ajfelice

Let's be real here. If there has been no spotted construction, signs of construction, unusual activity, or even much of a hint besides Darien Lake saying they will announce what is new for 2014 at the end of the month, is what they could be doing really that big in terms of what enthusiasts get excited for? I think half the problem with 95% of people posting in this thread is that they are developing very high hopes and speculating things with no real evidence or grounding for their assumptions. Darien Lake is a medium-sized park with a turbulent management structure over the past decade that seems to finally be getting themselves organized on solid ground. I don't think it's healthy for anyone's "fandom" of this place to get overly excited on an announcement scheduled for the end of February, a little over two months before opening day. Darien Lake is simply not a park that is going to make huge ride addition leaps as often as a Cedar Point, Kings Island, Six Flags Great America, Six Flags Magic Mountain, and you name it of the huge parks.

Anyone who has worked in operations in the past several years could relate to hearing something like this on a regular basis... "Is this going to be like Final Destination?" After about the 1,000th time I have been asked this, I'm now tempted to respond back, "Sometimes I wish it was."

As much as I love the unique quirkiness of almost everything about Knoebels, I think it would do them well to have some form of a main entrance or ticket booth very close to the main parking lot. If you are not a local, it's slightly confusing to find things in Knoebles as their layout is unique. I know they don't offer POP everyday, but it's a nice convenience for guests, especially out-of-towners, to have a main ticket booth right at the main entrance. If they aren't offering POP that day, the area could still serve as a nice information area for things such as maps, price lists, and guest services. First impressions to a park or any business are everything. Simple things like a guest getting mixed up on where they get their ride tickets can actually start a day off pretty negatively; especially when they are carting around a bunch of excited kids. I even have experience with this as my park of employment is in the process of relocating ticket booths so they are right at the park entrances from the parking lots, because a common negative first impression is guests getting mixed up finding where to pay for rides. I'm all about small park quirkiness, but some things need to be adjusted so that the average guest is comfortable and getting the perfect "Welcome to Our Park!"

Don't worry, no one is on a manhunt for someone who doesn't prefer El Toro. I believe some people are just pointing out that people will sometimes go out of their way to put something down unnecessarily far in a petty attempt to prove a point. In my case, personally I love Phoenix to death, but I don't have it in my rankings in front of certain woodies in the Poll results. However, that doesn't mean I would put Pheonix with Hades 360 just to spite it and make sure it's not ahead of another woodie I like better. You have a valid argument for your opinion on El Toro even if I or most of the community doesn't always agree with it.

Due to a horrible forecast of bad weather the previous week, my trip last year was pushed to the day after Memorial Day, and I couldn't be happier that happened. Lines were extremely manageable by CP standards. Heck, Maverick barely had much of a line which is very rare. So I would highly recommend that Tuesday or even that week probably. If you have lots of patience, Sundays in September are usually a joke for attendance, so I'd break out a jacket (usually chilly on the lakeshore in September) and head out to CP. If you can handle some coasters not opening, Fridays in September are also very slow in which you could seriously do everything at CP in a few hours plus re-rides.

I thought many of us TPR might enjoy taking a stroll through a park in the city that leads the USA in snowfall, Erie PA. Look for some 2014 improvement updates mixed in as well! Paratrooper is getting a complete repaint plus a new lighting centerpiece that replaces the unreliable florescent tubes that were previously used. Winter Lift Hill Porn. Comet did not receive too much track work, but a lot of new wood in the coaster's superstructure. Interesting how Zamperla Mega Disk'Os are folded up for winter. I crawled underneath the tarp on the recently delivered Ali Baba ride vehicle to take a sneak peek at the new individual lap bars. Also, work is being done to improve the lighting. Thunder River boats are all getting a much more extensive rehab than in years past, and we also did some work on the conveyer lift motors on "Big Thunder." Tilt-A-Whirl cars are getting a rehab with new paint! Unfortunately, the LED lighting package was cut from this years budget. $100,000 later and XScream has new LEDs! We will finish the crown on the top once the weather improves. First time walking the entire Steel Dragon lift. Wipeout is getting a new backdrop. Lighting package also received some much needed love. Another significant re-tracking project was completed on Ravine Flyer II. This section was the only accessible one in the offseason. Test runs in October were fantastic! (Many of these RFII pictures were taken a few weeks earlier when it was safer to do some climbing) Transfer track got re-tracked and adjusted in hopes of eliminating the many mornings of manually pushing the 12,000lb train. A winter lift walk was one of my nerdy goals this year! Is riding without a car considered a new credit?

Came home from a long weekend in DC, and found some crap in the mail..... Thank You Very Much!

Someone say Darien Lake Discussion Thread?

I recall Son of Beast's lift sounding incredibly loud with the original trains. Seemed like that thing roared for miles. As for non-coasters, Huss Screaming Swings are very loud but awesome sounding.

As much as the "Action Zone" area of KI is criticized because it's not being refurbished or re-themed, I really just see KI eventually phasing it out. I do not go to KI or any Cedar Fair park expecting a detailed theme. Some lightly themed areas are to be expected, but I would never expect them to go all out Busch, Disney, or Universal by any means. To be quite honest, I would rather see KI remove the Action Zone title, and just clean things up to make them look presentable. I think of how Cedar Point did the whole GateKeeper plaza area, and I think that would work best for a park like KI. The area would be more appealing and not go out of date as quickly if the current Action Zone area was just well-done with nice gardens, some trees, and ample seating. That's all an amusement park like KI needs to have for an area to look nice and please their guests.

Lake Erie regions are a hit or miss in June. You will have nice 80 degree days one day, and turn around to the 50s less than 24 hours later. If you want to avoid buying a Fast Lane though, this is a gamble worth taking as the park won't be as busy as it normally is in July and August. Normally the temps are low 70s, but my lifetime experience in this region is that they love to fluctuate in a hurry, especially on the shoreline of Lake Erie. And remember, 75 degrees on a peninsula usually feels more like 65 degrees, so be prepared.

Cedar Point and Canada's Wonderland are not within a 100 mile radius of each other. Maps are an easy tool to use to confirm this.

From what I deducted from many conversations with coaster manufacturers this fall, the exacts of a coaster layout are not usually specified by a park. There are a few exceptions with places like Disney and related parks. However, according to most manufacturers, most amusement parks specify the kind of ride they want and give the manufacturer a parcel of land to work with. Sometimes a park will be particular about things such as lift position, transfer sections, and ride entrance position but the general consensus is that a coaster's layout is in the minds of the engineers and based on budget allowed. As for the trains, I'm pretty sure B&M gave KI the proposal for the new design and KI approved (honestly who wouldn't in this case).

I'm sorry, but this is too funny to pass up without giving my two-cents. So you are suggesting that companies with similar missions like SeaWorld should only serve vegetarian or vegan foods? Are you forgetting that it is natural of humans to eat meat as part of their daily diet? True, there is an ethical and unethical way to processing meats for human consumption, but there is nothing wrong with eating food that humans are biologically programmed to eat. I believe the "advanced society" remark was intended to touch on the bigger picture of how humans think and gather information, not about eating habits that are only natural.

Based on very limited experience, I would have to go with Incredible Hulk at IOA, with Led Zeppelin/Time Machine at Hard Rock/Freestyle Music Park being the only other one I have ridden. However, contrary to popular belief, I thought Zeppelin was very solid and a great multi-looping coaster for any small to medium park to have. So both B&M sit-downs have been nothing but good to me.

Option One is my favorite because it gives me a quick view of the most recent updates. Having the Twitter Feed allows me to maybe catch something as its happening, and having the Official TPR Updates and News & Updates sections visible without scrolling (at least on my laptop) is a convenient touch to instantly see new things upon arrival. If option two ends up being selected, I will not be upset one bit as both are a nicer and cleaner updated version of the current homepage. Pretty cool that we are building for the future of TPR by using everyone's input. Keep up the good work!

Not trying to be negative, but always remember how broadly the term "attraction" is used by parks. New rides or I guess return of old favorites would be welcoming, but I don't want certain peoples' hearts to be shattered when a new attraction isn't a ride resulting in them taking to this thread to vent their sorrows, spew wish-lists, and form unfounded claims. So please, take the term "attraction" with a grain of salt. I'm sure whatever it might be will be very well done having Herschend at the helm. I'm going to make a bold prediction for Darien Lake in 2014 and say that we see two-train operation on Ride of Steel, Predator, and Viper. Darien Lake is in the right hands, but it just takes more time and money to clean up a mess than to create one.

1. Waldameer: 15-20 minutes (traffic pending) 2. Conneaut Lake Park: 40 minutes 3. Darien Lake: 2 hours

While this may not be a particular coaster, the drive into Cedar Point on the causeway is visually stunning. If I were to credit a coaster, Millennium Force to me is what makes that skyline so stunning. That coaster looks so huge and dominating no matter what angle you look at it. GateKeeper guarding the entranceway is also another visually appealing coaster due to it's location. Another stunning place to look at coasters is Hersheypark. GCI makes beautiful coasters as it is, and having two (basically three) in one park just further displays how awesome GCI coasters are visually. However, I can't stop there with Hershey as they have the Skyrush pathway that gives absolutely awe inspiring views underneath Skyrush from along the waterway.

Comet at Waldameer Park at the age of four. Still one of my favorite "laugh" coasters probably because it was my first and only local coaster for several years.

^THANK YOU SEBASTIAN! This thread is sadly becoming a lost cause and really no longer fun to read because it lacks any reasonable conversation about this interesting park in transition.

I know that The Beast has been trimmed since day one, but just imagine if some of those trims were removed? I could only imagine how much more amazing an already amazing ride can be. From the few reports I have seen shortly after construction from some of the contractors/park employees from KI indicate an absolutely insane coaster before the trims were added in time for the ride's opening.

My visit to Holiday World gave me three new Top Ten Wooden Coasters. One of those, The Voyage, was my absolute favorite not only of the three woodies there, but favorite of 2013, and favorite coaster of all time right now.

If everything pans out like last season, I should be able to snag a preseason test run or two on Ravine Flyer II. Can't think of a more perfect way to begin the 2014 coaster season!

As for Cedar Point, the sticks are almost as perfect as they can get. I envied their height sticks actually. So neat how they have a park-wide system of colors to categorize each height restriction category. If anything, the sticks give smaller riders a microscopic advantage especially towards the end of the season after they have scrapped the pavement one too many times. However, CP in particular is quick to pick up on these and gets them replaced as frequently as needed making sure they are almost always spot on. The backlash over the accuracy of height sticks or the "swivel stands" as I call them would be massive if a park the size of the typical Cedar Fair kind was using measuring devices taller than they should be. Guests are extraordinarily skeptical and quick to criticize measuring device accuracy. I have had a guest pull out a tape measure from their purse in rage thinking Ravine Flyer II's height sign was above 48", she didn't like the result especially when I assisted her to correctly make sure the tape measure was against the sign and not slightly diagonal to make it appear 49". Another great height dispute happened with Music Express this past year where it happened to be the same day I spent the morning measuring and verifying the height signs on every ride. As I was getting cussed at for several minutes, I realized the tape measure was still in my pocket so I suggested we take a 15ft walk to measure the sign together. He walked away as fast as I could turn my head to show him the perfect sign. In the end, guests are very skeptical and questioning of measuring devices at rides as it is, so it is in no park's best interest to post a misleading height sign or use a "tall" stick.