Elitch Gardens

With the two small parks out of the way it was time to hit the larger ones in the Denver area starting with Elitch Gardens which is located in the centre of the city next to the Pepsi Center.

Elitch Gardens was a Six Flags park that they got rid of in 2006 handing it over to CNL and PARC Management, who own around a dozen parks including Magic Springs and Frontier City, which we had visited earlier in the trip.

Nice hat! Unfortunately these kids didn't have enough money to get in :(

So, this was a park I had done before when I stayed out after the 2008 club trip and I really didn't like it here so I had decided that today I was going to have a lazy minimal day whilst the others ran around and tried to get all the other credits.

They can't spell "fruit". This is the sort of thing that annoys me.

The first coaster was in the kiddie section of the park and Blazin' Buckaroo was the ride that wasn't here on my previous visit. I knew this was a tricky park as I had talk my way onto the previous kiddy coaster that sat here (it's the Wild Kitty we had to speak to management to ride at Frontier).

Today the ride operator was being equally challenging refusing to let us ride without a child. Tal was able to get his ride after sweet talking a mother to borrow their kid. I just couldn't be arsed and I think Thomas and Christof shared my views...so well done Tal! This is a side of the hobby I'm happy to give up now, and it occurring at a park I don't like only made me more resolute.

The park is very nicely done, it's just a shame I don't like it.

They have an SLC. I didn't ride it.

They have another of those Arrow loop shuttle coasters, like the one in Frontierland. I didn't ride it.

In the Six Flags period this was called Batwing. The licence had to go when they sold up so now it's called Dragonwing and has nothing to do with Batman whatsoever despite the wings clearly being Batman themed.

I did choose to ride their shooting dark ride Ghost Blasters and having queued for half an hour I was put on a train where the guns didn't work. This annoyed me.

The boomerang failed to open on time and when it did I didn't ride it. 

I have no idea if the owner of this brought all the food in, or if it was bought here and then wrapped. But what happened to their kid?

Skycoaster, didn't ride it.

Half Pipe, didn't ride it.

Larson Loop "Rollercoaster". Didn't ride it.

The water splash, didn't ride it. I did get wet in the splash zone though. It was something to do.

I did like that the queue line took you into the centre of the wooden coaster, and you can get some OK photos in there. Did I ride it? Of course not!

This was actually good. A pop up van within the park.

The park's big wheel. I didn't ride it...but because it wasn't open today. This annoys me!

I did ride this. It was tame.

I have no idea what this is about.

I thought Skillet was a strange name for a band but I did actually spend some time checking them out whilst in the park and they're ok in a poppy-Papa Roach style with lots of shouting from both a male lead and female backing drummer. Maybe that's their Unique Selling Point? A big cross on the lead singer's arm probably tells me their a Christian Rock band, which is probably what makes them a choice for the park.

Their carousel was actually pretty decent and I thought I'd ask the customer service if they had any more information on it. They said they didn't; this annoyed me. I also thought I'd see if it was possible to be allowed to ride on the kiddy coaster I'd previously been denied. I was told it was down to operator discretion and as it was the same chap still running the ride so I decided not to bother. This annoyed me.

Lovely. I did like this.

Funny to the Brits. A wasted joke on the Americans.

What do they mean by "Fresh dollars"? Just spend the money in this park ok.

So I wasn't a fan coming into the park, and I did what I had to remain like that for the majority of the time we were spent there. Nothing there changed my mind. This park really is bad!

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