netdvn

Flying Dutchman coasters already kinda do that, just you're facing a different direction. I hear they're really not all that bad in terms of roughness.

Smiler looks like a pretty awesome ride. 8/10

Good ones so far - M&Ms - Doritos Goat and Tea Party - Coke - Budweiser Clydesdales - Bud Lite - Taco Bell - Oz, Iron Man, World War Z looked real good GoDaddy commercials were alright. E-trade was annoying though. Most of the other commercials weren't too significant although there were more that seemed a lot more big budget than last year. EDIT: that car commercial about how babies were made is so cute.

I actually submitted the "Congrats' drawing. Glad to see everyone likes it. I didn't think it would take a long time for someone to notice the subliminal message in the background.

Rides like Texas Giant/Iron Rattler are completely different from Outlaw. They may have the same elements and be manufactured by the same company, but they're still pretty different.

"Iron Horse" was the original name of the iBox track. At least that's what I remember in some of those older IAAPA interviews and from press releases, info, etc when Texas Giant was being converted. You could say its sorta like a project codename (kinda like what software companies use for future projects).

I'm certain most locals know when to visit the parks during slow periods, so dealing with lines/Fastpass issues shouldn't be that big of an deal. From reading the original PR, I don't see how FP+ gets in the way of people grabbing regular FPs and if they really limit it to just 5 per day. Unless absolutely everyone is automatically required to book 5 Fastpasses (which could cause some trouble), the new system shouldn't get in the way of how things are currently run. - I read a 14 page debate about Main Street USA's paint scheme and how it should be changed on a Disney forum. Their fanboys seem to have a habit of overreacting to changes like Fastpass+.

You can't go wrong with a great Pokemon track. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDvKwSVuUGA One of the best video game tracks of all time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sReKKTg8opw This and the original SNES 16-bit one are fantastic! Video game music as a genre is pretty underrated.

Its being used as an entrance to the new Safari. Speaking of new Safari, the plans for the big pit stop have been revealed. It looks pretty cool.

People drive long distances to CP because of its coasters, yes, but CP is also CF's big flagship park so of course CF is gonna invest capital in said park. Same with parks like Kings Island, Kings Dominion, Knotts, etc. If you compare the additions of the flagship parks like Worlds of Fun, CGA, and Valleyfair, notice the smaller parks don't get as many major investments. And if you really think Mid-America got screwed, let's take a look at SFA, which received their last brand new coaster in 2001 and got a 20 year old B&M to make up for it. They added a few new water slides between that time period, but removed a couple flats and a coaster in between. CGA was in a similar state, except a few of their coasters were removed and a few smaller flats added between their last coaster in 2001 (which was a wild mouse) and 2013 (Gold Strike). Raging Bull ended up in Illinois. Then again, Great America is the most profitable park in the chain, so it makes a bit of sense. - Of all the parks for fanboys to call neglected

That's good, since SFSTL isn't going to listen to you anyway. ...and Corp doesn't listen to SFSTL. They just do the best they can with what Corp gives them each year, and watch as other parks get the Loin's share. Do you realize that the SF park's that bring the most revenue in get the most in capital improvements? That is how it works. Part of the reason St. Louis might not get that revenue is because of the ride quality though compared to other Six Flags parks. I mean Magic Mountain and Great Adventure have undoubtedly the best coaster selection of the Six Flags chain. Maybe if a park like St. Louis got a coaster of that quality, revenue goes up? Isn't this the exact same mindset that SF in the late 90s-early 2000s had? Build bigger coasters and the park automatically becomes the next Magic Mountain or Great America. It didn't work well for SF then, so there's no reason it would work for SF now. Mid-America received quite a few major investments in the 90s-2000s, but even after those, perhaps attendance didn't really justify adding that many more capital investments in the present.

I had a great idea! I'm surprised nobody's mentioned this one yet.

I had it much worse. This thing was absolutely brutal. FIXED!

I'd love to see this expand into other memes. I found a coaster enthusiast meme template online that could be used.

Here's another submission.

My first submission. Not the most creative one, but still.

Crowds for most parks should be reasonable in early-mid June as schools haven't let out yet. Weather should be really nice as well. As for lockers, they may look small, but they can fit quite a bit of stuff. Most parks charge $1 (USD) for single use. I recall KD having storage bins on the platform to leave your stuff as well (it's been a while since I've gone so don't quote me on that). I'd personally recommend wearing cargo pants with zipper/button pockets so you don't have to lug a backpack around. I usually carry a Ziplock back to hold my electronics and everything else goes into my pockets.

BGW has the exact same fluffy fluffy bunny policy and they cost pretty much the same amount. Some coasters here require you to stow your bags away while others are a bit more lenient with smaller bags (backpacks are a different story for most coasters though). It definitely helps speed up operations on the platform when you leave your stuff outside the ride gate than just placing things on the platform and then running back to get on the train. I personally just carry essential items (camera, cell, wallet, water bottle) when I go to a theme park. It definitely helps out with the whole fluffy fluffy bunny issue.

Keep in mind, SF is just looking into buying the chain, just like I look into TPR trips and buying Ferraris. That doesn't mean they're gonna purchase anything outright. If anything, I can see the Busch family striking some interest in this potential sale. SF does do animals, so if the Busch parks are bought out (highly unlikely at this point considering they just got out of bankruptcy), the animals will stay.

When I was your age, the Orlando theme parks weren't always under perpetual construction. They'd usually just wait a few years before adding their next blockbuster ride/attraction.

I can't speak for maintenance or spacing issues, but assuming most Europeans can handle insane 5-6 min cycles on crazy carnival flat rides, I don't think a washing machine element would make too many people sick.

Another thing about those older websites. As time moves on, the admins may lose interest in the hobby, find it too hard to keep updated, or they may get lives/jobs that keep the sites from staying active. The same happens with members. As the site gets updated less frequently, they move onto more active discussion boards or they lose interest etc. With park fansites, it seems that if the park has fewer sites, they'll remain pretty active much longer than parks that had 4-5+ different fansites. Usually those 4-5 fansites will whittle themselves down to one or two (excluding Disney and a few exceptions here and there). I do miss some of those older sites though. Some are still around today, but far less active than they were in 2001-2003. Coasterforce and Coasterbuzz seem to be the only major discussion sites that are still active from that time period.

I'm sorta digging it so far. The fully 3D overworlds are awesome. It's about time Pokemon goes full 3D on us. Same with the battle sequences. I don't like some of the graphics though. While some parts look great, others leave a lot to be desired. Of course graphics aren't everything, and early screens of BW didn't look all that great either, but still. The trainers look like glorified Miis too. Not sure if I'll be rushing out to get a 3DS for just this game when it comes out unless Nintendo can really wow us.

Anyone wanna place bets on whether or not SF Malaysia opens before SF Dubai and SF Kenya break ground?

Aside from Jaws (which closed last year for Potter 2.0) and DB Hurricane (which seems a bit out of the way anyway), I can't think of many other major Florida attractions that are closing for good. You still have Antarctica, New Fantasyland, Potter/Rockit/Transformers, Legoland FL, Test Track, and Cheetah Hunt to look forward to in terms of newer Florida attractions anyway. Gwazi's fate is probably in limbo right now, but riding it isn't really that special. On another note, after the huge IPO thing, the Busch Gardens logo has changed. I think it feels a bit more garden center/supermarket than theme park. Maybe it'll grow on me with time, but at this point, I think the current logo should stay for a few more years. The stylized tree thing looks odd. We'll probably see Sea World's logo change eventually as well. Get your coasters half off with our new Valued Customer card. Looking at the current text, it looks like they stylized the "Gardens" text to match the "Busch" text and added the tree thingy.