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liftsifter

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Everything posted by liftsifter

  1. June 1977 There's so much excitement in the air this season and there's a great vibe flowing through the park. Even though there's a lot of construction ongoing in many areas of the park, there's still a lot of fun to be had. The park's railroad has been closed from the start of the season, with the park stating it will remain but will not operate, "for some time." I hope it actually reopens, though! All that can be seen is that the train tracks have been removed from this area. Seahorse's vibrant colors are starting to fade, must have been that crazy winter! Finished my day with a quick ride on the Henry Family Mine Train. See you soon!
  2. May 1977 Hey everyone, I wanted to share a recent interview I read in the newspaper: "Ripley, WV was never a vacation destination, but the park's founder and president, Mr. Wyatt Henry, believes it soon will be thanks to his amusement park, Ripley Valley. In a one-on-one interview on the park's opening day, I had the opportunity to learn Mr. Henry's vision for the park and its effect on the people of West Virginia. The park was still closed to the public this morning, making this a very special interview. "We're very forward thinking and understanding our limited land-area we knew we had to build up, not out. For now, this parking garage will be used for employees only, however, when we complete the second phase, brining capacity to more than 500 vehicles, we will open the garage to the public." "The historic Chambers Mansion is now used as our administration building," Mr. Henry stated, "obviously we have a duty to maintain the condition of this historical landmark and we will." We entered the park through, what seemed like, a back door. "The boardwalk was an interesting decision we made early-on," Wyatt added, "it was kind-of a 'what if' idea that became a reality." Guests will notice that Eagle's Flight is now in a new location. "I've been adamant that we not destroy the natural atmosphere which surrounds this beautiful property. If we remove every tree, then it's a parking lot for steel and wood rather than a vibrant, living park." "Yes," Mr. Henry exclaimed, "we named a coaster after our family! And it's a favorite for everyone in my family." "What do we offer to West Virginians? Well, I might be mistaken, but I think 1,100 jobs and recreation for people of all ages is quite a lot." "Yes, we removed toboggan over this winter. I know some of our guests will be upset about this, but in the coming years, that anger will be drowned out by new screams." "I'm especially proud of our new additions this season! Four loops in one park? It's unheard of!" "'Magnum: Triple Loop' is the culmination of more than 24-months of hard work between us and Schwarzkopf, the designer and manufacturer of this marvelous coaster." This attraction is called, "Ring of Fire," Mr. Henry said, "A little secret is that we almost didn't include Ring of Fire with this year's additions. We originally planned on installing it in 1978 towards the back of the park." "I want this to be the best park in the United States of America and with the hard work and dedication of our employees and the support of our guests, we will meet this goal."
  3. This park is looking really good! Your custom supporting is extremely good, some of the best I've seen on a wooden coaster and the coaster designs are relatively realistic. There's a few things I might recommend to make it even better: 1. Pathwork. Your paths are good, but they lack fences as well as path walls. Since you're going with angular paths, I'd recommend Shy G*y's carnival sets and planter sets. They've got some great fences that would fit in well. 2. Footers. The wood on your flume is going to start rotting pretty quickly without some good ole' concrete footers! Again, the park looks great! Nice work.
  4. Thanks, I really appreciate the compliments and the feedback! The park is holding a bit loosely the the timeline with regards to coasters and flats (as this update illustrates), but with regards to Corkscrew and the Mine train, Corkscrew is an Arrow ( ) and the Mine Train is also an Arrow. Around 1981/1982, the timeline will take root. --- September 1976 Today, Ripley Valley released three pieces of concept-art of the new attractions being opened next season. Two new attractions are coming to the main-street. Both featuring the new craze, vertical loops! The show-stopper is "Magnum: Triple Loop Roller Coaster," the first roller coaster with more than one vertical-loop! To compliment Magnum, "Ring of Fire," will also be installed just a few steps away! In addition, the park also announced the construction of a massive new 6-story parking structure which will be built in three phases over the next five-years. The first phase will be complete by late Spring 1977 with capacity for 380 vehicles. The final structure will have the capacity for 750 vehicles.
  5. August 1976 I was finally able to take a full-day trip to the park, and it was a great one! The park closes in the middle of September, so I may only have one more chance to visit the park. Nonetheless, I snapped a few photos: When I first walked into the park, I noticed some major construction ongoing at the end of main street. I peeked over the fence and all I saw was a few markers. An employee said it will be another coaster like Seahorse. I hope so! It looks like Reggio's was under construction, too. I hope it reopens! I swear, Tripple-Play is always closed when I visit. Fun for everyone! Sky-View Tower dominates this skyline! Sometimes it's hard to remember I'm in a theme park. Toboggan is by far, my favorite coaster at the park! It's insane! Della's Dive is so much fun! The Henry Family Mine Train is a blast, too. Sometimes I wonder how someone can design coasters this intricate. Always a long line for Della's Dive, until it breaks down! Nomination for most beautiful park in America? I really hope there's another coaster like Seahorse added to the park soon. There's going to need to be more parking soon, today some people were turned away due to a lack of parking space. Gotta love those red corkscrews!
  6. Ripley Valley Amusement Park Ripley, WV June 1976 Hi there! My name is Ted Burns, and I am a theme park enthusiast! I just recently moved to Fairplain, WV, which means I'm only a short drive away from Ripley Valley, a fairly new amusement park which opened only two years ago. I'm so excited to share my experiences at the park with you all. I made my first visit this past weekend and snapped a few photos: As soon as you pull into the park, you see the park's three iconic attractions, Corkscrew, Sky-Wheel and Sky-View Tower. The main entrance is so massive yet majestic. "16th St. Carousel" is the oldest attraction in the park being manufactured in 1925 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. I love the main-street! It's so colorful and there's plenty of fun to be had. There's so many beautiful trees around the park, it looks like the park fits snugly into this former-forest. The park railroad runs a bridge that separates the main street from the main park area. Perilous Parachute Plunge is one of my favorite rides at the park! Everyone at the park was so happy to be enjoying a day in the beautiful sun. "Marco's Bistro" is my favorite restaurant in the park, with great Italian dishes to enjoy. This is the boardwalk with Seahorse, the park's wooden coaster, in the background. Unfortunately, this was the last picture I took, but it was a truly gorgeous day at Ripley Valley!
  7. I don't believe the SFGAm model will be much different than the SFOT model, which should mean all the bugs from this year should be fixed for the new installments from the get-go.
  8. If SFNE's return of Superman doesn't even include new trains, Ka is definitely not getting new trains...
  9. HOLY HELL SFGADV FANBOYS ARE THE WORST! You're getting an amazing new coaster and all you can do is complain? Five years ago, while the Chang/Green Lantern fiasco was ensuing, all the SFGAdv fanboys were crying that they "deserve" Chang and that the park was "neglected." What's the point of Six Flags even trying with you people...
  10. I would like to echo this! Would someone who can fit on Intamin Hyper coasters (Including Bizarro with it's massive lapbar) be okay to ride?
  11. River Ridge Reopens! Hello- I'm Mark Shapiro and I'm the President of River Ridge! I'm so excited to be personally updating you on the happenings at our lovely park. Along with the three new roller coasters we've introduced this year, our park has made other significant additions in order to benefit your experience. For example, we've repaved large sections of the park in concrete, which is lighter than asphalt and will help keep us cool on those hot summer days. We've also planted more than 200 new trees and shrubs for additional shade and beauty in the park. I hope you enjoy some of the following pictures I've prepared to share with you: Dr. Steam is at it again with his infamous mischief on this awesome launched coaster. New wide concrete paths will accommodate more guests more comfortably! This entirely new midway is home to six new rides for everyone in the family! Protoflight is the longest wing-coaster in the world and features a smooth but intense layout. Temple Run is a great stand-up coaster for everyone in the family to ride together. Due to the quick nature of the turnaround, some rides are not ready for the season yet and others are waiting to be removed. Rainforest Adventure remains as one of the best roller-coasters in the WORLD! It's the staple of River Ridge. New meal options will ensure there's something for everyone! Guests enjoy world-class rides and attractions at River Ridge. With modern infrastructure and clean midways. This new building is dedicated to park information and Season Pass processing. New rides and coasters keep our lineup fresh and up-to-date. NASA's Little Rovers takes our young guests on a adventure, out of this world! INSANE will be just the second vertical twist roller coaster in the United States. There's something for everyone at River Ridge Amusement Park! Come on out and visit the world's cleanest theme park! -Mark
  12. Colossus is a steaming pile of trash. The other classics in the chain, are not. There's a difference.
  13. Reread the introduction... The park Opened in 1994. ----------- Concept Art The new marking team at River Ridge released some conceptual images of the all new area of the park which will feature two new coasters, multiple restaurants and areas to take a break and relax. Also attached was a list of Roller coasters that will be operating when the park opens next year: Temple Run (Formerly Mantis) Rain Forest Adventure (Formerly Forest Run) Dr. Steam's Laboratory INSANE (All new! Intamin ZacSpin Coaster) ProtoFlight (All new! B&M Wing Coaster) Little Flyers (All new! Vekoma Family Inverted Coaster) The list indicates that four coasters originally with the park will not operate, including: Zonga (Schwarzkopf looping coaster) Raptor (B&M Inverted Coaster) Vortex (Arrow Dynamics Looping Coaster) Wooden Vortex (CCI Wooden Twister) The park intends to open by Memorial Day of next year.
  14. River Ridge Amusement Park BREAKING NEWS FORMER CEO OF SIX FLAGS PURCHASES ABANDONED AMUSEMENT PARK "Former President and CEO of Six Flags, Mark Shapiro, has purchased the abandoned River Ridge Amusement Park. The park, which was opened in 1994 by Cedar Fair, closed three years ago due to the park "no longer fitting with the long-term strategy of the chain," according to Cedar Fair. Shapiro, who has entered a joint-venture with LTS & Stern Capital, LLC, says the park was profitable and will be profitable again under new management techniques. Shapiro left the Six Flags company in 2010 after the company emerged from bankruptcy. Shapiro says no outside funding will be required for the refurbishment of the property. "Major changes will be coming to the structure of the park, including a new midway and park layout over a 5-year plan." The Vortex Coaster, which had been standing but not operating for 6-years prior to the closing of the park, will be removed. This coaster, formerly known as Raptor, will be dismantled to be re-installed at a later date. "This park is in dire need of some paint," says Shapiro "coasters like Forest Run will be getting new coats of paint." Unfortunately, many coasters are so overgrown that they will not be salvageable. This small area across the river will not reopen immediately, however, there are plans to expand this area. Some coasters will even recieve new brand deals to help market the park. "We're very excited to begin work on the park in just a few weeks to open by next memorial day. Our current priority is renovating facilities and attractions which haven't operated in years." Stay tuned for more with Channel 9 News.
  15. Besides the fact that the OP doesn't seem to know what a bad addition vs smart addition is... I liked both management teams, but at the same time I wish both did a few things better. SHAPIRO TEAM Pros: - Positive changes around the chain which brought about cleaner, safer and more friendly parks. - PAINT (no need to say anymore on this point) - Capacity was brought to an acceptable standard for once. Cons: - Lack of a solid plan to bring down the debt. - Poor attraction planning. (How would Buccaneer Battle tide over SFGAm when guests consistently ask for a thrill coaster...) - Shifted the focus to families, a market which is hard to penetrate and is also hard to hold onto. REID-ANDERSON TEAM EDIT: I think the re-focus on regional theme parks was a major moment for the company under this leadership, as well. Pros: - Clear plan for the company with goals and milestones set for investors (of whom I am one). - 'News in Every Park' strategy is proven to work and works here. - Understanding the importance of the thrill seeker and the family (ie. Superman: Ultimate Flight 2012 and Splashtastic 2013) Cons: - Low employee morale. I don't see employees as happy as they used to be. - No focus whatsoever on capacity (ie. adding 700pph coasters) - Lack of brand building. Six Flags is just a name, there's no power behind it. Just my opinion- as an investor and as a guest, I like Jim's management and leadership skills.
  16. Or how about $110 for a Six Flags Season Dining Pass? With the average meal being $10, and receiving two meals a day, it'll take 5.5 visits to the park to make that pay off. Let's say you only got one meal on one day, it just makes it an even worse deal. Unless you're visiting the park on full-day visits. I know that employees buy it since it comes out cheaper over the season than the employee discount.
  17. RMC has control of everything, except weather. And this year, weather played a huge factor in any delays that were experienced. I think Six Flags could have, however, played it safe like Kings Island and started construction much sooner, except that the train wouldn't have been operational for parts of last season if they did that. The main concern is not the train or even closing a section of the midway. The concern was with the entire project leaking, as it basically did once the park went to the fair board. Six Flags remains consistent with when they announce things and they don't want one announcement overshadowing another.
  18. Everyone loves to bash Six Flags for delayed projects, but it's not anyone's fault but RMC. And this is coming from an RMC lover. RMC is responsible for acquiring material (which hasn't been a problem), assembly and construction, delivery of trains and installation of all ground equipment necessary for operations. Six Flags Great America couldn't receive construction permits until the Gurnee Village approved their request for a height variance. Even then, the area was already cleared and ready. In the end, it was a one week delay, which is much shorter than I was hearing originally... so let's hope this new timeline sticks.
  19. Have you ever considered the idea that the Lodge and water park are more popular than the coasters and flat rides? That's the case around the country at a lot of parks. If adding new attractions there makes more financial sense, then that will continue to happen. Great Escape doesn't bare the Six Flags name for a reason.
  20. If the initial idea was to re-create the original, why oh why didn't they do it? Fingers crossed that the PC version will deliver. Then why wouldn't they just call it "Roller Coaster Tycoon Mobile? I don't know what marketing you've seen, but everything carries the "mobile" moniker.
  21. The Great America Deja Vu is now at Silverwood in Idaho. This is Deja Vu from Magic Mountain, and even Deja Vu at Magic Mountain was one of the most reliable of the three that were originally manufactured. If Six Flags would have just let Vekoma come and install the new software they created and re-marketed in 2009, then these problems wouldn't be occurring at all. Either way, it's a very popular coaster at SFNE, and yes, I'd say it was my favorite at the park.
  22. My bad, looked back and saw RMC did in fact do the retracking on Thunder Run.
  23. I wouldn't be too hopeful. Six Flags pays at least $10 Million per renovation and that includes guarantees for future business. Two whole tracks with I-Box doesn't seem practical for a park which will just be getting back on track. If it was the case, Thunder Run would have been retracked with Topper Track. No, not exactly. Ed said something about forming Twisted Twins into one larger wooden coaster with a major refurb. Thunder Run couldn't get box track because KK has limited amount of money as of this time. So therefore I agree to disagree. ^ And yes, Kentucky kingdom was a money maker before Six Flags bought it. Topper Track isn't much more expensive than traditional retracking, in fact, it's cheaper over time. Do you have any information to substantiate your claim that Kentucky Kingdom was profitable? I don't know why Ed Hart would sell a perfectly good and profitable park unless the property wasn't making profit, or if there was no clear path to pay down the immense debt the park put onto Ed and the Fair Board.
  24. The capital structure of Six Flags during the time when KK was a part of the chain would not have allowed for the park to be successful. The plan emphasised the success of the larger parks (SFMM, SFGAm, SFGAdv) and would occasionally offer new capital to the smaller parks, mostly in relocated attractions from other parks. Parks like KK don't belong in a chain of properties. SFMM on the other hand, does. I wouldn't be too hopeful. Six Flags pays at least $10 Million per renovation and that includes guarantees for future business. Two whole tracks with I-Box doesn't seem practical for a park which will just be getting back on track. If it was the case, Thunder Run would have been retracked with Topper Track.
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