ajfelice

Friday, May 4: Six Flags Great Adventure Weather: Began cloudy, ended very sunny, warm, sticky, and humid. Crowds: Fairly Light (Teenage Paradise School Day) Coasters: 10/10 Overall Park: 6/10 Best of the rest: Runaway Mine Train was unexpectedly a very good mine train with a fairly surprising pop of air on the last hill before the turn over the pond (6/10). Skull Mountain was a little more intense than I expected (7/10). Dark Knight had some very well done scenery turning an average mouse into a fun, family coaster (6/10). Kingda Ka never made a cycle the entire trip (whatever, I forgot it was even there). Rolling Thunder, while smoother than expected, was relatively uneventful lacking any considerable air (5/10). El Toro: First ride of the day met with one-train operation, and the second was being worked on by maintenance; Ended up being about a twenty minute wait. Sat 6:3 with the advice of the popular opinion of the coaster community and it was a great decision. The out-and-back beginning was filled with excellent airtime on every hill, and the turnaround was very forceful. However, after coming around the corner into the twister section, I was met with the most extreme, unexpected ejector airtime I have ever met on any coaster. I must admit, while fun, the first ride in the morning was the least extreme compared to subsequent rides at the end the day were amazingly even more intense. New #1 Woodie for intensity (10/10)! Bizarro: To my benefit, this fantastic coaster was lost in the shuffle by the general public. 3 train operation on a slower day was met with a virtual walk-on all day. I’m a sucker for zero-g rolls and cobra rolls, so this ride edged Dominator as my favorite floorless. The special effects were only icing on the cake to an already excellent ride. Although, the mist-barrel effect on the interlocking corkscrews was very effective. (9.5/10) Nitro: Unfortunately this was the only major let-down. It’s not that the ride is bad, it’s actually good, but I really was expecting a great ride. The air was there, and the helix before the MCBR was intense, but the entire ride was lacking something. Tried it both near the front and the back, but I was met with similar results both rides. Props for the three train operation on a slower day though. Maybe I just talked this one up just a hair too much? (8/10) Batman, The Ride: Big things really do come in small packages. I particularly enjoyed the loop-roll-loop beginning. Combine that with the intense, mangled mess of corkscrews and tight turns, this coaster was all anyone could ask for in an invert. It didn’t even seem as short as the stats would dictate. (9/10) Green Lantern: Oh you standup coasters. It’s hard to process how popular these seem to be with the general public (at least the B&M ones). This was the longest wait of the day at about 45 minutes. I understand that the abundance of signs and operator spiels should do the trick to inform riders on proper riding, but people are ridiculous. Pay attention for just one minute and getting these trains going would be so much easier. I sympathize with the ride ops on these coasters as a ride former ride operator myself. As for the ride itself, GL is not what I describe as painful, but just not very comfortable at all. (6/10) Superman, The Ultimate Flight: Sad as it may be, this was my first B&M flyer. The pretzel roll was very intense, but the rest of the ride is more of a wee than a wow. I can’t wait for the day I try some of the larger coasters of this type such as Tatsu, because this coaster has potential. (8/10) General Park Observations: Unfortunately, I haven’t been to a Six Flags park since before the days of Shapiro as I live in the Northwest tip of PA, so I was excited to see this park. While the park was very clean with friendly staff and had an excellent collection of coasters, the place had an overall worn feeling. Gardens and some brick paths weren’t without some weeds. Queue fences on some attractions like Superman were bent with shoddy, quick-fix reinforcements. And some of the coasters, particularly Nitro and B:TR could use a power wash (like Kumba), and some fresh paint wouldn’t hurt. In addition, some of the smaller paths outside of the main midways were weathered/cracked with several pools of water from a previous night. However, like I said, I was very impressed with the staff, both ride operations and security, and coasters, but the park looks to be in need of some TLC to bring it up to the standards of some of its competition in terms of visual appeal. Despite being rough around the edges, I am very glad I made the just less than 7hr trip to ride some great coasters to start off the season. P.S.: I still can’t get over the “Visual Scan” procedure by the ride operators. So funny watching the perfectly executed hand over forehead with the repeated about four times perfect 180 degree body motions. Saturday, May 5: Knoebels Weather: See Six Flags Great Adventure Crowds: Moderate, but unexpectedly busy for May (as busy as a warm mid-summer weekday a couple years ago) Coasters: (10/10) Park: (10/10) Can anyone not love Knoebels? There is just something about this smaller, community park that I can’t describe. The atmosphere simply can’t be beat. Even with the old-school gravel paths, portable trailer-mounted attractions, and even single train coaster operations, I just love this place. Before diving into the coasters, their flats are great. Old favorites such as Scooters, Flyers, Looper, and Satellite combined with newer favorites like Power Surge (unfortunately down for maintenance) and Downdraft make for an awesome collection. Combine that with milder favorites such as Giant Wheel, Pioneer Train, and Haunted Mansion makes for the ultimate traditional family park. Black Diamond: Obviously not built for the thrills is a unique combination of coaster and dark ride. The scenes were built to perfection, and the spinning tunnel was an effective bonus. Not as perfect or scary dark ride as Haunted Mansion, but a very effective tribute to the coal mines of Pennsylvania. (8/10) Twister: The excitement to ride Twister after only having time for one ride before was elevated even higher upon observation of extensive re-tracking. Twister has a way of teasing riders of the upcoming intense rides by giving great lateral g’s on simply turnarounds off both the first lift and the second coming into the first drop. Riding in row three welcomed an exciting ride with some decent air on the crest of the hill after the first drop and on some of the drops following the large helix. Riding in the very back welcomed an even more out-of-control experience further enhancing the “Beast-like” helix. Discomfort wasn’t even thought of on both rides, just pure wooden twister greatness. (10/10) The Phoenix: Last, but not least, the crown jewel of Knoebels, the famous Phoenix. First off, it was a nice surprise to see some more re-tracking on the first drop and up the following hill (just shows how much Knoebels cares). Made three rides: Two in famous 1:3, and one in 4:2. Air was extreme in both seats, but the most extreme was of course my favorite seat, 1:3. The Phoenix is by no means out-of-control like Twister, but the extreme air puts the biggest smile on my face that I will ever experience on a coaster. Even with El Toro as my new number one edging Phoenix, this is still my number one traditional woodie (10/10). Few things of note: I will always be impressed with the fast coaster loading by Knoebels even considering the hassle eliminated without having seatbelts, but I do think two-train operations were needed for the day, even if they didn’t expect the crowd that arrived. Another thing is Knoebels height requirements on Twister and Phoenix. How do they get away with 42”? Not that it’s a bad thing that more people can ride as a result, but it’s just puzzling how intense and ejector airtime-filled coasters can be deemed acceptable for 42” without seatbelts. Especially when many coasters of similar size and same train design post a 48” requirement. Interesting.

Sorry for the error. Either way, the park is a lost cause, and Blue Streak wasn't able to kickstart attendance like they were banking on.

Is it just me or do we have an ethical issue in regard to Blue Streak? Swank admits that the ride remained a public health hazard throughout the 2011 season and yet he still let it operate. I don't care about what desperate financial situation you are it, but a "Rides Manager" should never let a ride operate that he/she believes it potentially dangerous. It is sad to see such a historical gem being desperately kept on life support, but sometimes we need to let go. An amusement park can't continue to cling onto it's historical roots in hope of renewal when that philosophy simply isn't working. We all respect CLP's place in history, but we also need to respect that it is time to let go. People (general public) are just not interested in CLP anymore, and the numbers show it. Attendance has plummeted since 2009 when the park re-opened, and re-opening of the Blue Streak (late 2010) and "new" rides (2011) couldn't do it despite being well publicized in the region.

Waldameer Park: 2011-Present 2011-Ride Operator 2012: Assistant Rides Manager.

Six Flags Great Adventure and Knoebels May 4-5. Canada's Wonderland May 17.

I live in Erie Pennsylvania and I have only ONE weekend (May 4-6) for a multi-day trip before my summer is engulfed by work at Waldameer (which isn't a bad thing). I would like to conquer one of two parks I have never been to. Before anyone suggests, I went to KI last year so I do not have much interest this year. Same goes for Kennywood. Hersheypark is also out of the question because I have been there before, and Skyrush will not be open yet. Therefore I have narrowed it down to two parks I really want to go to, Holiday World and Six Flags Great Adventure. Why I want to go to Holiday World: Ultimate trifecta of wooden coasters. For me, these coasters, particularly The Voyage, are must-MUST rides. Why not: As for the rest of the park, it's probably going to be very nice, but not many "big" attractions. Why I want to go to Six Flags Great Adventure: El Toro. Also, other highly regarded coasters such as Nitro and Kingda Ka. Also, There is a chance pending on my travel friend's Sunday schedule that I could also make a stop to Knoebels on our way home. However, I have been there before and absolutely love it, but it is nothing "new" to me. Why Not: While the abundance of "big" attractions/coasters is there, many of them seem to fall in the good but not elite category in terms of favorability. Also, even though it is still May, I fear large crowds on a Saturday in a popular park like SFGAdv (can it be that bad in May?). I am torn completely. That's why I am seeking outside opinions on which trip will have more value.

I'm thinking simply, "Water Slides." (hint: drop tower)

A "Not-Cashless Discussion" Waldameer update: http://twitter.com/#!/WaldaTweets/status/182910985168879616/photo/1 Let the speculation begin as Waldameer is basically confirming something big for 2013 (I know not "coaster big"). Mr. Nelson is good at keeping secrets, so this could be a lot of fun. My only guess is that Waldameer is continuing their good relationship with Zamperla, but you never know...

Last thing about the wristband debate. Counterfeit or fake wristbands are hardly even an issue. The issue is reusing them day to day. Cool thing about the "BAM" system is that the scanner tells the operator the difference between a "good," nonactivated/"invalid id," and expired/"bad" wristbands. Therefore, me as the operator could handle a situation accordingly. Same goes for Water World. Due to the nature of many local patrons frequently visiting, we can determine that expired/previous day issued passes aren't being reused.

Came across a couple head-scratchers in a post by Waldameer. They posted a picture of the snow-covered foundation for their new kiddie ride, Happy Swing. "I just love looking at the park with the snow on it make s me want winter to get the hell out of here" I guess a beautiful view fills you with anger? Huh? "Why don't they build anything across the street? They could build a bridge so that we wouldn't have to cross" Build a bridge that we don't have to cross? Oh, you mean the road? I can almost guarantee you will be one of the few who b*tch up a storm because the park ran out of parking on a busy weekend because a 500ft mega-looper was built in the parking lot. (Across the road is overflow parking) I think Waldameer monitors their facebook page fairly closely, because it is hard to come by those annoying complainers and whishlist comments. I remember a few crazy ones here and there, but they have since been deleted. Honestly, who are these people that comment on facebook pages, youtube videos, and blogposts? Do they have any idea what they just wrote? The comments are so awful that it does no good to even try to respond or correct them; I only read and "lol." I do not expect perfection by any means, but it is getting ridiculous (I speak beyond amusement facebook pages). Something is either in the water, or our educational system really did a terrible job. ****ridiculous, see what I mean about our educational system Fuzzle Monkey! Like I said, I do not expect perfection. However, YOU GOT ME!

For the record I was not accusing anyone personally on this site as resistent to change. When I say people are resistent, I am referring to what I believe is that us humans, in general, are creatures of habit. All I was trying to do was address my personal observations from being at the park for an entire summer, and combining that with concerns expressed here. I understand concerns, and I have them too, but I do trust Waldameer's decision for the total cashless implementation until I have reason to believe otherwise. Let me clarify my point about "free rides" that wasn't made very understandable on my part. Before the cashless system, wristbands varied by color based on Combo Pass, Rides Only, Water Slides Only, Water World General Admission, and reserved picnics (so food servers/event coordinators knew who was a part of each picnic). To add to that, the colors and shapes on each band varied daily. Therefore, besides having an operator memorize which colors/symbols was for the day, they were supposed to check that each guest had the proper wristband (pain in the butt when people wear long sleeves, walk fast, etc). Strip tickets also had to be collected if the guest used the pay by the ride option. Waldameer had no idea how many guests paid proper admission because an operator could either accept the incorrect amount or no tickets at all, or people with no forms of admission could easily slip by. With all that said, someone could make the argument that Waldameer needs better trained, more ethical operators. However, to regulate this would be extremely tedious and borderline micro-management (besides, imagine the employee turnover during a season alone). True, the bar code system is not perfect by any means, but I can confidently say 99% of those free rides are eliminated because a wristband is automatically determined valid and a guest will always be forced to present proper admission option (otherwise, the turnstiles don't unlock). I'm sure some things slipped through the cracks with some glitches, but they were few and far between and resolved quickly. Next, I understand even more reading the posts on here alone how not having a refund option for unused points can be inconvenient/unfair especially for out of towners. Guess what? Early into the season I will make it an objective to talk to some of management about this issue, and see what their justification for this policy is.

From a current employee perspective who is not closely tied to ownership, the cashless system has actually been a huge success. The gradual implementation with the rides in 2010 and games in 2011 has been so successful that the system is moving forward into concessions. Just from observations on lunch breaks alone, Wally Cards are already a popular payment option for concessions. Some people will initially complain out of fear of change, but all in all they will adapt. In my opinion, cashless is like Chuck E. Cheese in which when I run out of tokens, I have to either: A) stop playing, or B) get more tokens. Of course this is a basic example, but they seem to be ok when it comes to their games. Additionally, last season Waldameer did have options at the midway games where you could purchase cards with cash already charged with points. I do not know if such options will be available this season on concessions or games, BUT Waldameer has also gone the extra step and installed several kiosks to purchase and recharge cards using CASH or plastic bringing their total up to 12 purchase/recharge areas. These are in addition to the admission booths and a couple other concession stands where cards are available for purchase. I truly trust what the Nelsons and Gormans are doing with Waldameer. They continue to asses and explore new practices with this cashless system to make it such a success. Besides, when it comes to employee/customer theft, is it fair that some people can get away with free rides/games/food/etc. while the rest of us pay our hard earned dollars? I choose fairness. I was and still am skeptical of this system, but they only way to confirm or put to rest concerns is to give it a chance with an open mind. So far, my skepticism has been greatly reduced.

From a Steel Dragon (Maurer Sohne spinner) operator at Waldameer Park. Guest: (Pulls lapbar down) Asks me, "Where are the restraints?" Me: "You already pulled it down." Guest: "Huh?" Me: "Sir, please remove your hat so it is not lost while riding." Guest: "Don't tell me what to do!" Comes off the ride: "What are you gonna do about my $40 hat down there?" Me: "Maintenance can retrieve it after the park closes at 10" (It was about 3). Guest: "Bullsh*t! You could have told me what would happen!" Guest: "Jesus Christ! Those breaks are painful, (pointing at me at controls) tell him to ease up or someone is going to get hurt." Child is walking past height check. I look at him making an initial height check, as I was pretty sure he was tall enough, which he was. Guest: "Why are you staring at him?" Me: "Ma'am, I'm just verifying height." Guest: "He is tall enough, you checked him earlier!" Me: "Sorry I could not remember, a couple thousand people have come through here today." Guest: "You should do your job!" Me: "I did, and he is good to go for the ride." Might I add that she is screaming at me for some reason. About thirty minutes later, we rotated positions, and I am at controls and I glance behind me to see how long the line is. Sure enough, with eyes locked on me, she is in line again. As we are only about 15 min from closing, I tell the gate host she is back and just let them on as he is tall enough and we don't need any more headaches. Sure enough this co-worker likes to pick fights, he stops them, does the whole nine yards, she screams some cuss word at him, screams at me that she is filing a harassment complaint, and I respond with a simple, happy, "Just doing our jobs, have a good night at Waldameer Park." If a complaint was filed, it went into the "Waste Management drawer."

XScream at Waldameer Park is my favorite. First, because having no pause at the top gives no chance for the body to adjust, and second, the open feeling from the restraints allows me to raise my hands for the ultimate freefall. Drop Tower at KI comes in a near second because I like the rotation. Unfortunately, Drop Tower at KD felt like the drop was more controlled and less intense despite being one of the tallest drop towers.

Blue Streak at CLP in October. Single rider in very back seat. (Ouch) Do mountain coasters count? Sky High Mountain Coaster at Holiday Valley was in late January.

Leap the Dips! What a downright fun ride! Then I believe Jack Rabbit is second oldest for me that is.

Waldameer mentioned in one of their picture comments on facebook that it is indeed a ramp. Even though we all love signature attraction additions each off-season, Waldameer is taking the ever so crucial infrastructure route for improvements this year. Ease of access=higher guest satisfaction. More efficient ride operating procedures=more guest satisfaction. If any park wants to keep growing at a healthy rate, they cannot forget infrastructure. Waldameer, I'm sure, will keep up their growth as they perfect and maintain their existing operations. As for the new cashless system. Waldameer has put a lot of careful planning and research into full implementation. Several new kiosks are being added in which high-traffic areas will have double kiosks. Remember, in addition to Wally Cards, credit/debit cards are still accepted at all food, games, and merchandise locations. The constantly growing trend is to use more plastic, so the majority guests should be able to adjust to these changes. There might be some confusion initially, but with Waldameer getting the word out early on the new procedures and making the necessary preparations, smooth sailing should follow. (I can't wait to see Comet running two trains!)

There is no clear culprit of the demise of Geauga Lake in my opinion, but I do think Cedar Fair overpaid for a badly damaged park in terms of it's operations and public image. Having SeaWorld right across the lake was key for the success of not only each other, but the area as a whole. GL/SW made a great weekend vacation combo. Unfortunately, SeaWorld selling out to Six Flags really changed public perception. Roughly two hours away in Erie Pa, the collective, local attitude was disappointment because they lost a great family-friendly attraction. Even though Six Flags heavily marketed the amusement/wildlife combo, the market was very reluctant to catch on because around here Six Flags is seen as an amusement company and not as a wildlife attraction. Sure enough, the old Six Flags image of dirty and poorly run kicked in and the park was forgotten amongst the surging parks such as Cedar Point for thrills, and Waldameer as the valuable, family-oriented stay-cation. Cedar Fair, in my opinion, was a godsend. The park was cleaned up and running nicely in typical Cedar Fair efficiency and friendliness. Unfortunately, even with the traditional Geauga Lake name restored, the public had forgotten the park without its right-hand counterpart SeaWorld. My last visit on a Friday in July of 2007 was very enjoyable in terms of thrills and operations, but the severe lack of attendance was saddening and disturbing at the same time. The park itself, even without X-Flight and Steel Venom, still boasted a nice collection of coasters, a top-tier waterpark, and clean, friendly operations, but their market was already absorbed and entrenched in Cedar Point. So sad, because Geauga Lake was far superior to Darien Lake which is roughly equal distance from my hometown Erie, Pa, and was not as greuling and exhausting as Cedar Point. Unfortunately, the general public didn't see it that way. R.I.P. Geauga Lake and The Villian (one of CCI's lost gems).

Working Dodgem at Waldameer always brought the best knowledge out of people. Most commonly asked: "Which one is the fastest?" Favorite Comment: "Don't touch the floor, it will shock you!!" My response: "Actually, (touches floor while the ride is running) it doesn't" You should have seen some of the frightened looks I got before they realized I was right.

Working Dodgem at Waldameer always brought the best knowledge out of people. Most commonly asked: "Which one is the fastest?" Favorite Comment: "Don't touch the floor, it will shock you!!" My response: "Actually, (touches floor while the ride is running) it doesn't" You should have seen some of the frightened looks I got before they realized I was right.

Do you guys think a Saturday in September would be as bad for crowds at Cedar Point? My friends and I are planning a trip there the 17th.

Hey is that me running the Ravine Flyer 3? I believe it is. According to some of the supervisors, Opening Day 2011 was one of the best opening days in park history. Sorry if I brought up a non-recent topic, but this is the first time as an employee I found myself in an enthusiast picture.

As an employee, I can assure you that Waldameer wasn't feeling the same due to guest behavior on Memorial Day. Kids were rude beyond belief by line jumping and their obscene language. Parents didn't seem to care how they acted. I have never seen as much spitting from the Skyride as yesterday (I got hit twice in two hours). It was hard to walk away with a smile after that, but as the crowds dwindled after the fireworks, Waldameer regained its charm. The remaining guests seemed controlled yet having fun. Waldameer from an employee perspective has only gotten better. There is a very good family atmoshpere, but Memerial Day was shadowed by some rowdy guests.

Opening Day 2011 Q: Why is it called "Ravine Flyer II?" A: Some drunk guy thought it would be fun to jump out on the old one, so they took out the bridge over the road and renamed it Comet. This new job will be fun.