Nitro1118

The rattling in the back of the train is a little jarring, but the front of the train is still nice and smooth. The restraints, specifically the shaping and where they rest on the thigh, were the big detractors for me.

There's a rumor that KK will be receiving Altair trains next season...anyone else heard this? I'm sure if it's true that it would be one of those things they announce sometime in the winter/early spring. To me, that would be just as exciting as the other additions for 2016! It would be a big improvement to the park's signature (non-enthusiast) attraction.

TM will have roughly the same capacity as one side of Chiller (675PPH per side), slightly better. Chiller had notoriously brutal lines at this park. I think TM's line will be more tolerable because of the frequency of the dispatches, which will keep the line at least moving. It will be a deterrent for me after the first wave of people flock to it in the morning. The key will be getting there early. I'm excited and slightly disappointed at the same time. I predicted this all year long, but was hoping for the bigger model, or to be surprised with a Premier launched coaster. Still, the coaster drought is finally over! J am sure TM will be a blast, and the new open views of the lake should be awesome as well. This area of the park needed a facelift badly.

That looks awfully like an SF announcement video. The only thing I question about the video is the ride is in the stadium footprint as opposed to the Grandstand, which is where the town meeting people said it would go.

A quick 5min google search: http://www.coastercrazy.com/forums/download/file.php?id=3810&mode=view

Mini PTR for 8/21: Today, I hit Dorney Park for the first time in 5 years. From 02-08 I used to visit the park annually, but adult life has made it difficult to find time for CF's ugly step-child the last couple of years. This time around, I went with my girlfriend (aspiring theme park junkie) and 6 year-old step son. Since he is only 46 inches tall, it was the first time I've visited this park through the "family guy" lens, which was interesting. Due to our heavy work schedules, we couldn't deal with waking up at 7 to make the 2 hour drive from NJ for opening, so we arrived at 1pm with plans on hitting WWK first. I won't do a step-by-step breakdown, but here are some notes from the visit: -The crowd at Dorney has changed pretty drastically over the last decade. The park is definitely attracting the type of rougher crowd SF gets. Personally, I have no issues with this, but it is noticeable. -I had a number of issues with operations today. First off, at most parks, my girlfriend and I are able to switch off with my step son on the platform of coasters...i.e one rides the coaster, then when the first person gets back my stepson walks across the train to the exit while the second person gets to ride. At SF this is no issue, but Dorney refuses to let underage children on the playform AT ALL...most of the time. On some rides they absolutely refused. On other rides, it was completely ok. There was no consistency, rhyme or reason, or explanation at all. With that said, the op at Steel Force was amazing and stood by him while my girlfriend and I got to ride together. Major kudos for that. Also, food operations was horrible. I ordered mozzarella sticks near Talon that were so old that the cheese inside was crunchy. The employee there moved so incredibly slow and unenthusiastically that it was painful. -As a step-parent, the selection of family rides and attractions at this park is amazing. We could have easily spent an entire day here with the array of family rides the park offers, which is something I could never have dreamed under the enthusiast pre-tense. The Whip in particular was a ton of fun. -Despite the rougher clientelle and occasionally iffy operations, the park looked great. Very clean, rides looked (and felt) fresh and well-maintained, and everything looked very well lit for my first time at night at Dorney. -The park is still very underrated, and one elite coaster away from breaking into my favorites list. The Shockwave relocation should definitely fill that void Ride count: Talon 3x Steel Force 1x Possessed 1x Stinger 1x Thunderhawk 1x The Whip 1x Demon Drop 1x Lionel's Something or another 1x Talon: Still my number 2 invert behind Alpengeist, and ahead of other high-profile inverts like Montu, Raptor, Dragon Challenge, etc... Very well-paced with some moments of high G's, 2 pops of airtime, tight ground-hugging, and no MCBR. Also, one of the best color schemes ever. Normally my favorite coaster at Dorney, but... Steel Force: WOW. I have never been a huge fan of this ride, but my ride tonight was by far my best ride on it ever. We got a 3rd row ride during the late evening and got sustained floater on the big camelbacks, positive G's and no slugishness in the helix, and legit ejector on the return bunny hops. I don't knoe what it was...maybe it was the fact that I finally stayed at the park after 1pm and the ride was warmed up? Maybe since I finally got in a ride with a full train? I don't know, but it was a genuinely terrific ride. Stinger: New credit for me. After my horrific ride on SFNE's Goliath in June, I was curious to see how its distant cousin would ride. Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised. Mostly smooth and forceful. A very nice fit in Dorney's lineup. Possessed: Nothing new here. Been on this in 2003 at the former SFWoA, and again in 2010 here. Impulses are always fun, but nothing too special. Thunderhawk: Thunderhawk always tends to be a mixed bag as far as ride experience goes. I've had horribly rough and trimmed rides on it, as well as fast and airtime-filled rides on it. Today was in the middle. No trims until the end, had a lot of airtime, but it was also rougher than I remember. Fun ride nontheless. Overall, we had a great time! Some pics: Steel Force...ful?!? One of the better shots I've taken this year. Still alive and kickin'. Possessed. Little man posing with a dinosaur. Steel Forceful again. Pleasant surprise of the evening. Tried over the course of 3 cycles to get a pic with the train this high up the spike. Success! Talon: Gripping at the fear of a Shockwave relocation.

Whatever the plans are was proposed tonight to the town (thanks to GAH for the pic). Hopefully at least some info from the meeting leaks out soon as the park drops no hints whatsoever.

To me, the O's look like the GL symbol. To me, that is a strong hint towards a JL-themed ride, mist likely Battle For Metropolis.

It was pure stupidity, yes, and the park should hold little to no responsibility for the incident. However, I think some of you should go a little easy on the insults. In the end, the only person that was injured was himself, and he paid the ultimate price for it. I think that is enough punishment necessary. It is indeed sad, though, that such preventable mistakes such as this keep happening at amusement parks. Even though it is truly a freak accident, the media blows it out of proportion and gives the industry a bad name. Unfortunately, these parks need to counteract these incidences by implementing over-the-top guidelines and fail-safes, even though common sense should make them null in the first place. It really, really detracts from the experience of responsible guests and employees

From my understanding, the strong rumor is the 4D will take up the Fort's footprint, with the lakefront remaining a viewing area. My guess is a reimagining with new stores/restaurants.

1. Alpengeist 2. Talon 3. Montu 4. Raptor 5/6. Dueling Dragons 7. Great Bear 8. B:TR Been a long time since I've ridden most of these rides so it's a little hard to rank. All I know is Alpie is my favorite and Talon is very underrated in the B&M universe.

On the flipside, it's been around 15 years since Hypersonic was developed, and it is a technology that has proven to be extremely reliable in other ride applications (such as S&S drop towers). With another 15 years of research and development, it wouldn't surprise me to see a company like RMC build a reliable air compressed launch. Still, I'm betting on LSM.

Personally, that trip would be too much for me. It definitely gives you the max number of credits, but at major parks like SFNE/Hershey, I much prefer whole days to get the full experience. Also, that is a ton of driving in a short span, which would wear me out. If it was me, I'd cut out at least 1 of LC or Knoebels. Knoebels is the better park, but the time you need to really experience Hershey is more than you need at SFNE, so I'd probably knock Knoebels off the itinerary instead.

I think people get mistaken because GAdv had more coasters for many years. They also traded essentially 5 coasters (both sides of Chiller and RT, plus GASM) for 2 (TDK and GL) over the last 8 years.

Been at the park all day so far...lines are actually way more reasonable than we told the guy lol. Brought my girlfriend and step son so I haven't been able to whore the major coasters, but did get on El Toro twice first thing, SORA, RMT, Buccanear, Skull Mountain and got my first ride on Namtab. Namtab was interesting, but my stomach didn't sit well since it's so hot and I was hungry/dehydrated. I found the first drop and vertical loops to be my favorite parts. BTW, the entire area from Fort Independence to the end of the Grandstand is completely fenced off.

Bizarro is usually pretty dead even on busy days. Batman is usually manageable, but Namtab probably has killed that. Besides those rides, the park will be slammed. I'd hit up the rides with slower moving lines first (S:UF, GL, KK and Zumanjaro) first, and brave the lines of the better capacity rides where at least you should be moving (Nitro, B:TR and Toro on a good day).

Some of my top wooden coasters are CCI creations. Boulder Dash, Legend, Raven, Cornball Express, etc... They require a ton of TLC, but if the park is vigilant then CCI's offer some of the best classic wooden coaster experiences in the world. They offer the feel that Intamin and RMC's simply can not, and from my experience GCI's are not as forceful or diverse as CCI. Unfortunately, most of them have badly deteriorated, so their legacy in the industry is not as pristine as it should be.

On my trip, yes, I could choose my seat on all rides. On Batman he asked our preference, as well as Goliath. Bizarro's FP queue leaves you off at the station entrance. And every ride but WC and NESS allow you double rides, including Bizarro in any row.

It is one of those rare cases where I actually wouldn't mind open space...as long as the open space is in the Grandstand's spot. It would be really nice to get an open view of the lake. I also wouldn't mind some flats or a restaurant, assuming the 4D takes up the Fort.

As I mentioned before, with platinum FP I got front row nearly every ride on WC. They were prioritizing FP riders before the standby queue every cycle. Also, the reason they must group on WC is the station is extremely narrow. Any more than a 2 train wait per row would cause chaos. I'm not so sure even if they go the El Toro route that it would work.

As of 10 days ago the blue train was running much better. I've heard mixed things since then. And yes they still group. When I went and had platinum FP, they let me go front row each time. If you request a different row than front they will likely let you pick your seat. Also, if you can hold out, I'd give WC a little time to warm up so you get the best 1st impression possible. Go for Bizarro first. Either go for front row or 2nd if you don't feel like waiting...I find it to be a more powerful and obviously smoother ride in the front. Have fun!

Skyrush: First drop and s-curve hills in back winged seat. TTD and Kingda Ka: Launches El Toro: RT crossover hill Wicked Cyclone: First outward banked hill Bizarro SFNE: 3rd camelback hill Batman clones: The tight transition between the 2 corkscrews Cornball Express: First drop in the back row Voyage: Multiple spots on the return trip section Nitro: Upwards helix Also: Any pretzel loop or Schwarzkopf coasters with back-to-back loops.

Yeah, they removed the ride/ cables but kept at least 1 tower (probably all, didn't pay much attention on my trip).

After my SFNE trip... Steel: 1. Wicked Cyclone 2. Bizarro at SFNE 3. Millennium Force 4. Apollo's Chariot 5. Storm Runner Wood: 1. El Toro 2. Voyage 3. Boulder Dash 4. Phoenix 5. Cornball Express

SFNE 6/25: Wicked Cyclone: 9x Bizarro: 10x Batman: 2x NESS: 2x Typhoon: 2x Bonzai: 1x Thunderbolt: 1x Scream:1x Pandemonium: 1x Gotham City Gauntlet: 1x Mind Eraser: 1x Goliath: 1x Wicked Cyclone: As I mentioned yesterday, incredible ride. After 7 more laps today, I'd have to say it is tied with El Toro as my #1 overall. On its strongest rides, like my last ride in the front row after it rained pretty heavily, it is the greatest coaster I have ever ridden. Relentless, smooth, insane ejector and great variety of elements. I did, however, discover the tempermental nature that has divided enthusiasts during its first month of operation. The blue train was phenomenal, but the orange train was vibrating badly and gave a more sluggish experience. Because of this, it just tied El Toro for me, and didn't edge it out. Then again, my home park homerism might be getting the best of me. Either way, WC is unbelievable. Bizarro: Once again, it was hauling today. Also once again, operations were terrible, with operators/attendants fooling around and coming across as immature. I finally got in a ride in the back, and noticed lots of rattling in all the valleys. It also reminded me of what I said 11 years ago...this is one of the few airtime machines that delivers much stronger forces in the first 2 rows. Something new I noticed with the botch-trains are how uncomfortable the headrests can be on the shoulders during strong lateral force moments. Despite the obvious need for re-transformation, the ride kicked major a$$. Goliath: How in the holy hell did SFNE manage to butcher one of Vekoma's best designs this badly?!? I rode Deja Vu at SFGAm back in 2006 and had a very enjoyable ride. This was just unbelievably bad. The runs through the station and the valley between the vertical loop and cobra roll almost felt and sounded like a train wreck. It's a damn shame because this ride is quite fun and thrilling under normal circumstances. Yet, this was the 3rd coaster at this park I noticed having some signifant train issues. NESS: Having a skyscreamer at GAdv, I knew what to expect from this ride, but the 200ft difference definitely turns a fun/slightly unnerving experience into a thrilling/very unnerving experience. The view is beautiful from up top, especially with the bird's eye view of WC ripping through it's course right down below. Batman: Fun floorless coaster. It's still my 2nd least favorite floorless, but it is sort of unique in its compactness and lack of MCBR. Also, besides Talon it has my favorite color scheme of any coaster in the world. Makes me hate the nasty schoolbus yellow of my homepark's B:TR. Thunderbolt: For its age it runs beautifully. Very smooth for a wooden coaster and has some nice pops of air in certain spots. The 1 train ops are brutal, though, even with my flash pass. Mind Eraser: Garbage. Even by SLC standards, garbage. Also, it won the Nitro1118 award for most disinterested op's of the year. Scream: Been a long time since I caught an S&S tower on combo mode. Loved it, especially since I've gotten used to the airtime-less Zumanjaro. Of course it's not as forceful as a Larson, but these things always deliver a very solid ride. Random notes: -As I said yesterday, SFNE is a very pretty park riddled by poor operations. On Pandemonium, I encountered an employee who answered my "How are you?" with "I wanna go home." With that said, she was putting that gloom aside and did show some energy, while many of the employees felt so disinterested. The employees at games were not engaging employees at all, ride op's were constantly talking to only themselves, and the op at NESS got pretty snippy with me at one point as well. Hats off to the WC team, though, as they showed some personality and enjoyment while working. -Speaking of operations, the procedures on the coasters is very irritating. On every coaster they wait until basically every guest is off the platform before opening the air gates, which slows things down immensely. On WC this is compounded by the team making 2 separate runs to check seat belts and lap bars. On Bizarro I believe they made 2 runs, but at least you could lower your own lap bar. -Story time...So, normally I am very careful with my loose articles on rides. I keep everything in buttoned pockets and never have issues. Today we hit HH after a quick ride on WC, and did not fork over the crazy charge of $14 for a "small" locker. So, I took the car key off my GF's keychain and put it in my bathing suit's velcro pocket...big mistake. On the trap door waterslide it slipped out of my pocket, and after 1.5 hours of searching and pinballing between different customer service buildings, I had to pay $80 for a locksmith to make us new keys. Lesson learned- NEVER be too careful with loose articles and don't be cheap on vacation!!! -The platinum flash pass is amazing! Even though it wasn't very busy today, the slow ride op's and low capacity of many of the coasters made it a no-brainer. Due to the car fiasco, we didn't even get 6 hours of use out of it, yet still got on a ton of rides. Had we not taken food and rest breaks, and used the double-ride option on every coaster possible, our count would have been through the roof. -Overall, had a terrific time! What a 1-2 punch this park has with WC and Bizarro. My thighs are borderline bruised from the 200+ moments of ejector I had on those 2 rides over 1.5 days. If they didn't butcher 2 of their coasters with terrible trains, and made a strong initiative to improve operations, the park would among my favorites. It is frustrating when you have the pieces to be great but can't use all the tools on your belt. Unfortunately, this is an chain-wide issue, as I find out every year at GAdv. Some pics I quickly shot while on the move today...