ajfelice

A large corporate chain park would fire me in an instant if I were to find myself working in digital media. I would constantly throw subtle false hints out there just to stir up speculation and mess with enthusiasts. Or in the case of working for Cedar Fair, I would be fired because I would accidentally post a picture where guests are riding with their hands up. Non-story here even if an RMC conversion is somewhere in the future.

It's like choosing a favorite child, but Phoenix by just a little bit. I'm a sucker for airtime, and I'm a sucker for intensity that comes in transitions, helices, laterals, etc.. Phoenix seems to deliver the most consistently on what the coaster is best at, airtime. Twister sometimes can be moody/sluggish, but never in the sense that it dramatically hurts the ride experience. However, as much as I love Phoenix, I just don't place it as high on my list of favorites as most accredited polls do. It's a favorite, but a handful of other woodies out there effectively combine airtime and the twists to keep it from the very top of the list.

^WOW! Now that is how you refresh a ride! Refreshing traditional rides with a modern touch like flashy new paint is always great to see. Looks like a nice layer of clear coat was applied to make it pop and help prolong the life of the paint. Nice paint booth too! I envy the cleanliness as I think about my temporary painting work area at my park.

^I venture to guess the growth of online and social media news access has something to do with it. They need something catchy for people to see and click on. Amusement parks have that exciting and unpredictable nature that gets people's attention. Not to forget to mention, since a very small amount of people understand how rides work, the fear of the unknown is a great attention grabber. Basically, these kinds of stories get more people to the page to make more money from advertisements. Perfectly legal, but not what I think is the most ethical way of reporting important news stories.

Opening Day is celebratory for guests, but the people in charge of these parks are biting their nails just hoping to get through it. First of all, parks these days are really gutsy about opening earlier into the season. It's beneficial to open early because the local pass-holders are eager to get out of the house for some fun, and the park picks up some change from them. However, factors that are beyond the park's control will sometimes give the park a perception of "not being ready." However, opening early in the spring brings in the weather factor, especially the further north your get. Rides do not like cold temperatures and wind, particularly the coasters. It's not just a valleying concern, but sensors can go nuts in the cold and trains travelling slower than normal will also irritate sensors. Flats typically do okay regardless of temperature, but the wind or rain might hinder some of the larger flats. Basically, finicky weather=finicky ride up-time. Parks do absolutely everything they can to make the rides mechanically prepared for operation, but resuming daily operation after several months of idle time is not always a smooth transition. There is a reason I'm not rushing out to some parks in driving distance this weekend, as the weather variables are just not worth risking. As for those one train operations and ride closures, a lot is going on there as well. Staffing a park this time of the year is a nightmare. College students aren't going to commit to working at a park that is not in the area the live in during the summer. High schoolers are either underage or busy with other activities that make working weekends practically impossible during the school year. Most of these parks might have a great amount of people hired for the season, but at this time a lot of them are not available to work yet. As a result, operations efficiency will be compromised and occurrences such as one train operation and even ride closures are not out of the ordinary. Furthermore, parks operate on a very lean budget. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if some of the larger ones haven't finished prepping all ride vehicles to make maximum train operation possible. Is this situation ideal? Not at all. Is it a fact of life parks must handle the best they can? Sure is.

^Wait! Cyclone is now a spinning coaster too?! I believe that there is a significant portion of our society that has a serious trust problem with amusement parks. If you think that a ride simply stopping when something goes wrong (to keep you safe) is that traumatizing, I question why you got on the ride in the first place. Either they don't trust amusement parks, or there is a serious problem with people embellishing to get their 15 minutes of fame. The more I think about it, the latter might be more true.

If the foundation has been poured, the ride itself can likely be set rather quickly since it's really just a standard flat. For example, with a foundation poured, I saw a park model Music Express be delivered on a Monday and operational by Wednesday. Now a Music Express is no Larson Loop, but the ride appears to arrive in fairly large sections (based on Darien Lake photos) so I would assume it would go together rather quickly. Not to bash Six Flags, but not having any extensive theme to the ride or queue will help expedite the process as well.

Call me addicted to technology but I like having my phone on me for queue entertainment. Yes I should talk to friends, and yes I do. But in today's world we have integrated both. Going on a limb here, but if people feel like they are waiting longer because they don't have some of their luxuries, they will have a worse time at the park which results in less spending, repeat visits, etc.. They aren't just being overprotective to safety, but they are dancing with possibly tainting a good experience while visiting the park.

The rage that filled within me last night after reading about this experiment. Where do I start? As park employee I would want someone to pull me aside and kick me repeatedly if I ever proposed something like this. Almost all Ride Operators do the best they can to make sure that guests comply with loose article policies. If they see a guest with a prohibited loose article, they make sure the guest puts it in a bin/locker or secures it properly based on what the item is. Going great lengths to search guests for loose articles is simply invasive and creates the environment of what I call a "police state." Actually, I have disciplined Ride Operators for poor guest service because they have treated a guest with an assumption of guilt. If you see prohibited loose articles as a Ride Operator, ask politely and ensure the item is taken care of appropriately. I get it the lockers are free at Universal, I get it that there are small chances that something could fall out of a pocket, but at some point you can't be literally searching people or basically expecting them to be having something they shouldn't. Most injuries that result from rides are related to pre-existing health conditions or dangerous actions such as standing, attempting to exit early, or extending hands/feet outside of the ride vehicle. Incredibly rare a loose article causes an injury, because parks have already done a great job enforcing policies as they have been for years (and yes I know there have been a couple isolated incidents). If implemented, metal detectors at ride entrances are likely costing Universal excessively more than they are saving. Yes, Universal has the money to blow on stuff like this, but is this money going to the right project? In my opinion, heck no.

After experiencing Canada's Wonderland with the airtime hyper on one side and the speed/twisty giga on the other, I'm very excited for the day I make it to Carowinds. From the simple yet very tasteful theme, to the great length of the layout taken at high speeds, I'm really intrigued by Fury 325. Not to mention I'd love some old fashioned floaty airtime fun on Intimidator. Do I think they will be my #1 and #2? Not really, but I think they will make for an amazing trip to what seems to be a very nice park. The only barrier to setting travel plans is the new Big Boy Job. No longer are non-operating days in May my chance to skip town and go South ten hours. In time. In time...

^Firewood for a massive bonfire at Coaster Campout 2015? Not to be insensitive to a classic coaster, but is it really feasible for any park to attempt to relocate this after sitting neglected since fall of 2007? If someone really wanted it, it would have been moved years ago.

Despite the frigid winter, the Giant Wave Pool expansion is actually on time or even slightly ahead. For little Waldameer and Water World, this wave pool is huge. The pool will contain approximately 500,000 gallons of water and capacity is up to 1,000 people at a time. Now that most of the snow has melted and the wave pool is starting to look more like an actual wave pool, last Friday was a great opportunity to document the progress. An overview of the Water World expansion area. Yes, a significant amount of parking lot was used, but recent land acquisitions will actually increase overall parking in 2015. This picture does not feature other park infrastructure improvements such as more than doubling of Admission Booths, Bathhouse Expansions, and a new Sub Shop next to Merry-Go-Round. The overall progress of the Giant Wave Pool. Under the tarps are the first poured sections of concrete that make up the side walls and some of the bottom of the pool. Propane heaters under these tents made concrete pouring possible in sub-zero temperatures. The monstrosity that is the new Waveside Grill. This brand new concession stand will feature a variety of specialty items that should help turn around the commonly bland perception of Waldameer's concession options. A more detailed update can be found on WaldaBlog. http://www.waldameer.blogspot.com/ The total cost of the project is over $12 million dollars. Compared to Ravine Flyer II at $7.5 million, this project is easily the largest and most expensive in Waldameer's history, and this is only Phase 1. 2016 is projected to open a new children's play area; ProSlide RideHOUSE 400. Beyond 2016 will feature a Spray Area, another assortment of children's slides, a ProSlide Cannon Bowl, and the existing children's area will be recommissioned into a large tower featuring a variety of larger slides that are TBD. Disclaimer: These photos are directly from WaldaBlog, but they were taken by myself so no copyright laws were violated.

^I really wish I could unread that. I really hope that was just a sarcastic satirical piece. What Darien Lake needs is consistency. Consistency in the sense there is continuity in the management group operating the resort, and consistency in the sense that there is a definite long-term ownership group that can cooperate with the management group. Ideally one company is owning and managing the park, but that isn't always the case.

I think you are reading a little too far into things. Important people from parks throughout the chain are going to be invited to ride the chain's most recent capital investment. It doesn't mean they are there to determine if Kings Island should receive a giga-coaster, but simply a bunch of executives trying out the company's new toy. Think of it as a family member hosting a house warming party when they move into a new home. Using your logic, since Tony Clark rode Fury 325, it could be speculated that Cedar Point is looking into a B&M giga to complement Millennium Force. Also, it's a bit of a stretch to assume Cedar Fair is only adding things that were longtime staples at Cedar Point to Kings Island. The best justification was that Kings Island was desperately in need for a signature steel coaster when Diamondback was built, and Banshee filled the marquee roller coaster need once SOB was removed.

You would be surprised how much goes uninsured in terms of buildings, ride structures, etc.. The fact of the matter is that the cost of carrying insurance on several physical buildings/rides is very much a huge financial burden on almost any park. What insurance does almost always cover is employee injuries, guest injuries, and a few critical structures, in which critical structures are not always being the park's signature ride. For example, on the structure of my park's signature ride, there is no insurance. When Hurricane Sandy decided to drop one of the largest and oldest trees in the park on a portion of recently re-tracked track on our wooden coaster, that all came out of the park's pocket. Insurance is also in some cases carried for usual events. For example, I'm willing to bet Cedar Point had some form of insurance to cover their weekend without water that required them to shut down the entire peninsula.

I know some people in high places in the park, and I can tell you that attendance is a few hundred thousand off from the "glory days." By no means is the outlook for the park poor, but attendance is still not exactly where it needs to be. In fact, 2014 experienced a small dip in attendance. Ever since a private off-season tour, Six Flags America is actually a park I'm looking forward to visiting this summer. I have a knack for finding redeeming qualities about places many people like to criticize. Clones in all, SFA does offer a nice variety of coasters that aren't all found in parks nearby.

Management positions within specific departments such as rides, concessions, games, merchandise, admissions, etc. do not always require a degree. For example, in most medium/larger parks the "Rides Manager" who works under the under a Park Operations Manager doesn't always need a college degree for their positions. Area managers and supervisors also fall into this category of not always requiring a degree. However, that doesn't mean if you are in high school you should call it quits and get your management job in an amusement or theme park. Usually, a lack of a 4-year degree doesn't hurt someone when they are an excellent worker, have tons of experience, knows the right people, and has a little luck of being in the right place at the right time. I would say those instances are increasingly rare the more I have become connected with the industry. If you wanted to advance into even higher management positions such as "Director of (insert area)," I would say a degree in Business is almost always required. The smaller the park, I would stretch out on a limb and say that having a degree is more critical for making a better income. Here are several real examples. In the summer someone holds the position of Rides Department Manager. Due to the small nature of the park, being a "Rides Manager" ends virtually on the last day of the season. This manager's degree in Marketing makes him very versatile and he is a part of the Group Sales and Marketing Team for the majority of the off-season. Once Group Sales work calms down, around March/April he becomes the "Rides Manager" again when the hiring process begins and rides are put back together. In this same park, the Food and Beverage Directer is also on the Group Sales and Marketing Team. Furthermore, the Water Park Manager runs special events in the Ballroom and performs maintenance work in the winter. In other words, in many cases a degree or higher education makes someone more versatile and valuable to a park or any company which often increases their chances for promotion and better income.

Several years back this was attempted and struck down due to issues that still exist today. A quick dive into the archives pulled up this brief article. Not saying that this time around efforts will be unsuccessful, but unfortunately I wouldn't count on anything until it is approved by the courts. I found the number of the Board of Trustee's (owners of CLP) revenue for 2014, a grand total of $274,586.54. It would be a very interesting negotiation if the park is unable to sell surplus property but able to develop a feasible repayment plan to their creditors. I know CLP is small, but less than $300,000 a year is not a lot to work with when you have aging rides, general maintenance/upkeep, utilities, and payroll to meet before you even think about repaying creditors if a few pennies are left.

2014 was horrible for many Northeast/Mid-Atlantic parks in terms of weather. Working for a park two hours Southwest of Darien Lake frequently resulted in us getting the weather headed to Darien Lake. Being that both parks are served strongly by their local markets, I can somewhat extrapolate how the weather will kill attendance and revenues. 1. Rain in the morning will almost always dent the daily attendance. Doesn't matter if after late mid/late morning the skies are sunny and clear, as the damage is done. 2. Weather forecasts can be almost as damaging as the storm itself. A 30% chance of rain puts the little storm logo on most weather sources, and the local-based general public will write the day off as "We won't risk it, and come another day." Many of them do not come another day or use their Season Pass as much as they would have. I don't have enough fingers and toes to count the days in 2014 when the forecast scared away people when the day ended up perfectly sunny and warm. 3. 2013 was not favorable for weather either, however the summer was back-loaded with good weather in mid-July through August which made up for some lost ground. 4. 2014 started OK for weather, but as the summer progressed, some of the worst storms and cold spells landed on weekends that were supposed to be busy. 5. Lack of attendance due to poor weather or morning weather ruins in-park spending by guests. Basically, 2014 had its butt kicked by inconvenient inclement weather and forecasts that frequently scared off people. The same story comes from many of our "Park Friends" in our region. I like to keep an eye on and sometimes in touch with our Park Friends, and the Great Lakes Parks of Cedar Point, Waldameer, and Darien Lake all had a very similar weather story for 2014. Luckily for CP, their heavy resort model of business kept their bleeding to a minimum.

Speaking of Cedar Point, anyone else find it hilarious when they say "photography and video recording is strictly prohibited and actually ILLEGAL in the State of Ohio?" I understand management cracked down on ride hosts saying that but you still catch it time to time. While it may be in the Ohio Ride Laws that riders must obey all posted and verbal instructions, it doesn't specifically say cell phones and video recording are illegal on rides in Ohio. So technically riders are legally required to obey all posted/verbal rules that include CP's recording policy, but last time I checked a rider has never been persecuted for recording a video or taking a picture on a ride. I could never bring myself to make the "illegal" remarks on the mic during my time working there as all it really does is makes an employee look like an a$$.

As an industry insider I can tell you price is not the main deciding factor when parks select a ride or manufacturer for a type of ride. Parks are looking at total value in terms of how the ride meets a need of their guests and how the attraction increases their profits.The term "price" also heavily accounts for expected expenses down the road. Look at many Huss attractions and the expenses after purchase are a key problem that coincide with frequent downtime. The asking price is less important than the quality of product itself. In other words, parks are buying "up-time."

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to read through Darien Lake's social media and get a general sense of the GP's reaction. So far, I'd say the reception has been excellent. Of course there are a few complainers, but that is the fact of life for every expansion for every park. Go ahead and pick and choose some guest remarks to build an argument that people are unimpressed, but don't forget to include the enormous group of people very excited for the new additions. As for that partial campground removal suggestion, do you really think it would be smart for Darien Lake to downsize one of it's biggest competitive advantages? Build all the coasters you want, but the things that differentiate the park and give it a unique draw are what keep people coming back.

This is a great discussion as we are in a pivotal time in terms of the advancement of video recording technology. It is great that we are picking apart everyone's arguments/points (including ones I have made). I believe the gray area in terms of what is a loose article and what is not loose is currently rather wide for most parks/managers. Right now, from what I can tell from experiences working within two parks is that parks are choosing the strict side of no cameras or recording of any kind because they do not want to fight the "how well is the item secured" debate. I believe as managers become more aware and informed of the technology for securing these cameras, they will begin to modify policies. Alluding back to a point I made about one of my bosses and his reluctance to allow harnessed cameras due to a concern for recording incidents, I understand and agree with his argument, but I also realize that with today's technology almost everything will be recorded in some manner. Therefore, cutting out one potential source of recording an incident is really just plucking one hair out of thousands. Personally, as operations manager I have several new video-recording policy modifications that are in development to update the outdated general loose article policy created before the rapid growth of GroPros and related devices. Reading through this thread gets me thinking about how to most effectively develop a policy that is safe, easy to define, and not ignorant to the advancement of modern technology. I'm not saying that Theme Park Review is the sole deciding factor of new video-recording polices, but I believe this discussion is good crowd-sourcing to learn more about this subject matter.

Heard this straight out of my "big boss's" (a.k.a Park President's) mouth. He acknowledges that accidents or breakdowns are incredibly rare, but he does not want to ever have something of that nature recorded and posted online or spread through media outlets. For example, would you want to have an accident POV of your Vekoma Boomerang going viral?

Who on here ever called Seabreeze "meh?" Seabreeze is a great little park that is very well-maintained, has friendly staff, and a nice modest collection of attractions. It might not get as much attention in the forums due to a lack of size and somewhat remote location, but the park is nowhere near meh. The owners take a lot of pride in their park, and I do not think the park is lacking attention from the community or whoever. The locals love the place too. Seabreeze is a quiet ongoing success story as a family-owned and operated amusement park.