bill_s

Hurler had 5 airtime moments, 6 in the back due to the drop. 3 on the backstretch alone. However it might have had about 4 seconds of air. I still think it's just 2018 vs. 1994 . It's clear what we're getting but these teasers are aggravating enough to be their own thing.

The 1994 blocked out entirely -- LOL!

Volcano was down again last weekend and coasterqueue says it still is. It was running great 10 days ago though, they even opened the back row for what was probably the first time all year.

It's very possible to hit the haunts when the parks aren't that crowded. There was one I almost gave up them getting enough people to send people through (at KD they would have just sent me through by myself). Eleanor is very popular though. When them park haunts get too crowded, they end up in a situation where it's impossible for the attraction to be great enough to justify the wait if they do it properly. It's annoying when they send the groups through not all bunched up, but it happens by the end anyway. I went to one local attraction where they kept the groups small, but I got paired with others including a smartass kid who reduced the effect 50% just by himself. The worst part is I used to be a smartass kid too. This was the only one of 4 of these things I tried that was actually better done than theme park haunts.

The force rattled the windows .. Shock Wave? Now I'm really confused. Plus those teasers hurt my eyes, need to turn them any other color. 28 is also the number of seats on each train previously. Don't know why they'd tease something staying the same, although it would be better than some alternatives. Looks at least 20' taller to me, maybe even 28 but no more for sure. It could also be the height differential, as it's also going closer to the ground. It also looks like the lift ends earlier horizontally, not over the original crest. There's also been a big hole at the original crest, maybe just to remove the chain sprocket and greasy wood, maybe not. I'm wondering about a surprise here, maybe even a pre-drop inversion or dip.

Can I ask why you feel that way? It's been proven time and time again that OTSRs are not really needed on looping coasters as long as a lap bar is adequate enough to keep you in place while inversions occur. I'm aware of what you are saying. I've experienced what you're talking about on the Joker's Jinx at Six Flags America. Most inverting coasters I get on have an OTSR and that's what I'm used to. I rode Flight Of Fear with the original OTSRs and I don't think you'd ever get used to it. The fact people can actually talk about the ride instead of dismissing it as a headbanger is entirely due to the restraints change. At least they were padded though, unlike Drachen Fire's. That ride may have had a lot of problems, but I never could figure out why no one else could see the obvious: steel is hard!

An altered fictional version of House of the Rock was featured in the Neil Gaiman novel American Gods also now a series on Starz. This has probably increased their attendance. Gaiman toured American roadside attractions to research the book and their surreal feel is in some way captured (if not redoubled). In the book, they board the carousel and something magical happens, can't remember but I think getting younger was only part of it.

Rides vary. If this argument is used to favor restrictions on everything, it makes things worse for everybody. "Fairness" is a terrible thing when it means rules must be consistent rather applied on a case by case basis. I'd be more upset about it except the fact I did lose something out of my pocket on Toro. However my last visit was wearing jeans and zippers have nothing on pure tightness, I don't think I've ever lost a penny out of them...

Biggest problem with that is they're clearly MAGIC plastic.

1. Great Nor'easter (rated on when still pink) 2. Grizzly (KD) 3. Flight of Fear (KD) 4. Shockwave (KD/RIP) 5. Hurler (rated on KD 2008, Caro 1998) 6. Loch Ness 7. Wild One 8. Rebel Yell 9. Backlot Stunt Coaster (with fire, otherwise #10) 10. Verbolten

^^-- People would probably complain about it being rough more. In this case they're partially redesigning the ride and using tech that can handle it and kind of needs it taller and faster.

^^-- they just need to remember to feed the gerbils that power the thing.

Look, I know I'm the resident Moreys nut around here but I must tell you that Moreys is not about credits, its not even about the coasters. If you drive all the way down to Wildwood to run around and get the coaster credits in an hour (which not to mention is not really even possible unless you're driving between the piers which is just dumb) you're doing Wildwood all wrong. Please do not waste one of those Golden Tickets on a two hour credit run. I mean, you get free water park access with those tickets! Plan for at least a full afternoon, if not a full day. There is so much to do. Many people will agree with me that Moreys is fantastic at night. Take a ride on the Giant Wheel and look out over the ocean. Do one of the waterparks. Ride some great flats - the flume, IT, the flyers, Atmosfear, Riptide, the sh*tty dark rides! The Great White is exceptional (IMO) while the other five coasters are fun but a little average. Wildwood is about great flats, boardwalk food, long bumpy rides on the tram car. Wildwood is about cheesy doo-wop themeing, amazing light packages, and a fantastic boardwalk lining a great big free beach next to the wide open Atlantic Ocean. Wildwood is about the smell of pizza-taffy-funnel-cake-french fries, seagulls trying to steal your ice cream, people watching half naked Jersey shore rejects trudging down the sand. And yes, there are some coasters to ride. But one does not simply visit Wildwood as a credit stop. And if you do wind up stopping in for a credit run, make sure to check the calendar as the three piers operating hours are different and could screw that all up for you if you show up first thing in the morning. And for the love of god - eat something on the boardwalk! As for advice on Great Adventure? Have a look right here at this handy guide. If you do a short visit/credit run, that might be OK, but only if it's at night!! Even the coasters are completely different and better at night. In fact I'd say don't bother if it hasn't started cooling off yet. The main thing I can see the day being good for is the water park and the beach. I haven't been there in a long time, and when I did it was mostly to ride coasters, so I may not know what Wildwood's really about, but I know this. I don't know if I'll get back, I do remember the feeling of reaching the top of Nor'easter's lift at night, but not sure if the whole scene is for a lone traveler and it's a long way etc. and what you guys are saying is only rubbing that in.... I do remember trying to get a room there -- very possible if you're willing to pay for the whole week but that's the first thing they ask on Saturday nights. I was wondering if it might be doable if I only wanted Sunday night?

Thank you for this information. I was about to make another effort to find this out, when I've asked before it was ignored. Plus, I don't really trust anyone who doesn't mention it or claims it's not braked, I even saw a claim they took the brake off the KD one as well as lots of reviews/complaints with no mention of the brake.... although to answer your question, maybe the brake is working to the extent you didn't say it was rough as well as boring (by the end though, the KD one was rougher with the brake than it ever was without it). I thought it would have been kind of neat to go ride an original Hurler in good shape and Lightning Rod in one trip this year, before RMC Hurler comes next year, but now that one tiny thing drops off my motivations.

There's no reason it couldn't have a mid-course brake like any other coaster. Or as a launched coaster, the ride time would be short enough it doesn't matter. Still not a good choice for a large park but potentially higher capacity than Fahrenheit or current Kingda Ka.

Hopefully Avalanche is back up by then as it's the most accommodating (there was a big biker once I heard screaming "finally, something I can ride!). Next is Anaconda, my friend (and past ride mate) who can't fit B&Ms anymore managed it. I305 can fit large persons, but some will not do good with the forces, if you've ever felt like passing out on a ride (no go for my friend). That's about it unless you can do the woodies with the seat dividers and tight lap bars. Drop Tower is very unlikely despite how big the seats look. Windseeker possible.

You do have to take care of yourself on longer trips. Plan breaks and stick to them. Or at least so I am learning. If nothing else, I need to stop and eat breakfast or something between a 3+ hour drive and actually going in a park.

I'm also surprised they haven't done something with that name. The other thing I thought of with the Mean Streak "they're" is some sort of co-theming between the new rides, maybe a western area at KD. Reasonably speaking, the chances are maybe 10% for each. Latest news is they've started removing track from the turnaround at top of the drop. Brake run track was removed Friday and replaced with new on Monday!

Latest guide to KD food: The Country Kitchen is their premiere sit down restaurant for those in a meat and potatoes mood. It has been good this year and, for the first time in years, open 'til close every day. If you go, don't get the chicken tenders because those can be had anywhere and everything else is better. This restaurant includes their single best food item relative to its type, cole slaw. Get it on your BBQ sandwich (magic, even it doesn't sound good), on the side or as a full side, but whatever you do, get the slaw. Yes it's just cole slaw but you won't find better anywhere. Outer Hanks is good if you value A/C over everything else. Hungry Hippo if you have dining plan and want to eat the fries now and take the sandwich with you. Otherwise avoid. Int'l Street Pizza can be good, but chances are less than 1%; outside. Victoria's is big but sucks. Panda Express and Chic-Fil-a ares very good but of course chains; 4 tables inside PE I've never been in CFA. Border Cafe is good but smaller food than the Kitchen and it's on the way out so if you don't have the dining plan I'd just keep going; has A/C.

Carowinds got an extra money package when they got Fury, but it may be a one-time investment rather than a pattern. They do have a less competitive location. I went 19 or 20 years ago, back then Hurler was the latest coaster and frankly by far the best, as Thunder Road seemed like it barely made it back to the station and the top steel was a standup. KD already had FoF with Volcano on the way. The difference vs. KD was huge at that time, it has narrowed but clearly KD had a big lead back then. BTW I rode Volcano last Tuesday.

It's ON:

I've never gotten one. I'm not against the concept, which I see as partially letting those with more money help pay for the big rides and whatnot for the advantages it gives them. I like that it's tempting to spend a lot at parks, but you don't have to, locals can hit a park on season's pass for a few dollars a visit. I have to look at less popular times to go, long range weather forecasts etc. to avoid big crowds, that and I mostly makes short visits to my local park anyway. Yes it is partially how much money you have and how you choose to spend it, and I could save elsewhere but it's hard. I waited for 2 years to go to SFGAdv for my financial situation to improve. So if someone's even worse off than me, or has nothing else to cut, how many years are they supposed to save up for it? To me, $200 for a theme park trip is hard enough to justify without adding even more to it, at $300 I'm not sure it's fun anymore. Others who spend much more on a trip, it's more deciding how to spend that money rather than pulling it from somewhere else. It can reach the point it's false economy to do without it if you're spending that much. On my aforesaid GrAdv trip, I was considering trying the base level Flash pass and did make a mistake in that by the time I decided I should have, it was getting later and starting to make less sense. Partially as a result, partially since I saved some money, and also just because I found out about it, I went back Sept. 13 and got tons of rides. This combination required more driving than a single trip, but was also better than a single day with Platinum and cost less as well. My "mistake" turned to win.

DO NOT SKIP GREEN LANTERN! People consistently complain that it is a bad or "rough" ride but I highly recommend riding it. It is fun, thrilling, and the theming ties in with the 2011 movie of the same name. Good coaster experience, and I don't understand why it gets so much hate. I agree it's not painful, but thrilling? Starting with a straight drop with no air, have these guys ever designed a roller coaster before? And a floorless conversion of it might be the most boring coaster ever. Go ride a decent standup, oops they're all gone this side of Japan. Thanks complainers. (P.S. I will try GL again if I get a chance but I'm not waiting more than 5 minutes.)

A point can be made the spinning coasters are getting more ambitious and larger. If it's some little POS that relies on spinning for excitement yeah just ride something else, but a new one by Mack at a major park is another matter. I've only had 3 spinning coaster rides total, last 2 were Rajin Cajun, second time they put me by myself, OMG. I like that the spinning doesn't go on too long (Penguin's River ouch) but balance does help. I could see a variable brake, preset per ride or even under riders' control. The problem with having a non-spinning car is getting the people that want it aligned with it.

I doubt this is the reason why, though someone correct me if I'm wrong. I think a better guess is that its because its easier to start installing track on the lower parts of the structure where they don't need large cranes, which the parks tend to have for limited amounts of time during construction due to their cost. I know they'd do that anyway. But they lay the track on the lift before even completing the lift hill itself. And how many months went by between the first track up the lift (STILL incomplete) on Mean Streak and track anywhere else? The only other reason that would make sense is they want to get some visible track on the coaster and that's the bit that suits them to start with, but then part of that reason wraps back around to where we started. Plus it brings up the question of if announcing by doing is something they do intentionally (I think so, but the parks don't act like it)... The new part of the Hurler lift structure also doesn't look stronger than the original, in fact there's no cross braces (edit: diagonals) at all on it right now, which points back at that bit of track at the bottom tying it down. Looking at other bits of RMC, the wood part of the structure never looks very strong, they must rely on the track itself to hold up to more intense elements.