haux

I don't understand how stuff like this happens. Does anyone have a drawing of the cables on these Intamin drop rides? I'd like to see where all those cables go and how they manage to get beneath the riders. I assume the cables are all above the riders on the mechanism that hooks on to the cars, and they're pulled from inside the tower.

Lakeside's a really cool park. It's much better at night when all the lights are on. It's a shame you didn't get on Wild Chipmunk. Those things are fun. As for that ride waiting to be refurbished, it's been like that for a few years. I remember seeing it like that when I visited in 2006. Cyclone really impressed me. The trains are fantastic, and the restraints are just like Jack Rabbit at Kennywood; a leather strap. Woo. The airtime on the first drop is great, and the turn afterward is really intense. The ride is sort of a twister/out and back combo. It packs a punch, that's for sure. The park opens late because it's really meant to be visited after the sun goes down. The look of the park is fantastic with all the lights. The tower at the outside of the park is amazing. Did you ride the train? I read somewhere that the train used to be at the 1906 World's Fair in St. Louis. That's a really rich piece of history there. That park's sure got history.

Were you in a hurry when you made this coaster too? Because it certainly seems that way. Spend more time on your rides. This ride is extremely painful. Check out the back seat. Ouch! The top of the lift hill is misshapen. Why does it pump cresting the lift? There are at least two red G's in the laterals. The two I noticed are exiting the block brake and a small part in the turn following the block brake. Are the supports gray to imitate steel supports? If so, it looks pretty bad. You do know that you can autosupport steel supports, right? When you're autosupporting, first put up the normal supports. Uncheck catwalks and handrails. When the supports are built, select all and push "Z" to enable the support-panel. Change all of them to L-beam or H-beam (whatever you want), and make the color gray. Then open the autosupporter again. This time uncheck Clear Previous Structure and Enable Supports. Check catwalks and handrails. Those should be built and not change your support structure. Change the default color to a wood color, and that should do it. Now on to the rest of the review. Your coaster is rough. Check the back seat. There are lots of pumps and bumps all over the place. It's also unsupported. The 90-degree or near-90-degree-banked turns should have more support in them. You'll need to do that manually. View your track before uploading it. There are lots of collisions. The terrain goes through the track in one or two places. The footers even go through the rails at one point! There are a few places where the supports go through the track, so the upstops hit them. Your track fails the tunnel test, and I didn't even have to add tunnels! Some parts are a little too close for comfort. Though the wooden tunnels add a bit of room since the openings and exits are narrower than the inside of the tunnel, there's at least one spot (under the first drop) where the tunnel collides with another tunnel. Your block brake seems unnecessary. It's really late in the ride, and the track after it is short and fairly boring. You don't need to run three trains. Besides, you can't run them right. A train stops at the top of the lift hill because the block isn't clear, so it doesn't even help to have the block brake. The third train stops in the block brake when all three trains are at rest, which is unrealistic. It should be stopped in a brake run before the station. Is that how they park it when the park is closed? The stop at the end is painful. Two-train operation wouldn't be so bad if it didn't have a complete stop. Ow. There are lots of banks that are taken too quickly for the PTC cars to navigate. Look at the wheels. They pop through the body of the car because they can't handle banks like that. Lastly, the track between the two camelbacks was awkwardly banked. I think it would work better without banking. Overall, the layout is pretty good. It's got good airtime, and I can certainly see how at least the first half was inspired by Ravine Flyer II. If you didn't have to many problems, this would be a pretty nice ride. The problems are easy to remedy, so don't fret. Just spend more time on the coaster, and ride it in the front and the back to try to catch these things.

It's the tamest B&M inverted coaster I've been on. It's really nothing. Give it a shot. The drop isn't steep, so you should be fine.

^ It's way more intense. The spot between the two loops pulls high G's, and the turn after the second loop is crazy. I don't understand why some of you are mad at Cedar Fair for this. If it's buggy or high maintenance, selling it off isn't that bad an idea. The same goes if it has low ridership.

Those aren't trims. They're just spaces for trims. They can put brakes there, but currently there aren't any.

Looks like it's got spaces for brakes after the cobra roll. I hope they're never put in.

So how does it work? The Intamin train just crashes through the 3-D object at the end of the ride? Odd. Are you going to upload this? I'll even take it without the 14,000 objects. Just the train you made. I don't really want to bother with rendering 14,000 objects just to run a figure-eight coaster.

Boy, I wish there was a threadall about getting help in NoLimits. You have to be specific. Do you mean the wooden catwalks that automatically come up when you make supports by pushing Ctrl R?

I noticed that. I didn't like it. I don't know why they added the spiel because it seems unnecessary. People weren't falling or jumping out of the train left and right last season. What's your name? I'll say hi when I'm in the park on Sunday.

I got nine rides on Millennium Force yesterday. Six were in the last 40 minutes the park was open.

It has more than 14,000 3D objects in it? Does it even have a framerate?

I've heard it's a mixture of two things. I know the Raptor crew was entirely new, and they didn't know not to run it in the rain. But I think a high-up who recently moved into the park said the rides are OK to run in the rain this season.

That was pretty good. The layout and terrain are great, but there are some flaws I noticed. First off, I'm not crazy about your choice of train. Why would you go with the three-bench train and run six cars on such a twisted track with compact turns? Those trains can't handle turns like that. See the first image I have attached. Note how the wheels go through the bottom of the train and the train's body goes through the track. Second, why did you put that trim/block brake on the course? If you wanted the false block, you got it. But the block causes a serious problem with your track that caused a collision. See the second attached image. You should have worked on your supports a bit. Don't just use the automatic supports. Some of your turns and hills needed extra support. Look at the hill after the second tunnel. That's a long section without support. Maybe a steel I-bar could be used there or some lateral supports. There's also a spot like this before the last turnaround by the water. But the ride is pretty good. Throw some GCI or Morgan articulated trains on this sucker, and it should handle better. I didn't notice any red G's. Good work. Some are dead, some are seriously injured. This can't work.

I was joking on both counts. I was being sarcastic that Matterhorn needed seat belts. It doesn't. The B&M flyer also was a joke. There are markers in Frontier Trail that could be for anything.

So I went to Cedar Point on opening day and the day after (Saturday and Sunday). Here's my stupid trip report since I visit the park so much. The park looks pretty good, considering it's not exactly ready for operating. The park opened about a week earlier this season (it's also staying open a weekend later). Obviously Planet Snoopy is the big new thing. Nine kiddy rides from Geauga Lake sit on the land that used to be Peanuts Playground. They're pretty cool, and it's a great addition to the park. The best part is adults can ride, so I can act even more like an idiot when I go. Also, MY GIRLFRIEND works there, so I can bother her. The weather was freaking great on Saturday. Sunny, about 70 degrees, calm winds. Perfect. Crowds were light in the morning, but the park got pretty busy in the afternoon as no fewer than 1 billion buses showed up and dropped off kids. Christy's sister was there, so we hung out when I ran into her. It was rainy, overcast, windy and chilly on Sunday. Blah. But it kept the crowds away, and I totally got two rides on Millennium Force in about eight minutes. Rock on. The line was on the freaking ramp. Sweet. There are lots of little additions and improvements to the park. I love noticing stuff like that. A big addition is the removal of that dreadful Ben and Jerry's ice cream place that replaced the former Ice Cream Parlor. You'd get two small scoops of ice cream for about $6. Before, it was Toft's, which is a local ice cream and dairy company. So I guess people complained or didn't visit or threw ice cream at managers, so it's back to being a Toft's. The prices are reasonable, which is good. Food is a bit more expensive this season, but I just pack sandwiches and eat in my car. There are weird little wooden boxes in trees around the park. I had to ask around a bit before finding out what they are. They're bird feeders from Geauga Lake. Also, there's a small game in Planet Snoopy from Geauga Lake. Fact: My friend played that very game in 2003 when it was Six Flags Worlds of Adventure. Magnum's chain seemed to be running fast on opening day. It might be that I hadn't ridden it in seven months, but it really seemed faster. Raptor's got some padding on the anti-rollback dogs, so you can actually hear your friends talk when they're sitting next to you. That'll last about two weeks. Raptor's running really well. I missed it. The entire crew is new this year. Apparently last season's crew isn't allowed back. Maverick's being a jerk for some reason. There's a block before the station that had been having problems all day Saturday and Sunday. I stayed in line while it was down on Saturday. That killed 2 1/2 hours. That's longer than I'd normally wait, but I was bored and missed Maverick. The first drop still tickles my stomach. The midway on the arcade side of the split midway (split by Sky Ride overhead) has brick instead of concrete now. It looks cool. But it's only a small section. I don't know why. In front of the arcade restrooms are two planters that are attached to the building. They've got little bushes in them. Inside the Hotel Breakers is a Japanese hibachi thing, but it's not open yet. It replaces Dominic's, which used to be good Italian food in 2005 until it was changed to a boring old buffet last season. That was disappointing, but the hibachi should be cool. The wood shop is now a Christmas shop on one side and some sort of arts-and-crafts deal on the other. It's cool, and the store is more open since they changed the layout. Paul, the woodcarver, is still stationed in front of it. He's doing well, and his work is as good as ever. He makes little paddleboats that move by twisting the paddle around a rubber band. There's a small trough in front of his station so the kids can play with them. But this year he made it wider and put two boats in! Oh boy, the excitement of racing pieces of wood is almost too much to handle. Hopefully it sells more. He says he can make one in about half an hour, and he had a whole bucket full of them. There were probably 90 in it. I don't know. Magnum's DJ booth plays music from the '80s, and one happens to be that Rick Astley song that everyone on the Internet seems to think is hilarious to send to their e-friends. I guess the kids call that being "Rick Rolled." I thought it was stupid. I took a video while the song was playing, but all the mouth breathers were talking too much for the mike to pick it up. I'll try again later. Millennium Force is running well. I rode it in the rain on Sunday. Uh, don't do that. It hurts. Really, really bad. My eyelids hurt for about an hour afterward. I'd never ridden MF with my eyes closed, and it was interesting. The ride is so well engineered, I couldn't really tell where I was. Not even when the track was banking. That was kind of cool. I only knew I was in a tunnel because it got darker. Wildcat was down most of Saturday and Sunday. Freaking traveling coaster. To my surprise, Disaster Transport was open on Sunday after the rain stopped. It closes in the rain because the roof leaks, and the cars fishtail. Isn't that ridiculous? The indoor coaster closes in rain. Oh boy. Speaking of coasters closing in the rain, since the Raptor crew is new, they didn't know Raptor closes when it rains. Raptor hasn't operated in the rain since about late 2004 because the grease, oil and rust from the wheel chassis gets in the water and pours on riders. I've got a shirt stained with rust and grease thanks to a rainy ride in '04. But they were running it. Well, they ran two trains. I got on the second train of the day Sunday, and I ended up with rust on my face and jacket. I asked a ride host who I knew from last season if there was rust on my face, and she pointed it to me. It's a mark of honor for me because I'm insane. But everyone else was complaining, so they closed the ride. Makes sense. I wouldn't want my clothes stained with rust. Uuuhhh, what else? Hmm hmm hmm. The park seemed to be doing OK for an early opening day. The employees are all smiley and nice, and they should figure out operations in a week or so. Matterhorn has seat belts, which is totally needed since I think 9,000 people flew out of their cars last season when it was lap bars only. Of those 9,000, I believe about 100,000 were killed. So those seat belts should lower capacity and keep the death count down. The ride hosts all say "check" when they push your restraints down. Thanks, Jack Falfas. Magnetic brakes were not added to Magnum before the brake run. I thought it'd be a good idea since they'd slow the train down enough to make sure those brakes always caught. Millennium Force's seat belts are new and about 6 inches longer, despite the protests from a ride host who told me they were not new. Uhh, I have a lot of slack in mine now, and I'm no fatty. Magnum has neat seat belts. They've got a big loop at the end, so it's easier for the ride hosts to check your belt. Speaking of checking the belt on Magnum, in my ride on Saturday, the ride host who checked mine totally felt my balls. Not cool. He laughed when he did it. Either he has the gay, or he doesn't know that it happens. Get used to it, bro. You're in for a long season. The park has a Subway now. I bet they picked that up from the Paramount purchase because Kings Island had (still has?) a Subway. Guess what? You can get a footlong or only $10! Nice. Ignore the "$5 footlong" commercials. They're a lie. Also, there's totally a sign that says you can upgrade your sandwich to a meal (chips and a drink) for only $6. Sweet. I can save tons of money. There's some weird new sponsor in the park called Bluegreen. I guess it's a travel company. I don't know. It's got a booth set up near Witches' Wheel. There are a couple of "Icee Mix It Up" stations around the park. For something like $95, you can get a small cup and fill it with a mixture of 12 Icee flavors. A sign by it tells you some mixtures you can make for customized Cedar Point flavors like Iron Dragon Blast, CP Sunrise and Magnum Mayhem. I'll stick to green lemon lime and cherry and call it Raptor Rust Stain. The front of the park guide is kinda crappy this season. It's green and just says, "Kids rule the planet in 2008!" Blah. Give me a picture of some rides. Even in 2005, they had a picture of Troika. The first aid station was totally redone. It looks good. I didn't go in. I sat in Planet Snoopy waiting for MY GIRLFRIEND. Some maintenance guys were putting up chains at the ride entrances. And this guy was peeing sparks. This sea gull decided to make a nest on a support on Raptor's first corkscrew. Great location, dude. Oh, man! I can get chips and a drink for only $6? Nice. So my meal will be $16! This game was totally at Geauga Lake. Here is a moose. This dude was totally chilling by the lagoon. I wanted him to catch a fish. Art. Here's the cover of this year's map. Blah. New banners. This stuff from last season was sitting next to Hurricane Hannah's. Reasonable prices. And on the other side of it is a small fenced-in area with a fountain. And a tree. Gasp! Cedar Point added a tree!? It's got a cow out front. I wonder if they'll paint the udder. Hooray! Ice Cream Parlor is back! You love Icee. Buy it. Make fun mixtures. Here's a new Icee place. Ah. A good idea. The menu at one of the french fry places is on the outside now. Yay for being easier to see. Here's another Planet Snoopy ride. This is a bird feeder from Geauga Lake. There are a few of them around the park. Kid eats. Here is the Kite-Eating Tree. MY GIRLFRIEND is creeped out by its smile. Planet Snoopy. Totally new for 2008 with old Geauga Lake rides. Buy vacation time while you're on vacation! This guy was totally chilling by the pond. He was pretty big. Maverick's pond has a fountain. No more bubblers for you! These rocks by Maverick are new. Stay out of the mulch. That's also new. In Frontier Trail, there are some markers for the new B&M flying coaster. Now you can race two paddleboats at the woodcarver's station. This midway's totally bricks now.

I think that's a bit of a stretch. Colossus at Thorpe Park has the same layout but a different color scheme. The colors don't matter at all. Cobra roll and two corkscrews. That's really the only similarities between the rides. I don't see the comparison.

Huh. That's interesting. Any idea why they have drive tires down there and underneath the train (as in some photos, though that may just be the transfer track)?

This is new to me. What happened? Was the launch somehow too powerful, and it slammed into the stopper? That doesn't even seem possible.

Does anyone know what this is on the underside of the wheels? Why is it there?

I live in an apartment by myself. It rules. I started living alone when I moved in 2006, and I've got to say it can't be beat. You don't have to answer to anyone, and the only annoyances are the weird, loud neighbors.

Why would they get GCI to do the trackwork and not Gravity Group?

Magic Carpet, the Mack Musik Express at Castles 'n' Coasters, runs forward and backward.

Haha. What in the world do you mean?

Isn't Goliath considered B&M in its prime? I've heard it's really smooth but still packs a punch with great airtime.