bert425

and I missed it by THAT much. . . . was just there yesterday and rode DareDevil Dive at ground level. and Jeffrey JUST posted: so it's fixed and once again the tallest of it's kind!

nothing is ever gonna be "confirmed". . but that is what I was told when I was encouraged to attend next year

Roller Coaster Rodeo attendees will get the 1st rides on Dr. Diabolical's Cliffhanger - they really don't need to do anything more to sweeten THAT pot

as I suspected. . . they are using the Flash Pass lane for those who want to "fly", Bill. the fliers get into the harnesses in the "bullpen" staging area just before the ride loading. here are some pics I took myself today - but no way, no how, was my fat ass getting in this set up. (interestingly, they seem to have blocked off the sets of seats before each "hanging" section. . . I guess so once it's up to speed, there's no chance of "high-fiving" or touching, anyone in the seats in front.

if, like me, you dislike the "paper" Season Passes that SWSA typically hands out? they posted this important update to their FB account today: since I was going to be in San Antonio today for a visit to Fiesta Texas anyways, I decided to stop first at SW for a couple of hours and take advantage, since they just started offering this today. it was easy/peasy to swap out my paper pass for this hard plastic card, and the pictures really don't do it justice. it's pretty stunning: so if your pass is from SWSA? you have ~2 weeks to get to the park to update to this for free!

Free. not sure on queue (tho assuming they are using Flash Pass queue for it). I'm going Monday, will check out loading.

my Friend Zach was at SFFT today, and rode the "suspended" seats on the park's Skyscreamer (filmed by Park President Jeffrey Siebert for him). (I have his permission to share here at TPR ) for me it's a "no, nope, HELL no". . . . but this is what it looks like. I've shared the video over at the TPR Facebook group - here's the link to get to it: https://www.facebook.com/groups/themeparkreview/posts/1575666672787957/?__cft__[0]=AZVCnUpslt8So1FSWEGc4NRBqTL4QijcVUd9dovB4xVCuY4p3kytEqWx_R3JU2lSytyG0LBQ6CocSJE7xSimNnwNW_-zxbkoEEBT-Eiz0n9mPAV6xCZYlKCh6vuTyGvPCA-8kbS5baI7Yy6ANTQSzZT43sKFfhUXqG6kNVsaC5YOcA&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

my Boss is in Asia (I direct report to someone based in Singapore), and has been for over a decade. when i have an issue that needs immediate attention? I reach out via whatsapp and we get a decision right away. you're insane if you think not having someone ON SITE for decision affects anything at all. but I say again: I'm willing to wait and see how it affects individual parks before I start reacting as if the sky is falling and the Six Flags Corporation is imploding.

still not seeing any news (at all, not even on sites that track major company layoffs) saying there has been any layoff other than at Corporate Level the other week - with analysis saying that now the individual Park Presidents will be direct reports up to the highest level folks. so . . . not saying y'all are *incorrect*. . . but I will have to wait and see and will be more willing to believe it when I see news on it as to how these Corporate cuts are affecting individual parks. (and yes, SFStL has been firing lower level employees whom have been commenting negatively online - but that seems restricted to those who are commenting about the company they work for. Not saying that's right of Six Flags, but those are unique situations and not a mass layoff) guess I just dont' really care what goes on behind the scenes, as long as it's invisible to the consumers, and I just don't really think the average consumers are going to notice these things that y'all seem convinced are going to tank/destroy/flush Six Flags. they did great during the Pandemic years 2020-2021 (better than Cedar Fair). . and maybe I'm just spoiled in that the Texas parks are run so well? but I just do NOT see any need to "panic" or go all "doom and gloom"

^ agreed. .the book is fantastic!

what are you hearing? tho apparently there is some chatter on park pages. and seeing lots of comments (that appear to be getting deleted about layoffs). but that could be disgruntled folks. . .so when I see it reported on a news source somewhere, I'll be more inclined to believe in the cuts. (tho there were Corporate Level cuts last week, and chatter about more power going to the individual Park Presidents) guess will just wait and see what happens.

I ended up getting, because my home park (and park President) is awesome. . . and once Season Pass was avail to go to multiple parks? yeah, I am in for next year already (and have used my new pass twice). so if these firings that are being referred to are the changes that happened the other day in Six Flags upper mgmt - where they heavily implied that the individual park Presidents/leadership would be taking more active roles for their parks, rather than Company Wide across all parks? I think that's a great move, and will inspire some of the lower ranking parks to work a bit smarter in getting attendance / opinions up. I'll also note: don't assume malice where it very easily could be a case of stupidity. example: That pass I bought that I referenced above? it's NO WHERE on the main SFFT site. When we were *in* the park on Saturday (for an event) and my friend was going to upgrade his daily ticket to a pass? *the people staffing Season Pass building AND the people staffing the Membership building* were unable to find the level of Season Pass that would include access to other parks on their systems (tho they could find the +$5 option to add parking to the pass good for your own park). but last night when he pinged me to say he still couldn't find the option anywhere online, I went back to the link that I had used two months ago, and it was still active and brought me right to the "tiered" pass options. and he was able to purchase. I refuse to believe that's any purposeful malice - and far more likely that someone just doesn't have the computer skills to keep the website updated accurately.

finally remembered to do this! I had a bunch of new coasters from my trip to Kings Island. . where 2 of them made my top 10 (one of them dropping into my top 3!), and several others making into my top 25.

^ find that VERY hard to believe, as the Holiday in the Park events bring in revenue. I'll wait for something official. . but certainly have a hard time believing they'd announce before the event is over in 2021, that it won't happen for 2022.

yup. hence my recommendation above too . LOL

honestly? a 2 day isn't gonna be enough (and I didn't even know those are offered). you'll want at least a 3 day / 2 night - or is that what you meant - so you can experience the evening entertainment, the meal options, etc. honestly, I'd go for a 5 day, so you get at least 1 "formal" night, so you can experience that. . . oh, and I would NOT do "Carnival" (ever personally, but certainly not for your 1st ever cruise). Do something nice, so you can actually experience a nice ship, with a somewhat classier crowd than one would get on Carnival. Don't get me wrong.. the TPR Klassy Cruise on Carnival looked like it was awesome - but they enjoyed the WTF of it as a group. For your 1st ever? yeah. . go for Royal Caribbean, Princess, or maybe even something more upscale like Celebrity or Disney.

^ I believe Fun Spot America has a "laydown" version on their starflyer. but they are still attached to the arms, not a harness type thing.

so this just came out in the SFFT newsletter:

certainly. tho 8 across is the "standard" for the big Dive Coasters, in meeting with B&M - SFFT and B&M realized that they could greatly reduce the cost of the coaster by sticking with the "standard" B&M track size (as opposed to the standard B&M Dive Coaster track, that is larger & wider than the standard B&M track). to stick with the standard track tho, they would have to completely redesign the trains - and B&M was up to the challenge. Not only does the 7-across seating mean that there will be 1 seat that rides dead center on the track (a 1st for a dive coaster), but the 7 across seating also has a little bit of "give" that will allow the row of seats to flex as it hits the forces on the track. I'm sure it won't be enough to really be noticeable (that "flex"), but really cool that SFFT is getting the first of it's kind dive coaster: "standard track width" 1st 7 across seating *and* steepest drop on a Dive Coaster. i'm guessing this is the first of many that will get cloned - because the cheaper cost for a B&M Dive Machine? yeah. .that's gonna be attractive to many other parks, I'd guess.

that long upside-down stall looks pretty amazing. can't wait to get a chance to ride this.

it's still the 1st post on their Facebook page (Heightened Imagery) but here ya go:

oh, I'm a Theme Park fan who goes to Parks to have fun, and not get hung up on stupid bullshit arguments about if a Roller Coaster that was built in the parking lot can be called a Parking Lot Coaster - because there are other coasters that are MORE built on parking lots.

to add. . I queried on FB that I didn't know if the "harness seats" are an upcharge, but assume they are going to be. and here is the Park President's response:

and here I thought someone "explaining to me" that a coaster built on part of the SFFT Parking Lot is NOT a Parking Lot coaster would be the most exasperating interaction I've seen today on TPR. Personal responsibility. the 20K+ people who went out to SDC can check the weather, and then it's their decision to go out or not. (or leave as a storm approaches) it's just silliness to say that the Park shouldn't have opened because their customers are too dumb to understand weather risk.

oh. . one additional thing worth noting. Skyscreamer has been adjusted with two sets of seats removed, and weird "harness" contraptions installed. while talking to a member of the Mgmt team, I asked about the two weird spots. . and was told that they are adding two "flying" options to the ride (!) I have to assume this will be an upcharge option. . but i also have to say. . um. . . HELL NO. (not for me). . .but cool for those who wanna ride Skyscreamer hanging only from a harness.