coasterphotos

Local Fox story: http://www.myfoxhouston.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=4253522&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1

Local ABC news story on Bullet: http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=local&id=5630513 The article is the same one as the Chronicle did yesterday, the video is new.

Taking cameras on the ride is NOT allowed. Special permission would have to be granted from the management and they will not allow handheld cameras at all.

Chronicle story: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5103258.html

What you heard from the daiquiri stand guy was correct. I had been out there earlier in the day and left when the line reached about a 15 minute wait to go take care of some things. I returned around 8pm and got one ride at night with about a 40 minute wait and one train operation. Even with 2 trains I imagine the wait would have been around 30 minutes. Easily the busiest night since the ride opened. Two train operation on this ride doesn't speed up things a lot since a train can't be dispatched from the station until the other one returns. But then again, the ride is so quick that it would be almost impossible to get a train out before the other one came back anyways. Took a few photos but got tired of all the questions and stupid comments from people walking by so I left around 10. Train going down the first drop at night.

For anyone planning on heading out today...it has rained for the last couple hours...as in pouring rain. Looks like it is clearing up now but not sure if the coaster is open yet. Today might be a good day to get some rides in though once it does open. I was feeling pretty beat yesterday from the rides the day before along with the ones I got yesterday. Spending the evening at home relaxing did wonders. The sides of my legs are still sore from the lapbar and seat divider but other than that I feel pretty good. Yes, it's a rough ride. But considering all the twists and turns, it's really not a surprise. However, it's a good kind of rough (if there is such a thing). If I had ridden Rattler or Texas Giant this many times (23 in 2 days), I'm pretty sure I'd be in a hospital somewhere.

They tried to fix that before opening on Friday. They removed the first magnetic brake coming into the brake run and ran a test. The train came into the brakes way too fast without the third magnetic one and was slammed to a stop by the fin brake. They ended up putting the brake back on and allowing they system to stop the lift to wait for the train to clear that block. Don't know if this is something they still plan on working on or not over the slow winter months. Of course, this won't be an issue when they do one train operation (which they easily could have done the last couple days with only a little longer lines).

I haven't asked anyone...but it would require special permission since it is against the rules to take a camera of any kind on the ride. I think this ride would definitely require a camera mounted to the train to get any decent POV as well. I don't think a handheld camera would work too well.

For the first time on my many trips to Kemah...my camera remained in the trunk of my car. In fact, I didn't see too many people out there with cameras yesterday...everyone was enjoying the ride.

Not sure how that would work with tickets. They take your ticket / check your wrist band before they let you into the station.

Well for now, yeah. But when summer rolls around again I imagine it'll have lines daily.

But how long did you wait to get on the tower or the other rides? Probably about a 15 minute wait for the tower (which appeared to be the shortest line around). This coaster is going to change Kemah. Just because there aren't many people now, don't expect there not to be lines as people find out about it.

The queue is pretty long, yes. As is the exit. I imagine lines in the summer will be long...holiday or not. I waited 20 minutes to buy a ticket earlier this year on a non holiday, non event day just to get photos of construction from the sky tower.

There was no line tonight. The thunderstorm came before there could be a line. If you wanted a specific seat (front or back) it was 1 or 2 train wait. The ride ops did pretty good for only being trained earlier in the day. The ride takes about 1:45, they were probably taking 2:00 to 2:15 to unload and load a train. So there was some time sitting on the brakes, but certainly not unbearable. The reride policy is that if you have a wristband you can ride 3 times if no one is waiting for your seat before they make you walk around.

Those of you that left when they closed it because of rain missed out on some crazy insane rides! I don't know how to describe them other than "wow". They reopened the ride around 10:30 for the few of us that were still left. They ran 5 cycles (2 of which were in a pretty heavy rain and the rest with light sprinkles). On those first couple during the rain the train was going so fast when it hit the brakes that it went through the magnetic brakes and was stopped by the fin brake. fmulder21...there were no lines. By the time a lot of people started to realize the ride was open, they had to close it. Longest I waited to ride was one cycle (and that was because I wanted a specific seat). They closed all the rides around 8pm due to lightning...not rain. The rides can run in the rain but if there is lightning in the area they shut them down. I imagine tomorrow will have longer lines as word gets out.

When they did the expansion back in 2004 and added all the new rides, it was handled the same way. One day there were just new rides open and few billboards advertising them. A few days later commercials started to air on TV and the radio. People that don't follow coaster web sites find out about most rides through the news or commercials. When Six Flags builds a new ride they advertise mainly through commercials and media coverage. I guess if people don't watch TV, listen to the radio or read the newspaper, they wouldn't know Six Flags opened a new coaster either unless they actually went to the park. No, the billboards don't target Kemah specifically...but they are the same billboards that always have Kemah advertisements on them (at least down at this end of town).

You sure have been negative on this ride lately...saying how the web site didn't work "just like the coaster" and now all the signs for the ride are apparently pointless. Kemah Boardwalk is not a Six Flags park...they handle things differently.

Coworker saw one on TV this morning.

Why is everyone so worried about how Kemah is advertising this ride? The fewer people that know about it, the shorter the lines! BTW...there are commercials on TV saying it is open.

I'd certainly call first. They were still running tests earlier today.

Easiest thing to do before you go is to give them a call to make sure it is open. I imagine since it is opening so late, they will have it open every day for at least a while before they make a decision on how to run it if there are slow days.

Like I said...they haven't determined exactly how it will run yet. But I doubt it will be open as much as the rides...but that's just me. From what I've seen they generally have a lot smaller staff in the offseason and especially during the week. If they decide not to have it open like all the rest of the rides I'm sure there will be a schedule posted on the web site. I've been down there on weekday afternoons in the winter before and it is completely dead. Even some of the Sundays I took photos this past winter were dead...not a single person on any of the rides.

Yes I agree, I'm willing to bet it will be open at night/evenings, at least on Wed/Thursday when it picks up a bit, but I don't think Kemah even has any idea yet. -GG Yeah...last I heard they have no idea how the ride will be operating during "slow times". Guess we'll just have to wait and see. I could see evenings being possible during the week in the fall and winter.

However...operating schedule for the coaster in the off-season has NOT been decided by any means. While all the other rides are usually open every day, this does not mean the coaster will be. The coaster, I believe, will be the most expensive ride to operate and I highly doubt they will be running it for a handfull of people during the week in the fall and winter months. I could be wrong....but I wouldn't plan a weekday trip just yet and expect it to be open. I would expect it to be at least open on the weekends though.

I can confirm that people have ridden. Mainly the M&V guys and some Kemah staff. Everything seems to be good after the track repair. They still have 80 hours of testing to complete.