cal1br3tto

You can say that again. The Bizarro lap bars are downright unfriendly. I do like the look of the Skyrush restraints, but time will tell if my optimism is warranted.

12/20, and as bad as that is, I am shocked I even did that well.

^Was anyone else here on the defunct counting site CoasterMedia? I believe it gave the option to count V2 as two credits. If not, there was at least some way to denote that you'd ridden it in both forms. Personally, I highly doubt I'd count something like that. Though the ride experience may be different, it's essentially the same ride type. If I had ridden both, I think I'd let it just be a conversation point rather than something to "count." In fact, I think "ride type" is a good criteria in deciding whether to count a changed ride as a new credit. Looper to hyper, fine. Wood to steel, fine. Anything that keeps the ride in the same overall category, not a new credit.

The more I think about this, the more I understand it, but I definitely do not come anywhere close to sharing that view in practice. I feel that since counting is (or should be) just for fun, why not be liberal in your criteria? Since we all know it's not a competition, there's nothing to gain or lose based on how you count, other than credits themselves. I do understand that it can be harder to compare between two similar coaster counts if one person is a credit whore and the other person isn't. You could look at my count (351) and assume I've been on nearly all the good coasters in the US and perhaps some elsewhere...but in reality I'm just a really big f--king credit whore and am missing plenty of major parks. But is anyone really going to overthink that enough to create any serious confusion or drama? Unlikely. I don't believe in practicing "quality over quantity," because I think that anyone who is serious about coasters is going to inevitably encounter many quality rides even if they do also pursue quantity. I generally make my "rules" based on either the majority, or a sizable minority. Even if I'm so liberal it's not "cool," there are still plenty of others who count like I do. I usually draw the line at "credits" counted by a tiny minority, since counting them would undermine any meaningful comparisons between my count or list and most others.

Yes, if legit (or close), those stats bode VERY well for this coaster, considering the company's past work.

Yeah...the neck chops on Maverick are nothing to laugh about! Granted, even on my very first ride, I was instinctively able to lean with the turns (the forums taught me well), but it didn't completely solve the problem. [/tangent]

I am speechless.

Okay, that looks HOT! I'm glad they did go with black supports; they really help the orange and gray stand out. I'm looking forward to seeing how the theming turns out, as it sounds fairly impressive. Looks good so far!

Did they play "Goober Peas" for you in the Thanksgiving section?

How fun to see it testing! Those trains sure are photogenic.

I could've written this myself.

I got my dad into the Beastie Boys, and this morning he told me the news. Very sad indeed.

As much as I'd love to see the existing lap bars used without the OTSRs, I think I'd accept modern soft OTSRs as a compromise of sorts. I could see the park going that route if it's true the trains will need replacement soon.

Since there's been a lot of in-depth discussion in the thread already, I guess I'll go all-out here. First, I use a "modified RCDB rule." If it's on RCDB, it counts, but if it's not, it still might count. Second, to sum up my interest in credits, I would say "I count for personal reasons, but with an interest in sharing." Multi-track: Each track is always a separate credit. I don't care whether they're intended to race or duel (and whether they actually do, if they're supposed to), or how similar the tracks are, or how much structure they share. Mobius: One credit because that's what the overwhelming majority does, but I'll admit this confuses me. Yes, I understand how they work, but I'm just not sure why that has to mean they're worth only one credit. Personally, I see two full coaster experiences nearly identical to those on any other racing coasters. If I ride "half," it feels like I rode one coaster. But counting them as two is just too nonconformist to have any value. Switch in train direction: Undecided, but inclined not to count. This doesn't seem to come up on the counting sites, so even if I counted that way I wouldn't be able to share it publicly. Overall, it's just not worth keeping track of all the changes. As on rides with permanent backward-facing seats, I think I'll just ride backwards for fun, not a credit. I will say, though, that the S:EFK change threw me off for a while, and I'm surprised the "credit question" was rarely mentioned. I know the track is the same, but this change was intended to make the ride experience significantly different, and was also meant to be long-term or permanent on at least one side. Because of this significant change, riders might want to note that they rode both S:TE and S:EFK. However, I think I'll go with the majority and give up on this idea. I can explain which one(s) I've ridden in conversation if it comes up, without it affecting my count. Relocated: I'm still undecided, but inclined to count them. If I count them, it's because I want to note that I rode the ride in each particular location, and if I'm going to record that privately anyway, why not make it part of my official count as well? I'm not interested in intentionally keeping separate "public" and "private" numbers. Traveling: Count (once per individual coaster). I'm proud to have counted two Wacky Worms from the same company! Powered: Count (if they are or would be on RCDB). Enough people do it that I see no reason to leave myself out. Plus, they're clearly coaster-based, and some people argue that some of them do actually coast. Water coasters: Strictly by the RCDB rule. It doesn't matter what the overall style of the ride is (i.e. many are log flumes or glorified shoot-the-chutes), or how long the coaster section is (and some are very short). I know some flumes not on RCDB are considered very similar to those that are, but they still don't count. Dark rides: RCDB rule, with the caveat that I'm not sure about dark rides that aren't on RCDB but a small number of people count, such as the ones at Conneaut Lake and Camden Park. I can understand arguments both ways. Kiddie coasters: Count all (and generally go out of my way to ride them). I don't care about size, type or layout. I can understand never or rarely riding them, or only riding them with children you know, but I don't understand not counting ones you've ridden, unless you are very obsessive about your count reflecting quality rides. Drop rides: Never a credit (unless on RCDB). I strongly debated counting first-generation Intamin Free-Falls, as I have seen them considered coasters a nearly-negligible number of times. But as with Mobius coasters, they're simply too rarely counted for it to be meaningful to do so myself.

My slight, ever-decreasing disappointment is more about the loss of a coaster than it is about the loss of Wildcat in particular. I've never been a fan of the Wildcat models, and this one did not stand out. However, I can tell these rides are fun for families, and I hope Cedar Point makes up for this loss with another family coaster soon. Hey, to people like me, there are 17 now! I remember how stoked I was to get 18 credits at the park last year.

So the big change was making Ariel's hair not look like soft serve ice cream? Yay?

Great review, Guy! I agree with pretty much all of it. Glad to hear ThuNderaTion is still a great ride forwards (I made a point of only riding it backwards in 2010). I really, really like these rumors. Total flashback to that favorite of many, NTAG. I have faith in this company so far.

Wow, I completely missed the relocation news until now. The modifications to the layout sound pretty exciting. This would've been (and might still be) a rather unfortunate missed credit, so I hope everything works out!

I could definitely see this becoming the best and most popular of its type in California. As for whether it'll be my favorite, I'm more skeptical. There's not a lot that can beat the airtime and charm of Giant Dipper (SCBB) for me.

^So "Iron Shark" is more than just the name. Impressive!

...What? This is so, so awesome, and will definitely be the final straw in somehow getting me to the park in a reasonable timeframe (as if New Mexico Rattler wasn't enough). I know we all wish them the best! Plus now I can go back in time and feel better about viewing the parts. That was surreal.

^I have been lucky enough to experience that before. Really it just underscores the need to avoid the other rows! By the way, I really like the suspense created by the long slope leading up to the loop. I bet it was even more impressive back when the ride was new.

^Yeah, it seems like a lot of people mention Branson without even thinking of Silver Dollar City. I'm sure there are countless tourists who visit the town but not the park. As for the lack of marketing, I do appreciate the mystery, but I still wonder if maybe it's just too early in the current season for it to make sense to share anything. Either way, I'm sure they have some clever plans.

Yeah, that ride hurt! I definitely don't miss it. The new one seems intriguing, but won't be a major priority for me.

Same. I think I'm going to hold off on watching videos for new rides on my short-term agenda. I remember at one point contemplating avoiding new ride reviews as well, but I gave up that idea pretty quickly. They're just too tempting! Plus, they seem to strike a good balance providing opinions and giving me a feel of how mine might match up, while still withholding most of the feeling of the actual experience.