Electerik

Well, you never know. Would you have predicted Lightning Racer, considering that Hershey already had two wood coasters, one of them GCI? I wouldn't have. It's true that a lot of big coaster parks have sort of stood pat with two woodies for a while now, but I think the new Intamin technology sort of gives them an excuse for a new one if the owners and/or CEO's are wooden coaster fans already. Not that I think this new ride will be an Intamin woodie, necessarily. But I wouldn't reject the notion out of hand. Electerik Rationalizer of Redundancy

Actually, the article just says that they made on offer on Wild Adventures--not Cypress Gardens. Seems like an odd park for them, though. I mean, WA is basically just out in a flat field. Very much different from what they're used to. Electerik Facilitator of Fit

You know, the more I look at the layout, the more I'm really liking this thing. Especially the first drop. Not just the angle, but also the way it turns during the pull-out. Also, I really like the overbank turnaround and the downward helix/s-turn/three-quarter upward helix combo thingy. Yeah, the trims everywhere look kind of bad, but maybe they're there just in case , and won't normally be used. (Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?) But, otherwise, it looks pretty darned good. Electerik Rethinker of Repetition

I don't see why Tamprica can't have two kids areas. Though they're all relatively small, IOA has three. Plus, I don't think Jungala is purely a kids area in the way that Land of the Dragons is, anyway. Having said that, I wouldn't much miss LotD, personally. Electerik Captain of Consistency

I'll take 200. Electerik Psyclone of Studliness

Well, I'm sure we will. I just don't know when, exactly. Both Millennium and Steel Dragon were built to be record breakers, but now 300 is kind of an "in between" height (that is, in between a "standard" 200-foot tall hypercoaster and a 400-foot tall "record breaker.") So, it may not be for a while. But, yeah, at some point, someone will. Electerik Voice of Obvious/Reason

So it's Camp Jurassic with a Frog Hopper? Electerik Scion of Simplification

My take (since I'm at work and bored): It's been said before, but I think it's important enough to mention again: These are industry awards, and there are (political) things going on in them that we can only guess at. But I'll take a wack at the big three.... Cedar Point: They're big, long-lived, consistent, independent, and true to themselves. They're the top of the food chain. They have no corporate overlords who makes dishwashers. Little parks want to be big parks, and big parks want to be Cedar Point. They command respect in the industry, and this is how the industry pays that respect. Do I think they're the best park? No, not even close. But I understand. The Voyage: You know how actors always win Oscars for directing? Well, Will Koch is an actor who's directing. He's an underdog geek made good, and he seems like a legitimately good guy who really cares about this stuff. Sure, El Toro is awesome, but it's an Intamin at a Six Flags. The Voyage is Cinderella, and Will Koch will appreciate it more. If you're on the fence about which ride is better, that's a pretty good tie-breaker. Superman Ride of Steel: If anything I've said above makes any sense at all, then this choice seems to contradict it. The only thing I can think of is that's it's just a legitimately great ride, and there's nothing at a "more popular" park that can give it a run for its money. I think that's reflected in just how long it took for this ride to finally overtake Magnum. But I'm still sort of surprised it's not Millennium up there. Anyway, those are my ridiculous thoughts on the matter. Your mileage may vary. Electerik Ringleader of Rationalization

Nope, Cornball's just 55 feet tall, according to RCDB. Electerik Poo-bah of Proportion

Cornball Express. No question in my mind. I think I have it ranked #3 overall right now anyway. It really is a great ride. Electerik Chairman of the Choir

I find the shouting down of "complainers" far more annoying and worrisome than any of the actual "complaints" that I've read so far. Isn't the whole point of a message board to discuss things? It'd be a pretty dull discussion if it was nothing but "It looks like a ride we'll all have to experience before we can discuss anything about it" comments. Some people think it looks great. Some people don't. Some are somewhere in the middle. This happens with every new announcement and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. I do think that more impressive looking rides (i.e., the bigger ones) get held to a higher standard around here because everyone is looking for the next "greatest ride ever" and they're naturally drawn to whatever it is that they think is going to keep that ride from being just that. As good of advice as it may ultimately be, many of the "reserve judgment" folks come off as trying to win some kind of argument by default: "It's gonna be great! Oh, you don't think so? Well, you don't get to have an opinion until you ride it." I wonder if Paul Reubens has a message board...? Electerik Constable of Contrarianism

Sure, 500 sounds pretty impressive. But I'll bet that 50% of them were below average coasters. Oh well, congratulations anyway. Electerik Master of Math

Hey, I just wanted to say thanks for all the pictures. Yeah, it's probably overkill, but it's always nice to see more of an under-photo-tr'ed park. Electerik President For Life

*cough* Gemini *cough* And, of course, things like Space Mountain (all except Paris). Electerik Baron of Blocking

Well, the trains do look kinda funky, but I like the layout, and hooray for the 85-degree first drop! Plus, it's always nice to see another hypercoaster. And a unique name, too! (Although, not really a good name, but I guess you can't have everything. ) Electerik Snap Judgment Guru

Incidentally, and I meant to mention this earlier and forgot, the correct pronunciation is apparently "Lake Win-ah-pah-soak-ah." At least, according to the auto speil on the carousel. (I had thought it was "Win-ah-pah-sah-kah.") Just thought that was interesting/worth mentioning. I could be wrong.

Yeah, that was kind of my point. The story goes that CP approached 3 different companies for what eventually became MF. B&M turned down the project outright, and Morgan's bid was twice that of Intamin's. Draw your own conclusions.

Er...yes, that was me. Sorry, no rapids ride at Lake Winnie. As for you, verticalzero: Let me back up BeemerBoy in saying that while Cannon Ball may look really good, in a classic sort of way--it has very little airtime, which is a big requirement for me. Still, it is fun. And I'm sure you would enjoy it. And, since I'm feeling munificent (and I always take about 10 time as many picture as I post), here's a couple more for ya:

I miss credits all the time. I'm much more interested in fun experiences than any sort of artificial "count." So, if it's a model coaster that I've been on a couple of times before (at other parks) and know that I don't particularly care for (like, say, a Boomerang or an SLC), I skip it. It's the same with obviously lame kiddie coasters. To me, it's just like not riding every scrambler that I see. But, if it looks particularly different or interesting (or sometimes if I just feel like it ), then I will. It all just depends. Now, having said that, I will ride any coaster that's unique, no matter how bad its reputation is. Because I've really liked a few things that never have anything positive said about them (for example, Predator). But I never go out of my way to ride something that I know isn't going to contribute anything to my day.

I'm sure they would. That's the beauty of Intamin.... Random Amusement Park: "We need a roller coaster that's 700 feet high and made of chocolate." Intamin: "Sure, no problem. What kind of chocolate?"

Actually, as much as I liked the ice cream at the Mayfield Factory, Toft's in beautiful Sandusky, Ohio remains both my favorite ice cream and my favorite ice cream shop. (It's also one of those ice cream parlor right at the factory kind of deals.) Many a gap in a CP split-shift was spent there, let me tell you. Here's a link to an article about Toft's from a local newspaper: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070521/BUSINESS03/705210333/-1/BUSINESS

Spraying to all fields.... Yes, the very one, as I understand it. I enjoyed it, but I think I prefer the sideways seating of a Falling Star. Yeah, that's just it. I found it really boring. It takes, like, 15 swings to get up to full speed, and then it starts winding down almost immediately. Yeah, I agree. I really like downtown areas that are bisected by rivers. Chattanooga actually just elbowed its way onto my short list of cities I might want to live in one day. Yeah, kind of the same deal with me--including Lake Winnie. I'd driven by, like, 8 million times--but never at the right time, or when I had time. I finally just had to make a special trip of it. I'm glad I finally did. Erik "I need a new sig" Elness

Part III: We All Scream For Ice Cream So, I'm only slightly ashamed to say that I like ice cream almost as much as I like roller coasters. So while all-that-you've-been-told-about-so-far was going on, there was another, secret trip happening in the background at the same time: The Ice Cream Tour. Parlors at factories generally have the best ice cream. Plus, they usually have every flavor currently being made, and sell it cheap: $2.50 for 2 scoops here. The highlight of the tour! Driving home, I hit the Mayfield factory tour in Athens, TN. The tour was just okay, but it was free. And, the ice cream was excellent and plentiful. It was good, but not as good as I'd hoped. It was fairly rich, but the "chunks of stuff" were too finely chopped for my tastes. After failing to find this badly-named, but well-regarded local ice creamery the night before and ending up at a Ben & Jerry's instead...at last, success. Rock City had a Dippin Dots stand. But, sadly, it was not open when I was there (of course, it was only 9:15am). Lake Winnie's awesome ice cream stand, made to look like a paddle wheeler. Mayfield can do not wrong on this trip!

Part II: Guerrilla Tourism Though there will be a carousel and a kiddie coaster towards the end of this report, day two was earmarked for all the non-amusement park touristy stuff in Chattanooga. Such as.... ...but that's okay. I wasn't there for the lame-o credit. I was there for old-school mini-golf, and it was really good! And, finally, I ended the day with a trip to Sir Goony's Fun Center. The kiddie coaster apparently only runs on weekends at the moment.... Why, it's that carousel I promised! A really cool park along the river. And what's in the blue building? (As if you sharp observers didn't know already....) Chattanooga claims that this old train tressel is now the world's longest pedestrian bridge. It might very well be. I walked it twice. Two turtles dancing on a bag in front of the WTF Museum. Walking around Chattanooga. Their version of shoe-prints in the concrete. I like it. And this is just...wow. Typical aquarium stuff. They're always too short and not very exciting. Not that I have any ideas.... Be a SeaWorld instead? Or this friendly little guy. Still, it had its amusements. Such as these baby human-fish. Next up was the Tennessee Aquarium. Not bad, but I guess I'm really just not an aquarium kind of guy. Kind of ho-hum. Time has past it by, as evidenced by the fact that there are now tract houses higher up the mountain. The Inclined Railway. The third and final of the Lookout Mountain attractions. The Tennessee River, as seen from the top of the observation tower (see first Ruby Falls picture). The waterfall is hard to photograph, especially with their random, multi-colored lighting. See Rock City, skip Ruby Falls. Everybody touch the slimy phallic rock. Ruby Falls was a guided tour. It took about an hour-and-a-quarter, as well. But I probably could have done it in about 20 minutes. Fairyland Caverns makes up much of the return leg of the trip back down the mountain. Not scary at all. I'm sure it's fine. There's a pan for gold type thing, plus a big plastic climbing wall (not pictured because it's lame). Lovers Leap Swing-A-Long Bridge Stone Bridge Choose Thy Fate I'd like to take a moment to point out some interesting rock formations. - There's one. But, then, I'm a walker. This place could kill somebody that's not. And it's definitely not wheelchair-friendly. It's self-guided. I did the whole thing in about an hour-and-a-quarter. It's basically a walking path, with lots of stairs and gardens. So, Rock City turned out to be awesome.

Part I: Lake Winnie Greetings from beautiful Chattanooga, Tennessee. Got up at 8:15 yesterday morning (I didn't even know there was an 8:15am), drove the two-and-a-half hours from Pigeon Forge, Tennessee to Rossville, Georgia (just over the border from Chattanooga), got to Lake Winnepesaukah (turns out it's pronounced Winnepes-oh-kah) at opening (noon) and was sunbaked and wore-out well before the 8:00pm closing time. I had a great time, though. The park is really nice, for what it is (and what it is is an old-school, traditional amusement park of the "permanent carnival" variety). The employees were better than I expected. Not particularly "professional," but by-and-large very nice (which is more important to me, ultimately). And the park had a really good ride selection, a nice layout, some funky-unique stuff (always a plus), and a laid back, totally non-corporate attitude. One thing that I thought was just a tad un-guest-friendly, though (in a really funny way): There's exactly one enclosed, air-conditioned place to eat. It's right beside the park's most central restaurant, and chock full of windows so you can see right in--at all the employees (only) eating! Enjoy your picnic bench in the sun though, folks. Let us know if you need anything else. Also, the lake is kind of, well, green. Still, it's a pretty swell park. Don't forget to properly dispose of your trash by stuffing it down a clowns throat. Y'all come back now! Nine dollars even. What's for lunch? This is the greatest picnic shelter ever. I wanna have my 40th birthday party there...in about 20 years. The Pirate had kind of a lame program, but it sure looks nice. Racing down the drop towards the green-water-splash and the free-float. Finally emerging into daylight, you climb the lift that goes over the founder's back yard. Do you feel the funkiness yet? ...and there you stay for a long, long time. (Note: this is only what it looks like with your camera's flash on.) From the station, you go right into a dark tunnel.... Apparently, the Boat Chute was the park's first ride. Built in-house, and it shows. The Alpine Way heading over the water and toward where you should be able to get off, but can't. I love chair lifts. Oddly, though, this one only has one station, despite the non-station end being in a natural place for one. Still, +1. So, as I enter the wave swinger, I say to this op, "Hi, how are ya?" And he looks at me for a second and says, "Y'all spread out some." The second time was worse. Not riding this one again sad-and-pathetic-style. So, despite the trims being on, Wild Lightning was almost too wild to ride by my lonesome. There was a sign posted at the front gate saying that this would not be operating today. *shrugs* As you can see by the Paratrooper, the park wasn't particularly busy today (although, it was busier than that). Cannon Ball is fun--but, really, you've ridden it a hundred times. As you can see, you can get pretty close to Cannon Ball from the back parking lot. This picture would be Super Marion Cobretti Cool if I'd managed to get the turnaround in the frame, too. Man, I wish I'd trimmed that eyebrow hair before I took this picture. Their drop tower had a brutal stop at the bottom. In fact, I think it pretty much just stops by hitting the ground at the end. Denied! According to the Orbiter op, "It tore its drive shaft yesterday." The antique cars were nothing particularly special, but I appreciate their presence nevertheless. I rode the Wacky Worm. It wasn't credit-whoring, though, because I'd never been on one...because I'm not a credit-whore. Most of the big stunts weren't working, though--most disappointingly, the spinning tunnel. The Castle is the park's old school dark ride. Looking back towards the main entrance. The main midway/boardwalk/pier (on the left) connects the front and back sections of the park. Parking is free. +1 for Lake Winnie.