bill_s

KD closed for tonight. Looks like my CP trip Th-F would have worked out, but only could go by the info avail. However, unlike CP, there should still be plenty of Fridays and Sundays left before KD gets too crowded -- last Sunday was very light. BGW appears to be open tonight, humidity 100%, swamp Halloween.

If it's not terrible, they will open and stay open IF people show up. One of my best Haunt nights was very rainy, they closed at 10 but I did everything, however they close more easily now. There is also a substantial chance of thunder this Friday and it will be quite humid; haunts may be a sweatbath and actors listless (even worse at BGW). Dorney and Great Adv. are looking better. I was going to go to CP but for high winds, probably will go to KD but it's not far away.

Alpengeist was closed for footer work recently and has already reopened. Your account of DarKoaster reminds me of my first rides, although to me the seat hurt my back. Thing to realize is it's overly banked, which gives a lot of warning for the curves but don't fully lean in or it will slam you around in the process. The handlebars are useless if you don't have long arms but that's OK. I don't know if a single rider line would be justified due to capacity, but the grouper seems to just manage QQ now, wasn't always the case; line could be shorter for everybody. Lots of opportunities to self-group if you can get past the newbies.

None of this really matters, but if the discussion goes on for more than 30 seconds, one should probably mention the technically longest one AND the one as massive and fast as would be expected of a huge ride. If only one is stated, most say it is the latter, and I don't blame them. Weigand's datasheet states "Manual brake and centrifugal brake in vehicle" and maximum 40 km/h. While there are other ways to make a long coaster that never hits high speeds, the centrifugal brake surely makes that a lot easier. Of course there are practical limits, but having to regulate speed by the complex calculations and braking systems of most other kinds of coasters is not one of them. I'm still left wondering if the centrifugal brake is a mechanism, or just uses the centrifugal force during curves to regulate speed, which it certainly does.

Closing at 8 also reflects the park's own forecast of the crowds, although part of that is self-fulfilling. If you're big into night rides, there is no substitute though. I went a Sun-Mon the Sunday was until 10. You can still do a lot without Fastlane between less popular rides and the start and end of each day, for example I got 2 rides on MF the first night in 30-40 min. Practically the first thing I did upon getting FL was ride Magnum which thankfully wasn't out to the merge point. The merge is highly variable depending on the ride.

Yes, brakes. Supposedly limiting them to about 25 MPH. I've only been on one and it felt more like it really only limited the speed on curves, the harder you hit the curve the more you slow down. However it works, they appear to be designed by following a simple set of design rules such as slope angle, versus having to calculate speed affected by everything that comes before a particular point on the ride. Powered coasters use the opposite mechanism, but if the result is also regulated speed, it similarly simplifies design and theoretically allows unlimited length; there is far more question if they're really coasters however. Maybe if someone made a ride that immediately hit the governor and stayed there, but they don't. The threshold for a "credit" isn't very high.

Mountain coasters use automatic speed regulation, which allows a mix of actual coasting and design methods more comparable to a powered coaster. This allows essentially unlimited length and height differential. So within those 2 specifications, they are in their own category, though still impressive. And they're still coasters and no way would I not call them credits, for one thing those seats make you pay.

Even back in the heyday of malls, mostly they were disappointing as hangouts. It more had to do with the desperation of very little else to do in suburbia. No wonder online activities are so attractive. In a way, AD is an adaption, but also a sort of destination mall for most, not for regular use. The kind of theme/amusement parks I enjoy most need every kind of customer. Of course they're trying to figure out how to get more open wallets in the park, but they also need the passholders with dining plans that spend very little in-park but pay before opening day every year and know to stay away on big money days. They encourage a sense of being a local institution for some sound business reasons, and succeed partially through being such an inefficient money making machine. As to Nick Universe, I saw a couple weeks ago rides in maintenance incl. TMNT, and apparently it continues. When was this visit and when is the peak/target season for this park, if not when most others in the region are still closed?

Exactly, cheap enough if it costs too much to rebuild a ride, they might not do it at all. Wouldn't be the first time for Cedar Fair, and everyone has a limit.

The subject of Zamperla's lower price for TT2 needs to be considered to scale. The difference is surely multiple millions. I heard B&M's proposal was to tear it down and build something else and Intamin's could have been also -- Red Force 2? I doubt many others would want to modify an existing ride. There are also certain cost thresholds such as the original cost of TTD, preferably not adjusted to inflation. It seems a good guess that would exclude Intamin. Zamperla could be costing them that much. I think reusing that top hat gives Zamperla a huge break. There is nothing complex about the new trackwork. The launch design is extremely conservative.

With these parks now year-round, I'm wondering if they will close some rides currently open for maintenance when others open up. I recall BGW doing that but can't remember details.

World seems a little too full of people ready to jump down someone's throat to me. "Fact" did have a question mark at the end.

It seems so stupid to not be able to afford a theme park because the area is too rich. Losing a park reduces the land value -- not enough to affect the property sold, but it doesn't seem far-fetched that lost property value could total $155M and lost tourism etc. another $155M in the next 5-10 years. However they could find another place for a park or turn one of their smaller parks into a more serious one.

^^-- On a visit ~10 years ago, Batwing opened around 5 PM (Roar never did).

Versus paying $15 for food that's $5 down the street, that's pretty good. Panda express at KD was always open and busy, but their in-house replacement is around as busy, and they probably make more off it.

A regular April to Oct. season is enough time for plenty of highs and lows. At any rate, the most crowded day of the entire year is probably in your date range, along with some days that maybe aren't close. But you knew that. I think most people have a good idea what days are good and bad, the underestimation is how much different it can be, both in person counts and the effect. True though, the Fourth may not kick off an entire crowded month there.

Avoid Sat. July 2 to Mon. the 4th, preferably motivate ASAP after arrival. The season often takes off on the Fourth or its weekend, weather dependent. In general, never been to SFFT, like to.

I don't think he was that overweight. That he was big and only 14 makes it worse, but otherwise he was comparable to myself or many others here. Fact is, there is a whole segment of the population that is big here or there or everywhere but still active enough to want to ride. The subject of height restrictions has recently come back up. I'm not sure there's a solution because if increasing the limits also increases the minimum size, more willing riders will be excluded than gained. But it may be closer to an even tradeoff than (actual) designers realize. The seats and restraints of the Freefall look to me to emphasize freedom and comfort over range. About the only ride that even has restraints I know would have accommodated him comfortably is Avalanche/Reptilian. Once I rode it and a huge biker yelled joyously and surprisingly unselfconsciously "finally something I can ride!"

Also from the Newsweek article, ""ICON Park formally notified the owner of the Orlando FreeFall, the SlingShot Group, demanding suspension not only of the operation of Orlando FreeFall but also the operation of Orlando SlingShot, effective immediately, until the attractions are proven to be safe by authorities," the statement read." Unless the restraint slipped, broke or bent, it seems to me the gap was still sort of small. To be forced through by the brake, he would have had to be repositioned forward such as by panic during the drop, or maybe passing out limp or leg momentum.

Both Hurlers was neutered in 2010 (Intimidators added) except for a brief period when the trims were turned off in Carolina after retracking. Before that it was a good but not great, and frequently rough coaster. It did look great in 2019, with lots of new wood and nice trains, but they've got to let it fly free and pay the cost -- at least they don't have other woodies to maintain. It could still be reprofiled to be a lot better.

I noticed the new recorded ride spiels at SFA last year for Superman and JJ stated height not as a minimum, but as a range "to 76 inches" or 6'4". Though it didn't affect me, I was surprised. Could become widespread. The limit may not relate to, and preceded Pantheon's head-chopper support.

I really don't think this has been explained. I didn't create the program but will give it a go. An example: Person 1 rates El Toro #1, followed by 3 steel coasters and then Phoenix. Person 2 rates Phoenix #1, followed by one wood coaster that no one else likes and then Toro. In overall rankings, El Toro would beat Phoenix because the 3 steel coaster spread is larger than that one wood coaster. But in wood rankings, Phoenix wins because the steel coasters cease to exist. This is a simplification at best, but shows a system it could happen. If you pull out the woodies from the overall list, you get a result based on how people rate them relative to all coasters. However the actual woodie list assumes the order in peoples' rankings wouldn't change, but pulls out the steelies in advance and reruns the program from scratch. May seem flawed but it is more a true woodies list then.

Kd is relatively great park for crowds, but there still can be substantial lines at times. I've never gotten FL in hundreds of visits, but there are definitely rides I just skip some days. Last year, FoF was crazy. That and Reptilian will be the ones to rope drop. Also, ride Dominator before official opening or wait until much later.

^^-- back row is also a lot warmer, front in the cold can make a hyper seem a lot longer than usual, merciless! Note the ice cream shop has hot chocolate instead -- even now, but should be switching soon, that's faked me out both ways.

The best times for crowds are often mid-Spring through early June except Memorial Day. Mother's Day is good, not all holidays are bad...