Check out some ratings, and let us know what you think!
To all overprotective parents out there---have no fear, Mr. Thrill Coaster himself, the one-in-a-million-real-live prototype for the Energizer Bunny, Ira Gordon does a fabulous job with all the kids on tour. My son, nearly 17, and went to Cedar Point in summer '08, and in addition to absolutely LOVING the Park and the entire experience, he was astounded at how organized Ira was. A super micro-manager, he has a sixth sense about kids, in fact, he'd make a superb Mom!
Initially insecure about sending our son half-way across the county with total strangers, we attended some of Ira's tour reunion get together, and were very pleased and relieved to meet the families Ira takes on tours; without question, these are good kids. We were impressed that many of the kids were repeat attendees. Our son's tour ran extremely smoothly.
In addition to Ira, the tour counselors were excellent. We also feel that Ira's wife, Laura is instrumental to making Thrill Coaster Tours a fantastic, memorable program for the kids. Bottom line, this camp company offers a secure way for kids to enjoy aggressive thrill rides without the parents spending hours getting heatstroke while "benchwarming" and waiting for their kids to come off the rides. It's an awesome win-win!
As an aside, my son has participated in 2 ultra expensive summer programs, one a residence program at an Ivy League university, and frankly, only Ira's tour required an 18 page info packet to be filled out before the camp, and only Ira's tour had unprecedented, excellent supervision and security.
This is a super-safe environment for young roller-coaster enthusiasts. Get packing!
--- Parent, East Brunswick, NJ
| I was very nervous sending Jennifer so far from home for her first time away. I was (and still am) shocked at how patient you were with my "mom nerves" during our many phone calls prior to the week.
I can't tell you enough how comfortable I felt leaving her in your hands. I knew in my heart (and I was right) that you would take care of her as if she was your own child!
The trip itself was incredible. The fact that you take them to "real" restaurants and "real" hotels was a real plus for Jennifer. She had a blast!
Overall, the value for the money was EXCELLENT, and frankly, I am not sure how you make a profit with all you include in the trip price.
Once again, many thanks for a great time!
Parent Tampa, FL
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My 15 year old son and his friend decided that they wanted to do something "different" this summer.They both had commitments to sports so their free time was somewhat restricted. His friend mentioned Thrillcoaster Tours and we thought it was a very interesting idea. We liked the variety of trips and the fact that the children could pick and choose what weeks they wanted to go - based on duration, location and how it fit around their sports schedule. Starting in the early spring, Ira held get togethers at pizza parlors and bowling alleys for new campers to meet old campers. My son and his friend took advantage of this and by they time July rolled around, they had made new friends and were very comfortable with Ira (as was I). They signed up for Southern Studio tours, which was a 12 day trip going to amusement parks from Florida to New Jersey. They had a blast! The tour was extremely well organized and Ira goes on each tour. I found comfort knowing that if there was a problem, Ira was always at hand and reachable by phone. I highly recommend this tour for any rollercoaster enthusiast. Parent, Livingston, NJ |
| One thing that I would like to stress is the feeling of safety and security with these trips and the staff. I know how parents can worry about sending their children to a sleep-away camp as well as to large, crowded amusement parks and this camp covers all the bases. I went to an orientation meeting and all my questions were answered and fears assuaged.I was totally and utterly comfortable sending my son on these trips.Donna Carey Abrams - Parent 2008 | |
| She had the time of her life and met some great friends. It is something she will remember forever. One of my favorite parts of TCT was looking at the pictures on a daily basis. Seeing those kids having such a great time was a lot of fun! --Mom 2006 | Roller coasters are my hobby, they are what I love so this camp was perfect for me and gave me the opportunity to ride coasters that I probably never would have been on before. -- Camper 2006 |
| "My parents have always tried to find a camp just right for me, a camp where people don't judge other kids. My mom looked in the paper one day and found an article about ThrillCoaster Tours for Teens. My parents know that I love roller coasters, but I rarely get a chance to ride them. My parents wanted me to have a good time, but they were nervous because I never went to a sleep away camp before. I went for 3 weeks for the summer of 2005 and it was the most fun I think I ever had. For the summer of 2006 I am signed up for 5 weeks. I can't wait to see all my friends." --- Camper, Summer 2005 |
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| The staff was awesome, definitely no complaints. --Camper 2006 The staff at Thrill Coaster tours is fun and willing to do whatever you want to do and to help you feel more comfortable while on tour. -- Camper 2006 |
My favorite part of TCT was how we always got a full meal with a high spending limit and how we could almost always ride every ride in the park as many times as we wanted and still stay long enough to ride to rest of the rides that we wanted too. -- Camper 2006 |
| I liked meeting new people from everywhere and having very interesting experiences throughout the summer. -- Camper 2006 | Why do you like ThrillCoaster Tours??? A. You travel with kids to amusement parks (what is better that that??!!!!) B. You get to travel to places that your parents don't want to go to the lengths to go to C. Because I can now say that i go to roller coaster camp. -- Camper 2006 |
| My favorite part about ThrillCoaster Tours was everything, the people, the fun, the excitement, and especially Ira "Winner of the Most Amazing Director" -- Camper 2006 | |
| I have always loved roller coasters and i find them a lot of fun but i hardly get to go to amusement parks and it was just so great to go this tour gives me an opportunity to go on the roller coasters that i want and with people that like them like me. -- Camper 2006 | The staff was really great this year and there where a lot of them so it was a good thing to talk to each of them. For me they were always there for me so i was able to talk to them when i needed help with something. -- Camper 2006 |
| I went to this camp to have fun and ride roller coasters! Last summer was a blast and this summer was even better!! You also get to meet a lot of really good friends when you go to this tour! -- Camper 2005 and 2006 | At first we considered ThrillCoaster Tours because it appeared to be an extremely unique experience for our kids...once we met Ira, it was a "done deal". The experience and the personal attention and personality of the Director, it was a no brainer. -- Parent 2006 |
| What was your favorit part of ThrillCoaster Tours??? As a parent, it was a tie. It was when they left at the beginning of a session and when they returned home at the end of that same trip. But my most favorite was seeing the kids' faces when they returned from each session as they described their experiences and the tremendous amount of fun they had. -- Parent 2006 |
What should we change about ThrillCoaster Tours? TCT, the only thing that needs improving is nothing. ThrillCoaster Tours is a prefect blend of fun, friends, and especially coasters. I think this camp has just the amount it needs. --Camper 2006 |
| "We feel confident that there is no room for improvement in the painstakingly detailed arrangements Ira has made. It will be a great summer!!!" -- Parent |
"ThrillCoaster Tours was exactly the camp I was looking for, travel the country, meet new friends and be home on the weekends to hang out with my regular friends. I can't wait for this summer, plus I get to ride all these cool roller coasters." --- Camper, Manalapan, NJ |
| "Ira seems to have addressed all the concerns we had with our previous camp. Our son is looking forward to the summer now. We know he will have a great time and be safe." --- Parent, Randolph, NJ |
"This camp offers an incredible opportunity put together in an extremely well detailed itinerary...not just amazing amusement parks but also great beaches, boat rides and historical experiences." --- Paramus, NJ |
| "After meeting with Ira and his staff, I have never felt more comfortable about my child's summer before." --- Parent, Manalapan, NJ |
"We were very impressed with the attention to detail and the care that went into planning all the trips they will take. Most of the time will be spent on having fun, not travel time." --- Parent, Randolph, NJ |
| "We have been sending children to private camp for over 10 years. We are incredibly impressed with the depth of planning and safety measures ThrillCoaster Tours has put in place. It puts others to shame." --- Parent, NJ |
"I am most excited about going on the new roller coasters and going to amusement parks that I usually don't have the opportunity to go to." --- Camper, NY |
| "Our daughter was looking for a teen tour after attending sleep-away camp for 4 summers and we found ThrillCoaster Tours offered a great transition because it will give her the opportunity to travel to amazing locations and be home on the weekends." --- Parent, Central Valley, NY |
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| Dear Ira,
ThrillCoasters is a type of camp that I would have dreamed of going to as a child. My son was ecstatic when I discovered it existed. To top it off was having my entire family meet Ira and his lovely wife. By the end of almost three hours, we felt like we knew them all our lives and what was more important, my husband and I have no problem in leaving our child in their care. For us, this is monumental because we are very cautious who we give our children to even on a temporary basis. I am sure this will be the first of many wonderful years for you and my family to come and I know people will be clamoring at your doorstep to be included as participants in the future years of ThrillCoaster Tours and the main improvements on an almost perfect concept that I am sure will happen. However, I am unsure of at this point how one can improve upon apparent perfection in attention to every exquisite detail and planning required for this kind of undertaking. I can't wait to hear the amazing stories that my son will come home with! Thank you, Ira for a future fantastic and novel experience. Sincerely, Paris (Parent) |
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| "Ya'll"!! (You all) probably don't want an essay but I'm from Texas and I do everything in detail. Especially researching summer camps for my children. Thrillcoaster is the most unique summer camp I've ever seen. Our 15yr. old son, Carson, loves to ride roller coasters. He has been building theme parks and coasters for years. Roller coaster Tycoon! ha. His last 3 summer camps have been at Sea World Adventure Camps in San Antonio, Busch Gardens and San Diego. He also attends swim camps for competitive swimmers each summer. But his two passions in life are roller coasters and designing haunted houses. On a whim last week I typed in Roller coaster Camps on Yahoo. I was shocked when I found ThrillCoaster Tours. This is the most well thought out and planned summer camp for kids that I have ever found. We have a 16yr. old attending a month long total immersion spanish camp in Mexico. It has taken me over 3 weeks to find the information out I needed in order to make a confident selection. Thrillcoasters had everything I needed to make my decision on their web site. Within 24hrs. we had all the information we needed. Ira talked with us in depth over the phone about all the details. He found the airlines and the flights for Carson to take...and found us great deals too. This was very important for us since Carson is traveling from Texas. ThrillCoaster Tours has everything covered. More importantly, I know my son will be under constant adult supervision. They are traveling on a beautiful bus, staying in great hotels, eating three good meals a day and having loads of fun with other kids who love coasters too! As parents of children in today's world, we are always concerned for the safety of our children. We chose Thrillcoasters for all of the aforementioned but we booked his summer camp with ThrillCoaster Tours because we knew he would be safe. Tom and Lisa Austin, Texas | |
| I cannot say enough good things about Ira Gordon and ThrillCoaster Tours. I have very high standards about programs for my kids (even though they are teenagers) and ThrillCoaster Tours has exceeded anything I could ever dream of. What an experience for my son. His three summers with ThrillCoaster Tours have been amazing. Ira is the perfect mix of a person that both parents and teenagers love!!! Thank you. I am planning on sending my daughter next year. ---Parent 2005, 2006, 2007 | |
| The first day of each tour is a great opportunity. For some, it's a chance to look forward to upcoming coasters but for everyone it's an opportunity to meet new friends and reunite with old ones. My first day of my first trip in 2006 was different though. We were driving down to Florida. I knew some people already because my brother, cousin, and my brother's friend were all on the trip, but they were all older than me. In fact, I was the youngest camper on tour and there was only one camper that was entering the same grade as me. I had met some people at orientation and my brother and cousin knew people from 2005to introduce me to. Still, I wanted to make friends of my own, meet new people. I will never forget the first time I made my first real friend at TCT. I was sitting by myself making sure that I was close to those I already knew, it's funny how insecure you can feel around so many new people. All of a sudden a girl whom I had never met before who had ! gone on the first week sat in the seat next to me. "Are you new here," she asked with a soft smile that made me forget how lonely I felt. "Yes," I was surprised I could make out that much. "Don't worry, you're going to make amazing friends, ThrillCoaster is an amazing experience." She didn't lie, that first friend I made gave me confidence to go and make new friends. I met so many people that would change my life forever. ThrillCoaster Tours is a wonderful way to make new friends. While bonding about your love for coasters, you meet tons of people and Ira makes sure that no one is left out. I have made countless friends at this camp that I hope will last for a lifetime. I will never forget my first TCT friend. -- Camper 2006, 2007 | |
| What was the best amusement park...cedar point because the rides were great and the friends were awesome I wish it had never ended --- Camper 2007 | I want to thank you for your prompt and kind responses to the registration of my granddaughter. She came back glowing and with wonderful stories and praises for Ira!!!! -- Grandparent 2007 |
| What was your best meal...I thought the best meal was Wednesday night when we ate dinner at that Damons steakhouse(I think its called that!). The food was pretty good and the waiters were customer friendly. -- Camper 2007 | Did you like the staff...Yes. I loved the counselors and Ira. They were the coolest people to be around. They were fun to be around and they would still lay down the law when they had to. That is a perfect staff in my book. -- Camper 2007 |
| What was a great story...I think a cool story is how I met so many cool people and everyone was so nice. --- Camper 2007 | What was the greatest event...The best event was the rock wall climbing gym in Albany. With all the caves and cool things we learned it was great! --- Camper 2006, 2007 |
| The best meal...I think it would be easier to ask, "Was there a bad meal?" It was great because we got to go out of the park to eat. And it was also great that we got desert some nights even though we are usually stuffed from the great food. --- Camper 2006, 2007 | The best event was definitely jet boating even though we got drenched and it was cold ..it was something i probably wouldn't do on my own.. The best park was probably Canada's wonderland though I'm in love with Darien lakes ride of steel -- Camper 2007 |
