ParcMan

It's a reference to the ProSlide Tornado that's on the other side of the wavepool and has long lines. This is effectively the same slide as that and will hopefully alleviate some of the Tornado's wait times. But, yeah, the "each side of the park" line was a poor choice of words. Should have said "each side of the wavepool".

Oh my gosh yes! Those flipping priority pass people were everywhere!! If I hadn't payed for the Platinum Flash Pass I would have been crazy annoyed with all the priority pass vultures! As for the issue with WC, the lapbars on the orange train were throwing some weird sensor issues. When it came back in the station the ops would have to pull all the bars up and the computer was throwing an error code that the mechanic didn't know (I'm assuming) because he had to take a photo of the control panel and go research the solution. So the blue train was taken off to glue padding on the front seat, then the orange train was throwing a tantrum and by the time they figured out the orange train, the glue had set on blue so they put it back on the track. It took about an hour all together, it just sucks as it happened just as I was next in line for front row first ride of the year. So I was shaking like a junkie looking for his next fix of RMC goodness and the downtime just added to the insanity of my withdrawal symptoms! Then just as the mechanic was finishing on WC he got a call that Flashback was down. Which is a funny story because for the past decade, every time I would go to the park Flashback would close and stay closed all day. Usually this would happen as I was in line for it or walking toward it (no lie)! Flashback was the only credit in the park I had yet to get and it did the same thing on me yesterday! So I was bummed thinking it was gonna stay closed for the rest of the day, then just as I was leaving the park and my final ride on WC, Flashback opened and I FINALLY jumped on it and was thoroughly disappointed as I knew I would be!

Wicked Cyclone has been down most of today. They took the blue train off to glue padding back on the front seat. Now they're cycling orange but its throwing up some error code that the mechanics are trying to figure out. This is going to be my first coaster of the season, I'm not giving up! They're going to drag me out of here kicking and screaming if I don't get my ride on this!! * edited train colors.

You know how Cheetah Hunt's 3rd launch isn't all that intense... that's how I imagine the 2nd launch on Copperhead, but with a normal airtime hill thrown in. I don't think that this element is going to be all that revolutionary. Remember the shed people, don't set yourself up for disappointment. Heck, it's only labelled as a second launch, they didn't even mention it has an a.t. hill in it. With that said, I'm freaking excited for this coaster! The entire thing looks fun from start to finish. I love the theme, the name, the trains look awesome and its a Mack ride to boot! I haven't been on Fury, and I haven't been in a hurry to get back to Carowinds since my last trip in 2010, but this makes me want to go back!

I hope they place the new ride within the parks boundaries. That way when I go there, I can partake in the merriment of it's sky screaminess. But seriously, I hope they put it right next to the Giant Wheel so that I can look down on the old, busted, run down, lightless mess and scoff at the poor, decrepit souls who aren't good enough for a 24 story tall swing thing. And I hope the lighting package can be seen from low earth orbit, just to rub it in that circumferential D-bags slowly rotating face! But for realsy seriously, It's going to be a great addition to the park no matter where they put it. And thank god it isn't a Wonder Woman theme. And I heard they were going to remove Boomerang and move Tantrum to the Boomerangs location and put Sky Screamer on the old Tantrum site. Also, the Crazy Quilts are coming back, but they are going on the soon to be demolished PAC site. RMC PREDATOR FOR 2032!!!

I hope I didn't come across sounding too negative. I too think DL is beautiful. There's plenty to nit pick about, but there are just as many spots to be impressed with. I wish my camera (phone) hadn't died, I didn't get to the pictures of some of my favorite areas of the park. The Pirate / bumper car section, the Tin Lizzy / Twister area (ignoring the batting cage and go karts), the big stretch from the campground to Boomerang into the Boardwalk and up toward the front gate. And as much as I hate the ride now (it was epic in it's glory days) I stop and stare at the Mind Eraser from the parking lot every time I go. It's just such a cool looking structure and being right there by the parking lot with unimpeded views is very impressive. And I would consider Seabreeze to be my home park, I live closer to that, and I like Seabreeze better than DL. Even if DL were running 2 trains and had everything pristine, I would still choose to go to Seabreeze, I just love the atmosphere there.

But that’s the problem. It was the same way on the a Fourth of July. They need to get an attraction(s) that will get people in the rides section of the park. But were there people in the water park when you were there? I was there on a Thursday and the water park was packed full of people, and the parking lot had just as many cars in it as I remember there being back in the early Six Flag days. I left around 6pm and there were still cars coming in and most of the people that I saw walking into the park were in bathing suits. So if they want to expand the water park, I say go right ahead. Use the wet rides to bring the people in and the dry side can stay empty for me to play in. Same with family rides, build a bunch to get families in and that will finance the thrill rides. I honestly, don't need a big thrill coaster at DL anytime soon. Tantrum is a great addition. All I want is Predator to be retracked (don't care if it's RMC, I like the layout as is) and get new trains that aren't PTC. The park is huge so a nice train ride around it and through the woods would be epic. And some TLC for everything else. Does anyone remember the walk thru haunt that was in the Nightmare at Phantom Cave building in between the year the coaster was removed and Batman installed. That was so awesome, I wish that would happen again. Remove the bleachers, keep the back half for maintenance and storage, but use the front half for a permanent haunt (doesn't have to be open all season).

Today was my first time going to Darien Lake since the Motocoaster opened. I wouldn't have gone, but someone else paid for me to get in so I decided to have a look around and see what has changed. Of course my first stop was Tantrum. Luckily it was a hot, very hot day and I got there around 2pm. This way I wouldn't have to worry about the coaster warming up. The line was short and I was on in less than 10 minutes. First off, it's a very comfortable ride. The seats were darn near contour molded to my tushy and the lap bars were secure and unobtrusive. The seat belt is annoying but once it's buckled I forget it even exists. This was my first Euro Fighter, but I've been on other vertical lift coasters. Tantrum surprised me with a strong drop and some heavy G's at the bottom, The first inversion is quick and transitions into the second faster than I thought it was going to. There is no airtime to be found on that little twisty hump before the overbank, but the trains speed and the fact that it twists a bit make up for what I thought was going to be a boring portion of the ride. My favorite bit though, is the overbank turn and inclined helix finale. The speed of the ride coupled with the tight radius of the track make for a fairly intense finale. Then there is a small pop of air as the car heads smoothly into the brakes. Overall, Tantrum is second only to Ride of Steel. It's a great addition to the park. I hope it's the low expense, high ticket item the park has needed for years to get the wheels turning for a new era of fun. As for the rest of the park, a lot of it looked just like I remembered, the Boardwalk area was great. Rowdy's Ridge was a nice addition, and seeing the Scrambler in a different spot was odd. Blast Off, the tower ride ride was fun, but could definitely use a decor piece for the top of the tower and shade over the queue. I didn't go into the water park but there were a heck of a lot of new slides. But again, it all looked like it needed massive amounts of shade. Twister just needs to go away. They were running a ride cycle that made the Carousel look like a thrill ride, what's the point of even having it if you can't run it the way it's supposed to. The bridge into the campground is blocked off, that's a shame. Motocoaster is still a fun launch and a decent meandering layout. I would love to see some themed elements like a billboard you jump through and road signs you travel past. Smoke on the launch simulating tires peeling out, etc. DL's Boomerang is still my favorite Boomerang. Predator was closed, and Ride of Steel is wicked awesome! There was hardly anyone in the rides area of the park, everyone was in the water park. Fine by me, that meant no lines on all those one train coasters! And now for my "I swear I'm not a racist" story: I was eating lunch in the pizza parlor in the campground area. I see the lady at the counter trying to take the order of an old asian gentleman. He's pointing at the sign and she's not understanding him so she comes around front to figure out what he's pointing at. At that moment an old asian lady comes walking by, sweeping the floor and I think to my self "I should ask her to help translate what this guy wants." Then I realise that that is racist because I don't know if the lady is even fluent in another language at all. For all I know she was born in America and has never stepped foot outside it's borders. So I turn back to the guy trying to order and I see that he is now behind the counter pointing at the register screen trying to get his order placed. I think to myself, "that's a nice thing the cashier did to help this guy." I just hope he doesn't slip or get burned by the pizza oven right behind him. At that moment the guy starts walking through the kitchen and is touching things like he owns the place! But then he turns toward me and I can see for the first time his Darien Lake name badge! The guy was an employee the whole time, he was just talking with the cashier about the menu, but I was so far away that I couldn't hear the conversation. On top of that I didn't notice that all the employees were wearing the same damn uniform!! TL;DR I'm not a racist... probably. Anyway, here are some photos I took before my phone died of heat exhaustion: The Giant Wheel is to me, the focal point of the entire park. The Silver Bullet is a classic. I was a ride op for this back in the day, for about 2 hours. Tantrum is a good addition to the parks skyline. Rolling Thunder peeking through the trees. Ride of Steel way back behind Shipwreck Falls. Also, the only non-ugly view of the old 'Cuda Falls hill. I wish there was a high capacity version of the Slingshot that didn't have to be upcharge. It's the most intense ride in the park, especially at night. Viper, spitting it's venom on unsuspecting folk. I never noticed those little barrels in the middle of the path. What remains of the old flume. What were the "taller" pillars for on either side of the flume creek? Did the old mat slides come this far out? The Corn Popper. I remember when this was the Rodeo Roundup. I love this ride so much. Lots of great memories on this. I also got to operate this for a day back in 2003. Getting close to the new hotness! Tantrum is a great roller coaster, and a fantastic addition to the park. Smooth, fast and fun. Tantrum has taken over the former queue house of Thunder Rapids. Luckily everyone was in the water park. So no long lines. Mmmm, that's a nice erect lift I'm about to ride. Exposed sheathing and florescent lights really add that next level of themeing that most parks are lacking nowadays. This is where I'd add a John Hammond "Spared no Expense" meme. TWO TRAINS ON A DARIEN COASTER!!! Boomerang was the only other ride with a line, they should have added a second train to that one as well. There were giant ugly fields of stone and just as many large areas of grass around the ride. I would have loved to have seen a family flat of some sort added to the area between Tantrum and the midway. I would have also pushed the coaster closer to the main gate to get an epic view of the ride for people entering the park. It's a quick ride, and it packs a bigger punch than I was expecting. And it's great to have lap bars instead of OTSR's. I'm a sucker for a good ride sign! This one is my favorite at Darien Lake, Twister is my second favorite ride sign. Tantrum from the Mind Eraser bridge. Look at that pristine water, it's making me thirsty! Mind Eraser looks awesome, but rides like Satan's sphincter. If Darien management sees this then please, blow it off the face of the earth and replace it with several Zamperla Volares and a DMV. I like how the lamp shades have the Mind Eraser logo, I've never noticed that before. One of these is less murdery than the other. We'll get to you in a second, I have to complain about something else first... What the crap DL, why is there no roof and why have you let my favorite DL flat fall into such shambles? Shame on you. This is where I'd spank you and send you to your room for being a negligent a$$turd. Uh-oh, I hope the rescue operation wasn't too dangerous when this bad boy valleyed! There was no way I was waiting for a train to be in the photo. Dispatches were slow today. It was hot and all the op's were miserable. Thank you Herschend for this awesome themeing. Please buy the park with your Dollywood cash horde and save us whiny enthusiasts from our despair. Seriously, the Herschend era of the park was second only to the great late 90's expansion. Just look at this vegetation... LOOK AT IT! I don't know if it's the heat wave or if DL is purposely using grass killer to keep the ride track clear, but I wouldn't put it past them. No more Ranger, very sad. I like this kiddie bumper car building. It's got pine trees painted on its inside. I also like the curves of this classic Arrow looper. Not only are these Larson Loopers boring, but Darien has managed to screw up even further. The logo is awful, it's literally the manufacturers CAD drawing with terrible font, and they've plastered this joke of a logo everywhere! Seriously this is the kind of design I expect from an elementary schooler on a windows 97 computer. But I do like the rides color scheme and light package. And then there is no shade anywhere and asphalt/concrete EVERYWHERE! Even the ride op booth is this flimsy metal cage. Remember how the Crystal Beach Cyclone had a nurse on duty because of the rides intensity, well there should be a full time nurse here to help the millions who suffer from heat exhaustion just being near this area of the park! Not cool DL, not cool at all (literally and figuratively). More classic Viper goodness. A little rough but still miles better than Mind Eraser. Another great ride sign! I always loved this view, it meant great things lie ahead! Not only did I enjoy riding this coaster growing up but I enjoyed operating it for the 2003 season. And during Halloween I was a scare actor and all of us undead would ride Viper every night before it closed in full makeup. Such great memories. This was me back in the day in my Fright Fest makeup. The scarezone was next to RoS but our HQ was under the bleachers in the old Batman theater so we would stop by Viper on our way out for the night and ride with the park guests! Man I miss that job. When the Beaver Bros. Restaurant opened I always thought that was great IP. They should turn the beavers into park mascots. So to see the Seaport kids zone turned into this made me happy. It's a step in the right direction. This area and the quiet shoreline of Darien Lake between Predator and the Laser show were always my favorite spots. It's still a fun area for the kids, but I do kinda miss the Popeye theme. I tried getting the RMC Predator plans from this weasel, but he had a grip on those things the likes of which I've only ever seen in babies on steroids. The ship was closed off for some reason. It's a nice quiet area of the park to be in, too bad they aren't using it. Kids Stage with Rolling Thunder looming behind. The first drop on Viper is short (75' I believe) but it always gets me. Butterflies everytime!! What happened to the Flying Raft ride? This doesn't belong here at all! DL, please explode the crap out of this abomination and replace it with a pit full of rusty metal for the children to enjoy. Neat little area I've never seen before. Nice place to take a nap while your small children run off into the park by themselves. I like how the picture on the sign is a giant FU to all those who hope to see lights on this some day. RMC Predator confirmed to open at this years Fright Fest! I like the nifty design they painted onto the support arms and sides of the cabins.

I know it's not going to happen, but a barrel roll through the TR tunnel would be awesome on this new coaster. Hell, just having the coaster utilize the tunnel at all would be neat. I'm excited for this coaster, I have fond memories of riding TR as a child, but I'm not sad to see it go, the UFO removal, that was sad. The Batman Stunt Spectacular going away was also a sad moment for me. I haven't been to the park in many years, is Grizzly Run still a thing? No one seems to mention that being there still. I always liked Grizzly Run more than Thunder Rapids.

This is excellent information. Thank you very much! Now I'm just hoping the weather holds out, it's looking to be 50% chance of rain ALL DAY on Friday. Hopefully the threat of rain can hold off even more of the crowds. I've got family stuff Sat./Sun. and BGW for the first time ever on Monday, so no room to reschedule. Maybe I could flip BGW on Friday and do KD on Monday. Sweet Baby Ray's Sauce, I'm freaking excited!! Rain or shine, I don't care I'm finally getting to these parks!

Glad to hear my pockets and loose articles won't be an issue. I only go to parks with my wallet, phone and sunglasses. No need to weigh myself down with extra stuff I won't need. I kind of want to save I305 as my finale coaster. I'm pretty sure I'll want to give it a good 5 - 10 re-rides in a row (if I can handle it). Volcano will probably be 3 to 4 re-rides and I've done Dominator back in it's Geauga days, so once or twice will satiate me there. Plus, I assume that once you ride I305 everything else at the park becomes crap, so culminating with I305 seems to be a logical choice for a first time visit.

I wouldn't expect crowds to be too bad, since many local schools are heading back into session, although if you want to get re-rides on Volcano I would recommend a FL+. KD is very lenient with its article policy; bring a string bag for your stuff and every dry ride has -free- article bins on the ride platform (this may change next year with Twisted Timbers, but enjoy it while it lasts). The only mandatory fluffy bunnies are in the waterpark, but cargo shorts should also be fine. I would recommend jumping on I305 first thing in the morning to get a front-seat ride and a few rerides, since the front-row line is sequestered and inaccessible to FL+. I would also recommend jumping on I305 after dark for one of the best night rides ever. Have fun! Hmmm, I hadn't even thought about certain sections of the train being inaccessible to Fast Lane users. That stinks about the front row being blocked. The last time I went to SFGAdv I bought the Gold Flash Pass which allows re-rides and all the ops were more than accommodating to put me in ANY row I wanted. I'd definitely spend the $$ at SFGAdv for another Gold Flash Pass if ever I return. Doesn't sound like KD offers that much freedom. I have new thoughts to ponder over the next few days. Thanks for the input @certifiedcoastergeek.

I'm super excited to be heading down to KD for the first time ever this coming Friday (18th). I wanted to ask you all if I should expect large crowds this late in August? Also would a Fast Lane Plus purchase be worth it? Even with lighter crowds I want to ensure I get to ride everything a bunch of times. Also, if I go with zippered pocket shorts for my wallet and phone, would they still make me get a locker? How strict are they about loose articles? But the most important question I have is: should I wait until later in the day when I305 has warmed up to ride? Or is it just as awesome in the morning as it is later in the day? My only plan of attack is to get on Ricochet, Grizzly, Rebel Yell and Woodstock Express first, just to be done with them, then from there the Fast Lane Plus would get me on everything I wanted without worry for the rest of the day.

Wow! Pandora looks amazing, this is one of a few times that I'm sad I moved away from Orlando. Seeing this makes me wish I was there. Thanks for the pics and videos Robb. Animal Kingdom was always my favorite Disney World park, I would go there just for the atmosphere alone. Now Pandora adds a whole new level of atmosphere and exploration just waiting to be discovered. One question though, do you think the area will suffer from congestion like Potter, or is there enough room to move about?

Wildcat was in my top 10 (#9) up until it closed. I only allow operating coasters in my top 10. So I dropped it down to #20 along with Big Dipper from GL. I was so sad when they removed Wildcat from the park. I liked it better than any other coaster in the park. And I'm a grown man with El Toro and Phoenix on the top of my list. I only ever rode Wildcat once (2009), but it really surprised me how much fun it was. FYI, Wicked Twister is my 2nd favorite coaster at CP. I hope to get back to CP this year, I really want to see if the different restraints on Maverick can bump it up from #18 on my list to a top 10. Back in 2009 I had 2 days at the park, but heavy lightning storms kept the rides shut most of the day (both days). So I was scrambling to get from ride to ride while they were open.

^^ What the!? The Timsaver wristband looks terrible and uncomfortable, I can see why you would be worried that the tabs would came off. Are they only connected by two tiny little points? That's a shameful system Dollywood has got here. Hopefully enough people complain and get the park to never do this again. It just looks like a guest service nightmare.

All this talk about SLC's and their shakiness has got me wondering: Why do steel coasters get shakier over time? Is it partly from the track and trains, or is it just the trains? And if it is the trains, can't the trains just be "tightened" or adjusted in order to reduce shakiness? Or is that what they do, but they can only tighten and adjust so much before things just need replacing. I bring this up, mostly because I was on T3 at KK last year and that ride with it's new train was pure pain. So does that mean that the new trains are designed poorly, or can steel coaster tracks warp and get misaligned over time? I personally don't think new trains would do Mind Eraser any good. I would however love to see Vekoma build an all new invert in their new style of track designs at DL.

I love this picture and the way Thunderhead's turn backdrops Dropline. Such a cool sight line. I've never been to Dollywood, I'm hoping to get there this year and check this view out myself.

Quassy can easily be done in 2 hours without rushing. Wooden Warrior is an amazing wooden coaster (in my top 10) with surprising airtime despite its size. I've never had to wait more than 2-3 trains for it. Get the all-you-can ride band and you can get on this at least 5-6 times in an hour. You would then have another hour to grab photos and ride some of the park's other rides. The two I'd recommend are Frantic (a crazy spinning inverting frisbee that's no taller than 20 feet) and Reverse Time (an update on the classic trabant). Lake Compounce doesn't get bad waits on the ride side. The water park can have some slow moving lines though, so it's good you are skipping that. Boulder Dash is my favorite wooden coaster. Wildcat is getting new trains this year so hopefully that gets smoother. The non-coaster rides worth riding are the sky ride, Thunder n Lightning, and Down Time. If you don't mind getting wet, they have one of the better river rapids rides too. Ghost Hunt (their shooting dark ride) is getting new targets this year, so maybe that will fix it, but for the past few years the guns/targets haven't really worked. You've confirmed my exact thoughts. Thank you! Quassy for those three rides you've mentioned. And all the renovation projects at LC are making me drool. I honestly prefer a good refurb year to the new hotness some of these parks are throwing out. If Holiday World would increase their refurb rate on Legend and do the same to their other two woodies, I would go back in an instant.

Yes. Lake Compounce isn't really a full day park unless you go to the water park. Make sure you ride the chairlift... it closes when it gets dark and it's the most unique ride in the park. It's like 30 minutes long. Thank you both! I've only ever done two parks in one day, one time. Dorney in the morning, Knoebels in the evening. I wish I would have split Knoebels into it's own day. I could have ridden Phoenix all day long! I just don't want to make that mistake again. I know Boulder Dash is a Phoenix level contender, but Lake Compounce doesn't seem as big a park as Knoebels, nor is the drive between LC and Quassy as big as Dorney and Knoebels. Outside of trying to get to Dollywood for the first time, this is my most anticipated trip of the year. And I'm going to Kings Dominion and BGW for the first time this year, so putting Boulder Dash above everything in Virginia says a lot.

Looks like this is my year to go to Lake Compounce. I've been wanting to go for years, but never did. Even drove by it once on the way to SFNE without even realizing it was there! Ever since that stupid drive by I've desperately wanted to go. The addition of Phobia and now the awesome track work on WC and BD make me want to get over there as soon as I can. I have one trip planning question. Will I have enough time (will it be enjoyable) if I do a few hours in the morning at Quassy, then hop over to LC for the rest of the day? I don't want to do waterpark stuff, but I want enough time to take pics, do all coasters multiple times and get in a bunch of flats/water rides. Is one day (probably a Saturday or Sunday) enough time to not have to be in too much of a hurry?

The Moto Coaster launch and first turn are great. The rest of the ride is slow and meandering. it does pick up speed in the last turn before the brakes, but that only leaves you wishing that the entire layout was taken at a quicker pace. But at least it's a smooth coaster, and one that I always enjoy riding. I've always dreamed of theming on the Moto Coaster, like the launch having sound effects of motorcycle engines revving and tires squealing off the line with smoke sizzling out from beneath the train. A fun jump through a billboard or weaving through road signs could add to the experience as well. On a side note, I have to say I'm glad the Lake Monster conversion hasn't happened and might not ever happen. I've always thought the Predator was a perfect roller coaster in layout. I would just like to see RMC come in with topper track and keep the same layout, but maybe increase the lift speed a bit! It really is a well paced and intense ride and the awesome airtime already exists. It just needs a lot of TLC.

If it's like Cobras Curse then I don't mind. But if it's nothing but vomit inducing spinning, then please god, no!! Crazy fast spinning is awesome. It just needs to be comfortable i.e. restraints. I've yet to go on a spinning coaster other than the typical Maurer clones, but flat rides that spin like crazy are awesome. Teacup spinning is great because I can control it and spin the freaking things around a bazillion times and make my nieces and nephews vomit everywhere!

I do agree it is intense, but that's not why I don't like it. The first drop is awesome, the following a.t. hills are decent and smooth, but the second those horridly cramped and uncomfortable trains go thru a turn, it was just painful, awful, jerky nonsense. There wasn't a smooth, comfortable moment going through any turn. The triple down even with MCBR slowing it down is great, but those turns are the worst. I would've loved to ride this thing back in the day. I could see the potential if it had good trains, but it doesn't and if I never ride it again it would be fine with me. The Legends retracking made a huge difference to that ride, maybe Voyage could benefit from the same in those twisty bits. My last ride on the Voyage, I asked the ops in the station where to sit for a more comfortable ride, this was literally the response: OP 1: gave me a blank stare and asked "are you serious?" Op 2: just laughed and in between laughs cried "no!" So again to sum up my thoughts, intensity=awesome, it has great positive and negative G's, but the awful trains and non smooth twisty bits, which make up a majority of the ride, make it too rough to enjoy it's potential epicness.

Voyage at Holiday World. I've never wanted to get off a roller coaster before this ride. And I've been on Mean Streak, Predator and a whole cavalcade of Vekoma head-bangers. Voyage was the absolute worst ride I've ever been on, and I gave it multiple shots in multiple seats just to try and prove myself wrong, but it is just the worst.