megametal

Thinking of doing a trip to SFNE along with a few other parks (SFGAdv, Lake Compounce, Canobie Lake Park, and Great Escape. Possibly Rye Playland too) this summer. Going to get a Six Flags America pass again so I can get into SFNE, SFGAdv, and Great Escape for free. Should one full day be enough to get oodles of rides on Bizarro and the rest of the coasters, plus do the waterpark? Or should I plan to spend a day and a half if I want to do both?

Gotham is the only really ugly area of the park. The area that's being turned into Mardi Gras or whatever now didn't look too great either, but it looks like that's about to change. The layout is very confusing, especially getting to the area that is now Mardi Gras. It's a dead end that could be fixed very easily, but they refuse to do so. Such is the case with Gotham and the western area that has Mind Eraser as well. Outside of the front of the park, it's not a very attractive place. I still enjoy my visits there, though. No real lines outside of the overcrowded water park and the employees are much nicer these days than they used to be. The park could use a good landscaping/pathways overhaul over the next few years. Get rid of all the dead ends. And they could really use a signature coaster. I think a RMC coaster back beyond Mind Eraser and the rapids ride would be nice. That way they could possibly complete the path from Batwing to that section as well. I'm sure Six Flags would not see that as a good idea, though.

As someone who rarely smokes (I smoke only on my theme park trips, actually), I don't some parks (Carowinds, especially) putting the smoking areas in front of restrooms. I mean, everyone has to use those and I'm sure they don't want to go through a cloud of smoke to get inside of one. Hersheypark's smoking areas are done pretty well. All are inside gazebos, if I remember correctly, and most of them are behind buildings. In fact, they're pretty hard to find even with a map handy. I'm pretty sure smoking tobacco is going to be basically illegal in public in the next 10 years anyway, so I doubt it'll be a problem much longer. I expect some parks to disallow it before then, and not even have smoking areas anymore.

I've decided to wait 2 weeks until my new power supply and graphics card is bought to try it out. I've got a 6 year old graphics card right now that I'm sure will probably not be strong enough. I'm anxious to try it, even if it is just basically making a 3-D map right now.

Rename it Windseeker and confuse people!

They've neutered that ride so much in the past 25 years, I'm not sure if it would be worth it. Used to be much more forceful, and the last time I rode it, the ride only went one direction instead of both ways as usual. However, it's one of the few flats that they have so maybe they should keep it. If they could find a spot in the County Fair area, it'd be a good fit there.

Sounds less and less like something I'd consider a coaster. Also sounds less and less interesting to me, though I know I'm alone in that. Just never really liked the shooting dark rides. I like the non-interactive ones.

^ I never knew the old grannies loved bumper boats so much. The times I've been to Knoebels, it was mainly like 10-13 year old boys on them. Never saw adults ride the things.

After viewing the comments to Knoebels facebook post that the bumper boats would be removed because it's at the end of its service life, I wanted to give a good slap to everyone throwing a hissy. God, what horrible people. One lady even suggested tearing down Flying Turns to put in Impulse instead. Good grief! You can find bumper boats at many mini-golf/sport center complexes! Then there was the old lady who put up about 5-10 comments about how the park was going to become like Dorney is and how the park was going to be all steel coasters soon. I'm sure there'll be one about Satanic cults running the park by tomorrow.

Entrance gates are on the opposite side now, right?

I want to know why they thought turning a mine train into a stand-up coaster would be a good idea... Mind control from Togo? Sadism?

Could that be due to the weird OTSR the coaster uses? The ones where they are stationary, so you pull the whole headrest down to fit it over your shoulders? I think Viper, formerly at SFGAdv. had that type of restraint too though, and didn't have that high of a restriction. Could be due to that and the accident in 1986?

For new visitors to the park, it's a hell of a time trying to find the entrance to Screamin' Eagle. Who the heck decided to put the entrance at the back of a game area? Is that where the entrance always was? I do like the mural or whatever it is that's on the ground right at the entrance though. The one of the eagle.

I still find Alpengeist pretty intense. (I know, that's old B&M, but someone stated that the park didn't have any intense coasters.) But for really intense coasters, the only one that I would call frightening is Skyrush at Hersheypark, so...

^That looks awesome! I'd very much approve.

I'd like to see them get a Bayern Kurve or a looping starship to add to their collection of now-rare rides.

I remember when that area of the park was the most quiet area; now it's the most busy! That includes even when Borg was brought in. Now it's the former Wayne's World area that's frequently deserted. Of course, I believe that's where the new project is going, so...

You can tell it's working too, because the anti-Sea World people are no longer countering what Sea World is saying (because they can't), and are just doing a witch hunt now. (That's all it's ever been, but it's blatant now.)

I've decided to go to Sea World Orlando this year for the first time just to support them. I had not planned to until the last few weeks. I'll buy lots of food and merchandise while I'm there too. Tired of these fire breathers, and the news media that's stoking the flames. (Though since it wasn't nominated for an Academy Award, I think the news organizations will move on soon.)

For once, I applaud the Academy. Without a nomination, the movie will not have the impact it would have. People will forget it faster this way.

Not many American coasters that people don't want changed to hybrids or completely retracked it seems. I like my wooden coasters a bit rougher, so I'll just go with Hurler (due to the stupid trims and it does need to be torn down or retracked for bad roughness) and GASM at SFOG (hurt my tailbone so bad from the washboard effect). Georgia Cyclone was fine to me, unlike most others. At least it had great airtime.

The 12th Day of Christmas surprise was the already mentioned blue ice cream. It's only going to be sold at Sweet Tooth also, supposedly. They hardly saved the best for last. However, it's good enough for me.

Sadly Blackfish will probably be nominated for Best Documentary at the Academy Awards and win, which means even more will watch it and be consumed with misplaced moral outrage. And it gives the maker of this documentary a big podium to shout out her views on national TV as millions watch.

^ And steal the fizzy lifting drinks?

These bands are dropping out just for the publicity, I think. Some of them may think Sea World is evil, but most of them just saw that it gave the first bands publicity on national news, and are jumping on the bandwagon to get their names on the news too.