CoasterFanatic

^^ IAAPA has nothing to do with it. Believe it or not, this poll is voted on by industry "insiders" and ... gasp ... ENTHUSIASTS.

Just announced ...

^ It was a preemptive "welcome" for the thank you I haven't received yet.

The mystery man at Strickers Grove is Jim Futrell. // You're welcome.

^ Where did I congratulate them?

Of course you get congrats from Big Mike! The title for "Self-Promotion King of TPR" is still up in the air.

This is where we differ in opinion Elissa My favorite wooden coasters have always been the ones that left you with a sense of accomplishment for having made it out alive. Thanks for the report, Rastus. Hopefully, Catrina and I will be able to make our way back there next year for a ride on this one.

My Dominion Maxx Pass will scan at any of the old Paramount Properties but nowhere else. ------------ Looking back at this $140 is a GREAT deal for the pass and I only paid $99 this year. For $140, they are giving you waterparks, parking, joe cool club (early entry), and the usual perks. Last year, if you put that together ala carte, it would come to ... $164.95 for the Maxx Pass Plus $75.00 for the "All-Ohio" Parking Pass (and that wouldn't include any other parks) $15.00 for Joe Cool Club Combined the price would be $254.95

^ Nice. In my two visits this year (both on Saturdays), the ride side was dead and all the coasters were walkons. Most not even sending out full trains. Raging Wolf Bobs is a bore and really does nothing at all. I would like to them fix it, but only because it is better as it's sucky self than as a paperweight. Not quite sure on the attendance, but I would imagine that it has gone down from last year. Nothing new on either side of the lake and two coasters gone.

I can't remember if it was always that way, but I am pretty sure that by the time it closed it was up to 52". Something makes me think that it started out lower and moved up, but not necessarily because someone smaller couldn't be properly restrained.

^ Actually, they have only have 3 (total) over 48" Of course, you only have to be 3 feet tall to ride the Jack Rabbit

According to their website: POP will only be available on Fri and Sat.

If you are looking for patents, then Victor Canfield has probably the most comprehensive list. www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/v/a/vac3/rcpathome.html

"Them there" park enthusiasts are a weird bunch. Couldn't that at least name their source. Lance broke the news. Give the man credit. ------------------- // I just laughed so hard that I think a little bit of pee came out.

I think to the people of Richmond and Washington, DC it will be VERY original. There is nothing like it out there. Between Six Flags America, Busch Gardens and Dominion there isn't anything remotely close. The only other Paramount Park that could have benefited from this addition more was Canada's Wonderland and we all know what they are getting

I firmly believe that if this park exchanges hands again, it will not be for amusement purposes. At least on the ride side.

Unrelated, but here are some pictures I found for "Phase II"

Attendance. No ... seriously.

^ I think they forgot how to run one around 1989.

I do tend to agree with you on the waterpark. Catrina and I have been going there a bit over the last couple of years and while it is a nice getaway for those who just want to kick back, it doesn't offer the thrills that a slide-happy enthusiast craves. Shame that their 2 year expansion became more like 1.2 year expansion and more slides and the Master Blaster were never built. If anyone can dig up the original concepts, it was there. To be fair, Matt, I don't really claim to be the all-knowing authority on all things Geauga. I am sure that there are plenty of people here that visit the park a lot more than I do. I just think it is unfair to blame EVERYTHING on Kinzel and say that it is all Cedar Fair's fault. This park (again in my opinion) was at it's best when it was managed by Funtime Inc. Everything since then has been heading towards this inevitible conclusion. And to agree with Beemer, all of the recent decisions concerning park are strictly "business" and good business in my mind. If I was to speculate what Cedar Fair's intentions were when they purchased the park it would be this: - Add a modern waterpark to help alleviate the plummeting crowd figures (check) - Remove coasters and relocate them to other properties where they can be marketed as new. Increasing the draw of said parks without little capital investment (check ... and last I checked, Firehawk was an hour wait at Kings Island) - Remarket Geauga Lake as a "regional draw" and "traditional park". Lower entry fee. (check) - If all else fails, you can always remove what is left and sell the land as it is extremely valuable (we will have to wait and see on this one) // The only real problem I see is that Cedar Fair hsa really forgot how to run a "traditional" park.

My only visit to the park pre-1996 was in 1993. My family would go to Sea World every couple of years, but it wouldn't be until I could drive myself before I finally made it to Geauga Lake. Some friends and I visited the park on our way back from Cedar Point and I think we actually had more fun there. Texas Tornado was a big draw as nobody really had them at that time and Wolf Bobs was still a pretty damn good coaster. I don't remember all the little details of the visit, but damned if I didn't ride the Scooters. My best memories of the park are from that visit and any step towards that (even if it means some disappearing coasters) is welcome in my eyes. // I believe admission was about $16 (approx. $23 in today's money) back then.

^ We are talking pre Premier/Six Flags right? Because other than maybe an Enterprise, I can't think of any. I also don't think you understood my argument. I never denied that Six Flags brought in huge numbers to the park, but even their numbers dwindled the last two years they owned the park. Why do you think they sold it in the first place. I understand that you are upset that your home park is ripping out it's coasters at an alarming rate and that is understandable, but take this into consideration. If Six Flags had still owned the park, there would be condos sitting on it as we speak. Very true. Be happy that I don't own the park. Entry would be $30, parking would be free and there would be no season passes (at least to the ride side).

^^ +1 to Beemer. Just to let you know where I am coming from, I am not a Six Flags or Cedar Fair fanboy and believe that both have good and bad points. In my opinion, the people who really know how to run a park have last names like Henninger, Koch, Knoebel, Thompson, etc. With that said ... Besides a monorail that nobody rode, antiquated slides and a "killer" drop tower, a corkscrew and $1 belgium waffles there wasn't much more. Actually they will have six and people in Pittsburgh pay $31 for the same number. Not in my opinion. That would be Six Flags. They overextended this park to a point where it could never survive. Sure, people will come out for 4 new coasters for a couple years, but what do you do once they have moved on. I need to dig up the pictures that i had from when CF took over the park, because it wasn't pretty.

Hint: Premier = Six Flags

Then why was it called "Serial Thriller"? Six Flags didn't "flag" the park from day one. Premier bought the park in 1996 along with Darien and Wyandot. // The Boomerang also used to be called "Mind Eraser"