bill_s

It could be more internal, for example 4 out of 5 of the last foreigners they let ride complained. They're embarrassed?

Is it possible that a foreigner tried to sue one of these Chinese parks after being allowed on some horrendous deathtrap ride and they're trying to avoid a repeat?

The Wild One @SFA on New Year's Day. Stopped on the lift near the top. The wind suddenly seemed very noticeable. Someone walked over and yelled assurances at us since there's no PA and it finally went and was kind of awesome. Had wanted another couple rides, but chilled enough decided it was a good time to call it a night.

Why would they do all that just to "claim a full day" when they can send everyone home and save a bunch of money since they're not making any anyway? They're closing at 6, which was posted when I checked their schedule at 5:30. That's a late enough that if anyone complains they can say they were open plenty where were you?

Light rain vs. a lot of people with 2 more days off, I wouldn't be so sure, they might just close a lot of stuff early and the park at 8 and sort of claim a full day. Making a big Drive is still risky.

The new development is supposed to have recreation which looks to me like large open areas with no shade... it's ironic. They might be able to do better than the current park outside of town by moving half of it and building a new coaster though. I looked at the parks on Google Maps, Elitch is kind of comparable to SFA without Superman and JJ, and Lakeside is maybe 1/3 the size -- about the size of the nearby Walmart supercenter including parking lot. Check out the Lakeside Speedway between them, looks perfect for a zombie apocalypse!

This. Not to mention that Cedar Fair does it all the time too. Does anyone honestly believe that Cedar Fair would give a sh*t about this if it were (let's just say) 38 degrees on the final Saturday of Haunt with 30k+ people in the park? Every coaster at Cedar Point, Valleyfair and Kings Dominion has operated below this arbitrary number at one point and the same is likely true for many other parks in the chain. I'm pretty sure it was below those temps for Steel Vengeance, Twisted Timbers and Banshee media day. Did they send the media home? Plus, while they don't run many coasters for Winterfest they've already run Dominator, Racer75, Afterburn and others below 40 degrees and they ran Mystic Timbers into the high teens / low 20's last year routinely. They even sent a test train when the tracks were covered in snow and it ended up stopped somewhere in the woods. Great photos! KD also ran Dominator on the day in 2012 that hurricane Sandy blew Star Jet into the ocean, and I have no idea how much cold alone it would take to slow it down as much as the cold and wind combined slowed it down that day. Nevertheless, now that it's Winterfest they're cutting it at 39 degrees exactly, even if it's already running. They closed it about 5:30 on last Friday (5:00 park opening) which would have been about that temperature. They even sent around only 4 people in the train after cutting the line, certainly not something you'd do if there were actual problems completing the course.

I've seen with other hobbies that there is a transition from the initial fervor if one stays in the hobby long term. Some of the people that go at it hard at first are the ones that don't stick around. This is true of coastering and will be true of any other hobby you go to as well. I'd say you have done enough of everything that if the purpose is to do something truly new or more extreme you're not going to find much. If you can take a break and grow some hunger for it and then go in with the right expectations there's still fun to be had. Also rides are very subjective and if you can go back and experience some of them again under better less hurried circumstances you might find them more enjoyable.

He was an eccentric for sure!

^^-- I went Sunday the 12th and crowds were as expected, may have been the cold though. I have a feeling that every time someone warns of these deals at GrAdv or SFA, I've already been during one before and didn't even know it. However the difference between around Sept. 20 @ SFA (the KD closed weekend) was completely different between 2015 and 2016, which has me on guard.

Is there somewhere I can find out this schedule, or someone post it? I'm a SFA member so I don't get BAF at other parks apparently, or even get access to the BAF schedule which everyone paying more or traveling long distances to get in needs to know! Will BAF deals kill a previously awesome event? Or did they actually have it last year too and I just didn't know it? I guess I'll also be watching queue times carefully but still can only assume it even is the same that day.

^^-- there was a lot of precip. earlier that week and yes I heard blowtorches were involved to get Ka running. Nitro opened about the same time or even later that day. It could be they did some wheel swaps before running Nitro -- what it does during HitP doesn't happen by itself. From what I could tell Lantern was stuck on the MCBR all day except around 6:00 they were doing endless test runs. I thought that was commendable they were trying to get it going that late in the day until I realized it really was probably for the next weekend! So some of the stuff they did that day wasn't just for that day. It was down to about 36 degrees when I left.

It's open because they're awesome. Last weekend to experience Toro; Safari closed though. Last year Nitro and Ka were closed at least a day each due to cold and weather, but they got out the blowtorches and opened Ka on Sunday.

ANY park? Down here in Virginia it usually isn't bad at all, I usually go about 10 times during the Halloween events. Some strategy is needed, but it's still easy to get more night rides this month than in any other 2 months. Edit/rethink: This is short visits as a local, so maybe not fair -- but I'm also prepared to believe even that doesn't work at the parks you're talking about. GAdv is scary to consider! KD has been more crowded maybe due to the new ride, although I think the big difference was it stayed warm longer so there wasn't a lull in the crowds early in the event. Now it's getting cold, but too close to the end to make much difference. Sunday before Columbus Day I screwed up though and went too early, and just left after a Grizzly, dinner and scarezones. They may be getting too successful.

I am impressed to find out about this coaster and to think about what it was like to be there. It makes me want to check out Coney Island more, experience that kind of combination of coaster and nostalgia and location. I'm also impressed by the technical work towards the coaster and I bet the model is impressive in person. However I'm skeptical of the current proposal, maybe it takes more imagination from what you have, but the location seems unsuitable. I don't think it would be credible for hundreds of enthusiasts to go "that's great!" to the board over what you are showing, and that's all MOST of us could do for you. I don't know if the perfect time and place for this coaster will happen again. As an exact repro it seems it would have to be part of a larger retro project, as a concept/starting point it would need to be complementary to a more modern ride.

Doesn't sound like a very good choice of coaster to build completely from scratch.

I have KD and BGW season's passes, forget that. Of course I went to BG last Sunday and KD is only a regular 8 pm close this Sunday, so I was thinking this would be the best time for SFA -- I can't really go any days but Sunday. The Gold flashpass is $50 (the haunted houses already cost $20); one could bring a friend on a normal day for a $42 ticket. It seems odd to complain about a freebie, but this really seems to favor locals, who can almost surely find someone to bring. And you guys make it sound like no freebie at all, because it's not a good time to be there. However, the weather forecast for Sunday is cold and rainy, maybe instead of mobbed, the added crowds will keep them from closing early?

^^-- I just found out about the BAFF on Sunday myself, I'm wondering how many times I've been during them in the past. Does anyone know if they were doing this 2 years ago for FF? I know 2 and 3 years ago I went on the KD closed weekend, pre-FF Sundays and the 2nd of those was shocking and a waste of time, but the FF trip after was OK. Re: Friday vs. Sat., if you spend a lot more time Saturday is more rides, but during only the same time slot probably not even close.

Grizzly is slightly rougher than optimum this year, which I prefer it by far to Rebel Yell when it's not racing or the operators aren't properly racing it. It appears that half the airtime on RY was bumps, which are now gone. The park has been going back and forth on maintenance on those two since before the 2009 season (Hurler was their smoothest fullsize woodie in 2008 by a small margin).

WHAT THE F**K ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!?!?!? Are you even aware that there are MORE DISNEY REVIEW SITES, Instagram feeds, Twitter feeds, blogs, etc, than ANY OTHER AMUSEMENT PARK or park chain in the world??? Like, have you ever looked at the Internet before??!?! Holy crap, I can't even believe someone would make such an ignorant statement. It blows my mind that i just read those words from one of our forum members. You guys are supposed to be better educated on theme parks if you're going post to Theme Park Review. And what "waiting list???!" Honestly, DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT AT ALL!?!?!? That's exactly what I meant: Disney has plenty of advocates, which is analogous to a manufacturer selling something as fast as they can make them properly. You're misinterpreting me. I agree my analogy doesn't add much except more words. What is significant is that analogies instantly spring to mind, or at least that everyone has seen plenty of polls and best-of lists with a focus and agenda and big flaws. These lists reveal much about those making them, which is the only reason they're of any use at all, they can be interpreted. In further consideration, I think my analogy is also wrong. It's not a matter of advertising bucks, it's bias and preference. In ACE, if you're not big on wood coasters and funky little parks, you don't get to vote. Also, believe me, I'm sorry for replying on this subject by now. Shouldn't have to be that way though. Good content. Actually, I can't afford to do much, but I would still read more about Disney being a good deal for those only slightly more affluent -- that's not really my impression from trip reviews I read here. I advocate that theme parks can be the best entertainment value for anyone with a local park.

It's a double-edged sword in my opinion. If you want an expert opinion you ask experts. If you want a popularity contest you ask everyone. Sorry, if people get butt hurt for not getting their participation trophy. I concede using mutual rider comparisons works also, but you are still not getting the critical mass for less ridden attractions, and bias are caused by local favoritism and new hotness factor. But with 500 experts, it still comes out like a popularity contest, or more accurately an agreement contest or just bad math. For example, if a bunch of voters put Phoenix at #5 and good choices for better coasters for 1-4, but their choices for 1-4 are all different, Phoenix wins. If they all put a different Disney park for best food, but Knoebels as #2, Knoebels wins. They also appear to be picking people with more knowledge of amusement parks and "coaster" parks than Disney, unless they just don't like them. No wonder, they're ACoasterE members, but the awards aren't billed as ACE awards, they're Amusement Today awards, which seems more general. Seems to me there aren't going to be many people that are experts in all of these unless they have a lot bigger voice in the community already than one vote in these awards, e.g. Robb. I would definitely not consider anyone "poor" if they can't afford (or aren't interested in) Disney after going to a dozen other parks a year in more than one country. That is EXACTLY it! While I agree that Knoebels does have the best "amusement park food" if you are singling out just one park, you have to give it to Epcot. There is simply NO QUESTION. Even just with some of their World Showcase restaurants: Le Cellier Steakhouse, Monsieur Paul, Tutto Italia, Via Napoli, Teppan Edo, Spice Road Table, and not even mentioning some of the festivals throughout the year: Food & Wine, Flower & Garden, etc, there is simply no contest and anyone who would say differently I would seriously have to question if they know what food actually is. This is why there should be two categories. One for "amusement park" food and one for "theme park" food. But they aren't going do that because: 1. Golden Tickets are stupid. 2. Disney isn't going to give the Golden Tikcets any more attention so why do the extra work to give Disney more attention? 3. There are probably quite a lot of people who vote that just aren't sophisticated enough or probably can even afford to go and dine Epcot. (Trust me, I've seen some of the people who they have voting in that poll, it's frightening!) Just being honest, but I highly doubt that most of the voters for the Golden Tickets are going to spring for a meal at Le Cellier or Monsieur Paul but will most certainly buy a cheese on a stick at Knoebels. And besides, Epcot doesn't even have a roller coaster and I cannot tell you how many ACE members I've heard say "I'm not going to that park because it doesn't have a coaster." #dumb And there is nothing wrong with the cheese on a stick at Knoebels, I love it myself and I would vote for it in a heartbeat in the best amusement park category, but you simply cannot compare it, and it would actually be unfair to compare it to the Epcot offerings because Epcot should win every time. But for some reason the Golden Tickets won't really acknowledge Disney and I can probably give you one guess as to why.... I'll take an educated guess and say I can't afford to dine at Epcot either and neither can many others. Does that make us all "frightening"? Even other than me? Sorry not liking your implication here. I'm sure there's a lot of "best of" lists of best restaurants in cities that don't include elite, high dollar places such as small French restaurants. For one thing, interest is limited, second thing, Duh, they're good. It's just whole different contest. And Disney itself is, in a sense, more like that. They're also more like a manufacturer of a luxury product which doesn't get reviews because they don't provide review samples and don't need reviews because they also have a full waiting list. And even then, I'm sure voters in this contest wouldn't mind Epcot being put as #1 for best food if the "normal" list started at #2, but if the whole list became more about ranking the various Disney parks against one another it might not leave room for anyone else.

I haven't been to Morey's since the Jet Star was sitting right across from Flitzer, which made it look all the worse since they used similar cars. I didn't even realize they weren't both Swartzkopfts.

I'm picturing people jumping off their horses during the ride and dancing with them but I'm guessing that didn't happen.

Your description of Superman omits that it even has any hills, which of course are the best part, if only there were more of them... I also like how it heads out off by itself and the whole thing is fun at night.

My new thing with clueless seat checkers is to just tell them to let me out and try again later. My body was damaged by one early this year and I won't -- CAN'T -- allow it anymore. I prefer the restraints on Skyrush to most Intamins. But I have to hold myself down on most of the airtime or it is painful, no doubt. I used the bar directly either side for that, the handles are too far forward. I question the need to be quite so ridiculous but also loved it. Most hypers I need a night ride to be impressed. There are aspects to your trip that would drive me crazy. Of course my trips tend to be not much to report on -- went to this park, rode ass off, went home ...