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Everything posted by Bolliger&Mabillard
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^Agreed. It's urban legend that the park has already approached the city of Buena Park to build over Beach, Western, and La Palma Ave's, all to no avail. I also agree that there is still a great deal of land this park can fit a "big" coaster, but said coaster would make Silver Bullet look like Manta in terms of blending in with it's enviroment.
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Hey, I understand that, and I don't think any of us here believe that Cedar Fair doesn't invest in Knott's. It's one of their more known parks. I think where people find fault is the *type* of investments that they have made. Other than rides, CF really hasn't enhanced the park. And for the people who fell in love with a charming park that offered a sense of escapism, they see it as a snub that all CF has done with the park is made the back half of the park (from Fiesta Village to Boardwalk) almost identical to any other Cedar Fair park.
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Funny Things That Go Unnoticed
Bolliger&Mabillard replied to atem122's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Funny thing about Xcelerator's video's I used to always point out when I was in dispatch is that the lapbars are squeaky clean in the video...the actual train, not so much. Medusa (SFDK) has a sign at the top of the stairs saying it's a 30 minute wait from that point. A point that would be a 5-10 minute wait for any other B&M (save for flyers and maybe standups) When Common says where the coordinance are in the Terminator preshow..."You're at Six Flags Magic Mountain" When I got tracked at Knott's once for saying "[gun cocking noise] bang, enjoy your ride on Silver Bullet". If management thought making gun noises over the mic was inappropriate, isn't naming the ride after a bullet equally offensive? But of course most of you know how I feel about th fine rides department management at the Farm -
^Like if you explain to a guest that every five cylces on Xcel the PLC measures the weight of the train by the tension of the cable when it drifts back, to ensure it launches at the correct speed, and you end up with a "light" train (children or half empty) the ride will have to adjust on the launch, which 90% of the time causes a "Catch car overtravel" and an RTL. (Which is why it's 50/50 the ghost train wil RTL at the end of the night if running two trains.
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CP TTD Physics
Bolliger&Mabillard replied to triggernel's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Rocket coasters carry over momentum from the kinetic energy from the launch. Before it's descent, it's still rolling forward, so as the train continues along the arch of the top hat, the forward momentum keeps you back. Being held in a stationary position however (in your example of a Dive machine) you come to a stop, which brings the object [the train] to rest. Since the object is in a position to release kinetic energy, that is what you feel, the potential to drop from a resting position. -
CP TTD Physics
Bolliger&Mabillard replied to triggernel's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
It's been a while since I actually had to apply priniples of physics to something... Right before the train is launched, this is a display of stored energy. It's energy that will be used for something. Once the train launches, this is a display of kinetic energy. The kinetic energy in the catch car is transferred to the train and the kinetic energy is what lifts the train up the spike. As the kinetic energy is used, potential energy is the next principle used. As the train makes it's descent, Gravity pulls the train down causing it to accelerate. This principle converts the potential energy back into kinetic energy, and will remain in this state of energy until acted upon from some outside force (In the case of TTD, the magnetic field from the brake fins) -
You suffer from a problem I like to call "Frank Grimes Syndrome". Don't feel bad, I suffer from it, too. Frank Grimes Syndrome, or FGS if you will, is a condition where you develop a knack for something, be it at work, or school and become better at it than those who either teach you or have done so for so long there in a leadership role with it. People with FGS will often find themselves irratable and overwhelmed that they have to take orders fro someone who is intellectually inferior to them. Symptoms include a hate for work, hate for their direct supervisor/manager, and a overall hate for what the company stands for. The only known cure for FGS is just finding a better system to function under. Frank Grimes Syndrome gets its name from Frank Grimes, a fictional character on "The Simpsons" who suffered the same fate of the condition that bears his name.
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Here's where that argument is flawed and everyone if finding conflict with. As of the 2010 the park will have the following in their thill lineup *X *Viper *Deja Vu *Terminator *Tatsu *Superman *Riddler's Revenge *Revolution *Goliath *Scream! *Colossus *Batman 12 of the parks 17 coasters are designed for the thrill market. You cant get that kind of ratio just anywhere. Just because the park isn't getting a *dive machine* doesn't mean they neglected the thrill seekers. The park offers 12 high-profile, thrill oriented rides, some of which are recognized the world over. No big coaster...Boo Hoo. You have 12 to choose from to help ease the pain.
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Not that I believe it just yet, but it makes sense to move a family coaster that you already own and aren't using to a park that could put it to better use. Why spend $7 million on a new spinning coaster when you can install a kidde coaster you already own and just need to refurb and move and get the same result? Not only would it not surprise me if it did happen, but it'd be stupid if they spent money on something new if they didn't put good rides to use.
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Sounds like a pretty reasonable explaination. And I agree that you don't have to *like* everything a park does. I don't think we're the ones (people who feel that park management doesn't alway have the Midas touch and sometimes invest in duds) under fire, but rather people who think a $20 million prototype needs to be built every two seasons. Or at least that's what I got out of it.
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TR: Knott's Berry Farm 11-1-09
Bolliger&Mabillard replied to rcdude's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
^30 nights and not a single sell-out. "attendance was down" is an understatement. -
TR: Knott's Berry Farm 11-1-09
Bolliger&Mabillard replied to rcdude's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
^Though I agree that the Knott Family had to do something to to keep Berry Farm realevant, I don't agree that Rides as Cedar Fair has put in was the only way to do it. Look at the Marine based Busch parks. Sea World is getting 4 million visitors a year with much less rides than Knott's. So I don't bash Knott's for selling it outright. I'd bash them for who they sold it to. If they sold it to Six Flags, I'd gripe about that too. Silver Bullet would be a Batman clone, Xcelerator would be 200 feet taller but never open (well more than its not already) and there'd be highlighter shirts everywhere. -
I find it pretty interesting. I was talking to my girlfriend (who is starting to get into coasters now, she's a ride op at Knott's) and we were discussing the history of the park. I personally don't remember much of Knott's predating Cedar Fair, but I did have one memorable experience. When I was about 7( Back in 1994) my mom took me and my older sister because Knott's used to give this pass via participating schools that was good for two people if you got honor roll. That was a cool thing by itself that CF got rid of. But I remember that the atmosphere of the park was completely different from what it is now. I remember the pettig zoo, and the free pog giveaways! (The best part actually, they gave you a slammer and a whole case of pogs) Knott's is an "OK" park now, but the problem now is that there is none of that good old fashioned charm that once was. Yes, it's mostly still there but unfortunately in the 12 years Cedar Fair has owned Knott's, NOT A SINGLE addition they have made has contributed to the theme, atmosphere or experience of the park OTHER THAN RIDES. From Supreme Scream up to Demon Drop, that's all Cedar Fair has done with this park is crammed it with rides. The rides that didn't work when they bought it, they replaced with rides that oddly enough also don't work. I really would like to see Cedar Fair make an attempt to make this a "theme" park. Oh well. There's a better "theme" park 10 mins down the 5, and a better "ride" park 60 miles up it.
