Astat
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Posts posted by Astat
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Why is it that news outlets these days think an E-stop qualifies as an "accident?"
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^I think him saying that bringing back Metro would be "very hard to do" is about the equivalent of Six Flags saying that "Flashback may be put in storage and relocated within the park at a later date" when they first announced they were dismantling it and Psyclone.
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Anyone else think it won't be surprising when some of the rides in Camp Snoopy at the back of the park disapear and something like Sierra Sidewinder shows up?
Wicked Twister is taller and faster then all other Intamin Impulses. A Quick trip to RCDB could tell you that.
I wouldn't be surprised to see something like that happen down the line, but just to clear things up for anyone who may be wondering: Yes, some of the rides going into Planet Snoopy can already be found in Camp Snoopy (Crazy Sub = Camp Bus for example), but they aren't moving anything within the park. All 7 rides came over from Geauga Lake.
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Trains aren't going to run into eachother, trains aren't going to be impossible to stop, and the trains WOULD NOT bump into eachother.
Brakes on coasters, wet or not, they're going to work. They're designed that way.
Not saying you are wrong or anything(Because for the most part you are right) but I have had first hand encounters where I have seen what rain has done to a ride in the rain that has caused problems to the operation of the ride. EG. Cedar Point during Halloweekends in 2006. I was in line for Mantis when it started to downpour. I was surprised they didn't cease operation right away. Then when the second train was coming near the station, it didn't quite stop properly and bumped into the unloaded train in the station. The train in the brakes was immediately unloaded and the guests were escorted off. This bump caused minor damage to at least one of the trains and had maintenance and supervisors looking at it in awe. (I'll have to look for a picture.) Everyone in line was told if we give our name we could go up the exit of one ride. Then we were told to leave the line. I'm pretty sure those trains would not have bumped if the brakes/brake fins were dry. I used to think rain didn't affect rides too much, but there is still a chance that it can happen and cause minor damage.
The well-publicized accident on Magnum at Cedar Point earlier this year was also caused by a train not being stopped by the brake at the end of the airtime hills, which was wet due to rain. It rolled through and bumped into the train ahead of it that was stopped in the brake run right before the station, with enough force to cause a couple minor injuries and do enough damage to both trains that Magnum was on single-train operation for at least a couple weeks afterward.
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It's replacing the former Peanuts Playground, over by Ocean Motion and Wicked Twister.
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I've gotta get to the Dells, I'd love to try one of these things.
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No gripes here. I don't even feel like I have any business in a restaurant of that caliber at the age of 19, let alone 10 and under. I'd feel completely out of place, so I can only imagine how a kid would feel in there.
The only types of people I can see bringing their kids into that fancy of a restaurant anyway are the same type of people who carry their expensive little dogs around in their purses.
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^I'd be willing to bet someone got fired over that, haha.
Seriously, this expansion has really become the worst-kept secret in the industry this offseason. Cedar Fair announced their '08 capital expenditures in like...November? The press release for that specifically said that a new 7-ride kiddie area would be replacing Peanuts Playground, and the name "Planet Snoopy" has been thrown around for at least a month.
I don't get why they're holding off so long on announcing it, the only other attraction they've waited this long to announce was TTD...and this isn't anywhere close to the significance of that addition.
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The lighting program on the lift hill wasn't working properly for a good while last year (I think the ride got struck by lightning and it screwed with the lighting system), I'm glad they got it fixed.
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Depeche Mode is amazing, their shows are still fantastic after all these years. I'm more of the hard rocker type but I really enjoy their music.
And as for the camera thing, a lot of bands have their own individual camera/taping policies these days, and some venues are a lot more strict about it than others. I've had some experience in the department of uhh..."stealth audience recordings."
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The closest major airport is probably Hopkins in Cleveland. There's an airport in Sandusky but all I've ever seen flying in and out of it are mostly small twin-engine planes so your chances of flying in there are pretty small. So yeah, you most likely will need to rent a car.
As for what days of the week are best, I've found that Sundays are usually pretty dead, with Friday and Saturday being the most busy. If you're going to be there for more than one day, you're probably best off just going in the middle of the week, Monday through Thursday the crowds tend to be about equal.
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I wasted mine on a girl I absolutely can't stand anymore when I was 16. Never get romantically involved with an Evangelist, kids.
Thankfully, I've had better relationships (and kisses) since then.
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I suck as far as state credits go.
Ohio
Kentucky
Tennessee
Georgia
Pennsylvania
West Virginia
Virginia
Maryland
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10 minute wait for TTD IN THE AFTERNOON? Better be like that when I go! Great and funny TR!
Maverick was hitting 2+ hour waits at peak hours, and the next longest line I saw was MF at about 45 minutes, so I'm assuming that Maverick is where everyone's going, just because it's new. I literally got in line for TTD and walked halfway up the ramp heading up to the station before having to stop and actually wait, it was that empty. And that 10 minute wait was for the front car (of course, being a single rider helps). The guy I rode next to was on his 9th ride of the day and he said the lines had been like that all day long.
The guy at the head of the line even inserted it into his spiel about loose articles: "I'm sorry to report that Top Thrill Dragster has a 10, yes, TEN minute wait right now. However, if you wish to ride, all loose articles must be secured in a cargo pocket, left in a locker, or with a non-rider."
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They just worked out a deal. link
Figured they would, usually when a state budget gets held up like that to the point of having to close down state functions, they work something out quick.
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Great photos and great report so far! The only thing is with all these CP trips I read, everyone always complains too much! It looks like you had fun there though, and it's making me want to go there even more now.
I did have a lot of fun, I've never had a "bad" trip to CP really. I think a lot of the complaining comes from people who have been going to the park for a long time (I've been going at least once a year for 14 years), the park has really lost a lot of the family-friendly atmosphere it once had. Plus, the more time you spend somewhere, the more you find to complain about, haha.
I tend to complain more than the average person though, about a lot of things, not just amusement parks. I've kind of grown up learning to look at everything objectively, and it's pretty much made me an eternal critic.
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Day 2:
You can't really see them, but there's a bunch of baby ducks sitting on that rock.
Hi, I'm Gemini! I used to be a racing coaster but now I hardly ever race because my lines aren't long enough to warrant running both tracks!
Actually, my ride on Gemini was the best I've ever had, because the trim before the final helix was ACTUALLY TURNED OFF! I was pleasantly surprised.
The whole family following the rush to Maverick...we're in no hurry because with the resorts getting in early, the wait was only 15 minutes!
Yay new credit!
Abby's bummed because the (needlessly) increased height restriction from 48" to 52" means she can't ride.
It was still a pretty good ride though, other than the LAME s-curve. I can see why the heartline roll was too intense in that spot (the trim after the launch barely does anything), but they could have spent some more time on it and put in a better element than an s-curve that was still safe. But in typical Cedar Fair fashion, they went with the quick and easy fix. The theming is also a complete joke compared to how it looked in the animation. Hopefully they add more to it over time, but I really doubt that'll happen. The fact that you can't pick your seat is also ridiculous. That's me and Alex in the 2nd to last row.
Hi Joe! I'm the coaster with the ugliest color combination ever!
Obligatory picture of the McDonald's-themed monorail.
I don't think Disaster Transport even opened the whole time we were there! Weird.
Raptor, which was supposed to be an ERT ride for resort guests, didn't open until like noon, for no apparent reason. Nobody was even working on it, I think this person was the only crew member even at the ride for the first half of the day!
Raptor being closed early in the day meant a half-hour wait for Blue Streak. It was great though, completely against the normal trend with CF woodies, this one has actually gotten better over the past couple years.
Ok, so, shortly after riding Blue Streak, I was standing outside the restrooms waiting for Abby, when a seagull flew over and CRAPPED ALL OVER MY SHIRT! It was the most disgusting feeling EVER. I had to walk all the way back to the cottage to get another shirt. But on the way back there, I snapped this next photo:
What's this? A big blue tarp covering something under Magnum's turnaround?! HMM. My first thought was that it was the 3rd Magnum train that had been damaged in the collision earlier in the year (it wasn't on the transfer), but it doesn't look like that's what it is.
Most Gs on any ride in the park right here! We crammed 4 people, including 2 full-grown adults, into one of these things. The end result was glorious. The ride op was impressed.
Hi, I'm Top Thrill Dragster, I'm really tall and I go really fast but I'm also not usually worth waiting in line for because I last for 16 seconds!
But on this particular day, TTD, for some reason that can only be attributed to divine intervention, had a TEN MINUTE WAIT AT 3 IN THE AFTERNOON.
Weeee!
My reaction to the uber-short Dragster line: "WTF?!"
Maverick THROUGH THE TR-*gets struck by lightning*
...That doesn't look too good.
It rained really hard for pretty much the rest of the day, so we killed a bunch of time in the arcade before heading back to the cottage.
One more shot of TTD.
Day 3:
Sky looks a bit better today!
I only took this picture in hope that the camera flash combined with the hot air would be enough to light this POS on fire. It didn't work. =(
I was just a split second too late on this one.
I have no idea why, but this is the only photo of MF I took the entire trip!
I would've taken more pictures on Day 3, but the camera batteries were low. So I'll leave you with a picture of my sister Abby hanging out with her best friends in the whole world:
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Sorry about how image-heavy this is, but I tried using TPR's image uploader and realized I could only fit about 7 or 8 pictures in one post. I didn't want to make 7 posts for one TR, and I didn't want to make the photos much smaller than they already were, so I just threw them all on my Photobucket. They're all still under 800x600 and 150 kb though.
This is my first TR, so go easy on me.
My family and I spent 3 days at Cedar Point a couple weeks ago, 2 days in the park and a day of fishing/relaxing at the cottage in Lighthouse Point.
Day one:
I let 12 year-olds drive me to amusement parks...is that bad?
After deciding letting Alex drive wasn't the best idea, my mom got behind the wheel. West is the right direction...I think!
Portable DVD players have kept me sane on many a family road trip.
Wilbur agrees with me, my family is crazy. Mainly because they like bacon. (I do too, but he doesn't know, shh.)
Ooooh, somebody got pwnt. I LAUGH IN YO FACE.
With the 4th of July coming up, we had to stop and find some good quality sh*t to blow up. "Oh we'll take it out of the state, promise!"
Kalahari...nope, not even close.
Great Wolf/Bear/Ostrich Lodge...still not it.
Random family entertainment center...nope!
THAT'S more like it!
Hi Elissa.
Since check-in wasn't for like another 2 hours, we stopped at Battery Park to fish for a little while...didn't catch a damn thing.
Here's a slightly different angle compared to the stereotypical causeway shot of the skyline! I totally don't even remember Alex's head being in the shot when I took this picture either.
...Yeah, I'm a hypocrite, aren't I? =x
If I were like a foot shorter, this would've been a totally awesome shot.
Check-in! A.K.A. let mom handle the paperwork while the rest of us listen to Bohemian Rhapsody and imitate Wayne's World in the car!
We got the VERY LAST cottage...
...and I got dibs on the bottom bunk.
How many phallic objects can you spot in this picture?
OMG PROJECT 2008 ROFLOL.
Seriously though, there were quite a lot of markers around the back part of Sandcastle Suites, way more than I took pictures of (I counted around 25 of various colors). I don't think they've expanded on that hotel since it opened, hmm...
Hey look! It's the beach that nobody uses because CP only staffs 3 lifeguards and crams them into one area so if you want to swim you wind up packed in like a can of sardines!
Random Magnum picture...that turnaround looks weird from this angle.
...Did I actually just manage to take a good picture? I think I did!
This would've been a big airtime shot a few years ago.
Y HELO THAR!
These geese are Canadian eh? Moments after this picture was taken, Alex managed to herd them all under a tree. Seriously.
We weren't going into the park until the next day, so it was time for some fishing off the pier...
My dad pwned us all, as usual. He also wears his sunglasses at night.
This was my attempt at an artistic "Maverick lights reflecting off the water" shot. Didn't turn out so well.
Day 2 and 3 pics coming soon!
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I'm 19, my first coaster was Jr. Gemini, probably in 1993/94. I don't remember exactly what year it was, I just know that it was the only coaster I'd ride until I was about 10, haha.
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I was told by a friend who works in the Action Zone area that SOB would probably reopen for the 4th, good to see that it happened.
Now I can't wait to see what people think of the G-trains!
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Well, I got my first 2 rides in on Maverick this week, and I think it's a pretty good ride. The first drop is great, the first airtime hill has the most forceful airtime of any coaster in the park (I dunno if it's really ejector airtime, but it's a lot more forceful than the airtime hills on MF or Magnum). The launch isn't very forceful, but the lights and mist in the tunnel make it seem faster. The s-curve was a big letdown, it basically does nothing in the way of lateral Gs. I really would've liked to see the hearline roll, but that trim after the launch hardly slows you down at all and I can see why the roll was too forceful.
Good ride, keeps a nice pace the whole time, and it has about 4 great airtime spots (first drop, 2 airtime hills, and the hill after the launch). The crew is rarely hitting the intervals to get the trains to duel on the first drop and the track under it, but that's not a big deal. My biggest complaint is that the Intamin OTSR's REALLY push down hard on your thighs if you pull them too tight. I got off my 2nd ride in considerable pain because of them. Just try not to get stapled, and you should be good.
On an unrelated note, Blue Streak was running the best I've ever seen it, and Gemini actually had the trims before the final helix turned off! I might post a Photo TR later, I took quite a few pictures.
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I've never had a problem bringing anything in line on any ride except MF and TTD. I've gotten into the habit of always wearing cargo shorts when I go to CP now because as long as your pockets are secured by velcro/buttons/zippers/etc., they don't have a problem with loose articles, provided that they'll fit in your pockets. All I typically have loose article-wise though are my keys, cellphone, wallet, glasses, and sometimes a hat. Obviously the large souvenir cups aren't going to fit in cargo pockets but there are lockers right by the entrances to both rides...but look at the bright side, the lockers are still cheaper than a 20oz water bottle from the vending machines!
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I just got a call from Fox News asking if I'd be a live guest on a show today asking to give commentary about the accident. I asked them what kind of commentary they are looking for, and they told me they needed someone who could focus on "parks are just building taller and faster trying to one-up each other and in the process are just making rides more and more dangerous and the public should be worried."
I politely told them that in fact WASN'T my view on this and that this was just a freak accident. "You're in far more danger getting in your car every day."
They didn't like that too much and said that wasn't the angle they were looking for.
Nice that they were specifically looking for someone to bash the parks.
--Robb
America's impartial, 100% report-it-as-it-is news outlets at their finest!
I never really have much to say about freak accidents like this. Yes, it seems like there have been more this year than in the last few, but statistically, the odds of an accident actually happening are so miniscule it's ridiculous. A handful of accidents in any given season isn't going to raise the percentage of them by any significant number because the number of rides that take place uneventfully is so much greater. You're literally looking at an increase of a couple hundredths of one percent, if that.
I had to shake my head at this though:
“The people on the ride just came and hit the ground,” Smith said
...I really have no words. If the car "just came and hit the ground," there is absolutely no way you would've just had a single injured rider. You'd be looking at multiple fatalities.
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Maverick's heartline roll is actually being shipped to KI to replace the loop on Son Of Beast!
TPR Mini Trips - 2008
in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Posted
Do you need a passport for the Behemoth/Ravine Flyer trip like you do for the East Coast trip? I would assume so, but it doesn't mention it.