edgeboy

I'm guessing they meant April 28, not May 28. But aside from that, that's a nice gesture. I had a similar experience where many attractions were closed, and they sent me an extra BFF use for a day not listed on the usual BFF dates. So yes, they may actually be stepping up their customer service!

That's really disappointing if it has a short cycle. I rode the one in Lagoon (Samuri), and as I recall, it had a semi-lengthy cycle that ran both backwards and forwards. One of my favorite flat rides that I've been on. I doubt it, but I suppose there is a small chance the cycle and/or speed may have been slowed down due to it's size... isn't it the only one that seats six across instead of five? The extra length of the arms could affect the recommended speed of the ride, or else those end seats may be too much. It's a longshot, but I would gamble thatit could be at least a factor in a shorter ride cycle.

Put me in the camp where I didn't actually find that Boomerang any worse or better than any other of it's model. It's not great, but I didn't personally think it was the worst one either. That said, I'm not particularly sad it's leaving... more because of it's dismal wait times for something that's not really worth it anymore. Though I do recall that when these rides first emerged, they were exciting at the time to be able to pack 6 inversions in such a small space.

I just visited this park two days ago. First off, I was surprised by the crowd level. It was quite light, even to the point of them posting a sign out front saying it was limited operations. When I asked what that meant, they said some of the smaller rides and kiddie rides would either not be open or on a limited schedule, but all the major rides would be open. First off did multiple rides of Gold Striker. I've been on it about a year ago, and it's still a great ride and layout, but I am noticing it's getting a bit rougher. Still very ridable, but I also feel like this is what happened to Apocalypse at SFMM, and once it began, it went downhill and became painful quickly. I'm hoping for the best here, but I'd say ride it soon just in case. Patriot was fun, but not ice smooth. It's good to remember this was the #2 coaster B&M ever built, so it's not their prime example. It's a bit rough. Ride has some decent pulls in the back, but the "floater" air in the corkscrew is really only noticeable in the front. I was glad to see shade screens for the platform queue, and that they were running two trains when it was barely a station wait--and this is during Spring Break (though one employee said half the schools had SB this past week, and the other half had it the week before--so I guess that really reduces the traditional crowds). Still enjoy Tiki Twirl, though it was only open from 10-1:30. On the other side of the park, there was only one operator for Orbiter (an Enterprise) and the Flyer, so they were open in shifts... Flyer would be open for 2 hours, then Orbiter for 2 hours. So there you go about limited operations. But the park was pretty dead, so I can see why they'd do it. I do forget how much I enjoy Flight Deck, especially the front row. That one hasn't lost any punch, and is in great shape. I was happy to see a new (to me, anyway--though as I said, I haven't been at the park in a year) kiosk ordering system at the main food court. Made ordering food a much faster experience. I do remember before the lines could get pretty unmanageable, so this was a welcome change. It seems with these new kiosks, you can order food from any of the options in the court, even if the kiosk isn't immediately next to that station, so keep that in mind... just head to the shortest kiosk line. It makes sense when you're there. Just do know that if you pay cash, there will be an extra line to stand in. If using a card, it'd all be done at the kiosk only.

Any estimates as to how the line for Patriot has been? I'm visiting from the LA area next week, and was wondering if I should hit Gold Striker first thing or Patriot first thing. Will schools up there be on Spring Break?

I would think the main problem would be storage. Where would the average person keep an item like that?

Why all this love for a B & M Hyper? I think Intamin Hypers are far superior. Even with that relatively large footprint, I don't know if I see it being big enough for a hyper of any kind. I think a large El Loco woud be pretty cool, myself. Or one of the mini Chance hyper (whatever they're called). I could see a Dive Machine as well... I figure it's just a matter of time before either Knott's or SFMM gets one.

To me, there's a slight difference between 3D screen based attractions, and screen attractions that don't require 3D glasses. They just don't seem as intrusive, and often incorporate physical sets. So I personally put them in a different category, and am much more tolerant. That said, that's still a pretty dang long list of 3D screen based attractions, even if one removes HE and FJ.

I may be showing my age, but I've been to a few of the parks people have listed here. I do remember Baseball and Boardwalk/Circus World. I'm surprised no one has yet mentioned Busch Gardens Van Nuys. Granted, it didn't have any thrill rides, but did have a monorail, log flume, and boat ride (sort of like the Jungle Cruise, but serious, not joking). And it was superbly landscaped, as you can see. Those are city train tracks that divide the park down the middle. Similar was Japanese Village Deer Park, which used to be near Knott's Berry Farm. It was noted for not only being able to feed deer, but pearl divers who actually dived into a deep pool to get the oysters, and the now infamous and not politically correct anymore trained bear show, where the highlight was watching a bear go on a swing all the way upside down. (go to about 2:10) [youtu_be] [/youtu_be]

I think the point is that SFMM is a unique park that is in a one of a kind situation, and it's easy to forget that. Aside from Cedar Point (which does have an off season), name another year round park with as many coasters. Being so much in the forefront means they have no other park to compare their maintenance needs. So they have to figure it out as they go. And having so many, it's perfectly natural that the ball gets dropped from time to time. Even if maintenance is on top of things, and know something needs to be done or fixed, it also doesn't mean there's an immediate budget to fix it right away. There's only so much money to go around, so one must pick and choose what gets done. By saying all this, I'm not giving them a "get out of jail" free card. Given how long things like this have been happening, yes, they should expand their maintenance department. Maybe it's not in the budget. Who knows? Maybe they have bitten off more than they can chew. But I also don't see them closing/demolishing rides just to save on maintenance costs, so they just have to make the best of it. I do like the point of joelwee, who stated that even with so many rides down, they still have more coasters than most parks at full capacity. Kinda tells us how spoiled we've become.

This is probably the price for having so many coasters in one park... while it's great for the fan, the maintenance gets tougher. Imagine spinning plates on the end of poles, like the old circus trick. The more you have, the tougher it is. Even it's nearest coaster count competitor, Cedar Point, has a large off season to maintain. SFMM basically year round, so that makes it even more difficult. In that regard, I'm surprised they manage to keep the rides in as good condition as they are.

These are pretty general questions, and lot of them can be answered by some of your own research (try each park's website, that'll tell you all costs and food prices) but I can add: WB and USH are very, very close to each other, and USH can be done in one day, even shorter if you are able to afford a Gate A pass. So if you're looking to save time/money, I'd see if I could do both in one day. If USH is open late the day your here (which is likely by the summer, it's usually open until 10pm then), it'd be a long day, but possible. Plus, the lines at USH really decrease a lot in the late evening hours, so much so that usually even Forbidden Journey, which can get to be 2-3 hours long during the morning and day, can become a walk on. You could even start your day at USH, drive over to WB and do the tour, and then return to USH... you can re-enter the parking lot for free on the same day if you keep the receipt. In terms of the other parks, distance is an issue. SFMM is north, USH/WB is about 30 minutes south (more with traffic), and DL/DCA is about 45-60 minutes south of USH (again, more with traffic). So I'd either work from the top down or bottom up (geographically speaking), or else you'll be doing a lot of double backing. And given all those distances, I think it would be cheaper, if not at least a lot more convenient, to rent a car. With all those distances, I'd imagine Uber costs would be way more than $400, especially if you include driving back to LAX, which is also not really close to any of those locations. LA is very spread out. Google map it all, and you'll see what I mean. And no Knott's Berry Farm? It's quite close to DL/DCA, and a smaller park with some great and unique rides and attractions, not to mention history. It could be done in less than a day. Although that is the only park I know that does not allow re-entery for cars, so if you leave and come back on the same day, you'd have to pay for parking again (though not re-admittance into the park, just the parking).

The tram continues to run as usual during the daytime hours. You should be fine. The only thing to be aware of is that it does sometimes close about an hour before the park does, as the tour itself takes about an hour.

^Last Sunday was also a BAFF day, which didn't help things.

Or at least have a non-VR rider line, so all those empty seats can go to use.

Good point with Ollivanders. The line does fluctuate a lot during the day, so keep checking back, but in general is can get quite long for the majority of the day. First thing in the morning can be good, as well as late at night, but that's not a guarantee. At the same time, I've seen the line be totally empty and people just walk right in, so keep checking in. Sadly, though Waterworld is currently under refurbishment for the next few months, so you'll probably be missing out on that. One last insider tip... the minimum line for Simpsons is 25 minutes. So if it's in that range, that's actually about as short as it gets, and go for it.

No kidding. I feel like half this thread lately has been: >Tastsu is getting repainted! >Tatsu is definitely not getting repainted. >Really, I heard it's getting repainted! It needs it! >Tatsu is not getting repainted. Based on absolutely no evidence other than my gut and some logic (so expensive, difficult to reach, and so many other projects going on), I'm putting myself down in the NOT camp. But either way, obviously someone's wrong. Really, at this point, I hardly even care anymore. Part of me wishes it were getting repainted, just to end the tedious discussion. Because if it's not, the "it will get painted" camp will remain forever hopeful... and repetitive, because everyday it's not repainted, the hope and rumor will not die.

It can be, but I'd prioritize Forbidden Journey first. The entire Harry Potter area can get slammed very early on, and it tends to remain that way until evening. It does empty out quite a bit in the last few hours before park closing, so that's a great time to go. Studio tour can get long, but the line moves very briskly. Keep an eye out on the wait times on either their app or the mobile site, ushwaittimes.com. It's a pretty accurate overall, and also shows performances times, even of many characters.

Other than annual passes, no, not much in the way of discounts. I sometimes forget as a local, the tram tour is a must for a first time visitor. It's about 45-60 minutes long, but is a very unique attraction that passes a ton of genuine movie sets that you'll recognize. While the line can get long, it often moves fast, and there are plenty of video monitors to watch while waiting.

It's the off season, should be very doable. There's nearly always single rider on Transformers, Mummy, and Forbidden Journey. Occasionally on Jurassic if it's busy, but on a day like that, it may be closed, but the regular line would be short anyway. And you'll want to use that FJ SR a lot. It's worth it. Oh, there's also often SR on Flight of the Hippogriff, just ask at the front. Sometimes they say no, but usually if they do, it's because the lines are already very short. Do keep in mind if you were interested in The Walking Dead attraction, it sometimes closes earlier than the rest of the park. See the showtimes handout they give you as you enter.

Yeah this has been on my nerves for awhile. I love flash pass. I use it every park we go to. But the last two years SFMM makes me feel like I'm getting ripped off. I don't mind he high price. It's just so limited now. (Single rides only on some coasters. Etc). While I may be wrong, I was always under the impression that the determining factor for the extra FP cost was directly related to the fact it was both high demand and low ridership. I remember at least at the time, Goliath at SFGA didn't cost extra, but it was limited to a max of 2 rides, while the rest were unlimited (something we didn't realize until after we tried to get a third ride--so we felt a bit ripped off at that situation). And I thought SR was primarily only offered on rides that both frequently had open seats, and could easily accommodate a separate queue. I sure other factors, such as ridership demand, also come into play.

Right away? You got lucky. Most of us complain on how slow it is with this new technology. It depends if they are doing the finger scanning or not. If they are, it goes agonizingly slow. If they just scan the pass only, then it goes really quick. I've seen them do both, and without any rhyme or reason. Even on the same morning, some turnstyles would finger scan, and some would just scan the pass. Makes no sense to me.

Granted, I don't have access to their stats, but does Sea World really get "a high volume of visitors"? Sure, it can get crowded in relative terms, but nothing like Disney crowds. And even if they did, they are primarily a family park. So only a small percentage of their visitors would want to ride this. For those reasons above, plus added expense, I wouldn't count on a dual loading platform. I suppose you never know, and it'd be a very pleasant surprise, but it doesn't really make economic or practical sense to me--just wishful thinking from fan boys (the same ones who were earlier insisting that were trying to insist in the high probability of this ride being something else that fits the stats--wishful thinking). Yes, the lines will go slow because of the nature of the ride, and it likely will get somewhat lengthy, but at the same time, I think the lines for it will be much shorter than it is at other parks where it's installed because they are already geared towards being thrill parks. This isn't. It'll be interesting to see how long the line does get, compared to the other installations, but I'm going to gamble they'll be shorter.

Assuming TNR is no longer using the VR (confirmation would be appreciated), how are the lines? Very short? I would hope they'd move a lot faster, but I am curious about the length and wait times.

Is there any possibility of it being open by Spring Break? I've heard Patriot may be open by March 25, so it'd be nice to hit both new attractions at the same time.