Coaster Cow

I'm pretty sure the reason why its attendance dropped is because the park sucks compared to all of its modern competition and frankly, without the historical roller coaster treasure Hullámvasút, I think the park would have closed sooner than this. Plus, Hungary isn't exactly the first place that comes to most people's minds when it comes to amusement parks. I would argue that the park was never for international tourists. A little bit of research would have shown you how small the park was and how little competition it had. There is a whopping one amusement park in all of Hungary, and that's Vidampark. It's primary market probably isn't even going to be people from outside of Budapest. I've been to the park; it's small, carnival-like, and close to the zoo and a big outdoor market. The place probably banked on people in the city who wanted something to do. Because of this, I think it's wrong to believe that Hullamvasut actually made much of a difference. Even if the people appreciated the "treasure" that it is, that does not mean they would go to ride it over and over again, just to support it. It helps to not think like an enthusiast in situations like this, or even in general when it comes to park politics.

Dragon at Adventureland rcdb.com/213.htm?p=25044

Have you ever been on a true racing coaster? Much of the appeal is in the fact that they, you know, RACE. Plus, the original was a Traver design; he's the guy who built this thing. The Cyclone Racer's layout actually looks awesome and it was generally considered a fantastic coaster. source: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6678438107_5a6cdd3347_z.jpg I understand it is your opinion,Vinny, but to be honest I think it is a little out of line to be writing it off when the original was such an integral part of the area's history.

Spinning Coaster, Vidampark. rcdb.com/8587.htm?p=23629 Next!

56.5, I'm giving myself partial credit for Hades before 360

Knowing how awesome the final dive loop on Karacho at Tripsdrill is, I can only hope that this one lives up to it.

Back to the Future?

Personally, as a kid who went to Epcot for the first time in the 90s, my love for the park has never really had to do with the rides. Clearly I can't compare the current lineup to the oldies, and so I won't do any more than say that I think the current lineup is certainly top-notch Disney quality (at least as Disney rides stand up right now). Why I love Epcot has so much more to do with the design (full disclosure-I am a HUGE design nerd): For example, the "philosophy" of the design in Future World. Hiddenwdw.com had a great feature which showed exactly what I mean and included these pictures. Here is Future World West, home to the Land pavillion and the Living Seas; note the natural free-flowing construction of the paths and the water: Future World East has always had to do with human technology. Test Track, the Universe of Energy, and Mission Space are set in a plaza with rigid geometric forms: Another thing that made my childhood was the light-up LED sidewalks: Source: And I don't know, for some reason this spot right here might be my favorite spot in the entire world: Source: http://polynesianmedic.com/wp-content/gallery/epcot/future-world-flower-and-garden.jpg So I guess my only point, as contrite as it might be considering I never saw the "original" Epcot, is that even if the attractions have followed the general trend of Disney attractions over the years, Epcot's Future World in its spirit is not lost. The real essence of that part of the park is still there in the design standards that the Imagineers are still faithful. Also, yeah, World Showcase is still the sh*t.

Always love this thread, nice espresso shot of Disney to start my day off right.

^I think the classic misunderstanding of Disneyworld is "Americana" for "sentimentality". Disney clearly markets to sentimentality, to the point that (with the recent exception of Avatar-land) essentially all of its branded-attractions are old enough to have settled into a generation's collective sentimental conscience. Disneyland came about with the intention of deriving sentimentality for the late 1800s/early 1900s (ie. pre-World Wars), and Disneyworld loosely followed suit, though the new attractions different from Disneyland were more focused on the 1950s (ie. pre-1960s unrest). Clearly, because the key market was Americans, much of these parks were very much focuses on American sentimentality, or as it is often called, Americana. The important distinction is that they are not tied to "Americana" as a theme because of the "square is a rectangle but a rectangle is not a square" phenomenon.

What? WHAT??? Come on man, it's like you half read my post (I do appreciate the concessions thrown in there) but then just jumped off the enthusiast deep-end.

Stop. All of you. Now. Reality check: Herschend is pursuing a path to make DL more family friendly. That's good. Remember the bitching over the Six Flags-era? Now keeping this is mind, it is time to review some key reasons why no, the park is not headed towards disaster. First: the upkeep is a work in progress. DL renovated the boardwalk area this year and put in Rowdy's Ridge last year. Again, marketing to families is the keyword here. Yes, the operations could be better but some sane minds have noted that the transition to Herschend is still going and that a lot of stuff was in pretty bad shape when they got it. Have patience. The staffing issue is purely economics; I can pretty much guarantee that Herschend has some very smart people working on it who understand it better than we do. Second: the lack of Lake Monster and Dark Waters will not kill the park. The GP still thinks RoS is the shit, and it really still is. It is not new, but it clearly satisfies the needs of the GP for top-notch thrills. If they are not making a big vacation out of it, they will not take the hassle of driving 2-4 hours and possibly over the border to go to CW or CP. DL is local and clearly the only player in the local market for the greater Buffalo/Rochester area. The addition of Blast Off! likely satisfied the immediate need for marketing and keeping the park moving forward (again, through the eyes of the GP). Third: Family improvements are a good thing. Not having Dark Waters means that they will have a family friendly event. This. Is. Good. Again, look at the Herschend parks around the country and recognize that they are really good at making big bucks off of family entertainment. It will take time for DL to reach that level but Herschend knows what they are doing. Fourth and finally: This is speaking to the bit how "if you spread a rumor, guard it more carefully as to not upset enthusiasts". Why? Please please please open up your minds to the fact that as enthusiasts we are close-minded and fail to see improvements objectively. DL owes what they owe to their paying customers. I cannot stress enough how angry this quote makes me because you are blaming DL for how you (all the enthusiasts) blew a survey out of proportion. This is stupid. So no, no one is "forgetting about the park", and the management is not on "their high horse". I know I'm yelling at a brick wall but please guys, recognize that (as has been pointed out many a time on this site and even on this thread) THE PARK OWES NOTHING TO THE ENTHUSIASTS UNLESS WE PROVIDE SOMETHING TO THEM, and our occasional attendance only puts us on the equal level of every other paying customer who walks through the gates.

^When the park management talked to us on the ACE Central Europe trip they said that there would be sections that were completely gravity driven too. Think the old school dark rides that have long powered "dark ride" sections with smaller action "coaster" sections.

A lot of the shots of the scenic railway are of the one from Willow Grove Park outside Philadelphia (bottom right in the picture), now a mall. Source: http://assets.hemmings.com/story_image/181351-1000-0.jpg?rev=2

Amazing. This is what I see when I look at really good NCSO RCT2 work (ie. nin's stuff, RCT2day). It almost gives me some hope for trying the game, as I am constantly stuck between anger in the limits of the game's scenery with the crappy 3D and frustration at the monotony of CS.

^Great movie btw. Can someone else grab this next one? I'm away from easy computer access for a while and don't want to hold the thread up.

In Bruges?

^The long straightaway after the first drop? The two strange loops that don't really fit the supports? The triple up into a stupid tight swooping curve? It's pretty strange to me, and Hopkins never really got to build more than a few because of its strangeness. They also made the equally strange Dragon at Adventureland, Cliffhanger at Ghost Town in the Sky, and Desert Storm at Castle's and Coasters, to name a few. At some point they must've realized building roller coasters was not quite like building log flumes...

i tink it is gonna b themed too water

Yup! I think the two of us may have broken the game .

My designer is famous for his warped coasters and classic flat rides. Although I am his only coaster left standing, there are still quite a few of his other rides spread out in classic parks around the world.

Hornet at Wonderland Amusement Park in Texas?

^Yessir!

Two men who host a public access TV show together have their friendship put to the test in a tale of love, jealousy, and the saving power of excellent music.