Sephiroth

Fantastic, glad to see my home park so well made. I really appreciate how accurate the whole thing is from layout to coaster to supports to buildings. Maybe could you a little more trees but that's very, very minor item and doesn't detract from the overall experience. I absolutely love this. Thank you for sharing, I can't wait to see more.

If I was an exec at Cedar Fair, I'd look at the data behind Valleyfair and take away the following points. Valleyfair has been operating at an overall profit for the last 15 years without the addition of a new roller coaster. Lost Island may be something new and flashy, but Wisconsin Dells is basically the same thing (actually better than Lost Island at the moment) at a similar distance, has been operating for a timespan of 30 (Mt Olympus) to 40 (Noah's Ark) years, and has not hurt Valleyfair's ability to draw crowds and generate profit. Valleyfair and Camp Snoopy/Nick-U have coexisted for... 30 years. Both parks are financially successful despite being 12-15 miles from each other. Valleyfair's major attractions dwarf the height of any of their competitor's major attractions by 100 ft or more (Wild Thing, Power Tower, Northern Lights), cementing itself as the big fish of the region according to public perception. Based on those points, the trend I'd be looking at is that making small, quality investments in Valleyfair is a verifiable, proven, data-driven, and reliable path to profit. Cedar Fair has the ability to not make a major investment (roller coaster) until they just one day feel the urge to do so, on a whim if so desired. It could be 2024, it could be never.

The advantage VF has is that the majority (vast majority) of the customer base is happy with how the park is and generally isn't bothered by a lack of a new roller coaster or other major additions year after year. The local community of the twin cities metro and surrounding area still regularly plan trips the park, just like they plan trips to Wisconsin Dells, MOA, State Fair, BWCA, Lake Superior, and their cabin, none of which change much year-over-year (the biggest exception to this being the Nick-U conversion at MOA several years ago, a one-time change for the most part). I've also noticed if people I know in the area want to see big, flashy attractions, most of them make a trip to Disney or Seaworld, and the small percentage of enthusiasts go to Cedar Point, Six Flags, or whatnot. Remember MN is in roughly the middle of the North American continent, so being able to go to the ocean while stopping by Disney in the same trip is appealing. As long as the locals keep buying tickets and season passes, the park is successful and doesn't need the draw of a major new roller coaster to stay financially stable. The property is pretty much in a wetland and the nearby airport caps any future ride at the same height as Power Tower, meaning major construction projects can be challenging. I want a big addition (roller coaster) just like the rest of you, but we are a small minority and this isn't politics so I don't think we'll get our way anytime soon...

So. Got a season pass this year for the first time. Worth the money in my opinion. I've made it to the park twice so far (I know, not a lot, but hey growing up if we made it once a year for bunch of years in a row it was a big deal lol), and both times have been really fun for me. First time was late May, and then second last Friday. The crowds were hardly noticeable both times, which surprised me. I mean, we maybe had to wait 2 trains tops for a coaster, but usually we could make the one being loaded or the next. Reading this thread throughout the years has been interesting. I guess I go against the grain in that I really just love the park the way it is. I love the rollercoasters, minus maybe Excalibur because I tend to be sore afterward. I like the flat rides, and I like how the park is just big enough. As in, spending a day or a half day is enough time to ride everything you want to at a relaxed pace and still get re-rides of your favorites. Also people tend to complain about Wild Thing being forceless. I guess I just disagree. Sitting in the front car I'm lifted from my seat over every hill until we pull into the station. And it's always been that way for me. Sure the figure-eight turnaround isn't super forceful but it's nice not feeling like I'm gonna pass out lol. It's just fun. Same for all the other rides. They're just fun. My siblings and I used to marathon the rides when our family went there. I mean we'd basically go to a rollercoaster, and ride it 2-6 times in a row. Then move to the next one. Rinse and repeat, haha! Honestly I can't do that anymore since 1 or 2 consecutive forceful rides make me motion sick now (I think my deteriorating eyesight might be a factor but who knows). Also I should mention the waterpark. Yes it's sad the flume is gone but they've really done a nice job with the space. Last Friday we must have rode the large raft ride (sorry I forget the name) 2 to 3 times in a row right up until the waterpark closed, we got the last ride of the evening watching the sunset!! It was an absolute blast and so was the rest of the day. All the coasters were hauling faster than I remember them being since it was so hot out, which was fun. The ride balance there is nice; on hot days we just hop on the wave, thunder canyon, and water rides. Then wander around the coasters or whatnot. It just works. Yeah Valleyfair isn't Cedar Point. I've been to Cedar Point. It was fun. The rides were unreal, in a good way. But it was... huge. Almost too big. I like Valleyfair for almost the same reasons others don't, which is amusing to say the least. I guess watching the discussion here is interesting. You see people saying "It's been x years since a new coaster was built!! We need a new one!!", and then hear the GP all like "Hey I don't remember that orange ride being here, let's check it out!!", or "Let's ride [insert favorite ride here] some more!!" I hear people thinking Steel Venom is just a few years old. They don't care really about how many rides per year Valleyfair builds, they're just having a blast with what's there. I even heard an adult male murmur "I want my mommy" during the end of a ride on Xtreme Swing, hahaha! I think in general the people that go to Valleyfair are pretty happy. You'd just never guess that if you listened to the "enthusiasts", haha! Anyway. Rant over. Sorry I didn't take any good pictures to show all of you during my visits, too busy having fun. Work is really stressful right now and Valleyfair does a wonderful job brightening my days/weekends. Keep on riding and enjoying yourselves, and have fun speculating. It's always a good time to try and guess what's next! Sincerely, A long time coaster nut. P.S. I read this over for spelling and grammar, but just in case, I apologize for anything I missed.

Been following since the beginning. And can I just say: PHENOMENAL. I'd write something more intelligent but I'm just so blown away. Amazing work and dedication to the project.

Hi guys! When I try to access the Game Exchange I get an all black screen with white text that simply reads "Could not connect." I've tried a few times today. Am I the only one experiencing this?

I thought it was really nice! Shame it's unfinished, as you clearly spent a lot of time on it. Also, is this you at NE? The name is awfully familiar. You should post some screenshots too so more people will want to download it!

Excalibur at Valleyfair. Hated it as a kid. Found the online community and they sung praises. I thought maybe I didn't give it a proper chance, rode it again, and still hated it, only with much more disappointment. Short layout, rough track-bending and transitions by Arrow, and it takes WAY too long to walk back there for that massive let-down.

Am I the only one who looks at all the TC construction pictures and thinks "Man, Goliath is one beautiful coaster"? Haha! Anyway, the pictures are looking nice, thanks for sharing.

Black Hawk Down: Never heard of it before and decided to give it a shot based on the reviews on Netflix. I was blown away. A lot of people argue about the politics and all that, but the film is about being a soldier and being there for your friends and allies no matter the cost. And I think that's really amazing. I own the movie now. The LEGO Movie: Biggest surprise of ... well of recent memory. When I was invited by some friends to go see the film shortly after release I wasn't sure what I was in for and kept my expectations low. What it turned into was four 20-something year old dudes laughing our rear-ends off throughout most of the film, and then singing "Everything is AWESOME!" all the way home.

It's starting to get above freezing regularly during the afternoons! Today was the first day since November that I went to class without a coat, just a hoodie. Here's a picture I took while walking home today around 2 PM, it's actually pretty warm out: 45 F. "Spring" At this rate the snow might be gone by either early or mid May! Whoo! The only downside is I've heard multiple stories of basements flooding due to all the water.

Hey look, it might actually get back above 0 F this month. Aaaaaand -50 F windchill.

Stay indoors tomorrow if you can, it's supposed to be dangerously cold here and I imagine other parts of the U.S. as well. High of -20 degrees F, windchill will make it feel like -45. BE CAREFUL!

Daytime highs of around 0 to -5 degrees F, nighttime lows of around -20. Windchill is usually around 10 to 20 degrees lower. There's also about 2 to 3 feet of snow. This is why northern roads wear out so fast. For example, Florida sees a year-round temperature change of maybe 50 degrees (60 to 110 I'm guessing), while here the difference is more like 120 degrees (-20 to 100, although Minneapolis was up to 114 last summer).

-4 F with a windchill of -21 F, which have lead to windchill advisories and frostbite warnings. High of -9 tomorrow. More people from the southern US need to post in this thread. It's hilarious.

Well it's not all that cold at the moment (32 F) but very snowy. We received roughly 20" of snow, give or take a few inches, between Monday and Tuesday. Currently having a blizzard and are scheduled to get up to 18" today. All said and done we should be up to almost 40" by the end of the night. Oh, and here's a fun shot of the radar as of 10:35 am, central time. A blizzard in the northern mid-west.

So it was all of a 10 degrees F here yesterday. I have to say that I always lol at "high 70s is cold!" Now, I understand that the human body will adjust it's "comfortable" temperature range depending on what climate you live in, but I still can't help but post this. Basically we northerners love to poke fun at the southerners' perceptions of "cold", so hopefully you read it to get a laugh out of it. (P.S. this is actually pretty accurate down to about 0, except that we close the windows way before that, then it takes a nose-dive into silly-ness.) At 65 degrees, Arizonans turn on the heat. People in Minnesota plant gardens. At 60, Californians shiver uncontrollably. People in Minnesota sunbathe. At 50, Italian & English cars won't start. People in Minnesota drive with the windows down.. At 40, Georgians don coats, thermal underwear, gloves, wool hats. People in Minnesota throw on a flannel shirt. At 35, New York landlords finally turn up the heat. People in Minnesota have the last cookout before it gets cold. At 20, People in Miami all die. Minnesotans close their windows. At 0, Californians fly away to Mexico . People in Minnesota get out their winter coats. At 10 below zero, Hollywood disintegrates. The Girl Scouts in Minnesota are selling cookies door to door. At 20 below, Washington DC runs out of hot air. (Ya think? Nah.). People in Minnesota let their dogs sleep indoors. At 30 below, Santa Claus abandons the North Pole. Minnesotans get upset because they can't start the snowmobile. At 40 below, ALL atomic motion stops. People in Minnesota start saying..."Cold enough for ya, eh?" At 50 below, hell freezes over. Minnesota public schools will open 2 hours late.

Very unfinished.

Valleyfair! is now in the game exchange. Enjoy!

In 2006 I began work on a scenario of Valleyfair! similar to the Six Flags scenarios included in the game. I finished in 2007, and not long afterward I thought I had lost the file. However, to my delightful surprise, I had not lost the file like I had originally thought. I will soon be uploading this scenario to the game exchange, so be on the lookout. Also included will be a "Build Your Own Valleyfair!" much like the other "Build Your Own Six Flags ________ " scenarios. Here are some screens: SCR2.BMP The entrance and objective. SCR3.BMP Corkscrew and the Minnesota River Valley Railroad. SCR4.BMP Mild Thing SCR5.BMP An assortment of rides. SCR6.BMP Thunder Canyon

Ok, I've upgraded to the newly uploaded scenarios and I can open all of them EXCEPT for Mel's World. When I try to open the scenario I get a "File Contains Invalid Data" error. Is this something on my end? I'd really love to see this scenario, it has always been one of my favorites!

These are awesome A.J. Two scenarios that I was always fond of are Karts & Coasters and Crumbly Woods. It would be great if you could do those!

The files for the stuff mentioned in the first post are now in the exchange, as well as a wooden coaster design, Tornadus. Here are some screens of that:

The exchange upload function is working for me now! Thanks for your help!