vertigomkie

Bill, we all realize that, but it’s more concern 8 weeks out of whether they actually know/received the approvals for the event to happen like Coasterstock or Holliwood Nights, which already on sale. It’s less about impatience on the fact that it hasn’t gone on sale, I’m sure the team is doing everything they can do. They know folks book flights/hotels for this event. If tickets aren’t on sale, there’s probably good reason. Moreso, at some point yeah you have to speculate the chances of them just saying “unfortunately, we couldn’t pull it off this year”. Every city, county, park is different during this panorama. No news is good news though.

Yeah, I'm hoping there's no extra hurdles to it being a large event that are slowing down sale date of tickets. Not sure if Coastermania tickets have ever gone on sale this late, but eight weeks out seems cutting it a bit close.

All for Coastermania! tickets in the past was there generally a different ticket price for passholders (Platnium/Gold)? (Hoping to go to my) First Coastermania! and having trouble finding what pricing looked like in previous years. For most park coater events I've been to there's a season pass price or it's just an add-on to the regular ticket price.

Excited to make there in May, it’ll be my first visit too—has anyone gone to Antelope Island near the park to view the salt lake sunrise/sunset on a trip visit to Lagoon? Worth it for a half day Lagoon/half day Salt Lake or does Lagoon really deserve a whole day?

Haha okay so at least I’m not the only one noticing the log flume. really excited for this. Have always wanted to support this park too until I realize how hard it is to get to from anywhere in Idaho. I’m in Ketchum/Sun Valley a lot and noticed from there, the trek to Silverwood from anywhere in Idaho is yikes! From Ketchum, Twin Falls, or even Boise, it really is more than an SF to LA trek, at least 7-10 hours drive! May have to just plan for a weekend in Washington a maybe drive from Spokane to finally get up there. This all is definitely beautiful incentive. This all looks great.

Wait, what's the story with this? I mean, generally only things get caught up in customs, when dealing with international freight, are things that are regulated like USDA and FDA items. Generally finished steel items have no issue being customs cleared. Sorry, part of that was my speculation. The news said one of the coasters is waiting on a part from Germany. I translated that to "stuck in customs" based on my own experience on a project where bicycle imported from Germany got held up for MONTHS by customs. Yeah $79.99 puts this park at more expensive then any non-Disney/Universal theme park in North America. I know there was a lot of discussion about NYC/Trí-State area being a blessing and a curse: people would be willing to drive this far and try all of American Dreams once but also keeping Nick Uni. from become holding pin from NJ/NYC unsupervised teens while the family shops and runs errands all day. $79.99 will definitely keep the latter out (see riff-raff) but will probably deter that former as well (all those destination customers). If I’m traveling from a far hours to the mall there’s a lot more things I’d rather do for a child with $80 bucks than drop them off at the theme park. Feed, clothe, and purchase toys/books for them to name a few.

That wouldn't be a bad idea, that old Chance Wipeout gets a lot of downtime and I wouldn't be surprised if Kollider/Joker's Wildcard/whatever you call it is taken off line. Nightwing old pad in the middle of S:ROS's finale has been a spot that has seen a surprising number of occupants. It'd be nice to just have one solid, headache free anchor attraction there that's family friendly. Not everyone can ride S:ROS or a Cyborg dark spin-and-puke.

That stood out to me the most. No, it's actually pretty decently maintained. SFGAm's Little Dipper shouldn't be on that list but I definitely chock it's placement along with Zach's Zoomer as simply being the two boring Midwest coasters that folks in the region rank the lowest by default. It makes somewhat sense, riders get more entertainment out of an uncomfortably rough thrill ride than one with no thrill at all.

There really isn't a quick answer to this one. Marine World moved to Vallejo in 1996, the same year that the naval base was decommissioned, but the complicated use of that base site still by others including the Coast Guard meant during the key years of growth for the park, Marine World developed under much of the same restrictions as when the base was operational. That tells much of the story of how the land, sea, and water areas developed for the park as they did. Management has said before that the park has adapted and evolved around the restrictions into what it is today and that has worked well for park flow, for the wildlife habitats, visibility of new attractions at the front of the park and working within their restrictions.

I come the SFDL thread for Bill's comments

Have I missed something or does SFGAm not have any major coaster ERT events? This has to be the largest park in the US that I don't recall or see a trace on the forum threads of even so much as a coaster club ERT at. I've just noticed that for all the years I lived in Chicago, I've went to some sort of event at every park in the Midwest for Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Iowa, but besides a mini-ERT hour for passholders or a new ride events every few years, I haven't seen anything (not even a mini-A C E event at SFGAm). Are they just more difficult to work with for setting up ERTs?

I highly doubt they would do that. Agreed, Bobby. This felt largely like a way to counter the fact that the Chocolate World experience is outside of the park. It always felt like a huge loss on the concession-side for the park the the most immersive part of the Hershey chocolate experience was outside of the park AND there was nothing really inside the park that was as comparable. I don't understand. People keep saying things like this as though there never was a restaurant, snack locations, or a shop outside the park, but hasn't there ALWAYS been a restaurant, snack locations, and a shop in that front area entrance that you have to pass by on the way to Chocolate World? It's not as though this new front entrance area is going to introduce things like a restaurant, shops and snack locations that are a new concept for Hersheypark, these things have ALWAYS been there, right? I look at it this way: it didn't matter if there were shops at the current entrance. Most people -- park attendees and people passing through the town, get their souvenirs at Hershey's Chocolate World. It is a destination anchor attraction unto itself. The gift shops within the park are not. You're right: the additions themselves are not remarkably different concepts. The point though is that this is re-branding and the PR will definitely make it seem as such (as you have already witnessed in the reaction). Why? Another way to think of it is that we all know many, even thrill seekers, would choose one (Chocolate World) over the other (Hershey Park) for the mere fact that I visit Hershey, PA for the chocolate experience. It was really a blunder that the brand (chocolate) became more identified with the attraction across the lot from the park rather than the park itself. It would be as if Legoland would build the largest LEGO Emporium in the country across the street from LEGOLAND Park (as you really would want Lego lovers to go to the park). If Coca-Cola had a park, I would expect the World of Coca-Cola to be within the all-day park experience not a separate attraction (even if I loves coasters, I would drive to experience coke. Hershey really is no exception). Destination tourist will pay for either, but stand to spend more money at the park rather than a mere store. I see this really as a re-branding (if I love chocolate, I should want to go the Hershey Park). Especially with locating the larger scale chocolatier confecture experience and the largest Hershey chocolate merchandising venue now within the park gates, as Chocolate World was previously host to both claims to fame in the country). This is a win-win all around for the Hershey Company.

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I highly doubt they would do that. Agreed, Bobby. This felt largely like a way to counter the fact that the Chocolate World experience is outside of the park. It always felt like a huge loss on the concession-side for the park the the most immersive part of the Hershey chocolate experience was outside of the park AND there was nothing really inside the park that was as comparable. Raise your hand if you've skipped the park to go Chocolate World more times than you've actually gone to Hershey Park?

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That was my though as well, but I'm confident they can build that out. The same could previously be said about the front end of the park back when it was just Greased Lightnin' and Road Runner. They really need to think of how to round out that area. Family attractions and concessions would really help that area out.

Yes! The back side of the park really needed some love. I really hope they connect the path back around to T3 as it would really help the dry-side of the park flow.

Phenomenal addition and a really smart move by the park. They needed this! If they could build out that stretch of the park connecting back to T3 with some shade and just a few family additions -- one or two flats, they could really make this a well-rounded park with this family woodie there (it'll be tough given the limited space, but parks have done more with less space e.g. FunSpot, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Lake Compounce, and Gröna Lund). My main gripe with Kentucky Kingdom was that their limitations of adding "wherever space is available" makes it feel like families are crammed in the front, thrill rides are crammed in the back, no transition to the water park conspicuously in between (at least Holiday World has defined boundaries), and then there's that road jammed through the middle of the park. Kentucky Kingdom really needs to build out as a family destination with some local charm (not a Six Flags thrill park where parents dump their kids for the day). They have really been smart about their additions and park planning these past few years and Kentucky Flyer goes to show that they are trying to keep that direction moving forward.

We're referring to how close anchor attractions are placed in proximity to each other given the park's space. Six Flags New England there is actually a decent example in that, even for such a tightly packed park, they have placed the top four attractions at three corners of the park (Superman, Wicked Cyclone, and Batman) with the fourth (Goliath) in the center (yes it is comical that it is near another boomerang, Flashback)(for such a small, narrow park, Six Flags New England is laid out pretty well). Trust me, Six Flags may suck at a lot of things, but even they (as well as most all parks) think about park flow/traffic with each addition that they make (unless there is no space at all). I really doubt that Kings Island would throw a brand spanking new mega coaster/giga right over the Beast and Diamondback (unless they needed too and Kings Island has no lack of space).

Oh yeah... TARE FIREHAWK DOWNNNN

My main counterpoint to removing Vortex for a new attraction is why put a new anchor attraction there? Even if Vortex is expendable (which I am in the keep-your-hand-off-of-Vortex-camp), I'm presuming we're talking about taking out a coaster and using that real estate for a new anchor attraction. Vortex is neighborhood by Beast and a straight walkway down to Diamondback. Does it make sense to put what will be the park's biggest draw right in the middle when there is so much space to build at Kings Island already? Park flow/traffic has to be a heavy consideration in planning (more than we think). Kings Island would be foolish to gut the second biggest attraction in Coney Mall (Vortex), but I don't think they'd put the park's best attraction there as a replacement either. Doesn't make much sense.

Mike Koontz has been asked and answered ad nauseam that RCM'ing Racer is one of the worst things Kings Island could ever do to Coney Mall (or the spirit of the park for that matter). Therefore, it's never happening under his watch. He shut that possibility down when asked at Coasterstock Q&A (while the ACErs drown his voiced out with boos to the young child for even suggesting it).

So sad I missed this! FTW!

After Coasterstock 2018, I think all are of the opinion that Firehawk is an expendable part of Kings Island's coaster collection. Axe it. Burn dat ish down. Put in more picnic groves and gazebos. The PG won't notice. Firehawk is really not loved by the park guests (not just enthusiasts) given its locations, operations, the fact that it's known as "that coaster behind Flight of Fear that we might as well ride since it took so long get over here" and general nature of Firewhawk being the only major coaster in the park that was never actually weaved into the parks footprint (e.g. it feels thrown between a field and the utility roads and if I didn't know any better, I would think I was at Six Flags America). The PG love the the charm of Kings Island, something KD, CGA, and Carrowinds never really maintained as well as Kings Island. Firehawk never fit into that (surprisingly, everything else in park does including Backlot Stunt Coaster, Vortex, and Flight of Fear). If the ride could stand relocation again/shelf life beyond 5+ more years, Michigan Adventure would love Firehawk (and is the only Cedar Fair park that could make space for the darn contraption).