RampagingRex Productions

09/11/2026

I have a new video up over on my YouTube channel, and it's a bit different from my usual content.
Over the last few years, I've been increasingly interested in making my own VHS tapes, and that has led to me getting educated about "pan-&-scan", where widescreen shows or movies were painstakingly cropped shot-by-shot to fit onto a CRT screen. With this in mind, I set out to make VHS tapes of a series that had just premiered at the time: Glitch Productions' The Amazing Digital Circus. Three years later, I'm nearly finished with this project, and here's the result. Hope you enjoy!

The Amazing Digital Circus enters the world of VHS! For the last th...

09/08/2026

Today was the final day of operation for Tidal Force at HersheyPark. This Hopkins Rides "shoot-the-chute" attraction opened in May 1994 and enjoyed a long 32 years of operation. Standing 100' high, Tidal Force generated a massive splash that not only soaked those on the ride, but also those standing on the walkways nearby. It's been an icon of the park for pretty much my entire life, but now the time has come to move on.
Tidal Force sits right next to the water park and occupies a sizable amount of land, which leaves a lot of room for discussion around what could replace it. HersheyPark isn't known for leaving former ride locations empty for long, so they definitely have a plan for what will go here in the future. The real question is whether the new attraction will be for the amusement park, or an expansion to the water park. The water park's popularity definitely seems to indicate the latter, but there were rumors a few years back about Hershey getting a B&M dive or flying coaster. Whatever ends up happening, Tidal Force will be fondly remembered even after it disappears from this corner of the park. I'm excited to see what becomes of this spot in the near future. Feel free to speculate or share your memories of this ride!

09/05/2026

Located on the shores of Lake Erie, Waldameer is an absolute classic park and one of the best Pennsylvania has to offer. Waldameer has no parking or admission price, instead opting for the tried-and-true "pay-per-ride" system, which takes the form of cards or wristbands that can be purchased and refilled at kiosks around the park. Unlike most parks I've visited, the roller coasters are not my favorite part of Waldameer. Instead, I often come here for the two meticulously-maintained Bill Tracy dark rides, so let's start with those.
"Hellloooooooo, earthlings!" Whacky Shack is a 1970s-era dark ride designed by the legendary Bill Tracy, and it certainly lives up to its name. The interior is filled with surreal imagery, including zombies, skeletons, vortex tunnels, strobe lights, and even shark infested waters. The props inside have held up incredibly well over the years, no doubt thanks to the dedicated efforts of Waldameer's maintenance team. It's on the short side as far as ride duration goes, but this is certainly something I could ride over and over all day.
Adjacent to Whacky Shack is Pirate's Cove, another Bill Tracy creation, but this one is a walk-through funhouse. In the narrow and claustrophobic corridors within, you'll find guarded pirate gold, explore the cargo hold of the ship, and run into many a pirate's spirit speaking from beyond the grave. Many people just run right through this attraction, but I highly implore you to take your time and admire all the scenes throughout. Some of my favorites are a skeleton drinking a bottle of rum, the floating skulls, and "The Last Drop", showing the Captain having become stuck in his own quarters, so to speak. There's even a new scene that was added this year, featuring a tribute to Bill Tracy himself. This funhouse should not be missed!
Alright, let's quickly go through Waldameer's roller coasters, starting with the park's star attraction: Ravine Flyer II. This is easily the most intense wooden coaster I've ever been on, it's very rough and I can't personally ride it more than once or twice without a break in between. I know most enthusiasts love it though! Ravine Flyer II has the unique characteristic of traveling over an active roadway and then back, and that alone makes this worth riding. Just brace yourself for the speed! Elsewhere in the park is Steel Dragon, a really fun Maurer spinning coaster, as well as Comet, a junior wooden coaster with a few good pops of airtime. These coasters are rounded out by Ravine Flyer 3, the park's kiddie coaster, and Whirlwind, a typical SBF Visa spinning coaster. Waldameer is adding to their coaster lineup as we speak with Eagle's Pursuit, a Vekoma family launch coaster opening next year, so you know I'll be returning here to ride PA's newest coaster.
Waldameer is a very compact park, but they manage to fit a lot of attractions into a small area. The park has a great flat ride lineup as well as plenty of picnic pavilions, a decently long train ride, and a huge water park, so there's plenty to do here to keep you occupied. Even if you're not planning on riding much, the pay-per-ride model means you only have to pay for what you're sure you want to do. Waldameer is a fantastic lakeside park and it's grown considerably in recent years. If the park continues down this path, it's only going to get better, so if you're in the Erie area, definitely pay this place a visit!

08/31/2026

I finally made it to a park that has eluded me for many years: Sesame Place! It's exactly what it sounds like: an entire amusement park themed to Sesame Street and its many decades of characters, music, and childhood nostalgia. It took me forever to get out here because it's located all the way in Langhorne, PA, only 15 minutes from the New Jersey state line, and as a Pittsburgh native, that means it's an over five hour drive from me! But, as part of my quest to ride every roller coaster in Pennsylvania, I finally made the trip and got to Sesame Place, and I was pleasantly surprised with the park as a whole.
Sesame Place is located about 35 minutes North of downtown Philadelphia, in a busy shopping district with plenty of restaurants and strip malls, so it was kind of tricky for me to find my way to. As many before me have pointed out, the Sesame Street licensing fees must be crazy high, as this is one of the more expensive parks in the state. A single day ticket will cost you about $55 online (but it's $110 at the gate! BUY ONLINE!) plus $40 to park, so bringing a whole family here would definitely be tough on the ol' wallet. With that said, this is definitely a park that kids will have the time of their lives at, as it has a wide variety of attractions.
First, let's talk roller coasters, the whole reason I came out here. Sesame Place has two of them, the first of which is Super Grover's V***r Trail, a Vekoma Junior Coaster operating here since 1998. This one had quite the line, and since it only has one train, I waited about 45 minutes to get on here. Despite being a coaster geared towards kids, I found V***r Trail to be decently fun, and it uses the hillside terrain it's placed on to allow for some sweeping turns and fun helixes. Not necessarily worth the wait, but certainly a fun coaster kids will enjoy. Now for the main reason I came out here: Oscar's Wacky Taxi. For some reason, in 2017, management at Sesame Place decided to add an airtime-packed Gravity Group wooden coaster to a park whose audience consists mainly of children under the age of ten. Now I'm certainly not about to complain about this, but it does seem a strange business decision given the park's clientele. I'm not sure if this coaster has proven to be a worthwhile investment, as it has a reputation for being closed often, and a walk-on when it is open, and the latter was indeed the case when I visited. Oscar's Wacky Taxi ended up being the biggest surprise of my entire trip, as I loved this coaster. It's not very tall or fast, but it packs in a lot of airtime and tight turns into its compact layout. To a coaster enthusiast like me, I was having a great time riding this over and over again, but it seems like Wacky Taxi is just a bit too intense for the children who visit the park, as I saw very few riding throughout the day. Perhaps park management intended this as an attraction to appeal to the kids who are starting to outgrow Sesame Street, but I'm not sure they'll ask their parents to come back just to keep riding this. I'm very glad it's here, because it's a fantastic ride, but if the lines stay short then I'm afraid it could get removed or relocated to another SeaWorld park.
One thing that surprised me the most about Sesame Place is just how many attractions are packed into a relatively small footprint. The park is not massive by any means, as it's only 14 acres in size, but to a child, this park would seem endless. There are so many branching pathways with new attractions to be found at every turn, and each is themed to a different Sesame Street character. Sesame Place has a very nice selection of flat rides for families to enjoy, plus a playground, climbing structures, and a sizable water park with a high number of slides. I wasn't even that big into Sesame Street as a kid, but if I had come here back then, I would still have loved this. I did a few laps around the park, and even then I feel like there were things I missed. I can see why this park continues to be so popular, as it offers a family-friendly alternative to the more thrill-focused Six Flags Great Adventure, which is only 35 minutes away. The park may be small, but there's plenty to do here, and if you have young children then they'll love it. It's not exactly a destination for coaster enthusiasts, but if you're going to Great Adventure and want to grab two extra credits to pad out your coaster count, then consider stopping at Sesame Place for a few hours. It's worth it for Wacky Taxi alone!

08/29/2026

Located high in the Pocono mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania is the state's only mountain coaster! Camelback Mountain Adventures in Tannersville, part of the larger Camelback ski resort, offers this mountain coaster as one of several high-adventure offerings. As part of my quest to ride every coaster in PA, I made the stop here the evening after I visited Dorney Park, and this was also the first mountain coaster I've ever ridden!
So you may be wondering: what separates a mountain coaster from a more typical roller coaster you'd find at an amusement park? Well, to start, mountain coasters have a far lower capacity: only 1-2 riders per car, and the cars are very open, with no side walls and only a single seat belt holding you in. The most notable feature of this mountain coaster, though, is that YOU control the brakes! That's right, the large bars you see on either side of the cars can be pulled back to slow the car down, or you can press them forward and go full speed the whole way down. This type of "choose your own experience" certainly lends itself to multiple rides down the mountain.
After signing a waiver and paying $23 for my ride (yes, you read that right) I made my way to the loading station which is located a good distance from the parking lot. I almost thought I was going the wrong way! After the safety video they're required to show you, I strapped in and began my LONG ascent up the mountain. Seriously, the lift on this coaster seems to never end, and it's a bizarre experience going up a mountain on a coaster for so long all by yourself in complete silence. At least there was plenty of wildlife to see on the way up! Eventually though, I reached the top, and what happened next was absolutely unhinged. Seriously, this mountain coaster was awesome! Have I really been missing out on this all this time?! The coaster's layout winds and snakes around as you make your way down the mountain, and if you go full speed the whole time like I did, it's full of laterals and sudden drops that lead to lots of unexpected airtime. The only downside to going so fast is that the coaster is over very quickly; I was probably only going down the mountain for one to two minutes before I got to the end. Still though, I was laughing so hard all the way down, so it was definitely worth the ride.
As Pennsylvania's only mountain coaster, this is a very good one. Camelback is a bit out of the way for most coaster enthusiasts, but the resort offers a large variety of other activities in addition to the coaster, including zip lines, a large water park, mini golf, and a ropes course, so there's plenty to do here if you want to make a day out of it. If you happen to be on the Eastern side of Pennsylvania, this is an easy recommendation no matter the time of year.

08/28/2026

This past weekend, I set out on a quest to finally accomplish my goal of riding every roller coaster in Pennsylvania. For the last three years, I've been stuck at only four coasters remaining, so I got some days off from work drove clear across PA to finally get on the rest of them. My first stop was Dorney Park in Allentown, which I had been to once before in 2023, but since then they've opened another coaster which I had to check out.
Dorney Park has a long history dating back to the park's opening in 1884. What you'll find here is a collection of eight roller coasters, some very rare flat rides, and a massive water park. Dorney was part of the Cedar Fair chain previously, but is now under the Six Flags umbrella (and I'm still not used to that). Let's start with the reason I came here: Iron Menace. The park's newest coaster opened in 2024, and it's a B&M Dive Machine with some pretty good theming for a regional park. The coaster itself and the area surrounding it were rethemed as an abandoned (and possibly haunted) steel mill. Iron Menace's station and queue, as well as adjacent rides Possessed and MT Buckets, were also themed to fit this area. Leading up to my first ride, I had heard a lot of criticism directed toward Iron Menace due to it being a rough and shaky ride, embodying the infamous "B&M rattle" that coaster enthusiasts hate so much. I was nervous for what was in store for me, but I actually ended up really enjoying Iron Menace. Sure, the coaster isn't glass smooth and does have a bit of shakiness, but it was by no means uncomfortable, and I found myself going back for two more rides. I feel pretty confident saying this is an over-hated coaster, as I found it to be a very solid addition to Dorney Park's lineup.
Dorney's other coasters deliver as well, my favorite of which is Steel Force, the park's DH Morgan hyper coaster. Being that my home park is Kennywood, Steel Force has always interested me as it's manufactured by the same company behind Phantom's Revenge, and so it feels like an alternate universe version of Phantom. Whereas Phantom's airtime hills are much smaller and aggressive, Steel Force's airtime gives the sensation of floating out of your seat, and it gives a great sense of speed over its long layout. I could ride this all day easily.
At the front of the park is the inverted coaster Talon, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Talon continues to be my personal favorite inverted coaster; it has a nice long layout, relentless pacing, and several near-miss elements. Plus it helps that it's butter smooth. Another B&M coaster at Dorney is Hydra, which is a floorless coaster with a unique "jojo roll" element, which is a slow heartline roll right out of the station. Hydra is pretty unique as far as floorless coasters go, as it does not have a typical vertical loop, instead opting for an inclined dive loop and a few corkscrews. I haven't ridden this one a ton, but my rides on it have all been enjoyable.
Next to Iron Menace is Possessed, an intense Intamin impulse coaster. This one is special to me, as it was moved to Dorney from its former home at Geauga Lake in Ohio. It opened there as Superman: Ultimate Escape in 2000, but was dismantled and moved to Dorney around the same time Geauga Lake closed for good. It was a bit rougher than I remember, but I'm very glad they've kept this coaster around. These impulse coasters are getting harder to find, especially after Cedar Point closed Wicked Twister. The only wooden coaster in Dorney Park is Thunderhawk, a 102-year-old classic, and man... I think I broke a rib on this thing. Listen, I get that it has historical significance, but this is just not a very good coaster. It doesn't have a very interesting layout and it's SO rough. Coasters like Kennywood's Jack Rabbit and the other Jack Rabbit at Seabreeze have proven that century-old coasters can still be enjoyable, but Thunderhawk feels like it's only around because of how old it is. Ride this once, and never again, because she needs some WORK.
Dorney Park has a kiddie coaster and a Wild Mouse to round out the coaster lineup, but they're both typical off-the-shelf layouts. Dorney's flat ride lineup, however, is very solid. There are a few rare rides here, such as Demon Drop, the last remaining first generation Intamin drop tower in the USA. It previously operated at Cedar Point, and I'm so glad Dorney have kept this around. If you ever have the opportunity, please ride this. It's absolutely unhinged, and I guarantee you've never ridden anything like it. There's also an Enterprise, which I miss dearly ever since Kennywood removed theirs, an S&S drop tower, and two very nice train rides. Speaking of which, if you're ever at Dorney, you gotta ride Zephyr. It goes way out into the woods, along the creek, and right under Iron Menace. It's a great way to see the park and relax for a while.
I had a great time on my return trip to Dorney, and it's definitely moved up a few places in my park ranking. The park doesn't have a huge number or roller coasters, but most of them are high quality, and the park scores points for its flat ride lineup and nice setting alongside a creek in a wooded area. It's definitely worth a visit, and if you're going to Hersheypark or Knoebels, maybe add an hour of driving on to your trip and check this place out. It was definitely worth it to get my next coaster toward PA completion. Onward to the next coaster!

08/18/2026

Summer isn't over until you take a trip to Knoebels! As the United States' largest free-admission amusement park, Knoebels has definitely become one of the most respected parks in the country. People often take that quote out of context, so let me clarify: Knoebels is free to park and free to enter, but the attractions require tickets which can be purchased around the park (or a one-price wristband if you go on a weekday). So while Knoebels is not free if you wish to ride, it is free to park and walk around.
So with that cleared up, let's talk rides. Knoebels has been family-owned for the entirety of its existence, and because of that, the park is full of rare classic rides that you'd be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. The park has one of the greatest flat ride collections in the country, but it also has some phenomenal, meticulously-maintained roller coasters. Everyone loves to rave about Phoenix, but it really does live up to its reputation. It delivers aggressive ejector airtime that feels like the coaster is trying to throw you out of the train. Hard to believe it was originally built in the 40's! Also of note is Twister, which often gets overshadowed by Phoenix but is also deserving of respect. Whereas Phoenix is focused on airtime, Twister delivers intense laterals over a long layout that lives up to its name. In some ways, I enjoy it even more than Phoenix! Knoebels also has Flying Turns, a one-of-a-kind wooden bobsled coaster that is impressive from an engineering standpoint but often gets the longest line in the park, and Impulse, a modern Zierer vertical lift coaster that's fun but doesn't really fit the rest of the park if you ask me.
Part of the reason I love Knoebels so much is how the park feels like home. It's not corporate, and it's not a huge concrete slab with rides plopped down. The park is huge and winding, and it can be easy to lose your way on your first visit, but soon you'll be running around to your favorite rides with ease. There are personal touches everywhere that a corporate-owned park would skip right over. Most of the signs are hand-painted, and the park's maintenance team creates their own replacement parts for the rides whose manufacturers are no longer around (which is a LOT of them!). The attention to detail and friendly atmosphere make Knoebels an easy recommendation. And on top of that, the park has the best carousel ever (with ring-grabbing action!) and one of the best classic dark rides to ever exist. Throw in a seemingly endless selection of food and reasonable prices, and you have a park that could very well be the best in Pennsylvania, or even the country. If you haven't been here yet, you owe it to yourself to check Knoebels out. Say hi to the Loaf for me!

08/14/2026

I've really been slacking on my Kennywood visits this year, but seeing as this was the park's last week of daily operation (Already?!??! GEEZ!), I decided it was the right time to go back. I typically stay away for most of August, as the Fall Fantasy Parades attract massive crowds, but I was in desperate need of some Phantom rides. The park is looking very nice, and they are already in full setup mode for Phantom Fall Fest, which I always look forward to. They've announced that Thunderbolt will be closing for the season on August 17, so no Thunderbolt rides during Fall Fest unfortunately, but it's become customary at this point for one wooden coaster to close at the end of the summer season for some track work.
I am pleased to say that Kennywood seems to have worked out all the kinks with Phantom's new air gates, so they're working as intended, but they still make you stand behind the red line so it's an extra step that probably didn't need to be there. I am very much enjoying the new additions for the coaster's 25th anniversary; the Phantom laugh at the end of the ride is a great touch, and all the new signage at the entrance and in the station looks excellent. I have yet to hear the new ride safety spiel in the queue, and I still haven't heard any Phantom voice clips like the park mentioned before this season began. I really hope they didn't give up on those.
As the summer begins to wind down and people start gearing up for all things Halloween, it's always nice to get in one or two more visits during the normal summer season. A chill night at Kennywood is just what I need (especially after a long day at work). The next time I mention Kennywood on here will be for Fall Fest, but first I've got a couple last-minute trips to do. Stay tuned!

07/24/2026

Last weekend I happened to find myself near Huntington, West Virginia, and I was able to check a new park off the list. Camden Park is the only amusement park in the entire state of West Virginia, and it's tucked right in the corner near the intersection of West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky. The park has been operating since 1903, and is home to a small collection of rides including three (or is it four?) roller coasters.
The reason I was most excited to visit was to ride Haunted House (or is it spelled HaWnted House?). This is one of a very small number of operating gravity-powered dark rides by the Pretzel Amusement Ride Company. The ride can technically be considered a roller coaster as it has a chain lift, drop, and the rest of the ride is all gravity. The original props were designed by the legendary Bill Tracy, though sadly none of his original props remain within, instead having been replaced with similar, Funni-Frite-inspired versions built by dark ride artist Chuck Burnham, although there is still one Funni Frite original hiding in there if you know where to look. Inside the twisting, narrow corridors within, you'll find a menagerie of spooky sights, like a Witch's boiling stew, a nest of spiders, and the Devil himself. This is one I would have loved to marathon, but it kept closing throughout the day. I found out why when I got one final ride at the end of my visit, wherein the car whipped around a corner and tilted abruptly, nearly flipping onto its side with my wife and I in it! We had to be manually pushed out the rest of the way, so I think this ride needs some work, and we've got the bruises to show for it.
Sadly the park's other claim to fame, Big Dipper, was closed. It's been receiving some track work recently so I knew it was a gamble on whether or not it would be open. This is one of the final operating coasters by the National Amusement Device Company, and it uses the Century Flyer trains that Kennywood locals will recognize as also used on Thunderbolt. Big Dipper was declared an ACE Coaster Landmark in 2019, so I'm glad it's still around. Hopefully one day I can return to ride it.
I was however able to secure a ride on Little Dipper, the park's junior wooden coaster and the final operating Comet Jr model from the National Amusement Device Company. This is a great introductory coaster, and it's a shame it's the last of its kind. Junior wooden coasters are getting harder to find, and that means I've gotten a bigger appreciation for them over the years. Aside from the coasters, Camden Park has a small collection of flat rides scattered throughout. You'll find the layout of the park is extremely small, and it's easy to find your way around. The upper section has a Whip, Flyers, and a Scrambler while the lower section has the train, a Zamperla Kite Flyer, a Tilt-A-Whirl, and the park's log flume. However several attractions did not open at all that day, and the operations were very slow, leading to long lines, especially on the log flume.
Despite that, I'm still glad I visited here. It was worth it for Haunted House alone, and as a massive dark ride fanatic, I'm so glad the park has kept it around. As the only amusement park in West Virginia however, I feel Camden has some work to do and just doesn't have enough attractions to justify a full day visit. For local families and people stopping by for the coasters though, it's a fun few hours. Just make sure Big Dipper is open before you go.

07/14/2026

Coasters in Pennsylvania that you CAN'T ride!
According to the Roller Coaster DataBase, there are 61 roller coasters in the state of Pennsylvania, but if you're trying to ride them all, you'll quickly find some of them to be unattainable. Some are sitting abandoned in various states of disrepair, some are in storage just waiting to be reassembled, and one has a height requirement that only children can meet. Read each photo description for more details!
Cyclone (Williams Grove) has been sitting abandoned since its respective park closed in 2005. Despite more than 20 years of braving the elements, the coaster still stands and can be viewed from the road that encircles the property.
Leap the Dips and Skyliner (Lakemont Park) have been standing but not operating for a few years now. The current park management seems to have no interest in operating them, so until something changes, they've been left to fall apart in the elements.
Kiddie Coaster (Bushkill Park) has been in the park's storage for more than 20 years. It is the last remaining example of the W.F. Mangels Co. Brownie Coaster model. Perhaps it will be rebuilt one day.
Little Dipper (Conneaut Lake Park) actually still does operate during the park's fall events. However, it has a height limit, so only children can ride. However, the park does also run their classic dark ride Devil's Den during these events, and some people (myself included) do count it as a roller coaster.
Roller Coaster (Boomers/Idlewild) used to operate at a family entertainment center in Medford, NY called Boomers. After Boomers closed in 2019, the roller coaster was put into storage at Idlewild in 2022. As far as I can tell, it's still there. Maybe it will be built at Idlewild in the near future. They could sure use it!