AmyUD06

If you're going to be in Muskegon, there is an awesome (but not cheap) ferry to take you to Milwaukee, which is about an hour from SF Great America, and you get to avoid driving in all the Chicago traffic. Yes, the boat ride and time it takes to load/unload can be upwards of 3.5 hours, but it definitely beats the monotony of the Indiana Toll Road and bullshit of Chicago traffic (6-7 hours). https://www.lake-express.com/

Er....what? I bought online and renewed my Cedar Fair Platinum Pass this year at the parking booth at King's Dominion . I'm using the same card as I had last year (that was originally issued at MiA).

An ancient mine train by a manufacturer no longer in business with wooden supports is probably the least likely candidate for relocation ever, sorry.

Steel Phantom wasn't exactly minor in 1990s dollars, I'm sure, and Arrow was the biggest name in the business back then. Granted, that was before Parques Renudos ownership, but still.

It's the beginning of the season in March on a chilly day what did you expect? Not everything is going to be up to standards at the very start of the season. Plus Twisted Timbers is brand new, they are working out the bugs. Oh, I wasn't complainining...apologies if it came off that way. I understand Twisted Timbers is new and has some kinks to be ironed out. I was just commenting on the unusual-for-this-park state of operations. And I wouldn't exactly call mid-50s to low-60s "chilly".

Apparently Twisted Timbers opened up around 8PM last night....and promply shut down again at 9. No idea if they got it going again; I left. I stopped by this morning to try again for Twisted Timbers....no dice. Bunch of guys in RMC clothing walking around the brake run/transfer track area seemingly checking things. Waited about 30-45 minutes then gave up and headed home. I'll second what was said about yesterday's operations....just nutty for this park. -Dominator not open until mid-day. -FoF and i305 not open until ~1 PM. -Volcano had a rollback on what looked like the 4th train of the day which took the ride down for an hour. -Lines for Woodstock Express, Avalanche, Backlot, and Anaconda backed out of the queue lines.

No. At the park today. TT is down all day so far.

Most of the staged rollout has to do with staffing. The bulk of their employees are local kids and foreign exchange workers who don't become free until mid-May/early-June.

(Double Post)

I never ridden Iron Wolf, nor Apocalypse, for that matter, and I live 45 minutes from SFA.

The hotel in the parking lot is surprisingly cheap for where it is. It's not terrible, but you do get what you pay for.

5. You've got a bit of Superman in there.

Pretty sure Dorney's marketing guy called their new catering area "very special," too.

Cedar Point charges a similar price, no? Would we want it cheaper where its affordable for more people therefore making the fast lane lines long and the standby wait even longer? I paid maybe $70 for FL+ at CP in 2016. Which I found incredibly fair at a park with unlimited amazing coasters (and long lines) $110 seems awfully steep for a park like Hershey. From my experience, only a few coasters had long lines (Fahrenheit, spinner in a box, kinda Storm Runner?). Maybe I've just been lucky? Hershey admission is already on the higher end to begin with. That being said, if I only had one day and I could never return to Hershey, then I might consider it. Cedar Point (and other CF parks, I believe) vary the price of FL/FL+ by what month/day it is. Saturday in July? You'll be paying over $100 for FL+.

Below is a list of investments SF has made to SFA over the past decade. I've bolded what I considered major ones for you. 2018 - Lazy River 2017 - Skyflyer 2016 - Kidde play area in waterpark 2015 - Superloop 2014 - New Section / Spinning Coaster 2013 - Water Slides 2012 - Standup Coaster 2011 - Water Slides 2010 - Kiddie Area 2009 - Train 2008 - Halfpipe Coaster 2007 - Splash Boat Ride I get it, kid, everyone wants their home park to get a Giga/Dive Machine/Wing Coaster/Accelerator every year, but no, SFA does not "need" major investment. The market demand isn't there, and the ROI would be so so minimal.

Silly Willy, I feel that your confusion is unfounded. Sadly, you're commiting the fallacy of only including expenditures that you physically pay as they incur, as opposed to economically incurring them. It sounds like you're fixated on the cost of gas and tolls, while comparing the cost of a car rental against the cost of using your own car. But as we all know, the cost of driving is actually closer to $0.55 or so. It depends on the quality of the car, and the economist who is making the calculations, but a bulk of the cost is the economic cost of wear and tear of the car and the extra checkups and repairs that are required by additional mileage. In many cases, people actually prefer to rent cars on their trips, as it can be a way to use a more cost efficient vehicle for a long trip. In this case, the driver in question is able to a very long drive on a day that a week of grueling driver is looming. In many respects that adds economic value as well, as he avoids erosion of economic value from a long, grueling trip. As far as suggestions for excursions and activities, there are actually fantastic ruins of the old Six Flags Ohio that are still around. I've heard that they are very fun to visit, and will provide an exhileration like none other. I've heard great things, and not really heard of anything negative about this idea. Its not everyday that you are afforded the opportunity to explore wonderful ruins that haven't been developed into something boring yet. WTF? Where'd this guy come from?

The VR has been posted. Amusing that there's no non-MGM properties depicted; just parking lots where they would be LOL. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsOOAfKQnjE

If I recall correctly, Starflyers have no less than 8 chains supporting each pair of seats. The chances of all 8 failing simultaneously is so low it may as well be nonexistent. If they weren't safe you wouldn't see them at major parks (ie, Six Flags).

And as we told you in that thread, Kings Dominion says hello.

Not open.

On this note, Warner is New Line, and currently gets their theme park kicks (and money) from Six Flags. As you said, Fox is Disney, and thus parks already exist. I'd argue that Lionsgate (aside from Hunger Games, which is kinda dead now anyway) and Sony don't have any properties really worth developing into themed areas or rides. Not enough to make a whole park out of anyway.

The park industry in the United States is effectively "mature"; that term in economics means that it is no longer in a growth stage. Almost every major market has at least one park if not multiple serving it. For those markets that don't, the cost of building a new theme park is so high up front between land acquisition, infrastructure, and ride building, and the amount of cash needed to maintain facilities over the long run so great in comparison to all the other ways one might invest their money that it simply does not make any sense for most people to try. Most theme parks built in the Americas failed with their original owner, and it only by the 2nd or 3rd owner and multiple bankruptcies that most of them became capable of returning a profit. This. There are no new theme parks going up in the US because there's no demand for it. LOL. Never going to happen.

Your first day is 9+ hours on the road, not even factoring traffic/construction or bathroom/meal breaks. That is a LOT of driving, even with pit stops at Waldameer and Conneaut. Are you splitting driving duties with someone else? If not, I'd spread this out. You will not need a full day for Dorney unless you plan on hitting the water park. If you don't, plan on the morning there then the evening at SFGAdv in advance of the full day there. Your last day is 10+ hours on the road. See above. Honestly I'd cut out Kings Dominion and Carowinds and build in some more recovery time, especially if you're doing all the driving. As for how packed each park will be on the listed dates: Waldameer/Conneaut: No idea Knoebels: You can't get a wristband on a weekend. It's also memorial day weekend. I'm sure Bill or Boldikus will comment more here. Hershey: Memorial Day Monday. Place will be packed if the weather is nice. Dorney: Crowds? LOL. Not on the dry side. SFGAdv: Shouldn't be too bad on a mid-week day. Schools in NJ go until the middle/end of June. Busch: You're right, Thursday will be less crowded. Kings Dominion: Probably won't need the Fast Lane. Just hit Volcano and Flight of Fear right at opening. Carowinds: No idea.

Forget that system. If I'm paying $100+ for a skip-the-line pass, I want to be able to use it on what I want, not one-ride-per.

Took me a minute to realize you were talking about the Ferris wheel and not the now-defunct coaster atop Stratosphere LOL. And yes, the Bar Car is the ONLY way to do the High Roller. 35 minutes of open bar (beer, wine, AND simple liquor) is SO worth the $50 or whatever it is now.