vertigomkie

It's really time for IllumiNations to have its sunset. Epcot has had an industry awarding show for a decade and a half so hopefully this is a challenge to master something even better. It's been almost 20 years for Illuminations though. Time to say goodbye.

So happy for this Screamin Swings addition. The Ireland section needed this ride badly.

Finally, a dive machine with a vertical loop!

I feel like enthusiasts didn't pick apart Jungala closing enough or BGT costs cut enough, so I'll bite. I never quite understood about the money problems at BGT, but Jungala really irked me more than seeing Gwazi still standing there on my last visit. There have been mentions over the years of park operating budget constraints for BGT between podcasts, coaster events where park operations discussed Rhino Rally's closing, forum discussions about the unexpected closing of the entire Jungala land, and the somewhat infamous explanations for the closures of Gwazi and Tidal Wave. For such an amazing park, having so much SBNO, non-functional attracions (especially the Tidal Wave/Jungala area), is really conspicuous and annoying, like a beautiful royal garden with dead black bushes scattered throughout the premises. This always perplexed me because BGT is the most attended theme park in the country outside of Orlando or Los Angeles. For example with Gwazi and Tidal Wave, the ride was in bad shape, but are operating costs really the reason to close it? Can't a park of this caliber afford to demolish/remove this eye soar? It feels odd that smaller parks would never let such an eye soar stay like Hercules at Dorney, Son of Beast at Kings Island, Rolling Thunder at SFGadv, or Thunder Run at Carrowinds. Why let Gwazi blemish a world class park for so long? Did Tidal Wave really cost that much? I can't imagine a shoot the chutes ride being that much a burden on operations when parks as small as Canobie Lake can run the same model). For any park of it's caliber attendance-wise, I consistently hear constant discussions about longer term growth, major expansions, 5-8 year development. It's not that they don't make major park additions, they do! However, for a park that pulls in more people than Cedar Point, Knott's, Hershey Park, Canada's Wonderland, Magic Mountain, etc. I've heard money issues associated with BGT more than I heard for all of the aforementioned parks combined. Since 2012, BGT has added Falcon's Fury and Cobra's Curse and seen a lot more closed then that. Any of the other top 10 drawing parks in the country have had consistent major additions/land expansions. I can't fathom a situation where Hershey would just let Lightning Racer or SFMM just let Viper sit closed as a SBNO paperweight for years b/c of "low ridership/high operating costs" or Knott's closing down Ghost Town or Wild Water Wilderness as a budget cut move, but this all seems normal to us now for BGT. Am I'm only getting part of the story with BGT? Does anyone feel like the parks development has lagged behind where it should/could be considering how big a of a draw BGT is? I do understand that its parent company Seaworld lost a lot of stock value but is that the sole reason for the slim ops? Also, I'll bite. Any updates or developments on the "Twisted Tiger, Uproar, and Tigris" end of things?

Knoebel's has shown a lot resilience with handling these floods in the past (how, for such a small park? I don't know, but they've been both prepared and bounced back every time where many larger parks would struggle significantly). Source: Pottsville Republican Source: Pottsville Republican

Ehhh, maybe. We still don't know what's happening to Lakemont's old Chance Toboggan. Could always happen for Dorney. They do have a track record #badgeofhonor #neverforget

Speaking of which...I guess that it HAS been a while... Maybe Six Flags will refurbish 'Cuda Falls and rebuild Batman: The Escape? Cuda Falls will go down as the most legendary non-coaster attraction on TPR

I did not know Viper still even had fans? T Learn something new everyday. that ride really has not aged well.

I agree with everyone so far. Functionality is great (great job), color palette is a little blinding/barely tolerable. Can we get the black backsplash with the TPR logo again?

was Darien Liake giving out cash prizes to force re-rides on Boomerang or did you just really want to celebrate its 20th anniversary with a bang (and bash or two)?

Well it looks like Buffalo Bill's has made all ride indefinitely closed according to their website (https://www.primmvalleyresorts.com/Amenities.aspx?info=attractions). Desperado has been 'SBNO' since December 2017. Also, for those that follow Vegas development, the Lucky Dragon Resort, which opened in 2016, has also closed.

DLinator, we've got a group of three guys (me, freefalling45, and Richard a.k.a. richjabb) going to Coasterstock booked for Thursday and Friday night. Feel free to PM about joining us.

[fbvideonew] [/fbvideonew] I really want to take a can of red paint to that awesome coaster. A can of red paint opening day.

I think I need to start re-evaluate Superman the Ride moving forward b/c the ride experience is close to what the what it was for S:ROS (2000 -2009). That ride was incomparable to anything done with tubular steel track that I've ridden. I really don't know where/how I would rank the 2017 version. My Top 10 List 1 - Superman the Ride - Six Flags New England 2 - Outlaw Run - Silver Dollar City 3 - Maverick - Cedar Point 4 - Voyage - Holiday World 5 - Boulder Dash - Lake Compounce 6 - Phoenix - Knoebels Amusement Park and Resort 7 - Joker - Six Flags Discovery Kingdom 8 - Lightning Rod - Dollywood 9 - Wicked Cyclone - Six Flags New England 10 - Ravine Flyer II - Waldameer Water World My Bottom 10 List 127 - Green Lantern: First Flight - Six Flags Magic Mountain 128 - Boomerang Coast to Coaster - Six Flags Discovery Kingdom 129 - Flashback - Six Flags New England 130 - Zoomerang - Lake Compounce 131 - Pandemonium - Six Flags New England 132 - Pony Express - Knott's Berry Farm 133 - Predator - Darien Lake 134 - Wildcat - Lake Compounce 135 - Grizzly - California's Great America 136 - Wild Beast - Canada's Wonderland Thanks, I feel less bad about putting Green Lantern in my bottom 10 now. Also,

delete. double post.

Agreed. Unless taken at a thrilling speed, I never got the point of an upward helix (especially on riders like Timberwolf). Good move, hope this comes with re-tracking the hill before the old helix too.

I feel like it was more of a discussion of the value of re-branding CGA. The conclusion would be that it would do little to change the sentiments of the locals on either park. The criticism was less so of the present days CGA, but the slog that the park went through in the previous decade. We've grown up with these parks, so there's little value rebranding (as seen with Marine World-->SF:MW-->SF:DK | Marriott's-->Paramount-->CGA e.g. we've been through so many re-brandings in the Bay Area) versus actual improvements to the parks. That's all the point was.

Eh, I don't know. It would be weird as no other Cedar Fair property is branded that way. Unless they plan on rebranding all the parks, like Six Flags has. Cedar Fair's Cedar Point. Cedar Fair's Valley Fair. Cedar Fair's Knott's Berry Farm. Um, no. Plus Cedar Fair parks all their own unique identities, unlike Six Flags parks. When you think of Six Flags you think of two things. Big coasters and parking lots. No one really expects or cares the lack of overall themeing. Landscaping sucks. Food sucks. Shopping sucks. Atmosphere sucks. Ambiance sucks. People go to Six Flags for big thrills. That's it. Though to be fair the company has realized more recently that that model just isn't sustainable and they are finally doing something about it. That something is copying Cedar Fair, because I don't think that most people really identify individual Cedar Fair parks as being part of a bigger company. There is not really one identity that typifies what you get at each park. Mostly due in part to the name not being tacked onto the front. I know people, coaster people, who still aren't really aware that Knott's Berry Farm and CGA and Cedar Point are all part of the same company. And that could actually be in the company's benefit. At least in my mind. I'm interested in serious thoughts on this, but NorCal may be the one location where Six Flags carries a better reputation than Cedar Fair (or at least the local Cedar Fair park, Great America). A lot more funding in the last decade has gone into SF:DK, not just for thrills but to maintain the family qualities that Marine World Africa USA was known for. It felt like for a good decade (2002 - 2012), Great America really slogged along. With exception of Boomerang Bay, the park gradually saw sections/hallmark attractions removed, coasters taken out, flats not replaced, rides not repainted until Cedar Fair stepped in, and even a four year stint where the only additions were changes in live entertainment, a wave pool, and a garden in place of where the Triple Wheel and Invertigo used to stand. I remember when SF:DK first ran Christmas in the Park in 2009 and Gilroy Gardens in 2011. Both were done really festive and staff were of such great spirit. I was shocked how pitiful Great America's first go at a Winter Wonderland in 2013 (think county fair with Christmas lights. Quite tacky/makeshift and almost something I would expect from the Oakland Zoo). I think continuity from the old parks really makes a difference for SF:DK (Marine World since 1980s) and Gilroy (many employees are the same as when Bonfante opened in 2001) as culture and staff family from the old parks is very much sensible/felt in the experience whereas really feels like a true Six Flags-type seasonal operation.

In many ways, re-branding seems almost futile in the region. NorCal will always reference their two parks as Six Flags and Great America regardless of what reincarnation of the name the park goes by.

Hey All, Are the lines for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train really still that bad? I keep noticing most people leaving it off their Magic Kingdom lists. Should I? Sounds like it will put you behind the lines/crowds on all other rides for the rest of the day.

Per the website: Since you mentioned Six Flags, for your convenience they've published their full, chain-wide weather policy (in extreme detail).

If only they made that bridge a diving keyhole element that would greatest wing coaster inversion imaginable. It would be great to have a wing coaster built similar to Montu (with a focus more on near miss elements and theming, rather focusing on the soaring effect (see Wild Eagle and Gatekeeper). It seems the B&M inverted coasters that made that shift really got it right (e.g. Nemesis and Montu). I doubt the layout would extend that far.

1 [tied]. Silver Dollar City 1 [tied]. Dollywood 3. Holiday World 4. Lake Compounce 5. Kennywood Honorable Mention: BGW

Pros and cons, I stopped at SDC for kickoff weekend during blue grass festival on a road trip from LA to NYC and can say: Yes, the first weekend is fairly busy but deservingly so. There were more families and elders than the younger coaster-riding crowds I found on my second visit during the summer. The park was packed but crowds arrived fairly later (around 11:30-12noon). Get there early, grab a Trailblazer pass, and you should be fine. I finished all credits in the morning with the line actually being longest for the family coasters (PowderKeg was ~ 60 minutes, Thunderation was about ~45 minutes, Outlaw Run was under 20 minutes at opening, and Wildfire was near walk on). All that being said, Blue Grass and BBQ Festival is the reason I fell in love with Silver Dollar City (the food and spirit in the park is on a level I could only equate to Dollywood Christmas, Knoebel's during Covered Bridge Festival/Phoenix Phall Phunfest, or Epcot Food and Wine Festival --- folks who have been to any of the three know what I mean). Even if you're hardcore hip-hop fan like me, the crowds during this time of year are pleasant/festive, the staff/service unparalleled, and music/food gets you in the mood (ride operations are also top notch during these events). It made what was supposed to be a credit run one of my most memorable days as any theme park.

Lol in restrospect you're right, this makes a ton of sense. My post was referencing the fact that ever since they posted the photo of the raptor track we all (I'll include myself in this one) lost our sh*t trying to figure out what park bought one for 2018 and the enthusiast community as a whole somehow decided it was going to Silverwood or Knott's when in fact it's going in the parking lot. I totally get what they're doing, but there's something pretty funny about that IMO. I wasn't taking a dig at you personally, it was aimed at our whole community that needs to be able to laugh at itself. Haha, I got caught your drift there, Larrygator, although, as a 15+ year throwback... This does remind me of the times back in 1999/2000 when a photo of Thrust Air 2000's track was being and forums swarmed at Coasterbuzz about it going to Cedar Point, meanwhile S&S put it in their parking lot. lol, those were the days.