Electerik

Normally, I would agree with you regarding the inherent inaccuracy of polls. However, in this case, I was referring to Mitch Hawker's poll, which specifically corrects for such things: 2008 Steel Coaster Results Note that Superman Ride of Steel at SFNE did come in first.

^ Yes, the pinball did present a bit of a problem: Because it was so cool that they were on free play, it was hard to tear ourselves away. And yet, ultimately, it would be much more cost-effective to just pay to play closer to home. ^x6 Unfortunately, the stunt show wasn't going on yet. But, again, I was really happy about the Skyroom being open--so that kind of made up for it.

I agree with everything you just said except "glorified mine train." Confusing MF with Magnum, perhaps...? I hereby declare that nothing can be compared to a mine train unless it has really screwed up banking. Anyway, I'm glad MF is back up. But it's interesting that even the CP fanboys had no faith that the park would make any sort of effort on this!

Nice trip report so far. Yeah, Mystery Mine is a weird one. Did you eat at the Backstage Restaurant?

Well, sure. And yet, I have no problems on any other ride at any other park. So why bring the state and manufacturers into it when it's obviously just Cedar Point? In any case, I can still ride everything there. It's just worrisome, at times. I saw lots of people turned away on this visit who really weren't that big. And it wasn't always this way. Let's face it: Cedar Point has, over time, adopted a much narrower definition of "average" than any other park. I suppose that's their prerogative. But I also don't see any reason why I shouldn't complain about it. /Could stand to lose a few pounds. //No amount a weight I could lose would make riding Wicked Twister any easier.

I also have only been to this park once, shortly after Cheetah opened. My most vivid memory of it was being told by a ride op that I had to leave my glasses in the station because if they came off on the ride they could land on the track and derail the ride. Understand, I wasn't arguing with him. Those were his first words to me. Either the place has improved a bit, or Erik's photos are simply better than my own memories.

^ Yeah, I think they're adjacent. So it kind of makes sense. Thank you! No, no tour. We try to go on three or four park trips a year, usually ranging from two to eight days a piece. So far this year we've taken an 8-day Atlanta/Orlando trip and this 6-day Cedar Point/Indiana Beach/King's Island trip. There's a possibility that we might head over to Holiday World for a day trip pretty soon. But otherwise, we probably won't be leaving the Pigeon Forge area again until at least August.

Sorry, I haven't really played with that feature as yet. Not sure I really see the use of it, personally.

^ I forgot about that! (Probably because I didn't have a good photo of it.) Yeah, their operations training room is apparently the hotel lobby. But, then again, I would expect nothing less from Indiana Beach. "Okay, so if a guest asks you what's wrong, don't say, 'You see that big arm there that holds up the ride? It's busted.' Just say it's mechanical."

Despite its lack of theming (which wouldn't be appropriate in this case anyway), Indiana Beach is very nearly my perfect park: small but compact, filled with fun and unique attractions all piled on top of one another, and utterly and completely cracksmoking. I'm still a bit worried about the new management--but thankfully not much has changed, so far. Hopefully, they realize and appreciate what a good thing they have. I certainly do. Goodbye from Monticello, Indiana. And thanks for reading. I usually don't say stuff like this, but: Possibly my favorite photo of the trip. It was a great two days at one of our favorite parks. (Well, it was Misty's first visit, but it's one of her favorites now!) Pretty much the whole park. Hoosier Hurricane, among other things. As you might expect, it's easy and relaxing, with lots of good views of the park. It's a half-hour paddlewheel ride out around the lake. One more ride we need to get! Another one that I passed on last time, the Shafer Queen. (Photo by Speedmetal.) Next door to the Castle is a fun monster-themed shooting gallery. Lots of movement and not too tough to hit the targets. View of the park from the outside balcony. But I did snap a photo of the singing animatronic rock band! The lobby. Much of the attraction is dark, obviously. But it only costs $3.50, and I'm glad to pay it if that's what keeps all the stunts working. I foolishly passed on Dr. Frankenstein's Castle on my one previous visit, since it was an upcharge and I'm generally against those. Even first aid is weird and cool. (Photo by Speedmetal.) Air Crow is the park's flyers--built over the water, of course. Dig the maintenance man working in the middle of the ride. The train passes through Dr. Frankenstein's Castle twice through the same tunnel, yet the animatronic barker for the castle is different on each leg of the journey. Pretty cool. The train driver veers way off track. "Sir, that's the Hurricane. And we're heading for water." (Photo by Speedmetal.) When in doubt, make a sign. And Misty loved Tig'rr, declaring it the best ride of the trip. (And we rode Diamondback and Millennium Force on this trip.) You didn't think I mistyped that, did you? Tig'rr is actually built on the roof a restaurant. I love Indiana Beach. Cornball is built partially above Kiddyland, and wraps all the way around Tig'rr. It was still pretty darned good this time around, just not quite up to my previous rides. I was blown away by Cornball Express on my last visit, and probably talked it up too much. Remove substances from mouth. Sure, why not? It's supposed to be a family coaster, but it's much more thrilling than the park's "adult" woodie. Or perhaps it would be more appropriate to say "above Kiddyland." The entrance to Cornball is located in Kiddyland. Heading back in. The turnaround (above Island Golf). Looks kinda great, rides kinda dull. Built largely over the water, like so many things here. (Photo by Speedmetal.) Who's your hurricane, baby? It's actually not very wet. To the left is Hoosier Hurricane's station, to the right is Cornball Express track. I didn't shave for a couple of days so I'd look more like a lumberjack. Nice scenery, eh? I'm not entirely sure what that sign means. It pretty clearly directed at the riders, though. It's basic, but good. Conveyor loading. Indiana Beach The entrances for the log flume and the Hurricane are right next t each other on the, er, "back" midway. (Photo by Speedmetal.) It was okay. A little painful in the shoulders, but not too bad. Once was enough for us, but I was happy it wasn't a lot worse. Of course, if you like hangtime, you'll probably love it. We didn't come here for this, and we weren't expecting much. Even though it's right at the other (main?) entrance, it still feels really away from the park. Near said hotel is the park's newest coaster, Steel Hawg. Our hotel, inside the park. It was outdated--but clean enough--no internet access, and it cost $95 a night. But did I mention the part where it's inside the park? I really just have no words for this. I even tried to delete the photo, but my finger just wouldn't let me. Look, just be happy I didn't include the picture of an elf about to blow a crow. Let's check out the gift shop and then head back to the hotel. "That would suck. An arrow killed you? They would never solve the crime." I was really happy to see this open (before Memorial Day). A proper restaurant at the park is always a big plus for me. The park's sky ride is completely awesome and 100% "old school safe." All the pinball machines were on free play. I'm not sure why, but we weren't complaining. Inarguable. Misty, um, eating the stuffed tiger...? Misty preparing to win a stuffed tiger. I just like the name "Monkey Drop." I wanna win some tools! The games are all on a card system. So what happens when you load up a card only to find that the computers that control it all are down most of the time? Park profit, baby! The skeleton pops up out of the barrel. I'm guessing this is an original (pre-shooter) stunt. The brief outdoor section. We rode three times. I'm pretty sure I lost this one because I was taking photos. Um, yeah.... Obviously not built as a shooter, but the conversion was well done. Den of Lost Thieves is a really fun two-story shooting dark ride. (Photo by Speedmetal.) All the water park stuff was still closed. But, again, that's not what we were here for. A Galaxi ride op rewards himself for successfully dispatching yet another train with that equipment. (Photo by Speedmetal.) Yep, that's a coaster hiding behind all those waterslides. Unlike Cedar Point, Indiana Beach really takes advantage of its peninsula locale. Misty demonstrates how the car ride spends most of its time over water. Looking down the main midway, contemplating having a "famous" taco. They're goood! (Photo by Speedmetal.) Weird and brutal in a way that makes no sense and never fails to make me laugh the whole way. (Photo by Speedmetal.) It's kind of like riding through Spider-Man when it's out of sync, in the backseat of the Georgia Cyclone. You come out of the station and ascend via elevator lift. Then you're tossed around like a beanbag while the track does things no track should do. LoCoSuMo: Never has a ride's shorthand name been more appropriate. Day two was much busier, mostly with annoying school kids. But the lines were still very manageable. Slash Battle was closed both days, but I doubt we would have ridden it anyway. Thank you for clarifying. The first of our two days in the park was "we're the only ones on the ride" dead. Misty loves swing rides. Misty really loves this one. Maybe you'll get lucky and it'll land on the bridge. "Water Swing." Under the Giant Wheel is the entrance to a mini golf course, which is in turn underneath the Hoosier Hurricane's far turnaround. The bulk of the park. Pretty good view from up here. Let's start with the Giant Wheel. Ancient and terrifying ride panel? Check. I love crazy signs, and Indiana Beach is overloaded with them. I'm not exactly sure what folks in wheelchairs are supposed to do here, incidentally. But, now that I think about it, I'm not too sure how folks in wheelchairs would be able to do much of anything at this park. Everyone has this picture, and everyone should. The park has two entrances. This is the prettier one, South.

^ Yeah, I know. I just really liked the idea of CP plopping down some random theming, RCT-style, in order to increase the excitement level. Thanks for the kind words, everyone. /Go to Toft's!

WTF?.....I suppose everyone is entitled to...their own opinions. Again, WTF? Just so we're clear: Mean Streak wasn't actually good. I just really disliked Maverick. But it's more than just a question of different taste or whatever. I really do think body shape/type has a lot to do with Maverick being so uncomfortable (for me). My one ride was in the front, by the way. Now this really makes me sad. "The" airtime hill? What have they done to my ride?? (Haven't been on GhostRider since...oh, 2003 maybe....)

Crap. All the more pressure to hurry up and finish my Indiana Beach report. Oh well, have fun. IB is one of my favorites!

^ I have the Olympus 6000 Tough, but I've never actually taken it underwater. In some ways, it's the weirdest camera I've ever owned, as it takes really good complicated shots, but struggles a bit with shots that I would describe as straightforward and easy. Still, it's waterproof, can get banged around a little, fits easily in my pocket, and takes pretty decent photos. The shake reduction actually works, too. Sometimes I do get jealous of Hanno and Jizz Man's super-clear close up photos...but there's just no way I'm going to carry a camera around that I can't put in my pocket when I want to hop on a ride.

Of course, the poll itself is phrased slightly differently than the subject title. Personally, I would usually go with "more theming" over "more track," but it might depend on what exactly that "more theming" and "more track" are. It probably has to be a good ride, though--or, at least, not a bad one--before theming can elevate it terribly much.

Wait...you read it somewhere? Does that mean your own experience doesn't support your assertion that operations have improved, or that you have no experience? /*sigh* I think I'm going to have to start making people fill out a form before I argue with them....

Indeed. But going even more wildly off topic (if that's possible).... I wonder how all day at a theme park versus two hours at a movie really compares for most (non coaster enthusiast type) people. I mean, how much of one's theme park day is actually spent on rides? There's usually lots more waiting at the park than at the movies, right? You're indoors, you're cool, you don't have to walk anywhere.... Obviously, I'll go with the park. But, looking at it like that, I could see where a lot of regular folks would disagree with us. /No real point. Just an interesting thought.

This is the mentality I don't understand. Sporting events, movies, and Disney parks are *MUCH* more expensive for what you get and the length of entertainment offered and those all seem to be well affordable for families. I've said it before, but the problem with Six Flags isn't that they're too expensive, it's that they're too cheap. Charge me more, but give me more. My $200 Busch Platinum pass was a much better deal than my $50 Six Flags pass because the Busch parks simply have more to offer me. When I was 12, a bunch of coasters was enough. But I'm not 12 anymore. /As with most arguments, this one is more about who you are than the actual facts.

Okay, I'll grant some of that. Friendliness of employees is definitely up, based on my most recent experiences. As for "rehabilitation," I guess the whole Bizarro thing is okay. But wouldn't fixing up a ride that Six Flags had previously butchered--like, say, Revolution or Colossus--have been better than trying to improve a ride that was already good? Still, you raise some good points. And my previous post was a bit harsh, upon rereading it. Nevertheless, Six Flags still largely ignores their most serious weaknesses: Operations (running 1-train with a line, too few ride ops checking trains, etc.), and the lack of decent attractions that everyone can enjoy (a kids ride that adults can go on is not the same as a family attraction). And adding things like The Dark Knight just shows how little their focus has changed: "Hey, everybody, we're different now! Here's another coaster!" I wasn't comparing them to Cedar Fair--which in my view, is largely similar. I can assure you that you have no idea the depth of my disgust at what Cedar Fair has done to Knott's. /Far from a Cedar Fair fanboy. //Busch, maybe.

Why? They may be the biggest chain, but they're also the most inept--as they've proven time and again. Yes, I've heard this one before: Six Flags is not responsible for their own problems. This is usually followed by: "Considering the financial mess they're in, they really have no choice but to...blah blah blah." The fact is, Six Flags parks continue to be run like, well, Six Flags parks. The big improvements often cited are usually things they intend to do, with very little actual change in the parks themselves. I guess you could call me a Six Flags hater, but I didn't start out that way. They've made me doubt them, and when they impress me again, I'll be impressed. No, I don't want them to fail. I'd love for them to be fun places to visit again. But at this point, to be honest, I'd barely notice if they were gone. On the other hand, if you're into what they offer: Awesome. Go, have a great time. Spend some money. They need it. But let's face it: If Six Flags were solvent, they'd just buy everything in sight and build more big coasters, while ignoring everything else, until they were in debt again. /It's okay to disagree with me. I do that sometimes myself.

Yeah.... Sorry, but Freestyle Music Park will be around longer than Six Flags. /Stupidity got us into this mess, why can't it get us out?

From what I've heard (haven;t been to the park yet to see for myself), the splash has been off all year. I also heard that the jets themselves were removed, but I don't know if that's true or not. Okay, yeah, now that you guys mention it, I do recall a reading about a splash effect on the last drop--and that did not occur. Luckily, I had forgotten about it. Ignorance is bliss. I still thought it was a really cool ride.

^ Brilliant! /Adjusts tinfoil hat.

Why? I mean, how does it increase safety? To me, it's the equivalent of having to dribble a basketball down the dock while checking restraints. It's a distraction, and irrelevant. Now, perhaps there's some trade off for this distraction...but I'm not seeing it. Elissa suggested that the procedure was so that it could be more easily determined if the restraint had been checked or not after a potential accident. But that's not really safety, that's assigning blame after the fact.

^ Indeed. The goal of any park should be to make each guest's day as hassle-free as they reasonably can. Just trading one inconvenience for another really doesn't accomplish anything.