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blade1

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Everything posted by blade1

  1. No ride Great America has built in the last 20 years has had the reception Goliath has. I can't wait to see season attendance numbers, but I would not be surprised if the ride has added over 1 million more guests over last season. The park has had it's most crowded year in several decades. It helps that it has a 48" ride height and was marketed correctly. Batman was the last ride to have this kind of impact. However about the only complaint I have heard is that it is too short. It carries tons of speed back to the station. It feels like a shorter El Toro to me. It's impact on other lines has been very noticeable. Great America will have to figure out where to reroute the que line this offseason. It has been hundreds of feet beyond Iron Wolfs overflow que all season, taking up a midway area and wrapping around the train station, which has left that ride closed all season.
  2. What in the world "ages" on a steel coaster that wouldn't be fixed as a safety hazard? If the track is getting screwed up, wouldn't it seem dangerous to run trains over it? And it isn't like it is running with opening day wheels on it. Especially on a B&M with the wheels on the outside of the track, please describe how this aging works. I don't get it. I haven't been to the park in a couple years, but the last time went and rode Bull, there seemed to be a lot more B&M rattle than it used to have. I'm not saying there's anything about the ride structure that make it unsafe, but the freeze/thaw cycle every year for 13 years has to take its toll on the track a little bit. I didn't ride RB on opening day, but I did ride it about 6 weeks after. The trims came on then, too, but not as hard as they consistantly do now. Eagle's brakes come on HARD before the helix, not so much after they retracked it because it was adjusted, and V2's holding brake remains off to lessen the load on the rear spike. It's also a lot easier to reprogram existing trims than it is to install some that were never installed. Like I said at the end of my post, I think the biggest reason it feels much slower is that there are just faster coasters now than there were in '99. I don't find Nitro or even Diamondback really any faster than Raging Bull is. Comparing Raging Bull to, say, Skyrush, is like comparing a steel coaster to a wooden coaster, they were designed by different companies to do completely different things. Bull started rattling in about 2007. It was glass smooth before that. I rode red train last weekend, fresh off it's rebuild, with all it's new wheels. It's the smoothest ride I have had in a couple of years, but still rattled a bit. When Voyage got it's turn around rebuilt last year, Park management said the footings sank 1/4". That's all it takes. Just that little bit. It's also possible the track has worn a bit over the years too and there are bigger gaps now. Diamondback had it's rattle in it's first year of operation when I rode it at Kings Island.
  3. I would love to see it moved there. Then Great America can get a new giga. St. Louis is still close enough to go ride Raging Bull when we feel like it.
  4. You do have to realize that Cincinnati, where KI is, is roughly the same size as Charlotte and the surrounding areas. The only real difference between the two is that Charlotte is growing, one of the few growth markets currently. Also, were growing fast enough that road systems cant keep up, there is always construction going on. But do you realise that it isn't just the city that a park is in that defines it's market but also the size of nearby markets. Carowinds get just over a million visitors whereas KI has been getting almost for 3.5 million visitors for quite a while which speaks volumes about it's proximity to other large markets. Anyway we can speculate all we want, I'm sure they'll announce it in time. Why does Carowinds have such poor attendance? North Carolina does have a significant population by itself and the park seems pretty centrally located to serve both states.
  5. Vialand might make it open in July of 2014. No way they are open in a month. I never heard of an SBL coaster. Thanks for posting. Many of us will never make it to this part of the world.
  6. ^If you want to pay full price have at it.
  7. What Orlando parks charge to get in is unethical!!!
  8. I am just posting what worked for me in December of 2011. If you don't want to believe me, that's your choice. I'm just answering jimmiemac's question.
  9. It's not illegal, especially the timeshare part. I can't say it's morally wrong either. It's like buying something on sale or doing a side job. I have another way, too, but if anyone wants to know, you will have to pm me.
  10. If different decisions had been made, and if HBJ was not fighting off an expensive takeover, was there any chance this park could have survived? It's a shame it didn't, and worse was that another company didn't buy it before Busch and reopen it. Six Flags was a possibility. It seems like it was a great property. Flat, 850 acres, next to a freeway access, limited neighbors, and only 10 minutes from Disney.
  11. The answer is yes, but it's a pain. I believe there are timeshare presentations you can attend to get discounted tickets. The other way is more risky, but there are plenty of people on craigslist selling tickets/access. You have to be smart enough to not get scammed that way though. Make them take you to the entrance. I was able to get into WDW and SW in 2011 for 1/2 price doing this. I believe I have a reliable source, so pm me if you need more info.
  12. Great Adventure does not need any more coasters. Get some flats and shows. When I visited the park on a Friday in June last year, the place was dead. Crowds were significantly bigger at Hersheypark midweek. Hershey is the better overall park, because there is more to do than just coasters. Great Adventure would be the best park in the chain if it was more balanced. It's coaster collection blows my home park away.
  13. With 2 days there, did you tour the cave? It's a nice change of pace.
  14. I'd probably lean toward Studios. There are more shows and less 54" rides. I guess it really depends on if the 10 year old is 54" yet, and if the 60 year olds like pretty significant big coasters. MIB, Simpsons, ET, and even the Mummy are all good tweener attractions, and I believe Transformers will be one too. Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket is 51". At IOA Hulk, and Dragons Challenge are 54" and Dr. Doom is 52". IOA has the better water rides for sure. The 10 year old is 54". I believe we are leaning towards IoA. The seniors aren't into big coasters, but are wanting to see Harry Potter. The more I think about this, I would take leaning towards the Studios to recommended. What may be better for you to decide, is to take off the attractions from both parks that your group won't likely do. Both of these parks are a bit on the small side. I feel like they are each about 3/4 day parks. So if you subtract Dragons Challenge from Harry Potter, HP just got a lot smaller and you are left with just the Forbidden Journey and Flight of the Hippogriff. Next if you subtract Hulk and Dr. Dooms that most/part of your group won't do, you are left with a much smaller IOA. If you subtract Hollywod rip ride rocket from Studios that your group may not do, it's not nearly as big of a loss. Also, this ride does not go upside down, and is getting it's problems fixed. So it should become a lot smoother, but I don't know when. Studios has street entertainment like the Blues Brothers, a parade, and a night time show. It's more of an entertainment park then IOA. Are you the one who really wants to see Harry Potter and the rest of your group is just going along? Does your Dad/Grandparents know much or care about either park and is perhaps letting you have some influence? Is there any way you can upgrade to the 1 day 2 park ticket and do both? That's how I do the Universal resort. I go during slow times and get there before opening. You will have the benefit of Express passes, but a busier time. If this was 2014 and HP 2.0 was open, I think it would be a easy decision. I do like IOA better myself. I just think the Studios would be better overall for your entire group.
  15. I'd probably lean toward Studios. There are more shows and less 54" rides. I guess it really depends on if the 10 year old is 54" yet, and if the 60 year olds like pretty significant big coasters. MIB, Simpsons, ET, and even the Mummy are all good tweener attractions, and I believe Transformers will be one too. Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket is 51". At IOA Hulk, and Dragons Challenge are 54" and Dr. Doom is 52". IOA has the better water rides for sure.
  16. ^^That's a good assessment. At least it provides a completely different experience than the other coasters. The previous installation did not do that.
  17. For me, it's the bashing of my calves that hurts. I literally can't ride it without lifting up my legs and putting my heels hard against the seat. But that's just me and my size. Other than that, the ride isn't too rough for me. There are definitely a lot more that are worse. That's how I ride X2 also. Beats up my hammies too bad if I don't.
  18. ^^^^ Yes, Robb you are in the minority. After seeing your top 15 from the travel channel thread, I sensed that you really like forceful rides. But you are hardcore and the general public is not. It seems like many of the newer intense rides are using 2 across seating. You can make tighter turns with those, obviously. That's not likely to happen with a 20' wide train. Everybody keep in mind that this is only the 3rd year of B&M wingriders. Someday some park will put in a "SWO Manta" or a "SFOG Goliath". A model that really pushes the design.
  19. I have ridden XFlight at Six Flags Great America and I don't find it boring or forceless. I think too many people have unrealistic expectations. XFlight is a much better ride than I thought it would be, when it was being built. It has great pacing with 5 inversions in only 3000'. The front of the train is not too forceful, but the back has invert coaster intensity. Because of the wide trains, it's more difficult to put tight radius turns in. I certainly expect XFlight to be a hit with the public for years to come, and that's what matters. Hopefully B&M will get rotating seats on them soon. I was at Hersheypark last year, and Skyrush did not have much of a line for a brand new major coaster. Too much intensity turns too many people off. I do see people that wait in line and then are too scared to get on XFlight. I give the coaster a solid B+. Since you only live 1 state away, you should get to Great America to ride it. XFlight does feels like it will have the B&M rattle soon.
  20. Superman is also running one train and Raging Bull 2. XFlight was 45 minutes, Batman 25, Superman 60+, and Bull about 35 minutes on Sunday.
  21. X Flight was running early Sunday with one train. I got on about 12:45 after a 45 minute wait. It closed for the day sometime in the midafternoon.
  22. I don't remember any lights on the back either. Got to ride it backward this weekend and I definitely like forward better. I rode in what was the old row 1. It was rougher than before and seemed more forceful too. Both trains were running.
  23. Boy, the more I think about my earlier post, about putting Stratosphere rides on a cruise ship, the more ideas I come up with. How about a launched coaster like an Xcelerator, Full Throttle, or a Verbolten? Or what about a kuka arm ride like Forbidden Journey? It could travel around on a flat deck on the top, or drop down the side and run over the water hanging about 5' beyond the balconies. Imagine the airtime hills over the water, then a corkscrew and helix over, or in front/behind of the bow or stern and returning on the other side of the ship. The navy has been catapulting planes off of a flat top for 70 years now on a 5000+ person ship. Is it time to make a real "Top Gun" ride??? Then how about adding a dark ride? All this, plus Xscream, Insanity, Big Shot, and Sky Jump off of the Stratosphere, and all of the things that are already going on the Quantum. Then some other things off of other ships, such as a rock wall, watercoaster, and water park. This thing could be an entertainment mecca!!! Really, the only limitations would be cost and maintenance. Structurally, the Navy operates plane parking areas on the top level that hang way over the sides, so you can put a lot of weight up there and still keep er balanced. Now, I've haven't been on a cruise yet, so is this realistic to do on the waves?
  24. This is a great idea! Is there any reason why a ship can't put all of the rides that ever been a top of the Stratosphere Tower on board? Ummm.... clearances? Even the smoke stacks on Allure and Oasis can be lowered in order to sail under bridges. The tower could be placed on a lower deck too. Do all cruise ships have to sail under bridges? I would think there are some that don't.
  25. Wow, that was one of the best trip reports I have seen. I can see why you consider that the best value in Orlando. Unfortunately I will be in Orlando in December, so it will be too cold and I am not really a water person. But that is a much better value than the Six Flags VIP package. Value is the biggest reason I like the Seaworld/Busch parks the best in Florida. Reasonable gate prices with discounts available, good food, quality shows and entertainment, thrilling rides, good landscaping, and a great atmosphere. They are big parks and I'm not doing the same thing over and over the day I am there, unless I want to. There also aren't mobs of strollers and senior citizens 10 wide in the midways bringing foot travel to a crawl. Most importantly, I leave this company's parks happier than when I am at their competition.
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