Coaster reviews

Fun Layout Ejectors

While it's been a bit since I've been on GD, I have to say this one is an all-time favorite. It's a classic boardwalk coaster, with a fun layout, great head chopper moments, some excellent airtime, and it's simply gorgeous. I will say that the ride eats hats (don't assume that it's completely toothless) and the initial drop into a tunnel before the lift hill is an absolutely GREAT element.

Theming Fun

It's been a long time since I rode Quicksilver Express - heck, the last ride I had on it was when the park had just been renamed Gilroy Gardens, from its original Bonfante Gardens - but QME remains a fond memory for me. I remember it as a fun, winding mine train with some nice lateral G's and good themeing, and from what I can tell that's all still true. Hopefully the park's maintaining this well.

Fun Discomfort

It's a spinning steel wild mouse. I mean, either you like `em or you don't. There's very little variety with these coasters, and the Wild Mouse at Beech Bend has no surprises here. It's competent, it's fun, it's not the most comfortable but it's pretty okay. Ride with four people and you can get the car spinning pretty well just by shifting your weight around.

Airtimes Headbanging Discomfort Tear it down!

Kentucky Rumbler used to be good, or at the very least "pretty alright". It seems that it isn't getting the upkeep it needs; my last ride on KR was painful, shaking so badly that I couldn't see straight and slamming me into the side of the seat hard. This isn't simply a rough ride, this is a downright unbearable ride. There's a good layout here, and a good ride beneath it to be uncovered, but man, the upkeep's gotta be done to do that. Otherwise, just rip it down and put something else in its place. This is especially disappointing for me because I had previously thought of the Rumbler as the one really good reason to go to Beech Bend since they've done away with free soda and gutted the arcade.