ajfelice
Members-
Posts
747 -
Joined
-
Last visited
About ajfelice
- Birthday 08/04/1990
Personal Information
-
Location
Pennsylvania
-
Gender
Male
Recent Profile Visitors
The recent visitors block is disabled and is not being shown to other users.
ajfelice's Achievements
-
Waldameer Discussion Thread
ajfelice replied to Millennium ForceJZ's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
^A part near the base of the ride went bad in 2018 causing significant downtime. -
Waldameer Discussion Thread
ajfelice replied to Millennium ForceJZ's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
^Spider has had exactly one full day of downtime between 2022 and 2023. While not the most efficient ride in the world, it regularly ranks dead last among the "major" rides in terms of ridership. If staffing gets tight, the least popular attractions are trimmed first, but in recent seasons this has been less of an issue. Mechanically, the parts that experience the most normal wear are not OEM and can be replaced fairly easily. -
It could be one of several things. A way to smooth a lot of track length and also limit amount of materials is replacing the top two layers of wood. This method works great for areas that are higher impact and need more regular attention. It's also great for addressing multiple trouble areas at once which can make a rough ride go to smooth in a short amount of time. However, older layers of wood below the new layers can unexpectedly turn into a rotting disaster as the early stages of rot are often hard to detect visually. If unlucky, a lot of newer wood may need to be prematurely ripped up to replace rotting lower layers, so essentially back to square one earlier than expected. Alternatively, re-tracking can be done by replacing all 8 layers at once which is great for having fresh wood that is all the same age in that section. There is also less risk of lower layers rotting sooner than fresh top layers. Typically, the end result lasts a much longer time compared to only replacing the top two layers. The drawback is the requirement of far more materials and ability to re-track longer stretches or multiple areas of track on the same budget as replacing only to the top two layers. Lastly, not all retracking is in direct response to roughness experienced by a rider. There could be serious issues that need addressed, but they haven't yet impacted the ride experience. I've seen this firsthand, and it's a huge bummer when it causes downtime as the coaster seems to be running as smooth as ever.
-
Waldameer Discussion Thread
ajfelice replied to Millennium ForceJZ's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
The purchase is the mobile home park only which is in the ballpark of 12-15 acres of land. There are no immediate plans for the property, but the opportunity to purchase was presented and the price was right. It will stay as a mobile home park for the time being. Things of note when it comes to far off future land use: The parking situation needs improvement. This is a shared thought across management. You can combine the acreage of the west parking lot and its overflows and still have significant land to spare to increase parking further within the acquired land. Parking across Peninsula Drive on Saturdays in July and August is not ideal at all. Water World isn't likely to expand too far outside its current boundaries. For future attractions anywhere in the park is anyone's guess. Personally hoping for some upgrades to the amusement park section. -
Waldameer Discussion Thread
ajfelice replied to Millennium ForceJZ's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Call me stunned if a 2024 attraction or any future attraction is "announced" in the coming weeks. Seriously. -
Waldameer Discussion Thread
ajfelice replied to Millennium ForceJZ's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
To clarify the statement below.... The following attractions have all missed their "Scheduled Opening" 1986: Water World 1996: Thunder River 2004: Steel Dragon 2008: Ravine Flyer II (excluding delays in construction approval) 2015: Wave Pool 2016: Kidz Slide and Spray Zone 2017: Battle of Lake Erie -
Waldameer Discussion Thread
ajfelice replied to Millennium ForceJZ's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
We aren't breaking any records, but hopefully the setting really makes this attraction stand out. Definitely a skyline-altering addition for Water World. Vertical construction of fiberglass will likely not be very visible until late-winter, so we will have to wait to see in-person how tight this thing is crammed in. -
Waldameer Discussion Thread
ajfelice replied to Millennium ForceJZ's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
There are no current plans for the old Inn at Presque Isle sign. It does not meet current zoning codes, so it can only be used as is with little modification. It's beginning to deteriorate quickly as some pieces of the trim around the sign face have fallen off, but who knows if that will sway any plans for its future. In my opinion it's an obtuse eyesore, and should be removed in favor of something that fits the landscape nicer. The current codes do not allow for a sign as tall as the current one, but anything on that mostly barren corner will stand out and look nicer than the current structure. -
Waldameer Discussion Thread
ajfelice replied to Millennium ForceJZ's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Glad to hear you enjoyed your visit on that pretty miserable Sunday. Scrambler's no single rider policy is in line with an updated safety bulletin recommendation from Eli Bridge. Music Express is an electrical issue we are working with Bertazzon to get to the bottom of, and Vortex was having issues with the damp track affecting ride speed and whatnot. Things are coming together around the park, and staffing is dramatically improved so far. As for this..... The statement applies to over 95% of full-time and seasonal employees, so you are not alone feeling that way. -
Cedar Point (CP) Discussion Thread
ajfelice replied to robbalvey's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
$5 reduction in starting pay? Cedar Fair must be getting lean and efficient, primed for acquisition. That's a bit of a bummer for someone looking for a pretty awesome summer job seeing what they paid last year. I get not wanting to reduce an experienced employee's wage, but $5/hr is bit of a gap for most front-line positions who mostly perform similar tasks within their departments regardless of number of seasons employed. -
Waldameer Discussion Thread
ajfelice replied to Millennium ForceJZ's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
^Nothing wrong with either train (aside from being PTCs), but there is not a chance there will be two trains in operation with the staff shortage. Running one train frees up one or two Team Members who can open one or two other rides. It really sad watching the ridership of RFII dip is it can't get any boost from 2-train operation. -
Waldameer Discussion Thread
ajfelice replied to Millennium ForceJZ's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
^2.1 has been a rougher seat for as long as I can remember. The good news is a large stretch of track from the 90 degree bank into the valley and back up the hillside is being replaced this fall along with some touch ups in other areas. Hopefully someday the PTCs are replaced. Regarding the authorities, a dog has been left in a car TWICE by the same owner in the past week. The Gift House is low on merchandise due in part to very high in-park spending at rates never seen before coupled with combating supply chain issues that have plagued multiple industries this year. -
Cedar Point (CP) Discussion Thread
ajfelice replied to robbalvey's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
^The crews may be there, but in this current situation they will always be there. All day, everyday, save for maybe one day off a week so CP isn't completely abusing anyone. A shift at CP also doesn't start just a moment before the park opens to a few minutes after closing time either. I'm sure the employees they do have working for them are being worked to the absolute maximum just to keep as many attractions open as possible. Open-close shifts are probably the norm for the summer when in the past they were only a thing in the bookends of the season when dealing with college schedules and international worker arrival/departure. -
Waldameer Discussion Thread
ajfelice replied to Millennium ForceJZ's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
^Not going to spill any descriptive details, but both would have replaced existing flat rides. Speculate all you want.