtle drop, then its fun floater (with some moments of ejector) and overbanks with laterals all the way back towards the station. Then its time for the finale…a nice pop of airtime as you enter an overbank before sending you flying through the station, ending with some crazy airtime and a tight banked turn into the brake run. Wow! What a ride! The coaster is smooth but still offers that traditional wooden ride, and I truly love it. This coaster is a definite 9 out of 10 and is a must-ride. The tagline “Outlaw Coaster” definitely fits. The best coaster at Valleyfair, in my opinion (9.0/10.0)

After such a great and intense ride, we knew what we wanted to ride next. Wild Thing had pretty much been staring us down. I had the All-Season Drink Pass on my Season Pass, and my coworker was thirsty too, so we swung by the nearest Coca-Cola Fountain Drink Stand, which was in front of Looping Starship (which is a RARE Intamin ride that I really wish we would’ve rode when we were there as it was closed at the end of the 2019 season and removed). We received our drinks (normal fountain drink, not Freestyle like at Cedar Point) and we began the walk over to Wild Thing, which may not seem like a far walk, but it is a tad bit of a trek. We walked by Mad Mouse, where the dinosaur nerd in me noticed a Pachycephalosaurus. I stopped and grabbed a quick snap of it. Of course, this was meant to help drive people towards the Dinosaurs Alive attraction. The reason I snapped the photo wasn’t just because I was a dinosaur nerd. But, I knew that Dinosaurs Alive would either be closing that season or the next season. It was one of the last ones standing as it was. SPOILER ALERT: It was the final season. The attraction closed after ValleySCARE in October 2019.

Anyway, we continued the walk and kept on drinking. We were thirsty and had finished our drinks by the time we got to this magnificent looking Hyper Coaster. We entered the queue for Wild Thing and were met with our longest coaster wait time of the day (but not the longest wait overall, more on that later…).

Wild Thing (D.H. Morgan Steel Out-and-Back Hyper Coaster) – Here it was, the second Hyper Coaster built in the Cedar Fair chain. Opening in 1996, seven years after the world’s first hyper coaster (and original hyper coaster in the chain) Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point opened (1989). The coaster was built by D.H. Morgan Manufacturing (and designed by Steve Okamoto) and was actually not only just the company’s first Hyper Coaster, but the company’s first coaster to open (opening one week before the Santa Monica West Coaster). It was the 5^th tallest coaster in the world when it opened. Anyway…I just love the Wild Thing logo outside the station (even though its a rather generic station). Finally, it was our time to ride and we rode towards the rear of the train. We secured our seatbelts and lap bars and away we went. A slight dip out of the station and a curve to the left and we were climbing up the lift hill. 207 feet later, we were met, face to face, with a 60 degree drop…196 feet down. The drop provides some good air on the way down, along with some pretty good positive G forces at the base of the hill as we reached our top speed of 75 miles per hour. We then entered the second hill, which is 103 feet tall and is an extremely drawn out parabolic airtime hill….this hill provides the best part of the ride, honestly. The hill is filled with nothing but floater airtime all the way over it. From there, the train climbs a 130 foot hill and begins a left turn into a figure-eight style turnaround. This portion of the ride is glass smooth but doesn’t feature much in the way of G-Forces, but the speed does pickup as you come out of the element, which does make it rather enjoyable. But, that happens just before you climb into the mid-course brake run (MCBR). However, some fun begins right out of the MCBR. The drop out has a tad bit of air, but then we enter the airtime hills that run back towards the station. Now, these airtime hills aren’t on the level of having amazing ejector air (like on Magnum) but they do have some decent pops of air for sure (with one having a bit of ejector). One of the hills, and I’m not sure which one, feels a bit steeper than some of the others and provide a moment of air at the top, but then a brief moment of some insane air on the drop into the pull out. Then, of course, any airtime hill in a tunnel always feels intense. After exiting the tunnel, one more airtime hill is hit and then the brake run. Wild Thing is definitely a solid hyper coaster and it was the parks flagship attraction for awhile. While I enjoy it, Renegade is definitely the superior ride…but I can honestly say that Wild Thing, while not being super intense, is a good and fun ride! (8.0/10.0)

Once we exited Wild Thing (and viewed our rather hilarious photo proving we were enjoying the coaster), we decided to take a break from coasters and ride the park’s S&S Screaming Swing ride…Xtreme Swing.

Xtreme Swing (S&S Power Screamin’ Swing) – I just love S&S Screamin’ Swings. They are among my favorite flat rides. This version opened the same year as Skyhawk at Cedar Point and is slightly smaller (note, I mean slightly. Skyhawk stands 103 feet tall and opened as the tallest ride of its kind in Cedar Point fasion…Xtreme Swing opened at 100 feet tall. Both rides, however, swing to approximately the same height, 125 feet). We had a bit of a queue, but nothing to terrible (and not as long as what we had just waited for Wild Thing). Once we were secured in our seats, you heard the pneumatic air ramp up and our movement began. What I like about these types of rides is that it really doesn’t take long for them to get going. As the speed continues to pick up and you approach the top speed of 60 mph, and as you climb toward the max height of 125 feet, you begin to experience more positive G’s at the bottom and more airtime at the top part of the swing cycle. Personally, the ride experience on this large model is identical to Skyhawk and I wouldn’t be able to choose between the two because they are so alike. At any rate, solid ride as usual. To me, the more intense parts of these rides are not when you are facing beyond vertical towards the ground, but rather when you are facing towards the sky. That brief moment when you stop and begin to fall backwards gives some intense floater air that feels like you will fly forward out of your seat. As a kid, I loved swings at the park, and this is a swing set more my style now! (9.5/10.0)

Once we exited Xtreme Swing, we literally just went right next door to Power Tower, another S&S Power Ride.

Power Tower (S&S Power Combo Tower – Turbo Drop & Space Shot) – While this ride shares the same name with sister attraction at Cedar Point, its appearance is much different. First, Valleyfair’s attraction only has three towers, whereas Cedar Point has four. Second, while they share the same height (275 feet), Cedar Point’s drops 240 feet while Valleyfair’s drops 250 feet. All negligible in the grand scheme of things, which we will get in to in a second. This ride had our longest wait time of the day. They were operating two of the towers and we had elected to ride the Turbo Drop side. Space Shot’s line was much shorter, but we didn’t really have time to do both, so Turbo Drop was the choice. We were assigned our seats, after a roughly half hour wait, and we were given the side facing towards the queue/facing towards Renegade. We heard the pneumatic air kick up and we started ascending the 275 foot tower. Interesting thing to note, this is the tallest ride in Minnesota. The FAA (due to the nearby Flying Cloud Airport) has a restriction in place that Valleyfair cannot build above 275 feet, and this attraction maxes that height limit out. As we continued to climb, the rest of the parks attractions started getting smaller and smaller, as did the trees….the tons of trees that surround the park (for what seems like miles). This is the part that makes this version a bit more creepier than Cedar Points. For Cedar Point’s, you have vibrant midways surrounding the attraction. Sure you see Lake Erie surrounding the park, but you also had other towering rides around, like Top Thrill Dragster, WindSeeker & Millennium Force…all of which are taller than Power Tower. However, here, it was eerily quiet. You could just see the forests for miles and you were staring down at Wild Thing, which appeared to dwarf in comparison to where you were at (though this view made me really, at least briefly before we were thrusted downward, admire Renegade’s layout). After we reached the top, and a brief pause, we were thrusted downward via the air, at 50 miles per hour in a 250 foot drop, experiencing -1 g as we exceeded free fall. We quickly bounced slightly back up and we were then lowered to the ground to deboard. These rides are always enjoyable, no matter what side you decide to ride. The extended period of negative G’s where you spend the entire time out of your seat on the fall makes these rides so intense (plus, not knowing when the drop will begin). All in all, the ride experience is pretty much identical to Cedar Point’s, despite having a slightly larger plunge. Always recommend these rides (9.0/10.0)

Once we got off Power Tower, we noted that we probably had time for one or two more rides before we had to get an Uber set to take us back to Bloomington (my phone was also sucky at the time and was on its last leg, so I had to square the Uber away rather quickly). We had a choice to make. We could either walk back through Planet Snoopy and hit up the parks oldest operating coaster, High Roller, or we could make our way up towards the front of the park and ride something like Steel Venom, Delirious, or North Star. Delirious & North Star were rather new, and Steel Venom is an Intamin Inverted Impulse (though, its a rare breed in the fact that the rear vertical spike still has a function holding brake). We decided to skip the front and head on over to High Roller (whether it was a good choice or not is up to opinion). Mad Mouse & Corkscrew weren’t considered “options” because Corkscrew is your classic Arrow Development Corkscrew coaster and Mad Mouse was your regular Arrow Mad Mouse coaster (which we have both of in Michigan, though Valleyfair’s Corkscrew is more similar to Cedar Points). At any rate, High Roller spoke to us for some reason.

As we walked through Planet Snoopy, I saw quite a few families having fun on the area rides. Valleyfair has a really nice Planet Snoopy and think it is a perfect kiddie/family area, especially with High Roller being located within it, which is a medium thriller and not too intense. A pretty good coaster for a kid getting ready to graduate on to larger thrills. With that, we entered the line for High Roller and were waited with a few trains wait.

High Roller (Rauenhorst & International Amusement Devices Out & Back Wooden Coaster) – Now, a little bit of history on this coaster before I get into the ride experience. This is presently the oldest operating roller coaster at Valleyfair. It opened with the park in 1976 and was one of two coasters at the park (the other one was just known as Kiddie Coaster, which was renamed Mild Thing in 1995 before being removed in 2010). This was the thrilling coaster at the park for awhile. In addition, this woodie was built by the Rauenhorst Corporation (now known as Opus Development), who is more known for development of the Capella Tower and Ameriprise Financial Center in Downtown Minneapolis. This was the ONLY coaster that Rauenhorst ever built, though they did help construct many of the original rides at Valleyfair. In addition, the coaster was designed by International Amusement Devices, Inc, who had just changed names from National Amusement Devices after a sale. This went on to become the ONLY coaster ever designed by the company (under that name) as well, as they began to focus more so on park design and brokering rides afterwards. That makes this a rather rare coaster. We got a front row ride on this old dog too. We got strapped in with our seatbelts and lap bars, and away we went! We picked up a bit of speed as we continued to turn to the right before getting to the bottom of the lift hill. We climbed to the coasters height of 70 feet, before plunging down the drop at a 52 degree angle, reaching the coasters top speed of 50 miles per hour. We climbed the second hill, where we were met with a trim and chain, which slowed the coaster down a bit, but provided a little pop of airtime when we were still moving at a decent speed. That second drop provides a bit of air too before entering another intense pull out and then up, but, once again, we were met with trims and chain before entering the turnaround. I was really wondering if it was a good idea to ride this over the other options we had. It had been a little intense G-wise on some of the pullouts, but the coaster felt a bit rough, and with the trims, the airtime wasn’t what it could’ve been. I was half anticipating the return trip to be just like coming out, but then it happened…we started picking up speed on the turnaround and then we were met with three airtime hills, taken at a high enough speed, to have some terrific airtime. The ride had redeemed itself. Following that, we entered another turn (while this coaster is an out-and-back, it has “L” shape to it too), where we were met with a trim, but this was followed by another good airtime hill (YAY!) before climbing into the final turn and returning to the station. All-in-all, High Roller is a fun ride. It gets a 6 out of 10 from me. That is not a bad rating and it is a terrific, classic coaster that is perfect for the whole family. Kids can definitely treat this coaster as a stepping stone and it does provide some decent airtime. (6.0/10.0)

Once we got off High Roller, we were approaching closing time. I was ready to get back to the hotel for dinner and a beer. I offered to at least go up by the area adjacent to the entrance so my buddy Scott could ride Steel Venom, but declined and also decided we should head back. As we walked towards the front entrance, I continued to take in Valleyfair’s charm. We walked by the parks Ferris Wheel, which was just starting to light up. This Ferris Wheel has such a unique appearance. It does not look like many other parks Ferris Wheels (it does not stand as high (around 85 feet) and their gondola’s look rather unique). I just like its appearance and it adds to the charm. We continued walking and we stopped and admired the entrance area to Dinosaurs Alive. As I told Scott, this would be leaving soon. As we walked by and watched The Wave make a big splash, I got the Uber squared away. We stopped at the bathroom really quick before exiting the park and then waited for our Uber to arrive. I stood there and admired the parks skyline for awhile, with twisted Intamin goodness, two tall towers and Wild Thing standing sky high. As I turned around, I noticed that they had setup a T-Rex on the outskirts of the Dinosaurs Alive area and the parking lot. It looked as if this T-Rex was trying to escape. One leg was over the park fence and the rest back within the park. Now, this was designed to entice people to check out Dinosaurs Alive (they’d see it from the parking lot and then decide to get tickets to it once within the park), however, I couldn’t help but realize that it was also a sign of what was to come for the attraction. Dinosaurs Alive would be going extinct and leaving Valleyfair in just a few months. Alas, just like the dinosaurs, it was our time to depart as well. (Sorry that I didn’t get any photos from Power Tower to our departure. My phone was really on its last leg and it died shortly before our Uber arrived).

Our Uber driver, Christopher, provided terrific service. He even took a different route back so we got to see more the of the area. He’s a big hockey fan so we discussed that. I had also mentioned I was a Western Michigan University alum, and he commented that we have a good hockey team. He also brought up that, while he wasn’t a huge Minnesota football fan, that people love PJ Fleck up there since he came to that university from WMU. So glad that we got an undefeated season and Cotton Bowl berth under his coaching reign.

Once back to the hotel, we grabbed dinner and drinks at AiRECraft Bar & Grill again. I had some delicious pizza along with a terrific beer!

Grain Belt Nordeast (August Schell Brewing Company) – This is a really good Amber American Lager. It is a really smooth beer that is rather light (in terms of ABV and its smooth taste). It has a great light (and clear) amber appearance and drinks solidly like a lager. It is a bit bitter, but not over the top and it balances out with the light malt flavor. Overall, a solid 4.25 out of 5 beer. It also wasn’t too heavy of a beer so I knew it wouldn’t make me feel horrible before bed. This beer honors the hardworking neighborhood of Northeast Minneapolis where the original Grain Belt Brewery was established. It has a cool history so check out their website for more background info (4.25/5.00).

By checking in that beer on Untappd, I unlocked numerous badges
-Cheers to Independent U.S. Craft Breweries (Level 23)
-Beer Foodie (Level 14) meaning I have checked in a beer at 70 different venues categorized as a restaurant.
-Riding Steady (Level 19) meaning I have checked in 95 different beers with an ABV of 5% and lower.
-Land of the Free (Level 58) meaning I have checked in 290 different beers from a brewery in the United States.
(Wow….that seems like forever ago. I am on much higher levels now. Also, my Untappd check-in below is the only photo I have of the beer. Scott actually took a photo of it and sent it to me because my phone was gone).

After we finished dinner and our drinks. We went our separate ways to our rooms to get some rest for the next day.

All-in-all, it was a successful day. I had a great beer and got to visit a solid Cedar Fair park with a great, and unique, coaster lineup. I was a happy camper!

Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss more fun trips like this. I have plenty planned in the future plus many more from the past to still talk about. Are you interested in Paris? Well….that’s the next post! Just enter your email to the right and be reminded when the content drops!

If you haven’t yet, feel free to add me as a friend on Untappd (@brettbeeradventure). I’d love to see what brews you have been drinking, and what you think of them, as well. (Disclaimer: I am an Untappd supporter/subscriber but am in no other way affiliated with them).

Also, if you haven’t heard, a 2020 Gold, Season or Platinum Pass to Cedar Fair parks are also good for all of 2021 as well. This means, if you purchase a pass for this season to your local Cedar Fair park, it’ll be good for whenever the parks open this year after the COVID-19 crisis ends (hopefully soon). But it will also be good next season as well. It’s a win-win situation because you either part of one season and a full other season, or you get just a full season either way. You don’t really lose any value on the pass either way. Platinum Passes are good for all Cedar Fair parks and are a solid investment. You could pay it all up front or pay it as part of an EZ Pay Payment plan (and there are other additions you can add to your pass…like Season Long Dining Pass, Season Long Drink Pass (like I mentioned above) and even a Season Long FastLane. (DISCLAIMER: I am a Cedar Fair Unitholder. I am sharing this information to put the value of the pass in perspective and am not trying to endorse anything beyond that). Head to your local Cedar Fair park’s website if you are interested.

Until next time….Cheers, Bon Voyage, and RIDE ON!

Adventure Brett