scooterdoug

Good question. For me, while Arrows are undoubtedly rough, the shaking seems to be spread out over more evenly around the entire upper body. B&Ms, on the other hand, express their roughness solely in the rider's head, resulting in the infamous B&M headbanging. I'd much rather have roughness diffused over my entire body than concentrated in my head. As for GhostRider, my last ride on that was miserable. Still, I'd much rather ride a rough coaster with lap bars than OTSRs, reason being that rough rides with OTSRs result in headbanging and "hot ears". That's my humble little opinion. It is indeed very interesting to see the wide variances in what people consider rough.

^Scream! used to be smooth. However, it's gone downhill. My last ride on it was a year ago, and it headbanged me mercilessly. I can't really speak to Colossus, as I haven't ridden it in a long time. While the Arrow coasters are indeed rough, they didn't bang my head like Scream! did. I find Riddler's Revenge and Batman to be far smoother than Scream! While Apocalypse has certainly gotten rougher, it's still ride-able. As for Revolution, I agree with you 100%. I shall amend my previous list to include Revolution.

So many to choose from... Scream! (SFMM) Mean Streak (CP) Vortex (CGA) GhostRider Vekoma SLC (take your pick) Vekoma Boomerang (again, take your pick) And, finally, I can't believe that nobody yet has mentioned Manhattan Express in Las Vegas. How can a country that produces so many technological marvels churn out that sadistic POS?

Who is the genius who came up with that quote? It's absolutely brilliant!

Roar + Retracking = It's about damn time! I'm glad to see that's happening. I actually enjoy Roar, it's just so rough. The first drop and subsequent ascent are the worst offenders, so it's good to see Six Flags targeting those spots. I hope that it makes a significant improvement. Even if it doesn't, some improvement is better than none. Thanks for the update, thrillgeek.

Last time I was there, I think it was like the Saturday before last, the crepe place was closed. Superman was open, but V2 was closed for maintenance. Medusa was PMSing majorly around closing time and we didn't get to ride it. EDIT: Major bump. Anyone been to the park recently? I was there last Sunday. V2 was back up and running. Roar was running one train (as usual). Medusa was one train operation in the morning, but had the second train running by 12:30. Superman was more efficient, as almost nobody was pulling down on the lap bars. It was rainy in the morning, so low crowds. I got 3 rides on Superman without getting out of my seat (row six, of course), due to nobody wanting to ride in the rain (wimps!). 20 laps on various rides by 4pm (with a 45 minute break to eat at my car). I'll try to get over there a couple of more times before April, when the crowds begin descending upon the park.

Placed my deposit, and am officially confirmed for the Mini East Coast Tour. I'm ridiculously excited about my first TPR trip. This Californian can't wait to actually experience airtime again...and some of the strongest in the world to boot!

Yes, the park is open just like normal. Some rides might be closed or have limited operation due to "off season" maintenance. But, other than that, the park is fully open.

Well, I know where I'll be this Sunday...

I also called the park with the same inquiry (called yesterday). Similar to the message you got, the woman said that Superman is scheduled to re-open "in the beginning of February". She said they would know a more firm date as it gets closer to February, so call back at the end of the month.

I'm curious as to who Mitch Hawker actually is, as well as his background. Since this is a rather sophisticated poll, I wonder what degree he has. There's obviously a background in statistics, as he genuinely knows what he's doing. My wife, who works in sciences, thinks that he might have a degree in economics, as that field utilizes more complex statistics. We also found that his name is associated with a statistical project involving hockey rankings. So, does anyone know exactly who he is exactly? We're both impressed with him. Thanks!

Beautiful NL creation. So smooth and graceful, I really enjoyed my virtual ride. For your CD model, I can give you a couple of pointers. First, you will not be able to precisely re-create your NL creation. The trains aren't efficient enough to clear the course you have created. You will either have to lower the height of all the elements, remove some parts altogether, or both. Unfortunately, that's just the way those CD sitdown trains work. The inverted trains are much more efficient, allowing for more accurate re-creations, but the sitdown trains, not so much. I love them, and love building sitdown models, but I definitely have to adjust my building to accommodate for this fact. Second, take your time building. Building a CD model takes MUCH more time than building a NL coaster. I mean, you can throw together a model quickly, but it'll look sloppy. To make it look smooth and realistic, you have to take time and have patience. I'm an absolute perfectionist when I build CD models (you can look at some of my creations right here on TPR). Because of this, my models take months to build (and that was before I had kids...now they take even longer!). I'll spend an entire weekend working on a dive loop, only to not be satisfied and tear the whole thing down. If you want to make your CD model look good, then take your time, look at each element from every conceivable angle to look for imperfections, and take your time! Remember, though, this is coming from a ridiculous perfectionist. If you have more peace with flaws than I do, then it will not take you as long to build. Again, great NL coaster, would love to ride it in real life. Enjoy your CD time!

I visited Fuji-Q once back in the summer of 2007, so this was before Takabisha and Fast Passes. I actually had an overall positive experience there. Bear in mind that my expectations were set extremely low, and my day was clearly NOT a typical day...I just got lucky. I found Dodonpa to be rather rough and nothing exceptional...just a credit and nothing else. I enjoyed Fujiyama, though having a lap bar instead of OTSRs makes a huge difference for me. Eejanaika was undoubtably rougher than X2. However, I enjoyed it, though I am one of those weird people who has a soft spot for 4th Dimensional coasters. As for food, I'm don't exactly go to parks excited about eating the food, but I did have a decent bowl of ramen from a stand-alone vendor in the park. Essentially, go there expecting the absolute worst, and you either won't be disappointed, or, if you're really lucky, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Well, my first official TPR event has come and gone. While I wasn't able to attend the Knott's day, I still had an absolute blast. SFMM was fantastic, and the crowds were light to boot! Highlights included the YOLO ERT, having 2 trains in a row launch on Superman while ascending Lex Luthor's tower...made for some epic (and nerve-wracking) tower swaying, and an elusive good (even great) ride on Green Lantern (seriously, it had me laughing out loud...total chaos without pain). I got to hang out with some of my fellow Bay Area peeps, and had the honor of meeting and spending the day with Brian (JJLhetto)...a truly nice guy whom I'm happy to call a new friend. It was also interesting to see a bash in person. I knew that Robb works hard to put these things together, but I never truly understood until I saw it myself. I can't imagine the amount of work and stress that must go into one of these events, and I'm truly appreciative of all Robb did to pull this off. My sincere thanks, Robb, for such a great day. Thank you also to Magic Mountain for hosting this event and giving us a double dose of YOLO ERT. Can't wait for the next one. And, if it's a Bay Area Bash, divorce threats from my wife won't keep me away!

Ah yes, I remember those few weeks before my wife's due date...all pins and needles. If it's any reassurance, first births are rarely early, typically on time or late. However, if you do come to WCB and your wife goes into labor, I assume no responsibility for your decision Congratulations on your upcoming fatherhood. You'll have a blast!

There's a great In N' Out just up the freeway Sorry, couldn't resist. There's also a Five Guys in the Valencia Town Center, less than a mile on Magic Mountain Parkway going away from the park. You can also check out this thread: http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=65101&hilit=eating+outside, which has many dining options handily listed on the first page.

It's nice to have both 5 Guys and In-N-Out nearby. I've had both many times, and think that they both easily top the fast food burger totem pole. Both have their pluses and minuses. However, I give the slight (and I do mean SLIGHT) edge to In-N-Out (go ahead and blame it on me being an insulated, self-important Californian ). Both are very high-quality burgers at reasonable prices. I like both fries (though In-N-Out's fries seem to be a love 'em or hate 'em kinda thing). I wish that In-N-Out had the topping choices that 5 Guys has. But, I think that In-N-Out simply makes a tastier burger. Trendiness and popularity mean nothing to me...all I care about is what tastes good. By that standard, I'll take In-N-Out over 5 Guys. Still, that doesn't mean I'd turn down a 5 Guys meal. I mean, that would be nuts to turn down one of those fantastic burgers and fries that can feed an army.

It just happened to me. I was on the forum index page for just a couple of seconds, when the screen suddenly turned black, with a large image of an arrow pointing down and some text saying something to the effect of "Move cursor down". This flashed only momentarily before I got redirected to bewiserinsurancesDOTcom (don't want to write the actual address). I'm using Safari on OS X, version 10.5.8. First time it's happened to me.

I like the idea of us solo flyers joining forces at the Bash. While I do know a small handful of attendees as part of the NorCal contingency, the more the merrier. PM me if you are interested, and I'll send you my picture (so you know who to look for) and my cell number (so that we can coordinate and ensure we find each other the day of the event). Looking forward to it!

Small world, I live in Berkeley. PM me if you'd like to meet up in Berzerkeley before the Bash. I'll be back to work then (I'm a teacher). However, since it's the beginning of the school year, I shouldn't be too busy yet.

^ & ^^ I have a feeling there will be MANY people flying solo that weekend. I'm coming on my own, but know some of the attendees as part of my local Bay Area TPR contingency. I'd be happy to be either of your riding buddies, as I'm sure many others would be as well. See you at the Mountain on the 7th!

It sounds like you'll be in the San Pedro/Long Beach area, near the Port of Los Angeles? If so, then I can't see you needing 2 full hours. If the park opens at 10:30, and ERT starts, say, 1.5 hours before, and you arrive to check-in 30 minutes before that, you'd be aiming to arrive at SFMM around 8:30am. If you leave yourself 1.5 hours, you should be good. The freeways should be pretty much empty at that hour in the morning on a Saturday. Google Maps says it should only take 1 hour, but an extra 30 minutes couldn't hurt. Yes, LA has horrific traffic, but I doubt it'll be bad early on a Saturday morning. See you at the Bash!

Just put my check in the mail. Looking forward to my first TPR event. Can't wait for all that ERT!

I like this thread. It's very interesting to see the multi-faceted approach of different enthusiasts in choosing their favorite rides. For me, personally, it's much simpler. I simply choose which coaster I would ride if I could ride any at all. That's my number one. Then, I remove that coaster and repeat the process. Essentially, if I could only ride one coaster and nothing else, the one I choose would be my number one. Then, if I could only ride one coaster and nothing else, omitting my number one, then that choice would be my number two. And so forth... That said, my top five list is: 1. El Toro (SFGAdv) 2. Bizarro (SFNE) 3. Millennium Force (CP) 4. Maverick (CP) 5. X2 (SFMM)

Today, the lines were 10 minutes long for Gold Striker, if that helps you. That's great! Thanks! Bear in mind that it was raining yesterday, with much nicer weather predicted for today. That could possibly translate into a longer line today.