RoCo

The Drifting Coaster sounds [sexually suggestive comment deleted per local decency standards]. Seriously, this thread is like Christmas morning, all day long, and in November.

FREAKING MEGA-WIN! DO WANT THIS AT MAGIC MOUNTAIN RIGHT THE HELL NAO!

Light-up coaster wheels... launched shuttle woodies... Do we really need these things? No. Do I want them? Yes. Very, very badly. Thanks for these super-sweet updates and keep 'em coming! (BTW, I also had no idea that Alan "4th Dimension" Schilke was with the RMC folks now. Awesome!)

More great shots, and that "Jenntendo" tattoo (that is a tattoo, yes?) freaking RULES!Well done!

What a kick-ass little treat! Had no idea this existed. Just one more example of that special Disney magic. As a theme park/resort operator, they have no equal. Period. And, more! Please! Vicarious vacationing is half the reason I come to this site every day.

Pardon me, I've just got to wipe off all this slobber on my chin... Anyway, per some earlier remarks, they can call it "Wooden Dragon 2000" or "Ride: The Ride" or "Herpderp" ...or any other damned thing. It's just... it's just... so... magnificent.

I was a boy scout for at least three years and we NEVER did ANYTHING this cool. Glow-in-the-dark Shaggy ROCKS OUT! Thanks for both the photos and the Jacksonville tourist tip!

More kudos for the beautiful shots, brought back some wonderful memories of a perfect day. Also, I'll never get tired of the rider close-ups. The joy you see on so many faces just lifts my spirits, always.

^ Thanks for the linkage. While I was reading through this awesome thread, I thought I should dig up those Arrowbatic renderings and share them. Also, regarding the inversion on the Arrow suspended coaster model, I remember seeing that video footage of the trains WHIPPING through the loop and going bananas. As I recall, Toomer said that they could never figure out a way to guarantee that the trains would have enough centripetal force to stay fully "upright" going through the inversion. I believe they hoped to include a couple of these loops on Kings Island's The Bat, but when they couldn't develop some sort of failsafe "thruster" system, they dropped them. Had the technology been feasible back then, I wonder if LIMs or LSMs might have solved the problem...

Jebus H. SICK! It looks like they're building THREE coasters. DO WANT!

^Word. I also took a look at the coastercon.com construction shots and this really does look like it could be one for the ages.

Since my last post in this thread was completely off-topic: whatever the reasons the park is doing this off-season work, I'll still be super-psyched to ride this coaster again, even if all the trims remain in place. I've only ridden it post-trimmage, and it was a FANTASTIC ride, IMHO. So don't be too bummed if nothing changes much.

Reverse Timothy Bottoms pose FTW!!!!

Super-mega-awesome photos; thanks so much! I remember reading about this park as a kid and desperately wanting to go there. Really heartbreaking that it's gone, like so many traditional parks. *heavy sigh* Also, I could be wrong, but wasn't Cedar Point's Corkscrew the first loop/cork combo?

Just to chime in, I'm not a huge waterpark fan, but I've had some great times in a few, and this one does look pretty sweet; will have to find some time for waterparks the next visit to Wisc- I mean, Orlando. Also love the book rack of lazy beach reads and such. That really is brilliant.

Are you all going to hit Uni. Studios Wisconsin's "Chip, Chide, Cheezit?" coaster? (Kidding aside, I'm curious to hear what the group thinks; apparently, it had become a total pain machine; hope that's not the case.) Edit: Also, Devo FTW!

Boy, these shots are pretty melancholy, if only as a reminder of the passing of time... Can't believe it's been five years (?!) since they closed up Astroworld. Just checked: savetehbatmantehescape.biz is available...

"AHAHAHA I SAEEN THIS FUNNY MAN SING YOUTUBE HIDE YOUR WIFE RAPE RAPE" Icing on the whole effing cake of this coo-coo crazy contest.

Re: the new themed section, I'd love to see a massive "Heroes and Villains" thing, so's they can work in Terminator with the whole group. Would also open up mebbe retheming Deja Vu as a DC bad guy. Idle dreaming...

Well, I will say this... During our ERT session on Insane we had two members get nose bleeds, one of them pass out, and another one vomit!!! It was THAT insane!!! This is exactly what makes my nards shrivel up when I think about riding one of these...

I could look at pictures of big fairs all day long and these really are tasty; thanks! Question: were all those Musik Express-type rides at least somewhat far away from each other? Talk about overkill...

^^Truly. I find most of the whole "new media-social network-interwebz-viral marketing-blahblahblah" stuff to be kind of sickening, but this kind of thing is fun and creative. And even though HP's next attraction(s) are indeed cast in stone, it's always nice to think they're paying close attention to our feverish rantings. [AquaTrax! AquaTrax! AquaTrax! AquaTrax! ]

^ Let's hope if they haven't before today, they are now. [Pssst... yeah, you "RIT" folks looking over this thread to see how your scheme is playing out... are you actually planning on building an AquaTrax coaster? Because that would be diabolically cool... and if not for 2011, then keep it in mind for later. kthxbai.]

^"Project Name Here" is an even worse name than "Freestyle Music Park..."

...Just watched the video again... still gives me the chills... I can see how, with the proper weight distribution, that Green Lantern thing could really deliver a complete mindrape of a ride... scared and yet very, very intrigued. But I'll say again, S:EFK has me just as excited. They don't seem to show much of the station. Really curious to learn what re-theme will happen there. I've got high hopes they'll add some kewl pre-launch effects, like some kind of hint of the planet going kablooie (sound FX, flashing lights?), maybe toss in a Marlon Brando audio clip? "Live as one of them, Kal-El, to discover where your strength and your power are needed. Always hold in your heart the pride of your special heritage. They can be a great people, Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you... my only son." KABOOM! I would love that so...