PAL

We were there last night for the final stop of a midwest swing. Prowler rips around the return. It isn't possible to get a good look, but I'm confident there was no B&M track back there. Just a storage box and a pile of lumber or iron, most likely Haunt crap. Prowler is a fantastic ride!

We didn't notice any rattle or shake today on Raging Bull. We took four runs, each in the back row. Smooth as glass. It's a good ride, no Nitro or Apollo's Chariot but there's still big air to enjoy on the first drop, an interesting and unusual layout, and pops of air throughout the course. I prefer Diamondback, another ride purportedly infected with B&M rot. There was a little shimmy, but nothing like the headache inducing acute palsy I ran into on Dominator. Concerning Raging Bull, has that trim always been on the uphill section of hill #3? Also, Iron Wolf. Togo death machines are bad. This isn't that. Today, IW was't anywhere close to the pile I expected after reading cries and lamentations earlier in this thread and elsewhere. Great visit today!

You're headed to SFGA next! We're there now (well, in a few hours). I loved that Coors brewery tour when I took it at least 10 years back. It appears little has changed, and I think that's great. Although I don't care much for the company's main line, once in a while I tip back a Killians. Anywho, if it's free I'll take three! No beer could be finer.

It *was* a nice park in the early years, but those days are long gone. It's a thrill park now, that's its market niche, the category in which they dominate the local competition. If that $25 million would bring air to California, I say go for it.

Lakeside. Lakeside. Lakeside! (Get cracking - we need diversions here at Cedar Point, America's excessive queue coast.)

KC here we come!

^^Holiday World is making a bigger, brand new record breaker that will add needed capacity, in essence doubling or more the most popular ride in the park: plussing a plus. In SFNE's case, they're complementing a plain Jane shuttle with a fussy, low capacity and slow-operating used GIB. The situations are very different.

Thanks for the in depth tips AJ. I'm trying to keep on an mind regarding Voyage. Much of the anticipation of riding a top ranked ride is tempered by the voices that cry "too rough, too rough!" I expected new trains by now but that's how it goes. Consequently, Wildebeest is our top goal.

Nice park. It looks like Cedar Fair invested serious money in the past few years. How tired did it get beforehand? Prowler, come Friday you will be mine!

Thanks Robb. Wildebeest seems a little intimate for a single rider line. Not that I'd mind much, but a 40 something sliding onto a raft full of teen girls is uncomfortably close to perv status.

I'm starting a big midwest road trip in a couple of days, beginning in Kansas City and circling counterclockwise through Cincinnati, Sandusky and Chicago, hoping to hit most of the area parks in their last days of weekly operation. The trip spans only one weekend. Saturday puts us at Six Flags St Louis. Is Quick Queue advisable? Any touring tips besides what's in the Park Index? Recommended seats on the coasters besides the standard advice (avoid wheel seats on woodies, etc)? How about Holiday World, which we're hitting the next day? I hear Wildebeast draws an enormous line. Is it true there's a single rider line for a water ride without individual seats? Seems odd. Thanks for your help, and particular thanks to those who've posted recent reports from the area. It's a huge help to have some idea where to spend our limited time.

The patch is Transderm Scop, available by prescription. Normally used to prevent sea sickness, it lasts 3 days and must be used a few hours before needed. It's effective and doesn't cause drowsiness, but there are a few side effects. It can cause dry mouth, and cause blurred vision. The pill form is Scopace. It's more flexible, because it lasts roughly 6 to 8 hours and may help even after the onset of motion sickness symptoms. I'm not a doctor; this isnt medical advice but I hope it helps educate about the options.

So far so good - I can still outlast my 14 year old son but only if I stay hydrated and keep my energy up. We take nice long breaks between power riding sessions. Line accelerating systems are a big help. Queues in the heat are more draining than the rides themselves. If I feel 'off' after a lap it's best to take an immediate time out to recover. I learned that the hard way. Toughing it out is a day ender. Good luck!

Schlitterbahn knows how to throw a fantastic party. For the price they could serve stale popcorn and warm, flat soda. It's still a steal. I've got nothing but a warm, fuzzy feeling and plenty of gratitude for the park's Texas sized hospitality. I'll go far out of my way for a return visit.

So much negativity here! I've visited DK each of the past three years. There's a reason I keep coming back. The park has solid thrills even if the overall coaster count is modest, a nice selection of flats, and decent zoological exhibits. It'll never be Magic Mt or Sea World, but it ain't half bad (and for quality coasters, CGA only offers Flight Deck). My interactions with the cheerful staff have always been pleasant, and operations are reasonable for a regional park. That Screamscape rumor is a head shaker. Pandemonium always has a line during my visits. I haven't been since the Sky Screamer opened but I'm skeptical crowd flows have changed much. Removal would not be well received - it's popular with families. I hope it stays.

^Disney makes you pay for Fastpasses, just not directly. It makes their parks a much more enjoyable summer visit. But damn, this video is an indictment of stupid.

Great trip report! I'm hitting many of the same parks next month - your photos are fun as well as a big help. Thanks! A couple of questions about WOF. Is that spinner a Tony Hawk / Pandemonium clone or a custom installation? The invert is fairly recent. You compare it to Talon (loved it). Where does it fall on the B&M scale? Hopefully it doesn't completely lack intensity a la Silver Bullet (which I also like although it' s no Batman).

Any indications of a loose items policy change? Disney is so hands off on this that "stuff" seems inevitable. Space Mt is mellow, but I wonder how the bottom of the building looks.

^^We went that week last year. Many local schools were already in session. It was the quietest I've seen the park. Not to get your hopes up, by 4 pm X-2's line was less than 15 minutes. It was a great time.

I'm right there with you! If it saves as little as 10-15 minutes per ride, it adds up fast. It's like tacking extra operating hours onto the day. We'll probably see how it goes and make the call on the spot.

^Good question. Crowd level assessments are subjective, so to any local who answers this question, a sincere thank-you. Please offer estimated wait times at popular and low capacity attractions rather than "it wasn't busy" or "it was dead." I hope to visit the park on Monday Aug 22, when the hours are 10-8. What are peak wait times likely to be at Diamondback, the Beast, Flight of Fear, the inverted boomerang and the other coasters? A "short" 30 minute line to a CP visitor is long in other places.

Hopefully this is a proof of concept that will make its way around the Cedar Faire properties. Hello, Cedar Point?

It would be a shame to just credit run SCBB. It's a great, cheesy fun beach park like few out there.

Is that all there is? Whore on!

Thanks for the screw job. No head banging? Nice! Don't know about Silverwood's GIB, but I find Deja Vu a Jekyl / Hyde experience. Head- hurting rough or smooth yet intense. If you'd managed another ride, I wonder what you would've found.