Trip Report: Wild Adventures

Valdosta, Georgia - 11/23/1997

"But is this a coaster?"

I wasn't looking forward to the drive home. Not at all. Eighteen hours of interstate, most of it straight and level, with the temperature plunging all the way. Fortunately, I allowed myself two full days to make the trip. Just how smart that decision was became obvious shortly after I reached the Georgia state line. I stopped at the tourist info center, where a large kiosk held brochures for this mysterioius "Wild Adventure" park. I figured it was some kind of animal safari thing until I saw the photos of a Yo-Yo, Century Wheel, and Chaos. I looked a litle closer, and was amazed to discover that the park was actually open!

Wild Adventure is located 4 miles West of IR-75 Exit #3A. I had never heard of the place, and when I checked a "Georgia" Triple-A Tour Book, I found no mention of it. Ah, but a closer look reveals an advertisement for "Animal Park" with the same location and a similar logo. Hmmmmm...Before long, I had detoured from my trek up IR-75 and located the park. From the road, it is easy to spot the Century Wheel, the Pharoah's Fury, and the Yo-Yo. It was also easy to see that the main parking lot was absolutely full. Oh, well...at least I could take some pictures. I parked in the large overflow lot across from the park, and walked to the entrance. I walked through the administration building, and about $13 later, I was standing on the park grounds. The wonderfully *uncrowded* park grounds. Apparently, there is a shed on site, and most of the cars I saw belonged to people attending a country music concert. As for me, I don't much care for country...and my time was limited, so I sought out the midway. It wasn't hard to find...just look for the strip that looks like a Chance showroom. The park has a Yo-Yo, a Pharaoh's Fury, a Chaos (!), and a 15-tub Century Wheel, and all four rides look showroom new. But the ride package doesn't stop there. Across from those Chance rides are a Friedricksen Fun Slide, a Sellner Windjammer, a Sellner Electric Tilt-A-Whirl, then behind that are a Sellner Bear Affair and a small carousel...I'm not certain, but I think it may also be a Chance. They also have a set of bumper boats which are included in the POP. Finally, there are two Wisdom rides. One is a Tornado...an interesting update to the King Frolic or Wisdom Heart Flip. In fact, Wisdom was showing this model off at IAAPA. This particular Tornado has a couple of improvements over the one I rode back in April in Cleveland; this one has tub brakes and remote-release lap bars.

The other ride I rode is one I need some opinions on. It's called "Tiger Terror" and it may well be a roller coaster. I am inclined to not count Dragon Wagons and Go-Gators as coasters, largely because the older models of these rides are self-propelled with electric motors powered from an electric cable extending to a slip ring at the center of the ride. Wisdom has since refined the technology to use a friction drive with motor-driven tires under the track. On the Dragon Wagon, there are drive motors at several points on the track. The Tiger Terror is a little different. It is built as a double spiral with a definate lift section, with seven drive motors. The train is hauled up a twisting lift, then down a 360-degree spiral. This is followed by a rise which takes the train to the far end of the ride, where it goes through another 360-degree spiral and back to the loading platform. There are no traditional brakes in the station; the ride ends when the train coasts half way up the lift, then rolls back onto the platform. Then the operator connects an air hose to the pilot car to release the "Wisdom pillow" lap bars.

Now, I am not certain whether to consider Tiger Terror a coaster or not. The train appears to be the same as a Dragon Wagon, which means it may be incapable of turning right. But it has a proper lift, it is gravity propelled, and it runs like a really rough coaster. I'm inclined to count it. Any comments?

Wild Adventure also has an assortment of kiddie rides including a Zamperla Rio Grande (train), a Zamperla kiddie jeep ride, a Hi-Lite jumping critter ride, and a Zamperla Up Up & Away Samba Balloon ride. And as you might expect, there are some animal exhibits. In fact, I saw what might be the Sight of the Year. I glanced over to a fence where I saw a sign: "Beware of the Dog". Clearly visible behind the fence right behind the sign was not a dog, but an ELEPHANT. I guess it is kind of hard to find ready-made signs that say, "Beware of the Elephant".

Before leaving, I made a point of tracking down upper management. We had an interesting chat in which he revealed that the entire ride package has been installed in the past six months; the park has been open for about a year; phase 1 was the animal park. The park is open year-round, daily during the summer and for the end of November through New Year, then weekends only for the rest of the winter. In the next year or so, expect new rides from Vekoma and Chance....I think this little park that I had never heard of is going to attract some attention before too long. I wished I could stay longer, but I had to be hitting the road.

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--Dave Althoff, Jr.