larrygator

The moderators will be paying more attention to this thread. I didn't see anything from Darien Laker that was out of line. Some posts are a little off topic, but a little bit and speculation and humor are welcome. With that said, continue to skip over any posts but if a flame war starts there will be bans forthcoming.

And others say airtime if something you can feel when you float out of the seat or are ejected out of your seat. I barely feel those sensations when I ride MF.

You came all the way from England and you didn't get Fast Lane on a busy day? Seems like a mistake to me. The line as over two hours one of the days we went. Had Fast Lane - rode 4 times in a row. I can be cheap at times and only traveled from New York, but even I bought the Fast Lane. I enjoyed my dozen plus rides on Banshee.

Just as it is unfair to compare "All" SF to "All" CP parks it is unfair to generalize about all "SF". Some parks in each chain do a much better job than others. Hearing about closing two lines closing 15-20 minutes early doesn't sound like a cost cutting move to me. I could be wrong if this is something happening every night. At this time in the season, it is sometimes difficult to get as many hours out of employees with school in session. It might not be a cost cutting situation, but a situation where they need to stay in budget. I know it is a minor distinction, but there is a difference.

The most annoying ride operators are those at the Dark Knight (SFNE). I want to punch the person who decided to incorporate the "Whoop Whoop" into every dispatch. I actually enjoy the ride, and try to ride it on every trip to the park, but I only ride it was. I thought it was OK the first time I heard it years ago, but know I can't stand that useless noise. All the ride ops that led us in stretching before riding in China were entertaining.

This sounds like a plausible route to take.

Looks like a great addition. The park has really taken huge steps forward in progress over the past 7 years

^^I merged this into an existing thread

There is no such thing as the "best" in that category

Only been on three so far but I'd rank the three I rode as follows: Lightning Run Banshee . . . . . . Thunderbolt

I was never a fan of John Rocker when he was in baseball, glad to see him gone. The fact that is was clear during Tribal Council that he was in a little bit of danger and didn't play the idol makes this as stupid as Val's bluff about having two idols.

The night ride I had on The Beast in the early 80's were absolutely insane and night rides on Boulder Dash are comparable. Night rides on Boulder Dash blow away night rides on present day Beast.

The rumor of the park's death may be greatly exaggerated. Ok, to be fair the park will no longer exist in old name or location, but may be moved in the future. http://blog.timesunion.com/newsnow/churchill-price-to-relocate-hoffmans-playland-650k/274/ Price to relocate Hoffman’s Playland: $650K Posted on October 7, 2014 | By Michael Huber, timesunion.com Could an amusement park really lead the revitalization of North Albany? Should a private developer receive $650,000 in grants to support a $1.8 million relocation plan? Price to relocate Hoffman’s: $650K hoffmans Hoffman’s Playland sign Tuesday, July 8, 2014, in Colonie, N.Y. The 62-year-old amusement park will close at the end of the summer. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union) So now we know what it will cost to relocate Hoffman’s Playland to Huck Finn’s Warehouse and More. The North Albany furniture store is set to receive $650,000 in grants to support a $1.8 million relocation plan. Under a proposal to be reviewed Wednesday by the Albany County Industrial Development Agency, Huck Finn’s would receive $250,000 from National Grid; $250,000 from Empire State Development, the state’s economic development arm; and $150,000 from the IDA itself. “We are trying desperately to save the Playland for the Capital District,” Huck Finn’s owner Jeff Sperber wrote in an email. “To my knowledge, there are no other options to keep these beloved rides in the area.” Sperber says he intends to relocate the park, intact, to land adjacent to the Erie Boulevard store in North Albany. According to the IDA application, Sperber hopes to construct a 1,500-square-foot building that would include bathrooms, concessions, ticket sales and more. As nearly everyone in the Capital Region almost certainly knows, Hoffman’s Playland operated for decades along Route 9 in Newtonville, but closed for good last month. Its owners, David and Ruth Hoffman, have said they plan to redevelop the valuable suburban site. Moving the park to North Albany would mean moving it from suburbia to a very different environment — a gritty, largely industrial area between Interstate 787 and the bars and restaurants of the Warehouse District. That means, of course, that the park’s jobs would move to an area where there are few employment opportunities, especially for teenagers. Huck Finn’s Playland, as the park would be called, would have 150 seasonal employees, according to the IDA application. “It’s going to create jobs for the North End of Albany, a needy part of Albany,” said Gary Domalewicz, who heads the IDA. “There just aren’t that many jobs in North Albany that kids can walk to.” Huck Finn’s is not requesting additional tax breaks, Domalewicz added. The move has broad support from elected officials, as evidenced by identically worded letters in support of the grant from the National Grid Economic Development Department. The letters were signed by County Executive Dan McCoy, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan, Assemblyman John McDonald and other officials. “The relocation of the original Hoffman’s Playland amusement park rides and attractions to 25 Erie Blvd. in the city of Albany is a monumental step towards the revitalization of an industrial area that has long been blighted and depressed,” the letters say, adding that “the new Huck Finn’s Playland will be the centerpiece of an area on the cusp of major revitalization.” No doubt, the plan is a coup for Albany. But only time will reveal if the region’s families will embrace the more urban location — even one with a long history of amusement parks. A site just a short distance to the north, along the Menands border, was once home to Pleasure Island, a grand turn-of-the-century theme park that included a riverfront boardwalk lined by rides, games and a roller coaster. The park faded by the 1920s. Last Thursday, when I last wrote about the potential Hoffman’s relocation, the Albany County IDA was refusing to release application details ahead of its Wednesday meeting — additional evidence that IDAs too often operate in secrecy. The agency reversed its stance after the column’s publication. Still, most public officials have declined to speak publicly about the move. A news conference is planned for Wednesday afternoon at Hoffman’s Playland. To accommodate the park and its parking needs, Huck Finn’s is proposing to lease neighboring land at 35 Erie Blvd. that’s now owned by the city of Albany’s water board. Huck Finn’s has placed a $50,000 deposit on the rides, with the purchase conditional on getting necessary approvals from the city of Albany, the IDA application says. Sperber, noting that the park will be visible from interstates 90 and 787, said the plan is the result of months of work. “We are talking to every agency that we are aware of that is in the business of saving businesses, creating jobs and stimulating economic growth,” he said. “The reality is (that) if we are successful in our attempt to save the Playland and revitalize North Albany, the taxpayers will be the beneficiaries.” Could an amusement park really lead the revitalization of North Albany? We just might find out.

Personally, I really like the way they set it up this season. I really like the one-on-one blood match-ups for rewards to start the first two episodes. Throws a completely new twist into the show. I had high hopes for Val at the start of the season, but she blew it. How could she not find the idol with the clue? It could not have been too hard to find since John Rocker (pretty much a dumb jock) found it with the same clue. And I really enjoyed Jeff Probst's response to the tribe trying to trade half their reward for a new flint.

Great report Chuck. Thanks for the props Thaddeus!

They were pretty efficient with the passes when I got mine a couple of weeks ago. Mind you, we went there right away when the park opened. Agreed, they are generally efficient, it's just the volume of people that prevents you from doing anything at the park after getting the pass validated. One of the reasons I get my pass from SFNE. Crowds are usually pretty light on Sunday morning during Fright Fest. I have gone to SFGAdv on the first Sunday of Fright Fest in the past and lines were already an hour log for every major coaster after validating my pass.

^^^^^^I really hope they don't plant trees that look like that, they are hideous.

I have not been able to get past the TinyCo screen since the update. Boo! Not that I have much time to play anyway

It is interesting that the Attorney General says the park has been recognized through a 2003 court ruling as a charitable trust since 2003, and no one has challenged that claim in 11 years.

No one should EVER be shocked at crowd levels at SFGAdv during Fright Fest. I don't even like going to the park just to get my season pass processed.

The mine train looks so authentic heading right towards the tall buildings.

^I wouldn't exactly call it gullible when he is reporting rumors. He clearly states when he has evidence and proof. It's some of his readers who report those rumors into fact without confirmation who are the gullible ones.

As far as I am aware, the drop tower is by ABC Rides. Looking at their list of installations (http://www.abc-engineering.ch/cms/upload/download/Reference%20list%20abc%20rides%202012.pdf), there are 3 of them in total: BonBon Land, Tripsdrill and Fraispertuis City. It is very surprising that more of them were not sold. I very unique and fun ride.

At 15 years old, we wouldn't expect you to have much business acumen.

Maybe because the park is in a heap of financial trouble??????????????????????????