mattnz

Nice job. Screamer looks pretty fearsome! Always great to see little known parks and coasters.

Fun! Ah, the fair - looks like they all the important staples. Not quite Oktoberfest perhaps but at least they had a Zipper and Ring of Fire / Super Loops, my personal favourites. Are you going to help tear down the Wild Mouse?

Doesn't matter if the tracks aren't identical - new track = new credit in my book! (That includes Superman Escape - to make it easier for you to remember just write down Superman Escape Left and Superman Escape Right - same goes for all racing wooden coasters...) Powered coasters are acceptable since almost everyone would count an LIM or LSM coaster, even Intamin Half Pipes. Also, Zamperla Diskos are credits IMO, as are log flumes. So, basically count everything. And when, like me, you live at the very bottom of the world where coasters are few and far between you NEED to!

This is so cool to see and I am feeling optimistic about the new Six Flags management style. After years of simply adding new thrill rides to bring in the punters it's good to see them taking care of what they already have, especially much-loved rides like Monster Plantation. Maybe they should add some new dark rides. Everybody loves a dark ride!

Poor old Jazzland. Interesting to see these early brochures - cheers!

Nice first report - love the gloomy British weather back-drops! A few questions: - Why wasn't Rush so great for you the second time round? - Was Samurai or Slammer operational? - Did you see construction on the new coaster over in Canada Creek? Cheers!

Love the names of all the rides! I believe The Plough is a converted Schwarzkopf Apollo 14 ride (very rare Schwarzkopf flat), with original cars removed and swing chairs added. Very cool!

Nice pics. I loved The Magic Kingdom - and I've only ever visited as an adult. Don't forget to post your 'after' pics. The last time I was in America I put on 2 kilos!

Nice report! It's always cool to see pics of different rides rather than just coasters. I have a feeling you *really* like Raptor and TTD.

"Innovative new scream machine" "Carolina Cobra is sure to provide a smooth ride" Very amusing! But I do think this is a good addition for Carowinds. The general public - still - really do seem to like Boomerangs.

I remember a long, long time ago I went to a theme park as a young kid and thereafter became a theme park junkie. We need the children's areas to breed future theme park enthusiasts.

[REC] scared the bejesus out of me too! I literally jumped out of my seat a few times. Hollywood's version...might not be so hot if all their horror re-makes are anything to go by...

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the one thing we can all agree we could do without: unnecessary trim brakes! Especially as seen on B&Ms, and especially as found at Cedar Fair parks.

Ah, PortAventura... Nice pics - look forward to seeing what you thought of Furius Baco.

It sure does! This is exciting - but with track on site, you'd think an announcement would at least be imminent?!

^ If only everyone was as intelligent as I - there'd be no problem! My first stand-up was Georgia Scorcher and I made SURE I was fully standing and barely noticed the bicycle seat/crotch thing. I thought it was obvious that you STAND on a stand-up coaster, but people next to me seemed to prefer to squat... Needless to say I thought it was a great ride and quite a different sensation from a sitting coaster.

B&M stand-ups do seem to avoid certain elements, such as zero-G rolls and cobra rolls, am not too sure why...perhaps it's a comfort thing? (Intamin is the only company with a stand-up zero-G as far as I know - Drayton Manor's Shockwave, not the most comfortable coaster around...)

I also like stand-ups, especially B&M's (who still offer them, by the way) but I do agree they seem like a fad. I remember back in the 80s they were all over the media and the public seemed pretty excited by the concept, but perhaps it doesn't seem as unique now so parks simply aren't investing in them. Most roller coaster enthusiasts don't seem too bothered by their demise either...

This looks great. Shoot-the-Chutes aren't supposed to be about much more than their one big drop - so it's cool to see Intamin, as always, being innovative and creating a thrilling new twist on an old classic. From the animations it looks like there aren't OTSRs, and at 45 degrees it's hardly needed. (Of course the old Intamin lap bars are perfectly safe when used properly by parks and their guests.)

I think you're right. It seems Cedar Fair and Busch Entertainment in particular like trimming their coasters for "softer" alternatives. This is an annoying trend as B&M coasters look pretty menacing to begin with - I can't imagine trimming coasters helps bring in non-thrillseekers. Do you really think it does? It seems to me that coasters with a reputation for intensity can just as easily bring in the crowds (and be famous for it - like Nemesis). Anyway, I would still vote Intamin - but like other people have said, both manufacturers offer exemplars of fine coasters.

I'm very late in this game, but I'd certainly vote for Intamin - for sheer intensity, which is what I look for in coasters. They can just be FEROCIOUS AIR TIME MACHINES!! When you look at what they've produced over the years ... Balder, Expedition GeForce, Superman - Ride Of Steel, El Toro, Goliath ... wow. And I LOVE their LIM/LSM and accelerator coasters...Vertical Velocity et al, Volcano, Top Thrill Dragster, Storm Runner, Atlantis Adventure ... so cool. I absolutely love B&M coasters, but they do seem to have been playing it a little 'safe' since their hey day with coasters like the Batman rides, Kumba, Raptor, Montu, Hulk, etc. What happened?

Very nice pics - some cool, unique angles too! - it looks like such a fun place and is on my future itinerary.

It would have been so interesting. Hopefully Aussie Seaworld will go for something similar. It would blend in so well with the park's themeing.

Forget Fahrenheit, etc, they have some great footage of the Aqua Trax (which is under 'water rides'!) AND a very interesting layout in the pdf product info. It is not Atlantis Adventure. It left me drooling.

Nice pictures - San Fran is really beautiful. DCA is actually one of my favourite parks - just love the feel of the place. Also, you look like a model! You should be in the next TPR calendar!