GigaG

MF has only the lift hill as a "buffer block." To not stack requires a train to dispatch onto the fast lift hill, have the next train pull into the loading platform from unloading, all while the third train is in the end of the layout or final mag brakes (else you would be stacking.) If you couldn't get the last train all the way into the unloading station before the first train goes up its lift, you would have the train on the lift stop. This actually happens somewhat on a regular basis - it has become part of the ride for the lift to speed up halfway up because it was going slow to allow the next train to clear the block! But if you dispatch too early, you risk stopping on the lift. Essentially, it appears that MF has a narrow window for no-stacking. Gatekeeper also has a fast lift, but I don't see how it triple-stacks so much - it has an MCBR, making ideal possible between-dispatch times quite low, and double-block final brake, so trains won't set up on the MCBR. If GK had a single-block final brake, it might set up like Magnum does (although Gatekeeper still has a little bit of thrills left post-MCBR, while Magnum does not. Either way, the ride om-nom-noms people. Note that, due to the position of the MCBR compared to the end, it seems like it would be next to impossible to not stack GK at all, but it seems like triple-stacking is avoidable. Of course, if you want an example of quick 3-train ops with no MCBR, you might look at Banshee, but you also must realize that, like GK, Banshee can stack 3 trains, so it doesn't need to set up on the lift like MF would in a similar situation. Does anybody think this makes sense?

What's her favorite coaster? At 48", I'm guessing it is Millennium Force, Goliath SFGAm, or El Toro.

KI made a hidden trick site with the Bat logo and a winged coaster (edited Gatekeeper pic.) But they used that logo. Would Carowinds make a logo just to not use it at all?

Holy crap! And you're telling me that SF neutered the ride to be cheap? Come on! Did Premier approve a slow launch? FoF honestly shouldn't have the MCBR Think about it - Fast launch+MCBR=The most expensive ride cycle, but one of the tamest too.

And you can't spell F u l l Throttle without awkward spacing or changing spelling or else it becomes Full Throttle (I typed the actual name in the bold area, not the nickname...)

CP Rundown says that CP might be dropping Midway Market from the dining pass on the 15th. This stands in contrast to a supervisor who told me they would keep it a few days ago...

The worst kept secrets recently have been Outlaw Run (half-built when announced and leaked early too) and Gatekeeper (plans and idea leaked early, overhead layout leaked in Sandusky Register, renderings and site leaked early.) Banshee was kept mostly secret for a while (even had that wing coaster diversion) but its blueprints were leaked. At least Cyclone's layout is secret... for now.

I think CP would want to see how the concept goes first. The one in Florida for 2016 is over 500 feet, I think.

FoF was originally Paramount-licensed, but the license to use Outer Limits theming expired a while before the buyout. My first trip to KI (2008) was the first year that the names were non-Paramount. I was not tall enough to ride FoF until 2009, and I remember music at some point that isn't there anymore. It probably wasn't licensed, but was seen as unimportant enough to not be used.

^Is that really what the park has been doing and does anyone have proof? If so, does anyone know if the FoF's at the Cedar Fair parks have also been "power-neutered"? I know that FoF at KD seemed to crawl through the 2nd half, but I thought that was just due to the heavy brake in the mid-course run. The launch still seemed pretty intense at the beginning to me. Wonder what would happen if this would have happened on FoF? Do they evac equipment inside the building (or have room for it), or would they have to remove part of the building in order to access the riders? Joker's Jinx has a slowed launch but no MCBR, the two Flight of Fear twins have the fast launch but killer MCBR, and Poltergeist at SFFT has the fast launch and no MCBR. Also, Flight of Fear has a huge crane system built into the roof to rescue the trains in case this happens. I'm not sure if it can be used to get riders down, but I think there's room at the base for a truck to drive in and do the same thing they did today with Joker. The FoF MCBR (at least at KI) used to add effect to the ride (a bit of creepy music used to play in the building), but that no longer works. They should play a scream (alien invasion) or some other short, creepy audio effect as the train plows through the straight section of track without any braking. Besides, that MCBR is useless because I haven't seen 3 trains in a long time, if ever (they sort of need it, though.) They really should rethink FoF.

What's interesting is that when I was there earlier this year, they were launching both trains but only loading one. Think of all the electricity they were wasting launching empty trains. That's insane. Almost as insane as Roar's "DO NOT TOUCH YOUR RESTRAINTS" policy, and also the brilliant idea of strapping the woodies' seat belts around the lapbar in empty seats. Roar has the worst operations of any ride I've been on. Do not touch your restraints? WHAT? During the ride or during loading? Either way, it's pretty stupid. Cedar Point sometimes does the "cycle one train" thing, as does Knotts. I guess it is to warm one train up. It does seem stupider to do it on a launched coaster. ^Is that really what the park has been doing and does anyone have proof? If so, does anyone know if the FoF's at the Cedar Fair parks also been power-neutered? I know that FoF at KD seemed to crawl through the 2nd half, but I thought that was just due to the heavy brake in the mid-course run. The launch still seemed pretty intense at the beginning to me. Wonder what would happen if this would have happened on FoF? Do they evac equipment inside the building (or have room for it), or would they have to remove part of the building in order to access the riders? KD's FoF still has the full-speed launch, which actually gives some light airtime at the same spot where JJ just valleyed. The difference is pretty significant. You are correct, FoF has a slower second half because it nearly stops on the MCBR. I can't speak for KI. Hopefully I'll get out there next year. They really launch at slower speeds to save electricity? Wow. Can anybody say if KI's FoF is fast through the first half like KD's?

I sorta mean the "old-style" ones. China gets a lot more, even if they are a bit less intense. They still look cool (Voyage and RFII are good coasters from what I've heard.) I get what you mean. Still, given that you already have a few of those there, I don't think I would mind getting these "new-school" ones now if I lived there. Yeah, I don't mind the RMC bubble. I just see all these super-interesting woodies in China. Of course, the US has recently gotten Gold Striker, which is awesome. One thing China has over the US - Mega-Lites. The US may have I305 and NTAG, but Asia has small parks that have jumped on the opportunity to build an airtime machine.

^Does anybody like S:ROS? What about Batwing - Vekoma flyers are actually good rides! Although I would be pissed too. Robb, that stream link looks like a generic ABC stream. Also, are they using a ladder fire truck to reach the train?

After a bunch of rides in a row on Bizarro at SFGAdv, I felt a bit nauseous, but nothing major. On the other hand, I can ride El Toro 20 or 30 times in a row (I know this due to a particularly good ERT event.) I've never vomited due to a coaster. I am a young person, however.

I sorta mean the "old-style" ones. China gets a lot more, even if they are a bit less intense. They still look cool (Voyage and RFII are good coasters from what I've heard.)

Why can't America get big woodies? (tee hee)

Pretty simple: Delta Flyer is in the Orleans Place area. Eagle's Flight is (formerly) in the County Fair area. Obviously, Delta Flyer wouldn't make sense in a County Fair-themed area and Eagle's Flight, you know, wouldn't make sense in a New Orleans-themed area. If this was Six Flags, I think Delta Flyer would get plastered with Delta Airlines ads... with the airport nearby, why not?

^Good point. Manyis provides one big challenge - heartline. On one hand, a standup has a higher heartline. On the other hand, a standup has to be designed so both low and high heartlines are reasonably comfortable.

Grizzly at KD is a near-mirror-image, but they are quite different in terms of the stretches between the turnarounds (they actually have hills on the KD one.) I think Wild Beast at CW is identical to the KD Grizzly, though.

Yeah, they all still show up for their scheduled shifts. A couple people stick around to operate Star Tower and some (if not all) of the rest are sent to other rides to help out. Why does the skyride at CGA have 2 names, anyways? Also, did you know that Grizzly is listed as a family ride on CGA's website? I really don't get why Cedar Fair insists on making 48" height restrictions on family rides... has Grizzly always been that way or is it a Cedar Fair thing?

^Was the shaping of Grizzly's track different when it opened?

Erm... this is kind bad.

Same here. They should have fixed Cyclone and replaced Mind Eraser with an RMC coaster. Selling that piece of crap for scrap metal would have gotten them about $200,000 dollars to put toward the new ride. Scrap metal isn't the only fate for an old, unpopular SLC. I'm sure there are parks that want parts for SLCs and maybe even cheap SLCs. There must be a market for parts - those rides are more cloned than Dolly the sheep!

I'd like to know this too. I've heard more forgiving than Toro, is this true?

Ugh. Why have a test seat if there's a good chance that it is too big? I understand slightly smaller, but larger?