willh51

Ejector. And awesome.

HyperSonic was awesome when it opened. The most powerful launch on earth; and smooth. By the time it closed, I hit my head so hard on the headrest over the tophat crest I vowed never to ride again.

I broke my Hard Rock Park pint glass last night. But seriously, where are the rides going??

Don't even worry about it. When I was studying for the bar exam I had the live cams from Verbolten and Cedar Point on my computer screen to keep me sane.

That final roll looks great. The track is huge!

Any idea if they'll dump the Premier train on Goliath?

That drop is looking way steeper than I imagined.

...and yet didn't people love Hair Raiser on a TPR trip? I thought Batman at SFNE and Hydra had bad rattles in 2005, but Hydra was much better in 2007. I think it's the rolling stock.

Reading TPR coverage at IAAPA is probably my favorite thing you guys do all year! This year's crop of new rides is more exciting than the last. It's kind of interesting that the Thunderbolt train is on display since most people (including the comments from the TPR tour) have not been kind to the restraints and ride. Nice to see that Cheetah Hunt train getting some love, and the new Batman 4D trains look really comfy.

This looks amazing! The setting plus those intense elements should make for a great ride.

I wouldn't be surprised if these new trains/modifications were free. I am sure the contract for the ride included some kind of guarantee on performance. And it doesn't exactly look good for Vekoma or promote people to buy the new track style coasters if the main one is broken and unsafe.

If Stinger doesn't open next season it's not opening at all. Gwazi will be gone within five years. I don't think Vortex at Carowinds is going anywhere. It has semi-fresh paint, is reliable, decently smooth and holds a line.

Top Gun at Carowinds.

That immelman looks awesome. First time in awhile I've been reminded of the first time I saw a B&M under construction (Hulk) and was just in awe of the twists and size.

^It's also a pretty awesome hand-me-down. Can you imagine if they put the SLC from Geauga up front?

I have been following the great train debacle with interest this season. It seems the main problem is with lateral movement of the frame, washboarding, that is causing discomfort? I am surprised this turned out to be such a problem. I know Premier was working on another company's steel, but they have plenty of experience. I wonder if there is anything to really do besides completely re-working them? Did the Deja Vu trains have the spring-loaded bogies that Vekoma finally started adding to SLCs? I seem to remember that little gap between wheel and track. I am also a little concerned Six Flags may not have been super careful with the old train when they got the new one working. Is it even still available to use?

I liked Mantis and am glad it's not scrap metal. Why isn't everyone excited that this may very well be the most intense/best floorless B&M ever?! If they remove the trim it'll blaze through, and they'll probably loosen up the midcourse with the new trains.

Why does everyone think they'd reprofile the drop? Seems like an unnecessary waste of money. It would be pretty cool if they added a zero G. They could probably remove the midcourse and add one, but they may want to run three trains if it really does go floorless.

How long has Scorpion been for sale on italntil.com? Maybe they just poached the picture for a similar model?

A new entrance and repaving the god-awful parking lot would be awesome. Dominator looks great up front already.

I'm so glad Cedar Point had the live web cams this year. I've spent many an afternoon at the office wishing that was me on Millennium Force or Power Tower. Nice to see Skyhawk running both sides today, too!

^A little informal survey via the live cams shows Mantis dispatching fairly quickly for a stand-up but not fast enough to warrant three trains in 2014. Typically, a train hits the lift as the second hits the final brakes before the station. Running three trains would only result in double stacking behind the station. With floorless trains, they could probably have one on the lift, one in the post-midcourse track and one loading.

I didn't realize Apocalypse at SFA had such a cool sign.... Back on topic, I don't think that's a terrible name at all and it could have some cool theming to boot. Robb already covered this above, but having all these trademarks and licensed merchandise tie-ins is expensive, and Six Flags has built a brand on their highly recognizable names. They're regional theme parks so the overlap is not particularly bad, and most members of the GP have no idea there are four Goliaths or six Supermans, etc. As long as the ride isn't called "Drop Tower," "Flight Deck," "Thunderhawk" (ahem Cedar Fair) or "Wile E. Coyote's Wild Woody" I am unconcerned.

Agreed that it makes no logical sense that they'd get time Machine. "Here, folks, we have basically the exact same ride with the same elements but inferior in ride quality and thrills, a decade later."

There's no mid-course. I'm sure the train was 8 feet up the first lift hill. Call the news!