jwil

Thank goodness that is finally over. Very nice to see Mantis become something I'd like to ride. I wonder what else CP has in store for 2015, if anything.

I'd really like to see Dorney get something unique that makes me want to go back, but I understand it is a smaller, regional park rather than a headlining destination park, so it is near the bottom of Cedar Fair's list for getting new/expensive rides. I do miss Laser. There aren't many of those Schwarzkopf looping coasters remaining in the World, much less the U.S. It was a tight and aggressive ride. As my first looping coaster, it will always have that nostalgia factor for me. I also miss Hercules. Even though that ride was out-of-control, that first drop and turn were amazing, and the layout wasn't bad at all. I haven't ridden Steel Force in a while, and although it would probably pale in comparison to the newer hypers/gigas, I always liked the ride. Talon is one of my favorite inverts. Hydra, however, was a fairly big disappointment to me. I do need to ride it again since it's been awhile, but I absolutely hated that ride before.

I'll join the side of those thinking Mantis won't leave entirely. I really think they are going to make some changes to it, I just have little idea what. The "darkness falls" wording makes me think they are turning it into a dark ride. Maybe not the whole ride, but perhaps part of it. I can't see them removing it and building a new dark ride (or otherwise) in its place between November and May/June. If there is going to be a brand new ride for next year, it will be going in a different location, I'm sure.

Have those markings on the ground in the Blue Streak area and elsewhere been explained yet? I remember those teaser pics from long ago; I was wondering if it was ever determined what those markings meant. Perhaps nothing but laying electricity/water/gas to an area that doesn't have those connections. I think anything with Mean Streak for next year would be out. If they plan to renovate or remove it for 2016, they would wait until next year to announce that, I'm sure. Anything dealing with Mantis could still be on the table, and I suppose it could be a dark ride coming - perhaps with a frontier/western theme?

I personally think Six Flags may be over-extending themselves by having to manage so many parks. I imagine that is a large reason for their bankruptcy issues back in 2009 (recession and other issues didn't help). I imagine they do revenue-sharing amongst the parks (meaning they don't just use revenues from one park to expand that one park); however, with so many parks to deal with, it is bound to happen that some parks get ignored in favor of the bigger parks that can support growth due to popularity and a larger consumer base. Magic Mountain might get more attention because, although there are a good number of parks in Southern California, there really aren't any major competitors to its thrill-park status in the Western third of the U.S. (Knott's and DK being the closest). Plus I'm sure SF doesn't want its "coaster capital" title taken away. Here in the NE, a lot of parks are clustered in a much tighter sector, ones that are much more comparable, so Great Adventure has a lot more competition to deal with. If people want to ride a bunch of roller coasters, they have a lot more options in the NE U.S. as compared to the Western U.S. I think if SF would sell off some of their properties, all the properties would be better off in the long run. I'm just speculating, of course. It could be that the smaller sell-offs could die due to lack of funding (again assuming SF does revenue-sharing amongst all its parks). Plus it would be a matter of finding buyers. Personally, I'd love to buy an amusement park - time to hit a crowdfunding site!

Definitely not a "roller coaster" in any true sense of the word, but I believe it is Larson's fault, as they advertise the ride as a "compact roller coaster." It is a flat, without a doubt. I think it's a tad deceptive to call it otherwise. What about the other announcements? Are they just waiting on those? Or were fake clues included with the real ones as red herrings? Also, who wrote that press release? There is nothing unique about this ride at all, as four of these are being installed at the same time across different parks, not to mention the ones that already exist.

Parks don't have to do exactly what we want or would like to see, but they do have make improvements and continually evolve. They're a business, and the tourism industry is particularly fickle. Older rides that no longer get a lot of attention from guests, specifically positive attention, are just dead weight to a park that must continually change to meet attendance and revenue goals. Cedar Fair also understands return on investment. Making a smaller change could see a fairly equivalent return as making a much more expensive installation, only in less time. While the rumors going around don't have a ton of weight behind them, they seem fairly cost-effective and would certainly increase the appeal of older rides. As a personal note, I do not find Mantis or Mean Streak appealing as they are now. They both physically hurt me. Mantis, at least, has a seemingly decent layout. I find Mean Streak's general design is out-dated; it has not aged well. The layout is peculiar and ineffective, IMHO. Any change to either coaster would make me want to ride them again. I don't predict a substantial change to Mean Streak next year. Any significant change to Mean Streak, and CP would likely give the public some warning so they could get their last rides in.

A super loop makes sense based on the clues, but common sense should dictate that it would not be the best decision for the park. It doesn't seem like the most appealing ride, either. Isn't this model almost the same ride that used to exist, just under a different name? There are a lot more appealing flats they could install out there. More appealing in terms of capacity and overall design.

Perhaps the queue will be a giant bee hive you have to navigate. Only the strong (the survivors) get to ride at the end of it. Jokes aside, looking forward to see how big the reveal is. Leaks will happen; I imagine the plans are going to please everyone regardless.

Off topic - For the out-of-staters, Pennsylvania is one of the three remaining Commonwealths (Kentucky, Virginia), and the old "blue laws" are still on the books, unlike most other states that no longer have them or never had them. At this point, the LCB (Liquor Control Board) will do its best to see that its monopoly remains indefinitely. It brings in a ton of money for the state. It was still illegal to sell alcohol on Sundays up until a few years ago. Moreover, one cannot sell six-packs and cases of beer in the same location, nor can hard liquor be sold where beer is sold. Hard liquor sales are confined to state-run "Wine and Spirit" shoppes. I recommend doing research ahead of time if you want to find a place to buy beer. Most bars will sell six-packs, at least, just keep in mind "Beer Distributors" are stores where you can specifically purchase cases of beer. Hopping over to a gas station or grocery store will likely net you zero results, although that is slowly changing. Both Sheetz (West/Central PA) and Wawa (Eastern PA) are intent on obtaining liquor licenses so they can sell six-packs. Meanwhile, some grocery stores are now selling six/twelve packs of beer, but those locations are fairly limited. The only grocery stores I've seen selling beer are in the metro Pittsburgh and Philly areas and suburbs (think Giant Eagle or Wegman's). I remember the first time I traveled out of state and could legally purchase alcohol. Going to a gas station and finding beer was miraculous to me haha. Anyway, that is your TIL lesson for the day if you're traveling from out-of-state! I'm not a Hershey local so I can't give you the best advice for that area; hopefully others can help you out there.

Not sure where you live, but you can try buying your tickets at a local township building. My local township in PA offers tickets for $36 a piece. I don't think there is a better deal around. Look online at your local township's website for the Parks & Rec Dept. and hopefully they have similar offers.

I want to like Magnum, but as another tall person, it hurts the legs bad. I would prefer restraints that have a bit more room for my legs to space out. Perhaps lap bars that have one side open: _| instead of |_|.

Not sure where you live, but you can try local governments. I go to my local township building to get most tickets, as they are usually cheaper there than anywhere else. Hershey tickets are currently $47 there; they are $61 online, but I'm not sure if there are any better deals.

For all-out intensity, Skyrush is the winner for me, and it isn't even close. I can't think of another ride that emulates riding a bull so perfectly. Somewhat ironically, El Toro is my #2 (and certainly my top woodie for intensity). Kingda Ka wins for most intense launch, but after that the ride is "calm." Honorable Mentions: Millennium Force (most intense drop, IMHO), Maverick, Nitro, Griffon.

B&M - Mantis (Cedar Point) and Hydra (Dorney) tie for me. The former was extremely painful, while the latter was just so incredibly dull. Intamin - Skull Mountain (Great Adventure) and Stormrunner (Hershey). The former, certainly an older ride, just isn't all that interesting. Perhaps a bit unfair to include it. The latter was also quite painful for me, largely in the shoulders and head; new restraints might make it a much better ride, IMHO. GCI - Wildcat (Hershey). No comparison as far as I'm concerned, this ride is just bad and painful.