scooterdoug

I took a quick trip to the Kingdom this past Sunday. The crowds were nice and low the entire day...I love this time of year! Superman was fickle throughout the day. It was down when I first got there (prompting a response of "AGAIN?!?" from another guest), and took about a half-hour to open. It also went down a little before 5, but opened shortly thereafter. Other than that, it was a great day. I went back and forth between Medusa and Superman. Roar had only one train, and I didn't feel like waiting. I typically avoid Kong like the plague, and I just wasn't in the mood for V2. I also got a ride on Tasmanian Devil. I haven't been on it in a really long time, so I forgot how much fun that is. The airtime is nice, and it's a really generous ride cycle. I need to make that a regular part of my SFDK visits. On a related subject, a few of us RAWKIN_coaster38, Angry_Gumball, and I are having a little TPR meet-up this coming Sunday (12/16). Our thoughts are: "The more, the merrier". Would anyone like to join us? It should be a fun day...with little to no waiting in lines! -Doug

2007 and 2009 were great years. 2007 started off with a low-crowd Superbowl Sunday trip to Six Flags Magic Mountain., where I got to ride to my heart's content. In May I had a 2-day visit to Cedar Point. Then, that July, I went to Japan where I got to visit LaQua, as well as Fuji-Q Highland, where the crowds were unusually low and everything was running. Then, to cap it off, I visited California's Great America for my first time in August, which was also a walk-on day. 2009 also started off with a low-crowd trip to the Mountain on Superbowl Sunday. Then, my cousin and I took a little coaster tour in early June, taking us to Six Flags Great Adventure (where I fell madly in love with El Toro), Hersheypark, and Cedar Point. In August, my wife and I went to visit family in Vermont. On the way from the airport to Vermont, we stopped at Six Flags New England, where I got to revel in the glory of Bizarro (formerly Ride of Steel, previously known as Superman: RIde of Steel). Yep, those two years were flush times for the coaster lover in me!

15/20. I liked how the questions were constructed, comparing rides to other rides. I enjoyed this one...quite clever.

Well that's odd. Weather.com says 80% chance of rain (with potential for flooding), just like you said. But, weatherunderground.com says only a 30% chance. Two very conflicting forecasts. I'll keep my eye on the forecasts and hope things look better.

Hi everyone. I'll be heading to the park this Sunday (12/2) to ride myself silly. While the weather is not so great right now, the forecast is for a 30% chance of rain, with the highest chance in the morning, clearing up by the afternoon. Will anyone else be heading there as well? There has been some talk of a little TPR meet-up, and this month would be the perfect time (how I love coasters that are walk-ons). Anyone else up for a few hours of SFDK fun this Sunday? -Doug

I won't be able to make it then. Besides, at this time of year (December), the park gets so empty that ERT is superfluous. Is anyone up for a meet-up on Sunday, December 2? That's when I plan on going.

This 11/23 ERT sounds nice. Unfortunately, I'll have family in town then and won't be able to make it. Are people still thinking of a mini TPR meet-up for one of the first two Sundays in December? I will definitely be going then and would love to make it a little party. And, since the crowds are so small then, it'll be like ERT for the entire park! Anybody else with me?

^Agreed. That is likely exactly how it will go down. In an ideal justice system, the zoo would not bear any fault and the mother would be held responsible for her actions. Unfortunately, our justice system is not ideal...

This is a very interesting point. As a parent myself, I feel pain for what this mother must be going through right now. On the other hand, her actions are quite possibly criminal. Let's say that she was at in the mountains and put her child right on the edge of a cliff for a "better view". He then lost his balance and fell to his death. She could possibly be charged with involuntary manslaughter, at least negligence or child endangerment. However, since this happened at a zoo, there is a very real possibility that she will sue the zoo...and an equally real possibility that she will win and make money off of her own horrific decision. It's just so backwards that it's appalling. I really hope that the zoo doesn't get sued. If it does, I hope they are not found to be at fault. The blame lies entirely with the parent. For a court to rule otherwise would be a gross perversion of justice.

I would probably vote against that date due to it being the Thanksgiving weekend. CROWDS I take it you did not read the previous 2 posts saying there are no crowds that weekend... I've never been on that weekend, so I can't speak to the crowd potential. Still, I avoid going to any theme park on a Saturday as a general rule. Even if the crowds are low (I'm assuming they are, considering the number of people posting in this thread who have been during Thanksgiving weekend), I will have family visiting that weekend. So, I wouldn't be able to join in a TPR meet-up. The first couple of weekends in December, however, I will definitely be going. I've already let my wife know that she'll be looking after the kids for several Sundays while I get my reps in. So, how about a meet-up one of those weekends?

^^Fantastic! I intend to post here about a week before I go. I would love to meet up with some of the local TPR people one of these days.

That's a huge mistake. Sundays in December are the quietest you will find the park. Waits range from station waits to full-blown walk-ons. Go on a Sunday in December (before schools are on Christmas break, of course), and you will not be disappointed. Sundays during December (also known as Holiday in the Park) are my absolute favorite time to go...and I have an overwhelmingly strong aversion to long lines. Give it a shot in a month...trust me on this.

It's Riddler's Revenge @ SFMM. Interestingly, I can't see the first picture.

Like Silperez, I visited the park yesterday as well...though not for the evening festivities. I was there from 12 until 4. The crowds were low...definitely my favorite time to go. I ran straight for Superman and got 10 rides in the span of 1 hour and 10 minutes. The longest the line got was to the bottom of the stairs leading to the station. Later in the day, it was about 2/3 of the way down the first switchback. Medusa, Roar, V2, and Kong were all station waits. While Roar does indeed jackhammer, I still enjoy the ride. I decided to brave Kong and tried the orange train, since someone in this forum said that the orange train is decent. By the bottom of the first drop I regretted that decision. That is some prime space for a nice coaster, I think that thing has to go. It hurts so damned much. Aside from that, it was a great day at the park. 17 laps on various rides over the course of 4 hours (my longest wait being 30 minutes to process my season pass), definitely an efficient day. I had a pleasant coaster hangover afterwards. I look forward to more days like this, especially in December. I hope to meet some of the regular posters in this thread sometime in the future.

^I'm not entirely sure about crowds, but I'm guessing that Saturday will be more busy than Sunday. I've never done the nighttime thing, I just go during the day. However, my guess is that Sunday (a school/work night) will have significantly lower crowds than Saturday night. I also checked the website, and all the mazes and such seem to be upcharges. However, you can buy a $15 wristband that gets you unlimited entry to all the upcharge attractions. There are only 2 that do not require an extra fee, and they appear to simply be fright zones...areas of the park that are themed and have scare actors lurking. There are likely people on here that have been and know more about Fright Fest than I do, so they can feel free to correct me. On a tangent, I plan on going there this coming Sunday during the day to ride for a few hours and process my season pass. If anyone would like to meet up, feel free to send me a PM. I'd be delighted to meet some of you local TPR people!

So there were at least 7 TPR members at SFDK that day! Unless you were one of the two we talked to in line for Superman? Nope, that wasn't me, though I did ride Superman 4 times. I wasn't there for very long, only from opening until about 1:30. I only go for a few hours at a time to get some riding in while my wife is home with the kids. I'll make sure to post something before I go next time. It would be great to meet up with some of the regulars in this thread.

Sounds like a good time. I was there Sunday as well. I briefly thought about posting here prior to my trip to see if anyone wanted to meet up, but totally forgot to. Oh well, maybe next time. Now that the season is winding down, I head there quite a bit (close to every other Sunday) to enjoy the diminishing crowds.

I've ridden: Boomerang @ Knott's Berry Farm Boomerang: Coast to Coaster @ Six Flags Discovery Kingdom Sidewinder @ Hersheypark So, that makes three...which is two too many. To me, boomerangs are merely credits to be obtained through one ride each...as long as I've gotten my fill of the other rides in the park and have the time to spare.

Well, I finally headed out to the park today to try out Superman...seemingly the last one on these boards to do so. I arrived ridiculously early, which paid off, getting me front row on the first train of the day. I stayed at S:UF for the first hour of the day, netting 5 rides on it. Being a single rider had it's perks, as I answered requests from the ride op for single riders after barely being in line for 2 minutes each time. All said and done, I got 6 rides in today...four in row 1, one in row 2, and one in row 3. Thus far, all the reviews have been positive, and I agree wholeheartedly. The backwards launch is a wonderful surprise, giving some nice floater air. The final launch up the first spike is filled with surprisingly strong ejector air (it's about time Cali got some air). I figured (before riding) that there would be air over the top of the spike, but I didn't expect the air to begin on the twist and sustain until the train levels out at the top. The in-line twist is, of course, filled with good, slow hangtime. The cliffhanger is also a lot of fun, and the non-inverting loop is a unique delight. Overall, I was impressed and surprised with the ride. It is indeed short, but surprisingly intense, and very smooth. I didn't think it would beat out Medusa as my favorite ride in the park, but it did just that. I'm proud of my home park for having such a unique ride. The final thing I would like to mention is the dispatch times. I was absolutely shocked at the speed of those dispatches. I had no idea that a Six Flags park could run a ride with such startling efficiency. From the time the train came to a complete stop until the time of the next launch, no more than 45 seconds passed. Ever. Coupling that with the 45 second ride time, that's 12 people moving through the line every 1:30 (I timed several cycles on my phone, it was never more than 1:30 total). That comes out to 40 ride cycles per hour. 40 x 12 = 480pph. I was very impressed at this sort of capacity from a ride that I figured would have a crawling line. I hope that the ride crew can keep this up through out this season, and future ones. My final verdict: A very big thumbs up for every aspect of this ride. I look forward to going back to ride...though not until after Labor Day, when the crowds dwindle and I can indulge in mini marathons.

It's good to hear that the lines aren't as painfully long as originally anticipated (though obviously not short by any means). I'll be heading to the park in about an hour to (finally) ride S:UF. If any TPRers are there, feel free to say hi. I'll be wearing my TPR shirt for easy identification. -Doug

That's beautiful! Easily the best K'nex model I've ever seen. You definitely have a talent for woodie inspired models.

It's about time. Just kidding, have a great time! That's nothing. I'm going down for my first ride on S:UF Sunday. Having two kids under the age of 2 makes getting out of the house for roller coasters a bit more of a challenge. If anyone will be there Sunday and wants to meet up, let me know.

I'm thinking I'll be there Sunday, July 8. I don't want to deal with July 4th weekend crowds. Hopefully, the crowds will be a little less crazy than the holiday weekend/new-coaster-opening-weekend crowds. I'll just get there early, run straight for S:UF, then ride other rides until the crowds get too unbearable. Probably won't be there for too long. If anyone else will be there that day, I'd be delighted to meet up and have some company for the lines.

I'm quite pleased with the lack of trims before the in-line twist and the speed with which the train travels through the top of the ride. It allows the potential for some decent airtime going over the edge after the twist (not to mention a potentially nice pop coming out of the first vertical twist). Let's face it: this is the west coast, we need all the airtime we can get.

I think you should stick with that figure-8 finale. The outline you laid on the ground looks like it will be the perfect fit, rounding out the ride nicely. I've got to say, I always found K'nex to look weird when one models steel roller coasters (because of the supports). However, it is absolutely ideal for wooden designs. Your model is a bona fide work of art. Your attention to detail and accurate mimicking of the GCI style is stellar. Well done!