simon8899

Blue Fire

I'll be in Freiburg soon but as weather forecast looks rather grim I don't know right now if I will visit...

Looks like a fun little park. Sadly the coasters were still under construction when I visited this Feb. So have to ride those next time in Orlando.

I don't think they would do it if it would be too costly. During the Teststrecke refurb I've read somewhere on the net that the electronics in the coaster are consisted mostly of standardized parts which one can get in any electronics parts store. Next to that I think that maybe in Mexico they can produce some of the spare parts themselves instead of buying them from MaurerSöhne or Gerstlauer. Showmen here really like Schwarzkopf coasters cause they're nearly indistructable. I guess thats why Steiger opted to refurb Laser than buying a new coaster. I have experiences myself that Intamin built EuroStar was not up to deliver smooth ride and getting built up multiple times a year. I don't really know but in the end I assume showmen Bruch would've opted to keep Thriller.

To add my uneducated guess: Maybe Gerstlauer also was interested in seeing Texas Giant running this year as maybe some orders for new rides/trains have been put on hold. On Shockwave: If I would come to SFOT with Shockwave closed it would kind of disappoint me...

Great PhotoTR! Hope to visit Knotts and the LA area someday again but my next overseas destinations are a) the parks on the line Chicago-CedarPoint-NewYork and b) Mexico City, a city park with two Schwarzkopf coasters is a must do!

^^Looking at rcdb photos it looks like the Meisho coasters in the older North Korea park have recently been repainted and trains repaired - looking quite okay actually. Having seen the older pictures I would've refrained from riding but judging by the newer ones I'd do them. Maybe Zamperla had something to do with them as they built the rides for a new park including a Volare and a DiskO.

I wonder how one can get major injuries from a power failure. Years ago I've witnessed a power outage at the Hamburg DOM near a Zierer Waveswinger - the ride rotation came to a stop very slowly and as the hydraulics powered down it very slowly got down to the parking position. At another year a local public tv station did a Fools Day joke that due to a moon eclipse all rides run "extremely slow" - many riders participated and even inversion rides did about one revolution per minute with everyone having big fun. Nevertheless hope all are well and the ride will be checked and up soon.

^Gladly rode the Jet Star at Sarkeniemmi before it was removed - great ride

Not having ridden so many my favs are: - Rutschebanen (Tivoli) - Rutschebanen (Bakken, KumBak train) - Giant Dipper (Santa Cruz Broadwalk)

ERT on Monte! You make me so jealous!

I think a dual loading station isn't really needed. Having visited last year on a sunday the waits for GeForce were 10 minutes max with all other rides were a walk-on. Also IMO it's good they get rid of SuperWirbel - I found it to be even worse than BigLoop or Python. Lots of headbanging and the helices were taken so slow and the cars were oscillating weirdly - maybe the ride was badly calculated to begin with or aged very badly. Either way this ride proves that Vekoma loopers can never stand up to Schwarzkopf loopers in speed, pacing and ageing.

Parks so far: - Magic Kingdom - EPCOT Center - Disney's Hollywood Studios - Disney's Animal Kingdom - Sea World Orlando - Universal Studios Orlando - Universal Islands Of Adventure - Busch Gardens Tampa - Hansa-Park - Heide-Park - Legoland Billund Parks still possible: - Europa-Park - Tripsdrill - Phantasialand - Serengetipark Hodenhagen Carnivals so far: - Frühlingsdom Hamburg - Osterwiese Bremen - Rheinkirmes Düsseldorf - Sommerdom Hamburg Carnivals still possible: - Freimarkt Bremen - Winterdom Hamburg

I think most "Once-upon-a-time" first rate coasters have huge queue spaces which are today dormant or converted back into gardens. I know Nessie at Hansa-Park which was in 1980 the first stationary installed looper in Germany - some may point to Superwirbel but it "only" has two corkscrews. Another is Big Loop at Heide-Park the first 4-inversion coaster in Germany.

^That's something I really have to try! They had a train of Nessie running backwards in the late 80s / early 90s, but well it has only one loop. There are some Thriller vids on Youtube. In fact haven't searched there for quite while and now found the following video from my hometown Hamburg: full ride cycle from multiple angles, front and rear seat POV. OMG: The first loops, the pacing, the intensity - I WANNA RIDE AGAIN!!!

Thriller - back when it was here in Germany on the carnivals. The transition between the first and second loop were insanely good.

Maybe something tall from Funtime - but I guess they've enough from this kind of rides no matter who builds them...

^Hmm, hopefully they'll add a wooden coaster by RMC soon...

And now finally some coasters... Dragen combines a darkride with a powered coaster. Quite unique this Mack coaster operated with two trains. Queue for Dragen A few meters from Dragen the Lego Technic wild mouse - A Mack large park version Polar Xplorer being the main attraction. Nice Gs in the helices for a family coaster and the drop element is cool even if no real surprise. Relaxing in the Polar Xplorer queue Live penguins Walk-On to a Mack interactive darkride The drop on Polar Xplorer is faster than by normal gravity so gives a short pop of airtime The logflume is quite short and offers only one splashdown The Legoland version of Mt. Rushmore This Western Town can't be in the US... In Denmark the lower sign is "theming" View down Main Street Someone didn't pay for "special" Saloon services Towboat ride through a pirate cavern Does the public finally learn that rear seats are mostly the best??? Toddler play area Always fun to see the Traffic Rowdys of the future

Add SFGAm to my 2015 US trip - CHECK

I'll visit Phantasia in about 3 weeks - hope Chiapas will be ready by then...

The Street Fighter Revolution is a cool ride. If the operator does it right it can provide some amazing upside down hangtime.

At first we had planned to visit Serengetipark Hodenhagen - but as weather looked quite bad for south of Hamburg we made a last minute change of plans and opted for Legoland Billund instead. A good choice as it was dry with some clouds and not too hot. A lot has changed since my last visit in the mid-80s. Finally arrived after a 3 hour drive Park was quite full but as school holidays were over it was mostly young families with strollers so ride waits were still short all day Their posters and cups make false hopes: No Schwarzkopf or B&M found here... Every Legoland of course has Miniland Visited the real thing this February Fully functional drawbridge The old observation tower Legotop was the only ride with a 20 minute wait. I remember the child's drivers license course from the 80s - anything behind is new to me Lots and lots of green Billund Airport right behind the parking lots. I guess without Lego this would still be a village in the middle of nowhere This is Düsseldorf - but were is Rheinkirmes with Olympia and Alpina??? In the past they had small areas with a carnival and a castle - now it's all Star Wars. kiddie boats with no restraints, seatbelts, etc. - I guess never in the US Moser froghoppers always popular with kids This was already around in the 80s Now entering the rear part of the park which was all new to me Even if the summer is short in Scandinavia water rides and amusements of all kinds are very popular Water playground Rafting with vertical lift and logflume like splashdown If you sit on the wrong side you can get very wet. More to come soon...

^I had a feeling that the Technical Park ride and the Music Express were quite large for US carnivals....

Looks very twisty for a B&M - more like something Gerstlauer would normally come up with.