vertigomkie

^^^Never understood why people have such polarizing reviews of Roar at SFDK. It always seems to be in the top 10 or bottom 30/half of people's ballots.

I think I'm the odd one here, A.J. Am I the only one that has any love for Conneaut's Blue Streak? Pretty sure I'm the only one that put Blue Streak in my top 10 after that soaking day on the Leviathon tour - Mike

--Generator: Jordan's Ballot Helper 2012 (wood)-- --Ballot: 7a7bb9efd83-- --mbritt.amherst@gmail.com------ LOCATION FOLLOWS THIS LINE (LEAVE THIS LINE AS IS) ~"" NAME FOLLOWS THIS LINE (LEAVE THIS LINE AS IS IN Ballot) ~"" RANK THE FOLLOWING RIDING SENSATIONS <-LEAVE THIS LINE AS IS Abrupt Airtime_____________________________,y,y,1 Floating Airtime___________________________,y,y,2 Lateral Forces_____________________________,y,y,3 Out of Control Feeling/Directional Changes_,y,y,4 Positive G's/Loops_________________________,y,y,5 Sensation of Speed_________________________,y,y,6 COASTER NAME PARK LOC <--Please leave this Rolling Thunder SFGAd NJ,y,n,1 Boulder Dash Lake Compounce CT,y,n,2 Hurler Kings Dominion VA,y,n,3 My Favorite Steel Anypark Anywhere **,y,y,4 Kingdom Coaster Dutch Wonderland PA,y,y,5 Swamp Fox Family Kingdom SC,y,y,6 Roar SF Discovery Kingdom CA,y,n,7 Apocalypse S. F. Magic Mountain CA,y,y,8 Medusa Six Flags Mexico MX,y,y,9 Rollo Coaster Idlewild PA,y,n,10 Excalibur Funtown USA ME,y,n,11 Georgia Cyclone SFoG GA,y,n,12 Predator Darien Lake NY,y,n,13 Cannonball Lake Winnepesaukah GA,y,n,14 Lost Coaster of SM Indiana Beach IN,y,y,15 Giant Dipper Santa Cruz Bch Bdwk CA,y,y,16 Big Dipper Camden Park WV,y,n,17 Colossus S.F. Magic Mountain CA,y,y,18 Cyclone SF New England MA,y,n,19 The Grizzly Kings Dominion VA,y,n,20 Hoosier Hurricane Indiana Beach IN,y,y,21 Dragon Coaster Playland NY,y,y,22 Roller Coaster (S) Joyland KS,y,y,23 Hell Cat Clementon Lake NJ,y,n,24 Timberhawk Enchanted Village WA,y,n,25 Silver Comet Martin's Fantasy Is. NY,y,y,26 Cyclone (SBNO) Williams Grove PA,y,y,27 Wildcat Lake Compounce CT,y,n,28 Comet Great Escape NY,y,y,29 GhostRider Knott's Berry Farm CA,y,y,30 Wild One SF America MD,y,n,31 Roar SF America MD,y,n,32 Montana Rusa La Feria MX,y,y,33 Lightning Racer - T Hersheypark PA,y,n,34 Roller Coaster Lagoon UT,y,n,35 Great White Wild Wheels Pier NJ,y,n,36 Le Monstre La Ronde QU,y,y,37 The Grizzly Great America CA,y,n,38

^Two words: Thank God!

I agree! That's the only hang-up in the never-ending debate I find myself in with certain people about whether SFDK is better or a certain other park that I will not speak of here. The other park has many great flats but SFDK only has a few. That's interesting to hear, SFDK always came across as the standard for a good flat ride collection between HUSS Top Spin and Frisbee , Zamperla Hawk48, Zamperla "Joker" [RIP], and the classic teacups, wave swinger, swinging ship, and scrambler. Grant it, we did lose Jambo but the Starflyer more than made up for that. What does it for me at SFDK is the atmosphere in those flat ride sections really bring the park together [well-themed and all-round enjoyable]. Maybe my thirst for flats is easier to quench.

That sure is gorgeous!

Offerings at Holiday World not enough to fill a day? That's the first I've heard someone characterize Holiday World as a half-day park. I found myself filled with things to do for the entirety of the day on my first visit this year. I think Voyage, Raven, the Legend + food alone is enough to make for a fun filled, but Holiday World had so much else to offer beyond coasters.

Is that more of the "Wonderland closed because of 9/11" reasoning? My understanding was always that these attractions in Australia didn't draw from outside tourist and demised due to poor management. Wonderland Sydney seemed like it was begging to close.

I sure hope they change the name from Projekt Helix. I was hoping that was just a project name...makes me think of spagettios or some nuclear power company Still if anyone can pull off a launched terrain-looper this baller, I'd bet it would be Alton or Liseberg. Glad to see such impressive projects coming out from Mack and Gerstlauer. They're starting to surpass some of the B&M loopers IMO.

So long as the Giant Wheel actually gets a lighting package at Darien Lake then I am happy with the addition and renovation. Some life around that area is what the park is seriously lacking.

It definitely looks they went low budget on that station and its design, especially for such a phenomenal ride. It looks like it was purchased and assembled directly from IKEA. How pressed against the Comet is Skyrush for space? I didn't realize that the space was so tight that an exit staircase wouldn't be possible.

Thanks for the update and photos, eagle! I'm really glad to see Canobie Lake sparkling so bright year after year...for 110 seasons! I'm pumped that Phycodrom got an update. The little improvements Canobie always put in...new Rooster tubs on the flyers, repainting and overhauling Bumper Buggies, Caterpillar's new canopy, the renovated shops and food stands, the classic PTC Tea Cups looks like a brand new Midway attraction ...I wish other parks, big and small, took note of how you keep the charm of your park. So many places the same size as this park really feel like a collection of carnival rides and lifeless midway, but Canobie really knows how to make you cherish a day at the lake. Untamed is just and added bonus.

Its not that anyone on this thread particularly complained he just said he sympathized with the people who he had to force off the ride. Don't feel bad, they deserve no pity. While the "large riders" issues has been discussed many times over, but I think we can agree that (a) yes, America needs to get thinner and stop eating Big Macs, but (b) any paying customer has the right to complain. Let's be real though, at this point, close to 2/3 of American adults are overweight and another 32% over the age of 20 are obese and/or hypertensive. These parks know their clientele and gladly sell tickets to Americans who have the expectation that they can ride the park's attractions. When it comes to Grizzly, you didn't miss out on much except a good nap.

They seemed to have improved leaps and bounds since "Parking Lot: the Ride with the Yellow Loop of Doom" and Goliath a.k.a. "What's the Green Boomerang Thingy in Crack Axel Canyon next to that other Boomerang Thingy", oh wait, that was this year Actually, I too have been pretty impressed with what they've done with Apocalypse, Dare Devil Dive, and Gotham City Gauntlet Escape from Arkham Asylum (you can tell they were really trying hard with that last one. I'll commend them for effort).

I never quite got why that was either. I was just wondering the other day why other classics like Pontchartrain Beach couldn't succeed either. Came across this nugget the other day:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lxy2au5SRA (note, funny how those restaurants and world's largest pool never arrived. Pontchartrain is now nothing more than a drinking spot for UNO students You would think that these gulf coast parks would always hold a tourist draw, perhaps better than the Virginia/California/Carolina/Jersey Shores coastal attractions.

Yeah, it was on here, I had found the image in one of the city council planning sessions and posted it on here a while back. I went back and looked for the post to re-share it again. Wonder if they are still considering using the amphitheater site as a back up though, since the attached is from 2008. Wait, how does that location work near Redwood Amphitheater unless they get rid of it entirely?

^ The thing about that original location, doesn't it build right to the edge of the road, putting that monster turnaround right up against office buildings (okay, there's a set of parking garages too) that sit on Great America Parkway? I could see why this didn't fly, although I don't know how far noise really travels. Those towers used to hold business consulting firms like Avaya back in 2008, but it may be easier now to get this passed now that Nortel has packed up its bag, one of those towers is empty and looking for a tenant. I could understand the owners of the property putting on airs though about being able to find a tenant for a building with a white-knuckle ride racing by the windows, but there's a chance.

Hey! If anyone does still have one extra full SFMM and/or Knott's ticket, can you please message me as soon as you can?

Aghhh, wish I would have known, I'm in the 408! Just opted to fly on my miles instead of driving down from Santa Clara. Check your PM though, I sent you my number. Shoot me a text when you guys finally make it down there. - mike

Got my tickets, flying SOLO this year, but still stoked! It's on my birthday this year too (Feb 19), thanks Robb & Elissa! Say Robb, any chance of amazing night ERT@SFMM like last year's West Coast Bash? Couldn't imagine Bash without it!

^^Actually there is one higher (two for that matter). Just to slide a little known fact in, there is an amusement park outside of city-center of La Paz, in El Alto, Bolivia, which is 4,150 meters elevation (13,615 ft, the six highest city in the world). El Alto is the highest city of population over 500,000 (100,000 for that matter) so I doubt that there would be an amusement park of higher elevation. Hey, I have to rep for Latin America when I can ~ pura vida! I'll see if I can pin-point it on bing/googlemaps for you but I'm in process of submitting a couple of parks to rcdb.com in Latin America, there are two in Bolivia, both with coasters (one Parque de Diversiones between El Alto and La Paz and Playland, right outside of Santa Cruz). Neither seem to have websites, though we do have videos of both online, Parque de Diversiones-La Paz(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmlqiqUI9MU&feature=player_embedded) and Playland(http://www.panoramio.com/photo/11864201). It will be at least two years before I get back down to Bolivia or Peru, but I plan to take down the information and photos for the smaller parks in Latin America when I do.

Best: can't say that I went on the old Texas Giant but got to ride the new one three weeks ago and I must say that the ride may beat out Bizarro on my list at the end of the summer. Funny you should mention that... Worst: I was wondering if anyone else has been on the post-refab'ed Cyclone@SFNE with the new topper track and brakes on the final run because the last three runs I had on Cyclone were absolutely disgusting. The wheels grind with a loud scream through the new track and now the ride CRAWLS through the final three hills to the break run. The slowest mid-ride moment I've experienced on a woodie since the turnaround on CGA's Grizzly. Not sure how so much changed since last season's Cyclone, but I really hope it is somehow undone. Cyclone was a goodie two years ago - my top 20 - but now it is fit for firewood.

Not that I'd foresee; I have seen signs around Springfield and Holyoke for SFNE Walk in the Park fundraiser for Diabetes on either the 12th or 13th this year. I'm pretty sure it would be on a Sunday but you should check for that since the walk brings in a good 2,000 or so people alone. Otherwise in early June should be a moderate crowd at most; maybe a 30 minute wait for Scream, Bizarro, and Dark Knight. The park has been good these past weeks at running two train operation on every major coaster even with an empty park so lines are fast (at least compared to SFGAdv). **UPDATE** Walk in the Park is June 12. You're all clear. Enjoy! **

Six Flags New England is in full operation, but a number of organizations are speaking to park management to assist in whatever way they can. If you haven't seen the video yet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5plBdPBNj8&feature=youtube_gdata_player this is the eye of the storm forming over the Memorial Bridge in Springfield on the Connecticut River, the National Basketball Hall of Fame can be seen at the bottom of the video and the downtown cityskyline sits directly against this river to the right of the bridge (coasterfact: S:RoS/Bizzaro sits on this same river approximately 1.5 miles to the left of this bridge). This city is a struggling one, third largest in the state with no core economy and sixth highest child poverty rate for a city in the country right behind Flint, Detriot, and Gary(IN). It's a city that will not recover fast. Main Street is completely torn up, you really should see this. There are quite a few victims in the MassMutual Center, high school students that were to graduate this week that are homeless. We're trying to work with perhaps SFNE to give the students a day at the park while we work to clean up the debris and reschedule graduations in the county. I'll keep you guys posted, but please do keep this community in your prayers.

Rolling Thunder's Flashpass location has moved, it now merges with the line for the right track just before the staircase into the station. Does Rolling Thunder really even need Flaspass services? There aren't exactly crowds itching to ride it these days.