anonymouscactus

^ Holiday World -- 2014

S&S tower rides have been modified recently. Based on reading through threads here (though I can't seem to find info now, or where I read them, lol), some received an additional belt on the side, and some received a new ratcheting restraint system in lieu of the belt. This goes for most/all S&S towers, it seems? Not sure if the reason for it, but there you go. I have yet to see them in person, so I'm just going based on what I've read around the other threads.

Thanks everyone for the info! Very helpful. I know it's a ways away still but it's rare I get to go to new parks, and I'll have 3 on this trip 8) so I'm super excited

I'm going to be going to the park on the first Friday night of Fright Fest at the end of September. I've never been to the park before, and they have very limited hours (6p-11p). I probably won't do any of the haunted mazes even though I get a free wristband w/ DE because all of the six flags mazes I've ever been through at various parks have been terrible. And it would probably eat up to much time on a shortened day at a new park, and I'd have to buy a band for my wife who has a regular Six Flags pass instead of a membership... unless anyone can convince me otherwise that their haunts have better standards than the rest of Six Flags - What is the best order to get on all the major coasters if I go at opening? I don't care about Boomerang, and I'd wait to ride a Batman clone until I've ridden everything else. - if you had one ride to use a skip the line pass on, what would it be? What typically gets the longest line that is a must-do? - Is there anything unique besides the coasters and Justice League that are must-rides? - Is their spinning coaster (pandemonium?) a unique layout? The picture I saw it doesn't look like the others, even the trains look very different, but I could be wrong. - Best place to use the dining plan? If I even bother eating... we will probably do that before the park to save on time. Thanks for any advice!

Huh? I can see them maybe not launching it until all arms are down but what is going to stop anyone from putting them up after the all clear/launch? I can't see how that can be enforced in any way shape or form. Unless I'm missing something. It's probably not a good idea due to the forces, but, I'd imagine lots of people would do it. It's not any different from any other ride where they advise you to keep your arms inside the train at all times. Right? As soon as the launch starts on Dragster, everyone throws their hands up I can't see how this would be any different unless security is waiting at the exit and kicking people out, lol.

Good to know. The website says plan on ~3 hours but it's literally right off our route home, so I guess I'll just be getting home at 2am and heading to work that same morning. Sometimes gotta make sacrifices lol but I'm definitely looking forward to it. I'll try my best not to rush it. If it wasn't for this report I probably would have missed out, not even realizing i'd be traveling right by it!

Great reports. I am going to try my hardest to fit in a visit to the city museum when we do a "Missouri coaster tour" at the end of September. I completely forgot it was in St Louis and had always thought it is a MUST DO after seeing all the photos and reports from everyone. Will probably be my only chance to do it so I'll have to make time to stop for awhile even though it was supposed to be a full day of driving home Thanks for posting everything! Love it!

As much as I enjoy(ed) Wonder Mountains Guardian, Cedar Fair just can't keep the proper maintenance up on it. As posted above, the ride is in a deplorable state.

I know in the past Darien Lake always closed their lines early so that "everyone is off by 10" / park close, maybe they are rewording it in a way that they are now shutting down the lines at 9:30 and letting everyone through, to be more consistent with other Six Flags parks? With only one train on Ride of Steel, for example, I'd imagine the line going on quite long through the night if they really did close the lines off at 10. Have they been actually closing the lines at closing time, or do the busier rides get closed earlier? Keep in mind I have no idea how things have worked recently, so I'm just making a guess based on the old ways of them operating.

There are a surprising number of accidents in other countries and small carnivals that don't really get the coverage like this one did. There are always posts on "Amusement Ride Accidents" page on Facebook (not encouraging anyone to subscribe, or promoting -- they also sometimes have some pretty graphic stuff in there that nobody should have to see) from other countries and it always astounds me how many of these "knock off" rides exist and clearly aren't up to US standards. Unfortunately they are generally malfunctions and not user error, but it always amazes me how many end up on video and how often they happen around the world... relatively speaking. I'm not saying Amusement rides are unsafe by any means, but some places, I just wouldn't take the risk just looking at the rides. I feel very safe at parks here in the US and I know safety is taken very seriously. Sometimes when people say that seatbelts aren't needed because restraints are redundant as is, I don't mind taking the extra time and slower dispatches when I know they are just trying to be as safe as possible. I'm not saying other places don't take safety seriously, too... I just haven't been to any countries outside Canada/US so I can't talk first hand about operations or procedures anywhere else like I can about the hundreds of coasters and rides I've been on and always felt safe on.

We did the gobbler walkthrough together and didn't even know it, lol. I would have at least said hi! There is never any way to explain the voyage experience in the dark, just no way. You just have to believe us when we say it's the most insane ride you'll ever be on. Holiwood Nights is a blast and I will always recommend it to anyone for the unique experience you can't get at any other time. Awesome report!

^ thanks for the info!

Never been to the park but plan on going in September. Question about the "regular" trailblazer. It says on the website you get 8 rides with it... could you hypothetically use all 8 on Outlaw Run, for example? Or do they have to be spread out / is there a limit on the big coasters? I know at Dollywood at one point you could only get a single ride on Lightning Rod or something weird with their skip the line. Not sure how it is now. Also do you get to choose your row, with a merge point? Is the unlimited really needed if we get there early and knock some stuff out in the AM? We would be going on a Sunday at the end of September. I will budget in for the pass but I'm guessing I should wait and see, but I just had no idea how the regular pass works. Thanks!

If you REALLY have to, you can just let people in back of you in line to go in front of you. I do this with annoying children, and those who invade my personal space (especially walking through haunts). Works like a charm. Works for getting where you want on a train, too, if you absolutely must. Doesn't work if the ride is a walk-on, though. For those with a disability pass and enter through the exits, If you only let one trains worth of people in the station you can now control the line and leave a row free so they don't take someone's row and annoy the people in the regular line. Alternative is annoying the disabled party for needing to wait 4-5 trains after already waiting the allotted time. Some stations like SV it's easy because it only holds one train worth of people and they put up chains to prevent rows from being taken for those up the exits. Works well for both parties, and you can do similar at rides like Maverick by "reserving" a row for the exit riders by grouping and allowing in one trains worth of people at a time.

Darien Lake has had a hotel for a really long time, and they are a small park (granted there were no real options in the immediate area) so I can see it working for other small parks. They are only open 5-6 months out of the year.

If anyone can prove that the Viper was running 3 trains SIMULTANEOUSLY on the main track at the same time in the past 20 years, no, let's make it 25 years, I will treat you to a delicious DQ blizzard. Yum! They have had 3 trains and have swapped them out from day to day, but actually running 3 is a whole different story.

Loved the jab at Universal, but they also posted a video of employees reading actual 1 star reviews online last week: https://youtu.be/7DrOgeuZVQM It started off weird (because more than one person reads the same review) but it gets better. Love their social media presence.

Lines were pretty short today, we were in the right places at the right time. I'm glad I didn't use my FL+ that I bought over the winter sale. Wonder Mountain Guardian was a joke, though. The 3d screens were not calibrated at all, one train had *two* seats working on the entire train, and every single train had at LEAST 2 seats out of commission so the line was loooonnggg. None of the cameras work. Sound not how it should be. Etc etc. It's a shame because when everything works it's great. I think Six Flags does a better job with Justice League's when it comes to maintenance 1000% Leviathan was a 10 min wait for us, vortex was 5 min, stunt coaster was 5 min, behemoth was walk on, Yukon was about 15 min. Skyhawk was walk-on. Weather was great. Ate at the mess Hall near Yukon Striker, got Manchurian chicken and noodles. Chicken was good, noodles... not so much. Had a nice quick visit.

The seat turns green on the screen when the lap bar hits a fixed distance in the computer system. You may fit the seat belt, and you may be able to push the bar down some, but every lap bar need to be pushed down a minimum distance for the train to be able to dispatch. If a seat isn't green, they will need to push down the lap bar harder and snausage you in. If still no green, then you take the dreaded walk of shame. Because guests can't push down their own restraints, the ops are constantly checking larger guests on the screen to make sure they are good before moving on. Rather than doing all the lap bars first and later finding out they aren't pushed down enough, going back, etc. I always thought it would make more sense to put a green light indication on the train/seat itself that's in clear view while pushing down the restraint, but alas that is not how it works. B&M recently (well, 7-8 years ago? lol) retrofitted all of their trains and older rides with sensors to not allow dispatch unless all restraints are down far enough. Fun fact: rides like Kraken (I know with 100% certainty as I operated it both before and after the modifications) and I'm assuming the Batman invert clones, at one point in time, could be dispatched with the restraints completely open. This is no longer the case. (unless you use the bypass key in the safety system).

^ oh man, I completely forgot about the water mist on Mind Eraser and Ride of Steel. The good old days

Sounds like you had a fun Wonderland visit! A bit confused about your Yukon comment of not being able to choose a row... the fast lane line merges at the bottom of the steps where you have the "front row" staircase if you veer to the right, and "rows 2&3" staircase if you walk straight ahead. Or did this get changed? Also, the line for Guardian at the beginning of the day is hard to judge because often times they don't open up the inside part of the queue switchbacks until a little later on. If the switchback is open with people filling the line, and the line is spilling out of the entrance, it's about 60 min. But, if the inside switchbacks aren't open with people in them, your wait is around 30 min. Even with the line spewing all the way out to the lockers, like it usually was the opening few seasons, the line was never more than 70-75 min provided there were no breakdowns. Just for future reference that was my experience with the line. It's super slow moving but the physical length of the queue is relatively short. Finally got to read through more of your reports. lol at the blue streak at Conneaut and being pushed out of the station. I've never been, but I'd love to take my wife there just to see her reactions as she has typically only been to the "big parks". Love reading these.

Thanks for posting... except now I have a shit song stuck in my head. **ck you doo doo doo doo doo doo

Just read this easy to follow fee chart! https://www.407etr.com/en/tolls/rate-charts/rate-chart-complete.html Plus easy to follow toll charge calculator https://www.407etr.com/en/tolls/tolls/toll-calculator.html You can use US plates and not be charged the $50 additional fee as long as your plate is clearly visible, amongst the other extremely high fees. It all depends on day, time, whether you paid for a transponder or not, etc. The toll road is completely optional.

Great report! Glad you had a good time. lol @ your driving and border experience.