TXman308

I was at Dollywood on the 30th and got 8 rides on Lightning Rod, never waiting more than 3-4 trains for it. I found it amusing that the ride ops were telling everyone in line "the line is short and the ride hasn't broken down yet, it probably will at some point so get your rides in now". I ended up being on the last train before it broke down when the train ahead rolled back on the lift hill. As the day progressed the only part of the ride that was a bit rough, and even then I thought it was fine, was the section of track at the bottom of the quad down.

For those that don't know the reservation site is available to see outside the park: https://hwreservation.com/# I've been using it periodically to check wait times. Today is the first time they've moved some of the rides into a "reservation not required category". (Meaning you can have a reservation for say Voyage and be able to ride another ride while waiting). My guess is they can easily move attractions around, and good to see HW adapting to concerns that people have had.

I'm sure Holiday World is planning for it, but has anyone thought about how they'll deal with the minimum weights on the water coasters once Splashin Safari opens? It's probably less of a big deal on Wildebeest, where the minimum weight (according to HW website) is 200 lbs per raft, but Mammoth has a minimum weight of 500 lbs. (Couldn't find any data on Cheetah Chase, but those are only 3 person rafts). I could easily see groups of three or even four that wouldn't reach Mammoth's minimum weight by themselves, and very few groups of two that would. Now all this is with the assumption that there will be social distancing on these attractions, and separate groups will not be able to ride together. This thought came up from my thinking about visiting HW once SS opens, but just by myself, and whether or not they'd even allow single riders on the water coasters.

Absolutely Nuts. Never in America. Quick Question though, Do you control the ride yourself? I see joysticks but don't see anyone using them.

Ok I'm not an engineer, but here's my 2 cents.... (Only applies if SFMM actually wants Twisted Colossus to duel) Based on simple timing the 110 second mark might be the maximum time to allow trains to duel (i.e. Train 1 leaves, if train 2 hasn't been dispatched within 110 seconds, then Train 1 goes through the course the second time without dueling). Going through half of the course will take less than a minute, and based on the animation where the train rockets up the second lift hill, I can't imagine it would take 50 seconds to get to the top (Original Colossus took 30 seconds from the Bottom). The only way it would take this long (50 seconds) is if the 2nd lift slows down waiting for the 1st train, at the maximum time of a 110 second interval, but if the 2nd train is more than 110 seconds behind the 1st, then Train 1 will simply be sent through the 2nd half without dueling, so that Train 1 isn't waiting on the lift hill forever. This could mean that we could see closer to 90 second dispatches, which puts capacity around 1000 riders per hour. Also given how slow RMC's (with the exception of Outlaw Run) make their way through the Break Run, I think this would only work with 4 trains. I hope I made sense.

Kind of off topic, but do you count Wonder Mountain's Guardian then? Many people seem to be saying that WMG is a credit, yet it seems to be in the same situation as Gringotts… one small drop, then the rest is a dark ride.

People (Enthusiasts) have differing views over the Golden Ticket Awards and their credibility. A more accurate Coaster Poll is Mitch Hawker, which takes into account ride experience (# of coasters someone has been on), as well as mutual comparisons. Raging Bull has still done alright, but has fallen in the rankings; this year it finished at 76. http://www.ushsho.com/steelpoll13yeartable2013.htm Not saying Raging Bull isn't a fun ride (though it's trimmed as hell), but I have a feeling Goliath will blow it out of the water.

^And Six Flags retaliated by busting the Water Supply to Cedar Point! It's a new era of the "Coaster Wars"!!! Really looking forward to this new ride, partly because I don't know what to completely expect due to the lack of a full POV.

Wow I feel dumb for just realizing how similar the beginning of this is to Goliath at SFMM: Big Drop, similarly banked turnaround, airtime hill... Even though this ride is short it certainly is going to pack a punch. Curious to see where this will rank in next year's Mitch Hawker Poll. (Top 5?)

I'm interested to see how much Potter brings up USO's attendance this year, considering last year Transformers brought it up 14%. (Or am I missing another big ride?)

Does this now make this coaster a hybrid? I realize only part of the structure is steel, so I guess it depends on what your definition of a hybrid is...? Regardless, this coaster looks like a top 5 on Mitch Hawker guaranteed!!!

^It just sounds different than the few seconds before and after it. How was the launch compared to other premier rides- for example Mummy?

Seems like a great ride. I really hope Premier starts becoming a more dominant force in the USA market. Oh and at 1:19: Elissa's (appears to be sound clipped) "So much better than Yolo"

Here's a video. I personally think "meh".

Looks like the El Loco is up and running, with lap bars. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZMKTle3MiA

Hulk is a ride that some days isn't at its' highest potential, but I've never had a "rough" ride on it. I personally think it will be another 6-8 years before one of them leaves, and I'm betting it will be one of the stand ups.

^Does that sign say "first amusement ride erected in China"?

Yeah, but they have placed the last car of the train right after the first car (see the themed wheels) which is something they don't usually do. Top Thrill Dragster opened missing a Car. The Train looks like those used on the Blitz Coasters, with the Smaller Diameter Road Wheels on the Front, so I'm willing to bet it will be 3 Car Train(s) like Maverick and iSpeed. That article said that there would be 4-car trains. It also interests me that apparently there will be a drop into a launch. Has Intamin ever done that?

^I think it's entirely possible. Remember this ride is just a figure 8, sits on a pretty flat piece of land, and uses many parts of its structure multiple times. Also, this SFGAM we're talking about, not SFMM.

This ride looks like it's going to be short, but sweet.

^What else would it be? I personally wonder how this compares to the impulse coasters, as maybe we could see 1 or 2 pop up in the U.S.?

Well I'm glad to see it's going to open (in a week).

^^Out of curiosity, what are the other two?

Quick question (I would presume for Elissa): are minors (over 16 but under 18) going without a parent allowed on international trips? Scandi sounds like it would be awesome.

^I'm pretty sure each Six Flags is independent of each other in terms of budget (though they receive more to work with depending on the popularity of the park).