swampfox

I thought that they found out the old golf course couldn't be used or something. Water issues or flood plain issues... it was something like that.

Ya know, it's at these times that I really hate the news media. Most people only read headlines. The headlines all read something along the lines of "Teen boy decapitated by Georgia Coaster". What will most people think? "Oh my god! That ride should be closed if it kills people." Why? Just like the teenager, most people are too stupid to actually read a whole story. My opinion of course, but I don't have much faith in humanity.

^^^ No, if they are sued, they will probably settle, not win. That's what usually happens when someone sues a park, I think. Shouldn't be that way in this case, but if there is a lawsuit, it'll probably go that way.

Oh my. Now I remember why the 80s aren't known for fashion. Although I do miss bright colored clothes... everything is so colorless now. My first visit to Busch Gardens wasn't until like 1995, but even then the park looked sorta like it did in 88. It's interesting to see BBW with the trees not fully grown back in around it yet.

So on CNN.com it now says it was a GROUP of teens that crossed the fence. No one on the ride was hurt, thankfully. I'm not sure he was decapitated, as the news media uses that word loosely in a lot of cases, but I guess it could be. I feel sorry for those that saw the incident, the family of the teen, his friends, and yes, even a little bit for the teen, even if he did do something idiotic. Remember that video of the teen going after his hat in the Jurassic Park ride?

Well, Chaos was understandable. Those things are maintenance nightmares and most parks got rid of em, even though they are one of my favorite flats. I think Hersheypark's issue is space. Since they put a waterpark section in, and it's overtaking basically the whole left side of the park bit by bit, the flats take a hit. The park is basically totally filled up, and something has to go, and flats are usually the ones to go, not the coasters. I really wish they'd remove boardwalk and put it somewhere else, because they are ruining all chances of keeping the old and getting more new this way.

Hey, at least Hershey has more flats than either of the two parks near me. Kings Dominion and BGE. I like the fact that they still have a Flying Falcon/Condor thing too. I hope they don't take that out for a drop tower, which can be found most anywhere.

My home park is Kings Dominion, even though I now live closer to Busch Gardens The Olde Williamburg Europe.

I suppose they could. Are they in debt from their Legoland purchases in 2005? I hope PARC doesn't get them. They just wouldn't fit. Heck, even Parques Reunidos may get the parks. We don't know how well or bad they would run things yet. Let's just hope they come up with something better than outright selling or demolishing (not a likely prospect anyway) these parks.

I'm usually an optimistic guy, but I don't see any good from this. I can't think of any potential buyers for the Busch Gardens parks or Sea Worlds. The water parks should be sold fine though. With as well as Busch operates the parks, I feel it can only go downhill, unless Herschend has some money to buy the parks that we don't know about. The other possibility I don't know if it could work, but maybe something along the lines of what Paramount did right before they sold to Cedar Fair? Split the company in two and have the parks as a separate entity from the beer company, ya know. They would just be a sponsor of the park instead of the owner.

I went to see Iron Maiden in Columbia, MD on Wednesday. Sold out show and loud as hell. They had a great stage show as usual, and all the songs were from their 80s albums except Fear of The Dark from the album of the same title. Probably the best concert experience I'll ever have.

It's a deathtrap now. Voyage triple-down=awesome. Beast helix=the only good part. Hmmm. Odd. I've been going on it for 15 years, and it's not any more painful to me than it ever was, and I ride back car every time. Rebel Yell is more of a backbreaker than the Grizzly to me.

I like the tunnel on The Grizzly at Kings Dominion. It's loud, dark, and done during a hard lateral. It lives up to the name of the coaster.

^ Hey KD has green sludge too. It just has a worse ride over it in Anaconda.

The Kings Dominion log flume has two drops actually... One at the very beginning and one at the very end.

^ That's the official opening. Sometimes parks open rides for limited times unannounced before official openings... Soft openings, I believe they are called.

Cool. Thanks to everyone who's replied, especially pgathriller. Insurance cost makes sense. I can't believe out of all these parks that run 'em backwards, that I've never been to any.

That's true, although I recall some larger parks do let their Matterhorn flat rides go backwards. For instance SFA did back in 2000. I haven't been there since then, but I know that they did when I went. Granted it's a different ride, but I feel it's the same concept. Also, Grandma + out of control ride = ensuing hilarity.

Hmm. So can I assume that it's mainly smaller parks, as they can do longer ride cycles, as opposed to the corporate ones? Also, I gotta say, some parks set these to go kinda slow, such as BGE's.

I remember when I used to go to the Virginia State Fair, some Musik Express operators used to send the ride forwards and then backwards. However, at all the theme parks I've been to, they've only gone forwards. Are there any parks out there that have ever or still do run the backwards part of the program? Can Himalayas do the same thing?

I can see how the general public will get pissed at this, but for us enthusiasts, just go down the road to Sea World and get on the front seat of Great White. Same ride... or pretty much any other Six Flags park. I mean, it's Batman. But if you can afford Flashpass then get it.

Love those pictures. Wish my camera was as good. I also really enjoyed how you focused on landscaping and people having fun other than just shots of coasters. One of my favorite parts about going to parks is watching people having fun.

I think it may be a bit too late in the year for anyone else to get this coaster that they most likely have already bought. Perhaps it will just be clunked down somewhere with no themeing... SFA maybe... Mouses can be built pretty fast after all.

Yeah, I have friends who went to Liberty, and it's not as insane as say, Bob Jones University. You want a crazy school, check out their rules. Liberty building a coaster is kinda odd, but who knows... Jerry is dead... Of course there was the famous photo of him going fully clothed down that waterslide at the Bakers' water park in South Carolina....

I used to get sick after going on rotors. Especially the old Time Shaft at Kings Dominion, because I liked looking around instead of looking forward back then. They don't bother me now, but there are few left now anyways. Other than that, only Wipeouts sometimes. Never had a coaster make me feel sick.