Electerik

It is Mack, yes.

I'd be willing to bet that the restraints (and previous lack thereof) were a huge factor in Cedar Point deciding to tear down their old log flume and then put this in. People jump out of things with no restraints. They just do. And Cedar Fair is almost paranoid when it comes to rider safety. They hate those old log flumes, and have already torn out a couple of them. /Someone's gonna tell me I'm wrong. I'm not, though.

"Any sign of movement" is too strong of a statement, obviously. But yes, Ripsaw is different than Splash: jumper = e-stop = all water drains = complete evac = fairly significant downtime. /Different companies, different rides, different policies.

Perhaps you are referring to Professor Hacker's Lost Treasure Golf? It's actually a chain. I'm pretty sure I've even played one somewhere else. (Myrtle Beach, perhaps.) I'm awesome. Yet, as Misty is trying to show here, as awesome as I am, I still didn't win. Professor Hacker's Lost Treasure Golf is a perfectly serviceable mini golf course. The holes are decent enough, and the train ride adds interest. Still, for me, it comes up just a bit short in the charm department. Maybe it's because it's a chain. But while it is fun, I would recommend going for one of the more unique mini golf establishments in the area instead. This turned out to have been the mystery hole. They do something a little bit different here. Instead of possibly getting a free game on the 18th or 19th hole, you have to turn in your scorecard in order to find out if you've won a free game or not. Almost finished. ...to the ship! Heading back down... I bet that dude's gonna find it hard to feed his Jesus addiction down here in the jungle. Although, I have no idea what's going on with this one. There are some interesting holes. Professor Hacker's features lots of big flashy scenery. Me gettin' all artsy. That would actually be pretty cool if there were bats that swooped down at you while you were golfing. (Or is that just me?) Only this ancient Aztec pyramid stands between you and a Texas Steakhouse. No, thanks. I recycle mine. Looks like I've got problems of my own. No, Misty! Be careful! Not sure how long he's been here, but his hat has held up remarkably well. Wait...the palace dungeon is in a volcano? Why, yes it is. The only real difference is scenery, and even then they're fairly similar. But fear not! Just for you, we played both! There are two 18-hole courses: Diamond and Gold. Shall we...take the tunnel? Yes, at Professor Hacker's, you take a train ride up to the top (at no additional fee) and then putt your way back down! But first, get your photo taken! (They'll be available for purchase by the time you're finished golfing.) The club house, with the entrance to the train ride behind it. The entrance is actually around to the side. It's located between Pigeon Forge traffic lights 4 & 5. And, um, it opens at 9:30am.

I'm actually trying to stay out of this thread, but I just want to (maybe) slightly clarify one thing: If the lagoon levels are particularly high (say, after a lot of heavy rain), that can happen. But, traditionally, a Ripsaw e-stop has only very rarely taken Bluto's down with it. Of course, my knowledge of these two rides--while fairly extensive--is a couple of years out of date, so it's possible that something has changed and I no longer know what I'm talking about.

Nice TR. Don't see too many from this park. Things I like about Michigan's Adventure: Shivering Timbers Arrow Mad Mouse Swinging Ship Um....

Seriously--and I say this with love--Cedar Point has been "out of room" for at least 10 years. And in that time, they've built four new coasters (two of which were the world's largest), two giant flat rides, and now this. Let it go, folks.

"Shoot The Rapids" is a bit of an odd name, since it's not actually a rapids ride. Looks like a real soaker, too. Congratulations to all those who predicted "water ride." (And to Lance over at Screamscape, who's had that rumor up for, like, a year and half.) I (randomly) predicted spinning coaster and was totally wrong. But, on the plus side, this totally confirms my "Cedar Fair is afraid of restraint-less log flume rides" theory. Looks like a good addition for this particular park.

AHA! Someone who thinks exactly how I do! That's why my favorite seat on Diamondback is in row 9 or 10. The "Traditional" B&M feel; nice and floaty. The airtime in the front and back is so unusual. I love it! But it's weird... Really now? How interesting. Our visit to KI this year was a very quick, spontaneous one. We only rode Diamondback twice--once in the front, and once in the back. I suppose we must try row 9 next time....

That's actually really awesome. Nice job!

All the coasters run as long as it's above freezing. Photo TR: (Last Year's) Smoky Mountain Christmas Should--even if they have to make it themselves. Not much of a skier, though, so I might not really be the one to answer that.

Only, like, two people will even get this. But, luckily, I put almost no effort into it....

It's fairly standard for licensing agreements to include clauses that cover such eventualities. I'm willing to be that Universal is safe for at least 10 years, and probably longer (considering their investment in it). The sci-fi retheme would be easy enough, though, long-term.

That's awesome. You totally need a life--but still, thanks. I have an Olympus Stylus Tough 6000, and Misty has a Pentax Optio W10. I definitely take more photos, but a lot of her pictures are in here, too. Thanks for the encouragement!

Gatlinburg sits in a sort of cul-de-sac, semi-sourounded by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. And traffic light #8 in Gatlinburg will lead you to Cherokee Orchard Road--otherwise known as The Motor Nature Trail. So there you have it. The Motor Nature Trail is a really easy way to get your feet wet in the National Park without having to go very far, or spend a lot of time away from, all the touristy stuff. Actually, I find that The Motor Nature Trail is more enjoyable without a car (if you can avoid being run over). Hmmm, why is that one painted? I guess they were rich primitive settlers. Again with the river. Misty apparently hates this old house. "Hey, close the window! - "I can't! We live in the 1800s!" I really like this shot. (Nature is so much easier to photograph than rides.) There's gotta be some more old houses around here somewhere. But let's head back to the car. See? That was worth the hike, wasn't it? "Please do not enter. We are refreshing the dead people." This is the best photo of me ever taken. (If I do say so myself. I took it.) "You want me to go up there?" That's pretty. Let's go for a hike. Oh, deer. Hey, they got a river in their back yard. No wonder they picked here. Let's go 'round back. Not sure what this was for.... Like Cades Cove, there are lots of old settler's houses along the way. I think I actually took this with my iPhone for some reason, but I really like the slightly washed-out look of it. It's a one-way road for most of it. It'd be fun to live in Gatlinburg: "Yes, how do I get to the National Park?" - "Um...leave."

That's interesting. I had the opposite reaction. I'm not entirely sure why, but the "new" B&M hypers I've been on (Diamondback, Goliath) haven't impressed me nearly as much as, say, Apollo. Steeper should be better, right? But the forces on the new ones just seem weird to me. Lots of pushing me forward into my lapbar and then sitting me down hard sort of stuff. To each their own, I guess. I do think (this) Intimidator looks really cool, though.

I worked at IOA for four years, and I still like seeing photos of it!

Yes! There's still a chance for this guy! www.gordonrides.com

Awesome report of cool-looking park. Thanks!

^ Agreed. Every new coaster these days is just up-and-down hills or full of inversions. Why can't they do anything innovative, like explode?

True. Although...what management are you talking about? Do you really think it's just coincidence or random chance that this ride is going to be 5-feet shorter than its cousin up north? Cedar Point is Cedar Fair, and no other Cedar Fair park would ever purposely be given something better than what Cedar Point has. I don't even mean that as a complaint. It's just the way it is. So, yeah...everyone wants Intimidator305 to be the best it can be--as long as Millennium Force is still measurably "better." /Adjusts tinfoil hat.

Did you know that Minute Bol is the originator of the phrase "my bad"? www.bookofjoe.com/2006/02/the_origin_of_m.html /Whereas Dio invented being awesome.

"Today Cedar Fair Announced New Super Small Playground, To Your Sorrow"

^^ I'm going to pretend I understand. /Ridden plenty of B&M's, at least. [EDIT: Damn that Wes. ]

Off the awesome shelf. Win! As critical as I often am of Cedar Point/Fair, I do need to give them credit for being the world's hypercoaster torchbearers. Sure, a lot of these new B&M hypers feel, well, a bit similar to one another. But just imagine how annoying it would be if they actually were clones. Another unique new hypercoaster is a solid win in my book--and this one looks especially good, I think.