scooterdoug

It looks like the Santa Monica Pier. Except, that coaster is certainly not the one that actually exists at the pier. Perhaps they took a photo of the pier, and then drew in the attractions afterwards. -Doug

^^Thanks for the tip, adeuce02. I e-mailed Hersheypark PR, and was told they anticipated Storm Runner to be open by Memorial Day weekend. Hopefully it is. June 1 is the only day I can go, so I'm going whether the ride is open or not. However, if it isn't, I will obviously not be running back to that ride. -Doug "I really, really hope that SR is open" Heim

^^^30-45 minutes? That's nothing! I'm used to Magic Mountain and Cedar Point length lines. I can stand a little wait after a few rides on Comet and SR. Thanks again for the advice. Man, I can't wait to get there. Less than 3 weeks to go... -Doug

^This is what I like about TPR, some great advice that I would not have thought of. I will be there on Monday, June 1. I was going to go to Fahrenheit first, then to Storm Runner. However, after your intriguing advice, DBru, I will now get there early, ride Comet, then run to SR for a few (hopefully) walk-ons. However, will that mean I'll be waiting in a long line for Fahrenheit when I ride it after SR? This is all helpful advice. Thank you all for your contributions to this very useful thread. -Doug

I was talking to scooterdoug sorry for the confusion. I was just warning him that 200, 14 yearolds might make for more linejumping the usual and general breaking of the rules. I would not do that but some kids in my school..... Thanks for the warning. I certainly didn't expect a complete lack of school groups, as this is school trip to theme parks time. As long as the lines are not ridiculously long, I don't care. As for line jumpers, I will not stay quiet about that. No line jumping f&%kers are getting in front of me. Personally, I'm more concerned about Storm Runner being open. -Doug

^I would imagine they will both be open, as that is after Memorial Day and it is officially considered summer. Also, I'm going there on June 1, so I'm hoping my assumption is correct. However, I could be wrong. If I am, anyone should feel free to correct me. -Doug

Thank you all for your helpful input. I was also leaning towards SFGAdv Sunday, then HP Monday. So, I have a few questions now about SF and their Gold FlashPass. On the day I will be going to SF, there is a Ronald McDonald House "Walk With Ronald" fundraiser, with free entry for every pledge of $50 or more. So, this could very realistically drive up the crowds (though, we'll see how philanthropic people are in this economy). Here are my questions: 1. Should I simply buy a Gold FlashPass online before I go, or wait until I get there and gauge the crowds before spending all that money? 2. If I wait to buy the FlashPass, is there any particular sign that any of you TPRers look for when deciding to buy the FlashPass (as in, "when such and such coaster's line is x minutes long, I know it's going to be a busy day")? Those are my burning questions. Thank you all for your helpful advice. I've never been to SFGAdv or HP before, so I want to make the most of my time there. Thank you again. -Doug

I'm a whooper and laugher. I ride with my hands up and giggle like a little girl, with regular intervals of "yeehaw". And I agree with DBru, coasters are more fun when you make some noise! -Doug

Hello fine TPR-esque people, Well, I'm busy planning a little coaster excursion this June with my cousin. My plan is to arrive in Philadelphia on Saturday, May 30. Sunday, May 31 and Monday, June 1 will be spent at SFGAdv and Hersheypark (one park per day). My question falls into the very unclear realm of crowd prediction. I'm trying to figure out which days to hit up the parks: SFGAdv on Sunday and Hersheypark on Monday, or Hersheypark on Sunday and SFGAdv on Monday. Like I alluded to, my goal is (and always is) avoiding crowds. So, my question is: Which order of parks do you think would give me the best chance of lower crowds? I imagine that Sunday would be the busier day at either park. However, SF offers the Gold FlashPass. Would Sunday at SF with the FlashPass and Monday at HP get me more manageable crowds? Would a FlashPass even be necessary on a Sunday at SF? These are my burning questions. I'm well aware that predicting crowds can be like trying to count the grains of sand on a beach. But, I'm curious as to TPRs experience with these parks. I've checked online and found that all of the local (and not so local) metropolitan school districts will still be in session at that time. So, which park order do you knowledgeable people think would be best? Thank you all in advance. -Doug P.S. - I did a search on this and found nothing. If this topic already exists, please feel free to lock the crap outta this thread

I'm so glad to see all the love for Herb Alpert. I am also a fan, I own Casino Royale on vinyl (I know, this is a CD thread, but it's still music). I have many other guilty musical pleasures. I have always been a sucker for Henry Mancini (my favorite album being Mr. Lucky Goes Latin). I also enjoy the cheesy Tiki bar/Polynesian sounds of Martin Denny. After a long day, that totally soothes me. -Doug Mai Tai music. Lots of strings and Hammond Organ to boot! Super-delicious cheese.

^^^You didn't feel any wind? I felt plenty of wind. It started picking up around noon and didn't go still until before sundown. Those gusts got really strong (especially over by Scream!). When we were having lunch, stuff was getting blown all over the place. But, in any event, it was good that the rides were all up and running. And, like EBL said, I was sure that they would at least turn off the fire on X2, but it was working in all its blazing glory. -Doug

Hello again, I thought I'd post one last reply to let people know how the day went, in case there are future SFMM guests who will have to deal with wind. According to Weather Underground, on February 1, 2009, the wind speed was 20mph with gusts up to 28mph. According to noaa.gov, the max wind speed was 22mph with gusts reaching 37mph. Throughout the entire day, not a single ride closed. Now, I did not look at Sky Tower or Sky Shot, but no roller coasters closed...and it got pretty windy. So, for anyone who searches for this topic looking for Magic Mountain windy day ride closures, some pretty respectable wind did not affect any of the coasters...not even X2! Hope this is helpful to some, Doug

Thanks for the advice. I am certainly not a stranger to the Mountain, having grown up in the valley. However, I have never been there on a windy day, so I didn't know what to expect. I will follow your sage advice of keeping low expectations. The predicted wind speed has since been downgraded to about 7-9mph. So, hopefully that translates in to fewer (if no) ride closures. As for Deja Vu being closed, not a big deal to me, as I'm not really in the mood for a Vekoma concussion. Anyways, thank you again for the guidance. I'll post to this thread after I go so that people can have information for future windy days. -Doug

Hello all, I searched for this, and found a similar thread that did not precisely answer this question. If this question has already been answered elsewhere, I am sorry. So, here's a question for you people familiar with the park...especially those of you who work there. I will be going to Magic Mountain this Sunday (I don't care about football, and I love avoiding crowds). According to weather underground: "Through and below passes and canyons...local north to northeast winds 15 to 20 mph." So, according to this weather forecast, should I expect any ride closures? I already bought my plane ticket, so I'm going one way or another. I would just like to know so that I am not disappointed if there are closures. Thanks for any info y'all can provide. -Doug

Millie all the way. That's what I would name my dog, except she already had a name when I got her. -Doug

Dude, that ride is gorgeous. I'd be happy to test that for you. I'm not nearly as experienced as other builders on this site, but I'll still give you the best analysis I can manage. Besides, I want to ride that beauty! -Doug

Interesting question to ask. I have pondered the same thing as well. Personally, I like to give rides the benefit of the doubt. I tend to judge rides based on the best ride they have given me. To me, that's the height of it's potential. It might not reach that admirable high every time (or even some of the time), but that is still the greatness that it is capable of. Take Aikido, my beloved martial art, as an example. I have seen people who demonstrate moderate to good Aikido during daily classes. However, when they test, and they have all eyes on them and the pressure and stress that accompanies testing, they perform excellent Aikido that is strikingly superior to their typical Aikido. To me, that is a person's true Aikido: how they perform under stress (which, I believe, is more representative of how one would perform if in a genuine confrontation). So, that's how I judge roller coasters. Like an Aikidoist's test performance, a shining day for a roller coaster shows me what that ride is truly capable of...the best it can be. So, in that case, Psyclone was one of the best woodies I've been on. So, it's dismal and lamentable decline was , to me, more due to maintenance neglect than general ride suckiness. At least, that's how I see it. -Doug

Thanks everyone for the nice comments. To answer specific questions: Cygnus12 - I've got a couple of videos that I can post. I'll try to get them up later today. Hyyper - The lift hill is over 6 feet (1.83 meters) in length, and over 5 vertical feet (1.5 meters) tall. Schrubber - No, I did not forget the station. I usually use a small lift hill for the station. However, the train was only able to make it through 15 sections of track (I have 20). In order to be able to use all of the track I have, I had to use the small lift hill to make a second lift hill instead of a station. Thanks again for the interest in my model. I love CoasterDynamix. As you can see, you can do pretty much anything you want with the system. If you can imagine the layout, then you can build it. If you have the money and the interest, I highly suggest buying one of their kits. Simply the best on the market...period! -Doug

Hello all you crazy TPR people, Well, after 10 months of scattered building time (grad school, work, and life in general take up quite a bit of time), I have finished my latest model utilizing CoasterDynamix, simply the best roller coaster modelling system in existence (I can't wait for the Phoenix to come out). This layout pretty much took over the entire basement. Enjoy the pics. Any and all questions/comments/compliments/criticism welcome. -Doug To give you an idea of how big this model is, I'm 5'10". Last part of the coaster. I like it when B&Ms (especially the stand ups) do quick turns like this. Gives me that butterflies in the stomach feeling that makes me giggle like a little girl. Twisty, low to the ground fun. Overview from another angle. Mantis inspired this part. Norwegian loop that ended up looking like big ol' pretzel. If only a first drop like this actually existed on a real coaster... Top hat fun. Man, now I want to ride Top Thrill. Overview of the whole freakin' thing.

I've got a story from last May. I was at Cedar Point, in line for Top Thrill Dragster. A teenaged couple cuts through about 30-40 minutes worth of line. The entire time, people are booing them, but nobody stopped them. The couple stopped a few people behind me and waited in line. Once in the station, the couple was about 2 trains away from the front when a security guard pulls them aside. They tried to act like they didn't know what was going on, but you could see the guilt in their eyes. The guard talks to them, writes them both citations, then escorts them out of the park. Many people applauded, and I thought it was great that the guard let them wait in line before ejecting them from the park. -Doug

"The Schwartz!!!" Keeping with the Mel Brooks mood... ...Blazing Saddles

I'm giving you a no honk guarantee. Ed Wood

I just voted for you. Good luck getting to Disneyland! -Doug

I voted for Wes. In the "Speed: The Ride" thread, he called Reno a "crappy place" . Die Wes!!! -Doug "Nobody disses my town and gets away with it" Heim

Your Millennium Force inspiration is very obvious. You picked a great coaster to give you ideas. Very well built...smooth, graceful, interesting layout. I now have yet another coaster for my NL screensaver. Thanks! -Doug