bill_s

^^-- that's actually a weird pairing, both single train "rocking" launched stunt coasters but otherwise very different.

At least it's probably easier to keep the goggles on than on Superman RoS. With that ride the VR might have been enough cues to brace yourself, if it had only worked, but with it not tracking the ride and me in back row the only thing that saved me from that high tech blindfold was having memorized the ride.

They paying the Druids?

In my analysis a page or so ago, I was saying the track bends inward outside of the little bunny hops before and after the cutback, making the cutback/curve element narrower than the original curve and less than 180 degrees. Now that they've finished the big overbanked curve I see it is similar in that respect. This makes the overbank make a lot more sense as a smooth overbank can produce more turning force. The ride has been increased in height 28' but the overbank is 15-20' higher than the original curve so it isn't a lot faster. So, a tighter radius makes it not seem weak and overcomes my objection to the original prediction. I can't tell but it may not be as symmetrical as the cutback. As it is, the track looks to come very close to the corner of the station, that projecting bit that looks like a little elevator or something. The exit of the curve comes closer to the turnaround to the lift than originally as well. Looking again at the announcement video, at all 4 slight bends I am talking about they pull away from the on-ride POV at all 4 of them, making it hard to judge anything.

^^--I don't recall any floater air. Maybe there was one mixed in there with all the thigh-pain inducing hills and I missed it. I did find the big train to get a bit lumbering and awkward on the smaller later elements but the yanks were strong. Tight restraints can't eliminate airtime even if they kill your enjoyment, the forces are the same and not subjective. Even if the restraint kept you from moving at all, with ejector air the force switches from weight on your butt to pressure against the bar. There has been claims of no airtime on coasters where you are pressed against the restraints hard for extended periods, which is absurd. Maybe it doesn't feel like airtime to some people to be pressed up against the restraint snug as a bug (as long as it stays there) but the fact remains that the coaster is spending airtime potential much faster to create these strong forces. I find myself that good B&M floater causes a freaky butterflies in my stomach sensation that is completely missing in these Intamins, but they lack intensity.

Although I haven't been there in almost 20 years, I thought the most essential part of Morey's was nighttime, usually open 'til 12. The feeling of reaching the top of the lift on the GNE at night is incredible, as well as it seemed like a turbo switch was flipped on the thing at dusk.

There is a need to separate the subjective impressions from the objective facts, been noticing this a lot lately. For example "Superman's air on the other hand is pretty overrated and apart from the shield hill really doesn't deliver much" this implies excessively that airtime is subjective, and if we take it as a statement of fact it is simply wrong in this case. There is nothing subjective about the fact that Intamin airtime defines ejector, you are pressed up into your restraint and then pressed harder, over an extended period of time, in every seat varying only in degree. Nothing at all ambiguous about it, this isn't just getting some air and then a bump sending you into the bar like an old woodie. I was going to say "Superman hurts it's so forceful" which is also partially subjective, but this is different because the amount of pain was a result of actual force. Actually Wicked Cyclone's air is more subjective since a lot of it is quick and harder to brace for. Thing is that extreme ejector airtime doesn't necessarily make it a great ride for you. The need for heavy restraint is inherent, for one thing. My own experience varies quite a bit but I'm not going to claim it was any lack of airtime. Along with fatigue when I rode it, It probably has more to do with the way it makes these forces fairly casually, it could break you with no trouble at all. You either like it or you don't, the experience just grabs you or it doesn't. Or try again at a better time.

Those are cool looking trains though.

If you love ejector air it's one of the best parks anywhere. I've only been once so I don't know about that time of year, but it is a popular park, so it would be better to avoid Saturday or have money avail. for Flash Pass. But then we should all know that.

I didn't think headbanging was at all an issue on my Green Lantern ride, except it's so weak that headbanging or other pain would have been at least as interesting. If they changed it to floorless I might fall asleep on it.

If people like that Mind Eraser, then the park can't afford to lose it, even if they got something better. It does seem to me that inverts are especially subjective rides. I used to prefer The Great Nor-easter over Batman. Of course it has a better setting than most Mind Erasers and also it was a lot easier to get a ride on, this being back when a Moreys wristband was ~$27 and BTR was Great Adv's sole B&M. I loved my first ride on Batman but later got a poor seat and it sucked, and this took 2 trips to get these 2 rides. GNE was more exciting, at least, and ran well at the time. Since then, I've had many more rides on Batman, some meh, some HOT!. I know someone who rode Dueling Dragons and thought it sucked too.

Yeah they can't be getting into this without knowing weather varies. BGW had a year they were running only Griffon and the water kept freezing, which it didn't for the previous 1-2 years they ran it. Their Christmas Town seemed like an experiment the first few years anyway, kind of a good thing. They still have the unusual little local vendors market, though smaller. SFA's HitP makes me wonder if it will make it though.

^^-- best I can tell from videos, the restraints are padded, unlike Drachen Fire's. I never understood why they didn't do something about them, one good bang and it was obvious.

Among the worst are El Toro's trains. Nothing good to hold on to, wants to bang your elbow, seat belt buckle wants to get into uncomfortable positions or sit right under the bar, lapbar sensors barely let me ride and any extra stapling brings extreme pain. They are nicely open for a wood coaster car though. And they're on that track!

And at SFA, they only ran the woodies and closed them at 6:30. Admittedly I wouldn't have rode them much later and would have liked to been done by then due to the cold, but the place is one of the hardest places to get to in the world for what it is, and traffic was horrendous (yes I should have known better). They were still running Fireball when I left, proving even they don't think it's a coaster.

I've never used one but I can't agree with your math. Regular makes it so you can eat, walk or ride shorter wait rides while the Flash wait passes, but if you do rides with shorter waits without the pass you also get more rides, so it's still not double with it. Also there are times where the posted wait time is higher than actual, so if you didn't need to go to the bathroom or eat and walked incredibly fast you could actually ride more top coasters by spending all day in line. Gold makes it sure you can get at least twice as many top rides, unless there are portions of the day you don't need it. As to rope drop or its distant cousin, closing time, yes these can give you advantages beyond what any fastpass provides.

I like Skyrush's restraints. The fit me better than El Toro's and feel safer than Superman tR despite its seatbelts. Make sure nothing is in your pocket between your leg and the restraint, even a comb or key will hurt. I held on to the sides of the bar nearer to straight down not the handles way forward until the brakes, they ratchet the bar down more and don't hold you down. Don't feel like you have to start with the seat of doom, they're all good. The restraints are great for what they have to do. If you swapped them with a milder coaster yeah they'd ruin the other ride but the results on Skyrush would be disaster. You can't reason that it has bad air because of the restraints, you could say it has bad restraints because it has such great air.

The history of many parks are interesting. Basically, some rich optimists lost money. Re: the DC area thread, thinking about it more the land Six Flags America is on will probably continue to increase in value. That would be a reason to not build anything large and longterm. I would be less surprised by the area losing that park in maybe 20 years than it gaining one. The Park at OWA and the new project in Jersey I think are ways to build a big shopping center on cheap land and then get people to come to it.

^^-- that map's not fair, Friday before Christmas. I wouldn't try Friday afternoon either. Anyway my point was indeed moot for this trip because I assume he wants to get to the park at opening and yet not get up at 5 AM or earlier (I don't need that stretch of road to know that). If for some reason someone wants to get through the DC area at a more reasonable day time I'm still convinced it's possible, of course night (short, 8 PM - 6 PM or so) is best.

^^-- I'm talking about south of I-495 express lanes, can't speak about north of DC mostly except 270 is fine late morning and my Sunday day trips to Great Adventure have been good due to getting off the road early until late. The problem is it doesn't work if you want to get through all that and arrive at KD or BGW around 10 AM. But I'm sure you could do it it from Dumfries.

Good report! Re vegas: Coal Cracker, yeah, essential. It can get a line, it might help that it's not about getting wet really, don't ride it when everyone is hot.

Hey, it's not quite offseason yet! Not in precise order: Skyrush (new) I305 Storm Runner El Toro Superman the Ride (new) Wicked Cyclone (new) Dominator (still great after ~1200 rides) Rebel Yell (racing more this year, a good race is still rare but so much fun) Volcano (esp. solo rides) Nitro (night and sunset rides) Special mentions: BGW, good to go there again, although no specific ride quite makes this list many are just below it. Roar at SFA, best I rode in January.

I wouldn't be surprised if you could do that without a Flash pass the following Wednesday, although I don't know what June crowds are like there. Most of June is often dead on weekdays at parks here. While it wouldn't meet the goals, you'd be better off in that situation just waiting out rush hour, hit the Beltway around 10:00. You'd still be noon getting to KD and later to BG but wouldn't be pissed off. But to meet goals, yeah you'll want to be anywhere south of the Beltway with a reasonable hotel before morning. (I wouldn't worry about going the opposite direction than Express lanes though, that's preferable.) Seems to me it would be better to do that than go to a Six Flags park on those days.

You know what days are crowded, Memorial Day weekend and all Saturdays -- although Memorial Day Monday itself is more like a Sunday (at least by evening) and should be manageable. Still, swap Dorney to Monday and Hershey to Tuesday. Or even swap again: Sun Dorney, Mon Knoebels, Tues Hershey. Yeah, about the drive from Carowinds to Detroit, this adds a lot of driving to go to that park on a Saturday. If you could save a park from earlier on to go to Sunday (and/or Sat. night) on the way back and drive mostly on Saturday from Carowinds on Friday that might be better. Although I expect you don't want to be late night getting home Sunday and I can't imagine A.J.'s "you're not looking forward to going home" being true by that point. Monday morning, yes, you won't be looking forwards to THAT.

^^-- well yeah, but BGW getting weaker wasn't a motivation for KD getting better. In my view, KD still had a better lineup in 2017 as well, if only because all the attention Grizzly and RY have received in the last few years, but it becomes harder to gauge and more of a matter of opinion. I didn't think Shockwave, or Hurler before the 2010 trim brake and being left to rot, weren't dead weight but I understand how it could make KD easier to gauge for most people with a low opinion of those rides. I've said it before that trying to compare better coasters with a park with over twice as many results in a kind of "funny math" and this was especially a problem in 2007 and somewhat in 2008-09 -- which upon further thought tends to confirm whatever one's pre-existing conceptions are. Since I'm a local to KD especially and judge it on its suitability as a home park more than a destination park and that indeed is its strong point, I prefer KD but certainly have loved BGW at times. Having more coasters, even if one was Shockwave, allows more variation in riding them when making short visits since part of that variation means choosing which rides to skip.