Geauga Dog

I've always enjoyed your posts in the Attic, even long before I became a member here. Thanks for all that you've posted the pat few years. In 2001 I visited the Santa Clara park and I was somewhat surprised at how vastly different it was compared to the Gurnee park since both started out as identical twins (I guess that would be expected since both parks have different owners). When did Great America begin to lose the Marriott theming? You say you would have rethought the addition of Skyhawk but I think they should have rethought Grizzly and made it more like Kings Dominion's version. The most boring coaster I've been on.

You have to be trained to run marathons when it comes to being at CP first thing in the morning, especially if you are at the front gate and want to hit Millennium Force or Maverick first thing. My experiences with early park arrivals center around season pass perks.For a few years back in the early 00's I had added the extra Joe Cool perk to my CP season pass, which allowed guests to have early entry before the GP. At the time they had MF and Dragster open and I went to Dragster. What a waste! By the time I got to ride Dragster they were already letting the GP into the park thus I was not able to get a ride on the Force before 10 AM. Under Paramount I got a Gold Pass every year to Kings Island between 2003 and 2007. I loved how Paramount would open certain sections of the park for early rides, in particular Action Zone, where I was able to hit Delirium, Face/Off, Drop Zone, and even SOB before the masses. Would get plenty of rides in that one hour before they opened. In a sense I miss those days and those type of perks. I bought a Gold Pass to Kings Island when they went on sale last October, my first since 2007, and was able to get multiple rides on Diamondback and The Beast during morning ERT for Gold/Platinum passholders. It was fabulous.

Though I only got to see the ride SBNO when I was there in 2001 I wonder if Intamin would consider bringing back the concept now that design technology and the restraints have vastly improved since the Space Diver was first introduced. It was definitely an interesting take on what could be a vertical Wild Mouse.

What a beautiful sight. Would make a nice Christmas card next year.

I like the layout as well but they could swap out two corkscrews for something different. Surprised they haven't designed their own version of the Arrow bowtie element (like the last inversions on Marineland's Dragon Mountain) or something like B&M's Immelmans/Dive Loops.

Great shots, Jizzman. Thanks so much for posting. Great America is my favorite of the Six Flags parks and I've enjoyed viewing the park through your lens. That last shot of Raging Bull's supports and track is awesome. I have to agree with your assessment with Bull. It's my favorite steel coaster because it is different. I've only been on four of the Beemer hypers - Apollo's Chariot, Nitro, Raging Bull, and Diamondback. The out and back hypers seem to deliver the same type of ride, i.e. what one would normally expect from a ride with that style of layout although D-back does add a few twists to the mix. Bull's more compact and twisty layout is a nice change from the others, even with the trim on the airtime hill, which doesn't really bother me. I highly agree with the back seat - it's the only place to ride it. Only Diamondback has given me the same airtime sensation going down the first drop as Raging Bull does from that seat.

I'm at a crossroads. I have wanted to hit the Texas parks, SFoT, Fiesta Texas and Sea World but 2011 will make ten years since I've been to SoCal and I have had riding X2 at the top of my bucket list for a long time. It's a tough call as either trip will result in riding my 200th coaster. Outside of coastering I'm basically just going to take life as it comes. No need making resolutions I know I won't keep.

Waldameer finally getting Ravine Flyer II and what an awesome coaster it is, especially at night. Speaking of Waldameer it's a big deal that this small park continues to expand like it has. Darien Lake's Predator finally getting new trains. May not be a great achievement in many people's eyes but it was long overdue and made the ride a bit more tolerable this past summer. The Voyage - as rough and painful this ride can be it really pushed the envelope with what a wood coaster can/could do without being a pre-fab. Add to that the tremendous growth Holiday World had experienced in Will Koch's hands - went from an obscure family park to one that has become very widely known. Not only has B&M and Intamin prospered this past decade but the rise of Gerstlauer with the Euro-Fighter and spinning coasters and Maurer Sohne with their spinning coasters and X-Car coasters.

Of course, considering my screen name, it was the closing of Geauga Lake. It's not so much that CF closed it but the way they went about closing it was quite ugly. At least Astroworld had a proper farewell though that also belongs on this list. I also include: Hard Rock/Freestyle Music Park Wild West World Top Thrill Dragster only because of the constant downtime it had the first few years. The collapse of one of VertiGo's towers at CP. The loss of White Water Landing for Maverick. I love Maverick but WWL was a family ride that didn't soak you. Shoot-The-Rapids and the constant issues it had last year and the lackluster reviews it received from those who did get to ride it. Cedar Fair pulling a Six Flags and purchasing the Paramount Parks, thus putting them in a debt they've never had before and at a time when the economy was about to tank. Also should include the Apollo/Cedar Fair situation.

The two that stand out to me, though I haven't ridden them yet.... 1. Intimidator 305 - to see another giga built ten years after the original, and surprisingly in the same chain, is probably the biggest highlight of the year. 2. SFGAm saving Kiddieland's Little Dipper - who woulda thought SF would pull off a class act of preservation? On a personal level... 1. Going to Six Flags St. Louis for the first time and falling in love with the park and adding eight more coasters to my list. Was quite impressed with several of their coasters - American Thunder (Evel Knievel), Screamin' Eagle, Mr. Freeze, and The Boss. Even Tony Hawk was a complete surprise. 2. Going to Martin's Fantasy Island for the first time. I have a few mixed feelings about the park overall but was surprised with Silver Comet. They take very good care of this coaster and was quite an enjoyable ride. I'm somewhat planning on returning next year.

From what I can understand BBW was that "tweener" ride for kids too big for Grover and too short for the B&M's. In a sense that's a void in BGW's lineup now that Wolf is gone. It was my favorite of the suspended genre. Front seat was awesome as it seemed you were about to smack into the buildings through the village and back seat was fantastic as you whipped around the corner off the second lift and plummeted towards the Rhine River below.

It's not so much that Cedar Fair has 120 Windseekers coming for 2011 but announcing they are putting one at Cedar Point and at Kings Island, to me, is a big disappointment. Going to Kings Island for the first time since 2007 and noticing how the atmosphere had drastically changed since CF took over. International Street doesn't have much atmosphere anymore. Personal disappointment was not getting to experience The Boss and Screamin' Eagle at SFStL in the dark as I had planned though I really liked both rides.

My gut feeling is that it will be a floorless about the same size as Chang was, maybe a couple feet higher with at least six or seven inversions. I look forward to seeing how this park will be reborn.

I can hear it now: "We don't need a kiddieland. We need another coaster. We haven't had a new coaster since V2." Seriously this is awesome and pretty much makes SFSC a very well-rounded park.

The Invertigo and GIBs are my favorites.

These are great photos! I look forward to the next update. If Chaos isn't returning then I don't see why Ocean Motion couldn't replace it. It will be a big empty spot next summer.

I think it will be another wood coaster. CD5 did hint that Derecho might not be the only woodie for long. Since Vekoma came up I wouldn't be surprised if he added a Deja Vu clone.

I love the Columbus Zoo and the Polar Frontier addition was very well done. Haven't been to Zoombezi Bay but it looks awesome from Jungle Jack's Landing. I still need my Sea Dragon credit. A note to Cedar Fair: It's pretty sad that a zoo has a better looking water park, and is adding new slides, compared to what you've done to Wildwater Kingdom.

Darien Lake seemed much better under PARC and at least saw some additions. Based on Herschend's current track record they would do wonders for that place. Burke/Story back at Frontier City, where Premier Parks began? They totally neglected that park once Six Flags got in their hands. I wonder if they've learned their lesson.

Not even a B&M in the mix? If anything a hyper would draw more guests than some of the gimmicks they want to put in. Some say no space for a hyper - why not a hyper twister? Raging Bull packs a lot of coaster in it's space. Instead of the Vekoma Stingray just swap that for an Intamin Impulse, another ride not found in Florida. I also think the S&S 4th Dimension is a very expensive risk. Why not just put in an S&S Screamin' Swing like Skyhawk? I don't even know what to think of that Dive Pretzel.

I find it somewhat odd that Lagoon continues to add these small coasters to the park (not including Wicked). I realize they have to deal with Farmington when they plan something but I thought adding Wicked would be the start of seeing some slightly bigger attractions coming to the park.

I ate at the Johnny Rockets at SFStL and thought it was just slightly above average theme park food for what I paid for but they at least gave me a decent portion.

I just hope this all doesn't lead to an oversaturation of the theme park market in China. Seems a new park is announced and under construction within months of the last announced park, i.e . World Joyland and now Ocean Kingdom.

Vulture was built in 1984 and I can just imagine what shape its in as of 2001. Sure Big Bad Wolf opened the same year and lasted all the way to 2009 but look at the maintenance issues that ride had the last decade of its life.

Vulture has passed its expiration date. It might be time to say goodbye. I'm a bit concerned since very time you visit the park the crowds appear light.