Airtime&Gravity

If anyone is going to the park on opening day, Six Flags Great America is offering $20 tickets if you buy online. Link Also, Screamscape mentioned that American Eagle and Viper will receive some work which will see the addition of Topper Track at some point this year. Parts of American Eagle could use it, especially the helixes, but does Viper need it? I know the past few seasons, Viper can be either amazing or bad, but even when its bad, it isn't rough, just slow with no airtime. Link

I agree with Elissa, you will end up paying a lot more to park at many other locations. Also, SFGAM's parking was $15-25(I believe) last year with regular and preferred parking until the new management got settled in. Once they did, parking was lowered, and there was no more preferred parking. So, while the new management changed parking to $15 last year, $20 is still cheaper than what you used to have to pay in the same lot.

So, is Holiday World going to have to bring in a replacement halfway through the event? Good luck to Holiday World with the event, and hopefully they can continue to be successful with this event. It's great to see how involved Holiday World is in the community, and it just shows what a great park and organization it is.

Mark Shapiro would be great at Cedar Fair. As said, while he was with Six Flags when they entered bankruptcy, he began to turn the company around. Unfortunately, they weren't allowed to refinance, and bankruptcy became inevitable. Had the previous management been in charge, I believe Six Flags would have entered bankruptcy a lot sooner. Cedar Fair is now financially weak, and as with Six Flags, Shapiro could at least be able to begin to turn the company around. While the abundance of advertising and chain restaurants might not be appealing, it , in the case of advertising, brings in money directly, or gives a recognizable brand in the case of restaurants. The wraps don't take away from the ride experience, and the signs with the misters always had a group of people trying to cool off in the mist. When it comes to rides, Shapiro seemed to realize that bigger isn't always better, and while I didn't agree with all his ride additions, he at least seemed for the most part to put some effort in when it came to adding attractions(excluding SFGAM's Wiggle's World). While him being CEO might mean more family style coasters or kiddielands, is that really a bad thing? The coasters were still pretty good, and the kiddielands popular. Plus, with Dark Knight, and Buccaneer Battle, we saw rides added with more theming than pretty much anything a Cedar Fair park has added in a long time. So as long as he wouldn't go overboard giving rides the X2/Bizarro treatment and realizes that while well intentioned (and sometimes needed), family attractions include more than just kiddielands, I can see Shapiro doing great things for Cedar Fair.

I Like - My Girl Friday

This is great, and it is nice to see Disney give people something to do while in line besides look at the theming and get drawn into the story. The theming itself looks great, and it just shows how great Disney is, as they didn't have to add interactive features to the queue. Yet they did, and it just shows how great their parks are. Side note, that is a crazy long queue for the meet and greets. If any line needs some type of interactive feature, it is that line, as t looks like it would be difficult for a young kid to wait in it. Maybe pictures using the same technology as in the "magic portholes" on the new Disney ships could be added. Great update, and I really, really need to get back to WDW as 16 years is way too long.

I had no idea the figure-8 loop from RCT3 was based on a real element. It is a shame it was never built, as it looks like it would have been an amazing element. I don't think it would have caught on in the industry had it been built(if it was, I think it would've been as common as common as interlocking loops), but it looks like it would have been an intense and fun element.

Forget You - Phone Calls from Home

Why would you want to go back to Fuji-Q if there wasn't a new credit to ride? I must say though that this ride looks amazing so far, although I'm sure Fuji-Q will find a way to ruin it. The elements on the ride are just massive, very unique, and the ride looks like it will easily be the best in the park. Although, that wasn't hard to do. I can't wait to see the rest of the layout, or what the theme, assuming there is one, in what looks like will be the indoor section I posted earlier.

Rides I've had solo rides on: Hellcat/Avalanche Road Runner Express(SFKK) - solo as in the only person in the car and going through the course Dark Knight Typhoon American Eagle (I think, another rider or two might have gotten on at the last second, or that might be another ride) Tig'rr Coaster(Indiana Beach)

13/20 - I got lucky on some, and the questions seemed to be either really easy or really hard.

Will new restraints really solve Iron Wolf's roughness? I thought the problems came from the trains being built by a different company, Giovanola I believe. I hope the new restraints help, but I was under the impression that new trains would be needed, not just new restraints. Also, going through the SFGAM website, it seems like some rides from Camp Cartoon have been removed. From my knowledge of the park, and looking at the satellite view, the rides were in the back of the land. I'm positive there was a small ferris wheel in addition to other rides. Currently, the only rides listed are the Scooby Doo crazy bus, Spacley's Sprocket Rockets, and some water ride. Is there any word that BBNP's rides are going to be relocated, or will the back of Camp Cartoon Closed off? If it is closed off, there is a lot of available land if they also tear down the unused theater back there. The space looks like it would be large enough to hold a Euro-fighter, and it would be easy to have a queue start on the same path that leads to the Logger's Run in the same area.

I emailed Duane at RCDB the news this morning, and he said that Alton Towers frequently talks about projects that never end up getting built. Since it is 2013, this is either something very special, or it is just another case of them talking about another project that will never come to fruition. So if it does actually get built, as of right now, I'm guessing it will be the first B&M 4D coaster. It just seems lke something that would happen with Gardaland and Thorpe Park receiving prototypes that will receive rotating seats later(probably 2013 after SW7 opens).

Rhyme and Reason - Lights Out Dancing

A Euro-fighter would be a great ride, although I'm not sure the capacity would work at Great America. While that seems the most likely if a new coaster were to be added, what about a launched coaster like Anubis? While it would have the same capacity issues, it would be something unique for the park, and it would be able to perform the same elements with the exception of the beyond vertical drop. Although would a 90* drop be that big of a difference to the ride experience? Either one of those would make a great addition to the park. A zac-spin would also be a great ride, but the park would face the same, if not worse, capacity issues. However, it would be a very unique ride to the GP, and it would fit well in the Splash Water Falls/Great American Raceway site.

It turns out an executive for the project is a sex offender. Link News video at linked page.

S-S-S-Saturday Night - Bowling for Soup

^

I don't remember how much it cost, but it was very reasonable. I want to say it was 20-some dollars, but I'm not sure. Don't expect Six Flags prices, and whatever the cost does end up being, it will be a great value. What is also great about it is the amount of rides and shows that you are able to use the q-bot for.

^Well, I took my time, so I didn't immediately enter another ride into the q-bot when I could once I got my first few rides on Thunderhead, Mystery Mine, and Tennessee Tornado. Dollywood isn't really a park you want to rush through, but if you are just going for the rides, you shouldn't need more than six hours if you enter a new ride into the q-bot as soon as you can. I spent around six hours there, and while I would have liked to get on a few flat rides or more rides on the big three coasters, I was still happy with all that I had done. I got scared when I saw all the people at the park at opening, which helped motivate me to get a q-bot, but most people go for the shows. The ride lines weren't that long, but those 15-30 minute queues add up if you have limited time. So in short, if you use a q-bot, you could spend all day at Dollywood, but it won't be necessary. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I forgot to mention it in my trip report, but I felt so bad for the performers in the theater next to Granny Olge's as they had one spectator who left halfway through the first song. A couple came in at the next song, but they too left maybe one song later.

Part 2 Daredevil Falls was surprisingly a lot better than expected. While not a #1 coaster, Thunderhead was still a lot of fun It was my second GCI after Evel Knievel Going up Going down Another reason why Dollywood is great. They aren't mandatory, and they don't charge more than they have to. Hell, I'm positive they still make a profit charging $0.50. The rapids ride looked great, but I didn't ride. I don't remember if it was due to time, queue length, or me not finding the entrance. Theming along the train My one problem with the theming here was how random or far away it was. The theming was placed in open fields, yet all the buildings were far apart from each other or from the train. IMO, it seems like it'd have been better if they set up a town with the buildings closer together. A ride you'll never find me on. I wanted to ride this, but even with the q-bot, the wait was still longer than I had time for. Asheville CNN Center The escalator uses the lift structure of the pinball ride from The World of Sid and Marty Krofft that used to occupy the building. CNN Center DEATH Mint soda from Djibouti - It was actually okay, but as I had it right after Beverly, anything would have been an improvement. I think this was my favorite of the sodas available One of the worst parts of the ride One of the best parts of the ride Coming up to the best part of the ride. Thanks for reading.

Don't know why I never posted this. Nashville Our first stop was Nashville. We didn't do much in the city though as we only spent the morning and afternoon there. It has a nice downtown area, and the parts of the city we saw were nice, although traffic was bad. We made sure to eat at the Loveless Cafe, watch the travel or Food Network if you don't know about it. While the weather would only get worse on the trip, it was still, obviously, really hot and humid here. Pigeon Forge Area After eating at the Loveless Cafe, we mad our way to Pigeon Forge. We got there late, ate at Cracker Barrel, and it was here where we stayed in one of if not the worst hotels we've stayed in. Whatever you do, do not stay in the GuestHouse Inn. It's in a converted Microtel, a chain we've stayed at and liked, but the rooms were dirty and smelled smokey/musky despite being a non-smoking room. Avoid this hotel at all costs. Having been to the Dells, we thought we knew what to expect, but Pigeon Forge is far worse(Sevierville was okay though). We visited on a tax free weekend, and traffic was just horrendous due to all the attractions and the large outlet mall in the middle of it. Although, there is a store selling nothing but Beef Jerkey in a small strip mall on the main road. Dollywood So the morning after we stayed at the aforementioned hotel, I was dropped off at Dollywood while the rest of my family saw what there was to do. Wow, I knew this would easily be my #1 park, but my expectations were easily exceeded. While not the largest park, Dollywood is just really enjoyable to visit. The rides are top notch, the service is great, the food is great, the theming is great, it is just a great park. I used my Club TPR discount to get in, and then I got a q-bot due to my limited time in case any ride had a long wait. Overall, lines weren't that bad, although the q-bot would be helpful later on when it got more crowded, especially for Mystery Mine. Unfortunately, even with the q-bot, most flat rides still had long lines, so my day was pretty much spent walking around, riding coasters, and getting a ride on Dollywod Express and Daredevil Falls Thunderhead - This was my second GCI, and while it was a little rough, it was still smoother than most wooden coasters. While fun, I don't see why this ride is ranked as high as it is. It's not a bad ride by any means, but there just didn't seem to be anything special about it. Maybe it just wasn't running up to it's potential, but I still had a lot of rides on it due to it being fun. Tennessee Tornado - The surprise of a trip, this coaster is great. The enclosed drop, as well as the large inversions, and loop with the messed up track make this a great ride. The airtime hill at the end was another surprise, and that moment probably one of the best airtime moments on a coaster I've ridden. Despite being an Arrow, the ride is still very smooth, and my only complaint is that it is pretty short. Blazing Fury - A fun but strange indoor dark ride/coaster. I can't say much about the ride as I couldn't see what was going on with out my glasses, but it was still fun. With how hot/humid it was, it was also a welcome way to cool off. Mystery Mine - I wasn't expecting much from this ride, but, like the park, it ended up exceeding my expectations. The theming is great, and while not very scary(the vertical lifts were pretty thrilling though), it is still a very fun ride. The ride itself seemed like a cross between Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain with the tight turns and small drops in the beginning, and Steel Hawg in the end with the extended dive loop. Dollywood Express - A fun and long train ride though the hills surrounding the park. Daredevil Falls - It was nearing time that I'd have to leave, and with the heat getting to me, I decided to ride Daredevil Falls. I didn't know what to expect, and this ended up being a great ride. The theming is pretty good, and it is probably my favorite log flume type ride. Asheville We made it to Asheville that evening, and we explored the city the following day. Asheville is a city that seems out of place in the Smokeys/Southern States. It has a very yuppie/hippie vibe, and the city can best be described as if Lincoln Park-Chicago was in North Carolina. It is a cool city that just doesn't belong where it is. It was here that we really started seeing "American Owned" on businesses, even national chains. What is up with this? Hilton Head Island Now we didn't do much here, as we didn't find much to do. It was a nice town, and we stayed at a really nice Holiday Inn on the beach. I hadn't been to a beach on the Atlantic Ocean since 2002ish, so it was a lot of fun to do it again. Again, as we were visiting during a heat wave, it was a great way to cool off even if the water was really warm. Savannah The next day we explored downtown Savannah. It's a nice downtown area with a lot of great architecture, although parts did seem pretty touristy. Atlanta In Atlanta we stopped at World of Coke and the CNN Center. CNN Center - We were the first tour of the CNN Center of the day, and it was a lot better than expected. It was very informative, and because of the time, we were able to see the news shows in progress. You aren't allowed to take photos on the tour, and the metal detectors there are the most sensitive I've ever had to go through. World of Coke - After the CNN Center tour, we went across Olympic Park to World of Coke. The 3D movie and 4D ride were pretty bad, but the museum at the end was cool. Of course the highlight was the tasting room at the end. Of course I tried the dreaded Beverly. So in Atlanta, I was originally also going to visit SFoG, but in Savannah, we checked the hours to see if I could also visit that night. We saw that they were already on weekend only operations. We then checked out Beech Bend's hours to see if I could visit on our way home, but they too were on weekends only. I then remembered another park that would be on the way home... Holiday World So after four years of trying I finally made it to Holiday World. Unfortunately it was on a day when it was 95 with a heat index of at least 110, so my visit would unfortunately be unpleasant. Then again, this helped as everyone was in the water park. Voyage, Legend, and Raven were all running below their potential, as all rides were running very rough and not thrilling. Voyage was particularly brutal, with the only fun parts being the lift, first drop, triple down, and brake run. Gobbler Getaway was fun though and a welcome break from the heat. Other than the coasters, I got on a few other rides. Liberty Launch was great with what is probably the most intense airtime moment of any ride I've ridden. Pilgrims Plunge was also great, and while I was in the one row that stayed dry(row 3 Dan) it was a lot of fun. That lift was pretty creepy, especially the part where the structure bends. I didn't get that many photos as I couldn't find any good spots and I was feeling sick from the heat. While not the great visit I was expecting, I can't wait to visit Holiday World again. I can see why it is such a great park, and hopefully I'll have time to visit the water park the next time. Side note, I ended up visiting the same day TPR was. HW Pros: The food at Plymouth Rock Cafe. Free drinks Liberty Launch Great Staff Gobbler's Getaway Club TPR Discount HW Cons: All three coasters were running pretty bad(sorry Paula) The heat The heat The heat The heat You must eat here if you're ever in Nashville Welcome to Dollywood Probably the most asphalt anywhere in Dollywood Mystery Mine looks great Hangtime Mystery Mine does have some strange elements in the first 1/2 of the ride Noted The station Mystery Mine has what is probably one of the best finales on a coaster. Mystery Mine's theming again Going down ... Noted, and so very true Going up Tennessee Tornado through the trees Orly Blazing Fury - so cheesy but so fun It's great how the building was themed to look like it was part of the landscape. Unfortunately Timber Tower was closed. I know they are supposedly more fun to watch, but I still wanted to ride it. Why can't Six Flags have a place of this quality... or a place like this?

Downtown - Stereo Skyline

Wow, that looks a lot better than I was expecting. The level of theming in the renderings looks great, and if Hansa Park does actually build the ride shown, this could end up being a great ride. Being a kiddie coaster, the ride itself doesn't look like much, but the theming and attention to detail make it look like a ride where the theming will make the ride enjoyable to anyone who rides it.

Saturday Night - Under Spinning Lights