bill_s

The thing about the Super Loops is they are counterweighted against gravity just like a swinging ship. The fact they go so far to fake the idea they're coasters makes them even more fake. Also one of the most essential things about coasters is lack of repetitive motions. I wouldn't get back on one for 10 credits even if I believed it was a coaster.

From what I've heard, CP may be one of the only places more crowded than GA. Best day to go to GA is in early November, CP is closed. However, for a normal summer weekday visit CP is probably cooler, as well as having a better lineup and setting. If I *had* to go to a park on a popular Saturday, I'd take KD or the like over either one, even with fastpass.

I didn't find Timbers to be running that much different on Sunday. The main variation anyway is right at the end, whether the last tiny airtime hill is full-on or gives you a bit of a break (fine with me) and if it hits the brakes with any force. It might have been running even faster in the middle of the afternoon, but if so I don't think I'll be experiencing it. It was more than hot enough for me early and late. It broke down around noon. I had been noticing the train taking longer to return to the station (couldn't see much) and when I rode late day it kept stopping coming in the station like they were using manual brakes. Maintenance guy in the control house. My opinion of the ride is in one way it's the best coaster in the park but also not. In a more big-picture analysis view it's tied with Dominator, which is a bit bigger and a simpler pleasure. It is very complimentary to what they had, and something that parks without RMCs don't have, so it's still more unique than Dominator. But in a way I'm surprised people mostly really like it. It's smooth but so relentless, hop hop hop. Actually I think I'm starting to get Schilke's madness. On B&Ms people talk about the transitions. On RMCs you're so busy hopping about the transitions are just part of it, camouflaged. It's a very active experience, more a rythm than a smooth progression. And KD's RMC is one with grab post handles, it's relentless, even SV doesn't have them; I use them on that trick track at least. Right now the crowds are affecting when I try to ride it, but I'm looking forward to when I can enjoy it closer to the middle of my park visits. Ride the basics, ride Timbers a couple times (it's enough), then marathon the speed kings.

I know Flight of Fear has had long waits this year despite removing the bins. I think it would do more good to move the guy standing by the entrance to inside to check seats.

Given that it was 20 years ago, but marathoning GNE was indeed the main reason for going. Our record was 25 rides in one night, before quitting around midnight and driving 4 hours home. For some reason my friend never liked Great White, so that's the one that got one ride, if that.

Sounds to me the collision occurred under drive wheel power, not as part of the coaster course, unless somehow it came into the brakes and didn't slow enough, so the drive wheels ended up being asked to work as brakes (which can't happen on Twisted Timbers because it doesn't hit the brakes hard enough for the drive wheels not to work adequately as brakes). This is a different category than full serious accidents, like planes colliding in the airport rather than while flying. Also I'm wondering if Chess started to move out and then they stopped it for whatever reason that sometimes happens. It was reported that Twisted Timbers went to one train ops immediately after the time of the accident.

TT was running both trains last night with no blocked-off rows. So all worked out. I rode far back and front for the first times. Both were great, front better. More hang and air at the leading edge of the hills rather than the ends. It was really using every last bit of momentum to complete the course though, maybe due to it being breezy and some empty seats. The end was only a little mild but the brakes may or may not have touched before the drive wheels engaged and accelerated the train! I tried Border Burritos. This year the menu choices are halved but there are actually more items to put on it. They added pork, and I tried the OMG shredded beef with Spanish rice and refries etc.

For some reason, on my first trip to the park this year I enjoyed FoF more than I305 or Volcano ... which was a clue it was time to get over to TT and stand in line. Regarding food, I did try the Wayside's brisket sandwich 3 or 4 years ago, and that was tiny too. Anyway I tried the pork BBQ there last visit and it was good. If that place is going to be the main BBQ place now, they need to get the brisket right too and REPRESENT. I don't think they have the magic cole slaw anymore, hopefully it will reappear (and as a side at CK)(also they don't show it in the menu board pics anymore). Also cole slaw there comes in a little cup on the side which really isn't enough if you eat the sandwich as a sandwich, which I did for a change instead of eating it with a fork off the bread. They really do have some good things at KD, but it is uneven and expensive and I only ate there a couple times a year (in many, many visits) before getting the Dining Plan. The place can definitely give you an appetite though.

I voted Hershey but really a tie to KD ... Hershey should be OK then but it is a more crowded park on average than KD. You have to drive by there to get to Knoebels. As to a suggestion of not doing theme park one day, if so that should be Saturday because it's Saturday. As to driving to GrAdv -- not by day 3... The one real traffic warning is if you go KD on Sunday, don't expect to bail early because northbound I-95 on Sunday afternoons has become really bad. Most of the rest you probably expect.

This place was open Monday for some reason. Well actually it was Emancipation Day with government workers in DC closed, but I just had to look that up and didn't seem like anyone showed up to the park because of it. Holy cats. Also there was some scattered rain including a slight chance of thunderstorm centered right on my visit, but while there wasn't a lot of sun, as I headed east of Richmond the dark clouds changed to white puffy ones with bits of blue showing. Rode Loch Ness with the new trains, the green shade making me think Loch Ness Anaconda. I'm not sure what difference they made. I did get headbanged slightly from the restraint but rode towards the front and it was pretty smooth. I used to love the back, but it's really rough coming out of the loops. I wondered if the new trains wouldn't have padding on the backrests because I've had it grip my back and felt my backbone being stretched by the bumps, but that part is the same. Walked on front row of Apollo. Airtime is the exact same as every time I've ever ridden it, extended floater in the back. Went over for a couple of Tempesto rides. I waited one train for the front and wow there is some ejector air coming up to the top of that first loop. I could have stayed in my seat but I don't want to try riding that thing twice back to back. Only reason I can tolerate it without getting sick is because it's so short. Skyride was closed which is why I ended up riding Apollo already in the first place. I saw the train go by twice before I was done over there and then it promptly showed up again. InvadR's right at the Caribou train station so that was next. I really like how the train and that ride interact, yeah the people on the train probably think it's silly when the people on the coaster yell at them. Le Scoot was closed but looked like it had been open earlier. As to if InvadR is a family ride or a thrill ride, it's about as thrilling as a coaster 74 feet tall gets. There are a couple missed opportunities for more airtime but my arms got tired from trying to hold them up while whipping around. Then rode Griffon and Geist. Skipped the Bolt as I marathoned it at X Town and it was out of the way. Didn't try Eire as it sounds like it will be at least as sickening as the other rides in that location and there were better things to do. Overall I was in the park almost exactly 3 hours, got 23 coaster laps incl. 9 front row and 2 hops on the train. Sweet.

The chains on the sign are too much. Love the look of the trains as well. They look like real trains finally for once.

Until recently riding the New England one, my two were SFA's Mind Eraser and The Great Nor'easter -- the latter back when it was pink or first painted orange and ran great, somehow going into warp speed as soon as the sun went down. At the time, it was a very hard experience to beat and the view over the ocean late at night there is not something many settings can match. The main coasters were still Arrows, woodies etc. and by that standard the SLC was amazing. Of course B&M actually beat Vekoma to market with their inverted but there weren't many of them yet and the wait times were high. I loved my first ride on Batman at Great Adv. but it wasn't until after Alpengeist was a couple years old that B&M indulgence really could become a repeatable experience. Looking at the SLC now it doesn't fare so well but I think it's important to keep in perspective the timing of its appearance and the scene back then. I do wonder if it would considered much better if they had only built 1 of them (especially if it was more like the later ones they actually made). I do still ride them and wouldn't call them the roughest (maybe the most "shaking like a nervous little dog"), but most of them don't run fast enough to be exciting enough either. Some of those salt-encrusted rails with condensing humidity rides at Morey's seemed to transcend roughness. It was awesome.

The big eatery at KD is and always has been Country Kitchen and any discussion of their offerings is incomplete without it. I had the roast chicken once last year at lunchtime when it's fresh and it was amazing. Later in the day it may be a bit dry. However this year they have omitted chicken tenders, which are a silly choice when you have real fried chicken but sometimes were fresher, but maybe without them they'll get more turnover on the other chicken. Pulled pork has also been discontinued in favor of the pot roast. Except for the topping at the Mac Bowl, Wayside Grill is now the barbeque place. I hear it's good this year, it was last year but I'd rather have mashed potatoes and the option of air conditioning at CK. Panda Express is also good.

I spent $3 on lockers at the park, well another dollar before figuring out it wasn't needed for most rides. Lines were short, but did ride Toro 10 times. I was wearing tight jeans with no real chance of losing anything, but since I did lose something from a velcro or or zipper pocket once on Toro or nearby (noticed later) I can see a real reason to accept it (and sort of like riding "naked"). Toro's big hills are perfectly designed to rain flying objects back on the riders, and Ka goes 128 MPH, making them 2 of the best candidates for the policy.

I often enjoy Mind Eraser, but only recommend it if you're there with a hat and/or hood for protection (or helmet). That is the time.

I don't recall that on FoF, but I didn't ride it much then. I do know for one year after the bins they had people put their stuff on the inner side of the train and carried it through, and then next year brought the bins back. I don't think they affected throughput much -- mostly the few that didn't use them. I think it's part theft problems, part interference with Fast Lane (I really miss the reride cuthrough), and of course a bit of money grab, plus it's not as bad when I305 is doing it next door ... I may be clocking dispatches to see if I think that did anything. Since TT will tend to be mobbed a while it is worthwhile to speed that one up, but they ought to put in bins in a couple years. As their policy doesn't ban pocket items, I expect an increase in lost phones due to lack of bins. I don't know of anywhere on these rides as likely to cause high speed rider impact with a flying item as Toro or Ka, fortunately.

It will slow down the coasters. I rode Dominator the day before hurricane Sandy dumped Star Jet into the ocean, and between the cold and wind it felt like it wasn't going to finish the course -- which was really cool since I've ridden it so many times, but may not be what you had in mind. Crowds might be better. Sunstantial rain does close I305 before other rides. Forecast does show wind abating before closing time ( http://www.usairnet.com/cgi-bin/launch/code.cgi?Submit=Go&sta=KOFP&state=VA ). It was windy last Friday night, turning upper 50s into rather frigid. Dominator was down then also.

I've avoided ranking coasters until now. Actually seemed pretty easy, but then I was figuring the results will be combined with others so it's not like I'm publishing my sole version of Truth. Oh well, post some of it anyway: The I305 The Skyrush The El Toro The Storm Runner The Superman The Ride The Nitro The Dominator The Wicked Cyclone The Kingda Ka The Superman Ride of Steel ... SFA's in the Top 10! ... 52. Steel Force 53. Avalanche 54. Big Apple Coaster ... 60, 61. SFOT, SFOG mine trains I last rode over 40 years ago. No chance to win, but still kind of cool. ... [b&M Standups] [b&M Flyers] 68. Batwing

^^-- If staying until close, it can be worth reversing that strategy and marathoning Superman until they make you stop, but then after KD all day you might not even want to, or prefer Wild One. But also northbound traffic through there on Sunday afternoon can be really bad, although the time of year is better. You probably will end up staying until close even if not intended, and may wish you just stayed until close at KD instead. Although it will be different, try doing Google maps for that route this coming Sunday afternoon. Most of the recent times I've gone there it took 2.5 hours there, 1.5 hours back, because I don't take SFA seriously enough to hit the road earlier. Twice I've given up and turned around due to gridlock on I95 and US301.

I think the drone video was totally accurate, just a matter of interpretation. Coasters always look slower when not riding them (although I305 comes close). It DOES slow down faster than a metal-wheeled wood coaster and it's going slow at the end. It's just how these things work. Looking at the elements showed it better slow down later on or it would kill you, actual testing video wasn't needed to see that. It also loses a lot more speed than the Raptors do which are about 60% as long. On my rides Sunday eve., even the last little hump felt forceful. That's a matter of it running up to spec, maybe 3 MPH faster than the first video.

I rode late last night and it seemed to be running as intended. The last tiny bump still had air just that bit less forceful that said the end. Liked it better than Wicked Cyclone my only other RMC, just being a bit faster more often made it seem to run better. The cutback was very smooth and less awkward than WC's quickie stall. Haven't decided how stall-like it is yet. The big overbank looks ridiculously huge and tall.

B&M doesn't build but so many coasters a year, used to be 4, and they are a little choosy. There doesn't have to be an official exclusivity deal for the them to limit how much they compete with themselves.

^^-- I'm of mixed feelings on that one, it might be possible to deal with roughness but would it have any thrill at all? No air, surely. It does have a lots of curves. Kind of like Dominator if it only had 2 second halves and no final high-G turn. "I hope Minderaser does get new trains/restraints. It has a prettt decent layout and I always preferred it over apocalypse." LOL! New restraints might seem extravagant for the old clone, but it would not be excessive for a program of short-term oriented investment.

I've actually enjoyed myself more on SFA's SLC than my rides this year at SFNE. Like all coasters, especially inverts, reaction is subjective. SFNE was an 8.5 hour drive and I didn't feel great and I rode it first on the first evening waiting for other lines to die down (and Batman went down). The next morning I rode it early waiting for Superman to open. Didn't hurt but just wasn't exciting. At SFA I'm more likely to ride it last, sometimes I enjoy sometimes I don't, get off muttering "boing boing boing boing". And yes I do often reride it, maybe that's where SFNE's was lacking -- they actually have the coaster for it just not the policy.... I've also had mixed reaction to B&M inverts, although I do generally prefer them now.

Rush hour on Friday starts at noon. You might even consider taking 301, only time I've seen it terrible is Sunday afternoon northbound but it is always tedious and Google tends to underestimate delays more than on the interstates. As Saturdays, my strategy is to not go before twilight on Saturdays. Don't have any more than that because last time I went Saturday daytime was April 2010.