Intimidator305

With the same drop-box slide tower complex popping up around the entire chain (WOF, Dorney, KD, Carowinds) and doing very well in each of the parks, I wouldn't be surprised to see the same one here. I guess we'll find out in 10 minutes! KI's water park needs something new. Although I'll probably never visit their Soak City again, it desperately needed new attractions (besides a wave pool) last time it got attention in 2012. I'd say this is a welcomed addition.

The removal of Thunder Road pissed a lot more people off than just enthusiasts. Even though the ride never had a line, if you read the park's Facebook page, you can see tons and tons of people don't care for the upcoming water park and would rather have Thunder Road. In my opinion Thunder Road and the water park were both awful, so you might as well make one of them good. Converting and expanding the water park is a better long-term investment as their water park is easily always the most crowded area of the park throughout the summer. On the topic of Kings Island, I wouldn't take any of these 'images' too seriously. Just a way too fool around with fans hours before the announcement and get the conversations stirring.

I'm confident that both Racer and Rebel Yell are safe for many years to come, but please don't believe the park's PR manager has much of a say when it comes to removing rides - That's made at the executive level of the chain with the park's VP/GM.

Here's the latest rendering of the leaked plans thanks to KDFans' discoveries. With KI's announcement unexpectedly happening tomorrow, maybe KD's announcement will unexpectedly happen Thursday as rumored.

98 days, close enough! Today is 101 days since Rougarou opened.

I made the long trip and visited the park yesterday for the final time this summer before Halloween Haunt begins. With it being Saturday, the park was obviously crowded, but I managed to get plenty of rides in (even on Volcano thanks to a front-of-the-line pass) by beating the crowds to the back of Candy Apple Grove. I was there with family friends, so I rode some rides that I typically do not which ended up being a fun time. Ride Count (11:30 AM - 5:30 PM) Backlot Stunt Coaster - 3 Intimidator 305 - 2 Drop Tower - 2 Volcano Anaconda Wave Swinger Bad Apple Ricochet Rebel Yell Hurler Grizzly Woodstock Express As for Shockwave, no significant changes have been made. The FunTV's from the queue and some signage has been taken down and a fenced gate has been installed on the entrance. I snapped some photos of the areas that should look quite different next season. Orange gate added to the entrance A wider midway will be here next season according to the leaked plans I expect this area to be freshened up and more of an access-way next season Area where a brick patio for seating will be installed next season according to the leaked plans Also, the park is preparing for the UCI The Road World Championships (Worlds) at the end of next month which is cycling’s pinnacle event, held annually in an international city (in this case, Richmond).

To be fair, the area is already brick paver paths. However, they are doubling the width of the Shockwave midway behind Bad Apple (also done in brick pavers)... leaving me to think that the park believes this will be a popular attraction(s).

Here is a very quick land use map of what we know by the plan so far in relation to Shockwave. The proposed ride only takes up 1/3 - 1/4 of Shockwave's site. It'll be interesting to see what else and how everything else is arranged on the site once more plans come out! Orange is the proposed ride

I must say I still think Volcano is the best themed coaster in the chain and partly due to that, the ride is easily still the most popular ride in the park.

I really believe the whole Universal metal detector situation is idiotic and I know people are going to disagree with me. It ruins the park's atmosphere with an airport-like entrance to their coasters and just causes even more irritating people in line... At least when people have theirs phones, iPods, ect. in line it keeps them occupied and not as irritating. There are things called pockets, fanny packs, ect. and if someone is stupid enough to lose their phone on a ride, it is their own fault in my opinion. Thousands of phones are lost on attractions each and every day around the world and you very rarely hear of someone getting struck by a phone on a ride or stupid enough to break into a restricted zone to get their phone back. Let's not change everything in the industry that sees millions and millions of people per season just because of one individual.

Out goes the Valravn theming, here comes "PrisonHawk" Safety first!

Maybe this will result in the ride finally getting repainted so half the GP thinks it's also a new coaster next season.

Definitely. I'm feeling bad for them as they have the leak and now this... then once the announcement occurs guests and enthusiasts still won't be happy. The ragging of a 'short layout', 'not as tall as MF or TDD', ect. will begin in the comments on their social media accounts. I'm hoping the announcement goes well for them as this will probably be their biggest announcement until the 150th Anniversary and CP has the best PR/Marketing crew in the amusement park world in my opinion, so they deserve it.

I'm willing to bet anything the park gets more than a SlingShot next season.

Sandusky's weather and target audience is quite different from the Carolinas. At Carowinds where the weather is mostly always sunny and in the 90's during the peak season, it's almost too miserable to be in the dry side of the park all day... at Cedar Point that's no problem. Carowinds has a sh!tty water park now and almost every day of the summer it is slammed while most of the rides on the dry side are near walk-ons expect Saturdays.

^ Theme of the ride. Matches the circle glasses that were cool back in 1999... (Greatest ride promo video EVER! )

I wouldn't call this bickering... I think it's refreshing to see and participate in discussion about something other than the ordinary "it's not fair KD isn't getting a coaster" conversation. On the topic of new additions though, I've seen the rumor of August 20th possibly being the announcement date. Don't mark my words, but it's something to consider and keep an eye on. KD is known for oddball out of nowhere announcements, so there's a chance it could pop up unannounced.

^ I232 is hit or miss with its airtime so I really can't say. Years ago, I sometimes would get a good ride on 232 but haven't in a long time due to those trims. So lately, yes I'd argue 305's floater air is better than 232's in the fact that it has 2 good floater hills when 232 crawls over most of its hills.

^ Just stating my opinion. Especially when you ride ones like Intimidator down at Carowinds when the ride has been trimmed to death and doesn't necessarily 'get going' until it warms up. Many times during (most obvious in the early spring and fall) these rides simply go over the hills without much air at all. And to be honest on the whole ejector/floater debate, to the GP they are both nothing but your "butt coming out of the seat".

And as someone who has been on every hyper coaster east of the Mississippi I can confidentially say that the 'floater' air on Intimidator 305's final two hills (even the trimmed hill) is better than some of these 'floater' airtime hypers.

No they aren't - they're running a successful business with growing attendance each season.

^ Obviously... Just saying not every park needs a floater airtime machine to be considered a good park, especially a park that put in a ride with good airtime as their last coaster. I think the park's lineup could use several other things before that. Would I take it and be happy? Yes, but I'm not one to bring it up on a weekly basis saying how much the park needs it unlike some people.

Kings Dominion does not need an airtime machine. Their last coaster addition provided guests with some of the best 'ejector' pops of air of any coaster out there. Yeah, no rattle either - still one of the smoothest coasters I've been on 5.5 seasons later. The land clearing was probably for the fireworks... they do this quite often as they have to keep the area back there 100% dirt to prevent anything from catching on fire. Move along there will be nothing back there for 2016 obviously and they are certainly not going to begin work on a 2017 project before they start the 2016 project.

Still have yet to discover this mythical rattle you speak of. Fury 325 does have the smallest bit of a rattle though, especially compared to earlier in the season.

I don't find the expansion very exciting. All it is doing really is bringing Carowinds' dated, faded, tiny water park up to the Cedar Fair water park standards (see KI and KD Soak City). With all of this 'Cedar Point of the South!' stuff you'd think they would add something to the water park to make it a 'destination' water park. They removed Thunder Road, the park's 4th best roller coaster, for generic CF water park additions. Looking at it from a local's perspective though, the water park should be much nicer now and enhance the overall experience at Carowinds. It's just a shame that a park that lacks a good amount of good coasters (Fury, Afterburn, Intimidator, then...?) compared to other major parks in the chain removed a top-coaster in the park. At the end of the day though... Fury > Thunder Road