Oh lord, my first visit, in 2002...
Doing UG Bugs while in awe of the UG Swinger soaring high, and marveling at Corky, and then having a real blast on Soakasaurus, even though I could never get enough leverage to soak my friend properly!
Seeing Hex from the outside and presuming it was some kind of exhibit so not going in, absolutely loved the Vintage Cars and the fact that the Cred Street Carousel had MULTIPLE TIERS was the most exciting thing in the world. I also measured myself up outside that and found that I was taller than 1.3 m, which had 8-year-old James protesting that he could go on ALL the rides!
I remember being fascinated by the way the Log Flume boats sped up when they left the turntable (geek from the start!) and having a picnic on the rapids bridge (not sure how we managed that given the throughput...) and finding the tunnel on RMT the most intense thing (my friend almost lost his hat!). Then there's my biggest regret: I remember being utterly TERRIFIED in the graveyard queueline for the Haunted House, but as for the ride, all I remember is vaguelly the hand in the jar, and then breaking down by the Undertaker for what seemed like an age. Why? Because I shut my bloody eyes through the whole thing!
Not because I was scared, but to support my friend who was...
On top of this, I remember being utterly amazed by Nemesis and her waterfalls, obviously the brand new Air, and Ripsaw made a real impression too (though I could ride none of them
). Other than that, I've got really fond memories of the teacups, and certainly seeing the swans, though never rode them either!
The overriding impression, though, even when I think back to the memories now, is that it was a truly
magical place, which I completely and utterly fell in love with from the moment I set foot there. I didn't go again for another 4 years (when I could finally ride everything
) but that first visit really stuck with me...
This is why I completely disregard anything about 'the magic' going away; 2002 was hardly a boom year for the park's most "magical" investments, but that didn't stop it being (then and now) the most magical place in the world for me