DBJ

My only thing is the oddball placement of the coaster, if it is indeed over by Deja Vu. That's a bit of a haul to take the kids for 1 ride from BBW or Thomas Town. The screaming from Deja Vu might be a concern as well. Maybe it will be enclosed? It would seem to me that Flashback's grave would be a better location. Or maybe that was considered to be too close to Canyon Blaster? At least with the money saved, it can go toward the 2011 project. Or maybe there are more park infrastucture upgrades coming? We have already seen one, with the painting of Goliath. It's a bit unrealistic to expect SF to build a huge coaster every single year as well.

Thanks for the artworks! Mystic Manor does sound pretty ambitious, and I imagine it will be cloned over to Paris or Florida fairly soon. The coaster concept looks like it will be a great addition as well. Toy Story Land looks like it would be a fun addition...to Disney Hollywood Studios, near TSMM. Or even near DCA's TSMM. Still looks to be a tad bit out of place in it's current spot at HKDL. It will be interesting to see how the land fits in once it's completed.

Goliath @ SFMM. Add a second pop of airtime over the midway, into helix/turnaround, airtime crossing back over midway , reconnect with og track slightly before MCBR.

Looks like a good ride, especially after seeing the videos. It's a good twist on spinning flat rides, and perfect for parks with tight spaces/budgets. But, I think for them to capture the looping coaster feeling, the scale would have to be much larger to allow for much greater variations in height.

My wish list: Innoventions: removed, replaced by a "Space Camp" - astronaught training sims. Relocate Maliboomer, themed out to a rocket ship. Make Autopia a dark ride. Use the second level for expansion of attractions. Peoplemover - liked the concept I read about a long time ago about pods circling the track, wouldn't go with the "Incredibles" theme though. Maybe an outer space exploration ride film. Possible to adapt basic movements of an indy car, combined with monitor in each pod as it moves around the track? Hista - replaced by a custom Wall-E film.

Losing Wiggles World is no great loss. Glad they came to their senses about that concept. I'm not sure if I ever saw an ad for Thomas Town since it was constructed. Tatsu and Terminator, definately. Maybe part of the problem with TT's failure to increase attendence is lack of advertising? A co-worker of mine went to SFMM this summer and was surprised that there was even a children's area to begin with! She wasn't real familiar with the park, and assumed it was entirely targeted at teens. Imo, the issue is Bugs Bunny. It's just not a current kids franchise. Legoland sells itself on the name alone, Disney is obvious, Knotts has Snoopy (arguably also a fading kids franchise) but when someone thinks about entertainment for kids Six Flags will never come to mind. Time to evict Bugs and maybe give Hasbro a buzz. Or some brand that is current with the kids of today. And I certainly do agree there are areas where SFMM can look to Disneyland for inspiration. SF should call up Sally asap and contract out those indoor shooting rides for all their parks that currently don't have one. Look at ways to incorporate story and marketable characters into existing rides. An Ice Age retheme did wonders for a basic log flume in Germany. Place 3D movies in every park, look into Intamin's Soarin knock off ride system as a possibility. And always have corporate sponsors for every new attraction.

I actually think they should avoid flats for the time being. Part of the SF image problem is that it is viewed as an overgrown carnival and not actually considered a theme park. And that leads to the lower guest spending, because it is not valued at the same level as say Disney, Seaworld or Universal. So for SF to break that image problem, instead of replicating a carnival, they have to go in a direction that makes them stand out. As much as I would love to see the kind of flats from the European fun faires take over the Collosuss County Fair area, not sure if that is a marketable concept like a new coaster can be. If things go well, it's conceivable that SFMM could have 20 coasters within the next few years. That's a great way to sell SFMM to the masses.

The pic really helps with that location. Looks like that photo is pre-Terminator is it not? Thought I can see Psyclone's ghostly footprint in that pic. The location certainly is unexpected, but really a great choice. Doesn't impact any rides, wouldn't prevent new construction later down the road for HH or the park. Also, will keep the crowds splitting between the corners of the park, which is also good. Really seems like there is a master plan at work here, nice to see.

Dollywood is a good example of expansion without destroying pre-existing theme. And, they have far less money than Cedar Fair. Among the things Knott's could do in the future besides recycling CP's trash..a.) refresh the Calico Mine Ride with better AA (and log ride - maybe license a kids property) and/or modify the track/train of Calico into an actual coaster for the family crowd, b.) dump Mystery Lodge for a flex 4-D theater, C.) 3D theater for Camp Snoopy, D.) add scenic/show elements for Stagecoach and Train (Knotts could use dark rides for the kids), E.) light gun shooter in the old Kingdom of Dinosaur bldg. Massive coasters would be a challenge, but rides like Wicked Twister, Intamin Half Pipe, Disko Coaster can fit into Knotts while still being different enough from what SF and DL/DCA offer.

The Aquaduck is a great idea for a cruise ship. A mostly slow ride is good so you can take in the view. It's quite an impressive ship. I did see the Oasis today for the first time, they have a great website, and man, that is stunning. A zip line, carousel, rock wall, surfing...heading towards an eventual floating theme park someday.

If your'e coming from Vegas, might want to check out airfares from Vegas to Burbank. They frequently run specials between the two cities, especially on Southwest. From Burbank to SF, is 20 minutes. Gas here in Socal is 3.15 or so per gallon, probably higher on the way to/from Vegas. So maybe after doing the math, the time & cost savings might be worth it to fly? X2 is a great ride. I've been on it when it has been extremely rough, and have had smoother rides on it as well. It really varies actually.

I think Knott's got sucked into the coaster wars via Cedar Fair, and that is what has really done the most damage to the park's character. Instead of looking to Disney, which hasn't relied on just coasters to keep their parks popular, they applied the Cedar Point model to Knotts. Coasters are by far the most cost effective, highly marketable rides that can be built. Cedar Fair, much like Six Flags, will never be in a position to spend 40 to 100 million+ on a new attraction like Disney, so that leaves them pretty much with coasters as their big E-tickets cap expenses. In this sense, I understand why Knott's went this direction. What Knott's could do however is to blend their installs a bit more into the pre-existing scenery. Pony Express's tunnel for example. Instead of just zero-themed plywood, it's actually pretty cheap to faux finish the tunnel in rock. At least that way, a stone looking arch over BFR would look better. Silver Bullet has the charm of an industrial shed. But, they can hide the footers a bit better (put a partial roof over the wagon camp at least), buy some plants, repaint the coaster the colors of a Silver Bullet, and wood panel the station so at least it would pull SB back into the west a tad better. The current red/orange theme is southwestern, so they could go that direction like Disney's BTMR. I agree that the Boardwalk is the area with the most potential. If they tossed those crappy carny games out that sit in the center, and remove PP (maybe give it to another CF park), there is quite a bit of space left over for another large scale install. I imagine they will stick with Xcel for the time being. Just hope they can fix the ride and make it absolutely fail safe so customers are not in danger when a cable breaks. Must be way to keep the cables from whipping around in the rare event of failure. If there is no way to guarantee customer safety though, then Knott's should remove Xcel.

The aerial pics are cool, thanks for adding them. It really looks like they will be creating a crowd control issue with that particular placement. The ride is big for that spot, and then add in a q? Unless they can elevate the ride so it rises above the boardwalk so guests can pass underneath it. Or maybe they intend to seal off that entrance into Calico Square? Imo, this is an install as well planned out as Windjammer. I am interested in it's construction strictly from an architectural sense though. And if it shortens the line on the good attractions, that is a sliver lining.

Imo, this is a terrible idea. The ride is outdated and has been thrown into the trash at other parks for a very good reason. Not a lot of people have fond memories of the later years of Freefall's life here in so cal. The overall experience is less than Supreme Scream, which is a ride everyone loves. Two drop tower rides where you are in seated position. Brilliant. Unless they reconfigure Demon Drop to go face first, it makes zero sense to add a shorter drop ride. It would be better for them to add nothing in 2010, save the money, and put it toward their 2011 project.

The "base" of Goldrusher rumor certainly does seem to imply the former Freefall area. That does sound like a Tony Hawk clone, will be interesting to see it squeeze in and around Riddler & Tidal Wave (hope they don't remove it), especially where the line will go. If it is a Tony Hawk clone, they should save themselves a couple bucks and not use Tony's name & likeness, but Mr. Six. Who knows it also could be a Disko coaster. In general, I don't think children's rides are good for a park like SFMM, where they could use all ages style attractions instead - like any number of Sally dark rides. As far as the record breaker thing goes, I'm not real sure which record they would challenge without making the current operating coasters redudant. Height, speed, and inversions ? Kind of pointless to do that in a park like SFMM. Imo, if it's a record breaker of any kind, it will be a very, very specific record like angle of descent or something. A Superman retrofit (hello Bizarro) would be interesting conceptually. I imagine that would take quite a bit of analysis to justify the cost versus expected return. A Superman money pit is something they wouldn't want to do again.

I attended Oct. 3rd. And as usual, it is the best Halloween event in town. The mazes are exceptionally well done. The Terror Tram was even larger this year, or at least felt like it walking distance wise. Although there were a few bottlenecks for people this year, around the Bates Motel specifically. I don't know what the future holds for the Terror Tram, but here is my observation. They could make it even longer if they incorporate the new King Kong next year, the collapsing bridge, Jaws, the flood, and the earthquake section, and then drop people off at Whoville. That might help with the overcrowding situation and huge, huge line. I was surpised that they didn't run Slaughterworld this year, although I knew in advance it wasn't happenig. After seeing the park being sold out, it's a massive facility that could have used a show/maze of some form to spilt out the crowd. Imo, they should run Shrek 4D, it is about a ghost after all, and relocate the maze to another location. The cast of Rocky Horror were fantastic. Highlight of the evening. Even with the sold out crowds, here was my general gameplan. Starting at 7pm, Simpsons first (if so inclined for rides), Mummy, Saw, Jurrasic Park, Terror Tram, and then Rocky Horror. All that done by 9:45, 5 minute waits. Did a food break (it's a limited menu compared to the daytime but still good), Bill & Ted, and then really only had two bad lines to stand in, for Michael Myers and Bloody Valentine. And for a sold out night, that's pretty good. For out of towners or for one nighters, the upgraded pass is 100% worth it. For locals, the frequent fear pass would be worth it to spend two night there. Better to have two nights there instead of 1 there and waste the money at a much lesser event (like Shipwreck). Use the online advance purchase through the website for the discounts.

The artwork is impressive. I am also looking forward to seeing how the Journey ride turns out. I think the wand shop is Magic Quest is it not? So in theory, kids will run around with their loose article upcharge item and interact with props scattered around HP land. That could be pretty cool depending on the execution. And with two films still due out next year, perfect timing for Universal.

Did they happen to explain the queque in any detail? I've read that its more of a play area than simply standing in line. Accurate? All in all, the look of their Little Mermaid clone exterior is quite stunning. Most the artwork is actually for that entire area. It might be a tad overboard on the meet & greet areas, and imo, maybe Pixie Hollow could be more than just a "playzone". I suppose in the future the space could be adapted to an actual attraction when/if the Princess merchandise thing fades out. Especially, since Dumbo is extremely popular, that are could be useful in brining in some other styles of kid appropiate highly themed falts in the future. I noticed they said it's the largest expansion in many years. Which is 1 dark ride, a restaraunt, a playground/zone, and a additional spinner. That's one leisurely pace for expansion!

The Carsland model is impressive. I followed the link and read a little about the description. My only slight hesitation about some of what has been revealed is that it is not going to be focused on speed like Test Track, but the complete experience. So maybe a shorter speed section on this ride, so the Indy comparison is probably extremely accurate. Even with my reservations, imo, it's this ride that will save the park. Isn't Carsland 2 due in theaters the same year? When is the last time a major theme park attraction from Disney has debuted the same year as the movie it's based on? The swings are going to be a huge improvement. Opens up the sight lines from that area. It does seem like it's a very long construction schedule for a wave swinger ride though. I wonder if it will operate during WOC?

I would create a next gen waterpark experience. Imo, sometimes parks put water rides in that just drench you, so then you spend the entire day walking around in wet clothes. So I would take the drenching water rides - Jurrassic Park, Perilous Plunge, Log flumes, and build a thrill oriented water "coaster" park. Use Proslide for their water coasters, bowls, toronados. Intamin for Perilous Plunge with OSTR, a spinning rapid ride, & Atlantis clone rides. B&M for Shrieka clone with a soaker finale. Mack for Seaworld esque -Journey to Atlantis clone. A river raft battle vs. a roller soaker coaster as well. Contract out with Sally for their animatronic work for the "dark" rides for the kids - for things like a Jungle Cruise or Storybook land. Would be cool to pull off an interactive water based shooter like Buzz Lightyear but using water cannons. Obviously have to built where drought is not an issue.

They should add a tad more visual interest to the ride while it's on ground level. I know they can't afford to pull off Splash Mountain, but something along the banks. Other than that, I'm sure people will enjoy the ride quite a bit.

Theme park wise, I think the earliest change will be Marvel specific merchandise sold in some of their in-park stores. After that, my next prediction would be that the parks might hold Marvel movie premieres for the upcoming slate. I doubt Paramount, Sony, or Fox would have an issue with being able to promote their next wave of Marvel movies in the Disney parks across the world. The better the Marvel movies do, the more money Disney makes. And unlike Universal, none of the other studios worry about theme park competition. Disney would really only have to be mindful about not putting out a big blockbuster, like Prince of Persia, in the same release window as Iron Man 2. Imo, if there is going to be an attempt at creating rides based on Marvel characters, it's years away and most likely will appear overseas first. For the US, wouldn't be too horribly surprised to see a Marvel parade float before any permanent attraction.

I think in that Disney may not care if the Marvel rides remain at IOA. THis way, they earn royalty money from Universal without having to spend a dime on building marvel themed rides. It's win win for them. If anything, it might irk GE that they are sending royalty payments to Disney as IOA continues to do well. Also, more incredibly, Disney will now benefit from the success of other film studios that are releasing Marvel comic property movies. Sony with Spider-man, Paramount - Iron Man, Avengers, Hulk, Thor, Fox - Wolverine, X-men, FF. Again, Disney just kind of sits back and counts the money rolling in from their competitors. It would probably be GE that would make the decision to spend the money to drop the Marvel Super hero theme if they really wanted to stop sending payments to Disney. One random thought is that they could switch out Spider-man with Transformers as they will have the Hollywood attraction to base it on. Realistically, I don't see IOA changing in the immediate future because of this.

My issue with spinning coasters is that I'm not sure they deliver the bang for the buck kind of appeal. Wasn't Knott's Sierra Sidewinder close to $10 million? Tony Hawk, at SFDK, supposedly was $6.5. I am not impressed by Sierra S., so if SFMM could deliver a longer and better experience with a Tony Hawk clone, then that would be good for the park. If the cost goes north of $10 million, then I think there are most likely better choices. In the meantime, the co. as a whole isn't doing well, so in the short term I think they could implement and advertise new lower food prices. The concept of a staycation is good, but once people step into the gate on a discounted admission, the food sticker shock pretty much seals the deal on the casual visitor not returning. Or eating elsewhere which also doesn't help the park. Saw a local report from SFMM during the recent heatwave, and a man they interviewed complained about the high cost of water and food. Imo, with the per cap spending sinking, part of that is due to SF pricing themselves out of the value seeking market. If a visitor and his family knew they could get into the park for 1/2 price (per all the coke ads), have some decent food at a comparable price or even discounted price, that might lure the staycationer market a bit more. Staycationers are looking for the best deal for the money after all.

I wonder if they would ever be willing to take out the parking lot where Ghostrider sits? The station for whatever coaster it is would be in the park, but the majority of the ride actually in the parking lot next to GH? Maybe use the Mystery Lodge as part of the station/line? In general, if they do tall coasters beyond Silver Bullet's height, I think next time they should build roofs around the footers, so as to blend into the pre-exisitng structures. As far as to what's next, I would imagine that it is a coaster. As Disney rolls out the big guns in 2011-2012, Knott's could counter program with a giant coaster. Imo, It wouldn't be wise to even dare to promote a family attraction in so cal over the next 3 years. Or, the alternative is to expand Soak City, which has a huge amount of space to work with. That is one area where they don't have to worry about DL/DCA. Part of my personal wish list is:, a.) love to see them take the KOD structure, and turn it into a Sally dark ride interactive shooter, b.) relocate Perilous Plunge over to Soak City, replaced by "Atlantis Adventure" from Lotte World, style ride c.) and adapt a large full circuit coaster for the park.