Hercules

I just took a few minutes and updated a couple more parks. I've just kind of done a little bit of editing to some and made some slight changed to a few to keep everything uniform. I don't start my new job until tomorrow, or I'll have a bunch of time to get some of this done today.

Thanks a lot for all of the great tips! I just updated the first page with a couple, but I'll do a lot more later. I just wanted to get started. Plus, thanks for putting them into format! I thought I was going to have to do that! That helps A LOT!

If they were working on something, then I will rescind my attempt.

So, I came up with this idea after I have seen a major ballooning in the number of random and repetitive threads in this section of the site, and in the Ask Alvey section of the site. I figured, why not make a collaborative effort to make the most omprehensive tip guide possible? We have have tips for a bunch of parks in one spot, so people don't have to fish around the site looking for tips, or get frustrated and just make a new thread. Plus, this could be useful for people that either don't know how to use the search function, or just toally disregard it. What I would like to do is get as many tips for as many parks as possible in this thread. I will keep it as orderly and clean as possible to make it easy to read and understand. So, if you have tips for parks post them here and I will organize them in this post at the beginning of the thread. Also, if you have any questions about parks that aren't within this park "datebase" feel free to ask them, and then I will compile the responses to those posts and place them here also. I am going to separate each park into these tip categories: Park Management (how to navigate the park), Best Time to Go to the Park (months, days, times that have the least crowds and provide the best value), Food Recommendations, Ride Recommendations (for food and ride recommendations I will provide the screenname of the person that recommends them in case you have found someone on the site that you have similar tastes to in order to). I will be sure to update this AT LEAST weekly. Ideally daily. Probably every 2-3 days. I will start it off with a park that I know very well, and show the format that I will be doing things in. Let's make this happen! Let's stop cluttering the Ask Alvey section! California's Great America Park Management - The longest lines in the park are for Flight Deck, Survivor, Firefall, and Invertigo, so hit those early! Also water ride lines can get huge on hot days. -The circular shape of the park makes it difficult for effective touring, so it is recommended to start with Flight Deck and Firefall, but then touring in a counter-clockwise rotation. -The water park is empty for its first 2 hours of being open (usually 11-1), but after that the lines for the slides grow quickly. -No Flash Passes, but none are normally needed, except on special event days Best time to go to the park - Weekdays During The Summer - Weekends very early in the season Food Recommendations - Nicktoon's Cafe, Outback Shack, and Maggie Brown (KGA29) - Food Festival is a nice food court with tons of options. They even offered Dole whips last year (KGA29) Ride Recommendations - Flight Deck- One of the older B&M inverts. Short, but intense throughout the entire ride. Very smooth. (KGA29) - Firefall- Great Huss Top Spin program along with some amazing fire effects and water cannons/fountains. Since it's new, it generates long lines. (KGA29) - Survivor: the Ride- Zamperla Disk-O Coaster with water misting tikis and fire torches. Great ride, but lines are long and move slowly. (KGA29) -Carousel Columbia- Classic huge double-decker carousel. Never has long lines at all. (KGA29) -Delta Flyer/Eagles Flight- A classic "bucket" style ride from one side of the park to the other with a bird's eye view of everything. An old ride that isn't seen often nowadays. Not usually a good use of time for transportation as lines are generally pretty long. But for the view, it's great. (KGA29) Cedar Point Park Management -Do Maverick, Top Thrill Dragster, and Millennium Force first, as those are currently the most popular coasters and get crowded the quickest. -An enjoyable day consists of starting at Raptor, Blue Streak, Wicked Twister, etc. (the rides at the front of the park) and work your way to the back. -Cedar Point is completely flat and easy to walk through and maneuver through. There are no stray paths or anything of the sort, it's basically just one big circle. - Entering the park through the Magnum Gate is the best place to go in the morning to get to Maverick or Dragster quickly, Marina Gate is best for Millennium Force. If you have early entry privileges, get there well before early entry opening as there is usually lines - Always check the Cedar Point website (and the Getaway Guide) for coupons, I got $20 off a night at Hotel Breakers for example. To get the cheapest rooms at CP Properties like Hotel Breakers, get in early Best Time to Go to the Park - Go in early May and everything is a walk-on...all 17 coasters, plus their flat rides are do-able in a half-day. Up to mid-June there are relatively light crowds on weekdays. - Monday through Thursday are the ideal days to go. - Avoid July and August. Food Recommendations - Subway (FeelTheForce) - Panda Express near Millennium Force's entrance (FeelTheForce) - Chik-Fil-A near Maverick's exit (FeelTheForce) -Joe Cool Cafe (great for taking kids) near the new Planet Snoopy (FeelTheForce) - Diner near Corkscrew's corkscrews (FeelTheForce) - Toft's Ice Cream Parlor near Demon Drop (FeelTheForce) - Stuffed Pretzels near Magnum's entrance and Witche's Wheel (FeelTheForce) - TGI Friday's in the Breakers Hotel (FeelTheForce) Ride Recommendations - Must-dos are Top thrill Dragster, Millennium Force, Maverick, Raptor, Mantis, Wicked Twister, Blue Streak, Magnum XL 200, Gemini, Iron Dragon, Corkscrew, Mean Streak, MaXair, Power Tower, and Skyhawk (FeelTheForce) Dorney Park Park Management - if you are looking to get the credits start at Wild Mouse at opening as the line for the ride becomes very long as the day moves on - if you are just looking to have an enjoyable day, start at Talon and work your way counterclockwise around the park - those with bad hips, knees or backs may want to invest in or bring some sort of support or even a wheelchair due to the terrain of the park from front to back - during the summer, hit up as much of Dorney as you can from 10-3 as most of the park guests will be at Wildwater Kingdom - lines will get much longer throughout the day as people leave the waterpark Best Time to Go to the Park - May and September are very slow months - Octobers during the day are very slow - Monday - Thursday are the best days to go during the summer months Food Recommendations - Center Stage Fries - excellent fresh cut fries at a decent price. They also offer a pretty good deal on Mozzarella Sticks. (Hercules) Ride Recommendations - The Whip - A classic ride that has withstood a couple of fires (Hercules) - The Meteor - A surprisingly intense, and somewhat unique flat ride (Hercules) - Laser - A great, and very intense, portable Schwarzkopf looper that has been rumored for years to be leaving the park (Hercules) Michigan's Adventure Park Management -If you aren't one of those "all day" park goers, then between June and Labor Day come after 12 noon, because most rides are walk-ons while the water park is open. -You are walking on everything anytime during the two weekends they are open after Labor Day. -Generally avoid Saturdays in late June through middle August. There's going to be irritating waits for rides that aren't plain worth it. -Tuesdays are the best day to go, with even the busiest hours having walk-ons on most everything. -You can do this park in less than 2.5 hours if you know what to ride and when to ride it. Recommened order: Arrive at 1:30, Zoomer, Corkscrew, Mad Mouse, Falling Star, Flying T©rapeze, Timbers, Wildcat, Timbers, Train to GR, GR, Adventure Falls, (RipCord- only on special times), Both Hydro Blasters, Water Park. Repeat minus Water park and some flats and you can be done by 5. - Shivering Timbers can get up to an hour or more on some days, but most summer weekdays you wont find it longer than just off the ramp. It rarely fills the extra queue area except on midsummer Saturdays - Wolverine Wildcat gets longer than ST's line due to the single train. Also right near the park's garbage compactors, so the stench can get very intoxicating. If you see the line from the walk way more than 20-25 deep, then its not really worth the time. - Mad Mouse line is ridiculous when the park first opens for some reason, this is one of those "ride when everyone else is at the water park" rides - Corkscrew: Its this simple: if you see people outside the station, dont ride it. - Zach's Zoomer: Another "avoid at the beginning of the day" ride, because people can get in line before they open, so just wait. 3-5 PM is the best time to ride this one, you can get up to 8-10 times per hour if you want. Ride Recommendations - Shivering Timbers - Obviously. Some people who have access to other parks frequently wont give this a higher rating than I would, but since I live in town, its the best woodie I have ever ridden. It does get rough at times, and isn't one of those "get off and get right back on over and over again" coasters. It goes fast, it goes far, ride it. (MiAdventureMan87) - Wildcat- This ride all depends on where you sit. It can be EXTREMELY rough if you sit in the wrong seat, but other than that its okay, and its a good thrill. (MiAdventureMan87) - Zach's Zoomer - I love this ride. Its a smaller coaster that isn't weak. Just ride it and see. A perfect coaster to get someone into thrill rides. (MiAdventure87) - Corkscrew - Its one of the first Corkscrews around, and the first corkscrew to have the supports it has, rather than the one at CP, if I am not mistaken. Ride for nostalgic purposes only, as this ride only lasts 44 seconds IF you count the lift (17 without). (MiAdventureMan87) Food Recommendations - This park has all of the usual Cedar Fair garb, a Coasters, themed food stands, etc. I would still bring my own lunch, as the food areas are not very well kept (Neither are CP's if you look at it). They have a Kettle Corn stand that makes utterly spectacular Kettle Corn. Buy Kettle Corn there. Even if you aren't hungry. (MiAdventureMan87) Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom Park Management - If you are looking for credits, start the day at Roadrunner Express, followed by Thunder Run, T2, and the rest of the coasters should have short lines - If you are looking for an enjoyable day, across the bridge first, and end your day with the front of the park - Splashwater Kingdom will be extremely crowded all summer, so do all the slides as soon as it opens, and leave before 1:30 CST - The park is very flat and easy to maneuver - The Northeast Territory section of the park (Twins and MHF) will be closed for the 2008 season - Flashpasses are very cheap here Best time to go to the park - Weekdays during the summer - Sundays and Saturday mornings in October - AVOID VISITING ON SATURDAYS! Food Recommendations - The park does not offer many food options, but your best bet is the Papa Johns buffet near the park entrance (DBru) Ride Recommendations - Thunder Run: a woodie with potential to be one of the best out there- loaded with speed and airtime (DBru) - Chang: on of B&M's best stand-up coasters (DBru) - Greezed Lightnin': The park's hidden gem- a great Schwartzkopf shuttle loop that hardly ever has a line (DBru) Valleyfair Park Management - You won't find many lines here unless you're running into a summer weekend. If you know what you want to ride and when, you can fit everything in one day very easily. - If you want higher thrills and more fun, go to the right after you enter. If you want more family oriented thrills along with the parks only looping coaster, go left. - White Water Country Waterpark is a very popular place during the summer, so if you're planning on being there most of the day, go there early, and set up place at one of many layback chairs. - The park is very easy to navigate, but don't forget that there's more rides on the path behind Renegade! - There are no flashpasses, but there aren't that bad of lines, so you shouldn't run into any trouble with line times. Best time to go to the park - Weekday During The Summer - Halloween Haunt - Earlier in the season, as the lines for the haunts can get up to 3 hours on a Saturday later in the Haunt Season - September Weekends Food Recommendations - Definitely hit up Coasters Drive-In, or Ben&Jerry's. Both very good places to chow down! (Vffreak07) Ride Recommendations -Renegade -:- World class GCI. Great fast paced ride, with lots of little pops of air, and lots of great twists & turns. (Vffreak07) -Wild Thing -:- Morgan Hypercoaster. Not the most thrilling hypercoaster in the country, but still a great ride. Very fun, and you can see most of the park if not all of it from the ride at any time. 207 ft. drop - Max Speed of 74 M.P.H (Vffreak07) -Xtreme Swing -:- A very tall & fun S&S XL Screamin Swing. Lines during the middle of the summer can look long, but considering it's 40 people per cycle, and cycle's are short, shouldn't take to long to get through the line. (Vffreak07) - High Roller -:- Great classic woodie. Lots of bunny hops, turns, and fun. Lots of trims though (Vffreak07)

I was at the park on Sunday, and they were definitely having problems with the ride. It opened later in the day (around 11 or 11:30) and was down for about 20-30 minutes a pop about 3 times during the course of the day. I'm not surprised that it would be down for a few days.

I guess it is a little more professional, however, times are changing. Email is a very acceptable mode for communication these days. Sure, it would be nice to get a nice letter through the mail on quality paper with a nice letterhead, but honestly, what are the chances of it getting lost, or just toally discarded? People check their email frequently, and it is really hard to miss a thank you email. Not to mention, it is really quick. If there is a quick decision to be made in regard to a candidate, and a thank you letter is a deal breaker, then I personally wouldn't want to send something in the mail if it is going to take 3-4 days to get to the intended person.

I'm not proud of demeaning people, and that is not the soul purpose of this thread. The purpose of this thread is to give an example to people of what not to say on the boards in order to be taken seriously. Plus, a lot of the things that have been brought up in this thread are a good example of things that will get you banned and go against the posting policies set forth by Robb and Elissa.

New rule - No quoting someone just because they want to be quoted for attention. Saying something dumb isn't something to be proud of.

^ That really is frustrating. I totally know all about that. Just a few notes: Some exciting things going on with me. I've had a few interviews and they have gone really well. I was offered an Event Coordinator position yesterday, however, I had a really good interview with the job that I really want, and will be going back tomorrow to interview with the CEO of the corporation where I am hoping he will offer me the position. It is a bit longer of a drive, but the base salary is higher with a better commission structure. I would get an extra week of vacation time compared to the other position and a better health plan. The only downer is they would not match my 401K. I also have an interview tomorrow for a job that I'm just looking to suppliment my income with - a late night customer service position - part time and fits into any schedule nicely. Going back to some previous issues that were brought up. I used to drive about an hour and fifteen minutes to work a few summers ago, and then would drive around 8 hours during the course of the day doing the manual labor involved in that business that I started, and then would drive over an hour back home. It sucked, but I would definitely pick that over being homeless, being in a psych ward, or being in jail.

Whether it be a 10 minute presentation in one of my classes, in front of 25 people, MC'ing a banquet with 200 people, or giving a speech in front of 1,000 people, I have always pretty much gone with the flow of things. It works for some people, and doesn't for others. Personally, I don't care how many people are in the audience - it is just something that I'm good at.

I'm totally with you on this one. Why should a Spurs/Lakers playoff game be called any different than a Trailblazers/Timberwolves game the second week of the season? Or, why should the first 3 minutes of the second quarter be called any differently than the last play of the game? I think there needs to be a lot more consistency in the league and there wouldn't be this debate. The rules and calls need to be simple black and white.

New rule - No more quoting yourself to get attention.

Yeah, I don't know. Like I said, every time I have been on Superman or Batwing, I have been told to take them off. One of the great reasons to have contacts now.

If I were God, I don't think my first priority would be retheming a ride...

I don't really think it is a bad policy. I'm sure it is still there. I know it is on the other flyers that I have been on within the past 2 years.

First, I would like to extend a thank you to Teacups for checking out my resume. I appreciate it. I'm not sure if I sent a thank you to you or not. Anyway, I have kind of revamped my resume a little bit and I have some updates. A couple weeks ago I had a couple interviews that went nowhere fast. One was for a sales position at Helzburg Diamonds. They were interested and called me back for a very awkward second interview. I haven't heard back, but I'm not shocked. This past week I had 2 interviews that went very, very well. I have scheduled times to meet with both of them again this upcoming week. The first, that is kind of a last resort due to the low base pay and emphasis on commision, is for an Event Planner position, about 15 minutes from my apartment. The other, and the one that I really want, is for an Inside Sales Manager position with an outsource IT sales company. It is a great salary and a decent commission structure. The downside is that it is about 30 minutes away with no traffic. Philly traffic is terrible in the mornings, so it is sure to be pushing 2 hours on some days. I will just have to see how it goes. In total, I have 5 interviews scheduled for this week, including the two that I just mentioned. I'm really hoping that something pans out this week. I'm feeling pretty good about it. Right now I'm cruising looking for either a parttime night position or weekend position to help suppliment income. I don't really mind working 60+ hours a week between two jobs at this point. A few tips that I have learned: I decided to go against everything that I have been taught in my business classes. I have a two page resume for the management positions, and had been using the rule of thumb one pagers for entry level positions. Well, I decided to increase the information on the one and bumped it up to two pages. 3 of the interviews that I have this week are entry level, and I would like to contribute it to a more extensive resume. One page just wasn't enough to show my experience level for various jobs. Include as much volunteer experience as you possibly can. I got the Helzburg Diamond interview based primarily on the volunteer exerpience section (she told me). Also, when applying online, make sure the title of the document that your resume is in has your name in it. It makes it very easy for recruiters or hiring managers to spot your resume, especially if they lose it or delete your email. Also put your name in the subject line of the email that you are sending along with the job title you are applying for. Tailor your resume and cover letter to the specific job you are applying to. It is cool to have a template or, in my case about 20, to work off of, just as long as you take the time to go through and change job and company specific information. If there is a contact included in the job listing, make sure to note that in the cover letter, along with the name of the company and the exact position you are applying for. Make sure the description of your skills and work experience fit the job description. Make sure you contact your references before you use them to make sure they know that they might be receiving a call from a potential employer. I cannot stress the importance of being confident and well spoken in an interview, and especially a telephone interview. Lastly, if you send a cover letter, which I highly recommend, don't just repeat your resume. Say a few different things that will make you stand out. Also, I have just been pasting my cover letter into the text of the emails that I have been sending rather than attaching them. It makes it easier for me, and easier for the person on the other end to read.

It is ready to crack $4 here for regular at 3.999

I guess he could have meant both. The fact that it was reridable made the lines a little bit longer since everyone was getting back into line for it. Sorry to be a little harsh. I guess we were both right.

^ You do realize that he meant reridable as in it wasn't all that painful, not that the lines were short, right? Keep us updated!

Well, it is a totally different situation than Banshee/Mantis, but yeah... That is really interesting that they were just testing the market with just a name. Did they think a name change like that would garner more interest from the public? I know that J2 was a horrible name, but how many more people do they think they would get through the gates with a change of name? And how would they monitor that during the off season? Season pass sales? Web hits? I just seems really odd to me. Maybe they used a focus group or something. Or just asked for feedback.

I love my boyfriend and his hot a$$! I've been told that I have a hot ass, but I can't see it, so I can't confirm.

Well that's what you're supposed to do when you see porn spam on the forum. --Robb That made my day a lot better.

^ That might be the most intelligent coaster related post I have ever read. Beemer - That is really funny about the hairband thing. I remember seeing the band Voyager when I was in elementary school, and the flames they had looked exactly like that. I swear that at one point they were so out of sync that the lead guitarist lifted up a thumb to one of the pyro guys as to say, "Do it now man, we are dying here!" X2 - I have no comment since I have not been on it. It looks really cool though. I give Six Flags credit for trying the best they can.

Kiss up to the teachers. Tell them you have a trip to go on and then clap some erasers and do some filing for them.

For some weird reason I tend to be on whenever spam is first posted. I always report it when I see it. You guys do a great job of getting it off quickly. Great job guys and keep up the good work.