blade1

Right now, Xflight is the most efficient running coaster in the park. All the seats work and the 2 across cuts down on empties. There is slight stacking. The second train will sit for 10-15 seconds before pulling into the station. I'd say it's getting more people through right now than either Superman or Raging Bull. Superman already has 4 seats down between the 2 trains and Raging Bull is only running 2 trains. I've been rather impressed with operations at Xflight.

I have seen that video and to me it's pretty impressive. I agree that a 4D could be cool if it was smooth and flowing. I'm looking forward to riding Wild Eagle in July and don't hate the WR's I just want Cedar Point to build a woodie on the beach. The current Wingriders are pretty boring looking to me. Wild Eagle looks like a better ride than the others but mostly because of location. I think without building a working and enjoyable 4D, these are pretty limited. Would a hyper be cool...probably but I don't know if the trains could take it. Cedar Point is a very fine park but not having a great wooden coaster experience is a huge hole. It seemed like now was the time to take care of that glaring weakness in their line up. The woodies are here to stay for certain. Fast lane is going to continue to rise because right now it's a little too cheap. At that price it was gonna be a little too popular. Iv'e gladly dropped the 80 bucks at Gadv. two times. Don't tell Cedar Point that though. I do agree with you that CP's next coaster should be a woodie alongside the beach. They should do this next. Then burn Mean Streak and come back a few years later with a world record 4D. After riding Xflight this last weekend, they are better than you think. I have never felt hangtime before like I did on it. There is also a noticeable different feeling depending on seat location. Pulls pretty good forces in the back. Would be a great coaster if it was 50' taller and 600' longer. Someone will build that.

I completely disagree. Wingriders have tons of potential and will only get better. They are the hot ride for this decade. They will be more like inverts. Every park will want one. Here's a video to watch.

Yes, Sandusky, is a major tourist town. There are advertised caves and islands that draw people looking for something more rustic. There is also world class walleye fishing too. My friends stay in Port Clinton, only 15 minutes away.

Great America could do a lot more with their space on their last 3 B&M's if they would increase the lift hill angle and do a better job of stacking vertically. X flight could have gone over demon.

I'll be at Hersheypark in a month. Thanks for the trip report. I can't wait to ride it. Glad to see an Intamin opening on time!

They are the same colors. I don't ride coasters because they are "pretty." B&M has also had 10 years to study Arrow's design and S&S's improvements to it. There is nothing that says a B&M would have excessive problems. My post was also on why X Flight should not be cloned.

There's nothing unrealistic about this at all. Something very much like this has existed at a Six Flags park for 10 years now.

Not me. I wish we had gotten Chang and delayed this ride for 2-3 years. Then we could have had a 3rd or 4th generation design. Plus Chang would have blocked the waterpark expansion and left more room in the dry park. The park is probably better off in the short term the way things worked out, but worse off in the long run.

I hope to see both higher, innovative design, and 4D together. For the last 5 pages, I've been reading OMG it's the greatest ride ever and should be CLONED everywhere!!!!! Clones do not help make people from other parts of the country plan a trip around that ride. Imagine this concept 240' tall, 5000' long, 75+ mph, with inversions, rotating seats, music, buildings, glass smooth, and reliable. The ability to go from forward to backward, lying to flying, and levitating. And all these directional changes can be made in a split second with 4D. A real game changer! Why do you think X2 is so popular? Improving X2 is what should be done. Cloning would not be a great idea.

SFOT just got the New Texas Giant last year. I wouldn't expect anything new and 'amazing' for a few more years. Plus the park is pretty landlocked, not tons of space to go around anymore. You must not forget they own the strip mall that is designated for demo and if the new swirled up rumors hold true about the rang leaving and an expanded DC Universe, it's plausible. I mean let's face it, before NTAG, I believe Titan was their last major attraction and its 10 years old now. Six Flags is also said to want to add something new and different to each of their parks each year in some fashion. I forget who X-Works translates to though. Maybe someone else does. What is Six Flags going to do with this strip mall? There are 2 properties between this strip mall and the park. Even if they put parking there, they have to go through 360 and it looks pretty far even for a tram.

Wicked Twister has used 8 trains? That is almost 1 per year. Do they use more than 1 train a season, like a mid season swap?

Could you guys look at the link and just make sure my estimate makes sense? I don't know if that number is just for the original launch and then if there is more for the spike on Mr. Freeze. There could be a little higher number needed if more is being used on the successive pass throughs on V2 too. V2 also took more when the holding brake worked too. I think V2 is capable of around 20 cycles per hour. But we are close to figuring this out as a group and that's why I brought it up. I have tried to figure this out alone before and I couldn't.

http://home.roadrunner.com/~gep2/mrfreeze.html?vm=r I found this article on Mr. Freeze. Assuming it is accurate, It uses 5000 amps at 480 volts, which converts to 2.4 million watts for each launch and produces 5000hp. Since V2 does not have the spike LIMS, I would estimate that something around 2 million watts per cycle is realistic. I'm no expert on power comsumption, but that seems like it costs more than most of us think, and could certainly be a good reason for the park wanting to move it.

He gave the best number he could at the time. Do you have anything better?

Liftsifter thanks for answering this question as best you could. I directed it at you, because these teenage know it alls have no clue, and to me you clearly have knowledge of V2. I Know it is a very difficult question to answer.

If I was a park GM, I would much rather use hydraulics or compressed air for a launch. Too bad more companies are not making them yet.

TTD and Kingda Ka are hydraulically launched, so they use a lot less electricity.

Do you have any idea how much V2 costs in electricity per launch? I would guess at least several dollars each would not be unrealistic.

Steel Hawg is painful? Thats interesting, Green Lantern here in Australia is very comfortable. Is it because of the old over the shoulder restraints the other El Loco's have? I found find Steel Hawg a bit uncomfortable, but not painful when I rode it.

GCI had their Millenium flyers proven and tested back in 2006. With having to buy new trains and pay for all of the offseason work, GCI or Intamin would have had to be cheaper. Is is even realistic to expect them installed next year? I was hoping Raven and Legend would be getting fitted with a pair of these sometime around 13'-14' when I was at HW back when testing was going on in 10'.

^ We've got the new ride to pay for! I'm actually surprised about this. I've been hearing that V2 is on the ride rotation list.

So why did Goldrusher and Revolution change? Does California not have grandfather regulations? The Knotts coasters have ridiculous heights too. It doesn't seem right when Mil Force and X2 have 48" heights. Doesn't Cal allow parks to have 2 different heights if an adult is riding? How does the state expect parks to be family parks? Does Disney have this trouble too, or are they paying the state for these excessive regulations everywhere else?

Has Goldrusher's ride height always been 48"? It reminds me of Whizzer here at SF Great America and that has a 36". That's a little crazy, as a 3 year old can ride it, but 40-42" seems reasonable for GR, and it was built when safety standards were much more lax. Demon here is similar to Revolution and only has a 42" height with 4 inversions.

Was MM running 1 train ops on anything at the West Coast Bash this year?