Electerik

I'm not sure a 1-person "boycott" is really going to faze them much. However, I see nothing wrong with not going to parks that you dislike. I haven't been to any Six Flags in over five years, because I've just had too many disappointing experiences at their parks, and haven't had any desire to go back. Having said that, I probably will give them another shot this year, because there are some new-ish things that I want to ride. And I may even make it to SFA for the first time this year. I'm a bit nervous about that one, but you've got to see for yourself, right? Anyway, my point is that you should vote with your wallet. Just don't be so stubborn that you wind up "hurting" yourself.

Six Flags didn't ruin Geauga Lake. (You ruin parks by taking things out, if you ask me.) Cedar Fair bought it to close it, because they never liked having another park that close to their flagship--and the bigger park that Six Flags had made it into really bothered them /No, I can't prove it. //But a lot of us suspected it when they first bought it. ///And it did pretty much play out that way.

I bought tires in Tuscaloosa once.

I've never been (or, erm, even heard of it before now), but it looked charming. Perhaps you're being overly critical because it's your homepark and you wish it was better...? In any case, thanks for the photos! Especially the acid-y ones!

It might also be good news for the cruise ships themselves. Because this is about the only way I'm ever going to go on one. /Doesn't go anywhere unless there's a coaster.

That's funny, because I always hated when guests would ask me why there were empty boats. "Because no one will get in them." Rapids ride are tough because you (usually) can't just buckle the guest up yourself, like you can on a coaster. And if too many guests take too long too many times in a row, your only choice might be to send empty ride vehicles in order to regain time and keep things moving. /Or, they might just be adding ride vehicles.

^ Well, our evil ringmaster has implied that it's figure-out-able....

The new restraints look like they're designed to swing down and punch you in the gut! /Come on, it's a Boomerang. Snarkiness is totally called for.

Serious answer: But with better capacity! Snarky answer: But with headbanging!

Wow, The Lost World looks great! Is it wrong that the old King's Dominion is much more appealing to me than the current one?

Not likely as KD has done some extensive remodeling work on their flume within the last year or so. Perhaps. But I stand by my statement. On balance, the chain considers them not worth the risk. Doesn't mean they're going to rip them all out at once. But I wouldn't expect any new ones (at least, not any traditional restraint-less ones).

I'm more inclined to agree with the painting idea. In my view, Six Flags needs to raise quality and prices along with it. I would consider their season passes to be undervalued, if I had any desire to go to their parks. Many of the things Six Flags has done to improve their image have been the equivalent of Cedar Point's attempts to theme. And then they go right back to "sell more season passes and bring more teens into the park." Dear Six Flags: Why should I go to one of your parks instead of some other chains'? (Degree of difficulty: My parents aren't paying for it, so "it's cheaper" isn't going to impress me much.)

Very true, and an excellent point. But rapids rides are worse, and while Hershey is removing theirs at the moment, there hasn't really been a rash of removals like log flumes. I really do think that safety is a big concern here. /Worked on a log flume for two years. //Worked on a rapids ride, too. ///Let's just say that rider responsibility was more of an issue on the log flume.

Rather an inefficient system, no? Maybe I'll send Dan an email asking why you all do it that way....

As several others have pointed out, Shockwave/Batman The Escape was built by Intamin. But, it was subcontracted to Giovanola, and--as I understand it--essentially designed by Bolliger & Mabillard. So if you did want to make some alterations to that particular ride, which company would you contact? /Not that I'm endorsing this Darien Lake business. //How is the park doing on its own, anyway? [EDIT: Dang, beat to the punch on the B&M connection. You gotta move fast in this thread. ]

"Midcourse" (as in, block brake)? /Yes, I know that Talon doesn't have a true midcourse block brake.

^ Well, you do bring up a good point, in that most of us have been assuming that this is something we've seen before. I suppose it could be a totally new kind of train. /Bring on the spinning B&M!

^ Agreed. Though I suspect there'd be a lot of pushback on Log Ride, so it'll probably be the last one to go. But they will get rid of as many as they can. Why? Because people jump out of them. And this is the company that added seatbelts to a rollerskater. You do the math.

Unlikely. Cedar Fair is afraid of log flumes.

Huh. I must have missed that one. Did he say why that was?

I haven't ever worked on a Flyer, so I can't really address that side of it in any detail. But the problem with the stand up coaster is the adjustable height seats, which must be lined up correctly for each rider and then locked, all at once, from the control booth. Since the guests tend to naturally "test" the seats and "bounce," at least one of the guests in the train will probably have put themselves into a position they should not be dispatched in (squatting down or standing on their toes, say) between the time the ops signal for the seats to be locked and when the button is actually pressed. The row that guest is in then has to be unlocked, and you try again--hoping no one else screws it up now that they're once again free to. If you ever get a chance to watch the load procedure for a B&M Stand Up, hang around for a couple of cycles. It'll make you want to tear your hair out. Just from watching, the Flyer does seem a bit more labor intensive for the ops than a standard coaster, in terms of the restraints--but once the guest is in, they're pretty much in.

Since you've stumbled upon one of the very few areas of my expertise, let me just point out that Mine Ride is mostly gravity powered. Yes, the trains are electric, but for the vast majority of the ride, they coast (powerlessly) downhill. It's just kind of hard to tell when you're on it. /Not that I count it, mind you. I'm just saying. //Okay, really I just like to talk about Mine Ride.

In my view, there are good reasons that no one has built a Stand Up in almost a decade. During the 1990's, parks were adding lots of coasters, but there weren't all that many different kinds out there. Lots of parks added Stand Ups simply because it was something they didn't already have. Now, though, parks are adding coasters less frequently, and there are more coaster type options. Since the Stand Up brings with it an extra level of capacity related headaches (due to the nature of loading a Stand Up train), why choose that over the many other options now available? I would imagine that the trains would have to be more expensive than a standard Sitting Coaster, as well. And as for the ride experience....well, there's no Stand Up in the fantasy park that exists in my head. How about the one in yours? /Could still be a Stand Up. //But who in their right mind would want one?

^ I think they're just thinking that they want to save the ride. (And they probably got a good deal on it.) In the article, they mention that it's a 2010 project at best. I interpret that as "we're not doing anything with it until we're sure we're done with Flying Turns."

I hope you all appreciate the extra effort I put into the Terminator red eye effect theming. Oh, and my other hand is holding the camera. You people have dirty minds! /Maybe that's why I like you so much.