Casino Pier + Jenkinson's + Luna Park + Deno's Wonder Wheel Pier + Adventurers + Adventureland: My Jerseylicious Coaster Con XXXVIII Trip Report - Part IV

Greetings. :}

We have six great parks left on our Jerseylicious adventure (well, seven. Sorta) and some really excellent coasters in store! Let's get rollin'!

Tired of seaside parks yet? Good, me neither. :}

Today we're at Casino Pier for their annual Seaside Screams event!

What do you get when you cross Casino Pier's defunct Wizard's Cavern coaster with a Zamperla Volare and put it in a nondescript steel box? Pirate's Hideaway, of course!

This ride is essentially an aggressive and uncomfortable pirate wild mouse, but it's not without its charms. :}

It's certainly unique, and there's just something delightfully weird about it.

These days, Casino Pier has just two coasters. Here's Hot Tamale!

Oh, and a shiny new vomit factory.

Tamale time!

The random floating saguaros crack me up!

TWO vomit factories! Just look at this horrific looping thing!

New this year is Shore Shot, a sexy new S&S Double Shot!

It features a very slick and comfortable new seat design!

ACE takeover of the bumper cars!

I'm not much of a bumper car person, but these are quite nice-looking. :}

Mike and Janine both have these very mischievous smiles about hitting each other with cars. Ah, young love. <3 

Nope. No bumper cars for me. Ever.

(Spoiler: I'll be eating these words later)

"Suffering becomes beautiful when anyone bears great calamities with cheerfulness, not through insensibility but through greatness of mind."
-Aristotle :}

Casino Pier has a small indoor portion with a very special carousel!

This is a Looff carousel! A year after Looff built this carousel, he built the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk brass ring carousel that I grew up riding. Then his son built the Santa Cruz Giant Dipper! :}

The icing on top is the Wurlitzer organ, of course. :}

^_^

Casino Pier also owns this impressive-looking water park, which has two new slides this year!

Casino Pier has some cool stuff going on up on its roof! More on that later. :}

Here the boardwalk is brand new and being patrolled by police in Smart Cars. What a time to be alive. :}

Here Lies Funtown Pier.  You are sorely missed.

Life goes on. Curious to see how things develop.

Time for some lunch at the Sawmill!

Delicious raw sampling! :}

And AMAZING pizza!

Next to Casino Pier you'll find this very cool store.

Here' you'll find beautiful specialized merchandise and memorabilia.

This shop has some of the neatest amusement park souvenirs I've seen, like these ornaments made from salvaged boardwalk. Check out their website, where you can order just about everything they have to offer! :}

Funhouse time!

Work those glutes, Michael!

Meanwhile, I'll be working on keeping balance with a camera in one hand. lol

WOOOOO!

Barrel of Fun? More like Barrel of Anxiety and Discord.

Woohoo! Time for some rooftop mini golf! Included with out Seaside Screams registration. :}

What lovely flowers. :}

WARNING! Do not swing the putter!

You must will the ball into the hole…….WITH INTERPRETIVE DANCE!

Humpty Dumpty learned from his previous mistakes and started sitting on things that are closer to the ground. 

Large popsicle sticks on a house does not a windmill make, but it'll do for mini golf. :}

The charming extent of Casino Pier. :}

Shore Shot mischief is on display up here on the roof!

This rabbit will go aggro on your sorry behind if you score over par. 

This hole is a bit of a roller coaster for your golf ball. :}

This one is actually a water ride. Beware of the hidden water trap!

And this one is a safari! I feel like we're back at Great Adventure. :}

Be careful of the mysterious disembodied sad clown head box.

I'd explain why, but I think that description speaks for itself.

Rooftop mini golf is a New Jersey tradition. What a great idea. :}

We would've liked to ride the sky ride, but the weather was not cooperative.

Make no mistake: the Star of David hole is the course's most challenging! 

It's a rather patriotic golf course. :}

This gorilla looks like it's seen some s**t.

WHAT I HAVE SEEN CANNOT BE UNSEEN.

Paul Bunyan's butt! With Michael for scale. :}

I'm really not sure what this squirrel is doing. 

Ooop. Not too sure about this mouse either.

Well, that was fun! What a classic mini golf course!

Oh no, another Barrel of Anxiety. 

And that looks a like a Prism of Broken Necks. Be careful, Michael!

No comment.

Goodbye Casino Pier! You have a bright future ahead!

On the way out we checked out Casino Pier's amazing candy store! They had sour blue raspberry soda bottles, which I hadn't seen since I was a kid. I used to get them whenever I went to Marini's in Santa Cruz. They are just as good as I remember. :}

They've got a nice selection of gourmet popcorn, which seems to really be catching on. Gimme some caramel cheese corn and I'm one happy guy. :}

They also have a great selection of artisan truffles,

and various treats enrobed with chocolate! Brilliant! 

There's also fudge, fruit jelly slices, and nuts!

And there's a ton of baked goods!

Of course no seaside candy store is complete without taffy!

This is a cell phone background waiting to happen. lol

Next stop: Blackbeard's Cave! 

"We would like three tickets for your kiddie coaster, please."

DENIED! The Dragon Wagon is broken! 

Onward and upward! Time for the second host of Seaside Screams, Jenkinson's Boardwalk!

The weather may be rough, but Jenkinson's still showed us a great time! Our wristbands from Casino Pier got us on all of the rides!

It's Flitzer to the third power! Hooray!

Of all the Flitzers I've ridden, this one has the coolest cars. :}

WE LOVE FLITZERS!

This was the first appearance of "the hoodie" on the trip, and it immediately got soaked from the rain. lol

While this one is similar to the one at Castaway Cove in that it lacks the scene props of the Morey's Piers one, this one has a lovely collection of colorful flags to compliment its amazing rolling stock. :}

There goes Michael down that colossal 15ft drop! lol

For whatever reason, this Flitzer has a 3-point seatbelt, as opposed to the single lap belts of other Flitzers. Probably not a terrible idea for guests of certain proportions.

I think Ray is making that face because of the rain, but I'm not entirely sure. lol

If you're like me and love Flitzers, New Jersey is the place for you!

ACE takeover of the bumper cars! Again! And since these just have lap bars and look pretty slow, I *guess* I'll join...

I had my camera out while the ride was loading. The cycle started before I could put it away, so I just went with it! lol

BUMPER CAR POV CRAZINESS!

Luko seems mildly apprehensive about having Jeremy at the wheel.

AGH! MAY!!! WATCH OUT!

It turns out that when riding low-speed, lap bar-only bumper cars (that still allow head-on collisions, amazingly) while taking pictures, it's actually amazing and fun. Best bumper car experience ever!

Jeremy's face is one of bonafide mischievousness. :}

Watch out, David!

Shout-out to the awesome Jenkinson's associates!

I'm coming for ya, Jordan! 

Josh your face right here is just priceless. lol

After our ride cycle ended, they started it up again for us because there was no one in line. Woohoo!

Jeremy's face tho! I can't. x}

The cars made some interesting patterns on the greasy, wet floor. :}

Kevin and Jordan are partaking in some demolition derby-style father-son bonding. :}

Jeremy's faces are just priceless!

Sue! Where have you been this whole time? lol

I was about to be coaxed into riding one of these horrible things when the rain finally shut down all of the rides. Quick, to the arcade!

YAAAS! WIZARD OF OZ! :D

I immedaitely sat down to play. Everyone in the crew was curious about the game, so I showed them how to play! I got everyone hooked!

ACE TAKEOVER OF WIZARD OF OZ! I'M SO HAPPY!!! :D

For dinner we had one of the BEST Italian meals I've ever had at Giuseppe's Pizza & Restaurant in Hazlet, NJ. Homemade everything inside this restaurant that used to be a house! Incredible tomato sauce, baguettes, and pizza! Just to die for!

And now, the sun rises on the final act! My Jerseylicious Coaster Con XXXVIII adventure has finally lead us to the birthplace of the modern amusement park, Coney Island! 

The Coney Island Cyclone! It's so beautiful! :'}

There's a lot going on in Coney Island thanks to Zamperla! 

And Deno's, of course. ;}

We'll be back for some thrills on the famous Wonder Wheel later!

The Cyclone and Luna Park beckon! 

Woohoo! ACEr party!

It feels surreal to finally be here!

Tony and May are on hand to do registration for Luna Park Fest V!

IT'S TESTING!

Our registration includes wristbands plus rides on the various non-wristband major attractions! :}

<3

This is a serious long-term coaster goal that's about to be achieved!

I'M SO EXCITED!

Joining us today for various rides is Mark Mozdzer! Say, "Hi Mark!"

The Cyclone is AMAZING! Cramped, but AMZING!

Mark and I sat in the front row (for more leg room) of the last car (for more airtime) for our second ride. It was even better! When we came back into the station, the ride operators couldn't get our bars unlocked, so they sent us through again while they waited for maintenance to arrive! SCORE!

The Cyclone is a relentless and ferocious ride, but it glides along as smoothly as the Phoenix! It's such an incredible feat for a roller coaster with four-bench trains! 

Luna Park has done an outstanding job of maintaining this ride. It's better than I could've possibly imagined, especially after a few rough years toward the end of Coney Island's Astroland era.

The key difference between the Coney Island Cyclone and all of the other Cy-clones is the trains. They are massive, heavy, beautiful things that pick up and lose speed much more rapidly than modern wooden coaster trains. 

Fortunately for us, Luna Park told us that their end-game for the Cyclone is these trains. They will run forever! 

A ride as smooth and swift as the Cyclone couldn't exist without painstaking attention paid to its track. Great Coasters International is famous for their nearly two-dozen custom  wooden coasters, but now one of their greatest services to the industry is their work on the Coney Island Cyclone!

With ERT over, it's time to explore the rest of the area a bit. :}

There's lots of things to do at Luna Park!

Bordering right up next to Luna is Deno's Wonder Wheel Pier. They're so close together, it's hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. :}

Here's a rare thing: A spinning mouse that isn't mouse-themed. It's the Tickler!

Michael and Chris are ready for a Tickle! :}

Near the entrance of Luna Park is this particularly lovely Magic Bikes ride, which is decorated with paper fans, doves, and other magic artifacts. :}

This kiddo is having the time of his life on this speed boat. :}

Luna Park is prettier than I thought it would be. It's a regular feast for the eyes. :}

Time to get the kiddie credit! :}

…and here we all are after we blew through the station brakes during our first ride, leaving me, Mark, and two others stranded in the lead car past the station! The park called maintenance, who sent the ride though again. Surprise, surprise, the ride blew the station once more! They decided to manually free everyone whose car was on the station platform (every car but ours), and tried again. This time we finally stopped on time and were freed! :}

Let's continue down the boardwalk, shall we? :}

Phase 2 of Luna Park is Scream Zone, home to two of the park's coasters.

Soarin' Eagle is one of Zamperla's infamously dreadful Volare coasters.

Zamperla bought this one back from Elitch Gardens, installed new cars, and opened it here in 2011 to help anchor Scream Zone. It's not as bad as the other Volares I've ridden, but it's still far from comfortable.

Scream Zone's other coaster is much more fun. It's Steeplechase!

The ride's namesake is that of Coney Island's Steeplechase park, which closed in 1964.

The last Luna Coaster we hit is also the newest: Thunderbolt!

With Thunderbolt, Zamperla jumps on the compact vertical lift/drop coaster trend along with Gerstlauer, Mauer Söhne, Intamin, Zierer, and others.

The ride features one-of-a-kind 9-seater cars with lap bar restraints. Seat belts hang loosely between the headrest and the lap bars to help restrain larger riders. 

The ride also uses a unique magnetic anti-rollback system that, in the event of a power outage, allows the car to slowly roll back to the bottom of the lift hill, instead of stranding riders vertically. Brilliant, no? :}

Conceptually and layout-wise, Thunderbolt is a great ride. 

However, the ride is not as smooth as I was expecting when compared to all similar coasters. The transitions between each piece of track rattle the car, making for an overall rocky experience. If Zamperla can somehow smooth the ride out, they'll have a major coaster success on their hands! 

Past the Thunderbolt is the beautiful new home of the 1906 B&B Carousell, which is also owned by Luna Park. :}

Look, the blue sky is coming out!

I think that means it's time for a ride on the Wonder Wheel!

Since riding the Sun Wheel at Disney's California Adventure, I've looked forward to riding the original here at Deno's!

Before we hit the wheel, there's a small order of business we must tend to first.

KIDDIE CREDIT!

The kiddie coasters of Luna Park and Deno's are situated right next to each other. They probably have nice little talks all day. :}

Wonder Wheel is 95 years old this year. :}

Go up! It's great! 

WOOOOO! Wonder Wheel party! :D

XTREME WONDER WHEEL POV SWINGING MADNESS!

Right behind us is the bustling Luna Park. :}

Directly in front of us is also Luna Park! lol

And to our right is Manhattan. :}

This whole area is just beautiful! Much prettier than I'd imagined. :}

*sliding Ferris Wheel car shenanigans*

I see some people getting Tickled!

What a crazy-brillaint engineering marvel this ride is. :}

Thunderbolt is surrounded by development and a manifestation of the bohemian artist movement. :}

Woohoo! That was great. Great thrills and great vantage points in one ride! :}

There isn't much to Deno's, but here's a map anyway if you need one. :}

Beneath the Wonder Wheel is the frequent sounds of cars sliding across their tracks, along with the squeals of unsuspecting park guests who are caught unawares by the ride's mischief!  

Time for another Golden Era classic, the Spook-A-Rama!

They don't make 'em like this anymore! And the gags inside are awesome! Easily one of the best classic dark rides around. :}

This is one of the few remaining Pretzel Dark Rides. Here's the stamp of legit-ness! :}

After a great lunch and Q&A with Luna Park, we were treated to complementary rides on the B&M Carousell!

Michael is both majestic and eternally youthful. :}

Back over to Thunderbolt! Sadly the Cyclone had broken down for the rest of the day, but Luna Park gave us an additional ride on Thunderbolt for the inconvenience. :}

While Michael and others rode again, I was content after my two rides to just take pictures. :}

I will say that there's great hang time in the loop,

and did I mention the ride also has some really awesome airtime? They just need to buff out those transitions and Thunderbolt will be perfect!

I think everyone looks better in hats. :}

Here on this plot is where the original 1925 Thunderbolt once stood. Hopefully we'll see Luna Park gain control over this area! They have interest in expanding into water park territory in the future!

Bye bye Thunderbolt! I bet you'll have some new neighbors the next time I visit!

The last ride we hit was the park's booster-type-ride. Always been a fan of these. :}

Next to Deno's are some independent carnival rides that pre-date the Zamperla era. 

One of the rides is this classic Himalaya ride. I haven't seen one this old in a while!

And here's another cool one! 

But we're not at Coney Island anymore! We're a few miles away at Adventurer's Family Entertainment Center. :}

And we're here to ride the "TL*3" coaster.

(No, I don't know what it means. Not even the faintest clue.)

Also, we're not sure who Erika is, but apparently this Wacky Worm loves you.

The little park is…well…little. But it seems popular. :}

And finally, we reach our final park. It's Long Island's Adventureland!

Adventureland impresses from the moment you walk in. The park just oozes charm!

We received special wristband coupons at Luna Park Fest for Adventureland. :}

Adventureland is full of mature trees, manicured gardens, adorable buildings, and some beautiful rides!

With the untimely closures of both Steeplechase park and Freedomland U.S.A. in 1964, the tiny, fledgling Adventureland suddenly found itself with virtually no competition and flourished as a result.

The main reason we're here is this! A brand-new custom Mack spinner, Turbulence!

It's not every day that a tiny park that most people haven't heard of opens a custom roller coaster from one of an undisputed industry leader. :}

This is Adventureland's only full-sized coaster, but man did they nail it!

Turbulence is an excellent little ride. Smooth, disorienting, and packs more of a punch than Knott's Sierra Sidewinder while taking up less space. :}

Half-pipe turns are highly effective on spinning coasters. It's one of Turbulence's best features. :}

Next door to Turbulence is the park's adorable Tivoli coaster.

Last credit of the trip!

Any park with a bathroom sign like this has my support. :}

Adventureland may be small, but their quality of attractions is very high. :}

For whatever reason, the park has this really cute Eiffel Tower light fixture. A classic artifact, I'm sure. :}

Adventureland is home to a unique log flume. It' so unique that I don't have a clue who built it or where it came from. lol

Let's get wet, Michael!

Adventure Falls has a brilliant monkey bar-like set up in the station to help guests get in and out of the boats. Why doesn't every other log flume in the world have this?! It's so smart!

Next we rode the Arrow car ride!

Did I mention this park was beautiful? 

Under the Eiffel Tower we go!

If you're a fan of Arrow antique car rides, you need to come to Adventureland! These were the cars that ran at the 1964-65 Queens World's Fair! :}

We had to ride Turbulence again. Duh. :}

Adventureland's also got a pretty great haunted house. These ride vehicles can't be beat!

It's actually a pretty elaborate ride. Makes sense, what with Spook-A-Rama just over in Brooklyn! The bar is set high!

YAAAAS! Get it Frisbee girl!

Yes, she's part of the Huss Frisbee ride. :}

But seriously, this park feels kind of like a tiny Kennywood. It's just filled to the brim with some of the most well-cared for park fixtures I've ever seen!

Not content with his level of wetness from the log flume, Michael needed to ride the Crocodiles. :} 

Tucked away past the train perimeter is this beautiful bumper car building. :}

And next door is an arcade!

(I resisted the urge this time. It's easier when Wizard of Oz isn't around. ;} )

Before there was Turbulence, Adventureland had a Windstorm coaster, which they sold to a small park in Panama City Beach. :}

The sun is setting on our last day!

Everyone should check out Adventureland! It's a pretty sweet little park! :}

Hey look, you can even see Manhattan from here!

It gets even prettier as you get closer. ;}

The U.S. Supreme Court had legalized Gay Marriage nation-wide just a few days before our visit. This afforded us the rare opportunity to see the Empire State Building lit up in rainbows. :}

It's so beautiful. :'}

Even Macy's got in on the action!

Four loooong updates later, My Jerseylicious Coaster Con XXXVIII Trip Report comes to an end. Thank you to everyone I hung out with on this amazing trip, and thank you to everyone for reading! :}


Tune in next month for a very special new thing:


My Smashing ACE UK Tour Trip Report!!! 

:D :D :D

Be a part of Thrillography's first trip to England and Wales, along with exciting detours to Ireland and France! 

It's going to be bloody-brilliant or whatever. :}