Geauga Dog

My pick is Orlando. Even though I haven't been to Florida yet I look at Orlando has having more diverse options within a small area. With Cedar Point you just get Cedar Point and the nearest parks, if interested in expanding your horizons beyond Sandusky, can be a decent drive to get them.

The closest coaster to me is the Little Dipper at Memphis Kiddie Park.

As for the keyhole towers are they solid or hollow? With the distinctive roar a B&M makes, even though I supect GK to be rather quiet like X Flight is, the keyholes, if hollow, might amplify the sound of the train going through them since the towers are also supports for the track.

Troika is still there and based on the beach cam I have a feeling that part of Gatekeeper's queue will go in that empty spot between the two rides.

^I have to agree. Boss has one of the best layouts for a wood coaster and since CCI built it what would it take for Gravity Group to fix it to where Timberliners could run on it? Even though Rocky Mountain Coasters have definitley redefined what a wood coaster/hybrid coaster could be I don't think every park should run to them to fix their troublesome wood coasters. I really like the Boss for what it is but the only change is to get better trains for it (and shorten that Great Wall of China queue).

I like the overall look of the new entrance area but I'm a ilttle underwhelmed with the gate that Gatekeeper flies over. I realize they want the coaster to be the main focus but they could have put a little more "character" into the design of the entrance gate.

Amazing shots! That first drop looks so wrong for all the right reasons. I have to stop delaying a trip to Texas and try to get down there to try this and NTAG.

Action Zone is the last of the park's sections to see any work done to it. I'm hoping when that happens we'll see a little more landscaping and less concrete. At least when it used to be Adventure Village/Wild Animal Habitat it didn't look as sterile as it does now.

It will probably be a BMX bike show in the Galaxy Theater.

Too bad they couldn't make it like a Vekoma Intertigo where you face each other but then again with the intensity of Batman I wouldn't want someon'es lunch on my lap.

I wouldn't consider SFStl a neglected park either and I think it's great that it's not a coaster heavy park. Other than a signature steel coaster the park seems fairly balanced to me.

Excalibur was a fun ride though it spun a bit too fast for my liking. I think what scared me more were the creaks and moans it makes as the arm makes its revolution. Glad to see an inverting Frisbee coming to the U.S.. It's awesome that these smaller parks are investing in unique rides. I thought Martin's Fantasy Island ran their Mind Warp (Technical Park Loop Fighter) pretty well. That ride is insane!

For me, if I'm going to a park that will be new to me or to a park I don't get to very often I will spend at least 2 days there since I don't know if or when I'll be able to get to visit them again. I will admit by the end of the second day I can get a ilttle bored with the park I'm in but when I look back on the trip later on I realize it was well worth going for the two days.

Before you even start it's best to get a feasibility study done to determine if the park will work at the location(s) you select. Hopefully you'll have more than one location in mind when searching for the perfect site. You can't just plop a bunch of rides down in an empty lot and open the doors (even though that has probably happened in the past). The feasibility study will give you all the numbers to determine the best size for your park based on the estimated number of guests your park could draw, your potential attractions, as well as its budget. I agree with studying those parks that have been built and failed and learn from the mistakes they've made. I'd would also study those successful parks that may be around the same size as the park you'd like to build to see what they do right. What may work at a mega-themer may not necessarily work for a small to mid-size park you plan to build. As for attractions it's key to offer a good variety for every member of the family. The tried and true classics (Scrambler, Tilt-A-Whirl, Flying Scooters, Bumper Cars, Carousel) as well as some of the newer flats (Mega Disk-O, Frisbee, Top Spin, Air Race) could make a nice mix for guests to enjoy. A log flume is a necessity (a big mistake when Hard Rock/Freestyle was first built) as people are going to look for something to get wet on in the peak of summer. If the budget allows I'd at least consider having two to three coasters - a major adult coaster, a wild mouse, and/or a kid/family coaster. A ride like SFStL's American Thunder is a nice size wood coaster for a starter park or rebuilding a classic coaster from a long gone local park may bring attention just for nostalgia's sake (I'd love to see the old Euclid Beach Thriller rebuilt as it looked like a great dogleg out and back coaster with plenty of airtime). As for making your park stand out you'll have to look at what your potential competition does or doesn't do. Special events tend to draw good crowds. As an example Geauga Lake used to have an Oktoberfest the third weekend in September with outside food vendors, live entertainment, beer slides, ice sculpting and grape stomping. It was always a big event for them and something its competition (CP and Kennywood) did not offer. It was a tradition that lasted 30+ years. A park could exist in this economy as it seems plenty of people are enjoying "staycations" by enjoying local parks more than traveling long distances. Just be sure the admission price justifies what you offer. I, too, have had the dream to build a new park and have drawn up a few ideas for a mid-size family-style park. I estimate the first phase at around $160-$180 million.

I thought NTAG's first drop looked incredibly steep. I-Rat's seems like it's going to top that and include a little twist to start it off. Amazing!

I remember seeing this back in the day when I used to be an ACE member. I can see Maurer Sohne try a big inversion like that since all they have to do is put a loop on top of their non-inverting loop.

If they were to buy Time Machine it wouldn't go to CP but more than likely to Carowinds since it's closer to Myrtle Beach and Kings Dominion already has Dominator.

Chuck, you got me beat - 21/26, which isn't bad for someone who hasn't done any extensive travelling.

Cedar Fair's height restictions have put some rides that are considered "family" into more of the "thrill" category. If they were to put a family launched coaster like Cheetah Hunt they will more than likely give it a 48" or 52" height limit. I do realize that a lot of that is manufacturer recommendations but most Intamin coasters have a higher height restriction that are not family friendly.

As for their relation to the rest of the park they are located in I'd say Medusa/Bizarro at SFGAdv and Twister and Knoebel's. This is based on my visit in 2005.

Anton didn't get into corkscrews, boomerangs, bowties, or any other kind of inversion on his coasters so is that a legitimate comparison? Anton only perfected the vertical loop whereas Arrow went with the clothoid teardrop shaped loops.

^You're not imagining it. I recall seeing some drawings for the wood coaster somewhere on the net.

^Does it really matter if KI gets a ride that is similar to what CP already has? How often does the park advertise in the Cleveland and Northern Ohio area anyway? They don't except for maybe a few years I can count on one hand. I remember are 1979 when the Beast was new, 1999 they did a few commericals regarding their new Face/Off and Drop Zone, and billboards advertised the addition/remake of Boomerang Bay about ten years ago. The only battleground would be Columbus and Central Ohio. I would like to see a B&M giga. Nothing wrong with a similar style coaster already at CP but designed by a different manufacturer.

Thanks for the flashback to Opryland. Like most have stated I wish I could have visited the park during its heydey. Those aerials give a very good view of how landlocked the park was. Did the hotel really need to get as big as it became? Seems to have greatly hindered any future growth of the theme park.

After riding Carowinds' version last year and Kings Dominion's this year I vote for both Hurlers.