sfmman2000

For me, the roughness of Giant Dipper depends on a couple factors, and is highly variable. First, when the train was last refurbished (new chassis, wheels, etc) can greatly affect quality and roughness of your ride. If the park is running both trains, try them both (in the same seat) and compare the difference. I believe the trains are on opposite refurb cycles, and both are refurbished annually, so one train is generally running faster, and one quite a but slower, due to the new, stiff chassis. This aspect may effect the ride's roughness. Also, choosing the correct seat is a major factor in getting a smooth ride. There are six cars, and the front two seats of every car provide a smoother ride (and more leg room). For some reason, the rear seats of every car are quite a bit more bumpy than the fronts. I always make a point to sit in the front seat of a (preferably the last!) car. The only reasons I would ever sit in the back of a car is if I wanted the very back row of the train, or, strangely, due to the tighter position of one's leg in back, the sensation of airtime is a touch greater.

^Thanks for the report! I'm looking forward to Crazy Surf's replacement. Nice to hear that Giant Dipper is running smooth.

Off topic, but... I was browsing Google Maps when I noticed parking spaces underneath Colossus. Was Colossus the park's original parking lot roller coaster? If so, I had no idea! That would make those lines over 34 years old... http://g.co/maps/qknzg

^ I would have loved to stay at Embassy. I hear it's the nicest hotel in the area. And you can't beat the open bar/buffet breakfast perks. I researched that Priceline buyers were getting rates at Embassy (3 star) for $40-$60, so I bid on a 3 star in that range for a few days.... but no luck. I have a feeling rates are higher than normal during this time because of the holiday weekend.

^^ Robb said that Knott's is offering a discounted WCB rate at the Knott's hotel from 2/18-2/20 (Saturday - Sunday nights) for $89/night. I posted a Hotwire deal a few pages back to save about $20 off of that rate per night, also at the Knott's hotel. For 2/17 (Friday night), I used Priceline to bid on a 2.5 star hotel for $62, which turned out to be the Hampton Inn Santa Clarita. With tax, the total was $77, which is a $27 savings off any other hotel booking site for that property.

Also, it's not that a spinner can't be fun, but the idea of it feels gimmicky. I also would prefer a more extreme/small footprint-style ride. But I suppose their thinking is that they want the ride to be as popular as possible, so why not build something the whole family can enjoy.

For anyone looking to save some money on a hotel reservation at the Knott's hotel, hotwire.com offers rates for ~$60/night+tax. If you search for Buena Park on Hotwire, the Knott's hotel is the one listed with 7 amenities and 3 stars. I tried searching for the hotel with different browsers, and prices seem to fluctuate between $58-$63/night. The grand total per night is $68.93/night. That's $20 off TPR's rate! To make this deal even sweeter, use fatwallet.com Cashback for an extra 3% off at Hotwire. My booking confirmation What to look for:

I believe that in past years (correct me if I'm wrong), SFMM offers free parking for West Coast Bash, while Knott's charges full-price ($14) for parking.

Can anyone confirm or deny whether Superman: Escape from Krypton will be open for West Coast Bash?

No, I haven't. I've been on Pandemonium (Gerstlauer) at SFDK. Are Maurer's offerings better than that? Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Pandemonium, but it's not quite insane.

To bring this thread back to life, Screamscape has a rumor that the Boardwalk will be replacing Hurricane with a spinning wild mouse. http://www.screamscape.com/html/santa_cruz_beach_boardwalk.htm I can confirm that this rumor has a lot credibility. Personally, I would have hoped for something a little more thrilling, but a family-style roller coaster doesn't surprise me, due to many of the Boardwalk's recent rides being geared more towards families and less towards thrills.

How awesome would it be if a Nautic-Jet came to the United States...

Boomerang at SFDK ride operator said something to the effect of: "Welcome to Boomerang, the oldest and most dangerous ride in the park." Silver Bullet at Knott's ride operator before dispatch: "I have three last words for you: Final Destination 3!" I think ride operators are completely out of line to refer to their rides as anything except "completely safe."

^ I have no idea! When I find out, I will let you know.

^ Once the old operations building is taken out, there will be plenty of room for more rides on the lower level, as well.

^ According to my unscientific calculations, a Zacspin of any size WOULD fit up on the Hurricane deck! But would SCBB invest that much money into any one ride? They aren't known for it. So far the park is Intamin-free. I have yet to ride a Zacspin, but can't wait to ride SFMM's. From the looks of it, a Zacspin would be a great addition to SCBB due to its high size-to-thrill ratio!

I think it will be 6 seats on each sides, but that's just an educated guess based on what I heard and by looking at the picture.

I believe the design will look very similar to the old Freefall when completed.

Here is a picture of the new Freefall, taken from the official SCBB Facebook page.

The old Freefall was actually quite enjoyable! IMO, it gave a better airtime feeling than Doubleshot. I think it's safe bet that once the old building near Hurricane is demolished, we will soon see multiple new rides in that area. I'd like to see something tried and true such as a Screaming Swing or some other sort of 'spectacular' ride.

Here's a picture of the old Freefall: taken from moserrides.com Edit: location of old Freefall in Google Maps aerial view: http://goo.gl/maps/FR9o A quick look on Google maps shows that the Hurricane deck is only ~160 feet long:

I don't know anything about where Desperados is going, except that is IS being either moved, taken away, or re-themed. I will let you know when I find out more. Does anyone know the footprint of an El Loco? If so, we can (loosely) figure out if one would fit. Keep in mind that SCBB will soon be removing a group of buildings West of the Hurricane deck. This would free up space for something even bigger.... (soon to be removed building shown in purple) EDIT: Corrected from East to West

I agree with this. And the ride they did take out had to be marketable at another park, and Invertigo was the best option.

^ Don't be nervous about Hurricane! Almost anything that replaces it would be better...

I don't have any pictures of the new tower yet because that whole area is closed to the public until Saturday, February 12th when the park opens for full operation. But I have taken a peek at the new tower --it's still a Moser Spring ride, as far as I can tell, and I'm pretty sure it seats 6 + 6, as opposed to 5 + 5 like the old one. Also, the tower is only a little bit taller than the old one, and I'm certain that most of the GP won't even notice that it's a new ride I'll try to get a picture of it ASAP